Backyard Summer Prep Tips

 

Why Bedroom Location Is Important If You Have Children

 

If you’re searching for a new home and you have kids, one of the most important things to think about is the floor plan. The location of your kids’ bedrooms can affect the amount of noise, how much privacy family members have and how you will all interact with each other.

Bedrooms Together or Separated?
For families with young kids, it’s generally a good idea to choose a house with bedrooms grouped together. This can make getting the kids ready for bed and school easier than it would be if their bedrooms were spread out. Having bedrooms close together can also encourage siblings to play and help keep toys in a relatively confined area. If you have or plan to have a baby, a house with a nursery close to the master bedroom can make it easy to take care of nighttime feedings and diaper changes.

When your children reach middle and high school, they will most likely want more privacy. If your kids are older or will be out of the house soon, it may be better to choose a house with bedrooms that are more spread out so they can each have their own space. Consider updating the attic, basement or additional living space into a bedroom for older children, especially if they plan to live at home while attending college.

One or Two Levels?
Another thing to consider is whether to choose a one- or two-story house. Having the bedrooms and living areas on the same level can make it easier to keep an eye on young kids, but it can also make it difficult to keep the house clean.

With all the rooms on one floor, you won’t have to hear footsteps above you, but you will hear the sounds of TVs, video games and music through the walls. That may be a problem if your family is particularly noisy, especially if you work from home.

If your kids are older and you feel comfortable leaving them unattended, a multi-level house may be a better choice. This can give your children an opportunity to spend time in their own rooms and give them some added privacy.

If you like to have guests over for dinner or parties, having your kids’ bedrooms upstairs will make it easier to keep the downstairs clean while allowing the kids to play in their rooms if they don’t want to hang out with the adults. After the kids go to bed, you will be able to continue to spend time with your guests without worrying that the noise will keep the kids awake.

Think About Your Current Lifestyle and Future Needs
Deciding which house would be the best for your family can be complicated. The locations of bedrooms throughout will affect your family’s day-to-day lives in numerous ways, so give it careful consideration to figure out which floor plan will work best for your family, both now and in the future.

Working Out? Don't Forget to Stay Hydrated.

 

Did you know you can lose up to five percent of your body’s water weight every time you work out? Staying hydrated is a necessary aspect of any healthy workout, but it can be easy to forget to drink water once you start exercising. Take a sip of the good stuff with these hydration tips from the Army National Guard–it’s vital!

• Cool, plain water is the best drink to replace the fluid lost as sweat and help regulate your core body temperature.
• Plan to drink water before, during and after exercise to prevent dehydration and help enhance performance. Sip a 16-ounce bottle of water every hour while working out.
• Outdoor workouts require extra hydration, even during cooler weather. The water content in your skin helps it perform its protective functions, including limiting damage from the sun. Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after any time spent in the sun.
• Learn to recognize signs of dehydration, so you can take steps to reverse it. Early signs include muscle cramps and fatigue, while a dry mouth, headache, dizziness, slurred speech and confusion all signal advancing dehydration. If your extremities become swollen or you become feverish, medical attention is necessary.
• If you find yourself dehydrated and water isn’t available, a melon, orange, celery, cucumber or bell pepper can help replenish your body’s water content.
• Make it a post-workout practice to replenish electrolytes with a banana, dates or coconut water.

It’s important for everyday health to keep well-hydrated away from the gym, too. Staying properly hydrated helps regulate your body temperature, weight and mood. Keep a refillable bottle of water with you wherever you go, and if you need a touch of flavor, add lemon, lime, pineapple or cucumber for a refreshing twist. Aim to drink 50 to 75 percent of your body weight in ounces of water each day to stay hydrated.

