Archive for February, 2012

Feb
20

Feeling Brighter on a Rainy Day

February 20th, 2012 by Rainbow International

Tips for feeling brighter on a rainy day.

It seems like the rainy season has come early this year, and if you are anything like me, something about the cloudy skies tend to get you down. Most people find themselves not wanting to leave their bed in the morning or avoiding the outdoors at all costs on rainy days. Usually it’s just not very productive to feel gloomy on a rainy day, so it is important to figure out ways to brighten your life no matter what the weather is outside. Depending on your personality or preferences, some things work better than others, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to try them out and see if you can get that smile on your face.

My first suggestion is don’t avoid the rain. Don’t let the rain stop you from doing what you want to accomplish in your day. Owning and sporting the proper weather gear can make a huge difference in your rainy day experience. Don’t be afraid to whip out those rain boots, they are much cuter now than they used to be and are much more pleasant than getting your favorite shoes all wet. Obviously, an umbrella is a must have—a brighter colored one might help brighten your day as well. Or you could even ditch the umbrella and the rain boots and relive your younger years of playing in the rain and splashing in the puddles. No one says you can’t act like a little kid every once in a while… it’s refreshing!

If you’re the kind of person who absolutely hates the rain and attempts to avoid it at all costs, then you are probably already aware of how fun it can be to have friends or family over to snuggle on the couch watching your favorite movies. To take this to the next level, make a day of fun snacks or crafting while watching the movie, or if you have to work or clean your house, playing uplifting music can really change up the gloomy mood outside.  You can even have your own dance party!

Some people really enjoy dimmer environments and find peace in their home with few lights on and all the blinds closed. If you find that you are not a fan of dim lighting, make an effort to make sure every light is on in your home and open all your blinds so you can enjoy and see the beauty of the rain storm outside your windows. Watching the rain either from indoors or out in your garage or a covered porch can be fascinating and relaxing at the same time. Take time to reflect on the beauty of nature and realize that just because it appears gloomy and rainy doesn’t mean that your life is.

I am sure many of you have already figured out your ideal ways to spend a rainy day but it is always fun to try something new. Making a conscious effort to brighten your day when you’re feeling down is a great way to go about living a happy life—which is exactly what Rainbow International wants for you!

Feb
10

Love Tragedies: Valentine’s Day

February 10th, 2012 by Rainbow International

Love Disasters

 

Valentine’s Day is around the corner (in case any of you men hadn’t realized it yet) and instead of talking about the wonderful love stories you usually hear about, we’re going to talk about the love disasters. According to the legends, which there are several, Valentine’s Day begun with a tragedy itself. Saint Valentine was a priest in Rome when it was ruled under Claudius II. Claudius decided that men who had wives weren’t as good of soldiers as the single men who fought for him, so he outlawed marriage for young men who served in the army. Secretly, St. Valentine defied the Emperor’s laws and continued to marry the young soldiers in private. Upon discovery, Claudius sentenced St. Valentine to death. Thus the start of Valentine’s Day- how romantic!

Although Valentine’s Day is a much happier day now, there are certainly still plenty of mishaps. Millions of things could go wrong on this day that we try to make oh-so-perfect, and sometimes they do. We’re going to talk about those stories-

One Valentine’s Day, a man in effort to be romantic for his girlfriend, was trying to serve a home cooked meal. While he was preparing the meal, he had the TV on in the background and he left the food cooking on the stove while he got distracted. As he watched the TV show (who knows what was so interesting… probably Opera) he didn’t notice that his romantic Valentine’s meal had set fire. The fire filled the kitchen with smoke and he came running to put out the disaster. Not only was his entire meal ruined but half his kitchen was damaged from the fire! (Of course, if this happens to you Rainbow International can be there for you!) Needless to say, he was forced to make last minute Valentine’s plans to avert total disaster.

Another couple was thoroughly enjoying their Valentine’s Day in their water bed and accidentally popped it! The entire room was flooded with water spouting from the deflating water bed and the couple was forced to spend the rest of their Valentine’s Day saving personal items from the flood. What a nightmare!

Personally one Valentine’s Day, my date was trying to be romantic leading me on a scavenger hunt with invisible messages written on pieces of paper all around town. The messages were written in lemon juice and to see the message I had to hold a flame under the paper for the words to show up. Aside from burning up half the papers in effort to read the message, I also managed to set my hair on fire! I spent the rest of my Valentine’s Day with a big chunk of hair burnt off the side of my head. A memorable Valentine’s Day indeed!

