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Month: June 2019

  • Finding the Best Acid Reflux Treatment

    Finding the Best Acid Reflux Treatment

    Acid reflux, also known as heartburn, is an issue that occurs when your stomach acid washes up into your esophagus, causing pain and discomfort. It can be difficult to find relief for this frustrating condition. If you’re looking for the best treatments for acid reflux, you’ve come to the right place. Today we’re discussing the best ways to avoid acid reflux, and the best treatments for when you’re suffering from it.

    Acid Reflux

    Avoidance

    The best thing to do is to just avoid acid reflux altogether. You’re likely aware of some of the triggers of your heartburn, but maybe you’re not as familiar with others. Let’s look at some of the common things you’ll want to avoid when it comes to acid reflux.

    Eating Late

    Avoid eating late at night. The later it is when you eat, the worse off you’ll be when you try to lay down for bed. Often, laying down after a late meal is a surefire way to agitate your stomach and send acid spilling up into your esophagus. This results in the continual chest pain and burning that are typical of heartburn. In order to avoid this, make sure you don’t eat within four hours of the time you’d like to get to sleep.

    Red Meat

    You may also want to avoid red meat in your diet if you have bad acid reflux. Not only will red meat exacerbate your heartburn symptoms, it’s also not very good for you in the first place. Consider eating fish for entrees instead, or even forgoing meat altogether for some meals. This will not only help your acid reflux, but it will also be good for you overall!

    Carbonated Drinks

    As tasty as sodas and seltzer waters are, the carbonation is terrible for acid reflux. It can often excite your stomach acid and irritate your esophagus. This, in turn, leads to your stomach acid splashing up into your esophagus and trigging heartburn. The same goes for highly acidic drinks like juices. If you have bad heartburn, consider drinking water with your meals instead of sparkling water or juice. It’s also a lot better for you in the long run.

    Large Meals

    One of the most surefire ways to trigger your acid reflux is by indulging in a very large meal. Whether this is a splurge you’re enjoying or just you being quite hungry, eating a lot of food often gets your stomach acid going and can cause heartburn. Consider having more meals throughout the day of smaller portions, as this will allow you to avoid triggering your acid reflux.

    Antacids

    One of the most straightforward treatments for heartburn is to take antacids. These help to neutralize your stomach acid so that even if it does splash into your esophagus, it won’t cause as much discomfort as it normally would. Common examples of such medications are Tums and Rolaids. These can help to offer instant relief.

    H2 Blockers

    Another great option for preventing heartburn is the use of an H2 blocker. These have a somewhat complex mechanism of working, but they essentially block your body from producing as damaging of acid. Examples include Zantac and Pepcid. These are usually taken regularly as a way to combat the worst of heartburn symptoms.

    Proton-pump Inhibitors

    Proton-pump inhibitors are great for when H2 blockers aren’t working. They’re a bit more intensive, and work on a different mechanism than H2 blockers, but they’re often much stronger. Prilosec and Nexium are two well-known examples of this type of medicine. You don’t usually start with these, as they’re much more intensive, but they’re a great fallback if H2 blockers aren’t working.


  • Saving Money on Printer Ink: Quick Life Hacks

    Saving Money on Printer Ink: Quick Life Hacks

    Let’s face it: there’s no reason for printer ink to cost as much as it does. There has to be some way to keep the cost of this (apparently precious) resource down to a minimum, right? Today we’re going over some top tips to keep your costs down when you’re buying printer ink, and how you can keep up with your office’s needs.

    Saving Money on Printer Ink

    Refill Cartridges

    You actually don’t have to buy all-new cartridges every time you run out of ink. You can head to places like Walgreens and have your cartridges refilled for a fee. You can usually refill a cartridge four to six times, assuming its in good condition and you don’t do anything to compromise it.

    Doing this not only saves you money, but it’s good for the planet. You’re not supposed to throw away the cartridges, but many people still choose to do so. Instead of disposing of your old cartridges, though, you can have them refilled to save money and save the planet.

    Refilling on Your Own

    You don’t even really need to go to a business to refill your cartridges. You can do it from home, if you have the right tools and patience. With the right refill kit and a steady hand (do this over the kitchen sink) you can refill the cartridge with ink all on your own. No one said being frugal wouldn’t get messy, though! Don’t do this over paper or furniture. Or anything you don’t want covered in ink, really.

