Double Guest Posting: Advantages of Buying vs Renting a House AND Things You Should Know About Smoke Damage

10 Advantages of Buying a Home Versus Rentingfrom DoorFly.com by Ann Douglas

1. 
   Build Equity: A major advantage to buying a home over renting is the ability to build equity over years of ownership. You build equity as your home value increases and you can leverage this value to take out lines of credit. Tenants don’t receive equity when renting because they don’t own their house.
2. 
   Ownership: One of the biggest advantages of buying a home versus renting is the ability to own. Ownership gives you the right to upgrade your home, rent it out to tenants, sell it and do as you please. Buying a home is one of the most important and valuable investments a person can make.
3. 
   Make Upgrades: A major advantage of buying a home is having the ability to make upgrades and improvements that will increase its value and give it more curb appeal. Owning a home gives you the right to decorate, renovate and remodel as you please to make your home look just how you want it. Renting limits your ability to personalize your home because most landlords won’t allow their tenants to paint the walls, replace fixtures and appliances or make any major changes.
4. 
   Lock In Payments: When you buy a home, you secure a monthly payment that you will pay for the rest of the time you own the home. If your finances suddenly change and you need to scale back on your monthly expenses, you have the option of refinancing your mortgage to reduce your monthly payment. This does come with some risks and you may have to face higher interest payments, but it’s a nice option to have when money’s tight. Tenants have less control of their payments because rent can increase from lease to lease.
5. 
   Increase Line of Credit: Buying a home increases your line of credit and can improve your score in more ways than renting. Homeowners with an increased line of credit will have a higher credit limit and get low interest rates on credit cards and loans. Renting limits your credit-building opportunities and doesn’t make quite as big of a splash as having a mortgage in your name.
6. 
   Make a Profit: Whether you’re a business-savvy homeowner who’s looking to make a quick profit from flipping a house, or a homeowner who’s wanting to sell their house after it increased in value, you have the ability to make a profit when you own a home. When renting, you never make a profit because you don’t own the property.
7. 
   Payments Eventually End: A major advantage of buying a home versus renting is the simple fact that mortgage payments will eventually end one day. It usually takes about 15 to 30 years to completely pay off your house and own it for good. When renting, the payments just keep coming and they don’t end like a mortgage.
8. 
   Home Value Increases: After years of owning a home, its value increases. Depending on the neighborhood, schools and other property values, purchased homes generally appreciate in value throughout the years, making them more and more profitable. For many homeowners, their home is worth much more than what they bought it for. Renting doesn’t allow you to make a profit because you don’t own your home.
9. 
   No Landlords: When you buy a home, you no longer have to deal with pesky landlords. Having the freedom to run your house the way you want it and taking all tasks into your own hands is actually a rewarding responsibility.
10. 
    Emotional Satisfaction: Homeowners feel greater emotional satisfaction from having a piece of property in their name and investing their time and money toward something as important as a house. This is especially true for first time homebuyers. Renters may experience some emotional satisfaction and pride in renting, but not nearly as much as homeowners.

_DoorFly

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Smoke Damageby Allen Wright at Home Alarm Monitoring

