Hometown Online Community

Thank you for visiting the WOW Stuff and NEW Things that are entering the Internet.  We continue to hunt and add fresh Wow Stuff and New Things products to our site. Along with detailed information on where to find them, giving you my opinions and comparisons on how they are rated. Today, the hot trend on the new “internet of things” (AKA, also known as “IoT”), is the latest buzz.  

WOW Stuff and New Things

Ultimately, our goal is to provide you, the online community, with the best cool Stuff that’s currently trending in today’s market. We have labeled this page STUFF because of the variety of categories we have to show you.  We find WOW stuff and cool NEW Things that we constantly add here. And, then we notify you so you can make your own decision and see for yourself.  Passing it forward and sharing with others, is our mindset. I mean, why not? It’s only the right thing to do if you find a really great deal, you recommend it to your friends and family, right? Well, we are “recommenders”. I just made that word up… but just like the new popular “influencers”; that’s what we do.

What’s New?

There are several goodies located here that can enhance your life for the better.  So, be sure to bookmark this site and check back often.  Also, be sure to browse through our various categories of information that is located in the menu to the left.  We are always adding wow stuff and new things all the time, and sometimes we get so excited, we can hardly wait to show everyone.  Please know, that you are part of our valued community of friends and viewers. Welcome.

NEW Things | Hot & Trending

Remember, some of the offers have time limits to their availability, so be sure to register on the form to the right in order to receive the Email notifications. You can opt out any time you like, but we are sure that we will be one of your favorite places to shop online. We hope to hear from you soon.

IoT (Internet of Things)

First, billions of physical devices found around the world that are currently connected to the internet, sharing and collecting various data, is call IoT or Internet of Things. So, what is the actual definition or better yet, what does it mean to you and me? Well, now that computer chips are cheap and they are in everything and everywhere, the possibilities are endless as to where they are going to show up next. Any object can be connected if sensors are added to them, which gives them a level of digital intelligence and makes it a smart device. This enables these devices to communicate in real-time, without involving a human. Internet of Things or IoT, is making the world around us more responsive and much smarter by merging the digital and physical universe. Learn more…

We are always adding fresh NEW Things

Would you like even more WOW stuff? Because we have even more NEW Things. So, be sure to REGISTER for updates, located on the upper right.  Well, it’s all for your benefit and for anyone who regularly visits here.  Yes, we test drive and try all the products and services that we offer.  When they pass our test, and the savings are beneficial, we add them to our category listed on our menu of items.  Each are all located in their proper category to the left of the screen.

We hope you have as much fun browsing our products and services here, as we did finding them in the first place!

The New, Different, Amazing, Cool and WOW…
where did you find this, S T U F F !

First, how would you like to lose weight and feel healthy? My thoughts about weight loss and slimming down isn’t really something we want to hear, but it needs to be said. I will talk about how you could lose weight and feel healthy with what I have learned throughout the years. It’s been quite a roller coaster ride, but it can be done successfully.

Before You Begin

Remember, you need to repeat after me, “You Are Not Fat”. You only HAVE fat on your body. Please, don’t be ashamed with self blame.  Simply, tell yourself that this is just another task to accomplish, like training for a race. You need to set a dieting goal, just like any other goal.  There will be no cheating, so you have to be true to yourself and work hard. As long as you set your milestones and check them off, you will ultimately reach your goal and get to where you want to be.
In order to keep off the weight you lose, you need to make permanent lifestyle changes to the way you eat. It’s really quite alright to indulge once in a while, but if you only cut out calories temporarily, you’ll gain  the weight back quicker than before you began your diet.

Lose Weight | Feel Healthy

When I was a child, I used to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter, with home-made bread, and fresh from the dairy farm butter.  Today, I can barely eat any kind of bread because of how it affects me.  When we age, our body changes, so we need to adjust our diets accordingly.

Seriously, it only makes sense to be very strict the first week or two of starting a weight loss plan.  Because, immediate results are motivating. Avoid unrefined carbohydrates and cut out added sugar. Slowly, add small portions of those foods back into your diet. Reincorporate them in a healthy way, such as having only 1 drink instead of 2 or limit pizza to one slice. Allow yourself to have an indulgence and splurge whenever you truly want it.

