5 DIY Hair Tricks which Actually Work

Hacks

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November 3, 2016

Here are five DIY home remedies for your hair which actually work.

Remove Product Build Up

If your hair is left permanently greasy due to a build up of hair product which wont come out with normal shampoo, try washing it with dish-washing liquid. The strong de-greasers in the dish-washing liquid will strip all of the excess product. Don’t do this too often though as the liquid will also remove the natural oils from your hair.

Homemade Dry Shampoo

Do you have darker hair in which the white residue left over from traditional dry shampoos shows up in? Try making your own, suitable for brown and red. Mix up a batch with 2tbsp corn starch, 2 tbsp cocoa powder and a half teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Apply and shake through for an instant cleanse.

Get Rid of Dandruff

Do you have any expiring ibuprofen (Nurofen) lying around? Crush it up and put it into your normal shampoo for an easy anti dandruff shampoo. The jagged edges in the crushed tablets will assist in improving dandruff removal according to InStyle

Natural Highlights

This is an age old trick, but it still works well and is a lot cheaper than a trip to the salon. Squeeze out the juice of a lemon into a cup and use a toothbrush to apply it to the strips you want highlighted. Now go and sit in the sun for a while (with sunscreen), around twenty to thirty minutes usually works best. Do this for a few days and lightened streaks are as easy as that. To lighten your whole head, pour some of the juice through all of your hair before sitting in the sun.

Remove Hair Extension Glue

Are you stuck with trying to remove the glue left behind after taking out extensions? Try soaking the gluey bits in olive oil for around 15 minutes. The oil will help to soften the glue and allow it to come out easily.

Do you have any more tips and tricks for your hair? Let us know in the comments section below and we’ll add them onto our list.

Cover Image: Washing my hair by the Italian voice used under CC BY 2.0

Carving A Pumpkin for Halloween, Get It Right First Time

Michael Klements

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October 31, 2016

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Carving A Pumpkin for Halloween, Get It Right First Time

Let’s be honest, your Halloween decorations aren’t complete without a carved pumpkin. Carving a basic face into a pumpkin is actually quite easy and doesn’t take more than half an hour to do. They key is to get it right the first time and this is made easy by using a marker to draw on the pumpkin before you start cutting. So grab a pumpkin, a marker and a knife and lets get started.

What You Will To Carve Your Pumpkin

A Pumpkin (Obviously), Bigger Is Better
A Marker Pen
A Small Sharp Knife
Two or Three Tealight Candles

Carving Your Pumpkin

Firstly you need to draw on your design, there are literally hundreds of ideas on sites like Flickr and Pinterest, a quick search and you’ll have an idea of what you want to carve. Now you need a bit of an artistic touch, draw an outline of the design you wish to carve onto your pumpkin, the nice thing about this method is you can wipe it off and make any changes quickly and easily without messing up your pumpkin. It also doesn’t matter if you have a few sketch lines or crossed out lines as we’ll wipe them off afterwards anyway.

Once you have your design drawn on, grab a knife, we need to cut the lid and hollow out the pumpkin. Begin by cutting a circle around the stem of the pumpkin (you can also draw on a circle to guide you) about 10cm (4″) in diameter is fine. Cut lightly at first to mark out your circle and then cut deeply towards the centre of the pumpkin going around the stem. Eventually, if you have cut deep enough all the way around, you’ll be able to pull the “lid” off. Cut the bottom of the lid square and put it aside.

The inside of the pumpkin should already be mostly hollow but it will be stringy and full of pips. Using your hand, pull all of the stringy bits and pips out. You can also use a spoon to really clean up the sides and the bottom well. Scrap as much as you can off without digging into the meat of the pumpkin.

Now its time to get carving. Using your sharp knife, carefully cut along your marked lines. Make shallow cuts initially and slowly get deeper and deeper to ensure that you don’t slip and cut yourself or the wrong part of your pumpkin. Once you have cut a shape along all of its sides, it should be relatively easy to push into or pull out of the pumpkin depending on the angle you held your knife. Wiggle the bits around to see where more cutting is required.

Once you have rough carved your pumpkin, do the finer details and clean up any rough or unclean edges. Once you are happy with your design, it is time to wipe off the marker. The marker should come off with a bit of soap and a cloth but if it is a bit more permanent then you may have to use some nail polish remover and cotton wool to wipe it off.

Your pumpkin is now ready to put on display. Just before it gets dark, place two or three tea light candles into the centre and light them. Put the lid back on and your pumpkin is ready to use. The glowing grimace of a jack o lantern is sure to attract attention on your doorstep or down the driveway!

