Our Annual List of Veteran's Day Discount is up!

note: some discounts start tomorrow (Sunday) GlennDL

HoW2 Identify ‘Poison’ Plants:

Ivy, Oak, and Sumac.
Poison: a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed.

There is a great deal of confusion about poison ivy vs. poison oak since there are two kinds of poison ivy and two kinds of poison oak

Welcome to the World of Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac  click for more

Relieving Mosquito Bites Naturally:

Repelling Mosquitos:
“The phenomenon that some people are more prone to mosquito bites than others is well documented. In the 1990s, chemist Ulrich Bernier, now at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, began looking for what he calls the "magic compounds" that attract mosquitoes. His research helped to show that mosquitoes are attracted to humans by blends of common chemicals such as carbon dioxide, released from the skin and by exhaling, and lactic acid, which is present on the skin, especially when we exercise. But none of the known attractant chemicals explained why mosquitoes preferred some people to others.”

 read full article

Spiders!!!

Recognizing, removing, treating bites, and deterring them.

Mint Them Out

Did you know that spiders HATE peppermint? (So do mice.) Most people don’t! An easy way to keep spiders from invading your space is to fill a spray bottle with peppermint essential oil (which you can buy from here on Amazon) and water, and then spray it around your home. Plus, your home will smell great!! (use cotton balls with a couple of drops of peppermint oil scattered around the house for mice.)

For more info on repelling spiders using peppermint oil, check out this great article: http://www.herbsandoilsworld.com/how-to-keep-spiders-out-of-your-home-with-peppermint-oil/.

Use Vinegar

White vinegar has about five trillion uses around the house (look it up!), and repelling spiders is one of them! Repelling spiders with vinegar is much like repelling them with peppermint oil, in that you fill a spray bottle with vinegar and water, and spray all the cracks and crevices around your home.

Don’t Let Them In

A great way to keep spiders out of your home is to never let them in in the first place! Make sure the exterior of your home is free from leaves, grass clippings, wood piles, or any other notorious spider hangouts. You can also check all door openings and windowsills to make sure there isn’t room for spiders to get in that way,and apply caulk when needed.

Citrus Does The Trick

It’s common knowledge that spiders hate all things citrus. Rubbing citrus peels on areas where spiders are known to frequent, like baseboards, windowsills and bookshelves, is a great way to keep them from coming around. Even using lemon scented furniture polish can drive spiders away!

source: Natural Living Ideas

Free and powerful photo editing software:

If you’ve seen any of my websites or Facebook post you’ve probable noticed that I do a lot of photo editing and create a lot of my own graphics. Everything from montages to cropping, labeling, to banners for videos. I do a lot of what is sometimes referred to as ‘photo-shopping’ pictures.

Some examples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Plus the banner at the top of this page.

For over 8 years now I have not used any of the:

1. “Photo/Graphics” free software (Microsoft/windows, etc.) that has come with any of my computers(3),

2. I also haven’t used any of the Photo software that has come with any of my camera purchases (4),

3. nor have I purchased any photo or graphics software… ever.

Why not?

• Because from one computer to the next if the free software changes you have to learn the new software all over again.

• Because from one camera to the next not only do you also need to learn the new software, but when you change computers the software that came with your new camera may not work on your new computer.

• When you purchase software it’s difficult enough to install it on your current computer, imagine if it doesn’t install or work on your next computer. (this happened to me on a $400 Microsoft web editing program (FrontPage) that was discontinued)

• Then there’s always the disaster that occurs when the file format for hundreds of pictures and graphics have to be converted from one format to another and the software manufacturer doesn’t supply a conversion utility.

So what do I use? How much does it cost? Where do I get it?

• paint.net.
• free.
• download it.

How about updates? What about support? Does it measure up?

I have been using it since 2007, it was free then and its free now, you download it from the internet, it will do automatic updates or manual, you can put it on more than one computer at a time, when you get a new computer you just down load it to the new computer and transfer your old files (pictures & graphics) to your new computer (via flash drive, or whatever), it has on-line tutorials and forums, and yes, its just as powerful as Adobe^® Photoshop^®, Corel^® Paint Shop Pro^®, Microsoft Photo Editor, and The GIMP.

“Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for PCs that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plugins.

