The fixation on technological gadgets has increased without limits in recent years due to the need to stay connected to the world. This increasing need has led to psychological stress and individuals leading an unhealthy lifestyle where these individuals, who are hooked to the Internet or social media and other interesting platforms, tend to lose sight of their day to day and normal existence. The technological addiction through smartphones especially has reached the level where we use our phones anywhere and everywhere and ignore the world except through virtual connectivity. Here is a brief explanation on the two main reasons why you need to take a break from technology to cleanse your body and mind:
Constantly checking one’s social media pages and the remaining interesting news around the world, other than the significant ones, can cause one anxiety or bouts of depression. This results from being dissatisfied with their own lives and the sadness of not being able to live their lives like others. For e.g., a person checking their Facebook page of a friend who is travelling around the world will at times upset the reader or cause jealousy/envy in them. The fear of missing out is a newly recognized psychological stress that most people undergo as a result of being hooked to the virtual world. This can be naturally avoided and one can develop satisfaction and gratification for what they have only when they value themselves above what is posted by someone else. At the end of the day, one needs to live for themselves rather than being stressed about immaterial things. This is one of the reasons why you need to take a break from technology.
It is important to remember that one’s personal life should stay personal and not be flashed to the rest of the world. Psychological analysis of people who overuse social media has shown that they look for acceptance through a virtual world and when they fail to get the desired results, they tend to fall into a depression spiral. Sometimes, or rather most times, one should learn to accept themselves in the reality and try not to project themselves in a different persona. Moreover, there are also other harms such as abuse, robbery, theft, etc. that occur as a result of letting out too much of personal information on the Internet. This is another reason why one has to take a break from technology.
The main problem that arises as a result of being over connected to technology is that the individuals tend to lose out on a social life in their real world. They ignore real face-to-face conversations, ignore their friends and family, and do everything just for showing off. In order to rid oneself of problems that can be extremely harmful in the long run, one should concentrate on the reality and consciously avoid the overuse of technology. Moreover, they should also concentrate on the reason why one has to take a break from technology.
Ready to clean? Firstly, you need to be in the right mindset—be prepared to be patient, remember that mess is normal, and get your favorite tunes on to boost positivity. Next, you’ll need these essential cleaning products: Clorox ForceFlex Plus Glad trash bags, Clorox disinfect, Fabuloso all-purpose cleaner, and Pine-Sol cleaner. Lastly, you’ll want to use these 6 cleaning hacks that will help save time and get the job done more effectively:
1. Use dish soap to remove grease from more than just dishes
Dawn dish soap doesn’t just remove grease from your toughest pots and pans, it can clean grease off practically anything. Were you indulging in a greasy pizza that dripped on your favorite new shirt? Treat the stain with a small squirt of Dawn, rub it in with your finger, let it set for a few minutes, and throw it in the laundry. You’ll be amazed at how well it works!
2. Sterilize and clean other household items in the dishwasher
Your dishwasher doesn’t have to be just for dishes—try putting in fridge shelves, baby’s bath toys, microwave turntables, kitchen brushes, silicone oven mitts, appliance knobs, flip flops, and more! Make sure more fragile items are put into a mesh bag, and we would recommend washing your actual dishes in a separate load from this one.
3. Make your own glue remover
If your kids got into the glue or like to stick stickers anywhere and everywhere, you know how hard it is to get the ‘goo’ residue off. Not to mention the residue being a dirt and dust magnet. Don’t worry, it’s an easy fix—add 2 parts water and 1 part vodka to a spray bottle, spray the area, dab with a wet rag, and let it air dry. Glue be gone!
4. Get your appliances to clean themselves
You might think that you don’t need to clean your dishwasher since all it does is run water and bubbles, but you do. Some dishwashers and other appliances have self-cleaning settings, but if they don’t, try these tips. Swap out dishwasher detergent with dishwasher cleaner pods and run an empty cycle. To clean your microwave, fill a bowl halfway with water, put in a lemon slice or a cup of vinegar, microwave on high for 3 minutes, and awe at how easy it is to wipe away food grime.
