Category: Just For Fun

A Christmas Story: Fighting the Furnace

December 17, 2018

Everybody knows that scene from A Christmas Story—a belch of black smoke drifts up from a floor register, and The Old Man cracks his knuckles, tromping down the basement stairs to do battle with his furnace once again. The situation is classic, but it’s a lot funnier when it’s not happening to you. If you want to spend the holidays upstairs with your family, not down in the basement inventing curses that would make Santa shudder, just follow these tips to keep your furnace running at its best. 1. Remember your annual maintenance.If you can’t remember the last time a professional looked at your furnace, the time is now. Having your furnace professionally cleaned and maintained once a year is by far the easiest way to avoid failure that could leave you feeling cold and grinchy. Remember, maintenance isn’t just for fixing big problems, it’s for catching the small problems before they get worse. 2. Replace your air filters.Next on the list of easy ways to avoid a furnace breakdown is changing out your air filters regularly. Depending on where you live, you may have to replace your filters more or less often, but a general rule of thumb is

How to Set Up Holiday Lawn Inflatables with Care

November 30, 2018

Inflatable holiday lawn decorations have been all the rage for years, almost fully replacing the lightweight, painted plastic of the past. But just like you might expect of large, buoyant, nylon Santa Clauses and snowmen, inflatables come with unique challenges. If you’re planning to make a larger than life statement with inflatable ornaments this year, you’ll want to keep in mind these best practices for setup, care, safety and takedown. Before you shop for the perfect display or start preparing a site for setup, it’s important to check for any restrictions. Certain community ordinances or homeowner’s associations may highly regulate inflatables. Think requiring special dates and hours, prohibiting displays from being set a certain distance from the sidewalk or limiting each household to a specific size or number of ornaments. Sadly, some communities have banned inflatable lawn decorations altogether. Not complying could land you a hefty fine, not to mention the disappointment of prematurely taking down your display. Don’t be that guy—always check! Choose a Flat, Level SurfaceInflatables should always be set up on flat, level ground, and away from any bushes or shrubbery that could poke holes in or otherwise damage them. You’ll want to be sure that there’s

Haunted Places: The Ottawa Jail Hostel

October 31, 2018

Location: Ottawa, OntarioArchitectural Style: ItalianateBuilt: 1862 Ever wonder what it’s like to spend a night on death row? Now you can, though you probably won’t be getting much sleep. This jail-turned-hostel comes with enough history, intrigue and apparitions to send a permanent shudder down your spine. Read on as we explore this fascinating haunt in the heart of downtown Ottawa. BeginningsBuilt in 1862 and first known as the Nicholas Street Gaol, the Ottawa Jail Hostel was designed by Henry Hodge Horsey, a prominent 19th century architect who designed many civic buildings and churches in Ottawa and eastern Ontario. Constructed directly adjacent to a courthouse, the jail was the site of many executions, including the hanging of the assassin Patrick J. Whelan in February 1869, which was witnessed by a crowd of over 5,000 people. Many inmates died at the Nicholas Street Gaol over the years, from causes ranging from malnourishment to disease to generally unclean living conditions. Cells were cramped, bathrooms These prisoners were often buried in unmarked graves on the jail’s grounds. As you can imagine, this makes the building ground zero for ghostly activity. Jail as HostelIn 1972, the aging building was closed. Shortly afterward, the jail was

Haunted Places: The Whaley House

October 30, 2018

Location: Old Town, San Diego, CaliforniaArchitectural Style: Greek RevivalBuilt: 1857 Sure, we’ll never be able to prove the existence of ghosts, but who doesn’t love a good spooky story? To celebrate Halloween, we’re spotlighting some of North America’s most famous allegedly haunted houses every day this week till Halloween. For Day 2, we present the Whaley House in Old Town, San Diego, California. From the outside, this Greek Revival (the first brick building in California, in fact), is plain and unassuming. You would never know by its appearance that it holds a rich and sinister history. The Whaley House was built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley, a successful businessman from New York City. The fact that he was knowingly building his home on the former site of the town’s gallows didn’t deter Whaley, who settled his wife, Anna, and their six children in the home and opened a general store on-site. Not long after the family had settled into the home, their 18-month-old son, Thomas, passed away of a bout of scarlet fever. A few months later, a fire broke out in the home, destroying the general store. The Whaleys moved to San Francisco for a time to escape their

Haunted Places: The Stanley Hotel

October 29, 2018

Location: Estes Park, ColoradoArchitectural Style: Colonial RevivalBuilt: 1908-1909 One of the most haunted places in America, the Stanley Hotel’s past is filled with interesting characters, remarkable coincidences and most importantly, all kinds of spooks. Read on as we delve into the fascinating history of this haunted hotel. BeginningsNestled in the Rocky Mountains 1.5 hours northwest of Denver, Colorado, The Stanley Hotel was built near the turn of the last century by Freelan Oscar Stanley, inventor of the Stanley steam-powered automobile. In 1903, Stanley moved to Denver from Massachusetts on the advice of his physician, to combat the effects of tuberculosis. In love with the clean mountain air of nearby Estes Park but put off by the overly rustic surroundings, Stanley decided to create a resort that combined the health benefits of mountain living with the modern amenities he was used to in the Northeast. Haunted RoomsFrom the beginning, odd events were frequent at the hotel. As the years wore on, ghostly sightings became common throughout the eleven buildings of the hotel complex. The ShiningMany people know about the Stanley Hotel by way of Stephen King’s landmark horror novel, The Shining. Stephen King spent the night at the Stanley on October

