Expenses on utilities contribute to most of your household bills. Did you know that you could save a lot of money through your utilities? Here are some pointers to help you do this:

1. Identify which appliances consume much electricity and contribute the most in making the electric bill cost that much. You can save hundreds of dollars annually by enrolling in a home management load program that offer a 100-dollar savings in a year on electric utility hour rate programs. This will help you lower your electric payments and will teach you on home energy conservation.

2. It is recommended that you have improved appliance efficiency. The heating system appliances are the ones that consume too much electricity. The refrigerator and the water heater consume that much energy as well. Make sure to check these items regularly to ensure their efficiency. A well-maintained appliance will sustain its performance and will give you it's accurate use of electricity. 

3. Always remember to give your furnace a tune up at least twice a year. You have to cover the water heater to insulate it and give your refrigerator coils a cleaning at least twice a year as well. You may also set a timer for the heater to have regular flow of electricity whenever it is in use. You may call your utility service to check if there is a low rate offered during any specific time of the day. 

4. You may also save money by lowering your heating bills. You may set your thermostat down three degrees to make you save 3 percent on your bills. You may even save more by not using it while you are at work or you can even turn it lower during nighttime when you are asleep. This can help you conserve electricity and save more money.

5. You may want to lessen your long distance telephone calls to lower your telephone bills. If it is a need to call a very important person, you may call during weekends and night hours. Telephone companies offer a lower rate for long distance calls during those times of the day. The best alternative to save money is by using the Internet to communicate with your friends and relatives instead of the telephone.

6. You may want to consider lowering your water bills in order to save money. Check if there are leaks so that you may fix them immediately. You may put a water saving showerhead to lessen the use of water when taking a shower. You can use a big container to stock water in the bathroom as an alternative rather than using the shower in the bathroom.      

Summary:

Today, videos have become a very popular means of entertainment among children of all ages. It isn't uncommon for children to spend much of their free time watching their favorite movies or television shows. The invention of the portable DVD player has enhanced the already great role video entertainment can play in a child's day, as it allows parents to take DVD videos wherever children go. This however, creates considerable concern about what today's youngsters are watchi...

Keywords:

Educational Toys

Article Body:

Today, videos have become a very popular means of entertainment among children of all ages. It isn't uncommon for children to spend much of their free time watching their favorite movies or television shows. The invention of the portable DVD player has enhanced the already great role video entertainment can play in a child's day, as it allows parents to take DVD videos wherever children go. This however, creates considerable concern about what today's youngsters are watching. Some DVD and television entertainment is valuable to a child's education, as well as entertaining. Others are not. For this reason, parents should choose their children's videos with great care.

The first factor in choosing the right educational videos for children is to choose educational movies and shows that will match their interests. If you fail to keep a child's interests in mind, the child will be less likely to watch the videos you choose, and may easily become bored and restless. However, if your child is interested in the chosen topic, he or she is much more likely to absorb the contents and remember them later. This way, educational videos will have a more positive and lasting effect on your child.

By choosing the right kinds of videos, you will be able to prevent your children from watching programs you, as the parent, deem undesirable or inappropriate. If you choose videos for your children, you will be able to better monitor the content and quality of each video. You will also be more in touch with what your child is learning, and by familiarizing yourself with the content, be able to discuss the videos with your children. This will also let them know that you are taking an interest in what they are watching and learning.

There are many different titles out there from which to choose, and you want to be sure that the ones you purchase are videos that your children will want to watch. You don't want to invest in educational videos, just to have them sit on the shelf. Before choosing titles, start by getting feedback from your children. Show them the videos you are considering, and find out which videos and topics spark their interest.

When choosing educational videos for your children, it's also important to keep their ages in mind. Purchasing highly educational videos for older children, for example, is often not the best use of time or money. Often, it will result in a lack of attention, leading to a library of videos that your children never watch.

Lastly, watch any videos that you purchase with your children. These videos are meant to be a learning tool, designed to help children have fun while they learn. Videos are not, however, designed to be babysitters. The more interest you take in the lives of your children, the more you will be able to monitor what they watch, and improve their education.

Horses all have the same birthday no matter the exact date of the foaling.

This is set in order to allow the configuration of races according to age groups. The date is set as 1 January each year in the northern hemisphere.

Until 1834, the fixed date was 1 May, in line with the end of the foaling season.

The next year the official date was shifted for New market horses, to the present one, which occurs before the foaling season has properly started.

The ma...

