Unusual Uses for the Indoor Bug Zapper

By Owen Jones

I don't know whether you have ever used a handheld, indoor bug zapper, but I think that they are wonderful. I?m talking about the handheld sort that looks like a child's plastic, toy tennis racquet. They come in two basic sorts. I rather the rechargeable bug zapper, for the reason that batteries end up up costing more than the indoor bug zapper itself, although you could always buy rechargeable batteries, but then they are costly too.

My wife and I like to spend time in the garden. We meet friends there, dine there and in general loaf about outside, as do most folks about here, when they are not working. What's more, it?s much cooler outside than inside. A comfortable chair, a few snacks, a cool drink and a book or a companion and life does not get much better. In fact, it's idyllic.

That is until about six or seven o'clock when the first wave of mosquitoes have judged that the sun's rays have lost enough strength that they will not evaporate and they come out searching for blood. Some evenings are worse than others, of course. Usually, the mosquitoes are pretty tolerable, especially seeing as I have discovered the indoor bug zapper. (I don't know why it is referred to as an ?indoor bug zapper?, it is just as effective outdoors as in).

It's not that I like to slaughter things, but I find it hard to have compassion for mosquitoes. Nevertheless, I do get a certain amount of enjoyment from seeing and hearing mosquitoes and other bugs literally blow up with a flash and a spark as they come into connection with the electric and ground wires of the indoor bug zapper. These electric bug zappers can pack quite a charge, particularly if the batteries are new or the pack is completely charged.

The other day, I discovered a novel use for my handheld, indoor bug zapper. I'll tell you how it came about. I was in the garden, as normal, and my bug zapper was close at hand as the first squadron of mosquitoes was expected. I had my book in one hand and the bug zapper on my knees, when my wife asked me to go to the store for her. No problem, so, I set off on the five minute walk.

I was half-way there when I realized that I had the indoor bug zapper in my hand, but it was not worth taking it home and beginning the trip again. Anyhow, on my return journey, I had my small bag of provisions in one hand and the indoor bug zapper in the other, when a local tyrant of a dog came running out of a garden straight for me. This has occurred often and, although he has never bitten me yet, it is very menacing. He stood there glaring at me with teeth bared and his 'pack' of miscellaneous local friends came out to surround me and join in.

I don't actually know what the best course of action is in this situation. I have tried holding my ground, but the intimidation just continues and I have tried to continue walking, but he gets worryingly close sometimes. This time, I suddenly lashed out with the indoor bug zapper and just hit him on the snout. Well, I'm not sure whether it hurt him, it did not appear to too much, but it gave him a very nasty shock in more ways than one, I can tell you! He leapt about four feet into the air as if he were on a pogo stick and then fled for all he was worth with all his friends behind him. It was very gratifying after six months of persecution from this dog.

Anyway, I don't take my indoor bug zapper everywhere with me, but I will in future, if any further local dogs bother me. I know it works a treat. I have seen that one since, but he stays far away from me and doesn't utter a squeak. I think I would take my indoor bug zapper with me, if I were wandering in an strange part of town or the park nevertheless.

About the Author:

Have you ever heard of an indoor bug zapper? If you haven't, or if you want to get an indoor bug zapper, please click one of the links to our website or blog.

How to Clean and Maintain Your Curtains?

By Sarah K Howarth

There are lots of such accessories in our homes that play a significant role in decorating our rooms, and manifest our aesthetics and taste. Curtains are perhaps, the most vital of all the accessories of our rooms and hence, should be given more importance than the rest of them. Curtains are not just meant to drape your windows; they also serve the purpose of giving you the privacy and a manifestation of your taste.

Considering this importance, curtains should never look ordinary and awkward. However sometimes, even very expensive curtains, which are made of high quality fabrics, begin to give ordinary and awkward look if they are not properly cleaned and maintained. Here are five handy tips that can prove very helpful to maintain and clean your curtains.

The first thing that you need to consider in maintaining and cleaning curtains is their fabric. These days, different heavy and light fabrics are used for curtains. It is quite easy to maintain and clean light fabric curtains; sometimes even a gentle shake is enough. Curtains can also be vacuumed regularly as vacuuming proves quite useful to keep them dirt free and clean.

If you have cotton or linen curtains in your room, they need to be cleaned and maintained every week. They can be easily cleaned by running in a washing machine with a gentle cycle. You can hang them in the sun to dry, and if they are colourful, it is better to hang them at a place with half sun and half shade. If you want to maintain them in their true colours, it is better to take them inside instantly once they get dried.

There are a few curtains that can only be cleaned and maintained by dry cleaning. This is an expensive procedure to be done every time. The alternate option is to shake the curtains strongly so as to remove all visible dirt. They can be vacuumed as well. You can kill the germs by steam ironing your curtains.

