Tricia's Musings

Random Thoughts about life in general, living in the big city of Toronto



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How To Stay Safe & Secure On A Night Out

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What better way to forget the stresses of your working week than a great night out? With a little planning and common sense, you can ensure your night out is one to remember … not one you would rather forget!

  • Eat before you start drinking

It’s a great idea to have a decent meal before you begin your night out. Having a well-lined stomach will help your body better absorb alcohol and stop you getting too intoxicated, too fast.

  • Don’t go out alone

Someone by them self is an easy target, and in a group you lessen the odds of becoming a target for unsavoury attention. Travelling with friends can also make the taxi fare cheaper!Stay in well-lit, populated areas and never leave with someone you have just met, no matter how enticing they may seem.

  • Carry your phone

Ensure you have your mobile phone on you. Keep your valuables safely tucked away out of sight and on you at all times. Don’t take non-essential expensive items with you on your night out.

  • Never leave your drink unattended

Unfortunately, having your drink spiked is a common issue. Never, ever leave your drink! Keep it in your hand covered with your hand if necessary in a crowd. Remember not to accept drinks from strangers that you haven’t seen poured either.

  • Alcohol

Watch your alcohol intake. Excessive alcohol lowers your awareness and increases your vulnerability, making you more likely to make poor decisions. If you drink sensibly, alternating with glasses of water, you are more likely to stay in control – and avoid a mean hangover!

  • Taxis

Don’t drink and drive! If you don’t have a designated driver then taxis are your next best option. Make certain to have the phone number of a reputable taxi service pre-programmed into your mobile. It’s a lot simpler at the end of your night out when you might have had a few too many!

Many taxi companies offer a Call-Back service that informs you your car has arrived and even goes as far as to give you the vehicle’s details and a meeting point. Contact your local cab company to register and for more details. Another tip is to put a spare £10 in your shoe in case of emergency.

  • 0800-Reverse

This is a fantastic free service that you can use anywhere in the UK. Available on all mobile phones, home phones and even payphones. No need to subscribe to this service, you simply dial 0800 REVERSE (0800 7383773) and follow the prompts and the charges get reversed to you! Simple and easy to use. You only need to remember one phone number on your night out.

  • iPhone Users

For all you iPhone users out there, there is a free app you can install on your iPhone. Find My iPhone could be used as a great tracking tool for your partner to use at home so they know where you are at all times. This great app even gives you driving directions to where your iPhone is located!

This guest post has been sourced, researched and written by Diane Povey who is contributing content for the road traffic accident claims and work accident compensation claims at Claims National.





Basic Mattress Care: 4 Tips For Maintaining Your Mattress

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Finally, you have purchased a new mattress. A mattress is a very important investment. It can affect your sleep, which will then affect the overall quality of your life and health. For this reason, the maintenance of your mattress must never be taken for granted; especially if you want it to last for many years. Mattresses usually last about ten years; however, a few simple maintenance tips and techniques can add more years to their useful life; while improving your sleep comfort.

1. Consider Your Mattress Support And Foundation

When buying a new mattress, it is vital to have a sturdy base and matching foundation. Today, a lot of mattresses already have a matching foundation which is created to provide the best support and durability for that specific mattress. This is important since it will protect the mattress and will add more height to the bed.

If you are still in the process of buying a new mattress, try purchasing the matching box spring as well. Putting a new mattress on a mismatched and old box spring will only lead to problems. Some of the problems you might encounter include:

  • Not getting what you expected. The comfort you felt back at the store won’t necessarily feel the same when you bring your mattress at home.
  • The mattress will sag and wear sooner. This means that the mattress won’t live up to your expectations, won’t last for many years, and the warranty will probably be invalid.

2. Avoid Folding Or Bending Your Mattress

It is very important to avoid bending or folding your mattress, especially when you try to fit it in or out of a particular room. You can consider flexing the mattress so that it will fit, but you can never fold, curl, or bend the mattress. In doing so, you will cause damage to the springs and coils because the comfort layers will shift and will become an uneven space for sleeping. To carry the mattress to your bedroom, you can carry it upright. This way, you can easily handle it and you will avoid damaging it.

3. Turn Your Mattress

Most people sleep on the same spot on their mattress every single night. This will eventually lead to uneven wear on coil springs which provide support for the body. To reduce the chances of wearing and to enjoy more years of sleep comfort, it is recommended to turn your mattress every two weeks during the first couple of months after buying it. After a few months, you can then turn it every two months. As an additional tip, you can turn it head to foot, and flip the mattress. In doing so, you will be able to distribute the wear patterns.

