Is Your Home Safe?

As your family gathers inside to escape the chilly weather, be mindful of the fire dangers you are at risk for in every room of your home. More than 18,000 people are injured in home fires every year. Here are simple ways to prevent home fires and make your family safer.






Problem: Unattended cooking

Not surprisingly, the number one cause of house fires start in the kitchen, and stovetop cooking is the primary cause. These fires account for 40% of all house fires.



Solution: Watch pots

Sure, everyone has heard the saying "a watched pot never boils," but the leading factor of house fires caused by cooking warrants undivided attention. If you have to leave the room to answer the phone or attend some other matter, turn off the stove, or have someone else take over.



Problem: Clogged concerns

The dryer is a magnificent modern day convenience that makes life easier, but it also can be a huge fire hazard. According to Consumer Reports there are as many as 15,000 home fires caused by dryers every year. That is a startling number, and most of those fires are a result of clogged vents.



Solution: Clean, clean, clean

You know when you forget to clean the lint out of the dryer a few times and how big that lint ball gets? Well just think of how your vents must look if you do not have those cleaned. So you should get your vents cleaned at least once every two years. Not only will this help protect your home, but it will also help with energy costs, and the longevity of your dryer.





Problem: Overloaded circuits

Speaking of appliances, all those cords can really add up to a disaster. In fact, during most years, home electrical issues account for about 28,600 fires and $1.1 billion in property losses. And 53% of residential electrical fires involve electrical wiring. More households don’t just have a TV; they have a TiVo, a DVD player, at least one video gaming system, and often a sound system. All of these require power.



Solution: Get organized

Use a surge protector, and don’t overload it. Skip the extension cords and go for a multi-plug panel. Avoid wires and cords under rugs, over nails or in high-traffic areas of the room. If a piece of electronics starts to sputter, spark or smell, turn it off immediately and replace it.





Problem: Alternate heaters

During the winter months, heating is the most common cause of residential fires. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that portable, electric space heaters cause more than 25,000 house fires each year.



Solution: Shop smart

When using portable heaters, put these hot little units on a level space, away from foot traffic, and give them room. Keep any combustible items—as well as children and pets—at least three feet away. Also, be sure to buy the right-sized heater for your space. Most heaters have a general sizing guide.





Problem: Inadequate protection

Approximately 33% of all homes do not have working smoke detectors. When you have a working smoke alarm your chances of dying in a home fire are 50% less.



Solution: Keep checking

Make sure you have a smoke detector and to check the batteries at least once a month. A smoke detector has a useful life of 10 years and then should be replaced. Another essential item to have in the home is a carbon monoxide detector.

More Jobs Here in the USA

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students  that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very  much, a billion of them would.   With that thought in mind, read the  following, obviously written by a good American . . .

This probably sounds crazy, but just yesterday I was in Wal Mart looking for a wastebasket. I found some made in China for $6.99. I didn't want to pay that much so I asked the lady if they had any others. She took me to another department and they had some at $2.50 made in USA. They are just as good.

              Same as a kitchen rug I needed. I had to look, but I found  some made in the USA and they were $3.00 cheaper.  We are being brain washed that everything that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper. Not so. That is also why I don't buy cards at  Hallmark anymore. They are made in China and are expensive. I buy them at Dollar Tree....50 cents each and made in USA.

                                                       Check this out.  I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at  the hose attachments... They were all made in China .
The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it  I checked the hose attachments there.
They were made in USA. Start looking ...
              In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy  or do affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track..  Let's get behind her!
              My grandson likes Hershey's candy.  I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now.
I do not buy it any more.

              My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico... Now I have  switched to Crest.  You have to read the labels on everything....


      Good idea . . .. One light bulb at a time . . ..

        This past weekend I was at Kroger . .. . I needed 60W light  bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets.
 I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand  I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, " Everyday Value ." I picked up both  types of bulbs and compared the stats they were the same except
For the price  . . . The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but  the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and  the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company  in Cleveland , Ohio.
             So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use  every day that are made right here...
              So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets...  Yep, you  guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada... The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer  sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at  almost half the price!