It started development as an undergraduate college senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and is currently being maintained by some of the alumni that originally worked on it. Originally intended as a free replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that comes with Windows, it has grown into a powerful yet simple image and photo editor tool. It has been compared to other digital photo editing software packages such as Adobe® Photoshop®, Corel^® Paint Shop Pro®, Microsoft Photo Editor, and The GIMP.”

http://www.getpaint.net/index.html

Solving A Classic Bathroom Dilemma:

courtesy of Debbie T-J

Enable 'God Mode' for better Netflix browsing:

-the video may take a bit to load-

The Netflix website can be a huge pain to use. Sure you can search for specific titles but if you want to browse through all of the content you have to suffer through an endless and painfully slow scroll wheel. Luckily there is a new tool out there that you can use to change this and it's called “GodMode”. To use it, first make sure the bookmark bar is visible in your browser. The actual command to do this varies slightly depending on the browser you're using, but typically you can enable the toolbar by right clicking the empty area at the top of your browser and selecting the option to show bookmarks or favorites. Head to the website you see below and drag the green button to the bookmark bar. Now head on over to the Netflix website and sign in as you normally would. You will still see the horizontal rows of the shows but don't worry. Simply tap the new Netflix… view entire video.

17 Laundry Hacks That Will Change Your Life:

Making sure your clothing looks its best can be such a chore, especially if you are trying to tackle a stain or need to bring out the iron. These are just the necessary evils of being an adult, so stop avoiding laundry day and get it done with these 17 super easy tips.               click for full article from diply.com

1. Revive Old Towels

2. Resize Shrunken Clothes

3. Never Forget Again

4. Learn The Language

5. Remove Red Wine Stains

6. Get Rid Of Holiday Stains

7. Grease Stains Be Gone 

8. Abolish Ink Stains 

9. Ink Stains Part Two 

10. Actually, Just Remove ALL Of The Stains 

11. Vinegar In The Landry? 

12. Hand Wash Your Delicates Right 

13. Don't Use Dryer Sheets 

14. Seriously, You Don't Need Dryer Sheets 

15. Don't Even Use The Dryer At All 

16. Fold Your Sweater Better 

17. Ironing Made Easier

click for full article from diply.com

3 (more) Netflix secrets you need to know:

With over 50 million subscribers in 40 countries, Netflix is the most popular TV show and movie streaming service. During peak evening hours, the service is using up to 34% of America's Internet capacity.

While Netflix may seem simple on the surface, though, the reality is that Netflix is one of the most complex services on the Internet - from the massive amount of HD videos it has to stream to its formulas for deciding what videos to recommend for each subscriber.

That means Netflix sometimes doesn't work as well as you'd want. I'm going to share some of the lesser-known Netflix secrets that will help you track down problems and make it work the way you want.

1. Streaming speed affects video quality

A side effect to Netflix's massive popularity is that it overwhelms Internet providers' networks - or so the ISPs claim. Some providers have even gone so far as to throttle, or slow down, their subscribers' connection to Netflix.

If you're paying for a hyper-fast Internet connection and getting lousy video quality, this might be the cause. Take a look at Netflix's ISP Speed Index Chart to quickly see how your ISP stacks up.

To know for sure, open Netflix and search for "Example Short 23.976." This video is an 11-minute series of random clips so it's not very entertaining. But it does hold the keys to one major secret.

If you look in the corner of the video, it shows your video bit rate and resolution. The bit rate is how fast the video is streaming and the resolution is the quality. The faster the bit rate, the better the quality you can get.

Typically, Netflix streams 1080p resolution at 3 Megabits per second (3,000 kilobits per second). That's ideally what you want to see.

Make a note of the highest numbers you see during the clip and then check the bit rate against what Netflix says your provider averages. That will tell you if you're getting the streaming speed that Netflix thinks you are.

If your bit rate is much lower than Netflix says it should be, then it might be a problem with your Internet. Run a speed test to see if you're getting the Internet speed you're paying for.
Speed Test
Test Result explanation

If you aren't getting the speed you're paying for, call your provider and let it know. Once it gets your speed where it should be, Netflix streaming should improve.

If you are getting the speed you're paying for, and it's faster than the Netflix bit rate, call your provider and let it know there's a problem with Netflix streaming. You might find out that you're being throttled.

2. Time of day affects video quality

Poor video quality and streaming speed might have another cause, though. Remember when I said at peak hours Netflix uses 34% of the U.S. Internet? That's a lot of information moving around at once. Traffic jams are bound to happen, which slows things down.

To keep things flowing, Netflix and ISPs might both decide to drop the video quality - and thus the amount of bandwidth needed - a little.

So, you might still get HD video from 7 to 9 p.m. in your area, but you probably won't be getting full 1080p quality. If you are testing Netflix for quality using the methods above, be sure to do it throughout the day.

Consistent quality is actually the one area where traditional TV has streaming beat. If you want the best possible at all times, then you might want to consider flipping to regular old TV during primetime hours.