    Buying Third Party

    Even when you do need to buy new cartridges, don’t buy straight from the brand-name. Third party, or “compatible,” printer ink cartridges are a great way to save money. Buying from third parties means you get to avoid the upcharge from printer companies like HP. While name-brand ink cartridge makers will tell you to avoid third-party cartridges, there concern isn’t for the health of your printer, but for the health of their wallet.

    Getting third-party cartridges from off-brand companies is fine as long as you’re getting the right size ink cartridges. In order to keep the costs even lower, you could opt for having them regularly delivered through a service like Amazon.

    Remanufactured Cartridges

    Why stop there, though? You could also opt to buy “remanufactured” cartridges. These are ink cartridges that have been previously emptied, but have been recycled and refilled. You can often find these for as little as half the price of new cartridges. Just remember that these might be eligible for fewer full refills than brand-new ink cartridges.

    Essentially, remanufactured cartridges are cheaper up-front, but can be more expensive in the long run. It really depends on how many refills you can manage to squeeze out of them. On average, though, these are a great way to get a refill if you’re out of cartridges and don’t have an empty one to refill.

    Draft Printing

    If you don’t need the prettiest printed copy, set your print job to “draft print” style. This will use less ink and toner, and generally looks a bit shoddier than full settings. However, this is a great way to save ink. If you’re just printing something out for personal reference, not something that needs to look amazing, this is a great way to save ink.

    Finally, make sure you remember to recycle your ink cartridges when they’re dead. Even if they’ve been refilled six times and can’t be used anymore, it’s important that you don’t just toss them in the trash. Often, places like Office Depot and Staples will offer you rewards program points for bringing in older ink cartridges. This is a much better option than just tossing them into the garbage!


  • Which Airline Miles Credit Card is Right for You?

    Which Airline Miles Credit Card is Right for You?

    Frequent flyer miles. You hear about them all the time, any it seems that every company claims they offer the best rewards for frequent flyers. However, they can’t all be the best, right? Someone sits atop the heap, and someone is making stuff up. Today, we’re helping you cut through the noise to find the best credit card for frequent flyers.

    Best Frequent Flyer Credit Cards

    Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

    The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the first on our list, and it makes the list honestly: through its great options for frequent flyers. Notably, you get a whopping 50,000 miles when you spend $3,000 in the first three months as an intro bonus. That’s the equivalent of $500 in travel, just for spending your money like you normally would.

    The card offers double miles on all purchases, and has a promotion where you can earn ten times the miles when staying at certain hotel brands. Importantly, there are no blackout dates with this card, and the points can be redeemed at any airline or hotel. There aren’t any expiration dates on your miles, and there’s no limit to how many you can earn. You can also transfer your miles across to other loyalty programs.

    Chase Ink Business Preferred Card

    We’ve got another great intro bonus with this card: you get 80,000 points just for spending $5,000 with it in the first three months of having it. 80,000 points amounts to roughly $1,000 in travel rewards, so that’s a pretty sizable intro bonus! You also earn three points for every dollar on your first $150,000 spent on travel each year.

    Otherwise, you get one point per dollar on normal purchases. Excitingly, there’s no upper limit to the miles you can earn, making this is a great card for big-spenders! The points on this card have no expiration date, and you can use them as long as your account is open. There are also no foreign transaction fees, a great feature for any travel card.

    Discover it Miles

    The Discover it Miles card has a pretty substantial marketing push behind it, so you’ve certainly heard of this one. Well, we can confirm that it’s not all marketing hype: this is a pretty solid airline miles credit card. To start, the introductory offer sweetens the deal immensely. At the end of your first year with the card, Discover matches all of your miles. This essentially doubles all the miles you earn in your first year.

    The card also has no annual fees, a great plus for any credit card. It offers 1.5 times miles on all purchases, includes no blackout dates, and its points are redeemable at any airline or hotel chain. You also get a free credit scorecard, as well as a simple on and off toggle for freezing your account, should you lose the card.

    Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a highly sought-after credit card for airline miles for a number of reasons. Firstly, the intro bonus is very generous. If you spend $4,000 through the card in the first three months of owning it, you get 60,000 bonus points. That translates to about $750 in travel rewards, which is a lot to earn just for using your credit card.

