Month: May 2019

Want to Learn Surfing?

Aha! Get a surfing app for this coming surfing contest. Whenever we hear of the term “surfing”, instantly a scene plays automatically in front of our eyes. We imagine ourselves on a surf board riding on the crest of a wave and showing off many fancy moves to our friends who are watching from the shore. It is not unusual at all because we often see pictures of celebrities surfing or we see this popular sport in movies.

So wouldn’t you like to learn surfing so that you can turn the imagination into reality? Now when we see others riding on the waves and showing off their moves, it might look like a piece of cake but that is assuredly not true. Unlike any other sport, it is an art and you have to learn to master it so that you can perform the moves flawlessly.

Next time when you go on a vacation, why don’t you try your hand at this sport? Nowadays, there are many surf schools that teach surfing to children and adults. Don’t be under the misconception that they will charge you an arm and a leg. The rates are quite reasonable and the lessons are quite enjoyable and thrilling.

If you are visiting the place during the peak season, then there are high chances of the surf camps being already booked. This sport is a huge hit with teenagers, adolescents, and adults so when the holiday season begins loads of tourists flock to the surf camps that are held so that they can learn surfing. That is why it is preferable that you register quite some time in advance so that you are not disappointed.

How do surf camps work? It is extremely simple. The classes are designed according to the age of the person. For instance, the lessons for small kids and adolescents will be slightly different. Adults will be taught in a different manner altogether. The trained and qualified staff will make sure of your safety at each step so you can rest assured that you will be in good hands.
When you are thinking of joining a surf camp, what better place other than Hawaii? The warm and sunny weather and the blue waters of the ocean form the perfect setting for you to try your hand at surfing. www.surfschoolshi.com is one of the best surf schools in Hawaii as it has some of the most efficient instructors on board. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to ride the waves and scream your lungs out!

Top 5 Team Building Ideas for the Corporate

Team building is a very important aspect of any business to run efficiently, a well spent team building is through Sydney picnic spots. If you are involved in conducting activities, events and training related to team building, then you are reading the right article. Whether it is a weekend picnic with the office mates or a corporate training in the field, you need to have excellent team building skills, as an organizer.

There are many resorts and hotels, which help you to organize these events, in a balanced way, which includes fun and professionalism. Mumbai is a busy city, which is full of corporate and would demand such outings often. It is necessary to maintain a healthy relation with the staff, as the number of staff working in each corporate is normally more than 500. Thus, these business firms take help from resorts like naturetrails for activities related to corporate team building.

Below are some of the tips, which would help you to conduct these team building activities efficiently:

1. Participation:

Send out the teasers, roll out emails and send reminders to encourage participation. Your motive behind conducting a corporate team building outing is to ensure that you have maximum participation. Volunteering really helps in encouraging the staff to open up and thus, create a friendly environment at work.

2. Arrange sports activities:

Even if this is an official meet outside at a resort, you need to have a little exercise time as a quick ice breaker. This will help the new staff to open up with the seniors and bring out comfortability in the office environment. You may arrange for a sport that involves more people such as cricket, football tournament, volleyball, etc.

3. Arrange for a Karaoke evening:

This is one of the most common planned activitiesofany corporate, and is easily arranged by the resorts near Mumbai. Music is the best way to get your employees break the shell of shyness. You may arrange for a singing competition at a resort near Mumbai, followed by a buffet dinner.

4. Field trip to the mountains:

At times, working in a city becomes too monotonous and boring. Due to strenuous working hours and work pressure, the employees do not get a chance to take a break. This may lead to frequent mood swings at work and sharing of negative energy in the environment. The best option to prevent this boredom is to take your staff for a day picnic, somewhere near Mumbai. There are some ideal places, which are best for a day trekking, mountaineering and kayaking, just about 2 hours from Mumbai.

5. Membership with the travel agencies:

There are many travel companies, which provide corporate packages for larger groups. These travel agents also provide a corporate membership, by fixing few resorts that would be dedicated for the trainings and outings. These are more beneficial from the cost point of view, as the competition pressurizes the travel companies to provide excellent deals. By choosing a membership, you also have a liberty to customize your training sessions and fun activities.