1. Smoke Migrates to Cooler Areas: The behavior of smoke during a fire is largely dependent on temperature. Smoke is typically hot and migrates to cooler regions of your home. Unfortunately, the cooler regions of your home are often hard to reach places, like cabinets and the under side of furniture. This makes the cleaning process much more difficult and is one of the major consequence of smoke damage.
2. 
   Smoke Uses Plumbing to Migrate Through Your House: Smoke naturally travels through plumbing systems, using holes around pipes to travel from floor to floor. This is the best way for smoke to travel throughout homes and buildings and cause further damage. Vents and plumbing systems are cleaned and often replaced if smoke damage is great enough.
3. 
   Wet, Smoldering Fires Produce the Most Damaging Smoke: The type of fire and the type of smoke produced by the fire make a huge difference when it comes to cleaning smoke damage. Wet, smoldering fires produce highly volatile and noxious smoke, the effects of which can persist for years. One of the best things to do after a fire is to be sure that all wet spots are dry and that all smoldering embers are doused to prevent this highly damaging type of smoke.
4. 
   High Temperature Fires Produce Easy to Clean Smoke Damage: Contrary to what you might believe, high temperature fires tend to be less damaging than smoldering fires. Thatís because they burn very quickly and produce a different type of smoke that contains less damaging soot. As a result, even though the high temperature fire may seem like it would produce more damage, you may just get lucky.
5. 
   Smoke Damage Persists for Years Without Professional Help: You can attempt to clean smoke damage yourself, but without professional help the effects of smoke damage can persist in your home for years or even decades. Professionals can make our home seem brand new again with innovative chemical techniques and professional assessment of smoke damage. Do yourself a favor; hire an expert.
6. 
   The Most Damaging Component of Smoke is Invisible: While the billowing clouds of dark smoke may seem the likely culprit, it ís the invisible protein residues of smoke that can cause the most damage. These residues can break down metal, wood, paint, and even porcelain, and their highly volatile chemical make-up allows them to penetrate deep into almost any substance while remaining totally invisible. Beware of this invisible killer!
7. 
   After a Fire, you Must Consult the Fire Marshall Before Cleaning Your Home: You may want to get a head start on your smoke damage, but until you consult the fire marshal after a fire in your home, it is illegal for you to re-enter. A fire marshal will assess the safety of your home and be sure that nothing bad will happen once you re-enter after a fire.
8. 
   Smoke Damage Can destroy Metal and Wood Items: You might think that hearty substance like wood and metal would not be affected by smoke as much as upholstery and textiles. Youíd be wrong. The noxious protein residues in smoke can break down brass, copper, wood, and even stone, causing them to decay at an ultra rapid rate. Be sure to let a professional know about the exposure of wood and metal items to smoke and the duration of the exposure.
9. 
   The Number 1 Rule to Prevent Lasting Smoke Damage: Get Air Moving: If you want to get a head start on cleaning up your home after smoke damage, follow the cardinal rule. Get air moving. Use fans and open windows to keep air circulating throughout your home. This will prevent any remaining smoke residues from penetrating even deeper into your house and property.
10. 
    Thermal Fogging is an Innovative Way to Remove Smoke Odor: When in doubt, fight fire with fire. Thermal fogging is a fancy way of describing a technique that uses smoke to battle smoke. By filling a smoke damaged home with specially treated thermal fog, the bad smoke deposited by the fire can be neutralized in much the same way as the original smoke caused the damage. A professional will be able to assess whether or not thermal fogging is necessary, but itís a great way to reverse the terrible effects of smoke damage.

_AllenWright

Al Fin comment: Owning a home is a non-trivial experience, like "owning" a child or a spouse. Constant upkeep is usually required, if not on the house then on the property. All of the insurances, taxes, and regulations involved can also be a headache. But if you are thinking about taking the leap from renting to owning, be sure to do a lot of research first. Don't get too attached to a house until you have done all the footwork and research, and are sure beyond doubt that you want to own it.

This is a buyer's market in many parts of the western world -- including the US. Take your time, choose both house and neighborhood wisely, and get a good deal.

Guest Article: 10 Celebrities Who Were Once Nurses

10 Celebrities Who Were Once Nurses
from NursingSchools.net

Nursing isn't a logical first step towards a career in music, TV or or politics, but it's helped these famous faces achieve great success. And why shouldn't it? Having a background in caregiving, research, advocacy and medicine broadens your understanding of how other people live and what they need. Here are 10 celebrities who who once worked as or studied to become nurses.

Naomi Judd: Celebrated country star and the mother of Wynona and Ashley, Naomi Judd started her career as a registered nurse. As a single mother, Naomi went to nursing school and then worked as an RN, but contracted hepatitis C from a needle stick. She had to retire from music in 1991 but is now a health advocate for the disease.

Robin Quivers: Howard Stern sidekick now has her own show, but before she got into entertainment, Quivers was a U.S. Air Force nurse serving in Korea. She received an honorable discharge and began experimenting with radio jobs.

Kate Gosselin: Former reality TV sensation and controversial mother figure Kate Gosselin had a real job before she made big bucks showing off her family on television. She worked as a labor and delivery room nurse in Pennsylvania, and in 2009, renewed her nursing license with the promised intent to complete 30 hours of continuing education requirements.

Bonnie Hunt: Actress and comedienne Bonnie Hunt might be the funniest thing to come out of Middle America, next to David Letterman. The perky blonde studied nursing in Chicago, and even told NurseZone.com that she "was a nurse in my heart from the time I was a little girl." She worked in emergency medicine and oncology at Northwestern University Hospital and did improv comedy at night until she got her break.

Darva Conger: While she's not as big of a celebrity as some of the other names on this list, Darva Conger did get her 15 minutes of fame. The former Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire contestant — and ultimate winner — worked as an ER nurse before flirting with a silhouetted millionaire on national TV.