Brushing your curtains frequently with a lint brush will wipe out the dust from them. The way to do this is to start brushing from the top and going all the way down to the base of the curtain. By doing so, the dust will fall down instead of sticking back on the curtains. Vacuuming the curtains on both sides is a good idea to keep them immaculately clean.

Sniffing test will also help you a lot to keep your curtain clean and maintain their beauty. You need to sniff your curtains once in a week to find out whether they smell stale or fresh. You can also spray your curtains with some freshener, but you must make it certain that the fresheners you use do not contain any sort of harsh chemicals. Presence of some harsh chemicals can weaken or discolour the fabric of your curtains.

These tips can help you a lot to keep your curtains in a good impressive condition for long, without spending hefty amounts on them in buying new curtains again and again.

About the Author:

Sarah K Howarth is a home decorator. To buy good quality curtains and get 50% off on the sale of designer's curtains at his recommended website at http://www.homeinteriors4u.com

4 Types Of Beer That Everyone Should Try

By Luke Porter

The word "beer" is often used as a generic noun to describe a cold refreshing beverage. However, beer lovers around the world will heartily agree that there's nothing generic about beer.

In fact, world of beer gives you a multitude of options. The amount of differing characteristics that can be found is surprising, with most people having a favorite type even if they are not aware of it. From stout to cider, and porter to pilsner, there really is something for everyone.

The method of brewing tends to be somewhat similar for most commercially produced beers. However, there are enough slight variations on the basic brewing process for each type of beer to have individual characteristics. Different types of beer have unique qualities like appearance, taste, origin and aroma.

Some common favorites include these:

Lager: Some of the world's most popular beer brands are lagers. These include American styles including basic lager, all-malt lager, light lager, double pilsner, malt liquor and low-alcohol or "light" beers. Germany and the Czech Republic are seen as the international leaders in the production of them.

Ale: This includes brown ale, American amber, porter and wild ales. Also falling under the category of "Ales" are Chile Beer, Pumpkin Ale, Belgian and French ales, English, German, Irish, Finnish, Scottish and Russian ales.

Cider: While not an official beer, cider is still enjoyed by many beer drinkers. Cider brewed from traditional English farms is a particular favorite of many.

Hybrids: Combining different beer styles or ingredients create this "experimental" beer. Sub-categories include smoked, spiced, fruit and vegetable beer.

Those are the essentials that every serious beer drinker should have already ticked off their beer list. Remember that variety is the spice of the life; you're severely limiting yourself by always being loyal to one brand. Next time you're in a beer drinking mood, try something different!.

About the Author:

Luke Porter is a home beer brewing expert, and you are invited to discover the simple secrets of brewing world class beer from the comfort of your home by visiting his website: http://homebeerbrewingsecrets.com/

Green Tea Is Why Chinese Are Healthier Than Americans

By Laura Heins

As an oasis is to the dessert, or a cool breeze to a hot summer night, so is green tea to cholesterol.

Millions of people suffer from high cholesterol due to years and years of having a bad diet. Green tea can reverse much of this damage and can actually lower cholesterol.

As modern science discovered cholesterol, apoB protein, LDLs, and triglycerides, green tea emerged as a surprising solution. As crazy as it sounds that a drink thousands of years old can help lower cholesterol, new scientific research suggests exactly that. The next 10 years will continue to reveal more facts about the world's oldest beverage: green tea.

If green tea was just good at lowering cholesterol, that would be reason enough to drink it. But green tea also has anti-cancer ingredients! Now before you doubt, you need to know the latest research done by credible universities and organizations. At the University of Purdue, researchers found that green tea actually inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the body! At the University of Kansas, researchers found the link between the low levels of heart disease in Japan even though more than half of the population are smokers! It turns out most Japanese drink green tea and that green tea has a chemical called EGCG in it. Researchers found that EGCG helps prevent cancer. But perhaps the most telling study of all was done by the National Cancer Institute. In a medical journal, they reported the results of a study on esophageal cancer in China. Their conclusion was that green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by over fifty five percent!

Another research finding I am not very excited about is that green tea can lower high blood pressure. The study found that one would need to drink 5 to 10 cups of green tea a day for it to have an impact on blood pressure. That is just too much green tea to stomach each day even for the best habitual tea drinkers out there.

For more that 4,000 years the Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. So it is not just green tea and cholesterol or green tea and cancer; it is also green tea and depression!

There is ongoing research into whether green tea is helpful with cardiovascular disease, infection, arthritis, and more.

Researchers have found that catechin polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is what lowers the risk of cancer. Polyphenols have also been found to limit the negative effects of a fatty diet and of smoking.

