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Protect yourself from summer's backyard pests
(BPT) - Warm weather is here for the next few months, and that means you’ll be spending more time outdoors with family and friends – and more time with summer pests. Mosquitoes, fire ants, bees, wasps and yellow jackets are some of summer’s worst bugs. And those pests can be more than a mere nuisance. In 2012, the Cent...
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Salty snacks reduce stress
(BPT) - Stress affects everyone and can cause problems at work, home and with health. Researchers have found that stress is a leading cause of illness, affecting as much as 20 percent of the population. Economic factors, such as a recession, have also been shown to significantly increase population-wide stress levels. ...
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More beauty, less beast in your lawn and garden
(BPT) - A tale as old as time, true as it can be ... insects, weeds and poor fertilization are the beasts that take away from the beauty of plants and flowers in our lawns, gardens and even homes. To maintain a home and landscape your neighbors envy, interiors and exteriors should remain pest-free, and plants should be ...
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Select the right insurance for your home-based business
(BPT) - Home-based businesses are booming. About 36.6 million businesses operate from U.S. households, according to the Home Based Business Institute. And the Small Business Administration notes that 53 percent of all small businesses located in the U.S. are home-based, with those numbers expected to grow substantially...
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Tech talk: Understanding 'the cloud' and what it can do for you
(BPT) - News headlines, commercials and chatter between colleagues – recently there has been a lot of hype around “the cloud,” but the term can be complex and confusing. What exactly is the cloud, and furthermore, what does it mean for you and the way you use technology? Although the concept feels relatively new, it’s s...
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Easy solutions to backyard problems so gardeners can focus on fun
(BPT) - For time-stretched gardeners who prefer to enjoy their backyards rather than work in them, several new products make outdoor living easier. Each offers a thoughtful solution to a common outdoor living problem, providing time-saving help to gardeners, gadget geeks and all who love to focus on fun outdoors.  * ...
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Expert tips and affordable tricks for planning summer parties
(BPT) - Warm sun, fresh air, soft grass – the summer season is the perfect reason to plan a festive gathering with friends and family. Whether you’re celebrating a momentous occasion or simply spending time with the special people in your life, a few tips and tricks can help you plan a fun party without breaking the ban...
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Selling your home? Make it more appealing to buyers
(BPT) - You’ve made the decision to sell your home – now you want to position yourself for a quick and successful sale. What’s the most important thing you can do to entice buyers? “The most important thing you can do is to make your home look welcoming when people drive by,” says Kimber Powell, Realtor and sales manag...
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Free birth control gives women more choice
(BPT) - Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as “Obama Care,” an estimated 47 million women are gaining access to all FDA-approved methods of birth control free of charge. This new law provides access to birth control methods that may have been too expensive for many women with private health insurance p...
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Sure-grow guidance for first-time gardeners
(BPT) - Each year, thousands of first-timers will join the millions of seasoned gardeners who already know the satisfaction of picking a perfect tomato at its peak, serving up salads from greens just grown right outside the back door, or harvesting home-grown peppers and specialty herbs never even seen at the grocery st...
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Boomers: Your credit profiles matter more now than ever
(BPT) - Maintaining a good credit profile is important at all stages of life, even for baby boomers who may have paid off their mortgages and don’t anticipate the need for more big-ticket loans. But it’s important to remember credit scores are used for more than just borrowing money, and you never know when an opportuni...
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Make your summer sizzle
It seems that the minute summer gets underway, your calendar fills up with graduation parties, family get-togethers and backyard barbecues - and that’s not counting the things you’ve already planned. Before you work yourself into a frazzle, let the experts at www.countrydoor.com give you a few tips (and delicious re...
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