In my last post I was very excited about my solar spotlights. They worked well and they helped me to see the trash when I made a night trash run. You would think that I’d leave well enough alone, wouldn’t you? Well, I didn’t.


Fiddling With Solar Lights

Because the three spotlights have wires connecting to the remote solar panel, I played around with the solar panel location to ensure it was getting the maximum amount of sunlight. I moved the panel about 3 inches to the left and changed the angle by about 5 degrees. I was sure that I moved it just enough to get the most sun.

Dark Trash Area

Well, my fiddling around with the solar panel proved to be a waste. That night the lights didn’t go on. My first thought was that I broke something when I moved the solar panel. After all, I only moved it 3 inches and a few degrees.

I thought I had dislodged the battery when I moved the panel so I opened the back of the solar panel, checked the connection to make sure the battery was touching the positive and negative terminals. I knew the battery was good because it was brand new.

After checking the battery, I checked to make sure the wires were all properly connected and they were. So, I closed everything up and waited until the following night to see if the lights would work.

Second Dark Night

My solar lights remained dark yet another night. By this time I was getting mad. The lights were less than a week old and I had thrown away the box they came in so I knew that returning the lights would be a hassle. As a writer I started to compose a scathing letter to the manufacturer complaining about their defective product. My brain was on fire with annoyance.

Last Ditch Effort

After going through all of the mental gyrations about the letter, checking the battery and solar panel wire connection, I finally decided to move the panel back 3 inches and down 5 degrees. What did I have to lose? Guess what…3 inches and 5 degrees fixed the problem (I really have to learn to leave well enough alone).

Solar Light Lesson

When it comes to ‘fixing’ a broken solar light, here are a few things I learned:

1. Location, location, location. As I found out 3 inches and a few degrees made a major difference between light and dark. Make sure you test your solar lights in a few different locations before you pack them up and return them to the store.
2. Clean the solar panel. Some times excess dirt will prevent the sun rays from getting through to the solar cells. Keep the solar panel clean.
3. Check the battery terminal. In my case, these lights were brand new so they didn’t get a chance to accumulate gunk, minerals and nesting bugs. My front walkway lights, on the other hand, are home to a few fuzzy nesting insects. These insects can interfere with the battery/terminal connection.
4. Replace or recharge the battery. Batteries get old and tired. Sometimes they have to be recharged, other times they have to be replaced.
5. Check the LDR (this is something new I learned while researching my malfunctioning solar lights). The LDR which stands for light dependent resistor is the mechanism that tells the lights when to turn on. If it’s not working properly, the lights won’t turn on (even if your battery is charged). Luckily, I didn’t have to change the LDR so I don’t know how difficult it is to do.
6. Don’t throw away the solar light packaging or receipt until you are absolutely sure they work consistently.

Oh and the biggest lesson of all…Leave well enough alone!

I’ve rekindled my love affair with solar power and solar lights. Like most folks, I’ve got the obligatory solar lights that line front walkway to my house. It works well and provides sufficient light since I live in an area with no street lights.

That was the extent of my solar light affair until recently. Things have improved in the years since I bought my first set of solar lights. Now I’m venturing into lighting the back of my house.

Good Bye Flood Light

You see, we have a floodlight on the back of the house. This floodlight is not solar powered and it is also not calibrated correctly. Every time an animal, small or large walks by, my flood light turns on. Heck, moths even cause the flood lights to kick on.

That wouldn’t be so bad but the bright light is located in an area that causes it to reflect back into the house and that’s quite annoying. In addition to the bright lights reflecting in the house, it seems to stay on for about a half hour before it shuts off.

No Light on the Trash

You would think that a flood light that is sensitive enough to kick on when a moth flies by that it would kick on when I take the trash out at night. Well, it doesn’t. I have to either run out into the dark to trigger it or go back upstairs, wave my hand by the light. Once the light kicks on and I’m done taking out the trash, then I’m stuck with the bright light for a half hour.

Rekindling My Solar Light Love Affair

The other day while I was in Home Depot I came across solar spotlights (Amazon also has a nice selection of solar lights). When I saw the lights, I had originally intended to use them in an entirely different area of the yard. However, after encountering a furry animal while taking trash out one night, I decided to use the spotlight to illuminate my trash area.