Hopefully this year all of your Valentine’s will go smoothly, but if not just remember you are not alone! Just know that one day you will look back on the day and have a little laugh.

Feb
8

Washing Machines & Water Heaters: What Can Happen

February 8th, 2012 by Rainbow International

Flood Damage

 

There are all kinds of horror stories you hear from people about their washing machines overflowing. Sometimes stories of rooms filled with bubbles and water eventually seem humorous, but in the moment that an overflow is occurring you can be sure no one is laughing. Water damage is never a welcome occurrence, and it turns out washing machines and hot water heaters are the leading two causes of water damage in homes. Nearly every home now comes standard with both of these can’t-live-without appliances so people can enjoy warm water and the convenience of washing clothes more easily.  However, if these appliances are not properly maintained, accidents can happen leaving you with a personal sized monsoon in your home. In the case of washing machines, the most common issue is a broken hose, which can leak up to 600 gallons of water in an hour if not stopped. Definitely not a laughing matter! Usually caused by long term wear and tear or initial poor quality of the hose, the water supply hose is to blame in over half of every washing machine water damage fiasco. Often times you will hear that it is best to purchase a metal hose to prevent a leak. However, this may not always be the solution to your problem. Metal hoses can default just as easily are rubber hoses can. A bent metal hose can pierce through the thin rubber protective layer to create a leak. Although a metal hose may not be the solution for you, there are many steps you can take to prevent a flood from occurring.

These steps will help you to resist any hose failures:

  1. Make sure there is at least four inches between the water connection and the back of the washing machine to prevent kinks.
  2. Regularly inspect the hoses for signs of wear and damage and make sure the connections are secure.
  3. Buy a quality hose. Spend the extra money at the hardware store and get quality hoses with non – corroding brass inserts. Consider it an investment in stress and headache prevention.
  4. Shut off the hot and cold water supply valves when the machine is not in use. This can be done manually or with an automatic shutoff valve.
  5. Never leave the washing machine on when you are sleeping or out of the house. Remember – a broken hose can leak up to 600 gallons in one hour!

Aside from washing machines, you have to keep an eye on your water heater as well. Keeping an eye out for signs of damage can be the saving grace in maintaining your water heater. Simply being aware of your appliances can save you a lot of trouble caused by a faulty appliance.

The following tips are things to watch out for in your water heater:

  1. Remember that the average age of a water heater is 13 years. After about the 10 year mark, pay careful attention to your water heater and signs of damage.
  2. Look for obvious leaking in the collection tray or around the unit.
  3. Examine the pipes and connections around the water heater for leaks, buildup, or corrosion.
  4. If your water heater is talking to you, listen. Abnormal noises coming from your water heater can be the most obvious sign that something is wrong.
Feb
3

“SOUPer” Bowl Party at The Dwyer Group!

February 3rd, 2012 by Rainbow International

In honor of this year’s upcoming Super Bowl, our staff decided to have their own little competition. We hosted our first “Souper Bowl” cook off party here in the office, having several people cook their own soup and enter it into a contest to see who would win. Overall there were 7 participants who entered their soup in the contest to be judged. Wonderful aromas wafting in the air, the entries varied from taco soup, potato soup, poblano soup, chili, enchilada and several others. We had four judges sample each one of the soups and mark their opinions on a scale of 1-10 for each one, scoring by aroma, appearance, taste and overall. Each soup was beautifully prepared and presented to each of the judges to determine the winner. While the judging was tough, they were able to add up their points and select 3 winners. In third place we had Todd Overpeck with Glass Doctor with his delicious chili, and in second place there was a tie between Kari Sanders with Air Serve with an enchilada soup and Fawn Barlow with Mr. Rooter and her cheesy chicken chowder. It was definitely tough to pick a winner but our proud first place winner was Mike Weaver with Mr. Electric with an amazing taco soup made surprisingly with venison meat.  All of the soups however, were very delicious and left us all with full happy bellies. It was the perfect way to spend the lunch break with a little friendly competition in anticipation of the Super Bowl.

The Dwyer Group Souper Bowl Activities Dwyer Group Souper Bowl Party