Julie Walters: Lovable and upbeat actress Julie Walters has been in everything from Mama Mia! to the Harry Potter movies in recent years to a slew of TV movies and series in the 70s, 80s and 90s. She first worked as a nurse for 18 months in England as a very young woman but always had a desire to act. She followed her boyfriend to Manchester and started working in theatre by the 1970s.

Congresswoman Lois Capps: California Congresswoman Lois Capps succeeded her late husband in political office, but worked for 20 years as a nurse for the Santa Barbara School District. She at one point served as director of Santa Barbara County's Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Project and the Parent and Child Enrichment Center is currently serves as co-chair of the House Nursing Caucus, as well as supporting many other health advocacy groups.

Kathryn Joosten: Memorable actress Kathryn Joosten has starred on some of the most popular TV shows in American entertainment history, ranging from The West Wing to Desperate Housewives to Ally McBeal, and many, many others. She entered the workforce, however, as a psychiatric nurse at Chicago's Michael Reese Hospital. She married, had children, and then divorced, and turned to acting to support her two sons.

Paul Brandt: Canadian country singer and songwriter Paul Brandt worked as a pediatric nurse at the Alberta Children;s Hospital before leaving to pursue his developing music career. In addition to his nursing degree, Brandt now has an honorary doctorate degree in Fine Arts from the University of Lethbridge.

Derek Longmuir: Derek Longmuir actually turned to nursing after a successful tenure in the music business, with the Bay City Rollers. But then, trouble struck. Longmuir was found to possess child pornography and was fired from his job at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, although his foster son believes he was framed by a crazed fan.

__a NursingSchools.net article

Al Fin Comment: We earlier looked at a significant number of high school and college dropouts who achieved great success, wealth, power, and influence. In a free society, persons are able to move between professions and occupations. There is great social and career mobility in a free society. The opportunities in such societies draw many talented people from far and wide, and inspire "ordinary" persons to achieve great things.

Under a more stifling statist society, mobility is limited, and persons cling to whatever level of security they can get. That is what one sees in the actions of public sector unions which are willing to bankrupt the private sector so as to cling to every scrap of privilege which the unions can extract from the pet toady politicians they manage to get elected.

The US is heading in the direction of more stifling state controls, and less freedoms. Perhaps it is time to put the brakes on the Alinsky protocol for achieving total statism, and reverse course toward a more open society again.

Guest Article: Features to Look for When Buying a Home

Guest article courtesy of Doorfly.com

10 Most Important Features People Look for in Homes
Posted on January 30, 2011 by admin

From small families just starting out, to established families looking for something larger, each home buyer has his own list of must have’s. I trust my list will give you an idea of what to look for if you are embarking on that journey or about to anyway. Maybe you are in the planning stages ­- you are in a different town – you know what you want – however it may not be what you can afford. So research is a good beginning.

1. Closet space. Oh yes, us girls need our closet space. Yet not only do we have closet needs, the men in our life do as well. The boys for toys, the men for whatever else it is they need to store.
2. Is there outside storage? All our yard tools need a place of their own. “Everything must have a place, and everything must be in its own place,” my elders use to say. It is still true, so outside storage for garden tools, yard tools, or outside toys such as bicycles and baseballs must have a place to be stored.
3. Kitchen cabinets – enough to spare. I love my kitchen. However after lived here for 15 years, I just realized I need another drawer or two or three. I have a pantry, and plenty of cabinet space above the counter tops, yet there are 5 drawers and I have need of 5 more. Ah well!
4. Once a three bedroom 2 baths home was sufficient for growing families. And while it is still ample for some families, it might be something to take into consideration. Do you have company often? Do you have a guest bedroom? If so having a third bath for the guest bedroom is very important. On the other hand, would you need a guest bedroom? If so than more than three bedrooms should be in your plans.
5. Do you like a fireplace? To me, a fireplace conveys the picture of flickering flames, a cozy setting, the dog lying on the hearth, Mom in her bathrobe reading a book, and Dad reading the wall street journal with the children playing a game close by. OK! I woke up – maybe that isn’t what you see in a fireplace. Maybe what you see is a mess to have to clean up from the ashes and soot! Let’s go back to my first question of #5, do you like a fireplace? Then by all means put that in your list of a homes must have’s otherwise there are homes that have none.
6. With many people working from home, having a home office may be one of your priorities. An office doesn’t have to be as large as a bedroom, however it is according to what your needs are for a library in the study area is concerned.
7. I love my garage. At one time that question was asked by Automobile insurance people was if you had a garage. Not sure if they still do but it sure is nice to have one to pull into when it is raining, or even after dark where I feel safe to get out of the car when I’ve let the door down. Whether two car or three car garage if this is on your list of features, don’t settle for less.
8. Do you like the openness of a floor plan? How about windows? While windows may speak dollar signs due to having to cover them, the trend now is not so much shutting out the light as bringing it into the home. Count your costs and weigh them against the likes and dislikes of windows. Personally I love the natural light windows give, and also the view it gives me to look out over my own domain.
9. It goes without saying an Energy efficient home is important. Be sure to inspect or ask questions concerning insulated windows and upgrades to the insulation if the home you are looking at is an older more established home.
10. Then there is the one level versus multi-level home. Some prefer sleeping quarters to be upstairs and away from the living quarters. While Mom may see only the multi trips she will be making up and down the stairs on a daily basis. Another point is to consider the age of the purchasers. Stairs are not a good idea the older one gets, simply because of the dangers as well as agility.

