The holidays are here again and everyone is looking for unique gift ideas. Here’s a list of gift suggestions that that are original, useful and affordable – and sure to bring a smile to those special people on your shopping list.
For Grandparents and Seniors
Amplified Alarm Clock with Wireless Vibrating Pad & Telephone Signaler – Do you know someone who is hard-of-hearing or hard to wake up, or both? This extra loud alarm clock wakes deep sleepers with a loud 90dB signal and/or vibration. The Amplicom TCL 200 Digital Alarm Clock can also signal incoming phone calls. Now offered for $73.00.
Wireless Motion Detector – No one wants to be surprised by strangers at the door. With this wireless passive infrared sensor, grandma can monitor an entrance, walkway or other covered location up to 600 feet away and be warned when a person or vehicle approaches. The Dakota Alert IRWR-3000 Wireless PIR is sold as a kit for $149.99. Extra sensors can be added.
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So you know you want to be able to control the thermostat in your home or business from a remote location, but you can’t decide between an Internet thermostat, a WiFi thermostat and a phone thermostat. All three options give you the ability to adjust temperature remotely and all are similarly priced starting at around $200. So how do you choose?
Selecting the best remote thermostat system for your situation involves a quick analysis of your communications setup and control preferences. Here is what you need to consider:
Communications Setup
If there is a high-speed Internet connection (i.e., modem and router) in your home or business, you can choose between an Internet thermostat and a WiFi thermostat. Both will allow you to control the temperature remotely from anywhere using any Internet-enabled computer or smart phone.
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If you’re a snowbird who will be heading south soon to escape the cold winter months, here’s a list of steps you can follow to winterize your home and protect your property before you go. Investing the extra time to properly prepare and secure your home before you depart will free you from the worries of leaving an empty house and minimize costly repair bills.
Yard – Clean gutters to prevent ice dams and allow melting snow to drain away from the house (and not into the basement); trim tree branches located near the home and power lines; arrange for a snowplow service to plow driveway and shovel walkway so your home looks occupied after major snowstorms. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re like many adults today whose aging parents still live independently in their own home, a phone thermostat is something that can make your job of monitoring their well-being a whole lot easier! Ensuring that mom and dad are comfortable, safe and healthy during a summer heat wave or winter deep freeze can be a challenge, especially if they live far away. So having the ability to discreetly monitor and adjust the temperature in their home by phone is an invaluable tool that caregivers like you will appreciate.
Eldercare experts note that there are many reasons the elderly neglect to properly heat and cool their homes, including forgetfulness and frugality. Fear of crime is another factor that keeps many seniors from opening windows, even on stifling hot days. According to Richard Della Penna, Chief Medical Officer of Independa, Inc. and a leading expert on elder care, extreme temperatures can be life-threatening to older adults.
“The elderly are at greater risk than the general population during extremely hot weather because our bodies don’t respond to changes in temperature in the same way as we get older,” Della Penna says. “Beyond causing discomfort, sustained heat and humidity are dangerous for older people.”
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Replacing the old electromechanical thermostats in your home with a new digital thermostat is an excellent way to save on heating and cooling costs. By lowering the heat in your home 10o to 15 o for 8 hours a day, you can save about 5% to 15% a year on your heating bill. A basic digital programmable thermostat can make temperature adjustments for you automatically throughout the day to optimize your energy savings and reduce your bill. If you need or want remote control capabilities, there are more sophisticated models available. Here’s a brief overview of digital thermostats to make it easy for you to choose the model that’s right for you:
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Violent summer thunderstorms can strike at any time, resulting in a power failure that can last for hours. But if you are at work or traveling, how will you know if your pet is stranded at home with no air conditioning and at risk of heat stroke? Pets are equally vulnerable in the wintertime when icy storms can cause a power failure, leaving them shivering in an unheated house for hours until you get home.
There are a number of strategies concerned pet owners can use to be alerted of power failures in their home. Here are a few suggestions:
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“Snowbirds” preparing to head north to avoid Florida’s brutal summer heat will want to safeguard their winter residences before taking off. The state’s near-tropical summer climate makes humidity control, flood protection and mold and mildew prevention three areas of concern for every snowbird. If you are a part-time Floridian, here are some important home closing procedures to help you protect your property.
Humidity
Summer in Florida means oppressive heat and very high levels of humidity. Nearly everything in your Florida home is vulnerable to the effects of high humidity, which causes: rusting appliances; mold and mildew growth; corrosion to electronic equipment and computers; deterioration to wood, cotton and leather; warping of woodwork; musty odors; insect infestation; and flaking paint and peeling wallpaper. Read the rest of this entry »
Freezing pipes due to a power outage or furnace failure are a big concern for homeowners who are traveling in the winter or have left their vacation home unoccupied. A frozen pipe can burst and cause thousands of dollars of damage to walls, floors, furniture and mementos. Fortunately, there are a range of remote monitoring devices available that will alert you if the temperature in your home plummets, giving you time to remedy the situation before the pipes freeze and burst. These devices are called freeze alarms, Internet thermostats and sometimes Internet freeze alarms, which is a slang description for the Internet thermostat. This tutorial will help you decide which type of alarm is best for you. Read the rest of this entry »
Renting out your vacation home when you aren’t using it yourself can be a great way to offset expenses such as taxes, mortgage payments, and maintenance fees. Sound appealing? Well, before you assume the role of landlord and rent out your vacation home, you should understand that it can be very time consuming endeavor and not without risk. This article provides some advice on how to get started, find tenants, and handle repairs and emergencies. Also discussed are ways to increase profits through a do-it-yourself approach and energy savings strategies. Read the rest of this entry »
Every Friday afternoon from December through late March, the White family loads up their SUV with kids, suitcases, coolers and the dog to drive three hours to their ski house. In the four years since they bought their mountainside home, they have pretty much mastered their weekend getaway routine. Their goal is to hit the road by 4:00 p.m. and arrive at the cabin no later than 7:30 p.m., weather permitting.
“By mid-day on Friday I have the car gassed up, everyone’s clothes packed, and food loaded into the cooler,” says Ellen White, a 43-year-old suburban mother of three. “When the kids get off the school bus they have half an hour to grab a snack and organize their backpacks with homework, iPods and DVDs. And the minute my husband Jack gets home from work, we are on our way! We all love skiing and waking up in our own place on Saturday mornings so we can hit the slopes early when the lifts open.”
“Stage Two” of the weekend getaway routine unfolds immediately upon arrival at the cabin each Friday night. Everyone in the White family works quickly to unpack the car and start warming up the house. The boys help Dad bring in firewood from the garage as Mom cranks up the thermostat and starts the wood stove. Although the cabin has an efficient hot water baseboard heating system and the thermostat is set to 50◦F when the house is vacant, it still takes about two hours for the home to reach a comfortable temperature. While the house is warming, the Whites pile back into the SUV and head downtown to grab a bite to eat. Read the rest of this entry »
