There are various causes for teeth stains, and any or all of these causes can contribute to the loss of a beautiful white smile.
For instance, those who drink coffee or tea may notice staining on their teeth from these beverages.
Smoking is another contributor to a dull-looking smile.
Red wine, as well as other dark foods and beverages, can also cause your teeth to lose some of their luster.
Of course, aging can also bring about yellow or dingy teeth.
Whatever the cause, many people find themselves asking what they can do to get a brighter and whiter smile.
Although the solution to teeth stains isn't always simple, there are several options to try for those who want a healthy-looking smile. Whether you want to remove teeth stains naturally or try a different method, you have choices when it comes to lightening the look of your teeth.
If you would like to get rid of the stains on your teeth or prevent them from showing up in the first place, try these ideas:
1. Brush your teeth after consuming staining foods or beverages.
It can also help to enjoy these potentially staining snacks in one sitting instead of throughout the day, since this limits the amount of time your teeth are exposed to them.
2. Try a whitening toothpaste.
Although these pastes may not make a huge difference right away, they can help whiten your smile with multiple uses over time.
If teeth-staining beverages are the culprit, look for toothpaste that is made especially for coffee drinkers to help remove stains.
3. If you can, use a straw to drink staining beverages.
This will prevent the liquid from coming in contact with your teeth.
If nothing seems to help, your teeth may be stained on the inside.
You can consult your dentist to explore your options.
4. Veneers may be one possibility you could consider.
Remember to brush, floss, and visit your dentist regularly.
The best way to keep your teeth white is to prevent a problem from developing in the first place.
How about a video ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mD9wyPs4vU
After that, it's good for nothing !
What is worse is if the gum is left somewhere it should not be, like under a desk, on the sidewalk, on your shoe, and worst of all...
..on your carpet.
It looks disgusting and is extremely difficult to remove.
If someone has left this unsightly mess on your carpet, you do have alternatives to leaving the gum there or replacing your carpet.
If you want to get that gum out of your sight, just try this handy hint.
The only thing that you need to get gum out of your carpet is a jar of creamy peanut butter.
Make sure you only get the area where you have gum stuck.
Getting it in other areas will not hurt anything, though—it is just a hassle to clean up.
Once the peanut butter is thoroughly rubbed in, wipe up the peanut butter, along with the residual gum, with a clean cloth.
This leaves behind a little bit of peanut butter, but don't worry—you can make your own mixture to clean it up.
All you need to do to remove the excess peanut butter is mix together one teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent and one cup of lukewarm water.
Dab the area with this mixture. As it dries, it will leave the carpet looking just like before.
To help it dry faster, blot the area with a paper towel.
Need more help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miHPMKwQUJs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM0ENFEnozc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jKGHWntvWY
Good Luck !
___________
It just happens with life as you go about your daily activities. You'll fall, a car splashes up dirty slush on your jeans, you'll work outside, and inevitably you get dirty.
Alas, some of the hardest stains to remove are those made by mud and soil. They contain certain minerals and other "earthy" materials that will undoubtedly set into your clothes.
How can you get them out?
You should always try basic stain removers and stain removal techniques first. You always want to try the orthodox before attempting a new remedy (especially one involving a potato).
Try your standby spot removers, baking soda, vinegar, and a few washings, and if all else fails here is something you can try:
The Potato Technique
1. Slice a potato in half and rub it on the mud and soil stains.
2. Keep rubbing the potato on the spot and make sure to really work the potato into the fabric that has the stain.
3. Press hard and you'll start to notice that the stain is coming out of the fabric and showing up in the white of the potato.
You may have to try a few times before ultimate success, but it's definitely worth a few tries.
Who knows why this works?
Is it the potato juice?
Is it the nature of the stain itself?
Is the naturalness, outdoor quality of the mud and soil stains finding affinity with the organic potato?
Is the potato a "stain sponge?"
Who really knows !
Regardless of its mechanics, the potato stain-removal method is one you should definitely try if what you're already trying doesn't work.
It may seem a bit odd and you your clothes might smell like a garden (until you wash them), but if the stain is gone then what else matters?
Some other ways to get rid of a mud stain ?
From Clothing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hy9OaJy1NY
From carpeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjoIr0vhHUA
Mud is Ugly !
______________________
New Years Resolutions
Here's How to Make Them Work
(Part Two of Two)
Yesterday we gave you the first 5 tips to making and keeping a New Years Resolution. Today we'll complete the list.
6. Write down your goals
While it’s great to have goals, it is critical to document them in some way. Here are six reasons to write down your goals:
They are easy to forget. While that may seem silly, we are human, and it is human to be easily distracted and forgetful.
Writing down your resolutions helps you clarify what it is you want to achieve. It forces you to make decisions and be precise with your words.
Writing establishes intention, but action needs to be taken to achieve your resolution. Having a written account of your goals is a constant reminder to take action.
Write them in a journal
Draft an email to yourself
Store in some note-taking tool
Print and tape to the wall
Documented goals will help you overcome resistance to progress. We set goals to move forward, but there is a natural resistance to change. Your written goals spur you forward when you hit a speed bump or obstacle.
