5 Ways to Convince Your Spouse that You Need a Custom Built Motorcycle

There's no better feeling than cruising the open road on your own, completely personalized motorcycle with a cool motorcycle helmet that you built from the ground up from one of the many custom bike kits available today. But there are also a lot of "practical" reasons for building a killer custom motorcycle using custom bike kits as opposed to buying a stock motorcycle or a car. If you're catching slack for wanting to custom build your own bike, try one or all of these logical, spouse-friendly arguments to show how your desire for a custom motorcycle is actually a benefit for the entire family.

You'll save money on gas:
The average motorcycle gets 50 miles per gallon as opposed to a car that gets an average of 21 miles per gallon. That means once you can start using your motorcycle to commute back and forth to work, you'll be spending half as much at the pump. When presenting your case, figure out the actual yearly savings and equate the dollar amount with an item you're spouse has been wanting like a designer bag or a vacation get away. Now that you've presented an impenetrable reason to own a motorcycle in general, it's onto making a case for custom bikes as opposed to stock motorcycles.

You'll be home more often:
That is, at least until you've finished building your bike. After that it's off to hit the highway on long cruises of pure, adrenaline induced freedom. Until then however, starting from one of the many custom bike kits means that you'll be tinkering in the garage for at least a few months while your custom vision comes together.

Custom bike kits cost less:
These kits can cost less than half that of a stock bike. If your spouse liked the idea of saving more than half on gasoline, saving more than half on the cost of the motorcycle itself is sure to go over even better. Additionally, with custom bike kits you can "pay as you go" for many of the non-essential accessories. With custom bike kits you're not out of pocket all of the money at once so you can use cash instead of credit to finance all or part of the bike.

Higher resale value:
Instead of depreciating in value like a car or stock motorcycle, custom bike kits allow you to build a completely unique vehicle that will hold or appreciate in value. The cooler and more elaborate the accessories that you add to custom bike kit, the greater the resale value of the finished motorcycle. It's a win, win situation-while custom bike kits are less expensive than stock motorcycles, they can actually end up being worth more. Though your motorcycle will probably be the last thing you'd ever part with, you can assure your spouse that a custom motorcycle is a smart investment. Should financial difficulty arise, the sale of your custom chopper will be a fast an easy way to save the day.

You'll save on repair costs:
With custom kits, you're building your motorcycle from the ground up. You'll know enough to take care of what would be costly repairs. Forget mechanics that charge $50 per hour for labor. Once you know the intricacies of your motorcycle inside and out, there won't be any repair that you can't handle yourself.

Add up the cost savings and there's really no reason why building your own custom motorcycle from on of the many custom bike kits available isn't a smart idea. Even better, get your spouse excited about the idea of designing and riding on your custom motorcycle. Most likely, your spouse wants the two of you to be happy and enjoy your life-the financial benefits are just icing on the cake.

Useful Oil Painting Tips for Beginners

An individual who has decided to learn oil painting is soon likely to find him or herself as a part of a large fraternity as oil painting is one of the most popular forms of art in the world. Much of the comfort in using this medium is attributed to the fact that when an artist uses the best oil paints it is usually quite a while after having been applied to the canvas that they start drying. Thus, it is possible for the artist to continue to work on them for a certain period of time subsequent to their application. In addition, since after drying the particular color of oil paint on the canvas can be easily repainted by some other color without affecting the surrounding areas in any manner, it provides the artist with plenty of opportunity to rectify and re-work his painting till he acquires the desired result.

Having decided to try one’s hand at oil painting, it is essential for the beginner to first buy all the requisite oil painting supplies prior to actually embarking on the activity. Needless to say, the list of supplies would be headed by the most important requirements, the oils paints. Some of the best oil paints in the world are thick and buttery and are contained within tubes. Although an amateur artist would have a choice of buying a range of cheap paints as well, he is strongly recommended by experts to buy only good quality primary and secondary oil paint colors in order to be able to enjoy the activity to its fullest. Oil paints can be purchased in form of tubes which contain fast-drying paints, blocks and tubes containing water soluble oils or oil bars which appear as sticks.

