commonsensehome.com

The power grid is is an linked network that delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers. The network is made up of power stations that create electrical power, electrical transmission lines that carry the electricity and lines that connect customers to the grid. There are concerns that our power grid is aging, over-stressed and vulnerable.

In this eye-opening post, Laurie discusses 10 things you need to prepare in case the power grid fails. It could be a short-term blackout or a longer blackout. If you prepare in advance, it will be easier to manage any type of outage.

There are a LOT of useful product links. She explores:

• Lighting
• Batteries
• Water
• Backup Power
• Cooking Supplies
• Garbage Disposal
• Food
• Heating and Cooling
• Communications
• First Aid Supplies

She also looks at many other things you should consider in preparing for a power outage.

When the Power Grid Fails – 10 Things You Need to Prepare

09 mixer2mower.com

If you like to camp, you’ll love this article! It’s filled with gadgets and ideas that will make camping even more fun. If you see an idea you like, just click the link to get more details. Some of these are items you can buy. But a lot of these camping ideas are also things you can make or cook. Others are survival ideas. Here are just a few of the camping hacks:

• An Aluminum Can Camp Stove
• A-Frame Survival Shelter
• Campfire Banana Boats
• Solar Charged Stereo Cooler
• Pocket Sized Fire
• Egg Carton Fire Starter
• Tic Tac Boxes for Spices
• And MORE!!

Very nice article. Click on the 47 Genius Camping Hacks Every Camping Fan Should Know link below to see all 47 great camping ideas.

47 Genius Camping Hacks Every Camping Fan Should Know

urbanbasics.wordpress.com

If you want to create and use natural food dyes, this is a Must-Read article.  Kresha explains which foods can be used to produce 10 different colors.  You can use natural food dyes to color frosting, homemade play dough, cupcakes, pasta, shortbread and more.  Kresha also shares one recipe she made  that used natural food dyes and was an epic fail.  I like to see failures as well as successes.

One valuable part of this article is how to make dried herb or vegetable powders.  It’s really very simple.  You could make a variety of different powders for coloring in advance and store them in air-tight containers.  Very nice article!

Click on the How to Make Natural Food Dyes link below to see the complete article.

How to Make Natural Food Dyes

naturallivingideas.com

Indoor air pollution can result from cigarette smoke, pollen, mold, stoves, fireplaces, household products with toxic ingredients, and more. I liked this article because it contains both simple, commonsense suggestions as well as some creative ways to naturally purify home air.

For example, one helpful idea is to use a Himalayan pink salt lamp to purify the air in your home. This salt serves as a natural air purifier that pulls toxins from the air and neutralizes them. You can find these salt lamps at sites like Amazon and they’re very reasonably priced. Neat idea!

Click on the 8 Ways To Purify Home Air Naturally link below to see all 8 ways to naturally purify the air in your home.

8 Ways To Purify Home Air Naturally

http://www.homemadehomeideas.com

I love naturally-scented air fresheners. They fill your home with wonderful, natural scents and eliminate all of the harmful ingredients found in commercial products. John has collected a wonderful list of 11 different natural ways to freshen the air in your home.

If you see a recipe that you like, just click the link to view more information and tutorials. There are citrus scents, herbal scents, scented candles, reed diffusers, natural scented simmer pots, gel air fresheners and more.

Click the 11 Natural Ways To Make Your Home Smell Amazing link below to see all 11 recipes.

11 Natural Ways To Make Your Home Smell Amazing

diyncrafts.com

This excellent video demonstrates some unique to open 6 hard to open items. You’ll learn how to:

• Open any nail polish bottle that’s sealed shut
• Open clam shell plastic packages which defy logic
• Open all sorts of jars easily
• Open a particular type of nut with ease
• And MORE!!!

Click on the 6 Brilliant Hacks for Hard to Open Things link below to see the hacks.

6 Brilliant Hacks for Hard to Open Things

www.brit.co

In this post, Audrey shares 9 different podcasts, organized by age, that your kids might like. (She has a great tip on picking the right length for a podcast aimed at a child).

You’ll find:

3 Podcasts for Pre-Schoolers: These are G-rated stories and tales that your pre-schooler can listen to and enjoy.

4 Podcasts for Elementary School Kids: Science podcasts, TED talks for kids, Insights into daily life by other kids.

2 Podcasts for Middle School Kids: Podcast that explain how things work and a podcast with stories that are in episodes.

Click on the 9 Kid-Focused Podcasts That You’ll Actually Enjoy link below to see all of Audrey’s recommendations and podcast links.

9 Kid-Focused Podcasts That You’ll Actually Enjoy

Everyone has probably heard the recommendation of drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Many people assume they can substitute soda (or pop if that’s what you call it in your area) for the 8 glasses of water. This video explores the science behind what happens to your body when you drink a lot of soda daily.

It turns out that drinking a lot of soda van cause a lot of health issues including aging you in the same way that smoking cigarettes can age you.  Diet soda has its own set of problems.

The video is fast, informative and entertaining.  Click on the How Drinking Too Much Soda Can Affect Your Body link below to go to the LifeHacker site and learn more.  When you’re on the LifeHacker site, just click on the picture at the top to start the video. It’s really an eye opener.

buzzfeed.com

Sometimes when you live alone, there are simple tasks that are more difficult because you don’t have another person to help. Peggy decided to tackle this issue and offers 24 different survival tips for people who are living alone.

Here are just a few of the tips she offers:

• How to zip up the back of a dress if you’re home alone
• How to apply lotion or sunscreen on your back
• How to reach items on a high shelf (No it’s not a ladder )

I have to admit though, that several of the tips didn’t seem to have anything to do with living alone or having to solve a problem by yourself. But they were helpful home tips though.

Click on the 24 Survival Tips For Living Alone link below to read Peggy’s complete article.

24 Survival Tips For Living Alone

diynatural.com

Dehydrating is another great way to preserve your garden produce for the cooler months. Fruits, herbs and veggies can all be dehydrated.

In this article, Debra explains how to make a food dehydrator that uses the sun as its heat source. If you get confused at all about the build instructions, just click on the “See the colored image on this page” link for a diagram that really helps. This solar dehydrator doesn’t have racks or shelves. However you could easily ass some small wooden blocks on the interior of the dehydrator to support racks or screens.

Click on the How to Build a Solar Dehydrator link below to read the entire tutorial.

How to Build a Solar Dehydrator