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Articles by Rob Crosby
NASHVILLE NEEDS A SONG CONTEST
This contest was created to solicit compositions from Music City’s songwriters that would help inspire and uplift Nashvillians as they navigate the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. The top three competition finalists chosen by the Nashville Songwriters Association International are listed below. Voting will last from 8:00 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, May 27th, through 5:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, May 29th.
Arachnid Eradication
If you’ve checked out the outside of your home lately, you’ve undoubtedly noticed a sure sign of late summer/early fall…spider webs everywhere ! If you’re lucky, these nasties are staying outside, but they always seem to find a way in, don’t they? And nobody wants that. So how do you protect your home from invasion this time (or any time) of the year? Let’s start here: But if you treat those areas, aren’t you also taking care of the spiders? Not necessarily.
The “Single Greatest Misconception About iOS”
Last week, while asking an unrelated question about my iPhone, I learned that I had a lot of apps open in the background. Open? Yeah, I guess you have to physically close apps when you are done with them. Simply clicking the “home” button doesn’t do it. Who knew? Well, I guess a lot of people knew. According to those with whom I spoke, I was killing my battery life and my iPhone performance by keeping all of these apps open in the background. So how do you close them?
Clean It, Restore It, Polish It
Wood furniture, wood tables, wood cabinets – you invest a lot into your wood…you want to keep it looking good. But wood is fickle – in doing your best to care for it, you can sometimes do more harm than good, and once it’s damaged, getting it back is tough. If you’ve got some beat up wood or if you just want to care for your wood so it doesn’t reach that point, here’s a great recipe that will help you clean, restore and polish your wood.
Hang It | 96.1 Duke FM
For the most part, hanging things on the wall is a fairly easy and elementary task. But every once in a while, you need to hang something unconventional or a picture with a double-bracket loop. You can measure the distance between and hope that it’s a nice number to work with; you can pray that the two fasteners are level; or you can just use today’s tip. Take the guesswork (and potential repair work) out of where to place your nails with a little toothpaste.
<Watch> Stupid Chicken!!
I don't know if this chicken is stupid or secretly brilliant!! Watch it wander around "collecting" bread necklaces to save for later...seems pretty smart to me! This video came out a year ago but is just now starting to trend...watch and share!! VIDEO
Boil Over. Now what?
When you’ve got a glass top range, the mere thought of a boil over is terrifying. I’m not a scientist, but I believe it is a scientific certainty that whatever substance boils over will burn on contact. And because of the radiant heat, there’s no opportunity to soak up any of it before it adheres. And boy, does it adhere. The glass top makes the use of abrasive cleaners and scrubbies a no-no, so how do you get that stuck-on gunk off of the cooking surface? 2 ingredients…and a little elbow grease.
Perfectly Poached
Google “poaching eggs,” and you will be met with a laundry list of suggestions and tips and things to remember, designed to help even the most novice of chefs achieve the perfectly poached egg. There are videos upon videos of how execute those many suggestions and tips and things to remember, in the event that the inquirer is more of a visual learner. You would think, in the presence of such exhaustive guidance, that poaching an egg would boast a high rate of success.
Avoid Hotel Cancellation Fees
You’ve got a trip planned and then the unthinkable – somebody gets sick (or some other life situation pops up) and you have to cancel your hotel stay. The double whammy? Life generally tends not to give you a heads-up, and your cancellation will likely cost you. So now you’re paying for a Gulf view but looking at the bottom of your Green Bay toilet. Solid. Chalk it up to “just life,” right? It does stink, but you may not have to financially suffer through your sucky sitch.
Dog Saves Drowning Baby Deer
So adorable! This good dog saved a baby fawn from drowning and didn't leave the deers side after carrying it to shore!
Wait For the Rain
Killing weeds is a summer-long process. Now that the dog days have arrived, the heartiest of the weeds have survived…and a few new faces have started playing around the neighborhood, as well. It’s a great time to spot treat the weeds in your yard. You might think that the best time to hit ‘em with a sprayer is the hottest, driest day. Wait until they’re really thirsty – then soak those bad boys with poison! That theory makes sense.
