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Time Change – Atomic Clocks Set Themselves

adminh — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:29:24 +0000

Spring is coming and it’s time to reset the clocks. Self-setting satellite or atomic clocks take care of the time change themselves.

This month we spring forward for Daylight Saving Time in North America. I find that losing the hour is a tougher adjustment than adding the hour in the fall. But one bright spot is my atomic clock. I enjoy gadgets that save me time.

Because these clocks update themselves automatically, they get my vote for one of the best home electronic devices.

Top benefits of satellite clocks

Save time by resetting themselves when the time changes
Battery operated, no resetting if the power goes out
Styles and sizes for any room decor
Extra features, like weather, can make them more useful

I’ve been so happy with the clocks I have that I wrote a product showcase for atomic and satellite clocks (link will take you to my Squidoo lens). Check out the Oregon Scientific model, comparable to my Sharper Image clock.

Self-setting clocks are available in all kinds of styles and sizes, small and large. Alarm clocks and wall clocks. There are models with built-in radios, weather stations and even displays that show the phases of the moon. Many are digital, but there are also analog versions.

Use search terms like satellite, atomic, self-setting or radio controlled in the description of the item, to locate even more models.

Satellite clocks are very accurate. They reference the time via a radio connection to the US Atomic Clock in Colorado. The reference clocks use the vibration of cesium atoms to keep ultra-accurate time, so exact that the error rate is only one second in 100 million years.

These clocks use batteries, and are handy when there’s a power outage too.

The model I have includes a time projection feature, which is fun and practical. No fumbling around if you want to see the time on the ceiling all the time. Just plug in the clock and let the battery act as a back up feature. For occasional time projection, batteries alone work fine. The room does need to be dark. You won’t see the time if there is any ambient light.

When it’s time to change my other clocks, I use my little atomic clock as the reference, and carry it around as I reset the other clocks. When I add or replace a clock, I’m getting another self-setting model.

I use the Fourth of July as my battery changing date, for these clocks, smoke detectors and similar items. I love having clocks that keep time on their own, truly a practical, set-it-and-forget-it item for the home.

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Add a Bat House to Your Property

adminh — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:11:20 +0000

When you host a bat house, you provide a replacement for disappearing bat habitat. A bat house is an eco-friendly gift for the gardener or homeowner, including yourself.

A colony of bats will eat hundreds or thousands of mosquitoes or other insect pests every day during the season. They shy away from humans, and migrate in the winter.

Installing a bat house in the fall will give it time to weather a little, making it more likely to attract some beneficial bats into your environment.

Our guest blogger and fellow Ezinearticles author, Bob Urbanek, is just one provider of pre-built bat houses.

The Benefits of Installing a Bat House

By Bob Urbanek

Mosquitoes and other flying pests can ruin a relaxing summer evening on the patio. The first reaction for most people is to grab the repellent, but there is an effective pesticide-free alternative.

Contrary to popular belief bats are not the hideous creatures portrayed in the horror movies. Bats do not attack humans or intentionally fly into your hair. The truth is that bats play a vital role in the control of insects.

A single bat can consume from 600 to 1200 insects in just one hour, more if nursing young. Just imagine how out of control the insect populations would be if there were no bats to keep them in check.

Sadly, bat populations are declining at an alarming rate. Currently close to 40 percent of American bat species are listed as endangered, threatened, or in rapid decline. The result of this decline in bat populations is an increasing insect population, and a marked increase in the use of toxic pesticides.

By installing a properly designed bat house you can help to increase the declining bat population, thus helping to preserve this valuable ecological resource.

Bats prefer to live in colonies, so at least a mid-sized bat house is recommended. These mid-sized houses can support a colony of 100 to 300 bats. A bat colony numbering 300 can consume 360,000 mosquitoes and insects per hour.

Your bat house should be mounted on a pole or building for best results. Houses mounted on trees tend to have a lower occupancy rate. Your bat house should be mounted under the eves and receive some sun exposure. A mounting height of 15 to 20 feet above ground is optimal, as well as a location that is not exposed to bright lights at night.

By installing a bat house you not only reduce insect populations around your home, you are also helping to protect a very valuable ecological resource.