Premature Baby Charity Knitting Patterns

Do you want to knit for a good cause? Wondering where to start? Is there a need? With your generous donation, you can help support the educational hopes and dreams of thousands of Indigenous youth across Canada, help the community donate now.

Yes there is!

Whether you are nutty about knitting or an eager novice with your needles paused there are lots of charities to choose from. Knitting for charity can definitely be fun, but it can also be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things you’ll ever do.

Have you knitted for your children? Your grandchildren? Your friends’ children? Your friends’ childrens’ children? Knitting baby clothes is quick and rewarding but sometimes there are just not enough babies in your social circle to knit for. If you love knitting beautiful little items of baby clothing then why not think about charity knitting for premature babies?

There are lots of ways that you can click your knitting needles for a worthy cause. The information here will help you begin charity knitting for premature babies. There is something sweet about knitting a little item for the tiniest of babies. Not only are you providing an individual gift for someone who urgently needs it, but also baby clothes are quick and simple to make! So it’s gratifying in more ways than one. Even if you’re a novice this is a venture you can start and see through right to the end. Read on for some great general guidance on charity knitting for premature babies and some details of particular charities you can have a look at before you decide who to knit for. The charities often offer free knitting patterns.

Where can I find Premature Baby Charity Knitting Patterns?

  • Bliss

One of the many ways that you can support Bliss is by knitting for babies in special care units. Knitted items are most helpful for babies about to go home, but there is also a need for blankets and hats for babies in hospital. Knitted items are often not suitable for intensive care units – stitched cotton is preferable. However for larger babies, and in high dependency and special care units, knitted items are often very welcome.

Bliss asks that to reduce their costs volunteer knitters help by sending items direct to their local unit, and not to Bliss. To find the address of your local unit, and to check which items they have requested to receive, please contact Bliss via their website.

Bliss also use Knitted breasts. The knitted breasts allow nurses to easily demonstrate to women important massage techniques that let them stimulate their milk production and express their valuable first drops of milk. They are particularly helpful when there are language barriers. Woollen breasts are a brilliant free alternative to expensive teaching aids that are used by health professionals to educate new mothers to express by hand before going on to use an electric pump.

  • Bonnie Babies

This charity sends premature baby outfits and blankets to special care baby units around the UK and to parents who need support. A mother who needed a way to deal with the loss of her premature child founded Bonnie Babies six years ago. Bonnie Babies makes premature clothing, blankets, and burial outfits for U.K. Special Baby Care Units and families. Their aim is to show each mother and family that there are people thinking of them and caring for them.

Bonnie Babies mainly makes blankets for premature babies. They provide patterns for toys, hats, and sweaters (including a “5 Hour Baby Sweater!”), but blankets are quick, simple to make, and guaranteed to fit. Families can then continue to treasure them long after the child is grown.

Feed the Children

Feed The Children is a UK charity that has a knitting pattern for a jumper appropriate for children of all ages. They are also look for knitted hats, gloves and scarves.

  • Early Angels

This is a site based in the U.K set up to help people to knit, crochet or sew clothes, blankets and other keepsakes for premature, low birth weight and sadly stillborn babies. They have a wide range of free knitting, crochet and sewing patterns accessible on their pattern page.

The charities have a lot of information on their websites, below is some general advice to help you get those needles clicking.

Colours

Pastel colours are the most popular. Apart from baby pinks and blues other colours, which may be chosen, are: Lemon, Cream, White, Mint Green, Peach, Lilac and Aqua. It is accepted that bright and dark colours should be avoided as they often make premature babies look frailer. When knitting burial garments the advice suggests its best to use colours such as white or cream and to avoid pinks, blues and lilacs, as they are not appropriate for the colouring of a stillborn baby.

