Flower tips

Valentine's Day is coming up and you don't want those flowers to wilt. Right? 

Rhonda Lamon, our morning executive producer, sent along some flower tips for us to post on the Consumer Blog.

Make sure to send your tips along to us and they could be shared on our morning show 5-7am.

Here are the tips:

-A cool environment will help to slow the deterioration process. Keep the flowers in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, heaters, air conditioners and drafts. At night, move your roses to the coolest part of the house. This will help them last longer.

-Fill a vase with warm or tepid water. Make sure it's no cooler than room temperature. Warm water will be absorbed more quickly.

-Cut off any foliage that will lie below the waterline (it will rot), as well as any torn leaves.

-Cut off about 1 inch of the stems, using a knife rather than scissors. Do this while the stem is submerged in a basin of warm or tepid water. Always make a cut on a slant, as it exposes more stem surface area.

-Change the water and recut the stems daily, taking extra care to remove any leaves that may have wilted or dipped into the water. This will help prevent bacteria buildup, but do not remove thorns from roses as it tends to shorten their life.

-Add floral preservatives to the water if you have some available. If you're using preservatives, add more solution every other day.

-You can make your own floral preservative using a citrus-based soft drink (like a Sprite). Add one part soft drink for every three parts water. Or, you can mix a teaspoon of bleach and a tablespoon of sugar in a gallon of water.

Put a penny in the vase: Wives' tale or real solution?

If you don't like to use chemicals to prolong the life of your cut flowers, there are "natural" alternatives. Some methods work better than others. Here's one for you: does a penny and an aspirin tablet placed in the vase water really do any good? Some say the combination does keep flowers fresh longer. The theory is that the copper acts a fungicide and the aspirin makes the water more acidic. Here are more food + acid combinations:

- Add one part lemon-lime soda (not diet) to 3 parts water. Then to each quart of this solution, add 1/4 teaspoon bleach. Thereafter, add 1/4 teaspoon bleach after each 4 days of use.

- To 1 quart water add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon bleach. - Add 2 ounces Listerine mouthwash per gallon of water. Listerine contains sucrose (food) and a bactericide. Listerine is acidic and is said help water move up the cut stem.

Make sure to watch the morning show for our flower test in the coming days, and make sure to email your tips here!

Where’s my bag?

Travel expert Terry Trippler sent us these holiday travel tips:

While there isn’t anything you can do to assure your bag travels with you – it helps to know what to do when it doesn’t.

Things to know – things to do  

•       Most misplaced bags arrive on the next flight or within 24 hours
•        If your bag doesn’t show – immediately report it to the airline
•        Give the airline a description and brand name of your bag – more than “black with wheels”
•           Give airline the address and phone number where you will be – cell phone numbers are best. (You may want to pack your cell phone charger in your carry-on bag)
•         Some airlines may provide an overnight toiletry kit – if you need one – ask for one
•         If your bag does not arrive within 24 hours the airline will then file a lost baggage report – you will need to describe the contents including when you bought the missing items and the purchase price 
•         Some airlines may provide funds to purchase some clothing – it won’t be much – but it may help – ask for it.

Note:  It is so wise to pack a full change of clothing in every bag – both checked and carry-on.

Happy Halloween!

Here is a picture of Jeff Ehling with photographer/editor John Mizwa on a Halloween story at Astroworld a few years ago.  This was probably a Hometown Live story.  Obviously this picture is priceless now that Astroworld is no more. 

Click for a larger, more ghoulish image

Humor me for a second.  I love Snicker's bars.  They could be my favorite Halloween candy.  I learned that my wife does not like candy corn, but her mom loves them. 

What is your favorite candy?  What candy would you rather spit out on the floor than ingest?

Tell me in the comments below.

You've been booed?

I received an email about being booed. 

In the above picture, you see a bag that says, "You have been booed."  The folks who sent the email found this anonymous gift on their doorstep and wanted to know what this was all about.

Here is the answer.

Have you ever been booed?

Nintendo's Wii is hard to come by in some parts

By Jeff Ehling

(10/06/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - While Halloween is still a few weeks away, you might want to start thinking about Christmas.

If you're not careful, the toys your kids want could be gone long before you start looking.

It's one of the hottest toys this year, the Wii game system from Nintendo. If your kid wants one, it will not be easy to find. From Wal-Mart, to Target, to Circuit City, to Best Buy, the stores sell out as soon as supplies arrive.

The Wii system is so hard to find, that we could only find one console. It was a display model at Best Buy and it was not for sale.

If you want one of the $250 game systems, the best advice is to call the store every day. Supplies usually come in at night, so call first thing in the morning.

If you have not started your shopping yet, you are not alone.

"Oh, my goodness, heavens no," said Ret Ekdah. "I don't start until two days before Christmas."

