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SAMPLE OF OUR FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
HINTS AND THINGS EZINE - ISSUE 74 (October 2006) Hello again, When I sit down to do this newsletter I never have any idea what I am going to say. I am very aware that although my subscriber list is small, it is very diverse and, therefore, I feel I must try to feature a wide variety of articles in order to ensure there will be something for everyone irrespective of age, gender or nationality. This does mean that it seems to be getting longer and longer as the months go by. IN THIS ISSUE ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S QUIZ QUIZ ANSWERS What are the common names for these birds? Tyto Alba - BARN OWL Who recorded these famous Rock Music albums? Surf’s Up - BEACH BOYS FESTIVE MATTERS As, believe it or not, there will only be one more newsletter before Christmas I thought I would include some extracts from relevant new pages recently added to the site. The first covers the subject of hanging festive lights Courtesy of http://www.localcontractorbids.com Start by laying out a plan. For lights strung around a house, for example, you’ll want to measure the length you want to string up, including distances to outlets. Decide how you will bring electricity to your lighting system. Ideally a 240 volt electrical outlet (used in appliances) should be used; however, a 120 volt system may work if your lights are newer and more energy-efficient. Like your computer, a multi-outlet surge protector could be used if you have many different strings of lights in your plan. Check to see if you have enough lights. If not, make up the difference with a trip to the store. While you’re at the store, pick up some metal hooks with screws on the end. Plan for a screw every 6-8 feet. If you screw the hooks in well enough, it’s a task you won’t have to repeat every year. Have your light strings carefully separated and untangled. If possible, use a helper to hand you your lighting and test each string of lights separately before you put them up. Use a ladder that won’t require you to stand on the top step or the one below it. Place the ladder on a flat, uncluttered surface before you climb on it. Begin at the end furthest from the outlet. First, screw the hooks in so they stick out horizontally and the hook faces up. Then, take the two or three wires that make up the string and divide them with your fingers so the hook can slip through divided part. Continue all along the outside trim of the house. If you’re putting trim around a window frame, encase the string in a U-shaped nail, lightly nailed into the frame. When you’ve connected the strings and reached the outlet, plug the string into the outlet and watch everything twinkle. Keep spare bulbs nearby in case one goes out. Complete article can be seen at http://www.hintsandthings.com/workshop/hanginglights.htm WAYS TO TRANSFORM YOUR HOME AT CHRISTMAS The second provides 5 ways to transform your home this Christmas, from www.christmastreessource.com, three of which are given below, the remainder can be seen at http://www.hintsandthings.com/spareroom/christmasdecorations.htm Hang wreaths – but don’t just focus on your front door. Christmas wreaths can instantly add festive cheer to any room. For example, you could try hanging a wreath in a window, in your hallway or landing, on a kitchen cupboard or even on the bathroom door Garlands are another easy decorating idea and can be strewn anywhere you like throughout your home - be creative! Ideas include wrapping garlands around banisters or curtain rails, or draping them over picture frames, shelves, clocks and mantelpieces. You could even hang a garland on the headboard of your bed. Have a look round your home and you’re sure to spot some places that could be livened up with a garland! Add scent. Our sense of smell is very powerful and Christmassy aromas can evoke wonderful happy memories and a feeling of contentedness. Lay out decorative bowls of potpourri and candles scented with cinnamon, orange, nutmeg or ginger. Or keep the kids occupied with making pomanders – oranges covered in cloves. Bake mince pies and make mulled wine to produce a lovely enticing aroma to welcome your guests. TV OPPORTUNITY Are you planning to buy yourself or a loved one something special this Christmas and want to bag a bargain? If your answer is ‘yes’ – and you’ve got the money to spend - let the BBC’s Dominic Littlewood give you some advice and help you secure the best possible deal! “Don’t Get Done, Get Dom”, BBC1’s hugely popular consumer affairs programme, is back for a second series and we want you to be a part of it! Whatever the gift, Dom will get you a right deal. Please contact the Team ASAP, we’ll call you straight back Series Hotline: 020 7278 5052 Series Email: dom@flametv.co.uk WINTERISE YOUR HOME Another new article on site, courtesy of http://www.localcontractorbids.com , is on how you go about winterising your home. Again this is just an extract - Check out all your windows, especially those in areas you’ll be spending a lot of time in. Feel along the edges for any breezes or cool air coming through. Check the window panes for condensation or frost on the inside. Check for breezes around exterior doors as well. Windows that form condensate, form frost over, or around which you can feel a breeze need to be treated with weatherizing plastic. You can buy kits with enough plastic per box for a couple of windows. When you open the package, there should be some clear cellophane in a single sheet and some double-sided tape. Tape around the window with double-sided tape and apply the cellophane as tightly as possible over the window. Trim off excess and use a hairdryer to further tighten the cellophane so there are no wrinkles or defects. Repeat for all windows you need. Check out