DIY Projects Homemade AC Units Easy Instructions + DIY Unit For Your Car

DIY Projects - Homemade AC units aka cooling systems to help beat the heat without paying an arm & a leg in electric. These are a couple of our favorites, we are trying a simple one today. Soon we want to try the vehicle one as well.Scroll down to view the different VIDEO instructions for 3 different units you can build yourself, including the one for your vehicle. 

With the growing electric bills now during the summer months and then our AC window unit in living room deciding it would barely work anymore we remembered something we had seen on the news not long ago about making a homemade AC unit with a 5 gallon bucket, a small fan, Styrofoam to line the inside and couple other small things. They had tested it on the news to see if it really worked and to our disbelief it really did.

Recent issues with our own AC unit led to more searches of how others have made DIY cooling units for their home. These can be real money savers too. At this point all I can say is we are going to try a very simple one today. I will take some photos and do a follow up of how well ours worked out for us.

For now I am going to share with you a couple of our personal favorites. They can be made for anywhere from $8.00 to approximately $30.00 (depending on materials you may already have). Then the BONUS - the DIY homemade Air conditioner for your VEHICLE!

Two of My Favorites of Homemade Cooling aka AC Units With Instructions

The first one here is along the lines of what we are doing. My hubby cut the holes on the side of the cooler front and is using PVC pipe going straight out the side/front, instead of dryer vent things on top (I am wondering if the metal would actually make a difference in cooling now though). This one is Simple and can be done in less than 20 minutes for approx $8.00, assuming you have the fan already or can pick one up at yard sale for a buck or two.The man who made the first video here goes by the name Household Hacker and has a vast amount of useful tips and how to videos.





This Next one here is honestly so far I think my favorite yet. He states less than 30 minutes to make and seems like even if you have never built anything before you could reasonably accomplish this in 30 minutes. I really like the idea of the air tight cooler and think it would make a noticeable difference. The man who made the video below also runs this unit with SOLAR POWER not only that but makes the ice with a solar power freezer he constructed himself too (see his other videos). I will be learning some more from his channel I am sure. 





Then next we have The BONUS as promised DIY Unit For Your Vehicle
Theory is pretty much the same as the others..... Only this homemade AC is for you to use if you cannot afford to fix that expensive repair to your cars AC right now but gotta beat that heat. Down here in Florida trust me you will try ANYTHING to cool down your car/truck during summer months if you are lacking AC. We carry a small cooler with wet rags and bags of ice in it and bottles of water, the bottles of water stay cold to fill our little misting fans to at least combat the heat a little bit. Now I am looking forward to trying what this woman has done here below.... as soon as I figure out how to fit IT and my family in the truck at the same time ha ha ha... (side note: she like the two others above looks to have a lot of other interesting videos as well on YouTube). 




                                                
Please drop off a comment let me know what you think or if you try any of these how it worked for you. Also we wanted to say THANK YOU for our readers taking the time to share our posts on FaceBook, Twitter, etc. We have noticed and really do appreciate it!

Have A Wonderful & Hopefully COOL Day
Kim Sager - Then And Again Treasures Store on eBay
Find Me Everywhere Online Here: http://about.me/KimSager

Doggy Style, Oh How We Adorn You

Doggy Style, Oh How We Adorn Our Furbabies

People and their pets are like parents and their children. Some parents go all out on a daily basis with the latest styles, the bows, the headbands, the lace & trim and their little ones are totally comfortable... others like myself reserve the extras pretty much for special occasions not by choice just some little ones simply refuse to keep those "extras" on no matter how much you fight for the cute pigtails, braids, frilly socks, bracelets ... you get the picture.

Style for dogs used to be more a thing for the rich & famous but now you see pooches sporting jackets, bathing suits, bows, and even dyed hair & painted nails everywhere. No longer is it only for pups from the wealthy side of the tracks. Any doggy anywhere no matter if it was a hard knocks life or born with a silver bone can be Doggy Stylish.

Keep in mind when dressing your doggy diva though that just like my 2 year old daughter, your furbaby just might want to go natural and no matter how you fight to keep those pretty bows in the fact is mamma..... your just going to have to give in, instead of spending wasted time fighting for the frills, give in and let your pooch go natural and spend the extra time cuddling or playing instead.

BUT.... for those that have the Dog destined for the cover of Puppy Style Monthly. The options out there are endless. Every type of bow and article of clothing imaginable. From every day wear to formal to costumes galore. There are even hair dyes, nail polish, shoes, and doggy jewelery, no not just the plain collars with a little deco like Grandpa or Grandma doggy sported years past. Actual clip on sparklies for their ears, bracelets for their paws, instead of a "collar" a beautiful diamond  necklace or depending on your income - rhinestones work just as well too....

