Handmade soap making lets you combine ingredients and then watch something entirely different form right before your ideas.  Making soap is a great hobby enjoyed by many.  Here are the basics for making soap yourself.

1. The recipe.

Critical to soap making is the right blend of ingredients.  Soap is a combination of fats, water an lye.  In the right proportions you get very mild soap that’s lathers well and feels like luxury.  The wrong proportions and you get a real mess. 

Choose a recipe from someone you trust to start.  It need not have a whole list of ingredients.  Coconut, palm and olive oils are the basic oils to use.  Then you’ll have lye, water and a scent.

2. Tools.

Pans for mixing, molds for forming, spoons for stirring, thermometer for checking and scales for measuring, that’s what you need.  Then there are molds for forming and maybe cutters for… cutting.  It can be simple and cheap.  No fancy stuff necessary.

3. Ingredients.

Lye is caustic, but soap requires it.  Order it, since it’s probably not in a store near you.  Oils make soap and it only takes a few.  Coconut for lather, palm for hardness, olive for the feel.  You can use all kinds of others including pig fat and emu oil, but coconut, palm and olive are the big three and you really need no others.

4. Mixing it up.

Careful measuring is critical.  Get the proportions right and you’re half done.  It’s a matter of combining the lye with water first.  Then mix all the oils, melting if necessary.  Then pour, slowly, the lye/water mix into the oils.  Never the other way around.  Always wear eye protection and chemical resistant gloves are a plus.  Don’t pour any of this mix down the drain either.

5. Molds, curing, cutting.

After stirring just to the point where the mix begins to thicken, in the molds it goes.  Molds are everywhere.  Buy individual bar molds, loaf molds or use what have you.  That means most plastic boxes work as molds.  Think about cutting before you cut.  Using knives on hard soap loaves isn’t just hard, it’s risky too.  Simple soap cutters are often cheap and easy to use.

Handmade soapmaking happens step by step.  It’s just combining fats and lye in the right mix.  Then it’s getting the hardening bars in the right shape.  It’s part science but a whole lot art too.

 

 

 



By: Alan Bullington

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Nothing is worse than having a broken windshield or glass in your automobile. It is very ugly and very unsafe. When you are in need of auto glass repair, the first place that you may look is in the yellow pages. When you look in the yellow pages, you will notice that there are several different places that offer auto glass repair.

There is a ton of competition in auto glass repair in Houston, Texas in the area of auto glass repair. There are several auto glass companies in and around Houston that claim to offer you top quality and affordable auto glass repair. They offer speedy service, quality parts, and customer satisfaction.

However, when you are ready to choose a glass company to complete your broken window repairs it is important to remember several factors. First, you will want to check with your insurance company who is covering the cost of the repair. They may recommend a specific glass company or they may have a list of approved shops that can repair your glass.

If you contact your insurance company, they will be able to tell you where you can take your vehicle to be repaired. So, if your insurance is paying for the repairs, you cannot just take you automobile anywhere for service unless your insurance company says that it is okay.

To better understand all of the competition that exists in Houston with auto glass repair, it is a good idea to shop around. Before you get your windows repaired or replaced, you will need to get a few difference estimates. You can use the estimates to determine which glass company would best fit your wants and needs. When you are shopping around, you will see all of the different things that are offered by many different glass companies in the Houston area. Shopping around will show you how much competition there is in auto glass repair in Houston, Texas.

In order to remain competitive on the market, some auto glass companies will offer specials on their products and services. Some will offer to provide free or reduced labor or some offer incentives such as a free radio with purchase just to get you to come in and choose their service.

These offers can sometimes distract the customer from making a well-informed decision on which glass company to use to get their windows repaired. The offers may seem to be good, but one thing that you must keep in mind is the service and the quality of the products. Will your automobile receive the premium service that you deserve? Will you get the highest quality in parts that are available on the market today? You have to keep you and your family’s safety in mind, so it is very important that you receive the highest quality products, the best service and at the right price.

