Home and Garden 01/20/18

HOME & GARDEN • SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2018

Combat cabin fever Helping kids find hobbies Decorating-on-a-dime KEN MOON: Resolving cold and moisture issues

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Home activities to

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BY GINA CRONIN, HOME AND GARDEN

ome winter weekends may be for hitting the slopes, but others — maybe more often than you’d like to admit — are for staying home, keeping warm and watching Netflix. While the summer welcomes you out to explore the countless Colorado trails and lakes, the icy winter might put you into hibernation mode. Week after week of spending time inside can bring feelings of restlessness and cause “cabin fever,” which is defined as irritability and similar symptoms resulting from long periods of time indoors.

If you don’t want to go out and brave the cold, there are many productive activities that you can enjoy from the comfort of home to make the most of your time.

Winter is an amazing season for working on creative projects and learning new things.

Here are a few ideas to help make January more vibrant:

DANCING

When was the last time you cleared the floor of your living room and pumped your

favorite music to dance to? You don’t have to wait until a wedding or concert or night at the club to express yourself through movement, you can turn any evening into a celebration. It may feel silly at first, but you’ll notice how liberating it can be to let loose in your home, and maybe have your family or friends join in as well!

The benefits of dancing include improved cardiovascular health, increased strength and endurance, improved muscle tone, better coordination, increased confidence, stronger bones, improved mood and much more.

LEARNING

Learning new things keeps the mind healthy and can even help prevent dementia as you get older. Exercising the brain is just as important as exercising the body, and there are countless ways to do it. With so many things to learn, you first have to ask yourself what you’re interested in knowing more about. Have you always wanted to learn a new language? Memorize Shakespeare? Brush up on your math or science skills? Gather information about the history of France or India or Ancient Egypt? Grab a book or cue up a

HG 2 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, JAN 20, 2018

documentary and start educating yourself.

A good way to indicate if you have retained the information is to share some of your new knowledge with friends or family, or write about it. You don’t need to be enrolled in a college to learn, you can be a lifelong student as an active learner.

SEWING

Many people are familiar with the joys of sewing. Sewing opens so many possibilities in a world of otherwise mass produced products. It allows people to exercise their creativity in a unique way, often ending with a finished piece of clothing, a household item or an accessory that they or a loved one can enjoy for years to come. Other times, it can allow you to fix or patch up something that may have otherwise ended up in the trash.

Stephanie Smith, Manager at All Discount Vacuum & Sewing Center, suggested a quality sewing machine to make the process more efficient. “People use sewing machines for mending, quilting, monogramming, embroidery and more,” Smith said. “Go with one that has automatic tensions and settings — to save time and be able to actually enjoy sewing.

If you spend too much time having to make adjustments, it takes all the fun out.” To learn more or browse an amazing selection of sewing machines, stop in to All Discount Vacuum & Sewing Center at 833 N Circle Dr., Colorado Springs.

COOKING

Oh, the wonders of cooking. Winter is the perfect time to whip out all those recipe books you haven’t looked at all year and dive into the culinary arts. Whether you want to perfect that Thai curry dish or Mexican empanadas or Italian handcrafted ravioli or Ethiopian injera bread or a hearty American pot pie, now is a wonderful time.

Oftentimes, during the busy work week, cooking can feel like a chore; but you can change the pace and shift the environment to transform it into a therapeutic and fun task that invigorates all the senses.

Clear your space and either enjoy the peace and quiet or turn on your favorite music or podcast. Then, take your time gathering the ingredients and prepping the vegetables and proteins, noticing the sounds, colors and aromas as you chop, sauté and simmer. Finally, savor the flavors with family and friends.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Resolving cold and moisture issues

BY KEN MOON, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

Dear Ken: Our finished basement is about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house. What would be the most cost effective way to warm it up? Maybe a door at the bottom of the stairs or a ceiling fan?

— Nicole

registers across the room as it returns to the furnace. A heating contractor can help you figure out the best configuration.