View the most popular bat house. We make it easy for you to add that special touch to your lawn and garden! URB Distributing

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

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Why Should Gardeners Use Native Plants in a Landscape?

adminh — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:30:09 +0000

In Michigan in the fall, we’re thinking about planting spring flowering bulbs and getting gardens ready for the winter.

In the same season, my friend and guest blogger, Wanda Fitzgerald, is planting tomatoes and cool weather crops…and working on her landscaping.

Wanda an accomplished gardener, among many other talents. She loves using native plants in her Florida home garden.

Plants that are too tender to grow outdoors all year in my garden, due to our Michigan winters, are just right in Florida. And since gardeners think on a year-round level, it can inspire your garden planning, no matter what climate or gardening zone you have in your garden.

Why should gardeners use native plants in a landscape?

By Wanda Fitzgerald

One reason, especially in Florida, is that people visit the state to enjoy the unique natural habitats, so why not use some of the 2,800 native species of plants and trees that grow so well here in our home landscapes? After all, 1 out of every 12 Florida native plants are found in Florida and nowhere else. Planting them in a garden gives a unique esthetic appeal that no other place in the world has.

Florida has a number of different ecosystems. There are swamps and mangrove swamps, sand hills and scrub lands, bottom-land and up-land hardwoods, flat woods, and tropical hammocks. The variety and number of native species in Florida is vast, and the interest in using them in home gardens is growing.

There are other reasons for landscaping with native plants:

First, if chosen correctly they will require less irrigation and therefore will reduce the amount of water needed in communities. In most areas of Florida there are water restrictions for home lawns and landscapes so it’s vital to keep the consumption to a minimum.

Additionally because these plants have evolved over centuries to thrive in their natural habitats they will require less fertilizer and pesticides. Using fewer chemicals in the landscape will reduce the amount of runoff water and the lakes will be less contaminated.

Also native plants provide the habitat for many types of birds, butterflies, and pollinating insects.

And finally the natural look of native plants can help to change the monotony of the typical suburban garden. Many of them are fragrant and brightly colored, adding seasonal changes to the surroundings.

When choosing landscape plants:

Consult a local garden center that has specific knowledge about natives.

Use their expertise and support their business. They will sell plants that have been grown in pots and will not be stressed when moved to a home garden.

Never dig plants from the wild to bring home and use in a garden. There are many natives that are illegal to dig in Florida because they are scarce or endangered. And removing them will harm the delicate ecosystems and wildlife they support. In most cases they don’t do well when transplanted. Try taking cuttings or collecting seeds instead.

The notion that a natural landscape is not as attractive as the typical plantings installed in communities is not always accepted anymore. As native plant landscaping becomes more main stream in Florida more homeowners and gardeners will gain awareness of natural habitats and wildlife. And as more native plants are being grown specifically for home landscape use, their popularity will increase and both people and the wildlife and vegetation in Florida will benefit.

If you love to garden in Florida read more about it at Florida Native Gardening, and Florida Blueberry Gardening. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com.

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Rose Care Tips for Beautiful Blooms

adminh — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:24:48 +0000

Roses are pretty easy to grow if you learn about them and follow some simple guidelines.

Watering, fertilizing and pruning are essential rose care tasks.

Roses should be watered deeply, especially in this hot summer weather. They should get at least an inch of water every week.

As long as you have planted your roses in humus-rich, balanced soil, you shouldn’t need to give them more than one inch of water per week.

Always water your roses in the morning so their leaves will have time to dry before dark. Otherwise your roses can get Blackspot, Powdery Mildew or other diseases. Watering systems that only water the soil and not the leaves, such as drip irrigation hoses, are even better.

Roses need to be pruned regularly. You should use a good, sharp pair of pruning shears to nip faded flowers, and trim away dead or damaged branches, as well as any brown leaves.

Do not compost any diseased trimmings, because the pile may not get hot enough to destroy the disease organisms.

Fertilizing Roses

Roses are voracious eaters. They consume large amounts of soil nutrients, so you must feed them lightly but often each time. Stop feeding about two months before the first expected fall frost. In Michigan, that means finish feeding around the end of July.

The American Rose Society alfalfa tea recipe for roses has been around for quite a few years. Be aware: it smells! It is generally applied in fall. It stimulates the roses to release a special growth hormone that will help them build a strong root system.

