The NoteBook Girls

Have you ever purchased fresh strawberries and woke up the next day and they were completely moldy and white? I hate it when I need to toss out fresh produce that looks great one day and horrible the next. It not only is a waste of food, but also a waste of money. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to lengthen out the life of your food and even allow you to stock foods to eat a much future date.

Vacuum sealers became readily available a few years ago to the general public. The food saver unit is one such example of a vacuum unit. What is great about these is the wide number of ways you can use them. You can purchase a vacuum seal bag, which is perfect for freezing produce. Pre-freezing food before you store is a great tip. This allows for them to keep better by reducing the amount of extra air when sealing the bag. You can store peppers, berries, lettuce, onions, or anything that might spoil quickly in a food saver containers.

Removing the air from your container helps to slow the process of decomposition, which is responsible for causing produce to go bad. Clearly this is not an indefinite solution but it keeps produce fresher longer.

Mason jars can be utilized by the food saver which has a special tool for suctioning tops. This is a great way to store dried fruits for long periods. Chips, popcorn, flour, etc can greatly benefit from this. Not only does it keep the foods from getting stale but it also reduces the chances that rodents will get into the things you have stored.

The amount of food you save by using this system will more than pay for itself. Just speaking from my own personal experience, this sealer works great.

When you are going hiking or backpacking, part of the point of the trip is to “get away from it all” and relax for an afternoon, a day, or even a few days, but it is probably not part of your plan to get lost and be stuck out there for several days longer than you intended! One of the most important aspects of hiking, backpacking, or camping is making sure you avoid getting lost, so make sure you follow these tips to ensure that you know where you are, and that you know how to get back to the place from which you started!

Stay on the trail: If you are going hiking or camping in a state park or a nature preserve, there are probably plenty of trails for you to choose from; you should always stick to these marked trails, even though you might sometimes hear adventure calling you! Even though this does not guarantee that you will be able to easily find your car when the time comes (after all, there are usually plenty of crisscrossed trails), this will at least prevent you from getting lost out in the woods.

Check out The Ultimate Campfire Kitchen Guide!

Pay attention to markers: Your eyes will probably be roaming quite a bit as you hike along the trails, taking in all the nature around you; as your eyes roam about, make sure that they are also paying attention – every once in a while – to the sorts of landmarks that will make it easy for you to make sure later on that you are on the right path.

Have a map and compass: If you are out in the wilderness – even with paths to choose from – you need to make sure you always have a compass and (if applicable) a map in your possession; you should be able to find your way to where you want to go as long as you have these two items with you!

If you are a big fan of lattes from Starbucks, but you do not feel like spending all that money each day, you may want to learn to make lattes at home. And actually, after you purchase the equipment for making lattes at home – and really, the equipment does not cost all that much – you can make delicious lattes every day for as little as about 20 cents per latte!

Lattes are essentially espresso, steamed milk, and (usually) some sort of flavoring, so you will need to be able to make espresso at home in order to make a latte. You need to make sure that you purchase espresso beans instead of simply purchasing regular coffee beans, and you also need to grind these espresso beans until they are extremely fine. There are a lot of espresso machines out there as well, and these machines can range from inexpensive to downright outrageous! If you want to keep to a budget and still get a great espresso machine, check out the Mr Coffee 4 Cup Espresso Machine, which is only $35 on Amazon!

The next thing you will need if you want to make a latte at home is some steamed milk. You can go out and buy a milk steamer, but it is also easy (and a lot less expensive) to simply steam your milk right there on your stove. Simply remember that you need to stir the milk constantly, rather than just letting it sit, and you will be good to go.

After the espresso is ready (two to three shots), you can pour it into a 16 ounce cup and add the flavoring that you usually get in your lattes. Look to purchase your latte flavoring on Amazon, where you can get enough to flavor your latte for a long time, for a great price.

After you add your flavoring, you will be ready to add the steamed milk and stir the whole thing up, and you will have a latte just like the ones you get at Starbucks. In this way, you will not have to go broke in order to enjoy your delicious coffee treat every single day!

A monthly cable bill is now extremely expensive. Satellite and cable companies have always charged monthly fees but are now charging miscellaneous fees like never before. If you want a cable box for your HD television you will have to pay extra for it. You may also be charged for certain channels that you want to have. Say good bye to all of these charges by getting Apple TV. Apple TV is the newest revolution in television from the leaders in revolutionary technology.

Apple TV give you the ability to rent television shows that are presented in HD on your HDTV. Apple TV streams these shows into your living room for you to enjoy at your convenience. Commercial free is how they are streamed which is an added benefit. Not only are TV shows available, but so are many high definition movies. The movie of your choice can be rented and delivered straight to your television as before. These movies come from Netflix and their massive catalog of many different movies.