    The card offers double points on dining at several restaurants, as well as on all travel expenses. Conversely, it offers one point per dollar on other types of purchases. There are no fees for foreign transactions with the Sapphire Preferred Card, and you can transfer your points to several high-profile travel loyalty programs. It’s easy to see why people love the Sapphire Preferred Card for travel, between all of its great features.


  • Best (and Worst) States for Retirement

    Best (and Worst) States for Retirement

    When it comes time to retire, that doesn’t mean you should have to give up your financial viability. In order to keep more of your retirement savings and income, you should look into moving to one of the more retirement-friendly states. Today we’re looking at two of the best states to retire to, and two of the worst states to retire to, and explaining what makes them earn their place on the list.

    Best and Worst Retirement States

    Notes on Retirement

    It’s worth noting that the vast majority of people in the US stay put when they retire. After all, most people have family and friends in the city they retire in, or they’re enjoying having a fully paid-off house in the region, so they have no real desire or need to move. However, some people simply want to find a nice place to live out their retirement years and don’t mind moving across country to get the best tax rates and locale for their golden years.

    On average, about 1.5% of retirees end up moving between the ages of 55 and 65. That’s a pretty small amount, statistically, though the practice isn’t exactly uncommon. Of course, there’s a glaring exception to this rule, but we’ll get to that shortly.

    Wyoming

    Wyoming is the second best state in the country for retirees for one simple reason: it’s got no personal income tax. This alone is enough to make it a major draw for retirees looking to keep more of their hard-earned money. That said, Wyoming is somewhat far from many major regions in the country, and is hardly the most metropolitan of states.

    Wyoming’s relative distance from big cities, beaches and the hustle and bustle of modern American life can be a draw for some people, however. It’s laid-back, rustic feel is exactly what some people what when they retire.

    Florida

    Far and away the biggest state for retirees, Florida has earned its “snowbird” reputation honestly. The state, like Wyoming, has no personal income tax, and it offers a distinctly different climate and atmosphere from the Midwest. Many retirees from New England love moving to Florida, both for the tax breaks they get as well as the sun, sand and beaches.

    Far and away, if a retired person is moving after they retire, they’re most likely moving to Florida. This has given certain communities in the state a reputation as being entirely for Northerners fleeing the harsh climate of the Northeast for the warm beaches and sun of the sub-tropical state.

    Worst States for Retirees

    One of the worst states for retirees, West Virginia has one of the nation’s lowest life expectancies, and it also has one of the nation’s largest concentrations of resident aged 65 and older. In spite of these seemingly contradictory facts, it’s even stranger to consider that West Virginia has the lowest percentage of workers aged 65 or older of any state in the country. In short, it’s not the sort of place you want to retire to.

    Another state to avoid as a retiree, Alabama has the absolute lowest life expectancy of any state in the US. A number of factors contribute to this, such as overall lower quality of life, worse medical coverage and worse education compared to other states in the US. However, it hardly makes the state one worth considering moving to.

    Finally, some other states that retirees tend to avoid include California and New York, as these states have some of the highest costs of living of any in the US. Also on that list are Hawaii, Connecticut and Alaska, which sport astronomical costs for housing and high taxes on income and sales tax.


  • Know the Signs of Termites

    Know the Signs of Termites

    One of the most damaging and destructive forms of insects for your home is the lowly termite. Few creatures on this planet, barring maybe the mosquito, earn quite as much ire as the termite. Drywood termites, in particular, love to live in door and window frames, skirting boards, and even your wooden furniture.

    It’s important that you know the signs that point to termite infestations. These wood-devouring little arthropods can go undetected for months, or even years, tearing up your home all the while. Once you know the signs to look for, however, you can root these evil little bugs out and set your home right.

    Know What to Look For

    People often confuse termites for white ants, though this is a mistake. Termites do look similar to ants in some ways, and even have some similar behaviors. However, there are some distinctions you should take note of when you see a light-colored “ant”. Firstly, remember that there’s no such thing as a white ant.

    Termites have two pairs of wings, like ants, but their pairs of wings are the same size. Ants have one larger and one smaller pair of wings. Termite antennae are completely straight, not bent like those of an ant. The dead giveaway, as we’ve indicated, though, is that termites are white or cream-colored, and no white or light-colored variant of ant is known to exist.

