Ultimate Guide to Winter: Savings, Survival, Style

Don't get stuck to the flag pole this winter.

 

Don't get stuck to the flagpole this winter. The winter is upon us, and all of the kicking and screaming is not going to change the fact that summer is over. The temperature is dropping, snow is beginning to fall, stores are decorated for the holidays, and TBS is queuing up "A Christmas Story. The winter, especially the holiday season, can be a stressful time for everyone. There are gifts to buy, deadlines at work, family time anxiety, and a hundred other stresses. We have put together this guide to help you not only survive the winter, but to thrive. Whether you are looking for simple Do-it-yourself tips for the winter, a guide to holiday shopping and helping you find the best deals, and even a guide to winter fashion. This 2014 Guide to Winter will be a life saver. You'll even find tips for cold weather emergencies.

Winter Life Hacks

   
• Use an ice pop to trick your thermostat into turning on the heat faster.

   
• Use an electric blanket to pre-warm your bed and your clothes.

   
• Use pipe insulation to quickly fill in door gaps.

   
• Women’s knee high socks make great toddler leggings.

   
• Cut out insoles made of wool for added warmth in your shoes over the winter.

   
• Make a homemade “Snuggie” see the tutorial here.

   
• DIY Fingerless gloves.

   
• Kitty Litter works great for getting your car out of the snow when it is stuck.

   
• Easily prevent an icy windshield by simply using vinegar.

   
• Cut pool noodles into small chunks to keep your boots straight.

During the winter, reverse the direction of your ceiling fan which will recirculate the warm air trapped above.

The ultimate cold remedy is quite simple, lemon, ginger, and Siracha.

   
• Make your socks waterproof by simply adding plastic sandwich bags to create custom waterproof socks.

   
• Using a shaving razor on old sweatshirts can clear it of frayed threads and make them new.

 

Holiday shopping can sometimes feel like you are inside of a kaleidoscope.

Winter Shopping Guide

Best time to shop for clothing and accessories:

• End of the season

   
• Boxing Day December 26th (Similar to Black Friday)

   
• Black Friday

   
• Cyber Monday

   
• January-April

   

 Top Winter Products

• Men and Women's Gloves

   
• Men and Women's Scarves

   
• Beanies

   
• Trooper Hats

   
• Trapper Hats

   
• Face Masks

   
• Animal Beanies

Additional Savvy Shopper Tips

• Coupon code websites: With a quick Google search you can find coupon codes for most online retailers posted on thousands of different coupon code websites.

   
• Visit sites like Groupon for time sensitive savings. There are also Shopping rebate sites like Ebates that give you cash back on purchases.

Show those credit card companies who's boss

Credit Card Perks

   
• Many people also forget about credit card perks. Find out about the perks of your credit cards. Buy the things you would normally buy and then pay it off at the end of the month and reap the rewards without the interest. Some rewards include travel miles, cash back, theme park tickets, rewards points and more.

 
This might be a funny scene from a classic movie but staying warm is no laughing matter.

The Perfect Winter Jacket

For most guys, finding a winter jacket is easy. You simply see it, buy it, and wear it. For women it is a little more complicated. There are several steps you should take in order to find that perfect winter jacket or coat.

Consider the weather

-Too much jacket and too little can affect your enjoyment.

-Geographical area is an important factor is choosing the right piece of winter apparel.

Good Fit

-Do not treat the sizing chart as Gospel. Every woman is different and wants their clothing to fit a certain way. Trying on winter clothing is the only way to ensure this. This applies to women's hats, shoes, and other apparel types.

-Also be sure to check the washing requirements to be sure the sizing will not change.

Flattering Style

-Probably the most important factor. The way you look and more importantly feel, is your best indication of the right coat for you.

Evaluating Body Types

-Every woman is unique and has a different body type. There are several body type styles including Apple, Pear, Strawberry, Hourglass, and Rectangle. Check the graphic above to find your body type.

-Knowing your body type can make shopping exponentially easier, so you can find exactly what you are looking for and it fits just right.

 
That's only about 30% of the colors that are actually out there.

Color

-This is the last factor to consider and is the most subjective.

-Believe it or not there are hundreds of colors out there, many are the slightest variance. Especially when shopping online, be sure it is the color you are looking for. Ivory, off-white, white, white cream, snow white, can be very different colors if you are not careful when shopping.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

How to Donate or Support the Cause

There are several ways for you to support this cause. Additionally, there are many places you can donate money to breast cancer research including donating on the Susan G. Komen Foundation website here. You can show your support for the cause with a breast cancer hat, embroidered pink ribbon beanie, pink ribbon headband, t-shirts, stickers and more. Most of the money made on these items retailers sell all October long is given back to support breast cancer research.

