Category: Post Notes

Spring is a perfect time of year to freshen up your home so you can relax and enjoy the lazy days of summer ahead. But sometimes the thought of organizing the whole house can seem overwhelming. If you feel you don’t have the time to organize every nook and cranny, start with these quick and easy steps:

1. Do the five-things dash.
Walk into each room of your home with a box or garbage bag and choose five things you can throw away or donate. Choose duplicates or items that are worn out, outdated or rarely used.

2. Eliminate the expired.
Use a plastic bin to gather up medications, vitamins, and over-the counter drugs. Look at each item’s expiration date. Have a bag nearby to toss the outdated items. Take them to the drugstore for safe disposal. Keep the current medications in the plastic bin, label it and store it in a cool, dark place out of children’s reach.

3. Toss the toiletries.
Just before you brush your teeth every night or jump in the shower every morning, spend just five minutes getting rid of hair products that don’t work, bath products you never use, and skin care products that haven’t lived up to their promise.

4. Clear the counters.
Remove anything you don’t need and don’t use daily from your kitchen counters. Put out an attractive bowl or basket as a catch-all for items that usually lead to clutter. Once you’ve cleared the counters, you’ll have a more relaxed environment for eating and entertaining. Reward your efforts by displaying a vase of fresh flowers or a pot of spring bulbs.

5. Eliminate under-used utensils.
While waiting for water to boil or the oven to preheat, go through your utensil drawer and eliminate items you don’t use. Go through your kitchen “junk drawer” and see what treasures you’ve forgotten about and what trash you can remove.

6. Get the family in gear.
Make a game out of de-cluttering by getting the whole family involved. Give everyone a box, put on some up-beat music, set a timer, and see who can discard the most items from their room. Take the donations to charity. Then choose a token prize for the winner and a reward for the entire family.

7. Do the season-swap.
Now is the time to put away the winter coats, boots, and wool hats and bring out the sun hats, rain jackets and umbrellas. If you don’t have an extra closet, try storing a rolling garment rack in the basement or spare room, or using under-the-bed storage bins.

8. Cut clothing clutter.
Put aside about half an hour to step into your closet and pull out any winter items you didn’t wear this year, while it’s still fresh in your mind. If you didn’t wear it this winter, you likely won’t wear it next, so let it go now rather than storing it for another year.

These tips will help you clean and organize your home in less time, so you can go out and enjoy the summer sooner - guilt-free.

A Certified Professional Organizer®, life coach, TV Host and owner of We Organize U. visit www.WeOrganizeU.com or e-mail info@WeOrganizeU.com

Planting and tending a garden is often an overlooked way to enrich your health and build a positive outlook. “Gardening is a great way to relieve stress, take time for yourself, and unwind,” says gardening expert Denis Flanagan. It allows you to take part in an activity with an end result that you take pride in.

Here are the top 5 reasons to garden this year:

Gardening is good for your health.
It is a natural stress reliever - as well as a natural form of exercise, and it can help release your artistic side. Planting a vegetable garden is a great way to get all the physical health benefits and enjoy the nutrition of home-grown produce.

Gardening helps instill life lessons.
Especially beneficial to children, it can help instill lessons about nurturing, caring, and sharing with others.

Gardening helps foster relationships with neighbors.
Being out in your garden can help break the ice between you and your neighbors. Why not pick a fresh bouquet for the new neighbors up the street or invite the people on your block to a backyard BBQ and serve fresh-grown veggies?

Gardening increases the value of your real estate.
Every homeowner knows that the more you invest in your home, the more its value increases. Adding an updated landscape theme or a beautiful new garden can also give you an increased sense of pride.

Gardening can help the environment.
It is also great for the animals that live around your home. Adding a bird feeder to your garden will bring an added element of wildlife to your yard, and installing a rain barrel or water-conserving fountain will look great, while reusing water.

Happy gardening!

Step one: Rake.
Rake on a sunny day when the grass is dry. Be gentle because the roots are still fragile. Raking removes winter debris and dead grass, separates blades matted down by winter, and helps control thatch.

Step two: Check for bald spots, moss and compaction.
These problems indicate the soil needs aeration to increase the amount of air, nutrients, and water reaching it. This strengthens roots and helps prevent thatch.

Step three: Top-dress your lawn.
Top-dressing improves the quality of the soil, making it more breathable and nutrient rich. It also helps with drainage, evens out small bumps, and stimulates new roots.

