Archive for Home/Garden
Creating a Relaxing Home – With Water Accents
Posted by: | CommentsThere is nothing more relaxing than a home that is peaceful, beautiful, with the right ambiance. Well, most people’s aim to make their home functional, yet elegant, and their own special place.
After a stressful day at work, you need to be able to relax in your own home, and that’s difficult to do if your living space is in disarray and messy. It’s difficult to relax when chaos surrounds you.
Most of us strive toward creating a relaxing environment for ourselves and families. After all-There’s no place like home, is there?
Many people have a flair for decorating their home. They have a great eye for color and design. They have specific requirements when it comes to choosing furniture and accents for their home, whether it be eclectic, traditional, or ultra modern. They find ways to make their home reflect their own personalities. They usually have no problem in making their home appealing and relaxing.
For others trying to visualize what is possible is a real challenge. No matter how together and organized we are in other areas of our life, we have no ideas of what should go with what. Read More→
Cook It Up!
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Debe Lange
While our children were home, we concerned ourselves with cooking nutritious meals for them on a regular basis. We knew their growth, stamina, and concentration depended on it. Fresh fruits, raw vegetables, and meats were all a part of teaching them to eat healthy when they became adults.
So what happened to all of that good training and advice once they moved on? I’m not talking about them not following through on the good eating habits they learned. I’m talking about us!
We stop cooking!
When there’s only us, and maybe our spouse around to eat, we get lazy and stop cooking all those good foods that we already know we need to stay healthy. If there was ever a time in our lives that we needed good nutrition, it’s now when our bodies are aging.We need the calcium at a time when osteoporosis is increasing and joints are less mobile. Our skin is drying out, our hair is losing its sheen or falling out altogether, and our teeth … well that goes without saying. Add all the residuals left from injuries, diseases, and bad habits we’ve acquired along the path of life and its no wonder we’re achy and stiff in the morning. Healthy food isn’t an option. It’s a necessity. Read More→
Simplify And De-Clutter Your Life
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By Debe Lange
If you’re like many of the rest of us over fifty, we’ve gathered a lot of “stuff” over the years. Let’s be honest for most of us the only times we have a really good clear out of things we no longer use or need is when we move. Even then many of us just pack and go to leave things sit in boxes until the next time. We have our own stuff and often things belonging to other family members that have left their belongings behind.
Sometimes we have friends or family that move house and don’t have room to take everything with them. Being a nice person you offer to let them store things in your garage or basement until they get settled. Except, they forget about it and so do you, until you try to find something and have to move all this stuff. Then too, you have your own boxes, closets, and garage full of those half-completed projects that you’ve never quite gotten back to; those tools that you haven’t used since 1983; the not quite empty cans of paint or stain left over from the remodeling you did three summers before last that you didn’t want to waste; and the skeins of yarn, scraps of fabric, and all those clothes that your diet never quite brought you back to. Read More→
Water Fountains Are A Beautiful Addition To Any Space
Posted by: | CommentsSoothing and relaxing
The sound of trickling water is a very soothing one for most people. A back yard or indoor water fountain is a great way to add an element of relaxation, and a part of the natural world into a home, garden, office or other commercial space. Outdoor and indoor water fountains come in a huge variety of styles and sizes to suit any decor.
A great gift idea
Kenroy Home Costa Brava
Water fountains for outdoor or indoor enjoyment are also great gift for the person that has everything. They can come in either traditional or more modern styles and have a wide variety of finishes, colors and sizes. They are also works of art in their own right. This is also a gift that lasts and one you’ll be remembered by. With so many great indoor and outdoor fountains to choose from it’s a good idea to find one that suits the person and their home decor. Fountains like any piece of art can also be a great conversation piece as well as being wonderful for creating a relaxing mood.
Fountains for home or office
Fountains can also have a practical use for homes or offices that have a lot of distracting noises. The sound of the trickling water can drown out other ambient sounds to help you relax, relieve stress, or focus your mind on the task at hand. Some of the different places that you can place a water fountain include tabletops, gardens, desks, bedrooms, offices and other commercial areas. Back yard and indoor water fountains are a great way to enhance a mood and improve the overall ambiance of the area. Water fountains also help to humidify a room, so they have practical as well as aesthetic purposes.