Have you carved a pumpkin his Halloween? Send us your pictures using the mail link above and we’ll add them to our page or let us know your tips and tricks in the comments section below.

There’s nothing like carving a pumpkin to get you craving a home baked pumpkin pie, try this great recipe to fill your home with the fresh pumpkin spice fragrance.

Easy Pumpkin Pie

Michael Klements

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October 27, 2016

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With Halloween almost upon us and Thanksgiving around the corner, it is almost time for pumpkin pie! Fill your home with that warm nutmeg and cinnamon fall scents with this amazingly good recipe which isn’t too difficult to make.

Makes 1 Pie, Preparation Time 35mins, Cooking Time 1hr 30mins

Ingredients For Pumpkin Pie

750g (1.65 lbs) Pumpkin (Peeled, seeded and cut up into chunks)
1 Roll of Shortcut or Puff Pastry (Depending on your preference)
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Butter
3/4 Cup of Milk
1/2 Cup of Castor Sugar
1 Tsp Icing Sugar
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt

Making The Pumpkin Pie

First you need to cook the pumpkin, boil it in a large pot. Cover the pumpkin chunks with water, bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 15 minutes until it is soft. Drain the water off and allow the pumpkin to cool off.

Now heat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Unroll the pastry and press it into the bottom of a tart tin or dish, trim off the edges for a neat finish. If you have pastry beads then place them in the bed of the pastry before baking to prevent it from coming off the bottom of the dish. Bake the pastry in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and then add the pumpkin, nutmeg, half of the cinnamon, salt, sugar, butter and milk. Beat until a smooth puree is formed, use a food processor if necessary.

Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and smooth it out. Now bake it in the pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes until the filling has set.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool. Dust the remaining cinnamon and icing sugar over the top to finish it off. Serve chilled with whipped cream.

If you love baking then you’ll love our copycat Cinnabon recipe, you’ll also make the neighbours jealous with the delicious baked cinnamon fragrance.

PiePumpkins by Lori L. Stalteri

Cover Image: PumpkinPie by browniesfordinner. All images in this post are used under CC BY 2.0

How To Attract Butterflies To Your Garden

Michael Klements

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October 26, 2016

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How To Attract Butterflies To Your Garden

Turn your garden into a paradise for butterflies with these simple steps. Try to focus on attracting some of the native ones to your area, they will be easier to attract and will likely live longer than any exotic species in the wrong environment.

Feed The Caterpillars

Caterpillars are the first stage of a butterflies life so in order to create a home for butterflies, you need to create a home for and feed the caterpillars. Most people don’t want caterpillars in their garden as they eat up the leaves of plants and flowers. Plant some thick greens like milkweed to provide food for the caterpillars and they will leave the other plants and flowers alone.

Caterpillar by coniferconifer

Feed The Butterflies

Butterflies eat nectar from flowers, plant lots of nectar producing flowers in sunny locations around your garden. They especially love bright colours like red, orange, yellow and purple. Try to stagger the planting of your flowers or choose a wide variety of flowers so that there is at least one bed of flowers in bloom at all times. Follow this link to find out what plants are best for which butterflies.

They also love fruit. Put out peels, cores and slices of fruit in an open location for them to feed on.

Avoid Pesticides

This may be an obvious one but you should avoid pesticides and insecticides as far as possible. They are usually not selective and kill off a broad range of insects and their young. If you are trying to get rid of a particular pest, try to research natural methods.

Create A Puddling Area

Butterflies love a puddling area in order to congregate. This only needs to be a shallow pan with some course sand which is kept moist. Butterflies will congregate in this area on the sand.

Do you have any tips and tricks for attracting them to your garden? Let us know in the comments section below.

Cover Image: Butterfly by Bill Staney. All images in this post are used under CC BY 2.0

How Often To Clean Things At Home

Michael Klements

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October 25, 2016

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Everyone knows that they should be cleaning things around their home but how often? Some things get used more than others, some don’t seem to get dirty and some are always dirty. Here is a useful guide and pinup on when to clean what around your home:

Clean Every Day

Make the Bed
Put Dishwasher On
Wipe Kitchen Counters
Wipe Bathroom Counters

If you’re particular about cleaning, then have a look at these 9 things to do daily to keep a clean home for some additional daily cleaning advice.

