7 Natural Stone Pebble Projects For Every Home

Natural stone pebbles are becoming extremely popular in homes because of their wide range of colors and uses. Here are a few ideas for use in your own home. Japanese Gardens Japanese Gardens and known for their peacefulness and tranquillity. This style of garden uses specific plants as well as rocks and water to create this effect. Often these gardens are small in scale and are incorporated into an overall garden design rather than being the whole garden. Decorative Pots Placing some pebbles around the top of a potted plant can make indoor plants more attractive. Consider what part of the potted plant you want to make the focus. You can use a decorative ceramic pot as well. Decide whether you want matching or contrasting colors in the pot and the pebbles you choose. The pebbles and chosen pot should help focus your eye on the plant you have chosen. Vases Pebbles are also very effective used in the bottom of vases. Glass vases in particular look superb with some colored natural stone in the bottom. The pebble base also helps hold the arranged flowers in place. Decorative vases make great table decorations for dinner parties. Paths and Drives Paths and drives become very low maintenance when covered with a topping of small natural stone pebbles. The pebble size you choose needs to take into account how the path or drive will be used. Heavy car traffic or foot traffic areas need smaller stones as they are more comfortable underfoot and better for cars to drive over. Gravel drives and paths should have retaining edging to hold the stones in place. Drives and paths need to be topped up with extra stone occasionally. They are very durable and much nicer looking than a plain old concrete driveway. Water Features It seems now that everyone wants a garden water feature. They can be very small or quite large and bold but always add an element of tranquillity to any garden. When planning a water feature you can incorporate natural stone in a variety of ways. Larger stones around the edge of the feature can add character. Pebbles can also be used to cover the base of the water feature and to cover up any cords or pumps that are used to power it. Before choosing your stone remember to wet a sample as this is how it will look in your water feature. Ponds The same rule applies with ponds to wet your sample and check the colour of the stone. Natural stone is normally dusty when collected and when the dust comes off the real color is revealed. Ponds look great with built-up edging. You can use a variety of materials including feature rocks, wood, metal and many others. You can also mix and match various sized stones for a more natural look. Pebbles as Mulch Mulching is something more gardeners are doing in the garden. Basically it involves adding a layer of material over the top of your soil to aid with water retention. This means less watering which saves time and also water supplies. Not everyone has an endless supply of water or the enthusiasm to maintain lawns and pebbles are a great alternative, particularly in naturally dry areas. Weeding in garden beds is greatly reduced. It is quite easy to pull the few weeds that attempt to grow among the pebbles. As the plants mature and fill up the planting spaces there is less room for weeds to find a place to grow. To stop the grass from coming up through the pebble mulch paths we have found that a heavy layer of newspaper and then a layer of plastic or weed mat on top works very well. The newspapers and the plastic help to retain moisture, another important reason for mulching. On top of this plastic the pebbles that were recently in the planting holes are spread in a thick layer. Larger flat rocks are used as edging.

Ways to make 'going green' fun for kids

 