Yarn

Premature babies have very delicate skin and can often be allergic to wool; therefore it is best to steer clear of garments made with a wool mix. Acrylic yarn is more appropriate when knitting for preemies. Ideal yarn to use for preemie knits is baby double knit or 4ply yarn. Most preemie patterns will use these.

Size

Don’t put too much importance on trying to perfect the size of a preemie item of clothing. There is a great difference between premature baby sizes and so an item of any size should be suitable for at least one baby. As a general guide premature babies head circumference is roughly the same as their chest circumference. The average premature babies chest measurements are 8″-14″. However clothes of all sizes are needed for preemies, so no matter how big or small your item is it will most likely fit at least one baby.

Fastenings

Plain flat half-inch buttons are best to use for fastening. Avoid nylon and metal fastenings, as they get very hot under the incubator heaters. Do not use Velcro as a fastening, it is very scratchy on the hook side and also damages knitted garments when they are laundered. Ease of dressing is vital for preemies and as a general rule it is best not to use ribbon as a fastening as ribbon can often be fussy to tie on a garment so small.

The charities involved usually have free knitting patterns and advice on their websites so do not be worried by all the details as you really will be able to find a garment to suit both your knitting skills and the babies needs

Knitting items for premature babies can be very worthwhile and rewarding. It is definitely appreciated by the charities and the families who receive them. If you are excited by the prospect of getting your knitting needles working for charity and want to explore charity knitting for other organisations here are some other ideas to help your search.

Charity Clowns

Teddies for Tragedies

Algerian Action

Save the Children

Knitting for Operation Christmas Child

The Sailors’ Society

Loving Hands

Operation Elderly Charity Stitcher

The Baby Pack Project

I hope you find the right premature baby charity knitting patterns to suit your skills and enjoy the rewards of knitting for charity.

I am a mom to one gorgeous little boy who was impatient to be born, arriving early at 34 weeks. I am not a great knitter but know the importance of donated items to mothers of premature babies. Find out more:

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jo_Carthew/327237

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Skiing Tips For The New Players

Sunny skies and blooming wildflowers set the ideal atmosphere for a heli skiing Canada in Aspen. Skiing is an adventure sport that offers a great combination of speed, thrill, and fun. During the winter season, numerous people head towards mountains where they can enjoy this sport. As a result, many people start their skiing career every year. This clearly explains the kind of popularity the sport has gained over several decades. If you are also planning to start skiing either as a career or just for some fun, it is quite important to follow few tips that will help you glide smoothly along the snowy mountains.

For an absolute first-timer in skiing, it is wiser to rent skis than to buy them in the beginning. In addition to skis, you can also consider renting all the ski gears, including the gloves and the goggles. This is because these gears are usually quite expensive. You should buy them only after you have assessed how much you actually like the sport based on your first experience.

While renting or purchasing your skis for the first time, it is important to ensure that you choose skis that are nearly 30 cm shorter than your height. This is required for a good grip and balance. If you don’t get your first pair of skis right, you are likely to spoil your first ski experience. While selecting your ski shoes, you should check how comfortable and lightweight they are. They should not restrict the motion of your toes within the shoe, but at the same time they shouldn’t be loose enough to let your foot lift off the base.

After you have worn your ski protective accessories, such as helmets, goggles, and gloves, etc., take a few minutes to check if anything is loose, broken, or just plain uncomfortable. This will reduce the chances of any accidents during skiing. Also, it will minimize the possibilities of getting distracted because of unimportant things. A right set of ski helmet, ski goggles, and ski gloves is very important for your protection as well as for your comfort during the sport.

Balancing your weight is the most important skill while you are skiing. You need to remain calm and balanced right from your beginning stance. It would be better to have your first ski experience under the supervision of an experienced skier. Even if you can’t find anyone who is sufficiently experienced in skiing, you can certainly observe the weight balancing techniques as used by others before you start skiing.