              My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you  shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!
              If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your  address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!

              (We should have awakened a decade ago....)
              Let's get with the program and help our fellow Americans keep  their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA .

              I passed this on . .. . Will you???
 




Wayne Jensen
Ogden SAP/MES Analyst
Fresenius Medical Care, NA
475 W. 13th St.
Ogden, Utah 84404

see the bumble bee in the middle of the flower!

Morning Glory

Plus Honey Suckle is covering our back fence.

Fencing does not need to be boring.   Personally I am doing my best to cover ours with living plants.  Here is just one section of our fencing.  In different areas we are planting different things.  The front yard features some square tubing that Jim has bent into archways and we are growing grapes on them.   We just harvested seven gallons off of two plants.   It filled two laundry baskets and we juiced them.   We will enjoy that fence covering all winter!

As you can tell by the second photo, the bumble bees love the morning glory.   How often do you see bumble bees anymore?  Not often unless you plant something they love.

The first fence is from Portland, Ore., artist Jane Hart used playful ingenuity to makes this garden fence practical and beautiful. She embellished and framed weathered slats with stained and treated wood. The short fence inside the garden combines decorative panels made from new cedar with inexpensive wire mesh — "a design element requested by the family dog," Hart says.

For the front fence, she framed weathered, embellished slats with new cedar boards and treated posts.

Do you have any great fence ideas?  I would love to see them.

Today's Rates

Today's current rates are:

 

30 year fixed conventional     4.125%      APR     4.31%

15 year fixed conventional     3.25%       APR     3.6% 

FHA                                    4.0%         APR     6.01% 

VA                                      4.0%         APR     4.21%

Rural                                   3.75%      APR      3.93%

Idaho Housing                     Available programs - Down payment assistance programs;  tax credit option is still

                                          Available through 2011.   Don't forget 203k loans.

  

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it is learning to dance in the rain."

Idaho Attorney General Warns About Mortgage Lawsuit Scams Source: Idaho Statesman Published: 08/24/11

A company called Corvus Law Group is mailing ads to Idaho homeowners inviting them to join scam lawsuits against their mortgage lenders, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden warned Wednesday. The ads look like government forms and claim homeowners can get large principal reductions or other monetary relief if they join the lawsuit.

"The scam is a pretext to collect an unlawful $5,000 upfront fee from homeowners," Wasden said in a press release. "The representations in the solicitations are false and are designed to prey on vulnerable homeowners. My office is currently investigating this company."

State and federal laws prohibit companies from charging upfront fees for foreclosure rescue or mortgage modification services. Beginning Sept. 1, it is unlawful for a person to charge a fee, upfront or otherwise, for these services, unless the person offering the service is licensed with the Idaho Department of Finance or exempt from its licensing requirement.

Wasden encourages homeowners who have lost money to this business or other mortgage rescue companies to file complaints with the state's Consumer Protection Division. Complaint forms are available at www.ag.idaho.gov or by calling (208) 334-2424.

The August Garden

Life here in Kuna is going along nicely. My heart goes out to the folks who are living in Texas, who have had over 100 degrees for over 30 days now. And now the famine in Kenya.

We are harvesting something everyday now. The apricot tree is loaded this year, they are the size of softballs. I have never seen them quite so big. Yesterday was 97 degrees so we did a couple of buckets and put them out to dry on a drying rack. I will be drying zucchini chips next. I like to season them with a balsamic vinigar & salt brine, then dry them. Makes a very tasty chip.

Today it is 72 degrees, so we are canning a couple of buckets. That is the nice thing about them not getting ripe all at once is that if we do a couple buckets a day - either drying or canning, it is not too much work. I like how it cools off here at night in the 60's. Gives us a chance to open the house up and cool it down for the daytime.