Step four: Consider over-seeding your lawn.
Grass thins and tires after a few years. Over-seeding encourages thick growth and discourages weeds. Water lightly every day until the seeds germinate.

Time spent admiring your garden is enjoyable indeed, but time spent getting it to look good can be much less fun. Follow these tips to make toiling in the soil more pleasant.

Warm up. Gardening is exercise, so do some stretching before you get to work.   Dress right. Wear pale clothing, a hat, gardening gloves, and necessary kneepads. Don’t forget the sunscreen. Use the right tools for you. Choose the right length for your height and the right size for your hands. Take frequent breaks. Gardening requires a lot of bending, so stand up and take a walk around. You can admire the fruits of your labor while stretching your muscles. Drink water to keep hydrated. Vary between tasks. Don’t overwork a set of muscles by doing the same job for extended periods. Working higher than shoulder level is particularly taxing.

Older paint contains lead. Over the years, governments have gradually phased out the use of lead in paint. If your house was built before 1960, the paint used during construction would have contained a great deal of lead.

Reduction started in the 60s, with complete elimination by the 1980s. If your house was built after 1978, the paint likely has no lead in it. What’s wrong with lead based paint? Lead is unhealthy if ingested, and it is surprisingly easy to ingest paint. It has a way of finding its way into our diets, particularly into the diets of toddlers. For instance, painted door-jambs and window sashes create paint dust during use. For toddlers who spend a great deal of time on their hands and knees, and who “test” the world through their mouths, this dust presents a serious health hazard if it contains lead.

Testing:
Knowing if you have lead based paint is half the battle. The paint can be tested on site by a lead-abatement contractor who has specialized testing equipment provides instant results. The alternative is to send a sample to a lab for testing. Contact the lab first to get directions for obtaining and packaging the sample. Contact your local Pillar To Post® home inspector to see if they can test for lead.

Dealing with Lead Based Paint:
Keep it clean. Lead dust is the problem. Wet mop floors weekly and wipe surfaces to remove the lead dust. Some suggest using special detergents and discarding the mop after use. Information on detergents and cleaning protocols are readily available on the Internet.

Encapsulate:
The paint on the walls and ceilings is fairly safe because the surfaces typically do not wear. You can protect these areas by applying newer lead-free paint over the top, in a process that builders call encapsulation.

Replace:
Wear surfaces can be replaced rather than encapsulated. For example, you can remove and replace door-jambs with new wood.

Remove:
Where encapsulation or wood replacement is not practical, you can remove the paint using chemical strippers. This task is time consuming and expensive and should only be done by an expert lead abatement contractor since proper containment is essential.

Are you curious if you are being told the truth? Here are a few clues that should help you out:

Two P’s: If you hear protestations and passive language, you may not be hearing the truth. Look out for phrases like “I swear to tell the truth” and “kind of”.

Body-language barriers: Liars often cross their arms to create physical distance or turn their torsos to one side to make themselves look smaller.

Eye movements: Eyes shift up and to the left when creating a story, and to the right when accessing memories. Also blinking slows when telling an untruth.

Nose rubbing: Pinnocchio may be fictional, but the effect named for him is real. Lying makes your nose itch. The stress of lying unleashes an adrenaline rush that dries out your nose and releases histamine.

A case of cola is a staple in most homes. Rather than drinking it, here are a few other ways to put that can of cola to use.

Clean Battery Terminals. Clean car battery terminals. The acidic properties will eliminate corrosion. Pour some soda over the battery terminals and let it set. Remove the sticky residue with a wet sponge or rag.

Loosen Rusted Nuts and Bolts. Soak a rag in soda and wrap it around a bolt for several minutes.

Make Cut Flowers Last Longer. Pouring about half a cup of cola and water into a vase. The sugar in the soda will make the blossoms last longer.

Clear Out a Slow Drain. Pour a bottle of cola down the drain to help remove a difficult clog.

Lead poisoning does not happen overnight so do not panic. For peace of mind, you can test your children for lead poisoning with a simple blood test done by your family physician. Wash children’s toys often. Toys may collect dust. Wet mop floors and wipe surfaces weekly to minimize the amount of lead dust. Have children wash their hands often, especially before meals. Do not attempt to remove lead based paint yourself as you may create a much bigger problem by spreading lead dust around your house.

Through coaching hundreds of people, both in my life coaching practice and as a professional organizer, I’ve discovered the one thing that seems to hold many people back from getting what they want: their thoughts. Is “stinking thinking” holding you hostage? Stinking thinking can be defined as a bad way of thinking that makes you believe you will fail, that bad things will happen to you, or that you are not a deserving person. It stems from the beliefs that were programmed into our minds years ago.

