Shopping Maniac

Great products, Bargains and gift ideas


You are here: Home / Archives for Home and Family

Burned through yet another laptop!

by

For the last 7 years I’ve been at home on medical leave. During that time I haven’t just stayed in bed … I’m an extreme type A personality that has to be busy all the time. That’s probably one of the reasons why I’m not healthy yet! I keep running myself to the ground by staying up to all hours working – even when I’m home on medical leave. Yes I’m still working even though I’m home, it’s just not at the job that I used to do.

These days I work behind a computer blogging and doing graphic design. I must be behind the computer screen about eighteen hours a day most days. Way too long but that’s the way it is. My long hours are hard on my computers. I’ve been through two laptops so far. My last one pretty much burnt itself out two weeks ago. It got slower and slower and I started calling it Molasses as a nickname if it worked at all.

I finally broke down about a week and a half ago and bought yet another laptop. So far I love the new HP. I hope this one lasts several years but we’ll see. At least this one might have a chance .. I’m hoping to go back to work in the next month or two so my computer hours will be cut down to some degree so that should save the laptop. Of course I expect I’ll be working on it just as hard when I come home from work and on my days off. I plan on using this online business cards design site to create some business cards so I can promote my webdesign and graphics business to my coworkers once I get back to work.

Do you work from home on the computer? If you do, how many hours a day are you on the computer? Do you go through computers/laptops much more quickly than you think you should?

Neighborhood break ins

by

A year or so ago my husband signed up for a community watch newsletter at our local police station. Time went by and he never got any notices. Until this week. It seems there’s been a rash of break in in the neighborhood. cars and houses are being broken into and if we see any suspicious people in the area or if someone tries to gain access to our house by knocking on the door handing out flyers etc we’re supposed to call the police at a specific number. Well I suppose we’d call 911 if it were something serious but if it were just something hinky or suspicious we’d call the hotline number.

I’m actually thinking of contacting the officer in charge of the investigation because someone tried to break in to our house in mid-December when I was home. I thought it was my husband coming home extremely early from work as it sounded like the person was using a key in the door but it wasn’t Chris and when my dog started barking and growling like crazy the rattling at the door stopped. I was scared seeing my dogs reaction. Her hackles were up and the sounds at the door hadn’t been normal but by the time I went to look who ever it had been was gone. I am certain someone was trying to get in though as there was signs someone had been on the porch and our outer door was open.

I’ve actually thought of getting one of those home security systems. I could get a professional one or the kind you can buy from a place like Costco where you set up your own Cameras etc. Probably the professional one is best but having a camera or two wouldn’t be bad .. I live on a busy street and there’s lots of activity and sometimes some strange stuff goes on close by even though I think my neighborhood is basically safe.

I guess I’ll look into home security tomorrow when I’m more awake! While I’m at it I’m going to make a note to look at workflow management software at eoncode.com too. A friend of mine was looking for some print management software and I think that might work for his company.

Anyway – how is your neighborhood? Is it safe? Any break ins or scary stuff going on? Do you feel safe, do you have home security and if you do what kind do you think is best?

Puddles and Guitars

by

I think I’m going to have to buy myself a pair of rubber boots! We had all that snow last week, about 18 inches of it and now it’s all melting away so quickly we have ponds of water everywhere. It’s so hard to get around if you’re walking anywhere. Yep, rubber boots are definitely a must .. until it freezes and snows again that is and with this crazy weather that’s just what it’s going to do soon enough.

Speaking of weather, our house has been so dry this year! We have humidifiers on our main floor and upstairs and I fill them almost daily. I’ve never had to fill them as much as I’m filling them. I don’t know why it’s so dry this year. My husband happened to have his Gibson guitar when he was visiting a guitar store earlier today and the man was an old pro at assessing the condition of guitars. He looked over my husbands guitar and said it was still in very good condition but there were a few places in the fret board areas that the wood had shrunk a bit .. probably because the house is so dry! I wonder if the wood will still look shrunken to this man with the expert guitar eye in the summer time when there is more humidity in the air?

I think Chris was in the store secretly trying to get a deal on a new guitar. He says he was just talking to the store owner and learning from him but I have a feeling he was checking out an instrument or something. He’s sneaky.

Anyway – how’s the weather in your area? Is the snow melting or is it raining there? Are you dealing with huge puddles too?