The latest generations of kids are rapidly growing up in a modern world full of wonders and challenges that couldn't have been imagined in decades past. They're often referred to as "natives" in regard to technology - and to watch a young child maneuver their way around a smartphone or iPad, it's amazing just how intuitively children can operate technologies that mom and dad had to make an effort to learn. For kids today, learning to live sustainably from the start is as much a part of growing up as surfing the Internet, but by making it fun and easy to comprehend, parents can ensure that the lessons of today will last a lifetime.
The science and studies behind environmental conservation might be a bit too complex for children to understand, but the practical ways to make changes toward a "greener" lifestyle are easy enough that even the youngest family members can participate. Putting environmental awareness in child-friendly terms will encourage kids to participate.
A relatable character -- such as the animated Pocoyo, whose show airs on Nick Jr. and who was named the first Global Kids' Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour "Beyond the Hour" campaign -- can make it easier for kids to understand why protecting the environment is both fun and necessary. And by taking a creative approach to "green" household chores, you'll help your children form habits that benefits your own home and the world.
Try these helpful tips from Pocoyo to help your kids be eco-friendly from the start.
* Turn off the energy. Explain to kids that lights, televisions and computers use energy, which uses up precious natural resources and creates pollution. Make a game of turning off lights before bed: Whoever shuts off the most unnecessary lights is the winner. You can also make a special occasion out of saving energy: have an energy-free family night, using flashlights and fun activities like playing board games or storytelling.
* Make recycling fun. There are lots of ways to make recycling an activity your kids will look forward to. Try a short-distance toss game with non-breakable items, or simply make a game of sorting items the day before you set them out for collection. You can also reinforce the value of recycling by reusing materials for craft projects; try making masks out of cardboard from old boxes or paper planes from excess paper.
* Look for ways to cut waste. Disposable items like plastic water bottles and shopping bags take up a lot of space when you save them up, making it easy for a child to understand just how much room they might take up in a landfill. Instead of wasting all those bottles and bags, have your child help pick out reusable bottles and shopping bags for the whole family to re-use.
* Try new ways to travel around town. It's easy to rely on cars to get around, but they're the cause of a lot of pollution and use up natural resources as well. The fun of simply being together on a walk or a bike ride can make for an exciting alternative to the standard car ride. Or, if you need to go a longer distance, try taking public transportation - kids will love the opportunity to get on a big bus or a train that will deliver you to your destination.
* Take it to the table. The way we eat can have a big impact on the environment, so teaching kids to be thoughtful about where their food comes from is important. Try instituting a meatless meal one day a week and get kids involved in picking recipes and the cooking process. You can also have fun getting your hands dirty by planting a backyard garden, in which you can grow herbs, fruits and vegetables.
When kids get an early start on learning to be earth-friendly, it'll simply become a part of how they live. To learn more, visit www.pocoyo.com and watch Pocoyo on Nick Jr. on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. EST or 10 a.m. PST and visit www.earthhour.org for more information.

Ways to make 'going green' fun for kids

Lumens, CFLs and LEDs: A light bulb guide for new regulations

 

(ARA) - You've probably been hearing the talk of federal light bulb regulations for years, but in January 2012, the talk will become reality, and these regulations will begin to take effect. While California residents began the transition in January 2011, the federally mandated phase-out of less efficient incandescent light bulbs begins with the 100-watt light bulb on Jan. 1, 2012, so now is the time for the rest of the country to make the switch to more efficient bulbs.
Before you begin considering your options, here's a quick review of how the new regulations will work:
* Incandescent, or traditional, 100-watt light bulbs for general purpose, household shape lamps will no longer be available in stores beginning January 2012. Retailers will be able to sell-through any existing inventory, but the traditional 100-watt incandescent bulbs will not be replaced on the shelf.
* Incandescent 75-watt light bulbs will be unavailable in 2013.
* Incandescent 40-watt and 60-watt light bulbs will be phased out in 2014.
As these rules phase in gradually, it's a great time to educate yourself on the different types of energy-efficient light bulbs available. Lowe's is joining the effort to advise consumers on the types of options available. In addition to offering a comprehensive light bulb buying guide on its website, Lowe's offers the following tips as you bring your lighting into the future.
Learning about lumens
As we transition away from incandescent bulbs, the lingo used to describe the brightness of the light bulbs is changing. We've become accustomed to identifying the brightness of a light bulb by the amount of power - watts - that it uses. However, more efficient light bulbs emit the same amount of light - measured in lumens - while using less electricity.
For example, the following light bulbs all produce roughly the same amount of light (450 lumens): 40-watt incandescent, 29-watt halogen, 11-watt compact fluorescent (CFL) and 9-watt LED. It's still important to pay attention to wattage to make sure you don't exceed the recommended level for your lamp, but it's increasingly unlikely that you'll exceed that level as you purchase more efficient bulbs.
Types of bulbs available
As you move on from incandescent bulbs, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the different types of more energy-efficient bulbs available. These bulbs will consume less energy and last longer, saving you money on monthly utility bills.
Compact fluorescent: CFL bulbs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times as long, making it easy for you to quickly recoup the money you spend on them. You can save up to $70 per year by placing CFLs in your five most commonly used lamps, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. You've likely seen them in spiral or tube-like shapes, but CFLs also come in the A-line form common in most incandescent bulbs.
Halogen: These bulbs use the same technology as incandescent bulbs but last up to three times longer and are about 50 percent more efficient. Halogens are known for producing the highest quality light but aren't as efficient as CFLs. When changing halogens, you'll want to make sure you use a rag because oil from your skin can reduce the bulb's longevity.
LED: Lowe's began offering the industry's first Energy Star-qualified LED bulb this year - the GE Energy Smart 9-watt LED light bulb. LED bulbs take the efficiency and durability of CFLs even further, as this bulb is rated to last more than 22 years and uses slightly less energy than a CFL bulb that also produces 450 lumens.
For more information on what the light bulb legislation means for you, visit the Lowe's YouTube channel for a light bulb tutorial.

