Top 3 Feather Pillow Myths

Posted on June 4, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

The softness of feather pillows is well known, but many people are still hesitant to try them because of some of the popular beliefs regarding this type of pillow. You may have heard the feather pillows are more difficult to clean, are more expensive and cause allergic reactions. Most of these beliefs are quickly dispelled once you own a great feather pillow.

Most feather pillows can be machine washed and dried. Just take the extra step of checking the seams of the pillow cover to make sure that they are secure and there are no loose threads or opening through which the feathers could escape. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure the pillows are dried thoroughly. It is a good idea to add two or three clean tennis balls to the dryer to help distribute the feathers during the drying process. As with all pillows, using a good quality pillow protector and a pillow case means that you will not have to wash the pillow very often – a few times a year is usually sufficient.

Feather pillows may seem to be more expensive, especially those stuffed with down feathers. You should consider the purchase of a good quality feather pillow to be an investment. With proper care, a down feather pillow can last for many years, much longer than a foam pillow that flattens out more quickly. And, when you consider the fact that you spend one third of your life sleeping, the extra comfort provided by a down feather pillow is probably worth a few extra dollars up front.

Too many people are afraid they may be allergic to a feather pillow. Occasionally there will be a person who is allergic to feathers, but more often night time allergies are a reaction to dust mites and the particles they leave behind. This sensitivity will occur with any bedding and can best be avoided by using proper pillow casings and washing all bedding on a regular basis.

Hopefully this information will convince you to try a feather pillow and you will finally be able to enjoy the comfort that only a great pillow will provide.

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Why Choose This Particular Type Of Luxury Bedding Set

Posted on June 4, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

If you have allergies and related issues, you should choose anti-dander luxury bedding sets. But sleeper beware! – You must not allow yourselves or your loved ones to come in contact with these sets if you have allergic reactions to medications used in this category. It is well known that many microbials and fungicides may produce severe, adverse health reactions in certain people. Some have even been known to cause anaphylactic shock – which has even resulted in death. So please, unless you are already aware of any allergic sensitivities you may wish to choose another form of untreated bedding.

Otherwise, if you love your pets and animals, but can’t tolerate the dandruff – then you need to choose this type of bedding. The great people at Bed, Bath and Beyond can offer you some great products for this solution. One of these is their collection of Allergy Luxe ® Anti-Pet Dander Comforters. For reasons that should be obvious, the fabrics will be made of nylon and polyester and some cotton – mostly synthetics. The current thinking is that the synthetics will reduce exposure to naturally allergic-reaction causing materials. However, they do have the advantage of having 250 thread counts – which is quite luxurious.

The collection is also available as Duvets, Covers and an Organic Comforter. Again, to reduce exposure to natural materials, the down fill is an alternative fill. It is not a true down fill – which could also cause more allergies. Being mostly synthetic means that these are also machine washable – another reason to choose these. Because they are made from synthetics, the pricing is almost much much less than that of luxury natural materials.

For even more protection, a set with a premium allergen barrier is also available to buy. Matching alternative down pillows are also available to buy with even higher thread counts – 300. The same line also offers Bed Bug Mattress Protectors if these little devils are also a problem. Indeed, if bed bugs have been a recent problem, you may want to buy the whole package after cleaning out one’s room or home. One of these special sets should offer that extra level of security for you and your family.

Their organic comforter set may also offer protection against the dangers of dander and the dust mites associated with it. To review, you may want to choose these types of luxury bedding sets if you have allergy problems caused by dander, mites or issues with bed bugs. But avoid these if you have issues with microbials or fungicides.

For more information, visit www.myluxurybedding.org.

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The Ease of Using a Hot Air Popcorn Popper

Posted on June 4, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

Making popcorn at home has been a tradition for many decades. There have been a variety of different poppers created for home use over the years that use different methods to make the popcorn. The hot air popcorn popper was made popular a few decades ago, because it gave people a way to make a healthier snack item. This type of popper has an inner heating element that heats up the air inside the machine. This air circulates around the inner chamber where your kernels are, and heats them to the degree they need to be popped at.

