Fun Friday: New Year, New You

New year means a new you.... Right?! Well im sure on Facebook this weekend everyone will post their new years resolution. Instead of taking something big like (working out everyday for 30 minutes) which Im sure everyone would love to do that but sometimes my schedule does not allow me to do such.  Just follow some simple tips to improve your health, body and skin! 

 

-Denea Duran

Grinding of the Greens Program

Now that Christmas is over, your Christmas Trees can have a second life through the Grinding of the Greens program.

Organizers with Keep the Midlands Beautiful help recycle the trees by grinding them down to mulch, which will be made available to the public for free in three weeks.

If you would like to donate your tree, organizers ask that you make sure to remove the tree from its stand and remove all ornaments and lights.

There are 16 drop-off locations in Lexington and Richland counties, and you can donate your tree until Jan. 13, 2012.

Drop-Off Locations:

--> City of Columbia Compost Facility -121 Humane Lane, Columbia. (Off Shop Road across from SPCA). M-F, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

--> Clemson Institute for Economic & Community Development -900 Clemson Rd

--> Crooked Creek Park - 1098 Old Lexington Highway, Chapin. (Next to Chapin Middle School). Daily 7:30 AM - 11:00 PM

--> Fort Jackson Recycling Center - Building #6568 on Lee Road, Fort Jackson.  (Enter the Fort through Gate 2 on Forest Drive.  After Burger King, turn left onto Lee Road.) M-F, 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Sat 8:30 - 3:30 PM

--> Friarsgate Park - 1712 Chadford Rd., Irmo. M-F 2-9 PM, Sat 9-8 PM, Sun 1-6 PM

--> Hollow Creek Tree Farm - 228 Windmill Road, Gilbert

--> Hopkins Park - 150 Hopkins Park Road, Hopkins. M-F 2 PM-9 PM, Sat. 9 AM-8PM

--> Lexington Co. C&D Landfill - 498 Landfill Lane, Lexington. M-Sat 7:00 AM - 4:30 PM

--> Lexington Co. Sandhills Collection Center - 3241 Charleston Hwy., Cayce M-W-F, Sat 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Sun 3:00 - 7:00 PM

--> Lexington Co. Southeast Collection Center - 538 Martin Neese Road, Swansea. M-W-F, Sat 7:00 AM -7:00 PM, Sun 3:00 - 7:00 PM

--> Meadowlake Park -600 Beckman Rd Columbia. M-F 2-9 PM, Sat 9-8 PM, Sun 1-6 PM

--> Polo Road Park - 730 Polo Road, Columbia. M-F 2-9 PM, Sat 9-8 PM, Sun 1-6 PM

--> Richland Co. C&D Landfill - 1070 Caughman Road, North (Off Monticello). M-F 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM, Sat 12:30 - 5:30 PM

--> Richland Co. Lower Richland Drop-off Center - 10531 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia. M-Sat 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Sun 12:30-6:00 PM

--> Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church - 5508 Sunset Blvd. (Highway 378), Lexington

--> Seven Oaks Park - 200 Leisure Lane, Columbia. (Near the intersection of St. Andrews and Piney Grove Roads.)

Content Credit: http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=165053

Photo Credit: Google Image

Before we say Happy Holidays .........

Before we are off to say Happy Holidays, remember we are still collecting for the the canned food and coat drive. If you have out grown your coats please donate them. Tis the season for giving~ 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAVE A FUN & SAFE HOLIDAY~

-Denea Duran 

Praying for Newton Connecticut

Holiday Mail for Heroes

We had a blast working with American Red Cross and Red Bank Elementary! Hope you enjoy!

-Denea Duran

Winter has finally made its BIG DEBUT.

Now that it is December it looks like winter has finally made its debut. The real question is-- are you ready? Well, in case you haven't done anything to get ready, here is a checklist to get you organized. 