Source: GuardYourHealth.com

Good News: You Can Wash These Items in Your Washing Machine

 

You may be meticulous about checking your clothing labels to find out if they’re machine washable, but what about other items around the house in need of a deep clean? Your washing machine can actually be put to work on several surprising items. Check out these suggestions from marthastewart.com (but do check labels first, just in case!):

Pillows. Pillows should be cleaned every 3 – 6 months to remove bacteria and mold. Whether yours are made from natural material, like down, or synthetics, toss them in the washing machine for a thorough cleaning. Keep in mind, front-loading machines are better for pillows, which tend to float in top loaders.

Backpacks. Whether it’s crammed with books and school lunches, or been through a rugged hike or camping trip, backpacks can be returned to almost good-as-new after a cycle in the washing machine. You might want to spot test first, if you’re afraid of colors bleeding, and be sure to empty out every nook and cranny.

Shower curtain liners. You’ve probably thrown your shower curtain in the washing machine many times, but did you know you can wash your liner in there, too? According to Martha Stewart, clean vinyl, nylon, cotton or hemp liners in the washing machine with hot water and mild detergent, then simply shake it out and rehang to dry. No dryers, please!

Plush toys. Your child may not be able to part with that lovable stuffed animal he or she brings everywhere, but it can also become a breeding ground for bacteria and dirt. You’ll need to be selective, though – washing machines are not the place for toys with lots of embellishments on the outside, like buttons and bows, or mechanical parts within.

Sports equipment. Have an athlete in the house? Then you’re all too familiar with the array of malodorous equipment that comes with the territory. The good news is that a wide assortment of sports paraphernalia can be tossed in the washing machine, including shin guards, elbow pads and knee pads. Fasten Velcro straps, snap snaps and zip zippers before washing to avoid snagging on other items, and always use a cool water temperature to make sure the items don’t get disfigured.

Pet beds. Another household item that should be frequently cleaned, toss pet beds in the washing machine to do away with odors and dirt tracked in by your beloved furry family member. 

Before washing any of the above items, refer to your washing machine’s manufacturer’s guidelines. There may be special settings that will make the task that much more effective and safer for your machine. 

6 Eco-Friendly Changes for Your Household

 

Looking to live a more environmentally friendly life? Here are six easy ways to incorporate green living into your household.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. If you’re looking to save time, energy and money, get serious about waste reduction. Not sure where to start? Commit to focusing on the four primary recyclables: aluminum, plastics, paper and glass.

Switch Out Light Bulbs. It’s a well-known fact that CFLs and LEDs use much less energy and last a lot longer than regular incandescent bulbs. While the initial cost may be a bit steeper, you’ll be saving money in the long run.

Conserve Water. Paying attention to the way in which water is used within your home is a good way to green up your routine. Whether it’s turning off the water when brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers, only running the washer/dishwasher when full, repairing leaky faucets or installing water-saving toilets/shower heads, there are numerous ways to limit your water use—without affecting your routine.

Go Green When You Clean. A quick search on the internet will open the door to a vast array of all-natural, environmentally safe cleaning products. If you’re feeling remotely adventurous, you can make your own cleaners with ingredients you most likely already have in the pantry.

Unplug Devices When Not in Use. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of your residential electricity is sapped by devices that are plugged in all day, every day. A little effort goes a long way when it comes to unplugging devices such as computers, stereos, coffeemakers, lamps, toasters, etc.

Invest in Energy-Efficient Appliances. From washers and dryers to refrigerators and freezers, there’s no shortage of energy-efficient products to choose from. By scoping out the ENERGY STAR label, you’ll help protect the environment (and save money at the same time!). And better yet, when it comes time to sell your home, energy-efficient appliances will surely work in your favor.

7 Tips for Using Your Food Processor

 

Food processors are one of the most helpful of kitchen appliances. Whether you need to slice, dice, chop, shred or purée a host of ingredients for a meal, large or small, the handy machine can get the job done quickly with the press of a button. Depending on which model you have, a food processor also typically takes up little space on your kitchen counter or in your cabinets.

To help you get the most out of your food processor, Consumer Reports offers these seven tips for using the kitchen appliance:

Always insert the blade before adding food. Set the blade in the work bowl, and make sure the bowl is fitted on the motor base before putting in ingredients. If the blade isn’t sitting correctly, the appliance could break.

