Preparing Your Snow Blower for Storage

By now it’s safe to say that the nasty winter weather is behind us. The grass has turned green as far as the eye can see, the trees are in full bloom, and the summer weather is right around the corner. With so much going on around the yard and the household it can be easy to overlook the proactive maintenance that your winter tools require to keep them operating at top functionality.

Particularly, if you haven’t already you should pay attention to the way you store your snow blower over the summer months. Snow blowers are expensive machines and we really rely on them when the winter comes around to keep our everyday lives going – cleaning our driveways and sidewalks just so we can get out and about for the day is a must.

Make sure to put a little effort in now so that your snow blower is ready to go when the time comes to take if for a spin next winter. Otherwise you’ll be left without one and facing a big expense at the next snow storm. Just take a look at some of the prices of the best models out there and you’ll be convinced: www.bestsnowblowers.review.

First and foremost, you want to make sure that you’re storing your snow blower without any gasoline in the tank. Hopefully you’ve been adding stabilizer to your gasoline mix all along, and if you haven’t been you should consider doing so in the future. It will help with the life of your snow blower’s engine and it will just generally make things run more smoothly.

You want to make sure to store the snow blower without gas in the tank for a few reasons. The first is that the fumes and vapors can corrode the engine components, leading to more trouble down the road. The second reason is that as the weather goes from temperature swings, particularly during times of the year where the nights are cool and the days are hot, it is likely that condensation will form inside your snow blower’s engine. As this condensation mixes with the gas it will become more difficult to combust, meaning you’ll have a harder time getting the engine started when you go to use it next winter.

The easiest way to make sure that there is no as in the engine is to run it until it sputters out. This way you can know for sure that there is nothing in the system. If you still have a full tank of gas it makes sense to siphon out as much as possible, then to go through this procedure. Otherwise you’ll be running the engine all day. Plus you can use that gas that you remove for other equipment, like lawn mowers and weed whackers. Once you’ve drained the gas you’ll want to unplug the spark plug to keep the electrical circuit isolated and further prevent corrosion.

While you’re at it, it makes sense to give your snow blower a quick look over and fix any problems now before they come back to bite you when you need it. Take a look at the shear pins in the auger. Are they all in tact? If not, replace them. They are fairly cheap, and you’ll all of a sudden realize why it was so hard to move snow with your snow blower this winter. Take a look at the tire pressure, and fill the tires up if they are low. Inspect the interior components for rust or other issues that may need to be addressed, as now is the perfect time to take care of them.

Once everything is squared away, make sure that you cover your snow blower for the storage period. A tarp will certainly do the trick, but many people opt for specialized form-fitting covers, which are great as well. If you can keep the snow blower in a shed, the garage, or in the basement that is even better as it will protect it more so from the weather.

If you’ve taken all these steps then there’s a pretty good chance your trusty snow blower will be up for the battle when winter rolls around next year. You’ll be happy you took the time to put it away properly when your snow blower starts right up for the first snow fall.

Why You Shouldn’t Skimp On A Garage Door Opener

Many people view having a garage door opener as a luxury, even an unnecessary one. Among them are not people who have been locked out because they lost the house keys, have spent hours of their life cranking open manual garages and those who keep forgetting to run back in the house for one last thing. 

Imagine you’re getting ready for a friend’s wedding. You’ve spent time preparing your hair and dry cleaning your nicest clothes and suddenly it’s pouring rain outside. Do you really want to manually push open your heavy garage door and then have to get back out of your car again in the pouring rain to close it? Probably not, unless you fancy showing up to everything looking like you jumped in a lake. 

Or imagine it’s freezing cold outside. Do you really want to spend any time in your garage opening the door when you could just go straight from your warm house to your warm car? 

So we understand that having a garage door opener is important, but how much should you spend on one? What features are the most important? 

First, you need to see how much horsepower you will need. If you have an extremely heavy garage door (like a wooden or insulated one), you could need 3/4 or 1 horsepower. If you have a standard garage door, 1/2 horsepower should be plenty. However, it’s always better to be overpowered than underpowered. You don’t want your garage door opener to snap under pressure and drop your door. They’re not very easy to replace if that happens. Also, the higher the horsepower, the faster your garage door will open, and if you’re often running late and/or in a hurry, it could make a huge difference for you. Most garage door openers will lift your garage door at 6-8 inches per second. A heavier door will be a little slower to open on a weaker opener, so if you have a heavy door, it would be better to have the greater horsepower to help you leave the house faster. 