The set I bought comes with three solar lights. While the spotlight shines brighter than my front pathway lights, it is nowhere as bright as a floodlight. It’s just the right amount of light to allow me to see what I need to see.

The spotlight set comes with three spot lights and a remote solar panel. This setup worked perfectly. I was able to affix the light to my porch in such a fashion to shine down on the driveway and the trash area. The solar panel is hidden in the flower box on the porch facing a southerly direction.

After allowing the panel to charge, I turned off the annoying floodlight and decided to take out the trash. It’s amazing how such a small investment ($39) has made taking out the trash at night a much more pleasant experience. Well sort of, after all, how pleasant can taking out the trash be?

Today the trash, tomorrow the entire yard! As a matter of fact, I came across a solar powered water pump that will allow me to create a small water fountain for my front garden.

Over the 4th of July weekend we spent quite a bit of time outdoors at night.

I don’t need to mention what happens outside at night in the summer. If you go out without protection, you are eaten alive. I don’t care how close you sit next to the citronella torches and candles, you still become mosquito bait.

Mosquito Repellents

Over the years we had tried several mosquito repellents. We tried the traditional products that are available in stores that contain deet and we tried home made remedies such as Avon’s Skin So Soft and natural plant oils. I’m particularly fond of Neem, but we can’t always find it at our local health store.

Enter Bite Blocker Insect Repellent

My hubby found a product called  Bite Blocker while surfing the Magellan site. He ordered a 4.7 ounce spray bottle of the stuff and we got to try it out this weekend.

Bite Blocker imosquito repellent has the following ingredients:

Soybean oil
Purified water
Coconut oil
Glycerin
Lecithin
Citric acid
Geranium oil
Sodium bicarbonates
And
Vanillin

These ingredients are much less harmful than spraying a can of deet all over the body. In addition to the lack of deet, it has a subtle non overwhelming fragrance. To me it has a light lavender smell. It actually smells pretty good.

One application lasts for 8 hours and its waterproof and sweatproof.

Bite Free July 4th Bar-B-Q

We pulled out the bottle of Bite Blocker at the 4th of July Bar-B-Q and I was pleased to find that the next morning I didn’t have any new mosquito bites to scratch. I’m particularly ecstatic about this because in every gathering there is one person the mosquitoes usually prefer. Yours truly is that person. Now I’ve got a deet free solution to the common mosquito bite problem.

Now that we know it works, we’re stocking up. BTW, if you don’t like sprays, Bite Blocker also comes in a lotion.

Here’s an interesting product, FLOAA Dish-sposables.  FLOAA Dish-sposables are biodegradable pet feeding dishes.

At first glance, I thought the idea was very interesting, but then wondered if it was very practical. After all, isn’t washing an existing pet dish more economical and eco-friendly than purchasing disposable dishes?

Then I read a little further and saw the reason for the idea. Apparently the owner is in the habit of rescuing animals, and got tired of using paper plates to feed the various animals. It just didn’t sit right with him using paper plate after paper plate only to toss them in the trash. He found it to be such a waste so he designed these eco-friendly biodegradable food dishes.

Once I gained the proper perspective, I though, “Wow, what a great idea.”

If animals are your business and you tire of having to wash food bowls, or find it impractical to use plastic or metal reusable bowls, FLOAA disposable dishes seem to be a nice alternative. Since the plates are biodegradable, they do just fine in a compost pile (for all of you composters out there).

By the way, if you want to know what FLOAA stands for, it stands for “For the Love of All Animals.” Check ‘em out.

I decided to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

One of the characteristics of living green is cutting out redundancy, eliminating waste and finding more efficient ways to do things. To that end, I made a few online changes.

After taking stock of my online endeavors, I realized I was adding to Internet waste. I have a few blogs that cover different aspects of the same topic. Rather than clutter cyberspace with two different blogs why not combine them into one.

The Dollar Fights Back

I had a blog called The Dollar Fights Back which talked about ways to save money. In my opinion living green and saving money go hand in hand. So, to cut the waste, I’ve decided to combine the contents of that blog here.

