Articles written by A. C. OBrien

What is Helium

About me - A. C. O'Brien

Near and far, damp and dry, high and low altitude, city and country, East and West of the Atlantic, I have lived in so many places. Now I can honestly say, there is no place like home. I grew up and went to school in Bergen County NJ in the 1950s and 1960s.

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Celebrations & Holidays > Gift Advice Ten creative gift ideas that won't hurt your pocket: 1 of 42
Where Can You Find Cost Conscious Creative Gift Ideas? With the recession rolling over us a break neck speed we all need to conserve our funds. This goes for buying gifts too, in the past gifts were often frivolous items. We no longer want or can afford this type of spending. Wise purchases that do not break the bank are not... More..
Home & Garden > Home Interior Organizing your home and your life: 1 of 40
How can yousail through your day without the mess and clutter getting in your way? The first thing you need to realize is that you must walk before you can run. You need to work on the most disabling area of your home first. This, if it is not being kept workable, is usually the kitchen. You should start by clearing off the... More..
Food & Drink > Spices, Herbs & Condiments Recipes: Homemade salad dressing: 2 of 75
You will, "Bet the Ranch," that this easy ranch style dressing is fattening, but it's not. I have served this at picnics and family gatherings and no one has ever guessed that it is low fat. In fact many laugh when I tell them, they refuse to believe me. Kids eat it with out asking what's in it. Both kids and adults love it a... More..
Home & Garden > Cleaning Kitchens Keeping your kitchen clean: 1 of 32
How Can I Avoid the High Cost and the Toxins of Commercial Spray Cleaning Products and Still have My Kitchen Pass the White Glove Test? We all want to keep ourselves and our families healthy, a clean kitchen can go a long way towards that end. Using costly toxic chemicals to clean in the kitchen can be dangerous if there are... More..
Food & Drink > Cooking (Other) Brown-bag makeovers: 1 of 30
Getting back to basics means getting back to packing lunches for yourself and for your school age children. With one in five in the USA now battling obesity, it's time to turn our attention to our food intake.Yogurt, once the choice of root, nut and berry eaters, today it has become more mainstream. This is a good thing too b... More..
Personal Finance > Budgets & Saving Top ten money saving tips for your home: 1 of 24
Does your home vacuum money from your wallet like a tornado? Owning a home does not have to mean spending like a Rockefeller. Here are the best, tried and true, tips for keeping more of your money yourself. 1. Go clean green. Make your cleaners white vinegar, baking soda, lemon and water. Much can be accomplished with this dy... More..
Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Tips for shoveling snow: 1 of 20
Take care when shoveling snow.Oh great, it's winter again. With shorter days come higher home heating costs, freezing temperatures and nasty road conditions. The icing on this ice cake is the driveway and walk that await your shovel. Having grown up in the North East USA where snow fall is frequent and the snow is almost alwa... More..
Health & Fitness > Arthritis Dealing with arthritis: 1 of 20
What would an Occupational Therapist say that you should do to lead a life with less pain, that is if you could afford the consult? You just need to think more about what you are doing to your joints during your every day activities. Arthritis is a painful condition and is potently crippling, but it does not have to be. It i... More..
Food & Drink > Fast Food Reasons why fast food looks better in commercials than in person: 1 of 20
We've all been there, looked at the menu or commercial and thought, "Hmm, that looks good, Let's go there for dinner tonight." What we see on our plates when our order is put in front of us has little resemblance, if any, to what we saw pictured. What we fail to realize is that any food that is, "styled," by a food stylist be... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections (Other) Should lobbyists be allowed to make campaign contributions to politicians?: 1 of 19
My favorite question and answer; "Money's the answer. What's the question?" Why did your US congressman vote for or against that bill? Take a look at who footed the bill for his pool, sauna, and whirlpool, or, who paid for him, his wife and his kids to take a two week ski vacation in the Swiss Alps at that chalet. That chale... More..