Consumerist
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om nom nom
Make, Serve, And Preserve Your Own Homemade Ice Cream
Ice cream makers may not be worthless pieces of junk, but they're not absolutely necessary, either. Check out this most delicious roundup of ice cream-related tips and projects from Lifehacker. Make your own ice cream in a plastic bag, keep your store-bought ice cream fresh, learn new scooping techniques, and turn strange-colored liquid medicine into a tasty hangover cure. And more! More » -
Tired of Big Sunscreen profiting from your love of the outdoors? Instructables shows you how to make your own sunscreen, with a few fun ingredients and some safety equipment. Alternately, sunscreen-ify your favorite premade lotion by adding zinc oxide or titanium oxide. (Via Lifehacker)
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pets
No, Your Dog Does Not Want To Watch Fireworks And Drink Margaritas At The Beach
Consumer Reports is always ruining my fun. First, they want me to make sure that the fireworks I set off in my backyard are safety certified. Whatever. Now they're telling me that I shouldn't bring my dog to see fireworks with me. AND that I shouldn't give her any beer, or even let her help herself to the barbecue this weekend. More » -
funny
Shell Introduces Ice Cream That You Can Grill With
It looks like Shell has finally figured out a way to combine the awesomeness of ice cream with the grilling power of propane. It probably doesn't taste very good, though. (Thanks to swarrior216!)
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saving money
How To Save At An Amusement Park
For those of us thinking about hitting an amusement park this year, Smart Money has some suggestions for how to save some money including:
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how to
Buy The Right Sunscreen And Avoid Sunburn
Buying the right sunscreen could mean the difference between a pleasant day at the beach and a nightmare of splotchy pain. Consumer Reports conducted a poll to see how you people use sunscreen, and even dunked a bunch of volunteers in a tub for forty minutes to see how different sunscreens held up. Inside, the sunscreens that earned Consumer Reports' praise, and a few tips for avoiding the dreaded summer sunburn. More » -
consumer reports health
How To Spot A Contaminated Swimming Pool, And Why You Should
It's gray and rainy up here in the tropical paradise of upstate New York, but for those of you in more temperate climes, Consumer Reports Health kicks off the weekend with some frightening statistics about the American public's pool hygiene, and how to tell whether a pool will make you sick or not before you dive in. More » -
travel
Use Codeshares To Find Cheap Summer Flights Abroad
Before locking in your summer fare to Europe, see if you can't find a better deal by searching an airline's codeshare partners. Airlines use codeshares to sell seats on each other's planes so they can reach destinations they wouldn't otherwise serve. Since ticket prices constantly fluctuate, codeshare partners often quote different fares for the exact same flight. Inside, reader Christiana shares how she used codeshares to save almost $300 on a flight to England... More » -
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sunscreen
If This SPF Goes Any Higher, My Sunscreen Will Turn Into Aluminum Foil
There's some sort of arms race between sunscreen lotion companies to offer the absolute highest protection possible, but the New York Times points out that it's mostly a marketing gimmick.
More »The difference in UVB protection between an SPF 100 and SPF 50 is marginal. Far from offering double the blockage, SPF 100 blocks 99 percent of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98 percent. (SPF 30, that old-timer, holds its own, deflecting 96.7 percent).
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christmas creep
Costco Helps You Deck The Halls... In August
Reader Darascon spotted this lovely example of summertime Christmas Creep at his local Costco. More » -
Garden Ridge
This Garden Ridge Christmas Display Is Obscenely Unseasonal
We thought Hobby Lobby's August Christmas trees might be the height of this season's Christmas Creep, but wow were we wrong. Garden Ridge is striving to be a one-stop panacea for all your summer Christmas needs. They're already stocking Christmas trees, ornaments, lights, snowy yard inflatables, and what looks like a snow toboggan complete with Tigger, Winnie The Pooh, and everybody's favorite Christmas downer, Eeyore!
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christmas creep
Dear Radio City Music Hall, Christmas Is Not "Right Around The Corner" In August
Reader Scott says he spotted some nasty summertime Christmas Creep in the free NYC area paper "Metro". Apparently the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular is under the impression that "Christmas is right around the corner." In August. More » -
you're doing it wrong
How To Properly Work Your Ceiling Fan. Yeah, You Read That Right
Ceiling fans aren't just on/off affairs, and it's possible you could be using yours incorrectly. According to Consumer Reports, people get tripped up by the ability to reverse the direction of the blades... More » -
movies
9 Ways To Save At The Movies
Summer means movies, but don't get stuck paying $12 per ticket or $7 for a bag of popcorn. Instead, check out these nine ways to slash your movie budget without missing any summer blockbusters.
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If you're going to buy an air conditioner unit this summer, remember to pick the right size. [Energy Star]
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star power
FDA Overhauls Sunscreen Ratings As Part Of Continuing War Against The Sun
A recently issued rule from the FDA would overhaul and expand the agency's fight against the sun's radiation. The proposed regulation would require sunscreen makers to test for effectiveness against UVA rays, which unlike UVB rays, do not burn the skin; UVA instead gives us an attractive bronze that can cause cancer. More » -
on the cheap
10 Tips For Summer Wine Drinking
Dr. Vino, Tyler Colman, sends us his 10 tips for summer wine drinking. We like this one: More » -
summer
How To Protect Electronics At The Beach
Electronics don't mix well with the beach; sand, sun, and water all conspire to cause damage that isn't covered by most warranties. By taking a few basic precautions, you can safeguard your gadgets from the elements.
• Cover Your Ports: Sand can wreak havoc on exposed ports. Tape shut any ports you don't need.
• Fear The Sun: Protecting against the sun's harmful rays is as easy as tossing your iPod into a beach bag or under a blanket.
• Buy A Case: Bringing electronics near the water is asking for trouble, but if you must, buy a waterproof case; save the DIY effort for another project.
If the elements do manage to breach your defenses, send them on their way with a can of compressed air.Protecting Your Electronic Devices at the Beach [KABC]
(Photo: dan taylor)
summer
New York, 6:40 AM
Tue Nov 10
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