Liquid Assets: Water Testing for Household Well Owners A Snap

Testing one’s drinking water can be intimidating to a household well owner, but it can be easy if you know a few basic steps, says the National Ground Water Association (NGWA).

If you are concerned about your well water, these three steps can help get owners the appropriate tests for contaminants that might present a health risk — or create taste, odor, or appearance problems:

1. Determine what you should test for in your water.

2. Obtain a reliable water test.

3. Get an interpretation of your test results so you can take any appropriate action.
An excellent place to start learning more about these three steps is the NGWA website,
www.WellOwner.org.

What to test

NGWA recommends that well owners test annually for bacteria, nitrate, and anything of local concern: for instance, naturally occurring hazards, such as arsenic, or man-made, such as chemical or heavy metals from industrial or waste sites.

Most county health departments do some water testing, and many well owners are within a reasonable distance of a drinking water testing lab. Both are good places to start in finding out whether there  might be a local issue.

Getting a water test

Knowing where to start in getting a water test isn’t difficult. Go to www.WellOwner.org, and “click” on the “Water Testing” tab near the top of the page.

Next, use these buttons:

• Click for county health department contact info” — This takes you to a webpage where you can access contact information for local health departments nationwide. Ask your health department if it tests water, and if so, for what and how much it costs.

• “Find a certified testing lab” — This takes you to a map where you can navigate to your state agency webpage to obtain information about certified drinking water testing labs.

Interpretation of your water test results

For an interpretation of test results, start with the agency or lab that did the test. If you need additional help, www.WellOwner.org links to an online water test interpretation tool located under the “Water Testing” tab. Type the values from your water test results into the appropriate fields in the online tool and it will provide an explanation of the results — usually including the risks to health, any warranted actions, and appropriate water treatment technologies.

Top Spring Trends for Lips, Skin, and Nails

 

 If the monochrome of winter has you dreaming of brighter days ahead, you’re not alone. Thankfully, the spring beauty forecast is in, and it’s all about color, shimmer and glow for nails, lips and skin.Vogue published a feature highlighting all the biggest beauty trends stemming from the Spring 2022 runways, and among them was "high-gloss pouts." Now, maybe it’s the two years of near-constant mask-wearing that makes this such a welcome trend, but the fact that lips are back in the spotlight is something to get excited about.

• GET THE LOOK: To achieve that high gloss effect at home, look no further than the Lipgasm™ Lipglosses by female-owned brand Trust Fund Beauty (TFB). Simply swipe across your lips for a sexy and moisturizing finish to your lipstick or lip liner, or use it on its own for a glossy shine.

  Spring’s emphasis on sparkle doesn’t stop at a glossy lip. As the runways previewed, glitter is in for hair and skin as well. So how can you pull off a head-to-toe shimmer for everyday without looking like a disco ball? It’s easy with the right liquid and powder products.

• GET THE LOOK: TFB’s That Glo Tho™ Liquid Highlighter can be used on its own or mixed with foundation, primer or moisturizer for a subtle sheen. It comes in two shades: champagne (Lit AF) and bronze (Glowy AF). The powder version of each shade is designed with a buttery soft lightweight texture that blends seamlessly into the skin for a healthy glow.

  Toss those winter gloves, and get ready to flaunt your nails, because vibrant tips are coming back in a big way. Snapshots from Fashion Week show spring nails in a range of colorful shades, playful patterns and artistic designs. Boring nails? Don’t know her.

• GET THE LOOK: Known best for their 21-free Nail Lacquers, all made in the USA, TFB offers bold AF shades for every style and personality with an array of spring colors, including aqua blue (Spill the Tea), pink coral (CEO of Wellness) and a buttery yellow (Never Boring).

  Spring is the perfect time to experiment with your beauty products and go bold with your skin, lips and nails. With its selection of vibrant hues and its ever-evolving, cruelty-free product line, TFB is the brand to take your look (and your attitude) to new heights.

