The Weekender

When searching for the perfect Chicago diamond ring or any other piece of diamond jewelry be sure to check out Albert’s Diamond Jewelers – engagement rings, wedding rings, anniversary rings, diamond jewelry for all occasions.

A natural diamond is the most expensive type because it originates from nature. Based on the type of impurities that are present in them, they are further classified into four types.

Type 1a contains 0.3% nitrogen. This diamond is light yellow or brown in color because it absorbs blue light. Ninety-eight percent of all the natural diamonds are this kind. Type 1b contains 500ppm of nitrogen and are yellow, orange, green or brown in color.

Type 2a is the purest form of diamond. Because it contains very little impurities or imperfections, it is generally colorless or translucent. Type 2b is the rarest type of diamond, containing only traces of nitrogen which makes it give off a bluish tinge.

The price and the quality of a diamond are determined by five basic criteria. The first is color. Diamonds are available in colors ranging from yellow to green, and black to red. But the most pure forms are the transparent ones.

You know about payday loans – those high interest loans you get because (you think) you are desperate for a bit of cash.

Most Credit Unions are now offering alternatives to payday loans. These loans are typically for amounts under $500 and the monthly payments are small. Interest rates are small, too, and there is typically no collateral required.

If you’re not familiar with Credit Unions, they are much like banks but they aren’t owned by a corporation. They are owned by their depositors. Their fees and interest rates are typically lower than banks and they see their customers as valuable resources, not cash cows.

In the Dekalb and Sycamore areas (Illinois) contact the Illinois Community Credit Union. We cater to members who receive lower rates on services and loan interest on the Sycamore auto loans, mortgages, and title loans.

My one-eyed feral brat aka Copy Cat has decided to go on strike against his regular food. Now if I was a one-eyed feral who won’t let anyone touch him despite being a house cat for THREE YEARS I would be happy just to be fed. But he lives in our house so he goes on strike and sits 10 feet away from me and looks pathetic.

So I am on the hunt for food. This happens about once every six months where one of my cats decides it is time for a change. So I pullout my favorite bookmark, Janet and Binky’s Cat Food List. This is a great resource for calories as well as carbohydrates “as fed.” We try to feed food under 8 carbs as fed for Slakk’s blood sugar to stay in the zone.

From Slakk’s Diabetes I learned that the labels on the cans are about worthless so I rely on this list for my information. The rule of thumb for the amount of calories a cat should intake everyday goes something like this:

(13.7 x Optimum weight) +70 = daily calories

My cats are ummm good converters, so they actually stay at around 170 calories per day, sometimes up to 200 but a normal weight 12 pound cat should figure eating around 230 calories per day.

So for some reason I went on a website for commercial cat food – VERY well known brand (no I am not going to name them because they do not deserve the publicity) and they recommend 1 can of their over-processed, slaughter house reject, pesticide filled cans of death, oops I mean cat food per every 2.5 pounds. Doing the math that is 4.8 cans per day…FOR ONE CAT.

After I got up from the floor I looked at the calories – about 435 total, assuming any cat could shove all of that in their mouth in a day (Slakk has offered to try), that is 200 calories OVER the optimal calories – and these are the people telling YOU they understand nutrition and you should trust them?

And then lets do the math, each can of death is $.079 times 5 (because you know you will feed 5 cans not 4.8) equals $3.95 PER DAY. That means in 30 days you would spend $118.68 not including tax, but hey you could forget your gym membership BECAUSE YOUR CAT WOULD BE SO FAT PICKING THEM UP WOULD BE A WORKOUT. If you have four cats like me then you would spend more on cat’s food then groceries

So then I look at a better alternative Evanger’s Canned Cat Food – Organic Chicken 5.5 oz. Can at $1.49 for a 5.5 ounce can. That is approximately the same calorie count as one day’s allotted calories. I feed this sometimes and honestly my big pig cats only get about ¾ of a can because quality calories mean less calories, but to be fair I will use the proper amount. So that equals $44.70 a month a whopping $74 dollar difference IN FAVOR OF A QUALITY PRODUCT.

