Category Archives: Innovative Solutions

Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Combat Sweltering Heat with A Cool Mist

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Misting Fan

More than half of our country is currently undergoing a heat wave. With no breaks from the sweltering heat in sight, you might be looking for ways to stay cool while outside. Traditional fans are good for an enclosed porch or patio, but would be a waste of energy poolside, in the garden, or in other open areas. You can change that with a misting fan. Similar to a “misting station” at your local zoo or amusement park, a misting system can turn your stylish fan into a refreshing oasis or coolness. The combination of the fans breeze and the fine particles of water will instantly cool your skin and provide relief. In fact, most misting fans can cool the surrounding air up to 30 degrees. You will not become soaked, only slightly dampened, meaning that you will stay comfortable not matter what attire you are wearing. Welcome the heat of summer with soothing relief.

Beach Accessories, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Living Spaces, Portable Fun

Add a Little Swivel to Your Sunbathing

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Swivel Beach Chairs

Sun worshippers — how many times during your outdoor tanning sessions do you have to get out of your beach chair, pick it up, and move it to keep up with the position of the sun?  It’s no secret that the sun moves across the sky continually throughout the day, and sun worshippers everywhere must constantly adjust the position of their chairs to compensate for that movement.

Achieving a tan that is even in color on all exposed parts of the body is the summertime goal for many beach bums and swimming pool lovers.  It’s a constant hassle, though, to keep adjusting your seating arrangement.  Sunbathers who fall asleep or become engrossed in a good book can end up with a lopsided tan that is difficult and time-consuming to remedy.

The smart solution comes in the form of a Swivel Beach Chair.  Lightweight and easy to carry, the swivel beach chair allows you to plop yourself down by the poolside or on the beach and simply turn yourself to follow the sun as it moves overhead in the sky.  With a swivel beach chair, you never need to get up to adjust the chair’s position.  And, turning away from the sun is just as easy when you’ve had enough.

Garden Tools & Tips, Indoor Living Spaces, Innovative Solutions, Shade Solutions

TV and Film Technology of the Past Brought to Life!

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It’s amazing how technology grows. Gadgets and gizmos that were once used in movies and television shows to thrust views into a high-tech and unimaginable future are now, only a few decades later, a reality. Many products around your home would have seemed like science fiction to your parents and grandparents generations. Below is a fun list of products that have gone from futuristic to must-haves!

  • Back to The Future – Many products in the BTTF franchise have been produced and some are even common in today’s society. TV video phones and conferences were featured, as were holographic tvs. Companies around the world regularly use video conferencing and Skype is quickly catching on with people around the world. IMAX and 3D movies are common and available in most areas. Even Marty’s self-lacing sneakers are now being produced (Nike Hyperdunks)!
  • The Jetsons – The Jetsons are one of the best examples of tv foreshadowing modern technology. The Jetson’s home of the future is quickly becoming the home of today. Fake tanning was introduced on the show almost a decade before the first tanning bed was invented. A wealthy business man tans in his luxurious bed with artificial sun options that include “Miami, Honolulu, and Riviera”.  Robotic vacuum cleaners were frequently featured on the show and are now widely available as hands-free options to traditional house work. Other once futuristic fantasies around the home, such as motorized window shades that rise and lower at the touch of a button and robotic lawn mowers that take the work out of lawn maintenance, are Jetson-esque.
  • Jet Packs – Featured in The Jetson’s, The Rocketeer, and several other movies and tv programs, a jet pack that allows a person to fly through the air is slowly becoming a reality. Several companies and individuals around the world are working to produce an efficient jet pack. While the technology is still in its infancy, it is happening and jet packs are working around the world.

What products or technologies have you seen in recent film and television that you look forward to seeing in the future?

Backyard Fun, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

A Fresh Air Idea for TV Lovers

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Outdoor Television

Whether you are a sports fan, reality show junkie, or avid news watcher, staying on top of the latest details can be a challenge when you also want to spend time outside enjoying the beautiful spring weather.  More and more, homeowners are choosing to bring their passion for television and the outdoors together by bringing the TV outside.

Standard televisions and rain, sun, and humidity don’t mix, but TVs specifically designed for outdoor use can take all that nature has to offer.  Outdoor TVs can handle temperatures of over 100 degrees and below -20 degrees.  They have a watertight design, which means you can place the TV on a deck, patio, or poolside.  And, outdoor TVs have an anti-glare, scratch-resistant screen so watching one is no problem on a bright and sunny day.  Outdoor televisions can sit on a table or be mounted on a wall, from a ceiling, or on a deck planter pole, making them a versatile and space-saving addition to any outdoor area.

No matter what you like to watch on the television, you can continue to do so while benefitting from fresh air and sunshine.  Outdoor TVs make it easy to host outdoor parties for popular sporting events or movie-themed birthdays, but they also offer individuals and families a refreshing new way to watch favorite shows.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Garden Tools & Tips, Holidays & Gift Ideas, Innovative Solutions, Insect Control

April is National Lawn and Garden Month

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Lawn and Garden
April is National Lawn and Garden month! This gives you a wonderful reason to get outside and get your backyard and garden ready. Whether you are starting from scratch or are an experienced pro, here are several tips that you can use to celebrate Lawn and Garden month in style!

  • Consider Backyard Composting – Composting is nature’s process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost. Backyard composting is an acceleration of the process that occurs in nature. It is recycling at its finest! Use kitchen waste (such as food or paper towels), lawn clippings, and wood chips to provide rich and powerful soil for your garden and lawn. Anything that was once living will decompose, giving you endless options for composting. Composting is good for your plants and for you! Adding organic materials to the soil improves moisture retention. It provides a balanced, slow–release source of nutrients that helps the soil hold nutrients long enough for plants to use them. Healthier plants means a healthier you! It will also save you money because you will no longer have to buy fertilizer. Add a compost bin to your garden and start today!

  • Add a fountain – Outdoor fountains offer an easy and affordable way to add style to your lawn or garden. The soothing sound of running water will help to create a tranquil and relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Transform your garden into your own personal paradise!

  • Consider adding variety – If you are fond of flower gardening, venture into edible vegetables! You will be thrilled with the sense of accomplishment you feel when you feed your family fresh, healthy produce that you loving grew on your own. Beans, squash, cucumbers, lettuce/greens, tomatoes, peppers, beets, and garlic are all great vegetables to start with. They are relatively easy to maintain and will offer beautiful variety. If you are already growing your own vegetables, consider planting an eye catching flower garden (try marigold, lupine, daisy, or wildflower mix seeds). Fruits are also a great option. Apples, figs, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are great for beginners. Variety is the spice of life!

  • Go high-tech – Modern technology impacts our daily life. Why not let it impact your backyard? There are several innovations in outdoor living that you will wonder how you ever lived without. The Robomower will make mowing your lawn virtually effortless. No more back-breaking work and labor intensive afternoons spent cutting grass. You simply install special sensors around the perimeter of your yard and push a button. It doesn’t get much easier than that! Another product worth trying is the Mosquito Eliminator. Gone are the days of tacky bug zappers and pesky insects at parties. It is so beautiful that your guests will never guess that it is fighting mosquitoes and other pests. The Eliminator uses high-tech black light technology to cover up to 1,000 feet and capture up to 6,000 mosquitoes with one cartridge. Other garden technology to be on the look for: gardening apps for smartphones (such as iVeggieGarden, which allows you to view over 500 varieties of vegetables and offers tips and ideas), time lapsed garden cameras (which take pictures at various intervals and produce videos or slideshows showing growth progress), and electronic soil testers.