"We are on a mission to redefine the meaning of non-toxic and vegan beauty, making it more accessible, inclusive, loud and proud," says Amanda Zweig, Co-Owner, Creative Director of Trust Fund Beauty. "We’ve been a trailblazer in beauty since our 2013 launch, and we’ve only continued to elevate our standards."In addition, the company is committed to sustainability by partnering with organizations such as Pachama and TerraCycle to offset carbon emissions and plastic consumption. All Trust Fund Beauty products are non-toxic, cruelty-free and vegan.Visit trustfundbeauty.com for more information

How to Boost Your Business in A Digital Environment

  Now more than ever, businesses need to explore how to best serve their customers in the digital marketplace. That means finding ways to stay relevant and keep their audiences engaged. A professional development webinar series from the National Kitchen & Bath Association shows businesses how to develop and maintain a strong online presence.The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is a non-profit trade group for the kitchen and bath industry.The series opens with Jim Nowakowski, a marketing and marketing communications specialist with more than 20 years of experience, notably in the manufacturing and publishing industries. Mr. Nowakowski brings his considerable expertise in communications and business-to-business advertising purchasing patterns to the webinars. The series kicked off on January 10 with "Staying in Front of Your Customers in a Digital Environment."Positive feedback from attendees emphasized Mr. Nowakowski’s enthusiasm and business acumen, with comments about his material and delivery such as, "his examples were detailed and easy to understand, with stories that made a point," and "he was the best presenter I have seen in a while, very engaging and entertaining.""It’s always an honor to present my business topics to designers, showroom consultants, architects and manufacturers," Nowakowski said after the presentation."When I received the feedback, I was thrilled that the audience walked away with knowledge they can use," he adds.The webinar focuses on providing the audience with information on digital disruption in the marketplace and what strategic tools can keep a business relevant and valuable in servicing customers.For example, participants learn how value comes from differentiation, and the importance of what makes a business unique."What do you do that your competitor doesn’t do? What does your competitor do that you don’t?" Mr. Nowakowski asks.Mr. Nowakowski also emphasizes how business basics never change, even in the age of disruption, and reviews tactics on how to stay in front of customers in a digital environment that includes using advertising, phone surveys, and quality service.The full presentation of Staying in Front of Your Customers in Digital Environment is available. 

School Choice Week Celebrates ‘Magic’ of Education

(NewsUSA) – Celebration is on the horizon. Americans are gearing up for the twelfth annual National School Choice Week, the nation’s largest celebration of opportunity in education on January 23-29. As president of the Week, I know firsthand that exploring your K-12 education options can change the trajectory of your family.This annual public awareness week celebrates great schools and empowers families to find the right fit. This year there’ll be more than 25,000 events and activities planned by schools and homeschool groups. Participants celebrate the Week however they like: Some host open houses, some plan multi-school fairs, some run student showcases.The reason so many people celebrate the Week is the same reason I’ve worked in education so long: Because learning is magical. It fuels children’s natural curiosity and allows them to unleash their talents and gifts into the world.What’s especially magical is kids finding a learning fit where they excel. Whether it’s at their neighborhood public school, a public charter school, a magnet school, a private school, an online school, or through homeschooling, it is ever-exciting and awe-inspiring to see kids who love learning and are fulfilling their potential. And it’s a tragedy when that fails to happen.Too often the happy "magic" of learning falls to the wayside as we become preoccupied with the stress of school searches or classes that aren’t the best fit. School Choice Week helps families rediscover the positive in education, bringing them support and a time to celebrate their choice, whatever it may be. Those who celebrate it believe that every child, given the right environment, can succeed. They believe that great teachers always deserve a "thank you!"After two disrupted school years, this School Choice Week is a much-needed moment for families to take a deep breath and rediscover the magic of learning.So, here are three simple ways you can be involved in the Week. First, start a conversation with your child about what they like about school and what they wish were different. Second, learn more about educational choices at schoolchoiceweek.com/state-guides, or share that information with a friend. Third, show appreciation for your school by volunteering at it or saying thank you to a teacher during Jan. 23-29.By working together, we can help more children experience the magic of an educational fit where they thrive. And when students experience that magic, their futures are so much brighter. Andrew Campanella is president of National School Choice Week and the author of "The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child."

Five Designers Share 2022’s Hottest Trends for Hardwood in the Home

(NewsUSA)https://trackit.newsusa.com/track.gif?id=36988" alt="" /> – With its beautiful looks and remarkable durability, Real American Hardwood™ has long been a beloved material in American home interiors. "Homeowners are always looking for fresh and exciting ways to use wood," says Linda Jovanovich of the American Hardwood Information Center. "They often find inspiration in the work of the best architects, designers, and decorators, sought-after talents who offer trendsetting ideas on using oak, maple, walnut, and other classic species." So, we checked in with five of the most accomplished residential designers in the business to uncover the top trends in hardwood for the year ahead — and beyond.