This is my list, and hopefully you have added more to your needs. Someone said, when we fail to plan, we simply plan to fail. I’ll agree in that if we have no idea what we want in a home, other than a place to put our furniture and a have a roof over our head, then that is what we’ll get. It is too late to make a list six months after you have hung your hat and made yourself at home. _Doorfly.com

Al Fin's comment: This list appears to cater mainly to a woman's wants. A man would want shop space, plenty of available amperage in the power service, outdoor utility building(s), water supply and sanitation, good lot drainage and elevation above flood plain, solid construction, new roofing, outer sheathing finish with no need to paint frequently, no termites, etc etc. Other special requests such as hot tub, pool, outdoor game area, indoor game room, wet bar, catering-quality kitchen, etc. would depend on the nature of the residents.

Survival-oriented folks would consider road and overland access and egress routes as well as general defensibility. Ample clean, dry, cool underground storage is a big plus for preppers.

Originally published at Doorfly.com

Guest Article: 100 Smart & Surprising Uses for Simple Drug Store Items

100 Smart & Surprising Uses for Simple Drug Store Items

Persons in nursing school or other medical training school, probably have access to lots of advanced medical care items. But did you know that there are many different uses for even the simplest of drug store items? Rubbing alcohol, q tips, nail polish remover, and other simple drug store items have lots of different applications, around the house and beyond.
Cleaning
Keep your home clean and fresh with these drug store products.

1. Keep your windows frost free: Make a solution with 1/2 a cup of rubbing alcohol and 1 liter of water, then wash your windows with it to keep frost away.
2. Deodorize your refrigerator with vanilla extract: Soak a cotton ball with vanilla extract and place it in your fridge.
3. Get rid of fruit flies: Kill fruit flies by misting them with rubbing alcohol.
4. Clean counters and tabletops with hydrogen peroxide: Spray hydrogen peroxide on your tables and counter tops, or just add it to your dishrag.
5. Apply polish to small crevices using q tips: Polish your silver with a q tip.
6. Fight mildew: Soak cotton balls in bleach, place them in hard to clean spots, and leave them there to zap the stains.
7. Add hydrogen peroxide to your dishwasher: Prevent spreading colds and other diseases by adding 2 ounces of hydrogen peroxide to your dishwasher.
8. Spruce up china: Clean spots off of your china with nail polish remover-but test a small inconspicuous spot first.
9. Fade tea stains: Apply diluted lemon juice to cloth with a q tip.
10. Clean bathroom tiles: Mix epsom salt and dish detergent to mix bathroom tiles.
11. Rinse your wooden cutting board in hydrogen peroxide: Kill salmonella and other bacteria with hydrogen peroxide.
12. Dissolve melted plastic: Get melted plastic off of appliances by using nail polish remover.
13. Remove price stickers: Get price stickers off with the help of rubbing alcohol.
14. Clean your toilet with antacid: Drop antacid tablets in your toilet bowl and dissolve them for 20 minutes before cleaning.
15. Remove yellowing from lace: Keep your lace curtains and tablecloths bright by soaking them in a sink with cold water and 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide for about an hour.
16. Sanitize your cell phone: Wipe down your cell phone with rubbing alcohol.
17. Remove dust: Get dust off of old frames, statues, and more with q tips.
18. Get stains out of vases: Clean stains out of vases by dropping an antacid tablet in the water, then wiping.
19. Clean CDs and DVDs with rubbing alcohol: Wipe discs down with a small amount of rubbing alcohol.
20. Whiten whites with hydrogen peroxide: Add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to your laundry to get whiter whites, and pour directly on soiled spots.
21. Clean electronic devices: Use a q tip in rubbing alcohol to clean electronic devices.
22. Disinfect your bathroom: Mix 50/50 water and hydrogen peroxide to disinfect your bathroom without harming your septic system.
23. Remove scorch marks: Use nail polish remover on marks left from overcooked bagged popcorn.
24. Remove ink stains: Soak ink stains in rubbing alcohol before washing.
25. Get stickers off of glass: Nail polish remover is good for getting stickers off of glass.
26. Shine up bathroom fixtures: Pour rubbing alcohol onto bathroom fixtures to make them sparkle and kill germs.
27. Clean your computer mouse: Get dirt and grime off of your computer mouse's ball using rubbing alcohol.
28. Clean jewelry with q tips: Using q tips and jewelry cleaner, you can get into small spaces.
29. Get ink stains off: Nail polish can remove ink stains from skin, walls, and more.
30. Erase permanent markers: Rubbing alcohol can remove permanent markers from most surfaces.
31. Kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables: Rinse fruits and vegetables with hydrogen peroxide and cold water to kill e. coli and more.
32. Clean your CD player lens: Clean the lens of your CD player using rubbing alcohol on a q tip.
33. Remove paint from windows: Nail polish remover can get paint off of windows.