Out and About

Will your home welcome winter visitors safely? Get ready for snow, ice or rain on walks and driveways with:

• Snow shovel
• De-icing compound
• Waterproof floor mats

The Inside Story

Household emergency supplies should include enough food, water and supplies to last four days without power or help. Check your home emergency kit against this basic checklist:

• Food that doesn't require heating or refrigeration, such as canned meats, soups and stews, cereal, and energy bars
• Manual can opener
• Paper plates, cups and plastic utensils
• 1 gallon of water per person per day (allow enough for four days)
• Flashlights and batteries
• Battery-powered radio
• Battery-powered clock
• Cellular phone
• First-aid kit (printable first-aid kit checklist)
• Four-day supply of prescription medicines
• Blanket and cold-weather clothing for each family member
• Pet food and additional water for household pets

On The Road:

Winter transportation can mean ice, snow, and hazardous roads. Road conditions can change in an instant. Before traveling, give cars a winter preparedness exam:

• Check antifreeze
• Check and replace older batteries
• Remember to keep the gas tank near full to avoid freezing water in the fuel line
• Check tires and spare tire for proper inflation

Make sure automobiles contain the following emergency supplies:

• Bag of sand, road salt or non-clumping cat litter. The bag's extra weight means better traction, and the contents can be spread under slipping tires.
• Ice scraper
• Jumper cables
• Small shovel (to dig snow away from wheels, or scatter sand on roadway)
• Tire chains (every driver should practice putting them on)
• Flares or reflective triangle to warn other motorists if you break down
• Blanket
• Flashlight and batteries
• Gallon jug of drinking water
• First aid kit 

When traveling by car, include emergency food and clothing for each traveler. Pack supplies in a backpack in case you need to abandon your car.

An emergency backpack should include:

• Jacket, hat, gloves and sturdy, snow-proof boots for each traveler
• Nonperishable food
• Cellular phone
• Money

Content Credit: http://organizedhome.com/seasonal-spin/winter-preparedness-checklist

Image: http://lifethroughtiaslens.blogspot.com/2010/02/rylynns-first-snow-day-feb-12th-10.html


-Denea Duran 

Here is a present from us to you!

Real Trees vs. Fake Trees 

Holiday Safety Facts:

• According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately one tenth of one percent (0.12%) of residential fires involve a Christmas Tree -- both real and artificial.
• At NO time can a Real Christmas Tree START or CAUSE a fire. Christmas Trees do not spontaneously combust.
• In 1998 more than 32 million Real Christmas Trees were used in the U.S. Of these, only 0.00093% were ignited in home fires.
• Christmas Trees are not as likely to be the first item ignited in residential fires as many other common household items:
• newspapers and magazines -- 13 times more likely
• boxes or bags -- 10 times more likely
• curtains or drapes -- 9 times more likely
• Overloaded electric outlets and faulty wires are the most common causes of holiday fires in residences - these types of fires can be just as dangerous with an artificial tree.

The National Fire Protection Association tracks fires and their causes. According to their data, of all residential fires, Christmas Trees, both Real and fake, are ignited in less than 1/10 of one percent (0.1%) of all the home fires. Keep that in mind if you see a sensational blazing tree on the "Action News". These trees are often doused in a flammable liquid or cut many months prior to harvest time. Trees that are kept fresh during the holiday season using the NCTA care tips are extremely difficult to ignite.

Content Credit: http://www.mtrogersfraserfir.org/firefacts.html

-Denea Duran 

Holiday Mail for Heroes

We are so glad to apart of Holiday Mail for Heroes. The people in our office not only signed cards to soldiers but we also visited an elementary school and the second grade class helped us out with some cards. 

Here is how you can be apart of this great program! 

Each year the American Red Cross provides assistance to more than 2 million service members and many of our nation’s 24 million veterans. We support military families, military and veterans hospitals and provide emergency communications across the globe. And once a year, we get the joy of delivering holiday cards to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world.

