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Month: March 2023

Bad Influence’ Video Games: 5 Classics That Triggered Moral Panics Over The Years

Posted on by scatty

There always seems to be a new reason why parents think that children are violent or immoral. Every generation has its biggest reason, and more recently, it has been video games that get a bad rap. Even going back to the Atari days, there have been some video games that have drawn a lot of negative attention for their content, some of which have created government action. Here are five classic video games that triggered moral panic over the years.

The Entire Grand Theft Auto Series

Rockstar’s “Grand Theft Auto” series has been one of the most popular in video game history, and it’s easy to see why. These are all masterpiece games for their time, starting with the top-down view and graduating into a 3-D model that allowed for one of the most immersive online action-gaming experiences. However, GTA hasn’t been without its controversy, which probably isn’t surprising based on the name of the series.

From the early days of GTA, there was an outcry from parents groups regarding the ability to steal cars and shoot police while hiring “ladies of the night.” Things ramped up with the releases of “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” when a mod was discovered that allowed you to fully simulate “adult relations.” To this day, advocacy groups speak out against the violence promoted in the GTA series, but it has only made the games more popular.

Manhunt

“Grand Theft Auto” isn’t the only series created by Rockstar that was met with a ton of controversy. In the 2003 game “Manhunt”, you take control of the character James Earl Cash, a prisoner on death row who finds himself forced into snuff films. This stealth game featured some of the most brutal death scenes in video game history, and the sequel released in 2007 received a rare “Adults-Only” rating.

That’s because the first “Manhunt” game drew so much attention from the US Government that more strict ratings were put into place so that games like “Manhunt” wouldn’t be in the same category as games like “Halo” or “The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion”. The fear of “Manhunt” was only driven up when a 17-year-old killed his 14-year-old friend in England while having a copy of the game in his bedroom.

Postal

Part of what has made “Grand Theft Auto” so popular is that it allows people who would never harm a fly to drive around in an open world and do whatever they want with no real-life consequences. “Postal” takes that to another level, and the game’s storyline even involves someone living a mundane life having a mental breakdown, and getting violent with anyone and everything that they see.

The game immediately drew criticism upon release in 1997, with many saying that it was encouraging players to start doing the same actions in real life. However, the developer “Running with Scissors” continued the series the following year with an expansion, and 10 main storyline “Postal” games have been released overall. The creator was even prosecuted for an “illegal depiction of violence” in Sweden, and some countries have banned the series altogether.

Mortal Kombat

When it comes to fighting games, “Mortal Kombat” is one of the top-tier franchises alongside the likes of “Street Fighter” and “Tekken”. When it was first released in 1992, it was massively popular but had a lot of parents grounding their children. “Mortal Kombat” was the fighting game that introduced “fatalities” which allowed players to dismember their opponents in shocking (at the time) ways.

This was the game that really got the government involved with video games, creating the ratings system that we all know today. On the other hand, “Mortal Kombat” helped usher in the era of a video game revitalization that brought people back to arcade machines while boosting console sales.

Pokemon

“Pokemon” seems like one of those games that’s incredibly harmless on the surface. You collect cutesy monsters as friends and train them to take on other “Pokemon” in sanctioned matches. When you start to think about it, it sort of sounds like dog fighting in that regard, but that’s not what got certain people in an uproar upon the game’s release in 1996. Instead, the game was criticized by Christian groups for several other reasons.

“Pokemon” characters evolve into a more powerful stage, and fundamentalists said that went against their beliefs. The groups also pointed toward themes of violence and the occult as to why the game was “anti-Christian,” but most people brushed these notions away. In fact, members of the Vatican even had to come out and say that they weren’t condemning “Pokemon” and called it innovative.

McDonald’s Behind the Scenes: 5 Surprising Facts

Posted on by scatty

Pretty much everyone in the world knows what McDonald’s is and has eaten there at least once, but how much do you really know about the fast food titan’s inner workings? Today, we’re going to look behind the scenes at the Chicago-based company that has served up billions of burgers throughout the years to see how they operate. Here are five surprising facts about McDonald’s that cover the past, present, and future.

It Was The Biggest, Then It Wasn’t, Then It Was

Throughout the years, McDonald’s has had a back-and-forth fight against contending restaurants to have the most locations in the world. When data began being tracked in 1971 for the number of locations, Kentucky Fried Chicken was far and away the most popular with over 3,000 locations while McDonald’s was chugging along with just over 1,000. However, McDonald’s was about to expand furiously.