Airplay is the newest technology that Apple TV is working on releasing. Apple TV will be able to pick up streaming music and video from any of the various apple devices. Your TV will be able to broadcast them as they come through your Apple TV. Apple will require that each of your devices be updated with the newest operating system in order to have this functionality with Apple TV. Amazingly this small little receiver is capable of producing such great new technology for televisions around the world.

An Apple TV remote is capable of controlling the device. Any of your Apple products will be able to control it as well. Switching channels is easy when you download the application to your iPad, iPod touch or iPhone for use. No wires are needed since the Apple TV can use the internet provided by your home’s Wi-Fi internet system. The power supply is located internally so you can simply plug it in and start watching your favorite movies and television shows.

When it comes to setting up a fish tank, there will be a lot of things that you will be making sure you pay attention to – such as the sturdiness of the stand you are using, and the substrate and decorations going into the tank, and the balance of the water – but one thing many people neglect to think about is the location of the fish tank itself. When it comes to keeping your fish safe and protecting your investment, where you put your fish tank will be one of the most important elements, so make sure you follow these simple tips to ensure that you are picking a good spot for your new fish tank.

The temperature of your fish tank will be one of the biggest things that you will have to pay attention to – but in spite of the fact that many people are aware of this, they still end up putting their fish tank in a window where the sun causes the water temperature to fluctuate a lot more than it should!

The Kick Butt Aquarium!

In addition to making sure you are putting the tank in a place where the sun will not affect the temperature, you also need to put the fish tank in a place where your children and pets will not be able to get to it; this is both for the safety of your fish, and for the safety of your children and pets!

And regardless of how great your fish tank looks in a spot, it will not be enjoyable if you have set it in a spot where it is difficult to clean; think about having to clean your tank when you are setting it up, and make sure you will be able to easily access the tank when it comes time to clean.

When you keep these things in mind while setting up your tank, it will not only be something that is a beautiful addition to your house, but will also be something that runs effectively and is easy for you to take care of!

Of course, the first step to dealing with bad weather when backpacking is to avoid it altogether by checking the weather before you head out on your adventure – making sure that there is no gloom and doom predicted for the time and place of your journey! But if you have taken a few backpacking trips of your own, you also know that you can check the weather and go when you are supposed to be just fine, and can still end up getting hit with bad weather - which is why knowing what to do when bad weather hits is so important!

The worst part about a rainstorm that hits you when you are backpacking is the fact that you and your gear can end up getting wet and not drying out for the rest of the trip, so the most important thing is making sure you have a waterproof cover for your backpack and a good rain jacket for yourself.

If the storm looks like it might really get bad, you should also think about setting up camp, because no matter how “waterproof” you and your stuff are, you can still end up getting wet. When you set up camp when it is raining, be very aware of where you are setting up, as you will not want to put yourself in an area that is likely to flood if the storm continues to rage.

And perhaps the biggest key to dealing with bad weather is to remember that you took the backpacking adventure because you wanted to have fun, and you are certainly not going to change the weather by getting angry with it, so you might as well just enjoy it! When you take on unexpected bad weather with waterproof gear and a “waterproof” disposition, you will find that dealing with bad weather is a whole lot easier, but furthermore, you will find that you can even have fun while dealing with bad weather!

When you go backpacking, one of the toughest things to know is how much food to bring, and what food to bring – after all, you will want to pack as light as possible, but you must also remember that your body will be burning lots of calories as you hike! Because of this, one of the most important things to know is how many calories you are getting per ounce of food – as you will want foods that have a high balance of calories per ounce.

GORP: Gorp (“Good ol’ raisins & peanuts”) is a mainstay in the backpacker’s diet, as it is inexpensive, tasty, easy to eat as you walk, and (of course) is high in calories! You can purchase your own “ingredients” and mix it yourself, and you can add such special treats to yours as dried mango, dried apricots, dried dragon fruits, and other (unsweetened) nuts you feel will make a good addition.

Peanut butter: Peanut butter is inexpensive, easy to pack, and high in calories; this makes peanut butter a great trail food, and the only consideration will be whether you are able to eat peanut butter straight, or whether you will need to also bring along something you can slap the peanut butter on.

Energy bars: Energy bars can be either excellent for backpacking or poor for backpacking, depending on what you buy; you should be looking for energy bars that pack about 115 to 125 calories per ounce, and even though this means you will be paying more for your energy bars, it will be worth the cost for the benefits you receive.