Most styles come with the base unit and a top removable section. The removable piece is usually created to be clear or transparent and is constructed from plastic. There is a large opening on one end of the piece where the popped corn tumbles out of as the inner area becomes full. It is best to position your bowl underneath this open area so it catches the corn as it comes out. There are a few variations on this design that have the top piece as part of the whole unit that is enclosed. These are larger machines that have the inside room to hold all the popcorn that is popped in a single session.

You will also see some decorator styles for the basic compact model, which include the retro design of the Helman popper. This model is created to resemble an old time movie theater machine, but on a much smaller scale. The standard size popper that uses hot air to cook with can be found at most any type of department store. It generally sells for less than $50 and comes in its own convenient box.

In addition to being popular for creating a healthy snack, they are also easy to use for making a single serving of popcorn. You control the amount of corn, by how many kernels you place inside. The unit is also much easier to clean than a traditional oil popper, because it doesn’t use any ingredients other than the corn. You simply wipe out the interior after the machine has cooled and put it away.

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The Benefits Of A Screen Door Explained

Posted on June 4, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

One of the biggest benefits to owning a house is that you are free to make changes and improvements whenever you would like.  And one of the biggest improvements you can make to your home is installing screen doors on your patio, back porch, and garage as well.  All of these areas can receive the full potential benefits of screen doors, and are sure to make your overall experience with your home that much more pleasant.  Allow me to break down the most common benefits you are likely to receive from each of these products.

With a screen door installed on your garage, you are completely free to work about in your area without being interrupted by the loud buzzing of winged insects infiltrating your domicile.  The screen door will provide a sort of blockade between you and the outside world, preventing flying bugs from coming inside and bothering you, as well as potentially biting you.  This will also not allow them to come inside and lay eggs, allowing them to further bother you throughout the year as they will be hatching inside of your house.

If you put a new, cheap aluminum screen door on your front entryway, you will also be protected from the bugs as they will not be able to get inside your home.  In addition to that, during the summer months, you will be able to block out the bugs while simultaneously enjoying a nice breeze throughout your home which will definitely keep you cool down when you need it the most.  In addition to that, you will also not have to worry about your animals running in and out of the house as they will be blocked in until you decide you would like to open the door for them to leave.

All in all, there are many types of screen doors, and they will definitely make your life a whole lot easier around your home, and any homeowner should seriously consider purchasing these products to improve their lifestyle.

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Installing Your New Top Mount Bar Sink

Posted on June 4, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

Narrowing down the large selection of bar sinks to the one you ultimately purchase is perhaps the hardest part of a home bar project. But once you have made that choice, it is time to get down to the business of installing the bar sink. Let me say up front that if you have any doubt about your ability to properly install the sink. You can not only cause leaks and possible flooding, but you can damage the sink you just purchased and that might make you more mad than a flood!

The method used to install the sink will depend on what type of sink you purchase. If you purchase a drop in type of sink, the process is fairly straight forward. Your sink literature will have included cut out dimensions and possibly a template to use when cutting the opening in your counter top. Again, if you are not sure how to do this with your particular counter top material, consult the professionals.

Once you have the proper size opening, the sink can be placed into the hole. Some sinks will need to be attached using brackets from under the counter. The bracket basically screws into the counter on one end and attaches to the sink on the other. These brackets are what hold the sink firmly in place. If your sink is not attached by brackets, you will need to use silicone to attach it to the counter top. Use clear silicon in order to make it not obviously visible. Simply put a thin bead of silicone around the underside of the lip of the sink and position the sink in place. It is advisable to place some kind of weight into the sink in order to ensure good contact between the sink flange and the counter. Let the silicone dry overnight.

Once the sink is firmly in place, you can connect the drain and water lines. In order to hook up the drain, you will first need to install a strainer into the hole in the bottom of your sink. Be sure to use plumbers putty between the sink and strainer to avoid leaks. Once the strainer is in place, you can attach the tail piece and trap, then connect that to the main drain. This sounds complicated but is actually a pretty simple process. Once the drain is securely in place, you can connect the water lines to the faucet and test all the connections for leaks.

