Don t let termites eat you out of house and home

According to the National Pest Management Association, termites destroy more homes each year than fires or floods. Annual damage estimates: $2.5 billion.

"Unless you live in Alaska, where it gets very cold, your home is at risk," says Bayer Advanced™ entomologist and Head of Product Innovation Dr. Ken Kukorowski.

Termites are attracted to houses because houses often contain two major food ingredients for termites-wood and water. They digest cellulose in wood for energy and require moisture to keep from drying up. It's possible to have a very serious termite problem without even knowing it since evidence of termites is often hidden, such as mud tunnels or other signs that may be out of view.

"Think about where the wood in your house is located," says Kukorowski. "It's behind your walls and mostly 'out of view.'" Subterranean termites, including Formosan termites, can enter a house from the ground or from aerial infestations but the termites attacking your home will be connected eventually to the ground or another source of moisture in the house (water leak, condensation).

Preventing easy access to your home is a key defense against termites:

• Fix plumbing and roof leaks.

• Divert water at least 18 inches away from your house with properly functioning downspouts, gutters and splash blocks.

• Keep firewood at least 10 feet away from the foundation of your home.

• Do not let mulch or soil touch siding on your home. Better yet, keep it about a foot away.

• Eliminate all "wood/ground" contact near your home, except if the wood is pressure treated, permitted for soil contact.

• Seal foundation cracks (to help prevent moisture from entering).

• Hire a professional to conduct an annual inspection.

• Another solution is to apply a new generation of termite and carpenter ant killers made specifically for do-it-yourselfers. Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Carpenter Ant & Termite Killer Plus kills termites and carpenter ants on contact, plus keeps killing up to four months. Follow the label instructions and apply around the outside perimeter of your home. It's one important step to make sure your dream home doesn't become a nightmare.

Scrapbooking store things to get started

We want to remember and keep for posterity important experiences and events of our lives, snapshots of moments and events we consider momentous in our lives and things which are of value to us and which we feel to be treasured for revisiting in future. The hobby of preserving all kinds of such memories bearing our personal touch and creative ideas be they journals, photographs, diaries or any other objects is called ‘scrapbking’.

What Is Scrapbooking

The scrapbooks of earlier times used to be paper books on which we pasted clippings from newspapers. Now they are creatively organized albums of journals and photos chronologically documented for the coming generation to look at with wonder.

Stores for Scrapbooking

The scrapbooking activity requires certain supplies to create the album. Some of these scrapbooking stores are listed below:

i) Papers: The papers used for decorating the albums and mounting photos must be acid free. Presence of acid in the paper makes it brittle and prone to early damage. The photos will get discolored and faded easily by the acid in the paper. The scrapbooking paper must be free from lignin also as it causes early yellowing of the paper if it comes in contact with ultraviolet light. The processed paper for scrapbooking found in scrapbooking store is free from both acid and lignin.

ii) Plastic Sheets: Plastic sheets sized to fit the album pages protect them from dust, spills or fingerprints. Papers and page protectors are available for making the two standard sizes for scrapbooks, viz. the sizes 8.5”x11” and 12”x12”. The larger size can accommodate more information and photos and are therefore suitable as anniversary albums for weddings and the first birthday of the baby.

iii) Photo album binders: The photo albums come in formats like spiral bound, three ring, strap style and post bound. Spiral bound is good as small events album like say a particular excursion but not ideal for big albums due to certain drawbacks. New pages cannot be inserted for additional sets of photos. Also the color of the pages cannot be changed and pages cannot be covered with page protectors. Three ring binders provide these flexibilities. Album pages can be turned, removed or added easily with the provisions for changing colored papers and using page protectors. From consideration of storage, strap and post bound styles are better as the pages are arranged flat in the album making storage of the album easier.

iv) Glues: Only acid free glues or adhesives should be chosen. Double sided tape adhesives leave no glue on the photos and keep them clean. Glue sticks have the advantage that they take some time to dry up making it easier to move objects in albums before they get fixed on them. Since glues if not carefully used can spoil a photo, it is safer to use for albums photo splits which can be pulled off with ease if needed.

v) Embellishments: They add life to the album by decorating it with eye catching fun and flare. They come in the forms of stickers, die cuts, paper punches and paper dolls.

Scrapbooking Tools

These tools are required to develop a scrapbook. The basic tools are acid free pens, pencils, scissors, templates and stencils.

Shopping for sheets don t let thread count mislead you

Sheet shopping has become something of a numbers game. And it's not the numbers in the price that are attracting attention, it's the thread count.

The higher that number, the softer the sheet, right? Not necessarily. Characteristics such as fabric and weave can add significantly to a sheet's quality and tactile appeal. In fact, in certain combinations, the fabric and weave can make a lower thread count feel softer than a higher thread count made of a different fiber in a different weave.

What's most important to consider is that thread counts are sometimes overstated on a sheet's packaging. And that's something that has even caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Products.

What exactly is thread count? It's the number of horizontal and vertical threads in 1 square inch of fabric. A 400-thread-count sheet will have 400 threads in that square inch. The plies, on the other hand, are what make up the yarn, and there are multiple plies in the yarn. When that number is used on packaging to describe a sheet, it can be misleading to consumers who have been trained to equate a high number with high quality. For instance, a sheet labeled 400 two-ply, or "twisted," yarns is actually a 200-thread - count sheet.

The FTC has now taken steps to prevent this practice of thread - count exaggeration. It stated that "multiplying by ply is inappropriate" for a sheet maker, and in doing so the manufacturer is "stating an inflated thread count." The FTC advised sheet makers to clearly label their products with the thread count, regardless of single or plied components, and then provide additional information on the yarn's ply.

