Winter Chaos by xdfrog

These days it seems we’re all looking for a cleaner, greener way of handling even our most basic tasks.  And with the recent rash of snow storms, it’s no wonder that people are looking for alternatives to salting their driveways and walkways.

Did you know that you can use your leftover coffee grounds to de-ice?

Just save your used coffee grounds in a large container.  When the ice hits, you can then sprinkle the grounds just as you would the salt to prevent slipping.

If you’re looking for other uses for your leftover grounds, check out AltUse.

Annual Sales: January

Many of us are fully aware of the deep discounts we can get on holiday decorations in January. This can be a great time to stock up on cards, wrapping, decorations and small gift items (we love to pick up candles and holiday-related books as well) and store them away until next year.  Just remember that you have them so you don’t buy duplicates next year.

In addition to these holiday-themed items, January is also a good time to take advantage of the the great discounts on items that were hot sellers for the holiday season such as winter clothing, cookware, kitchen gadgets, housewares, rugs and toys. You may find these on the closeout or clearance shelves.
January is also the time to spring for a new TV or computer.

TYPICAL JANUARY ANNUAL SALES: Annual white sales; stock up on linens, sheets and towels, workout and sports gear

MAJOR PURCHASES TYPICALLY ON SALE IN JANUARY: Appliances, furniture, televisions and computers.

SEASONAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES*: avocados, broccoli, cabbage, celery, collards, endive, grapefruit, kale, oranges, rutabagas, tangerines, winter squash.

*With some produce now available all during the year, many people have forgotten when fruits and vegetables are really fresh. Buying in season means that these items are often cheaper, fresher, taste better and that money may be going to local farmers.

We haven’t gone far, but we’re off the front page.

Be sure to change your links and your RSS feeds to keep following along.

I’m by now, we all know the many and various ways we can use baking soda outside of the kitchen, beyond just cooking and cleaning.  There’s also those many uses for lemons, such as: using a lemon to freshen up a slimy, stinky garbage disposal; or to remove the limescale from your faucet; or using lemons to exfoliate your feet or elbows; or even using lemon juice to repel both weeds  from growing and cats from peeing in a particular spot.

Let’s face it, there are myriad of ways to use many different everyday, household products other than the ways you may have originally thought.

More and more it is important that we focus on conserving our resources. In light of this being Earth Day and with our minds set on reusing and recycling, be sure to check out AltUse.com.  The founders of AltUse.com believe that a “radical overhaul in product usage is of extreme importance.”

The goal of AltUse.com is to tap into the collective intellectual capital of the world to provide a solution to this pressing issue.  AltUse.com will facilitate sharing of alternative use information to help consumers save money, minimize waste and maximize product value. We seek to be a catalyst for changing the way companies manufacture and market consumer goods by challenging the notion that products should be created for one specific purpose. Our proprietary ranking system accelerates access to the data.

So take a moment and poke around and see what you might be able to reuse or recycle in your home.  I know I’ll be reusing my leftover coffee grounds to make my own body scrub – mix leftover cooled grounds with a little brown sugar (4:1) and about a tablespoon of oil. The caffeine not only helps to revive the skin and break down cellulite (or so I’ve heard), but it also smells delicious.

As a way to say “thank you” to their customers for their support and to celebrate 31 years of scooping the chunkiest, funkiest ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are happily giving it away!

It’s a great time to either try something new or enjoy one of your favorites…for free!!

Around the world, Scoop Shops are opening their doors from noon to 8:00 pm, to serve up a free scoop of your favorite flavor. Please check with your local Scoop Shop for more info!

Join the Free Cone Day event on facebook!

Are you a US History buff? Have you ever wanted to see a copy of Rosa Parks’ arrest certificate? What about Elliot Ness’ Oath of Office swearing to uphold the Constitution while going after Al Capone?  Can I interest you in a letter from Walt Disney to President Nixon requesting an interview? Or maybe Bob Hope’s first curtain call? What about the Homestead paperwork from Laura Ingalls Wilder and her husband’s first home together in the Dakota Territory?

If pieces of American history interest you then you’re in luck.  The National Archives has been slowly uploading pieces of America’s history into their Digital Vault.  This project was two and a half years in the making and they officially went live a year ago, in February 2008.  They currently have 1200 images and many images are multiple pages in length.  The Vault includes documents, photographs, posters, letters, sound recordings and moving images all hand selected from the National Archives.  It allows visitors to get a behind-the-scenes look into the archives.

Suzanne Isaacs, the digital project coordinator for the National Archives Experience made sure to point out that these archives aren’t a search engine, they’re more like an exhibit – “one that is different each time you visit, encourages creativity and allows you to share your creations with others through email.”  They aren’t displayed in a static exhibit format, nor are they organized chronologically or by category. The easiest way to find something particular is to search using either keywords or tags.

The site is said to “mimic historical research in that it insists on and encourages visitor exploration.” Users can also access the archives to create personal movies and posters using the images in the vault that can be shared with others via email – this could be a fun idea for a special birthday celebration or a class project.

Consider yourself warned though, once you start poking around, click on some of the tags and create your “path”, you’ll be on there for quite some time.  It truly is both awe-inspiring and fascinating (history can often be like that).  And it’s a fun way to kill some time…but you didn’t hear me say that

screencap from the NARA.gov

Did you know that when high end, professional hair products are sold outside of salons – even in major retailers, drug stores or grocery stores – that the product is no longer regulated by their manufacturer?

When professional salon productsare sold outside of salons, they’re called “diverted products.”  This process of selling “diverted products” is not only bad for the manufacturer that’s losing the money, but it’s also bad for you, the consumer.