Finally, written goals are a reminder of how far you have come and what you have achieved. It’s a nice feeling to look at back at the end of next year, and know your resolution has come to fruition. It’s a reason to crack open that bottle of champagne and celebrate. Written goals can act as a filter and guiding light for what opportunities to pursue. On any given day, there are a million decisions to make. When in doubt, refer to the goals you have set to dictate the way forward.
7. Share your resolutions with others
It’s great to make a resolution for yourself and maybe even write it down, but if no one else knows about it, it’s easy to forget about or even ignore. And when you don’t achieve it, no one will notice or care.
On the flip side, your counterparts who decided to tell someone about their goal, feel something different. Now that they’ve gone public with their goal, they feel a sense of obligation and accountability. Essentially, if you don’t follow through, they are going to let everyone down.
Crazy as it sounds, this sense of guilt is often more powerful than self-motivation. The upshot here is that when you do succeed, the people you shared with will celebrate with you!
If you want to take goal sharing to the next level, you could organize a mastermind group.
A mastermind group is a collection of highly motivated people who share a common goal and are looking to encourage and help each other improve.
How to do it:
1. Find some kindred spirits with similar goals
2. Meet regularly (weekly or monthly depending on level of commitment)
3. Share setbacks and progress
4. Stay motivated!
Now if you don’t have the time or inclination to do the above, another way to achieve the same result is to make a Facebook post declaring your intentions to all your friends. You can bet people will cheer you on and ask about your progress over the course of the year!
8. Automate where possible
The good news is you probably have technology in your pocket that can help you follow through on your resolution - automation in the form of reminder apps.
Nowadays there are a million different apps and services to help you follow through on your resolutions.
These free tools can help provide a constant reminder:
Google Calendar: Set a recurring meeting tied to your resolution, i.e. scheduling workout sessions at the gym.
Google Now: Personal assistant that provides information as you need it.
Reminders (on iOS): Set up timed alerts for tasks.
Boomerang for Gmail: Schedule reminder emails to yourself (Freemium).
On top of these commonly used apps, there are also “to-do list” and task management apps that have the ability to schedule reminders and milestones. Here are a few popular choices:
Asana
Omnifocus
Note: All of these apps listed above won’t help you do the work, but they do serve a constant reminder of the work that needs to be done.
9. Review your resolution regularly
Let’s face it, if you are not thinking about your resolution regularly, you are not going to follow through. Thus, a crucial part of realizing your goal is a regular review.
At a minimum, this review should be monthly, but the more frequent the better.
Here’s one way to build in goal review into your routine.
Schedule a monthly “big picture” review during the first week of each month. This will serve as a planning meeting where you distribute smaller tasks and goals to different weeks throughout the month.
Do a weekly check-in to check progress on the monthly goal.
Set a daily reminder for smaller resolution tasks.
It may seem a little crazy to think about your resolution every single day, but it is those smaller incremental steps that lead to massive changes over the course of a single year.
10. If you fall off track, get back on quickly.
It will take time for your resolution to become a reality and we know change is difficult. In fact, we should leave some room for mistakes and setbacks.
Keep the following ideas in mind:
Skipping an intermediate task is not a complete failure
Missing a goal by 10% or even 80% is not a complete failure
Finishing a task late is not a complete failure
A moment of weakness is meaningless in the grand scheme of things
Setbacks can happen, but so long as they are handled correctly, they will not impact the big goal. The key is to avoid a defeatist attitude at all costs.
And if there is a setback, it’s important to understand what lead to that moment, and how you can avoid a similar situation in the future.
Once a mistake is made, own it and move on to the next thing.
So that's it ! Good luck to any of you brave enough to commit to one or more resolutions for 2022.
_____________
New Years Resolutions
Here's How to Make Them Work
(Part One of Two)
Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to spark positive change. The recurring themes each year include a more active approach to health and fitness, improved finances, and learning new things for personal and professional development. Chances are, more than a couple of the top 10 most common resolutions will look familiar to you:
- Exercise more
- Lose weight
- Get organized
- Learn a new skill or hobby
- Live life to the fullest
- Save more money / spend less money
- Quit smoking
- Spend more time with family and friends
- Travel more
- Read more
Making your New Year's resolutions happen
Despite the best of intentions, once the glow of a fresh new year wears off, many people struggle to make good on their plans. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 46% of people who made New Year’s resolutions were successful. That means over half of the people who set a goal for the new year will fail!
The study also involved non-resolvers, people who did not make a New Year’s resolution, but had a goal they wanted to achieve that year. Only 4% of non-resolvers were successful at achieving their goals, a far bleaker result than those who did make a New Year’s resolution.
If you want to realize your New Year’s resolution this year, follow these first 5 steps: (We'll publish 5 more steps tomorrow)
1. Mentally prepare for change
Changing ingrained habits is no easy task, so before diving head-first into your New Year goals, it is important to take a step back and get ready for that impending change.
The first breakthrough in change is taking a personal inventory. Being that it’s the end of one year and the beginning of the next; it’s perfect timing to take stock in the past year’s accomplishments. Think about the following:
- What did I set out to do in the past year?
- Where did I make progress?
- Where didn’t I see progress?
You will want to keep upbeat with your new resolution, so you can use that positive association with last year’s accomplishments to remind you of those good feelings when you are feeling challenged.