The cards and personal messages, sent by tens of thousands of Americans, provide a welcome “touch of home” for our troops during the holiday season.

Card Guidelines 

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.

Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:

• Ensure that all cards are signed.
• Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
• Only cards are being accepted. Do not send or include letters.
• Do not include email or home addresses on the cards: the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos: these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
• Please refrain from choosing cards with glitter or using loose glitter as it can aggravate health issues of ill and injured warriors.
• If you are mailing a large quantity of cards, please bundle them and place them in large mailing envelopes or flat rate postal shipping boxes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

All holiday greetings should be addressed and sent to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The deadline for having cards to the P.O. Box is Friday, December 7th.
Holiday cards received after this date cannot be guaranteed delivery.

-Denea Duran

Content Credit: http://www.redcross.org/support/get-involved/holiday-mail-for-heroes

Christmas Safety Tips 101

Holiday Lights  

Maintain Your Holiday Lights

Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.

Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets

Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires – they should not be warm to the touch.

Do not leave holiday lights on unattended!

Holiday Decorations

Use Only Nonflammable Decorations

All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents. If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Don't Block Exits

Ensure that trees and other holiday decorations do not block an exit way. In the event of a fire, time is of the essence. A blocked entry/exit way puts you and your family at risk.

Never Put Wrapping Paper in the Fireplace

Wrapping paper in the fireplace can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers that may result in a chimney fire.

Candle Care

Avoid Using Lit Candles

Consider using battery-operated flameless candles, which can look, smell and feel like real candles.

If You Do Use Lit Candles

Make sure candles are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Keep candles at least 12 inches from anything that can burn. Never leave a room or go to bed with candles burning.

Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree

Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame – candles, lighters or matches.

-Denea Duran

Content Credit: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/holiday-seasonal/holiday.shtm

Image Credit: Google Image

SERVPRO'S canned food and coat drive

Lets make this one count! SERVPRO will be collecting food and clothing until the end of December!Come out and support our canned food and coat drive! Drop off donations at participating locations.

Winter Ready

GREAT TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR HOUSE WINTER READY!

Ducts

It's the time of year when homes have their highest energy demand of the year. Heating accounts for 34% of all annual utility usage and is part of what makes an average home twice the emitter of carbon dioxide emissions as a vehicle. Here is a way to reduce the demand for expensive space heating.

Check the ducts. To ensure that as much warm air as possible is delivered through your central system, check the ductwork and wrap any leaks with duct mastic. Distribution losses (what's lost while air is transported from your furnace through ductwork to the vents) often amounts to 30%. So, sealing ductwork could increase efficiency and the warm air you receive considerably ... keeping you warmer and making your furnace work less.

More Tips for Weathering the Winter

• Consider using non-toxic de-icing substances such as clean clay cat litter, sand, or fireplace/stove ash to prevent hazardous waste from chemicals. Chemical de-icers can be hazardous to your pets, your trees and shrubs, and the environment. Antifreeze that leak from car engines and chemical snow melters on driveways, roads, and runways can pollute surface waters and groundwater through the soil. 

• Winterize your vehicle by checking your air filter and fluid levels, checking tires for tread wear and proper inflation, and checking the condition of your windshield wipers. Ensuring your vehicle is ready for weather changes will reduce damage, which prevents waste from broken parts, and will keep you safe on the road.

• If you have a wood-burning fireplace, save your ashes in a tin instead of throwing them away. Cold wood ashes can be mixed in your compost heap to create a valuable soil amendment that provides nutrients to your garden.

• Use electric snow removal products rather than gasoline-powered ones. While electric products consume energy, they do not emit greenhouse gases. As alternatives, use snow shovels, ice crackers, and brooms to clear snow from your sidewalk, porch, or driveway.

• Close the recycling loop. Many articles of clothing, such as jackets, scarves, gloves, and boots, are now made from recycled materials. Most fleece products are made from recycled plastic soda bottles, and certain clothing and shoe manufacturers use recycled cotton scraps and rubber tires to make their products.