You might want to add a spring hinge to the door at the bottom of the stairs. This will ensure it is always closed. Conversely, if your basement stairs are open, then a ceiling fan at the top of the stairwell blowing downward would help move the air more quickly in the desired direction.

I have the same trouble at my house.

Heat naturally rises to the higher level, and cooler air descends the stairs to replace it.

I hope you have a cold air return register in the basement. If not, it’s usually easy to add by cutting a hole in the side of the furnace into which you attach a flex duct.

The other end of the duct is a floor level grill in one of the basement walls. This arrangement will draw air from the warm

Dear Ken: The windows on our year old home sweat and frost over. The moisture is starting to discolor the oak window sills.

We run a couple of humidifiers. Are they responsible or is it the cheap windows? And how do we treat the window sills?

—Connie

KEN MOON

Your windows are probably okay, but your window coverings may be at fault. They trap a

Dear Ken: My refrigerator freezes the

All Discount

meat and vegetables no matter how low the control is set. Is there anything else causing a freeze-up?

— Sherry The temperature sensing bulb or the control itself may be at fault. This is pretty common in older models. Unless the fridge is newer, it’s usually not worth the service call and parts to replace them. This is the one appliance that makes sense buying used, since compressors — the expensive part — last virtually a lifetime. You should be able to find a good specimen for under $350. Look for a used appliance dealer who will give you at least a 90-day full warranty.

Ken Moon is a home inspector in the Pikes Peak region. His radio show airs at 9 a.m.

Saturday and is carried on KRDO, AM 1240 and FM 105.5. Visit AroundTheHouse.com.

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layer of cold air next to the glass that readily condenses the more humid room air. Make sure to leave an inch or so of clear space between the bottom rail of your blinds and the sill — especially at night.

Those individual “cold steam” units are hard to regulate, since they are simply on or off — with nothing in between. I would install a whole house humidifier instead. Choose a brand, like AprilAire, that dribbles water over a mesh screen (self-cleaning, no moving parts).

If you want to spend a little extra money, you can choose one of the newer models, which contains a built-in computer. It takes charge of the furnace and turns the blower on and off when a higher humidity is called for.

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hobbies Helping kids find

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ccording to the Child Development Institute, hobbies give children a chance to express themselves. The CDI also notes that hobbies can play an important role in children’s selfdiscovery and boost their self-esteem.

Some children may discover hobbies on their own, requiring little if any assistance on the part of their parents. For example, some kids may display an interest in music that parents, even those with no such musical inclination, can foster by purchasing certain instruments. But some children may need a little more prompting, and parents of such boys and girls can

take certain steps to help their youngsters find rewarding activities.

INVOLVE KIDS IN YOUR OWN AMUSEMENTS Kids look up to their parents and often want to emulate what their mothers and fathers do. If possible, involve children in your own pastimes. Gardeners can teach their youngsters how to grow and tend to a garden, while painters can host family painting nights where everyone is encouraged to create their own masterpiece. Parents whose hobbies are more adult-oriented, like woodworking, can still involve their children. For example, work with children to design a new item, then show them how the item goes from paper to finished product; just avoid allowing them to

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use any unsafe tools or machines.

LET KIDS CHOOSE THE ACTIVITY While some children might take to hobbies their parents favor, others might need to be given some freedom to find their own activities. Afford youngsters this chance, recognizing that it might take some time before kids find an activity that genuinely sparks their passion.

BE A SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT Some interests may prove more difficult than kids first imagined, requiring some perseverance before they can be enjoyed fully. In such instances, observe youngsters while they engage in the activity. If they appear to be enjoying

themselves but are periodically frustrated, encourage them to keep trying. If kids appear to be disinterested in overcoming any struggles, then they might benefit by pursuing another path.