How To Have A Celebrity-Style Wedding Reception On A Cheap Budget

All small wedding reception venues Melbourne at the Chalet get exclusive use of the Wattle Park Chalet’s Grand Hall and private garden for your reception and ceremony, as well as our wonderful park for photos. Have you always dreamed of an elaborate wedding reception, but have become content with a simple reception to save money and/or time? Well, you shouldn’t give up on your dreams. Your wedding is a special day and you don’t want to have to look back wishing you had done things differently. It is in your best interest to create the wedding that will be most memorable and happy for you. Despite widespread notions, having a celebrity-style wedding reception doesn’t have to mean cleaning out your bank account. By using some unconventional resources you can have the wedding reception to rival those of celebrities, but without the high cost.

Get Organized Before you can actually start putting your celebrity-style wedding reception together, you need to get yourself organized. Think about what you want. At this stage, don’t worry about how much things will cost. When you get to the shopping stage you will be able to determine what is feasible or not. The main items you should include on your list are wedding venue, decorations, food and drink, placecards, centerpieces, and music.

Enlist the Troops If you want to save money on your wedding reception-skip hiring a professional. These individuals are typically highly skilled in what they do and their fees prove it! Your best bet is to find people who are willing to help you for free. You shouldn’t have look further than your family and friends. Enlist the services of as many people as you can. This includes children. Children can be especially helpful with repetitive crafts, so include them in your wedding reception plans. Don’t wait until the last minute to solicit assistance. Let people know way in advance that you will need them to help you with your wedding reception.

Time to Shop With your list of wedding reception ideas in hand, it is time to start shopping. The venue for your wedding reception will probably be the most expensive part of the reception. Cheap alternatives that don’t look cheap include restaurants and church halls. If you choose to have your wedding reception at a restaurant, make sure that you can use your own flatware, plates, and glasses. You can purchase elegant versions of these at discount shops for less than $100, depending on the number of guests you invite. Simplify food at your wedding reception by having three choices from which your guests can choose when they RSVP to your invitation. Caters charge less when you order by the plate. As an added touch you can place a delicious assortment of divinity on each table. For your centerpieces and decorations, hobby shops offer the best prices. You can find design ideas that you can create you and your troops can create for very little. Placecards aren’t a necessity, but if you have assigned people at tables, placecards will help people to find their table. You can create your own wedding reception placecards by purchasing an inexpensive greeting card software program and elegant paper. You will need an inkjet printer to print the cards. Unless you know someone who will offer you a cheap price for wedding reception music, skip the DJ and the live band. Creating a few CDs of various popular love songs is a less expensive choice.

Reward the Troops A wedding dinner with the wedding party (bride, groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents) just before the wedding ceremony is traditional. It is a good idea to either invite your wedding reception helpers to this dinner or to a separate fun event. At this event you should show your appreciation for helping make your wedding reception the best ever!

Epic Characters And Storylines Were Once Concept Art Too!

Creating the concept board frames artist Sydney has a lot more to offer job opportunities. ‘Optimus Prime’, ‘Prince of Persia’, ‘Green Lantern’ and many more such characters that have managed to capture our imagination over the years, simply started out as Concept Art. In fact, movies such ‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘Avataar’ and ‘Planet of the Apes’ have some extensive concept art that goes into them before they can materialize onscreen. So when you see one of the Transformers “transform” in and out of their actual form, remember that they were first put onto a piece of paper, or monitor before any of the “transforming” could take place. Every feature, mood, and personality was captured at this very stage of conceptualization.

So, what is Concept Art? Very simply put, it is a form of illustration that’s used to create a tangible, visual representation of an idea. This idea could include a design, a backdrop, a character or even a mood. In short, it is the basic look and feel of all the elements that the game, movie, animation or comic is going to present to its audience. It is the base upon which most sci-fi and fantasy movies, video games and comic books are rolled out. The idea of ‘concept art’ was first introduced in 1930 and further popularized by artists in the automobile and gaming industry.

Concept art earlier involved fine artists wielding out their paint brushes and palettes to stroke out characters and the basic environment with which they will interact. In the more evolved era, the use of software like Photoshop and Corel Painter, as well as dedicated graphics tablets has made life much easier for concept artists to put across their vision, that too within the deadlines. However, to successfully enjoy the benefits of such technology, the artist must be familiar with how paints would blend on an actual canvas.