5. Clean your screen door with a lint roller
Most people aren’t sure how to clean their screen doors, so many of us choose not to clean them at all. However, the dirt, dust, and pollen build-up can become noticeable overtime. Try cleaning your screen door with a lint roller—it’ll pick up the unwanted collection of build-up and make it a super quick job!
6. Get rid of water rings with a hair dryer
Those pesky water rings on wooden tables and furniture are annoying to look at and almost impossible to clean. Save your time scrubbing, buying new products, and researching how to fix them, and use this hack: blow your hair dryer on heat and watch as the rings magically disappear. Touch up with a bit of olive oil afterwards to recondition the wood and make it look brand new.
There’s just something about a classic pick up truck. As far as stature and power, the following trucks led the way as far as impressive styling, engine power, hauling and off road capabilities that, no doubt, inspired the design of many pickups on the road today.
Here’s our list of the six most tried and true pickup trucks in history:
When I was a kid, all the cool teens had a Ford Bronco, but those with a limited edition Baja Bronco were king of the road. Why? As far as off-roading capabilities, the Baja offered a powerful 302-cid V8 paired with a C4 automatic, plus drivers got a impressive boost due to the high cut rear wheel wells and flares, which left ample room for huge tires. The Baja screamed daring adventure roll cage and special enhancements made to offer heavy-duty suspension.
Ford longed to take their classic F150 off-road, but it took until 2009 for them to create the Raptor, a pick up that offered smooth driving and handling and four-wheeling on even the most extreme desert terrain. Not to mention, this truck could haul an 8000-pound trailer. No problem! Offered in a SuperCrew cab and SuperCab configuration, the Raptor also featured a 4WD system based on the standard F-150, plus urethane bump stops and internal-bypass Fox Racing shocks, which allowed for smooth-riding suspension over the roughest roads and highest jumps.
More of a conversion kit than a model truck, Napco (otherwise known as the Northwest Auto Parts Company) made up for the fact that 1950s pickups didn’t come in 4WD (opposed from Dodge). So Napco designed a 4WD offered a conversion kit that let Chevy, Fords, and GMC owners get the 4WD power they longed for. By the year 1957, pick up manufacturers finally caught on and began installing Napco Power-Pak 4WD conversions on their assembly line pick ups.
While GM and Ford enthusiasts may have issue with this truck, one can hardly match the ruggedness of the Dodge Ram of the early 90’s with it’s Cummins diesel engine. In fact, you can still witness the impact of this redesigned Ram on many GM and Ford trucks to this day, with it’s “big rig” styling.
Prior to the Ford F-150, the Highboy was king of the Ford pick up empire. A tough-as-nails truck renowned for it’s ultra-rugged driving capabilities on any terrain, the Highboy was named for its sky-high frame and 35-inch tall tires that was inches taller than any Jeep, Dodge, or GM on the market. After 1977, the Highboy was considered a “Lowboy” as it was constructed at least 2-inches lower, which is why the original pre-1977 model is now considered a collector’s item.
When a celebrity race car driver pairs up with an auto manufacturer, sometimes the results can be disappointing, which was sort of the case when Rod Hall collaborated with Chrysler to birth the Rod Hall Signature Edition Dodge pick up truck. Only 33 of these beauties were made, and despite the Dodge Ram 150 base design, bed-mount light bar and driving lights, and slick pre-runner front and rear bumpers, for some reason Dodge plopped in a whimpy 318-cid V8 with only 170 hp. Despite the fact, this truck continues to be a collector’s item among pick up truck buffs.
The pickup truck is synonymous with America. It’s tough. It works hard. And it has no problem getting dirty to get the job done. This is likely why the pickup truck continues to be among the best selling vehicle in North America. Regardless of if you’re part of team Dodge, Ford, or Chevy, you know that owning a truck offers a truly unique driving experience compared to any sedan, small compact, or even an SUV.