One way to learn more about the competition is through word of mouth. If your friends and family members have visited and worked with different auto glass companies around Houston, they will be able to tell you all about the service and the products the different companies offer. So, you may want to ask your friends and family members about the auto glass company that they utilized in the past.

Your insurance company will probably recommend a few different options or they will have a list of different services where you can take your car. If this is the case, then you will want to carefully research each one before you make a final decision. Even though the insurance company offers you a list or options, you can still shop around to see what the best glass company is to best meet your needs and wants. You car is a major investment in your life and you will only want the best products, the service, and the best price. Your and your family’s safety may depend on it.

In conclusion, there is a lot of competition for auto glass repair in Houston. There are several listings in the yellow pages. Everywhere you go in the Houston area, you are likely to locate an auto glass repair shop. So, it is important to be aware of this competition and how to choose the right shop for your auto glass needs.

Many of these auto glass repair companies will try to get your attention by offering you some incentives to bring your business to them. Sometimes, the quality of the products and service suffer because of these incentives. The quality of the materials and the skilled labor are the most important elements when working with a glass company because safety should be a top priority.



By: David Warren

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Fact#1: Cats will stay away from cardboard or life sized statue cats

For some reason, cats stay away from life sized cat statues or cardboard cats. This is a useful fact when trying to keep your cat away from your garden or backyard. You can buy these from a gardening hardware store.

Fact#2: Cats may like chicken but not chicken wire

Cats can do considerable damage to your garden when left unchecked. To discourage cats from eliminating and digging in your garden or from eating the plants, you can locate the plants between strips of chicken wire.

Fact#3: Cats hate lemon peels, soap slivers and pepper.

Because of this, you can place these materials in your garden, kitchen, furniture, and tabletop or anywhere you don’t want your cat to go to.

Fact#4: Cats like to scratch.

This cat habit can be very annoying and expensive especially if the cat is ripping up the carpet. To counter this habit, buy your cat a scratching post and encourage him to use his claws on it instead. Some cats may have special preferences when it comes to the material used for the scratching post. The different materials you can use for your cat’s scratching posts are sisal rope, corrugated cardboard or a reversed carpet.

Fact#5: Cats hate water.

Cat hates water so having around a squirt gun will help you train your cats and discourage them from doing the things you don’t like them to do like eliminating outside the litter box. Don’t use the litter box for entertainment purposes though as this will confuse your cat on what you want them to do.

Fact#6: Cats hate loud noises and surprises

Yes, cats don’t like the idea of jumping out of their skin from surprise. You can use this to your advantage by placing tin cans with coins inside on top of shelves, kitchen counters, tables and anywhere you don’t want your cat to go. Of course, you have to position these cans in such as way that they will tip over with the slightest movement. This will certainly encourage your cat to keep away from those places.

Fact#7: Cats are scared of vacuum cleaners.

Cats are scared of vacuum cleaners; in fact they are terrified of vacuum cleaners. If your cat has the annoying habit of waking you up every morning, you can use a vacuum cleaner to scare off your cat and make him learn to respect your time of rest. If your cat wakes you up every morning by scratching on your door, you can position the vacuum cleaner in such a way that it is by the door and can easily be activated by you.

Fact#8: Cats are creatures of habit

Cats love routines. Because of this, try to stick to a schedule that your cat can depend especially when it comes to feeding time. If your cat has the habit of disturbing you whenever it’s hungry, do not encourage it by feeding it outside of the regular schedule. Stick to the feeding schedule and your cat will soon know when to expect his food.



By: Susan Esterbill

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           First developed in California during the late 1920’s, ranch style homes were one of the most popular styles in the United States from the 1940’s to the 1970’s. The ranch style home is reflective of the relaxed Western architectural style. Homes built during this period were typically one story and featured asymmetrical front facades. Although individual homes varied by location and need, most ranch style homes featured attached garages and picture windows.

            The interior of most ranch style houses typically is a 2 by 2 or 2 by 4 room layout. In most cases the living room, family room, dining area and kitchens blend together without severe room division.  These homes were built to meet the demand of an increasingly growing population (especially in the West). Many suburban neighborhoods are comprised completely of the relatively simple and unadorned houses and are designed to meet the needs of families.