As you start thinking about the changes you want to implement, make sure to do the following:
- Stay positive
- Try not to make big/quick changes
- Change should be gradual
- Build on smaller changes
- Allow a little room for error.
- You'd be surprised how often people set goals that are not for themselves. These goals could be dictated or coerced by a manager, spouse, or peer pressure.
While it’s nice to have some external support, if you don’t share the same passion, the resolution has a small chance of succeeding and could even be dead on arrival.
2. Set a goal that motivates you.
To do this, you need to make sure the goal you set is important to you and only you and that there is value or benefit for you in achieving the goal. It is these two things that will provide the reason and willingness to take action. This is also known as motivation!
Thus, it’s a safe bet if your resolutions align with the following:
- Your goals
- Your priorities
- Your dreams
- Your aspirations
Not only should you align around your inner-most desires, but you should also make sure the resolutions align around your top priorities. This will lead to a “must do” attitude.
3. Limit resolutions to a manageable amount.
A common mistake in resolution setting is having too many and spreading yourself too thin.
Thus, you should make a short list of resolutions that you can manage in the upcoming year. Knowing that short list of priorities is the hard part. The key here is understanding how to prioritize.
Here is an exercise that you can undertake to help you figure out what is most important in your life. All you need is a post-it pad, a pen, and a wall.
- Write anything you want to accomplish for self-improvement purposes on a post-it
- Each post-it only gets one discreet tactic
- Place each post-it on the wall
- Go crazy - use as many post-its as possible
- Group together similar post-its
- Place the topics you feel strongly about at the top of the wall
- Put the topics you feel “meh” about on the bottom
- Spend a lot of time thinking about the order of the first 3-5 post-it (groups)
As you might suspect, #8 is the most time-consuming, because it will determine what resolutions you are going to take on this year.
The final piece of the puzzle here is knowing your limitations and personal bandwidth. With that in mind, you should focus on your top priorities while balancing how much attention you can honestly devote to a resolution.
Final thought: It’s better to tackle one resolution well than multiple resolutions poorly.
4. Be specific
When it comes to setting resolutions, it’s easy to set bad goals that could lead to poor follow through. Fortunately, SMART goal setting framework can help you craft better goals.
SMART goals are:
- Specific - Articulate the resolution as clearly as possible. For example, quitting smoking is better than being healthy. While “being healthy” is great, the wording can be interpreted in many ways.
- Measurable - Quantify your resolution if possible, i.e. I will lose 10% of my body weight.
- Attainable - Choose a goal within the realm of possibility, but yet challenging. Making 100 friends this year would be amazing, but probably pretty hard to do. On the other, making 10 new friends is doable.
- Relevant - Keep it relevant to your priorities and goals. See motivation section above!
- Time-sensitive - Give yourself a time-frame in which to achieve a goal. A deadline will instill some urgency and provide a time when you can celebrate your success.
-
By breaking your tactical plan into discrete steps, you now have a pretty good chance of success by the end of the year.
Here are a few tips to help you make your massive goal more achievable:
- Create a list of sub-tasks
- Prioritize and order them
- Use a visual map to display
- Assign milestones to each task
- Decide how much time each task requires
- Allocate resources accordingly
- Focus on the next step, not the big goal
Do you happen to have a hallway that is narrower than you would like?
If so, here are a few tricks for making a narrow hallway wider.
By using one of these methods, strategies, or ideas you can improve the look of your hallway, possibly even increasing the amount of storage space in it, without going to the added expense of doing a complete remodel.
Don't forget the flooring
Take a good hard long look at what you have on the floor of your hallway.
While you may be tempted to use a throw rug, area rug, or even a runners in a narrow hallway, you really want to avoid doing that.
The reason is rather simple in that clear floors help create an overall illusion of spaciousness.
This philosophy should also extend to any furniture you may think about putting in the hallway as well.
Use some mirrors
Simply hanging a mirror in a narrow hallway can help create an added sense of space.
While everyone knows it is imaginary, a mirror somehow allows people to think that there is more space in an area than there really is by reflecting and refocusing light (both natural and artificial).
In many ways a mirror can often "trick" people into thinking it is a window, and thus provide the sense of space or depth that is missing otherwise.
Decorate at a minimum
Perhaps one of the biggest drawbacks to narrow hallways is that they can easily become cluttered looking. Often all it takes to have a narrow hallway look cluttered is to have just one item too many placed in it.
What this means is that you need to avoid hanging several pictures, or placing several pieces of furniture in it.
Instead, you will want to hang perhaps one single large picture (if you are certain that you want them) and leave it at that.
If you do decide to hang a picture as well as a mirror, try to have them on opposite walls.
Recess the lighting
In narrow hallways even the lighting can contribute to a cluttered look.
One way you can help remove that look, and help provide a bit of extra room is to have your hallway lights be recessed or pot lights.
These types of lights will not only allow you to still get all the light you need, but also be used as an accent of any artwork that you have in the hallway.
Keep in mind that these are only a few of the available tricks for making a narrow hallway wider, or at least appear to.
If, after you have tried these, and you are still not happy with the results you may want to look into saving some money for a remodel project.