Safety is also a huge factor in choosing a garage door opener. If you skimp out and choose the cheapest one, you could endanger yourself and your property. Almost all (Remember that, almost) garage door openers feature lasers that can sense if something is below the door while it’s closing. This feature can protect you and your family from accidentally getting crushed underneath the door. Most standard openers come with this feature, but you should always check. Some of the cheaper models don’t include this. Some openers also have a reverse feature. The reverse feature means the door won’t just stop over you or your kid’s basketball that’s trapped under the door but instead will begin to open again so that you can remove whatever is in the way. 

There are three main kinds of garage door openers; chain, belt, and screw driven. Chain driven openers are the cheapest and most common and will usually loosen over time. Belt driven openers such as the Chamberlain b550 will last a little bit longer and are a little more expensive than chain openers. Lastly, screw driven openers are the quietest and sturdiest of the three, however, they open much slower than the other two, so if speed is your game you might want to go with a belt driven opener instead. 

Lastly, some modern garage door openers have apps that you can access from your phone. No more keeping track of the garage door opener! Hopefully, now you can see why a quality garage door opener is worth the extra money. 

What To Look For When Evaluating Different Dog Foods

Your dog deserves the best food that you can find. In simple terms, the quality of the pet’s food equates to how healthy the dog is for its entire life. With this fact in mind, it’s time to take a look at the different dog foods found in the marketplace today. There are certain features that you should look for before placing the food in front of your dog.

Main Ingredients

Look at the food’s listed ingredients. Their should be meats that are relatively familiar by name at the beginning of the list. Any chemical descriptions should be near the end of the list or omitted entirely. Although dogs are pets, they still deserve quality ingredients. Beef, chicken, liver, fish and other items might be listed.

Consider grain-free foods so that meat and produce are always the main ingredients. Grains are considered fillers in the dog-food world. Grain-free foods are often more expensive, but the dog eats less volume because it’s so filling.

Food “Description”

Those descriptions on the dog food’s retail packaging are actually precise reflections of the ingredients within. If you want a product that has at least 70 percent chicken, for example, look for descriptions that are simply “chicken.” Fancier terms, including platter or entree, usually mean that only 10 percent of the food is actually meat. “Chicken flavored” descriptions are the most deceptive terms for consumers because this equates to about 3 percent or less of a meat product.

Try to pick the product with the most meat. Filling your dog with a lot of fillers will only impede their health and contribute to weight gain.

Dietary Restrictions

Some dogs might be sensitive to certain foods. In fact, it’s not unheard of for some foods to be outright allergies for Fido. Local pet stores typically carry foods that are specially designed for these issues. Read over the dog-food label to clarify the type of ingredients. The containers usually state that they’re for “sensitive stomachs” or “food allergies.”

Don’t forget that the dog also needs a food designed for its age. Puppy, adult and senior varieties are always good mixtures to choose from as your dog ages.

Breed Considerations

The trend today is matching a dog food to the breed. It’s true that each breed has slightly different needs in comparison to the others. Try these products out, especially if you have a purebred dog. The mixtures should offer the proper nutrients for a dog breed at any age.

If you don’t find dog food that’s specifically designed for your breed, try to match the dog’s dietary needs to the general mixtures. Large breeds tend to have more skeletal issues than smaller dogs so choosing a mixture with bone-rich ingredients for your German shepherd is a good choice.

Real Fruits and Vegetables

Always pick dog food that has real fruits and vegetables within the ingredient list. Sweet potatoes, spinach and apples might be a few of the choices. Although dogs are carnivores, they do require produce as a means to fill out the rest of their nutritional needs. Grains offer some nutrition, but they’re never as good as fruits and vegetables.

Some pet owners prefer to feed their dogs raw produce outside of the everyday food. Be careful with “human” food because some produce doesn’t sit well with each breed.

Feeding Instructions

Always read the label on your new dog food. Each mixture has a slightly different feeding volume. Some products require twice- or thrice-daily feedings. When you follow the instructions on the product, it may or may not be used in a rapid manner. High-quality foods don’t need to be piled up in the dog’s bowl. In contrast, low-quality foods demand volume so that the nutrients can be distributed at a proper ratio.