Amazing huh?

If you really want to see your head explode look at the as fed calories for dry food, one cup equals 350-650 calories – ONE CUP. I will not even discuss the carbs…you know that is bad.

Raise your hand if your idea of feeding your cat is to take a bag of kitty crack and dump it in a self feeder…Don’t worry that was me before Slakk went diabetic. I ask you this – Do you think your cat is only eating what they need or are they gorging on the calorie heavy, carbohydrate-ridden pesticide filled bags of death (yes, related to the over-processed, slaughter house reject, pesticide filled cans of death).

So back to the web, I went to one of the lower calorie, yet highly-publicized dry cat food bags and read that my darlings should eat one cup or 362 calories – yes 150% of the recommended calories for a healthy 12 pound cat. Assuming my cats would self regulate at one cup (yeah sure) the kitty crack would cost a smidge over $1.20 per day.

Well until Slakk’s diabetes went out of remission and I was spending $100 dollars on his insulin alone. But again the cancellation of the gym membership would help out. Until one of the others went on the juice too…

But if you are feeding your cat on the calorie heavy, carbohydrate ridden pesticide filled bag of death or over-processed, slaughter-house reject, pesticide filled cans of death know this. IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. We have been told that these companies know best and love our pets – well they are loving our pets to DEATH. My husband has banned me from the pet food aisle because I become an evangelist for proper feeding.

Kudos to companies like PETCO.com who have seriously started not only offering, but showcasing healthy alternatives to the cans/bags of death. Baby steps folks, babysteps.

I was in your shoes at one time and it took almost losing my sweet baby Slakk to learn his food was killing him. But now I know better and know feeding healthy is CHEAPER and your cat feels better and your vet bills go down and their coat shine goes UP. And maybe just maybe they will shed some weight.

So I am always on the lookout for great websites. I do web design as well as work as a Project Manager for large financial institution’s eCommerce in real life.

I was looking for a new halter for my horse and found a great site Horse.com, I was not familiar with it until I found out it used to be a store called Country Supply which I regularly went to. So they have sister sites, kind of like Organic’s sister site Natural Pet’s Store (it is just coming online and sells non-organic pet food and supplies but still high quality). Their other sites are:

Bird.com
Dog.com
Ferret.com

Hmmm anything missing? Oh yeah what about CATS. So because I am nosey I email and ask, I see you have a website for everything but cats. Slakk’s nose is out of joint too so he is sitting on my desk waiting for an answer. The lady tells me that Catepillar the heavy machinery company owns it and won’t sell it. Too funny. SO I guess they are out trying to figure out a name.

Slakk was not amused as heavy machinery equals noise and the only noise he likes is a cat food can opening. I liked the people so much I am linking them here…check them out they have great products for everyone but c-a-t-s.

Glad Slakk cannot spell!

Commercial dog food can be hazardous to your dog’s overall health. This type of dog food is generally processed food that contains preservatives and additives that you may not want your dog eating. These foods can increase the chances of health problems for you best friend.

A few years back, there was widepsread pet food recalls across the U.S. This incident led to a spike in people wanting to learn how to better protect thier pets by finding dog food recipes and cookbooks. While the reports of tainted pet foods has subsided, the interest in providing a high quality food to your pet hasn’t.

By using some all natural dog food recipes to feed you pet, you can be assured that if another incident happens with the processed dog food, your pet will be safe. Feeding your dog homemade pet food is not has hard or expensive as it sounds. There are several books on the market that shows you how easy it can be.

While I was learning about feline nutrition I was astounded at what I thought I knew that was not true. Here are a few of the things I have learned on the way that I thought I would pass on.

Dry Food helps your cat prevent dental disease

False. Dental disease has no correlation to food choices. Studies have shown there is no difference between cats fed canned cat food or dry.

Most cats that get Feline Urologic Disease eat dry cat food

True. FUS can be prevented by feeding your cat a quality pet food with high protein as this type of food tends to raise your cat’s acidic urine. Acidic urine prevents the growth of germs that cause Feline Urologic Disease.

