Showing posts with label Thursday Tidbit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thursday Tidbit. Show all posts

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Thursday Tidbit: Bare Patches In Your Lawn

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As the warmer weather approaches and we begin to think about the look of our lawn and maintenance it brings me to thinking about what to do about the bare patches in my lawn!

Here's a few things you can try out:

Lipton Tea Bags:  To repair a bare patch on the lawn, place moist Lipton Tea Bags (new or used) on the spot and sprinkle with grass seed.  The wet tea provides moisture and nutrients, and the tea bag itself eventually decomposes.

Nestea: Cover the bare spot with one-inch of unsweetened Nestea powered mix, moisten with water, and sprinkle with grass seed.  The wet tea provides moisture and nutrients for the seeds.

These are both things that I have on stock pile at home that I don't use very often.  Figured it was something I'd try out vs having to get straw or fertilizer.  I'll keep you posted.

For more off the wall tidbits, visit the Thursday Tidbits Page!


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Thursday Tidbit: What To Do When You Hear Tornado Sirens

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This year has already when really strange!  Weather up and down an over abundance of rain this time of year and more!  I grew up loving storms and watching them from the front porch with my dad!  My views and life changed after I had kids and my husband was traveling and we were at home in Mississippi when I tornado struck....now I'm petrified at the spot of a bad weather!

Here's a little info to help you get prepared!

Tornado warnings mean that a tornado has been spotted, or that radar has indicated that one exists. When a warning is issued in your area:

– If you are home, the best place to go is your basement or cellar. For homes without a basement or cellar, go to the lowest floor and take shelter in an interior room or under a stairwell in the center of your home, away from windows. Protect your head – if you have a bicycle helmet, use it! If you don’t, use pillows or blankets to protect your head and body. And I learned that you should try to seek a room that does not surround your garage.

– If you are caught outdoors, try to find a building with a basement, a cellar, a shelter or sturdy building. If you can’t do this, stay in your vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to a shelter. If flying debris hits your vehicle, it is best to pull over and park, but do not get out of your vehicle. Do not seek shelter under bridges or overpasses, because these offer little protection. Put your head down below the windows and cover yourself with a blanket or pillows.

– In schools, office buildings, nursing homes or skyscrapers, go to an interior room or hallway away from windows. Crouch down and cover your head. Do not use elevators, because you could be trapped if power is lost. Stairwells without windows also are good places to take shelter.

– In a shopping mall, church or theater, move to an interior room such as a bathroom or a storage room. Stay away from windows.

– If you are in a mobile home, leave immediately and seek shelter in a sturdy building or shelter. Mobile homes offer no protection from a tornado.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Thursday Tidbit: Removing Decals From Bath Tub

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Moving into a new home that has Decals on the Bathroom Tub or have your little ones grown and your ready to take off the Decals in the tub that prevented them from slipping?

Here's something you can try! Coat the decals in the bottom of the bath tub with Jif Peanut Butter and let sit for one hour. The peanut butt oil dissolves the glue between the decals and the tub. Then using a single edge razor blade to carefully scrape the decal off the tub floor.

You can also try spraying the decals with Shout Stain Remover, let site for five minutes, fill the tub with water, and let soak for one hour. Using a single edge razor blade, carefully scrape the decals off the tub floor.

Other Thursday Tidbits:

-How To Remove Pet Urine Smell
-Spreading of Germs 

If you've got something your wondering about or have a suggestion, please let us know!

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Thursday Tidbit: Spreading Of Germs

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With all the hype of the Flu and how to help prevent yourself for getting I thought it'd be neat to write a article about Germs!  I heard a few of these facts on the news or radio and thought Huh??? Interesting...so here it goes!

Back to the Basics:

Germs are tiny organisms, or living things, that can cause disease.  Germs are so small and neaky that they creep into our bodies without being noticed until we have symptoms that say we've been attacked!

Four Major types of germs are: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa.  They invade not only humans, but plants & animals too.

Not all bacteria is bad!  We need some bacteria in our intestines to help us use the nutrients in the food we eat and make waste from what's left over.  Also some bacteria is used in labs to product medicines and vaccines.

Viruses need to be inside living cells to grow and reproduce.  They spread and make us sick like chickenpox, measles, flu and many others.

