|
|
The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - Housework Cleaning Checklist - Part One : How to Clean Your House While Becoming Physically Fit
What's happening on the discussion boards?
Guest Article - Helping Your Car Run The Extra Mile
Free Offers
Classified Ads
It's been quite a week for so many people. I've been watching the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with a sense of shock. I'm utterly dismayed at the complete chaos that ruled for so long there before help began arriving in earnest. So far as I can tell, there were failures at every level of government for the people of New Orleans.
It's been wonderful, however, seeing how determined people are to help out. My church took up a special collection. Many internet marketers are placing Red Cross banners on their websites. Some companies are making it easy to donate, and then matching the donations they recieve.
I finally got around to adding a section I'd been contemplating a while, but kept letting other projects get in the way. I now have a Worthy Causes page in the Charity section of this site. Right now the need is urgent in New Orleans and other areas struck by Hurricane Katrina, but there are many others in need all the time.
Don't forget, you can contribute your articles or tips anytime for consideration. Just use the contact form.
Kids Rocking Chairs and Rocking Horses
Today’s homemaker is usually a harried soul. She may well have a houseful of children or pets, even if she is single. She probably does her housework when she is not working at her “day job.” She has the pressures of entertaining, of impromptu visits from family and friends, and of wanting her surroundings to be neat, attractive, sanitary, and comfortable. To top it all off, the homemaker can as easily be a “he.” The modern homemaker has a full life outside of cleaning the home, and thus, has the goals of finding housework techniques that are simple and that quickly result in a clean house. This goal of “simple and clean” is one that can be attained. What is more, with thoughtful planning and a housework checklist, the homemaker can quickly have a clean house, and have completed a daily workout as well.
To achieve these goals, the first step is to get the right tools. As every construction worker, artist, seamstress, engineer, cook, or mechanic knows, jobs are easier with good, sturdy, well-designed tools. Good tools are designed specifically for each job, taking into consideration the motions a person makes as he does the job, the best size tool to complete the job, and the best materials to create a tool that lasts. Brooms (Fuller Brush Angle Broom), mops (Fuller Brush Dry Mop and Fuller Brush Wet Mop), brushes (Fuller Brush Premium Scrub Brush), and dust pans (Fuller Brush Upright Dust Pan) are some of the tools for efficiently completed housework. A carpenter will shop around to find a well-made hammer, knowing that purchasing a good hammer is an investment that will enable him to produce quality goods. A homemaker must also invest in good tools to meet the goals of “simple and clean.” A broom that sheds straw will never sweep a floor clean.
Second, write your plan down. Not only will this housework checklist help you stay on task, but you can organize your activities for the week so you will plan to clean the kitchen floor after the heaviest cooking days (instead of mopping the floor and then spilling the flour) and will remember to dust Aunt Tillie’s photo BEFORE she shows up at your door on Sunday afternoon. As an added bonus, write down how many calories you will burn if you complete each task in a certain amount of time. Keep a daily log of these “housework calories.”
Studies have shown that it is not the type of exercise you do but the combination of how vigorously and how long you exercise that creates quick results. Simply taking a 10,000 step walk every day will keep most people fit. If the exercise activity you choose is one you can work into your everyday life, it can also create permanent results, without the guilt or stress of trying and failing to include an inconvenient exercise routine in an already busy schedule. Housework done in a consistent, vigorous manner is an excellent aerobic exercise, and has the added benefit that necessary work is completed at the same time, freeing time for relaxing and socializing in a clean house.
These “housework calories” can easily be scheduled throughout the week, during one continuous session a day or scattered throughout the day. Doctors now say that frequent ten-minute bursts of activity are just as effective as one long stint of exercise in controlling weight. Your list may look like the one below. These calorie counts are for a 150 pound person doing a task at a moderate speed for ten minutes. Recommendations are for everyone to “exercise” for thirty minutes to an hour a day.
