7 Ways to Make Your Homepage Exciting

Are you sick of your homepage being the same boring thing all the time? Here are seven ways to spice up your homepage, and it will even let you learn something in the process.

1. A Random Featured Wikipedia Entry

http://toolserver.org/~erwin85/randomarticle.php?lang=en&family=wikipedia&categories=Featured+articles

This URL was shared over at Reddit and will automatically direct to a random featured Wikipedia entry each time it's called up, weeding out the boring, jargon-y articles that Wiki's own random generatior can call up.
2. A Random Dictionary Word

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Special:Random

Increase your vocabulary a little at a time by making this URL your start page. It's like a word-of-the-day calendar for the new millenium; try to use it in an email today.
3. A Random Movie on IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/random/title

Movie buff? Have your homepage display a new popular movie title each time you open your browser. This url from IMDB shows titles based on what's popular now, so the generator swings towards recent films, but it should still help you add a few good films to your must-see list.
4. Random Deviation from DeviantART

www.deviantart.com/random/deviation

Making this url your home page will open up a random piece of art from the giant library of DeviantART, the world's largest online art community with over 239 million pieces of art from over 24 million artists. FYI, this URL can sometimes be not-work-safe thanks to freedom of artistic expression.
5. The Flickr Explore Page

http://www.flickr.com/explore/

Flickr's navigational start page is also a great place to start your day, featuring a random image from Flickr's rated "Interesting" pool at the top.
6. Google Reader Play

http://www.google.com/reader/play/

This link will open up a preview of an article that's gotten big attention from folks around the world using Google Reader. If you've got time to kill, you can browse through even more stories through the thumbnails at the bottom of the page.
7. A Completely Random Website

http://www.randomwebsite.com/cgi-bin/random.pl

Using this URL from randomwebsite.com as your new homepage will transport you to a far-away corner of the internet you've probably never been to before. The makers of the site try to filter out pornography and advertising from their network of links, but you can't be sure websites haven't changed hands and changed course. This one is like internet roulette, and you should only play if you're in an environment that doesn't need to be work-safe or kid-safe.

For more information see Apartment Therapy.

Read more »

Election Day Fun Facts

Yesterday was election day!  Did you get out and vote?  Here are some election day fun facts that you probably did not know as you were voting yesterday.

 

The finish line is almost here. Americans have weighed a plethora of questions in choosing their presidential candidate.

But amid the quadrennial explosion of political ads, bumper stickers and debates, some questions still baffle: Why is the Republican mascot an elephant? Why are Democrats linked to the color blue? And what happens if the candidates tie?

Below, a voter's guide to such perpetually confounding riddles:

Q. Why are presidential elections always in November, and always on Tuesdays?

It all comes down to weather, harvests and worship.

Back when voters traveled to the polls by horse, Tuesday was an ideal day because it allows people to worship on Sunday, ride to their county seat on Monday and vote on Tuesday - all before market day, Wednesday.

And the month of November fit nicely between harvest time and brutal winter weather -- which can be especially bad when you're trudging along by horse and buggy.

But since many voters now travel by horsepower instead of live horses, some people -- like the group Why Tuesday? -- are pushing to move election day to a weekend day to increase the country's historically dismal voter turnout. According to the group, 15 states do not allow early voting, and 27% of non-voters said the main reason why they didn't vote was because they were too busy or couldn't get time off to vote.

Q. Why do Republicans have an elephant and Democrats have a donkey?

Back in 1874, cartoonist Thomas Nast used an elephant to depict the Republican vote in his drawing "The Third-Term Panic." The cartoon was published in Harper's Weekly after the owner of the New York Herald reportedly criticized the notion of Republican President Ulysses S. Grant running for a third term. (Grant didn't end up running in the next election).

In the drawing, an "ass" -- depicting the New York Herald -- scares away other animals in a forest as the elephant -- or the Republican vote -- looks like it's about to stumble into a pit.

But that cartoon isn't where where the Democratic donkey came from. In 1828, Democrat Andrew Jackson's critics called him a "jackass" because of his populist views and his slogan, "Let the people rule." Jackson decided to run with it -- even using images of a donkey in his campaign ads. Later, Nast also used a donkey to depict the Democratic party.

Q. Why are Democratic states "blue," and why are Republican states "red"?

There's nothing magical about this color scheme. Essentially, the media made it up.

