I’m a fan of summer. The beach, the outdoors, more sunshine… not to mention backyard cookouts featuring our favorite mouth-watering BBQ on the grill. While I love any meat slathered in barbecue sauce (I am a Southern girl, after all), grilling recipes don’t always make for the healthiest meal. For one, most of us grill...
Continue reading Is Grilling Healthy? (+ Grilling Recipes)...
Yeah, yeah, it's all about the data, but wouldn't it be cool, I mean really cool, to have a personal caddie following you around for the rest of the summer?
No, you won't have Cheech Marin telling you to forget immortality and start thinking about hitting the 7-iron, but you can have ARCCOS 360 help you understand your game better through analytics, and its new, dramatically improved Caddie 2.0 help you think your way through your round.
Now that's a defining moment.
ARCCOS believes if you allow Caddie 2.0 to be your on-course companion, you can avoid those bad shots that result from bad decisions and, ultimately, shoot lower scores. It's artificial intelligence, but it's based on your game, your strengths, your weakness and can be fine-tuned to the way you want to play.
But can a virtual caddie really help you shoot lower scores? For that, we need you.
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MyGolfSpy is looking for three hardcore, dedicated and tech-savvy golfers to use ARCCOS 360 and Caddie 2.0 for the rest of the golf season and determine if analytics plus using Caddie 2.0 on-course will help you improve your game and lower your scores.
This review opportunity is open to any golfer on the Planet Earth who uses an iPhone (sorry Android users - Caddie 2.0 is iPhone only at this time).
This review opportunity is a little different from others we've done. We're asking for a serious commitment to use and evaluate ARCCOS 360 and Caddie 2.0 for the remainder of the golf season. Reviewers will need to be motivated, detail oriented and tech-savvy, so please make sure you read the following instructions carefully and apply in the proper place.
All of our member reviews are published in our Community Forum (click here to check them out). We expect a lot from our reviewers - writing a thorough, detailed and honest review is a lot of work. You'll be writing detailed reviews of your journey, as well as participating in the MyGolfSpy Community Forum itself to answer questions and discuss product performance with other golfers.
That means to be a potential reviewer you must be a registered member of the MyGolfSpy Community Forum, where you'll find tens of thousands of like-minded golfers from all over the world anxious to talk about golf equipment.
To apply to test, review and keep an ARCCOS 360 kit with Caddie 2.0, here's what you have to do:
- First, sign up for the MyGolfSpy Community Forum (click here to register).
- Second, apply ONLY in the Official ARCCOS 360/Caddie 2.0 Review Application thread in the MyGolfSpy Forum (click here).
We'll be announcing our testers next week in the Forum, so please check back there to see if you've been selected.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
At the end of a long day, all we want to do is relax in our comfort zone. However, a home with a dingy bathroom isn’t exactly what we have in mind when we think of comfort, right? Have a pristine, hotel-like bathroom by practicing these tips:
Photo by Dan Watson on Unsplash
Keep your sink from getting scratched
Avoid abrasive cleaners, which can scratch your sink. Those scratches become magnets for grease, soap scum and dirt. Scrubbing the sink with a solution of 1 tablespoon ammonia to 1 gallon of water will dissolve them and bring back your sink’s shine. A solution of 1 teaspoon of trisodium phosphate to a gallon of water effectively removes grease and soap scum build up as well. Also known as TSP, trisodium phosphate, a degreasing agent, can be found at most hardware stores in white powder form. Source: HomeGuides.SFGate
Maintain a clean sink
Regularly wash your sink with soap and water. You can prevent dirt and stains from building up in the first place by gently washing your sink after every use. Use a little dish soap and a soft, non-abrasive sponge, and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Source: WikiHow
Remove stains right away
De-stain surfaces with lemon juice. We’ve got a sure remedy for stained sinks: Erase those spots with a paste made of one-half cup of powdered borax and the juice of one-half lemon. Dab a sponge in the mixture, rub, and rinse with running water—it’ll work like a charm whether your sink is made of porcelain enamel, stainless steel, or any other material.
