While some problems with your toilet can be quite serious and require a plumber or even a replacement, one issue can usually be fixed for about $5 and 10 minutes of your time. If your toilet flushes and the stops after the tank fills you are probably dont’ have any issues, however sometimes the quiet doesn’t last. If your toilet begins to run again a couple minutes after it has stopped refilling the tank, you probably have a leak somewhere. If the leak is in the tank itslef, you could have a little bit more expensive replacement on your hands, but 95% of the time you just have a coroded stopper (also called a flapper valve).

The stopper is the rubber piece inside the toilet which lifts up when you flush and then closes down on the drain connecting the tank to the bowl stopping too much water from getting into the bowl. You can get a new stopper at your local hardware store for somewhere between $3 and $10. Once you have purchased the stopper, open the tank, flush the toilet and grab the old stopper once the water has drained. Typically the stoppers come right off as they are attatched to the chain and a couple hooks at the base of the tank. Pull off the old stopper and grab your replacement. Sometimes the replacement has a rubber piece attatching the two arms of the stopper. Remove this piece and rehook the arms of the stopper to the tank and attatch the chain. Flush and you are good to go…..ummm bad choice of words…

This weekend my wife and I had that talk about whether or not we should get each other Christmas Gifts. We never place all that high of a priority on ourselves when it comes to Christmas. Some years we decide to get each other things, other years we don’t. For months my wife has been bugging me about wanting a new vacuum. Typically for house chores we share the work, however she does use the vacuum more than I do since I typically clean the outside while she works her magic inside. I had to admit our vacuum wasn’t the greatest, but it seemed to do it’s job ok. My one complaint however is that our vacuum was always filthy and got clogged a lot. My wife just got a small bonus from her job. I suggested that instead of buying big gifts for each other we take that bonus and go out and buy a top notch vacuum and limit our spending on each other to $15 – $25. She was very excited about finally getting her new vacuum.

We decided to go all out. We were at Target looking at the vacuums and noticed that the Dyson 28 Animal Vacuum had a temporary price cut and was marked down from $600 to $478 dollars. This price seems to hold true at other stores as well, but we decided it was still a good deal and decided to splurge on what we hoped to be a fantastic vacuum. We got it home and opened the box to find instructions that were simple but uninformative. After about 10 minutes the vacuum was ready to go. In box the vacuum came with 4 attachments including the standard extenders, a pet hair attachment and a flat area attachment. I was a little disappointed there was no on board storage for the later two, but hey we have some shelf space left so no biggie.

My wife took the new Dyson 28 vacuum for a spin first. She commented on how light it felt. The vacuum practically pushed itself across the floor. After about 5 minutes she had our living room done. We recently had new carpet installed in our living room so we have been really good about vacuuming it every week. Since we have dogs we try to get as much hair up as we can as often as possible. After our run through with the Dyson 28 Animal Vacuum, we were surprised that our dogs had any hair on them at all. The vacuum picked up so much hair and dust, we could have created a whole other dog.

So our container was full and it was time to empty it. My wife pulled out the container and was trying to figure out how to open it. There was a button that cued her to push down. She did and it all came out….of the bottom…all over the carpet. My wife laughed and was excited because she got to use her new vacuum again. After getting used to it, emptying it is extremely easy. Just hold the container over a garbage can and press the button. All the dirt comes out of the bottom directly into the can.

The one place where I personally feel the Dyson 28 stands out is the ability to do stairs. My old vacuum allowed for me to remove the base unit from the stand so that I could walk up the stairs. This was helpful yet, the base unit still contained all of the power components of the vacuum and was heavy and awkward. The Dyson 28 Animal has a hose that extends up to 17 feet allowing me to get all of my stairs without having to move the vacuum. this makes doing the stairs a much simpler job and in my opinion is worth the price alone. We also tried the vacuum on bare floors. Where most vacuums seemed to just move the dust around. The Dyson 28 did a better job that we would have done sweeping.

Overall I think the Dyson 28 Animal is a great vacuum. The only drawbacks are the price which is very steep. I am also disappointed to not have the ability to store all the attachments on board. The excellent power and and versatility however make up for these drawbacks. If you can afford it and are in need of a good vacuum, the Dyson 28 Animal is definitely a great solution.

Whether or not you do your own oil change or pay to have someone do it, it needs to be done every 3,000 miles or 3 months for the health of your engine. Paying someone such as Jiffy Lube, Walmart, or your local automotive shop is convenient but can be expensive. They tend to want to “upgrade your oil” or over charge for air filters and numerous other services. The average cost for a oil change is $19.99 to $30.00 and up depending on where you go. You do however get the convenience of someone else doing the work and cleaning up the mess. If you are unfamiliar with a cars engine, you also have the peace of mind that it is being done right. 

Doing your own oil change can be cheaper and get you more familiar with your engine. While shopping for your parts and oil, you can research different brands and decide which is better for your budget and vehicle.  Doing your own oil change can be rewarding, cheaper, and can help you learn more about your vehicle and give you the  confidence to do minor repairs yourself. If you do choose to change your own oil, please dispose of your oil responsibly and good luck!

Suddenly your little baby can climb out of his or her crib. It’s time to think about upgrading to a “big boy” or “big girl” bed. Is toddler furniture the right answer?

