1. Racing away from green lights

When the light turns green, you don't have to take off as quickly as possible. That pedal under your right foot is called the "gas pedal" for a good reason. The more you press down on it, the more gas you're pumping into the engine.

Press lightly on the gas pedal, and you'll still accelerate, and you'll still get where you're going. You might be surprised at how little pressure it takes to get your car up to speed in a reasonable time.

2. Racing up to red lights

When you're driving down the street, and you see a light red light or stop sign up ahead, you should lay off the gas sooner rather than later.

There's no point in keeping your foot on the gas until just before you reach the intersection. Let off the pedal sooner and give your engine a rest as you coast to the stop while braking gently. As an added benefit, your brake pads will last longer, too.

By themselves, these first two tips can improve your fuel economy around town by as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information Web site Edmunds.com.

3. Confusing the highway with a speedway

Even if it doesn't involve hard acceleration, speeding wastes gas. The faster you go, the more air your vehicle has to push out of the way. It's like moving your hand through water. The faster you try to move your hand, the harder the water pushes back.

In tests by Consumer Reports, driving at 75 miles per hour instead of 65 miles per hour reduced fuel economy by between 3 and 5 miles per gallon, depending on the vehicle.

4. Bumper-buzzing

Tailgating is a bad move for many reasons. First of all, it's unsafe. You reduce your ability to react if the car in front of you slows or stops. It also means you have to pay ultra-close attention to that car which reduces your ability to scan for other hazards ahead of you and to the sides.

And tailgating wastes gas. Every time the driver ahead taps his brakes, you have to slow down even more than he did. (That's because you can't react immediately so you have to slow even more because you're slowing down later.) Then you accelerate again to get back up to speed and resume your bumper-buzzing routine.

Hang back and you'll be safer - plus you'll be able to drive more smoothly and use less fuel. A good rule of thumb is to allow two seconds of space between your car and the one ahead. You can figure that out by counting off two seconds after the car in front of you passes an obvious landmark like an overpass.

5. Driving standing still

You've probably heard that it takes more gas to restart a car than to let it run. Maybe that used to be true, but it isn't anymore. With modern fuel-injection engines, it takes very little extra gas to restart a car once it's warmed up.

Idling, meanwhile, burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute, according to the California Energy Commission. That's why hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment.

Now you don't want to shut your engine down for every little stop in your regular, non-hybrid car - it's not designed for that - but if you're waiting for someone to run in and out of a convenience store, turn off the engine.

And don't go through the drive-through at fast food restaurants. You're already paying enough for the oil in those chicken nuggets.

Bonus tip: Don't idle your engine to let it warm up before driving. It does your engine no good and it wastes gas. Instead, start driving right away, but drive gently until the engine is warm.

6. Short hops

For really short trips, take advantage of the opportunity to get some exercise. Try walking to the store instead of driving. You can save gas and burn a few calories instead.

If you can't hoof it, save up your errands. A lot of short hops that let the engine cool down at home between trips can use twice as much gas as starting the car once and making a big sweep to all your stops, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Go to your farthest destination first so your engine has a chance to reach its optimal operating temperature. Then make your other stops on the way back. With the engine warmed up, the car will restart easily and run efficiently all the way home.

                                                     By Peter Valdes-Dapena   

Garden Tips

 Mulching and Composting

Composting is great for the garden as we all know. But what most don't know is that it doesn't have to cost you a mint in equipment. The easy way is the use your blender to cut down your food scraps to smaller pieces and just dig it straight into your garden. It will decompose naturally in the ground. Cheap and efficient and cuts down on the amount of fertilizer needed.

With autumn coming to the northern Hemisphere the leaves are starting to turn and fall. Simply rake them up and cut them up with the lawn mower and dig it straight into the gardens.

Summer is approaching the Southern Hemisphere so now is the time for mulching. The cheapest mulch is your garden litter. Just rake it onto your gardens. Mulch on the surface of your garden will reduce the amount of evaporation of water from the soil and reduces the amount of water needed.

Most farms or stables have straw with manure in it which they want to get rid of. Contacting one may gain you a free supply of great fertilizing mulch to place on your gardens. You will have to go and get it yourself, but for the price of a little gas in your car, it is worth it.

Ant Problems In and Out of Your Home

Ants are one of the worlds most prolific pests. They enter your home anyway they can. If you can see where they are coming in, you can stop them in there paths, easily and safely for you, your children and your pets. Simply sprinkle talc powder on their path and at the entry point. Ants will not go through the powder so stops them from invading your home. Them use your sprays outside of your home to stop them permanently.

Planting Lawn Seed

When planting lawn seed you always have the hassle of animals and people walking over your newly planted seed.  After spreading your seed lay some light weight shade cloth over the seeded area.  Animals and people can walk over the area without damaging the new growth.  When the grass shows thick through the cloth remove the cloth and your lawn will almost be ready to mow.