Consider buying an indoor HD antenna that will let you watch local news, syndicated shows and sports.

3. Tweak your recommendations

Netflix takes every movie you watch into account when developing your Taste Profile. This helps it recommend videos from a pool of 76,897 genres. Sound like a lot? Well, Netflix has genres like Quirky Sci-Fi Comedies and Dark Independent Police Dramas.

The way to change your recommendations is by rating what you watch. When you're first starting Netflix, you'll see a lot of surveys called Taste Preferences that ask you to rate movies, shows and genres you've watched recently.

Handy tip: If you have several people in the house using one Netflix account, be sure to set each person up with their own Netflix profile to avoid conflicts. On the Netflix website, click Manage Profiles in the top right corner to get started.   4 ways to perfect your Netflix experience:

Taste Preferences are important to fill out so Netflix can build your Profile. After a while, you won't see as many of these, however.

If you want to revisit your preferences, go to the Netflix site and under Your Account load the Taste Preferences survey.

A few minutes tweaking your ratings can mean less time scrolling past movies you'd never watch.

Enjoy!

On the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, newsletters and more, visitwww.komando.com. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com.

from: USA TODAY, news source

How2 Create A YouTUBE Playlist:

You can create a video playlist for watching and listening to Music Videos (lectures, etc.,)

You can post these playlist to Facebook, create a desktop link to it, embed it into your editable home page or blog, etc.

This video shows you how to create a playlist… be sure you have a YouTube Account (see How2 create a YouTube Account. )

How to Clean Out a Sink Pop-up Drain Stopper:

When your bathroom sink does not drain well, quite often it's because
your pop-up stopper is plugged with debris. This video will show you
how to remove and clean the stopper.

from How2WithGEO

11 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes:

from Natural Living Ideas

“The days are finally getting longer, the snow is (slowly!) beginning to melt, and spring officially arrives in just a few days! While the prospect of warmer weather has us all a bit giddy, we can’t forget the unwelcome intruders that tag along with the sunny summer weather.”

• Citronella
• Lemon Balm
• Catnip
• Marigolds
• Basil
• Lavender
• Peppermint
• Garlic
• Pennyroyal
• Rosemary
• Geranium

read more

“She Sheds”: ManCave turnaround

Every woman deserves a shed of her own — somewhere to retreat for some solitude, to create or grow, to write or paint, or just to enjoy the view.

http://lightersideofrealestate.com/real-estate-life/cool-stuff/introducing-she-sheds

courtesy of Judy

Laundry Symbols & Stain Cheat Sheet:

Summer can wreak havoc on your clothes.  Dirt, sweat, grass stains and the like can permanently damage our wardrobe.  But they don’t have to.

from Capitol Hill Style

from Dressed To A T

How2 create a YouTube Account.

Even if you don’t make videos and need to save them online a YouTube Account can be useful. You can use it to subscribe to shows and broadcast on YouTube. You can also use it to collect and organize your favorite videos that others have posted, such as music videos, cute kitten videos, movie trailers, etc.

Follow the steps in this video to quickly make a YouTube account.
Full transcript:How To Make A YouTube Account
To make a YouTube account quickly, first go to YouTube.com.
Click on "Sign In."
If you weren't aware, YouTube is owned by Google, and all of the accounts are merged into one, so if you already have a Google (Gmail) account simply sign in with it.
That will sign you into your YouTube account.
However if you're new to YouTube and need to create a YouTube

4 ways to perfect your Netflix experience:

 

These tips from CNET's Dan Graziano could greatly improve your viewing experience on Netflix.

(the video panel may take a minute to load)

HoW2 Wear a Pocket Square:

The square should always match the tie.

A Pre-Shave Routine

Wash your face or the area you want to shave. Washing removes excess oil and dead skin cells, which can interfere with the razor or irritate your gently-scraped skin while simultaneously reducing bacteria that could cause infection. Washing also moisturizes the hair about to be shaved, softening it and making the shave easier.

• Use warm water when washing your hair pre-shave. Warm water will help soften your follicles and encourage your pores to open, making for a closer shave.
• Try shaving after you shower. If you shave in the morning, shaving after your shower will give your whiskers time to absorb the water from the shower and should make for a smoother shave.

IRS2GO Mobile App:

Something FREE from the IRS

With tax season just around the corner, the IRS released IRS2Go 5.0, an updated version of the only official IRS smartphone app. The app is free for both Apple and Android users (Spanish and English). It allows you to:

• Find free tax preparation assistance.
• Check your refund status.
• Stay up to date on tax changes affecting your family.

