New Year's Resolution: Weight Loss

Holidays bring family and friends together to celebrate traditions and spread good cheer. They also bring lots of opportunities for socializing, eating, and drinking. Even the most disciplined people struggle with temptation during the holiday season.

To navigate the party landmines with your healthy diet intact, you need a strategy. Experts agree: Having a plan in place will help you handle night after night of eating and drinking.

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11 Fun New Year's Eve Party Ideas

11 great New Year's Eve party ideas to save you money at your party this year!

Picture a great New Year’s Eve party at your home with all your friends: Sparkling decorations and candles all about. Your guests take hilarious photos, dance with loud, crazy noisemakers, and enjoy a selection of appetizers. When the clock strikes 12, you toast with champagne and feast on a midnight supper.
This scenario has to cost a fortune, right? Well, not necessarily. With a few money-saving tricks up your sleeve, you can host a great New Year’s party on a budget that people will be talking about for a long time to come. From food, to refreshments, to games, you can cut costs everywhere without sacrificing any of the fun! And if your New Year’s resolution is to save money, this is a great place to start.

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Merry Christmas!

Thanks to Christmas we all turn a bit more sensitive and our hearts are peaceful enough to be happy.  The best way to celebrate Christmas is by sharing with family and friends and giving love to those who also love us. We Wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Driving Safe in Winter Weather

Falling snow can be picturesque, but it can also wreak havoc on the roads. While no one enjoys driving in snowy or slippery conditions, there are steps you can take to help improve your safety.
Here are some guidelines that can help you stay safe when driving in adverse winter conditions:

• Make sure your car is prepared for cold temperatures and wintery conditions like snow and ice. Keep your equipment properly maintained and include a winter survival kit in your vehicle: an ice scraper, snow shovel and sand/salt. Jumper cables are also a good idea since batteries are prone to failure during cold weather.
• Clear snow and ice off your car – including windows, mirrors, lights, reflectors, hood, roof and trunk.
• Drive with your headlights on, and be sure to keep them clean to improve visibility.
• Use caution when snow banks limit your view of oncoming traffic.
• Avoid using cruise control in snowy or icy conditions. In adverse conditions, you want as much control of your car as possible.
• Know how to brake on slippery surfaces. Vehicles with anti-lock brakes operate much differently from those that do not have anti-lock brakes. You should consult your vehicle's owner's manual for instructions on how to brake properly if your vehicle should start to skid.
• Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter season. This helps ensure you have a source of heat if you are stuck or stranded.
• If you do venture out or are unexpectedly caught in a snowstorm and encounter problems, stay in your car and wait for help. You can run the car heater to stay warm for 10 minutes every hour, but make sure your exhaust pipe is clear of snow. There is a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning if snow blocks the pipe and enables the deadly gas to build up in your car. Open your window slightly to help prevent the buildup.
• Keep your windshield washer reservoir full, and make sure your car has wiper blades that are in good condition.
• Remember that speed limits are meant for dry roads, not roads covered in snow and ice. You should reduce your speed and increase your following distance as road conditions and visibility worsen.
• Be cautious on bridges and overpasses as they are commonly the first areas to become icy.
• Avoid passing snow plows and sand trucks. The drivers can have limited visibility, and the road in front of them could be worse than the road behind.
• Monitor road and weather conditions by checking local news stations or Internet traffic and weather sites.
• If you must travel during a snowstorm or in blizzard conditions, be sure to let a relative, friend or coworker know where you are headed and your expected arrival time. Avoid the temptation to check or be on your phone while driving as all of your attention should be on arriving safely.

https://www.travelers.com/prepare-prevent/auto/safe-driving/winter-driving-tips.aspx

Holiday Game Ideas!

Liven up the family gathering with these great holiday game ideas:

http://dayzeebee.hubpages.com/hub/Christmas-Games

National Popcorn Day!

Today is National Popcorn Day, we suggest you pop up some fresh popcorn, kick back and enjoy!  What is your favorite kind of popcorn?

National Popcorn Day is celebrated at the end of January, although its exact date is a matter of debate. Various sources report it as January 19; others claim it takes place on whatever day the Super Bowl falls on. The Popcorn Board is often asked about the origins of this day; unfortunately, we do not know how or when this celebration began. Some other individual or organization (with obvious good taste) began this tradition.