DON’T HESITATE TO FOCUS ON FUN Hobbies can teach kids valuable lessons and provide a sense of fulfillment, but it’s important that parents not overlook the importance of fun in regard to their children’s hobbies. Hobbies can provide children with the same respite from busy schedules that they do adults, and that break should be as fun as possible Don’t forget, finding the right activity may require some patience on the part of parents and youngsters alike.

Decorating-on-a-dime tips to re-energize your living space

BY LORI STACY, TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

When Hidden Lakes, Ill. resident Amy Haney walked into her newly redecorated family room, she was awed by what a big difference a few design changes could make.

“It made me love our house again,” said Haney, who called on local decorator Kristi Margiotta to transform the main room in the family’s eight-year-old home. Margiotta breathed new life into the Old World-style room by adding a fresh coat of paint along with new furnishings, lighting, pillows and window coverings.

Although the impact was big, the price tag was not: Margiotta stuck to an agreed-upon budget and employed some decorator tricks-of-the-trade to redo the room without wreaking havoc on the Haneys’ budget.

Today, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to refresh your home’s decor. No matter what your budget is, you can start the year off right with an affordable home refresh whether you opt for an interior decorator or go it alone utilizing these decorating-on-adime tips.

THE THREE Ps OF HOME DECORATING

In addition to adding affordable

accessories, Margiotta stresses what she calls the Three Ps of home decorating: “Paint, pillows and plants are huge when updating a room,” she said.

Jordin LePori and Jennifer Parker of Grapevine-based Interior Styling, who’ve put their touch on many homes in the Keller area, concur that plants can play an important role in a room’s look and suggest that their clients do a plant overhaul.

“All that silk greenery on top of your cabinets?” said Parker. “You have to tear it down and add more modern foliage such as faux succulents, fiddle leaf fig trees or olive trees.”

Parker and LePori also suggest changing out pillows and lighting, as well as adding curtain panels — even inexpensive ones from places like Ikea — to your rooms. “We always say that little things like putting up simple curtain panels can have a big impact,” said LePori.

LePori and Parker also understand the importance of paint in enhancing a room and suggested that “when in doubt, paint it white.”

A few other tips the decorating duo recommend: using stacks of books on coffee tables, end tables and bookshelves;

adding natural elements like a jute rug or wooden bowls; and replacing builder-grade light fixtures with more style- and tastespecific lighting.

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Surprisingly, employing the services of an interior decorator or designer can also help you save money by helping you avoid costly mistakes such as purchasing furniture that isn’t right for your home or painting a room the wrong color.

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DECORATING TIPS

GOREN BRIDGE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

WITH BOB JONES ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Weekly bridge quiz “I charge $75 for a paint consult and that’s usually money well spent. I’ve worked with clients that have had to paint rooms twice because they selected the wrong color,” said Margiotta.

Keller-based interior designer Bryana Guy, whose firm Inside in Mind works with both retail and commercial clients, strongly recommends using an interior designer to purchase big ticket items such as sofas.

“You get a lot more quality purchasing through a designer,” she said, and a designer can help you navigate the many choices in colors, styles and fabrics that are available. Plus, you also get a better price, since designers can offer around 15 percent off what a retailer might sell a product for.

E-DESIGN

Guy suggested that homeowners who want the services of a professional designer but are concerned about costs opt for “e-design,” in which the designer does much of the work virtually, sometimes even getting a virtual tour of the space instead of meeting face to face.

q 1 - Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

q 4 - North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold:

♠ 10 9 6 4 ♥ q 10 9 ♦ 8 6 4 ♣ A 8 2

♠ k 10 6 3 ♥ 10 4 ♦ q 6 ♣ A 10 9 54

WeST NOrTH eAST SOuTH 1♣ 2♦* 2♠ ? *Weak What call would you make?

Partner opens one no trump, 15-17.

What is your plan?

q 2 - East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠ J 8 6 5 4 ♥ 10 4 ♦ q 9 8 ♣ 9 4 3 As an interior designer, Guy is trained not only to help with decor choices but also to help clients work with home construction projects as well, such as remodeling a kitchen or opening up a space by removing walls. She stresses that this is another area that can quickly get costly if done incorrectly.