So first start small figure out what kind of furbaby you have... is he/she ready to walk the runway or if you pull out the frillies are they more likely to RUN AWAY! Once you know for sure if your baby is all about the Doggy Style then get ready to have some fun because the options are endless these days.......

*Tip: Just like with children if you start young your dog is more likely to be comfortable with the extras. It is hard to go from nothing to all out once a dog is grown, just like it is hard to convince your 2 year old daughter to leave the hair band in when for the first 2 years of life her head was free from anything but her hair growing in.....

Kim Sager - Then And Again Treasures eBay Store Owner
YES! We do have a little pet corner in our store where we carry a few little fashions, and sometimes polish & hair dye for doggies too! Click Here For Just For The Dogs in Our eBay Store

 

What Goes Around Comes Around in Social Media Networking

What Goes Around Comes Around In Social Networking

What goes around comes around... it is true. For those that do any kind of social networking or groups where you tweet each others items, or pin them, share them, like them, etc. You know what I mean. The more actively you do your part in the group = the more it stands out and people see that and return the favor. This isn't about the groups though, and yes it is a bit on the long side so skim, or sit back when you have time. I hope you are able to walk away feeling like it was worth reading what's on my mind today!

You DO NOT have to be in a special group for the "what goes around comes around" theory to work. It works just in general and I have seen it in action. When I comment on a blog post usually the person who runs that blog makes their way back to mine taking the time to let me know of something that they especially liked. If I shared their blog post I will mention it in my comment, letting them know that I found it to be so helpful or such a good read that I took the time to share it on my twitter or facebook with my followers. I always let them know specific things that I enjoyed about their post. Make you comment meaningful not just a fly by "I liked your post".  I have seen when I have taken the time to let the blogger know what I liked and that I shared it they tend to return the favor. In doing this don't be a phony, be honest.... being REAL will get the best results. 

Are you on Twitter? I know a hard one to keep up with tweeting, re-tweeting and trying not to spam the heck out of your followers. Trying to keep some kind of balance between - helpful topics, funny topics, friendly things, and sharing your business or items, and re-tweeting your twitter friends items & posts as well. Depending on your followers and if you are on lists etc. your goal & your return could be different. Many eBay sellers follow other sellers and have lists that they re-tweet others items and really if you think about it the main reason behind it all boils down to traffic. The increased traffic to your item or store does help with placement in search results. 

Are you on Facebook? Do you belong to groups there? There are groups that are solely for the purpse of sharing your items, there are groups where that is considered spam, groups that the whole purpose is to exchange sharing of items groups that are focused around using other social sites and the exchange on those sites of tweets for tweets, pins for pins, likes for likes etc. It is really hard to keep up with them all. I highly suggest if your going to give those a try talk to other people you know and find out which ones they belong to and which ones they found had the best results. Then start small or you will get overwhelmed quickly. 

Now what if you just do not have the time to do these specialized groups. Instead you are in a handful of helpful groups that the users sell on sites like eBay, Amazon, Etsy, etc. just like you but sharing your items in those type groups is SPAM. There are other ways using the "what goes around comes around" theory to apply these very same practices in these groups as well.... when done in a REAL and truthful way it can be a very successful way to use social media to get your store or items shared by others. Just like commenting on a blog, but instead you visit "Bobs" eBay store because you saw his link in a post he was asking about help with pricing of an item he is listing. 

You visit "Bobs" store and you see he has some really cool T-shirts, honestly you like them and you think to yourself "wow I have friends on facebook that would love these". The next thing you do at this point is "SHARE" or create a post on your FaceBook wall letting your friends know that you came across a seller on eBay that has awesome T-shirts and even better has great prices and 100% positive feedback rating (if the info is true).... You can at this point simply copy and paste the URL to "Bobs" store into your post OR you can do something even better to help your friends get right to those awesome T-shirts (and increasing the odds Bob will get a sale or 2 from this post) while your in Bobs store do a search (in his store not all of ebay) for the word T-shirts OR if he has a T-shirt category already set up just click on that.... now that you are where the shirts are NOW copy THAT url and paste it into your post on FaceBook next all you have to do is POST, of course leave the little "Preview" FaceBook gives of Bob's link you just added, it will have a photo and normally you can scroll and pick from a few photos - pick one that really stands out THEN post.  Now you have helped Bob out & helped your friends find some great shirts........ How does this help you your asking now right???

