I remember when laptop computers first started coming out.  I thought I would always love my desktop and want to stick with that.  It took me a long time to be convinced otherwise.  Now that I have a notebook computer I can’t imagine going back to a desktop.  We have a desktop but it never gets used.  It’s so much easier to use the laptop.

Need to save some money? With the rising costs all around us most of us are looking for ways to save some extra cash. Here are a few things you can do this summer to reduce your electric bill.

1. Set your air conditioner to 78° while you are at home.
2. Run a portable fan which will make the room about 4° cooler.
3. Only run your dishwasher when it is full.
4. Stop your dishwasher before the dry cycle and let the dishes air dry.
5. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water (not hot) and use cold water for your rinse cycle.
6. Hang your clothes outside to dry instead of using the dryer. (Unless you have allergies, like me, then you do not want to do that.)
7. If you use your dryer- make sure you run it full, use the moisture sensing setting so that it doesn’t run longer than necessary and clean your lint filter.
8. Turn off or unplug your electronic items when you are not using them. If you can’t turn your computer off, at least turn the monitor off when not in use.
9. Replace your old incandescent light bulbs.
10. Keep your refrigerator or freezer full.

Here are some tips and tricks you can use during your regular day to day activities:

1. To keep your plastic containers from getting stained from tomato based foods, rub the inside with vegetable oil or spray with a little Pam before placing the food in the container.
2. To clean your coffee maker: Pour vinegar into it like when you make coffee but with no filter. Turn the coffee maker on and let it run. Repeat this with a new batch of vinegar until it runs clear of calcium deposits.  Run water through for a few cycles before making your next pot of coffee.
3. For removing ink stains: Ball point pen stains can be removed by using hair spray – let the hair spray dry and wash the item.
4. Use newspaper when you clean your windows instead of paper towels.  You won’t get the usual streaks. 

If you own a home then you know you need to have insurance on your home.  You have to protect your home as well as your valuables that are inside your home.  But with all of the choices out there how can you possibly know the best home insurance you could have?  One tip they offer is to make sure you are getting all of the possible discounts there are- for example your insurance company probably offers a discount if you have a security system.  Be sure to check out information available on the internet to find more great tips like that one as well as ways to get your home covered quickly, accurately and easily.  Not only that, but make sure you get a life insurance quote to make sure you’re getting the best coverage there too.

We recently redid our deck in our back yard.  My husband and my dad ripped out our old deck and built an all new much improved deck.  It really changed how our back yard looks.  We have had several of our neighbors comment about how much better it looks.  After the deck was finished my husband did some work on our patio as well as adding some new patio furniture to really improve how things look.  I love the new look and can’t wait to do some entertaining!

So you love to shop, right?  And you also love to save money, right?  I know that’s how it is for me.  I want the good products but I don’t want to spend anymore money than I have to.  That’s why I like to check out ShopWiki for price comparisons.

One thing I love about ShopWiki is that they search the entire Internet to compare prices for you.  So, if you’re like me and you like to buy home furnishings but you’d prefer not to spend outrageous prices then you’ll want to let ShopWiki do the price comparisons for you.  You can just find the item you want and let ShopWiki find places that have it and see the different prices.

They compare prices for everything- even make up, indoor lighting and desk lamps.  It doesn’t matter who you are- ShopWiki has something for you.  And they make your shopping easier by finding the best prices and giving you tips on the items you are buying.  Check them out!

I know it was a week ago but I’ve been too busy to blog about Easter yet.  We had a great Easter.  We started out in the morning with our daughter searching for her Easter basket.  This was the first year she really understood- so it was a lot of fun.  She loves chocolate so she was thrilled with the contents of her basket.  Later on we went to church and had an amazing service.  After church my daughter took her nap and then we ate some dinner.  It was a perfect day.  The weather was a bit chilly but that didn’t make any difference- we had a wonderful Easter.

In my previous post I talked a bit about some tips to help you with your upcoming move.  Now one of the main things you are going to need for your move is boxes.  I am actually hoping to move one day so I save all of the good boxes I can.  I break them down so they are flat and and stick them on the side of my freezer in my pantry.  But, if you don’t have time to save boxes, where can you get some?

Ask stores what day they have their deliveries on.  If your local grocery store has a delivery on Monday then ask the manager to set aside boxes for you.  If you don’t ask, many stores have machines that crush the boxes for the and you won’t be able to get any boxes.  You can also purchase some shipping boxes.  That way you will know you are getting exactly what you need- the perfect sizes and the boxes will be in good condition.

What are some other places you can get boxes?

Are you moving in the near future?  I have moved a few times and I know how stressful it can be.  So, here are some tips to help make your move a little easier:

• Get boxes.  Lots and lots of boxes.  Get your scissors and your packaging tape too.
• Use markers to color code your boxes.  Blue goes in the living room, red goes in the kitchen, etc
• Newspapers and plastic bags are necessary for packing your breakable items.
• Hire some movers- if you’re moving to NY you could hire New York movers.
• Have a special box with your cleaning supplies so you can clean your new home when you get there before moving all of your stuff in.
• Take it easy… if you stress yourself out it will be a lot harder than it will be if you stay calm.

A few weeks ago we arrived at my parents house for a little visit of a few days.  When we got there my parents weren’t home from work yet so we started unloading our stuff.  I happened to glance out the back door and I saw this:

Can you see it?  There are some beautiful flowers and then there is an adorable little critter.  Here’s a better look:

I knew my mom had been complaining that some sort of animal had been eating her flowers and she wasn’t sure what it was, so I wanted to get a picture to show her this cute little groundhog.

Because of where my parents live they get a lot of wild life in their yard.  They have deer, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, dogs, cats, etc.  They have it all.  And they enjoy the wildlife- just not the damage that is done when they eat their flowers or eat all of the bird seed.

That’s where Havahart comes in to play.  Havahart’s Organic/GREEN repellent sprays and coatings can help you to keep these cuties away from your home and garden without hurting them.  At Havahart you can get things like racoon repellent or just tips to help you keep the critters away.  They have a Critter Control library you can check out for some fabulous tips and tricks as well as information about Critter Ridder.  Be sure to see what they have to offer you and your critter problems.