Door-to-door Salesgirl

Thanks to Olga Quinn

Yesterday, my doorbell rang at 8:30am. I opened the door to find a college-age girl who asked if I would be interested in some learning activities for my kids. She stood awkwardly and asked if I had heard of her services before. When I told her no, she went on to show me some worn-down books she uses to “tutor” kids before they go to school to help them learn to read and recognize colors and numbers. She told me she was in college in another state and this was her summer job. I told her I was not interested, and she thanked me for my time. She then asked me if I knew of any neighbors who would be interested and showed me a hand-drawn map of our neighborhood and showed that she would cross our house off of her list. I told her I wasn’t sure about the neighbors and she left. I thought this was a very strange interaction and immediately got on my computer to find a security system for our house. I found one at home-alarm-systems.com. Hopefully after we have it installed I will feel safer about the door-to-door salesgirl.

Fast food versus regular restaurants

Fast food restaurants have taken a hit by the media and health professionals as far as being high in calories and low in nutrition. But according to Dr. Mercola, the meals you eat at regular restaurants are even worse calorie-wise.

First of all, home cooked meals are obviously better for you, as you usually eat smaller portions and ingest less calories than the huge portions served at either type of restaurant. However, the portions also tend to be smaller and have fewer calories at fast food restaurants than the ones served in regular restaurants, according to a study from the US Department of Agriculture.

Fast food was found to be more energy dense compared to food from a regular restaurant even though portion size was smaller. And people who ate at regular restaurants and had a larger portion of food tended to eat less the rest of the day as compared to the fast food patrons. This is most likely due to the difference in energy density, so in the end results in fast food leading to more calories throughout the day.

Decorative and "green" bamboo fencing

I watch a lot of the home diy and landscaping shows on TV, and I'm always on the lookout for new ideas I can incorporate into my home and backyard space.

From time to time I've seen the landscape designers use a great looking fencing product called bamboo. Bamboo fencing can be used both indoors and outdoors for a unique decorative wall or ceiling treatment, window covering, room divider or as a barrier to block out unsightly areas or views. Bamboo is harvested, leaving the original plant base in tact so it is truly a renewable and sustainable "green" building and decorating material. And especially important for exterior applications, outdoor bamboo has a durability equal to that of cedar wood.

And why stop at bamboo fencing. You can create an outdoor retreat in the popular Asian style with bamboo rugs, furniture, cover your patio with a thatched roof, some tropical decor, and even add a Tiki bar and statues for your very own stay-at-home vacation getaway space. The possibilities are endless what you can do with bamboo products.

Celery - herb or vegetable?

Some sources list celery as an herb, while others as a vegetable. The history of celery dates back as far as King Tutankhamun, as garlands of celery leaves were found in his tomb, and was used to make the winner's wreaths for Ancient Greece's Isthmian Games.

As a vegetable, celery is used around the world in many dishes. It's seeds are used to make a valuable volatile oil used in perfume and the pharmaceutical industry, and also contain an organic compound called apiol. Celery salt is made from both the seeds and roots of the plant. Celery seeds were used to relieve pain as far back as 30 AD, but it's not recognized by modern medicine. Celery was also grown because of it's anti toxic properties and thought to be a cleansing tonic. Celery is often used in weight loss programs because of it's low calorie/high fiber content. There's a common belief that the human body has difficulty digesting celery, and that negative calories result because more calories are burned than can be extracted.

A small number of people are allergic to celery, and these reactions can result in severe anaphylactic shock. Celery root is known to cause more problems than the stalks, while the seeds contain the highest levels of allergen.

The wild form of celery is called "smallage," and the whole plant has an earthy taste and distinctive smell. Leaves are used in salads and the seeds as a spice. In North America, commercially grown celery is usually the Pascal variety. Cultivars are available for home gardeners, and are very similar to the wild varieties but have more stout leaf stems. The two classes are white and red, with the white cultivars being the best overall flavored, and crisp and tender tasting.

Is a move in your future?

If you've ever changed your residence or business location, you know how time consuming it can be to notify everyone of your new address. You may have heard of companies that will handle the notification process for you, but be aware they are not all created equal. Some mail change companies may actually sell your new address to marketing lists. But that's where Updater.com is different. They will change your address quickly and most importantly securely and stop any unwanted catalogs and other junk mail from following you to your new location. Their service costs only $2 and takes about 5 minutes of your time to set up and select who you want to be notified of your change of address. They'll update your change of mail at the U.S. Postal Service as well as businesses and other organizations you select.

If you own a business, Updater.com can assure you receive accurate address updates in a timely manner, improving your contact data base accuracy and cut down on the cost of paper communications.

Changing your address used to be such a hassle. It never ceases to amaze me how technology has evolved in the past few years and eliminates so many of the aggrevating tasks we once had to handle manually.