Green tea has also been shown to help with weight loss. In a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that men who were given green tea burned more calories than those who were given only caffeine.

There are also studies being done on green tea and tooth decay. Green tea has bacteria killing compounds that help prevent tooth decay.

Now keep in mind that all teas are not created equal when it comes to health benefits. Green tea is what you want to drink to get the maximum health benefits. Even though all tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the difference is in how the tea leaves are prepared. Green tea leaves are steamed which keeps more of the EGCG compound. Black tea and Oolong tea are made from dried or fermented leaves which causes a loss of EGCG.

We should have learned to speak Mandarin or Fukien a long time ago and got to know green tea and cholesterol lowering the Chinese way.

There is new research coming out all the time about the health benefits of drinking green tea.

About the Author:

May you enjoy this article on the many health benefits of green tea. To discover the lowest prices on hundreds of different types of green tea by comparing prices from all the major retailers, go to buy green tea

Halloween Games for Children

By Russ D. Edwards

Trick or treating is just one of the activities you can do for Halloween. If you're throwing a party, you should have a few games so the children can have a good time.

the 1st game is named wrap the mummy. The target here is to see who can wrap The Mummy the swiftest. Since The Mummy might be quite enormous, it is best to group the participators in groups of 2. With the materials in hand, you tell them to start the instant you start the clock. Whoever finishes first wins a prize.

Next is the Great Monster Off. While most the kids come dressed to parties, tell your visitors not to so they can play this game. With materials that you'll be supplying them, the youngsters will make their own. You can then give awards for those that have the cutest, scariest, funniest and most creative outfits.

One of the more common games for youngsters and adults as well is Apple Bobbing. You again group the children in groups of two and after one kid bobs an apple, she or he has to do a certain task before the other member is in a position to do it. The one that finishes first will win the prize.

Since there will be water spilling on the floor, ensure that you have other adults other than yourself to supervise. Accidents do occur and this should be evaded when it is all about having fun.

Another Halloween game is named Wonder Brain which is very like musical chair. The only difference is that you don't have to sit down when the music stops as the participant gets eliminated just when the item is still in their possession.

the explanation why they call it wonder brain is really because you are letting them carry a fake brain. There are plenty of ways to try this and one example is by using some paper towels, a fridge bag and some red dye. The game begins when the youngsters form a circle. The brain is passed from one kid to the subsequent and when the music stops, whoever has it is out until the last person standing becomes the winner.

The kids can also play pumpkin toss. Here, you hang a large pumpkin on the ceiling with holes in the middle. The kid who is able to shoot the greatest number of rolls of socks or bean bags is the winner. To make it harder, award points for the eyes, nose and mouth. Who scores the highest number of points wins.

The last game is called Pin the Skeleton which is just like Pin the mule. The workings of the game are the same which includes blind folding that person. Since the skeleton does not have a heart, you've got to pin this onto it and whoever is able to do that successfully wins.

There are other Halloween games which you can plan for the kids. You can even make sure variations to those mentioned and still let them enjoy a fun filled activity. So before the party begins, make sure that you already have a program ready. It'll be a smart idea to have 4 or five games so everybody will be ready to participate instead of just watching from the sidelines.

About the Author:

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Personalized Bridesmaids Gifts in Monogrammed Swarovski Bracelets

By Ryan Bennett

Bridesmaids Gifts are special tokens for the female members of your bridal party who have been there for you through the years through thick and thin. With these girls you have shared countless precious memories together. As a simple gesture of your appreciation it is now the right time to give them some creative and unique keepsakes. You can give them something personalized or customized. Pieces of jewelry items such as Swarovski crystal or cultured pearl bracelets or necklace would be great gift ideas.

The things that you give them have special meaning and convey the special feelings you have for them. These ladies can be your friends, sisters or cousins who have known you for years and have been with you through your ups and downs. They deserve something memorable from you that also remind them of the biggest day of your life. They are a part of your life now and will always be.

Give them something that is very practical that they can make use of everyday. The essence of giving a gift is to make sure that your gift benefits the recipient and that will truly serve the purpose of your gift. The bridesmaids are your closest allies and the gifts you choose should reflect how they mean to you. It will also be more memorable if you personalize your presents for them.

There is a great way to pamper your friends and they certainly love that pampering stuff from you. Jewelry items are indeed adorable and very useful for the bridesmaids. If they are the type of girls who love jewelry, then you can delight them wit fashionable Swarovski crystal bracelets with monogrammed charms which you will present to them in an elegantly custom-designed jewelry pouches.

