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The “Green” Way To Repel Flies

May 22, 2013 By

Flies can be pesky critters. They land on food, buzz around your head, fly into windows, and land on the TV screen. If you're looking to get rid of them, without having to spend your day with fly-swatter in hand, you're in luck. Check out this safe, eco-friendly way to repel flies without using harmful sprays.

Fill a plastic bag with water, and hang it near the area where you wish to be fly-free (like near the dining table). The movement of the water in the bag, and the shadows it casts on the table will make the flies nervous, thinking someone is swatting at them, and they will stay away from the area.

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Pita Bread: Warming & Preparation Tips

May 8, 2013 By

Who doesn't love hearty, yet supple, pita bread? It's great by itself, filled with yummy fillings, or even dipped in hummus or flavored oil. Plus, pita rounds can be kept in the freezer, so when you're in a pinch, you can make a quick breakfast or lunch on-the-go.

But, if you keep it in the freezer, how do you transform a frozen pita into a warm pocket? You can either warm it in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds on high. Or, on a gas stove, turn the flame to medium-low, and then place the frozen pita directly on the burner. To ensure it doesn't burn, and warms evenly, flip it, and move it around every 5 to 10 seconds. Using this method, it takes less than a minute to take the bread from totally frozen to warm, pliable, and a little crusty.

Once your pita is warm, fill it with cottage cheese, fresh fruit, and jam for breakfast, or top it with an egg and avocado. For lunch, enjoy your pita alongside your favorite soup, or fill it with chicken salad.

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Enjoy A Round At the Country’s Best Golf Courses

April 24, 2013 By

If you're a golfer that's keen on playing the best greens, you know that there's much more out there above and beyond your local course. Here is a list of a few top-notch courses that all golf lovers should add to their must-play list.

Whistling Straits; Haven, Wisconsin
The PGA Championship played on the Straits Course back in 2010, so you know this place must be a golfers' haven. The Straits course as well as the Irish course at Whistlng Straits are both ranked among the very best in the entire country. There are so lush that they may remind golfers of courses found in Ireland. Click here for more information.

Pebble Beach Resort; Pebble Beach, California
As the site of the 2010 U.S. Open, this course has become quite legendary. If it’s good enough for the pros, it must be worth a round, right?! Visit the website for more information about the breathtaking Pebble Beach resort and the awesome golf experiences offered here.

Bandon Dunes; Bandon, Oregon
Drawing from Scottish tradition, the Bandon Dunes course sits atop a picturesque bluff that looks over the vast Pacific Ocean, and is surrounded by natural beauty and wildlife. Not only is it a fantastic place to play, it is also part of a secluded southern Oregon resort that includes three more challenging courses to try if you're an adept golfer. Click here to read more!

Pinehurst Resort and Country Club; Pinehurst, North Carolina
This awesome North Carolina golf destination offers eight fabulous, one-of-a-kind courses, as well as many luxury hotels, a serene spa, and an array of restaurants. Click here to visit the website!

For more great places to play, click here to check out Golf Digest’s "100 Greatest Golf Courses in America."

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10 Ways To Save Money At The Grocery Store

April 10, 2013 By

With the prices of food and household items going up, it's essential to do all you can to cut costs while food shopping. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a large family, below are a few easy ways to fill your belly without emptying your wallet.

1. Make a list and stick to it. Go to the store with a list and a budget, and do not deviate!

2. Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry. If you're hungry, you're bound to buy more than you need.

3. Use coupons and bonus cards. Coupons are one of the most effective ways to cut costs — check out the circular coupons, or use Google to find coupons for your favorite brands. Also, register at the customer service counter for a free bonus card so that you can enjoy members-only prices.

4. Before you head to the check out, look at your cart. Do you really need every single thing?

5. Use brand substitutions. If another brand or the store brand is on sale, try it. You may find a new favorite, plus you'll save some money!

6. Only go down the aisles you need. Be purposeful with your shopping — don't tempt yourself by walking down unnecessary aisles.

7. When possible, go alone. If you can, don't take the kids. They will distract you from getting what you need, and ask for things that weren't on your list.

8. When it makes sense, buy in bulk/buy ahead. If an item you love is on sale, stock up. But, if it's perishable, be sure you only buy the amount that you can use before the expiration date.

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Mercury in Fish: What’s Acceptable?

March 27, 2013 By

Doctors agree that fish is an important part of a healthy diet. Fish and seafood is an excellent source of high-quality proteins and Omega 3 fatty acids, which have been found to strengthen the heart and circulatory system and aid children in brain development.

Unfortunately, increasing levels of toxic mercury in the planet’s water supplies have created a public fear of seafood. Mercury poisoning can be debilitating, especially for children. Excessive mercury consumption can be seriously detrimental to a developing nervous system.

Mercury is built up in fish as they eat. Different kinds of fish store it differently. A general rule is that more fat in the fish’s system translates to more stored mercury. That’s why fish that carry a larger percentage of fat, such as tilefish, king mackerel, and swordfish, are usually the highest in mercury. It's safest to eat these fish very rarely, or to avoid them altogether.

Pregnant women and children should reduce their consumption of other fish that contain some mercury to no more than two meals a week. Those fish include salmon, pollock, shrimp, and catfish. Oysters are also generally considered safe.

It takes mercury absorbed in the human body approximately a year to work its way out naturally. If you are planning on becoming pregnant, it’s a great time to start monitoring your mercury consumption and changing your diet. Don’t let the amazing nutritional benefits of fresh fish go to waste.

