Fall Back Sunday 2018

Fall Back Sunday 2018
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Before you go to bed Saturday evening November 3rd, give yourself an extra hour of sleep and turn your clock back one hour. Daylight Saving Time officially ends for the year, Sunday November 4, 2018 at 2 A. M. It is time to regain the hour we forfeited last spring.

Fall Back Sunday 2018

The idea of turning the clocks back and forth each spring and fall originated with a New Zealand entomologist who wanted more daylight during his working day to hunt for bugs. The idea was introduced favorably in England in 1908 but it was Germany who executed the idea in 1916 during World War I to save resources.

Proposed in the United States as a way to help farmers utilize more daylight hours when planting crops in the spring, it seems the retail industry was also in favor of the idea which would provide additional daylight hours for shopping in the late afternoon and evenings.

Used randomly during WW I and II and inconsistently among the states, Congress adopted The Uniform Time Act in 1966 to help regulate the dates and use of daylight saving time throughout the US.

Currently the states of Arizona and Hawaii do not observe daylight saving time. The state of Florida overwhelmingly approved using daylight saving time year-round in March of 2018. Congress will need to amend the Uniform Time Act in order for the law to go into effect.  Fall Back Sunday 2018

Be sure to check the official site:
https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa

Pro: Longer Evenings
Setting the clocks forward one hour in spring does not create more daylight, but it does change the time (on the clock) the Sun rises and sets. So, when we spring forward an hour in spring, we add one hour of natural daylight to our afternoon schedule.

Fall Back Sunday 2018

Proponents of DST argue that longer evenings motivate people to get out of the house. The extra hour of daylight can be used for outdoor recreation like golf, soccer, baseball, running, etc. That way, DST may counteract the sedentary lifestyle of modern living.
The tourism industry profits from brighter evenings. Longer evenings give people more time to go shopping, to restaurants, or to other events, boosting the local economy.
Con: Doesn’t Save Energy
A century ago, when DST was introduced, more daylight was a good thing because it meant less use of artificial light and more energy savings. Modern society, with its computers, TV-screens, and air conditioning units, uses more energy, no matter if the Sun is up or not. Today, the amount of energy saved from DST is negligible.

When Indiana decided to introduce DST in 2006, a study found that the measure actually increased energy use in the state.
Pro: Less Artificial Light
One of the aims of DST is to make sure that people’s active hours coincide with daylight hours so that less artificial light is needed. This makes less sense close to the equator, where the amount of daylight does not vary much in a year, or near the poles, where the difference between winter and summer daylight hours is very large.

However, at latitudes between these extremes, adjusting daily routines to the shifting day length during summer may indeed help to save energy. A German analysis of 44 studies on energy use and DST found a positive relationship between latitude and energy savings.

Con: Can Make People Sick
Changing the time, even if it is only by one hour, disrupts our body clocks or circadian rhythm. For most people, the resulting tiredness is simply an inconvenience. For some, however, the time change can have more serious consequences to their health.

Studies link the lack of sleep at the start of DST to car accidents, workplace injuries, suicide, and miscarriages.
The early evening darkness after the end of the DST period is linked to depression.
The risk of suffering a heart attack is also increased when DST begins. However, the extra hour of sleep we get at the end of DST has, in turn, been linked to fewer heart attacks.
How DST affects your health

Pro: Lighter = Safer
Safety is one of the more solid arguments for keeping the lighter evenings of DST.

Studies have found that DST contributes to improved road safety by reducing pedestrian fatalities by 13% during dawn and dusk hours.
Another study found a 7% decrease in robberies following the spring shift to DST.
Con: Costs Money
It is hard to determine the economic cost of the collective tiredness caused by DST, but studies have found a decrease in productivity after the spring transition.

The City of New York invested 1.5 million US dollars in a dusk and darkness safety campaign for the DST change for the fall of 2016.
There is an extra cost in building DST support into computer systems and keeping them maintained, as well as manually changing clocks.

Mudrooms

Mudrooms
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Fall is the time of year to view beautiful fall foliage not piles of coats, dirty boots and shoes.

Mudrooms and organized entrance areas are fast becoming a necessity to busy family homes. From stylish custom-built individual rooms to flat-packs you put together yourself, creating an area to control the mess in an orderly way is a useful addition to your home.

Budget and available spaces will dictate a starting point. Using pre-made one-piece units that are readily available at big box stores or through the internet, can turn the smallest area into an organized dropping point for coats, school pack packs, shoes and boots. Adding a basket or dedicated drawer and you also have a drop-off for the mail.

If you have an existing back entrance that flows into an area like a laundry room or enclosed porch, you may have the space for a customized built-in mudrooms that not only completely manages dropping points for all members of the family but can also be a valuable upgrade to your home.

Consider the following points to create a mudroom (area) for your home:

  • Individual coat hooks and cubbies or baskets for each family member.
  • A storage bench that provides a place to take off or put on shoes and boots and provides storage under the lid.
  • Durable flooring that can withstand the mess.

Simple or extravagantly detailed, mudrooms are an asset to your home and your quality of life.

Fall Home Maintenance 1

Fall Home Maintenance 1
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One of the most important ways to preserve the value of your home is routine maintenance. Aside from the market value of a well-maintained home is the comfort and enjoyment to you and your family. Fall is an essential time of the year to prepare for shorter, colder days and inclement weather.

Trees and grass. Rake leaves and prune and trim your trees and shrubs. Inspect your landscaping plants for health issues and consider using an arborist if abnormalities or sickly trees or shrubs are found.

Clean the gutters. Rid the gutters of debris and dirt, in preparation for rain, ice and snow.

Air Leaks and holes. Walk around your home checking for small holes or loose and cracked caulking. Filling holes and replacing caulking and weather stripping not only extends the life of your siding, roof, windows and doors, but will keep out critters, insects and cold winter drafts.

Clothes dryer vent. An issue often overlooked is cleaning your dryer vent. Lint build-up not only cuts down on drying efficiency but is a fire hazard many people don’t think about.

Heating systems. Have fireplace chimneys cleaned of creosote build-up, which can cause fires. Have your furnace serviced and filters changed.

Security systems. Test smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries if needed. Fall Home Maintenance 1