Because oil paints cannot be directly applied on canvas, oil primers are required to cover the board or the canvas prior to commencing the painting. While acquiring these as a part of oil painting supplies, a novice is advised to select and buy primers which are meant for acrylic paints as not only do they dry quickly but are also free from the hassle of sizing. Since oil paintings require primers to be applied in form of coating as per the size, a single layer of acrylic primer on paper will ensure the protection of the paper meant for painting from getting destroyed.

Like all the other avatars of painting, oil painting is done with the help of brushes while one must use stiff hog-hair brushes for handling thick oil paints, brushes with long and short handles and different head shapes can be used for performing different strokes and acquiring different outcomes. In this category as well, there are cheaper alternatives which could be opted for and although there is no variation in terms of results, these do not last long and soon need to be replaced.

Since the best oil paints are thick, they need to be diluted with thinners or solvents and in this regard turpentine is the foremost as well as the traditional choice. The most common yardstick for buying thinners is that one must always opt for low odor solvents as the addition of white or mineral spirits results in a watery mixture while the use of solvents acquired from hardware stores could cause the yellowing of paint. Likewise, since one requires mediums for oil paints as well, the use of ready-mixed mediums or various forms of linseed oil are recommended for color dilution, enhancing the gloss and transparency, reduction of drying time for the painting and avoiding over-thinning of paint.

Natural Oil's to Cure Acute and Chronic Nasal Congestions

Dealing effectively with chronic or acute nasal congestion can improve the life of those who suffer from this frustrating condition. A lot of information is available over internet on how to get rid of a stuffy nose or nasal congestion. While this is an essential step, many sufferers also seek a long term remedy that can bring relief.

The use of essential oils has been favoured for hundreds of years as the method of choice for treating various ailments among homeopathic believers. There are several options that are readily available wherever essential oils are sold. They are easy to use and require limited equipment. These oils are most often used with a diffuser. Diffusers help disperse the oils into the air for easy inhalation.

Oregano:

Oil of oregano is said to aid in relieving chronic nasal congestion. It can be added to a diffuser or placed in a warm air vaporizer cup. Some users prefer to put a few drops on a cotton ball and place it near the bed.

Marjoram:

Oil of Marjoram claims to soothe tissues and reduce inflammation. It is used as an aromatherapy additive in diffusers and vaporizers. It can be combined in compresses but, it not recommended for internal use. It can also be applied to a special ring that goes over a normal light bulb. The heat from the bulb helps diffuse the oil into the air. These rings are available at a variety of stores and are usually under five dollars.

Eucalyptus:

Eucalyptus oil is a popular favorite. It contains astringent properties that help reduce inflammation and swollen membranes. It can be used in compresses or aromatherapy devices. It is a common ingredient in over the counter medications too.

Peppermint:

Oil of peppermint is another favorite. It can be used in teas, compresses or with diffusers. The peppermint is well tolerated and has a pleasant smell. Many people like to use this oil throughout the home, due to the crisp clean smell. The peppermint reduces inflammation and swelling in the nasal passages.

Lavender:

Lavender is used in a variety of applications. It is easy to obtain and smells fantastic. It can be used alone or in combination with other oils. Some users like to add lavender petals to hot baths for quick relief. In addition to its soothing properties, lavender has healing properties that help reduce pain and muscle aches.

Oils can also be combined to use in rubs and compresses. A popular chest rub involves mixing 1 drop of lavender, 1 drop tea tree oil, 1 drop niaouli, and 1 drop of sandalwood into a cup of Vaseline. Rub the mixture on the chest to relieve congestion in the nose, sinuses, and lungs. Another favourite includes mixing 4 drops of tea tree oil with 2 drops of sandalwood oil and 4 drops of lemon in either Vaseline or 20mls of sweet almond oil. Using sweet almond oil instead of Vaseline makes it easier to add the mixture to compresses.

Most of these oils are easily accessible, but they do require you to purchase items and keep them on hand. For those who suffer daily nasal congestion these oils can really help.