“When doing a large renovation, the best way to save money is by hiring the correct professionals to help you,” said Guy. “Remember that this is an investment not only in the value of your home but also your quality of life.”

Partner opens one spade and righthand opponent bids two clubs. What call would you make? q 3 - Both vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠ 7 5 ♥ 10 5 ♦ k J 7 5 ♣ A k q J 4 SOuTH WeST NOrTH eAST 1♣ 1♥ dbl* Pass ? *Negative, values with no clear bid What call would you make?

q 5 - East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠ 10 4 3 ♥ k 3 ♦ A J 9 2 ♣ q 10 3 2 Partner opens one spade and righthand opponent overcalls two hearts.

What call would you make? q 6 - Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠Akq97♥q5♦976♣732 As dealer, what call would you make?

Look for answers on Monday.

(Bob Jones welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this paper or tcaeditors@tribpub.com)

17-CSU-02070_Residential_PRINT_4.64x5.43_4C_FNL.pdf

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HG 6 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, JAN 20, 2018

denniS The menaCe

The Family CirCuS

by hank ketcham

Sherman’S lagoon

PiCkleS

by Brian Crane

mr BoFFo

by Joe martin

by J. P. Toomey

by Bil keane

rhymeS wiTh orange by hilary Price

marmaduke

by Brad and Paul anderson

Baldo

by hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos

SATURDAY, JAN 20, 2018 I THE GAZETTE I HG 7

Blondie

by dean young and John marshall

muTTS

by Patrick mcdonnell

Funky winkerBean

luann

by greg evans

PeanuTS

by Charles Schulz

by Tom Batiuk

HG 8 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, JAN 20, 2018

loS angeleS TimeS CroSSword

non SequiTur

by wiley

edited by rich norris and Joyce lewis

lola

by Todd Clark

BeeTle Bailey across 1 Color in the brown family 5 Dusty trail figure 9 Board that decides without voting 14 Flow hindrance 15 Not expected 17 Ducklike bird 18 Company that pioneered metal drivers in golf 19 Perrier units 21 Only one fed. holiday falls on it annually 22 A hockey player may check with one 23 Thing to get one’s claws into 27 Often-glazed delicacy 28 Tail of a cartoon dog?

29 Actress __-Margret 30 Hosp. areas 31 Lake Itasca, vis-à-vis the Mississippi 35 Out indefinitely 38 Certain landing aid 39 Sara Roosevelt’s maiden name 40 Gordon Shumway’s title alias, in a sitcom 41 “I didn’t need to know that” 42 Book after Exod.

43 Settled things 46 They go on until dawn 50 More at the end?

51 Many a boat, to its skipper 52 Strong denial 54 Fulfill, as a promise 58 Advanced 59 Pac-12 student 60 Colon, in analogies 61 Parachute fabric 62 Bldg. units 63 Pipe organ component down 1 O.T. book 2 Fancy enamelwork 3 Endodontic therapy 4 Says 5 Tries to pick up 6 Political commentator Navarro 7 Drummer’s creations

8 2010 Commonwealth Games host city 9 One making a splash?

10 Rail stop between Stuttgart and Munich 11 State in both the Pacific and Mountain time zones 12 “A __ Fury”: “Star Wars” DVD segment 13 More than competent 16 They may involve cheap shots 20 Urban omnivore 24 Word of amore 25 Mob hiree 26 Show displeasure 27 Carefully timed operation 32 Worst of the worst 33 Flirts with 34 Lover of Geraint 36 Bad state for sailing 37 Seat for a priority boarder 38 Part of a bargain, maybe 40 Hyper 44 “__ be a shame if ... ” 45 Mediterranean sauces 46 Do only what he says 47 “Rescue Me” star Denis 48 “Did I do that?” TV nerd 49 Sitcom with a 1974 wedding episode 53 Sporty car roof 55 A big one might be fragile 56 Geometric suffix 57 Eighth mo. in the old Roman calendar

by mort, greg, and Brian walker

hagar The horriBle

moTher gooSe

by Chris Browne

by mike Peters

Friday’s Puzzle Solved

Tundra

by Chad Carpenter

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Bizarro

by wayno and Piraro

argyle SweaTer

by Scott hilburn

CeleBriTy CiPher by luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

B.C.