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Most Important Philosophers of All Time

March 13, 2013 By

Philosophy is, in a nutshell, the study of the human experience – how we understand and react to the world. There have been a number of important thinkers who developed the discipline, but these five philosophers are the ones that you need to know.

Plato
The founder of the first school of higher education in the Western world, Plato’s teachings inspired virtually every future thinker in Western philosophy. His theories of forms, immaterial abstractions that possess the true nature of their material counterparts, is vital for study of philosophy.

Aristotle
Without Aristotle’s development of written systems to analyze and criticize, the development of philosophy would have been very different. His teachings covered an incredibly broad spectrum of subjects.

Rene Descartes
Widely regarded as the father of modern philosophy, Descartes was not only a great thinker who advanced the concept of dualism, he also developed Cartesian geometry, one of the most important mathematical breakthroughs of the 17th century.

Confucius
The central thinker of Eastern philosophy, Master Kong Qiu, who we know as Confucius, was born in 551 BC and helped make the empires of China some of the most robust on Earth. His systems of morals and ethics paralleled and even surpassed the ones being developed in Greece at the same time.

John Locke
Regarded as the “Father of Liberalism,” philosopher John Locke brought concepts of humanism and universal freedom into the arena of thought. He was a huge influence on the framers of the Constitution and the first Presidents of the United States.

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Red Stamp: Modern Correspondence

February 27, 2013 By

Looking for a thoroughly modern way to invite some friends to your next soiree or to send a happy birthday greeting to a loved one? Check out the Red Stamp app for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

This user-friendly app allows users to create customizable greetings that can then be sent via text message, email, or social media platform like Facebook. The templates they provide are stylish, modern, and beautifully designed. And, best of all, Red Stamp is free!

So, the next time you want to correspond with people in style, download the Red Stamp app, and get started today!

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ASPCA Tips on a Pet Friendly Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2013 By

Be sure to keep dangerous items out of Paws reach this Valentine’s Day!

The ASPCA would like to remind pet owners that each year poison control experts see a rise in cases around February 14, many involving chocolate and lilies.

Pet-Safe Bouquets: Many species of lily are potentially fatal to cats.

Forbidden Chocolate: Baker’s, semi sweet, milk and dark chocolate can all be potentially life-threatening to pets. Go ahead and enjoy your chocolates this Valentine’s Day, but don’t leave them out for your furry friend to enjoy!

Careful with Cocktails: A glass of wine or champagne while celebrating this Valentine’s day could cause a lot of damage to a curious pet. Because animals are smaller than humans, a little bit of alcohol can do a lot of harm. Keep a watchful eye on your beverage!

Life is Sweet: So don’t let your pets near treats sweetened with xylitol. If ingested, gum, candy and other sweet treats that include this could cause a sudden drop in blood sugar. This can cause your pet to suffer depression, loss of coordination and seizures.

Looking to surprise your sweetie with a new furry friend this Valentine’s Day? While Windsor at Brandywine Valley is pet friendly we do have breed restrictions. Please contact the leasing office for more information at (610) 558-6848.

*Tips obtained from www.aspca.org*

  

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Local, Organic, Whole — Oh, My!

February 13, 2013 By

Today, there’s a lot of hype about organic, local, and whole foods. If you feel confused during your weekly grocery shopping trip, wondering what is best for you and your family, you’re in luck. Check out the “food hierarchy” below that will answer all your questions about what is the best way to feed your family, while still being eco-friendly.

Opt for local first.  First and foremost choose local items if available.  Buying locally grown produce and meat supports the local community, reduces the amount of shipping need to get the foods to you, and also, local farms typically use organic and ethical practices.  Also, local foods are seasonal foods, meaning the environment in which they are grown is not altered to create artificial conditions to help them grow.

Go for organic.  If local is not an option, go organic.  Organic produce, meats and dairy are not exposed to the harmful pesticides and hormones that are often pumped into our foods.  Organic items, though they may be shipped from farther away, save our earth from over exposure to harmful toxins.

Eat whole.  If there are no local or organic options, pick whole foods that are unprocessed like fruits and vegetables, grains, oats, rice and fresh poultry, meat or fish.  Avoiding overly processed items like granola bars, microwave meals, chips or composite meat (like chicken nuggets) will undoubtedly reduce the amount sugar, sodium and saturated fat entering your system.

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Great Android Tablet Apps

January 23, 2013 By

The Android platform developed by Google has become a very viable alternative to Apple’s iPhone and iPad, and it’s starting to make significant inroads into the tablet market. If you’ve got an Android tablet and no idea what to put on it, here are five excellent suggestions.

Dropbox
This amazing file management application is an essential tool if you use your Android tablet for productivity, allowing you to access cloud storage for up to 2GB of data from anywhere you have a wireless connection.

Pulse News
One of the best RSS readers and aggregators on the platform, this easy-to-use application lets you draw content from all your favorite sites and preview them with images so you can decide what you want to see.

Plume
A great Twitter application for Android tablets, this smooth, efficient program takes advantage of the increased screen real estate to show you embedded media in addition to your timeline and also has a browser built in for links.

YouTube
Sure, you can visit YouTube in your browser, but the official app is free and offers one of the best video experiences on a tablet. 720p HD videos look incredible on a tablet-sized screen.

Skype
Why not use your Android tablet as a video phone? Skype is by far the most-supported application on the market, and even with a Wi-Fi only tablet you can use it to make and receive calls if you’re connected to a network.

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