Get a TextNow Wireless Moto G for $14.99

“I first spotted this deal late yesterday, and it's the kind of thing that tends to melt the Internet -- so I don't know how long supplies will last.

While they do, however, TextNow Wireless has the refurbished Motorola Moto G smartphone for $14.99 (plus around $9 for shipping). That's not your subsidized price in exchange for a two-year contract; it's your price to own the phone outright.

Amazing, right? As you might expect, there are a few things to consider. First of all, this is the first-gen Moto G, a great entry-level phone by all accounts -- but it's limited to 3G data has just 8GB of storage, and no microSD slot for expansion. Ouch. I'll come back to that in a bit.

Second, the phone is inextricably tied to TextNow for service -- or, at least, for traditional phone service, though there's nothing traditional about TextNow. Like Republic Wireless, it leverages Wi-Fi whenever possible -- not just for data and texting, but also for…”

READ COMPLETE ARTICLE

Recycled Crayon Candles:

katie.ekbatani for JCLU

Although my crayon days are long gone, I still remember the frustration of breaking a brand new coloring stick.

But have no fear! Your crayon saving days are here!

These bright an colorful creations are a neat way to find use for those old, broken crayons of yours (or your kids’).

Warning: This craft involves hot, melted wax, so make sure to watch your fingers and have an adult supervising at all times!
Materials:

• Dixie Cups
• Wax
• Crayons
• Wicks (available on Amazon)
• Votives/Candle holder or glass jar
• Popsicle sticks (for stirring)

Tools:

• Microwave
• A plate stand/bent metal coat hangar for propping up the candles

See COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS

Fitness Trackers: Take them on a test run.

With so many fitness trackers on the market -- and more emerging every day -- it's hard to know which one is right for your needs.

How2 'out-text' Your Teenager.

updated: 1-4-09

'do u txt?' Almost all teens do and can use a cell phone’s keypad to send messages at an incredible speed. Text messaging is one of those things that until you do it, it is hard to see the value. Perhaps it’s time that you gave it a shot.

Quick messages:

How to disable the annoying sounds in the Facebook app

Facebook recently rolled out an update for iOS and Android users, adding some downright annoying sounds. Here's how you can disable them.     by Jason Cipriani February 13, 2015

For reasons that are unclear to anyone outside of Facebook, the iOS and Android apps recently started making a ton of noise. You may have noticed the new sound effects in the last few days when you refresh your feed or leave a comment on a post. It's annoying, and completely unnecessary.

Thankfully, you can disable the in-app sounds in a matter of seconds.

READ FULL HOW2 ARTICLE

Who Will Control Your Facebook When You Die?

from “Ring Of Fire Website”

A problem that has plagued the social media giant has finally been solved. Sort of.

For over a decade now, users have been growing their networks with status updates, pictures, and messages with their friends. What happens to all that data when you die? There hasn’t been a good answer, until now.

EDITORS NOTE:

I’ve added Wiki How to the “Some of My HoW2 Resources:” section, and created a new category for the “HoW2 iNDEX”:

EDITOR’S NOTE: New Category ~~man cave

I’ve created a new category for the “HoW2 iNDEX”:

man cave: I’ve been keeping the website gender neutral up to this point. As a matter of fact, most of the articles have been ‘household’ tips, i.e.., woman’s work. But, under the circumstance household tips that have catered to a bachelor’s needs. The needs of a poor disposed of husband cast out into the cold harsh world where there is no apparent answer to the question, “If you have to separate whites from colors, then why don’t you have to separate reds from blues from greens, etc.?
The unfortunate truth though is that as I have aged I have succumbed to old man tendencies that never garnered my attention before. (a craving for plaid is not yet one of them)

Things such as… hats. Because of my large brain I have never been

How2 Shape a Hat

from wikiHow.com 

Three Methods:To Shape a Fur Felt Cowboy Hat, To Shape a Straw Cowboy Hat, To Shape a Palm Leaf Cowboy Hat

In spite of all those movie Western images, the cowboys of the Old West wore their hat brims flat, to keep out the sun. Rolled and folded brims came into fashion much later, when ranch workers had to pile into pickup trucks without taking up too much space. Today, there are countless ways to shape a cowboy hat brim.

You can buy your cowboy hat pre-shaped, or you can do it yourself. The method for shaping depends on the material your cowboy hat is made from. This article describes how to shape a cowboy hat made of fur felt, or straw or palm leaves.             Read Full Article (w/pictures)

see also

How2 Make a Kitchen Chalkboard

from thekitchn.com

As for the chalkboard part of this tutorial, it was incredibly easy to make. While you can try doing something like this with chalkboard paint, I was pleased to find there’s a less messy option: chalkboard liner paper.