It only took until 1975 for McDonald’s to catch and pass KFC for the most locations, and the chain held the record for decades. In the late 2000s, Subway saw a massive expansion of its own, and by the end of the decade surpassed McDonald’s in total locations by thousands. Subway took a massive hit in popularity in the years that followed, though, while McDonald’s continued to increase its amount of restaurants to surpass Subway once again.

McDonald’s Dabbled With Home Cooking

With McDonald’s being headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company often toys around with new ideas in the Chicagoland area. One of these concepts was an idea to serve more “homestyle” meals that customers could take home. Essentially, it was a fast food version of a dine-in restaurant with people encouraged to take the meals home. It was called Hearth Express, and it only lasted for a year.

Menu items such as meatloaf and baked ham were supposed to be full-fledged family meals, though McDonald’s said that the concept wouldn’t catch on. For McDonald’s, it came at a time of tremendous growth for its typical restaurants, so it wasn’t a big loss. This is why many people never heard of Hearth Express and its failure. 

The Process of Adding an Item is Daunting

When you think of McDonald’s, some of the first things that come to mind are the hamburgers, French fries, sodas, and milkshakes. While those are staples that will never be removed from the menu, McDonald’s has added a ton of items throughout the years which would also become staples. Items like the Filet O’Fish, Big Mac, and McNuggets are among the best examples of that.

Over the years, though, there have been plenty of menu items that have come and gone quickly. Some, in fact, were on the menu for a shorter period of time than the testing and planning process. When McDonald’s decides to add a new menu nationwide in the United States, it goes through a rigorous process that can take up to a year. Surprisingly, the All-Day Breakfast which drastically changed McDonald’s took a “short” nine months.

Play Places Are Now Hidden Gems

There was a time when each new McDonald’s was being built with a massive playground area known as a Play Place. This was because the fast food giant wanted to be seen as a safe spot for children and an overall hub for the local community where people could gather. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the Play Places shut down. When things got better, McDonald’s opened up dining room seating, but not the Play Places.

While some franchised McDonald’s locations started to open up their Play Places again, a vast majority of them remained closed. Now, just like the dine-in Pizza Hut or the Wendy’s with a buffet, you’ll struggle to find one that’s open. The liability issues, the intense cleaning process, and more caused McDonald’s to reconsider their position on the Play Place.

Some Items Don’t Make Money

McDonald’s often has the cheapest soft drinks and French fries in the fast food business, but they’re still making a killing off of each one sold. The company is hoping that you grab these two and hopefully a hamburger as the profit margins for the staples are high while the volume sold turned McDonald’s into the king of fast food.

Then, there are the items that McDonald’s won’t make much money on at all, so skipping the fries and drinks could end up costing them money. A McDouble has a surprisingly low-profit margin while the salads (which are no longer on the menu) were the most expensive items for McDonald’s by a long shot. Other low-profit items include the Quarter Pounder, McChicken, and apple slices.

Burger King Behind The Scenes: 5 Surprising Facts

Posted on by scatty

Florida-based Fast Food chain Burger King is one of the most common restaurants in the world with nearly 20,000 locations. While you probably know the Burger King menu and advertising, there are some surprising facts that you may not have known about BK. Here are five behind-the-scenes tidbits about Burger King and how they operate, advertise, and more.

The Fight For the Name

People that live in the central part of Illinois might notice that there’s a lack of Burger King locations despite all of the other major fast-food chains setting up shop in the area. The reason for this is because in Mattoon, Illinois, there’s an independent restaurant owned by the Hoots family with the same name. The family said that their name came before the fast food chain, and the two sides have battled in court.

As a result, the Burger King chain is not allowed to open a restaurant within 20 miles of Mattoon. This means that places with decently sized populations like Effingham or Charleston, Illinois aren’t able to have a BK. The chain offered the Hoots family $10,000 to get them to allow restaurants within the area, but the family declined and to this day has the only restaurant in the area with the Burger King name.

There’s an Exclusive Club

There are a ton of perks that come with being rich and famous. You’d think that these types of people wouldn’t need free fast food, but that is indeed one of those perks. Burger King has what’s known as a BK Crown Card, which is a gold card that looks like your run-of-the-mill credit card. It’s a little more exclusive than just being famous, though, as there are only about 12 people in the world with the Crown Card.