Are the following statements true or false?

What’s your image of perfection?
And how is that working for you? It’s impossible to satisfy the inner judge, that critical voice inside your head that expects you to live up to its unrealistic image of perfection. It tells you all the things you should be, and when you don’t measure up, you feel that you’re not good enough. Our inner critic creates expectations neither others nor we could ever meet, so inevitably we end up feeling disappointed with ourselves; this can lead to feelings of failure and unworthiness.

Ready to make some changes? Use the 3-D formula:
1. Detect:
We’ve been under the influence of our thoughts for so long that we don’t even realize we can take control of them. The good news is that we can. But before we can take charge and change things, we have to become aware of the ridiculous things our inner voice is telling us (detect). One way to bring them to light is to keep a journal. Another way of capturing them is to record them on your phone as you notice them.

2. Dispute:
How true are these beliefs? Expectations of our inner judge are unrealistic and set us up for failure. Once we have exposed these thoughts for what they are, we can stop believing them (dispute). Let go of these false beliefs. Release any criticism and blame you may be directing at yourself.

3. Devise:
Come up with a new way of thinking (devise). Shift your point of view and see yourself differently. Think as if you had your own best interests in mind. That means rephrasing those bullying thoughts to something more forgiving. Instead of harsh, judgemental self-talk, speak to yourself with respect. Use phrases such as “everyone makes mistakes” and “I did the best I could.” Choose praise over criticism.

Quiet the voice inside your head to make space for love and joy to enter your life instead.
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Letting go of false beliefs in your mind creates more space in your life for peace and happiness. Change your beliefs and you can change your thoughts. Change your thoughts and you will change your feelings. Change your feelings and you will change your behavior. Changes in your behavior can lead to you improving your life and your relationships.

Ultimately, your thoughts become your destiny.

A Certified Professional Organizer®, life coach, TV Host and owner of We Organize U. visit www.WeOrganizeU.com or e-mail info@WeOrganizeU.com

Spring is upon us and it seems that runny noses, watery eyes, coughs and headaches often abound. If your doctor has not found the cause of your suffering, it may be time to consider a third possibility: mold.

More than 100 types of household molds thrive in damp conditions, making after spring showers prime time for mold to appear in floors, walls and ceilings damaged by leaky pipes or foundation walls, soaked wood, plasterboard, or even newspapers.

Molds give off tiny spores that can get into respiratory tracts and cause allergic reactions. For most people, this results in an irritating but harmless problem. But in young children, it can be more serious.

Fortunately, you may be able to protect your family by taking these three steps:

1. Regularly check areas where mold thrives, including damp basements, bathrooms, air conditioners and anywhere that ceilings or walls may have suffered water damage. Peeling wallpaper often signals moist conditions, so check these spots carefully. Always quickly repair plumbing leaks.

2. Clean mold growth with a solution of one cup bleach to three cups water. Wear a mask and rubber gloves beforehand. If the area is larger than two square feet, hire a professional to get rid of the mold without spreading spores.

3. Prevent re-growth by using a dehumidifier in basements during wet weather. If you eliminate the moisture, then mold should never be too much of a recurring problem.

Consult your Pillar To Post® Inspector if you have concerns about mold.

• DO CHOOSE QUALITY, elegant fixtures in a classic style, as they will last longer and be more resistant to shifting trends.
• DO SELECT DURABLE, water-resistant flooring such as ceramic, marble, or stone tile. For more warmth underfoot, consider installing subfloor heating coils or choose well-sealed hardwood flooring.
• DO USE FOUND SPACE. Install a recessed storage cabinet at least three inches deep in the wall between the studs to maximize vertical storage while saving floor space.
• DON’T OVERCROWD by adding too many accessories, or by installing overlarge fixtures. A 35-square-foot bathroom only has space for an average size tub/shower, toilet, and a single-sink vanity.
• DON’T NEGLECT to vent. A 50-cfm fan is sufficient for venting a bathroom 50 square feet or less, but for spaces larger than 100 square feet, two fans - one for the shower and another near the toilet are better.

Germs can flourish on plastic or wood cutting boards. Keep them as clean as possible.

