Hi All,

With Memorial Day being over now, folks can move on to the next big thing...which is....Summer.

Traditionally Memorial Day is the start of the summer holiday season.  Forth with...a few sites that will assist you in enjoying those beautiful days off during a Long Island summer.

One of the better 'things to do' links for Long Island is the site LongIsland.com - it bills itself as 'your guide to Long Island since 1996 (which makes it almost 20 years old!)

Some of the better features of the site include links to Restaurants, Hotels, Nightlife, Weddings, Kids Fun, Day Camps, Wineries, Events and Guides.  Click on any of the previous links and you'll go to that part of the website.

Newsday - the Long Island newspaper - has a special section on their website for 'things to do on Long Island'.  The link comes from the Lifestyle section and can be found by clicking here.

The current page has link for the 2015 Jones Beach Air Show, 50 Must-Have Summer Toys for Every Kid, Your Ultimate Guide to 99 Long Island Beaches, 12 Favorite Outdoor Dining Spots on LI, 10 Safety Tips When Boating With Kids and more.

Finally, for another point of view, users might want to visit the Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission website. The site has links to Arts & Culture, Beaches & Ocean Fun, Golf/Sports/Outdoors, Wine and Dine, Shopping, Kids and Families, Farms and Orchards, Maps and Transportation and Coupons/Brochures.  Its a great site to get ideas to do things during the Summer - and Winter and Spring and Fall!

Enjoy the links,

Regards,
Stu

It's Fall - and the Leaves Are Falling

Hi All,

If you didn't notice it, the Fall season is here.  Its starting to get blustery and temperatures are starting to drop at night.  Brrrrr.   And with the Fall season upon us, leaves fall.  Turning all different colors and shades of red, brown, orange, yellow and colors in between its a great time of year for taking walks in parks or near where there are lots of trees.

Click on this link from ILoveNY for the Fall Foliage Report.  And another interesting website for accurate foliage information comes from the Foliage Network.  The site has Pictures, Foliage Reports, Place To Stay, Foliage Spotters and Webcams.  Neat stuff.

In addition, there is a site called Yankee Foliage which also has Fall Foliage Maps, Foliage Drives and more.  Note that the site is a variant of YankeeMagazine.com. 

Finally, the library has a bunch of books on taking nature walks on Long Island.  Click on this link for a list of titles the Farmingdale Public Library has in its collection on the topic of nature walks.

Enjoy the hiking, enjoy the leaves.

Regards,
Stu

Winterizing Your Home

Hi All,

It might seem like very, very early Fall, but soon the seasons are going to change - and with it the cold weather will be rearing its chilly head. 

Forthwith, 5 really excellent websites on how to winterize your home.   You'll learn all about how to prepare your home for the onset of winter with advice for the interior, exterior, roofing, water issues and other parts of your house.

Winter Preparation Checklist - Bob Vila
4 Winter Prep Essentials You Shouldn't Miss - MSN Real Estate
Prepare Your Home For Winter - CDC
10 Ways to Winterize Your Home - Now - MSN Real Estate
How to Prepare Your Home For Winter - How Stuff Works


Good luck!
Stu

Toning, Shaping, Exercising! Spring is Here - and Summer Will Follow!!

Hi All,

Spring has sprung and you know exactly what that means!  Shorts and t-shirts, blouses and skorts!

Yes - the time has past for bundling up in sweatshirts, sweaters, wintercoats and scarves and earmuffs! Spring is here - and this is the best time for starting an exercise routine. 

So, without further ado...some really helpful exercise links to help get you started on your new routine.
Click on the following link from WEbMD entitled, 'Fitness 101: The Absolute Beginner's Guide'.  Article is authoritative, easy-to-read, and current.   Click on this next link for an article entitled, 'Top Exercises For Your Joints'.  For variety sake, you might want to visit this link from the Mayo Clinic entitled, 'Fitness Programs: 5 Steps to Get Started'.

Okay, so now that you've started an exercise routine, how do you keep going and not give up. AKA, how do you stick with the routine?  Fear not...click on this link from Sparklepeople.com to learn how to stay with an exercise program.

Click here for an exhaustive set of links of materials (books and DVD's) that we have at the library regarding exercising.  Note also that I did a subject search for the phrase 'Physical Fitness'.  I narrowed down the search to the Farmingdale Public Library and then did a Reverse Year sort so that the most current material appeared at the top of the page first. 

