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Keeping Our Water Ways Clean

Keeping Our Water Ways Clean

72% of the Earth is made up of water. This is one of the many reasons as to why it is so important to keep our water ways clean and safe!

Everyday activities such as driving and landscaping can affect our water quality significantly.

Here are some tips to follow when keeping our water ways clean:

  • Never drain your pool into a storm water system, roadway or body of water. Water should be dechlorinated and discharged to a grassy area.
  • Clean up after your pets at home and in your community. Pet waste can spread disease and pollute our waterways.
  • Always check your vehicles for leaks and make necessary repairs.
  • Used oils, antifreeze, fluids and batteries should be recycled at collection centers or participating auto part stores.
  • Do not dump fats, oils, and grease down your drain. When poured down the drain, these substances known as FOG will harden and over time will create clogs.
  • Make sure to have your septic systems pumped every 3-5 years.

What steps will you take to keeping our water ways clean?

 

Cut Your Energy Costs

Cut Your Energy Costs

It’s a New Year, and now is the perfect time to cut back on your energy costs. Taking the steps to cut your energy costs will not only save you money, but it will save our resources and the planet.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

  • Make sure your home is sealed during the winter to avoid wasting heat. Close all fireplace dampers, windows, and make sure any cracks are sealed.
  • Cool your home naturally in the summer by opening windows on cool nights.
  • On nice days, hang your laundry out to dry instead of using the dryer.
  • Replace regular incandescent light bulbs and fixtures with Energy Star qualified fluorescent lights.
  • Unplug any appliances or devices that you are not using. Although they are not on, they are still drawing energy.
  • Replace your old refrigerator. Refrigerators made before 1993 could be costing $140 a year in electricity. Even refrigerators built between 1993 and 2001 cost about $60 a year to run. By comparison, a new Energy Star rated refrigerator runs on about $20 a year.
  • Only run your dishwasher when it is completely full to avoid running it multiple times in a day.

Everybody wants a little more money in their pockets. Attempting to save on energy will help you! You could save over $900 a year just by doing the basics. Imagine how much more you could save by finding more ways to save on your energy.

 

Candle Safety

Candle Safety

Calling all candle lovers! The holidays have passed and most likely you’ve received an abundance of your favorite candles. Before lighting a candle, be sure to follow these 4 important safety tips:

Don’t touch your candle while hot! Never touch or move while lit; wait until the wax has hardened.

Keep an eye on your candles. Always burn candles where you can see them (no longer than 3-4 hours at a time) and never near anything that can catch fire. Candles will burn slower and more evenly when kept in draft-free areas. Extinguish the flames before you leave a room. Never extinguish the flame with water.

Keep your candles clean. Trim wicks to ¼ inch before you light them (every time).

Keep candles out of reach. If you have pets, or young children, be sure to keep your candles in an area where they cannot reach them.

Enjoy your candles safely!

 

Breaking Bad Habits in the New Year

Breaking Bad Habits in the New Year

With the New Year right around the corner, many people will be setting their New Year Resolutions. Is kicking bad habits to the curb on your list for 2017? If so, here are some helpful tips and strategies to help you stay on track of your goals.

Make the commitment – making a commitment to your goal is number one. Whether your goal is to lose weight, start eating heathy or quit smoking; make sure you are 100% committed.

Create a roadmap – create reasonable monthly goals. Not only will these goals help you stay motivated and on track, but you will feel accomplished after reaching them.

Identify your triggers – we are all humans. We all have urges and weaknesses. Be sure to identify them before the start on your goals. Avoiding temptations will help you stay on track.

Evaluate When You Fall off Track – we all make mistakes. Maybe you just had to have that double bacon cheeseburger or just one cigarette while you were out with some friends. Evaluate when you come off track and be sure to get back on track.

Use these four strategies when achieving your goals this New Year. We wish you the best of luck for a prosperous new year.

 

NYC Real Life Gingerbread Village

NYC Real Life Gingerbread Village

You might have making a gingerbread house apart of your annual holiday tradition, but have you ever wanted to stand next to a real life one?
This winter in NYC, you’ll have your chance. Starting December 6th and going all the way to December 18th, Madison Square Park in NYC will be home to a real life gingerbread village! You’ll feel like you are in a real life scene from Hansel and Gretel as you wander through this village.
These life size gingerbread houses are built with ginger “bricks”, a “frosting-covered” roof, and lots of peppermint sticks and gum drops! This village gets even better because you’ll be able to actually go inside these gingerbread houses. These houses are completely virtual and are filled with interactive elements including ways to build a marshmallow snowman and decorate a Christmas tree. And rumor has it, there will be plenty of treats from this year’s sponsors, which is Folgers.
This is one sweet spot that you don’t want to miss out on.
Written by: Sandra Costanzo
Hairspray LIVE!

