Fall Back Sunday 2018

by | Oct 30, 2018 | Idaho

Fall Back Sunday 2018
 Did You Know?  [video_popup url=”” text=”none”]

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

by | Oct 23, 2018 | Homes

Mudrooms
 Did You Know?  [video_popup url=”” text=”none”]

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

by | Oct 16, 2018 | Homes

Fall Home Maintenance 1
 Did You Know?  [video_popup url=”https://youtu.be/rnx8rlFfZm0″ text=”Big Piles of Leaves”]

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

Idaho Trivia

by | Sep 25, 2018 | Idaho

Idaho Trivia
 Did You Know?  [video_popup url=”” text=”none”]

  1. Idaho is called The Gem State because there are 72 different precious and semi-precious gem stones that have been found in Idaho.
  2. Star garnet is only found in quantity in two places in the world. Idaho and India.
  3. Most of the nation’s supply of trout comes from Idaho.
  4. Hells Canyon in western Idaho is the deepest river gorge in North America. It is 7,993 feet deep. As comparison, Grand Canyon is 6093 feet deep.
  5. Idaho observes split time zones. The north panhandle is on Pacific time zone and the rest of Idaho uses Mountain time zone.
  6. Idaho’s state capital building in Boise, is the only one in the U.S. that is heated by geo-thermal energy generated by a hot spring located 3000 feet underground.
  7. You can sail from the Pacific Ocean to Idaho via the Columbia River then the Snake River. You will end in Lewiston, Idaho the most inland port on the west coast.
  8. The famous Idaho potato is not actually native to Idaho. It was brought to Idaho in 1836 to the Nez Perce tribe as an example of a crop to grow for food.

Idaho Trivia – If you’ve come across this blog post because you’re thinking about moving to Idaho, be sure to check out relocation page.

Disasters Happen

by | Sep 18, 2018 | Homes

Disasters Happen
 Did You Know?  [video_popup url=”” text=”none”]

Wildfires on the west coast and flooding on the east coast. Both are sober reminders of the devastation that can suddenly and sometimes unexpectedly change our lives. The best protection is to be prepared with a family plan and supplies for a wide range of emergencies.

Start by preparing each household member with a basic strategy:

  • How to get to safety
  • how you will contact each other

Stay informed particularly with developing potentially dangerous weather. Unexpected disasters such as explosions, earthquakes or terrorism can be less devastating if a plan is in place and children know exactly what to do.

September is National Preparedness Month. Homeland Security has prepared an easy to follow guideline to help families prepare a plan along with printable check lists.

Disasters Happen-Prepare Now-Learn How. CLICK HERE

Weather can change dramatically and often quite suddenly, causing severe destruction, injuries, and even fatalities. In the last few years especially, we have witnessed increasingly violent weather phenomena. Fortunately, today’s improved weather alert services are often able to warn us of impending natural disasters well before they occur. This advance warning allows people to prepare themselves and their homes to weather the storm.

In some cases, the best means of defense is to evacuate the area. This is often done when the scale of the disaster seems too tremendous to cope with. However, at other times people may not be able to evacuate, or during lesser emergencies, they may choose to stay at home and wait it out. In the latter situation, being properly prepared is essential. This means that at least some stages of preparation should be done well in advance, even before there is any warning about a natural disaster.

A key part of family safety during a disaster is having a sufficient amount of supplies, as well as an emergency kit. A basic version is usually built to sustain each member of the household for a minimum of three days. The purpose of this is that people can very easily be trapped within a building without any signs of help for quite some time. A disaster kit typically includes a bountiful supply of water for drinking and cleaning, along with non-perishable canned or packaged foods, a can opener, a first aid kit, flashlights and batteries, cell phones and chargers, emergency phone numbers, and a radio. Other useful items to have are prescription medications, supplies for infants and pets, cash, matches, and personal hygiene items.

By creating this kit and packing it ahead of time, emergency preparation becomes much easier and quicker when a natural disaster is announced. It’s equally important to have a predetermined action plan, so that each person in the house knows exactly what to do when a disaster strikes. Without a proper action plan, people often tend to first panic, acting illogically, which may put them directly in the path of danger. Examples of emergency plans include fire drills or deciding on an emergency meeting spot. At least two people in the household should be trained in CPR and know how to deliver first aid in case of medical emergencies. Learn more about home preparedness during natural disasters with some of these helpful resources.