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Even though "spring cleaning" is already well past us, it's never too late (or early) to take a new approach to keeping your home clean and tidy. We all know that with work and whatever else it is that seems to devour our schedules whole, it gets hard to do simple things around the home or the apartment. I mean, we'd all rather be spending our free time doing something more leisurely than scrubbing the linoleum or cleaning out the closet.

While everyone has their own handy tricks that they use to clean, some of us (like myself, and maybe some other dudes, too) remain woefully ignorant of simple things like stain removal and cleaning kitchen cabinets. And that's just scratching the surface. We could all use a helping hand from time to time, which is why I was glad I stumbled across Merry Maids, which has a unique list of cleaning tips and guides in order to make your cleaning life a little more easy to manage.

Some notable tips:

• Removing candle wax from wood, upholstery or carpet
• Cleaning marble and granite floors
• Odor removal
• Pet hair removal

Considering these tips are coming from a professional maid service, they should be rather helpful. Do you have any particular cleaning tips that you use around the house that could be useful? To read all of the tips in the guide, visit Merry Maids.

And if you're still wondering how you'll even have time to attempt any cleaning around the home, have you considered that WhiteFence can help connect you to maid services in your area?

Tags: house cleaning, house cleaning tips, maid, maid services

Even though the summer season is on its path out the door, soon to be replaced with Fall, the energy bills can still cause some damage. The cool weather is on its way (along with the newest batch of Oscar hopefuls in the box office) and eventually, the holidays. No matter what time of year it is, though, there's always a need to save money on the home utility bills.

Mother Earth News has put up an intensive article that looks at how home-owners can save both energy and money with some simple improvements to their homes. It includes several projects (some are do-it-yourselves and others require professional assistance) that will ultimately lower your energy bills and help you conserve power and water in order to help the environment.

While some if it may seem to be a bit over your head, there are even tips on what kinds of insulation to use and ways that you as a consumer can save warm water. I've read lots of these lists, and I must say that some of the suggestions were new to me. If you're like me, then you'll agree that it's nice to learn something new that can help you around the house. What's really nice is the way that the article simplifies these things to show that energy conservation isn't a huge burden, but rather, something that anyone can do.

To view this list and start saving money, visit Mother Earth News. Are there any measures that you currently take to conserve power? Do you find them to be a strain, or are they easier than you would have thought at first?


Tags: electricity, energy, energy conservation, energy saving, home improvement, home utilities

While the season for moving during the summer is winding to a close, it is still going strong as people relocate all around the country. As anyone that's moved before knows, packing everything you own into piles of boxes is a trying ordeal and sometimes ends up being much more stressful than you first imagined.

WTOP News recently posted a feature about the moving season and how to prepare for movers. Apparently, "an estimated 40 million Americans move each year, with August being high season". The tips provided in the article about using movers cover the entire moving process, from planning and organizing to the actual day of the move. Some of the tips include things like packing a couple of weeks worth of dishes and clothes to reduce stress as well as getting snacks and drinks ready for the movers on the big day.

If you're moving this month or thinking about moving in the near future, these tips on movers are a must-read. To find out more, head over to WTOP News.

Tags: hire movers, movers, moving, moving help, moving tips

During the summer, especially in Texas, the heat can at times be unbearable. While the temperatures are so high, the air conditioner becomes a much welcome invention, making you comfortable inside of your home. The unwanted side effect of all of this is that your energy bills tend to skyrocket along with the heat, since the air conditioner is running like a bandit all day long.

Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure that you keep those costs low, especially while prices on everything else are rising at the moment. A new article on Homemakers talks about 10 tips that you can use around your home in order to save money for the summer. Likewise, Plenty Magazine posted an article about 5 ways to save on energy as well.

The articles cover things ranging from sealing up the cracks in your home to insulation and even opening your windows when it rains in order to generate a breeze that freshens the air inside. To find out more, check out Plenty Magazine for 5 tips on home cooling and Homemakers for 10 power saving tips.

Tags: cheap energy, electricity, energy conservation, energy saving, save energy

I recently moved to a new place and had never gone through the process of having to change my address. I absolutely had no clue of what needed to be done, and to be honest, did not even think of it as something that had to be done immediately.

What made me realize that this was a high priority was after a credit card company called me saying I did not pay my last month's bill. I argued that I had called and changed my address with a representative, but still had not received my bill at my new address. I was informed that the agent had not changed my address. Fortunately, the company was willing to waive the fee due to miscommunication on their part.

The representative then suggested going to the local post office to guarantee all my mail was sent to the new address, and suggested using the Internet to implement the change. I needed the easiest and quickest solution available, and definitely did not want to have to experience any more surprises in the form of late fees.

Through Google, I landed on a website that allowed me to change my address with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for FREE! I also received a 10% coupon from The Home Depot. The process was fast and absolutely painless.

I would recommend this service to anyone who doesn't have time to wait in line at the post office during their lunch hour, and who wants to prevent any creditors calling them due to unnecessary late fees! In fact, changing the address online was so simple that I suggest it be one of the early tasks you accomplish during your move planning.

Just the other day I was at my local coffee shop to have my daily fix of a "triple soy vanilla latte," and decided to finish up responding to some high-priority e-mails for work.

As I started to sip my ambrosia, I noticed that I was unable to catch an automatic signal for the Internet, so I opened up my Internet connection to see what was available. I found the coffee shop's wireless network and clicked connect. It prompted me to enter the WPA Network Key, which I kindly asked the cashier for. She cheerfully informed me that I had to pay $10 per day (but it's unlimited use—ha) to use their wireless service. No way!

I gathered my things and decided to find a FREE WiFi Hot Spot near by. Then zing! I remembered finding a Web site that allows you to search for free WiFi networks in your area. I was also able to download the program for free on my iPod which now seems extremely convenient!

The neat thing about the WiFi locator is that it allows you to search locations by what type of environment or category you want—i.e. cafe, bookstore, airport, etc. So I turned my 30 GB iPod on and found the nearest WiFi location. I would definitely recommend all laptop users to keep this page handy at all times. It's a must-have!

Verizon and Intel Corporation recently announced a collaboration that will enable consumers to play popular PC games on their television sets through Intel® Viiv™ technology-based PCs.

The Verizon Games on Demand service enables users to play popular PC games on their TVs through Intel Viiv technology-based PCs running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. Using a wireless game controller and MCE remote control, consumers can play a variety of games from the comfort of their favorite couch or easy chair, also referred to as the "10-foot view" of the television set.

The companies will also market a version of PlayLinc, a new game messenger that they say provides a faster and more entertaining way to enjoy multiplayer games online. A free service, PlayLinc provides a variety of features, including free private servers, VoIP integration and the ability for players to track when their friends are online and ready to join a game.

"We're creating a graphics-rich, big-screen game-playing experience for the entire family," said Colson Hillier, director of new product development for Verizon. "The games that families now enjoy on their PCs will become larger than life, more fun to play and accessible in virtually every room of the house, through linkages between a family's PC and their TV. This is an extension of Verizon's commitment to provide customers with the content and service they want, whenever they want it, and however they want to receive it."

Read more in the press release Verizon and Intel Bring Online PC Gaming to TVs.