Finding Room for a Home Gym

March 18th, 2008

If looking at long-term, serious fitness, a home gym needs its own space. Apart from the privacy aspect, a user-defined room is more likely to get used regularly.

One thing is for sure in this world and that is; nobody wants to come visit or call until a non-interruptible activity is started.

In fact, one might assume folk have forgotten where we live, until we start exercising in the corner of our lounge room. Then we just wish they would forget.

But apart from that, having your home gym separated means a space can be created to suit you. Plus the much needed time-out, you-time is achievable. Enjoying exercise time means you’ll keep up with the routine.

A series of exercise stations can be positioned and mirrors set on the walls for technique spotting. There will be plenty of room for a multi-station home gym and other equipment.

Also adequate area to stretch is very important. Charts, technique pictures, and exercise reminders go on the walls to help.

But more than anything, it is your space, your time, all about you. Away from the pressures of the rest of the house, interruptions, and embarrassment, you and your home gym can be as one.

Having a unique space shows this is as important as any other aspect of life. And well it should be, because with proper use you and your home gym will live a long, healthy life together.

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Cat Care Tips

March 16th, 2008

Many people think that because cats are generally independent creatures they don’t need much care. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Although cats are small pets, they are comparable to a two-year-old child. You are responsible for all of your cat’s health care needs, so it is important to learn how to best take care of your cat. If your cat is a new addition to the family, you’ll need to work extra hard to learn how you can best care for your cat’s health.

First and foremost, it is important to get to know your cat. Cats are generally creatures of habit, so if you know your cat’s normal daily activities, then you’ll know when something is wrong. A cat who walks differently, losing or gains an appetite, or has a chance in behavior may be ill or injured.

Cat care of your cat’s dental health is an important step that many people forget. If your cat is eating on one side or making loud noises, you should be concerned about sore gums or teeth. Cats with a broken canine tooth often sneeze a lot, which can indicate the problem to you. You should also brush you cat’s teeth regularly using a small toothbrush and pet toothpaste.

Remember, diet is important to your cat. Make sure that you are purchasing pet food that is balanced for your cat’s age and health. Your vet can make recommendations. Do not feed your cat human food unless your vet indicates that this is ok. Although cats like the taste of sweet things, items like chocolate can actually be fatal, even in small doses. Also avoid feeding your cat with dog food, unless you have no other option. Dogs and cats and genetically different, so dog food will not have the same nutritional value as in cat food.

Grooming is also crucial. Cats self-groom with their tongues, but combing the fur of a long-haired cat is necessary. You can also use talcum powder to help remove dirt as your combing, and baths can be effective if you’re dealing with fleas. You can also have your pet professionally groomed, which he or she will probably find very therapeutic.

Lastly, it is simply important to make sure that you have all important numbers written down. If you got the pet from someone else, have their number on hand for the first month in case problems or questions arise. Also keep the number for your vet on hand, and make a note of the number you should call in an emergency. Doing this will help to keep any cat safe and healthy.

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Tips for Cooking Meat

February 9th, 2008

Beef Roasts, Pork Chops and other meat dishes have been the mainstay of the dinner table in many American homes. It lost favor in the 1980s and 1990s. Now, with the new emphasis on high-protein diets and the wide availability of leaner cuts of beef, pork and poultry, preparing meat for meals is once again in vogue.

Homemade Gravy

Many recipes tell the cook to flour the meat before browning it for stew or casseroles. But, something that is often overlooked is the fact that you should flour the bottom of your roasting pan before placing the meat in it. This will make the drippings thicker and it will eliminate the step of browning the flour separately if you’re making gravy.

When you roast is fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast to a cutting board or serving platter. If you’re just going to use the drippings for au jus, pour them into a gravy boat or bowl.

If you want to make gravy, put the roasting pan (with the drippings still in it) on your range–top. Turn the heat on low and stir more flour into the drippings until they have the consistency of heavy cream. Continue stirring constantly as you add enough water, milk, stock, or beer to make one cup of gravy. Add salt, pepper or dried herbs to taste.

Make a Meatloaf without Dirtying Your Hands

Most people that mix meatloaf stick their hands directly into the mixture of ground meat, eggs, bread crumbs and seasonings to mix and form the mixture into a loaf shape. To keep your hands clean, mix the ingredients with a fork and dump it out onto a large piece of waxed paper. Wear plastic baggie “mittens” to form the loaf and lift it into the pan. It’s not only cleaner – it’s more sanitary!

Use Warm Water to Tenderize Meat

When you make homemade roasts or soups, pay attention to water temperature. When you pour water (or marinades or sauces that contain water) over the top of meat before cooking it, be sure the liquid is boiling. If you’re going to stew meat or chicken, bring the water to a boil before adding the meat. The outer part of the meat contracts when the boiling water hits it and the internal juices are preserved for a more tender meat.