Keywords:

horse racing terms,betfair,betting exchange,sports,articles,dictionary,advice,gambling,help

Article Body:

Age:

Horses all have the same birthday no matter the exact date of the foaling.

This is set in order to allow the configuration of races according to age groups. The date is set as 1 January each year in the northern hemisphere.

Until 1834, the fixed date was 1 May, in line with the end of the foaling season.

The next year the official date was shifted for New market horses, to the present one, which occurs before the foaling season has properly started.

The majority of races on the flat are for two year olds only, or for three year olds only, with a fair proportion also confined to three year olds and four year olds only, or three year olds and upwards.

A horse of either sex before its first birthday is known as a foal; between that date and its next birthday it is called a yearling.

All Weather:

Not exactly All Weather in that horses still cannot race in fog. The surfaces are synthetic and the courses are currently at Lingfield, Southwell and Wolverhampton. They do provide protection against the frost.

Introduced in 1990 it was mainly aimed at offsetting the losses made by the Levy, which were being caused by the canceling of race meeting through the winter periods.

There was a problem early on with the number of horses killed during hurdles races, but since then it has become well established and has its own set of followers and advocates.

The performances are generally not as good as on turf, but some horses really appear to do well on it.

The surface at Lingfield is made up of hard graded sand which is then covered by a polymer and this produces a sort of cushioning effect. It is known as Equitrack and allows water to run off of it, as oppose to more traditional All Weather surfaces which allow rainwater to run through them.

Ante post betting:

This is a type of betting which occurs days, weeks or months before a big race, as oppose to the traditional sort of betting which takes place only in the few hours before a race.

There have been various suggestions for the origins of the term, but when one looks at early pictures and studies the history of races, one can see that bets were usually struck on New market Heath around what can only be described as “Betting Posts”.

So, to transpose one could say that betting “ante-post” was to make a bet similarly as one would today but before the normal betting which occurs in the few hours before a race.

The sort of races that generate a lot of betting pre race are the big races, the classics, for example the spring and autumn doubles, or the real classics like the Grand National and the Ascot week, big festivals at Goodwood, York, Cheltenham.

Bookmakers put up their prices long before these events and they attract plenty of trade.

With some races such as the Derby or the Guineas, wagers are made up to a year before the race itself. A large attraction is that the odds available can be much longer than what is offered on the day.

It seems however that even though ante-post betting is beneficial to punters, bookmakers still find it a profitable form of betting to employ, despite the losses, otherwise they would not do it.

A new form of ante post betting is where bookmakers offer “early prices” on the day of a big race. Like the more traditional ante post betting the attraction appears to be that a lot of these “early prices” are longer than what are available immediately before the race.

This has given rise to a new form of betting known as arbitrage, whereby, utilizing the lay facilities of Betfair, early back prices can be taken with online bookmakers offering longer odds, and then laid off on the betting exchanges as the price contracts in the immediate pre race offering a risk free bet which can then be greened up.

This strategy tends to work only with strong favorites but can be quite profitable.

It’s a little slow for me.

Apprentice allowance:

Jockeys who have ridden fewer winners are allowed a weight allowance to compensate for their lack of experience. This weight is then removed from the total weight a horse is set to carry in a handicap, except in races which are allocated for apprentices only.

In big handicaps trainers are always on the lookout for talented apprentice jockeys, because they can give a horse a huge advantage. Their inexperience is more than offset by their weight allowance.

They do not do particularly well against senior jockeys on courses that are tricky to negotiate and require a certain level of experience and skill. Race meets at Epsom or Ascot and Goodwood never appear to be great hunting grounds for apprentices.

At the post:

When a horse arrives at the point from which the race is set to be started then the horse is said to be “At the Post”

Auction race:

These races are reserved for two year olds only where they have never yet won a race. They are bought as one year olds from a set of specific public auctions.

To maintain the look, feel, and appearance of your

carpet you'll need to vacuum on a regular basis. If

you are new to vacuuming, you'll find the tips below

to help you when it comes to keeping your home clean:

1. Before you start, you should always inspect

the area. Pick up any objects that could cause

your vacuum cleaner to clog up. The smaller objects

are fine, just as long as they will pass through the

vacuum.

2. You should check the vacuum bag to ensure

that is isn't full already. If it is full, you

should go ahead and change it. A full bag isn't

going to suck up much dirt, as the power will be

greatly reduced due to the bag taking up a great

deal of storage and limiting the suction.