While it is definitely more expensive to do a complete remodel it will not only make your hallway wider, but it will also give you the opportunity to make other changes that you may have wanted for a while as well.
Some additional ideas !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp5s0Aftr1Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igqqyPOy-T4
________________________
What's a Social Security “Do-Over”?
An obscure tax law allows those who collect social security to halt current benefits, pay back everything collected (interest-free), and restart benefits at a new, higher rate based on your current age. It's called "do-over" and it can dramatically increase social security.
If you have been receiving Social Security benefits for less than a year and wished you would have waited until you were older...
....the first type of "do-over" is "revoking" it.
Here's how it works...
Let's say someone qualifies for full benefits of $1,600 a month at their normal retirement age of 66, but they decide to begin collecting benefits at 62.
As a result, their retirement benefits will be reduced by 25% for the rest of their life (to $1,200 a month in this example) because they'll be collecting a smaller benefit for a longer period of time.
On the other hand, if that person delayed collecting benefits, they will receive an 8% boost for every year beyond their normal retirement age until they reach 70, when their maximum benefit will be 132% of what they would have received at age 66.
In this example, this person would receive about $2,100 a month at 70 -- a $900 difference!
There is also something called a "suspension" for those who have gone past a year of receiving Social Security benefits.
Under a "suspension", if you are under age 70, taking benefits, and wished you would have waited, you can "suspend" all payments, and resume them again at age 70.
Most don't realize these options are available to them, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone.
Not yet receiving social security benefits?
Check out these videos:
As you may have known, wasps use their sting as self-defense action. Therefore, you have to be so careful when you have to make contact with them.
Make a Decoy Nest
As a territorial insect, wasps will not invade the space when they found that there is another colony of wasps that have occupied it. You can trick them by placing a fake nest in your swimming pool area. Fake wasps nest are easily available in many stores, but you can also make your own decoy nest.
Prepare these supplies:
Brown paper bag
Mothballs
Follow these steps:
Blow the paper bag into the shape of the wasps’ nest.
Add some mothballs inside your fake nest to give defensive odor.
Place Lemons & Cloves
The combination of lemon and cloves can create an aroma that the wasps hate. It can be a good additional wasps repellent that also freshens the smell around your swimming pool area.
Prepare these supplies:
1 or 2 lemons
A handful of cloves
Follow these steps:
Cut the lemon in a half.
Stick some cloves on the lemons.
Place them on a dish and leave them around the pool area.
Plant Lemongrass & Mint
Wasps also hate the smell of lemongrass and mint, so you can plant them around your swimming pool.
Lemongrass Plant
Mint Plant
Plant the lemongrass and mints in pots which are enough to cast the wasps away.
Make a Homemade Wasp Trap
To trap wasps, you can make a trap with the baits they love. It’s an effective way to get rid of swap in small numbers.
Prepare these supplies:
Plastic bottles
Scissors
Diesel fuel or raw meat or sugar water, for bait
Grease Tape
Follow these steps:
Remove the caps of the plastic bottle.
Cut under the neck of the bottle.
Grease the inner opening of the bottle’s top part.
Add the baits in the bottom half of the bottle, you can choose one of the options above.
Place the top part of the bottle in the invert position make it fit inside the bottom part of the bottle.
Secure the pieces of the bottle with tape.
Place the trap in your swimming pool area.
Since the main reasons why wasps invade your pool area is to find a water source, you can give them their own chilling spot.
Fill a shallow dish or bird fountain with your pool water.
Place it close to their nest.
Keep the water clean and odor-free since the smell of chlorine can be the main factor that attracts the wasps.
Remove the Wasp Nest
If you are brave enough to get close to them, you can remove their nest. Be extremely careful, the sting of wasps can cause serious injury, and if you are allergic to them, it can get worse.
Prepare these supplies:
Wasps killer spray
Follow these steps:
To find their nest, you can watch their flight pattern every time they come to your pool and go back to their nest.
Since the wasps are less active in the nighttime, you have to do this step in dark hours.
If you are sure enough that the colony is not active, spray the nest from the furthest distance.
Do not get too close to the nest.
Keep spraying every night until you are sure that all the wasps are gone.
Remove the nest from your property.
Some videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO9KzuuSDgg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiCC1cTmKN4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8OoVJ_gWQ8
______________
Do Your Shoes Stink?
Shoes are an integral and expensive part of your wardrobe. As such, it can be extremely annoying to replace your shoes every couple of months, not because of them being worn out or being suddenly out of fashion, but because of something that happens from activity that is normal for many people.
By following these simple tips you can avoid that recurring cost, not to mention removing any possibility of embarrassing comments by your friends, family, and coworkers.
These tips are not just good for athletic shoes, but all of your footwear.
1. Foot odor is caused by bacteria and enzymes, so one of the better ways to get rid of that odor is to kill what is responsible.
A safe and easy (not to mention inexpensive) way to do this is to freeze your shoes.
Just put your foul footgear into airtight, sealable freezer bags and then place this package into a freezer overnight.
Most odor-causing bacteria and enzymes cannot withstand the frigid temperatures.
Be sure to remove your shoes the following morning and allow plenty of time to thaw them out before placing them on your feet.