(sponsored by Updater.com)

Turn your yard into a bird sanctuary

Living naturally for me means avoiding the use of chemicals as much as possible in our lives, from diet and health to maintenance inside and outside of our home. An area of concern for most homeowners and especially gardeners is keeping insect populations under control. And one of the best ways to control insects naturally is to attract birds to your property.

The best way to encourage birds to stick around is to provide water, food and shelter for them. A simple bird bath is the best place to start. Even if you don't take it any further, birds are always looking for water to drink and splash around in. A quick tip for keeping your bird bath free of algae - tie a sprig of lavender and thyme together and float it in the bird bath, and replace with fresh herbs every couple of weeks.

Your next step to attract birds to your yard would be a bird feeder. If you want to attract a particular type of bird, for example hummingbirds, you might want to set up a hummingbird feeder for their specific feeding needs. Hummingbird feeders hold a sugary mixture that mimics the sweet nectar found in colorful flowers that these birds love.

Birds will build their nests naturally of course, but it doesn't hurt to give them a little help with a bird house, especially if you want to attract a particular type of bird. A robin has different requirements for their nesting than a small song bird - a robin prefers a protected shelf approximately 6 feet off the ground. A song bird prefers a totally enclosed house with a small entry hole to keep larger birds from getting to their young. Some birds like a perch outside the entry hole while others do not.

You can find everything you need to attract these beneficial birds at Backyard Chirper, a Better Business Bureau accredited small business with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Shipping is fast, usually the same day as your order, and they accept Paypal as well as many credit cards and offer a 30 day money back guarantee so you can shop with confidence. Let them help you turn your backyard into a bird sanctuary.

(sponsored by Backyardchirper.com)

Flaunt your nerdiness with a Nerdy T Shirt

Have you heard of Nerdy Shirts.com? I just recently discovered the site when the good people there offered to send me some free T shirts. All they asked in return was if I liked the T shirts to write a review of their site, and I'm glad I decided to accept their offer.

This is the T shirt I chose, a throw back to one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes. The price of my T shirt is $14.99 and I am very happy with the quality and weight of the shirt, especially for summer wear as it is a bit lighter in weight than the shirt my husband chose.

This is the T shirt my husband chose. The price is $19.99 and the weight of the fabric is a bit heavier and more to my husband's liking for a T shirt.

NerdyShirts offers T shirts for just about any interests you have from movies, TV shows, video games and much more, as well as hoodies, watches and accessories in mens, womens and childrens sizes. And if you buy 4 shirts you get free shipping. They have a daily deal where one shirt is featured for one hour at 50% off. If you follow them on Twitter you'll be notified of the featured shirt of the day. You can shop securely through their site and they accept PayPal, Visa, Mastercard and American Express, with 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

Christmas is coming sooner than most of us want it to, and these shirts would make great Christmas gifts. If you're unsure of which one to buy, consider a gift certificate and let the recipient pick out his or her own shirt.

Be a true nerdy shirt fan and submit your photo wearing your favorite nerdy shirt and you'll be featured on their website.

Harvesting your herb garden

What's the best time to harvest herbs from your garden? It depends on the herb, so here's a list of the most common herbs and the ideal time to harvest them:

Basil - when the plant begins to bud, and before it's in full flower. It's best to pinch the buds when they begin to form. Pick leaves from the top of the plant, and it's best to use a knife - using your fingers will crush the stem. You can encourage new growth by deadheading. A second harvest can be obtained by cutting the plant back to 6 inches above the ground, and leaving 2 young shoots in place.

Chives - again, best time is before they flower, but even after flowering, I deadhead the flowers, and continue harvesting the chives.

Cilantro - harvest when the plant is about 6 inches tall. It will need to be replanted every 6 weeks in order to have a regular supply through the season. After the plant bolts, just collect the seeds, dry them and use to replant.

Dill - it will begin putting out flowers around 8 weeks, which stops leaf formation. This is when you should harvest the dill as it will have the most flavor. You can then cut the plant back to within an inch of the ground and get a second harvest in late summer.

Fennel - just pull up every other bulb when the size of a tennis ball. Even the stems can be eaten, like celery. Fennel will reseed itself.

Oregano - like Basil, it's best before the plant flowers, but after flowering, I deadhead the flowers and continue harvesting.

Rosemary - can be picked as needed. For a more bushy plant, cut it back 2 or 3 inches. Rosemary doesn't survive the cold winters, but can be brought inside during the winter and grown in a sunny window.

Garden Tip:
Fennel, dill, cilantro and caraway attract ladybugs, which are very beneficial for your garden. They feed on harmful garden aphids as well as the larvae of mealy bugs, leafhoppers, scales, mites and other soft-bodies bugs.

Can cold water clean dishes?

This is for all the germ conscious folks that worry
about using cold water to clean.

John went to visit his 90 year old grandfather
in a very secluded, rural area of West Virginia .

