In 2009, the farmhouse owners required a heating system that would reduce reliance upon depleting oil reserves whilst saving money and making the home more environmentally friendly. After searching the market, Solaris (Solar thermal panels) from renewable energy specialists REM fitted the bill.

These panels connected to their existing boiler and an REM Sanicube

Balcony Systems, one of the UKs leading suppliers of glass balustrading and curved sliding patio doors, has launched its new BalcoNano

Author, Shannon Cook, has published “No Weird or Fancy Stuff — Great Food for Everyday Eating,” a California girl’s collection of 36 fun and tasty recipes. A cookbook created with easy-to-shop-for ingredients, devised with easy-to-make directions, and filled with quirky illustrations, No Weird or Fancy Stuff encourages readers to share the recipes with family and friends, to tailor the recipes to their liking with a little more of this and a little less of that, and to have fun in the kitchen.

Created as part cookbook, part walk down memory lane, each recipe includes an entertaining description or “enlightenment” on the inspiration or history on how the recipe came to be. No Weird or Fancy Stuff conjures up picturesque images of a carefree way of life of backyard summer BBQs with close friends; all night gabfests with girlfriends; childhood parental tribulations and even a slice of humble pie. And the “anything in moderation is fine” motto eases the mind when consuming some of the more guilty-pleasure recipes.

With just the right amount of tempting recipes, from the effortless Beach BBQ Coleslaw to comfort staple Manly Meatloaf and the decadent Killer Brownies, the No Weird or Fancy Stuff cookbook is sure to be an indispensable favorite for planning a get together, a work night dinner or for just an entertaining read.

Published as an electronic book, “No Weird or Fancy Stuff” is priced at just $ .99, for a limited time thru March 18th (use Coupon Code #FS83J), and then will be normally priced at $ 1.99 and is currently available for purchase at Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/133928. It is also slated for distribution to Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony and Amazon in the coming weeks.

About Smashwords:

Founded in 2008, Smashwords operates the worlds leading eBook publishing and distribution platform serving authors, publishers, readers and retailers. Smashwords makes it free and easy for the worlds authors and publishers to instantly publish and distribute their books as multi-format eBooks. Smashwords puts authors and publishers in full control over the pricing, sampling and distribution of their works. Authors and publishers receive up to 85 percent of the net proceeds from sales of their works. Smashwords has distribution relationships with leading online retailers such as Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony and Diesel eBooks, and leading mobile e-reading apps including Aldiko, Stanza, Kobo, FBReader and Word-Player, spanning all major mobile platforms including Android, Blackberry and iPhone. Privately held Smashwords is based in Los Gatos, California, and can be reached on the web at http://www.smashwords.com/.

About Shannon Cook:

Shannon Cook is a Southern California native who grew up in the late 60s and early 70s as a quintessential beach girl. Her creative spirit has led her to dabble in everything from cake decorating, pottery, stained glass, interior decorating and fashion design, to too many other things to mention. Most of those pursuits have gone by the wayside, but some, like cooking and photography, seem to have stuck, as has her passion for travel and the outdoors. She fuels her creativity with lots of wine, trips to exotic locales and crazy bucket list adventures. If she doesn’t have a trip in the pipeline she goes nuts, and is frankly writing this book for the sole purpose of paying for her travel addiction and the occasional splurge on shoes. To quiet her sometimes chaotic “squirrel” mind, she loves to walk on the beach with her dog, standup paddle surf, ride bikes, ski and do yoga. Shannon Cook lives in Southern California with her honey, Scott, their Cairn Terrier, Tassie, and cat, Coonie. No Weird or Fancy Stuff is her first book.

