Network of Ideas

tips to burglary proof your home

• Fix broken locks immediately, even those on the second or third floor. Check that all doors and windows have strong locks. Fix or replace faulty locks as soon as you see them. Change any burned-out outdoor lights promptly.
• Never let strangers (like delivery guy, someone claiming to be a family relative) into your house or gate without proper photo identification. A uniform or company truck does not guarantee legitimacy. If anybody asks for a glass of water or requests use of your phone, offer to get or make it for them – but don’t let them in. Remember to lock the door or gate behind you when you go inside the house.
• An efficient home security system that is not updated and activated is useless. Turn your system on even if you will be out briefly. Keep all the doors and windows locked when you’re inside. Burglars generally avoid occupied houses, but you can never be too sure.
• Keep storage sheds and garage locked at all times. Place ladders out of reach or chained to a secure post to prevent access to second-story entrances. Thieves use tools they can easily find to get into homes.
• Never leave a set of house keys inside your car, and don’t keep your house and car keys in the same ring, especially if you use valet parking or leave keys with parking lot attendants or car repair mechanics. Read the rest of this entry »

nontoxic paints for your kids

Is your child the next Picasso? Well, probably not, but you can still encourage your budding artiste to make masterpieces with nontoxic supplies like veggie-based paint for art that screams like munch but smells like Monet’s garden. Try these fallowing paints: Nuno Finger Paint – four colors of food-grade finger paint; for ages three and up ($25). Stockmar Modeling Beeswax – great alternative to polymer clay, which contains PVC; [Read more...]

lose your slow-draining sink

Are you ready to lose it over your slow-draining sink? Well, that could be the huge hairball caught in your pipes. Rather than reach for those plumbers, clear it out with a plumber’s snake (aka drain auger) – they’re more effective than liquid decloggers and free of hairy chemicals. Try these: Zip-It – simple plastic drain declogger for not-so-deep clogs. Cobra Wire Drain Auger – 25 ft of snaking metal wire, avail [Read more...]

pillow tips for your insomnia

Sleep Pillows can be effective; use a small pillow a few inches square, stuffed with the appropriate herbs and slipped inside the pillowslip on top of your regular pillow. Failing that, a few drops of essential oil on a cotton wool ball or scrap of cotton can be placed inside the pillowslip. Neroli, chamomile, marjoram, lavender or rose are my suggestions. Jeanne Rose’s Herbal Sleep Pillow, to rekindle energies during the night. 8 parts ros [Read more...]

tips in eliminating slugs

Slugs are gray to brown in color and some have spots. There are good slugs and there are bad slugs. Generally the good slugs live below the soil line and are carnivorous, feeding on wireworms, grubs, and other slugs. The good guys can be identified by a small shell on the end of their tail. The bad slugs on the other hand are above the ground creatures, preferring a vegetable diet. They feed on a variety of plants and leave a slimy little trail. [Read more...]

securing homes

With today’s security hazards, it is recommended to at least have a security system at home. The news continually reports the many incidents of burglary everywhere. Most of these cases cause damages to properties to the victims. However, it doesn’t only result damages to properties, it also causes trauma. Some even experience the worst, like losing life. Sometimes most people don’t think about home security like GE home security [Read more...]