Drink Straws
Tired of knotted-up necklaces? Simply Thread each chain through a straw and hoof the clasp. This is also a smart way to keep necklaces tangle-free when you travel.
Air Fresheners
How safe are they? Chemicals found in air fresheners have been linked to neurological problems, migraines, respiratory difficulties" says Anne Steinmann, Ph.D., The University of Washington. Manufacturers of air fresheners aren't required to disclose the ingredients used, and products with essential oils and "natural" or "organic" fragrances can emit as many toxic chemicals as regular ones says Steinmann. A less risky-and more effective-solution? Use truly natural sources like coffee beans or lemons or orange peels.
Savings Account
Savings account interest rates continue to drop. Some big banks pay as little as 0.01 percent, tax-exempt credit unions typically offer a quarter-to-half point more than traditional banks. The best rates- recently hovering around or above one percent- tend to be with online banks such as Ally, Ever Bank, Barclays and CIT, which have less overhead. Check rates at MoneyRates.com or at Bankrate.com. Before switching banks, go to "Bank Find" at fdic.gov/deposit to ensure the institution is FDIC-insured.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Evolution of Appliance Colors
Did you ever wonder about the chronology of color for kitchen appliances?
The kitchen was a simple place consisting of a fireplace or wood stove, a table and chairs - and little else.
Then came electricity. Electricity made the kitchen a place to cook food, keep it cold, wash the dishes, grill, toast, and so on.
Always the place for gathering, the idea of making it more aesthetically pleasing was a natural evolution from its fireplace beginnings.
Initially, white was it as far as appliances were concerned. In the 1950s other colors were introduced: Stratford Yellow, Sherwood Green, Turquoise Green, Cadet Blue, Woodtone Brown, Petal Pink and Canary Yellow.
By the 1960s, a few new shades were added - and quickly canceled, too. Charcoal Gray was not so well received Yellow, pink and turquoise were the survivors. A new color, called Coppertone, emerged, and it was popular until the 1980s. Coppertone and turquoise were on the top of the list of favorite colors for appliances for many years.
Back to the '60s. turquoise was replaced by avocado and Harvest Gold. They stayed through the '60s, '70s, and into the early '80s.
Poppy Red appeared in the '70s for a short time, but by the end of the decade, New Naturals - Harvest Wheat, Onyx Black, Coffee, Fresh Avocado and Almond took over.
Whites returned in the '80s and '90s. With the new century came a new color called Stainless Steel. That one and black are the appliance finishes of choice lately.
Slate is the newest color on the scene, but white has always remained the most purchased color in kitchen appliances.
The kitchen was a simple place consisting of a fireplace or wood stove, a table and chairs - and little else.
Then came electricity. Electricity made the kitchen a place to cook food, keep it cold, wash the dishes, grill, toast, and so on.
Always the place for gathering, the idea of making it more aesthetically pleasing was a natural evolution from its fireplace beginnings.
Initially, white was it as far as appliances were concerned. In the 1950s other colors were introduced: Stratford Yellow, Sherwood Green, Turquoise Green, Cadet Blue, Woodtone Brown, Petal Pink and Canary Yellow.
By the 1960s, a few new shades were added - and quickly canceled, too. Charcoal Gray was not so well received Yellow, pink and turquoise were the survivors. A new color, called Coppertone, emerged, and it was popular until the 1980s. Coppertone and turquoise were on the top of the list of favorite colors for appliances for many years.
Back to the '60s. turquoise was replaced by avocado and Harvest Gold. They stayed through the '60s, '70s, and into the early '80s.
Poppy Red appeared in the '70s for a short time, but by the end of the decade, New Naturals - Harvest Wheat, Onyx Black, Coffee, Fresh Avocado and Almond took over.
Whites returned in the '80s and '90s. With the new century came a new color called Stainless Steel. That one and black are the appliance finishes of choice lately.
Slate is the newest color on the scene, but white has always remained the most purchased color in kitchen appliances.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
New Social Security Features
SOCIAL SECURITY STATEMENTS GO ONLINE
Your Social Security information is now at your fingertips. The Social Security Administration website has added a new feature, My Social Security, which allows you to set up your personal page and access it at any time. It includes an online version of the statement that used to be mailed every year, plus estimates of your future retirement benefits, lifetime earnings to date and the total Social Security and Medicare taxes you've paid. To open an account, go to socialsecurity.gov/mystatement and answer a series of questions to verify your identity, then create a username and password.
BENEFITS TO INCREASE STARTING IN JANUARY
Social Security beneficiaries will see a slight bump in their checks beginning in January. That's when the 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment takes effect. The same percentage raise will apply to pensions for federal government retirees, and most military retirees and disabled veterans.