Contact: Shannon Cook – shancook(at)roadrunner(dot)com – (714) 525-0869

Oaklands Piedmont Performing Arts School (PPAS), affiliated with the PPAS/Miamore Piano Studio will be sponsoring a three week summer theater camp in the Oakland Hills – Skyline for children ages 8 to 15. In its seventh year, the camp will start on August 6 and continue until August 24. Classes will run during the work week, Mondays through Fridays, and last from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Parents should drop their children off at Oakland Hills – Skyline at the Skyline Community Church. The children will be putting on a play, called Mr. Toad’s Mad Adventure’s, based on the book “Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. To sign up, please visit ppasstudio.org.

Parents want their children to have an activity that is educational and fun over the summer and children want something great to do to alleviate the boredom that can come with summer. PPAS is offering that great thing! Some things that make PPAS Summer Drama Theater Camp unique is that camp is held in a natural setting, surrounded by trees and tucked away in the lovely Oakland Hills, giving the children one of the most beautiful views in Oakland. Its diverse in age, school backgrounds and skill levels. This makes PPAS camp perfect for the advanced drama student as well as the beginner.

Student activities will be geared toward producing a play and doing so in just three weeks. This is an awesome way to jumpstart a child’s self-confidence in public speaking and social skills. Theater games and activities transform even the shyest of children in such a fun and creative way when it comes to performing onstage. It’s amazing to see the difference after PPAS summer camp! Students learn not only about acting, but directing and leadership skills, technical theater aspects and work on putting together costumes and props. The children learn teamwork, leadership and how to express themselves creatively. There are no parents backstage so the students put on the play themselves. This is very unique in the theater world.

Lauren Prentiss, a former and future student, exclaims, “The teachers have really good ideas and suggestions for practicing our plays. Drama is fun because we get to rehearse our lines, play games and sing. I was proud of everyone after our play was over. We all want to go to summer camp again and we will!”

Lydia Deck, a parent of one of the children says, “Clare has really enjoyed her drama experience with your group over the summer. She has gained a great deal of confidence. It has been fun seeing her imaginary play evolve and mature into performing on stage. Thanks!”

For more information, please call 510-926-4068. PPAS/Miamore Studios is located at 271 Vernon Street Suite 101 in Oakland. The Drama Theater Camp will be held at Skyline Community Church in Oakland.

About PPAS/Miamore Studios

The PPAS/Miamore Piano Studios offers piano music lessons in Oakland, specializing in the Simply Music method of teaching. The Certified and Licensed Simply Music Piano Teachers, Kristin Fairfield and Amir Zitro, give piano classes to all ages using the Play A Story – an innovative new piano program of musical exploration designed by Simply Music for the very young. Simply Music pioneers a new direction in music education by looking at music in a totally different light. Because of this, students of all ages play contemporary, classical, gospel, accompaniment and blues piano from their very first lessons.

Valentine’s Day in the Smoky Mountains, thanks to bobzio.com, a co-op of Gatlinburg cabin rental owners and home exchangers, can be a special memory and easy on the pocketbook or billfold. Each listing on Bobzio.com is individually owned and each owner is free to opt into the special Valentine Promotion. Travelers should contact each rental separately and inquire about their level of participation.

Besides the discount, guests can arrange romantic extras including flowers, a bed of roses, or even a candlelight dinner for two. Valentine’s Day is the number one day for marriage proposals. So why not pop the question during a romantic weekend in the mountains?

Some cabins are just minutes from Great Smoky Mountain National Park and feature perks such as fireplaces, outdoor hot tubs with spectacular mountain views, king-size beds and gourmet kitchens, making them an ideal place for romantic getaways.

Visitors can go to http://www.bobzio.com and contact cabin owners directly to arrange that special Valentine’s Getaway. Cabin owners are invited to start a free listing on bobzio.com. The free listing offer is good to the first 20,000 new members. After this there will be a one time fee of $ 1000 but this will be good for a lifetime. Here is a link to a video showing how easy the signup process is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOwKNH0c7Gg

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Conservatory Outlet, a manufacturer of uPVC conservatories, windows and doors has posted impressive sales figures for the first six months of 2009, compared to the same period of 2008.

