Author Archive for ebell

Valentine’s Day: Ten Unique and Original Ways to Celebrate

Published by
ebell
at January 21, 2010 in Holiday and Kids & Family. 0 Comments

Some people dislike Valentine’s Day, other folks relish it, but one thing’s for sure: A lot of people celebrate it!  Valentine’s Day is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the United States, with millions of couples buying chocolate, roses, or going out to a special dinner.  But what if you’re bored with the traditional Valentine’s Day routine?  Here are ten fun and original ideas to make your Valentine’s Day special and unique for you and your sweetie.

Roses
Photograph courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Idea #1:
Plan a Valentines party for those you love.  Make it a potluck to cut down on the expenses.  Decorate your house with hearts and anything red and pink.  Invite lots of people you care about, such as neighbors, friends, relatives, and their children.  It’s also particularly nice to remember those who have lost their spouses.

Idea #2:
Make Valentine treats and take them to the pediatric unit at your local hospital, a nearby nursing home, or even surprise your friends who might be spending the evening at home alone.

Idea #3:
Event tickets are a unique gift idea, and are enjoyed by almost everyone.  However, these don’t necessarily need to be used on Valentines Day or even shared with you.  Consider purchasing tickets for your loved one so he or she can go to a special event that they could enjoy themselves, such as a women’s lecture series or a fishing and camping show.  Be sure to get two tickets so they can invite a friend who shares their interest!

Idea #4:
Order dinner in and serve it on your good china.  Even better, have a family picnic on the living room floor!  Gather candles from around the house and eat by candlelight, and be sure to include the younger members of the family.

Idea #5:
Plan an evening outdoors, doing something like skiing, sledding, or snowboarding.  If you have children, go outdoors and build a snow fort in the back yard.  Dinner can occur before or after the outdoor activities, and can be something as simple as pizza at home.  End the evening with hot chocolate and cookies in front of the fire to warm everyone up again.

Idea #6:
Recreate the “good old days.”  Visit your favorite old restaurant, if it is still nearby.  If you have since moved away, call the restaurant to inquire if they will freeze and ship your favorite entrees to your home, so you can enjoy them as a special treat.

Idea #7:
Clean things up!  Have your loved one’s car cleaned and detailed.  Be sure to include a full tank of gas and a new emergency kit, if they don’t already have one.  A freshly cleaned car is something everyone can appreciate!

Idea #8:
Sleepover!  Host a sleepover for your grandkids to give their parents a much-deserved Valentine’s Day break.  Everyone benefits-you get to have special time with your grandkids, plus mom and dad have some time alone to rest and recharge.

Idea #9:
Call in the pros!  Give your loved one a gift certificate for a professional housecleaning.  Or if you are brave, surprise them having the house cleaned while they are away.  There is nothing like entering a spotless home when someone else has done all the hard work!

Idea #10:
Say it all!  Make a list of all the things you love about your special someone, including unique quirks and special secrets that only the two of you share.  Write everything down in a beautifully bound book, or write each note on a separate slip of paper, and put them all inside a special box.  This will likely become one of your spouse’s most treasured gifts.

Valentine’s is such a fun and special time of year for anyone who is in love.  Make it really special this year by doing something unexpected.  Your loved one is sure to appreciate your thought and efforts, and it will hopefully create lasting memories for the two of you to share and remember in years to come.

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Cool Weather Vegetable Gardening

Published by
ebell
at October 12, 2009 in Garden. 0 Comments

If you’re like most gardeners, you probably can’t wait for the weather to warm up so you can get outside and start planting.  Particularly in the case of vegetable gardening, most plants can’t go in the ground until the weather warms up significantly and the danger of frost has passed.  But have you considered planting some cool weather vegetable crops that can be sown as early as several weeks before the last expected frost date?  Cool weather vegetables are a great way to get a head start on the season’s plantings.  Not only do cool weather veggies keep your planting areas productive for more months of the year, they also allow you to get out in the garden earlier in the spring.  In this article, we’ll explore a few varieties of cool weather vegetables that you might want to try growing in your garden this spring.

Radishes

Carrots:
Anyone who says they don’t like carrots has probably never tasted fresh carrots out of a homegrown vegetable garden.  Carrots are a great crop to start early in the year because they are resistant to cold temperatures.  Sow your carrot seeds directly in the garden as early as the soil can be worked.  Good soil preparation is important if you want to have good looking carrots.  If there are any sticks or rocks in the top several inches of soil, your carrots will be misshapen because they will have to grow around these obstacles.

After your carrot seeds have germinated, be sure to thin them out early, while the plants are still small.  For the best tasting carrots, harvest the plants while they are still young.  If carrots stay in the soil too long, they will become tough and less flavorful.

Lettuce:
Lettuce is a very popular homegrown crop because it’s so easy to grow.  Lettuce prefers cool temperatures, so it can also be started early in the year.  There are many different varieties of lettuce to choose from.  For a nice variation, consider buying a packet of mesclun mix seeds, which will give you a sampling of a half dozen or so of the more popular varieties.  Lettuce seeds can be sown directly in the garden, or they can be grown in planter boxes on a porch or patio.  One thing to keep in mind about growing lettuce-the plants won’t last all summer long.  Lettuce should be planted in the early spring because it will quickly die off in the hot midsummer temperatures.  If you have an area of your garden where you grow perennials, consider planting your lettuce there in the early spring, while there’s still plenty of space.  By the time your perennials start getting bigger, your lettuce crop will be just about done for the year anyway, and can be removed.