The only thing left to so is enjoy your new bar sink!

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Reasons People Switch To Recessed Lighting

Posted on June 4, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

Switching over your current lighting system to recessed can lights is a pretty big project, but the benefits are great.  Most people don’t turn their entire home into a lamp and chandelier free environment, so this generally happens to one or two rooms in the house.  In this article I want to show you some of the most common reasons that people switch to recessed lights from other lighting setups so that you can see all of the advantages that it has to offer.

Extra space is probably the main reason that people make this switch.  Not having to deal with lamps and hanging lights is great, and can really open up the feeling of a room.  When all of your lights move up to the ceiling you are free to do whatever you want with the rest of the space.  You also get the minor benefit of never having to dust and clean hanging light fixtures!

Location specific light in small spaces is also extremely helpful.  When you need a specific area of a room lit up it usually doesn’t make sense to drop a lamp right there.  Instead, install a recessed light in the space and you have solved your problem.  This is particularly handy in the bathroom where showers and toilet areas can be much darker since they are away from the vanity.  Another way to use this idea is when you want to highlight something special in your home.  Artwork, photos, statues, or anything else noteworthy can easily be illuminated with a recessed light.  Track lighting is another good choice for this situation.

In many homes recessed lighting just looks better than hanging or ceiling mounted lights.  It is much more versatile since multiple fixtures are being installed throughout the room.  With many of the normal light fixtures you also need lamps or other light sources to fill in dark areas.  Recessed lights are installed in a way that prevents any dark areas.

Recessed lighting is a great choice in any room of the home, and as you can see there are a lot of benefits that can help sway your decision.  Just keep in mind that the installation of these lights in an already existing ceiling is a big project, so plan accordingly!

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Should You Install a Double Sink in Your Bathroom?

Posted on June 4, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

A bathroom feature that has become quite popular is to install two sinks side by side in the bathroom. These sinks are sometimes called his and her sinks or double sinks. Some people really like this innovation and others do not. There are pros and cons and this article will discuss some of those ideas.

The main positive for having two bathroom sinks is that two people can use a sink at the same time. This can cut down on the amount of time it takes a couple to get ready in the morning, because they can go about their grooming practices side by side rather than waiting for one another to be done. In addition, night time rituals can be shorter too. Another positive is that with the double sink you often get more counter space so there is room for two people to spread their toiletries out and things will not look too cluttered.

However, there are some negatives as well. First of all, if you have a small bathroom a double console sink for small bathroom plans might take up a majority of the floor space and the bathroom might seem cramped. These side by side sinks only well in larger bathroom spaces. Secondly, it is much easier to tell which of the spouses the messy one is if there are two sinks. You can easily tell who makes more of a mess and who needs to clean more often because the sinks are totally separate. I guess this could be considered a positive if you are the neat one, but for the messy partner, it is a bother. Finally, even if you have the space, the his and her sink setup might be a constant reminder of the fact that you have no partner. If you live alone, then you might prefer to have only one sink so that you so not have to think about your lack of companionship every morning and night.

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Antique Clocks Review: The Anniversary Clock

Posted on June 4, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

Antique ClocksAre you looking for an exquisite and remarkable type of collectible antique clock? If so, then you better consider collecting antique anniversary clocks. Anniversary clocks are not only great collectible items but they can also be a perfect gift to a loved one or special someone. They are sought after by many clock enthusiasts and collectors mainly because of their unique clock mechanism. Unlike an antique mantle clock that must be wounded every 5-6 days, the anniversary clocks only need to be wounded once a year. This is because they feature a 400-day winding mechanism, which is also the reason why they were once referred as the 400-day clocks.

These efficient antique clocks became popular because of two main reasons. Firstly, they do not require too much attention unlike the 30-hour antique grandfather clock or the 8-day old mantle clock. Secondly, after you have set, wounded, and adjusted them, they can provide you with accurate time for one whole year.

