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NOTICE: Large moosehead wall lights have finally been invented.

360 Modern is a real estate firm in the Pacific Northwest U.S. that specializes in modern homes. Beautiful stuff.

Handy way to skip all the intro crap on DVDs that is usually forced on you when you throw a disc in your player. Apparently the chapters on DVDs that you can't skip (FBI warnings, copyright stuff, etc.) are flagged, on the disc, as UOP, or User Operation Prohibited. This site lists some of the techniques you can try to skip the ennui.

This colour coordinated bookshelf looks cool, but you might have a hard time finding a particular title.

For chewie edge lovers or corner brownie fans - it's the Edge Brownie Pan. All edges, all the time. Via BoingBoing

Puzzle carpet.

This to That is a handy site that will tell you what adhesive to use when attempting to glue various objects together.

Super creative bathroom tiles.

Skinny house in Brazil.

Apparently there are many LED lightbulbs available already. Via TreeHugger

WiiRoomba. YouTube of a guy controlling his Roomba with a Wii remote.

Hardcore Lost fans have a party and repackage the snacks and beer as Dharma Initiative rations. Make your own with the PDFs that they've so generously shared.

Here's a nice set of home improvement videos with the energetic and snappy Eric Stromer.

Faucet Fountain turns your regular faucet into a drinking fountain.

Kids and the Home Office. Here's a list of tips for the parent that works from home.

Save the Internet.

Great Pac-Man bathroom tile work.

Crazy toaster from the future TODAY!

Here is a nice napkin folding howto site with clean pictures and straightforward instructions. I think the shirt's my favourite.

DIY T-Shirt Rack via Instructables.







Househacker/tags/winter

Beautiful Wall Mountable Flueless Fireplace

At only 4" thick, this gorgeous and unique in-wall gas fireplace is the perfect solution for those looking to add the warmth of a fireplace without losing valuable living space. The units are flueless and, according to the manufacturer, 100% efficient. This is due to the Firewall Flueless' lack of a heat-liberating chimney like those found in conventional gas fireplaces. There is also an added environmental benefit in that the warm air the unit exhausts is cleaner than the air it takes in!

Winter Energy Saving Tips with DIY Audit

If you live in a northern climate, you probably know all too well about escalating energy costs. Here is a list of some of the things you can do to minimize energy waste this season, as well as avoiding utility bill shock. These are pretty straight forward and frequently espoused, but dammit if I can help just one person out there... Sorry. Have any winter energy saving tips of your own?

  • Turn your hot water heater down. Most hot water heater's medium setting is fine for most uses. Check your dishwasher manual for minimum recommended temperatures just to be sure.

  • Consider a hot water heater blanket. Minor debate on the subject here.

  • Combat heat loss by caulking around doors and windows.

  • Install compact fluorescent light bulbs.

  • Change your furnace filter monthly. The less work your furnace has to do to push air throughout the house, the better.

  • Drop the temperature in your home to 68°F (20°C). Install a programmable thermostat and set it to a lower temperature at night as well as when you are out for longer periods of time.

  • Run foam insulation on the hot water pipe coming from your hot water heater. Foam insulation sells for pennies per foot.

  • If you suspect your furnace is due for maintenance, have it done as early in the season as possible. It's better to have the most efficiently running furnace for the entirety of the season to maximize energy savings.

  • Energy efficient appliances often qualify for government rebates and of course offer the monthly savings of a reduced energy bill.

  • Check your garage door for gaps and seal around it with weather stripping.

  • Install foam electrical outlet and light switch seals. This may seem futile, as each outlet only lets a small amount of heat escape, but when you consider the number of outlets and switches in the average home, the aggregate heat loss can be significant.

  • Turn off electrical devices you are not using. According to this site, a ball park figure you can use in calculating annual costs of electrical devices is one dollar per one watt (i.e. a 60w light bulb, left running year round, would cost around $60 dollars). Obviously not many things run year round, but for some, this rule of thumb would be easier to conceptualize than kw/h numbers. So, a single 150W PC, therefore, would run you about $150/yr.

  • Add insulation wherever needed - check your attic or between accessible walls.

  • Open the blinds or drapes as much as possible on sunny winter days - and at night, to keep that heat in the house, close them.

  • Use clear cling-wrap style window coverings available at most hardware stores. The plastic simply adheres to the window sill with the help of your hair dryer and the provided thin tape, forming an airtight seal.

  • Don't heat rooms that you don't use. Close off vents and tape them air-tight to prevent wasted heat.

  • Install reduced flow aerators in your shower. This will cut down on hot water usage.

  • Check out the DIY network's home energy audit to trace the source of heat loss in your home, without calling in the pros.

    Stay warm.
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