Car
Put epsom salt and rubbing alcohol to use in your car.

34. Dissolve windshield frost: Spray rubbing alcohol on your windshield to dissolve frost.
35. Regenerate your car battery: Give life to your car battery with epsom salt.

Health & Beauty
You can improve your eyelashes, remove hairspray from mirrors, and more using simple items from the drug store.

36. Clean up self tanner: A q tip can clean up self tanner from your cuticles, elbows, and backs of your knees.
37. Control blemishes: Use witch hazel to reduce inflammation on pimples.
38. Grow your eyelashes: Put Vaseline on your eyelashes before bed to grow them longer and thicker over time.
39. Get hair spray off of mirrors: Wipe down your mirror with rubbing alcohol to get residue off.
40. De-oil your hair: Soak up excess oil from your hair with epsom salt.
41. Remove foot odor: Soak your feet in epsom salt to get rid of foot odor.
42. Protect rubber gloves: Put cotton balls under your nails to protect them and your rubber gloves from puncture.
43. Soften hard skin: Coat feet, elbows, and cuticles with Vaseline to soften them.
44. Get hairspray out: Remove hairspray from your hair using a hairspray solution.
45. Get odors off your hands: With rubbing alcohol, you can remove harsh odors from your hands.
46. Remove excess nail polish: Dab a q tip in nail polish remover to remove excess nail polish.
47. Massage with rubbing alcohol: Use rubbing alcohol instead of massage oil-it is cooling, but warms up quickly.
48. Volumize your hair: A deep conditioner and epsom salt can volumize your hair.
49. Zap zits: Clear up your acne by dabbing hydrogen peroxide onto your zits a few times a day.
50. Keep emergency perfume on q tips: Spray perfume on q tips and store them in a plastic bag, then apply them to pressure points when you need them.
51. Stop facial redness: Hemorrhoid cream can be used to clear up facial redness.
52. Bring out your highlights: Spraying 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and water in your hair after a shower can bring out your natural light highlights.
53. Treat a cold sore: Hemorrhoid cream can help treat cold sores, just be careful not to put it where you'll lick your lips.
54. Fix makeup smudges: Dip a q tip in makeup remover or moisturizer to remove smudges.
55. Get gum out of your hair: Work gum out of your hair with Vaseline.
56. Shrink under-eye bags: Witch hazel can tighten up skin and reduce bagginess.
57. Treat cellulite: Tighten and shrink tissue using hemorrhoid cream.
58. Remove ear wax buildup: Flush out your waxy buildup using hydrogen peroxide.
59. Heal bruises: Dab on witch hazel a few times a day to fade bruises.
60. Conceal hair roots: Run a q tip with matching eyeshadow over your roots.
61. Prevent hair dye stains: Keep hair dye from staining your skin by putting Vaseline along your hairline.
62. Soothe and prevent razor burn: Apply witch hazel to help irritated hair follicles.
63. Soak your toothbrushes in hydrogen peroxide: Kill germs on your toothbrush by soaking them in hydrogen peroxide.
64. Whiten your nails: Mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, and swab it over fingernails with a q tip.
65. Kill foot fungus: Mix 50/50 water and hydrogen peroxide on your feet every night and let them dry to kill foot fungus.
66. Control unruly brows: Cover a q tip in Vaseline and run it over your eyebrow hairs.