With the advancement in technology and expectations of the audience, concept art has come to include traditional painting techniques to photo realistic practices. A concept artist begins working with simple sketches of the initial idea, and refines them to finally transform into the realistic pictures required by the company. This makes concept artists almost enigmas of the art world.

So the next time you decide to collect the sands of time in a Prince of Persia, or fling across an Angry Bird, or choose a weapon in Mafia Wars, remember it was all just concept art at one point in time!

Give Your Sales Team A Routine Checkup

The staff working lunches are very good way to reward your employees. The sales world is ever changing. And, the truth is that many of us are probably guilty of paying more attention to our car’s maintenance than to the “shape and condition” of the relationships that we take part in every day.

Because of how jam packed our lives are, in general, who has time to “stop” what we are doing to check in with everyone about what is working and what is not?

The old saying, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” doesn’t apply to sales.

Everywhere in business, no matter what business it is, there’s always room for growth and improvement. And, in many workplaces, people are less inclined to let themselves be heard, so as not to appear to be “rocking the boat”. With so many employees fearing for their jobs more than ever, it’s not always easy to get them to speak up about what may be on their minds.

I am not talking about annual reviews. Rather, I am proposing that managers make more of an effort to keep open lines of communication between them and their sales team. There’s nothing worse than when you have members of your staff or team who feel either intimidated by their superiors, or if they feel that an “open door” policy does not exist. Of course, this does not mean that you want everyone running to you with every little problem that comes along. But it does mean that you and the company that you work for care about those who work within their walls, and you can show that caring by listening to those who either have ideas to share, or criticisms that need to be known, as well.

Arrange informal lunches every so often with your sales team to allow for “brainstorming” new ideas, or bringing to light any problems that may have presented themselves along the way. Do not wait for a formal “business meeting” for people to talk. This is not always a situation that will encourage them to say the things that they want, so be sure to provide them with just such an avenue.

Open lines of communication are critical for every relationship to work, and therefore are a “must” in sales.

Never underestimate the power of the human word. Ipads, texting, emails, etc. – all of these media are fine. However, if the person sending the message does not know how to properly communicate their words to others, the message will mean nothing.

We should never be so busy that it interferes with out ability to interact with and be available to others. Just as when you are involved in getting a sale, anticipate problems before they become too big to handle. Always let your sales people know that their voice in the company matters. And lastly, it also provides you with an opportunity to offer your advice without sounding too harsh, as well. Every good conversation starts with good listening – dialogue vs. monologue. Make sure you always keep the balance, and you will find less surprises along the way.

Make Your Office More Green

Going green in the office should be good for the staff and for the company but despite this, many firms will struggle to implement green initiatives unless they have a specific policies in place and a member of staff prepared to champion the green cause. Office rubbish removal Sydney provide recycling when we remove computers, printers, copy machines, copiers, monitors, networking equipment, and any other big bulky computer machinery.

This is because making changes requires time and effort, as well as in some cases an initial outlay of capital, whereas doing nothing, even if that means higher ongoing costs, is often the easy option.

If you have the ability to make and implement decisions that can have a positive (or negative) green impact on your office you should be considering the environmental impact of those decisions as part of the decision making process.

This does not mean that if you are not in a position to authorise changes within your company that you can not initiate these changes, although it does mean you may have to work harder to make an impact by assessing where improvements can be made and making the case to those who do have the power to make changes.

As with many things, simple steps can have a large positive impact. Two areas that can have immediate green advantages without significant cost expenditure are in the areas of recycling and energy use.