2. Baking soda is an inexpensive and easy solution.
By placing one teaspoon of baking soda into each shoe, you will achieve the desired results of destroying the odor-causing source.
After placing the baking soda into each shoe, you need to shake the footgear to ensure that the powder covers the entire inside of the shoe.
Do this every night for maximum effect and to ensure that the smell does not come back.
(Remember that baking soda is a drying agent, so make sure that you apply extra moisturizer to your feet to compensate for the effect of the baking soda on your skin.)
3. If you have ever gone to sports or shoes stores you have more than likely seen those "odor eating shoe balls" offered.
Well, here is how you can make a set of your own.
You just need the following materials and you can begin:
One briquette of plain charcoal (make sure it isn't pre-soaked with charcoal starter) and two old socks or a pair of old tights.
a. Crush the charcoal to powder and place it into the socks or tights.
b. Tie them up so that they are sealed and then insert them into your shoes.
Remember to remove your homemade odor balls before you put on your shoes, otherwise you might have a bit of a mess to clean up.
4. A dryer fabric softener sheet placed in each shoe each night also removes the smell.
Each sheet works for about a week so this will not be a costly option.
An added benefit of this option is that if you forget to remove the sheets before wearing your shoes, they will not result in any mess that you have to clean up.
Need some video help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpfnFvSd2X8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNvNBxrlgRA
Good Smells !
______________________
When beginning an organizational task, deciding on what to keep and what to get rid of can be a fairly difficult task. This is only natural since people don't really want to get rid of their possessions...
... however, getting rid of extraneous items is often the only way that you can really organize anything.
Here are a few questions to ask when organizing which will help you decide on what should be kept, and what should be gotten rid of.
Do you still use it?
The very first thing that you should ask yourself is whether you still use that particular item or not.
If you don't use it anymore, or haven't really used it in the last six months, then there is no reason that you should still have it.
If you answer no to this question, then you should place this item into the discard pile.
Do you still like the item?
If not, then you should get rid of it.
People only really ever use things that they like, and leave those that they don't like to gather dust.
Does anyone like it?
If no one in your home or office likes the item, then it really is time to get rid of it.
It makes no sense to hold onto something that no one really likes.
Holding onto anything that no one really likes only leads to wasted space, and another item that collects dust.
Does this need something else?
Often, items get set aside and forgotten about when they are missing something.
Take stock of the item in question, and see if it is missing anything.
If it is, see if you have what is needed on hand, or if you are willing to go out that same day and get a replacement part.
For those items that you are not willing to get a replacement piece for, or that you are missing too many pieces, then simply get rid of it.
The item is not doing you any good, and someone else may find a good use for it.
Where does it go?
Everything should have a place. After all, there is an old saying that goes "A place for everything, and everything in its place."
If you do not have space for that item, or even a place where you can store it until you need to use it, then get rid of it.
Otherwise, you are contributing to clutter, which is the enemy of an organized space.
Here's a 3 part video series to help you out !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8hCTAM8kYI
Dishwashers are great...but there are some items that they have a tough time cleaning.
If the dish you are trying to clean is a skillet, there is an easier way.
Just follow these couple of steps to get your skillet looking as clean as ever, with just a little bit of effort on your part.
1.Start off by filling the bottom of the pan with water.
2. Add to the water just a little bit of automatic dishwashing detergent.
Do not use liquid soap, or you may find your mixture becoming a bubbly mess.
3. Once you have everything in the pan that you need, simply place it on the stove, turn the stove on, and bring the mixture to a boil.
4. After it has boiled for just a minute or two, take it off and rinse the pan out.
You will find that the baked on food will flow out with the rest of the water.
This same trick will work for pots, but you will need to use a more water and more automatic dishwashing detergent.
More ideas?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec04_JLhvus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCePEY9x9H0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph4QvPZ6PSg
Good Luck !
Tax Time Means Organizing Your Records
There are not very many people in the world who like to do their taxes. Sure, we love to get the returns (when we qualify for them), but all the work, anxiety, and stress that comes along with taxes we could do with out.
There is a way to make your tax time a little less stressful, and that is by organizing your tax records.
If you go to get your taxes done, and you go in with your tax records organized before hand, you will be amazed at how easy doing your taxes can actually become.
Here are some simple guidelines that you can use to help you organize your tax records all year long.
1. Collect everything.
The very first step in organizing your tax records, is to actually have some records to organize. This means that you should hold onto anything that you get throughout the year that may have a bearing on your taxes.
Got W-2's and W-4's? If so, hold onto them.
If you still work, do you get copies of your pay stub? If so, you should hold onto those as well.
Basically, anything that you can think of that may have a bearing on taxes, hold onto it.
2. Separate.
As you collect the records, you need to separate them.
Place your personal financial information in one pile, while you place your spouse's information in another.
If you have children who have an income (whether it is from child support or Social Security) then you should create a separate pile for them.
If you are going to school, paying for someone to go to school, or own a home, then you should also create separate piles for each of them as well.
3. Organize.
After you have separated all your tax records into separate piles, it is time to organize them.
Start with any of the piles that you wish, and then organize them according to subject and date, and place these in to folders.
Any information that you have can be separated in this manner.
