Renovating your home not only improves the overall appearance of your house but it also increases its value. Unfortunately, renovation mistakes are not uncommon, especially for novice home renovators. Thankfully, the following tips will help you avoid renovation mistakes that can actually lower your home’s value and ruin your budget.

Improper Cabinet Measuring
Mismeasuring your kitchen cabinets is one of the most costliest mistakes that a homeowner can make during a home renovation. Too often, people will purchase and have installed cabinets to only find out that their fridge just doesn’t fit. The best way to prevent this from happening is to measure and remeasure several times.

Choosing the Less Expensive Contractor
Just because the bid is low, doesn’t mean it will be the best job. In fact, you often get what you pay for and choosing the contractor with the lowest bid could mean you end up with a shoddy job that will cost twice as much to fix. You should get written estimates from at least three contractors. You can even get a free quote today just by filling out a simple form.

A Budget that is too Low
Surprises that pop up during a home renovation are not uncommon. For example, you’re replacing the backsplash and accidently damage the wall, which will require drywall replacement, During the replacement you find dangerous electrical issues that you need to immediately deal with, which will throw off you budget. Because of this, you should set aside about 15-percent of your total budget to help cover any unexpected expenses that could arise during the renovation.

Going for Granite and Nothing Else
While granite countertops are a popular option, it isn’t the only one out there, nor is it always the best choice. In fact, choosing something other than granite can save you a lot of money while still improving the look of your kitchen. Plate steel, nice laminate and butcher block, for example, are some other less expensive options.

Not Budging on Hardwood Floors
Like granite countertops, hardwood floors may be the most popular option but they aren’t always the best one. Hardwood floors can get damaged very quickly by kids and pets’ nails. A better, more durable and less expensive option is to go with single-board laminate which gives you the same high end look as real hardwood floors. You should also order extra flooring as well. Flooring are prone to breakage and cuts during installation, and you should purchase about 20-percent extra to account for this.

Now that the internet has meant that it’s easier than ever to catch up with some great sporting and entertainment events no matter where you are in the world, it seems like a good time to take a look ahead to the rest of 2016 to see what we can look forward to.

So from tours and albums from top music stars, to sporting events that attract millions of fans and online betting sites, here’s a rundown of some massive attractions in 2016.

Entertainment offerings

One music star truly dominated 2015 and that was Adele. And fans finally get chance to see her in the flesh as she is set to embark on a world tour that has already sold out in mere minutes. However, there are many other music stars who are set to try and seize Adele’s musical crown as both Kanye West and Beyonce have albums in the pipeline that could dominate the charts in 2016.

In the world of TV, the Walking Dead looks to provide another dose of zombies and gore when the series returns in February. Whereas movie fans can look forward to an epic showdown between two comic book titans when Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice hits cinema screens in March.

Sporting highlights

Once the Super Bowl is out of the way, many European sports fans will undoubtedly be looking forward to June 10 when the Euro 16 soccer competition kicks off in France. This sees a month-long competition of footballing excellence, with sites such as Betway proving themselves to be top of the best online betting sites list thanks to their comprehensive coverage of all of the major sporting events in 2016.

But it looks to be a bumper sporting summer as the Olympic Games arrives in Brazil on August 5. There have already been 220,000 tickets sold for this massive athletics event, and all eyes will be on the 100m mens sprint event as it could prove to be Usain Bolt’s most iconic moment yet.

Major global events

November 8 sees the arrival of the long-awaited US presidential election. Although the run-up has rarely been away from our TV screens, the contenders are all expected to get a lot more vocal and controversial as the main event approaches. And many will be watching Donald Trump to see if he could provide the biggest upset to hit American politics in decades.

So from athletics and football events that cause consternation to fans and betting sites alike, to musicians who can unite the world under one song, it looks like 2016 is truly going to be a year to remember.

