Beyond Words

Today’s “Tuesday’s Tip” consists of nothing more than some products I’ve recently discovered and love!  I hope you do too!

The geniuses at Umbra have created a wooden spoon with a stylus on the end, meaning you can cook and browse through recipes on your tablet without making a mess.  Wow!

This “Willow” bag by Mulberry is fabulous, as it’s both a clutch and a carry-all.  The front pocket zips off and becomes a classic evening bag.  Also available in pink, green and black at Mulberry.

Barefoot Dreams’ “Cozy Chic” robe is both stylish and comfy, and available in several color combinations.

This mini broom is actually an Amish cake tester.  Simply hang it near your oven and break off a straw to test baked goods doneness.  Available through Linda Anderson and other sites.

Sick of sitting in the bathtub only to have your perfectly warm water drain out the overflow drain?  Me too!  That’s why I love this suction cup that slips right over the overflow drain.  Available through Solutions.com and other sites.

What to do with all those wine corks you’ve been saving?  Make a keepsake trivet out of this heat-safe and one-of-a-kind trivet.  Great for wine-tasting tours!

I simply love the uniqueness and functionality of this laurel-shaped and flexible silicone roasting rack.  It fits almost any size casserole dish through its twisting ability and it stores flat.  What’s not to love?!  Available at Sur la Table and other retailers.

Although hard to find, I just love this Flexita grater by Yanko Design.  Its folding ability means your hand is protected and it stores flat.  Designed by Ely Rosenberg, if anyone finds where to buy one, please let me know!

I love the look of decorative and heirloom plates hanging on a wall, but I’m not a big fan of those brass plate hangars.  The answer?  These wonderful adhesive back disks with built in loops.  They come in a variety of sizes and are easily removed without damaging the plate.  Available through Amazon and other sites.

Okay, so I saved the most “icky” item for last but I think you’re going to love it.  It’s Rubbermaid’s new “Clean and Dry” plunger that boasts a special water repellant coating so drips and messes don’t ensue after plunging a clogged commode.  Love it!

Why is it when someone in the family is not feeling well or recovering from something,

they demand and receive all of mom’s attention but when mom is sick, she is basically on her own?

“What your pour into yourself, pours out.”

I just read that on my friend MB’s Facebook page as she was attending services Gateway Church.

Not sure if this was part of a reading, sermon, or just fellowship, but I love it and thought it was perfect for today’s post.

Thank you MB!

Happy Fourth of July friends and readers!  I hope you are having a fun and safe day but do you know what we are all really celebrating?  Officially known as Independence Day, we are commemorating the July 4, 1776 adoption of the Declaration of Independence , which ultimately gave our country sovereignty from Great Britain.  In short, that’s when the United States of America came to be.

Happy Birthday America!

(courtesy Kendra Scott)

Tomorrow the stars and stripes will be proudly flying across America, but do you know how to properly hang your flag?  The U.S. Flag Code, which formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to our nation’s flag, also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. They include:

Displaying the Flag Outdoors

When the flag is displayed from a staff (pole) projecting from a window, balcony, or building, the union (stars area) should be at the top of the staff unless the flag is at half staff.

When displaying the flag against a wall whether vertically or horizontally, the flag’s union should be at the top, to the flag’s own right and the observer’s left.

When the flag is displayed over a street, it should be hung vertically, with the union to the north or east.

When flown with flags of states, communities, or societies on separate flag poles that are of the same height and in a straight line, the flag of the United States is always placed in the position of honor – to its own right.  The other flags may be smaller but none may be larger.  No other flag ever should be placed above the American flag.

When flown with the national banner of other countries, each flag must be displayed from a separate pole of the same height and flag should be the same size.

Made in the U.S.A?

So now that you know how to properly display a U.S. flag, it’s time to consider where you actually purchase it.  Sadly, in 2011 $3.6 million worth of American flags were imported from other countries, with the vast majority ($3.3 million) coming from China.  Although that amount is a small percentage of the $55 million in total annual sales of made in the good ole’ U.S.A. flags, maybe it’s time to make sure your American flag was made in…America!  There’s no better place to start then Annin & Co.

The world’s largest and oldest flag company, Annin & Co. and its 500 employees produce 15 million U.S. flags a year. All are made in plants located in New Jersey, Virginia, and Ohio.  They are literally “Made in the U.S.A.” and have been for nearly 160 years.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that some of the flags are still hand-made and hand-sewn.  Seamstresses carefully sew together stars and stripes, while highly trained embroiderers create meticulously detailed flags with foot-operated sewing machines.  Training an embroiderer can take up to four years!

The company’s roots go back to 1820, when Alexander Annin opened a small flag-making shop in New York City. Annin’s sons, Edward and Benjamin, followed in their father’s footsteps and in 1847 founded Annin & Co., moving to a large full-service factory on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

Today Annin makes 30 million flags of all kinds each year. The company has made state flags that fly over every state capitol and American flags manufactured by Annin have flown at both the North and South Poles, on Mt. Everest, in the rubble at the World Trade Center on September 11, and one remarkably draped Abe Lincoln’s coffin.   It was an Annin-made flag that Marines raised atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in 1945, memorialized in a classic Associated Press photograph and  on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin stepped out from the Lunar Module and planted an Annin-made U.S. flag on the moon’s surface, where it remains today.  The world’s largest American flag—104 feet by 235 feet—was made by Annin for the J.L. Hudson Co. in Detroit in 1949 and was retired in 1976.  It can today be found in the Smithsonian Institute.