The company has increased turnover by 15.4% despite the housing market collapse and saturation in the UK PVC-u window and conservatory industry. As many double glazing companies have struggled over the last 18 months with falling demand, Conservatory Outlet has steadily seen demand grow from its dealer base.

“Conservatory Outlet is not a normal trade window supplier.” explains Matthew Glover (Managing Director). “We put a lot of effort into helping our dealers generate leads and sales, rather than going out to find new dealers. All of our growth has been achieved through our Conservatory Outlet dealers growing.”

Conservatory Outlet provides each dealer with their own quality website, and organise driving traffic to the website with a combination of SEO and PPC campaigns. They also keep each dealer website updated with new product updates, news items and topics of interest.

The company has also invested heavily in two major product developments. Firstly, Conservatory Outlet has been one of the pioneering companies, developing the new Energy Rated Windows alongside the BFRC. The dealers are now selling a high percentage of their double glazing windows as A Rated – the very best energy efficient window available.

Secondly, they have developed a cost effective version of an ‘orangery’. Most consumers expect orangeries to be expensive additions to a home, but Conservatory Outlet uPVC orangeries are very affordable in comparison with traditional orangeries, or brick built extensions and sunrooms.

Matthew Glover explains, “We’re selling a lot of orangeries this year, with people preferring the look of the brick pillars and internal lighting pelmet. Basically, they look more like a proper room to the house, than a tradition uPVC conservatory”.

Of course, Conservatory Outlet still offer the full range of other uPVC conservatories, such as Lean-tos, Victorian and Edwardian conservatories, but the company sees a definite switch to more contemporary designs.

Conservatory Outlet have 12 showrooms now in the UK, with outlets in York, Harrogate, Mirfield, Wakefield, Leeds, Kendal, Leyland, Holmes Chapel, Oswestry, Newtown, Pontypool and Raglan. From these showrooms they cover Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Shropshire and most of Wales.

The company is confident that the strong results will continue with similar growth in the second half of 2009 through existing outlets, and then a plan to add more dealerships in 2010. For more information contact Matthew Glover at Conservatory Outlet at http://www.ConservatoryOutlet.co.uk

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Visit Appliance Repair Service at http://www.dryerrepair.biz . Dryer Repair is a nationwide dryer repair service provider. Offering new lower prices on appliance repair and service on all makes and models of appliances anywhere in the United States. Technicians are standing by locally to help. Dryer Repair technicians are factory trained and, waiting to handle any and all dryer repair and service problems.

Dryer Repair Service has been serving communities all over the United States since 1995. With a commitment to quality and service that sets Dryer Repair apart from the competition. For all major brands of washers and dryers repair and service, Dryer Repair is number 1 in customer satisfaction. With a commitment to quality that exceeds the industry standard in customer service. Dryer repair has expanded operations recently providing even more trained service technicians in all areas of the country.

Paver Search, Inc. the premier online resource for paver information has announced the launch of their new patio paver guide for the entire hardscaping and paver Industry of paver professionals and homeowners alike.

The new patio paver guide has been developed to inform and educate homeowners and do-it-yourselfers on the latest information on pavers and hardscapes. This new patio paver guide has been launched in an effort to provide the general public with quality information and resources with the latest, most relevant articles on patio pavers, says Candace Leary, Media Director.

The patio paver guide provides homeowners and do-it-yourselfers the latest techniques and industry trends on patio pavers, from design ideas, installation tips, patterns, shapes and colors, to name a few topics. There is also a zip code locator for finding fully screened paver installers and suppliers throughout the USA who specialize in designing and installing patio pavers.

We receive a lot of requests about patio pavers from our website visitors and we felt the need to empower them with everything they could ever want to know about the subject, she says. PaverSearch.com provides a wealth of free paver and hardscaping related information, while boasting the largest network of Paver Installers, Dealers and Manufacturers throughout the entire United States.