Your Social Security information is now at your fingertips. The Social Security Administration website has added a new feature, My Social Security, which allows you to set up your personal page and access it at any time. It includes an online version of the statement that used to be mailed every year, plus estimates of your future retirement benefits, lifetime earnings to date and the total Social Security and Medicare taxes you've paid. To open an account, go to socialsecurity.gov/mystatement and answer a series of questions to verify your identity, then create a username and password.
BENEFITS TO INCREASE STARTING IN JANUARY
Social Security beneficiaries will see a slight bump in their checks beginning in January. That's when the 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment takes effect. The same percentage raise will apply to pensions for federal government retirees, and most military retirees and disabled veterans.
How Well Do You Know Chicago?
Take
this quiz to see how much you know about The Windy City!
1. Which of these
1920s factories is still in operation today?
A. Ford assembly
plant on Torrence & 126th
B. Jays potato chip
factory at 99th & Cottage Grove
C. Brach's candy
plant on Kinzie & Cicero
D.
Florsheim shoe factory at Belmont & Pulaski
2. Which of these famous
Chicagoans doesn’t have a statue in his likeness in the city?
A. Irv Kupcinet
B. Michael Jordan
C. Jerry Springer
D. Jack Brickhouse
3. What’s so special about the
city’s fire hydrants?
A. They were the first in the
country to be painted red.
B. Their two-outlet design is
patented and cannot be used outside city limits.
C. They were specially ordered
from Ohio after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.
D. An 1872 law says they must be
placed every 200 feet along city blocks.
4. Which famous Chicagoan
attended the 1932 game where Babe Ruth allegedly called his home run?
A. John Paul Stevens
B. Adlai Stevenson II
C. Frank Lloyd Wright
D. Milton Friedman
5. How many Billy Goat Taverns
currently exist in the city and/or suburbs?
A. 1 (the Lower Hubbard hole in
the wall)
B. 2 (the original and one at Navy
Pier)
C. 3 (Navy Pier, downtown, and
near the United Center)
D. 7 (including spots in the
South Loop and O’Hare)
6. How many operable drawbridges
are there along the Chicago River?
A. 10
B. 18
C. 29
D. 37
7. Bruce Graham designed the
Willis Tower and which other Chicago landmark?
A. John Hancock Center
B. Aon Center
C. Smurfit-Stone Building
D. Two Prudential Plaza
8. Why, according to Philip K.
Wrigley, does the Wrigley building have a sky bridge?
A. So William Wrigley could
inspect shipments of gum as they came in by boat on the river.
B. To provide structural support
C. Because William Wrigley wanted
an easier way to go to the other tower
D. To create a single building, thereby
skirting a law banning branch banking.
9. The Hilton Chicago served as a
backdrop to which of these movies?
A. The Fugitive (1993), starring
Harrison Ford
B. Primal Fear (1996(, starring
Richard Gere
C. Road to Perdition (2002),
starring Tom Hanks
D. All of the above
10. The Berghoff was the last
men-only tavern in the city. In what year did it change its rules and why?
A. 1957, when Eleanor Daley told
the Tribune that the policy “was not very nice”
B. 1961, when Rosemary Clooney
promised to sing “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)” if the bar lifted its ban
C. 1969, when members of the
National Organization for Women barged in and demanded bourbon
D. 1972, when family matriarch Caroline
Berghoff insisted on having a beer at the bar before her death
11. What was the first film shot
in Chicago after the city’s disastrous portrayal in 1969’s Medium Cool?
A. Risky Business
B. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
C. The Color of Money
D. The Blues Brothers
12. Russian president Vladimir
Putin said he was excited to visit Chicago because who once lived here?
A. Barack Obama
B. Rahm Emanuel
C. Al Capone
D. Oprah Winfrey
13. Artist Steve Musgrave created
which famous poster?
A. The 1980 response to Saul
Steinberg’s View of the World from 9th Avenue
B. The 1998 ad for the first Crosstown
Classic
C. The Obama Hope image in 2008
D. None of the above
14. Which Gold Coast street was
almost renamed Boxwood after World War i?
A. Schiller Street
B. Goethe Street
C. Astor Street
D. Sutton Place
15. Why was Chicago’s first gay
pride parade held in June 1970?
A. To commemorate the anniversary
of the Stonewall riots
B. To protest the recently passed
housing discrimination law
C. To piggyback on other protests
sweeping the city after the Kent State shootings and the Chicago Seven trial
D. To capitalize on the growing
LGBT movement after Carl Wittman published A Gay Manifesto
ANSWERS – Now, no cheating!