Although not necessarily designed as gift items, anniversary clocks managed to become the top gift option when commemorating special occasions, anniversaries, personal celebrations and other important events. These charming time tellers have already graced numerous occasions and celebrations. That being said, they served as the grounding mark to important milestones in life.

In general, these distinct antique clocks fall under the category of table top or shelf clocks. They are typically housed in beautiful glass or clear crystal cases that allow their internal workings to be clearly visible. In addition to that, they are usually allowed to freely stand on a leveled surface. These magnificent antique clocks are notable for their dome-shaped glass case that is used to house the main clock display. Their glass casing can be easily removed to conveniently clean their internal antique clock parts.

Overall, antique anniversary clocks are exceptional timepieces that can be great additions to your treasured clock collection.

Source: Antique Clocks Guide

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Spice Racks: Overlooked, But Necessary

Posted on April 17, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

The addition of a spice rack is beneficial for all kitchens, both large and small. The spice rack is such a commonplace, obvious addition to the kitchen that it is little more than an afterthought to most of us. Although there are some out there who do stock their spice rack with all manner of culinary delights, most people have little more than salt and ground pepper. If that sounds familiar, you may want to take a moment and consider everything that you are missing by not keeping spices on hand.

When you change the spices in your meals, you are able to dramatically increase the variety of flavors that you enjoy. Cauliflower is one of those ingredients that are commonly used, but seldom loved. Despite its popularity, very few people are going to tell you that it is a flavorful vegetable, but spices allow you to change that. When it comes to cauliflower, there are quite a few different possibilities to consider, but garlic, cumin, and curry powder are popular choices.

You will be able to keep your spices with no significant loss of flavor for a year if you make the effort to store them properly. When you leave your spices whole and wait until you need them to grind them, they last much longer, as is the case when you store them in dark, tightly sealed containers. One of the main benefits that you find in keeping your spices intact, as opposed to pre-ground supermarket spices, is that they retain their flavor so much longer when they might otherwise taste of nothing but sawdust when you finally use them.

Keeping a spice rack filled with variety can help ensure that your kitchen is never for want of something new. The liberal use of spices gives you the opportunity to take a few basic ingredients, even the same ingredients that you use all the time, and give them a vastly different flavor every time you cook with them. No small kitchen remodel is complete if it neglects the inclusion of a spice rack.

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Buying a Bar Fridge for the Home or Backyard

Posted on April 14, 2010 by The Home and Garden Guru

Most home entertainment rooms could be improved by the addition of a miniature bar fridge.

The capability to store cold drinks and munchies close at hand in the house is very convenient.  If you are a fan of mixed drinks, you can have chilled coke, sprite, orange juice, etc…. to mix with your alcoholic beverage of choice.  If your entertainment area is in the same room as your television, you can go mix yourself a drink, or simply grab a cold beer, without missing a minute of the big game.

A bar fridge can also prove useful if you like to entertain and grill outside.  If you have a swimming pool, and like to do the whole pool party, having refreshing cold drinks available outside saves you having to traipse pool water into the house.  Keeping the party outside keeps the house clean.  If you are grilling you can keep supplies in the fridge by the barbecue, and once you have grilled the leftovers can stay in the fridge for a couple of hours while your guests work up more of an appetite in the pool.

Do you have more than one spot you would like a bar fridge?  You don’t necessarily have to buy two.  They are small and easily portable, so you can relocate your bar fridge to wherever you most need it.

Do be sure to think about how much capacity you need in your bar fridge.  If you host large parties, you may want a larger model so you don’t run out of drinks half way through your event.  Another important tip is to look for a bar fridge with the Energy Star label, as the cost of electricity to power a bar fridge can be a significant portion of the total cost of ownership

Whatever your needs, purchasing a fridge for your bar can be a wonderful idea.   For more information on purchasing a bar fridge please visit my refrigerator information site.

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