Home Improvement

The Welcoming Entry Lights

Done right, exterior entry lights makes the most of what you’ve got, complementing your home’s architecture, increasing security, and helping guests navigate their way to the front landing.

That said, it can be a real challenge to select the perfect fixture. Just stroll down the lighting aisle of any home store, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the countless styles, finishes, bells and whistles—and that’s before you look online.

Start by evaluating your space to determine the type of fixture (or fixtures) that best fits it, whether wall-mount, ceiling-mount, or, in very large entries, a combination of the two. In every case, the overall goal is to cast a wide pool of light that illuminates the entry, banishes dark corners, and casts a warm glow that’s easy on the eyes, making your house the one that says “welcome.”

A porch light is just one piece of your home security solution. You should incorporate it into a smart home automation security system for enhanced safety and control. With a complete system, you can use an app to monitor and control both indoor and outdoor lights, plus security cameras and locks.

You can also build your own system by integrating smart home products with a home automation hub, turning your lights on went you come home or turn the light off and on went you are on vacation giving the illusion that someone is home.

Before electric lights became widespread in the 1890s, gas lighting was the norm. Today, whether for historical accuracy or for the atmospheric glow they impart, these fixtures are popular once again. They come configured two ways: as “gas mantle,” where the gas terminates in a wire- or ceramic-fiber cloth for a steady white light, or as “open flame,” a softer candlelight flicker similar to a 25-watt bulb.

Gardening & Landscape

Safety with Manure in the Garden and Flowerbed

Manure in the garden has been a common culture for thousands of years. Using manure in the garden is an excellent fertilizer and soil conditioner. However, don’t apply fresh manure to the soil in your fruit or vegetable garden. Even aged manure can have E. coli present if you get. Composting manure properly will kill most E. coli. For a manure pile to be composted properly, the following requirements must be met:

  1. It must have a temp of 130 to 140 degrees for a couple of weeks and cured for at least 3 months. So, getting manure from the center of an old pile is OK.
  2. Store bought manure is more costly, easier to get, and is mostly risk free.
  3. Any manure should be incorporated into the soil by digging or roto tilling in the fall.
  4. If you are using manure to top dress, keep it away from touching the plants.
  5. Always wash your produce before using.
Kitchen

Small Kitchen Appliances (Unique)

Washers, dryers, refrigerators, and toasters: these appliances aren’t items that most people get excited about. For the most part, we’re just happy if they work properly — much less offer Wifi. But some unique small kitchen appliances are turning heads with creative designs, smart features, and more connectivity than ever before. Here are just a few examples of breweries and doughnut factories, all in one kitchen appliances, smart pans, and so much more.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”2″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]