Issue Date: January 1, 2006
Appliances that save energy
Whirlpool's Duet washer and dryer set saves water and energy
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Utility bills could jump as much as 50% this winter. But if you're shopping for appliances, you can lessen the blow with energy-efficient technologies. Look for the blue-and-white Energy Star label given to units that use less energy than government guidelines suggest. Although the savings from any one appliance won't seem like much, when you add them up over the machine's life (often 10 to 15 years), they can defray a big chunk of the purchase price. Examples:
Refrigerators. Your kitchen's biggest energy drain just got more efficient. Energy Star models use 40% less energy than conventional machines sold as recently as 2001. Look for ones with compressors that run at more than one speed so they don't use high energy levels unless it's necessary.
Washers. Energy Star front- and top-loading washers use 50% less energy than standard models, saving up to $110 a year. Check out the Modified Energy Factor (MEF) at the Energy Star website (energystar.gov). The higher the number, the less energy per load. Whirlpool's new top-performing Duet washer saves energy and water (more than 12,000 gallons a year).
Dishwashers. Use 25% less energy than standard machines. Replace a pre-1994 model to save more than $25 a year. New two-compartment units, like KitchenAid's Drawer (from $1,299), save even more because you can run small loads in one compartment instead of running the whole machine.
Walecia Konrad is the news editor at "Good Housekeeping."
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How to create a sports theme room for the kids
Participation in sports can build character and teach time management and teamwork. Studies have even found that kids who play sports get into less trouble and are more likely to seek higher education. So what can you do to foster their fascination with superstar athletes like Mia Hamm, LeBron James and Tiger Woods? Create a sports-themed room.
Normally I avoid this type of decorating, but if it's for your children, it can be fun and create lasting memories. Start by finding out their favorite team. If they're into college sports, visit gamedaymurals.com. There you'll find an array of live-action wall-sized photos of football stadiums and basketball arenas from schools like the University of Kentucky. They'll feel like they're at the game.
Another idea is to buy bedding (for pro teams, try NFL.com, NBA.com, NHL.com or MLB.com), or buy a jersey of your kid's favorite player and hang it in his room using a new display hanger called the Ultra Mount (ultramountdisplays.com). Now you're playing ball!
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3 steps to forming good habits
Establishing a good habit takes about 30 days. How to keep focused during those few weeks? Stephen Kraus, psychologist and president of KeepYourResolution.com, suggests:
Replace bad habits with good ones. "It's easier to replace a habit than to just drop it," Kraus says. If you eat under stress, replace it with a better reaction, like power-walking or calling a friend.
Set a time to indulge. "Some research shows an effective short-term strategy is scheduling bad habits," Kraus says. If you tend to overindulge daily, set one hour a week to eat anything. When a craving hits, tell yourself, "I can have that on Sunday from 4 to 5 p.m." You'll eat less in the long run and won't feel deprived.
Get past black-and-white thinking. Most people let one pitfall snowball. Reward success instead of focusing on the slip.
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The risk in cold cuts
Eating meat boosts the risk of pancreatic cancer, which almost always is fatal, says a new study by the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and the University of Southern California.
Researchers tracked 190,000 people, ages 45 to 75, for seven years. Those who ate the most processed meat (bacon, ham, cold cuts) had a 68% higher risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate the least. Eating the most pork or red meat boosted odds 50%. "Most" was defined as at least 0.6 ounce processed meat, 1 ounce beef or 0.3 ounce pork per 1,000 calories consumed.
Note: Eating poultry, fish, dairy, eggs and fat did not affect risk.
SOURCE:
Ute Nothlings, J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005;97:1458-65
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