For example, in your personal records you could have a folder for your pay stubs, with that broken down by date of payment.
Other examples of folders that you can make would be things like house payments, business transactions, and investments.
Do this as many times as you need to until all of the paper work has been organized.
4. Take to a tax professional.
When tax time rolls around, it is time to take your nicely organized tax records to a professional. Using a professional can help reduce the stress and worry that often comes with filing any tax returns.
All you should need to do is drop off your tax records, and then come back later to sign the paperwork.
5. Place into storage.
After you have filed your taxes, it is always a good idea to place your tax records into storage. The past years should be stored somewhere that is easily accessible, yet will be safe from any accidental damage.
All tax records should be kept for a minimum of seven years, and it is recommended that you hold onto your tax records for ten years.
If you get audited, often you will be required to show your past seven years worth of records.
Here are some additional videos to help you out !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKezyAg20a4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuQQ3u_xrsE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xctwNkZjoqU
Start TODAY !
Installing exterior Hannukah and Christmas lights can be a daunting task for anyone. After all, we have all heard those anecdotal stories about when people are hanging their lights on the outside of their home they get hurt, have some kind of problems, or—well, basically everything under the winter sun. After all, this has become a necessary plot element for just about every modern Christmas movie (i.e., Christmas Vacation).
It just doesn't begin to feel like the holiday season until you begin to see those twinkling little bulbs everywhere you look, does it? Instead of either waiting until the last minute to install your exterior lights, which can exponentially increase the danger, or paying someone else to do your chores for you, why not do it yourself? It's simple and easy, as long as you know what to do.
Just use these guidelines and you are going to have no problem installing your exterior holiday lights.
Safety
The very first thing that you need to keep in mind when doing any type of exterior decorating is safety. As you prepare to install your lights your goal should be to not get hurt in any way. To ensure that, do not do any climbing on any type of ladder if it is slippery, snowy, or icy outside. Anytime that you do climb a ladder, make sure you have someone hold it for you.
Location
The main idea behind decorating with lights is to highlight points of interest. Look at the edges, frame and windows of the house—basically the straight edges. When you use lights to decorate trees or shrubs, use the natural shapes and refrain from using any straight lines.
Mounting
Refrain from using anything that could actually puncture the light cables. The best possible things to use for mounting lights are wire and zip ties. Use wire (such as floral or landscaping wiring) to attach the cables to the home, and zip ties for attaching the cables to shrubs and trees. Make sure you keep things nice and tight.
Style
There are several different styles of lights you can use. The style you choose depends on your personal taste. Possible styles include LED lights, timed flashing lights, lights that are in special or unique shapes, and of course the traditional light bulb. All of the different styles of lights can come in a variety of colors or even be all the same color. Personally, I would suggest that you use icicle-shaped lights for the house and traditional bulb or LED lights for trees and shrubs.
Type
Finally, you need to make sure you have the correct type of lights. What this means is that you use exterior lights to decorate outside since they are actually designed to withstand the elements.
As we all know from experience, we all sweat. It can be because of stress, athletic exertion or due to weather. Over time this leaves disgusting-looking yellow stains that seem to never want to come out, no matter what the expensive "stain removers" claim.
Using any of these tips leaves your clothes clean, stain free, and smelling great.
As always a picture is worth a thousand words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFioRHiLNpw
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Happy washing!
If you've just painted your hallway, and your spouse comes home and brushes up against the still wet paint, don't despair!
You can still save the garment.
Here are some methods for getting rid of paint stains from house-painting projects..
Paint stains, as with any other stain, are best dealt with quickly.
Once they dry, they become more difficult to remove.
If you have the paint can, the paint can often has instructions for removing or thinning the paint.
If not, what you try next depends on the type of paint involved.
If the paint is a watercolor, it should wash right out.
You may want to pre-treat the area with a bit of liquid laundry detergent or a spot remover.
Tempera paints are also washable—check the bottle to make sure.
If the paint is washable, just pre-treat the stained area with a stain-remover spray or a bit of laundry detergent, and put the garment into the washing machine.
If it is not a washable tempera paint, gently scrape or blot off the excess paint and using a clean sponge or cloth, blot some liquid dishwashing detergent and some water into the remaining paint stain.
Put the garment into a sink full of cool water to soak.
Blot a few more times with detergent if the stain is still there.
Once the mark disappears, wash the clothing in the washing machine on a normal cycle.
For latex paints, try not to let the paint stain dry before you get to it.
As long as the stain has not dried yet, you can treat it with water and detergent.
Just blot the stain with dish detergent and room temperature water until all of the paint comes off.
For oil paints, try a solvent like turpentine.
Blot the stain carefully until as much of the paint comes off as you think is going to come off.
Then sponge the stained area in cool water, and try blotting the stain with dish detergent.
Sponge the stain with cool water until all the detergent is out.
You can also try spraying an older stain with rubbing alcohol or hairspray before blotting with soap.
Test the chemical first on an inconspicuous area to be sure that the alcohol does not change the color of the fabric.
Another way to refresh old stains is to try spraying them with WD-40 and then rubbing in liquid dish detergent.
(WD-40 works best on oil-based paints).