What does this mean for you?

Well, it means that there’s a very strong chance that when you buy your professional hair products at the local drug store, they’re more than likely either diluted, counterfeit or past their expiration. Basically, if the product your buying is no longer regulated, it also means that there are no health or hygiene standards set in place.

Back in June 2003, FOX News reported that counterfeit hair care products independently analyzed were found to have dangerously high levels of toxic bacteria and other impurities—enough to make a person sick and require medical attention.  More recently, a local Southwest Florida ABC7 undercover special report in conjunction with Paul Mitchell Systems, tested a batch of “diverted product” from several neighborhood grocery stores.  Paul Mitchell Systems’ laboratory tests found “dangerously high levels of bacteria and other impurities that can be dangers to consumers.”

Basically, if you buy salon-only products outside of a salon, there is no guarantee that the product is authentic, that the contents haven’t been altered or that the product hasn’t expired.  So buyer beware, the few dollars that you’re saving could cost you in the end.

In honor of January being National Hot Tea Month Dave De Candia, master tea blender at The Coffee Bean, has created a list of tips for brewing the perfect cup of tea.

Many consumers make simple mistakes while brewing that limits the robust flavors of tea blends.  By following these tips listed below, you’ll be sure to experience the layered flavors of tea blends.

Water temperature: Never use boiling water to make tea.  Boiling water burns the tea leaves and diminishes the flavor.  The ideal temperature is between 185 and 190 degrees.  If you’ve let the kettle start to boil let the water sit for 30 seconds so the water cools slightly.

Amount of tea: Use one tea bag per 1-2 cups of water or for loose tea use one teaspoon of tea leaves for every cup.  Never reuse a tea bag – the flavor will have been used in the first cup.

Steeping: Exactly how long you should steep your tea depends on the type of tea; however, most teas begin tasting bitter after seven minutes of steeping. Steep green tea for about three minutes, oolong and black teas for about five minutes and herbal teas for about seven minutes.  Remove the tea bag immediately after use to avoid burning the leaves – this will make the tea taste bitter.  Remember that tea bags take less time to brew than loose tea leaves.

Strength: Some people like strong tea.  My motto for strong tea is, “Add more tea, not time.”  Steeping the tea for more time will only reduce the flavor, not increase the strength.

Additions: When adding both lemon and sugar, add the sugar first. If the lemon is added first the citric acid will prevent the sugar from dissolving. Cream should not be added to tea as it interferes with the taste but personal preferences vary.

Dave De Candia has spent over a decade traveling the globe in search of high-quality ingredients to create The Coffee Bean’s popular tea blends. He is available for interviews to further discuss proper tea brewing and his top picks for the Coffee Bean’s winter tea blends.

Did you know that…

• a plastic bag takes 450 years to biodegrade.
• the production of paper bags causes 70% more pollution than plastic.
• when plastic “photo degrades” it ends up in our oceans. Incidentally, it appears much like a plankton, and is then consumed by fish. Fish eat it, and it winds up on your dinner table.
• the recipe for making paper bags starts with 1 part pulp, 400 parts WATER.
• the recycling of plastic emits heavy metals into the air causing extreme air pollution.
• an average person will use over 350 bags in a single year!
• in New York City, one less grocery bag per person would reduce waste by 5 million pounds and save $250,000 in disposal costs.
• in 1999 more than 14 million trees were cut down to produce 10 billion paper bags that were used by Americans that year.
• reusable bags save 700+ bags over the span of their lifetime!
• if we spread the word about the importance of reusing our grocery bags, work together, and somehow this movement catches on, the end up benefit to the Earth is going to be huge! We are talking millions of gallons of fresh water saved, millions of gallons of fuel saved, and hundreds of thousands of acres of forest land saved every year!

And the final reason, there are some darn cute bags that hold so much more than your average shopping bag, out there.  No more one item per bag at the grocery store.  Check out the selection at Delight.com.  Or just recycle those old canvas bags you get from all those promotions or business conferences.  What else are you going to do with them?

I keep a Mini-RuMe in my purse at all times.  It takes up no space, weighs next to nothing, and it holds quite a bit (just look at all it holds over there on the right).  It let’s me cut down on bags from all those planned and unplanned shopping trips since I have my own bag on me, not forgotten back in the car.  You know it’s always the unplanned trip or the forgotten bag that gets you nearly every time. And did I mention it’s so cute that I get tons of compliments on it?

For those of you that have voted today and done your civic duty, be sure to check out the freebies that your I Voted sticker can get you on Election Day…

Chick-Fil-A- Get a FREE Chick-fil-A sandwich if you show them your “I Voted” sticker. One per customer. Some locations are also offerring free Chick-fil-A sandwiches if you bring your election yard banner (typical yard signs pimping politicos and/or issues) on Wednesday, November 5th.

Krispy Kreme- Get a FREE doughnut if you show them your “I Voted” sticker. No purchase necessary.One per customer. Click HERE for details.

Starbucks- Get a FREE tall cup of coffee with proof of voting. No purchase necessary. One per customer. Click HERE for details.

Ben & Jerry’s- Get a FREE scoop of Ice-cream on Election day with proof of voting from 5-8pm. No purchase necessary. One per customer. Click HERE for details.

Daily Grill - Get a FREE appetizer on Election day during Happy Hour with proof of voting. They are also extending their happy hour prices on both drinks and food until the restaurant closing that day

Books-a-Million- Get a FREE cup of coffee on Election day. No purchase necessary. One per customer.