For more information about Paver Search, visit our new website at: http://www.paversearch.com, or call (800) 388-5165.

About Paver Search, Inc.

Paver Search, Inc., http://www.paversearch.com, is a privately held corporation consisting of knowledgeable professionals with many years of paver industry experience, combined with expertise in all phases of the hardscape and paver industry. Find us on Facebook and Twitter # paversearchinc.

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Traditionally, bottles of wine are stored in traditional wine racks or wine cellars but Michael Kitson, owner and president of Wine Rack Store wanted something different for a storage offering that was both functional and appeasing to the eye. Kitson took to the drawing board and came up with a few original designs for wine storage solution that would function as both a everyday furniture and a wine display.

In the Wine Rack Store arsenal of wine furniture, customers can now find unique pieces like a wine coffee table, wine tasting table and various other wine glass holder tables and wine display combinations. Our Wine Coffee Table is truly unique. We guarantee that you wont find anything else like it on the market. This table is definitely a piece thats perfect for a wine lovers living room or family room, said Kitson. The coffee table holds up to 38 bottles of wine and has a convenient drawer, accessible from both sides of the table that can be used for remote and TV Guide storage.

Practical, functional, elegant, and sturdy, this wine rack coffee table is the envy of all my wine buddies. Even the owners of a winery I work for part time are impressed with this, said James Hutchings, who purchased the coffee table for his home in Pennsylvania.

The Wine Coffee Table as well as all the other wine furniture, are made with the same durable redwood as traditional Wine Rack Store wine racks and wine cellars and come in a choice of natural wood or one of 24 water-based stain color options to match existing d

Recently at one of Isha Foundation’s meditation sessions, a group of 250 seniors were guided by volunteers in learning a simple but powerful process with the potential to greatly improve their daily quality of life. After the process, one 99 year-old woman in attendance smiled broadly and shared how happy she was and how much the process had touched her. Called Isha Kriya, the meditation that she learned has been shown to reduce stress, which can ease chronic ailments and reduce need for medications. When practiced regularly, this meditation can improve wellbeing by reorganizing the bodys energy.These free Isha Kriya meditation sessions will play a large part of Isha Foundations Heath and Yoga Awareness Week (Feb 20th 26th), conducted for the purpose of sharing the health benefits of yoga and meditation with the senior community as well as students, medical professionals, and the general public.

Kalpana Rajdev, MD Geriatrician and foundation volunteer, states, The elderly community is unfortunately faced with so many health challenges including chronic ailments and decline in memory and functionality, yet they’re mostly offered medication as a solution. Very few are aware of the immense benefits of meditation. Meditation is simple to do, easy to learn, free of cost, has no side effects, and offers numerable health benefits. Meditation tops all my prescriptions!

Though the volunteers plan to return back a few times to reinforce the technique, Isha Kriya is simple enough for seniors to continue on their own, and with regular practice they can expect reduced anxiety and stress. As a result, chronic ailments can improve, and even some medications can become unnecessary, improving overall quality of life. Dr. Rajdev remarks that this improvement and lessened need for medications resonates particularly well with the senior participants, as does the prospect of improved memory and concentration.

Another Isha volunteer, Gomathy Swamy, has visited members of the Indian Senior Citizens Assoc., as well as residents of four residential living centers (The Solana at Cinco Ranch, Atria Senior Living, Sunrise Senior Living and The Terrace at Willow Brook). Its such a privilege to be able to offer this to seniors, she says. I love to see sparks of enthusiasm, which seem to return them to an earlier time. I get wonderful glimpses of them in their prime. She reports that in the centers, both participants and administrative staff have expressed their hope to continue to come together and practice the meditation, perhaps adding it to the daily schedule.

To learn more about the health benefits of meditation and Isha Foundations Health and Yoga Awareness Week, visit http://www.BeBreatheBlossom.com/Health or email houston(at)ishafoundation(dot)org.

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