I have harvested our elephant garlic, it is my favorite. Yesterday we got our first spaghetti squash. We will be eating that soon with a broccoli spahgetti sauce. Last week we harvested the potatoes and the onions. I am starting to get a bucket of beans a week now. That is not near enough to feed us thru the winter. So we planted more bush beans last week and they are up 6" already this week. Also planted more beet rows, in order to can and pickle enough for winter. Almost ready to replant the peas. We are just starting to get cucumbers. I also planted more carrots. With the empty potato rows I can plant more lettuce, spinach a radish now. Almost tempted to plant more onions and potatoes. Other than we go gleen them out of the local fields. What a fabulous growing year. Hard to believe it is almost over. Summer has been fast this year. Our apple trees and grapes are coming along nicely. They will be the next big harvest projects.

We are truly thankful that the good Lord has blessed us with our gardens and the food they provide us. We are truly blessed.

Invest in a Home Remodel

Why a home remodel may be
better than a savings account

(ARA) - Are you keeping your home longer than you expected, due to the sluggish and uncertain home-resale market? If you are, you've got company. Only 43 percent of homeowners believe they would get their asking price if they sold today, according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker.

That lack of confidence, coupled with interest rates on personal savings accounts that are at or near record lows, has a lot of homeowners investing in their homes instead of depositing money in their banks.

In fact, nearly two-thirds of homeowners will be remodeling in 2011, says American Express. Improving your home can be a smart strategy over the long run. In the meantime, it can make your home more comfortable and convenient while you're living there.

Now is the time to ask yourself if putting your hard-earned savings into your house is right for you. You won't see the return on your investment in the near-term, but when you factor in a quicker sale or higher sale price, you could end up with more profit than savings account interest rates can provide.

Improvements that pay

Experts recommend that you stick to improvements likely to increase your home's resale appeal and value. There's no such thing as a guaranteed return on investment, but some home improvements have a better value track record than others. A basement remodel will recoup 70 percent of its cost at resale, according to the 2010-2011 Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report. Adding a bathroom returns more than 53 percent of your investment, while modernizing a kitchen can bring back 72.8 percent.

• Build a bath: If you plan to install a bathroom, laundry or wet bar in an area that lacks below-floor plumbing drainage, you can dramatically reduce your installation costs with macerating technology. Installing drainage in a basement, attic or garage can be messy, time-consuming and expensive. But with macerating, or up-flush, technology, you can have plumbing virtually anywhere in your home, without breaking through floors or jackhammering concrete.
  
  Unlike conventional gravity plumbing, up-flush systems pump waste and water from toilets, showers, sinks, wet bars and washing machines upward. Small-diameter piping carries the waste into the sewer or septic tank. For more information on this cost-effective plumbing option, visit www.saniflo.com.
  
  Want to make your new bath seem larger? Let the light in! If a skylight isn't in the budget, use recessed ceiling lights and large mirrors. Also, choose a warm semi-gloss paint and install 12-inch by 12-inch or larger floor tiles to minimize grout lines.
  
  A walk-in shower is a smart and cost-effective space-saver. If you don't need storage space, a pedestal sink is another good alternative. Two surefire ways to give the illusion of space are a recessed medicine cabinet and a pocket door instead of a traditional hinged door.
  
• Rebuild a kitchen: An average rebuild of a kitchen takes nine months to plan and three months to build, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. You can improve the overall look and feel of a kitchen with a lot less work and money simply by refurbishing what you have. Some refurbishing options include refaced cabinets instead of new, resurfaced countertops or an added backsplash, updated flooring and under-cabinet task lighting.

Regardless of the project you plan to undertake, there are a few things you can do to ensure you get the most for your money. Here are some general tips from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI):

• Establish a budget:
• Hire a qualified remodeler who is familiar with local building codes.
• Compare products and prices before you begin.
• Work with a contract.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Our firm does not endorse any vendor and disclaims responsibility for any product, promotion or content mentioned in this article.