Need a video for some help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zofDfqYizf0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_T764aVvtQ
Good Luck !
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Most people in the world know what it is like to try and rush around a grocery store and find the one item that they absolutely must have, all the while collecting more and more things that they really do not need at all.
How does someone avoid this?
The answer is really quite simple—a shopping list.
All that it is going to take is a little organization and preparation on your part.
With this "new and improved list" in hand, you are going to be able to tackle the monster chore that is grocery shopping.
Keep in mind, though, that there is really no possible method of ever totally eliminating the need to go grocery shopping, all that anyone can do is to make it as painless as possible.
Try these steps BEFORE you head off to your favorite grocer. You'll save time, money, and avoid what most men call "good stuff" while women look at it as "unhealthy" !
Organize
Prior to actually starting your shopping list, you are going to need to do a little bit of "homework."
I know, homework really is not an enjoyable experience, but believe me this homework is really simple and won't really take a whole lot of your time.
All you need to do is go to your regular grocery store and take a look at the signs that are at the beginning of every aisle. This sign is basically a list of all the items that are in that particular aisle.
Write down or use a digital camera to record what is in each aisle, and take that list home.
Prepare
After you have copied that list, you are now prepared to begin tackling it.
Get a small whiteboard (otherwise known as a dry erase board)...
...and start making it into a checklist. This checklist should be organized in such a way that it reflects the aisles in your supermarket.
If you do this, you are going to be able to reduce the amount of wasted time (and money) from having to wander around the store.
In addition, by using a dry erase board, you are going to save money by being able to reuse your list each and every week.
Plan
Once you have prepared the dry erase board, you are ready to plan you next shopping list.
Simply check off on your list what items you are going to need.
Feel free to take as much time as you need to do this.
In fact, I would suggest that you have a set day to go grocery shopping, and that you spend the rest of the week planning your menu, while marking down what you think you are going to need. You may not think of everything that you need at one time, so don't worry.
Follow
Finally, you have prepared your shopping list and it is time to use that list. Just copy down what you have written, and you are ready to go to the local grocery market and do your shopping.
Keep in mind that a shopping list is only as good as your ability to follow it.
Be prepared to follow what it says, and you are going to limit your much more expensive, impulse shopping dramatically.
One more "unofficial" idea...
Ladies...don't take your husbands. Nothing will ever appear on your list they want...but...they know exactly where the candy and ice cream are located !
Need a video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7zWMI7OSCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4GhTqhfoh4
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go out to your garage one day, quickly glance around for a particular tool or item, and know where it is in only a moment?
Chances are, your garage is a lot like just about everyone else's in the world—a disorganized, chaotic mess.
The ability to have a clutter free garage is at your fingertips.
The next time you need to clean out your garage, use these simple guidelines to help you in creating a clutter free garage.
These guidelines are designed to help you create an organized garage, no matter how large or small the space is that you have to work with.
Plan
When trying to create a clutter free garage, one of the main things to remember is to plan. Without proper planning, you will not be able to make your dream of an organized garage a reality.
Simply draw out a little sketch of what your garage looks like when it is empty. On this sketch plan what you want to do with your space.
You can create sections of your garage that is dedicated to different uses, and be able to see what you have to work with.
Clean
Before you can actually have a clutter free garage though, you will need to clean it out.
What this means is that you will need to remove everything out from your garage.
As you are cleaning out the garage, take some time to look through all of your stuff, and decide what you want to keep, and what you can get rid of.
If you have anything that you will be getting rid of, decide whether you will be throwing it away, or if it is still in good condition, donate it to a local charity.
Implement
After you have removed everything from your garage, and decided on what you want to get rid of, it is time to implement your plan.
Put everything back into your garage where you want it.
Try to make this as neat as possible by using things like storage bins, and tool racks.
Keep in mind that this is not going to be one time only thing. You will need to keep on top of your garage, and maintain your organizational system, or you will simply find yourself right back where you are now in a few short months.
We have a couple of videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vxmOOLpMXE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxahuxIYBX8
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Six Ways
Doctor bills can be so high that even examining one, can make you even sicker than actually seeking medical help !
Here are six ways to negotiate effectively:
1. Do your research.
Ask your doctor or dentist for the precise name of the procedure and, better yet, its billing code, known as CPT (that stands for “current procedural terminology”).
Fortunately, the Internet has made it easier to research the cost.
If you have health insurance, call your provider to find out what your policy will and will not cover, as well as how much your out-of-pocket costs would be.
2. Talk frankly and politely to your doctor about fees.
If you’re too shy to talk money or your doctor refuses to discuss such things, ask the practice’s billing manager to explore potential discounts with you. Tell that person if you're not insured (a fact of life for many dental patients these days) or if your policy won’t pay for the particular procedure or whether you’ll need to shell out your own money because you either haven’t met your deductible, or you've exceeded the plan’s maximum coverage.
Doctors often automatically charge patients without insurance more than what their insured patients pay since insurers negotiate lower rates for people they cover.
3. Inquire about getting a lower fee for paying the entire bill up front.
4. Ask about an extended payment plan.
5. Inquire about payment-assistance programs.
Many programs — public, private and nonprofit — help families shoulder their doctor bills regardless of income, especially those facing high medical bills in a given year.