4. Clean The Mattress

To keep your mattress looking and smelling new and fresh, you need to clean stains using a mild detergent and a clean, dampened cloth. Never use any volatile chemical removers because this can damage and degrade the fabric of the mattress and other materials. In addition, you can also vacuum the mattress. In doing so, you will not only get rid of dust and other allergens, but you can also get rid of any dust mites and bed bugs.

You can also consider employing a professional cleaning service provider who can offer mattress cleaning services; however, you have to make sure that they are not using techniques that were not approved by the manufacturers of mattresses. This means that the professional cleaners must not use shampoo or steam to clean the mattress. Remember that using the wrong cleaning methods will only damage it; thus, it will reduce its comfort and support level.

Citations:
Attached Images:
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Interiors_g380-Luxury_Modern_Bedroom_p34641.html

Kris Lim is a prolific blogger for lifestyle websites where she offers simple tips on how to clean and maintain mattresses. She also contributes her thoughts to online mattress stores, such as www.parklanemattresses.com.

The Right Lighting Can Help Keep Your Home and Family Safe

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When many people think of a home security system, the first thing they think of is an alarm or other piece of advanced technology. While those components of a system can play a major role in keeping your home secure, it’s important to remember that there are other ways to keep your family safe. Quality lighting can be very effective at deterring thieves or other types of intruders. If you want to improve the safety of your home through the use of lighting, let’s take a look at the two main areas you need to focus on:

Interior Lighting

If your family is like most, your home is empty for anywhere from five to ten hours a day. But just because no one is actually at home doesn’t mean you can’t give the impression that there’s activity going on in the house. By utilizing an interior security lighting system, you can illuminate an otherwise dark home during the early morning, middle of the day or at night. The type of lighting you ultimately choose will come down to exactly what you want to accomplish.

The main concern homeowners have about using interior lighting for security purposes is it’s going to significantly increase their monthly utility bills. While that’s a legitimate concern, there are two main reasons this type of lighting doesn’t need to have that unwanted effect. The first is that you can use energy efficient bulbs to provide interior security lighting. The second reason is that a lighting security system can be controlled by a central automation unit. Setting your system up in an automated manner means you’ll get all the security lighting your home needs without unnecessarily using any energy.

Exterior Lighting

It should come as no surprise that criminals with bad intentions prefer to operate in darkness. Even though it may seem too simple to be effective, lighting up the outside of your home can be enough to make potential intruders think twice about approaching your specific house. Many homes have backyards that are very dark. By adding lights, you can illuminate areas that would otherwise be pitch black. Keep in mind that for outdoor lighting, automatic solar options can be a very convenient and green way to start illuminating your home’s exterior and yard as soon as the sun goes down.

One thing to keep in mind is to be strategic about where you place your exterior lights. If they’re all in an area that’s easy to access, it’s going to defeat the purpose of having them in the first place. But if you place your outdoor lights up high or behind something that will keep them from being tampered with, odds are someone’s not going to take the risk of trying to mess with them.

By beginning to think of lighting as an option for helping to secure your home and keep your family safe, you’ll find that you start coming up with all kinds of ideas for using this strategy in an effective and affordable manner.

Attached Images:

Lynn Darsow is a writer that blogs for http://www.securitychoice.com/ which is a home security company with offices in SC.

Top Pet Safety Tips For The Winter

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I love the snow

As the temperatures continue to get colder, it’s easy for us to bundle up and add layers to keep us warm in the winter. Unfortunately for our pets, it’s not that easy. For them, they basically just have their fur or hair and that’s it in order to keep them warm, but sometimes that’s just not enough. With so many special risks that are posed by cold weather, it’s important to know the facts and how to keep your pets safe during the winter.

Bring your pet indoors

Regardless of what you’ve done in the past, keeping your pet indoors during the winter is the best way to keep them safe. Not only is it important to bring them inside because of the temperatures, but also remember that there are predators looking for food in the winter, and if your dog is tired and cold from being outside, predators might see them as an easy treat as other food becomes scarce in the colder months.

If your pet absolutely has to stay outdoors, make sure you provide them with a warm, solid shelter that will protect them from the wind and snow. In addition, it’s imperative that you find a way to provide your pet with an un-frozen water source. Finally, checking on your pet regularly while they’re out in the cold is a necessity.

Keep your eyes peeled for signs of frostbite if your pet is left outdoors for an extended period of time. If you do indeed suspect frostbite, place your pet in warm water for 20 minutes to help dissolve ice crystals and restore blood flow. Remember – rubbing frostbitten tissue will only cause futher damage, so be careful!