Fungi get their nutrition from plants, people and animals.  They love damp, warm places and not much threat to Healthy People, example Athlete's Foot.

Protozoa love moisture too and often spread diseases through water.  Some can cause intestinal infections that lead to diarrhea, nausea, and belly pain.

Wash Your Hands, Wash Your Hand, Wash Your Hands:

We touch many things throughout the day - when we open a door, shake hands with people, hold a restaurant menu, pay for something, use the computer, telephone etc!

-Use Warm Water, Use Soap, Scrub which means getting soap b/w your fingers, under nails and palms front and back at least 15 to 20 seconds min.  Rinse your hands and DON'T TURN OFF THE WATER.  Dry your hands first and then use to turn the water off.

Interesting Facts:

Generally, adults who have the flu can spread the virus for up to 5 days after they start feeling sick.  Children can spread the flu virus for 7 days or more.  

However, people can be infected with the flu virus, look and feel healthy and spread the flu for 24 hours BEFORE they feel sick.

Flu viruses can live up to 2 days on hard surfaces and up to 12 hours on materials such as cloth and paper so make sure you Disinfect.

When someone coughs or sneezes or even talks germs move through the air very quickly.  Droplets containing the flu virus can travel up to 6 feet in seconds landing on other people and objects.

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Thursday Tidbit: Removing Pet Urine Smell

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Dog urine odor can be a huge problem for some pet owners. The highly objectionable odor can overtake even the toughest noses. The reason the odor becomes so strong is clear. Dogs tend to urinate in the same spot repeatedly. Cleaning up the urine often isn't enough to deter the dog from returning.

A dog's sense of smell is extreme. That's why it's so important to effectively clean away urine so that no odor remains. The task is a tough one, but it can be solved quite easily.

Of course, the first thing you want to do is clean away the urine with a good soapy disinfectant cleaner. Next, tackle the odor

The best odor-removing cleaners are enzymatic. Most enzymes are proteins. When used in cleaning, they break down the molecules that are responsible for stains and odors. Because they destroy the cause, enzymatic cleaners are more effective than other cleaners to remove dog urine odor.

These products are relatively easy to find at your local pet supply store.

As an alternative, you can create your own effective cleaner that will remove dog urine and dog urine stains. You will need 3 parts water to one part vinegar, baking soda and dish detergent.

Cleaning up the urine can be difficult when carpets are involved because the liquid (urine and cleaner) will soak through to the floor beneath. While you clean the surface, the urine moves farther out of reach.

You want to get rid of as much urine as possible before you apply the cleaner.

The best way to do that is to place under the carpet a wad of newspaper or other thick paper that absorbs liquid. Put another wad on the top of the carpet and apply heavy pressure to the surface. You can do this by walking or standing on the paper, or by piling on heavy books and let it soak up. This will force the urine out of the carpet and onto the paper. Replace the paper as it becomes wet. Continue this technique until the paper is as dry as possible.

Now you are ready to apply your cleaner.

Saturate the area with your vinegar/water mixture and blot it up as before. Vinegar neutralizes odor and active ingredients in urine. Sprinkle baking soda over the area and follow that with a mixture of 3/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and a dash of dish detergent applied over the baking soda.

As you know, baking soda is another product that absorbs odors. (Many people use them in their fridges to get rid of food odors.)

You might want to test the hydrogen/detergent mixture on a hidden area of your carpet first to be sure it won't cause a stain.

Work the baking soda, hydrogen/detergent mixture into the urine spot and leave it to dry on its own. Once it is dry, you can vacuum up the remains.

The key is to get out as much of the urine as possible before applying any cleaner. The more urine that remains the harder it will be to remove dog urine odor.

Dog urine inside your house is or should be a temporary situation until your dog is house trained. Then, your main concern will be removing odor urine odor from your garden. There are two ways to approach the problem outdoors.

First, rinse the area well with clear water, as soon as possible after your dog urinates.

1) Apply a vinegar/water solution liberally over the area, or use a store-bought urine cleaner

2) Spray the area with one of the products designed to keep dogs and pets off certain areas.

Once you have removed the dog urine odor, found a method to deter your dog from returning to that area, and have your dog house trained, dog urine odor will no longer be a problem.

Thanks Pioneer Thinking!

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