Sure, there are logical reasons to use red and blue -- both are colors in the American flag, and they look sharp on infographics because they're pretty much on opposite ends of the color spectrum.

But the seemingly arbitrary color assignments have actually flip-flopped over the years. In 1980, states won by Republican Ronald Reagan were colored blue; Democrat Jimmy Carter's states were colored red.

Even as late as 1996, major media outlets were divided on how to color-code the parties. But in 2000, when Americans were subjected to weeks of news about recounts, pregnant chads and electoral infographics, everyone seemed to get on the same page and shaded Republican-leaning states red and Democratic-leaning states blue.

Q. What happens if candidates tie in electoral votes?

It's possible that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney snag the exact same number of electoral votes. In that case, the 12th Amendment says the House of Representatives gets to pick the president. And since analysts expect Republicans to maintain control of the House, Romney would likely win the presidency.

In the same scenario, the Senate would get to choose the vice president. And because Democrats are expected to keep control of that chamber, senators could select incumbent Vice President Joe Biden to form a split administration.

Q. Why do presidents have to wait all the way until January 20 to assume office?

It used to be a lot longer. Until 1937, presidents didn't get sworn in until March 4 because it took so long to count and report ballots, and because of the winner's logistical issues in moving to the capital.

But then better technology kicked in, and the 20th Amendment moved presidential inaugurations to noon on January 20 -- allowing presidents to start taking care of business sooner.

For more information see KDBC.

Falcon Run Apartments

Read more »

Happy Halloween

We hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween this year!

Read more »

Trick or Treat Alternatives

 Do you want some alternatives to Trick or Treat this year?  Here are some great Halloween events that are happening in the Denver area as an alternative to Trick or Treat.

Trick-or-treating may be tons of fun, but there are so many other wonderful things to do this Halloween season. The best part about Halloween is that it lasts all month long, so the whole family can head out and celebrate the spooky season every single weekend. Check out these five great options for Halloween fun for the whole family. Just be sure to get a few costumes this year since you’ll want to wear a new one to every one of these events.

 

Bug-A-Boo
Butterfly Pavilion
6252 W. 104th Ave.
Westminster, CO 80020
(303) 469-5441
www.butterflies.org
Dates: October 27 and 28, 2012

This annual event at the Butterfly Pavilion is a great way for kids to enjoy all sorts of creepy-crawly fun, and actually learn a little bit along the way. Your children will learn all about spiders, tarantulas and scorpions with live, hands-on activities. Plus, make sure to wear that costume as there will be a costume parade, face painting, exhibits and trick-or-treating. Plus, you can also explore the amazing Butterfly Pavilion while there.

 

Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch
Mazzotti Farms
21420 Weld County Road 8
Hudson, CO 80642
(303) 536-4089
www.mazzottifarms.com
Mazzotti Farms is a fantastic, locally-owned farm that grows delicious vegetables and fruits year-round. During the fall, however, the farm really comes alive with Halloween fun. First, check out the Corn Maze, a perfect scare-free maze for all ages. Then grab your own pumpkin straight from the field and create your very own scarecrow. There is also a giant slide, an authentic 18-foot teepee and a petting zoo. There is so much to do at Mazzotti Farms for the Halloween season that you’ll probably want to do it more than once. With the drive being under an hour from Denver, there’s no excuse not to go back.

Halloween Science
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
2001 Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO 80205
(303) 370-6000
www.dmns.org

Date: October 28, 2012

The amazing people over at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science are ready to bring you another fun, educational way to celebrate the Halloween season with your little ones. Aimed at age four through first-grade level, this Halloween Science event will let your tyke create fog, make potions that will actually change colors and even create magical concoctions that you can eat. This magical class teaches all about the wizardry of chemical changes.

 

Trick or Treat Train
Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 W. 44th Ave.
Golden, CO 80403
(303) 279-4591
www.coloradorailroadmuseum.org
Dates: October 27 and 28, 2012

For those fans of everything railroad and trains, this is the perfect Halloween treat. Visit Colorado’s fantastic Railroad Museum and enjoy a fun and safe place to take your kids in costume. The whole family will be able to take a ride in a vintage passenger car with all the conductors and engineers in full costume. As the train stops, your spooky tyke can hop out and trick-or-treat and then get ready for the next stop. There is also a “not-so-spooky” haunted railcar and a silly-fun graveyard to visit. When you are all done, be sure to check out the pumpkin patch and get plenty of great photos from your visit.

For more information see CBS.

