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Home Improvement Blog - On the Level is a home remodeling & repair blog to keep you informed on the products and trends that we see in the field.
What are some tips and tricks you use for storing vegetables? |
Treehugger.com issued some timely advice on storing those spring and summer vegetables. Harvesting tips from Ecology Center, the secondary benefit from following the tips is a reduction in plastic bags and containers often used for storage.
Readers may be surprised by some of the suggestions, which include washing berries and cherries only when ready to eat (to prevent mold growth), storing basil in an airtight container and putting carrots in a closed container with plenty of water.
Although Cauliflower will last for a while, did you know it's best eaten immediately to get the best taste out of it?
Check out the whole post, which includes some cool hanging sand storage boxes for carrots and asparagus that would look cool in any kitchen.
What are some tricks you use when storing vegetables?
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Searching for the new home. |
Realtor.com and RealBizMedia recently announced the launch of a new real estate channel called the Realtor.com Channel. Poised to launch in the second half of 2012, the new channel will bring millions of property listings into 55 million U.S. homes via the Cox cable network.
With this move, Realtor.com claims it is the first to bring real estate listings to "the three screens consumers use most: computer, mobile and TV."
The channel will feature local real estate as listed on Realtor.com, displayed by price range, with accompanying high quality photo-based videos and home descriptions by agents.
Sounds like a cool channel, but will the consumer want to sit through a scrolling list of properties until they see one they like? If the content is delivered in a video-on-demand (VOD) format, it will be easier to skip through. Also, video tours should be incorporated with the photo-based videos, as this is what the consumer has come to expect from home tours done on the many home improvement and real estate-related shows on television today.
Will you tune into the new Realtor.com Channel?
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Planting Mom a tree is just one way to show her some appreciation on Mother's Day. |
It's Mother's Day Weekend! We at Renovate Your World hope you find a moment to thank the Mom in your life for all she has done for you.
If you are scratching your head thinking of nice things to do for her, consider these DIY gifts that can make her life easier:
Build Her a Lattice Screen. Don't be put off! This is a one-day project, so you still have plenty of time to get it done. It can be great for curbside appeal and serves a function, too!
Make Her a Flower Box. Another one-day project that gives her a new place to put flowers.
Give Her Deck a New Look. We're betting mom isn't too keen on sanding and staining. Do it for her!
Give Her a Home Recycling Station. Recycling can be a messy chore. Create a simple system and station to help Mom keep her plastics, glass and papers separate and organized.
Don't forget to check out Ruth Foster's piece on Gardening and Mother's Day!
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Consumers who own one of these slides should stop using it immediately! |
Walmart and Toys R Us have recently recalled about 21,000 inflatable Banzai in-ground pool water slides. The slides can deflate when in use, allowing the user to hit the ground underneath the slide and become injured. Additionally, the slide is unstable and can topple over even without wind and comes with inadequate warnings and instructions.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware of a 29-year-old Colorado mother who died in Andover, Mass, when she fractured her neck going down a Banzai in ground pool water slide. The slide had been placed over the concrete edge of the pool and the victim hit her head at the bottom of the slide because it had partially deflated.
At least two other serious neck injuries caused by the slides have been reported, including one of a man who has become a quadriplegic.
Consumers should stop using the slides immediately and return them to the nearest Walmart or Toys R Us for a full refund.
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A small-scale green roof. |
According to the latest article in Builder Magazine, green roofing has grown 115% in 2011, which is up from a 28.5% growth in 2010. This from stats given by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the association promoting the development of green roofs and walls in North America.
For those who have been living in a cave the last ten years, a green roof is one that features a few layers of protected membranes and soil as well as green vegetation like grasses and plants.
A green roof increases insulation for a building, aides in storm water management and increases energy efficiency, which in turn helps the environment.
Currently Chicago and Washington D.C. lead the metro areas for green roofs installed.
Learn more about green roofs at the GRHC website.
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Is purple your pleasure? |
CSL may be an England-based sofa specialist, but don't let that fool you. Those Brits still know a thing or two about interior design.
To prove it, CSL has recently released the Colour My Room app, a free online and phone app that let's shoppers upload an image of their room and get instant advice on a sofa to go along with the room's color scheme.
All right, so it's an obvious sales app, but even consumers who aren't inclined to buy from CSL can still take the free advice and use it to find something similar from a store closer by.
The app uses four different color palettes in the same way that a professional interior designer would, analyzing the photo of the room and coming up with suggestions for complementing colors and sofa styles to fit the room.
Would you use the Colour My Room app even if you didn't want to buy a CSL sofa?
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Enter the video contest to win $5,000! |
The Genie Company - a garage door opener manufacturer - recently launched its "Open Sesame" Facebook Video Contest. The contest encourages consumers to submit creative videos that demonstrate ways a Genie door opener can be perceived as a "hero" in the garage setting.
Videos must show the garage door opener being used properly and safely. The grand prize is $5,000 and four finalists will be awarded $1,000 each.
Not bad, considering how little work probably needs to go into the project.
Of course, it sounds like you have to have a Genie opener featured in the video, so that's a potential investment right there. Too bad brand didn't matter.
For more information on the contest, go to the Genie Facebook contest page.
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