3. You should always vacuum forwards instead

of going backwards. Going forward will get the

job done quicker and you won't wear your cord out

near as fast. When going backwards, you also run

the risk of running back over your cord, which is

something you don't want to do.

4. Be sure that you overlap your strokes

to ensure that you get out all of the dirt and the

residue. You don't want to miss any of the carpet,

which is why it is important that you overlap your

strokes.

5. You should change your vacuuming

direction on occasion to reduce any type of matting

in your carpet. You can change direction without

any problems. Doing this every time you make a

sweep on the carpet or every other time you vacuum

will be good.

6. On corners, use a damp cloth or a

crevice tool attachment that hooks up to your

vacuum cleaner. This will ensure that you get the

corners and tight areas good, and they don't

stand out from the rest of the carpet.

7. You can get rid of dust particles and

dirt by waving a vacuum wand under your bed. Doing

so on occasion will ensure that your bedroom

stays clean, and smells clean as well.

For kitty litter on carpets or floors, you should

use a lightweight vacuum cleaner. To get deep

into the fibers of the carpet, you should try

an upright vacuum cleaner with a power brush. Kitty

litter can be a pain in the neck if it gets

crushed in the pile or embedded, which is why

you should get it out as quick as you can.

Give some thought to purchasing a vacuum cleaner

with a rotating brush or combination beater and

brush bar, which will loosen up the dirt in the

carpet and then suck it out. This will beat the

dirt from the fibers and even embedded dirt, which

will leave your carpet clean and smelling great.

Whenever you vacuum, you should always be on the

lookout for straw, thread, and string as it can

trap debris in the vacuum hose and result in a

clog. These types of hazards are also bad for the

agitators as well, as they can clog up the suction

as well, or get tangled up in the agitators and

cause more problems.

If you have pets, you should sprinkle some baking

soda on the carpet before you vacuum. Let it sit

for a little while, then vacuum. The baking soda

is a lot cheaper than carpet fresheners and it

does the same thing - only better.

Vacuuming is very easy to do, and it's something

that should be done on a regular basis. You don't

have to be an expert to vacuum, all you have to

do is make an effort. Your carpet will look good

all the time, and your house will stay smelling

great - which is reason enough to grab the vacuum

and take a trip through the house with it.

There are a few basic methods that are effective in catching catfish. Bear in mind that specific methods are applicable to specific kinds of waters. That is because techniques and baiting mixtures are formulated for specific targets.

The following methods are simple, yet proven successful when used:

1) Rigging method - Depending on the bait used, loop the bait holder or the treble hook from a line to a preferred distance to the end. Bait movement is not suggested; therefore, a weight must be used to allow the rig to be still. A good distance shall be about 18" to 24."

Same as the first method, using the Slipweight to make the bait stable is also effective. The weight does not matter as long as it can slide in the line. The fish will not feel any weight and it will be late until they realize that the bait is fake.

Multibait technique allows multiple catches at once. Simply place three-way swivel along the line. As it draws more strikes it makes a great choice for catching more catfish at the same time.

2) Bait - Experts opt for chicken livers or medium sized shrimp from groceries. The shrimp's tail and skin must be removed and body should be big enough to slide up in a number 6 hook. This is simpler than the chicken which necessitates the use of pantyhose. A diameter of a quarter is wrapped in a piece of pantyhose leaving a tag end then attach it through the treble hook. Blood worms, minnows, catfish paste, night crawlers, snails, living or dead small fish, and dough baits are also good choices of baits. Remember that the best baits are always those that nature produced.

3) Chumming - Fishermen catch more catfish with this method. This is simply throwing balls of mixtures of natural recipes in the fishing area. This attracts more catfish; the trick is that the mixture should be right enough for the catfish to feed heavily. The hook that will be used to fish normally must have the same recipe for the bait. Adding a good smelling flavor into the pasty mixture attracts catfish more.

4) Tackling - Although the technique involved in this method is by far effective, it's still the bait that attracts and brings the catfish in. As simple as it is, the tackle should be about 6 feet long with a spinning real. Choose heavier lines to allow more battle between the fisherman and the catfish. It doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. The experience you get from a cheaper tackle is no different from an expensive one.

Make sure the grip is secure hooks are removed by pliers after catching the fish. Avoid being stuck with the fins as some are poisonous. Just simply sliding the hand up to its belly from tail, placing the fingers behind one side and thumb behind the other can remove the catfish from the hook without any harm. Happy catfishing and good luck!