"It's October, I don't start until the 23rd of December if I am lucky," said Marina Houghtaling.

But parents may want to rethink that strategy. Retailers are cutting prices now on popular toys and that could mean supplies will dry up before December.

Wal-Mart is leading the way, cutting the cost of:

Fisher-Price Kid Tough Digital Camera to $54.88 -- down from $64.88 "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" game for $10, down from $18.96 Razor Ripstik Caster Board, $77.77 instead of $93.93.

Some parents say the price reductions and the ever expanding recall list are forcing them into the stores now.

Other retailers have not followed Wal-Mart's cost cutting lead. That means toys that sell out in that store may be available elsewhere, but you'll pay more for them.

(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

Top Halloween costumes

We were sent this list of top Halloween costumes:

 

From Yahoo! Shopping, here are the top 10 little characters likely to come trick or treating in your neighborhood this year:

1. Pirate
2. Star Wars character
3. Hannah Montana
4. High School Musical character
5. Wizard of Oz character
6. Fairy
7. Alice In Wonderland character
8. Tinkerbell
9. Minnie Mouse
10. Harry Potter character 
SOURCE: Yahoo! Shopping  

The adult top 10 costume choices are dominated by female choices indicating that women are already planning their look for the upcoming parties and festivities:

1. Pirate
2. School Girl
3. Nurse
4. Cheerleader
5. Renaissance costume
6. French Maid
7. Playboy Bunny
8. Vampire
9. Spartan 300
10. Marie Antoinette

SOURCE: Yahoo! Shopping

AAA Texas offers anti-drinking and driving service for Labor Day weekend

Hey, it's there if you need it:

Texas holds the dubious distinction of leading the nation in alcohol related traffic deaths. The number of drunken driving fatalities in the Lone Star state increased by 34 to a total of 1,354 in 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In an effort to curb such statistics and increase safety on Texas roadways, AAA Texas is encouraging motorists to have a designated driver. If that is not an option, AAA Texas is offering its free Tipsy Tow service to the public during the Labor Day holiday. 

The Tipsy Tow program, now in its 21^st year, is designed to provide drivers with a way to get home safely if they have been drinking. The first ten miles are FREE.

Start Date:  6 p.m., Friday, August 31, 2007 
End Date:   11:59 p.m., Monday, September 3, 2007

Here is how it works:

• Drivers, holiday hosts and bartenders dial AAA Texas toll free number at
  1-800-AAA-HELP or 1-800-222-4357 to request Tipsy Tow service.
• AAA Texas dispatches a tow truck and;
• The driver is driven - and the vehicle towed - home for free up to 10 miles.

Callers need to keep in mind that the destination is limited to the driver’s residence. Drivers can expect to pay the rate charged by the tow truck contractor for rides farther than ten miles. Tipsy Tow is a statewide service.

Getting a good hotel room deal

Booking a hotel room always makes me nervous.  Why?  Because I know there is a secret to getting a good deal and I want to make sure I get it.  Sometimes you can walk through the door with a confident swagger and demand a discount.  Maybe that only works in Texas though and I wouldn't say it is 100% either.

About.com has some other tips:

• Plan your trip ahead of time and during non-peak seasons to get the cheapest rates.

   

• Book your room during the off-season months.

   

• Check online at the major online agencies for special discounts but always call the hotel first to find out what the normal rates are. On occasion what may sound like a good deal online turns out to cost you more than what it would cost had you called the hotel directly.

   

• Join hotel frequent guest programs and check those hotels first when booking your stay. The more points you accumulate in the programs the more effort will be made by reservation operators to negotiate your room rate.

SEE THE REST OF THE TIPS

Swap homes with someone for vacation

Tired of staying in hotels when you travel?  Then just stay in someone's home.  The only catch is those folks come stay in your home:

Companies like HomeLink International and Intervac allow their members to search for homes all across the world.

At HomeExchange.com, based in Hermosa Beach, you pay an annual fee of $60, which allows members to list their homes and exchange them with other members for free.

The website lists some 15,000 homes around the world and includes pictures and detailed descriptions, dates the owners are available for an exchange, and the places members would like to travel.

"It's a great way to travel -- basically you stay at my house, I stay at yours, so there are no hotel bills -- you save a lot of money on your vacation," said Ed Kushins.

READ THE REST

I'm not sure I could handle that.  That means the wife and I would have to actually clean up! And what would our cats think?

For some, I'm sure it could work though.

Which flowers last the longest when you order online

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, so we put the online flower companies to the test. Which roses lasted the longest? Jeff Ehling found out:

First up, Proflowers, let's see what these things look like. If you don't know, Proflowers come in a box.

Your loved one will have to cut the stems and place the flowers in a vase that comes with the package.