I’m going to sprinkle the Dollar Fights Back posts here on the BLULOW blog. Therefore if you’re a regular reader and find all of a sudden there are posts sprinkled intermittently that you have not read in the past, it’s because I’ve inserted the DFB posts in date appropriate order.

This online pruning should give me a little more time and energy to nurture this blog just a bit (it could really use it).

(NAPSI)-There are more products available now than ever before that will help erase stain spots, scour tubs and clean the floors of our homes. According to Dr. Alan Greene, a noted pediatrician, author and green-living expert, recent scientific evidence shows increasing links between common household chemicals and children’s health problems.

“When you think about the rise in rates of childhood illnesses such as asthma, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, allergies and cancer, it is not our genetics that have changed, but our environmental exposures–including ingredients in household chemicals,” said Dr. Greene.

“The Toxic Substances Control Act [TSCA] was created 33 years ago to regulate our nation’s chemicals and has done nothing but allow these chemicals to slide through the system and into household products,” noted consumer advocate Erin Brockovich. “Consumers are entitled to have more information about the chemicals that go into the everyday products they buy, and that’s why I am urging people to join the Million Baby Crawl to ask Congress to enact stricter safety testing.”

Until stricter safety testing on household products exists, Dr. Greene shares five simple ways to decrease toxins in your home now:

1. Be an advocate for change by supporting stronger toxic chemical laws such as the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. Go to www.millionbabycrawl.com for more information and to participate.
2. Open your windows. EPA research has found that indoor air can contain levels of pollutants two to five times higher than the air outside.
3. If you are using plastic, store food in No. 1, No. 2, No. 4 or No. 5 plastic containers, which are less likely to leach unsafe chemicals including BPA. Never heat food or serve hot food in plastic of any kind.
4. Stay informed, read the labels of products before purchasing. Avoid anything that says “danger,” “warning” or “harmful.”
5. Remove toxic household cleaning products and replace them with natural cleaning products, such as those from Seventh Generation, that won’t leave behind harmful chemical residue or pollute indoor air.

For more information on nontoxic living, visit www.seventhgeneration.com.

Photo credit: Seventh Generation, Diane Bondareff

(NAPSI)-Letting in the sunshine could be a bright idea–especially when you update your home with energy-efficient windows. Homeowners installing qualifying windows can get as much as $1,500 back from the government under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“There’s never been a better time to replace your old, inefficient windows,” said James Ruppel, window expert at Four Seasons Sunrooms. “The government is actually paying you to save money on your energy bills.”

Four Seasons Sunrooms–the award-winning sunroom, conservatory, patio room and enclosure manufacturer–recently expanded its product line with energy-efficient windows that meet and exceed the U.S. government’s strict energy-efficiency criteria for a 30 percent tax credit. Made with the company’s exclusive super energy-efficient ConservaGlass Select technology, the heavy-duty vinyl replacement windows include, at no extra charge, consumer-friendly features such as Stay-Clean Technology, which keeps the glass cleaner longer; Glass Masking, which protects the windows during transport and installation; and a Transferable Lifetime Warranty that protects your investment for the lifetime of the windows, even if you sell your home.

The company is well known for the outstanding performance of its year-round solariums, screen rooms and patio enclosures and is is now bringing its over 35 years of experience to consumers with super energy-efficient windows.

For more information, visit Four Seasons Sunrooms.com.

After many years of submerging my hands in water, doing household chores, cleaning, diaper changing, etc., my hands have become extremely rough. They’re so rough that I’m scared to touch myself.

Wiping away tears means that I’ve got to pull my long sleeved shirt over my hands to wipe my daughter’s tears or giving a soothing back rub means that I’ve got to cover my hands first or else I might draw blood.

Lotions, Creams and Other Stuff

I tried all kinds of lotions and creams to ‘take the edge off’ of my sandy hands, but nothing seemed to work. Little did I know that the solution was sitting in my kitchen all the time.

