FURNACE HEATING It’s important that you have your furnace inspected to ensure that it is in good working condition.

• Be sure all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs are in proper working condition.
• Leave furnace repairs to qualified specialists. Do not attempt repairs yourself unless you are qualified.
• Inspect the walls and ceiling near the furnace and along the chimney line. If the wall is hot or discolored, additional pipe insulation or clearance may be required.
• Check the flue pipe and pipe seams. Are they well supported, free of holes, and cracks? Soot along or around seams may be an indicator of a leak.
• Is the chimney solid, with cracks or loose bricks? All unused flue openings should be sealed with solid masonry.
• Keep trash and other combustibles away from the heating system.

FINALLY . . .

• Be sure every level of your home has a working smoke alarm, and be sure to check and clean it on a monthly basis.
• Plan and practice a home escape plan with your family.
• Contact your local fire department for advice if you have a question on Home Fire Safety.

*Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/l-97.pdf

The bathroom is the easiest room in your house to re-decorate, not to mention the cheapest. Adding accessories is the easiest way to spruce up the old, indoor outhouse. By purchasing a few materials and using a lot of ingenuity, you’ll be able to decorate your bathroom to make it fit for a queen or king, right down to the royal throne.

Things You’ll Need

• Paint and painting supplies
• Towels
• Bathroom accessories

Instructions

1. Choose your shower curtain, since it is the biggest source of color in your bathroom besides the walls. Find one with a nice design, although a solid color also works.
2. Paint your walls in a color to match one of the colors in the shower curtain pattern. If you chose a shower curtain with a solid color, pick a complementary color. Remember, light colors make the bathroom appear larger. Take your curtain to the paint store to compare it with color choices.
3. Add new towel racks. Putting them by the bathtub or over the toilet are good, convenient locations. Also, have some place for your hand towels by the sink. All racks should be the same style.
4. Hang towels that match the shower curtain. Don’t use the same exact color that you painted the walls. Take some extra towels, roll them up, and place them in a small basket placed on the floor in a convenient location for a little extra pizazz.
5. Purchase rugs for the bathroom floor that match the towel colors. You need at least one rug for in front of the bathtub. Placing rugs by the sink and toilet are optional, depending on the size of the bathroom.
6. Add accessories as the final touch. Accessories like toothbrush holders, tissue holders, and a soap dispenser can be the icing on the cake, so don’t be too frugal when you select the style. Candles on the vanity, on the bathtub corners, or above the toilet also add a designer touch to the decor.
7. Find some unique way to personalize the bathroom. Adding a thrift shop dresser as a storage solution or a sink vanity can really look classy. Collections, such as antique bottles or containers, can be artfully arranged on a shelf as a design statement while also serving as holders for lotions and speciality soaps.

*Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2053919_decorate-bathroom.html

Driveways Flashy driveways are becoming a popular way of adding curb appeal to real estate and concrete pavers are an easy way to add beauty and functionality to your home’s entrance. There is a wealth of pavers to choose from in enough colors to coordinate with any home exterior. Traditional brick adds a colonial charm while shell colored interlocking stones can jazz up a southern home. You can even choose a complementary border to add an elegant finishing touch to your driveway project.

*Source: http://www.concreteideas.com/concrete/exterior-concrete/tips-for-using-concrete-pavers-to-enhance-your-landscape

1• Dan Auto Again – Mark & Mariha Houle

2• GA Power Bill – Starla Butler

3• Ackerman Security

4• Legal Lifeline, Elizabeth Smart – Gary Martin Hays

5• No Oil Change follow up – Lenora Hawkins and Xpress Lube

TrustDale Tip of the Day: * Tricks to Make New Habits Stick

1. Use “But” – A prominent habit changing therapist once told me this great technique for changing bad thought patterns. When you start to think negative thoughts, use the word “but” to interrupt it. “I’m no good at this, but, if I work at it I might get better later.”
2. Remove Temptation – Restructure your environment so it won’t tempt you in the first thirty days. Remove junk food from your house, cancel your cable subscription, and throw out the cigarettes so you won’t need to struggle with willpower later.
3. Associate With Role Models – Spend more time with people who model the habits you want to mirror. A recent study found that having an obese friend indicated you were more likely to become fat. You become what you spend time around.
4. Run it as an Experiment – Withhold judgment until after a month has past and use it as an experiment in behavior. Experiments can’t fail; they just have different results so it will give you a different perspective on changing your habit.

*Source: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/18-tricks-to-make-new-habits-stick.html#

Our guests describe the horrible experience they had with a moving company as Dale shares advice on how to protect your valuables in a move. A viewer in debt with the IRS thought hiring a company to help with his payments would be helpful, until bigger bills arrived. Learn the mistakes that were made. The Fire Department stops by TrustDale TV and a segment with Aquaguard to teach us all about home fire safety, things you should be thinking about. Comcast Cable explains what those franchise fees are on your bill each month. And Dale continues to follow up with the viewer who asked for help when her wedding prize package was taken back from her.