Bridesmaids Gifts are also found on the internet where you can browse on their online catalogs with the corresponding prices which are within your means. Thus, you need not worry on your budget. You will find on the internet certain websites the multitudes of jewelry gift sets or some hard-to-beat traditional favorites. Try to visit some websites where you can find gift items that will be fitting for your bridesmaids.

About the Author:

Bridesmaids gifts are indeed now becoming part of the modern day wedding. It is now becoming popular as manufacturers and bridal stores are coming up with the latest of its kind every so often. This and other unique content '' articles are available with free reprint rights.

High Performance Truck Parts

By Roy Shepherd

Finding top quality high performance truck parts to use on truck can be tricky. But think about it; the SUV and truck accessories are an important feature for vehicles. A top location for these types of products can be found at the suvtruckparts.com site. At this site you will locate great bargains and learn useful information about these parts on the Internet.

Not only does the suvtruckparts.com web site have great SUV accessories for you but they also specialize in truck restoration items. There are many choices of products for you to find just the items that you specifically need for your vehicles. This makes your shopping so easy when you look online at suvtruckparts.com web site.

You will find it great to look at the special accessories and parts that are ideal for your vehicles. Looking over the special SUV and truck accessories can save you a great deal of money. There are other places online that offer these types of parts but they can be a challenge to find. Not only that but you have to get one part at one site and another part at a different site. This can create a great deal of frustration.

You will love how the layout for suvtrucksparts.com is so user-friendly. You can easily get around the site and locate the SUV and truck accessories that you will need. It is so easy to shop with them without every leaving your house. Virtually all of your needs for parts and accessories are right at your fingertips.

For your high performance truck parts and even for the SUV and truck accessories you will love the coupons that are offered. This means that you can save money and benefit from specials each time that you shop with the web site. They even offer free items with different types of purchases. Not only that but you can browse through the clearance items for great savings as well.

Keep up to date on the latest news in the area of SUV and truck accessories. At this web site you can find all kinds of different and current articles to sit back and enjoy at your leisure. You can stay current without even spending a penny.

About the Author:

Author Roy Shepherd provides truck and suv owners a place to order accessories for trucks on the internet. Be sure you join Roy's Free of charge Newsletter delivering clearances from truck accessories website.

Ghoulish Halloween Party

By Russ D. Edwards

Organizing a Halloween party for kids can be both quite pleasurable and at the same time challenging. There are several things that you will need to plan in advance and an entire bunch of things that could most likely go bad. And, you are talking about organizing a ghoulish Halloween party for children whose attention span can be as short as a candle fuse. The party can simply go out of control with kids getting rowdy, attempting to best one another with their costumes, treats, etc.

Although having some type of control would be a great but also remember this is a youngsters party, an iron hand rule would be overdoing it. Now there are several ways to make your audience listen. One way would be to make them busy by having them participate in party games. There are quite a good number of party games that you can organize that will surely grab the eye of your youngsters.

If you're acquainted with the game called mummy Wrap, you know the youngsters will be pleased to take part with this one. As the name of the game implies, it involves wrapping somebody with ma wraps which in our case equates with a roll of toilet roll. The game is simple. You simply need to group the kids into small groups and have them designate someone to wrap. At your cue, wrap the mummy with toilet tissue from head to feet. The group that were able to wrap fully their mum the quickest would be the winner.

Several Halloween games I know are just differentiations of exiting party games. We have the Halloween musical chairs and the freeze dance. Both I certain you already know. It doesn't hurt to be a little creative with your chairs. You can simply make the kids feel it is a Halloween game it you make the chairs ghoulish looking like maybe making them appear like tombstones or using darker colored chairs and adding some cobwebs.

And do not forget the music. You can simply find Halloween music in the closest record store or in the Net. For further enjoyment, you can ask the kids to dance in an monastery or ghoulish sort of way. You can also give a prize to the kid that will give the best monster dance.

Remember to give prizes to your game winners. This will inspire them to participate into the kid that will give the best monster dance.

Dont forget to give prizes to your game winners. This may encourage them to take part in the next games.

Another game which appears to popular is the building a scarecrow game. This involves having several groups of youngsters make their won scarecrow using pillow cases, old garments, newspapers, card boards, tapes or adhesives, and markers. You will have to prepare some old garments for this one. The youngsters will definitely enjoy making something that frequently sees in television and books.

You may also have a Halloween candy hunt which basically is a variation of the Easter egg hunt. By this time, we just hope the kids haven't discovered yet the candies you hid round the area.

Do not forget to have a frightening story telling time as well. Ask one of your guests or friends to inform a tale to the children at the party. Avoid making the story too scary though.

There are more ghoulish Halloween party games that may still do. Just remember that this is the youngsters day and your target is to have them enjoy the day.

About the Author:

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