    Swarmers

    The presence of swarmers, or flying termites, is a dead giveaway that there will soon be termites eating through the wood in your home. These flying swarmers are usually seen just after a heavy rain, at least in the drywood species of termites. Drywood are the ones you need to be worried about, so keep an eye out for these flying bugs after rain.

    Flying termites, unlike ants, can be male or female. They’re typically younger members of their species that are looking to find a mate. Upon finding a mate, they seek out a proper nest (like the inside of your doorframe) and set out making a colony. A sufficient food source can sustain a king and a queen for as long as ten years.

    The Tell-Tale Sound

    There’s a rather distinct sound that is made by termites who are working away at eating your home. It’s a slight clicking, something low and quiet that’s difficult to hear unless you get close to the affected area. This clicking sound is the worker termites banging their heads against the wood to warn the colony of impending danger.

    Another sound you will easily by able to tell termites by is the sound of them just chowing down on your furniture or home. It’s a faint sound, but it’s distinctive. It sounds like someone munching, just at a very low frequency and, you know, inside of your furniture.

    Check Your Wood

    A quick way to check for major termite damage is to tap on the wood surfaces of your home. If you hear a hollow or paper-like sound as a result, you know that you’re dealing with termites. Drywood termites eat wood from within, and often leave a small amount on the surface. This leads to them often being difficult to spot with the naked eye. However, tapping on affected wood should quickly reveal the truth. If your wood sounds lighter or more hollow than you think is natural, it’s time to call out an exterminator to handle your termite problem.

    Another thing to check your wood for is frass, or termite droppings. Frass is an indicator of drywood termites, and is commonly checked for in termite inspections. Unlike some other forms of termites, drywood termites don’t use their droppings to form their tunnels. Instead, they push the dark, powdery excretions out of openings near their nests.


  • Ocular Migraines: Causes and Treatments

    Ocular Migraines: Causes and Treatments

    If you suffer from ocular migraines, the words alone could cause you to feel that dull ache in the side of your head. Ocular migraines are loosely defined as migraines that affect only one eye with odd visual impairments. Often, they are prefaced by flashing lights or partial blindness, and they could include mild to severe pain on one side of your head.

    Today we’re going to look at the causes, symptoms and potential treatments for ocular migraines to help you set yourself back on track. Those who suffer from these types of migraines often can’t carry out normal tasks through the pain of the migraine, so this is an important topic for many people.

    Causes of Migraines

    As it turns out, science is currently unsure as to why migraines occur. They only affect about twelve percent of the population, and they can often seem to have little link to physiology. However, current science suggests that the origins of migraines are neurological. In many cases, triggers of migraines can be emotional. Stress and depression can be triggers, though excitement and surprise can also bring on migraines.

    Scientists presume that migraines are caused by something in the brain that triggers and unusual communication between the nerves that communicate with the brain. This often involves the blood vessels and muscles of the head, which, in turn, can lead to the intense pain of migraines.

    Ocular Migraines

    Unlike normal migraines, ocular migraines have an optical component. Their causes are likely similar to those of normal migraines, but with an emphasis on the nerves of the eye instead of just nerves that communicate with blood vessels or muscles. Other causes could include spasms in the blood vessels of the retina, manifesting as unusual spots in the patient’s vision.

    Potential triggers can include low blood sugar, caffeine, bright or flashing lights, stuffy or overly cold rooms and even high emotions. Often, those who suffer from these migraines can tell when they’re coming on, as they have a number of telltale symptoms that crawl up on the sufferer. These include tightness of the neck or shoulders, light sensitivity and nausea.

    Symptoms

    Ocular migraines include symptoms of extreme pain in one side of the head or behind one eye, primarily. Impairment in the vision of one eye is also common, though it can occasionally occur in both eyes. Typically the pain in one’s head during a migraine throbs or pulses, rather than persisting across the length of the event.

    It’s common for sufferers of migraines to note that the pain gets worse the more they move around. Often, those with common migraines will simply lie in a dark, quiet room and wait for their migraine to pass. Migraine symptoms can often occur in tandem with nausea, high photosensitivity or sound sensitivity, and even vomiting from the intensity of the pain.