Lumens, CFLs and LEDs: A light bulb guide for new regulations

Three green trends for 2012 home remodeling

 

(ARA) - For some homeowners, remodeling projects are regular occurrences to keep their homes looking fresh. Sometimes, that means smaller changes like a new coat of paint or changing a light fixture. Other times, more substantial changes are needed. Determining those changes can be a challenge, but looking at the potential return on investment is a great way to prioritize.
Bathroom remodeling offers a 68.7 percent return on investment, according to a National Association of Realtors survey. One way to add value to a bathroom remodel is to pick bathroom fixtures that are more efficient than what you currently have installed. Americans are going green in many areas of life, whether with more energy-efficient light bulbs, hybrid cars or by recycling more regularly. Bathroom fixtures are no different.
Here are three reasons why you should consider going green with your bathroom modeling project:
* Products may be outdated. Toilets made before 1994 use anywhere from 3.5 gallons to 8 gallons per flush (gpf), while new EPA WaterSense labeled high-efficiency toilets can work beautifully on a modest 1.28 gpf. Not sure of your toilet's vintage? Look at the underside of the tank lid - the date of manufacture is often stamped into the porcelain. In the shower, the typical showerhead installed in California homes built after 1994 uses as much as 2.5 gallons per minute. At that rate, your eight-minute shower consumes a whopping 20 gallons of water.
* Savings to be had. Compared to 3.5 gpf toilets, TOTO's Aquia One-Piece Dual Flush High-Efficiency Toilet has a flushing system that enables homeowners to select the level of water used each time the toilet is flushed - 1.6 gallons for bulk waste or .9 for liquid. The approach provides exceptional water savings paired with outstanding performance. A family of four can save more than $90 annually on their water bill, and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilet.
If you replace a typical 2.5 gpm showerhead with a TOTO high-efficiency Trilogy Showerhead, you will experience the same luxurious shower, yet consume a responsible 14 gallons, saving 20 percent of the water used by older models.
Even something like a faucet can contribute to water savings. TOTO's Silas Widespread Lavatory Faucet is a WaterSense labeled lavatory faucet that consumes a responsible 1.5 gallons per minute without sacrificing an ounce of performance. Its design has a classic contemporary elegance with a graceful, curved spout.
* Be a trendy homeowner. A whopping 68 percent of builders surveyed by the National Association of Home Builders say that energy-saving technologies and features including low-E windows, energy-efficient appliances, and LED lighting will be common along with other green features like engineered wood products, and water-saving plumbing fixtures such as dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets by 2015. Start now and you'll be ahead of the curve.