Get rid of mineral deposits
Use vinegar on your lime. The white spots that you have so much trouble cleaning off the faucets are lime deposits from mineral-rich hard water. They’re very easy to remove with a secret ingredient that’s already in your pantry: vinegar. Soak a paper towel in vinegar, and wrap the towel around the spotted area. Wait 10 minutes and then buff with a dry paper towel. This works well on all fixtures except brass or colored fixtures; using vinegar on these surfaces may discolor them. Source: RD
Our selection of trendy ceramic sinks will surely fit your budget and needs. Take a look and call us if you need any assistance.
Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com
The post Simple Care Tips for the Bathroom Sink appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
Are you finding it difficult to remove ring stains in your toilet? With the following ingredients, you’ll have plenty of effective solutions to choose from.
Image Source: Flickr
Coca-Cola
Get rid of stubborn toilet bowl stains with a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola. Pour the full can around the rim of your toilet so it coats the toilet bowl and let the soda sit for an hour. The acid in the Coca-Cola will break down the stains. After an hour, scrub the bowl with a toilet brush and flush. Source: BrightNest
Vinegar
Most people reach for bleach to obliterate toilet germs and stains. However, Green living expert Mark Lallanilla says that plain old white vinegar is not only an effective cleaner, but also safer than chlorine bleach. To eliminate hard water stains, soak toilet paper in vinegar and place directly on top of the stain. Let the vinegar-soaked paper sit overnight. The next morning, flush to rinse and the stains should be gone.
Lallanilla says that full-strength vinegar also works great on grout and caulk. Use a spray bottle to saturate the area and let it soak in for at least an hour before rinsing. Source: TheSpruce
Water softener
Often times stubborn toilet bowl rings are directly the result of hard water deposits. While you can always take some time to clean the ring after it appears, it is usually better to stop the problem from ever forming in the first place. If you can afford to do it, install a water softener in your home and have it maintained properly. This should reduce a large number of water related problems not just in the bathroom, but throughout the rest of the house as well. Source: Cleaning.Tips
Borax powder
Borax powder is a very powerful cleaning agent that’s not found in a supermarket, but in a hardware store. Shut the water supply to the toilet tank and empty the bowl by flushing it once. Sprinkle the powder directly on the stains and rub them with a toilet brush. After scrubbing, let the powder sit for thirty minutes. Then reconnect the water supply to the tank and flush the toilet. Source: Home.HowStuffWork
Why not replace your toilet with top-of-the-line quality and design that still fits your budget? Choose from the ones we have on our website or call us for assistance!
Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com
The post Cleaning Tips for Stubborn Toilet Stains appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
Last month, we used Shot Scope data to examine the Previous Shot Effect and the Anatomy of a 3-Putt across a range of ability levels. Today, the guys at Shot Scope are narrowing focusing and offering a case study of a single golfer. It's an example of how, by analyzing Shot Scope data, one can identify not only areas in which to focus practices opportunities but also weaknesses in things like course management and even the equipment in your bag.
In this first study, the team at Shot Scope provides an analysis of one of its employees and in doing so, uncovers something unexpected.
If you're a current Shot Scope user, be sure to check out the last paragraph for an opportunity to take part in a case study of your game.
Scott, the Sales Director at Shot Scope, is a former professional golfer who now has a handicap of 0. He plays club matches and some club tournaments. Scott is constantly in the office complaining about his Putts per Round total and how much he practices that area of the game. Eventually, the Shot Scope team took pity on him and decided to have a look at his performance data to hopefully make some suggestions which would result in lower scores.
Here is what we found!
As you can see in his game overview, Scott is a skilled golfer who hits the ball well off the tee, finds fairways a healthy percentage of the time. His green success (Greens in Regulation) is on the low side, and his avg proximity for approaches is farther from the hole than we'd expect from a scratch golfer. Scott routinely alludes to the fact that his putting statistics aren’t great. 34.2 putts per round is poor, and an average of one 3-putt once per round is also poor for a player at Scott's level.
Let’s start with a look at Scott’s putting:
As you can see his Make % for short (less than 6-feet), medium (6-18 feet) and long (greater than 18-feet) putts are slightly low, but they are not terrible. Ideally, Scott should be touching 90% for short range, 28% for medium range and anything in double figures for longs putts. Those ideal Make % stats are based on data gathered from 0 – 1 handicap golfers on the Shot Scope system.