by hart

ziTS

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

JumP STarT

Frazz

by robb armstrong

by Jef mallett

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dilBerT

by Scott adams

Sally ForTh

by Francesco marciuliano and Jim keefe

BaBy BlueS

by Jerry Scott and rick kirkman

PearlS BeFore Swine by Stephan Pastis

PooCh CaFe

by Paul gilligan

SATURDAY, JAN 20, 2018 I THE GAZETTE I HG 11

TAKE OUR ADVICE ADVICE

AMY DICKINSON

Dear Amy: My boyfriend “Wally” and I bought our first home together 10 months ago. Three months ago, his friend “Bart” moved into our guest room.

Three weeks later he had furniture delivered. More is in the basement. Bart is self-employed (he buys and trades stocks) but has been traveling overseas off

and on.

When I broach the subject of finding other housing, he tells me that he doesn’t want to rent (even though he rents from us for $200 a month). He says he’d rather buy a house.

The uncertainty surrounding the length and terms of his stay has caused tension in my relationship with my boyfriend, and more than a few fights. We have had ongoing issues, but before Bart arrived, our relationship was in a good place, although communication is clearly still something we need to work on.

All I want is a rough timeline and clear expectations. After more than a year of living in my boyfriend’s parents’ infested and cluttered basement, I want our home back. I want Bart to re-evaluate his own expectations, find his own apartment and start building his life, so we can focus on building ours.

I know what I WANT to say, but HOW do I say it without coming off like I’m kicking him out? — Crowded Dear Crowded: You co-own this house. You have an equal right to express how the house is run, and who lives there. I suggest you firmly locate your backbone and freely share your reasonable concern with both men. Because you have allowed this man to live in your home as a tenant, it might be more difficult to get him to leave than you realize.

Tell your boyfriend that as a co-owner of this property, you’d like to make this casual arrangement “official,” including an end date. Call a “house meeting,” present a legal short-term lease with a definite expiration, ask “Bart” to sign it and then hold him to it.

—

Send questions to askamy@amydickinson.com or to Amy Dickinson, c/o Tribune Content Agency, 16650 Westgrove Drive, Suite 175, Addison, TX 75001

ADVICE

Question: I’m a video editor and I’m chained to my desk for hours at a time.

I get an occasional bike ride with the kids on DR. OZ AND DR. ROIZEN the weekends, but what can I do at my workstation to keep my muscles toned?

— Gus Y., Brooklyn, N.Y. Answer: When you have a busy schedule, it’s hard to find time during the week to stay active.

So we have a couple of tips for you to keep toned during your desk-bound workweek. First, there’s the “build abs while you wait” routine: • While you’re standing in line at the coffee shop before work or waiting for your computer(s) to load or boot up, stand tall, breathe in slowly as you move your shoulders back, clench your butt muscles, suck in your belly and tighten your abs.

Exhale slowly while you hold it for 10 seconds; repeat as many times as you can.

Then, there are desk moves: • Sit ‘n’ Tone works if you take time once an hour to “walk” 100 to 200 steps by lifting your heels up and down off the floor. Then extend your arms out straight from your shoulders, palms up; rotate your straightened arms 25 times backward and 25 times forward. Then pinch shoulder blades together and release 25 times. Whew!

• Consider a pedaling device or an actual pedal desk, or get a treadmill desk. For video editing, you probably could use it only while waiting for downloads, compressions and transfers. But you could engineer a setup that works with a standup/sit-down desk.