Garden
Put hydrogen peroxide and more to work in your garden.

67. Control mold and mildew in the greenhouse: Spray hydrogen peroxide in your greenhouse to control mold and mildew.
68. Fertilize with epsom salt: Epsom salt can be used as a houseplant fertilizer.
69. Keep rabbits at bay: Soak cotton balls in white distilled vinegar, place them in a 35mm film container, poke a hole in the top, and place it in the garden.
70. Add hydrogen peroxide to plant water: Give your plants extra oxygen by adding hydrogen peroxide.
71. Use hydrogen peroxide as a fertilizer: Spray hydrogen peroxide on foliage or add it to plant water.
72. Help sick plants with hydrogen peroxide: Nurse sick plants back to health by adding hydrogen peroxide to their water and spraying it on their leaves.
73. Prevent slugs: Keep slugs from entering by sprinkling epsom salts.
74. Prevent tree infection: Spray hydrogen peroxide on tree cuts to prevent infection.

Home Improvement & Decor
These are some useful tips for putting drug store items to work in your home.

75. Touch up with q tips: Apply touch up paint to walls and cabinets with q tips.
76. Unclog a drain: Use antacid to unclog drains.
77. Strip finish details with q tips: Get to details, cracks, and crevices when stripping furniture by using q tips.
78. Light candle wicks: Light hard to reach candle wicks by dipping one end of a q tip in rubbing alcohol and lighting it.
79. Scent a room with a cotton ball in your vacuum: Saturate a cotton ball with a fragrance, put it in your vacuum cleaner bag, and it will release the scent as you vacuum.

Clothing
Clean and fix your clothes with these drug store solutions.

80. Lubricate sticky zippers: Dip q tips in olive oil and run them along zippers for lubrication.
81. Get scuff marks off: Nail polish remover can get scuff marks off of patent leather shoes.
82. Wipe down leather shoes: Prevent your leather shoes from pinching by rubbing them down with alcohol.

Baby & Kids
Use these drug store items for your baby and children.

83. Clean little baby parts: Warm water and q tips can be used to clean your baby's ear, between toes, and more.
84. Soothe diaper rash: Apply witch hazel to heal your baby's diaper rash.
85. Stop diaper rash: Create a barrier and heal diaper rash with Vaseline.
86. Sling shot with cotton balls: Play indoors sling shots with cotton balls.
87. Clean your newborn's umbilical cord: Until your newborn's cord stump falls off, clean it with rubbing alcohol on a q tip.

Arts & Crafts
Have fun with these drug store art projects.

88. Q tips make great small paintbrushes: Give your children kid sized paintbrushes by using q tips, and enjoy easy cleanup.
89. Remove dried glue: Get dried hot glue off with rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs.
90. Apply glue with q tips: Apply glue to models with a q tip, and use the clean size to remove excess.
91. Remove sticky substances: You can get sticky substances off of your hands with rubbing alcohol.
92. Apply face paint: Use a q tip to apply face paint when playing dress up.
93. Carve designs with q tips: Add finishing touches to sculptures with q tips.

Jewelry
Clean and protect your jewelry with these smart ideas.

94. Remove scratches from watches: Rub nail polish remover on the face of your watch to get scratches out.
95. Protect jewelry: Cushion breakable jewelry by spreading out cotton balls.
96. Soak in antacid: Soak your jewelry in water and antacid tablets for a great shine.
97. Remove stuck rings: Vaseline can be used to remove stuck rings.

Miscellaneous
These are even more bright ideas from the drugstore.

98. Dilute correction fluid: Get the goop out of correction fluid by using nail polish remover.
99. Remove dog ticks: Apply rubbing alcohol to ticks before pulling out to make it loosen its grip.
100. Stop superglue: Unstick superglue with the help of nail polish remover.

This article was written and provided by Nursing Schools.net

Top 50 Online Resources for Families Coping with Alzheimer's -- A Guest Article by Rachel Davis

Top 50 Online Resources for Families Coping With Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease is so cruel—it robs our loved ones of their senses of self, of their mental capacities, of their memories, of their lives. And it forces spouses and children to become caregivers in ways that most people never imagine. With millions of people each year being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a similar dementia, and millions more dying from it, it is still possible for caregivers to feel lost, confused, and alone. We’ve searched the Web to find some of the most helpful resources for families coping with Alzheimer’s. Hopefully, this top 50 list provides you with some information, inspiration, and even comfort.