Burger King tends to give them to those who have worked with the brand directly, appearing in advertisements. George Lucas is one of those who has a BK Crown Card thanks to the licensing partnership between his “Star Wars” films and Burger King. Obviously, there was a lot of interest in being the chain that brought “Star Wars” toys to kids’ meals, and Burger King was the big winner.

Some Countries Have a Different Version

If you’ve been to Australia, you’ve probably seen a very familiar logo but with a different name. In the country, there are more than 400 locations of the Hungry Jack’s franchise, and the logo is identical to Burger King’s. That’s because the fast food chain, which was established in 1971, Burger King was already trademarked in Australia. The company let franchisee Jack Cowin name the Aussie version after himself.

During the late 1990s, however, the two sides got into a legal battle which resulted in Hungry Jack’s winning more than $40 million. Burger King pulled out of Australia because of the lawsuit, and Trans-Pacific Foods took over some of the region’s locations. However, most of Australia’s Hungry Jack’s are owned by the business instead of franchisees but still boast the same Burger King branding.

The Got a Celeb Banned From McDonald’s

Sarah Michelle Gellar was one of the biggest stars of the 1990s thanks to her role in the television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. Even at the peak of her fame, however, she wasn’t allowed to enter a McDonald’s location because of a lawsuit that stemmed from her work with Burger King when she was a child. Gellar was in a 1981 commercial for Burger King that claimed that the chain had larger hamburgers than McDonald’s.

McDonald’s was furious with the claim and took Burger King to court. They then placed a ban on everyone involved with the advertising campaign from entering their restaurants, even a five-year-old Gellar. “It was tough because, when you’re a little kid, McDonald’s is where all your friends have their birthday parties, so I missed out on a lot of apple pies,” Gellar said.

They Found Revitalization Through Video Games

There have been tie-ins before between fast-food companies and video game publishers, but only with mild success. Then, during the Xbox 360 era of games, there was the successful Burger King campaign. At BK locations, you could get discs that contained one of three video games for the system.

It was a great way for the company to tap into the millennial market that had just gotten into adulthood during the mid-2000s. The three games were “Sneak King”, “PocketBiek Racer”, and “Big Bumpin’”, all of which featured the new Burger King mascot. They ended up being a huge success and established BK’s presence with the younger generation and their new branding.

5 Famous Democratic Presidents In US History

Posted on by scatty

During the early years of the United States, there was a mishmash of parties who were represented in the White House. Democratic-Republicans and Whigs each got four members elected as President of the United States while the Federalists had one. James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States, was the only US President not to have a party affiliation.

Since the late 19th century, though, there has been a back-and-forth between the Republicans and Democrats in the White House. For the latter party, many of them served during the 20th century after the ideologies of the two major parties in the US flipped. Here’s a look at the five most famous Democratic Presidents thus far.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Many say that the swap in ideology between the Democrats and Republicans began in earnest with Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States, and served from March 1933 until his death on April 12, 1945. The Democrats had gone from a party of small government to one of large government, and that was ramped up throughout Roosevelt’s presidency.

Under Roosevelt, the United States became involved in World War II while also promoting many social programs including Social Security, the Civil Works Administration, and Emergency Relief Appropriation Acts. Roosevelt is still the only President in United States history to serve for more than two terms, and will likely remain that way as the Constitution was changed to prevent it from happening again.

John F. Kennedy

It would be hard to find a United States President who was more “famous” than John F. Kennedy. There was a certain charisma and charm that Kennedy had over other US Presidents that made his personal life a topic of pop culture media more than any president before him. Even those on the other side of the aisle appreciated Kennedy, which led to him having the highest average approval rating for any President.

At his highest, Kennedy carried an approval rating of 83, and even his lowest was still at 56, meaning at no point in his short presidency did a majority of the country think he wasn’t performing well. Unfortunately, the popular President was shot dead just weeks before his third anniversary in the White House at just 46 years old. Still, he is remembered fondly by those who were around during his political career.

Lyndon B. Johnson

After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, there were some large shoes to fill. As the Vice President under Kennedy, former Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson was tabbed as the next-in-line and became the 36th President of the United States. While Johnson has a bit of a polarizing legacy, he did do a lot of good in the long term. This includes expanding civil rights while also leading the US through a large growth period.

