This air inflator has so many features and benefits — all of them necessary, not like your cell phone — that once you use it, you’ll be hard-pressed to do without it around your home. The Black & Decker inflator weighs less than six pounds, so it’s easy to carry around in your hand.

And that’s one of the best things about the Black & Decker ASI300 inflator: because it’s so light, you can carry it anywhere, which really increases its value and usability. It comes with two cords and plugs so you can recharge it at an electrical wall outlet, or by using your car’s lighter socket.

For instance, thanks to the recession more of us are taking vacations nearer to home, so driving is the main mode of transportation. You no longer have to worry about getting a flat on the road when you have an air station inflator. Just pull over, grab it out of your trunk, and fill ’er up.

The Black & Decker ASI300 air station is also really compact, so it fits easily into your car, truck or minivan. Plus, it’s easy to store anywhere in your home. And for ladies, it has an appealing design that rivals any ultra modern vacuum cleaner.

Like modern vacuum cleaners, the Black & Decker air inflator is high powered. It reaches up to 160 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure, so it fills air more efficiently and cuts down your inflation time considerably. This not only helps you get on with other more interesting and important things you have to do; it also prevents back and shoulder pains often linked to bending over and inflating things like balls or car tires.

Plus, the Black & Decker ASI300 air station comes with different extensions — a standard tire nozzle, a needle inflator nozzle, and an extension nozzle. So you’ll be able to inflate large items such as an outdoor inflatable pool or rubber ducky boat, or smaller, more delicate items such as your toddle’s arm swimmies or floats, or any type of ball.

Controlling the pressure when you’re inflating different-sized items is also made easy and time friendly. It has a feature called the EZ air dial, which shuts down when it reaches the air pressure you set.

If you’re in the market for an air inflator check out the Black & Decker ASI300 air station inflator, which is an absolute steal right now at Amazon, where you can get it for nearly 60 percent off the regular price.

outdoor chaise lounge chairs at Amazon

Outdoor chaise lounge chairs come in a wide variety of models, colors, sizes and materials. For many singles and families, light-weight outdoor folding chaise lounge chairs continue to be popular. They’re easy to tote with you anywhere, and versatile, fitting in at many outdoor settings, whether you’re hanging out in your backyard, by the lake or watching an Extreme Frisbee game at the park.

But, for busy people who struggle to find time to relax, there’s an even bigger bonus: You can easily find an outdoor folding chaise lounge chair that’s easy to clean and maintain. Some of these chairs are made from stain-resistant materials such as polyester with PVC coating, or resin, and come in a variety of colors.

Resin is particularly durable and resistant to weather damage. This material has come a long way. You no longer have to settle for plastic-looking outdoor furniture. Resin outdoor chaise lounge chairs can resemble high-end wicker, but they’re much easier to take care of than wicker — and way more affordable.

While you may not be able to carry around wooden outdoor folding chaise lounge chairs, they have a different appeal. They can help to give a backyard or outdoor entertainment area a tranquil or zen appeal. You can also purchase padded seats for extra tush-friendly lounging. Plus, these outdoor chaise lounges are durable and also easy to fold and store away.

Maybe your idea of relaxing includes a sophisticated outdoor entertainment area complete with a pergola or gazebo, an outdoor fireplace and outdoor carpeting. It wouldn’t be complete without stylish outdoor chaise lounge chairs, which you can also find at Amazon.

Choose from a selection of Roman-style recliners, or double outdoor chaise lounge chairs suitable for couples or all the kids. For a more streamlined look there are armless chaise lounges with straight, angular backrests. Or, choose more relaxed bucket-style chaises with curved backs made from slatted wood.

Switching the upholstery can helps to create the ambience you want for your favorite relaxation space. Plush cushions and padded seats for outdoor chaise lounge chairs come in earthy tones such as orange or taupe. There are also floral patterns, monochromatic fabrics, and more exotic patterns. If you’re worried about how long your upholstery will last, choose darker florals and fabrics on your outdoor chaise lounges, especially if you have children.

Time to stop daydreaming about lounging around in the backyard this spring and summer and start planning for it. It’s easy to do by checking out the awesome collection of outdoor chaise lounge chairs at Amazon. Lucky for you, they’ve also begun their sale on backyard patio furniture.

Deck Maintenance: Cleaning

An important part of deck maintenance year round is keeping it clean, but before winter that’s even more important. During autumn, debris has a tendency to build up on your deck. You’ve probably seen plenty of leaves, branches, and other items on there. If they stick around too long, then you could end up creating an environment perfect for standing water (definitely bad for your deck) because it can’t drain through properly.

Always make sure to sweep your deck clear of leaves, branches, dirt, and anything else that finds its way there. I always suggest renting a pressure washer (or buying one) and thoroughly washing it down before the winter comes. This is a good way to get out the dirt that might be hiding in the cracks and crevices.

Other Deck Maintenance Tips

If you haven’t done so already, this is a good time to buy some deck stain and apply it. The stain will help protect the wood during the winter months. You should also check your deck for any cracks. If water gets into those cracks and freezes during the winter, then they will be much bigger come spring and that’s definitely not what you want so make sure you fix any cracks you do find.

My family also keeps potted plants on our deck, but if you leave those plants in place during winter they end up leaving unsightly marks on your wood. A good idea is to either take the plants inside if you have room for them, set aside part of your garage for the plants, or leave them on the deck but place a piece of cedar wood between them and your deck to prevent the staining.

By the way, when you’re looking for those cracks to fix keep an eye out for mildew. It’s a common problem with decks, but if you don’t do anything about it you can end up damaging your deck significantly. While you can buy products to get rid of mildew, applying a mixture of 3 quarts water, 1 quart bleach, and ¼ cut of liquid dishwasher detergent, letting it sit for fifteen minutes, then rinsing it off can usually do the trick. You do want to get rid of that mildew before winter comes though because it will keep spreading even when temperatures are cold.

Finally, once winter does come you want to be careful about removing the snow from your deck. You definitely don’t want to let it pile up because snow can be heavy and can damage your deck, but some shovels can scratch your wood and salt can change the wood’s color. I try to use a plastic shovel and shovel along the boards instead of across them – it seems to decrease the risk of marking up the deck.

I like to think of myself as sort of a bbq purist. I love to grill. In fact, I’m one of those nuts that even has two grills – a fancy stainless steel gas grill with all of the options and also my never fail traditional charcoal grill.

I say “never fail” about the charcoal, because my dilemma with the gas grill is perpetual. Whenever cooking for guests, as soon as the grill is ready and I put the food on, I inevitably run out of gas, having to revert to charcoal or scramble to the corner store to pick up a new tank of propane. And of course, there’s my belief that a good steak should only be cooked over charcoal, but I digress…

I’m a firm believer that cooking with a clean grill does indeed improve the flavor of the food being cooked. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t scrub the drippings after every use because they actually help create the bbq flavor as they continue to cook. Besides emptying the grease pan on a regular basis, I really only clean under the grates a couple of times a year.

That said, cleaning and maintaining the bbq grates is imperative. After all, no one wants to eat last week’s chicken mixed into this week’s filet. Fortunately, cleaning the grates is super simple. All you need is a decent wire grill brush and plenty of heat.

Before cooking, I allow my grill to heat up to a very hot temperature for several minutes. At that point, any gunk on the grates will begin to turn to ash. I simply give the grates a good brushing and they’re clean as a whistle.

When I’ve finished grilling, I find it really convenient to just crank it all the way up for about ten minutes to burn off any leftovers. That alone does a decent job of keeping the grates in good shape, plus it eliminates most food smells and odors that seem to attract critters.