My sister is one of those people that makes absolutely everything out to be a huge deal. One of the things I’ve been trying to teach her since we were kids is that some things are worth your energy in that way but most things aren’t. I think she might finally be starting to gain an understanding of this although it’s definitely something she’s doing in baby steps.

The reason I say that she’s starting to get it is that she recently made a move from Orlando to Tampa and she didn’t go absolutely crazy about every aspect of it. When she was looking at apartments in Tampa Florida, she got a little bit stressed out about making decisions regarding which apartments in Tampa were good ones to rent. But this makes sense; she has to live in the Tampa apartment for a year so it’s something that’s worthy of a little stress.

She didn’t completely flip out when the moving van rental got mixed up or when she realized that she needed new light bulbs for the apartment as soon as she got there. These are things that normally would’ve caused her to rant and rave and freak out. So I think she’s getting there. Although there’s a message on my voice mail from her that I haven’t listened to yet so I should probably knock on some wood!

Technorati Tags: apartments in Tampa Florida, apartments in Tampa, Tampa apartment

When most people contact a Jacksonville pool contractor or an Orlando pool builder about installing a backyard pool, they’re thinking about the luxury and the conveniences of having their own pool, not the potential dangers.  And having a pool should be more about having fun than having to worry about your kids getting hurt or drowning.

Still, though, it doesn’t hurt to set some backyard pool safety rules.  Here are some sample rules to consider.

1. Never swim alone or without adult supervision.  This rule is especially important with younger children, who are more susceptible to — and less likely to recognize the signs of — fatigue.
2. No running in the pool area.  Even if they’re not swimming, running around by the pool invites danger.  If the kid slips or trips, s/he could fall into the pool or get tangled up in the pool cover.
3. Only X number of people in the pool at one time.  This keeps the pool action at a manageable level for you or whoever is supervising.
4. Only experienced swimmers allowed.  Your kids will probably be forever bringing friends over to swim, so you should set the rule that only kids who already know how to swim, and can swim well, may swim in your pool.  You should also consider getting written permission and a waiver from each kid’s parents.

There are many more safety rules to consider, of course, but this should get you started.  Once you are done working with your Florida pool contractor, you should definitely consider what pool safety rules you would like to have in place for your family and your guests.

Technorati Tags: backyard pool, backyard pool safety, safety rules, backyard pool safety rules, Jacksonville pool contractor, Orlando pool builder, Florida pool contractor, pool contractor, pool builder

Lately I’ve heard a lot of stories about fake guns being used in crimes — for instance, to rob banks or in muggings.  I’ve heard that some of these criminals think that if they get caught, having a fake gun means a lesser sentence, but apparently that’s not exactly true.  Certainly it wasn’t for the guy in the article I just linked to, who was shot by police after waving his guns at them — the cops only discovered after shooting the guy that the guns were fake.

So much for thinking committing a crime with a fake gun was safer.

There are some pretty realistic-looking toy guns on the market — for example, airsoft guns tend to look pretty real.  Airsoft guns are like BB guns or pellet guns — they just use compressed gas or air in order to fire pellets.  Because people use these for realistic games such as MilSim (military simulations) and historical reenactments, they all look pretty real: For instance, airsoft sniper rifles are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing unless you take a close look.

Fake gun manufacturers try to do things to set their toys apart from the real thing — for instance, many toy guns have a bright orange plastic piece on them.  Unfortunately, where there’s a will, there’s a way…  Criminals simply remove or cover up these plastic pieces so that you can’t tell.

Fortunately, getting caught committing a crime with a fake gun is just as bad as getting caught commiting a crime with a real gun.  Either way, you’re pretty screwed.

Technorati Tags: fake guns, fake gun, toy guns, airsoft guns, airsoft, BB guns, pellet guns, airsoft sniper rifles, MilSim

These days it’s important that we pay attention to the impact that our actions have on the environment. As a result, people are increasingly concerned about finding ways to re-use the items that they already have in their homes. While some items (such as glass jars) are easy to find a new use for, others require some creative thinking.

Take, for example, your basic plastic card. Expired credit cards, old ID cards, and used gift cards are all types of cards that we let linger in our homes without finding a real purpose for them beyond their original use. In cases like this, it is sometimes best to turn the item into art.

Here’s the basic how-to for making plastic card art:

• Collect all of the cards you have.
• Sort them into two piles - one that you like the design of and one that you don’t.
• Use the ones with great designs to make decorative art items by putting them into a nice array and framing them. Hang them or give them as gifts.
• Take the ones that aren’t so attractive and add to them. Adding beads, glitter, small collage art, printed quotes and stamped images can create a beautiful new piece of art. These can be framed or turned into functional art such as bookmarks.

If you really get passionate about plastic card art, you might be able to snag your own small art show at a local plastic card printing business!

Technorati Tags: plastic card, plastic card printing