April 2009

1 -- April Fool's Day
12 -- Easter
15 -- Tax Day
22 -- Earth Day

Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.
-- Peter Marshall

Making Family Unity a Priority

Life is busy! And sometimes it seems there's less time every day -- which makes it even more important than ever -- to prioritize your schedule so that family time is at the top of the list.

Family unity encourages families to create daily routines, as well as special traditions and celebrations which affirm members, connect them to family roots, and add creativity and fun to otherwise ordinary events. While this notion isn't new, the list of benefits continues to grow. Following are just a few:

• Helps family members feel important and needed.
• Helps family members recognize the benefits and pleasures to be gained from time and activities together.
• Helps build family pride and builds up a reserve of good feelings.
• Encourages communication between family members.
• Fosters creativity and provides a fun-filled environment.

Living under the same roof is not enough. Strong families are deeply committed to promoting the happiness and welfare of its members and make it a priority to spend time together. Some ways they demonstrate this commitment includes family dinners, playing games together, family outings, talking (and listening) to each other, treating each other with respect, and encouraging, loving and forgiving one another. It is this commitment that allows family members to feel they can depend on each other in good times and bad.

Note that the "family unit" doesn't have to be a mom, a dad, and two-and-a-half kids. It can consist of parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even a close family friend. The important thing is that family members spend quality time together and strive to build a close-knit family in spite of a busy schedule.

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The most pleasant and useful persons are those who leave some of the problems of the universe for God to worry about.
-- Don Marquis

6 Steps to Cleaning Your Furnace's Filter

You probably rarely, if ever, think about your furnace's filter. Who does? However, it is an important home maintenance task. A furnace filter helps keep the air in your home clean and your heating and cooling systems running efficiently.

If the filter is dirty, you're making your furnace work harder (costing you more money) and, more importantly, you're exposing yourself and others to unnecessary dust, pollen, mold spores and other particles that can cause respiratory infections and other types of allergies.

If you know how easy it is to clean or change the filter, you're likely to do it more frequently. Here's how you do it:

1. Sweep or vacuum the area around the furnace if it is really dirty; you want to keep the area as clean as possible.
2. Locate your filter (read the furnace manual if necessary). In a forced-air system, the filter will be in your air return. In a gas or electric furnace, it will be behind the service panel, usually on the furnace's lower front or side.
3. Most units will turn off when you remove the service panel; if yours doesn't, turn off the furnace.
4. Remove the filter from the unit and hold it up to the light. If you can't easily see light through the screen, it needs to be replaced or cleaned (depending on what kind you have).
5. You can use a hose or vacuum to rinse or suck away the dust particles. If you hose it down be sure to let it dry before putting it back into the furnace. If the filter is disposable, write down the size and go buy a new one; replace.
6. Make sure the arrows on the new filter are pointed in the right direction and slide it into the furnace. Replace the panel.

Many professionals recommend you clean or replace your furnace's filter every one to three months. Since you don't need any tools, and it's easy to do, you can do it as you seem fit -- just be sure to check it often and keep in mind it may need changing more frequently in colder months when your furnace is working harder.

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The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it.
-- H.L. Mencken

Multivitamins: Good or Bad?

There's a lot of research out there on multivitamins, and believe it or not, the jury's still out on whether or not it is beneficial for everyone. One thing seems clear, however; the purpose of vitamins is as a supplement only. Since many vitamins are difficult to get from food, and because people don't necessarily eat a proper balanced diet every day, multivitamins may help bridge the nutrition gap.

However, most researchers agree it's best to get the nutrients you need from food. This is not only possible, it's also beneficial because when you eat food you obtain other vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients not included in a multivitamin.

A good multivitamin will contain vitamin A, B, all the B complex, C, D, and E, as well as calcium, potassium, magnesium and other minerals and elements like iodine, chromium, copper, selenium, and zinc. If you do take a multivitamin, it is important to find one that contains 100 percent DRI/RDA or less for each ingredient, as getting too much of a particular vitamin can be as bad as getting too little.

Since there is evidence both in favor and against the use of multivitamins, it is important for you to really evaluate your daily eating habits. And, because some groups of people may benefit from multivitamins more than others, it's advised that you talk to your doctor to discuss how it may affect your health.

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Patience is the companion
of wisdom.
-- St. Augustine

Free Utility Cleans Up Your System Fast

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system (recycle bin, recent documents, temporary files and log files), allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space.

It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your internet history, temporary files, cookies, form history and more. Additionally, it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But, the best part is that it's fast, free and contains no spyware or adware. And, unlike many free utilities, it works.

Learn more at: www.ccleaner.com.

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Julia Robbins
313 Durango Way
Durango, CO 81301

This eNewsletter contains information, facts and opinions from various individuals and organizations. This eNewsletter is provided on an "as-is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. I/We are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Consult with your doctor, fitness consultant, attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor when necessary. © 2008 eNewsletterSolutions.