the whole article at http://www.hintsandthings.com/workshop/winterize.htm SUDOKU PUZZLE I must admit I am one of the many, many people addicted to Sudoku puzzles; I am hoping it will help to keep some of my brain cells active - well that is the theory anyway. I was, therefore, delighted when I was offered the facility of providing a puzzle on site which could be played online free of charge. This has now been installed and can be found at http://www.hintsandthings.com/games/sudoku.htm I must admit I find it more difficult to play on screen, I am still one of those people who prefer good old pen and paper for a lot of these things. CHOOSING SLIPCOVERS Yet another new page provided by www.getslipcovers.com is on the subject of choosing and caring for slip covers - or as we would say in the UK “loose covers”. If you’ve got pets or children, or you simply use your furniture a lot, then look for a durable fabric that’s been tested for color-fastness and shrinkage, and is fully machine washable such as 100% cotton or twill. Look at your rugs, carpets, walls and curtains and pick a color or pattern that blends in with or enhances your existing décor. A patterned slipcover can look great and add a splash of color to neutral décor. Solid colors are very versatile and can look better if you’ve got patterned wallpaper, rugs, curtains or carpets. To help you make your decision, order some samples of slipcover fabrics so you can see which goes best with you décor. Remember that if you want to cover dark colored upholstery, you may need to put a white sheet over your furniture before fitting the slipcover, to ensure the old color or pattern doesn’t show through. The information on caring for slipcovers can be found at http://www.hintsandthings.com/workshop/slipcovers.htm RECYCLING IN THE GARDEN Instead of discarding the net packaging sometimes used when selling oranges and lemons etc., use them to store bulbs, onions and garlic. Draw the end together with string and hang from a hook. Bubble wrap can be used around plant pots to protect from frost. Old pantyhose (tights) can be used as plant ties as they are gentle, soft and strong so they are especially suitable for plants with tender, fleshy stems. Water left after boiling vegetables and eggs can be left to cool then used to water plants as it contains many minerals etc. as can the water from fish tanks. Suspend spare guttering inside your greenhouse to provide aerial plant holders which can provide extra space as they are slim, sleek and easy to water. Cut up plastic bottles to create plastic collars for seedlings. This provides protection from draughts and unwanted pests. Ashes from wood fires or bonfires can be used around plants as they are rich in potash and also provide protection from slugs, however, do not use ashes from coal fires as this can harm plants. WILDLIFE GARDENS On a slightly different subject but still in gardening mode here are a few tips to bear in mind when creating a wildlife garden. Remember not to prune or move shrubs and hedges at nesting time as this will disturb or prevent nesting birds. Every garden needs a good supply of insects such as bees, wasps, butterflies, hoverflies, moths and ladybirds, to pollinate all the various plants and to enable them to thrive and survive. You can encourage and maintain these in your garden by planting such things as marigolds, broadbeans, borage, buddleia, stocks, nasturtiums, Californian poppies, sunflowers etc. Although these will need watering in dry conditions in order to maintain nectar production. Nettles are a vital food source for caterpillars of native butterflies. Check for hedgehogs when cleaning up gardens in Autumn as they are very likely to hide in bonfires and leaves. Leave flower heads on sunflowers, teasles etc., as these can provide food for the birds as well as looking lovely. Keep bird baths topped up with water during dry spells and moisten any bread put out for them to help keep them hydrated. FALL/AUTUMN GARDENING Still on the gardening theme, here is an extract from a new page recently put on site courtesy of http://www.localcontractorbids.com - the whole article can be seen at http://www.hintsandthings.com/garden/fallgardening.htm For those who love those first few blossoms in spring, your autumn project now should include planting floral bulbs. Bulbs need to go through a cold dormant phase before they can come up and bloom in the springtime. Find a free area for your spring bulb garden. Use a rake or a hoe to break up the soil. There’s no need to add any fertilizer nor do you need to water the soil. It’s perfectly acceptable to plant your bulbs where other flowers or plants will later bloom. Bulbs will bloom before other plants have even begun to sprout. The larger bulbs need to be planted deeper in the ground, sometimes as deep as 6-8 inches. Smaller bulbs are generally 3-4 inches deep. Plant the bulb in pre-dug holes. In most cases, the top of the bulb forms a point near the top. Plant all the bulbs and cover them at the same time. That way, you won’t be confused when you’ve buried a couple of bulbs and don’t know where you put them. Lightly cover the entire garden with mulch. Bulbs are hardy and will know when the longer, warmer days trigger the bulbs to begin their springtime ritual. COMPETITIONS As promised last month, there are some new competitions now on site. One (for UK residents) for the chance to win a Citrus Lime “Kaffir” plant, the leaves of which are used in Thai cookery can be found at http://www.hintsandthings.com/garden/kaffirlimecomp.htm Another (for European residents) to win an innovative magnetic room design kit can be seen at http://www.hintsandthings.com/workshop/modelroomscomp.htm Not forgetting the one open to everyone for a chance to win Versaline 'BROADLINE' Retractable clothesline at http://www.hintsandthings.com/utilityroom/clothesline_competition.htm