Twice A Week

Do the Laundry
Mop Tiled Floors
Vacuum Floors & Furniture
Wipe Out TheMicrowave

Every Week

Wipe Down Bath & Shower
Shine Glass Mirrors
Change Bedding
Throw Out Expired Food

Every Month

Dust Blinds
Clean Out Dishwasher & Washing Machine
Dust Light Fittings
Wipe The Inside of the Oven

Twice A Year

Clean Out the Fridge
Defrost & Clean Out the Freezer
Descale Tea & Coffee Makers
Vacuum the Mattresses

Every Year

Sweep or Brush Out the Fire Place
Deep Clean Carpets & Upholstery
Wash Drapes & Curtains
Dust Out Vents

This list is obviously quite generic, if there are only two of your living in your home then you won’t need to run the dishwasher every day and perhaps twice a week is fine. Feel free to adapt it as you see fit in order to accommodate your families routines.

If you think that you can only use the dishwasher for cutlery and crockery, pots and pans, think again. Here’s a list of seven uncommon household items which you can put into the dishwasher. You’ll save yourself loads of time and the dishwasher will probably do a better job at sterilising them than you would have done.

What should we add to this list? Do you have any items which you regularly clean which we have missed? Let us know in the comments section below and we will add them on.

Save and share this list or print it and pin it up in a cupboard:

Cover Image: SpringCleaning by storebukkebruse used under CC BY 2.0

The Reasons Why The Galaxy Note 7 Is Exploding

Hacks

Michael Klements

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October 19, 2016

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The Reasons Why The Galaxy Note 7 Is Exploding

The Galaxy Note 7 is one of Samsung’s flagship phones, pitched as a competitor to the newly released iPhone 7 plus, however, it has since been discontinued and recalled globally amid numerous reports of the phones melting down and catching fire while charging. This is likely to be one of the disappointments of the decade and one of the most publicised global recalls we have seen so we have to ask the question, how did this happen? Especially coming from one of the market leaders in smartphone design and manufacturing.

The Battery Doesn’t Quite Fit

The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) which had a major role in the US recall announced one of the primary reasons as being the battery size. The battery used in the Note 7 was found to be slightly too large for the space allowed for in the phone. This means that as the phone is assembled, the corners of the battery pack are slightly crimped or squashed which leads to a short circuit within the battery, causing it to overheat and in extreme cases catch fire or explode.

Samsung then replaced the battery packs after the recall using a different manufacturer, however, according to Bloomberg, even these new batteries had a manufacturing problem which lead to further fires and explosions.

Screenshot From The News, Fox 13: New At 10.

Speedy Charging

Everyone wants their smartphone battery to last longer and charge faster, so Samsung made a number of tweaks to the way in which their processors control battery charging to allow the Note 7 to charge faster. Faster charging means that the process is more volatile and leads to more heat being generated within the battery which, coupled with the battery issues, may have contributed to the batteries catching fire.

Waterproof Slim Design

Another driving factor in smartphone design is the size, all manufacturers are trying to make their phones as slim and light as possible. The downside is that there is little space left for cooling and thousands of components are stacked on top of each other and crammed into a small space. In order to make phones water and dust proof, they have to achieve a certain IP rating and for this to happen, the phone needs to have as few holes, gaps and splits as possible as each of these are a potential entry point for water and dust. Unfortunately, these holes and splits are useful for cooling so removing them leads to further heat problems.

If you managed to avoid buying a Galaxy Note 7 and still have a usable smartphone, here is how you should be charging your smartphone in order to get the most life out of the battery.

Do you have or know someone who has had their Galaxy Note 7 recalled? What was your experience with the phone? Let us know in the comments section below.

Cover Image: WMBF News screens

Add A Diverter To Your Drain To Save Water

Michael Klements

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October 18, 2016

1

Add A Diverter To Your Drain To Save Water

Every time you pull the plug on your sink or bath or you take a shower, the water running down the drain goes to waste. Most of the time, that water isn’t really that dirty and can be put to good use in the garden to water the plants and grass or it can be used to clean your car or the porch etc. Adding a simple diverter valve onto your existing drain pipe near your bath or sink can save this water so that you can use it straight away or store it for use at a later stage.

What You Will Need To Add A Diverter Valve

Hacksaw (To Cut Existing Drain)
50mm (2″) PVC Pipe T Piece
50mm (2″) Shutoff Valve
50mm (2″) Reducer To The Size Of Your Pipe To Tank Or Garden
PVC Cement/Glue

How To Install The Diverter Valve

The first step in this conversion is to find a suitable drain pipe, chances are that your drains do not all go to one place, there are numerous drains around your house for different purposes. Find one of the drains which are fed by your bath tub, shower and your bathroom sink as this is usually where the most usable water is lost. Other alternatives are the kitchen sink or washing machine drain, the toilet drain is off limits obviously but these are usually much larger 100mm (4″) drain pipes so they are easily recognisable.