His breakdown of Putts per Green highlights an issue; there are not enough 1- putts taking place. Understanding his Make % ratios, it would seem that he is not giving himself enough opportunities to make 1-putts regularly. His 3- putt % is also high. We know he 3-putts too many greens and this will either be due to inconsistent strike, poor green reading, or that his first putt distance is too far from the hole. With a scratch golfer it is unlikely that it is inconsistent strike and green reading so let’s have a look at Scott’s proximity to hole statistics.
Looking at Scott’s short game, he uses a mix of clubs (8-iron to putter) to pitch/chip. The simple solution is to improve his general sharpness and try to bring his avg proximity to under 10 feet. He might be capable of doing this by simply switching some of his putting practice to short game practice, but we don’t feel that his short game is the complete cause of his long initial putting distance.
Scott’s proximity to the hole from 75–125 yards could definitely be tightened up. 46.1 feet is below standard for a scratch handicap golfer, considering the best on the PGA Tour is 14.2 feet. His approach play from 125–225 yards also leaves a lot to be desired, with an avg proximity to the hole of 67.8 feet. Effectively Scott is managing to hit greens, but the putts he leaves are a long way from the hole.
To give Scott actionable insights, we looked into his wedge play, thinking that he could concentrate on making some changes over his next five rounds and we could measure improvement. Looking at his green success by club, however, we noticed an issue. There is a problem with his 9-iron. It is evident that this club is not performing at nearly the correct level, Scott is going to have it checked out by a club fitter to check the shaft, loft, and lie.
Checking the average distances for his short irons, we see that he also has a gapping issue. Scott is going to organize a testing session to check his clubs and improve his gapping.
Out of sync 9-iron green success and non-existent gapping with short irons are the likely root causes of Scott's issues. The recommendation is to visit club-fitter for a check-up. Aim to improve proximity to hole between 75–125 yards initially and then improve 125– 225-yard proximity to hole.
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Would you like to take part in a Shot Scope Case Study? If you are a Shot Scope user with over 15 rounds in your account, enter your details below - including handicap, location, and the area of the game you think requires work. Shot Scope will select different users and compile reports.
It can be hard to stay healthy on vacation when you’re bombarded by restaurants, food stands, and ice cream windows. But in my opinion, staycations are the best of both worlds. Maybe I’m biased (because travel with six kids) but hear me out… You can have access to your real food kitchen while also being able to...
Continue reading How to Plan a Family “Staycation”...
Oh summer… how I love thee. With an abundance of fresh veggies at the farmer’s market (not to mention fresh peaches for cobbler) and lots of fun activities to do as a family, summer is almost perfect… Except for the mosquitoes… or the occasional poison ivy… or an itchy peeling sunburn! Of course, homemade bug spray helps ward off most...
Continue reading Homemade Cooling Anti-Itch Spray...
This just in, JDM companies haven’t yet entirely “figured out North America” but Fourteen’s latest iron release – it’s TC 340 – likely won't fit that narrative anytime soon regardless.
The SGI (Super Game Improvement) iron was released in Japan on March 21st without any expressed intention of introducing it to the North American market. That said Marcy Kamoda, COO of Fourteen Golf, wouldn't rule the possibility should the demand warrant.
It’s not atypical for Japanese companies to design models for different markets, though the domestic Japanese market is only becoming more saturated as major North American OEMs continue to drip product into the Asian market. While this isn't a flagship product for Fourteen, it does seem to indicate Fourteen feels that whatever growth opportunities remain in the JDM space, are likely in the GI/SGI category.
The tech story here is straightforward. The TC 340 features Fourteen’s lowest and deepest CG ever in a one-piece forged iron. No tungsten weighting, cavities filled with top-secret liquid polymers or multi-material designs; the construction consists of just a single piece of S35C forged carbon steel. Fourteen labels the TC 340 as “ultra-forgiving” yet retaining its “signature (forged) feel.” So much of the JDM narrative revolves around the heritage and history of Japanese craftsmanship and forging houses which makes it at the very least noteworthy that Fourteen's clubs are forged in China. There are several possible reasons why Fourteen goes this route. One is cost. The TC 340 requires a seven-step forging process and it's possible contracting with a third party like Endo (which has forged for Fourteen previously) was cost prohibitive for this limited run. The other is that Fourteen's genesis is as a club design OEM, not a forging house; thus it doesn't push the "Forged in Japan" narrative because it neither applies to nor defines the brand.