A Pajama Lounge? What It Is and Why the Trend is Taking Over

September 21, 2018

Have you heard of a pajama lounge? If you haven’t yet, you’ll probably be seeing the concept everywhere soon! We’ll give you a quick rundown of what a pajama lounge is and the different ways you can adapt it to your taste and living space. What is a Pajama Lounge? Short answer: just about anything you want it to be. But a pajama lounge does have one particular feature that makes it a pajama lounge, and that is its location. Pajama lounges are always located on an upper floor of the home, typically the second or third. They’re basically a common space, similar to a home’s living room or family room, located close to its bedrooms so that residents have the novelty of padding right down to it instead of going all the way downstairs. But that’s where the similarities end from home to home. You can do just about anything you’d like with an upper story common area, aka a pajama lounge. Check out the list below for some of our favorite ideas. Create the Themed Common Room of Your Dreams Since the living room is often one of the first spaces visible when you enter a home, many

Folding Fitted Sheets Made Easy

September 14, 2018

Here’s a familiar sight—your sheets are fresh out of the dryer, and now everything needs to be folded. You take care of the flat sheet, no problem. Pillow cases, easy. Fitted sheet? Hold on a second. If you think the only way to fold fitted sheets is to crumple them into a messy ball and throw them in the closet, you’re not alone. Sure, fitted sheets are unruly, but there’s a better way to fold them that’s a snap to learn. Before We Get Started Why are we going through this in the first place? Isn’t it enough that your fitted sheets get sort of folded and stuffed in the linen closet? At least they’re not ending up in a pile on the floor, right? Well, there are a few good reasons to take the extra minute and do the job correctly. First, your sheets will stay wrinkle-free, which we all know deep down is better than the alternative. Second, folding your fitted sheets actually saves a ton of room in your linen closet, so if you’re one of those people who keeps more sheets, towels and other linen-closet-y things than you probably need, anything you can do to create

Wet Bar vs. Dry Bar: Which One is Right for You?

September 5, 2018

If you’ve been thinking about updating your basement or patio by putting in a bar, you have a lot of options, starting with whether you want a wet bar or a dry bar. But what’s the difference? Both are great for entertaining your family and friends, but they’re each suited to specific purposes. Read on to learn the difference between wet bars and dry bars and which one will suit your home best! Wet Bar vs. Dry Bar: A Simple Difference In some ways, a bar is a bar is a bar. They all provide an additional place in your home for friends and family to gather, chat and have fun while they watch you mix up their favorite beverages. What type of bar you choose is going to depend largely on what kind of space you’re working with, and where you want to put it. The difference between a wet bar and a dry bar is simple—a wet bar has a sink built in, and a dry bar doesn’t, but this leads to some key differences in installation and usage. Wet Bar Pros and Cons First of all, wet bars are more versatile than their dry counterparts. For instance,

Our 5 Best Yard Sale Tips

July 20, 2018

Holding a successful yard sale is fairly straightforward, but subtle differences in timing, signage and pricing can all have a big impact on how well-attended and lucrative your efforts are. Here are a few yard sale tips to help you stay organized, stay sane, and of course, make as much extra cash as you can. 1. Think outside the box when it comes to advertising. There’s nothing wrong with advertising your yard sale via classic hand-lettered signs—in fact, we encourage it. But you should also extend your reach to get the word out. Try advertising on your local Buy, Sell, Trade group on Facebook and on sites like garagesalefinder.com. You can also place an ad in your local newspaper and hit up bulletin boards at the local library, community center and other well-trafficked areas in your town. When you do go to make hand-lettered signs the day of your sale, be sure to use flashy poster board and large, bold lettering that can be read by someone 200 to 300 feet away. Be strategic about where you place signs and make it easy for anyone driving to be able to pull spot the news and find their way to your

Firework Safety 101: Stay Safe This Fourth of July

June 29, 2018

With the Fourth of July rapidly approaching, you’re probably busy stocking up on fireworks and finalizing plans with family and friends. While firework safety might be one of the last things on your mind in the midst of all the bustle, it’s worth looking into. An estimated 11,000 people were injured by fireworks-related incidents in 2016, and those were just the ones reported! The vast majority of those accidents? Entirely preventable. Take a moment to review these safety tips and keep your loved ones out of danger this Fourth of July. Know Your Local Laws Before you consider setting off fireworks at home, you’ll need to check up on your local laws. Certain states have banned fireworks outright or prohibit the use of certain kinds of fireworks. These regulations change all the time, so even if you think you know your city or state’s views on fireworks, it never hurts to review them. Don’t Give Fireworks to Your Kids Even though they’re considered a “kid’s” firework, you might be surprised to know that sparklers are the leading cause of injuries on the Fourth of July. Sparklers can reach up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to cause severe burns or