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Dog Shelters to Shelter Your Dog From the Cold

February 9th, 2008

Dog shelters or Dog pounds are governmental or private shelter houses for stray or abandoned dogs and provide shelter to these animals until they find foster-homes, are claimed by previous owners or placed in other similar institutions. Dog shelters are the best possible sources of pet dogs for low-income families.

Some of these shelters are the so-called kill shelters, which mean that if a dog has health or temperamental problems that are no longer manageable within the available resources, then it will be euthanized or “killed kindly”. At times even healthy dogs need to be euthanized due to lack of space or funding.

Some shelters, usually in the private sector choose to be No-kill shelters. These provide support to healthy and adoptable dogs for the rest of their lives or until they find other owners. However the drawback is that many animals are not accepted in these shelters due to lack of funds or space limitations.

A few of the private dog shelters provide low-cost spaying and neutering before the dogs are placed. Often initial veterinary care and vaccination (except rabies) are also provided to these animals.

Many aspiring dog-owners prefer pet shops to obtain their pets. However many of these dogs end up in dog shelters or are simply left out on the streets. Animal welfare organizations are now working to create awareness among the general public about the large number of adoptable dogs available in various dog shelters and the often-poor condition of dogs in the pet shops.

Once you do decide to adopt a dog from a dog shelter, the best would be to search for such organizations in your area in your local yellow papers. You may also search on the Internet for “dog shelters” or “animal shelters” with the name of your city.

After you find such a facility, you should visit it a few times and observe the staff interacting with the dogs while they go about their chores of cleaning the runs and feeding the animals. Note the behavior of the staff towards the dogs, and vice versa. It will help you in deciding if you want to adopt a dog from this particular facility or not.

Many of these dogs might already be home trained. However no history is usually available on stray dogs. But if you research well you are very likely to find a dog that is most appropriate for your particular economic and domestic situation. And most importantly you just might have saved an animal from being euthanized or having to live in a shelter house all his life.

So if you are a dog-lover on the lookout for a worthy canine companion, the nearest dog shelter is the place to go shopping.

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How to Set up a Family Budget

February 9th, 2008

For some, the idea of a budget is often a blur.  It is frustrating to see how hard it is to do a budget and realizing that with one wrong purchase, you can actually ruin the entire thing. And this has been a perennial headache for most homemakers.

It is about time to overhaul the way people look at budgeting.  It can actually be a great way to keep track of your family’s expenditures and help you evaluate the things that you spend the lion’s share of the family’s earnings on.

What is a budget?  A budget is a tool for handling your finances by controlling the family’s expenditures in a way that money is enough for paying up bills, and still ensuring that savings are set aside for future expenses – vacations, or children’s education, or even for retirement.

Try these simple steps in preparing a no fret family budget, and see the benefits of intelligent spending.

1.  Gather three months of your pay stubs and get your average monthly earnings.

2.  Get out three months of your monthly bills.  Do this for the fixed expenses like the rent, phone bill, car payments and other loans that come monthly.   Add them up and get the average. Do the same for other expenses like groceries, and credit card bills.

3.  Evaluate the results of your computations.  Looking at your average monthly earnings against your monthly fixed expenses and other monthly expenses, think of some ways to economize.  Cut back on some items that are somehow unnecessary.

4.  Knowing the facts of your income and expenses, develop a family budget and try to stick to this monthly budget.

5.  Now that you have a monthly budget, set up a savings account.  Save up by making regular deposits to this account.

6.  Keep track of this monthly family budget just to see if it is working for you.  Try to fine-tune the “rough edges” of this budget as you go along.

7.  If you can get hold of a personal budgeting software or spreadsheet application to keep record of your budget, the better.  This will make organizing your expenses very easy.

These are the basic steps in developing and implementing a no fret, easy to stick to monthly family budget. Of course each family has diverse needs and wants.  You have the freedom to develop your own monthly family budget, depending on your family’s financial background and needs.  No matter how you do it, just focus on the end result, which is building a savings that leads to a bright and financially stable future for your family.

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How to Care for Houseplants

February 9th, 2008

Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their plants.  When talking about house plants, there is no need to worry.  There are just a few things you need to consider.

1.  Watering

Overwatering kills most houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test.  Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil.  If the soil is damp, don’t water it.

2.  Feeding

Foliage plants usually have high nitrogen needs, while flowering plants, K2O is needed. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed with the compost.  However, certain plants like cacti and orchids need special fertilizer.  Feed plants during their most active growth period.

3.  Lighting

Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no sun.  They can be placed away from a window.  Spider plants need semi-shade.  You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to see what your plant needs.