Ask your health insurer and doctor’s office if they can point you in the right direction.
Sous Vide Cooking
"Sous Vide" cooking is the process of sealing food in an airtight container—usually a vacuum sealed bag—and then cooking that food in temperature-controlled water.
In French, the term translates to "under vacuum".
Chefs vacuum seal a protein with marinade, sauce, herbs, or spices and drop it in a large pot of water.
There’s no contact with a heated metal surface.
No contact with flames or steam or smoke.
The water never comes to a boil.
A sous vide machine uses a heated metal coil to warm water to a constant temperature, never fluctuating to high or low extremes.
This means that the cooking progress is gradual and controlled.
Proteins like steak, pork, chicken, and fish cook for elongated periods of time, slowly heating up until the entire piece of protein reaches the temperature of the water.
Since the water never goes past the desired temperature of being done, the meat takes significantly longer to cook (A 12 oz. NY strip takes a little over two hours), but it also means that you’ll never have an overcooked piece of protein.
When that same steak is cooked on the stove, high, direct heat is applied to the meat to bring the internal temperature up to 135°.
While that's happening, you can't see what's actually going on inside, which means you either have to guess, cut it open (which ruins the whole presentation), or poke it anxiously with a meat thermometer.
With sous vide, there's no guess work. If you put a steak in a bath set at 140°, there's no chance that steak will go past that temperature.
The steak is cooked to a perfect medium-rare throughout, and that's thanks to the sous vide's secondary function, water circulation.
Constantly moving water ensures that there are no hot or cool spots in your pot.
It’s an insurance policy, like some kind of perfectly-heated, dinner-making jacuzzi.
The only hands-on part of the ordeal happens after the food is removed from the bag.
Since the sous vide process removes actual contact with a surface from the equation, the meat won’t be crispy, caramelized, or charred in any way.
When cooking proteins like pork or steak (which will look pretty gray after a sous vide bath), that exterior texture is key.
The solution?
An extremely quick sear after the meat has been cooked .
Searing steak or pork in a ripping-hot cast iron skillet for about a minute on each side (including the smaller sides) will develop some caramelization without cooking the interior any further.
And this is the reason why restaurants love sous vide cooking.
Being able to cook thick ribeye steaks to a perfect medium-rare before dinner service starts is a huge help.
While a chef would normally spend about an hour cooking a ribeye from start to finish (letting it come to temperature, cooking it in a skillet, letting it rest, slicing it, and plating it), the sous vide method shaves off time by allowing the chef to unwrap the steak and quickly sear, slice, and serve, all while guaranteeing the right interior.
For a very thick steak, example of 2",consider cooking it for two hours...not to worry, it won't get overdone....just more tender.
Sous vide used to be a method employed solely by restaurants, using extremely expensive, large machines to cook in large quantities.
... but that was then, and this is now.
We're living in the golden age of at-home sous vide cooking, with small, affordable, powerful sous vide machines.
Having pre-cooked, vacuum-sealed proteins at your disposal makes dinner a lot easier.
Sous vide is supremely useful in meal prep situations for lazy weeknight dinners.
Since your protein is sealed and cooked through, it will last in the fridge for at least a week.
Once your meat comes to room temperature, you’re a quick-sear away from an impressive dinner.
The sear can be accomplished in three ways:
1. in a pan
2. on a BBQ
3. with a propane cooking torch that takes 30 seconds per side.
There's less of a mess, less time spent standing over a stove, and less stress.
Sous vide also protects and improves your purchases.
The sous vide process guarantees that you won’t overcook a piece of meat.
...not only if you’ve spent a lot of money on an impressive cut, but it also allows the cheaper cuts to become tender.
Steaks with a traditionally tough reputation, like a tri-tip or chuck, do wonderfully in the sous vide.
When you cook them using a traditional method, the muscle fibers contract rapidly, forcing out the moisture inside of the meat.
With sous vide, those same fibers contract slowly, allowing the juice to stay inside of the meat.
This gives you a tri-tip that eats more like a steak three times its price.
And while we obviously love a sous vide machine for proteins, there's more to explore.
Chefs love sous vide eggs, for perfectly-set whites and runny yolks.
Potatoes cook especially well (sous vide potato salad is amazing), and tender vegetables like asparagus are easily cooked for salads or sides.
The sous vide doesn't discriminate.
Give it try !
Need some video?
Interior Decorating Ideas
2.
Use a regular broom to sweep the pieces of glass into a pile and use the dust pan to transfer the pile into a garbage can.
Coming only behind one or two other places in your kitchen, nothing seems to collect odors as easily as the refrigerator.
Good Luck
Special Dresses Need T.L.C.
Ladies...You're Probably Spent Big Bucks in some cases !
...and wifey can't stand my office clutter...
Recipes
Closets
Ever see a dust mite ?
This could be YOUR carpet if you don't dust it on a regular basis.
Thank you, good information.
ReplyDeleteThanks, good information.
ReplyDeleteFor Newspaper and Magazine articles I decide to keep, I now cut out only the page/s I need and toss the rest. I use a Sharpie to mark in big letters what the topic was I wanted to keep for quick recollection.
ReplyDelete