Making Beds – 39 calories
Mopping Floors – 46 calories
Standing while you fold clothes or wash the dishes – 24 calories
Wash Windows – 42 calories
Light gardening – 36 calories
General housework (i.e., sweeping floors, picking up toys) – 41 calories
Walking up stairs – 175 calories
Walking downstairs – 67 calories
As you can see, each of these chores would probably need to be extended for twenty to thirty minutes in order to complete the task at hand. Twenty minutes of mopping floors and another twenty minutes spent sweeping and tidying up will become a workout that burns 174 housework calories. Walking up and down stairs while straightening the house can add another 200 calories burned. Counting these chores as part of your daily exercise routine allows you to focus on their benefits to your health. Keeping a housework checklist and calorie count of chores completed will bring the homemaker closer to the goal of “simple and clean,” and a bonus goal of being physically fit.
Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.
Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.
Visit http://www.fullerstore.com
Add to Your Social Bookmarks:
Del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Simpy
Spurl
Y! MyWeb - Netscape
Ads posting jobs in Working From Home - seemazen, Mon 01-Dec-08 (0 Replies)
Hi From Wichita Kansas in Introduce Yourself - kharding, Mon 01-Dec-08 (5 Replies)
Hi my name is Missy and I'm from GA in Introduce Yourself - kharding, Mon 01-Dec-08 (5 Replies)
With unlimited permission to get dirty comes great mud in General Chatter - stephfoster, Mon 01-Dec-08 (6 Replies)
Freelance Public Relations Writers-Unresearched in Working From Home - WorkAtHomeSpace, Mon 01-Dec-08 (0 Replies)
A little extra care here and there when it comes to your car, and you'll find yourself saving loads of money - not just on repairs, but on fuel as well!
Keep your engine tuned up. A misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30 percent. This means less money in your wallet. Follow the service schedules listed in your owner's manual. Replace filters and fluids as recommended.
I know it doesn't always fit into your schedule. You just have to make yourself do it. If the dealer is charging an arm and a leg for a tune-up, get a second opinion at a local reputable car repair shop. They can do the same service schedule, usually at a greater savings to you.
These tune-ups not only keep your car running smoothly, but they’ll help when you’re ready for a newer vehicle. A smooth running car means a better trade in value for you.
Check your tires for proper inflation. Under-inflation actually wastes fuel. It causes your engine to work harder to push the vehicle. Wheels that are out-of-line (as evidenced by uneven tread wear or vehicle pulling) make the engine work harder, too. Keep those tires inflated properly, and you will save when you fill up.
Drive gently. Avoid sudden accelerations and the jerky stop-and-go routine. (Pass the barf bag, please!) Use cruise-control on open highways to keep your speed as steady as possible.
Avoid excessive idling. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends and family. Today's vehicles are designed to "warm up" fast, so there's no need to warm your car up for half an hour on cold winter mornings.
Keep your air conditioner in top condition.
Remove extra items from the vehicle. Less weight means better mileage. Storing luggage in the trunk rather than on the roof reduces air drag. All these little things add up.
Plan your daily errands to eliminate unnecessary driving. Try to travel when traffic is light to avoid stop-and-go conditions.
Join a car pool. At least, ask if someone wants to share a ride if you're just headed one place and then back.
Remember, how you drive your car, and how its fluids, old parts, and tires are disposed of all affect the environment. So take good care of your baby! Go the extra mile for it, and it will run the extra miles for you!
John Sanderson: This article provided courtesy of http://www.car-audio-shopper.com
Do you like freebies? Perhaps this week's free offer will interest you:
Ok, so it isn't free, but it is important.
If you offer a freebie, let me know! I will consider it for inclusion here and in the freebie section of the website.
Want to find more free offers? Search here to see if there's a freebie for your needs.
Free home business match up service! Try it today!
Site Map - Press Room - Disclaimer - Disclosure
Copyright © 2003-2008 Stephanie Foster unless otherwise indicated
Get all this FREE...right now!