4.  Temperature

Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them.  One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don’t put it near an air conditioner in the summer.

5.  Humidity

Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture.  Grouping plants together often creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature.

6.  Re-potting

Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don’t require re-potting.  One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down.  Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots.  If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.

You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you’ll reap the benefits.  Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your décor, but also give much pleasure to  the indoor gardener.

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Get Healthy With Your Pet

February 9th, 2008

It is estimated that between 25 and 40 percent of dogs and cats and 31 percent of people in the United States are overweight.
How can you help? Add your pets to your own weight loss and exercise plan. Studies show that people who exercise with others are far more likely to keep up with their exercises, and that people diet more effectively with a “buddy.” Exercising with your four legged friend results in a healthier owner and a healthier pet.
Here are some pet weight loss tips:
1. Take your pet to the veterinarian to make sure it is healthy enough for vigorous exercise. Your vet will also be able to tell you how overweight your pet is.
2. Measure the amount of food that you give your pets. They should be fed smaller portions at least twice a day. If they haven’t finished eating within 20 minutes, put their bowl away. Dogs and cats that are fed only once a day, or fed continuously throughout the day tend to be the fattest.
3. Monitor “doggy” and “kitty” treats. A large dog treat can contain over 100 calories and a small treat usually has under 10 calories. Break large treats in half to cut calories.
4. Give pets high-fiber pet food so that they feel full without fewer calories. No-salt, canned string beans can be added to either dry or wet food to provide bulk and fiber with very few calories.
5. To exercise your cat, play with her with a feather, string or laser light and get her to run after it.
6. Take your dog for agility training. Agility is a sporting event in which you and your dog work together so that he successfully navigates a series of obstacles arranged on a course.
Getting active with your pets is a great way to stay motivated and make exercising fun for your both.

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Vacuum Cleaners and Indoor Pollution

February 9th, 2008

Indoor air pollution in America is a serious and often misunderstood problem. Oddly enough, air quality is related to modern construction techniques.

Today’s homes are far superior to yesterday homes in terms of insulation and air-tight sealing. While this is great in terms of energy efficiency and keeping pollens, smuts and other pollutants outside, it also ensures that any pollutants already in the home will remain unless removed. We can either open the doors and windows to ‘air out’ the house, or we will need efficient air filtration equipment.

One of the biggest pollutant offenders is the vacuum cleaner used to clean our homes. If you ever get that dusty or musty odor, especially while vacuuming, it’s due to leakage through the vacuum bag and/or filter.

Look around the living room. Is there a fine sheen of dust on the lamp shades, furniture, TV etc? For the most part, this dust was not brought in from the outside. It’s simply being recirculated, much of it through vacuuming. Incidentally, this dust can remain airborne for up to 72 hours. Any dust not breathed into our lungs simply settles onto our upholstery and finally back into our carpeting and flooring. Not a pleasant scenario.

Now, in order for air or furnace filters to work, the dust must be airborne and air must be moved through the filtration media. In the meantime, that airborne dust, with all of its nasty ingredients, is in the air that we breathe.

Most of us have heard of HEPA filtration. It’s an industry standard acronym, High Efficiency Particle Arrest, developed by government scientists for passive air filtration. The standard is required to capture 99.97% of all airborne particles down to .3 microns. HEPA is used in nearly every vacuum bag and most air filters in the U.S. But here’s the inherent problem with HEPA. HEPA was designed for Passive Airflow. Passive Airflow simply means gentle or normal environmental airflow, such as the movement of air in our living room, for example. There is no powerful fan or other device forcing air into the filtration system at a high volume. We don’t feel the air currents unless we’re sitting in front of a fan, in other words.

However, when HEPA is used in a vacuum cleaner, it is subjected to the powerful exhaust air volume of the vacuum. The resulting airflow quickly clogs the HEPA bag and filter, as well as degrading the material. Once the filtration medium is saturated, or clogged, the machine cannot “breathe”.

A thicker air filter can be used in the vacuum, but air flow is reduced. The machine will filter more air but catch even less dirt.

Since airflow is now reduced, the cleaning ability of the vacuum is lessened. More dirt is left in the carpet flooring and the air that does get through is polluted, effectively creating a dust storm. Unless we change our bags and filters very frequently, we are defeating the purpose of vacuuming.

This problem has been solved by some vacuum manufacturers. They use seven layers of an advanced Electrostatic polypropylene micro fiber, along with HEPA, designed to allow full airflow without clogging, and filter down to .3 microns, about the size of a staph bacteria!

With this new technology, the dirt never becomes airborne in the first place, yet virtually every grain of soil and contamination is removed from the home by the vacuum, making a much cleaner and healthier environment, virtually allergen free. For more information on this subject, visit your local vacuum dealer.

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