There are many advantages to having a cat which is toilet-trained. Once the cat learns to use the toilet, there will be no need for a litter box. That means less money spent on litter, less smell in the house, and, of course, less work (no more cleaning the litter box). There are a few steps you can use to to help the cat make the switch from using a litter box to using the toilet. Before you even begin making the switch, help the cat become accustomed to the fact that the bathroom is now the... Read Full Story

There are special techniques that can be used to apply make-up for those who wear glasses. Certain considerations need to be made to account for how the lenses make your eyes appear, and how the lighting plays through the glasses. For example, lenses for near-sighted wearers make the eyes appear smaller to others, while far-sighted lenses make the eyes appear larger. Frames can cast shadows around the eyes which can be exacerbated by dark circles under the eyes. Use a salmon-tinted base to br... Read Full Story

Getting your dog to stay, on command, is one of the fundamentals of teaching your dog other tricks. The dog has to be able to be still and pay attention to you for it to move on to bigger and better tricks like "shake hands", "play dead", "roll over", etc. There are two types of "stay" behaviors that you want to see in your dog. There is what is called "stay for duration", and "stay for distance". Staying for duration trains the dog to stay in the same position for a certain amount of time... Read Full Story

One of the most common tricks that dog owners want to teach their pets is how to roll over, and how to play dead. They are easy to teach, and the entertainment value is high. Before a dog can learn advanced tricks like playing dead or rolling over, they should already be familiar with common commands like "come", "lay down" and "stay"...especially the latter. To start, you should teach the dog to play dead, since rolling over starts from the "play dead" position. To train a dog to play dead, ... Read Full Story

Some cat owners shy away from giving their cats a bath because they know that they"hate water", and are afraid that it would be too traumatic for their pet. Also, they know that cats "bathe themselves", and are under the misconception that they do not need baths. However, they do need baths to help them stay clean and looking their best, and it does not hurt them at all. Make sure that the water temperature is closely matched to the temperature of the cat, and keep the temperature constant. I... Read Full Story

Cats, while cute, can be incredibly annoying at times.  Especially when you're trying to get some work done at your computer. Has your cat ever walked across your keyboard, or worse, just plopped down right on top of it?  I mean, I understand they want affection, but c'mon!! Well, one thing you can try is a cat heating pad.  It's not just that they want attention from you.  Every cat owner knows how much cats love 'warm spots'.  They find the patch of sunshine, or the spot near an appliance t... Read Full Story

You've already heard the reasons why you should use a neti pot: cleaner sinuses, less sickness, less stuffiness and runny nose, etc.  But have you heard the mistakes that neti pot users often make? poor cleaning of the pot - you are inserting the tip of the pot into your bacteria-laden nostril.  And you are hoping that none of the fluid that flows into your nose drains back into the pot.  Neti pots need to be carefully cleaned and cared for, or you can actually introduce more bacteria into y... Read Full Story

With all of the crazy things the government is doing these days to get banks lending again, there is a real push for people to buy homes.  It is in the best interest of the economy if people start buying houses (even though too much debt is what got us into the mess in the first place).  To that end, the administration is interested in extending discounts to home-buyers, and putting pressure on banks to offer more loans. The amount you can qualify depends on a few things, but think of it from... Read Full Story

I have one word for parents who struggle with their kids going to bed at night: Routine. When kids have a routine to follow, it takes some of the stress out of going to bed.  They feel secure because they know what to expect, even if, at first, they resist tooth and nail to complying. Some quick tips: turn the TV off at a set time, leaving at least 30 minutes of 'wind down' time before bed.  Let the routine go slow-paced instead of rushing them to bed with the TV off, have them pick up toys ... Read Full Story

If you need to build a cheap desk for a student, you can do so for much less money than even the cheapest pre-made desks out there.  And you can do it without lifting a hammer. All you need are two 2-drawer file cabinets, and an unfinished door.  You can buy the door at a local hardware store.  Usually they come without the doorknob hole pre-drilled...but if the hole is there, use that as a place for power cords to go through. Space the two file cabinets apart and lay the door on top.  That's... Read Full Story