(Adapted from “America’s Flag Maker” by Warren D. Jorgensen)

As Deacon Pete said in church this morning, those ordinary red, white, and blue fabric pieces are anything but ordinary.  Together they make up the star spangled banner, which represents the land of the free and the home of the brave.  They represent us.

Are you, like millions of Americans, planning a Fourth of July get-together?  Even with record heat hitting much of the country, people coast-to-coast will be pulling out boats and barbecues out and inviting friends and family over.  Everyone loves a good, old-fashioned outdoor cook-out and every year Independence Day northerners and southerners alike make it the most popular day for barbecuing in the U.S.A.  This may come as no surprise to many of you, but do you know how many hot dogs you can expect each of your guests to eat or the best way to set up a buffet?  Here, then, are some tips to make your Red, White and Blue party the best on the block:

Plan on each of your guests eating two hot dogs a piece.

Each of your guests will use an estimated four “Red Solo Cups” and two paper plates.

Drink-wise, for a two hour party, estimate one bottle of wine for every two guests and two bottles or servings of beer per person for the first hour.  In general, plan on two drinks per guest during the first hour of your party, and one each hour after that.

Be sure to have plenty of bottled water on hand…you can never have too much.

If your cook-out consists of a buffet, consider the following ideas:

                Mark the beginning of the line/table obvious by placing a tall stack of plates at it.

                Make the buffet servable from two sides to keep the traffic flow going.

                Don’t forget plenty of empty saucers/spoon rests for the guests to use after serving themselves.

                Make the serving bowls and trays both attractive and accessible by placing them at various heights.

               Place cards are always a nice touch, especially on dishes that aren’t easily identifiable like dips or cheeses.

                Place food that you have the least amount of at the end of the buffet.  Guests are less tempted to serve much of these items as their plates are have filled up.   

               Place napkins and serving utensils at the very end of the buffet line so guests don’t have to fidget with them while serving themselves.

A good and simple rule is to return an empty dish with something delicious inside.  In other words, if someone brings a covered dish to your party, when you return it, do so with a casserole or apple crunch dessert inside. 

If you don’t know what to bring as a hostess gift to a party you are attending, consider a bottle of wine, festive or theme-related coasters, cocktail napkins, a nice bottle of olive oil, a scented candle, or decorative tea towels.

Have fun planning!

An Identity Crisis

Recent headlines regarding the government’s phone tapping of journalists’ phones and computers and the IRS revelation that it targeted political groups applying for tax-exempt status for closer scrutiny based on their names or political themes has caused many to ask themselves, “is any of my personal information safe?”   Yes and no, depending on many things, of which I’ll outline in today’s “Tuesday’s Tip” blog.

Smartphones have indeed made life easier and information more accessible, but they’ve also made us more vulnerable to someone retrieving personal information off of them, most times without us even knowing it until it’s possibly too late.   How can you protect yourself?

Phones and Other Devices

• Open pages only from reputable sources.  Four out of 10 mobile devices click on dangerous links every year.
• Password protect all of your devices.
• Androids are particularly vulnerable because their apps aren’t always vetted for malware but iPhones are identity thieves’ favorites.  Download the free “Find My iPhone” app, which allows you to remotely wipe out your date, lock your device, and possibly even track its location.  McAfee offers a similar service for Androids.
• Install antivirus and antimalware software on all your devices.
• Purchase apps only from trusted sources.

PIN Numbers

These four-digit numbers are hacker’s dreams.  If your PIN is your birth date, a year in the 1900s, or an obvious numerical sequence, the odds of it being compromised increase dramatically.

Surprisingly, 1234, 1111, and 0000 account for 20 percent of all four-digit passwords and every combination that starts with 19 ranks in the 80^th percentile of popularity.  Month/day combinations are also prevalent, as are combinations using only even numbers, like 2468.

Create passwords that include upper and lowercase letters as well as numbers and change your passwords often.

Why should you care about these statistics?  Because by using them you are automatically making your password easier to guess.  The least popular PIN seems to be 8068 because it follows no discernible pattern.

Protecting Your Identity

In 2011, more than 11 million Americans were victims of identity theft.  I can’t even imagine the horror of finding out someone out there is posing as me and has all my personal information.  Computer viruses, so-called “dumpster divers,” and old-fashioned hackers are three of the most common ways your personal information, and your personal identity, can be accessed by high-tech hoodlums.   How can you protect yourself?

• Shred all pieces of mail that include your name and address.
• Create passwords that include upper and lowercase letters as well as numbers and change your passwords often.
• Protect all your devices with anti-virus and malware software.
• Password protect all of your devices.
• Purchase or download remote “wipe” apps like those mentioned in the phone information above.
• Don’t participate in any on-line quizzes that ask information such as pet names, hometowns, mother’s maiden names, and other bits of personal info.

Scary world out there, right?  What can you do somewhat worry free?  Most experts agree that you can:

• Read your favorite online magazines, newspapers and news outlets sites.
• Access music through music players, but be sure to buy songs only from reputable and safe sites.
• Use GPS systems.

Those same experts agree, however, that you should never:

• Use mobile banking sites.
• Use free Wi-Fi in places like airports.
• Update your Facebook page remotely, especially if your page includes your birthday, hometown and other personal information, as someone can easily figure out security questions once armed with this info.

So, enjoy your latest and greatest smart phone and research away on your laptop and notebook.  Just make sure to surf smart and surf safe.