hellobeautifulcreatures

Preparing a home for aging parents, relatives or yourself can be a challenge. But with help from local professionals, there are many ways to transition a home for safety and comfort. Being able to move around the home is a priority, said Perry Pascucci, owner Walk-in Tubs of Oklahoma, and bathrooms are a big problem area . “Accidents in the bathroom are the leading cause of broken hips and other injuries, including arms,” he said. “As we grow older, we can become unstable easily.” Climbing into and out of a bathtub can be difficult and dangerous with its wet surface. For older residents, getting into a bathtub can be difficult, and going from the seated position to standing can also pose a potential problem. That’s why walk-in tubs have become more popular with aging homeowners, he said. His business will be one of more than 100 vendors at the Senior Living Expo on Saturday at Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center, 6808 S. 107th East Ave . The special tubs allow p...

We drove from OKC to Houston the day before so that we wouldn't be rushed on the sail day. Stayed at the Fairfield Inn near the Houston airport. The price was reasonable and it was convenient and close to restaurants and easy access to the highway the next morning for the drive to Galveston. Only took about 35 minutes. The traffic getting to the cruise terminal on Sunday AM was SLOW going to get into the terminal area. I would recommend driving past the terminal and coming in from the east direction, rather than from the West and having to wait forever to turn into the terminal drives. Once we did get on the property, there were porters very available to assist in getting the luggage from the car and onto a cart for us. He showed us where the check in was and took care of getting all our luggage inside and checked in for us, which was a great help. He was friendly and affable and well worth the tip he earned. The staff inside the terminal were courteous and More smiling as...

I think that as preppers and homesteaders, we can all agree that three of the top things we look for in an item that we consider worthy of stockpiling is cost, versatility and utilitarianism. In other words, how many different things can we use it for, and how often will  we reach for it? Well, using those criteria, Epsom salt goes somewhere near the top of the preparedness list, along with vinegar and duct tape. But why? Epsom salt, sea salt, table salt, kosher salt … they’re all the same, right? Just different textures? Nope. Actually, it’s not a salt at all. Sea salt, kosher salt and table salt are at least 97.5% sodium chloride. Of course, kosher salt is, well, kosher, and sea salt also has minerals, but Epsom salt is a completely different beast – it’s actually magnesium sulfate. And it has a ton of survival and household uses. Another big difference between Epsom salt and other salts is that it doesn’t really have culinary value – it’s bitter. It’s used more as  a chemical than a...

Towel bars are bad for marriages. Brian is constantly, after turning off the shower, asking me if he can use one of the perfectly styled towels that took me 3-5 minutes to hang (see above). And while I want to be super cool and say ‘yah, of course’ inside I’m screaming ‘ugh, can’t you dry-off with something else that doesn’t look quite so perfect. Both of us are slightly annoyed and the bathroom always looks a mess. Now because we put ours into wallpaper I probably won’t change it but if I could go back in time I would use wall mounted hooks . That is today’s styling PSA – rethink the towel bar and opt for hooks for a prettier, easy to keep clean bathroom (and a better marriage). * SUPER IMPORTANT UPDATE : Apparently in many more humid climates towels don ’t dry on hooks unless they have a lot of space. We don’t have that problem here, so I was literally blown away when you all commented about it. GAH! I’m sorry!! I told Brian about all the comments and he was like ‘yah, of course tow...

My shower head pipe broke off inside the wall and I wanted to fix it. It turns out that the solution is extremely easy, and I'm going to tell you exactly how to do it. Materials and Tools Needed: No. 10 flat file (tapered) . . . typically means "ten inch" Flashlight Hammer Pliers Replacement shower head pipe / arm Teflon tape Eye protection Difficulty Level: Easy Time Required: 30 Minutes After years, and years, and sometimes even decades, all that water passing through your shower head arm slowly wears it down, erodes it, and will eventually cause it to become rather brittle. It is therefore inevitable that one day you will go to adjust its angle and snap! That head is going break off, most likely inside the wall, and water is going to start spewing itself all inside your wall. You'll panic, get flustered, start fussing around with it, and then think . . . I can't believe I have to call a plumber. But before you tuck your tail between your legs and call the ...

The gentleman on the other end of the line was sobbing. A moment ago, he had been yelling at me, but when that didn’t work, he turned to an emotional plea. He told me about his wife and children that he needed to support, his mortgage, his car payment, his utilities. He probably would have tried bargaining, but we both knew that would go nowhere. This conversation was about one thing: ending his unemployment benefits. I wish I could say I was moved. But I was two hours into my shift, and he was already the second sobbing person I had talked to. I knew there would be many more before my day ended. It was December 2010 and I was working as an operator at the Pennsylvania Office of Unemployment Compensation. It was a rough month. Many people were ending their run on unemployment compensation after collecting for nearly two years. It wasn’t because they had jobs. It was because the special period of extended benefits that allowed people to stay on the program ended every December. None of...

CASSIEJIM - hi, the black stuff was probably old soap scum that had built up on the inside of the piping. There are whirlpool cleaners on the market that you can use - add it to the water, circulate it for a few minutes, and then drain. If you know you'll be using the whirlpool feature, you'll want to avoid things like bath oil beads and such because it'll just recreate the problem unless you do a regular cleaning of the tub with the cleaner. You didn't indicate where the water leak seems to be coming from - the front or rear of the tub, etc. For a fast education on them, you may want to go look at the tubs for sale in the big box stores . You can see how the piping runs and get an idea of how the controls should operate. I had a whirlpool tub and a Jacuzzi at the last rental home I was in that I fixed for the landlord. It took some time to figure out the finer points to get things going. I would say your air intake should be on the top surface of the tub so water shou...

Danny Lipford: This week is the second and final show on the renovation of Today’s Bath. Announcer: Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford , the voice of home improvement , with projects, tips and ideas to help you improve your home. Danny Lipford: We’re right in the middle of a two part renovation called Today ’s Bath, it involves the renovation and updating of two different bathrooms, one being a very small master bathroom that was in this area and then on the other side of the wall even a smaller bathroom that was kind of the guest bathroom and we’re making them a lot larger by encroaching into this area which was once the master bedroom . Now, by taking up this space we were able to create this very nice custom walk -in shower than a very long vanity, two different sinks, and this cozy little niche for the whirlpool tub. Also the existing guest bathroom ’s a lot larger, a lot more functional and we had enough space left over by encroaching into this bedroom to create a very nice...

What is Epsom salt?  Known chemically as magnesium sulfate it is a naturally occurring mineral discovered in water in Epsom, England. It is a must-have for use in the home, garden and also for personal care. Below are 35 household, health & beauty and gardening uses for Epsom Salts. (Note: Amazon has just about the largest and best value range or Epsom Salts on the planet!) Epsom Salt Household Uses Cleaning Bathroom Tiles Bathroom tiles pick up grunge over time and Epsom salt is a cheap and effective way to clean them. Mix the salts with an equal amount of liquid dish detergent . Then rub it on the grimy areas and scrub. The Epsom salt, along with the detergent, works by dissolving the grime. Also see: Remove Mold & Mildew NATURALLY With Tea Tree Oil. Ridding Raccoons from the Trash Can For those plagued by raccoons foraging in the trash can, creating a real mess and making a din in the middle of the night Epsom salt could provide the solution. The reason is very simple; r...