Here are our top reasons to super-size your driving experience to a pickup truck:
If it’s room you desire, ignore any desires to buy a sleek, compact car and turn to a pickup instead. Seriously, a recent Chevy Silverado offers ample legroom and cargo space for a comfortable daily commute or road trip because who wants a leg cramp to start the work day. Passengers can literally stretch their legs out in a roomy four full pickup truck with ample room for tools and everything you need.
Perhaps power and hauling capabilities are your biggest concern when thinking about pickup truck ownership. However, believe it or not safety is a huge benefit of pickup truck ownership. positive! Think about the safety features built in to most full-size trucks—you get a caged cab, vehicle stability, safety seatbelt systems, side impact protection, and even trailer sway control already built into your vehicle.
Sure, if you own a pickup truck you kind of open yourself up to helping every single person you know move house. However, when it comes to hauling your own stuff, you can’t go wrong with a pickup truck. Take a truck like the Chevy Silverado for example, you can suddenly haul up to 12,000 pounds no problem thanks to the impressive torque and horsepower. Suddenly your vehicle can easily transition from work truck to off road camping vehicle of your dreams.
If it’s a boost you want, a pickup is your best bet when it comes to the best visibility on the road. The height of a standard pickup truck cabin permits a view over most other vehicles on the highway. Is that a traffic jam 6 blocks ahead? Luckily, you’ll be able to see it and take a quick detour if you drive a pickup. Not to mention, the cab of a pick up offers the driver and all passengers all-round visibility, front, back and side thanks to huge rear and side-view mirrors.
Leading us into the next reason why trucks are such great vehicles.
Putting aside all jokes about overcompensating, there is little doubt that many individuals choose to drive a pickup for the sheer power it offers. While Ford, Chevy, and GM differ as far as horses under the hood, most current trucks offer between 350- to 440-horsepower (hp) if you consider a Ford F-250 or a Dodge Ram.
Pickup trucks represent the American dream. And while car buyers have vered from SUV to sports coupe over the past few years, pickup truck buffs tend to harken to the past when it comes to sticking with their love of the classic pickup truck. Many of the following classic trucks in good condition sell for a pretty steep price among collectors.
Here are four of the most coveted collectible pickup trucks:
Considered neither a car nor a truck, the Bronco was unique as far a broaching the needs of both a car and a truck driver, which explains it’s motto “the best of both worlds”. This cube shaped truck debuted for 1966 in rudimentary form for a mere $2400 (base model). However, it was the impressively wide (at 92-inches) wheelbase that offered serious off roading, smooth highway driving, and extreme towing capabilities in a single vehicle. Touted literally as a sports car with 4-wheel drive, the Bronco was mounted on coil springs and outfitted with a V8 engine that could literally take drivers from camping to off roading while offering the style and comfort of a family wagon. Today, this year range of Ford Bronco retails for $25k plus.
Behold the inaugural Ford F-series pickup. Think of it as the crown of America’s trucking obsession. Considering this Ford series has ranked in the best-selling for decades, many pickup truck owners are still firmly planted in the Ford camp thanks to this very vehicle. If you’re lucky enough to find a 1948 Ford F1 for sale, you can expect to pay upwards of $30K depending on condition and customizations.
Looking at this truck, there’s little wonder that it was originally designed in the early 1940’s for military purposes. However, the Dodge Power Wagon caught on in the mainstream market due to its ability to travel virtually anywhere. The impressive 4×4 capabilities of this truck was so good that it there were no revisions until it was discontinued in 1968. If you spot one, expect to pay $45k or more!
It was called the “Super” for good reason. This high-option, everyday use pickup truck boosted unique interior design with a/c, tach dash, power brakes and steering, headliners, and tilt columns. Plus, the exterior could be costoumize with special paint and trim. Find one and expect to pay up to $30k for a model in good condition with lots of options.