Hairspray LIVE!

The beloved musical Hairspray is coming to a television near you! That’s right, NBC is assembling an all-star team of Broadway’s finest and most talented creatives for its upcoming production of “Hairspray Live!”. This telecast will air Wednesday, December 7 at 8:00 p.m. The cast has been announced and definitely won’t disappoint. The Hairspray Live cast includes Derek Hough as Corny Collins; Ariana Grande as Penny; newcomer Maddie Baillio as Tracy; Tony winner Harvey Fierstein as Edna; Jennifer Hudson as Motormouth Maybelle; Martin Short as Wilbur; Kristin Chenoweth as Velma Von Tussle; Dove Cameron as Amber; and Garrett Clayton as Link.
“In keeping with our desire to bring the best of Broadway to our live musicals, we’ve assembled the Broadway dream team of Tony Award winners for ‘Hairspray Live!,'” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to have director Kenny Leon, who knocked ‘The Wiz Live!’ way out of the park, and Jerry Mitchell, the original choreographer of ‘Hairspray,’ who is the director of two smash hit musicals running on Broadway right now.”
During the latest production panel, some further details were revealed. This includes that two of the original songs written for the musical movie version of Hairspray will be in the live production. It was also revealed that unlike previous NBC productions, the action will move outside of the soundstage when the scene calls for the characters to go outdoors. There are several other surprises that you will have to find out on December 7th, this is a production that you won’t want to miss.
Written by: Sandra Costanzo
Winterizing Your Vehicle

Winterizing Your Vehicle

Winter is almost here, and it’s time to endure the cold, snowy weather that New York brings. Before we know it, we will be digging our cars out of the snow. That’s why it is important to get a head start today on winterizing your car.

Taking these steps to prepare your car will ensure a safe winter for all.

  1. Get an oil change. If you are approaching the time for an oil change, do not procrastinate. Get it done now. Make sure your oil’s viscosity is right. Oil tends to thicken as it gets colder. If it is too thick it won’t do the best job of keeping your engine lubricated.
  2. Make sure you can see. Be sure to replace your old wiper blades with fresh new ones. Along with changing your blades, be sure to refill your windshield washer fluid and make sure that the defrost setting in your car is working properly.
  3. Give your battery a little TLC. Check your battery and make sure there is no corrosion and that it can hold a charge. You don’t want to be stuck on the side of the road with a dead battery in the dead of winter.
  4. Check your tire pressure. Make sure your tires are properly inflated to ensure you will have the best traction.
  5. If you have a four wheel drive, be sure to check that your system is working properly. Especially if you do not use your four wheel drive during the summer months.
  6. Last but not least, be sure to prepare an emergency kit. Store supplies in your trunk in case you are ever stuck. Emergency items such as:
    1. Blankets
    2. Extra boots and gloves
    3. Ice scraper
    4. Small shovel
    5. Flashlight
    6. Flares
    7. Tool kit
    8. First aid kit
    9. Paper towels
    10. Canned food
    11. Bottled water

Travel safely this winter and don’t get caught in the cold!

 

National America Recycles Day 2016

National America Recycles Day 2016

November 15th is National America Recycles Day. Today is a day dedicated to encourage Americans to recycle and buy recycled products. The America Recycles movement was started in 1997 and since then has helped people everywhere learn the importance of recycling. In honor of today, here are some helpful tips to follow when going green and helping the environment.

Save energy to save money:

 

  • Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
  • Unplug appliances when you are not using them. Even if they are plugged in and not in use, energy is still being drawn to them.

Save water to save money:

 

  • Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will also lower your water and heating bills.
  • Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. 85% of energy used to machine wash clothes goes to heating your water.

Less Gas = more money:

 

  • If you are traveling a short distance, consider walking or riding your bike instead of driving. Not only will this help the environment but it is better for your health also.

Recycle all plastic/glass bottles and papers:

 

  • It may be a pain but be sure to recycle all of your used bottles and newspapers. Set up a separate recycle can outside by your garbage pails to help make sorting your trash easier.

Help make the earth a better place to live in today! Don’t forget to reduce, reuse and recycle.