Be aware that more food volume might increase the calorie intake. You want to strive for a dog food that balances nutrition and healthy calories at the same time.

It may take a few tries to find the proper food that your dog actually likes. Be patient with your pup because there will be a mixture that it likes. At the end of the day, the pup must eat at some point, and you control the quality of the meal.

2018’s Hottest Kitchen Essentials

Have you been searching for the best kitchen essentials of 2018? Are you wondering how you can make your kitchen stand out from the crowd? There’s never been a better time to start investing in the kitchen equipment you need to create healthy, well-rounded meals for yourself and for your family. The right kitchen equipment can help you cook more efficiently, as well as enable you to cook a more varied number of dishes and meals. Here’s what you need to know about finding the best kitchen essentials of 2018.

Shopping

When you’re ready to start looking for great new kitchen essentials, make sure you take your time. There’s no need to rush when you’re ready to shop for the best possible items for your kitchen. Consider all of your choices before finalizing your decision. This will help ensure you get something truly fantastic. It’s important to read both labels and reviews in order to choose the most fantastic products for your kitchen.

Products

It’s no secret that the KitchenAid Artisan Mini Stand Mixer is one of the best products of 2018. This mixer makes creating fantastic, unbeatable meals and dishes a simple, easy task. Whether you want to mix muffins, brownies, cakes, or something entirely different, having a reliable stand mixer is one of the most important tools your kitchen arsenal needs.

An adjustable rolling pin is also a go-to gadget this season. Rolling pins are usable for a variety of meals and recipes and are effective because they give you full control. Whether you want to roll something thickly or thinly, you’ll be able to do it with this style of rolling pin.

If you’re a tea drinker, make sure you consider a special tea-focused gadget this year: the Teforia Infuser. This infuser is designed to brew one of the best cups of tea you’ve ever had in your life. It’s easy to use, easy to enjoy, and easy to clean. If you love drinking tea, consider adding this to your list of kitchen must-haves.

Selection

When you’re ready to select unbeatable products for your kitchen, make sure you start shopping as soon as possible. The right items can make an incredible difference in how you prepare and enjoy your meals. Take your time choosing devices and appliances you can use over and over again. The more versatile an item is, the more likely you are to use it frequently.

Always pay attention when you buy a new kitchen device. Whether you’re purchasing something you’ve used before or the item is completely new, make sure you know what your rights and responsibilities are as a consumer. Some devices come with a warranty that will offer you protection if something goes wrong with the device, while others do not. Make sure you save your proof of purchase and find out as quickly as possible if your item comes with a manufacturer’s warranty. The retailer you purchase the item from may offer an additional warranty, as well.

No matter what type of baking or cooking you plan to do, investing in the year’s hottest kitchen essentials can be an incredible experience, so don’t wait! Start shopping today.

Tips for Planting Your First Vegetable Garden

If you are thinking about planting your first vegetable garden, you may have a long way to go before you get started. Since there are so many things that you will need to know before you can be successful with your efforts, you need to pay close attention to what the seasoned gardeners are saying. Specifically, because there are some tried and proven tips that you can go by to do your best. With this in mind, here are 5 great tips that can help virtually anyone with planting a vegetable garden that you will be proud of.

Tip #1 – Start Small

Even though you may be tempted to grow a large crop that has a variety of different types of vegetables, it is important that you think these things thru. This is especially true for you that have limited knowledge about what vegetables should be planted and those that may not do well at all. That said, you need to start with a relatively small vegetable garden to see how these vegetable gardens are being planted. For instance, you can get better results when you do not try to grow a farm overnight. Instead, all you need to plant is a couple of beds of vegetables so that they you can begin to get the experience that you need.

Tip #2 – Create Raised Beds to Avoid Weeds that Kill

When you are getting started with your first planting season, you want to make sure that you are doing a proper job. Therefore, to avoid specific types of common problems, you must be able to raise the beds high so that the plants will not be unnecessarily compromised. For instance, if the beds are not raised enough from the ground, you may begin to see and experience certain woes. One of the more commonly known includes having the weeds to grow up and interfere with the planting.