Feeding your cat a high quality food is expensive

False. The lower the quality of food you feed your cat the more you have to feed of it. Most obesity in cats comes from feeding your cat a low quality food. In order for your cat to get the nutrients they need in these foods they need to eat more. The more they eat the more calories they ingest the more weight they gain.

A Grazing Cat is a Happy Cat

False. In nature a cat makes a kill and eats it. They do not have a refrigerator or ability to can. They kill and eat. Automatic feeders cause your cat’s metabolism to slow and cause obesity (my own cat Slakk in his kitty crack days used to fall asleep with his head in the food bowl). As noted above, there are health implications such as Feline Urologic Disease as well.

Cats can get addicted to food

True. There are a couple of the low quality canned foods that I have fed in the past and it was tough to get the cats off of them. Artificial flavors, tuna, salt and sugar are the main culprits.

We are asked all the time the best way to clean a custom saddle and thought our first blog would be a great way to do so. Please read all instructions before beginning.

1. To maintain the light color as long as possible, the saddle should be kept covered and out of the light when not in use. Any light, especially sunlight will darken your new saddle gradually.

2. The saddle should not be left in your trailer for extended periods of time. The heat inside the trailer can be damaging to the leather and will cause the silver to tarnish rapidly.

3. If compressed air is available, your dusty saddle should be blown off to remove dust and dirt. A vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment also works well for this task. This should be done after each dusty horse show.

4. Once the saddle is dirty enough to need a thorough clearing it muse be washed or wiped down with a damp cloth. Each part must be cleaned separately; fenders, seat jockey, skirts, etc

5. If washing is necessary, use a mild soap solution such as Harris Blue Foam finish. Do not use saddle soaps since it will darken the leather. Wash each piece with a soft cloth using the blue Foam Finish. A soft brush can also be used if the carving is very dirt. After cleaning each part separately, it must be dried with a towel before washing another part of the saddle. Do not allow the clear to dry on the parts. Also do not rinse the saddle or wash the suede seat.

6. To condition your saddle after cleaning we recommend “Lexol NF”. Please remember that the conditioning process is not necessary to maintain the light color and may alter the color somewhat. Leather conditioning is the option of each individual.

7. If your saddles has silver trim it must be cleaned before you add the protective finish to the leather. Clean the silver with a liquid silver cleaner. We recommend “Goddard Silver Dip”. Using a toothbrush, wash each piece of silver and wipe dry or rinse with cold water and then dry. For tougher silver cleaning jobs a wadding such as “Never Dull” or a paste like “Wenol” is best. These work well in removing lacquer coating that is on some silver trim. Should you use a paste or wadding cleaner, avoid getting the black residue on the leather bordering the silver.

Should this happen, wash off with soapy water. The silver dip also works great to rinse the silver after using wadding or paste cleaners. It is okay to get the silver dip on the leather. Once the silver is clean, shine with a “Goddards Silver Cloth” which will restore the luster and look of a new piece.

8. A protective finish on the leather is the next step. We recommend “Harris Acrylic Finish”. This will add a shine and give your saddle a new look. This should be applied only after the saddle has dried completely. To apply the finish, pour a small amount in a cup or bowl. A soft terry cloth is best to apply the finish to the leather parts. Soak the cloth heavily on one end and apply to all areas that need to shine. Use the dry end of the cloth to soak off heavy applications or runs. Apply evenly to all visible parts of the saddle, except the suede seat. Take care to not get the finish on the suede seat. The finish will dry to a shine in approximately 30 minutes.

9. The last step in cleaning your saddle is to brush the suede seat. A brass bristle brush for suede is best for this.

Organic Carpet Cleaning Mercer County NJ

1–800–CLEAN-MY CARPETS or 1–800–253–2669

All Natural Carpet Cleaning 

It seems that everybody is talking about “going green” these days — green energy, green household products, and green office supplies. To my company, green isn’t something new. I’ve been using all natural cleaning products for 22 years because it’s the best method of carpet cleaning for homes with pets and children. The chemicals I use in my clients’ homes are the same ones I use in my own.

