Tuesday, September 28, 2010

go green old style with an attic fan

In the hallway of our new house, is a very beautiful looking antique thermostat.



Turns out, it is an attic fan from Sears (dates back to ... hmmm... based on the wood paneling, I'd guess 1978-1984). I got curious and found this website:  


It's basic operation works like this:


Talk about going green!
We normally would keep the thermostat at 69-72 degrees at our old apartment.
Since moving to the house, we've been at about 75 degrees. Last night was our first cool late summer night here in Florida, so Paul opened all the windows and turned the attic fan on. I tell you what, I was freezing! It creates the best drafts ever. Keep your ceiling fan on with it, and it's like a 65 degree air conditioning using almost NO electricity !! I had no idea these things existed, but now that I do, and now that I see other things around this house the previous owners had done, it looks like people have been "going green" ever since olden days when there WAS no other choice! I am so excited about this concept! I will keep this an open forum for green living.

Like our sprinkler system that runs from a well/spring in the backyard (haven't figured that one out yet, but I can hear it. I'll have to order plot drawings from City Hall)

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Suprising Ways you are Ruining Your Skin

borrowed from Yahoo Shine! Article.


Just when us gals in the
beauty department get all cocky and think we have our
skin-beautifying routines all figured out (sunscreen every day, the
right products for our skin type, eating plenty of antioxidant-rich
foods, etc.), some smartypants dermatologist comes along and dishes
out a bunch of new info to consider. We recently chatted with Dr.
Dennis Gross (who is a constant stream of amazing skincare advice,
BTW), and he opened my eyes to these five practices that could
negatively affect your skin.



1. Outdated glasses/contact lens prescription:
Anything
that makes you squint — like reading or working in a poorly lit
room, or not updating your contact lens prescription — leads to
more fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area. Get thee to an
eye doctor, stat!

Related:
4 Ways to Take Years Off Your Eyes





2. Steam rooms:
We all love a good detoxifying sesh in a
steam room or sauna, but Dr. Gross says to limit your exposure to
these extreme-heat bad boys because they decompose skin's
elastin and collagen. Eeeeek!

Related:
26 Secrets to Better Skin



3. Running (or any high-impact exercise):
"While such
exercise may benefit our hearts, it can cause the fat pads to slide
south, and collagen and elastin to break down. If you enjoy
running, try walking," explains Dr. Gross. OMG — remember on
Ally McBeal when Jane Krakowski's character invented the face
bra for jogging? It was for this!


Related:
Celebrity Skincare Trends: 1994-Today



4. Not sleeping: Okay, it's not news that
pulling an all-nighter makes your skin look like crud the next day,
but did you know that chronic sleep deprivation leads to long-term
skin probs? "Lack of sleep can be so stressful that it
actually causes our bodies, including our skin, to generate free
radicals," says Dr. Gross. More free radicals mean you look
older, faster.

Related:
7 Bedtime Habits That Are Ruining Your Sleep





5. Tap water: Chlorine in tap water can strip the
natural oils from skin and cause dryness and irritation, especially
in the winter when there is less humidity in the air to balance it
out. I can vouch for that — I bought a new showerhead with a
built-in water filter and have noticed fewer dry patches on my
legs.

Related:
11 Great Products for Sensitive Skin



Obviously, if running is your passion then no one is suggesting you
give it up. But maybe a trip to the eye doctor is in order, and get
your sleep issues under control, why dontcha?



MORE FROM MARIE CLAIRE:


Reprinted
with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

have you seen this? Fullbar



Fake FullBar Recipe and Other Hints for Weight Loss.
The first time I saw this commercial, I thought I was tripping. They are really trying to sell something so obvious. It's like a rice krispie treat you eat BEFORE your meal to stop you from eating so much.

Duh.

Other things I have tried is a couple of Shredded Wheat Cereal pieces (not flavored) and a bottle of water before food. The science is simple: anything you eat, bread or pasta or flour or wheat, will swell up in once water hits it. Same thing happens in your stomach.


People getting rich from the obvious :) lol
Try reading this article for a lot of ideas and other tips regarding the full bar and it's concept.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Jewelry Making

I have been doing a little research today to learn some new beading techniques ;; I thought I'd share them here ::


VIDEO
How to Make Beaded Rings .
The girl has such a lovely british accent. cheerio!

WEBSITE
Large Holed Pearls

WEBSITE
Photographing your Jewelry.



Beautiful Anklet made with regular pearls using eyepins instead of stringing straight through the bead! Genius!

WEBSITE

eCrater.com ~ a new website to sell your stuff on. (oopsie I ended my sentence with a preposition .... please forgive me, 7th grade English Teacher!)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

uses for Baking Soda

What did we used to think baking soda was for? To sit in the back of the fridge? Read why it’s back where it belongs―in every room of the house!

1. To put out a grease fire, scatter baking soda over it by the handful to extinguish flames.


2. Clean the dishwasher and coffeemaker by running an empty cycle with baking soda.


3. Add ½ cup baking soda to your bath for an at-home spa treatment.


4. Polish jewelry with a paste made of water and baking soda. It’s safe on both silver and gold.


5. Scatter baking soda in the kitty box, then add litter on top to keep smells to a minimum. Or make a DIY litter, mixing a small box of baking soda with 3 inches of sandy clay.


6. For instant relief from bug bites, sunburn and poison ivy, mix baking soda with a little water and apply it directly to the sore.


7. Make a fluffier omelet by adding ½ teaspoon baking soda for every three eggs.


8. Pour in 1 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup hot vinegar to quickly unclog the kitchen drain.


9. Fight dandruff by tabling the shampoo for a few weeks and massaging your wet scalp with a handful of baking soda instead.