Though not quite as charismatic as his predecessor, Johnson was fortunately effective at his job. Johnson decided to run for another term in 1964, easily defeating Barry Goldwater thanks to his continued success from the Kennedy administration. Johnson decided not to run in 1968 because of the Vietnam War, allowing Richard Nixon to become the next President.

Bill Clinton

John F. Kennedy had a type of charisma that was hard to match, and the Republicans found their version in the form of Ronald Reagan. After Reagan’s two terms came to an end and George Bush served for one term, the Democrats knew that they needed another Kennedy. They found him in the form of Bill Clinton, the two-time Governor of Arkansas.

Clinton was one of the youngest Presidents in history at just 46 years old when he was elected, and his youth allowed him to connect with the younger voters who had been ignored by previous candidates. Clinton knocked Bush out of the White House and served two terms before his time in the White House came to an end in January 2001.

Barack Obama

Of course, we can’t continue to talk about charismatic Presidents without mentioning Barack Obama. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama became the first President to represent the 50th state while also being one of the youngest men to move into the White House at 47 years old, putting him just one year older than Bill Clinton. Obama also became the first African-American President in the country’s history, marking a monumental milestone in the country.

Obama didn’t have the highest approval rating on average, but he was incredibly popular on the Democratic side of the aisle. At his highest, Obama was still obtaining an approval rating in the high 60s while his lowest dropped to the high-30s. At the time Obama took over, there was a massive recession, and Obama helped guide the country through a rebound.

5 Iconic Marketing Strategies Used by Burger King

Posted on by scatty

Founded in Florida in 1953, Burger King is one of the largest fast-food chains in the world with around 20,000 locations. Throughout the years, Burger King has relied on massive marketing campaigns and strategies to help keep them at the forefront of peoples’ minds when they’re thinking about where to go for lunch. Here are five of those strategies that helped boost Burger King’s status, bringing in millions of dollars in revenue.

The Battle Against McDonald’s

Throughout most of its history, Burger King has played second-fiddle in the fast food hamburger game to McDonald’s. Naturally, Burger King has taken countless shots at McDonald’s, including campaigns that say to “never trust a clown” and that behind every Big Mac is a bigger Whopper. Perhaps the most involved anti-McDonald’s campaign that Burger King has ever had, though, was when they went all-in on touting their French fries.

McDonald’s is known for having French fries that are almost universally beloved, but not so much for Burger King. In the late 1990s, the company spent the equivalent of $150 million in today’s money to promote their new fries, which included commercials with blind taste tests. Burger King bought up a lot of ad space saying that they were the new fry king in town, and it helped drum up a lot of new business.

Burger King Kids Club

Another thing that McDonald’s holds above other fast food restaurants is the popularity of the kids’ menu. The Happy Meal is the first thing that people tend to think of when it comes to fast food for kids, but Burger King was hoping to change that in the 1990s. At the start of the decade, the Burger King Kids Club was introduced, hoping to make children feel like they were part of an exclusive team.

This included Burger King introducing a slew of characters that were inclusive, including a handicapped child named Wheels. The Kids Club did a fine job in pulling in the millennial generation to Burger King for several years but really started to tail off toward the end in terms of implementation. Thus, the BK Kids Club was pulled in 1999, making it the quintessential “90s kid” pop culture piece.

The King Mascot

When Burger King started operations, there was a cartoony king who sat atop a hamburger while holding an oversize drink. However, as the chain became more popular and expanded nationwide, many became familiar only with the Burger King text with the buns on the logo. It wasn’t until the 2000s that Burger King established a full-time mascot in the same way that Ronald McDonald had been representing McDonald’s for decades.

Thus, the King was introduced into advertising in 2003. He became an instant fan favorite and appeared in nearly every advertisement for several years. In 2010, Burger King retired the mascot, but with marketing campaigns not hitting as hard without him, the King was brought back in 2015. Is he a bit creepy? Sure, but he’s incredibly effective for advertising.

Have It Your Way

During the early 1970s, fast food restaurants didn’t want to make any changes or substitutions when it came to menu items because it cut into efficiency. Burger King decided to scrap that idea and allow customers to make any alterations they wanted. Paired with a catchy jingle, the “Have it Your Way” campaign was born and millions came to BK to try an item they always wanted for the first time, except in their own way.