Never let your dog off leash on snow or ice

Snow and ice are tricky surfaces for dogs, and while they can normally keep themselves standing on both, they can often lose their scent or become lost through frozen surfaces of ponds, rivers, streams or lakes. Dogs are much more likely to become lost in the winter as opposed to any other season. For this reason, having ID tags made for your pets is imperative.

Don’t forget to wipe

It’s easy to forget that unlike you, your pet is walking on the snow and ice with their bare paws. With this, they can pick up salt, antifreeze and other chemicals that are used as de-icers and can actually cause life-threatening health issues to pets. The snow and ice can also cause your pet’s paws to crack and bleed, which is just another reason you should be wiping your pet’s paws!

Warm place to sleep

Just like you pile up the blankets on your bed when it’s cold outside, your pets need a warm place to sleep during the winter months as well. Not only is it important to make sure your pet has a warm and comfortable bed, but you also need to make sure that their bed isn’t on the floor right in front of a draft to ensure they’re warm throughout the night.

We all love our pets and want to keep them healthy and happy during the colder months but many of us don’t realize the dangers that winter brings. By following the tips above, you’ll be able to keep your furry friend healthy and happy during whatever weather the winter months bring!

Attached Images:

Jessica McNeal is a freelance writer and lover of all animals. Jessica recently purchased pet ID tags for all her furry friends in order to keep them safe and accounted for. For more information regarding pet ID tags, click here.

Decorating Trends For 2013 Focus On The Male Influence

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2013 decor

These days, more men are staying home, as women become the breadwinners. This is bringing change to home décor with a focus on comfort.  Comfort is the key. Designs are both cozy and comforting on all levels.

Decorating for Men

Men’s taste is having a strong voice in décor in new and revolutionary ways. Kitchen designs are more rustic, homey imperfect and textured. Inversely, technology is no longer hidden in the living room. Large screen TVs are now central and proudly displayed. Computers and electronic gadgets are everywhere, haphazardly mixed with the Victorian and art deco accent pieces. Overstated dark, dusky and vibrant colors are coming in.

Speaking of Colors…

Men are even influencing the types of colors we choose in our homes. Powerful and vibrant color pallets are replacing understated sleek and basic neutrals. Colors like yellow and blue are being used as neutrals instead. Black, white and beige are still around, but now used as accents instead of anchors. Here is a sampling of colors staking claim in 2013:

  • Dusky blue – a new neutral
  • African violet – excitingly powerful new accent color
  • Sea Green – soft and gentle background color
  • Shades of Turquoise – blues, greens and turquoise are all popular room colors
  • Pale lemon yellow – popular as a background neutral
  • Poppy red accents – used sparingly as an accent

A Flashback with a Twist

Today’s decor pulls heavily on the past two major economic recovery periods. We are seeing a strong revisiting of the1880s and 1890’s with strong hints of both art deco and the Victorian influence. The furniture and overall feel or our new decor era also seems borrowed from the late 1940s and very early 1950’s. In fact, we see a powerful correlation between the decor of the three great economic recovery periods. Modern history has gone through this cycle three times and an obvious pattern is emerging.

Metals

One good outcome of the new trend is a move away from Chrome as a primary metal color. Chrome and silver are out! In are warm metallics. Texture is also back. The new metal can be intricately sculpted or roughly hammered, but not polished and sleek. Look for these trends in metals:

  • Textured metal
  • Brass
  • Copper
  • Gold tones and gold leaf
  • Rose gold
  • Gunmetal

Vintage and Antique Furniture

Partially because of the historic echo, but more likely because we are longing for real furniture at an affordable price, we are abandoning the cheap sleek foreign furniture in favor of antiques and replicas. Today, America is reclaiming quality by choosing used furnishing with curves and fine lines.

Print Fabrics

Fabric prints are very reminiscent of bygone days, but with a boldness unseen in the past. We are seeing photo realistic CG, detailed animal and floral prints with painting quality detail. Look for these types of prints in 2013:

  • Bold graphic prints
  • Animals, particularly dogs and elephants
  • Big floral prints with a historic feel
  • Photo realistic CG prints
  • Menswear prints
  • Tribal prints

Home is where the heart is and today’s new interior designs definitely have heart. They are warm, inviting, friendly and soft. They speak to the need for a place where comfort is king, where sharp, stark spaces are banished to where they belong: the office.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/181189

Jessica Bosari writes about home improvement and décor for online roll up blinds seller Super Blind Smart. 

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