Three green trends for 2012 home remodeling

A blanket for your house: energy-efficient, insulated siding

 

(ARA) - With a growing emphasis on eco-conscious living, homeowners recognize the importance and value of having an energy-efficient home. One essential factor for saving energy and maintaining indoor air comfort is sealing the exterior of the home. Insulation and energy-efficient windows play important roles in preventing air leaks where obvious holes are present, however, one hidden area susceptible to energy leaks is the home's framing.
"Homeowners are looking for ways to improve their home's energy performance," says Jery Y. Huntley, president and CEO of the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI), the trade association for manufacturers of vinyl and other polymeric siding and suppliers to the industry. "A common problem with homes today is the thermal bridging effect, which can rob a home of heat and waste energy and money."
In thermal bridging, the studs act as a passageway for heat to escape. Most insulation helps seal wall cavities, but the wall studs on either side of the cavities are often left exposed, reducing the insulating value of the entire wall.
"Continuous wall insulation is crucial to fully seal the exterior and protect against heat loss," says Jerry Blais, vice president of marketing for Ply Gem, a leading manufacturer of home remodeling and building products. "Insulated siding is one solution that helps reduce the impact of thermal bridging, adding a blanket of insulation over the exposed wall studs."
Backed with polystyrene foam insulation that is integral to the panel, insulated siding can increase a wall system's R-value, or thermal resistance. The continuous insulation the siding provides over the entire wall can contribute to reducing the energy needed to heat or cool a home.
In fact, ENERGY STAR and other programs now recognize insulated siding as a valid material to reduce thermal bridging. Therefore, insulated siding is included in the checklist of products that help homes qualify to earn the ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes label.
"The recognition of insulated siding as home insulation in energy codes and energy efficiency programs legitimizes a benefit we've known for some time," says Huntley.
Beyond energy efficiency, insulated siding offers many other benefits:
* Because it is made with vinyl, insulated siding is low maintenance. It provides the look of real wood, but does not require painting or staining.
* Insulated siding is an exceptionally dry wall system, making it resistant to mold growth and deterioration due to moisture absorption.
* The foam insulation backing and wide-style clapboard design options make insulated siding an extremely durable and impact resistant cladding, while improving the exterior wall flatness for added aesthetic appeal.
Today's vinyl siding manufacturers offer insulated siding options at various price points and in an assortment of colors. Blais recommends Mastic Home Exteriors by Ply Gem Structure EPS for superior performance and a wide selection of coordinating designer accents and accessories, which can be found on www.mastic.com. Options such as Napco by Ply Gem American Essence or Variform by Ply Gem CSL 600 also offer classic styling in numerous colors.
If you are considering insulated siding for your next home improvement project, ask your contractor to download a free copy of Insulated Siding as Home Insulation: Guide for Users and Energy Raters, published by the VSI. Available at www.insulatedsiding.info, this guide offers information on how insulated siding contributes to building energy performance, as well as proper installation techniques.

A blanket for your house: energy-efficient, insulated siding

Six Types Of Meditation

There are so many different types of meditation. How many? Who knows, but enough so that you can find the one that's right for you. To get your search started, here are six types of meditation you can try.

1. Breath watching. Can meditating be as simple as paying attention to your breath for a few minutes? You bet. Relax in whatever position works best for you, close your eyes and start to pay attention to your breathing. Breathing through your nose gets your diaphragm involved and gets oxygen all the way to the bottom of your lungs. As your mind wanders, just re-focus your attention on the air going in and out of your nose. Just do this for several minutes, or longer as you get used to it.

2. An empty mind meditation. Meditating can create a kind of "awareness without object," an emptying of all thoughts from your mind. The techniques for doing this involve sitting still, often in a "full lotus" or cross-legged position, and letting the mind go silent on its own. It can be difficult, particularly since any effort seems to just cause more business in the mind.