Consumers are warned to read the package carefully and let the price be a warning sign. If it looks like you're getting the deal of a lifetime, it may be too good to be true.

"People have been trained to look to the number on a package of sheets as an immediate indicator of quality, but with today's manufacturing capabilities it's not that simple," said Leslie Gillock, vice president of brand management for Wamsutta sheets, which supports the FTC's recommendation.

"With the variety of fibers and different weaving techniques available to manufacturers, sheets come in a broad range of choices in softness, durability, crispness and care, so consumers should look carefully at the characteristics of a sheet," Gillock said. "Above all, don't be misled by high count two-ply sheets. Feel the sheet itself, and buy the one that's best for you."

Fabric is equally important in determining the sheet's feel. A long-staple, premium cotton -; such as Egyptian or Pima cotton -; will create a softer sheet than a short-staple cotton or even a combed cotton, where shorter fibers have been "combed" away. Sheets made with a cotton-polyester blended fabric or with linen will be crisp to the touch, though the latter is likely to require dry cleaning and be more expensive in laundering. The benefits of man-made fibers such as polyester are that they wrinkle less and look sharp on the bed.

Lastly, pay attention to the weave. A percale's smooth weave makes for a smooth sheet. A sheet made in a pinpoint weave boasts crispness. And a sateen weave adds softness and a lustrous look.

The best test, though, is touch. Your hands will tell you in an instant if the numbers add up to a sheet that's right for you. - NU

Bons plans pour mariage express

Encore jeune et pas fortunй, pourquoi se privez de ce que la vie vus offre de plus prйcieux pour fonder une famille? Le mariage.

Alors qu'un mariage sur le vieux continent s'йvalue entre 10 000 et 15 000 euros, las Vegas vous offre des prestations pour dix fois moins cher, et en plus sortant de l'ordinaire.

Que vous faut il faire. Bon, d'accord, il faut acheter le billet, mais ensuite?

Ensuite rien de plus simple, rendez vous au Bureau des Mariages (Clark County Marriage License - 201 Clark Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89155 - Tel. (702) 671-0600) munis des papiers suivants: carte d'identitй prouvant que vous avez plus de 18 ans, en cas de prйcйdent divorce, n'oubliez pas de prendre avec vous la copie de votre acte de divorce.

Ensuite, c'est а vous de voir.

Une simple cйrйmonie civile au Bureau des Mariages vous coыtera qu'une cinquantaine de dollars et ne durera qu'une demie heure.

Les cйlиbres chapelles long du Las Vegas strip reconnaissables par leur jardins de roses vous offres des services pour une somme comprise entre $200 et 500 dollars qui regroupent un forfait de mariage comprenant l'utilisation de la chapelle, la cйrйmonie de mariage, des fleurs, de la musique et des photos. Les forfaits plus coыteux comprennent plus d'extras comme le transfert depuis votre hфtel en limousine ou Elvis Presley comme tйmoin.

Ou encore, les casinos. Selon le thиme que vous dйsirez pour votre mariage, rendez-vous soit l'hфtel Excalibur pour un mйdiйval, sinon MGM Grand a un mariage en montagnes russes, Treasure Island offre un mariage de pirates а bord de son bateau HMS Brittania et le Las Vegas Hilton propose un mariage Star Trek а bord du vaisseau spatial Enterprise avec des tйmoins Klingon et des invitйs Ferengi. Les prix varient alors de de 350 $ а 3500 $, voir d'avantage. Mais vous йtes tout prets des salles de blackjack et des machines а sous.

Pour la Lune de Miel, en panne d'idйes ou de sous? Pourquoi ne pas faire un tour du monde depuis Las Vegas?

Las Vegas, autre ses casinos, vous permet en effet de dйcouvrir les sept merveilles du monde en un clin d'oeil. Vous voulez Paris et le charme de ses cafйs? Pas de problиme, rendez-vous au Paris Las Vegas! Ici, des votre arrivйe, la Tour Eiffel, l'Arc de triomphe sans oublier le cйlиbre opйra Garnier vous accueillent a bras ouverts! Dans une architecture trиs Franchie style Haussmannien, vous retrouvez toutes les spйcialitйs franзaises et europйennes au sein de ses fameux restaurants, sans oublier son casino.

Envie subite de vous dйpayser. Rendez-vous Venetian! A Venise et ses gondoles... Quelle femme digne de ce nom ne souhaiterait pas passez sa lune de miel dans ce dйcor pittoresque, et rкvasser comme une jeune fille a l'aube de ses 20 ans, en attendant Casanova... Venez vous dйtendre au Venetian. Cet hфtel recrйe pour vous les fameux canaux, les gondoles, les palais vйnitiens et la rйplique de la Piazza San Marco. Elйgance et raffinement caractйrisent le Venetian et ses 3000 chambres. Le Venetian abrite йgalement une superbe galerie d'art avec le Guggenheim Hermitage Museum. Et pour dйcouvrir encore plus de l'Italie, direction le Tuscany Suites Casino

Pour les nostalgiques d'Astйrix et Obelix et du fameux Ave Cйsar, prйcipitez vous vite au Caesar's Palace! Conзue sur le modиle de la Rome antique, le Caesar's Palace accueille йgalement des championnats du monde de boxe et des grands spectacles de vedette.

Envie de vous retrouvez sur une оle paradisiaque? Essayer le Tahiti! Ses bananiers, les tropiques et les plages de sable fin, Pourquoi trop attendre.

Alors, qu'attendez vous pour passer la bague au doigt?