Living at the shore I see things that I might not see if I lived elsewhere. Many of these things are related to the beach, the boardwalk and the ocean. While making a trip to Windward Beach last month I saw a beach bicycle. They looked similar to bikes that were out when I was younger, in that they had a big seat and big tires. I used to have a beige Huffy way back when, the big padded seat on that bike was much more comfortable than the hard seats on bikes these days. Wanting to learn more, I hit the internet looking for more information.
One of the places I landed is Beach-Bikes-Shop, a website that carries a number of beach bikes and related products. The site is neatly organized and easy to navigate. The different styles of beach cruisers are separated into different categories so things are easy to find. They also carry accessories such as locks, bells, baskets, pumps and fenders. Electric scooters are also available. All products are accompanied by a brief description and clear, colorful pictures. Easy to understand assembly instructions are available on the site with step by step pictures, so you’ll be able to assemble and enjoy your new bike right away.
Beach-Bikes-Shop carries beach cruisers for women, men and kids, as well as chopper, military and multi-speed beach cruisers. Bicycling is a great way to stay fit and for families to spend time together. They can be ridden at home around town and they can be fun to bring on vacations too. If you’re considering getting a bike to ride in your leisure time, check out Beach-Bikes-Shop.
Dry loads of clothing one after another to make use of leftover heat. Loads will dry more quickly this way.
Don’t add wet or damp clothes to a partially dry load already in progress.
Make your own fabric softener. Add a teaspoon of fragrance free natural conditioner onto a cloth and place it in the dryer with the clothing.
Clean the lint trap in the dryer after every use to keep good circulation and reduce energy usage.
Remove clothing from the dryer before it’s completely dry and let it finish drying on a line.
Use a drying rack or a clothes line either inside or outside of your home instead of using the dryer.
Don’t underfill or overfill the washing machine. Make your loads of wash close to machine weight capacity, which you can find either on your machine or in it’s documentation.
Separate colors before washing. Wash like colors together.
One half cup of baking soda added in with your detergent will help boost cleaning power and will neutralize odors.
One quarter cup of white vinegar added during the rinse cycle will reduce static cling, removing the need for dryer sheets.
Wash clothes in cold water wash unless they are heavily soiled. All detergents work in cold water.
With the hot days of summer upon us I’m sure we’ll start hearing the annual reminders about water conservation soon enough. Here are some tips I’ve collected on outdoor water conservation.
- Sweep your walks and driveways rather than hose them off.
- Water your lawn only if it needs it.
- Water your lawn during the coolest part of the day.
- Don’t water on a very windy day.
- If you have an automatic sprinkler system make sure the sprinklers are only watering the lawn and not the walks, driveway or street.
- If you have an automatic sprinkler system make sure sprinkler heads are clean and clear.
- Space lawn mowing a little further apart. Longer grass provides natural shade and holds moisture in the soil.
- Don’t overwater. If water is puddling you’ve used too much.
- Use a hose with a nozzle.
- Mulch around plants to hold in moisture.
- Aerate your lawn to help it retain moisture.
- Don’t use sprinklers for playing in.
The Fourth of July is Independence Day here in the US. It’s the anniversary of the day that the United States declared her independence from England. The US declared her independence with the Declaration of Independence. Continental Congress passed the final text of the document on July 4,1776.
Seaside Heights is a community sitting on the Atlantic Ocean and the Barnegat Bay and is aobut fifteen minutes from my home. They’re having free movies on the beach this summer. Two special movie events are also planned. Here’s the schedule, copied from the Seaside Heights PR blog.
07/11 - Back-to-back triple feature Amityville Film Festival, featuring all 3
franchise movies filmed in Toms River: The Amityville Horror, Amityville II: The Possession, and Amityville 3-D The Demon. Raindate Sunday July 13th.
08/16 - Madonna Birthday Party and Film Festival. At 6:30pm cake and refreshments will be served in honor of Madonna’s fiftieth birthday. A special triple feature of Madonna films including Desperately Seeking Susan, Evita and Swept Away will follow. A Madonna look alike contest will be held. In case of inclement weather events will be moved into the Seaside Heights Community Center.