The trend in North America and Europe is to pack irons chock full of game improvement features and attempt to conceal them while retaining playerish aesthetics (thinner toplines, less offset and a more compact overall footprint). The TC 340 is the antithesis to this evolving norm of iron design.
The TC 340 is thick with plenty of offset and an undercut cavity which is visible at address – though it's less noticeable in the short irons, where a higher CG location allows for a more traditional (albeit relatively larger) shape. The longer irons (5-7) feature a shorter blade height and excessively wide soles, which provide hybrid-esque launch and forgiveness, particularly out of the rough. The net result is a tremendously forgiving iron, with two trajectory options – high and higher.
Generally, the practice with SGI irons is to accept a less pleasing hollow and metallic feel as the opportunity cost for maximum forgiveness. Because the TC 340 are one-piece forged, centered strikes feel acceptably solid though it is at least several steps removed from the density of a CB/MB forged iron. It would be easy to pick on the S35C carbon steel (which is marginally harder than S25C) though consumers are coming to understand the role each component (shaft, shaft flex, grip, ball preference, acoustic engineering) plays in determining how a club feels.
Regardless of where a design such as the TC 340 is forged, a 7-step process is going to be quite a bit more expensive than casting and given the advancements in precision casting (particularly in the last 15 years), it reasonable to question why Fourteen didn't go that route.
In speaking with Kamoda, he agreed that casting would have kept costs down. However, Japanese consumers expect to pay a premium for forged irons, and the western concept of lower prices driving demand doesn't play out the same way in the Japanese golf market. In a material sense, Kamoda also stated that the forging process allowed for a finished product with more consistent CG locations throughout the entire production run and an aesthetic which better matched the original CAD designs.
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Whether or not the TC 340 reaches North American distribution channels remains to be seen. For now, it is available RH only (5-Gap) though with a 22° 5 iron and 46° P/A wedge. Effectively, it's a 4-PW set. Nippon is the preferred shaft partner, with the both the Zelos 6 ($220/club) and NS 950 ($200/club) available as stock options.
The likely target is an already loyal Fourteen consumer who has lost some swing speed but still wants to bag forged irons (or at least say they do) with maximum forgiveness and launch.
Is the TC 340 an option you'd like to see in North America or do other OEMs already have this segment fully covered?
Click here to read 5 Different Activities for 6 Lines of Tape on Hands On As We Grow
Just six simple lines of tape can lead to a lot of fun while you develop fine motor skills, too!
We recently did our tape jumping game again.
It is such a blast! The kids get so many giggles out of it.
This time, we expanded on it a little though and had some more fun with the same lines of tape?
First, I used painter’s tape and made six lines of tape about a foot apart from each other.
Or try these 2 activities with ‘different lines’ of tape, which is one of the challenges during the 7 day challenge.
And then we had so much fun!
A note before starting: I highly recommend the use of painter’s tape in many, many activities. However, it can damage hardwood floors. I recommend the use of delicate surface painter’s tape (affiliate link), and to also test it in a hidden area before doing in the middle of your floor. If at all possible, do this on carpet (tape sticks to that too!) or tile flooring. Or you can take this outside as well and do it with sidewalk chalk. Same thing!
The original way we did it, jumping from the first line and seeing how far they could jump.
We also jumped from line to line or skipping over a line.
Same as number 1, just doing backward.
George has been practicing this at school a lot, so it was fun to bring it into this activity. He can definitely jump on one foot, but not very far (mostly in place).
He asked me to hold his hand while jumping with one foot to help him.
Starting with your foot on the first line, see how far you can stretch with your other foot while keeping your first foot in place.
Start by standing on the first line and then bending over to touch the next line with your hands. Then walk forward with your hands, seeing how far you can reach.
Measure yourself! Lay down and see how long you are.
For older kids, write down their measurements and compare!