Preparing Your Garden For Fall
Posted by: | CommentsFall season is considered as the best season for harvest. This is also an ideal time to arrange your flower beds and to clean up in preparation for winter.
Preparing your Garden for Fall
Of course depending on where you are living in the world and your climate this will dictate how much protection your plants and shrubs will need, and how much work is required in preparation for the coming winter months. I lived in the interior of BC for a while and it can get really cold during the winter. This leads to many lost plants if they are not adequately protected.
Even if you do live in a colder climate often the fall can still be really pleasant; making it a good time to get those outdoor projects done; rather than waiting for the really cold weather when it is not as enjoyable and you would rather be indoors.
Before the frost comes it’s time to check around your garden and plan what you need to do to prevent the frost from damaging your most vulnerable plants. Even though the days may still be relatively warm the night cool off and we can start to experience some frost. If you are feeding your garden with fertilizers, the best time to do this is from spring to mid August. However, if you have weak plants and want to give them an extra boost before winter then low nitrogen fertilizer can be used during the fall. Read More→
Cooking For Two
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’ve been used to cooking for a family, it can take a while to make the adjustment of cooking for just one or two people again. On the plus side you can cook meals that you really like as well as preparing meals in advance.
So many grocery stores cater to families with those humongous family packs of chicken, pork chops and other products. We all like to try to save money wherever possible, and for many it’s a necessity, especially if you are retired on a pension or on a fixed or low income. However, you end up paying more by buying smaller amounts.
Ways to save money
Some ways to still save money is to either, split the family packs with a friend, cook in bulk and separate into freezer bags or containers then freeze these meals. Otherwise, you can simply freeze what you don’t need and defrost as needed. I don’t know about you but I hate waste. I always keep my bread in the freezer, I just take out what I need, that way it’s always fresh and only takes minutes at the most to be ready to eat. The other advantage is; if you’re making a sandwich and like to add butter to your bread, the butter spreads so much easier if the bread is still a little frozen. Read More→
Feng Shui-Is It For You?
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re not familiar with Feng Shui you can be forgiven for thinking it sounds like some form of oriental cuisine.
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that began around 3000 years ago. It is based on the chi, the energy that surrounds all of life. It is based on the Yin-Yang theory and uses the laws of the elements of nature. Many believe that Feng Shui can improve your life, by creating good fortune, more harmony, good health, wealth, fun and happiness.
Those that follow Feng Shui make many decisions based on the Feng Shui principle. Some will make their real estate purchases based on Feng Shui. Even more will use these principals for other things, especially when related to the layout of their homes and office spaces. To keep the Chi flowing the selection and placement of items is important. It is said that by using colour, light and placing furniture, ornaments and other items in the desired locations that this will increase the vibration of the home or office.
Your living space can certainly affect your moods, so use cheery colours, allow as much natural light as possible into your space. Accessorize your home with colourful cushions, pictures, ornaments, and coloured throws, items that you really like. Also add healthy plants to your living space. Read More→
How Does Your Garden Grow
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By Debe Lange
You don’t need to have a green thumb to grow plants. Most of us began our households with a philodendron or ivy simply because they were given to us by our mothers or older friends. They already knew that plants in the home have benefits and wanted us to experience some of them.
Yet, as was the case with most of us, when we were younger we knew almost nothing about plants or the care they required. We’d either turn their roots to mush because of over watering, or we’d forget about them sitting on the window sill in the hot sun and bake them. Needless to say, we determined from those experiences that we just didn’t have a green thumb and avoided anything green for years later. Finally, over time, we became adventurous and decided to try again. Whether you know anything about plants or not, learning about them and growing them is easier than ever. With the internet and the availability of books, discovering the joy of growing plants is heartwarming.
You don’t need a large garden space, or even a small yard. Vegetables and herbs can be grown in pots indoors and supply you with fresh food all year ‘round. Tomatoes can be grown in hanging baskets and when you choose the small cherry tomatoes, they also serve a dual purpose by bringing some bright color into a very neutral room.
Besides the beauty of plants another great way to bring nature into your home is to add a water feature. You can add one to your indoor or outdoor area. Read More→