The campaign became so successful that Burger King never really dropped it. In fact, it became the company’s slogan, and in the decades that followed, the slogan remained a variation of the famous phrase. Now, pretty much every fast food chain allows people to make alterations, but those on the older side remember that it was Burger King who did it first.

The Whopper Song

Speaking of the “Have it Your Way” jingle, a new twist was put on it in 2022 that became one of the most talked about advertising campaigns in years. Simply known to many as “Whopper Whopper,” the song repeated the menu item’s name over and over, making sure that it got into the head of the viewer. It ended up being massively successful as people who have never even eaten at Burger King were humming the tune.

This was especially true for football fans in the United States during the 2022 season. Seemingly every commercial break of NFL and college football games had the Whopper song playing, and the campaign spread like wildfire. It resulted in a strong fourth quarter for Burger King which saw an increase in revenue compared to the previous year.

A Brief History Of McDonald’s Corporate Strategies

Posted on by scatty

There are certain companies that have found modest success with their marketing efforts, and then there are those that pretty much offer masterclasses on how to run a marketing campaign. McDonald’s falls in the latter category, and has been so good at marketing that some colleges offer courses just to learn from them.

Throughout McDonald’s history, there have been some marketing strategies that have helped elevate the company to another level. Here’s a brief history of McDonald’s corporate strategies throughout the years and how they’ve grown to their current level.

The Arches

Before the days of online advertising and endless television channels to place advertising spots, restaurants had to be eye-catching to attract foot and car traffic with hopes of growing. Because of this, McDonald’s got a huge leg-up on the rest of the competition when they made their buildings stand out among the rest. Originally, the McDonald’s brothers came up with the idea of half-circles, but architect Clark Meston suggested large parabolas to make them into identifiable arches.

The design ended up being such a success locally that the McDonald’s arches have remained unchanged ever since. The strange part about it, though, is that the arches weren’t originally intended to make the letter ‘M’ but when you saw a McDonald’s location from a certain angle, it lined up just right, and the rest is history.

Sports Tie-Ins

Even in the early days of fast food, there has been a stigma that says that healthy people avoid it at all costs. However, McDonald’s has spent hundreds of millions trying to kick this train of thought by getting tied in with sports around the world. From the FIFA World Cup to the Super Bowl and the Olympics, McDonald’s has been synonymous with the biggest athletic competitions.

There was one time when McDonald’s doing a sports tie-in backfired tremendously, though. During the 1984 Summer Olympics, McDonald’s launched a campaign where people could win free items if the United States won a medal in that category. For instance, if you pulled “basketball,” you could get a free Big Mac if the US took gold. Once the Soviet Union boycotted the Olympics, though, McDonald’s lost out on a ton of money because of the United States dominating the medal count.

The Happy Meal

We all know that children can be incredibly picky eaters, so it was hard for fast food chains in the early days to find a way to get families to want to bring their kids. The answer for McDonald’s was to create a menu where there wasn’t only kid-sized portions, but also a small toy and fun packaging that appealed to children. The idea actually came from a Guatemalan franchisee in the mid-1970s who created her own “Ronald Menu” and news of its success reached McDonald’s headquarters.

By the end of the decade, McDonald’s rolled out the Happy Meal after making a few tweaks, including perfecting the packaging. Kansas City got to be the test market for the new idea, and it was so successful that McDonald’s immediately launched a worldwide campaign and it has been one of the biggest menu staples ever since.

I’m Lovin’ It

While we might think of slogans as something innocuous, they’re one of the most important aspects of a marketing campaign. McDonald’s has had some notable slogans throughout the years, including “There’s a difference at McDonald’s You’ll Enjoy” and “There’s Nothing Quite Like a McDonald’s.” However, it wasn’t until 2003 that McDOnald’s found something that would stick for ages.

“I’m Lovin’ It” was based on the German McDonald’s campaign called “Ich Liebe Es” and it took off in America to the point where Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake created a song that would appear in the advertisements. “I’m Lovin’ It” still appears on all of the packaging for McDonald’s and has become synonymous with the brand which has only adopted secondary slogans ever since.

McCafe

Many think that McDonald’s putting a major focus on the coffee side of operations came in the United States during the 2000s to appeal to the younger generation to get them away from Starbucks, but it actually stemmed from the Australian stores back in 1993. The first McCafe opened up in Melbourne, and over the next decade, all of the stores were tweaked to include the brand.

