Emergency Waterproof iPhone Case

My friend and I regularly go salmon fishing on the local rivers. While wading across the river he accidentally submerge his iphone. Now the screen is dark and the button doesn't work.

On our next outing I decided to carry my phone in a zip-lock bag as a safety precaution. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the touch screen still works while inside. The display can also be easily viewed through the plastic. This no-brainer actually works quite well.

The next time you go near water, try putting your cell phone in a zip-lock bag. It is a cheap way of avoiding a costly mistake.

Fight Quasimodo with a Yoga Ball

Minding your posture can be a difficult and daunting task, especially if you are tall like me. At 6'3" I've started to realized that my old high school slouch is becoming a full on Montgomery Burns. I've never had back problems growing up, but as I get older there will be days when I feel soreness and tension. I consulted a Chiropractor, who recommended arching my back over a yoga ball twice a day. As embarassing as it was, I went out and bought a yoga ball. Now it has become my new favorite past time. After a long day, I look forward to coming home and stretching out my back. I've been sleeping better at night and my posture is improving.

How much time do you spend lounging on a couch, leaning over a desk, or stuck in traffic? When was the last time you stretched out your back. Maybe its time to swallow your pride, be a man, and buy a yoga ball.

RFID blocker

Maybe I am just overly paranoid, but these days RFIDs are everywhere. They're in your credit cards, your cell phone, employment badges, public transportation passes, electronic toll booths, retail packaging. They are used to find lost pets, track livestock, and in some cases implanted in you.

If you are worried about someone stealing your identity or credit card information using a RFID reader, here is a simple trick for you:

Cut a piece of aluminum foil about the size of a dollar bill, and place it in your wallet. When your wallet is folded up in your pocket, any credit cards or ID badges wrapped inside the foil will be impervious to an RFID reader. I experimented at work, and sure enough my proximity card won't open my office door if there's a sheet in aluminum foil between the card and the reader.

Great Marinades and Seasoning for Free

The summer grilling season is almost here, and the only thing better a marinated tri-tip, is not paying $4.00 for a bottle of marinade. Here's how:

We've all seen the marinaded meats behind the glass at our local grocery store, but what you may not know is that most butchers will happily add your choice of marinades, and seasonings to any meat you buy for free.

Our local Safeway, has a very friendly butcher. He's always talking about what's on sale, grilling techniques, and all his must try recipes. It seems like every time we go in he's got a new marinade. Routinely we'll select a nice package of ribs, steak, or chops, and bring it to the butcher counter. He'll ask us what kind of marinade we want, put the meat in a zip lock bag, and add a generous portion of marinade. The marinade begins soaking into the meat before we have even finished shopping, and it is usually ready to cook when we get home.

So, the next time you buy grilling meat, try having the butcher add a marinade or seasonings.

Understanding Time Constraints

Always strive to do your best, but take into consideration uncontrollable factors like time.

Suppose we are entering a sand castle making contest, and the lucky winner will receive a new pick-up truck. You are probably already thinking about how to build your castle. Now ask yourself how time can affect the quality of your castle. If you were given a week to build the castle, it would probably include a tower, a mote, windows, and a working drawbridge. If you were only given 30 seconds, the castle would probably resemble a square shaped ant hill. In this example, time plays a significant role in the outcome of your castle, regardless of your effort. This concept carries over to many situations in life.

When you are confronted with any task, the first question to ask yourself is how much time and effort is needed to accomplish it. If while hiking, you come across a stream, you may want to use a log to make a temporary bridge. But if this stream was on your property and used daily to get to your house, it might make more sense to construct a proper bridge.

Trying to build the Great Wall of China in a day will surely lead to disappointment, just like using chewing gum to fix a plumbing leak is a bad idea. The appropriate time and effort must be factored into every task to get adequate results.

If my boss asks when I'll have a report ready, I usually estimate the time and add another day or two. This way when I finish early, I look like a hero, and if I run into problems I can still get it to him on time.

By understanding time constraints, you can better allocate you time and paved the way to achievable success.

Give Yourself a Raise by Managing Your Expenses

Whether it's working overtime, or getting a second job, most people will do what ever it takes to maximize their income. Unfortunately hardly anyone pays attention to their spending habits. I'm here to tell you that earning and saving are one of the same. If you want to make more money, you don't have to impress your boss. You can just as easily pass on a night out with friends, or refrain from impulse buying dvds.

To put it in perspective, think about how excited you would you be if your boss raised you salary by $100/week. You would probably do cart-wheels down the hall. Now think if you went out for dinner and drinks with friends to celebrate, that same $100.00 could disappear in a matter of hours.

We need to looked at our expenses like we look at our income. If your boss shorted you an hour on your paycheck, you would probably march into his office and demand that it was fixed. Now how you would react if on the way home you noticed the grocery store accidentally charged you twice for a 24 pack of toilet paper. You may go back in and tell them, but then again it might just be more effort than it is worth.

Just remember whether your earning or spending, money-is-money-is-money. Finding a $5 bill on the on the ground, should be just as exciting as using a coupon.

Know Your home

While making dinner the other day, half of our house lost power. All the lights in the the guest bedrooms, office, den and garage went out. But strangeley the lights in the kitchen, master, and living room still worked fine. After tracing the electricity back to the breaker panel, I found that it was not the wiring in the house but one of the power companies leads coming in that failed. I called PSE, and they came out within a few hours to restored power. It turns out there was a problem with one of the underground supply lines. This got me thinking about all the important things people should know about their home:

Be Able to Locate Your Utility Panels
Many people don't know where their electrical panel is, let alone how to shut off the water or gas in an emergency. Take a few moments to locate these items. Also consider buying a gas shut off wrench and keeping accessible.

Have it when you need it
Everyone knows how frustrating it can be to find a working flash light in the dark, but what about a fire extinguisher? If your house caught on fire, do you even have one to grab? Having a fire extinguisher can be the difference between a small kitchen fire and losing your home. At a cost of $15-$30 it is worth it. Most homeowner insurance companies will even give a discount for having one.

Lighting Pilots
Learn how to light the pilot on your water heater, fire place, or other applicable appliances. If the gas is ever shut off temporarily, you don't want to rely on a technician for warmth.

Important Documents
If you had to evacuate your home, how long would it take to gather all your important documents. Consider keeping your birth/marriage certificates, car pink slips, house title, social security card, emergency credit card, tax info, and any other important documents in a safe place that can be accessed quickly.

By taking a few moments to know your home, and organize the things inside it, you could save yourself some serious headaches in the future.