The connection to the Super Bowl seems natural enough. It’s a highly regarded annual sporting competition pitting the top two national football teams against each other. Millions of viewers from around the globe hunker down with bowls of their favorite snack—popcorn—in heated anticipation of who will win the battle.
If you know of the origins of National Popcorn Day, please email us at: edu@popcorn.org.

Popcorn Day Activities

Thank you to Leslie F, a teacher from Concord, Illinois, who sent the following suggestions for Popcorn Day Activities:

1. Stringing popcorn (these could be hung outside for birds to eat)
   Need: sewing needles, string, popcorn
2. Guess the amount (fill container with kernels and have students guess)
   Need: popcorn kernels, container
3. Popcorn air hockey—can you “volley” the kernel back and forth 20 times without letting it fall?
   Need: flat surface (table), straw (to blow), coffee stirrers (as paddles) or hands (as paddles)
4. Popcorn relay race
   Need: popcorn, spoons
5. Popcorn basketball: can you flick a piece of popcorn into the basket?
   Need: popcorn, baskets (i.e. muffin tins, small cups), backboards (wall, cardboard)
6. Popcorn word search (puzzle maker)
   Popcorn, pop, kernel, explode, heat, moisture, grain, snack, crunchy, butter, oil, salt, fiber, bag, hull
7. Write a popcorn Haiku (5, 7, 5 syllable pattern poem)
   Oil, kernels, heat, time
   Many loud explosions heard
   Pop, crunch, snack time. Yum!
8. How many words can you make from this phrase?
   "Fresh hot popcorn”, “Popcorn tastes good”, “I like popcorn”, “Hot buttered popcorn”
9. Popcorn coloring pages (download from www.popcorn.org)
10. Read facts about popcorn at www.popcorn.org and write about the history of popcorn

http://www.popcorn.org/AboutUs/Media/NationalPopcornDay/tabid/115/Default.aspx

Trying to decide what to bake this Holiday?

Need inspiration as you do your holiday baking? Check out this site that has over 570 cookie recipes
 http://www.christmas-cookies.com/

Energy Saving Tips

Tis the season when we start cranking up those thermostats! There are a lot of things you can do to not only prevent heat from leaking out of your home but money as well. Check these energy saving tips first before turning up the heat http://energy.gov/energysaver/downloads/energy-saver-guide

5 ways to keep your phone charged during a power outage

(CNN) -- In our increasingly digital world, a mobile phone or other portable device is often a one-stop communication device. Phone calls, text messages, social media and even radio and television can all come from the same gadget.

And when the power goes out, these gadgets can quickly become stylish but useless bricks.

As a potentially historic blizzard barrels toward the Northeast, now is the time to be juicing up the mobile devices you use to stay connected. Also, don't forget about backup devices like that BlackBerry you got from work, tablets and even e-readers that have Web access.

But when the lights go out, you're on your own. Here are some tools and tips to try to keep you connected longer.

If you have time to grab some gear now:

Battery charger

A backup charger for your phone or tablet can can keep you linked in longer.

"Juice packs" can be bought for $100 or less (Mophie, for one, makes them for Apple and Android devices) and many of the chargers double as protective cases for your smartphone or tablet. Alternately, battery-powered backup chargers like the Zagg Sparq can provide several full charges for your mobile devices after the usual electrical options are gone.

You can even find chargers that use solar power. So as long as you've got a dry spot and at least a brief break from the rain, Mother Nature can help bail you out.

And don't forget about your car charger, assuming you have one. Your car's battery will be solid long after your phone's isn't.

Power inverter

If you need to power up something a little bigger than a phone, a power inverter might be a useful tool. If you want to be able to use a laptop or desktop computer during an outage, this may be the way to go.

The inverter can be used to convert DC power from your car battery into AC juice for things usually plugged into a wall outlet.

Places like Batteries Plus, as well as most computer stores, usually have these around in a wide range of power. Ask an employee how much of a charge you need for what you want to do.

Here are some other tips if you don't have the option of buying new chargers:

Laptop as back-up generator

This one seems obvious ... once you've thought about it. But it's the sort of thing that can slip your mind when there's a lot of other preparation to be done.