• Winter storms often cause power outages. Prevent waste by keeping rechargeable batteries rather than disposable ones stored throughout your house with your flashlights. If you do use disposable batteries, prevent hazardous waste by buying batteries with low mercury content.

• Recycle old newspapers by making rolled paper logs for your fireplace. Roll newspaper sheets around a broom stick until your log is the desired size, then soak your log thoroughly in water. Dry the log overnight and use like ordinary wood. Always follow proper safety precautions when burning anything around your home.

• To make sure your heating system (boiler, furnace or heat pump) is operating at its most efficient, it is a good idea to have a contractor perform a routine check-up and any necessary maintenance on the equipment before freezing weather drives up your energy bill.

-Denea Duran

Content Credit: http://www.epa.gov/Region3/winter/#saving

Photo Credit: http://www.epa.gov/Region3/winter/#saving

Keep yourself Flu Free

It seems like everywhere I turn someone is sick with the flu. Here are a few tips to keep you FLU-FREE! 

Flu is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death.

CDC urges you to take the following actions to protect yourself and others from influenza (the flu):

Take time to get a flu vaccine.

• CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
• While there are many different flu viruses, a flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common. (See upcoming season’s Vaccine Virus Selection for this season’s vaccine composition.)
• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine as soon as the current season's vaccines are available.
• Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
• People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children,pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
• Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.
• Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
• While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

-Denea Duran 

Photo Content: Google Image

Content Credit: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm

Safety Tips for your Thanksgiving Dinner!

Keep your family and home safe on thanksgiving. 

Safety Tips for the Feast

While you get busy in the kitchen, make sure that safety doesn’t get lost in the whirlwind:

• Keep the cooking range free of clutter. Even though you have myriad dishes to prepare, don’t overload a cook top with too many pots and pans. Trying to cook all your dishes at once could cause grease to accidentally spill onto a range top and cause a fire.
• Do not try to hold your child in one arm while cooking with the other. Holding a child while cooking is an invitation for a burn. It’s best to keep your child out of the kitchen while you’re cooking.
• Never put a glass casserole or lid on the stove or over a burner. If it gets hot and explodes, it will send dangerous shards of glass in all directions.
• Do not pour water on a grease fire. Pouring water on a grease fire can cause the fire to spread. In the event of a range-top fire, turn off the burner, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding a lid onto the pan. Leave the lid in place until the pot or pan is cooled.
• Evaluate appliances wisely and look for the UL mark. When purchasing electric cooking products such as electric knives, slow cookers and food processors, look for the UL mark. The UL mark is one of the most widely recognized and trusted safety symbols among consumers. Manufacturers use it to indicate that a product meets specific safety standards.
• Avoid using a turkey fryer. Because turkey fryers pose a number of distinct safety concerns, including burn and fire hazards, UL does not certify any turkey fryers. If a family decides they must use a turkey fryer this Thanksgiving, UL urges them to be extremely cautious and read its turkey fryer safety tips.
• Keep a clean work surface. Be sure to wash surfaces, utensils, the sink and hands after handling raw food. It’s a good idea to identify one cutting board for raw meats and one for other uses.
• Un-stuff the turkey. According to the USDA, for optimum safety, stuffing a turkey is not recommended. For more even cooking, cook the stuffing outside the bird in a casserole dish until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Thaw the bird with care. If using a frozen turkey, the USDA recommends thawing it in the refrigerator in its original wrapping, in a tray or pan that can catch any juices that may leak.
• Call for help. If you’ve accidentally cooked the giblets inside the turkey, melted the “hock lock” or have any other questions about cooking your Thanksgiving bird, be safe and call the pros at the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854)

-Denea Duran

Content Credit: http://www.safetyathome.com/seasonal-safety/holiday-safety-articles/thanksgiving-cooking-tips-serving-up-a-side-of-safety/

Photo Credit: Google Image

Fun Friday: Winter Tips

I was just browsing around different articles and came across this very helpful article. I don't think it will get that cold in South Carolina but anything is possible. I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. Enjoy!