To make this tea, take a 32-gallon plastic trash can and add 10 cups of alfalfa pellets, then enough water to cover them. Alfalfa pellets come from a feed store where you buy bags of food for horses or other grazing animals. Get the pellets that are just plain alfalfa, with no molasses or other additives.

Then you steep this tea for about five days, stirring it daily. After about three days, the smell will be apparent, so keep the lid on.

You can add nutrients by adding 2 cups of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate). Some growers add trace elements or their other “secret” ingredients to this brew.

This recipe makes a concentrated fertilizer tea. Dilute the mixture by adding water to fill the trash can at least half way before you water your plants.

Large rose bushes should receive about a gallon of this tea, and mini roses should get about 1/3 of a gallon. After you use all of the water, you can add more water to the pellets in the bottom to make a second batch. After the second batch, discard the pellets.

Some growers prefer just to sprinkle the pellets around their roses, and water them in. This treatment, repeated three times during the summer, will also benefit your roses if you don’t wish to make the tea.

With proper food and water, you can look forward to lovely and fragrant roses. The healthier your rose bushes, the more resistant to disease they will be and the more flowers they will produce.

With some basic care, your roses can be healthy and beautiful all season long, and for many seasons to come. You can continually enjoy and even show off your rose-growing talents!

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Make Homemade Jam to Start Preserving at Home

adminh — Fri, 21 May 2010 01:11:30 +0000

Any time of year is the right season for certain kinds of fresh produce. So, any time is a great time to start, or rekindle, your interest in home preserving.

I’ve made jam and canned a variety of foods. It is not difficult, but like many other things, it will work best with the right tools and some understanding of why certain steps are necessary to the process.

If you want to teach yourself home preserving (generically called canning, though you most likely will be using glass jars, not metal cans), making strawberry or pineapple jam is a great place to start. These are popular fruits. If you have another favorite, of course, certainly that would be good for you.

Jam is basically fruit, sugar and pectin. I recommend using fresh fruit make your jam, if your mission is to leave out all the unnecessary additives?

Use good quality fruit, proper tools, and you can have a row of beautiful jam jars to eat at your house, or to give as gifts.

I wrote a product guide, in the form of a Squidoo lens, to explore some of the available books and tools for home preserving.

Basic Tools to Start Home Preserving

The big enameled pot called a “canner” is large enough to do quart jars as well. For the water bath method, you need room around the jars for the boiling water to circulate.
The rack that goes in the canner is designed to keep the jars from jostling each other in the boiling water. Also, it is very efficient to lift the jars in and out of the water. The handles move further apart, and they have an “elbow” designed to allow you rest the rack on the rim of the pot. Remember that this will be a load of hot glass jars, so you will want to be efficient.
The jar lifter is a large tongs, with a curved section in the middle to fit around the neck of the jar. It has heat-resistant handles and rubberized grip designed to give you a firm hold on a jar.
The lid lifter has a magnet on a wand, used to grab a hot, sterilized lid out of hot water, so that you can put it on your jar of jam or other food.
The wide mouth funnel is very handy, too, because you want to be efficient in filling your jars, and you want to keep food off the rim. The jars won’t seal properly unless the edges of the rims are clean when the lids are applied.
A supply of canning jars, bands and lids are needed to store your product. Canning jars are often sold in boxes of a dozen, and some of them come with one set of bands and lids, but be sure to check. There are jar sizes starting at a half pint, all the way up to a gallon. Pints and quarts are very popular, but the small sizes are great for jam and jelly.
Beautiful labels are available, so that you can get to decoratively label your jars for home use or for gifts.

Jam is just one of the foods on the list of fruit-based preserves. There are also jellies, marmalades and chutneys. Beyond those, favorite foods to can at home include tomatoes (plain, and all the variety of sauces), pickles (a huge variety), vegetables and many others.

If you are a member of a local farm, though a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA), then home canning will help you preserve all the beautiful fruits and vegetables that you receive in your family food box.

It is very satisfying, on a cold winter’s evening, to pull a beautiful jar of home canned produce from your kitchen pantry, and enjoy some of home-preserved bounty for dinner.