1. Disinfect with a salad staple: white vinegar. Use a clean sponge or paper towel to rub white vinegar over the board, and rinse with warm water. Vinegar destroys food-borne bacteria on contact.   2. Refresh with a squeeze of citrus. Cut a lemon in half, rub the pulpy side over the cutting board, and rinse with warm water. Fruit’s citric acid kills germs and odors. 3. Clean a wooden board with salt. Place it in the sink, sprinkle salt over the surface, then pour a cup of hot water over the board. Scrub the salt into stains and rinse. Your board will be spot-free, and salt will remove any ground-in flavors 4. No time to scrub your glass or plastic cutting boards? Clean the easy way. Put them in the dishwasher. The high heat will sanitize the surface. Caution: Avoid cross contamination. Designate one board for raw meat and fish and another for everything else. This eliminates the accidental transfer of bacteria onto your veggies.

There are no perfect houses. Whether you have a new home or one that's a hundred years old, houses have cracks. Houses shift and settle into position after construction. Houses will have cracks in either the cosmetic finishes or structural components. Most of these cracks have no structural significance. Some are significant and Pillar To Post® inspectors use every technique to help their clients figure out the difference.

Shrinkage Cracks
A newly poured, concrete foundation may contain small cracks because concrete shrinks as it cures. Fortunately, a shrinkage crack in a foundation wall is not structurally significant. Here’s how to recognize a shrinkage crack in a poured, concrete foundation:

• The crack will be small, less than 1/8th of an inch wide.
• The crack will be vertical.
• The crack will not extend up through the structure. The crack is in the foundation only.
• Shrinkage cracks usually occur in the middle third of the length of the foundation wall. If the crack is located towards the end of the length of the foundation wall, it’s probably not a shrinkage crack.

Horizontal Cracks In a Basement Foundation Wall
This discussion relates to cracks in the concrete foundation wall in a house with a basement; this is not relevant to slabs on grade or to cracks in walls above grade level. A below-grade, horizontal crack in a foundation wall, which runs the length of the basement, is likely to be a sign that the foundation is failing under the weight of the surrounding soil. The soil outside the foundation walls exerts an enormous pressure on all the foundation walls. Foundation walls are designed to be strong enough to resist this load. Occasionally, unanticipated, additional loads exert pressure and the foundation begins to fail, resulting in a horizontal crack in the foundation wall.

Settlement Cracks
Foundation settlement cracks are vertical, extending up through the structure. For a brick home, you may see cracks following the mortar joints in the brick wall. In most cases, the settlement crack itself has no structural significance; the concern is that the house may continue to settle over time.

Settlement Crack Size
A larger settlement crack is more likely to be due to ongoing movement than a smaller settlement crack is. While there are no hard and fast rules, a settlement crack or series of settlement cracks that have a sum total opening of less than 1/4 inch are probably not because of ongoing settlement.

Direction of Movement
A typical settlement crack is vertical, starting from where the crack opens up. The bumps and crevices line up and fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. If the crack face has moved in any other direction, such as a shear crack, the quarter-inch rule described above does not apply. This can be a significant structural concern.

Repaired and Re-cracked
A settlement crack that has been repaired and has re-cracked (not just a hairline crack) could also indicate ongoing movement.

Lights, camera, - snacking! Your favorite movie snack is closely associated with the emotions you experience at the cinema. It may reveal anything from your sociability to creativity.

Jujubes or Twizzlers: You are a decisive doer with strong leadership skills.

Raisinets or M&M’s: You are a thoughtful classicist, contemplative and also quiet yet sophisticated.

Popcorn: You are a generous ladder-climber, sharing, charitable yet goal-oriented and successful.

Nachos: You are always prepared and a perfectionist, welcoming any challenge with a methodical approach.

That little can of WD-40 has more uses than you originally thought.

1. Keep silver shining. Remove tarnish from your silver jewelry or platters with a few sprays of WD-40. It helps to prevent tarnish build up by sealing out moisture.

2. Get rid of gum. If gum is stuck to carpet, spray over the spot, wait 10 minutes and you should be able to wipe away the sticky mess with a clean cloth.

3. Bye-bye scuff marks. Make those pesky black marks disappear from your tile or wood floor in a flash. Just spray WD-40, and then rub with a clean cloth until the area is no longer slippery.

4. Loosen zippers. Get a zipper to slide easily again by spraying WD-40 on it, then pull it up and down a few times. Remove excess with a paper towel.

Most settlement cracks are the result of short-term settlement. Ongoing settlement is unlikely and uncommon. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to identify ongoing settlement from a one-time visit to the home.   Since making multiple visits to the home over a few years is not compatible with a real estate transaction, we have to use our experience to read the cracks and take an educated guess as to whether ongoing settlement is likely.

