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Have an Interest in Home Renovation? These HGTV Shows Are for You!

April 16, 2015 by

If you have an interest in home restoration—while watching other people do all the work!—you’ll love HGTV’s hours of programming dedicated to home renovations. Here are two of the network’s most popular home makeover shows.

Beachfront Bargain Hunt
While beachfront properties can be very expensive, the budget-savvy homebuyers on Beachfront Bargain Hunt get the most bang for their buck by purchasing fixer-uppers and, well, fixing them up. Watch as dingy old beach huts are transformed into glamorous getaways right along the shore, and you’ll find yourself dreaming of the ocean yourself.

House Hunters
To someone who loves home design, there are few things more fascinating than getting a sneak peak at someone during their home buying process. HGTV’s House Hunters is the network’s cornerstone program—and for good reason. The show follows a very vast variety of different types of people as they search for condos, single-family homes, apartments, and even old firehouses turned into industrial city lofts in just about every city across the country.

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How to Keep Raw Meat Fresh Longer in the Fridge

March 19, 2015 by

Meat is an important part of most people’s diets, and it can take up quite a large chunk of your grocery budget. Unfortunately, meat is also difficult to store and has a shorter shelf life than other groceries. Here are a few tips that will help you to store meat properly and make it last longer!

  1. Keep your refrigerator at the proper temperature. In order to store meat in your refrigerator, it should be kept at or below 40 degrees. If you plan on freezing meat, the freezer should be kept at or below 0 degrees.
  2. Timing is everything. In order to safely store cooked meat, you must refrigerate it within two hours of eating. If you’re storing it raw, be sure to refrigerate or freeze it immediately.
  3. Store it in the proper containers. Be sure to refrigerate or freeze meat in a shallow container that is barely bigger than the meat itself. This will ensure that it becomes cold as quickly as possible and isn’t exposed to any air.
  4. Be cautious about freezing. Freezing meat is a great way to make your meat last longer, but you need to be cautious about freezer burn. Be sure to wrap meat thoroughly in plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or wax paper before storing the meat in the freezer.

Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer [Foodsafety.gov]
Meat in the Refrigerator: How Long Does It Last? [Foodsafety.gov]
How to Store Food Properly in the Freezer and Fridge [Lifehacker]
Food Storage 101: Where and How Long to Keep Your Favorite Foods [Lifehacker]

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Afraid of Heights? These Tips Can Help You Overcome Your Fear!

February 19, 2015 by

Avoiding roller coasters or mountain peaks may not seem very difficult, but when your fear of heights starts to affect areas in your everyday life, it can become a hindrance. Here are some simple ways to eliminate your fear of heights—or at least learn to manage it.

  1. Think logically. Your fear of heights is likely so engrained in your mind that you don’t even consider it anymore. In order to overcome this fear, you need to think logically about it. Tell yourself how unlikely it is that a skyscraper or a longstanding bridge would ever collapse. If it helps, research statistics about the likelihood of the events that you fear actually happening. Once you realize how slim the chances are, you’ll start to take the edge off of your phobia.
  2. Relax. It’s easy to work yourself up before encountering heights, and that’s when you usually lose your nerve. By relaxing your mind, taking a few deep breaths, and willing yourself not to get upset, you can start to feel more rational about heights.
  3. Face your fear. The only real way to overcome a fear of heights is to face it. Don’t immediately run to the top of the nearest skyscraper, however; start gradually, like at a small bridge in your neighborhood. By slowly encountering heights you’ll become more used to them, and over time you won’t feel the need to panic.

How to Overcome Your Worst Fears [Lifehacker]
How to Overcome a Fear of Heights [wikiHow]
Overcoming Fear [Essential Life Skills]

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Crowd-Pleasing Barbecue Side Dishes to Try this Weekend

January 22, 2015 by

When the weather warms up and your social calendar fills up, you may run out of side dishes to bring to all of those weekend cookouts and Sunday afternoon barbecues. Here are a few barbecue side dishes that are sure to disappear from any buffet table.