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Earth Day, Community Composting, and Memories

adminh — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:32:16 +0000

Thursday, Earth Day, was a gorgeous spring day, so I spent part of it outdoors doing some yard work. In the front, a bush died over the winter, and needed to be removed. I started with hand pruners, but quickly realized I needed something with more bite.

Loppers made short work of it, and it wasn’t long before the bush was bagged ready for the city pick-up. My axe will come out later, to grub out the stump.

Lawn work can have a certain meditative quality about it, so I don’t mind doing it. Since it happened to be Earth Day, it got me remembering.

In 1970, I was in school and our National Honor Society chapter did a “teach-in” where we did presentations for younger students. Mine was on water quality and waste water processing. Tertiary septic systems. Now that was a hot topic!

Remember going to the library and using the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature for your research 40 years ago? A long row of books, library bound in green, where you would record the information and ask for the magazine to be pulled from the stacks in back. Or perhaps view it on microfilm.

Some people in the country made compost. We used to burn our leaves on the edge of the street. Cans, bottles, paper, all that went into the regular trash. In my area, we recycle those things, and many more items.

Grass clippings and leaves go to community composting. If you want the results, there are designated places where the finished product is offered for free – first come, first served – to people improving their soil or working on their landscaping.

Perhaps in the future, someone will benefit from mining those old landfills. Meanwhile, 40 years after the first Earth Day, it seems perfectly natural to recycle the grass clippings, leaves and the dead bush, just like in nature.

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Practical Slow Cookers: Make Dinner While You Work

adminh — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:00:15 +0000

Slow cookers are just as popular today as ever. Everything from a hot breakfast to a hot toddy can be made in a slow cooker. You can almost set it and forget it, as that wonderful aroma of home cooking drifts through your house. Then get the bowls ready to serve.

Use the latest slow cooker models to make savory stews, soups and casseroles. Chili, baked beans and cabbage rolls. These are the foods that make Crock Pots and other slow cookers perennially popular. Many classic comfort foods are also slow cooker classics, easy to make and easy to serve.

You can create a meal, set it cooking, and have dinner underway while doing other tasks. Or, cook the meal overnight, refrigerate it while you are away from home, and reheat it at dinner time in your microwave.

Today, the generic term slow cooker is used alongside the brand name Crock Pot. The various modern models are the busy home cook’s friend.

These practical cookers have evolved into multi-tasking heavyweights since their introduction of slow cookers in the 1970s. They have lots of bells and whistles that your mother and grandmother would have wanted. There is a broad range of sizes, from 1 quart to 7 quart, even 8 quart capacity. The newest models include programming features, multiple temperature settings, multiple and removable stoneware inserts, hinged lids, clamp-on lids, and the list goes on.

The innovations found in today’s cookers are born directly from customer experience over the years:

Stoneware inserts are removable for cleaning.
Temperature controls allow for a broad range of cooking methods, and programmable features let you control the settings as your dish cooks.
Probes included with some models allow you to monitor foods that need to reach a certain temperature

Consider these things when you shop for the best slow cooker for your household:

Choose a size that you will fill at least half but no more than two-thirds full, so that the food gets hot enough, but does not overflow while cooking
The locking lids, available on some models, are made to help you transport the unit with food in it
Models with oval-shape stoneware liners (vs. round) work better for roasts, whole chickens and similar foods
Removable stoneware liners make clean up easier

Slow cookers continue to be popular because they serve the needs of busy moms and home cooks to make easy, delicious meals for their families.

Check out my Squidoo lens on slow cookers for more info on models and cookbooks for easy meals. You won’t want to save your slow cooker for annual potluck dinners once you discover all the luscious recipes that you can make with your cooker.

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Crocs Shoes – Wear With Socks for Foot Comfort

adminh — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:45:38 +0000

Having trouble keeping your feet warm, but just cannot give up your favorite Crocs in the winter? Never fear, most Crocs are roomy enough to allow for your foot and a pair of warm socks.

I live in my Crocs all year round. They are easy to slip on and off, and have plenty of holes to help my feet breathe. And I like to be comfortable whether I’m working around the house, out shopping or running errands.

Choosing the right combination of Crocs and socks helps keep my feet happy through any or all of these tasks!

The first winter I had my Crocs Caymans, I discovered socks with Crocs. Wearing socks with crocks works for me in all but the wettest, coldest weather, even in Michigan.

