Prevent A Home Electrical Fire

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, home electrical problems cause more than 26,000 fires a year, half of which involve electrical wiring. Call an electrician if you have any of the following: • Problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers. • Discolored, cracked, or warm wall outlets or switches (if you see sparks, make the call as soon as possible). • A burning smell or rubbery odor from an appliance. • Flickering lights. Take these precautions: • Make sure your smoke detectors are working properly. • Replace old or damaged appliance cords immediately. • If buying a used appliance, ask if it has been tested for safety.

Relieve Eye Pain In Seconds

Do you spend much of the day staring at a computer, sending text messages on your phone, and ending the evening by watching a movie on a high-definition TV? No wonder your eyes are tired! Here are four exercises to relieve eye pain and make them not feel dry, itchy, blurred, and strained:  Eye Roll: While keeping your eyes open and head still, roll your eyes up to look at the ceiling, roll around clockwise slowly five times. Repeat the motion counter clockwise.  Palming: Rub the palms of your hands together until they are warm. Cover your eyes and concentrate on your breath until your palms cool.  Massage: Place your fingertips on your eyelids and gently move them in a circular motion for 60 seconds.  Temple Turning: Place the knuckles of your thumbs on the sides of your eyes near the temples. Massage by circling the temples three times. Do the same above the midpoint of your eyebrows and both sides of the bridge of your nose. It’s also a good idea to give your eyes a rest every 25 minutes spent reading or sitting in front of back-lit screen (computer, tablet, phone, TV). Simply get up and look around the room at other objects for 5 minutes.

Do You Have A Gas Leak?

Use these senses to recognize a gas leak: • SMELLING – If your house smells like rotten eggs, you may be in serious trouble. Natural gas suppliers add the scent to the gas as a warning that harmful vapors are leaking into the air. • HEARING – a leak may make a hissing sound or a loud roar. • SEEING – a leak may cause dust or debris to fly, create bubbling movement in water, or cause discoloration in green vegetation. Here’s how to respond to this deadly danger: • Get everyone out of the house, move a safe distance away, call 911 and your local gas company for help. To prevent electric sparks that could ignite an explosion, follow these tips: • Don’t turn on or off electrical switches. • Don’t start your car in the garage or use garage door openers. • Don’t strike a match.

5 Foods That Fill You Up

If you’re watching your weight, you can eat more than salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner. These foods will help fill you up, not out: • Oatmeal (not instant). It’s a healthy carb with a high fiber content. • Eggs. Eat them for breakfast and you’ll have about 330 calories less than usual throughout the rest of the day. • Dark chocolate. Researchers say compounds in dark chocolate slow down digestion and make you feel full longer. But don’t eat the whole bar! • Soup. A Pennsylvania State study showed that people who had two servings of low-calorie soup daily lost 50 percent more weight than those who ate the same number of calories in snack foods. Choose broth or vegetables, not the creamy variety. • Pine nuts. They contain pinolenic acid, which stimulates hormones that suppress your appetite. Plus, your mouth likes the crunch.

Know The Do’s & Don’ts Of Travel Complaints

Have a bad travel experience over the holidays? Follow these tips to make your complaint heard: DON’T…  Relate every little thing that went wrong. You’ll sound like a whiner and the travel company won’t know which point to address. Just hit the “high” points that are most important to you.  Tell them a sob story. It’s unfortunate that you’re on a fixed income and you need the refund, but so are lots of other travelers.  Copy everyone in the world, including the CEO, the Better Business Bureau and your grandmother.  Threaten to sue or never to do business with the company again. A) Your letter may end up in the Legal Department; B) you don’t want to be labeled as a “difficult” customer; and C) you may have to use them again (for example, your family wants to take that cruise line). DO… • Put your complaint in writing, whether by email or letter, but keep it short and professional, without rage. Take the high road and tell them you’re looking for reasons to do business with them again. • Include any documentation. List exact times, places, names and dates. You’d be surprised how many people forget the most relevant details. • Give the system time to work. You may have to write a second letter or email if you don’t get a response in a reasonable period of time. But if you were legitimately disserviced, the airline or travel company will take you seriously and want to make it right.

Are You Prepared To Help Your Aging Parents?

Have you thought about how you would handle an emergency if your parent became injured or ill? Here are four ways to prepare: 1. Get access to important medical records and contacts. Your parents will rest easier knowing you have information on their medical history, doctors, pharmacies, medications, and insurance policies. 2. Automate deposits. Set up social security and any other retirement income to be automatically deposited into the bank. 3. Automate bills. Set up utilities to be automatically withdrawn each month, and keep a list of recurring charges to avoid late fees. 4. Assemble a care team. Enlist a team of people (including their friends and neighbors) who are willing to call you if anything happens. Talk to your parents’ health care providers to let them know you want to be involved in their care.

Stage Your Home 4 Success

Q. How can I “stage” my home so it sells quickly for the price I want? A. Make sure you address both the outside and the inside of the house by cleaning and de-cluttering everything, from the front yard to the garage to the kitchen, bathrooms, and basement. Put away your personal items so buyers can imagine themselves living there. One way to take years off your home is with paint. Check the home’s exterior paint job, and don’t forget the front door, mailbox, garage doors, and walkways. In the interior, remove the pictures from the walls (as well as old wallpaper) and paint the walls in a neutral color. Also, consider these tips if you want to sell your home fast for a good price: a) Hire professional cleaners to do the work; b) Get a home inspection before you put it on the market; and c) Make your landscaping look sharp. For a list of the specific steps you should take, ask for my Free Consumer Report called “4 Steps To Stage Your Home For A Fast Sale.” I’ll send a copy right to you. Call me at 206-226-0565