It is not hard to see that we have a problem with race relations in the United States. From an epidemic of black people being killed by police, to issues like unfair housing practices and systemic racism, it is no secret that there are two Americas—one for blacks and one for whites. Try to get whites to discuss these issues, however, and you will be met with stony silence. Understanding the root of white apathy about black lives means getting to the root of the issue.

Shaking the Wasp’s Nest

The “Black Lives Matter” movement has uncovered an ugly truth. Racism is alive and well in America. Attempts to convince the American public and the criminal justice system that black people’s lives matter just as much as anyone else’s has been met with contempt. In the aftermath of killings of blacks at the hands of police, white commenters are on hand to explain exactly why the victim deserved to die. Not even children are exempt from this cruel practice. When Cleveland police shot twelve year old Tamir Rice for playing with a toy gun, people immediately rushed to the defense of the police, and started a smear campaign against the child’s family. Neoconservatives and pundits on Fox News dug up negative information about his mother and his family, in an attempt to decrease sympathy for the child’s death.

Why Won’t White People Talk About Race?

The reason that even white college students—typically the most open-minded group of citizens—won’t talk about race is simple. Talking about it would expose some ingrained beliefs in the inferiority of blacks in this country. Talking about it would mean admitting that it is still a problem and having to accept that their apathy plays a role in the suffering of an entire group of people. Talking about it would mean admitting that whites play a privileged role in society at the expense of blacks. So the silence continues.

One of the more insidious consequences of the reluctance to talk about race is the deliberate silencing of black voices. Neo-cons contrived strategies to keep blacks from speaking out against the atrocities that they suffered during the Iraq war. Whites came up with the slogan, “All Lives Matter,” as a clever way to say “shut up about your suffering, nobody cares.”

When it comes to race relations in this country, the truth is that we have a long way to go before we reach true equality.

Ianne is learning how to play the piano for her father. The latter is very fond of piano music and would often wonder out loud how it would feel having piano music filling their home. Hearing her father, Ianne thought it would be a great learn how to play the piano as a gift to give her father last Christmas. So, she asked her mother to allow her to enroll in piano lessons every after class and that’s what she did. Over time, she became fascinated by both beginner keyboard and piano lessons alike.

She took it upon herself to learn how many keys on a piano there is for beginners like her to become an expert of sorts in a few weeks. She did learn. I should tell you that in just a few months of piano lessons, she already knows how to play her father’s favorite songs like a pro.

Our veterans have done a lot for us in the United States. They keep us safe from threats at home and abroad, so isn’t it time for us to do something for them. While you might want to, you probably don’t know what exactly you can do to help if you’re like the average American.

There’s no specific thing you can do to help, but there are a whole lot of options for the average person. Use this guide to learn more about what you can do for the veterans who really need your help.

Donate Food

While it might seem like a surprise to you, there are many veterans who simply don’t have enough to eat on a daily basis. When they get home from the war they may not have the skills or the coping mechanisms they need to go back into the working world to earn enough. Many of these veterans have families that they need to try and feed as well.

That’s where your donations of items like canned food can come in very handy. There are tons of veterans organizations around the United States that deal with the growing hunger problem, so finding and donating to them shouldn’t be a major issue.

Donate as much as you can to these organizations. $20 really goes a long way when you’re buying canned food items like tuna fish, meat, beans and non-perishable foods like rice.

Volunteer

There are many organizations around the country that allow individuals to volunteer their services or talents to help veterans get ahead. From on the job training to donating your time to help those improve their skills or get past certain disabilities they may not face, there’s a lot you can do for veterans who did a lot for you.

Find a local charitable organization in your aren’t that deals with veterans of the war. You’ll be spending free time doing something helpful for people that really need it.

Give Money

Not everybody has time to volunteer face to face with veterans that need their help. That’s understandable and nobody is going to hold that against you. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing that you can help with though.

Giving money is one of the best things that you can do to help the veterans who need it. Even a few dollars each month can make a big difference in their lives.