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I’ve been spending more time than I care to at the chiropractor’s office lately. Turns out the nagging pain in my right shoulder is linked to the weight of my purse. My problems started when I bought an over-sized purse and began to put more and more items in it because there was space. Can you relate?

And it’s not just women that are lugging around too many belongings; how many times have you seen men sitting lopsided on their bulging wallets?

If you are ready to put a stop to the madness and save your sanity and your body, try these tips to get your purse and/or wallet organized quickly and easily.

Organize Your Purse

1. Purge your purse, pare down to essentials. Carry only what you need; you can always keep non-essentials in your car or in your desk.

2. Lighten the load by carrying a smaller purse. Choose a wider purse over a deep one to avoid archaeological digs. Look for one that has pockets for your cell phone, your glasses, etc.

3. Break items down into categories like grooming (lip balm, comb, powder), health (aspirin, antacid, tissues), and office (notepad, pen). Store each category in its own small, clear, zippered bag which can quickly be transferred from purse to purse.

4. Conserve space by carrying travel sizes of items like hand cream and aspirin.

5. Maintain your system. Once a week, clean out your purse by emptying out scraps of paper, abandoned mints, and used tissues. You can do this waiting for appointments.

Organize Your Wallet

1. Purge the excess. Pare down to essentials. Carry some cash, a debit card, a credit card, driver’s license, and perhaps a health card (often, just having the number is enough).

2. Store it elsewhere. Keep discount cards, coupons and gift cards in the glove compartment of your car instead of your wallet. Keep seldom-used credit cards in a secure place at home. Limit the amount of photos you carry.

3. Lighten the load by carrying a smaller wallet. Once you edit out the excess, a smaller wallet will prevent the temptation to accumulate months’ worth of receipts and other scraps of paper.

4. Be prepared. Photocopy all the cards you carry in your wallet and keep a copy at home in case your wallet is ever stolen.

5. Maintain your system. At least once a week, clean out your wallet by emptying out scraps of paper, business cards and other odds and ends. You can do this effortlessly while waiting for appointments. Use a mini accordion file case, a basket or a box to organize and store receipts at home.

A Certified Professional Organizer®, life coach, TV Host and owner of We Organize U. visit www.WeOrganizeU.com or e-mail info@WeOrganizeU.com

Research shows that compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. But if you are not using them correctly, those savings could go right out the window. Here is how to get the most of your CFLs to keep the money in your pocket.

• Stick to the 15-minute rule. Traditional bulbs saved money by turning them off when not in use. With CFLs, it is better to keep the light on if you’re going to need it again within 15 minutes. Frequent turning on and off wastes energy and makes them burn out faster.
• Make sure they match. Each CFL is specially designed to work in specific types of lighting fixtures. Double check the package to see if it is for dimmer switch, three-way lamp, timer, motion detector or outdoor lighting etc.
• Give them room to breathe. CFLs are sensitive to extreme temperatures, so place yours in open fixtures - such as lamps with shades rather than globes. Using them in enclosed fixtures can create a hot environment that reduces the lifetime of your bulb.
• TIP: Avoid breaking a CFL as you install it by holding it only by the white plastic part - never using the glass tubing, which can crack when handled.

Who can resist the charm and character of an older home? Before you buy, here are some common issues that may prevent you from securing insurance.

• Wiring: Knob and tube wiring, may be considered a fire risk. If a home inspector finds this wiring, the insurance company may require updating the electrical system.
• Galvanized or Lead Pipes: These older pipes are more susceptible to rust build-up and blockages. Because of the risk of flooding from bursting pipes, you may need to upgrade to modern copper or plastic pipes.
• Heat source: Details will be required about age, location and condition of oil tanks, often used in older homes for heating
• Wood Stoves: Often the source of house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning, wood stoves will most likely need to be inspected before an insurance policy will be confirmed.

Moving into your first home or downsizing after your children have left the nest? Here are a few ideas for making the most out of your new - smaller space.

THIN IS IN Modern technology has made it easier to get more into small spaces. A flat screen television can hang on the wall, eliminating the need for an entertainment unit.   LAP IT UP Using a laptop instead of a desktop computer allows you to transform any area into a workstation, whether it be the kitchen table or a comfy chair. IN THE KITCHEN If you have a small kitchen you might have to forego some large appliances. Try a compact French press, rather than a counter-hogging coffee maker. And nix the cumbersome stand mixer for a handheld model. ON THE DOCK Ditch that giant stereo system for a compact docking station for your MP3 player. You won’t be sacrificing space or sound quality.