Rubbish and recycling collections may be organised by your company or through the building management and whilst changes to the provision of waste collection will require cooperation from the current provider, changes will also need the involvement of staff and your daily cleaners. Many refuse collection services now work on the basis of collecting office rubbish in the categories of general recycling and non recyclable waste. There is usually a cost advantage in sorting waste with the recycling being cheaper to dispose of than rubbish that goes to landfill, so this could be a good starting point to introduce a change within your office, but it will also mean that staff need to be committed enough to sort rubbish into the respective types. One way to make the task of sorting rubbish easier is by removing the traditional under desk waste bins and providing central refuse stations within the office, so that staff have to make a conscious decision in disposing of their rubbish.

Energy use is another area where small changes can have cost advantages. Any refurbishment programme should incorporate energy saving elements like sensors on lights and energy efficient equipment. Even if there is no planned capital spend replacing old bulbs with energy efficient ones and reducing the temperature of the heating in winter or turning down the air conditioning in summer can have a positive green impact with little or no cost implications to implement.

Simon Murray is a businessman and author writing for the internet about business and real estate matters and promoting green property management techniques. He also maintains a directory of serviced offices

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/S_Murray/432696

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Reformer Pilates An Advance Way To Burn Calories And Stay Healthy

KX Pilates Dee Why offers a range of classes including reformer and mat pilates for people of all levels and abilities. Reformer Pilates in Adelaide is the latest trend for the health conscious and exercise loving people. This is a new method where one can burn at least 250 calories within an hour by only using some simple methods and tools. This statistics is only for the beginners having more than 70KG weight. For an expert practitioner or athlete, the calorie burn can be increased much higher levels like 450 calories per hour. The reformer device or plank offers most of the benefits of Pilates practice. It can be helpful in increasing overall strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance of the body. Later this can lead to daily life improvements like better posture, graceful and efficient movement, and for many, relief from pain associated with physical imbalances such as back pain, neck pain and other joint pains.

Many are using Reformer Pilates in Adelaide as a weapon for quick reduction of body weight. This is very beneficial who cannot engage themselves under a constant exercise or training. This method introduces simple procedures of movement in the body. This prepares the mind and body to endure much harder and dynamic calorie-burning exercises. This is a very common method for weightlifters and fighting sports like boxing and judo players to build and sculpting the muscles. For the overweight persons it helps to tone every muscle, especially around the midsection and arms, it can improve the shape of your body and give you a much leaner physique. A lot of people are practising this to lose weight which will lead them to get a leaner, fitter, stronger and healthier body. Pilates technique can help you achieve this goal. Reformer Pilates does much more to offer you than a flat tummy. It can go beyond the toned abs of your body. You will notice the difference in how your body looks and moves, improving your alignment, posture, strength and flexibility within a few weeks of regular practice.

Regular classes will nurture your whole body through a beautifully designed system of movement, using actions such as squatting, lunging, rotation and extension and other easy exercises. The aim is to get our bodies to become flawless, stretching the tight spots, strengthening the weak areas, increasing the mobility of the body and changing the neuromuscular patterns to give the body back its synchronization. After every session, one can immediately notice how much better their body feels and it is now scientifically proven.

How to Change Or Install a New Light Fixture

Clients are really valuable to electrician Brisbane Southside, every inquiry this immediately response and act quickly as possible. Changing or installing a light fixture can be as easy and safe as changing a bulb if done properly. Many people are scared of electricity because they simply do not know enough about electricity or how it functions. With a few well learned simple rules it can save you a great deal of money in installation fees.

Light fixtures come in thousands of different shapes and sizes, colors and finishes. Plastic, metal, wood and glass are all common materials used in fixtures today. You can purchase fixtures at Big box stores, hardware stores and lighting specialty stores. The specialty stores generally carry a higher end price line of fixtures but can also order or have custom made fixtures done for you as well. Box stores do not usually provide that level of service. If you need an inexpensive jelly jar fixture for outside your garage door, a $5.99 fixture is available everywhere. If you need an eight foot high chandelier for your main hallway or dining room for $8000 dollars, a specialty store would be more in line with your needs. Do not and I repeat, do not attempt to install or replace an eight foot chandler on your first try at fixture replacement. Start with an inexpensive jelly jar unit.