Use the pulse button. This function gets you an even chop without the risk of overprocessing. Otherwise, onions and other foods with a high water content can quickly turn into a purée. Use this for chopping nuts or making salsas.

Let hot liquids cool down. For your safety, bring hot ingredients to room temperature before processing.

Purée soup ingredients without stock. Strain out the cooked vegetables from the stock pot, and purée them in the food processor. They’ll blend smoother without liquid. Then whisk the purée back into the strained liquid.

Partially freeze meats and cheeses. Before processing, get the ingredients really cold, but not frozen solid, for the best ground meat and shredded cheese.

Be patient when making nut butters. The longer you process, the softer and silkier the butter will be.

Avoid “mashed” potatoes. Here’s an instance where the food processor won’t come in handy. Cooked potatoes develop a gluey texture when processed with the metal blade. You’d be better off using a stand mixer to make this dish.

10 Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids

 

If you were like most kids, you probably dreaded eating fruits and vegetables during your childhood. But now that you’re a parent who understands the importance of healthy food for a child’s well-being, you might find yourself struggling to talk your young kids into doing exactly what you once refused to do.

Pretty ironic, right?

To help you overcome this common challenge, ChooseMyPlate.gov suggests encouraging your children to eat fruits and veggies by trying to make it fun. Depending on their age and abilities, your kids may even be able to prepare their own healthy creations, making it all the more enjoyable for them.

ChooseMyPlate.gov offers these 10 kid-friendly ideas for fruits and vegetables:

Delicious Dippers. Kids love to dip their foods. Whip up a quick dip for veggies with yogurt and seasonings such as herbs or garlic. Serve with raw vegetables like broccoli, carrots or cauliflower. Fruit chunks go great with a yogurt and cinnamon or vanilla dip.

Smoothie Creations. Blend fat-free or low-fat yogurt or milk with fruit pieces and crushed ice. Use fresh, frozen, canned and even overripe fruits. Try bananas, berries, peaches and/or pineapple. If you freeze the fruit first, you can even skip the ice!

Caterpillar Kabobs. Assemble chunks of melon, apple, orange and pear on skewers for a fruity kabob. For a raw veggie version, use vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, squash, sweet peppers or tomatoes.

Personalized Pizzas. Set up a pizza-making station in the kitchen. Use whole-wheat English muffins, bagels or pita bread as the crust. Get tomato sauce and low-fat cheese, and cut up vegetables or fruits for toppings. Let kids choose their own favorites. Then pop the pizzas into the oven to warm.

Fruity Peanut Butterfly. Start with carrot sticks or celery for the body. Attach wings made of thinly sliced apples with peanut butter, and decorate with halved grapes or dried fruit.

Frosty Fruits. Frozen treats are bound to be popular in the warm months. Just put fresh fruits such as melon chunks in the freezer (rinse first). Make “popsicles” by inserting sticks into peeled bananas and freezing.

Bugs on a Log. Use celery, cucumber or carrot sticks as the log, and add peanut butter. Top with dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries or cherries, depending on which type of “bugs” your children want.

Homemade Trail Mix. Skip the pre-made trail mix and make your own. Use your favorite nuts and dried fruits, such as unsalted peanuts, cashews, walnuts or sunflower seeds mixed with dried apples, pineapple, cherries, apricots or raisins. Add whole-grain cereals to the mix, too.

Potato Person. Decorate half a baked potato. Use sliced cherry tomatoes, peas and low-fat cheese on the potato to make a funny face.

Put Kids in Charge. Ask your children to name new veggie or fruit creations. Let them arrange raw veggies or fruits into a fun shape or design.

Make an Investment the Whole Family Can Play With

 

Air hockey is a game that is easy to understand and caters to everyone in the family, from ages 5 to 99. Kids love the action in the game and parents love a game that gets the kids away from video games. It also helps that the kids burn a little energy playing air hockey.