The roses we ordered from Proflowers cost us $72.48

Our next dozen roses arrived from FTD, we ordered these online at FTD.com and they did not come in a box. They came in a vase, ready to enjoy.

The FTD.com roses cost $84.41.

The final flowers to arrive were red roses from 1-800flowers.com. It too came in a vase ready to enjoy and I got to tell you, on day one this one is in the lead. The flowers are nice and red plus seem to look a little better, but how long will they last?

The 1-800Flowers.com roses cost us $84.41. That's right, the same price as FTD.com

After four days we checked back with our roses and found the Proflowers roses still looked great. The same can be said for the roses we got from 1-800flowers.com. But roses we ordered from FTD.com were already starting to wilt away.

SEE THE TEST RESULTS HERE

Publicize your New Year's Eve events

Publicize your New Year's Eve events on abc13.com.  Send us an email with as much information about the event as possible. 

The mysteries of holiday tipping explained

I wrote up a piece for abc13.com that tries to explain the mysteries of holiday tipping. I know you have enough to think about right now, but tipping is a great way to let someone know you appreciate what they're doing.

There are suggestions for who to tip and how much to give them.

READ THE ARTICLE

Holiday scams

Today at 4:55 pm, Jeff Ehling ran down the list of holiday scams you'll want to be aware of.  It's the time of year that these offers seem hard to pass up, but take our advice, you will want to skip them.  Consider this advice a stocking stuffer from us to you.

- Secret shopper scam
- Sweepstakes fraud
- Spanish lottery scam

Buying a Christmas tree online

I never considered this, but some consumers are actually buying Christmas trees online reports the New York Times:

The point-and-click method is gaining popularity among holiday shoppers who want to shorten their annual searches for evergreen perfection. Usually, online buyers pay more because of the shipping costs, which can add $20 to $50 to the base price of a 6½- to 7-foot tree.

Last year, only 200,000 to 500,000 Christmas trees were bought online — a small share of the country’s nearly 33 million natural holiday trees, said Rick Dungey, public relations manager for the National Christmas Tree Association.

It may seem like a breach of tradition to buy a tree sight unseen, instead of trudging into the woods and cutting it down, or carefully selecting it at a tree lot, a store or a street corner. But growers say online sales will increase as more people realize that there is an alternative to hauling a 40- to 50-pound tree home.

Click here to see who is offering this service.

Energy efficient holiday lighting tips

It seems almost cliche now, but there is always some dude that lights up the entire neighborhood, let alone his own house, with tons of Christmas lights.  Here's an example. 

Imagine the power that takes!

If you're one of these types or even just your average decorator, Reliant Energy sent me a list of holiday lighting tips that can help save on your electric bill:

1) Consider using LED (light-emitting diode) lights. They use much less energy than standard lights and run much cooler than standard lights.

2) Newer lights can actually be more energy efficient. Standard mini-bulbs   about 25 watts per 50-bulb strand, while older lights can use as much as   watts per 50-bulb strand.

3) Use a timer and set it appropriately to reduce the chance of inadvertently   leaving holiday lights on 24/7. Unplug lights when sleeping, when leaving   house or when the lights will be left unattended.

4) Do not overload electric sockets/extension cords, and thoroughly inspect   strands and discard damaged cords.

5) Make sure strands used outside are rated for outdoor use and follow   manufacturer's recommendations when connecting multiple strands.

Christmas Tree Safety

Today at 4:55pm, Jeff talked about some tree safety.  Here are some links to help you keep safe:

christmastree.org/

safechristmas.com/

The Best Deals for Holiday Decorating

Good Morning America set out to find some unique holiday decorating tips:

Putting Up the Tree

One of the most labor-intensive holiday tasks is getting the Christmas tree onto its stand.

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute's engineering department evaluated five Christmas tree stands and found that one outshone all the rest — the $50 Krinner Christmas Tree Genie L.

The genie required no assembly and made it easy for one person to install and straighten a Christmas tree.

Keeping the Tree Evergreen

Once the tree is in the stand, it has to be kept watered.

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute looked at three Christmas tree watering systems, which can help replenish the water supply of a Christmas tree stand.

The institute recommends one Christmas tree watering system — the $19.99 evergreen tree watering system, square version, which looks like a gift box.

Energy-Efficient Lights

With energy prices so high, many people are looking to cut back on bills.

To find out whether energy-efficient holiday lights can keep costs down, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested five brands against a traditional set.

It found that the energy-efficient strands, or LED lights, used 85 percent to 90 percent less power than the standard ones.

LED lights are safe for use indoors or outdoors. However, compared to classic bulbs, their illumination is brighter and not as creamy, so outdoor use may be best.

Good Housekeeping recommends the Holiday Home Accents LED Faceted set sold at Home Depot, which had the best price of the brands we tested.

The lights cost $7 for 50 bulbs.

Read more tips