Spinach:
Spinach, like lettuce, is another leafy vegetable that grows well in cool spring temperatures.  Spinach seeds can be sown directly in the garden as early as the soil can be worked.  For an ongoing crop, you can continue sowing additional spinach seeds at 10 day intervals until the weather becomes too warm for the plants.  Young spinach plants are a favorite of rabbits, so if these garden pests become a problem in your yard, you may have to install chicken wire fencing around your garden area.  Another option is to sprinkle bloodmeal around the plants.  Many animals, including rabbits, will not cross a line of bloodmeal.

Peas:
Peas are another cool weather favorite, growing easily from early spring until the weather becomes too warm for the plant to tolerate.  One of the best things about peas is that they are a vining plant, meaning they will grow vertically upward.  This means that they take up a very small amount of garden real estate, while still producing heavily.  Peas should be sown directly in the garden as early as the soil can be worked.  One good method is to plant your peas in long rows, and once the plants germinate, provide a fence of plastic netting or chicken wire alongside the row for the plants to grow upon.  It’s also a good idea to add a thick layer of mulch to the established pea vines to help keep the roots cool and to retain soil moisture.

Carrots, lettuce, spinach, and peas are just a few examples of cool weather vegetables.  There are many other vegetables in addition to these that can be planted early in the spring.  With a little experimentation, you’ll be able to find a mix of cool weather veggies that you can grow early in the year to make better use of your garden space and to give your green thumb an early spring workout.

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Building Safety for Hurricane Preparedness

Published by
ebell
at October 9, 2009 in Environment and Home Improvement. 0 Comments

For those people living in coastal areas that are prone to hurricanes or hurricane-force winds, there are various safety factors that must be taken into consideration when building or remodeling a home or other structure.  In 1994, two years after Hurricane Andrew struck Florida, Miami-Dade County began to establish building codes specifically focused on improving the structural integrity of new buildings to reduce damage from hurricanes.  Today, these building codes and regulations have been widely adopted in other hurricane areas, and are considered the “holy grail” of hurricane protection and safety.

Hurricane sky

The Product Control Section of the Miami-Dade Building Code Compliance Office was charged with evaluating and certifying specific building materials as compliant for hurricane force winds.  Since then, this organization has become the authoritative source for establishing hurricane safe products and building materials.  Many companies that manufacture building materials, particularly hurricane shutters and shutter hardware, strive to meet the compliance codes of Miami-Dade County.  However, it’s important for consumers to remember that not all products have met the Miami-Dade criteria.  Before purchasing building items, consumers must remember several important things.

If a product has been tested and approved, it will be stamped “Miami-Dade County Product Control approved.”  Keep in mind that this approval applies to a specific product design.  If the manufacturer later changes the design of the product, it may no longer be approved, meaning they would have to go through the testing and certification process again.  With regard to functional hurricane shutters, there are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when shopping for Miami-Dade approved products.

The material that the shutters are made of is critical.  Hardwoods, depending on their density, are considered the best material for functional hurricane shutters, based on the established criteria of the Miami-Dade Building Code Compliance Office.  The code divides hardwoods into several categories including medium heavy, heavy, very heavy, and the strongest category which is called “ironwood.”  Woods categorized as “ironwood” will actually sink in water.

Softwoods such as pine, spruce, larch, Douglass fir, and hemlock are considered less than optimal for functional hurricane shutters, and are generally not recommended.

There are some hurricane shutters on the market made of composite materials, usually containing resin-based plastic components such as ABS and nylon.  These composite shutters are usually successful in passing Miami-Dade code compliance testing.

Metal shutters can be found, and they are usually inexpensive to purchase; however, they are generally considered a last resort, or something that can be installed in a hurry if a hurricane is coming soon and there is no time for a more sophisticated shutter system.

Shutter hardware will also be rated as compliant or non-compliant with Miami-Dade building codes.  Again, the same basic guidelines apply: A stamp of approval only applies to the specific product design that was tested and certified.  If a manufacturer later changes the design, the product is no longer in compliance until it has been re-tested.

For the most part, Miami-Dade building codes as related to shutter hardware will address the type of metal used in the hardware.  The importance lies in using good quality metal that will not easily break or fracture.  Cast aluminum and cast zinc should both be avoided.  Steel is considered to be the best material to use, with stainless steel topping the list as the best quality product.  Stainless steel has a good tensile strength and the material will not rust or tarnish when exposed to salty conditions that are prevalent in coastal areas prone to hurricanes.  Carbon steel that is cut and formed is also a good choice because it is very strong; however, this steel will rapidly rust and deteriorate when exposed to salty conditions.

If you’re considering buying a home that lies in a hurricane zone, be sure to ask your realtor if the structure is Miami-Dade building code compliant.  If you already live in one of these areas, and you’re preparing to remodel or perhaps build a new home, consult with your contractor about the building codes, and be sure that he or she is prepared to build according to the Miami-Dade County standards.  Hurricane force winds will quickly damage property and take lives.  The best way to protect yourself and your family is to heed warnings, but also ensure that your home is well built and that your have functional exterior shutters in compliance with Miami-Dade standards.

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