Headquarters in the United States took notice and started to put the McCafes inside of stores in the Chicagoland area. Over the next few years, seemingly every McDonald’s had a McCafe, leading it to branch out to secondary markets. With drinks like cappuccinos, macchiatos, and specialty coffees, the McCafe marketing ended up being a massive success.

Creative Storage Solutions That Won’t Break The Bank

Posted on by scatty

Finding storage space around the house can be challenging. With limited floor area, it can be tricky to find room for all of our possessions. Many of us struggle to keep our stuff organized without breaking the bank. Luckily, there are plenty of creative storage solutions that won’t break the bank.

One way to maximize storage around the home is to use multi-purpose furniture. An ottoman with a lift-up lid can provide additional seating while providing ample room for storing blankets, books, and toys. Ottoman cubes also offer a hidden away spot for unsightly items. A dresser with deep drawers is great for storing clothes efficiently while doubling as a bedside table or office desk. Other pieces such as window seats act as both a bench and storage space in one; it’s almost like getting two pieces of furniture in one!

Another great option is utilizing wall space creatively to store items overhead. Wall-mounted shelving is ideal for displaying small trinkets and collections or using as extra shelf space for books or DVDs. Hanging baskets on walls or doorways can help stow away smaller items, freeing up the floor and counter areas in the process. Installing hooks is also an inexpensive way to add storage capabilities without taking up valuable real estate in your living space. For heavier objects, consider adding cubbies and bins which are easy to install underneath wall units or along high ceilings in kitchens or garages, providing extra storage without sacrificing style and affordability.

If you want to make use of your outdoor areas, there are several things you can do on a budget such as repurposing old wooden planks into shelves that stand against the outside wall of your home or shed; this will allow you to store your garden tools and flowerpots securely while making use of any available vertical space in your yard or patio area. Garden sheds come with their own built-in shelving systems but if you want something more flexible, customizing wire shelving allows for maximum adjustability depending on what needs storing outdoors where at any given time – from barbecues and sports gear through to seasonal decorations and gardening equipment!

Finally, don’t forget about utilizing spaces within existing furniture—adapter shelves allow drawers inside cupboards and cabinets to have multiple levels with adjustable compartments so that not only do they provide more sorting opportunities than regular drawer dividers alone but they also fold away when not needed so that they don’t take up unnecessary space in these tight spots either! Likewise, portable shoe racks free up closet floor area so that shoes stay off the ground but remain easily accessible…perfect when trying to fit all the family’s footwear into one compact place!

Organizing our belongings doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – by being creative with our approach we can make sure all our stuff has its rightful place without busting our budget!

Crafting An Environmentally Friendly Home Improvement Plan

Posted on by scatty

Creating an environmentally friendly home improvement plan is a great way to lower your carbon footprint and save money. As more homeowners become conscious of the impacts their lifestyle has on the environment, they are beginning to look for creative ways to reduce their environmental impact without sacrificing comfort or style. Here are a few tips for crafting an environmentally friendly home improvement plan:

Invest in Smart Technology

Smart technology is becoming increasingly popular among homeowners looking to make their homes more sustainable. Installing motion sensors, dimmer switches, energy-efficient appliances, and other smart tech can be a great way to not only save energy but also decrease your monthly bills. Additionally, investing in solar panels is an excellent way to generate renewable energy and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Make Use of Natural Resources

Using natural resources like wood can be an effective way to reduce waste while also providing much-needed insulation and protection from the elements. If you have access to nearby forests or have leftover timber laying around, consider making use of it for some DIY projects. Cedar and redwood are both long-lasting materials sure to add value and life expectancy to any project you undertake. Furthermore, when purchasing wood products from outside sources look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sources that guarantee responsible forest management practices that work with nature rather than against it.

Reuse and Repurpose Materials

When looking for materials for your home improvements try looking through secondhand stores or online markets first before going out shopping for new materials as this approach can lead to much cost savings as well as minimizing waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. Similarly, when disposing of old materials try repurposing them into something useful instead of just throwing them away; create furniture pieces with broken pallets or utilize empty fruit boxes as storage crates under the sink; there are countless ways that these items can still be used in new ways if you just get creative!