10. Gargle with baking soda, or use it as mouthwash.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Junk Food That's Good from You ~ (From MensHealth)

Pork Rinds

Why you think they're bad: These puffy snacks are literally cut from pigskin. Then they're deep-fried.

Why they're not: A 1-ounce serving contains zero carbohydrates, 17 grams (g) of protein, and 9 g fat. That's nine times the protein and less fat than you'll find in a serving of carb-packed potato chips. Even better, 43 percent of a pork rind's fat is unsaturated, and most of that is oleic acid—the same healthy fat found in olive oil. Another 13 percent of its fat content is stearic acid, a type of saturated fat that's considered harmless, because it doesn't raise cholesterol levels.

Eat this: J&J Critters Microwave Pork Rinds ($6.50 for a 10-ounce container; www.microwaveporkrinds.com). Because the rinds are cooked and puffed in a microwave instead of deep-fried, each serving contains only 4 g fat—meaning they're lower in calories and less greasy than regular pork rinds.


Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/healthy_snacks/Pork_Rinds.php#ixzz0yJIo4FKq

Alcohol

Why you think it's bad: It has little nutritional value and is the reason we need the term "beer belly."

Why it's not: In a study of more than 18,000 men, Harvard scientists discovered that those who had an average of two drinks every day, 5 to 7 days a week, had the lowest risk of heart attack. And researchers at the University of Buffalo found that men who consume that same daily amount have lower levels of abdominal fat than those who drink only once or twice every 2 weeks but down more than four drinks each time.

Drink this: Pinot noir. It contains more disease-fighting antioxidants than any other type of alcoholic beverage. Look for a Santa Barbara County pinot noir that's a 2002 to 2004 vintage; those are generally recognized as the top wine-producing years for this finicky grape. We like the 2003 Foley, best in show at the San Francisco International Wine Festival (foleywines.com).


Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/healthy_snacks/Alcohol.php#ixzz0yJJBBcz0

Beef Jerky

Why you think it's bad: It's unhealthy meat that's loaded with preservatives.

Why it's not: Beef jerky is high in protein and doesn't raise your level of insulin—a hormone that signals your body to store fat. That makes it an ideal between-meals snack, especially when you're trying to lose weight. And while some beef-jerky brands are packed with high-sodium ingredients, such as MSG and sodium nitrate, chemical-free products are available. If you have high blood pressure, check the label for brands that are made from all-natural ingredients, which reduce the total sodium content.

Eat this: Gourmet Natural Beef Jerky (available at americangrassfedbeef.com). It has no preservatives and is made from lean, grass-fed beef. Research shows that, unlike grain-fed products, grass-fed beef contains the same healthy omega-3 fats found in fish.


Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/healthy_snacks/Beef_Jerky.php#ixzz0yJJEreBv

Sour Cream

Why you think it's bad: You know 90 percent of its calories are derived from fat, at least half of which is saturated.

Why it's not: The percentage of fat is high, but the total amount isn't. Consider that a serving of sour cream is 2 tablespoons. That provides just 52 calories— half the amount that's in a single tablespoon of mayonnaise—and less saturated fat than you'd get from drinking a 12-ounce glass of 2 percent reduced-fat milk.

Eat this: Full-fat sour cream. Unless you actually prefer the taste of light or fat-free products (and who does?), opt for the classic version; it tastes richer, and the fat will help keep you full longer.


Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/healthy_snacks/Sour_Cream.php#ixzz0yJJI6Xvi

Coconut

Why you think it's bad: Ounce for ounce, coconut contains more saturated fat than butter does. As a result, health experts have warned that it will clog your arteries.

Why it's not: Even though coconut is packed with saturated fat, it appears to have a beneficial effect on heart-disease risk factors. One reason: More than 50 percent of its saturated-fat content is lauric acid. A recent analysis of 60 studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that even though lauric acid raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, it boosts HDL (good) cholesterol even more. Overall, this means it decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease. The rest of the saturated fat is almost entirely composed of "medium-chain" fatty acids, which have little or no effect on cholesterol levels.

Eat this: Shredded, unsweetened coconut.Have a handful as an anytime snack, straight from the bag. (Don't gorge; it's still high in calories.) It'll be filling, and won't spike your blood sugar.


Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/healthy_snacks/Coconut.php#ixzz0yJJLKu00

Chocolate Bars

Why you think they're bad: They're high in both sugar and fat.

Why they're not: Cocoa is rich in flavonoids—the same heart-healthy compounds found in red wine and green tea. Its most potent form is dark chocolate. In a recent study, Greek researchers found that consuming dark chocolate containing 100 milligrams (mg) of flavonoids relaxes your blood vessels, improving bloodflow to your heart. What about the fat? It's mostly stearic and oleic acids.

Eat this: CocoaVia chocolate bars. Each 100-calorie bar is guaranteed to contain 100 mg flavonoids. As an added benefit, the chocolate has been beefed up with phytosterols, compounds that have been shown to help reduce cholesterol. Find the bars at many Wal-Mart stores, or online at cocoavia.com.


Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/healthy_snacks/Chocolate_Bars.php#ixzz0yJJO2Iy7


Laptop Skin - Made from Dollar Tree Ingredients !

At my Favorite store, the Dollar Tree, they sell contact paper in the large tubes. The one I bought is white with a black etched rose pattern.

this looks pretty sweet. They DID have the woodgrain contact paper when I went to the DT yesterday.


So since I didn't feel like messing with precise cuts or measuring (even though it IS easy because the paper has a grid printed on the back) I trimmed the edges with some decorative edged scrapbooking scissors.



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