Top IPad Accessories

by

iPads are awesome devices that really do change the way we access the web and consume media. The brilliance is in the convenience and the speed of the iPad, which means that checking the weather is now just the matter of picking up a nice flat piece of technology and swiping across the screen. No longer are we shackled to our desks or sofas when we want to use the internet, and no longer does it have to be a solitary or unsociable experience.

But while you’re probably getting a lot out of your iPad as is, there are many more ways you could potentially be getting even more enjoyment from it by buying the best accessories. Here we will look at some of the most useful and coolest iPad accessories out there.

Covers

P8_d_ipcover-016

Getting a good iPad cover is something you should do right away as soon as you own your new toy. The reason for that is that it will enable you to personalise your iPad and give it that unique slant that tells you it’s yours – iPads are fashion accessories too so show off your sense of style. Meanwhile these are also practical accessories that can help to protect your iPad in a fall, avoid the screen getting dusty and allow you to slip your device into a shoulder bag without worrying about it getting scratched.

Stands

P8_p_ipcover-008

Some iPad stands come built into the case, but either way these are a must to get the most from your device. The best thing about them is that they enable you to lie down while reading or watching a film – which is even more convenient now than using a book or your hands as you can angle it exactly where you want it.

Stylus

Writing Hard

iPads are great devices for designers thanks to the wealth of design apps and touch-screen input. Using a stylus you can take full advantage of this fact by drawing directly onto the page with more control and precision than you would otherwise have. Look for one with pressure sensitivity to really mimic the paper/pen experience.

Keyboards

Magnet Stand

One downside to the touch screen input is the lack of speed when it comes to typing. Unfortunately, even though the on-screen keyboard is well designed, the lack of physical keys means you don’t get the tactile feedback. By getting a hardware keyboard you can eliminate this problem and turn your iPad into a great productivity device so that you can enter text quickly. Again some keyboards come built into the case, which makes them even more convenient so that you aren’t forced to carry a large extra peripheral with you everywhere.

Car Seat Holders

There are a range of these great iPad accessories, but they all work the same way by allowing you to attach your iPad to the back of your car seat for the children in the back. Put on a film and then enjoy the peace and quiet for a few hours before they start asking ‘are we there yet’ again…

Attached Images:

Shirley Templeton is a technology blogger and writes for Blankdvdmedia.com. Shirley has contributed numerous posts related to iPad and other gadgets to top technology blogs.

Bike Storage Tips For Small Spaces

by






Not everyone who wants to own a bike has a lot of room for storage. Because of that some people will simply give up on having a bike altogether. There are some things that you can do that will allow you to have a good bike even when your space is limited. It may take a little extra work but in the end, having limited space should not limit you from having the bike of your dreams. Here are some of the best tips for ensuring that you have enough space to enjoy your bike and store it as well.

Remove The Front Wheel

One of the best things that you can do to save you some space when you own a bike is to remove its front wheel. It is not difficult to do so. You may have seen a lot of people who already do this. People do it when they leave their bike on the street as a way to secure their bike but you can also do it in order to save you some room. All that you need in order to remove the bike’s wheel is the right tools. If you bought your bike to assemble it yourself you probably got the tools when you bought the bike.

Using A Storage Facility

If you live in a city, it should not be that difficult to find a storage facility. As long as the storage facility is close to your home, you could be using it to keep your bike there. While it may be additional money to spend, a lot of people who love cycling are doing it because that is the way they can keep their bikes and not have to make their living space even smaller. Most of the storage facilities will have different size compartments so get one that’s just good enough for your bike.

Using Hooks

Another great way to save yourself some room while keeping your bike at home is to use wall mounted hooks. These hooks allow you to hang your bike over other items and therefore save you space. The hooks are very easy to install and use. All you have to do is attach them to the wall and use strategic spots on your bike to hang it. Some hooks are especially designed for bikes and that is your best bet when trying to save space in a small apartment.

Specially Designed Furniture

Finally, it is also possible to find specially designed furniture to keep your bike in smaller homes or apartments. The furniture is designed to keep your bike in one spot with other items in the same place so that you can save space. They are generally shelving unites with a section specially designed to store your bike. You can find this type of furniture at specialized stores and the biggest furniture stores in the market. This furniture is very affordable so that you could be saving space and money at the same time while you keep your bike right at home.

Crystal has written this article for Torpedo7, New Zealand’s largest online outdoor sports gear store.






Meta

Pages