    Treatment

    While migraines are incredibly discomforting, they’re thankfully not terribly dangerous to your overall wellbeing. Typically, migraines will simply go away after about half an hour on their own, so most people don’t require any treatment for them at all. That said, there are some cases in which the pain from migraines is so intense that the sufferer needs treatment.

    For preventative treatment, you’ll need to see a doctor. Some may prescribe anti-epilepsy medicine such as Topamax, which can play a role in stopping migraines. Sometimes beta blockers, which are a type of blood pressure medicine, will be prescribed, which helps with blood vessel-related causes of migraines.

    As for treatment during a migraine, try to just take it easy during an episode. Drink water and take an NSAID if you’re experiencing a lot of pain. Aside from that, there’s not a lot you can do to stop a migraine already in progress.


  • How to Find the Best Makeup Foundation

    How to Find the Best Makeup Foundation

    Everyone who wears makeup knows the struggle of trying to find the right foundation for your skin. Getting the right color, the right contrast and the right material all at once can be incredibly difficult. After all, you don’t have unlimited time or money to try out every different foundation found at the store. Today, we’re helping you narrow it down with some of our top tips.

    Firstly, we’ll be looking at some of the most popular foundations. We’ll give an overview of price, availability, and what user reviews say about each entry. We hope this helps you find some foundation that will work well for you!

    Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation

    Available at Macy’s for $50, this longwear foundation has a lot to offer for certain skin types. Those with facial scarring, uneven marks or similar skin conditions they might be self-conscious about will love this offering from NARS. The much-hyped release of this foundation speaks to how beloved it is by users, many of whom refer to it as a “must-have” beauty supply.

    The texture is described as “velvety” and “smooth,” and the coverage is quite even and provides a great base for makeup. The foundation is said to last for up to sixteen hours at a stretch, helping you to look great long into a big day full of activities. This foundation safely sits atop the heap, though it’s a bit on the pricey side.

    Matte Loose Powder Mineral Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15

    Coming in at a much lower price, this Bare Minerals foundation can be found at Macy’s for $31. If you want a nice, even coverage that looks great in any light, you often need to go with thicker or liquid-based foundations. However, this Bare Minerals foundation is light and applies very evenly and offers great coverage despite its light weight.

    For those with chronic acne or skin that’s prone to breaking out, consider this option. Since it’s so light but offers such robust coverage, it’s a favorite of people with more sensitive skin. It’s a great way to keep your skin from getting irritated or breaking out when you’re wanting to wear makeup and have the application look even and natural.

    Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation

    Have you ever worn a foundation that you could refer to as a “second skin?” That’s likely what you would refer to this Becca foundation as. Found at Dermstore, this Aqua Luminous foundation is unparalleled at mimicking the texture and feel of skin, while acting as a perfect underpinning for makeup. There’s a lot to love with this foundation, including the luminizers that help you keep an otherworldly glow even through a layer of foundation.

    Allowing your skin’s natural tones to shine through while still giving you a nice canvas for applying your makeup is a tight rope that this foundation walks expertly. If you’re a more advanced makeup user who likes to spend a lot of time getting your look perfect, this is the foundation for you. You can pick up this Perfecting Foundation at dermstore.com for $44.

    Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

    This foundation, from Rihanna’s own FENTY BEAUTY line, can be found at Sephora for $35. Bad Girl approved, this foundation offers smooth, even and perfectly-blending color that is hard to match with other foundations.

    A huge mark in favor of this foundation is the wide array of shades available, allowing everyone from the lightest skin tones to the darkest to find exactly the match for their skin. Nothing’s quite as big of a disappointment as finding a great product that just doesn’t have a shade that matches your skin tone.


  • How to Save the Most Money on a Flight

    How to Save the Most Money on a Flight

    Everyone loves traveling, and the most time-efficient way to go large distances is by flying. However, flying can be expensive, especially if you don’t fly frequently enough to rack up frequent flyer miles and earn savings that way. If you don’t fly often but want to find the best deals, where should you start? Today we’re answering just that with our guide to low-budget flights and saving money while traveling.

    Saving Money on a Flight

    Fly Coach

    This might sound like pretty obvious advice, but our first tip is that you fly coach. While it can be tempting to fly first class to make the trip plush and nice, there’s nothing wrong with saving money by buying the least expensive ticket you can find. After all, the more you save on the flight, the more you can spend when you get to your destination!