This week’s Guests:

1• Bulldog Movers – DEBBIE & TOM JANKOWSKI

2• Tax troubles – Mike Stresser and Marnie Zambri

3• Tom’s Tips – fire safety, Tom DiGregorio & George McKeehan

4• Franchise fees – ANDY MACKE/comcast

5• Wedding woes follow up –

As you clean your car, don’t forget to clean the headliner. Unless you know there’s a stain there, you might forget to clean this vital part of your car’s interior. Simple maintenance can keep a car’s headliner looking like new.

Things You’ll Need

• Vacuum
• Soft cloth
• Upholstery cleaner appropriate for headliner
• Dry cleaning pad

Instructions

1. Inspect the headliner before you begin cleaning it. That way you can know where the stains and dirty areas are.
2. Vacuum the entire interior of the car to remove all the dust. Use a soft brush to clean the headliner. Don’t push too hard, or you might tear the headliner loose. If the vacuum has a suction adjustment, set it to lower power to offset any chance you might pull the headliner loose with the vacuum.
3. Wipe any vinyl parts of the headliner with a soft cloth. Use vinyl upholstery cleaner to clean this type of headliner. Test in an inconspicuous spot for any color changes that could occur.
4. Analyze any stains in the headliner that you find. Different spots require different types of treatment. Test any cleaner in an inconspicuous area first.
5. Spray auto upholstery cleaner into a soft rag. Gently press the cloth on the stain on the headliner. Avoid soaking the headliner, or the glue that holds the headliner may come loose. It’s best to let the first cleaning attempt dry and repeat the process than to dampen the headliner too much.
6. Use a dry-cleaning pad to clean really tough stains. Gently tap the pad onto the dry headliner stain. As you work the pad around the stain, the spot should lift up. Gently vacuum any residue.

*Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2126427_clean-headliner.html

TrustDale Tip of the Day: *Tips to Extend the Life of Your Car

Tires
1. Check for uneven wear
   Check tires for uneven wear. If you’ve maintained tire inflation properly, uneven wear may indicate the need for a wheel realignment. It can also mean improperly operating brakes or shocks, a bent wheel, internal tire damage, or worn bushings.

2. Check tread for safety
   Most states require tires to be replaced when they have worn down to 1/16-inch (1.5 mm) of remaining tire depth. Tires sold in North America are required to have “wear bars” molded into them to make it easy to see when tire replacement is legally required. However, if you’ll be driving in the rain, you should change your tires when there is 1/8-inch (3 mm) of tread left. Otherwise, water may not escape from under your tires fast enough and you risk hydroplaning — a dangerous situation in which your car loses traction and literally floats on the water. Stick an American quarter between the treads in several places. If part of Washington’s head is always covered, you have enough tread to drive in the rain. If you drive in snow, you’ll need at least 3/16-inch (5 mm) of tread to get adequate traction. Stick an American penny between the treads. If the top of the Lincoln Memorial is always covered, you’re ready for winter driving.

3. Rotate your tires
   Rotating your tires helps to distribute tire wear evenly and ensures that you’ll get the maximum road life out of them. The first rotation is especially important. Your owner’s manual should specify both rotation period and pattern. If not, rotate your tires every 6,000 to 7,500 miles (9,700 to 12,000 km) — your tire dealer should know the correct pattern of tire rotation.

*Source: http://www.rd.com/money/74-car-care-tips-to-keep-your-automobile-in-topnotch-condition/4/

TrustDale Tip of the Day: *How to clear mistakes from your credit report.

1. Contact the credit bureau first. If you find mistakes in your report, take the matter up with the credit-reporting agency immediately. Rather than dispute the mistake via an online form, send a letter that includes your complete name and address, a description of each item you dispute, an explanation of why you dispute it and a request for deletion or correction of the information.
2. Keep good records. Along with your letter, enclose copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position, as well as a photocopy of your credit report with the items in question circled. Send the letter and enclosures by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the credit bureau received. Keep copies of all correspondence, and jot down and save notes about each phone conversation you have.

*Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/22567255/ns/today-money/t/how-clear-mistakes-your-credit-report/

TrustDale Tip of the Day: *How to Clean a Microwave

Using a Lemon

1. Cut a lemon in half and place both halves cut-side down on a microwaveable plate with a tablespoon of water.
2. Microwave for about 1 minute or until the lemon is hot and the inside of the microwave is steamy.
3. Wipe the inside of the microwave with kitchen paper and wash the plate as above. (Now that the lemon is hot and squishy, it makes a great natural cleanser for a smelly garbage disposal: cut the halves into smaller pieces and flush through with plenty of water.)

*Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Microwave