Reviving Areas of Heavy Traffic Grass

Areas of the lawn which has heavy traffic from animals and people soon look very bare and hard packed.  using a garden fork or a stake, punch holes in the soil to loosen it up.  Place shade cloth over the area and keep it well watered.  The lawn below will soon revive and become lush and splendid once again.  Do this in late spring with grass grows at it full potential.

If your CD player skips or doesn’t play at all, the laser lens is probably dirty. First, try another CD to make sure the player rather than the CD is misbehaving. Wipe the lens with a soft cloth to remove dust. If that doesn’t work, dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol ($3 at discount stores). Blot the swab on a cloth to leave it damp but not dripping wet. Rub the lens with the swab. For lenses that aren’t accessible, electronics stores sell lens-cleaning discs ($10). Our experts tell us these cleaners don’t always solve the problem.

Create a mini trouble light by plugging a small hooded night-light into a household extension cord. This sure beats the hassle of using a big, cumbersome trouble light for small jobs in cramped spaces.

Those laundry detergent jugs with the newfangled spouts have many uses. Use them to hold wash water in the shop, paint thinners for cleaning paint brushes or fertilizer solutions for plants. They’re a low-cost way to store and dispense nearly any fluid—except beverages! Be aware that some harsh solvents (like acetone) dissolve plastics. Keep the jugs well marked and out of the reach of children.

 Clean oil-based paint or stain off your hands with vegetable oil. Pour a small amount of oil on your hands while the paint is still wet, and rub them together. Vegetable oil dissolves other oil-based materials and is much gentler on your hands than paint thinner.

Here’s an effective bee and wasp trap. Cut the upper one-third off the top of a 2-liter plastic soda bottle with a utility knife. Pour a few ounces of soda pop into the bottom, then invert the top of the bottle and nest it inside the bottom part. Bees and wasps are attracted to the sweet smell and find their way through the bottleneck but can’t find their way out. Eventually they get exhausted, fall into the water and drown.

If it bugs you that ants come to your hummingbird feeder and treat it like a picnic table, try this. Punch a little hole in the bottom of a shallow can and thread through the line that suspends the feeder. Tie a large knot in the line so the container rests on the knot. Seal the hole at the top and bottom with silicone caulk. Then punch a hole in a smaller can, slip that over the string and caulk it to the bottom of the first can. After the caulk hardens, pour in water and your feeder will be ant-proof. It acts like the moat around a castle.

[A layer of cooking oil on top of the water will slow down evaporation.—T.L.]

Tips for the Kitchen 

To Eliminate Kitchen Cooking Smells

Place a few drops of your favourite essential oil on the grate of the exhaust fan and on the globes of your overhead lights. If you have a light over your stove place some on that too. The heat from the cooking and the globes will release the scent and reduce the cooking odours. It is safe to use of fluorescent lights also.

Behind Stoves and Fridge's.

1. After cleaning the walls and surfaces well, spray and buff well with furniture polish. The next time you clean you will only need to wipe down with damp cloth and grease and grime will come straight off without the hard work. Polish the surfaces again with furniture polish when cleaning starts to become a chore. After the 3^rd or 4^th wipe down should be sufficient.
2. After cleaning the walls and surfaces well, spray  with HAIR SPRAY. The next time you clean you will only need to wipe down with damp cloth and grease and grime will come straight off without the hard work. Spray the surfaces again with Hair Spray when cleaning starts to become a chore. After the 3^rd or 4^th wipe down should be sufficient.

Barbecue Grills

·         Method 1

Blend bi-carbonate of soda with white vinegar and brush over grill. Leave until next use, hose off and use.

·         Method 2

When grill is cool, place it in a garbage bag and add enough dishwasher detergent powder and hot water to cover the grill, tie it closed and leave outside for 2 or more hours. Rinse it completely before using it again.

Cleaning Woks

You never want to scrub a wok clean, as it will ruin the surface. A good wok has layers upon layers of cooked in oils. This is the secret to good flavour and for your foods not sticking to the surface. When cleaning your wok, water it lightly to clean off surface grit and grime and dry. Apply a thin coating of good oil, sesame or peanut oil is great but olive oil is best. Place a piece of greaseproof paper over the surface and store until next use.

Microwave Ovens

Place damp paper towels in your microwave and turn it on high for 10 seconds.  This makes your microwave easy to clean.

Defrosting Your Freezer 

Use your blow dryer on high to defrost your freezer.  It is quicker and easier than turning it off, or placing hot water in your freezer.  No need for scrapping and chipping which will invariably damage the cooling pipes and surfaces in your freezer.

Easy, quick ways to pack a balanced healthy lunch!