Children friendly nights (Thursdays)
07/17: Muppet Movie
07/24: E.T.
07/31: Uncle Buck
08/07: Annie
08/14: Bee Movie
08/21: Harry Potter #1
08/28: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Kids over 13 night (Sundays):
07/20: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
07/27: Talledega Nights
08/03: Jaws
08/10: Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
08/17: Grease
08/24: Apollo 13
08/31: Gone With The Wind
All movies start at dusk at the Hiering Avenue beach. If weather interferes the movie will be rescheduled to a different night as soon as possible if it’s possible to reschedule. Check the Seaside Heights PR blog for updates.
If you’re a gambler and live in New Jersey you’ll be glad to hear this news. Law was passed yesterday that states casinos and racetracks will not be forced to close if the state government ever has a shutdown as it did in 2006. In 2006 a state government shutdown forced casinos to close for three days, which caused the casinos an estimated loss of about $55 million. The law now allows casinos to regulate themselves on a temporary basis if state inspectors are not available. State inspectors are not considered essential personnel so they don’t work during a government shutdown. Under the new law if certain laws are broken the governor could order the casino to close and fines of up to 10 times the normal amount would be issued.
Posted by valmg on 28 Jun 2008 at 10:50 pm under NJ | No Comments
What road sign have you seen that amused you? Have you seen one that set you into a fit of giggles? I have. Sometimes I see pictures of funny signs on the web and I can’t figure out how people driving take them. I’ve tried to take pictures of a funny sign twice myself and all I got was a blur. One of those two signs said “speed hump” and the other said “roadway pulloff”. I found a terrific gallery of funny road signs on the Road Trip America website. If you’ve got some time to kill, check it out. What’s the funniest road sign you’ve seen?
Whether you’re driving across country, taking a train to the Midwest or going on a domestic flight, if you’ve got an illness you need to be prepared no matter where you are. Here’s a few tips for long domestic journeys if you take medications.
Before beginning a long journey check the label on how to store meds. Be aware if meds need to be kept cool, shaded or kept cold before storing them in a bag for a long flight, drive or rides.
Be prepared for delays, no matter how you’re traveling. People always think of flights getting delayed, but road trips can also get delayed for extreme weather. The best way to be prepared is to keep your medications in a carryon or purse.
Be familiar with your medical coverage, and what to do if an emergency arises while you’re traveling.
Store your medication in the original labeled containers. Bring a few more than you need in case of delay or a decision to extend the trip.
Check with your pharmacist about what foods, if any, may have an effect on your prescription. We all tend to indulge a little more when traveling when it comes to foods and beverages.
That’s the tips my family uses. If you have any to share I’d love to hear them.
If you don’t know how to prepare yourself and your home for the first 72 hours after a disaster, you should visit 72hours.org. 72 Hours is a website run by the City of San Francisco but offers valuable planning tips that would be useful to anyone.
There are two main areas to the site. The first area is How To Prepare. This area teaches you to create an emergency plan, and what you’ll need ready and waiting for you to get through the first 72 hours after the disaster strikes. For each of the different topics discussed there are helpful tips included on how to help make your home safer on a day to day basis. The different topics include home safety, children, seniors & the disabled, pets, utilities, food, water, first aid, go bag, phone, volunteer, training and community. I never realized how helpful it could be to have an out of state emergency contact in case of a natural disaster. The suggestion there that I want to do in our home is to create a “go bag” for all of the members of our home.
The second area of the site is the What To Do If section. This area instructs you on what to do in certain types of potentially disastrous situations. The different topics included here are earthquake, storm/flooding, terror, contagious disease, transit safety, evacuation, fire, no power, tsunamis, sirens and shelter in place. I found the evacuation tips very helpful.
I found this site to be a very valuable resource that anyone could benefit from visiting. Are you and your home ready if a natural disaster strikes? Would you be able to get through the first 72 hours? Check out 72Hours.org and see if you’re ready. Let me know which idea you found most helpful.