Personal Blogs By Caregivers

These blogs have been written by children and spouses of Alzheimer’s sufferers.

1. The Yellow Wallpaper : A heart-rending account of a daughter and mother’s story of love and loss to Alzheimer’s disease. 2. Alzheimer’s Moments : A son chronicles the life of his mother in a nursing home for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia. 3. The Zen of Caregiving : An artist struggling with her own bipolar disorder journals about her daily life caring for a husband with Alzheimer’s. 4. Early Onset Alzheimer’s Adventure : Chuck D’Onofrio has been blogging about his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease since 2006. 5. blog.fadingfrommemory.info : Compelling blog about a family’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease when both parents were diagnosed. 6. Dorian Martin’s SharePosts : Dorian Martin cared for her mother with Alzheimer’s from 2005 to 2007, upon her passing. Her blog shares the ups and downs of being a caregiver. 7. “had a dad” Alzheimer’s Blog : Gereva Bert Piedmont writes this blog as a way to share memories of her late father and to support others going through the struggle with Alzheimer’s. 8. All Your Blogs Are Belong to Us : Heart-wrenching stories from a man who has lost his mother and two brothers to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. 9. Alzheimer’s Support : Sandy shares stories of her mother and provides links and resources to families dealing with this diagnosis. 10. caringformary.blogspot.com : This blogger relates her story of the Alzheimer’s diagnosis of her mother and the last stages of her life. 11. Never Goodbye : A woman relates the story of her father’s diagnosis, treatment, and death from Alzheimer’s. 12. The Mom & Me Journals dot Net : An amazing body of work from a daughter who became her mother’s end-of-life companion in the year 1993 until her death in 2008.

Information About Alzheimer’s Disease

13. Alzheimer’s Disease – Symptoms Treatment and Care : Articles about Alzheimer’s disease and other resources are included here. 14. holisticnutritionandneurology.blogspot.com : Doctors discuss the connections between nutrition and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s. 15. EverydayHealth.com : Everyday Health provides suggestions and contact information for various Alzheimer’s support organizations. 16. The Tangled Neuron : Mona Johnson provides the latest updates on Alzheimer’s research, written in a way that families can understand. 17. Alzheimer’s Association : The Alzheimer’s Association provides excellent resources on their website. 18. alzheimers247.wordpress.com : There are several good articles about Alzheimer’s Disease on this blog. 19. PBS.org: The Forgetting : This is a wonderful companion website to the gripping PBS documentary,The Forgetting, which originally aired in 2008. 20. Partnering With Your Doctor: A Guide For Persons With Memory Problems and Their Care Partners : This excellent online brochure is provided by the Alzheimer’s Association and helps patients and their caregivers know how to work with the doctor. 21. Alzheimer’s Reading Room : This is the #1 blog online in the category of Alzheimer’s and Caregiving. Over 1,500 articles deal with topics from anxiety to behavior problems. 22. AHAF : You can order free brochures from the American Health Assistance Foundation on this site devoted to Alzheimer’s research. 23. Brain Today : Two doctors and a medical professional blog daily about news in the world of neurosciences and Alzheimer’s Disease. 24. About.com : Coping With Alzheimer’s : About.com has many excellent articles about ways to cope with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. 25. Dementia News : A British website that combines many different resources about the effects of dementia, including Alzheimer’s. 26. Mayo Clinic: Alzheimer’s Disease – Coping and support : The Mayo Clinic offers advice to both the Alzheimer’s patient and the caregiver. Subscribe to the free newsletter. 27. Coping With Daily Life and Alzheimer’s Disease : Alzheimer’s patients who are still aware of their condition and that they are losing their mental capacity have many questions as they wonder how to cope with the disease.

