One of my favorite times of the day is tea time. I have tea every afternoon Jayson and Eben. It is the perfect time to relax together after a long day of work and school. It is also a great time to reconnect. We sit in our chairs on the patio and chat about the current day’s activities and enjoy a lovely cup of tea. We mix our own loose-leaf blends so each cup is unique. Some of our favorites are green and blueberry tea or green and peach tea. We purchase all of our tea at Whole Foods in bulk and bring our own container to transport it in.
Millions, yes millions, of Americans are sleep deprived. Surprised? Not really. At least you are not alone. Did you know that Yoga can help you sleep? It’s true. Clinical studies have shown that bedtime Yoga can help insomniacs significantly reduce their sleepless hours. Yoga reduces cortisol levels, this is why you feel so calm after practicing it. Insomniacs have a higher level of cortisol, so it only makes sense to give yoga a try. Most types of yoga, practiced on a regular basis at bedtime should bring on the sleep.
With warm weather finally here, it’s time to enjoy all that summer has to offer. But one thing many homeowners don’t want to deal with during the summer is pests. Ants, cockroaches, and termites tend to make their way into homes when the weather is nice. And these pests can be more than just annoying — bugs can do a lot of damage to a home, which is why it’s important to take care of them quickly. But it’s not always ideal to use harsh chemicals in your home to rid of bugs, especially if you’re one of the 44% of U.S. homeowners who have a dog. Chemical pesticides can be harmful to the health of people and animals as well as harmful to the environment. So let’s take a look at a few natural ways to get rid of and prevent bugs that won’t be harmful to you, your family, your pets, or the planet.
Do Some Landscaping
Pest control should actually start outside of your home. If you have trees, bushes, and other plants right up next to your house, this can make it easier for pests to enter your home. With trees and bushes right next to the house, pests can simply crawl up them and make the jump to the house. So take a look at the landscaping around your house and make changes as needed — look for greenery that is close to the house especially near the roof, windows, doors, and cracks in the siding. You should also check the cracks in sidewalks next to your house, which is a common place for pests to hang out. While it’s true that having smoother pavement can extend pavement life by up to 25%, it’s also important for controlling pests. So start with some basic landscaping to make it more difficult for pests to enter your home.
Use Soaps and Oils
If you’re looking for a product to buy, you can consider insecticidal soaps and oils. These products are botanical mixtures and contain no harsh chemicals. You can spray these soaps or oils right on the pests or around your house as a preventative measure. If you’re one of the 20% of homeowners who have termites as their main pest issue, this may not be an ideal solution. Insecticidal soaps and oils may be less effective on hard-shelled pests unless used on the eggs. These soaps and oils will be effective against many pests, while not harming other bugs nearby, like ladybugs.
Grow Some Herbs
Some insects, like ants and spiders, don’t like the smell of certain herbs. So even if you don’t use herbs very often, it may prove to be beneficial to grow some herbs in your house, specifically in the kitchen. Some herbs to consider include mint, rue, tansy, and pennyroyal. Or if you don’t want to actually grow any herbs, you can also consider placing dried bunches of these herbs around your home. Placing herbs near windows, doors, and other cracks pests can sneak in could do the trick. Additionally, you can spray some mint, lavender, or other oils near these trouble spots for further prevention. Either way, having some of these herbs in your home is sure to help deter pests from entering.
Change Out Stored Items
Homeowners tend to change things in their house regularly, especially with interior designers recommending updating home decor at least every 10 years. But there are some items in a home that rarely get changed out — stored items, like towels, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and bags are perfect nesting locations for pests because they don’t get moved around often. The average home in the U.S. has 300,000 items in it. So during the warmer months, it’s crucial to check on your stored items. Make your way around the house and check those cupboards and drawers you rarely go into to move the items and wash or replace them as needed. While this may seem like a nuisance, it can go a long way in preventing pests from settling in your home.
As you can see, you don’t have to resort to harsh and harmful chemicals to keep your home pest-free this summer. These simple tips will help prevent and kill pests in your home while keeping you and your family safe — all while being better for the environment, too.
Summer is here and with summer comes the rain. Good thing too, we have been dying to try out our new rain barrel. Rain Harvesting has been around since the dawn of civilization and refers to the collection and storage of rain. The rain barrel can be filled with rainwater within a matter of minutes in a good rainstorm. When it rains just one inch, a 1,000 square foot roof area can yield 625 gallons of pure water that can be used to irrigate your garden, lawn, flowers, or wash your car. You can also purify the water and use it as high-quality drinking water. The way that people use purified water to irrigate lawns and gardens, washing cars and flush toilets is a waste of one of our most valued natural resources. Our use of water increases 40-50% in the summertime, so this is even more important in the summer months. Rain Harvesters reduce stormwater runoff which can contain pollutants such as pesticides, oil, grease, bacteria, and debris. Rain Harvesting is also perfect for areas that are prone to drought and water rationing.
How do you harvest rainwater? Simple, really. You can purchase an inexpensive rain barrel that you set up under your rain gutter. Rain barrels are easy to install and even easier to use. They come in great colors and you can almost always find one that will match the outside of your home. We recently received our rain barrel from Rain Harvest Systems and it is amazing. My husband uses it daily to water our gardens and flower beds and my son loves to use the water in the rain barrel to water his Lima beans. It has a flat back so it fits right up next to our house and matches it perfectly. The only tools that you will need to install are a hacksaw, screwdriver, and a drill. It only took my husband a few minutes to install it and it has been problem-free since.
To install, elevate the rain barrel so you can fill your watering can from the spigot, we used cinder blocks to elevate ours. Cut the bottom of your rain gutter off, so it rests just above the rain barrel. (This way the water will run directly from the gutter into the rain barrel.) You can attach a piece of an old hose to the spigot to make filling your watering can even easier and also attach another piece with a clamp to the overflow, that way any overflow can be redirected to nearby flower beds or gardens.
Visit Rain Harvest Systems and check out their complete line of Rain Harvesters. Rain Harvest LLC is there to answer any questions that you have and help you start harvesting your share of rainwater today.
75% of Americans use air fresheners in their homes – and frighteningly many common air fresheners contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. To improve the quality of air in your home without artificial fragrances and chemicals, open the windows to allow airflow and change your air filters regularly. If you do need to freshener up the pet bed or laundry basket try this air organic air freshener recipe. Ingredients:
35 drops of organic lemon essential oil
1 cup of water
Directions:
Mix ingredients in a spray bottle, shake well, and enjoy a chemical-free air freshener.