Grains: Finally, it is also important for you to have some grains while you are traveling, which you should be able to get from cereals, or from cereal bars. Once again, pay attention to the number of calories in the grains you are bringing along, as you want to make sure you are bringing the most energy you can in the least amount of weight.

When you pack for your backpacking adventure, remember that you certainly want to pack light – but making sure you get the nutrition and energy you need will be even more important!

Nowadays, many people have switched to ebooks, which means that they no longer have to worry about “keeping their books in good shape”; there are many other people, however, who are “book purists” and therefore refuse to switch to ebooks, and for these people, it is important that they know how to keep their books in good condition. After all, there is more you will have to do to keep your books in good shape than simply making sure your dog does not tear them apart – and for anyone who has ever had a book or two ruined by poor care, you certainly understand this, and you understand the importance of knowing and following these simple rules!

Avoid water: You already know that you don’t want your books to end up in the water, but there is more to “avoiding water” than just making sure your books don’t fall into the pool or the ocean; you also need to realize that humidity can wreak havoc on the shape of your pages, so you should be cautious even reading beside the pool or by the ocean!

Avoid heat: It is not easy to avoid heat completely (which is also the case with “avoiding water”), as ‘reading by the pool in the summer’ is one of the quintessential ‘best ways to read,” but be cautious of heat – especially from leaving your books in a hot car – as this can severely damage the binding of your books.

Avoid dirt: Some people feel that dirt adds character to an old book, but too much dirt can make a book a throwaway (and can even make it unreadable), so be aware of where you are when you are reading, and always be aware of the sort of state your hands are in!

If you are still staying strong with physical books, it will be important that you adhere to these rules, and that you make sure anyone you loan your books to is adhering to these rules; after all, with books so rapidly switching to electronic format, your books just might be collector’s items pretty soon!

If you ever book a great airfare for a trip, you will probably find that you are both happy and proud of yourself. That is, until you arrive at the airport, and you are notified that you are going to be paying and extra $50 just to check your bags round trip! If you want to skip over this frustrating travel step, you need to know how to pack light so that you will be able to bring everything you need in a single carry-on. This might seem like a big hassle to you – might even seem impossible – but if you learn to pack light, you can save a lot of money!

The first thing you ought to do is look up the carry-on specifications of the airline you will be flying, and make sure your bag will work as a carry-on item. And actually, many people find that the allowable sizes for carry-ons are much larger than they expected.

The next step of the packing process is to make a list of all the necessities for your trip – and make sure you only include true necessities! For instance, some of the things on this list might be deodorant, toothbrush, sleeping clothes, and an outfit for each day. Some things that are not “necessities” (even though you might want them to be!) are such things as, “those four pairs of shoes I want to bring.”

You can make your next list after this – which is those items that fall under the category of “wants.” The extra pairs of shoes would fall into this category; and again, make sure that you are not putting the “wants” on the “necessities” list!

You will also be making a third list, but know that the items on this list will probably not be making the trip, as these are the “extras.”

You can pack the necessities once you have these lists made, and then you can begin to add the “wants” and – if you have enough room – the “extras.” And if you have a hard time letting go of a “want,” ask yourself: “Is this item really worth $50!”

As a homeowner there comes a time when you have to do the normal upkeep around the home. Resealing your deck is one of those not so fun jobs. This can be an incredibly daunting job depending on the size of your deck and the design of your railing. It can be hard to know where to start.

Discoloration happens on decks for a number of reasons, they could be sun bleached, water stained, or molded. Bleaching the boards is a good way to start if you have discoloration. You can choose from a number of environmentally friendly deck bleaches like oxalic acid. When you bleach make sure to follow the manufacturers directions and to wear proper personal protection.

After bleaching, make sure to give your deck 24 hours to dry. You can add a dramatic color and richness to your wood with a acrylic based deck stain.

Depending on your taste you can choose from a subtle to a bold color. Many stains also contain a UV protectant to help extend the life of your deck.

You have a number of ways to apply your stain. There is always the old reliable ways of using a brush and some elbow grease. A Deckmate finishing pad is another great option which is more automatic, and people find it to be an easier route. A pump sprayer can also be helpful for rails.

Depending on how deep you wish the color to be will determine the number of layer of stain you will have to apply. Transparent sealant is required after you have given the stain a chance to dry. This is the icing on the cake, so to speak. This will protect your wood from the water that tends to sit on decks. If you no longer see “beads” of water on your deck after rain, you will know it is time to start staining.

Even though it can be a pain to stain, the investment is well worth it. It is far cheaper to do the upkeep on the deck then to have to make a deck again from scratch.