Metal three-shelf storage carts, which can be purchased at craft and department stores, have become a staple item in many homes. They’re relatively inexpensive, come in several colors and are easy to assemble. Since they have wheels, you can easily move them around the house if you need to. Storage carts can serve a variety… Continue reading.

Those everything-in-their-place pictures you see in home decorating magazines may be your inspiration when you’re hoping to tidy up your abode but how do you actually get your home to look like that? Before we tackle the “how-to’s” let’s review the “what not-to-do’s.”  Don’t buy organizational supplies before measuring and decluttering.  Those sleek shelving units… Continue reading.

Samantha Kuhn grew up surrounded by all things electric cooperative. For most of her life, her dad was a cooperative CEO, including the CEO of Kosciusko REMC in northern Indiana. But as a college student interested in journalism, she never dreamed she’d follow her dad’s footsteps into a career at an electric utility … until she… Continue reading.

The “Sunflower State” is Kansas. But Indiana is no shrinking violet when it comes to celebrating the giant, sun-loving flower that brings the radiance of the sun to our fields and gardens. Beginning this month and continuing until the sun starts to fade into fall, Hoosiers will be celebrating sunflowers at various festivals and events…. Continue reading.

Porter County sits in the middle of the three Hoosier counties touching Lake Michigan. This unique geographical location gives the county its amazing “otherworldly” landscape and ecosystem that is the Indiana Dunes. The lakeshore offers some of the most unspoiled natural areas in the state and is home to Indiana’s only “National Park.” Indiana Dunes… Continue reading.

What college student hasn’t relied on a 25 cent package of ramen for sustenance? Not only is it a cheap and filling meal, its as easy to make as boiling water. But the iconic block of noodles and foil packet of bouillon powder can easily be made over into an impressive — and healthier —… Continue reading.

“I touch the future. I teach.” is a quote attributed to Christa McAuliffe, the star-crossed classroom teacher who was to be the first teacher in space aboard the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger. In their own ways, Indiana’s electric cooperatives have been touching the future, too … for decades. Fulfilling the cooperative commitment to community and… Continue reading.

Your dog loves riding in the car with you and playing in the grass on warm, sunny days. But when it gets really hot, keep Fido indoors where the air conditioning can keep your best friend cool. Like people, pets can suffer from all kinds of heat-related problems, like heat stroke, dehydration and respiratory distress…. Continue reading.

Drinking lots of water, wearing light-colored clothing and staying out of the sun will protect you from dehydration and heat stroke this summer. So can your air conditioner. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks air-conditioning as the number one protection against heat-related illness and death. So, take good care of yours. If you… Continue reading.

If it’s too hot to fire up the grill for summertime entertaining, then it’s too warm indoors to heat up the oven. The solution: Host an energy-free potluck and ask each guest to bring a cold dish that does not require any cooking before the get-together or heating during the event. Some suggestions: Salads featuring… Continue reading.

Cool air could escape from your home this summer through two spaces you probably don’t pay much attention to: the attic and the crawl space under the home. If your attic doesn’t have enough insulation it could let cool air out and hot, summer air in. Even though your home was probably built with plenty… Continue reading.

The quickest way to lower your energy costs is to conserve. Here are some simple things you can do that will help you save energy this summer: Give your stove a rest. A microwave oven uses two-thirds less energy than your stove to cook and heat food. Other energy-savers: grilling outdoors or enjoying cold, healthy… Continue reading.