While there's time, fully charge your laptop (or, best case, laptops).

Then don't use it. When other power sources go out, you can plug your phone or tablet into the laptop, via the USB port, for the extra juice.

Stop running apps

Check your phone's settings. Some apps quietly run in the background even when you're not using them, causing your battery to drain faster. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are two examples, but there are plenty of others. Here's a video for how to disable Wi-Fi on an iPhone and a walkthrough for how to control battery usage on Android devices. (Hat tip to Quartz.com).

Also, texting burns less power than a phone call, so go that route when you can. And turning down your screen's brightness will also help conserve juice.

Use a battery-life app

Several free apps for both iOS (Apple) and Android devices promise to help you extend your phone's battery life. One such app is Carat, which observes how you use your smartphone and makes personalized suggestions about which power-sucking apps you might delete.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/tech/mobile/sandy-charge-devices/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

How to Winterize your home while away

When you're leaving your house during winter for an extended period, closing up a summer vacation home,or cleaning a foreclosure, it's important to winterize your property to prevent it from deteriorating while you're away. Take precautions to avoid using unnecessary utilities, keep out animals and insects, and keep your possessions safe from theft. Whether you're leaving for a few weeks or a year, the following suggestions will help you to plan and execute a winterization down to the last nut and bolt.

http://www.wikihow.com/Winterize-a-Vacant-Home

Holiday Tree Safety Tip

Ahhh, I love this time of year; the christmas tree all lit up giving a beautiful glow, presents around the tree!  Now that you have your tree all decorated, make sure that you keep your tree watered.

Whoosh! Watch how fast fire spreads through a dry Christmas tree. This is a pretty stark reminder to check your holiday lights and keep your tree watered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNjO3wZDVlA

73 Years since the Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor^{[nb 4]} was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The attack led to the United States' entry into World War II.
The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. There were simultaneous Japanese attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
From the standpoint of the defenders, the attack commenced at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time.^[13] The base was attacked by 353^[14] Japanese fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.^[14] All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. All but one (Arizona) were later raised, and six of the eight battleships were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship,^{[nb 5]} and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded.^[16] Important base installations such as the power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.
The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day, December 8, the United States declared war on Japan.^[17] Domestic support for non-interventionism, which had been strong,^[18] disappeared. Clandestine support of Britain (e.g., the Neutrality Patrol) was replaced by active alliance. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day.
Years later several writers alleged that parties high in the U.S. and British governments knew of the attack in advance and may have let it happen (or even encouraged it) with the aim of bringing America into war.^[19][20] However, this advance-knowledge conspiracy theory is rejected by mainstream historians.^{[21][nb 6]}
There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan. However, the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy". Because the attack happened without a declaration of war and without explicit warning, the attack on Pearl Harbor was judged by the Tokyo Trials to be a war crime.
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What is a Furnace Puff Back?

Furnace puff back is a messy and potentially dangerous event in which smoke and soot are released into the furnace. Puff backs often result in oily black "webs" of soot being distributed throughout the house, requiring extensive cleaning and sometimes professional restoration to clean up. Worse than the mess is the potential damage that a puff back can do to the furnace itself. To better understand puff backs you should know what causes them and how they can be prevented

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_7755445_causes-furnace-puff-back.html

Do you want Santa to call or send a video to someone special?

Tis the Season when children are on their best behaviors in hopes of being on Santa's Nice list.  There are so many clever ways to make sure your kiddos are on their best behavior from Elf on the Shelf, to a video from Santa!

Below are some links that will brighten your child's day or put them in check!

Want Santa to call someone special?

http://www.christmasdialer.com/

Make them smile with a video from Santa!

https://www.portablenorthpole.com/?utm_expid=87714219-24.IH8SAMBjRwy-qbhfhmqYTA.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Do you want or already have Elf on the Shelf?  Below is a link for some ideas for your little Elf!

http://www.elfontheshelf.com/

Want to track Santa?
Find out when Santa will be in your neighborhood! NORAD Santa tracking:
http://j.mp/1dimb9x

Explore Flu Trends in your area!

Wondering whether flu season is kicking up in your state? Google has a Flu Trends map that can tell you that - using aggregated search data on flu-related terms to estimate flu activity.

http://www.google.org/flutrends/us/#US