Breast Cancer History

Breast cancer has been around since the dawn of modern civilization. It is characterized by small lumps and tumors on the body, more specifically the breast. Unlike other internal cancers the visible lumps and tumors led to early physicians ability to document and report on this disease. When cancer first began to be diagnosed, early detection was difficult because it was seen as a more taboo issue and was not publicly discussed. That drastically lowered the survival rate. The pink ribbon was adopted as the symbol of breast cancer in the early 1900's.  The first documented case of breast cancer was over 3500 years ago! Early physicians tried many forms of treatment to combat this disease, including opium, caster oil, licorice, sulfur, and other salves.

Early on, doctors thought this cancer was caused by a number of reasons ranging from curdled milk and a sedentary lifestyle all the way to lack of sex, depressive disorders and even curdled milk. In 1757 the first breast cancer surgery was performed and by the 19th century advances in antiseptic and anesthesia made this the new number one treatment method. As the years have gone by physicians have been able to pinpoint preventative tips to lower your chance of developing breast cancer.

There are Breast Cancer support groups popping up all across the world.

Prevention

These are few preventative modern methods to decrease your chances of developing breast cancer.

   
1. Maintain a healthy weight.

   
2. Participate in daily exercise or another physical activity.

   
3. Limiting consumption of alcohol.

   
4. Eating nutritious food and maintaining a balanced diet.

   
5. Don't smoke, or quit smoking if you do.

Treatments

If you end up developing breast cancer there are three treatment methods that you will be presented with. With any surgery there are no guarantees, but survival rates have drastically increased over the last 30 years.

   
1. Surgery

   
2. Medication

   
3. Radiation

Breast Cancer Awareness Groups

In the early 1900's breast cancer awareness groups began to pop up, informing women about breast cancer, early detection, prevention, and causes of the disease. Groups like the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the American Breast cancer Foundation, and websites like Breastcancer.org have really made a big difference in the survival rates in women with breast cancer.

The breast cancer awareness movement has actually had some great accomplishments over the past 30 years including:

   
• Environmental toxins and other triggers of breast cancer are now closely studied and more regulated.

   
• Breast conserving surgical treatments are now offered whenever possible.

   
• There are hundreds of new support groups for women fighting against breast cancer.

   
• Hospitals now have a breast cancer centers that allows patients to meet with their surgeon, plastic surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist in the same room at the same time.

   
• As a country we raise millions for research each year.

   
• We have changed our belief that the most aggressive treatment for cancer, is the best treatment.

   
• Second opinions are more widely accepted than ever. Opening minds to alternative views and techniques.

Breast Cancer Organizations

   
1. Susan G. Komen for the Cure

   
2. American Breast Cancer Foundation

   
3. Breast Cancer Research Foundation

   
4. Avon Foundation

   
5. American Cancer Society

   
6. Breastcancer.org

   
7. National Breast Cancer Foundation

Whether you wear hats for breast cancer awareness month, or donate money online to your favorite foundation you will be supporting a great cause.

A Newsboy Hat's Journey: From Newsies to Mario and Beyond

The newsboy cap has come a very long way.

A Newsboy Hat's Journey: From Newsies to Mario and Beyond

                      

The Journey Begins:

Long before Mario and Luigi donned their iconic newsboy it had quite a history. The newsboy and Gatsby style hat is very similar to a flat cap. It is also known as a baker boy, Apple, eight quarter, or cabbie. It has the same overall shape and a stiff peak like a flat cap but the body is rounder and fuller. Newsboy and Gatsby style hats are also paneled with a button on top as well as a button attaching the front to the brim. The hat at first was synonymous with the early news boys that sold newspapers on the street corner. The newsboy hat was associated with the young boys who sold newspapers but they were not the only ones that adopted this hat style. The hat was worn all throughout North America in the late 19^th and 20^th century by both boys as well as adult men. The newsboy cap was loved by all people and all classes, especially the “lower class.” Many early photographs from this time period depict someone wearing this classic hat style. Just like wearing a baseball cap did not mean that you were a necessarily a baseball player, the same was true that just because you wore a newsboy cap did not make you a news boy. The news boys might have helped this hat style grow in popularity but this hat was soon worn by other professionals such as dock workers, high steel workers, farmers, artisans, beggars, and other professions. This hat style began with the lower class but was soon adopted into the upper class as well. What started as a simple inexpensive hat style eventually led to construction of higher quality caps. These were worn by the upper classes for use in their leisure activities like golf. F. Scott Fitzgerald was the author of a popular book called the Great Gatsby. One of the characters was Jay Gatsby. The novel was so popular that a new style of hat was born. The hat became known as a Gatsby style cap. This has is similar to the flat cap style but is simpler featuring a more pronounced bill. Nowadays you will be hard pressed to not see hundreds of newsboy style Mario hats on costumes all across the country.