3. Walking meditations. This one gets the body involved. It can be outside or simply as a back and forth pacing in a room. Pay attention to the movement of your legs and breathing and body as you walk, and to the feeling of your feet contacting the ground. When your mind wanders, just keep bringing it back to the process of walking and breathing. Meditating outside in this way can be difficult because of the distractions. If you do it outside, find a quiet place with level ground.

4. Mindfulness meditation. A practice Buddhists call vipassana or insight meditation, mindfulness is the art of becoming deeply aware of what is here right now. You focus on what's happening in and around you at this very moment, and become aware of all the thoughts and feelings that are taking your energy from moment to moment. You can start by watching your breath, and then move your attention to the thoughts going through your mind, the feelings in your body, and even the sounds and sights around you. The key is to watch without judging or analyzing.

5. Simple mantra meditation. Many people find it easier to keep their mind from wandering if they concentrate on something specific. A mantra can help. This is a word or phrase you repeat as you sit in meditation, and is chosen for you by an experienced master in some traditions. If you are working on this alone, you can use any word or phrase that works for you, and can choose to either repeat it aloud or in your head as you meditate.

6. Meditating on a concept. Some meditative practices involve contemplation of an idea or scenario. An example is the "meditation on impermanence," in which you focus on the impermanent nature of all things, starting with your thoughts and feelings as they come and go. In the Buddhist "meditation on the corpse," you think about a body in the ground, as it slowly rots away and is fed on by worms. The technique is used to guide you to an understanding that your rationalizing mind might not bring you to.

There are many other meditations you can try, such as the "meditation on loving-kindness" or "object" meditation, and even meditating using brain wave entrainment products. Each type has its own advantages and effects. For this reason, you may find that at different times and for different purposes you want to use several different types of meditation.

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How To Meditate

How to meditate? Breath, and watch your breath.

Among the documented benefits of meditation are less anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in irritability and moodiness, better learning ability and memory and greater creativity. That's just for starters. Then there is slower aging (possibly due to higher DHEA levels), feelings of vitality and rejuvenation, less stress (actual lowering of cortisol and lactate levels), rest (lower metabolic and heart rate), lower blood pressure, and higher blood oxygen levels

<B>How to Meditate Right Now</B>

Here's a simple technique that will give you results in minutes. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and tense up your whole body. Sigh deeply, then breath deeply through your nose and release the tension from every muscle. Just feel each part relaxing, watching for parts that may hold onto tension, like a tight jaw.

If you still have tension somewhere, tense up that part again, then let it relax. It may also help to repeat silently "relax" as the tension drains. This will train your body and mind to recognize relaxation. Later you may be able to relax more easily just by repeating "relax" a few times.

Breath through your nose. This is important because it brings in more oxygen by involving your diaphragm more. You can test this. Breath with your mouth and you'll notice that your breathing is shallower. Then breath through your nose and you'll notice that your abdomen extends more. Air is being drawn deeper into your lungs.

Allow your breathing to fall into a comfortable pattern, and pay attention to it. Pay attention to your breath as it passes in and out of your nose. Your mind may wander endlessly, but all you have to do is continually bring attention back to your breath.

If your mind is still too busy, try naming the distractions as a way of setting them aside. For example, say in your mind, "itchy leg," "worried about work," or "anger," and then immediately return attention to your breathing. Use any way you can to identify and set aside distractions.

That's it. Continue for five or ten minutes, or for 100 breaths. Afterwards, open your eyes and sit there for a few seconds. You'll feel relaxed, and your mind will feel refreshed. And you'll be better prepared for any mental challenges. That's how to meditate.

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Balancing Hope And Reality To Plan A Dignified Death

Dealing with the end of life and the decisions that accompany it bring critical challenges for everyone involved-patients, families, friends and physicians. In fact, "managing" the progression toward death, particularly when a dire diagnosis has been made, can be a highly complex process. Each person involved is often challenged in a different way.