Creamy Potato Salad with Bacon [Real Simple]
Potato salad is a tried-and-true side dish that wows at any summer gathering, but this zesty spin on the picnic favorite will satisfy the carnivores at the party. Fresh herbs give it an added kick of sophisticated flavor, while crispy bacon gives it that smoky, salty taste that everyone loves.

Barbecue Deviled Eggs [Southern Living]
Instead of bringing yet another side dish to add to the mix, try making a tasty appetizer instead. These barbecue deviled eggs bring a down-home flavor to the classic dish by using an unexpected touch of smoky chopped pork.

Grilled Corn with Herb Goat Cheese Butter [Saveur]
There’s nothing quite like the taste of corn cooked on the grill, and this gourmet recipe makes it even better. The herb-infused, cheesy butter adds a rich taste to the sweetness of the corn, and the husk makes it easy to eat it all by hand.

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How Much Do You Know About the ‘80s? Take These Fun Quizzes to Find Out!

January 8, 2015 by

The 1980s were all about hair metal, neon colors, and totally tubular lingo, but it may be difficult to remember the specifics about this wonderfully over-the-top decade. Take these fun online quizzes to discover just how much you remember about the ‘80s.

The Totally 80s POP CULTURE Trivia Quiz
With cheesy photos from the best in ‘80s pop culture to go along with each question, this quiz is just as much fun to look at as it is to take. From cast members from sitcoms like Who’s the Boss? to the names of analog video games, you’ll have to stretch your memory pretty far in order to ace these questions.

The Ultimate ’80s Kids Trivia Quiz
If you were a kid growing up in the 1980s, you likely remember a whole different type of music, movies and television than adults who were teasing their hair and rocking acid wash jeans. Take this quiz to see how much you remember about your childhood years.

Do You Know the '80s?
Well, do you? From the fashions to the movie stars, this quiz covers just about everything that you loved most about the ‘80s. It’s also only ten questions long, so you can test your knowledge in just a few minutes.

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How to Clean Your Home Using Fresh Lemons

December 18, 2014 by

If you’re trying to cut down on the harmful chemicals that you use in your home, one of the best ways to do so is by cleaning with fresh lemons. This decades-old cleaning trick not only makes your home smell great, it also acts as a natural disinfectant to help rid your home of germs. Here are a few ways to clean with lemons.

  1. Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle coarse salt on the pulp. By using gentle scrubbing motions, you can use this natural combination to clean discolored brass.
  2. Scrub the grout from between ceramic tile in the shower by sprinkling lemon juice onto an old toothbrush.
  3. If your microwave looks (and smells) less than fresh, clean it with a lemon. Simply heat ¾ cup of water and two tablespoons of lemon juice just until it almost boils, then let it sit for 10 minutes and wipe with a damp cloth.
  4. Dilute lemon juice in a spray bottle with water and use it to lightly disinfect countertops.
  5. Remove stains and bacteria from wooden cutting boards by rubbing as hard as you like with lemon juice and a scrub brush.
  6. Soak plastic food containers in lemon juice and water in order to remove built-up food odors and stains.

24 things you can clean with lemon [Mother Nature Network]
10 Ways to Clean with Lemon [iVillage]
How to Use Lemons to Clean Your Home [Quick and Dirty Tips]

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Play It Safe: How to Cook Food to Its Minimum Temperature

December 4, 2014 by

It's important to cook items to the proper temperature to prevent food borne illness, but it gets confusing keeping all those numbers straight. Check out this guide for the correct temperatures!

  • Using a food thermometer is the best way to verify the correct temperature. You can't always tell if meat is done just by looking at it, even ground meat.
  • Some meats, like steaks, chops, roasts, fresh pork, and fresh ham, need extra resting time after they have been cooked, so that the temperature can continue to rise and kill harmful bacteria.
  • It's also important you cook to eggs to the proper temperature, but using a thermometer in scrambled eggs doesn't work. Just make sure the whites and yolks are firm before enjoying.
  • With some seafood, you can tell if it is fully cooked by looking. Clams and oysters should be cooked until the shell opens up. Shrimp, lobster, and crab need to be cooked until the skin is opaque.

· Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures [Foodsafety.gov]

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Stylish Footwear Ships Free of Charge on These Three Websites

November 20, 2014 by

Ordering shoes online offers you a much wider selection and more convenience than shopping in stores, but the shipping fees can make it very expensive. Once you add up the cost of the shoes, taxes, and shipping and handling fees, those new shoes often end up costing you much more than they would in the store. Here are three popular online stores that offer the shoes without the shipping costs.

Zappos
Zappos is widely known for its vast selection of name brand shoes at affordable prices, but many shoppers don’t realize that the site doesn’t charge for shipping. Men’s, women’s and children’s shoes from brands like Nike, Steve Madden, and Sperry all ship entirely free of charge—and arrive at your doorstep within five business days. Better still, if that new pair of sneakers doesn't fit, a free return shipping label is provided.

Piperlime
Piperlime is a stylish sister site of Gap, and it offers designer women’s shoes with the same fashionable feel. There are a wide variety of trendy styles like wedge booties, wide leather sandals, and ballet flats, as well as clothing and handbags to go with them. Best of all, Piperlime also offers free shipping and returns on any order.

Shoebuy
This site operates similar to a discount warehouse, but it also offers the convenience of shopping from your computer. Shoebuy carries brands like UGG, Frye, and Clarks, and the site offers free shipping, free return shipping, and no sales tax on any purchase.

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These Halloween Party Games Are a Ghoulish Good Time

October 16, 2014 by

Whether you’re the class parent or you’re planning a party at home, there are tons of fun Halloween-themed party games that your little ones will love. These activities are lively and just a bit spooky, which make them the perfect games to play before trick-or-treating.

Mummy Wrap [fun.familyeducation.com]
This one is a classic, but it only gets more fun every time you play it. Start by dividing guests into two teams, and then choose one “mummy” on each team. Give each of the other teammates a roll of toilet paper, and then see which team can wrap their mummy from head to toe first.

Pop Goes the Pumpkin [marthastewart.com]
Attach an oversized foam board to an empty wall, then attach orange balloons in the shape of a large pumpkin to the board. Next, allow kids to pop the balloons with dull pins (or darts for older kids) to uncover candy and small treats hidden inside.

Silent Movie [momswhothink.com]
Even if your kids are too young to appreciate classic horror films, they’ll love creating their own in this fun game. Collect silly movie props like costumes, makeup, and strange household items, then divide the kids into two teams and give them a set amount of time to each create their own silent films. After the time is up, hold a “screening” of both performances.

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Sample These Acorn Squash Recipes This Fall

September 18, 2014 by

Acorn squash is a type of winter squash with a unique dark green rind, longitudinal ridges and a yellowish-orange inside that tastes sweet and mild. This squash is so versatile that even the most novice home chef can easily prepare it in a variety of different ways. Here are just three ways to try your hand at serving acorn squash this fall.

Baked Acorn Squash [allrecipes.com]
To really get a good idea of how acorn squash tastes, you should first prepare it all by itself. This simple recipe involves baking a halved acorn squash with just a bit of butter and brown sugar to create a healthy side dish or even a unique dessert.

Acorn Squash Soup with Kale [marthastewart.com]
With a hearty texture and autumnal flavors, this soup is perfect for those chilly fall evenings. Pureeing the acorn squash is one of the best ways to prepare it for use in a soup, while adding crispy bacon and finely chopped kale adds a darker, smokier flavor that contrasts the sweetness of the squash.

Spinach and Acorn Squash Ravioli [myrecipes.com]
Acorn squash makes a wonderful filling for pasta, and in this creative recipe it’s blended with creamy ricotta cheese and chopped spinach for added flavor. Plus, using wonton wrappers instead of the usual pasta dough saves on calories, and it’s much easier than rolling out that dough by hand.

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