Move It to Lose It

When you burn calories and fat, it boosts your metabolism by building muscle.   Unfortunately, our system is biologically programmed to hold on to extra pounds. This means that when we start exercising, our body senses the shortage and escalates its hunger signals. So, if we are not strict with ourselves, we will eat everything we burn and then some.  Most people think that cardio exercise is the best way to lose fat, but strength and interval training give you the best results.
I strength-train two to three days a week, in-between 30 minutes of an outdoor run every other day.  Then, every two weeks I ride my road bike about 12 miles.  It’s good to change it up and trick the different muscles in your body.

Eating Again?

When I get the urge to eat, I use the HALT method. Ask yourself if you are really hungry and then try the apple test.  If you’re truly hungry, you’ll eat the apple and enjoy every bite.  If you don’t want the apple and keep searching the cupboards for something else, you don’t need it. Food is NOT the solution, if hunger isn’t the problem.  How many times have I heard that one?

Furthermore, you need to take in less calories than your body needs for energy.  The kind of food you eat makes all the difference in the world.  Processed food that is high in fat and sugar, can cause inflammation that disrupts the hormone signals that tell your brain you’re full. As a result, you eat a lot more.  I try not to buy any prepackaged foods.  Anything that comes in a box, can’t be healthy for you. Also, you don’t know what or where any of the ingredients came from. On the other hand, anything fresh out of the ground, growing on a bush or hanging from a tree, is mother nature’s way to provide nutrition for us.

Clean Up Your Diet.

Replace bad food for whole, unprocessed foods, including fresh vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats that will fill you up.  In a few weeks, as your brain starts receiving regular hunger and fullness signals again, you will notice that you feel less hungry.  Naturally, you will start cutting back on the amount you eat.  

While you’re at it, start logging each meal to keep a daily food diary (there are tons of apps for this). This leads to significant weight loss because it will make you accountable. One article that I read, noted that people who kept daily food records had about twice as much weight loss as those who didn’t.  I found this to be true when I downloaded an app and kept track of everything I ate throughout the day.  You just don’t realize the values until you account for everything.

Look & Feel Healthy

Most importantly, we want to look and feel healthy.  I have weighed about the same most of my life, until age crept up on me.  For the last 10 to 15 years, I have struggled with keeping my shape.  It seems that there are portions of my body that resist my constant exercise to stay in shape.  I work hard to maintain my weight by riding my road bike and going to the gym (moderately). 

It was only until recently that I tried yet another product to help me keep my weight down, and actually lose weight.  I call it Magic Coffee.  You can add it to hot water as coffee, but I add it to my coffee in the morning, because I like it BOLD.  Then, again for lunch, followed by a normal dinner.  Let me tell you, I do NOT go anywhere without this stuff!  I reached my goal of the most difficult weight to come off. 

Not only did this help me lose weight, but I have more focus at work and achieve much more in a day than without it. 
Now that I am exactly where I want to be, this special recipe of healthy ingredients, just knows how to maintain the right balance of weight for me. Learn more about my secret Magic Coffee. So, I hope this has been helpful for you to lose weight and stay healthy. Enjoy ~ Char

Converting your home, how to solar energy will dramatically reduce your electric bill and increase the value of your home substantially. Also, it will protect you against the insane cost of electricity that you pay to the utility company.  That is wonderful news. Yes, it will benefit you instead of the big corporations.

How To Solar Energy | Big Changes

I just read that beginning in 2020, all new California apartment buildings (up to 3 stories) and residential homes will be required to install solar panels on the roof top. This is in an effort to create a healthier environment and combat the change in climate. Is this good or bad? What is your opinion?

Solar Energy | Sun Map

Google has a NEW Sun Map!  I also read that this map will let you know if your roof needs solar panels.  How cool (pun intended) is that?  SUNROOF is the name of the map.  I LOVE this idea.

Here is how it works: 

First of all, Solar Energy is pure sunshine, which is then converted into electricity.  Today, there are many businesses and homes that have electricity provided this way, which is clean and renewable.  Traditional electricity is made of fossil fuels, like oil, gas, and coal, which creates toxic and dirty emissions, polluting the earth.  This alone, makes me want to GO GREEN!

So, if you’re thinking of installing solar panels on your roof to save money and electricity, check out Google’s Project Sunroof.  Google’s adding machine tool tells you if it is worth it for you to install solar panels or not.  Also, it calculates how many hours of usable daylight is projected per year.  Then, Google assumes your electric bill will be decreased with solar panels if it is more than $175 each month.  Finally, it advises what you should install to cover about 97 percent of the electric usage.  Google, you have one smart adding machine! 

Have I told you lately how much I love technology?  As my Dad used to say, “What will they think of next”?  I, for one, can’t wait to see.