1. A 2. C 3. C 4. A 5.
D 6. D 7.
A 8. D 9. D 10. C 11. D 12.
C 13. B
14.
B 15. A
Monday, December 10, 2012
10 MOST GERM-INFESTED AREAS IN A RESTAURANT
The dirtiest parts of the average restaurant are the seats. The 10 most germ-infested parts of the restaurants, according to the '20/20' investigation.
1. Seats
2. Menus
3. Lemon Wedges
4. Salt and Pepper Shakers
5. Tables
6. Rims of Glasses
7. Bathroom Door Knobs
8. Bathroom Faucets
9. Ketchup Bottles
10. Salad Bar Tongs
1. Seats
2. Menus
3. Lemon Wedges
4. Salt and Pepper Shakers
5. Tables
6. Rims of Glasses
7. Bathroom Door Knobs
8. Bathroom Faucets
9. Ketchup Bottles
10. Salad Bar Tongs
RECENTLY FOUND SAVINGS TIPS!!
SWITCH TO NATURAL CLEANERS YOU ALREADY OWN:
For bathroom and grout stains - remove mold and mildew stains with Hydrogen peroxide. Just put it in a spray bottle and spritz. Wait about an hour then wipe the area with a clean cloth. Hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant that kills 99% of germs and wipes out stains. It is safe and gentle you can even gargle with it!
Make wood shine - squeeze fresh lemon juice and strain it. Then, mix two to three tablespoons of the lemon juice into a small bowl with a few drops of olive oil and rub it gently into the wood. The lemon juice breaks up dirt, and then pulls it out of the wood, while the oil lubricates the wood so it doesn't dry out.
Make your oven sparkle - make a paste with baking soda and water, and it'll grab hold of food and grease particles and lift them up and away. Let it sit for an hour on small spills, overnight for baked-on ones. Wipe away the grime with a wet sponge. Bonus: Baking soda absorbs and neutralizes odors!
Soften your clothes - Replace fabric softener with 3/4 cup of white distilled vinegar (added to your washing machine during the final rinse cycle) and your clothes and linens will come out soft and clean. The vinegar works by removing residues left behind on the clothes, as well as relaxing fibers. Once the clothes have dried, the smell will be long gone! Also, your clothes will dry faster using vinegar.
Wipe away tarnish with toothpaste - regular cream toothpaste (without whitening agents of fluoride) makes a great silver polisher. Rub gently on your silver item, rinse and then dry and buff with a clean soft cloth. Your jewelry, stainless steel and flatware will be tarnish-free, without any damaging chemicals.
KEEP IT COOL
Set your fridge between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower and you'll needlessly use up to 25 percent more energy.
FOR SENIORS:
Members can save up to 45% on Angie's List and find reviews of local contractors and more! Go to AARPDiscounts.com/AngiesList.
For bathroom and grout stains - remove mold and mildew stains with Hydrogen peroxide. Just put it in a spray bottle and spritz. Wait about an hour then wipe the area with a clean cloth. Hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant that kills 99% of germs and wipes out stains. It is safe and gentle you can even gargle with it!
Make wood shine - squeeze fresh lemon juice and strain it. Then, mix two to three tablespoons of the lemon juice into a small bowl with a few drops of olive oil and rub it gently into the wood. The lemon juice breaks up dirt, and then pulls it out of the wood, while the oil lubricates the wood so it doesn't dry out.
Make your oven sparkle - make a paste with baking soda and water, and it'll grab hold of food and grease particles and lift them up and away. Let it sit for an hour on small spills, overnight for baked-on ones. Wipe away the grime with a wet sponge. Bonus: Baking soda absorbs and neutralizes odors!
Soften your clothes - Replace fabric softener with 3/4 cup of white distilled vinegar (added to your washing machine during the final rinse cycle) and your clothes and linens will come out soft and clean. The vinegar works by removing residues left behind on the clothes, as well as relaxing fibers. Once the clothes have dried, the smell will be long gone! Also, your clothes will dry faster using vinegar.
Wipe away tarnish with toothpaste - regular cream toothpaste (without whitening agents of fluoride) makes a great silver polisher. Rub gently on your silver item, rinse and then dry and buff with a clean soft cloth. Your jewelry, stainless steel and flatware will be tarnish-free, without any damaging chemicals.
KEEP IT COOL
Set your fridge between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower and you'll needlessly use up to 25 percent more energy.
FOR SENIORS:
Members can save up to 45% on Angie's List and find reviews of local contractors and more! Go to AARPDiscounts.com/AngiesList.
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