That’s why air hockey is becoming popular again and many homes are investing in tables.

For a few years, the air hockey table trend was leaning toward furniture style tables, but in 2019, the trend has been leaning toward the commercial, arcade-style tables. These aren’t too expensive, and they are easy to bring into the home.

While the basic game of air hockey hasn’t changed much since its inception in the ’70s, today’s manufacturers have dressed up the game to appeal to the kids and the families that buy them.  That means automatic scoring with music and crowd noise has become the norm, and colorful playfields with cool graphics have added lots of appeal.

Air flow on an air hockey table is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), and today’s tables operate more as an air tunnel effect, meaning rather than blowing the air directly up from the bottom, tables are now blowing the air from the side into a chamber and then circulating the air so it’s not pushing straight back. That angles the air and creates a bit of a vortex, creating consistent pressure, which allows the table to breathe more evenly.

Other innovations in air hockey tables of late include enhancements in lighting effects, such as lights flashing on and off when goals are scored and LED pucks and pushers that light up. Sound effects have been improved as well, with the sounds of crowds cheering and mimicking of the announcer being added to many tables. Then there’s game music paired together with cascading light effects bringing additional excitement to the game.

Larger, heavier pucks and ergonomic pushers are both staples with air hockey today. The former keeps the puck from flying off the table so much, while the latter prevents or reduces the risk of hand and wrist strain while allowing harder hits to the puck.

Whether you’re moving into a new home or just want to add some excitement to your house, adding an air hockey table can bring in loads of fun.

Money Skills Every High School Graduate Should Know

 

Learning doesn’t stop after high school, especially when it comes to financial lessons that will set the stage for financial freedom for years to come.

If you’re getting ready to send your child off to college, the military or straight into a job, set them up for success by ensuring that they know the following money skills:

How to Use Credit Wisely
Getting your first credit card after high school isn’t impossible, but it can be difficult. Parents can help by adding their child as an “authorized user” on their own credit card. This is a great way to help build your child’s credit by continuing to pay your bills on time. Just remember that your own bad money habits could negatively impact your child’s credit score, as well—so make sure you’re in a good position before adding your child as an authorized user on your credit card.

The ultimate end goal is for your child to get their own credit card and begin building their credit score by paying bills on time and not carrying a balance on the card. This will likely lead to a higher credit score, which will pave the way to better rates on loans—and to better credit card terms.

How to Create (and Stick to) a Budget
As your child prepares to fly the coop and become financially responsible, teaching him or her how to keep track of the amount of money that comes in—and where that money is being spent—is a good way to show them where their money goes. It will also go a long way toward showing them if they’re spending more than they earn. Budgeting is a lifelong skill that can also help your child stay out of debt by teaching them to cut out “extras” so that they can afford to buy basic necessities.

There are many ways to create a budget, so play to your child’s strength and take advantage of pen and paper, a computer spreadsheet, or one of many budgeting apps that are available today.

How to Manage a Checking Account
While your child may never write a physical check, opening a bank account and knowing how to balance a checkbook are important skills when it comes to money management.

To truly set your child up for success, turn off overdraft protection to avoid fees and enforce budgeting—and set up low-balance alerts. Banking apps can help with a lot of this, so be sure to take advantage of everything your bank offers.

How to Safely and Securely Make a Mobile Payment
Your children most likely already know more about money-transfer apps than you, but as a parent, it’s your job to remind them of the security steps they should be taking when making mobile payments. If they haven’t done so already, help your child set up multifactor authentication, as well as a pin—and remind them to only engage in mobile payments with people they know.

The Importance of Setting Up a Retirement Account
If your child is heading out into the corporate world and jumping into a full-time job, they’ll most likely be given the opportunity to open a retirement account by their new employer. Whether their funds are matched or not, it’s important that your child understand the value of compound interest so that they can see how their money grows over time.