The Evolution of Style

The newsboy cap is a hat style that not even the hipsters can ruin. A newsboy or Gatsby style hat can be found today is many styles, colors and designs. These caps have been referred to as baker boy, golf cap, cabbie, or driving caps. All these styles maintain that same classic design but add tweaks for both style and comfort. Gatsby cap, ascot, Apple, and 8 quarter styles remain popular to this day. Not many people have heard of this hat style but the ones that love it are very passionate about it. It has been one of the most popular hats for men in the last decade.

Modern History:

The newsboy and Gatsby cap style has been around for over a century now. The style has changed and evolved while also staying true to the integrity of the original design. It has graced the heads of early news boys, factory workers, farmers, beggars and artisans. It has been popularized by famous literary characters. It has evolved from being a cap worn by the lower class, to becoming a very popular hat of the affluent upper class. The newsboy and Gatsby style cap will continue to evolve in both style and function. We will continue to be on the cutting edge of current hat styles and trends. This hat has been around for over a hundred years and newsboy, Gatsby and other flat cap styles will be around for another hundred years. Believe it or not but Mario has been around since 1981 years and his iconic red cotton elastic newsboy hat is still worn as a Halloween costume every year, now that's staying power. Mario isn't the only one having all the fun, his slightly younger brother Luigi, created in 1983 has his own iconic green cotton elastic newsboy hat.

 

Hat Care:

These 5 tools will become your cap's best friend.This is a delicate hat style and as such requires delicate care. Look for a soft bristle brush to help you delicately remove stubborn stains. Be sure to use circular patterns when cleaning you hat to gently remove dirt and stains. Try to not get your cap overly wet and if you hat becomes wet simply shake off the excess water and let air-dry. Using these tips as well as the ones listed below you will be sure to keep your hat looking stunning for years to come

 

Here are some common hat care tips:

• Every hat will develop its own personality and style with time. Small marks on the hat are all part of the hats life cycle and only add to its authenticity.
• All hats can be treated with a waterproof spray if necessary
• Some hats might shrink if they are exposed to high heat, or left out exposed to sunlight
• A stiff brim allows your hat to be shape the way that you would like, but some hats feature a flexible brim that allows the hat to be crushed.
• If you do not have a hat form, place the hat on a bowl while it dries to keep its form.
• The dishwasher is another viable option for washing a hat but can sometimes fade the colors of the hat,
• Dry cleaning is also a cheap and effective way to keep your hat clean
• If you are completely lost about hat care check the tag to find washing instructions

Have you Seen Me?: The Story of Where's Waldo

He once was lost but now he is found.

 

Here are some little known Waldo facts

 

Waldo Origin Story

Waldo was created by an artist name Martin Hanford. He was trying to write a book that would showcase his artistic talent. He created the character Waldo to help provide a link between each scene in the book. His earlier editors thought his book filled with only crowd scenes would be lacking a them and direction. Basically Waldo was an afterthought. Handford was mostly looking to showcase his talent for creating busy crowd scenes. However early fans of his work were drawn to the fun and unique character and he has evolved and grown for more than 25 years now.

The story of Waldo is simple, a distinctly dressed man wearing a red and white striped beanie and striped clothing begins a world wide journey around the world and other exotic locales. He visits everyday places like the beach, ski slops, the zoo and even The Land of the Waldos. The books invited the readers to find the uniquely dressed Waldo among the crowded scene. At the start of each page is a postcard from Waldo explaining his travels and some hints about the picture.

 

This is what happened when Asia got a hold of Waldo

Waldo's Tool's of the Trade

Waldo is not traveling empty handed. Everywhere that he travels he carries with him 12 special items.