For younger kids, just do it and giggle!
Louis is 2 years old and he can jump pretty good, but can’t jump far enough from line to line yet. But he gets in there and does everything still haven’t a blast!
For all kids, I highly recommend that you, the parent, teacher or caregiver, do it too. That’s what will make them get the most giggles when they see you doing it.
I recommend doing this for any of the activities in the 7 day challenge. It really makes a difference!
Lemonade is the classic drink for a hot summer day, but the usual recipes are super sweetened and involve a lot of sugar! I love the flavor and effervescence of other fermented drinks, so why not probiotic lemonade? I looked it up to find it was a thing and decided to give it a try....
Continue reading Refreshing Lemonade Recipe (With Probiotics)...
Picking up where it left off at the U.S. Open, Titleist is trickling out more of its upcoming TS metalwoods lineup. This time around it's the TS2 and TS3 fairway woods, and as was the case with the drivers, the company isn't providing much in the way of actual information just yet.
Here's what it is saying:
Building on the fast start for the new TS Drivers, our team continues the Tour seeding and validation process with the new TS2 and TS3 Fairway Metals at the Quicken Loans National. Performance validation for the new TS Drivers and Fairway Metals will ramp up over the coming weeks across the worldwide professional tours, so be sure to stay up to speed with our updates.
If you would like to stay up to speed, the Titleist website has a form for that. Feel free...
What is notable in the provided photos is that Active Recoil Channel, a signature bit of Titleist technology that disappeared from the TS Drivers, remains in the fairway wood. It's also worth mentioning that the TS3 fairway appears to leverage a form of SureFit CG adjustability. Both models feature adjustable hosels. There's no evidence, but we're going to assume that, like previous Titleist fairway releases, one of the models will be deeper faced and more suitable for use off the tee than the other.
We're early in the tease and release cycle here, so I'm willing to wait this out, but the Titleist approach to TS appears to mirror the TaylorMade strategy, and I'm not convinced that's entirely a good thing.
Firstly, the TS approach appears to be similar to the M approach. TS2, like the M4, is hosel-only adjustable, while the TS3 (M3) brings the kitchen sink of Titleist technology - and yes, we know Mizuno does this as well. This part of the strategy I like because it brings an obvious point of distinction for those who won't be bothered to go through the fitting process to determine whether or not the movable parts offer any quantifiable benefit.
The part that could prove problematic is that, thus far anyway, the strategy is entirely tour-driven. Again - it's early, so there's still plenty of time for Titleist to start a conversation with the golfers it hopes will buy TS, but talking about the tour and yourselves to the exclusion of everything else is a recipe for stagnation, if not failure.
Recent history has taught us that when brands fail to relate to not just their core consumer, but to a larger piece of the marketplace, they struggle. That should be obvious enough, but what some golf brands - and to date, I'd include Titleist in that list - have thus far refused to accept is that the pyramid of influence has shifted, perhaps even imploded. It's much more peer-driven than it used to be; the influence of tour and the club pro is waining. It's great that your product works for the guys you pay to play it, but what does that matter for the rest of us?
Golfers are beginning to embrace to the idea that fitting matters more than tour counts and that paid influence rightfully doesn't count for much at all.
Rather than dig into the details of slipping or stagnant market share or buckets of red ink, I'll simply point out that while there is a correlation between tour use and retail success in the ball, putter, and wedge categories, that's basically where it ends - and even in these categories, gaps are narrowing.
The #1 Driver on tour is not #1 at retail, and that's the example that allows me to say the same is true in the fairway, hybrid, and iron categories - and it's worth noting that drivers and irons are where the real money is made.
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I'll stop short of saying I'm excited about the launch of the TS line, but I'm certainly curious. Titleist needs to do things differently this time around - and I'm fairly certain it knows it. Whether or not it can execute this launch in a manner that excites consumers beyond the confines of #TeamTitleist is the challenge. That's particularly difficult when your brand's heritage is rooted in the professional game.
I will say there are signs of fresh thinking coming from Titleist and I certainly like what I've heard over the last several months. Will that manifest in a new strategy that reaches more golfers without compromising the Titleist identity?
We'll find out in a couple of months.