Communication is the first objective, and it should start with the physicians. In their role, physicians are often tasked to bridge the chasm between lifesaving and life-enhancing care; thus, they often struggle to balance hopefulness with truthfulness. Determining "how much information," "within what space of time" and "with what degree of directness for this particular patient" requires a skillful commitment that matures with age and experience.

A physician's guidance must be highly personalized and must consider prognosis, the risks and benefits of various interventions, the patient's symptom burden, the timeline ahead, the age and stage of life of the patient, and the quality of the patient's support system.

At the same time, it's common for the patient and his or her loved ones to narrowly focus on life preservation, especially when a diagnosis is first made. They must also deal with shock, which can give way to a complex analysis that often intersects with guilt, regret and anger. Fear must be managed and channeled. This stage of confusion can last some time, but a sharp decline, results of diagnostic studies, or an internal awareness usually signals a transition and leads patients and loved ones to finally recognize and understand that death is approaching.

Once acceptance arrives, end-of-life decision-making naturally follows. Ongoing denial that death is approaching only compresses the timeline for these decisions, adds anxiety, and undermines the sense of control over one's own destiny.

With acceptance, the ultimate objectives become quality of life and comfort for the remainder of days, weeks or months. Physicians, hospice, family and other caregivers can focus on assessing the patient's physical symptoms, psychological and spiritual needs, and defining end-of-life goals. How important might it be for a patient to attend a granddaughter's wedding or see one last Christmas, and are these realistic goals to pursue?

In order to plan a death with dignity, we need to acknowledge death as a part of life-an experience to be embraced rather than ignored when the time comes. Will you be ready?

Mike Magee, M.D., is a Senior Fellow in the Humanities to the World Medical Association, director of the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, and host of the weekly Web cast "Health Politics with Dr. Mike Magee."

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10 Diet Rules You Can Break

There are actually diet rules out there that are meant to be broken? Yes, recently many dated diet guidelines and myths are up for speculation. You've probably heard all these silly rules before, but experts weigh-in on the worthiness of these supposed truisms - most of which won't help you lose weight or make dieting any easier.

10 Food Rules You Can Ignore:

1. Eating at night will pile on the pounds. The total calories you consume over a 24-hour period or over a week is what causes you to gain weight, and when you eat these calories doesn't matter.

2. It's best to eat at the same times every day. Eat when you're hungry, not when the clock says it's time to eat.

3. Dieting with a buddy always makes weight loss easier. Common goals may pay off but weight loss is a personal journey.

4. Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you'll eat less. Fat does take longer to digest, but it will not help you control your appetite. Foods likely to fight off hunger the longest are protein foods, followed by carbohydrates, then fats.

5. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track. Nothing could be farther from the truth- always try to get right back on track with your next meal.

6. Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude. Turning down food that you know will blow your diet is socially acceptable.

7. Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose. Skipping a meal means you will be so hungry at the next meal that you are likely to overeat. This can also help lead to a slowdown of your metabolism.

8. Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening. Whole-wheat bread/pasta is a great source of nutrients, and it won't make you gain weight more than any other food with the same number of calories.

9. All calories are equal. This is somewhat true, however; you'll get more nutrients from a 100-calorie apple than from a 100-calorie portion of white bread. Choose healthier items if you are losing weight, or controlling your hunger.

10. If you don't clean your plate, you're wasting food. If you just don't feel right leaving the table until you've cleaned your plate, underestimate your hunger and put less food on your plate to begin with, or you may overeat.

Don't believe everything you hear! Much of it is just superstition. Now you can tell your friends the real truth. In the end, nutrition experts say, many of the food and dieting rules we hold dear are meant to be broken - without guilt!

