 Many of you already know what this little device is. But I keep finding that there are many of people out there that have no idea what this is. Well, let me tell you. It's a great little device that plugs into the HDMI port of your TV that lets you cast apps like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and many many more. For those of you out there that have been thinking about cutting the cable because you are tired of paying exuberant amounts of money to your cable or satellite company, then this may be your solution. It's not a perfect fix all for those of you out there that have a specialty show that only is available on cable or satellite, but if you are more of a casual watcher who can catch what they want on Netflix or Hulu, or both then this is for you. If the only thing that has stopped you is because you want to watch on your TV and not your phone then check out this $35 adapter and turn your Smart Phone into a remote for your watching pleasure. Below is my unboxing video of the first generation unit. The newer, second generation model is a little faster and so it will have less chance of lag, but it is essentially the same.
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 The security of your home is an important one. Many people don't think twice about the largest door of their home, the garage door. Push a button and the door goes down, then we forget about it. So let's take a moment and think about your garage door and how safe it is. For the most part it is pretty safe and for those of you that have seen movies where thieves sit out waiting to capture your garage door opener code when you come home, well that just isn't that common and I am not going to address that here. If you are worried about that then I suggest you get a couple of big dogs. What I am going to address here are the simpler things that you can do to make sure there are not other remotes out there linked to your system and make sure there are not too many people that know your garage code. First, lets talk about the remotes. Unless you just had a new opener put in and only your remotes programmed, then you are good. But if you rent or recently bought a home then you have no idea how many remotes could be linked to your opener. It is really a good idea to clear your openers memory and start over so that you know only your remotes are linked. The same goes with your keypad. How many people know your code? And how simple is your code? How many codes do you have? Ok let's go over these one by one because the keypad is a very convenient way to get in, maybe too convenient. Do you know how many people know your code? Have you used it to let workers in? Do you have kids that know the code and may have let their friends know? If you have any of these then changing your code periodically really helps so you can control how many people know how to open your home. How simple is your code? Please don't tell me that your code is 1234 or 4321, and please don't tell me that it is your address. And yes, I have run across all of these. I know that you want to be able to remember it, but don't make it so simple that some random person can guess it with just a few tries. And how many codes do you have. If you added a new code for you to remember it did you first reset the opener to clear out old codes? So, to wrap this up, I highly suggest you clear out your opener and re-program in your remotes and keypad code so you know who has access to your home. In the video below I go over how to do that with a LiftMaster unit which is the same a Chamberlain and many Craftsman units.
There are many items that should never go down a disposal. Raw, uncooked food is at the top of the list. Your disposal is not a magic machine that makes everything disappear at the touch of a button. It is really a simple machine that grinds up soft foods. So, uncooked vegetables, orange, lemon, lime, and especially melon rinds do not belong inside your disposal. Of course, foods that are too soft can cause problems also. I know you might be like, well what can I put down there then. Hold on a second and let me finish the do not list. Foods like rice and oatmeal and small greens can cause a lot of trouble too. It's not that the disposal can't handle it, its that if you put down large amounts at one time to disposal will throw it out so fast that it will end up clogging your drain. The disposal is designed to take care of the food that comes off of your dinner plates. So it should be small, cooked scraps of food. It is definitely not designed to clean out your fridge. That food should go strait to your trash can. I have had plenty of people over the years act frustrated with me on that last point. I had one lady actually tell me that I told her that it was ok. I was like what did I say. She said that I said that you need a water running then feed the garbage disposal. And that's right, having the water already running and the disposal on then feeding the scraps off of your plate instead of putting all the scraps down it and turning it on is much better. But what she did was take an entire head of cabbage and peal it apart and run it down the disposal. The disposal did eat it up ok, but it then clogged the pipes with all the shredded greens. I hope that this helps you understand more about your disposal and how to use it right. This might sound like just a bit of common sense, but you should make sure that your disposal is cleared every time you use the sink. I see many people run food down there and don't run it to make sure that it is cleared. This causes excessive rusting on the unit and can effect the dishwasher as the dishwasher normally drains through the disposal as well. Below is a video of me giving some install tips, but I also show you the workings of the disposal so you can see what I was talking about.
If you have bifold doors, then you know what I am talking about. When they are working correctly, they are great. They allow you to have a large closet opening without swinging out into the entire room to open. But when they are not working right they are the devil. And they seem to do that often. The biggest problem with them is that when the door are open they have a lot of leverage against the tracks that they ride on. So any force put against them while open will almost certainly result in damaging the track. Best advice here, unless you are using them, keep the door closed and you will keep unwanted damage from happening. Check out my video here as I explain that better and show you how to repair them.
You know, when you put anything on the internet these days there are always those who insist on putting their opinion there. I guess because there is an option to put a comment they feel that it is their duty to do so. I have received plenty of negative comments over the years and a handful of positive ones. It is strange to receive both at the same time. One of my more popular videos is my Homemade Laundry Detergent and I recently received a comment that starts off fine, then ends in telling me that I am weird. Though I guess it is weird these days to try and help people. To help give others your knowledge and help them with their everyday tasks. So maybe that's a compliment hidden in there after all.
That's right, fall is in the air. So that means cool mornings, grilling, and football. I have had the pleasure of being a part of the Upward Sports program for the past few years. For me this is a little bitter sweet. You see, my kids are in the sixth grade and that is where the program ends. We have all loved the flag football program. It is great for the kids and convenient for the parents. Please enjoy this highlights video from our first game of the season.
Little more needs to be said other then just Shop Vac. Having a wet dry vac can be a lifesaver at your home. Great for cleaning out the garage or car, but if you have a flood or plumbing issue it's the Shop Vac to the rescue. Being able to suck up water before it destroys your home can save you hundreds is not thousands of dollars. Even if that seems like these little vacs, ok many are not that little, are extremely versatile many people only know half the story. There are many filter choices for these vacs which make them even more the little multitasker of the garage. In the video below I go through a full review of these vacs showing different choices on hoses and filters to help make your choice of a new one or the proper accessories for the one you have.
It's just about American as apple pie. Grilling on labor day is like saying farewell to summer. Cooler weather is on it's way and what better way to see summer's end then to cook outdoors. I'm not knocking doing the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers, but you might consider grilling some steak. I know what you might be thinking, I don't have money for $17/pound meat. Especially if you have family or friends coming over. There is a steak that is actually juicy and tender that you can get for about $7/pound. That's right, I'm not pulling your chain here. Tri Tip Steak if a very affordable steak that cooks like a roast, but tastes like a steak. I personally heard about it for years, but never tried it until recently. Now I have fallen in love with it. You can slice it by itself and eat it like a steak with potatoes, or you can slice and dice it for burritos and tacos or just about anything your heart desires. Just below I will put my video for that along with some quick videos for the hot dogs and hamburgers also. Happy Fall you'all!
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