Lifestyle & Trends

Tips to protect your home from severe weather

When people think of winterizing their homes, most often their heating bills spring to mind - along with insulation and weather stripping. The winter months bring not only high energy bills, but also an increased chance of certain kinds of damage to your home and its contents. A few precautions can help protect you from serious losses and disruptions this season.

Keeping your wood floor's natural shine

Wood floors are a beloved part of a home, and are also a great investment that can boost your home's value by up to $10,000, according to the Hardwood Information Center.

Favorite foods without the extra calories

During the colder season, our hunger instincts can emerge causing us to seek out the cozy foods we knew and loved as children. These days those same foods impact our waistlines, rack up thousands of calories and are high in fat. You can still nestle up with your favorite foods this winter without sacrificing flavor and compromising diet by making a few easy modifications.

With multiple strains this year, don't be confused about flu prevention

With the emergence of the 2009 H1N1 virus and the presence of annual seasonal flu, health experts are concerned that this flu season could be more confusing than ever for families. Recent studies point to misunderstandings about what families should do to help prevent the spread of these viruses.

Radiant barriers - a brilliant way to reduce your cooling costs

What is a "radiant barrier?" Well, according to the U.S. Department of Energy it's a way to reduce your monthly energy bill. Radiant barriers are designed to help block the summer heat from reaching the inside of your attic and home, and blocking heat means less energy costs to cool your home in warm weather.

Smell your way to an energetic or calming ambiance

With household chores, family gatherings, school events and work activities, life can get a little hectic this time of year. So, when you actually have time at home, you either want to unwind and relax or use the free moments to bolster more energy and finish the day's to-dos.

Debunking common floor care misconceptions

Whether it's the dog tracking in mud or the kids carrying in dirt and leaves, there are many ways floors can become dirty and unattractive. Unfortunately, for many people the process they use to clean their wood flooring might be doing more harm than good.

Don't trash that banana peel - composting is an easy, eco-friendly alternative

Recycling is certainly not a new concept. In fact, gardeners have been using one form of recycling - composting - for about as long as people have tilled the soil. Composting is a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to give your garden a boost.

Don't be a victim of campus crime

It's no secret. In small towns and large cities across the country, colleges and universities are magnets for crime, both on and off campus. While students may feel relatively safe at college, the reality is that at some point in their college careers, many college students will become a victim of a crime.

How to make your New Year's resolution last

Failed New Year's resolutions are a dime a dozen. That promise to go to the gym every day dwindles to three days a week, then two days a week, before falling into "whenever I can make it" territory. Diet and weight loss resolutions are among the most common, year after year, which says a lot about what kind of results people are getting from the promises they make to themselves.

Lifestyle Trends