The Rule of 3 | 96.1 Duke FM
We are entering the dog days of summer - a critical time for the maintenance of your lawn. To help those delicate blades protect themselves from the sun's heat, remember the rule of 3: * Set your mower deck to 3 inches...minimum. The cooler temperatures and wetter conditions of spring, coupled with a more rigorous fertilizing schedule, allow you to cut down the blades a little shorter, but now they need protection.
The Kids Have it Right
The Sun. Earth’s nearest star is a fantastic thing…but she’s a nasty little lady in her hotness. Like anything that feels good, too much of it can be downright life threatening. Though Superman’s Kryptonian biological makeup is enhanced by the Sun’s rays, we mere mortals must protect ourselves from her ultra-violet assault. The shelf of sunscreen at the store provides endless options of endless range, from SPF to price tag.
D.I.Y. Magic | 96.1 Duke FM
For some reason, the three simple letters D.I.Y. freak people out. While in some case, like installing a patio or putting in a water heater, D.I.Y. can be an irresponsible undertaking, in many instances, the tasks are surprisingly easy and cost beneficial. This is about as easy a D.I.Y. “project” as you ever will find. It involves a single step, and if you’re a fan of Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser…and who isn’t?...you’re gonna love it. The magic contained within the Magic Eraser is purely anatomical.
Stripped...Now What?
You hate to see it go down like this, but it happens – a once sturdy, healthy, upstanding Phillips head screw strips. To feed the family, to pay for college, just experimentation on amateur night…it can strip for a number of reasons. So how do you rescue the stripped screw? Try to restore it to a productive place in society? Don’t waste your money on one of those stripped screw extractor deals… Just grab a trusty ol’ rubber band.
Line It | 96.1 Duke FM
Traveling with kids in car seats? Pack the snacks! And packs these, as well: muffin tin liners… *Put the muffin tin liner in the cup holder, load it up with snacks, remove when you reach your destination. It's the easiest car seat cup holder clean-up ever! Done and done.
Buckle Up! | 96.1 Duke FM
The stolen purse from a patron who has lost herself in the endless canned possibilities of the soup aisle is not all that uncommon, actually. It happens, but there is an easy way to help prevent shopping cart theft…use the child restraining strap. ·You may not even need the strap if your purse has a metal (or plastic) shoulder strap clip. If it does, clip the strap to one of the rungs on the shopping cart and you’re all set.
Let’s Move Some Merchandise!
It’s junkin’ season! I love rummage sales. But even more than the thrill of the hunt, I actually enjoy hosting a rummage sale. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun – good conversation, good stories, good excuse to treat everyone to doughnuts and coffee - and there’s usually at least a little profit made. The worst parts of the rummage sale are the bookends – the set-up and the clean-up – but at least the set-up stage is marked by optimism and mirth.
You'll Be Glad You Packed This Way
Packing for multiple days away is a daunting task, especially when the weather is unpredictable. Three days is more like 6 days when it's kind of sleeves weather but kind of shorts weather and kind of rainy...and 58 degrees and mostly cloudy can feel way differently that 58 and partly sunny. And then the kids... But today's tip isn't about packing really, it's about the unpacking.
Hack That Cake Mix
I'm a big fan of keeping a box or two of cake mix on hand in the pantry. You never know, right? LOL. OK - It's not so much an insurance policy against a sudden attack of cake desperation...cake mix is really versatile. You can use it as the base for a lot of baked goods. One of favorite ways to hack a box of cake mix is to make cookies. It's crazy easy and produces a fantastic cookie. Here you go: * Turn any cake mix into cookie dough by simply adding 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of oil That's it.
Great Vomit Clean-up Solution
Puke. It happens. We adults can usually feel it coming on early enough to find a bathroom or a receptacle in which to heave. But the kids? Well, if we make it to a bathroom or into a garbage can, I consider it a bullet dodged. So what is the best way to clean up the rainbow yawn when you don’t make it…or worse, when the car seat is the victim? Just whip up this magic elixr and follow this simple procedure: A tip within the tip…the material on many car seats is removable.
Wait-Learning - What if you could use small wasted moments of your life for learning something new?
What if you could use small wasted moments of your life for learning something new? The idea is simple, but brilliant. You know those moments. Waiting in line for something. Staring at the back of an elevator door, or riding in a car... What if you could learn a new language in all those small wasted moments of your life? It wouldn't seem so wasted anymore would it? The concept is called "wait-learning".