1. Walking Stick
2. Kettle
3. Mallet
4. Cup
5. Backpack
6. Sleeping Bag
7. Binoculars
8. Camera
9. Snorkel
10. Belt
11. Bag
12. Shovel

                                                                       

            
The Where's Waldo Cast of Characters

Waldo Might Be Lost But He is Not Alone

Waldo might have started off his journey alone, but he would not be alone for long. He would later be joined by several new characters. His first female companion would be Wilma but she was soon replaced by her identical twin sister Wenda. Wenda dressed just like Waldo with a striped beanie, and red a white striped shirt and wire framed glasses. He would soon find his nemesis named Odlaw, which you might have noticed is "Waldo" spelled backwards. He wears yellow and black striped clothing and his wire framed glasses have a blue tint to them. Also unlike Waldo Odlaw has a sinister mustache. He is sometimes seen trying to steal Waldo's magical walking stick. Another companion for Waldo in his travels was Woof. Woof is Waldo's dog, he is one of the hardest characters to find in the series. Wally's mentor of sorts, was Wizard Whtebeard. According to the story he was the one to send Waldo on this journey to find himself. He is recognized for his long white beard, blue wizards hat and red cloak. Eventually Wally's popularity grew to the point to where the Wally Watchers were created. They were Waldo's devoted fan-club and actually were featured in the Ultimate Fun Book.
         

                                        

Man of Many Names

Waldo originated in England but is known by different names in all of the countries that he has been introduced to.

• French=Charlie
• Hindi=Hetti
• Norway=Willy
• Croatia=Jura
• Denmark=Holger
• Czech=Valdik
• Estonia=Volli
• German=Walter
• Hungarian=Villi
• Italian=Ubaldo
• Korean=Wolli
• Vietnamese=Van Lang

                                     

                                                

Taking Waldo Fandom to a whole new level

Lesser Known Waldo Facts

• The book was shortly banned because there was a nude women on the beach in one of the scenes
• There is no formula for finding Waldo, he could be anywhere.
• Scientists have studied people searching for Waldo and have studied the brainwave patterns associated with it
• There are only 7 main books in the series, however many spin off versions have been produced.
• In 2011 3,872 people broke the World Record in Dublin for the most people gathered together dressed like Waldo.
• There was a Google Earth project called "Where on Earth is Waldo" where art students painted Waldo templates and encouraged people to put them on their roofs so that they would show up on Google Earth, and you could find him just like the books. http://whereonearthiswaldo.wordpress.com/
• The original character had round glasses, and a pom pom red and white striped beanie. Waldo's creator Hanford describe him as being like a "trainspotter" which was a phrase used in England in the 1980's describing someone who was a bit daft (Kind of silly or foolish, some might say, lost)
• The NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) version of Where's Waldo is considered one of the worst video games of all time.
• Some actually have gotten a Waldo Scene tattoo

He is not a hard man to find

Waldo: From 1987-2014

Waldo has become a huge part of the popular culture of the past 25 years. Anybody under the age of 30 will most likely have fond memories of the garish yet memorable lost traveler. Many people choose to dress up as Waldo every year and decide to don the red and white beanie, the striped shirt and the black wire rim glasses. Waldo has become the kind of character that stands out while blending in. These Waldo costumes can be found online and sometimes in stores. Some people make their costumes but it is better to save your time and buy Waldo Costumes from trusted online retailers. Click here for more great costume ideas including Wenda costume sets and the complete Waldo Costume set including the shirt, glasses and beanie.

                                      

Embroidery at e4Hats.com in 9 simple steps

e4Hats.com Embroidery

Getting your custom image embroidered on your favorite hat is easy at e4Hats.com. Just follow these 9 simple steps and you can ROCK your own unique custom image on almost any hat!

e4Hats Table Tennis Club Grand Opening

Fullerton Table Tennis Has a New Home

Welcome to the newest USATT affiliate Table Tennis Club in Fullerton California. Welcome to ETTC.

The e4Hats Table Tennis Club is now officially open. Open Monday thru Friday 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM / Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM / Sunday 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM the new club has been a welcome addition to the Fullerton community.

Come check out what the Fullerton community has been buzzing about.

e4Hats Table Tennis Club Facility Tour

Take a look at the brand new e4Hats Table Tennis Club.

Welcome to ETTC

We welcome you to the brand new e4Hats Table Tennis Club (ETTC). Located at 705 S. Harbor Blvd. in beautiful Fullerton California. The club is the newest USATT affiliate table tennis club in Orange County.

--Play space is over 6,000 Sq. Ft.

--Open 6 days a week

--Private lessons are available

--Both daily and monthly memberships are available

--Grand opening Round Robin May 3rd

--Open Monday Thru Friday 5:00 PM-10:00 PM and Saturday 7:00 AM-10 PM

  

This entry was posted in ETTC, Videos on May 2, 2014 by Michael Ouellet.