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 What does it take to become a positive energy person in this world? What would you consider yourself to be?
A positive energy person:
- Looks for the good in people and tries to bring it out
- Is neither self neglecting, nor self-absorbed
- Always strives to see the positive outcome from every situation (no matter how difficult the situation may be)
A negative energy person:
- Looks for and expects the worst in people
- Is self absorbed and cannot see beyond their own sense of loss or need
- Only sees the negative outcomes from most situations
A neutral energy person:
- Floats through life without much thought or care for others
- Reacts to whatever happens in the most minimal of ways
- Has little involvement in the world around them
Positive energy comes from a mental attitude that only admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conducive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome to every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.
Negative energy comes from thoughts, words and attitudes that bring up unhappy moods and actions. When the mind is negative, it poisons all our thought processes, which cause more unhappiness and negativity. Stubborn negative thinking is a sure way to failure, frustration and disappointment.
Think about the benefits positive energy thinking will bring into your life and persuade yourself to try it. Set aside some time to look over your life. Would you say it is positive, negative or neutral?
Write down some situations that have happened in your life and record your reactions. How did you react? Was there a more positive way to respond?
Positively speaking,
 Your mirrors and shower doors are often a reflection of your cleanliness and sanitary safety. Sparkle up your home with these easy ways to clean glass surfaces.
Make mirrors sparkle and shine.
Wipe the mirror surface using crumpled newspaper, dipped in a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar and a half-gallon of water. Buff dry with newspaper for a streak-free finish.
Eco-friendly window cleaner.
Mix 1 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cup water and 1 tbs. white vinegar. Use a spray bottle to spritz on windows; wipe with paper towels.
Get glasses gleaming again.
Soak cloudy drinking glasses in a bowl of warm white vinegar for an hour. Then rub away any remaining film with a plastic scrubber.
Shine up your shower doors.
For a gentle and effective alternative to scrubbing, cut a fresh lemon in half, remove seeds and rub the fleshy side over the glass. Let sit for five minutes, then rinse.
Revive a grimy flower vase.
Fill the vase with hot, soapy water and a handful of dry rice. Cover the top with your palm and shake. Let this mixture sit overnight, then rinse with hot water.
Clean your coffee carafe!
Pour 2 cups of ice and 3 tbs. salt into the carafe. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon, then add 1/4 cup water. Swirl the mixture around until the stains have dissolved.
Each load of laundry you do at home costs over $1.00. At an average of seven loads per week for a large family, the expense can really add up. With these eco-friendly adjustments, you’ll get clean clothes without cleaning out your wallet.
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Switch to cold water.
Heating up water accounts for as much as 90% of the energy needed for each washer load. Running loads with cold water not only conserves energy, it also saves almost $200 a year!
Zap static cling with this.
It’s white vinegar - just add 1 cup to your washer’s rinse cycle. That way, you avoid buying pricey chemical additives.
Bunch your batches.
Doing several loads one right after the other will cut down drying time by 10 minutes or more. That’s because the residual heat left in the dryer from the previous cycle speeds up the process for the next load.
Have a ball.
Throw a tennis ball in your dryer; the extra tumble action will help your clothes dry extra fast.
Set it to auto.
Skip the timed setting on your dryer, and put your trust in the auto function. Sensors in the machine detect moisture and automatically shut off when the load is done. Avoiding over-drying not only saves you money, it also saves your clothes, since its easier on fabrics! |
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Time to freshen up your walls with a new coat of paint? Here are a few ideas to help you paint like a pro.
Pick your best technique.
Short on time? Try a roller: Pros find it takes about a third of the time of brushing. The downside? You’ll need a third more paint!
Do a patch test.
Color changes with the light – so invest in sample size jars and brush a bit onto every wall in the room; in a few days, you’ll know which color to buy.
Mix up perfection.
Color coming on too strong? Take the test of the can back to the store and have them mix in “decorator’s white.” This neutral tint will lighten your color without changing the hue!
Dress for Success.
Tie a string around your waist and tuck in several barely damp rags – like chefs towels. You’ll always have a wipe-up handy!
Ditch daily cleanup.
At the end of the day, wrap unwashed brushes and rollers in plastic wrap, then bag and freeze for up to three days. Let them thaw before unwrapping and resuming your paint job. |
 Improper or careless wiring of receptacles (outlets) is the most common electrical defect found in a typical home. Improperly wired outlets are potential shock hazards and can cause electrical equipment to work harder. Many of today’s electronic devices such as TV’s, stereos, VCR’s and computers have a 3-prong plug with device wiring looking for power from one direction of the outlet – improper wiring may cause those devices to prematurely fail.
All receptacles should be wired such that the hot or live (black) lead is connected to a specific side of the outlet, and the neutral (white) lead to the other.
Reverse Polarity or hot-neutral reverse occurs when the hot (black) and neutral (white) wire connections are reversed. The hot wire must be connected to the brass screw, while the neutral wire is connected to the silver screw.
Open Ground receptacles indicate that bare copper wire in the sheathed cable is not connected to the green screw on the receptacle. It also occurs frequently in older homes originally wired with a 2-wire system (knob and tube or duplex wiring) where an upgrade has included a 3-prong receptacle.
An Open Neutral receptacle does not have a neutral wire connected. The circuit is completed through the ground wire – which is intended to be the secondary path. This results in erratic voltages which could damage electronic equipment and pose a potential shock hazard.
Hot/Ground Reversed is a very dangerous situation. The receptacle enclosure and housing of the equipment plug into the receptacle may be energized. In this case your body will complete the circuit to the ground!
THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM PILLAR TO POST® HOME INFORMATION SERIES
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL HOME INSPECTOR FOR A FULL VERSION
In times of uncertainity and stress, take time to smile and laugh your way toward better health and more peace of mind.
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Engage in a fun(ny) workout.
A bout of contagious laughter exercises your abdominal and joint muscles without breaking a sweat!
Giggle stress and illness away.
Laughter shuts off the flow of stress hormones and boosts the immune system.
Let the oxygen in.
While laughing, you’re taking in huge gulps of oxygen, which increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure.
Natural healing
When you laugh, you’re creating natural healing biochemicals, such as anti-depressants.
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Want to prevent unwanted scents?
A flowering plant on the kitchen table or fresh herbs on the window sill will act as a natural deodorizer.
Musty mildew?
Leave a pile of charcoal briquettes (not the fast-light kind) in a bowl overnight in your kitchen. The charcoal neutralizes scents and eliminates moisture, leaving your kitchen fresh.
Funky Fridge?
Place slices of stale bread (which absorb odors) on the shelves and in drawers and let them sit overnight. In the morning, toss out the slices – and the smell with ‘em!
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Use a voltmeter or receptacle tester/analyzer to check the wiring on your receptacle. WIth a voltmeter, the voltage between the hot (narrow) prong and the ground (semi-circle) prong should measure about 100-125 volts. There should be no reading between the neutral (wider) prong and the ground prong. If these readings are reversed, the outlet has reverse polarity. To correct the problem, the receptacle must be removed from its box and wired as listed below:
- Hot (black) wire connected to the brass screw (or the side with the narrow prong)
- Neutral (white) wire connected to the silver screw (or the side with the wider prong)
- Ground (bare wire) connected to the green screw
Warning: Turn off all power to the outlet and verify the power has been cut off to the outlet before attempting to repair any outlet on your own. Electrical work is best left to a qualified professional electrician.
PILLAR TO POST® HOME INFORMATION SERIES
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