Choose Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

It’s easy enough now days find cleaners at most local stores that are labeled either eco-friendly or biodegradable – this means they will have less harsh chemical compounds than traditional cleaning products that could eventually leach off into water sources causing further pollution elsewhere down the line. Alternatively making your own simple homemade cleaners using vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils are a great option too!

In conclusion, creating an environmentally friendly home improvement plan doesn’t need to be difficult nor expensive; simply by following these few tips, you can start making positive changes toward creating a greener planet without compromising on comfort or style within your living space.

Perking Up Outdoor Areas – Constructing Eco-Friendly Features

Posted on by scatty

When it comes to sprucing up outdoor areas, there are many different options available. From bright and vibrant flowerbeds to sturdy and timeless fences, the possibilities are endless. However, one of the most eco-friendly and practical solutions often overlooked is constructing features that are both visually appealing and sustainable – such as a rain garden or grass pavers.

Rain gardens offer an attractive way of collecting stormwater runoff while still managing it effectively. The rain garden serves to filter out pollutants and minimize water waste by allowing the water to sink into the ground rather than running off into sewers. In addition, rain gardens also help to retain moisture so that plants can benefit from natural water sources in lieu of extra irrigation being required. This makes them a great option for locations where there is limited space for traditional drainage systems.

Grass pavers provide a low-impact way of protecting the environment by reducing soil erosion, controlling dust pollution, and absorbing noise. Made from recycled materials such as concrete and plastic, they have an interlocking design that allows grass roots to penetrate through whilst providing strong enough support for vehicles on top. They also hold up well against temperature extremities – something particularly helpful in outside spaces which experience drastic weather variations over the course of a year.

Living walls not only add a splash of color but they’re also beneficial when it comes to increasing air quality and creating a habitat for local wildlife – such as birds, bees, or butterflies! They consist of shallow trays filled with nutrient rich soil and surrounded by a frame before being covered with greenery grown specifically for this purpose – making them fairly easy to construct compared to other features like ponds or pergolas!

Low-voltage lighting is another great way to increase your outdoor area’s aesthetic without negatively impacting energy consumption or spending too much money! Being LED-based, low voltage lighting maximizes efficiency whilst still providing adequate levels of illumination – perfect for pathways and stepping stones during twilight hours ensuring your security needs are met without compromising on visual appeal!

All in all, adding eco-friendly features to your outdoor area can be incredibly rewarding; you’re not only helping preserve the planet but giving yourself somewhere pleasant and tranquil where you can unwind after a long day at work!

Rediscovering Antiques – Restoring Collectibles

Posted on by scatty

Antiques and collectibles can offer many advantages to those who are interested in preserving the past, from creating a unique display of items to providing an enjoyable hobby that can bring people together. But too often, these priceless pieces of history are left deteriorating in storage without proper care and attention or lost due to a lack of knowledge about their value. The good news is that anyone with a passion for antiques and collectibles can rediscover them and start restoring them to their former glory.

People have been collecting antiques and collectibles since ancient times, ranging from coins and artifacts unearthed during archaeological digs to paintings crafted by long-forgotten masters. These valuable pieces of history have been passed down through generations, prized not just for their monetary worth but also for providing a glimpse into the past. Today’s collectors share this same appreciation — from passionate hobbyists rebuilding cars from the 1920s to curators scouring rural estates in search of forgotten relics, there’s something captivating about uncovering a piece of the past.

If you’re looking to get started in restoring antique and collectible items, it’s important to do your research first. Find out as much as you can about the item you want to restore — its age, where it came from, and how it was used — so you know how it should look when restored correctly. This will help you make informed decisions on what parts need replacing or what materials should be used in the restoration process. It’s also important to find experts who have experience restoring similar items; they can provide valuable advice on what tools are needed or which techniques work best for your project.

Once you have all the necessary tools and supplies, it’s time to begin your restoration project! Make sure that you work thoroughly but carefully, taking breaks if needed as restoration projects can take months or even years depending on their complexity. When working on small objects like jewelry or coins use magnifying glasses so that you don’t damage delicate details; with large items such as furniture and cars break the task into smaller ones so that each step takes less time. Rely on experts if any complex work needs doing, especially when dealing with rare or invaluable pieces.

Restoring antiques and collectibles is a satisfying challenge that allows anyone with an interest in history or artistry to express their own creativity — whether it’s turning an old chair into a conversation piece fit for any living room or breathing life into forgotten coin collections around the world each project brings new joy every day!