I like socks that are either made of wool or a wool blend, because they will keep your feet warm even if the socks get damp. Wool is wears well and many of the modern blends can go in the washing machine.

When I’m choosing socks to wear with my Caymans:

I look for something on the thin side, so I still have lots of room inside the shoes
And I like some color that will look good with my navy Caymans
I also like wool or a wool blend for winter or summer

Like lots of busy people, my feet can take a beating. My Crocs shoes help them keep up with the work and stay comfy, warm, and mostly dry. Crocs paired with the right pair of socks, can give you lots of practical comfort and style choices.

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Hot Air Popcorn – A Super Snack

adminh — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:10:57 +0000

In college in the 1970s I had a popcorn popper very similar to this Presto PopLite. IMO, hot air popcorn is better than other types because it is fluffier, has no extra oil and because I control the flavorings if any.

It did not take me long to get used to plain hot air popcorn. Get a good brand of popcorn that’s fresh (buy it in a store where there is product turnover, or online). The oil within the popcorn kernels can go rancid. For this reason, I also keep my popcorn in the refrigerator.

Of course, from time to time, it’s fun to make caramel corn or experiment with flavorings. One step up from plain is popcorn salt. It’s more finely ground than ordinary table salt. This comes in plain and butter flavors, too. But the easiest hot snack is a big bowl of hot air popped popcorn.

The biggest hazard is the resulting need for dental floss, but the snack is so worth it.

Tupperware works great to store any leftover popped popcorn, and you can keep nibbling on a single batch of popcorn for a day or so, until it’s gone. It’s also easy to put into bags for packed lunches or snacks for travel.

No matter how you eat your popcorn, here are some more tips to popping success:

Be sure to have an extra large serving bowl ready to catch the popcorn
Preheat the popper for a few minutes to help popcorn pop more completely
Watch out for the hood and cup after use, because they will get hot
Empty out any kernels that remain in the bottom, so your popper will be ready to use the next time (or maybe in the next 5 minutes for another batch!)

If I want butter, I melt it separately from the little cup that’s provided for this purpose and for measuring the popcorn. It’s part of the hood. Or use one of those olive oil sprayers to make the salt stick better. Just another bit of versatility. Must be why these machines are still popular after about 40 years in the marketplace.

And…the smell of popcorn popping. Always a crowd pleaser!

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Feel Happier with SAD Lamps

adminh — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 07:26:20 +0000

Scientists have been looking into SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, for more than 20 years. One of the treatments is to use lighting that produces a spectrum of wave lengths, similar to what the sun produces naturally. These lights are also called light therapy lights.

Sunlight therapy lamps to alleviate SAD have their fans among people who have felt depressed, moody or listless in the winter months, sometimes for years. Special lights like the NatureBright SunTouch Plus Light and Therapy Lamp are among the products developed to give people a convenient source of simulated sunlight at home.

Many people report that their mood improves, and their cravings for high-carbohydrate foods dissipate, by using these lights for about 30 minutes a day during the season when they would otherwise get limited exposure to natural sunlight

Natural spectrum lights simulate daylight. Strong lights at 10,000 lux create brilliant lighting.

What is SAD?

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a mood condition that is related to shorter days and less sunlight that we get in winter. Suffers report lethargy, insomnia, depression and other mood changes.

SAD is related to the hormone melatonin, which helps the body regulate sleep and moods. It is produced during dark hours, so the body makes more of it when we get less sunlight. December, January and February are the months when SAD is most prevalent. Women are four times more likely to feel this condition.

My friends and relatives in the UK really feel it. While Michigan is at 41 to 48 degrees north latitude, Britain is at 51 degrees and higher, comparable to Newfoundland in Canada. The sun goes down around 4 pm in the afternoon near the winter solstice and in London they get less than 8 hours of daylight on Dec. 21.

We get lots of clouds around the Great Lakes, so gloomy winter weather is nothing new. But these much shorter days and longer nights are far more pronounced.

Some people are using the natural light from these SAD lights help get their biorhythms back into balance, to help relieve insomnia, fatigue, loss of energy and carb cravings.

These lamps come in many variations. I have extra lights in my office, and they help me work more efficiently on long winter nights. There are bulbs available that you can put into your existing lamps, including compact fluorescent versions.

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