Healthy Sandwiches

• Swap the white bread for whole wheat varieties for added boosts of fiber. Whole wheat bread can also be more filling.
• If your kids are bored with the traditional sandwich, try whole wheat pita or flatbread/tortilla wraps that you can quickly turn into sandwich swirls.
• Switch from bologna, salami, pastrami or corned beef, and other fatty luncheon meats to low-fat alternatives such as lean turkey or chicken breast.
• Sneak veggies like lettuce, cucumbers, or shredded cabbage in between slices of lean turkey or ham on a sandwich or in a wrap.
• Use peanut butter in moderation: 2 tablespoons (about the size of a ping pong ball) provides about 190 calories and 16 grams of fatⁱⁱ.
• Try using a thinner layer of peanut butter and substituting jelly with banana or thin apple slices for a healthier spin on an old favorite.
• Skip high-fat mayonnaise. Consider a small serving of reduced fat mayonnaise or skip it entirely and try using something with more flavor and fewer calories like mustard instead.

Pack a Salad

• Make it colorful: start with a base of dark greens then load up on bright veggies such as pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots.
• A salad can be more than just a side item. To make it the main entrée, include a lean protein like hard boiled eggs, beans or grilled chicken.
• Pack low-fat or fat-free dressing in a separate container to prevent the whole thing from getting mushy. Kids can drizzle it right on the salad before eating.
• If you’re not a fan of washing, chopping, and preparing salad, consider making it easier by buying bags of lettuce or precut carrots or make extra salad for dinner and just pack the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Easy Entrées

• Make a cold pasta salad made from whole wheat noodles leftover from the previous night’s dinner—put in a portable container and voila!
• Mix plain brown rice with canned beans or shredded lean meat for a high dose of protein and fiber.
• Pack hummus with fresh veggies and whole wheat pita triangles or flatbreads for dipping.
• Include low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese with carrots, cherry tomatoes, fresh berries, or melon. This makes for a calcium-rich, high-protein lunch.

Healthy Drinks

• If you pack juice, make sure it’s 100% juice. All fruit drinks are required to list the “% juice” on the label. Many juice drinks contain no more than 10% juice and are mixed with a lot of sugar.
• Water and low-fat milk are the best drinks for children. They can be frozen to help keep foods in the lunch box cool and will usually be defrosted for drinking by lunch time.

Energy Snacks

• Swap traditional fried chips for baked potato or corn chips.
• Pack salt-free, dry-roasted almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts to provide kids with a dose of heart-healthy essential fatty acids—be sure to cap the serving at ¼ cup since nuts are high in calories.
• Try a lowfat or light yogurt in exchange for the full calorie varieties targeted at children. If you’d prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners, try packing fat-free plain yogurt mixed with fresh fruit.
• Select whole grain granola bars that are low in fat and sugar – take a look at the food label and choose the ones that contain less than 1g of saturated fat per serving and are no more than 35% sugar by weight. To figure the percentage of sugar per serving, divide the grams of sugar by the gram weight of one serving and multiply this number by 100.
• Aim to make snack treats occasional rather than everyday items. A small serving of animal crackers are lower in fat and sugar than regular cookies, doughnuts, brownies and other baked goods.

Packing a quick lunch when there’s no time

• Piece together things that don’t need any preparation…a whole piece of fruit, a lowfat yogurt, individual packs of baby carrots, and sliced turkey wrapped in a tortilla is a great balanced lunch.
• Save time by packing leftover rice, beans, chicken, salad, and other healthy options into lunch containers at dinner time.
• If you’re looking for pre-packaged lunches, aim for those with no more than a few hundred calories and the least amount of saturated fat, transfat, and sodium.

Laundry Tips 

Crayon Stains

Has you child surprised you with a crayon in their pockets that you didn't know about? The stain of crayons is rather difficult to get out, but a remedy is at hand. Spray the clothing with a stain release leave over night then using Ajax powder (or similar product) and rub it into the stain with a little water. Then wash normally. Be careful with colours, to much rubbing will take some of the colour out, but a little wont hurt. The bleach in the Ajax takes out the stain and the cleaning agent in it dissolves the wax residue of the crayon.

Lint Problems in the Sink or Trough

Prevent your drains from blocking up with lint by securing an old stocking over the end of the hose with a heavy rubber band.  To clean simply replace the stocking.

For sinks and troughs, place a piece of fly screen or shad cloth on the bottom of the sink.  These are heavy enough to stay in place.  Clean by wiping over with a brush or you hand.

Gentle Pre-wash

Using a nylon onion bag, place a bar of naphtha soap or Industrial abrasive hand soap in the bag and tie it or sew it closed.  Place the bag in the machine with your wash.  Set machine to wash.  Remove the bag and wash as normal.  The abrasiveness of the soap and the bag will remove most common stains.

Washing Blankets and Bed Linen

Add a sprinkling of your favourite bath salts to the rinse cycle of the wash.  Your bedding will bed soft and sweet smelling for a very pleasant nights sleep.