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

 

Fire extinguishers can save lives and property, but many people might not know how or when to use the protection devices, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. To help ensure you’re better prepared for a fire emergency, the agency offers the following tips:

Choosing the Right Fire Extinguisher
There are five primary types of fire extinguishers, each designed to put out different kinds of fires:

• Class A. For use with ordinary materials like cloth, wood and paper. Often found in homes and businesses.
• Class B. For use with combustible and flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, oil and oil-based paints. Often found in homes and businesses.
• Class C. For use with electrical equipment like appliances, tools or other equipment that’s plugged in. Often found in homes and businesses.
• Class D. For use with flammable metals. Often found in factories.
• Class K. For use with vegetable oils, animal oils and fats in cooking appliances. Often found in commercial kitchens.

For the home, choose a multipurpose fire extinguisher that covers Class A through Class C for fighting all three types of common house fires. Most home improvement stores carry multipurpose A-B-C models. In addition to fire extinguishers, every household should have working fire alarms and a fire escape plan.

When to Use a Fire Extinguisher
Fire extinguishers are designed for small, confined fires, not large ones that are growing. Before using an extinguisher, make sure the fire is contained in a single object, such as a pan or wastebasket. Alert others in the building that there’s a fire, and have someone call the fire department. Before proceeding, make sure you are physically able to handle the fire extinguisher, safe from the fire’s toxic smoke and have a clear escape route.

To operate a fire extinguisher, remember the acronym PASS:

• Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you, and release the locking mechanism.
• Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
• Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
• Sweep the nozzle from side-to-side.

If you’re unsure about whether it’s safe to use a fire extinguisher–and for all other fire situations–alert others, leave the building, and call 911 from a mobile or neighbor’s phone. Safety should be the top priority, and it’s essential to follow your instincts and know when to get out. As such, it’s not recommended that children use fire extinguishers.

The Importance of Maintenance
To ensure fire extinguishers are ready in case of an emergency, make sure to regularly check them for the following:

• Easy access in an emergency. Be sure nothing is blocking or limiting your ability to reach the extinguisher.
• The recommended pressure level. Many extinguishers have gauges that show when pressure is too high or too low.
• Working parts. Make sure the can, hoses and nozzles aren’t damaged, dented or rusted.
• Remove any dust, oil or grease that might be on the outside of the extinguisher.
• Guidelines and instructions. Some extinguishers need to be shaken monthly, while others need to be pressure tested every few years.

If you would like fire extinguisher training or have any questions, contact your local fire department.

Check Your Central A/C Unit Now, Avoid a Repair Call Later

 

Few household maintenance routines pay off better than checking out your central air conditioning unit before the hot weather sets in. Preparing the unit for heavy duty now will not only save on energy costs, but will up your chances of staying cool all summer and avoiding an emergency service call.

Air conditioning experts suggest these routine tips for ensuring trouble-free performance:

Turn off power to the unit. Turn off the switch and unplug the unit to allow for safe handling.

Clean or replace the filter. Most likely located behind the air return grille on the wall or ceiling in a central part of the house, the air filter can accumulate dirt, dust and allergen particles over the winter months. This makes the system work harder than it needs to, and costs in terms of efficiency and utility dollars. If the filter is disposable, replace it, and keep a couple more on hand for replacement every two months during use. If the filter is reusable, clean it in a large container filled with warm water and dish soap. Then spray it with a garden hose to remove any remaining particles and let it dry before replacing it.

Clean the coils. Remove the front cover of the A/C unit outdoors. Spray some air conditioner cleaner onto the coils and allow it to work per product instructions. Then spray with a garden hose to rinse off the cleaner and use a soft rag to dry the coils.

Check the coil fins. Inspect the coils for any damage, and use a fin comb or gentle manipulation to straighten out any coils that may be bent. Be careful, because the fins are delicate and can be easily damaged if too much pressure is applied.

Replace the grille and plug in the power. Turn on the switch and get ready to enjoy a summer of trouble-free cooling.