            The basis of the one story design has roots in Spanish colonial architecture used heavily in from the 17th to the 19th century. These homes also featured one story designs built to meet the need of the inhabitants without extra rooms or unnecessary features and decoration. Architects believed that ranch homes designs should be based on three key features: livability (open floor plans), flexibility (using rooms as needed for whatever purpose the inhabitants choose) and an unpretentious design (simple and casual feel).

         

   Although ranch homes declined in popularity because designs were becoming increasingly bland due to cost cutting measures there has been renewed interest in this style recently. The simple design and affordability makes ranch style homes attractive to young couples or families as “starter” homes. Criticism of the design focuses on the lack of individuality in the design although these homes could be extremely unique depending on the designer.

            Ranch style homes offer provide homeowners with the opportunity to decorate in almost any style they choose without being restricted to “period specific” pieces. From Victorian style hardware to contemporary designs these homes allow for an eclectic mix of design styles. LookInTheAttic & Company offers a wide selection of home hardware from cabinet knobs to doorknob sets to window hardware. Update older or damaged hardware with glass, solid brass, pewter or iron to reflect your unique personality and decorating taste. The ranch home is a wonderful opportunity to introduce new and exciting patterns all over the house or create a common theme throughout every room.





By: Kohn Coleman

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If you have gold, silver, antiques or other rare collectibles lying around your house, the Treasure Hunters Roadshow wants to see them.

The International Collectors Association, based in Springfield, Ill., is bringing its five-day roadshow to the Quad-Cities for the first time this week, starting Tuesday at La Quinta Inn, 5450 27th St., Moline.

“What we’ve really seen a ton of is gold and silver,” Matthew Enright, the association’s director of operations, said recently. “As the dollar gets weaker, gold and silver go up in value. The gold market is through the roof.”

“People are bringing in broken chains, necklaces. People are taking advantage of the market,” he said.

One man last week in South Dakota brought in a handful of old silver dollars and 50-cent pieces, and he walked out with more than $4,000, Mr. Enright said. “The guy was blown away,” he said.

The treasure hunters make offers based on what collectors are willing to pay. When someone decides to sell, he or she gets paid on the spot, and the treasure hunters send the item to the collector, Mr. Enright said.

Part of a nationwide tour, the Treasure Hunters Roadshow launched 15 years ago and has been all over Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, he said.

The association works with 6,500 collectors from all over the world and has allocated $712,000 to spend this week on antiques and collectibles, Mr. Enright said.

“We’re looking for items like Civil War swords, old Gibson guitars from the ’30s and ’40s,” he said. “People bring in these items, sign in, get a number, and they sit in front of an appraiser.”

A collector who is interested in that specific item can be reached directly during the show, or an expert will determine its value, and the owner typically makes a sale at the show, Mr. Enright said.

The association does not use licensed appraisers, but can give reliable market values for pieces. If a buyer cannot be found, the owner will be referred to one who may be interested in the item.

The treasure hunters are interested in seeing items such as coins and paper money issued before 1964, toys, dolls, trains, vintage jewelry, old and modern musical instruments, war memorabilia, advertising memorabilia, swords and knives.

Mr. Enright noted an item doesn’t have to be old to be valuable – just unusual and in the best possible condition.

“It has to do with the rarity of the item,” he said. “It could be coins from 2000. A businessman invested in new gold coins in early 2000. He paid $1,200 for high grade, minted coins and he ended up walking out with a $40,000 check.

Over the past year, the show typically attracts 1,000 to 1,500 people over the week, Mr. Enright said. The tough economy hasn’t necessarily boosted those numbers, he added.

Collectors – who also are welcome to visit the show – are very serious about their hobby, and are willing to pay top dollar for items they want, Mr. Enright said.

Nearly all coins, jewelry, musical instruments and toys made before 1965 are highly sought after by collectors, he said.



By: Treasure Hunter

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