Washing and Storing Winter Clothing

When winter is over we all want to make room in our closets for our summer clothing.  So storing winter woollies is a common chore for spring time.  We all hate that musty smell our clothes have when winter arrives and we pull out our winter clothes from storage.  Try adding 1 tablespoon of eucalyptus oil or camphor oil with 1/2 cup of your favourite bath salts to the rinse cycle.  The bath salts will tone down and give a pleasant scent to your clothes and the camphor and eucalyptus will prevent moth and silverfish infestation.  Then pack away the winter clothing as usual.

Decorating Tips

Paint a white paper lampshade your favorite color – one you’ll never find in the lapshade department.

Buy a photography or botanical book, take a razor blade and cut it up. It’s ok! Put a dozen pages – the more the better – in maching inexpensive frames andhang them in a row or block. WOW!

Use leftover wallpaper to line your drawers.

Buy all the inexpensive mirrors you find at yard sales, paint them all one color and hang them together.

Rearrange your fireplace mantel. Instead of one candle-stick at each end, group lots of them on one side.  Remember: odd numbers make the best arrangements.

Open that coffee table book! Instead of displaying the cover, open it wide to your favorite picture and let it really take over your table.

Buy a big modern shallow bowl, fill it with photos and put it on your coffee table. Its an instant conversation starter!

Paint the ceiling of a white room a pale, pale blue or gray. It will feel like there’s no ceiling at all!

Household & Cleaning Tips 

Ballpoint Pen Marks

Wood or Painted surfaces - use distilled white vinegar. Dab it on with a clean rag, then blot off. repeat as often as needed until the marks come off.

Wallpaper - dampen spot with water, then apply a very light coat of hair spray. Let it set a minute, then blot with a dry rag.

Removing Water And Chemical Stains From Glass

Spray a thin coat of oven cleaner on the glass and leave for about an hour. Wipe off with a damp rag. Warning don't use this process on cut or engraved glass.

Deodorizing Your Home.

Place a small mesh bag of pot pouri inside your air vents and air conditioner outlets ( do not do this in heating vents). The air circulation will spread the perfume throughout your home. Add a few drops of essential oils into your pot-pouri each month for continued deodorizing. Place solid room deodorizer near your heating outlets in the winter months.

Cleaning Lampshades

Sprinkle lampshade with bi-carbonate of soda, leave for 5 minutes then using a clean paint brush, brush it over, vacuum to remove the soda from fabric. This also helps to remove the smell of tobacco smoke residue and odours.

Soap Holders

Place a sponge in your soap holders and leave cakes of soap on the sponge. You then have pre-soaped sponges for use in bath or shower, and you won't have soapy scunge left on your bathroom surfaces.

Behind Stoves and Fridge's.

After cleaning the walls and surfaces well, spray and buff well with furniture polish. The next time you clean you will only need to wipe down with a damp cloth and grease and grime will come straight off without the hard work. Polish the surfaces again with furniture polish when cleaning starts to become a chore. After the 3^rd or 4^th wipe down should be sufficient.

Bubble Gum and Chewing Gum In Hair

If your child gets bubble or chewing gum in his/her hair use the same method. There is no need to cut it out anymore. Place an ice pack on your child's gum affected hair.  After you freeze the gum off simply wash hair normally. Bubble or chewing gum on furniture, carpet, cloths or in the car is simple to remove. Use your Ice pack and chill it well, then scrape it off.

Peanut butter can also be used in hair and on some cloths, carpets and furniture.  However, the oil in the Peanut butter can stain the furnishings also.  Be sure to wash the furnishings if they are removable and washable.  If they are not removable then I suggest you use the freeze method.

Dusting and Cleaning

Not many people like the dusting and cleaning chores around the house.  It is always such an endless job.  Try these simple tips to help make your dusting a little easier.

For ornaments you can place them into a basin of luke warm water with a small amount of dish washing liquid.  Dry them with your blow dryer.

Place an old sock on your hand and rub over  the surfaces, frames, sills, and large ornaments with your socked hand.  Dusters just flick the dust into the air only to resettle on your surfaces and knick-knacks as soon as you are done.  The sock is not flicking so it eliminates the amount of dusty that will float around.

For hard to get to places use long haired red sable artist brushes.

Bedding

Hardly anyone bothers with cleaning they mattresses and pillows.  It is important that you do to eliminate the dust and specks of dry skin and hair that gathers and decays.  It has been documented that dusting bedding can cause breathing problems and cause you to sleep and wake up feeling as though you didn't sleep.

Vacuum your mattress at least once a month.  Pillows can be vacuumed and place out in the sun for 2 - 3 hours in the warmer months.  Or you can vacuum and place your pillows in the dryer on a low setting for 30 minutes.  Sunlight is better but in winter that is not possible in most countries, so the dryer will help.