There are “Take a Break” toners: • Set a timer to go off every 30-60 minutes.

When it goes off, walk around the office or up and down the stairs.

• Need a coach? Check out Mel Miller’s 10-Minute Workout Tips at Sharecare.com.

You’ll be surprised at how much more work you get done when you stimulate your blood and brain with simple movements.

—

Email your health and wellness questions to youdocsdaily@ sharecare.com.

ADVICE

Dear Heloise: I noticed dog food specifically formulated for Chihuahuas at my pet store. Are these foods better for my Chihuahua, or is this a marketing gimmick? — Julie P. in Dallas

HINTS FROM HELOISE

Julie, breed-specific foods are very popular today. All dogs have the same or similar teeth, digestive systems and skeletal structures. A good-quality, healthy dog food should provide the proper nutrition that your dog needs. Many breeds do have certain conditions for which they may benefit from a breed-specific food. An example is that mini schnauzers can be prone to bladder stones, so we have always given ours (and Chammy, our adopted silky wheaten) a specific food that helps keep the pH in urine at a certain level to help prevent them.

These special foods are more expensive, but your dog may feel better and have a healthy life eating them. — Heloise P.S. Ask your vet, who is the go-to expert. Smaller breeds should eat kibble that is smaller, too — easier to chew and no broken teeth!

Dear Heloise: Simply put, what is a whole grain? — A Curious Reader, via email A grain is considered whole as long as the three components of the grain are present: the bran, the germ and the endosperm. The Whole Grains Council (wholegrainscouncil.org) says any grain can be whole — corn, rice, wheat or oat, for example.

Whole grains are stronger sources of fiber and other nutrients, and therefore typically are better for you. — Heloise Dear Heloise: Concerning using bread to gather broken glass: Think to the future, as any scavenger animals will suffer and die horrible deaths from eating this bread. — Donna in Pennsylvania Donna, thanks for the reminder. This is exactly why I no longer print or suggest this hint.

It’s old and out of date. — Heloise —

Send hints via email to heloise@heloise.com or via post to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio TX 78279-5001.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPES BY JERALDINE SAUNDERS ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don’t scratch that itch. You may want to go ahead with a spur-of-the-moment scheme, but it isn’t likely to bring you the satisfaction you anticipate. Wait for better timing to push ahead your own agenda.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Be cheerful, not fearful. The best advice is to remain serene and calm when faced with unpleasant news.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Your bright ideas may not get the credit they deserve, so write them down and save them for a better day.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) A little weekend relaxation is in order and your special someone might be raring to go. However, romance could take a back seat to serious concerns.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Avoid conflicts with others and don’t allow yourself to be herded into a corner. Put crucial decisions on the back burner. Reassurances may be required if temporary troubles put a joint goal on hold.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) It may be best to bide your time. Use your mate or trusted partner as a sounding board to get a fresh perspective on a business idea.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Remember it is always darkest before the dawn.

The important thing is to avoid making any crucial decisions today, as people may be biased.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You can enjoy the world even when the world isn’t very enjoyable. Try not to make any important decisions, especially where your money is concerned.

Loved ones will be sensitive to your needs.

HG 12 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, JAN 20, 2018

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Tiptoe around unpleasant subjects and avoid offending anyone. It will be difficult to get complete cooperation under today’s stars. You are better off just “doing your own thing” and not making a fuss.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Too much ambition can cause converse conditions.

Your financial expertise might be temporarily on the fritz.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You may think you are better at negotiations than you really are, so put a major purchase or financial scheme aside for the moment.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Turn to your loved ones for support. Anything you begin this weekend is likely to cause you some type of hardship or become a liability, so put ideas on the back burner for the moment.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jan. 20 A tendency to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire might cause you problems during the next two to three weeks. Slow down and take your time, even if you are anxious to get to the head of the line. Your people skills are enhanced in March, making this a good time to join a group or organization. You may be spurred on to try something new in May, but be careful you don’t break off a key relationship.