The very first thing you do is unpack the fixture and make sure everything is included. Fixture, screws, mounting plate, wire nuts, assembly instructions and so on. You will need a electrical current tester (voltmeter or test light), wire stripper tool, flat nosed pliers with side cutters and a screw driver. The very next thing to do without exception is to turn off the power breaker to the power outlet at the main electrical panel. This is without exception. Your life could depend upon it. Do not get careless. Many people are injured each year thinking the power was turned off. Make sure it is without a doubt.. If you are afraid or not sure, call in a pro. Do not take chances. Ok now with the power breaker off, use your testing tool to assure the power is off at the outlet. Carefully remove the wire nuts and touch a lead from your tester to each black and white wire. You should get no reading or light. If you do, you turned off the wrong breaker. Do it again. With no power, we can now safely remove the old fixture. Remove any screws or bolts holding the fixture, wire nuts, ground straps and carefully place the old fixture safely out of your way for disposal.

I find that many times the mounting bracket for the new fixture is the same as the old and does not need replacing. This saves a little work and time. First connect the bare copper fixture wire to the solid copper ground wire in the power cable in the gem box. This will ground the fixture and can provide a little support while you work. Next connect the white fixture wire to the white power wire with the flat nosed pliers by twisting the last one inch of the wires together and then add one of the new wire nuts. Repeat this process with the black wire.The fixture is now wired. I then install a new bulb and turn on the switch. Having someone standing there, go to the main breaker and turn it on for a test. If the fixture lights, you did the job well. If the breaker kicks off, you may have crossed the wires or have a bare wire touching the electrical box causing a short. Turn the breaker back off and check you work. Always work with the power off. Assuming the power test went well, return to the fixture and carefully tuck the wires into the gem box neatly being careful not to dislodge the wire nuts. Install the mounting screws to hold the fixture to the wall, add the required bulbs, chains, or other accessories and your done. Turn the power back on. As you progress in replacing bigger and more complicated fixtures you may want to try installing a new fixture where one did not exist. In the national electrical code (NEC) which virtually all of the states recognize as the authority, a new fixture is an extension of the homes electrical system and requires an inspection by an underwriter. Many, many municipalities require a building or electrical permit for this work as well and also require you to submit to them a copy of the electrical certificate the underwriters will issue after inspection of the new work. Does this happen in real life? Not really but it is the code. Many fixtures are changed or added without permits or inspections and that is why so much care needs to be taken with this work.

People add on an outlet in a garage or basement and never give it a thought. A new fixture over the bathroom sink or even trading out a old style outlet for a newer type with a grounding hole technically are all changes to the homes electrical system. An incorrectly installed Ground Fault Interrupter outlet (GFI) can provide a false sense of security and protection and in fact offer none at all. A faulty GFI can result in a death just to save $75 or so by an qualified electrician. I have found entire portions of a home rewired by the homeowner without regard to the number of outlets on a single breaker, lights wired to outlets, incorrect wire sizes, outlet placement and so on. All of these requirements are there for a reason. You and your families safety depends on it. If you don’t know the rules call in someone who does. Many localities today also require an electrician to have a license. If they do, ask to see it before he–she works on your home. Unauthorized alterations to a homes electrical system may cause you a great deal of grief with your insurance company in the case of a a fire or injury. In my area, a homeowner may perform his own work but is subject to the same rules and inspections as a licensed electrician.