If you have kids and pets, then you know that accidents will happen. That’s why we don’t just do carpet cleaning. We also do mattress cleaning, upholstery cleaning, and area rug cleaning. Our organic cleaning methods not only eliminate daily household grime and stains. They remove dust mites, one of the most common sources of allergens in the home.

It’s not only our organic products that do the work. We use only soft water during the cleaning process. Why would we want to tell you about that? Because it’s been proven that soft water prolongs the life of fibers by up to 15 percent. That’s something to think about when you have someone cleaning that beautiful and expensive Persian rug in your living room.

Soft water doesn’t have the mineral content of hard water, either. Because the soft water we use doesn’t have calcium and magnesium in it, it actually gets your carpets and upholstery cleaner. We also use the hottest water possible, which eliminates more bacteria and leaves your carpets nice and fluffy clean. Because we use all natural products and soft water, your carpets and upholstery get cleaner than they would by using the usual methods. That gives you peace of mind when you have babies crawling on your floors, doesn’t it?

The methods we use also remove more water from your carpeting than do others. This means you can walk on your carpeting sooner. There’s an added advantage to this, too. Less drying time means there’s less chance for mold spores to flourish. If anyone in your household has a problem with mold, this is a big consideration for their comfort and well-being.

The quality of indoor air is so important. Eliminating dust, dust mites, molds, and bacteria without adding toxic cleaning chemicals is just the right thing to do. We care about our customers and that’s why these things are important to us, too.

Our company doesn’t just say we rely on healthy and environmentally safe cleaning products and methods. We also stand behind our work with a 100% money-back guarantee. Not many home-furnishings cleaning companies will do that. We do it because we’re sold on the quality of our own work. Remember, I mentioned I use these same products and methods in my own home, and I wouldn’t use them around my own family if I didn’t believe in their quality and safety.

While we think our all natural cleaning methods and results stand on their own, we offer some other benefits the other companies don’t. We move your furniture for you, placing it on furniture risers until the carpet underneath is dry. It may not be exactly where you had it, but even you might have a problem finding where it used to sit. That crushed-down pile and five-year-old coffee stain aren’t there anymore, so you can’t use them as landmarks.

Just like everyone is talking about being green, everyone is always busy these days. For your convenience, we give you a particular time that we’re going to show up so you don’t waste half the day waiting for us. We’ll be at your door within five minutes of the appointment. If we’re running late, we’ll call and let you know.

If healthy indoor air, organic cleaning, all natural products, a job well done, and courtesy appeal to you, then you really should give me a call to book a free carpet audit.

1–800–CLEAN-MY CARPETS OR 1–800–253–2669

Organic Cleaners are a Good Choice for Your Home!

Did you know that one of the most common sources of exposure to dangerous chemicals and carcinogens is via ordinary household cleaning products? Although household cleansers seem innocuous, many of them are made of potentially dangerous solvents, acids, and cancer-causing substances. If you have children or pets in your home, they are particularly vulnerable to these harsh chemicals.

If you would like to start avoiding dangerous household products, you can purchase commercial organic, natural cleansers. These cleaning products are available at almost any store and are generally made of fruit juices and extracts, vinegar, baking soda, salts, herbal extracts, and other safe substances.

What are the health benefits of switching to natural, organic cleaning products? First, you’re drastically reducing your exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. Second, you’re reducing your exposure to allergens and substances that can trigger asthma attacks. Organic cleansers are a particularly good choice if you have children with asthma or other breathing conditions in the home, since they do not produce the kinds of fumes that can worsen breathing or trigger an attack.

Switching to organic cleansers is also advantageous compared to using products with antibacterial substances. Current research suggests that antibacterial soaps and cleansers actually end up increasing the proportion of dangerous bacteria in the home due to antibiotic resistance. There are many types of organic cleaning products that can sanitize surfaces and kill bacteria without causing antibiotic resistance.

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Years ago trying to sell a horse meant placing an advertisement in one of the major publications then wait for the calls to come in. Today with so many people with Internet access, many new avenues have opened up and are available to assist in selling your horse.  The major benefits of online advertising are shorter times to market, less restrictions on who sees it (mot just magazine subscribers), and better ways to track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.  Below, we’ve presented some things to keep in mind when starting online marketing of your horse.