My Rough Hand Solution

It’s so simple that I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner. In a small bowl I poured sea salt (finely ground, not the chunks), some olive oil (just enough to make a paste) and a squirt of homemade hand soap (any liquid hand soap will do).

After wetting my hands with warm water, I apply the paste and massage the palms and backs of my hands (don’t forget to get between the fingers too). The salt helps to remove the dead, dry, craggy skin while the olive oil helps to moisturize at the same time.

The squirt of hand soap makes it easier to rinse it off with warm water. First I tried the hand scrub without the squirt of hand soap and realized that I had oily hands (oil and water just won’t mix). I needed a small amount of soap to encourage the mixture to come off of my hands.

I guess you could always omit the soap and just wash your hands with soap afterward, but the soap will serve to dry your hands out again (just what we’re trying to avoid).

You’ll be amazed at how soft your hands will become. I leave a little container of the mixture next to the kitchen sink, so at the end of the day, or at the end of a heavy cleaning session, I use the mixture to soften up again. After my hands are dry, just for safe measure, I apply my favorite hand lotion.

No More Embarrassment

No longer am I afraid to touch people. The other day in church the Pastor asked that we try something a little different. “Let’s try holding hands as we pray today.” I looked to the right and to the left and was able to confidently take the hands of the people standing next to me without fear of them screaming in pain and drawing back bloody stumps for hands.

If you have rough, dry hands, give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose.

Earlier on I had a post on how to recycle wine bottles. Well, here’s an article on what to do with the corks.

The author provides 10 solutions on how to recycle wine bottle corks.

The only one she seems to be missing is creating a wine bottle cork board. It’s simple and easy to do.

What You’ll Need

• Scissor

• Wine bottle corks (as many as you can accumulate)

• Glue. Preferably Gem-Tac Permanent Adhesive (hot glue gun works only temporarily. Over time the corks fall off).

• Velcro or hanging ribbon

Here’s what You Do:
Take a piece of cardboard. It could be round, square or rectangle, it doesn’t matter. Cut it into the shape of your choosing (a heart would be nice).

Decide how and where you want to hang the cork board. You could use either Velcro backing or place a string/ribbon through the cardboard and use it to hang the board on a hook. You need to decide this up front. It’s easier to poke a hole in the cardboard before the cork is adhered to it.

After deciding how you want to hang the cork board, pre arrange the cork stoppers on the cardboard so that there’s no space in between each piece of cork. Get creative. Lay some horizontally, some vertically. You can even stand some on the end (just cut the excess cork so that the cork board has an even/level plane.

Now that everything is arranged to your liking, individually glue each cork to the cardboard with the Gem-Tac glue.

Once the glue is dry, hang the cork board and start using it.

Get Creative

If you really want to get creative with wine corks, check out these wine cork flip flops (scroll down to see the flip flops).

I remember when I used to lovingly scold my friends about using so much printer paper. Whether it’s at home or in the office, if you print out one document with an error, it had to be fixed and printed again. The discarded document would end up in the trash.

Commitment to Change

I’m happy to report that many of my friends are now using .pdf software as the final version of their documents and if they, on occasion, print out something with an error, they cut the paper into quarters or thirds or whatever the size of choice and use the back as scrap paper (a small accomplishment, but one small step for the home office, one giant leap for the environment).

To further prevent paper waste, we networked the house to use one printer. The printer is an old printer and is not equipped with the infra red ability to print from a device, but hooking it into a Belkin wireless printer hub (which cost about $75 ), I was able to network all of the household printers and laptop to use the one printer.

Using one central printer helps to reign the kids in from printing 20 copies of the lyrics to their favorite song or 8 full color copies of the cutest puppy in the world. The kids also understand what it means to print on both sides of the page.

The more mature folks in the house understand the need to conserve paper and print on an ‘as needed’ basis. Therefore I installed PDF Create (a software program that makes pdf’s out of just about anything) on each computer. If anyone wants to share documents its pdf’d and sent electronically. After a little training its amazing how infrequently it becomes necessary to print.

Old School

This post may sound very old school and very ‘yesterday,’ but not everyone is equally ecologically evolved. There are still a few folks out there who have several household printers and could stand to help the environment by consolidating and printing less.