Survival Skills For The Caregiver

28. Tips for Traveling With An Alzheimer’s Patient : Alzcare.net provides excellent tips for traveling with an Alzheimer’s patient. 29. Alzcast.org : Alzcast.org is a website designed for doctors, nurses, and caregivers. The site features podcasts from different experts on all aspects of dealing with Alzheimer’s. 30. Medicare For Caregivers : Anyone who is caring for an elderly relative will appreciate the resources available on this site. Learn all about Medicare coverage and the benefits that are available to your loved one. 31. The CareGiver : Bob DeMarco uses this blog to discuss the many issues that concern Alzheimer’s caregivers on a daily basis. 32. Wego Health : Dementia Support at Wego Health includes many helpful links to online support resources. 33. Activity Ideas That Work : Gina Salazar writes about activities that are appropriate for Alzheimer’s patients. 34. Helpguide.org : Helpguide.org provides well-researched information on Alzheimer’s and dementia, providing resources for caregivers. 35. The Nursing Home Administrator : Insight into the world of the nursing home administrator, someone who may become an important person in your life if your family is dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. 36. Caregiver Support Page at Caring.com : Interact with other caregivers at Caring.com and read many good articles about ways to cope with Alzheimer’s disease in a loved one. 37. Alzheimer’s Caregiver’s Corner : The Alzheimer’s Caregiver’s Corner is provided by the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. It has links to many articles about being a good caregiver. 38. Exelon Patch: For The Caregiver : The makers of Exelon provide helpful resources for people dealing with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. 39. The Unforgettable Fund : The Unforgettable Fund was begun by the McNally family after losing their father to Alzheimer’s Disease. 40. Medicare Florida : This blog combines many different resources for families coping with Alzheimer’s. 41. 1,2,3: Steps 4 Family Caregivers : This free online brochure reminds caregivers to take care of themselves, reach out for help, and believe in themselves. 42. 10 Tips for Communicating with a Person with Dementia : This is a helpful article from the Family Caregivers Alliance. 43. Take Care of Yourself: 10 Ways to be a Healthier Caregiver : This is an excellent checklist that gives caregivers easy strategies for improving their own health. 44. Life Without Memories : This page was created to help support Alzheimer’s patient caregivers and spread news about research developments. 45. Caregiver Relief : Donahue Vanderhider is a gerontologist who specializes in helping caregivers manage stress. 46. bigtreemurphy.com : Beverly Bigtree Murphy, author of he used to be Somebody, provides amazing resources for people who wish to take care of an Alzheimer’s patient at home. She cared for her husband for 14 years after his diagnosis. 47. Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease: Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging. : 48. Dementia, Caregiving and Controlling Frustration. : This page has a great article about dealing with the frustration that so many caregivers face. 49. CareGiverUnderGround : Linda has taken her experiences as a caregiver as well as good outside resources and put them all together in this original blog. It’s designed to give caregivers support and inspiration. 50. KnowItAlz : KnowItAlz, an online community just for Alzheimer’s caregivers, provides a wealth of resources and support.

This guest article comes courtesy of Rachel Davis at Radiology Degree.com

Recent Advances in Developing Artificial Uteruses -- Guest Article

Recent Advances in Developing Artificial Uteruses

by Kathy Wilson

One of the biggest miracles we see every day is the ability to create human life – the conception and birth of a baby is a wondrous happening that the human brain will never be able to completely replicate artificially. Even so, great strides have been made in boosting fertility and aiding conception through advances in the medical field, the artificial uterus being one such pioneering effort. We’ve all heard of assisted reproductive techniques like artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization and even other more complicated procedures like ICSI and GIFT. But an artificial uterus is a relatively unheard of concept, one that is only just gaining steam.

It’s only a prototype now, but a working one that shows promise and possibility. Scientists and researchers at the Cornell University's Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility have succeeded in taking cells from the endometrium, the lining of the womb, and growing them in a lab using hormones and other growth factors. Tests have already been run using fetuses not used in IVF procedures, and they have shown that they’re able to attach themselves to the lining of the artificial womb. Further trials will prove the viability of this concept, but for now, the researchers are limited by IVF regulations.

Ethical aspects raise their ugly head and threaten to prevent progress in this field; on the one hand, you have abortion issues – while women are permitted to undergo an abortion legally now because the fetus is within their bodies, when they’re outside and growing in an artificial womb, will abortion amount to murder? Also, artificial wombs when combined with cloning technology are conceptually capable of allowing reproduction without involving the female factor. How far will people go to exploit this if it becomes a reality?

Artificial uteruses benefit women in more ways than just helping those with damaged and faulty uteruses conceive and take home children of their own genes – they aid professional women by allowing them to continue working without having to take time off for the pregnancy, and they are deemed to be safer environments because they are not affected by any adverse reactions (like stress and side-effects caused by drugs and alcohol) in the mother’s body.

But then, what happens to the concept of motherhood as we know it? Is the bonding of mother and child not important at all in the larger scheme of things? Artificial uteruses are ok for women who cannot conceive because they have no uteruses or damaged ones; but for the rest who are looking for a “convenient” pregnancy, ethical questions must be raised and answered before they’re allowed to do as they please.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Kathy Wilson, who writes on the topic of x ray technician school programs . She welcomes your comments at her email id: kathywilson1983@gmail.com