Finally, readers might want to signup for a program that the library is hosting on Mondays called Fit Happens: Muscle Moms.  Registration began on April 7th, but there are still 3 classes left.  Also, there are 7 spaces still available.

Enjoy the links - hope they spur you on to exercise more and make it a lifestyle change!

Regards,
Stu

Brr...Cold Weather Records From Around the USA

Hi All,

Well, as you probably know, there has been a massive heat wave going on for the last 2 days all along the whole eastern 2/3 of the United States. Wow - that is hot, hot, hot...click here for a view of this massive weather pattern from Weather.com

Now you probably think I'm going to write about the heat wave and all the temperature records that have fallen...nope. I want to go a different route and talk about cold temperatures and those records.

For example, click on this link to New York Annual Temperatures and Extremes - a chart from a site called CoolWeather.com

Click on this link for an article from the Long Island Press from late January of this year - specifically it is from January 22nd and talks about a very, very cold weather pattern heading our way...I'm just starting to feel a bit cooler...

Now, click on this link to find out how to great ice cubes for summer drinks in your refrigerator - article is from a site called 'The Kitchen'. Click on this link for an explanation of how to make clear ice cubes for your favorites drinks.

Okay...now I'm starting to feel a bit cooler.

Click here for a link to find out how to clean your air conditioner so that it operates efficiently and effectively - site is the DIY Network; a well-known site for do-it-yourself maintenance and repair tips. Cool stuff.

Got an air filter in your air conditioner? Click here to find out how to clean it easily and quickly.

Okay! Now I'm feeling a bit chilly as I'm writing this entry. All this talk of things cool is definitely cooling me down!

Click here for some amazing photos of icebergs - photos came from Google Images; a favorite website of mine to find photos and images...you should try it! It is easy and free! Why do I say amazing photos of icebergs? Because of their myriad colors that go from white to red to blue to magenta and more....you've got to check it out.

Finally, click on this link for another link to Google Images - only this time I did a search for 'snow covered houses'. The pictures are idyllic and harken back to a simple, winter/snow filled period. I bet that after you see these photos and pictures you won't be able to wait until the winter and Christmas comes around. Click here for the link.

So there you have it - a few links that might help to cool you down during this swelteringly hot weather.

Enjoy the cool links :)
Stu

Warm Weather Bargains in the Middle of Winter!

Hi All,

Regular readers of this blog might realize that I try to make the entries interesting, unique and value added. Regular readers might also realize that I sometimes have themes for each entries.

Well, today I'm going a step further. I'm going to write an entry that is somewhat related to yesterdays' blog entry dealing with 'Saving Money in the Winter By Saving on Heating Bills'.

Today's entry is something akin to that entry: Warm Weather Bargains in the Winter. The connection or 'theme' goes something like this: Yesterday I wrote about saving money on your home heating bills in the winter. Since it is so cold, what better way to beat the cold than to get the heck out of dodge and (like birds) go south for the winter with the family? So, after that buildup todays' entry is all about travel sites and how to save on the air fare, lodging and rental once you get to that nice warm place (wherever that might be).

Well, first folks have to decide that they even want - or even if they can - to take a vacation. Once you get that first decision out of the way, you might want to click here for a link on how to plan your winter vacation. Once you've done that you obviously have to figure out where to go on vacation...the next link set of links should help with that question...

Live from the Travel Channel.com is this link entitled, Best Vacations With Kids. An alternate site for winter vacation ideas comes from About.com and you can click this link for 'Family Getaway Ideas For Winter Vacations'.

Okay, now that you've got some ideas, you probably need to find a flight, a room, and possibly even a rental car. Folks might have heard of this next site: Expedia.com. Or not. Click here to visit Expedia.com

So, what's so great about Expedia.com? Well, first the site is easy to navigate and to use. Second it has tabs at the top of the page dealing with Vacation Packages, Hotels, Cars, Flights, Cruises, Activities, and Deals and Offers. Click on any of the phrases above and you'll go to that particular section on the Expedia website.

Notice that on the Deals and Offers section of the site you'll find a link called ASAP which gives users one 'mega-discount in a top destination for only 12 hours'. On the same page you'll find a link to the Best Deals of 2010.

So there you have it - some vacation ideas and a website that can possibly help you make your vacation dreams come true.

Enjoy!
Stu

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