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START THE YEAR CLUTTER FREE
The new year brings forth new beginnings and aspirations, and what better way to start off the year than getting your home organized. Your biggest obstacle will be getting started, but if you follow these tips, you are sure to face this obstacle head on and come out successful and most importantly clutter-free!
Garages are notoriously the messiest parts of the house, because items can be placed there and forgotten. A great way to combat this problem is to toss away any items that you have not used in the past 6 months. This task may be difficult as people tend to have a hard time parting with items that they think they may 'someday' utilize; however try to visualize all the space you'll gain rather than the things you will lose. Next, make it a family affair, although your kids and spouse may dread this project getting them involved will pay off over the long run. Keeping a home clutter free is a team effort. Start off by getting everyone involved by assigning individual tasks. Family meetings are a great way to establish a housekeeping routine, plus the meetings can double as problem solving time. Ask kids why they're not cleaning up after themselves and brainstorm solutions. Enlisting your family members makes cleaning more fun - and kids learn important lessons. Getting your home in order will sure give you and your family that boost you will need to start off the year on the right track.
CUT ENERGY COSTS BY SEALING & INSULATING YOUR HOME
Whether you live in a hot or cold part of the country, one of the best ways to improve energy efficiency and comfort is to make sure the shell of your home - the outer walls, ceiling, windows, doors and floors - is properly sealed and insulated. Many homes have air leaks and insufficient insulation which means it takes more energy to heat and cool the home. An ENERGY STAR estimate shows that homeowners who undertake a sealing and insulating project can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs.
Before adding insulation, a home should be inspected for air leaks. Some leaks, like those around windows and doors are easy to find. However the bigger problems are often the harder to find holes in attics, basements, and crawlspaces. All leaks found should be sealed with caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping. If your house has forced-air heating and cooling, check the seals of any exposed ducts in attics, basements, crawlspaces and garages, and fix leaks with duct sealant.
Once the air leaks have been remedied, then it is time to add the insulation. Insulation comes in many forms, including fiberglass, cellulose, rigid foam board, and spray foam. Before choosing a type of insulation you need to determine the insulation R-value you need for your area. The R-value rates the ability of the insulation to resist heat flow, the higher numbers being the most resistant. To find the recommended R-value insulation in your area visit the Department of Energy fact sheet at http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_01.html> -
1. The official emblem of Ireland is not the shamrock, but the harp.
2. Since 1820 almost 5 million Irish citizens have immigrated to the U.S. legally.
3. Over 40% of the U.S. Presidents are of Irish heritage.
4. During the potato famine in the 1840's, 75% of Irish immigrants landed in New York.
5. The shamrock is not a real plant. It's a type of clover that grows in Ireland.
6. Since 1980 the Irish President has presented a shamrock to the U.S. President in a White House ceremony held annually around St. Patrick's Day.
7. In Ireland the favorite dish on St. Patrick's Day is ham or bacon. Corned beef and cabbage is more of an American tradition.
8. Some great Irish authors were: James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and William Butler Yeats.
9. 'Slaintel' is an Irish word meaning health. Pronounced SLAN-cha.
10. In 1762 New York City hosted the first official St. Patrick's Day Parade.
11. According to the American Heart Association meeting held several years ago, research shows that Guinness Irish Stout may be as effective as daily aspirin in reducing blood clots that cause heart attacks. The benefit comes from antioxidants, which reduce cholesterol deposits on arterial walls. (And then, after a few of these you will probably need an aspirin.)
12. St. Patrick is attributed to making the shamrock popular as well as the Celtic cross.
OTHER TRIVIA!!
13. 350,000 aluminum cans are produced every minute. People use over 80,000,000,000 (that's 80 billion) aluminum pop cans every year.
14. Besieged by customer requests, Cleveland restaurant owner Hector Boiardi decided to bottle his famous spaghetti and meat sauce. With local success came an offer for national distribution, but, fearing that Americans would have trouble pronouncing his Italian last name, he marketed and sold his food under the phonetic spelling, 'Boy-ar-dee'.
15. The name March, the third month of our calendar, comes from ancient Rome, called Martius after Mars, the Roman god of war.
16. On March 1st, 1867 Nebraska enters the union as the 37th state.
17. On March 2nd, Texas celebrates the anniversary of its independence from Mexico in 1836. -
It seems that talk of 'going green' is everywhere these days, but not everyone is ready for major expenses like buying a hybrid vehicle or installing solar panels. Try out these inexpensive ways to make your lifestyle a little greener.
The production of paper from trees uses a great deal of energy and is one of the leading causes of water pollution. Finding ways to decrease the use of paper products in your home is an excellent way to help the environment. Try using micro fiber cloths instead of paper towels for clean up around the house. The thousands of fibers on these cloths do a great job of capturing dirt, and they are machine-washable so you can use them over and over. Another environmentally friendly option is using cloth napkins or bandanas instead of paper napkins. If you can't do without paper napkins, look for those made with recycled paper.
Another way to go green is by skipping the plastic or paper bags at your grocery store and bringing your own reusable bags. Billions of plastic bags end up in landfills or as litter. These plastic bags put toxins into our soil and water as they breakdown. Many grocery stores have inexpensive reusable bags for sale, or you can get something a little more stylish from a variety of online sources. Reusable bags aren't just for the grocery stores either, consider taking a cloth tote on your next shopping trip to the mall. -
The snow season runs from November 15 to March 15 each winter. The City will declare a snow emergency when weather conditions warrant it during the snow season. For 24-hour information visit www.spokanecity.org or call the Snow Line at (509) 456-2666.
Stage 1 - A Stage 1 Snow Emergency is called when 2 inches of snow are on the ground and 4 more are anticipated during the current snow event.
Stage 2 - A Stage 2 Snow Emergency is called when 6 inches of snow are on the ground and more is anticipated during the current snow event.
Snow Corridor Plan - The Snow Corridor Plan is implemented when City crews cannot effectively keep arterials clear because of weather conditions. Crews will concentrate on identified routes that citizens can rely until conditions improve.
Below is The Residential Snow Plowing Routes map. You will be able to find your route number on the map and keep up-to-date on where the snow plows will be during a snow event.
- Prison BreadI am sending this as a concerned parent in hopes that you take the opportunity to investigate why this is happening.
The Airway Heights correctional facility is providing bread for all of the meals at the cafeterias in all of District 81 here in Spokane and for Central Valley School District.
Airway Heights Correctional Facility provides bread at a fee to Food Services of America (FSA). FSA then provides the products to the schools in our area. I am very concerned that we are supporting a correctional facility with our tax dollars then have to pay again at the schools for our students lunches at someone else's benefit.
I am very much in support of helping those in a facility to reform their lives. But I am not about to support a criminal who is making bread for our children. Who knows what might happen. I know other bread companies have bid on the opportunity to provide bread for the schools but are not able to compete with a facility that has no overhead and is subsidized by the people. This is unfair to the law abiding companies in our community.
For info on the bids look at Central Valley School District at this link http://www.cvsd.org/376-09-03-b_bakery_bid_2009-10_cooperative.asp
Please bring this to the forefront in our community.