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND..... Of course you only did this because you did honestly love Bob's T-shirts and you honestly thought your friends would too BUT there is a part 2 when it comes to social media networking, the part of how something furthers you as well. In this scenario AFTER you have shared Bob's shirts you would send him a message either on eBay or FaceBook saying something to the effect of:

" Hi Bob, I am in (name of group) with you, and saw your post about (whatever it was he had asked). Sorry I couldn't help with (whatever the question was) but I just wanted to let you know you have some really great shirts & I know my friends would love them. I went ahead and shared a link to your store on my FaceBook. Hope they find some they just gotta have!  - Have a great day.... - Sincerely, (your name + store name)"  - I would sign Kim Sager from ThenAndAgainTreasures on eBay. OR just your name... because you should already have links to your store everywhere you can on FaceBook or whatever site (as this can apply to many places not just FaceBook).

To sum it up - What Goes Around Comes Around In Social Media Networking as in life

1. On pinterest - when you PIN someones item they SEE that you did, when you follow their board they SEE that you did. People tend to follow back or pin items from those who take the time to Pin or Follow them. 

2. eBay Collections - You add someones item to one of your collections... drop them a message, let them know how much you loved their widget and how it was a perfect fit for you "yadda yadda" collection. Invite them to check out the collection.
3. You see a seller who specializes in a certain type of item, they have great feedback & great prices.... oh they offer free or affordable/combined shipping too.... and you happen to be a blogger, as a blogger content/blog posts help YOU and if you happen to write a nice blog post about a certain shop you have either dealt with personally or just happen to know a lot about.... then you let that seller know how wonderful you think THEY ARE and that their store inspired your latest blog entry which can be found here "link them right to the blog post about them" . The Kharma & what goes around comes around in something like this doesn't even need explaining. 

4. YouTube - Do you have a channel? Do you make videos or are you planning to and cannot think of anything to video about? How about a video blog and your videos can talk about your store, a certain item, OTHER sellers stores, great experience you had shopping at "Betty Sue's Feather Emporium" on ebay, and well you see what I am getting at. (this is also another way of earning some extra income - think getting paid for ADS, whole different topic). 

5. Twitter - when you re-tweet others tweets they SEE it and likely will return the favor when they see you tweet something (same for hitting that star/favorite button). When you FOLLOW someone they are likely to follow you back, and when someone FOLLOWS you return the favor and follow them back as well. Same for tweeting... if you see someone re-tweeting your posts be sure to do the right thing and do the same for them. 

There are more examples, more sites, but I am sure at this point you get the idea.... you do not have to belong to a special group you can just be NICE and help a fellow seller out and in doing this just like in life.... WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.... Maybe not every person you give a virtual "shout out" to will return the favor BUT the majority will. Just remember HONESTY is key! Don't run around just doing it solely for what YOU get out of it. If you don't like something don't say you do just because you want them to say or do the same for you. Be REAL.... I promise you if you are honest & real in what you do the return will be there. 

I know you are thinking.... my goodness Kim, when do I have the time to do all of this? You don't have the time to do ALL of it. Or if you do I need to know your secret because I personally barely have time to think these days.... don't obsess over it, just do it in between other things. It is more like a handshake, or stopping to compliment someone as you would in every day life. 

Don't make a job out of it, don't set out hours of time to dedicate to it (that is what the groups dedicated to it are for). This is something that you do nice for others that are JUST LIKE YOU and in return you feel good helping another online small business person, and then there is the WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND and that helps your business. Word of mouth is, was, and will always be the BEST form of advertisement & traffic is always good when it comes to your placement in search engines. 

I am no  expert. I am just like you. I share what I do and what works or doesn't work for me or I personally have seen work or not work for others. I didn't take a class, I do not have a degree. These are my opinions, my advice... take it for what it is and do what you will with it, but I can PROMISE you this... being nice never hurts!

Kim Sager,  Then And Again Treasures Store On eBay
Find me on Twitter, FaceBook, Pinterest, eBay etc. Just see My About Me Site By Clicking Here
Don't forget to leave a COMMENT I love hearing from YOU!

CLEAN UP TIME New Port Richey City Residents - Saturday 6/21/2014 DROP Off Your JUNK

Hey Neighbors aka New Port Richey City residents. You might not be aware of this or you might have forgotten when the CITY CLEAN UP DAY was scheduled for, well the time is NOW!  Time to bring all of your junk to one of the 2 convenient drop off locations on SATURDAY 6/21/2014 between the hours of 8am to 5pm. So if your yard has been collecting junk by the masses or you have old furniture that needs to go - NOW is the time to go drop it off at one of the two locations and the best part, it is COMPLETELY FREE. This is for NPR City Residents only. You must live within city limits to take advantage of this FREE Clean Up day. Details below.... 