    There’s nothing wrong with hanging in the back of the plane in a smaller seat with less fancy amenities. It’s not like you’re going to have to spend more than a few hours in the plane, so why spend as much as double the ticket price just to get a bigger seat and a bit more legroom? In either case, you’re on the same plane, going to the same destination, taking the same amount of time.

    Search Incognito

    When you’re searching around to find the best deals on plane tickets, make sure you’re doing so incognito. To open an incognito window, just click in the top right of your browser’s settings and hit “open new Incognito Window.” This makes it so sites can’t track your cookies and keep up with who you are, allowing you to go under the radar.

    This is to help you get the lowest price by sidestepping a sneaky airline trick. Airlines will continually jack up the price of tickets the more you view them online, in order to get you to panic and buy them sooner rather than later. To avoid paying this extra amount, shop incognito to keep them from tracking your browsing habits.

    Stay Off Major Search Engines

    Sorry, Google, but you’re not great for airline prices. Most major search engines get a cut of ticket prices when they help generate sales, so the prices you’ll see through them are also inflated. This is another scummy upcharge that you would do well to side-step entirely in order to find the best price. Instead of going through major search engines, you can look for budget airlines through broader engine searches.

    These include options like SkyScanner, which helps you find the best deals on specifically airlines, and Momondo, a broad search engine that can sometimes fetch budget airlines even cheaper than SkyScanner. Other great options you could check out include AirFare Watchdog, JetRadar, AirWander and Cheapoair. Remember, no one search engine is ideal: you’ll likely find the best results by using a combination of all of these options.

    Find the Cheapest Booking Days/Times

    It’s no secret that the prices of airline tickets can change dramatically based on when you buy them. The time of week, the time of day, the length of time until the flight leaves, all of these factors have a role to play in the cost of the ticket. Narrowing down the best time to fly out can feel a bit more mystical than scientific, though.

    There are a few things you can do to make sure you’re getting the best price based on the date you buy your ticket. One of the best resources is actually the SkyScanner website, which can help you narrow down the best days and times to buy, showing you an easy-to-read calendar with clear indicators of prices. It’s really the best way to shop for airline tickets!


  • Lawn Care: Taking Care of Your Grass This Summer

    Lawn Care: Taking Care of Your Grass This Summer

    Everyone wants the best-looking yard on the block. However, it can be quite difficult to maintain a healthy and plush lawn through the harsh summer months. If you’re looking to keep up a good lawn care regiment and keep your grass looking verdant and perfect, you’re going to want to take some of our summer lawn care tips to heart. Here’s what you need to know.

    Summer Lawn Care Tips

    Know What to Expect

    When the hot summer temperatures show up, it’s time to adjust your expectations of your grass. It’ll grow thick and plush in the Springtime, as even cool-climate grasses love temperatures in the 60’s. That includes grasses like bluegrass and rye. Meanwhile, hot-temperature grasses, like Bermuda and St. Augustine, prefer to grow in the 70’s. Once the temperature jumps above 80 degrees, however, it’s time to expect your grass’s growth to slow and stop.

    Now, you can use techniques like fertilizer and sprinkler systems to make sure your grass gets plenty of coaxing and will want to grow taller. However, know you’re fighting nature when you try to encourage grass growth in the summertime. On top of this, you’re likely using your grass more in the summer time, having friends over, throwing barbecues and parties, and trampling all over your grass. This is a surefire way to see your grass turn brown, dry up and go dormant.

    Proper Watering

    As you might expect, proper watering is a huge aspect of good summer lawn maintenance. If your grass isn’t getting enough water from rainfall, you need to make up that difference yourself. Your grass needs about an inch of water per week, so use a rain gauge to keep up with how much your yard is getting. Make up the difference with your sprinkler system or just by hand-watering your lawn. Make sure you water in the morning to avoid fungal growth and evaporation.

    When you get into watering your lawn for the summer, make sure you’re in a regular groove. Water the grass regularly and deeply to encourage drought-resistant roots. Also, if you’re not going to water the lawn regularly, don’t water it at all. If the grass goes brown and dormant, don’t try to water it back into being green. Your lawn will bounce back in the fall if it falls dormant, so just let it lie if it does.