After spending a great evening chatting the
night away, John's grandfather prepared
breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.

However, John noticed a film-like substance on
his plate, and questioned his grandfather asking,
"Are these plates clean?"

His grandfather replied,
"They're as clean as cold water can get them.
Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!"

For lunch the old man made hamburgers.

Again, John was concerned about the plates
as his appeared to have tiny specks around
the edge that looked like dried egg and asked,
"Are you sure these plates are clean?"

Without looking up the old man said,
"I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as
clean as cold water can get them.
Now don't you fret; I don't want to hear
another word about it!"

Later that afternoon, John was on his way to
a nearby town and as he was leaving,
his grandfather's dog started to growl, and
wouldn't let him pass.

John yelled and said,
"Grandfather, your dog won't let me get to
my car".

Without diverting his attention from the football
game he was watching on TV, the old
man shouted .

"COLDWATER, GO LAY DOWN!!!!"

(I received this in an email, so I don't know who the originator was, but thought I'd share it with you all)

Keeping rabbits out of your garden

One of my readers mentioned having a problem with bunnies eating her garden last year. It's a problem I've had in the past, but I wasn't willing to get my gun out (like some gardeners I know who shall remain nameless), and I have had success with a few "natural" deterents for my garden visitors.

One thing I do is plant marigolds around the outside of my vegetable garden. They have a strong smell, and possibly the bunnies and many bugs find them distasteful. Marigolds also attract beneficial insects such as lacewings, lady beetles, and parasitic wasps, and make the garden more attractive.

I also have a wildflower bed next to my vegetable garden. I've noticed the bunnies like to sit in amongst the wildflowers and nibble on them rather than my vegetable plants.

The third method I use actually is to keep the bunnies out of my fenced in yard, so my dogs don't have access to the bunny's "nuggets" they leave behind. It will also work for around your garden. I read somewhere to spread a line of used cat litter wherever you don't want the bunnies to access. If you use a natural cat litter made from pine, wheat, corn, newspaper etc, it will decompose into the soil eventually. It's preferable to remove the pet "nuggets" from the litter first though. I spread the used litter along my fence, and it keeps the bunnies from squeezing under and coming into the backyard. They apparently dislike the smell as they can't tell if it's a house cat or a larger wild cat, but it's not noticeable to humans. You'll probably have to reapply more litter every month or so, but if you have cats, there's always a supply of it available.

I've found these methods work well to keep the rabbits out of my vegetable garden and backyard, and hope this information is useful to you as well.

The right exercise routine

Have you decided now is the time you're going to lose weight and get fit? If your goal is just to lose weight, something to take note of is that cutting down on your food intake is most effective, as opposed to eating the same diet and trying to lose weight through exercise alone. For example, if you weigh 185 pounds and walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, you'll burn approximately 125 calories. That's a lot of walking when you could cut out a snack or choose a more nutritious one and burn more calories.

But with any attempt to lose weight, a good exercise routine is important both for short term and long term results. Your exercise routine can start with just a 10 minute walk every day and gradually increase your pace and the length of your walk up to 30 minutes or more to improve your breathing, heart rate and blood pressure not to mention your flexibility and overall energy level. Exercise of any kind is important to your overall health and fitness so try to find something you enjoy doing. And it's also important to vary the exercise so that you're using different muscle groups.

Maybe you don't just want to tone up; maybe you want to get ripped and have that popular 6 pack. For women especially, start out with light weights and work up gradually both the reps and sets, and then move up to the next heavier weights. As you progress with weight training, you may reach a point where pre-workout supplements will help sustain your energy throughout the workout and help you hit goals you didn't think were possible.

Whether your goal is simply to lose a little weight, a lot of weight, improve your cardio vascular health, tone up or get buff, a good exercise routine is key.

A new use for your leaky garden hose

If you have a leaky garden hose laying around your yard, don't throw it away. It can easily be converted into a soaker hose for your flowers or vegetable garden.

Simply attach a cap to one end to seal it. These caps can be purchased very cheaply at any garden or hardware store. Then poke some holes all along the hose, and you've got yourself a soaker hose for no money.

A soaker hose is a much more economical way to water your flower or garden beds, as the water goes directly into the soil, thereby avoiding evaporation that occurs with regular watering sprayers.

Shopping for a vacation home?

If you're thinking of investing in a new home or perhaps a vacation home, there are many things to consider such as location, local area amenities, home price, property taxes and cost of upkeep just to name a few.

Finding a good realtor is key in helping with your search for property, especially if you're looking for property in an area you're not familiar with. For example, if you're thinking of a home in Hawaii, you might consider American Dream Realty for experts in the Hawaii Real Estate market, along with other key areas in the U.S. They have a 5 star rating on Yelp.com and you can read user reviews.

Or if you've already used their services, consider writing your own review to help others with their search in the future.