There are two locations you can choose from that will have dumpsters available on Saturday the 21st of June. Depending on what you need to drop off you may want to go to a specific one. For instance they are doing Paper Shredding at the River Road location only, and there is a limit on the paper shredding which will be 4 boxes per household. You might be asking yourself "what size boxes?" that I could not tell you. I am assuming an average size large box. I don't think they will be too picky as long as people do not get carried away. 

Also at the River Road location they will be taking televisions, computer monitors, and computer towers as well. With these items however they are asking that they be NON-Damaged, however non-working is fine. Basically they cannot take televisions or computer monitors that have been torn apart for environmental reasons is the short version. Now I did ask a city employee if it was okay to bring TV parts like the plastic backs or cases (not the tubes) and I was told those kinds of pieces should be fine to put right into the dumpsters. 

• Side note to my local readers - as many of you know we pick up metal and appliances FREE all year long, and if you have computer towers or any computer parts & pieces please let us know and we will pick them up locally or you can bring them to us.We personally DO NOT take televisions or monitors as they cost money to dispose of properly. If you have metal/appliances/computer parts or towers, drop a comment below or email me. Also can find other contact info for us on http://about.me/KimSager

I was able to find a main list of items you will be able to drop off at both locations.I found this list on the New Port Richey City website:

• Glass
• Carpet
• Metals
• Wood (8' or less)
• House Furniture
• Lawn Furniture
• Drywall
• Mattress
• Box Spring
• Fence
• Plywood
• TVs ( River Road Location Only)
• Computer Monitors/Towers (River Road Location Only)

The above list is what the New Port Richey City website has for "Materials Allowed".

Dumpsters will be at the locations below for city residents to begin dropping items off at 8am Saturday June 21st 2014 and will stay open until 5pm. 

• Francis Park - Located off Louisiana (just a little west of Gulf Middle School on Louisiana on the opposite side of road).  
• 6131 South River Road (Where River Road Church Property was) - This is the location for Paper Shredding & TVs/Monitors/Towers.

If you have JUNK that cannot go out with your everyday trash or maybe just too much junk to get rid of all at once on a normal trash night, which typically with most companies a 6 can limit, STOP what your doing and load up that truck, or your friends truck and head to one of the sites where the City Of New Port Richey has rented Dumpsters for us to be able to CLEAN UP!

Thumbs Down Bonne Bell Thumbs Up Sally Hansen - Read for Specific Products

It was on sale and as many of you know I just cannot resist a bargain. Well this time around I can see why it was discounted. I didn't even think they made lipsticks anymore that have that waxy sticky feeling and odd taste & smell that reminded me of my Grandmas lipstick when I was young. The one I tried was the Smooth Shades Smooth Vanilla 1.5g size from Bonne Bell. It actually says on the bottom sticker "Flavored Lipstick" well if they were shooting for Vanilla flavor they were FAR FAR off.

Not only was I not impressed with this lipstick, literally the only positive things I can find to say about it are that I did like the size. I really like the "skinny" lipsticks that are pretty much 1/2 the size it seems around then your normal lipsticks. That is just a personal preference for me I guess possibly because my lips are on the small side making the smaller sticks easier to apply. The only other positive thing I can say is the color is pretty but really with it being so sticky & waxy feeling it doesn't matter how nice the color/shade is if it is totally uncomfortable to wear.

I did find a way to make it so it was not a total waste. I had recently tried another "sale" item from Sally Hansen. It is Natural Beauty Moisture Plump Lip Balm in the color Perfect Peach 1035-30. If I first apply the Bonne Bell then apply the Perfect Peach from Sally Hansen as a layer on top of the Sticky icky Bonne Bell lipstick then I can wear it. Obviously not my favorite BUT I hate wasting even sale items I purchase so I found a way to make it work. 

Also the Sally Hansen one mentioned is GREAT by itself as well. Also another small/skinny stick for easy application for smaller lips/mouths. And a very natural color nothing that is over powering. Pretty, simple shade that also makes your smaller size lips appear larger and feels nice when applied, creamy smooth, not sticky & waxy like the Bonne Bell. Also the Sally Hansen doesn't have a weird taste/flavor to it that reminds of Grandmas old lipstick.

I am in my late 30's and anyone my age I am sure remembers the smell and feel of their Grandmothers lipstick, and even though we love those memories of Grandma..... I am sure others like myself don't want to "feel" like we are wearing her lipstick and have that taste of it all through the day ICK!

So My opinion

THUMBS DOWN - Bonne Bell Smooth Shades Flavored Lipstick Smooth Vanilla
THUMBS UP - Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By CARMINDY Moisture Plump Lip Balm