Know Your Audience

Take the time and look through the different websites that advertise horses for sale, and find the right one where your horse fits in. For instance, don’t try to sell a cutting horse on a website that advertises jumpers. Conversely, don’t decide to place an ad for your Grand Prix jumper in the local paper.

Free is not always free

Many websites offer free ads and some like Craigslist do a good job of helping local people sell local horses. However, on the major advertising websites, it could be difficult to get people interested in viewing text only ads or advertisements without pictures.  Offering ads with full color, and good resolution images, will go much further than just text.

The Price Right

Pricing your horse correctly is one of the important factors. Many times, if you over-price the horse in the beginning, you end up selling it for less money than if you had just priced it correctly to begin with. When determining price make a list of your horse’s positive qualities. Are they enrolled in any incentives like the AQHA Incentive Fund or APHA Breeders’ Trust, are they Kentucky Breeders’ Incentive Fund (KYBIF) eligible?

Once you have a list of their features take the time to review the other ads that are already out there. Find ten good comparable horses, check their prices, and then decide on your listing prince and final selling price.

To get an idea of what comparable horses are selling for, go to KyBIF Only and see what’s listed there.

Carpet Cleaning Bucks County PA
The number of reported health hazards linked to stale air is increasing with each passing day. Therefore, getting your carpets cleaned thoroughly by professionals has become all the more important. Carpets have the tendency of absorbing germs and bacterium to a greater extent as compared to normal flooring or the walls. When you spray a disinfectant, it virtually fails to seep into the surface of the carpet, which means that the germs and the bacteria stay there. Coupling this with the fact that an average person spends most of his time indoors, getting your carpets cleaned becomes a medical liability on you, and is no longer something that is done in order to enhance the external appearance of the carpet.

In the light of these and similar realizations on the part of the EPA, some guidelines pertaining to the frequency with which carpets need to be cleaned, are issued. For an average home with two-three rooms, the carpets should be organically cleaned every 6 months, while this number varies in offices and spaces which are more confined. Ideally, you should get your carpet cleaned every four months to maintain an optimum level of well-being. If not carpets are not cleaned regularly and by professionals, you can face serious breathing, lung and swallowing problems, which might even lead to choking.

So how does getting your carpet cleaned by us benefit you? How are we different or any better than others in the business? Well, we strongly believe that a customer cannot trust a service company until and unless he has tried its services before. To pay for the services for the first time, most customers are hesitant, and therefore, we offer to clean your carpets for free, and even carry out a free carpet audit of your place. We will drop in at your place, assess all the cleaning needs , give you a free carpet spot detector (which highlights unseen stains on the carpet, including pet stains) and I will also clean one carpet free of cost for you (up to 150 SF)- NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

We are making this offer particularly for people residing in homes and for homemakers. The reason for such an offer is that although, I have been cleaning carpets for large offices and business houses, we have not cleaned much for regular homemakers and this is our endeavor to launch our services for homemakers. Beyond the free cleaning, it would be your choice to go in for the complete house cleaning. We would give you the written estimates of all the costs involved and we will not be pushy, rude or assertive- the decision would rest with you and you can back out whenever you like.

Apart from the free cleaning, there is a lot more to our company and our cleaning services. Having an experience of more than 18 years in this field, we offer precise appointments and we do not believe in rushing on to the next job. To maintain the right quality standards, our employees are paid on an hourly basis, and not on a ‘per job’ basis- therefore, they put in an adequate amount of time with every carpet. Apart from this, we use 100% soft water for cleansing, which not only helps in preserving the life of your carpet, it also enhances the ability of the detergents and the soaps to cleanse the carpet better. Besides, your carpets will not be damp after cleansing, you will be covered by our 100% guarantee and you can get your furniture moved for free too, depending upon the kind of plan you choose. So what are you waiting for- you have the reasons to get your carpets cleaned, and you know who is the best cleanser in town. Pick up the phone and call us immediately!
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