It might surprise you to hear that the air inside your home is often dirtier than the air outside. That’s because indoor air is made up of outdoor air plus all the pollutants and allergens generated from cleaning products, pets, dust, smoke, and so on. Fortunately, you can improve indoor air quality in ways that do not cost a small fortune.

Get the Dust Out
Dust – a major irritant – includes lint, bacteria, pollen, plant and mold spores, pet dander, etc. You can reduce dust particles in the air in a number of ways. Here are three:

1. Clean or replace the furnace filter every three months. Pillar To Post® inspectors find that most homeowners do not keep up with this task. Thick-media filters, such as the five- and six-inch pleated type, last longer than regular filters and filter better too. Of course they are more expensive.

2. We all create an invisible dust cloud just walking through our homes. While a high quality furnace filter will reduce dust, frequent cleaning and vacuuming is also necessary, but only if your vacuum cleaner is up to the task.

3. A poor-quality vacuum cleaner can also create dust clouds. Before you give up on vacuuming, however, two solutions can address this problem: either install a central vacuum system with the canister-air discharge piped outside the house, or purchase a high-quality, portable vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filtration system. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. Whichever solution you choose, both will effectively decrease the amount of dust that spews into the air when you vacuum.

Control of Humidity
High humidity levels in your home can significantly contribute to mold and dust mite growth. Dust mites, however, are a fact of life; you cannot eliminate them entirely. But you can decrease their numbers. Dust mites thrive in humidity levels above 50%. Ensuring the humidity in your home is not higher than 50% will diminish dust mite growth. Here are a few ways to address humidity.

1. Buy an inexpensive hygrometer to measure the indoor humidity

2. Ensure that your clothes dryer vents to the outside

3. Bathroom and kitchen fans should direct shower, bath and cooking moisture outside

4. Fix basement leaks and deal with condensation issues

5. Air conditioning systems and dehumidifiers can also remove moisture from the air. Keep in mind that dehumidifiers use a great deal of electricity and don’t provide any cooling. Make sure you deal with obvious sources of moisture first.

More Efficient Air Exchange
Some homes just need more ventilation. Heat-recovery ventilators, or energy-recovery ventilators are both effective ventilation devices. Some do-it-yourself systems exist out there but we strongly suggest an expert consultation. Choosing the right system involves careful consideration of your home and your specific situation.

Improving air quality in the home is a goal that is easily attainable. Start with the little fixes and then undertake the more complex remedies as needed. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to improve the air you breathe.

Feel guilty about surfing the Web, watching TV or playing games? These everyday habits are actually strengthening your brain power.

Chewing gum fires up focus. Pop a piece before a presentation to increase blood flow to the brain by about 25% and be more alert.

Watching TV perfects your “people-reader”. Enhance your ability to read people and increase your emotional intelligence (EQ) by watching sitcoms to view people’s behavior and the results they get.

Surfing the Web makes you a better problem solver. Spend one hour surfing, social networking or reading the news and boost your ability to solve complicated problems.

Texting improves mental sharpness Improve hand-eye coordination. The quick response time trains your brain to think faster.

Don’t throw away that old newspaper until you have made the most use of it.
Try these great uses.

• Remove fridge odors. Crumble a few pieces of newspaper and place them in the produce bins and the back of your fridge for three days. It will absorb the odors.
• Dry wet boots. Quickly remove moisture and dampness from you wet boots by stuffing the insides with crumbled newspaper.
• Clean windows. Dampen your window’s surface and use folded newspaper to rub away spots and leave them streak-free
• Safely clean up glass. When you shatter a glass after picking up the large pieces, dampen a folded piece of newspaper to blot up smaller shards. They will stick to the paper.
• Wrap gifts. In place of expensive wrapping paper use the funny pages to wrap children’s birthday gifts. It is a fun way to recycle paper

The chemicals we use in the home contribute significantly to poor indoor air quality.   Here are 4 tips to take control of the chemicals in the air: 1. Get rid of products you no longer need, such as old paint cans and other open and half used toxic chemicals and poisons. 2. Opened bottles and jars of cleaning products should be contained in an airtight bin. 3. Consider using less toxic and more environmentally friendly cleaning products. 4. Dry-cleaned clothing spews chemicals into the air. If possible, remove the plastic and hang the stack of dry-cleaning outside for a few hours before bringing it into the house. Of course this may not be practical and we sincerely hope your clothing does not get stolen.

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