Betcha didn’t know…

how to ice proof your car windows. Expecting frost overnight? Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water and spray on your car windows at night. In the morning, they should be clear of the icy mess.  How does it work? Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water – preventing water from freezing. What to do if you wake up to an already frozen car? Just spray the mixture on your window and watch it melt.

Betcha didn’t know…

how to prevent your car doors from freezing shut using cooking spray.  Spray cooking spray on the rubber seals around car doors and rub it in with a paper towel, “Doors freeze when snow melts into the seals during the day, and then freezes at night,” says Robert Sinclair Jr. of AAA, The oils in the cooking spray prevent water from melting into the rubber in the first place.

Betcha didn’t know…

this trick for de-icing your frozen car door lock. Just put some hand sanitizer gel on the key and the lock to solve the problem.  Why does this work?  Because hand sanitizers contain alcohol, the main ingredient in most commercial de-icers.  Just make sure to use a hand sanitizer that’s 60% alcohol.  Sanitizers with less alcohol than that won’t work. (And guess what…with less than 60% alcohol they won’t sanitize your hands, either!)

Content Credit: http://www.coffeebreakwithlizandkate.com/betcha-didnt-know-how-to-ice-proof-your-car-windows

Photo Credit: http://www.coffeebreakwithlizandkate.com/betcha-didnt-know-how-to-ice-proof-your-car-windows

-Denea Duran 

Helping Others- The Real Meaning of the Holidays

With the holidays approaching there are so many organizations you can volunteer or even donate to, hopefully this blog will put you in the holiday spirit! 

Teach you children the true meaning of the holidays by donating or volunteering during the Christmas season.

SALVATION ARMY

The Salvation Army sponsors many programs to help out the less fortunate during the holiday season such as the Toy Shop, Sharing Trees, Christmas Bear Dressing, Christmas Stocking Program, and the Kettles Program. Visit their site by clicking the link above for more information on how you can help.

HOLIDAY HELPINGS AND HOPE

Palmetto Health's Cancer Center can use your help to bring a little holiday joy to cancer patients during the holiday season.

Through the Holiday Helpings and Hope project, volunteers and donors join to provide 200 food baskets for Thanksgiving and adopt over 100 families cared for by our Cancer Center. Adults and children with cancer and their families directly benefit from this program.

For information, call Holiday Helpings and Hope at 434-4752

THE GIVING TREE

The Giving Tree is a Christmas project sponsored by the James R. Clark Memorial Sickle Cell Foundation and Palmetto Health which serves children (and their siblings) who are affected by sickle cell. To participate, donate a new, unwrapped toy (appropriate for birth through 16 years of age) by December 4, 2002.

For more details on how you or your church, school or civic group can be involved, please call Regina Brown at             (803) 434-3107 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (803) 434-3107      end_of_the_skype_highlighting      .

CELEBRATE THE SEASON AT FRIARSGATE PARK

Bring your single serving snack items, and baby supplies to Friarsgate Park between Dec 1-15. Your donations will be delivered to the Children's Garden Day Care Center which serves homeless children. For more information, call 732-3220

OPERATION SANTA CLAUS

Help the Carolina Children's Home in providing gifts for the children at the home. For informaion, call Amanda O'Cain at             (803) 782-1421 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (803) 782-1421      end_of_the_skype_highlighting       Ext 216.

HARVEST HOPE FOOD DRIVE- DECEMBER 4

Share with those less fortunate by donating food at First Baptist Church (1306 Hampton St.) from 6:30-8:00PM or at the Palmetto GBA (Farrow Rd) from 7:30AM-6:30PM.

-Denea Duran

Content Credit: http://www.columbia4kids.com/christmas/volunteer.php