Toddler furniture is meant to serve as an intermediate step between baby room or nursery furniture and regular child bedroom furniture. The toddler bed often can use the same matress from the crib, so you are not really upgrading the size of the sleeping area. What you are doing however is providing a transitional sleeping space which can allow your child to get accustomed to sleeping without the rails of a crib. Toddler beds are usually low to the ground so the child will not get hurt if they do roll out of bed. The low height also allows the child to easily climb in and out of bed without assistance. Toddler beds can be very useful provided the child can use them for a couple years and the cost is not prohibitive.

Other toddler furniture may consist of nightstands, dressers and even desks. Many look to toddler dressers as being smaller which allows easier access for their children. This access allows parents to include their children in activities such as putting clothes away or picking out clothes for the day. In reality this can be accomplished by simply putting such items in lower drawers of any bedroom dresser. Toddler dressers often are purchased to match a toddler bed or because of their perceived “cuteness” due to their size. Their usefulness however is lacking when considering the cost of purchasing something your child may use for only a year or two.

Toddler furniture is definitely temporary. Everyone wants their child’s room to be cute and adorable; however keep in mind that child’s interests change constantly. Never buy furniture that only goes with one theme, as one day your child may decide they don’t like it any more and you are stuck with expensive furniture. Always buy furniture that is neutral in color and can match a wide variety of decor. When it comes to a bed, toddler beds do have some beneficial qualities, however twin size beds can fill in for just about every aspect of toddler bed. You can easily find inexpensive rails and twin mattress which will provide the low height requirement and allow you to add rails much like a toddler bed. Starting out with a simple no frills mattress and rails will allow you to upgrade as budget allows.

With regrards to other furniture, unless you have the money to spend, it is best to invest in furniture that will last your child for many years and grow with their needs.

Electricity is something that as a society we have become incredibly dependent on. Unfortunately the electricity we use has to come from somewhere and usually that somewhere is “the grid”. Monthly electric bills can really put a dent on our wallets and on the environment. Lucky technology is helping to fix this through solar power. Here are 10 reasons why you should add solar panels to your home.

1. Electric Bills – Depending on the amount and size of panels you add to your home, you could save up to 100% on your electric bill. That’s right no electric bill.
2. Low Maintenance. Solar panels do not require a lot of maintenance. You may need to hose off the panels or clean the battery occasionally, but that is about it.
3. No power outages. Ever had the power go out in your house? Who hasn’t? Well power outages are a thing of the past as you now are providing your own power. You are going to be quite the popular neighbor during that next outage.
4. Clean Energy – You can have the piece of mind that the energy that you use is clean, meaning it has no harsh effect on the environment.
5. You can’t really waste solar power- Since solar power is coming from the sun, it’s hard to waste. If you have a big enough solar panel grid, you can leave all the lights, tv’s and computers on all day and not have to worry about wasting electricity.
6. Home value – Solar panels increase the value of your home. Potential buyers may be willing to pay more for your home knowing that their energy bills will be minimal.
7. Your contribution to national security – It’s not secret that the U.S. has become incredibly dependant on foreign oil. By adding solar panels to your home, you are doing your part to decrease that dependence.
8. Lead by Example – By installing solar panels, you are showing your children you are committed to protecting the earth. This commitment will motivate them to take an active part in various “green” projects.
9. Make Money – In some areas, if you are connected to the grid and you are producing more power than you are using, you can actually sell back power to the electric company.
10. It’s Cool – Who doesn’t want to be admired for having the latest and greatest technology. Solar panels are a great way to up your social status.

Solar panels are a wise long term investment. They are expensive initially, however with, power company, state and federal rebates, over 50% of the initial cost can be wiped away. Over time, the solar panels will pay for themselves in low to non-existent electricity bills. Overall, they are a very wise investment in both your future and your children’s.

Here are 5 tools everyone should own. Each one can be used for many different projects around the house, especialy when you have kids.

1. Hammer – The hammer is a tool that provides both strength and stress relief. Use it to help decorate your house by pounding in nails to hang photos or other wall decor. It’s also great to use on an old piece of wood to just get those frustrations out. NOTE: Use it on something you don’t mind damaging (NOT PEOPLE!) and be careful of your thumb!
2. Tape measure – Have you ever been to a furniture store and wondered if the bookcase would fit? If you have a tape measure, you can measure before you leave, and when you are at the store. Tape measures are also great for measuring how much your kids have grown.
3. Utility Knife – The utility knife or box cutter has provided countless hours of fun slicing open boxes of toys my son receives at birthday parties. You can try to show your man strength by ripping those boxes open, but lets face it after a couple years man strength is a lot less important than quieting a kid who can’t wait 2 more seconds to get his or her new toy open.
4. Allen wrench set – Allen wrenches are those wrenches that look like an l with a hexagon cross-section. Pretty much everything you need to put together whether it be furniture, a toy or well anything, needs an allen wrench. Don’t be caught without one or you will have an unfinished project on your hands.
5. Screwdriver - No not the drink. Use a screwdriver to hang heavy items on the wall, tighten screws of your child’s favorite toy or to open a can of paint. These devices are amazing and can even server as a hammer in some situations.