There are also many, many free to enter competitions scattered around the site; something for everyone e.g. Win a BMW Mini Cooper Hatchback Free to enter at http://www.instantwin4now.co.uk/hello?c=motoring&s=AAFN&w=motoring - other prizes on offer include a Smart Car, TomTom GPS Navigation System, Driving Lessons, Car mats and much, much more Or Win a football shirt from your favourite team. Free to enter to UK residents over 18 http://www.instantwin4now.co.uk/hello?c=sports&s=AAFN&w=sports CAR WON’T START As this is something that happens to most of us at some time or other, I thought I would try to list out the most usual symptoms giving possible diagnosis and cures. I realise a lot of these may not now apply to modern cars but, hopefully, it will be of interest to some of you. Only this week I was contacted by someone whose car would not start so she tried rocking it as suggested on my site and it actually worked. Not only did this mean she could get to work on time but it also saved her some money getting the problem fixed as well as probably earning her some “brownie points” with her partner eh girls? As I use plain text for my newsletters (to make it accessible to as many people as possible), it makes if very difficult to set out this sort of information in an easy to follow manner. I hope this is understandable and will be clear to most formats. Symptom = S Diagnosis = D Cure = C S: Starter turns engine slowly: lights dim or don't work D: Weak or flat battery. C: Push start a manual gearbox car or use jump leads (Check vehicles handbook first to see if this is possible). Recharge battery. Get garage to check the battery and charging system. S: Starter doesn't operate; no sound from engine, lights and windscreen wipers don't work. D:Completely dead battery or faulty battery connections. C: Check and clean the battery connectors at the terminals, also earth lead from the battery to the car body. If this does not work you will have to call the garage or motoring organisation. S: Loud clicking noise when ignition key is turned to start position. Starter does not operate but lights and windscreen wipers work. D: Starter motor problem, possibly a stuck gear in the starter. C: Try rocking the car back and forth in top gear with handbrake off to free the gear. If you can locate the starter motor sometimes a sharp tap on it with a spanner does the trick. If nothing happens push start a manual gearbox car or call for help if the car has automatic transmission. S: No sound from engine. Lights and windscreen wipers work O.K. D: Faulty ignition switch, wiring, solenoid or starter motor. C: Try jiggling ignition key whilst turning it. If you can locate solenoid (by battery) check if there are any loose connections, if so tighten them. If this doesn't work push start a manual gearbox car or call for help if the car has automatic transmission. S: Starter motor turns engine strongly, but engine doesn't start. D: No fuel in tank. Moisture in the ignition system Disconnected or loose wires in the ignition system. Petrol hose broken or disconnected C;Don't rely on fuel gauge. Remove petrol cap and rock car you should be able to hear a sloshing sound if there is any petrol in the tank. Disconnect the spark plug leads one at a time to avoid confusing their positions. Wipe with dry cloth or paper towel. Wipe top of each spark plug before refitting lead. Wipe moisture from top of ignition coil. Remove distributor cap (fixed with either spring clips or screws) and wipe both the inside and outside of the cap. If possible, spray the whole ignition system with a moisture repellent aerosol e.g. WD40. Check leads from the ignition coil to the distributor and from the distributor to the spark plugs. Check all petrol hoses. S: Starter motor turns engine strongly; strong smell of petrol after repeated attempts at starting. D: Engine flooded with petrol. C: Wait 15 minutes for excess petrol to evaporate, then try again without using manual choke. Depress the accelerator pedal slowly to the floor and keep it there. Don't pump the pedal, you will flood the carburettor again. THIS MONTH’S QUIZ In which countries are these famous volcanoes found? Mt. St. Helens These are the symbols for which chemical elements? No cheating now as the answers can probably be found on site at http://www.hintsandthings.com/library/element.htm Al If you enjoyed that then try our test at http://www.hintsandthings.com/library/elementtest.htm A LAUGH FROM LINDA I am sure you will have heard some of these before but they will probably still bring a smile to your face. Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything." Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted. A dyslexic man walks into a bra. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says, “A beer please, and one for the road." Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other, "Does this taste funny to you?" "Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'" Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning." An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either. DejaMoo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted, "Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!" The doctor replied, "I know you can't - I've cut off your arms!" I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!"
Well, once again I have ranted on for far too long so I will end by saying Happy Halloween to anyone and everyone celebrating and as I believe Thanksgiving will be celebrated on the 23rd November this year (before next month’s newsletter) I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone involved a very Happy Thanksgiving. For those of us here in the UK, a reminder to put our clocks back tonight - an extra hour in bed! June
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