Tip #3 – Determine an Exact Time When you Should Plant Your Vegetables

If you think that you can begin planting your vegetables at any time of the year, you are probably not familiar with how to get started. This is because not all planting seasons are the same since each region in the U.S. or abroad have certain rules and guidelines that must be followed to get the best or proper results. Therefore, you need to do your research in advance to see when it is best to get started. For example, if you live in the state of Tennessee or Alabama, the planting season for you may fall in the month of April. The month of April will give the gardener an opportunity to watch their vegetables grow before they are adversely affected by the heat of the sun.

Tip #4 – Learn the Different Types of Gardens

Because there is more than one type of garden that can be planted for your vegetables, you can do your research to see which one will best fit your needs. For instance, if you want to build a small garden of vegetables for your family, you may find that a container garden will fit your specific needs. Container gardens can be planted in a variety of different forms including buckets, boxes and the like. All of which are ideal for those who are not considering using a hose to till the ground.

Tip #5 – Make Sure You Know Which Vegetables to Plant

Just like there are certain times for planting your vegetables, it is also important to know which vegetables should be planted and when. Since there are some vegetables that grow to maturity easily during specific types of weather, you need to know exactly which ones are considered to be cold weather vegetables and which ones fit into the category of mid-summer season vegetables. For instance, if you like and want to plant broccoli, you should get ready for the cold season to begin this type of garden. Also, you go to a popular resource to find the information that you need. Again, for the state of Tennessee, you should go to the Old Farmer Almanac to find the guidelines that you will need to complete your garden with a certain amount of ease and success.

Summertime Birthday Gifts For Mom

If you’ve been searching for the perfect summertime birthday gifts for your mom, it’s important to know that you have a wide variety of options. The gift you choose for your mother should be sentimental, meaningful, and most importantly, something she can use on a regular basis. Choosing a gift might seem tricky, but there are several incredible options you can choose from when it comes to giving your mom an unforgettable gift. Here’s what you need to know.

First off, consider choosing a gift that has a special meaning to your mother. Does she have fond memories of a childhood beach vacation? Why not give her a scrapbook full of stories she’s told you about the trip or pictures from the adventure? If she loves to garden, you could choose a picture of a mother gardening during the summer. If your mom has a favorite band or movie, you could choose something related to that. Choosing a meaningful gift lets your mother know you’ve been thinking of her and that you value her as a person.

Another option would be to choose a memory-making kind of gift. This means that you choose something you and your mom can do together in order to make new memories. For example, you and your mother could take a knitting class together, go camping for a weekend, or even sign up for dance classes. There are plenty of fantastic ways you can make new memories together that don’t have to be expensive, pricey, or time consuming. If your mother loves to try new things and have adventures, the possibilities will be endless. Try to come up with an idea you can both enjoy and, most importantly, that lets you spend time together.

If your mother isn’t one to try new things, you could offer a special, yet simple birthday gift: a night on the town. Why not take your mother to a lovely dinner at her favorite restaurant? You could follow this up by seeing a local play, visiting a theater, or even going to a movie. If she enjoys the opera, you could take her to a show. Another option would be to take her to the ballet. The possibilities are absolutely endless, so don’t be afraid to get creative when you’re thinking up new ideas for your mother’s birthday gift.

No summertime birthday gift is complete with a special card, so make sure you take the time to create a lovely card for your mother. The card you give should have several important features and elements in order to be meaningful and memorable for your mother’s summertime birthday celebration.

First off, consider making the card yourself. You can choose lovely paper that comes in your mother’s favorite color and use stylish scissors to taper the ends of the paper. Then use a special pen or markers to write something special for your mother. Even if it’s just a short and simple greeting, making the card yourself is a very special way to show your mother that you care.

You may prefer to buy the card for your mother’s gift. This is also acceptable. For some people, words don’t come easy. That’s why greeting cards exist. Consider giving your mother a card if she loves tradition or if you simply aren’t sure what to say. There are plenty of choices available when it comes to giving a professionally-designed birthday card.

Finally, consider slipping an additional small gift inside the card. Does your mother like to read? Give her a bookmark. Does she love to craft? Give her a gift card to a local craft store. Does she like poetry? Slip a poem inside. Something small can go a long way in demonstrating meaningfulness.

No matter what you choose to give your mother for her birthday, remember that something thought-out and meaningful will go a long way. It’s important to make every day count, so don’t be afraid to go all out when it comes to celebrating your mother’s special day with her in style. A fantastic gift coupled with an unbeatable card will make this birthday one she’ll never forget.