Read more »

Cheap Halloween Costumes!

Do your kids want costumes that are over $100 without the accesories.  Here is a great story about a mom who took that $80 dollar costume and made the same thing for a lot cheaper.

It’s a down economy and a presidential election year—could there possibly be a MORE appropriate 2012 Halloween costume than a homemade Statue of Liberty designed for 5 bucks? I doubt it. (Hello, Humility? I’m sorry, she’s out to lunch.)

Last year my daughter came across a very nice Statue of Liberty costume in a catalog, but with torch, robe and crown, it came to about $80. While I was pleased about her costume choice considering the less-than-original-princess-and-fairy-costumes of years past, I decided I could do better with my own resources.

From around the house, we gathered the following for Lady Liberty:      

Painting a crown for Lady Liberty costume.

Cardboard
Sage green paint leftover from a home-painting project
Black paint
A princess crown (for Liberty’s crown)
An empty ribbon spool (for torch)
Foam sheets used for packing breakable items (torch flame)
Small flashlight (torch “light”)
(Also needed: Ponytail holder, stapler, safety pins, scissors, markers and duct tape)

At the thrift store, we purchased:
Two sage green curtains, $5 (for robes)
Then we went to work. Here’s how it came together:
 
Instructions
• The Crown: Cut a cardboard piece to cover the entire front of any child’s princess crown; paint green and let dry. Once it’s dry, paint black rectangles across the green piece. Cut long, skinny triangles from cardboard; paint green. Once all paint is dry, attach front piece to crown with duct tape. Attach crown spires with a stapler. Touch up paint once crown is assembled, if necessary.
• The Torch: Paint a large empty spool of ribbon with green paint. Using markers, color foam sheets yellow and orange and cut 3-4 pieces into a tear drop shape for flames. Glue foam flames around the top inside edges of the spool, leaving a hole through the middle. Slide small flashlight into the spool with the light part up. If the flashlight doesn’t fit exactly, add more foam around the edges. When the flashlight is turned on, it makes a great Liberty torch that actually lights—fun for nighttime trick or treating!

A cute costume that was fun to make for just $5.

• The Robe: I do not sew, but pinning curtains to form a robe worked fine, and was less work for me. Only thing is, you have to re-pin if you wear the costume again. Pin one curtain loosely around child so it drapes around the body. Fold second curtain into a long rectangle and drape over one shoulder like a sash; secure under the other arm with a large ponytail holder (easier than pins, and removable).

For more information see Colorado Parent.

Read more »

Fall Pumpkin Recipes

Brown Eyed Baker has ten great pumpkin recipes to get you ready for fall.  Pumpkin is what everyone craves this fall, and here are ten ways to put it into your dinner plans.  


Here they are, in alphabetical order:
1. Pumpkin Bread:

2. Pumpkin Cheesecake:

3. Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip & Pecan Granola Bars:

4. Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins with Pecan Streusel:

5. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting:

6. Pumpkin Fudge:

7. Pumpkin Pie:

8. Pumpkin Pie Bars:

9. Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze:

10. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Cream Cheese Filling:

Read more »

DIY Folding Chair Makeover

If you have a lot of company over, it can be hard to accommodate everyone for seating.  Here is a great do it yourself tip to take a plain folding chair and turn it into a great furniture piece.  Keep reading to find out how to have enough chairs for everyone without breaking the bank.




MATERIALS //  folding chair, screwdriver, drop cloth, spray paint (2 cans per chair), fabric (20″ x 20″ piece per chair), scissors, staple gun and staples

STEPS  // 01 REMOVE EXISTING CUSHION  Using screwdriver, remove existing cushion from chair frame and set aside.

02 PAINT CHAIR //  In well-ventilated area, place chair on drop cloth and wipe down with damp towel. Using slow side-to-side movements, apply two thin coats of spray paint (refer to paint can instructions for drying time between coats). Let chair dry overnight. Tip: If chair is dark color or smooth finish, apply primer before painting with desired color.

03 RECOVER EXISTING CUSHION //  Lay out new fabric and place seat cushion face down. Trim fabric along edge of cushion (approximately 3″ from edge). Once cut, attach fabric using staple gun. Begin by stapling at the center of each side and then at the corners. Tip: If using a patterned fabric, be sure to align to your liking prior to stapling.

04 ASSEMBLE CHAIR //  Once chair is dry, assemble with new cushion and begin using!







For more information see MakeKind.

Read more »