Housewares BestAdvice

Furnaces are kicking in across the U.S. as temperatures sink. Alas, keeping warm comes with a higher sticker price each year, no matter what type of heating system you use. According to CNN Money, the average bill for a home using heating oil is more than $320 per month while gas users fork over $160 monthly.

Here are some thoughts on how you could lower your heating bill without freezing your way through the winter.

1. Energy Audit
The first step is to assess any problem areas. Ask if your utility company provides a free or low-cost energy audit, which will identify changes you should make. If you such audits aren't available, there are still ways to ascertain problems for yourself and small projects you can accomplish without professional help.

2. Seek Incentives
Some states offer improvement incentives, including providing and installing a free programmable thermostat; paying a portion of insulation upgrades; or providing rebates on the cost of materials. Look for such offers at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.[ http://dsireusa.org/] If you can't find an applicable program, you can reduce the cost of supplies by finding coupons for major home improvement centers, hardware stores, big-box stores and more at such sites as CouponSherpa. Read more

Shopping for a new mattress? Want to know what to look for when at the store, what to wear (not a skirt!) and who to bring with you when shopping? Here is a Top 10 list for selecting the right new mattress.

1. Get enough rest first - Shop when you are well rested so you will make the best possible decision. According to a number of studies, sleep deprivation causes attention lapses, slower recall and poor concentration. According to Serta's Comfort U survey, "Americans Wake Up to Sleep Loss," less than 10 percent of Americans get the eight hours of sleep a night that research shows to be the most beneficial.
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The holidays are over, and now it's time to whip those appliances back into shape. Here are some things you may want to check:

1) Range/Stove/Oven - Burned on gravy spills are difficult, sometimes impossible, to get off burners and drip pans. Consider replacing yours with new ones to make your stove look new again.

2) Refrigerator - If you're like most people, a quick peek in your refrigerator shows exactly what you served for holiday dinners - even after you've tossed the leftovers. Perhaps a smidge of pumpkin pie remains caked on the door seal or some cranberry sauce dripped onto a shelf. Regardless of the story your refrigerator tells, now's a good time to clean it before anything leaks into the insulation and causes a bad odor. A little soapy water will do the trick, and use a toothbrush to get at all the nooks and crannies of the door seal. If the seal looks dry and cracked, you might want to replace it to ensure continued cooling efficiency. Read more

With warm temperatures here, it's time to take your cooking outdoors! Here are some tips to prepare your grill and prep your food for great grilling results.

Preparing your grill:

• Before you begin grilling, wipe off excess dirt and clean wire grates by removing burnt residue.
• Turn on the grill and let heat on high (500ºF) for five to ten minutes before cooking.
• Let wire grates cool, then “season” grill to prevent sticking by brushing grates with oil (ideally, peanut oil – which doesn’t burn easily).

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Our best advice for all you lawn jockeys out there: Spray your lawn mower's underside and blades with a non-stick cooking spray such as PAM. It keeps cut grass from accumulating and does wonders for your digestion too.

With the temperatures beginning to warm up, it's the perfect time to get outside and and enjoy a picnic. But the last thing you want to pack is the potential for food poisoning. Here are some tips for a perfect - and safe - picnic.

So, what can you pack for a picnic that's safe and easy to prepare? If you're barbecuing, frozen hamburger patties and chicken are convenient. Fresh, whole fruits are also a good idea as long as they're adequately washed. There are also plenty of tasty and convenient salad kits on the market, and you don't have to worry about the mayonnaise - today's major brands are pasteurized so they're much safer than before. Read more

When Super Bowl XXXVIII is broadcast live from Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Sunday, February 1, 2004, millions of football fans worldwide will eagerly tune in for an afternoon of exciting pre-game fun followed by an evening of great football, revelry, refreshments, and friendly rivalry. For those not lucky enough to have a ticket to America’s favorite sporting event, it’s a premier Couch Potato day.

To maximize the fun, here are some practical tips to make your Super Bowl party memorable. Read more

Holiday decorating time is a special time of year when the streets and stores of America sparkle. But as you're making your decorating list and checking it twice, be sure to check that everything is safe and sound.
When you pull the lights out of the attic, check to make sure that there are no frayed connections. And when plugging them in, following manufacturers recommendations. Read more

Ketchup bottles get whacked more than snitches at a Soprano picnic. There is however, a more diplomatic way to get ketchup from a bottle. First, instead of mercilessly hammering the base or side of the bottle, locate the number on its neck (Heinz has the #57, others have numbers as well). Then simply hit the bottle at the exact location of the number on the neck. You'll get a smooth stream of ketchup every time. Read more