Con-Tact has recently come out with these rolls of black, adhesive material that you can cut to size just like any other shelf liner paper. Peel off the backing, then smooth it onto any surface you please. You could theoretically use it to cover an entire cabinet, backsplash, or fridge door if you wanted to!

Read Entire DIY

EDITOR’S NOTE: “Some of My HoW2 Resources”

I have dropped the “ABOUT.com” daily feeds from the “Some of My HoW2 Resources” section in the left hand sidebar. Before I explain why let me describe the why, what and how this section exist and works.

Why: I collect ‘How To’ information like some people collect recipes. I use to purchase how to books, but in some cases the internet has rendered them outdated almost as soon as they are purchased. I started collecting this information and found that internet ‘blogs’ are a great way to organize my collection. A blog is a form of website that features a database format and ‘gadgets’ that are ideal for organizing, indexing, and accessing information. I started converting these “How To’s” into a private website in 2008. As the internet collection grew (Presently at 64 articles) I realized that not only was a blog/website a great way for me to view my collection, it was also a great way of sharing this information. Thus, this website and “Glenn’s Recipes” website were made public. The one drawback to making the website public is that you need constant updating for it to be useful to

FACEBOOK: How Do I Find a Specific Post in a Group.

Works on the “Littrell Family.net on Facebook” group and the “Postal-Indy on Facebook” group.

Remember Facebook is always changing, but while certain Facebook features may change, the processes usually still apply with those changes. Use your imagination to discover those changes. You can’t break anything.

For how to sign-up for Facebook (videos) see the tab at the top of the page titled: “HoW2 Get STaRTeD oN FaCeBooK” above.

Cleaning your coffee maker:

Instructions:

1. Empty the carafe: Empty and rinse the carafe and dump out any coffee grounds left in the filter.
2. Make a solution of water and vinegar: Fill the water chamber to its full capacity with equal parts white vinegar and water. I used the carafe to measure equal parts of each.
3. Run a half brew cycle: Start a brew cycle. Midway through the brew cycle, turn off the coffee maker and let it sit for an hour.
4. Finish the brew cycle: After an hour, turn on the coffee maker and let the brew cycle finish.
5. Before discarding the vinegar-water solution use it to clean the coffee pot (carafe)
6. Run a fresh water cycle: After the brew cycle has completed, pour out the vinegar-water solution and fill the water chamber with fresh water (no vinegar). Run a whole new brew cycle just with the water.
7. Repeat two more times, allowing your coffee maker to cool slightly between brews.
8. Wipe down your coffee maker: Wipe down the exterior of your coffee maker, and wash the carafe and filter basket in hot, soapy water if necessary.
9. Reassemble: Reassemble and brew a great cup of coffee!

source: thkitchn.com

see also: 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Decaf Coffee

Helpful Hints For Winter: UPDATE

Haven’t tried these out and haven’t ‘fact checked’ them either, but if you find yourself in a crunch [Hello Georgia…how you like your white Christmas?] you might give them a try. Let me know which ones work or your opinion on any of them using the ‘Leave/Read a comment’ link below. My comments  are in this color & format…gdl                                          

RE-POST

FACEBOOK: How to Ask a question in a group.

Works on the “Littrell Family.net on Facebook” group and the “Postal-Indy on Facebook” group.

Remember Facebook is always changing, but while certain Facebook features may change, the processes usually still apply with those changes. Use your imagination to discover those changes. You can’t break anything.

For how to sign-up for Facebook (videos) see the tab at the top of the page titled: “HoW2 Get STaRTeD oN FaCeBooK” above.

How to disable Gmail's automatic contact creation:

Wondering who all those random contacts in your Gmail are? Learn how to stop them from being added.

Gmail is set up to create a new contact for each email you send. However, there are times when this can be more of a hassle than a handy tool. For instance, if you are replying to a lot of Craigslist ads for different pieces of furniture to put in your new apartment, your contacts list will likely get cluttered with nonsense email addresses. Luckily there is an easy way to toggle this feature. Here's how:

by Nicole Cozma February 6, 2015 5:21 PM PST

FACEBOOK: How Do I Post and Share With a Group.

Works on the “Littrell Family.net on Facebook” group and the “Postal-Indy on Facebook” group.

Remember Facebook is always changing, but while certain Facebook features may change, the processes usually still apply with those changes. Use your imagination to discover those changes. You can’t break anything.

For how to sign-up for Facebook (videos) see the tab at the top of the page titled: “HoW2 Get STaRTeD oN FaCeBooK” above.