If you decide you can handle adding a new fixture, the rules are pretty much the same for one light as ten lights. Check the amperage draw on the fixture, add it to the other items on that breaker and if it is less than the breakers capability (15 amps perhaps) then your good to go. We are installing an outside jelly jar at a side door in this example. Find the closest power source that is fed from the panel. This may be an outlet but is seldom another light fixture. If you feed from an existing fixture, that fixture will have to be on for you to operate your new fixture and thats generally a no, no. If you locate a nearby outlet that is powered unless the breaker is off, check the inside of the box for the number of wires. If it is two wires or less, you have a good place to tie into the electrical system without overloading the electrical box.. With the breaker in the off position, carefully unscrew the existing outlet and pull it gently out of the box. The wires will come with it at the same time exposing the wire nuts. Run you new electrical wire from the existing box to the new box you installed for the light switch and the fixture by the door. The minimum size wire would be fourteen gage wire. I use all twelve gage for extra safety. Your wire will have a black, a white and a solid copper wire inside the jacket. Pull the wire into and through the electrical boxes at both ends. Leave about one foot of wire sticking out of all boxes. If you are using plastic gem boxes, they will have a tab that holds the wire in place with no further work to hold the wire. If you are using metal gem boxes, you will find a clamp and screw inside the box that must be tightened to secure the power wire in place. Tighten the screw well but not enough to crimp or cut the plastic jacket wrap on your power wire. If the new wire is in exposed stud walls, fasten the wire to the studs with the proper electrical staples. One staple should be within four to six inches of the boxes and the rest of the wire must be sufficiently stapled to secure the wire in place. Again, do not drive the staples so deep that you cut or crimp the wires jacket.

Unpack your jelly jar fixture and install it according to the instructions included with the fixture. These are simple fixtures with only two mounting screws to secure the fixture bracket to the gem box, three wire nuts to connect the black, white and copper ground wires and two final screws or nuts to affix the fixture to the mounting bracket.. Install the bulb and any covers or glass.

Now install your switch. Connect the two bare copper wires together with a wire nut and pack tightly into the back of the box. Connect the two white wires together with a wire nut and also pack them into the box. Now using the two black wires, strip back ¾ inch of wire wrap, curve the wire ends into a loop and fasten securely under the screws on the side of the switch. I like to wrap one strip of electricians black tape around my switches and outlets to cover the screws. When removing these later, it helps prevent an accidental shock from someone placing their fingers across the screws. Fasten the switch into the gem box with the screws provided.

Moving to the end of the wire where you are getting your power we will assume it is at an outlet for this example. Strip back the exterior plastic jacket on your cable as far into the box as you can reach exposing the three wires inside. Be careful not to damage the outside wrap on the black and white wires. The copper wire has no covering. Connect the solid copper wire to the other solid copper wires in the gem box or the green colored screw on the outlet if one is available. This completes the ground wire. Connect the black and white wires to the outlet. Make sure white is connected to white and black is connected to black. Do not cross these wire colors or you will create a dead short in the system. One method on newer outlets is to strip back approximately ¾ of an inch of wire covering and stab the wire into the proper hole in the back of the outlet. You will see that the black and white wires are on opposing holes on each side. If black is in the top hole on one side, the white is in the bottom hole on the other. This configuration will make both receptacles openings have power. A better method is to strip your wires and connect to the screws on the sides of the outlet. The screws are chrome or silver and brass colored. An easy reminder for yourself is black= brass or B to B. When you connect your wire for your outlet, just use the remaining two opposing holes and you will have full time power to your light switch. Replace the outlet back into it’s original position in the box.

Turn your breaker back on at this point. If all your work was done correctly the breaker will stay on with no problem. If it kicks off, you have a short and you must recheck your work. Turn the breaker back on and check all the wire nuts and wires to assure none are crossed, touching each other or the metal boxes, etc. If the breaker stays on, try the light switch to assure the fixture lights properly. If the fixture works correctly, install your plate and outlet covers. Your jelly jar light is done.

All fixtures are basically the same with perhaps more mounting bolts or screws and many have dozens of parts to assemble but the wiring portion is the same. Once you have this basic wiring method well learned you can progress to three and four way switches and other more complicated wiring chores.

Pete
Your Friendly Building Inspector

BICES-Building Inspection & Code Enforcement System Software

Pete Ackerson is a 30+ year building inspector with experience in both public and private construction industries. From schools to treatment plants, from private homes and condo projects, to large residential landscaping projects, he has worked both in the building design areas and field construction in the Eastern US. In 2006 he formed along with two other building inspectors, Wagsys LLC which produced software for municipal agencies in the fields of building departments, planning boards and Zoning Boards of Appeals.

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