    Mowing Your Grass

    Raise your mower blade in the summer to avoid damaging your grass. Taller grass is more drought-resistant, with deeper roots and hardier constitution. It also keeps the ground well-shaded, preventing the growth of low-lying weeds. Warm season grasses need to be about two or three inches in the summer, while cooler season grasses need to be between three and four inches.

    Make sure you also mow regularly in the summertime. You don’t want to cut more than a third of the length of a blade of grass, to encourage your lawn’s health. Another important factor is the amount of grass clippings, which could smother your lawn if they fall too densely over your grass. Finally, you’ll want to make sure your mower blades are kept razor-sharp in the summer. If they aren’t, they won’t be cutting your grass, they’ll be tearing your grass. That’s terrible for your lawn’s health.

    Fertilizer

    Use fertilizer sparingly. You don’t need to use fertilizer on brown, flagging lawns. If you do, you’ll only burn the grass out and encourage fresh growths that will just die to the heat. Instead, wait until the fall when your grass is green again to fertilize. Yes, this does mean that your grass will just look bad throughout the summer, but it’ll save you money on dropping fertilizer for no reason.


  • 2020 Ford F-150 Preview: What to Expect

    2020 Ford F-150 Preview: What to Expect

    The newest offering from Ford, the 2020 model of the ever-popular F-150 line, is set to release later this year. However, in the meantime, we’ve got plenty of juicy details about just what to expect from the upcoming, high-tech, high-powered truck. There’s a lot to love about what Ford is bringing to the table! But is the F-150 still going to be on top of heap when it comes to pickups when this truck hits dealerships?

    2020 Ford F-150

    Balance

    It’s important to strike a balance when you’re designing a truck like the F-150. On the one hand, you want to have the power to tow a lot of weight, but you also want to make the ride comfortable and the technology needs to be cutting edge. It’s also important that Ford balance the luxury of their F-150 with a reasonable base price, as well as a variety of trim levels to please all types of customers.

    It appears as though the 2020 F-150 is slated to strike that balance relatively well. Notably, the V-8, 6.7-liter turbo diesel engine under the hood offers a ton of power for heavy-duty jobs. However, the vehicle also comes sporting a ton of driver assist technology, connectivity, and high-end luxury to make it a modern vehicle.

    Engine

    The engine under the hood is expected to be a beast. While the current projections are for a 450 horsepower engine, with 35,000 pounds of towing capacity, that could be a conservative estimate. In January, Ford posted projections that they wanted the new vehicle to have as much as 35,100 pound of towing, with 7680 pounds of payload.

    There are expected to be three engines available at various trim levels. All three will be offering a ton of power, though the diesel-powered option will allow for a lot more fuel efficiency than the others. In short, there’s a lot to look forward to in the powertrain of the 2020 Ford F-150, and you can expect serious power from the newest line of Ford’s trucks.

    Technology

    While we’re not yet sure what will come standard on the 2020 F-150, it’s clearly shaping up to sport a wide array of driver assist technologies. For instance, expect to see lane-keeping technology, emergency braking assist, advanced backup camera, lane merge warnings and more. On top of these technologies, expect to see a ton of new connectivity technology.

    The car will offer a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to ten wireless devices. It’ll offer this through a 4G LTE modem, making it a high-speed connectivity option and helping you to keep your data bill down for your phone! Also expect a huge infotainment screen, a fast-acting UI and a wireless charging pad. Namely, this pad will be a Qi-enabled charger that can wirelessly charge most new phones.

    Redesigns

    The 2020 Ford F-150 is expected to bring some major redesigns for the line. These are expected to hit both the exterior and the interior of the car. Firstly, the outside of the vehicle, expect to see new grilles on all trim levels. The exterior redesign makes the vehicle look sleeker, meaner and more modern. Higher trim levels will include the signature daytime running lamps, and the brake lights will be of a new, single-light style.

    On the interior of the vehicle, expect to see a number of new features. These will partly be related to trim level, while all trims can expect a more luxurious and plush ride. As the Ram line becomes more and more luxury-focused, Ford will have to make moves to keep up with the luxury changes. As such, the interior redesign will likely be more noticeable at higher trim levels.