Community Blog

When people tell me to “go green” I sometimes think of the task that it’s going to actually be. I feel as if it’s going to be expensive and take lots of time, so I’ve been putting lots of it off. Recently I decided to just “dive in” to going green. What’s the hold off, everyone says I’ll be saving more money annually and I want to be a part of that. I found an article NewsOn6.com that featured making your home more green in 10 minutes. Who doesn’t love 10 minute fixes?

Living Room- Take a look around your living room. Do you have any electronics that can classify as E-waste (meaning their major job is to collect dust)? E-waste is a big problem in landfills since there are lots of hazardous materiels in electronics. Look for a program or an E-wast event where you can take your unused electronic.

Bathroom- Are you using too much water? An average faucet’s flow rate is two gallons per minute! A five minute shower uses 10-25 gallons of water. Try turning off the water when you brush your teeth, shave and take shorter showers. If you want to do a bit more install a low-flow showerhead or an aerator on your sink. These tips will reduce your household water by up to 50%!

Office- If you have tons of paper lying around, look around and collect all the used paper. If little to nothing has been used make it a scrap piece of paper. You can use it for notes. When it’s all filled RECYLE! Also turn off your electronics that are office worthy, you can also activate sleep modes so your electronics will notice inactive periods of time.

Photo by Hyokano

The 82nd Academy Awards aired last night and they were pretty memorable. I enjoyed the ode to Best Originial Score and all the acceptance speeches. The Oscars are always great to watch and they can reveal some great moments. From being speechless to crying to jumping up and down every actor accepts their award differently. Do you remember Sally Field’s acceptance “You like me, you really like me.” How about Roberto Benigni jumping up and down and climbing over seats! Over the years we’ve seen some great speeches and even greater reactions.

When the remake of the movie “The Italian Job” premiered I knew I had to have a Mini Cooper.  It was amazing to see the agility the Mini Cooper had and just how small it really was.  As I’m in the market for a new car (my lease is up in four months) I’m interested in seeing the Mini Cooper. But I’m not going into this blind. I believe that every person needs to be well informed about everything so I’m doing my research.

The Mini (as I like to call it) isn’t low to the ground and wide for no reason.  It’s “bulldog stance” (as they like to call it) helps with the car’s balance and center of gravity. Meaning the driving can make turns with ease and no worries of swinging about.  Torsional Rigidity. Yes, I was confused too when I first read it on the site but it’s the Mini’s unique design.  This provides reduced body torque and gives the car easing handling, it also means less squeaks and rattles.  This also gives the Mini a rigid body so it’s able to withstand much greater forces.

The Mini is not only Mini…it’s Mighty.

From time to time I like to change my kitchen around. People always say change is good, I believe it. It never hurts to move things around, add different accent pieces and declutter all together. Changing your kitchen around can add a breath of fresh air to your whole living space, atleast that’s my mind set. A few things that I do to change it up are: changing up the color design in the room; towels, rug design and candles, move the appliances around; frees up space here and there and your cooking routine is moved a bit. I found some other great ideas from DIY Network some of them include changing up your dishware and recovering your chairs.

We all know that dogs are smart (they have a brain capacity of a 2 yr. old) and that can lead them to be mischievous, but it can help us too. We’ve heard of companion dogs and they are a big help to people. It’s quite surprising at some of the things dogs can do from tricks to the miracle dog that saves its owner. I found a video of a dog that found out how to use a water fountain. It’s quite funny and surprising.

Some of the clothing and accessories that the Olympians have are pretty cool, I was thinking to myself where can I get that? Low and behold there’s an Olympic store! While looking around there are so many fascinating clothes and accessories to be had on the website. From hoodies and sweaters to jewelry and coins, you name it, if you want something from the Olympics they more than likely will have it, except for the actual medals. Also not every accessory is essentilly Olympic related you can purchase items that are sponsoring the Olympics. It’s so cool, look for yourself!

Have you finally decided to try sushi? Are you still a bit wary of trying sushi? It’s okay I was too, the thought of eating raw fish made me a little sick, but trust me it is nothing like the sort. Sushi is very tasty and also very good for you. And everyone says that the best tasting things are always bad for you…

If you’re new to trying sushi take it slow, don’t go all out and try sashimi (cut filet of fish). Baby steps are okay and you’ll appreciate the taste more when you’re comfortable. Try the cooked items first, yes there is cooked sushi! Shrimp is always a good place to start, try a form of the shrimp tempura roll. Tempura style is battered and fried. Also start with what you know, smoked salmon or tuna things of that nature. You don’t have to be the first to try the octopus from your group.

The cut rolls are the best way to go if you’re trying sushi for the first time. All of the food isn’t in your face and all of the component together taste very good. You can also take it slow with vegetarian sushi, like a cucumber roll. So give it a try, you’ll be surprised once you get a sushi craving!

For more information on sushi click here!

It’s not the greatest feeling when you don’t have someone to spend Valentine’s Day with is it? Trust me I know the feeling, I’ve had that feeling for a few years now. But I am nowhere close to bitter when it comes to this holiday. I have come up with some pretty crafty ways to also enjoy this day of love.

There are some Valentine’s Days that I have spent with myself and I chose to do that. But in the past few years I’ve begun spending my Valentine’s Day with family and friends. Who said I had to celebrate a day of love with a significant other? I choose to celebrate my love for “Philia” (Greek word meaning family love). What are some things you have done when you don’t have a Valentine?

Who would’ve thought there was actually more than one use for dryer sheets? After reading this article from The Daily Green, there are about 12 extra uses for dryer sheets. I know my mother also uses them as closet scents but they can be used as soap scum wipes and as a lint brush. These facts are pretty cool and I’d love to know if there are actually more uses than the list provided.

For the full list of uses click here!

* Use them more than once. Although my wife disagrees, I’ve found that the same softener sheet can be used up to three or four times in the dryer and still get the job done.

* Anti-static dust wipes: The anti-cling chemicals in dryer sheets make them perfect for dusting television and computer screens and other electronic dust-magnets.

* Lint brush in a pinch: Used fabric softener sheets can be used to remove pet hair and lint from clothing and upholstery.

* Pot scrubbers: The softening chemicals in dryer sheets help loosen food particles stuck on pots and baking dishes; place a used sheet in the dish, cover with hot water, and let soak overnight. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning.

Are you trying to be healthier and snack on better foods? If so, congratulations it’s an obstacle not to go to the vending machine because of the ease. Are you having trouble finding good for you snacks? It’s not easy even though some junk food makers have come out with “100 calorie” packs. Be sure to look out for those, cause they are still junk food…

You don’t have to give up all your favorite snacks to snack on healthy foods. It’s all about moderation and staying strong. You cannot say you’ll only have one cookie and then proceed to have three. Remember you’re working for something better and you’ll feel great when you achieve it!

Here a small list of healthy snacks, for the Best Snack 100 Calories or Less click here:

-9 Tootsie Roll Midgees
-1 pouch Keebler Sandies Right Bites Shortbread Cookies
-60 Pepperidge Farm Baby Goldfish Crackers
-1 Jolly Time Healthy Pop 100 Calorie Mini Bag popcorn
-25 EatSmart Café Fries
-1 Laughing Cow Light Creamy Garlic & Herb cheese wedge and 3 Triscuits
-1 Kraft Polly-O Superlong Twist-Ums string cheese stick
-4 slices Sara Lee Honey Ham with 2 teaspoons honey mustard, rolled in lettuce leaf
-1 cup mango chunks
-½ medium cantaloupe
-15 strawberries dipped in 1/4 cup Cool Whip Lite

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