Once you have decided on a drain, you need to cut a small section off a little higher than the ground level where the valve and T piece will be inserted. About 30cm (1′) from the drain cover is ideal. Cut into the drain with the hack saw trying to make a clean and square cut.

You need to cut two straight sections from the off cut to be used as the joiners between the T and valve and the T and the reducer. These should also be cut clean and square, 6cm (2.5″) long will be ideal.

Use the PVC glue/cement as directed on the packaging, all that is usually required is to coat the outside of the smaller surface and insert it into the larger one. Make sure that you have coated it the whole way around so that there are no leaks. Glue the pieces together as shown in the picture. Start by assembling the valve, T piece and reducer with the joining pieces. Once you have done this then glue the whole assembly onto the drain pipe so that you give yourself place to work.

The PVC glue/cement usually takes a couple of hours to cure properly so avoid using the associated drains for a while after installing the valve.

The reducer can not be connected to your pipe for the garden. You can either connect it straight up for watering the garden each time you drain the tub or sink or you can further pipe that water into a collection barrel or storage tank to be used at a later stage. Just make sure that the tank is lower than the bath/sink or the water will not drain into the tank. Also make sure that you use quite large piping as there is no water pressure on the drain line to force the water through.

You can now start using your diverter valve to reuse the water in your garden. Simply turn the valve in one direction to allow the water directly into the drain or turn it the other direction (close it off) to divert the water to use in the garden.

Have you done something similar on your home to save water? Let us know in the comments section below, we would love to hear your ideas.

16 Hidden Features of Google You May Not Know

Hacks

Michael Klements

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October 17, 2016

0

16 Hidden Features of Google You May Not Know

Google is everyone’s go to page for finding something on the internet but did you know that there are a number of built in features to help you with everyday life? Become a master of Google with these useful and some not so useful but more fun tips and tricks for searches you may not know about.

Set A Timer

Easily get a count down timer or stopwatch by typing in set a timer and the time.

Find The Distance Between Cities

Type in distance between and the names of the two cities, it will display the distance and give you the estimated travel time.

Voice Search

Click on the microphone icon next to the search bar and Google will allow you to do a voice search. It will also come up with some witty comments if you ask it anything unusual.

Do Basic Geometry Problems

It can help you, or help you to help your child with their geometry homework. Type in solve circle or triangle or rectangle to bring up a calculator with the equations and a diagram.

Plot Functions

The sames goes for graphs and functions, type in graph for and the equation to bring up a plot of the equation.

Currency Conversions

Get easy currency conversions at the current rate by typing in the amount followed by the three letter symbol for each currency. It will also recognise the more common currencies written out in full.

Tip Calculator

Do you struggle with calculating tips? It has built a tip calculator which allows you to put in your bill amount, the tip percentage and it will even allow you to split the bill and tip between a number of people.

Normal Calculator

Need to do a calculation in a hurry? Type calculator in for a mini calculator which does trig functions and logarithmic and exponential functions.

Don’t Miss The Holidays

Don’t miss any holidays again, Google has the dates for all of them. Type in Easter or Thanksgiving and it will give you the date.

Find Artist, Actor or Author

Use itto find you more movies by a particular actor, songs by an artist or books by an author, simply type in songs by, books by or movies by and the persons name to bring up a full list.

Atari Breakout

Type in Atari breakout for Google’s version of this old game.

Zerg Rush

Type in zerg rush and you will be greeted with a search page which gets eaten by O’s. Clicking on each O three times destroys them.

Tilt The Results Page

Search for tilt or askew to bring up a tilted search page.

Do A Barrel Roll

Search for do a barrel roll and the page will spin around once.

The Answer To Life

Get the answer to life, the universe and everything as made popular by the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Retro Google

Searching for Google in 1998 will bring up a retro version of Google as it was in 1998.

Do you know of any more hidden features, tips or tricks for Google searches? Let us know in the comments section below.

If you found these tips and tricks useful, have a look at these 5 Secret iPhone codes you probably didn’t know about.

Super Easy Strawberry Sorbet

Michael Klements

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October 13, 2016

0

Nothing quite tastes as good as a fresh fruity sorbet for dessert on a hot evening. This recipe for strawberry sorbet is super easy to make using fresh strawberries and it takes less than fifteen minutes.

Strawberries by Amy Stephenson

What You Will Need For Strawberry Sorbet

Makes About 1 litre (34oz), Preparation Time 5 Minutes, Freezing Time 10 Minutes in an ice cream maker.

