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Five Lighting Tips For Basements

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Making your basement an enjoyable place to spend time can be tricky. Without the right lighting it may feel too much like a dungeon (unless you’re into that!). Here are a few quick tips.

  1. Maximize the natural lighting. Trim back shrubs and other plants that block sunlight from window wells. If the window well has a cover, keep it clean or replace a cover that blocks light with one that lets light pass through.
  2. Choose light colors for walls, carpet and furniture. As much as we all miss the dark brown faux wood paneling from the ‘70s it doesn’t do much to create a bright space.
  3. Accent Lighting. This will not only make the space brighter, it also makes the space feel less like a basement because lamps make the space feel decorated and lived in.
  4. Light Bulbs. Depending on the types of fixtures in the basement there are various new types of lightbulbs. Consider talking to a lighting expert to find which type of bulb is going to give you the best results.
  5. Create a false lighted window. This is simpler and more effective than you might think. Just frame and trim a “window” on a basement wall, and use creative lighting and decor (blinds, reflective paint, daylight spectrum bulbs) to make the light coming from the window look natural.

A Dry Foundation Is A Happy Foundation

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Keeping water away from your home’s foundation is an important part of maintaining your home’s structural integrity. Water can cause soils to expand and contract as well as do damage to the interior of the home should it flood.

Keep your gutters clean and make sure downspouts will divert water to a place where it can drain away. If your home is equipped with a sump pit you may want to install a pump, or if you have a pump make sure it is operating properly. If your basement has a drain be sure it is clear in the event that you have an interior water leak, such as a broken pipe.

Five Tips For Securing Your Smartphone

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Phones have come a long way in the last few years, and there’s a ton of sensitive information—email access, bank accounts, photos, contact lists—that are easily accessed if your phone falls into the wrong hands. Here are a few tips for keeping your smartphone secure.

  1. Use a passcode! This is one of the easiest steps toward securing your phone, but research shows that 54 percent of smartphone users do not use a passcode. Whether it’s a four-character PIN or a pattern lock, set up the passcode on your phone so that only you can get past your lock screen.
  2. Be careful with WiFi: Smartphones can be set to automatically connect to available WiFi networks, but this can lead to your phone being vulnerable over an untrusted network when you’re not aware of it. Turn off WiFi when you’re not knowingly using it—it’ll also help with battery life.
  3. Careful with Bluetooth, too: Bluetooth isn’t as vulnerable to security breaches as WiFi, but it’s still a good idea to have your Bluetooth set to undiscoverable.
  4. Consider the downside of rooting: Many cell phone users will root or “Jailbreak” their phones to open up new features, but this can override your phone’s security settings—and void your warranty.
  5. Choose better passwords: Definitely don’t use “password” or your name! Instead, make a passphrase—a short sequence of words that are easy for you to remember, but difficult for anyone else to guess.

Five Cool Tech Ideas For Your Home

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Looking for some cool upgrades for your home? Here are a few suggestions for tech devices that would make an awesome addition to your place.

  1. Laser Robot Vaccuum: This awesome little robot by Neato Robotics does the dirty work for you. Not only will it clean the house after you go to sleep, but it has a special laser that maps the home. This little guy knows where it’s been and where it hasn’t, and when it’s done it drives itself back in the closet!
  2. Heated driveway: If you live in a cold weather state, shoveling snow is a dreaded fact of life. What if you could throw the shovel away? Heated driveway technology, utilizing mats and cables within the driveway, can eliminate strenuous snow removal from your life.
  3. Thermal Imaging Gun: High energy bills taking their toll? Try the Black and Decker thermal leak detector. With this little device you can check your home for energy leaks. The infrared thermometer will detect leaks and let you know where the hot and cold spots are.
  4. Sun Tunnel: Looking to add natural light but a sky light may not be viable? Try the Velux Sun Tunnel. This cool flexible tube can find its way around obstructions and deliver a perfect amount of light into your room.
  5. Wireless Can Light Speaker: The Klipsch LightSpeaker system gives you the best of both worlds. This wireless speaker screws right into your can lighting. It even comes with an efficient LED light.

Prevent Accidents in Your Home by Following These Simple Suggestions

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Don’t ignore the old adage that most accidents happen in the home. Here are a few preventative measures you can take to help avoid some of the most common causes of accidents.

Slips, trips, and falls
The stairs are the most common cause of accidents. Be sure that the handrails are in place. They should be fastened tightly and strong enough to support an adult. Also make sure the surface of the steps have traction and nothing that would trip someone.

Beds, mattresses, and pillows
Oddly enough, these items account for a high number of accidents from people falling out of bed, and they can also cause neck and back pain. The lesson here is if your bed is hurting your back you should replace it. After all, we spend a large percentage of our lives sleeping.

Desks, cabinets, shelves, and racks
Unless you’re trying to appear on America’s Funniest Home Videos, be sure to avoid overloading these objects or loading them unevenly. If you have children, consider tethering these to a wall to prevent them from falling or tipping.

Poisoning
Poisoning affects a surprisingly high number of people, and the major issue is a toxic combination of medication. Be sure to talk to your physician if you are taking multiple medications.

Five Items That You Shouldn’t Trash

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Most of us fall into the habit of disposing of all of our household items when they’ve broken, expired, or simply are no longer useful. But for environmental and safety reasons, here are five items that need to be disposed of with care:

  1. Old batteries: Batteries contain chemicals like alkaline, zinc, cadmium, and nickel. These chemicals can be hazardous if a battery deteriorates, so take your old batteries to a hazardous waste center.
  2. CFL light bulbs: CFL bulbs (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs, but they require different care once they burn out, because they contain mercury. Take them to a waste center.
  3. Paint: Water-based paint is OK to be thrown in the trash. But oil-based paints can be hazardous. You could take them to a hazardous waste center, or you could donate the paint—community centers and non-profit organizations are a good start.
  4. Electronics: Replacing your computer, or just getting rid of old junk? Instead of throwing your old electronics straight in the dumpster, take them to an e-waste center, or consider donating if the items are still useful.
  5. Smoke detectors: Make sure to replace them every 10 years. Ionization smoke detectors actually emit a small amount of radiation, so you should mail them back to the manufacturer.

Less Is More: How To Improve Your Vocabulary

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It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to improve your vocabulary is by eliminating words, rather than adding new ones. There are many words we use every day that are either unnecessary or overused. By removing these words from your vocabulary you can become a better writer and conversationalist.

Really and very: We use these two words all the time, but what do they really add? Instead of adding “really” or “very” in front of an adjective, think of a better adjective. Instead of it being “really hot” outside, say it’s “scorching.”

Amazing: If we say that just about everything is “amazing,” it removes all meaning from the word. If everything is amazing, then nothing is amazing! Instead, use less common synonyms like stunning, marvelous, or incredible.

Literally: Think of how often you hear the word “literally” each day, and then consider how often it’s used incorrectly. Most of the time what someone actually means is “figuratively,” so adjust your vocabulary accordingly.