Turn Up the Heat on Bed Bugs
Bed bugs. Nobody wants ‘em. But how do you know if you have ‘em? If bed bugs are shacking up with you at your residence, you’ll know it. The greater question is how to know if you’re shacking up with them while on the road. One of the easiest ways to make certain that your hotel bed is bug free is to use the hair dryer. Get your hair dryer going on high heat, low speed, and work it around the nooks and crannies of your hotel mattress. If they’re in there, they won’t be for long, and neither can you be.
Spring in the Sand
Spring has sprung! As you summarize your winter equipment and re-configure the garage, it’s a great time to address a basic vehicular maintenance item that frequently pops up this time of year…worn out windshield wiper blades. Through winter usage and continuous freezing and thawing, your wiper blades can get a little shabby. You can all-out replace them, which is fine, but often resolving an issue such as streaking or poor contact with the glass can be handled for no money at all.
INTERACTIVE MAP :: America's Least Stressed States
Here's a life hack if you're too stressed in your current locale... move to one of America's least stressed states. If you're already in one of the top 10, then you have no excuse but to chill. That sounds easy, because it's easy to get stressed. But really, take a deep breath, then count your blessings because you did the best in these key categories in a WalletHub study of 2017's Most & Least Stressed States : Hover over a state to see where it ranks. The higher the rank, the more stress.
Weigh Your Suitcase
Spring has sprung, and for a lot of us, that means travel is on the brain: spring break trips are coming up for many in the area…summer vacation seems that much more attainable. If you’re taking to the skies for any travel in the future, the 50-pound checked baggage limit can be a source of anxiety. You get to 50 pretty quickly, and if you’re relying on the “feels like” method of weighing in advance, you could find yourself in a heap of financial goo if you’re over at check-in.
Greens at the Ready
I love to cook almost as much as I like to eat…which is nice, because they tend to go hand-in-hand. When it comes to the former, I prefer to go as fresh as possible, preparing everything “from scratch” if I have the time. But as it is the case for all, time is often not my greatest luxury, so pre-prep is key. When it comes to fresh herbs and even some veggies, especially sturdy leafy greens like kale and chard or collard greens, you can save yourself a little time by having them at the ready.
Make it Fit | 96.1 Duke FM
Today's blog comes as a result of an inquiry from listener John. He writes: Nick! I need your help with a tip… My coffee always rolls around in my cupholder in the morning here's the photo… What can I do as a permanent fix to solve this? It's amazing to me that we put a man on the moon in 1969, but this problem can still persist in 21st century vehicles.
Clean Your Keurig Easily
The Keurig has transformed the way people consume hot beverages. I own one. I use it every single day. I love it. But when you break it down, it’s a bit of a racket, especially when it comes to cleaning it. Like any appliance, the Keurig comes with a laundry lists of suggestions from the manufacturer in order to keep it functioning to the best of its ability. This includes utilizing Keurig’s unique de-scaling solution to clean your machine. Wait, clean the machine?
Egg on Egg on Egg
An egg shell in your scrambled masterpiece or your baked good or your whatever, can ruin the dish, or at least ruin your enjoyment of the dish. I don’t know about you, but once I crunch through an eggshell, I’m done…I can no longer enjoy the dish. I’m not one of those that can power through the rest of the muffin. If you’ve ever cracked an egg into a bowl and a chunk of shell follows it in, you know how elusive those shards can be.
I Was Told There'd Be No Math
Happy Valentine’s Day! Though an occasion of varying participation, the majority of us will do something for our special someone today. And for many of us, especially those of us in the “parents of young children” arena, that something will involve baking. My kids really wanted to bake and decorate a cake for Mom this year, but not just any cake…a heart-shaped cake.
Be Like Oprah | 96.1 Duke FM
Bacon wrapped water chestnuts…it is a favorite appetizer of mine for as long as I can remember. We don’t make them a lot in our house, but when we do, we make copious amounts and they don’t last long. Despite our relatively healthy spread for the Super Bowl on Sunday, I did whip up a double batch for my wife and me to snack on. People make different versions of this toothpicked delicacy…ours contains brown sugar.
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