650g (22oz) Fresh Strawberries – Hulled (Tops Removed)
150g (5oz) Sugar
150ml (5oz) Water
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

How To Make Strawberry Sorbet

Add all of the strawberries into a blender and puree until smooth. Don’t puree the mixture too much as you will start to break up the seeds.

In a small saucepan, bring the water to the boil before dissolving the sugar. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and simmer for 2 minutes.

Pour the sugar mixture into the strawberry puree and mix well together. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 8 hours before putting into the ice cream maker. This allows the flavours to fully develope and the mixture to get cold enough for the ice cream maker.

Add the mixture the ice cream maker and follow the directions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture onto a baking sheet and freeze it until set. Break it up and blend in the food processor until smooth. Freeze and blend again for the best consistency.

This recipe freezes well for up to a month. Take it our a few minutes before serving to allow it to soften. You can also use this sorbet as a base for your summer smoothies and avoid having to buy and keep fresh strawberries on hand.

Have you tried or modified this recipe? Let us know in the comments section below.

Cover image: StrawberrySorbet by Star5112. Referenced images used under CC BY 2.0

Why You Should Be Burning Bay Leaves At Home

Michael Klements

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October 12, 2016

3

Why You Should Be Burning Bay Leaves At Home

Bay leaves are very commonly used in the kitchen to flavour your favorite dishes however they are very seldom used for anything beyond the kitchen. Have you ever walked in to a yoga or zen studio and been greeted with a particular smell? This smell comes from a traditional art called smudging, it is the process of burning herbs in order to purify a room, similar to incense.

Bay leaves contain pinene, cineol and elemicin compounds which create a stimulating calm effect. Traditionally, it is used as a sedative and anti-inflammatory but it also lowers blood pressure and heart rate when burned.

How To Burn Bay Leaves

Next time you are feeling stressed or in a bad mood, take two or three dried leaves out and light them in the same way you would light incense. Let them burn in a small tin or aluminium baking tray and fill the air with their smoke, make sure the windows and doors are shut or the draft will carry the smoke away. Remember to keep the tray away from anything flammable and do not burn the leaves near a smoke detector. Sit back, relax and allow the herb to make your mind and muscles feel more relaxed.

Another effective way to harness the power of bay leaves is to drink a tea made brewed from a number of bay leaves. Simply put a couple of leaves into a tea strainer, add boiling water to the cup or teapot and allow the tea to steep for two to three minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea.

Would you like to fill your home with an amazing vanilla, warm Christmas spice or fall fragrance? Try out these simmer pots to make your home smell amazing.

Pin This Tip

The DIY LifeTech & Electronics

The DIY LifeTech & Electronics

Remove Product Build Up

Homemade Dry Shampoo

Get Rid of Dandruff

Natural Highlights

Remove Hair Extension Glue

Cover Image: Washing my hair by the Italian voice used under CC BY 2.0

What You Will To Carve Your Pumpkin

Carving Your Pumpkin

Ingredients For Pumpkin Pie

Making The Pumpkin Pie

PiePumpkins by Lori L. Stalteri

Cover Image: PumpkinPie by browniesfordinner. All images in this post are used under CC BY 2.0

Feed The Caterpillars

Caterpillar by coniferconifer

Feed The Butterflies

Avoid Pesticides

Create A Puddling Area

Cover Image: Butterfly by Bill Staney. All images in this post are used under CC BY 2.0

Clean Every Day

Twice A Week

Every Week

Every Month

Twice A Year

Every Year

Cover Image: SpringCleaning by storebukkebruse used under CC BY 2.0

The Battery Doesn’t Quite Fit

Screenshot From The News, Fox 13: New At 10.

Speedy Charging

Waterproof Slim Design

Cover Image: WMBF News screens

What You Will Need To Add A Diverter Valve

How To Install The Diverter Valve

Set A Timer

Find The Distance Between Cities

Voice Search

Do Basic Geometry Problems

Plot Functions

Currency Conversions

Tip Calculator

Normal Calculator

Don’t Miss The Holidays

Find Artist, Actor or Author

Atari Breakout

Zerg Rush

Tilt The Results Page

Do A Barrel Roll

The Answer To Life

Retro Google

Strawberries by Amy Stephenson

What You Will Need For Strawberry Sorbet

How To Make Strawberry Sorbet

Cover image: StrawberrySorbet by Star5112. Referenced images used under CC BY 2.0

How To Burn Bay Leaves

Image: BayLeaves by Stacy Spensley used and modified under CC BY 2.0

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