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Tips to prevent illness this winter

 

(ARA) - The colder winter months are notorious for sniffling noses, deep coughs, achy bodies and fevers. It's cold and flu season, which means it's a good time to reduce your exposure to germs and stock up on supplies that will help you escape any illnesses, or at least help you tolerate any symptoms.
Preventive care is key to avoiding the traditional winter illnesses of cold and flu. Here are some tips to keep those icky germs at bay:
* Hand washing is very important, so stock up on soap and antibacterial cleansers and have them ready by every sink in your house. Also consider using disposable towels to reduce the potential for germs to transfer between family members.
* Starting off healthy can help you be strong against invading viruses. You might be in need of extra fortification like fish oil or calcium, so ask your doctor about adding a vitamin regimen to your diet.
* Get plenty of sleep. A lack of sleep can wear down your energy and immune system, leaving you more susceptible to viruses and germs. Make sure you have a comfortable pillow so you don't wake up sore or spend the night tossing and turning. And if you struggle with letting your brain relax, a white noise machine or fan running on the lowest setting can calm you down.
* Keep the house clean. Wash door handles, the phone and even the handles on your appliances frequently to avoid the transfer of germs. Keep a good supply of sanitizing cleaners on hand to help speed up the cleaning process.
* Get the flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone over the age of 6 months gets a flu shot. The nasal spray flu vaccine is also now available for people who qualify.
As you're making a list of all the supplies you'll need to help prevent your family members from getting sick, make sure you look for discounts and coupon codes online at sites like CouponHeaven.com. Many stores listed on this time and money saving site offer discounts on vitamins, health supplements, cleaning supplies and even pillows, which in the long run can save you a good amount of money.
If you do end up catching a virus, stay home from work to prevent the virus from spreading to your coworkers, and try to get plenty of sleep and liquids to help build your strength back up.
Don't let the seasonal flu or cold keep you from enjoying the winter months this year. Spend your time discussing the fun you had sledding down a tubing hill or cross country skiing through the quiet countryside - rather than talking about fevers, aches and pains.

Tips to prevent illness this winter

7 Reasons to grow your own organic vegetable garden

During the last decades there has been a change towards mechanization and homogenization of farming, which uses pesticides, additives, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and mass-production techniques. All this is clearly affecting mankind's health, and new diseases are spreading rapidly amongst humans and animals (bird's flu being the most recent one).

The World Health Organization produces reports to show how the use of chemicals and other products on food, coupled with the manufacturing processes involved, are actually a threat for our health.

If you have space for a few pots or even a small piece of land, it is a wise decision to grow your own organic vegetable garden. Today I'm presenting you with seven reasons for doing this:

1. You will have no additives in your vegetables. Research by organic food associations has shown that additives in our food can cause heart diseases, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity.

2. There will be no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers used. These chemical products are applied to obtain crops all the time regardless plagues or weather conditions, and affect the quality of the vegetables. Besides, pesticides are usually poisonous to humans.

3. Your vegetables will not be genetically modified (GM). Antibiotics, drugs and hormones are used on vegetables to grow more and larger ones. One of the consequences of this practice are vegetables which look all the same and are usually tasteless. Besides, we end up consuming the hormones that have been used on the vegetables, with the potential risks for our health.

4. Eating your own organic vegetables will be much more healthy for you. They will not contain any of the products or chemicals named above, and they will be much more natural than any ones you would find at the supermarket. Your health will not be at risk because you will then know that nothing has been added to your vegetables.

5. Your own organic vegetables will be much more tasty. The use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics make vegetables grow unnaturally and take the taste away from them. With organic vegetables, your cooking will be enhanced as their flavour will show fully.

6. Organic farming is friendly to the environment. Because you won't use pesticides or other equally harming products on your vegetables, you will not damage the soil or the air with the chemical components.

7. When you grow your own organic vegetables you are contributing to your own self-sustainability and the sustainability of the planet. Small communities have been founded where members exchange products that they grow naturally, thus contributing to create a friendly and better place for us all.

In the end, eating organic products only means that we do not add anything else to them than they would naturally have. As you can guess, additives, fertilizers, pesticides or hormones are not components of naturally grown food. To better care for your health, grown your own organic vegetables -and a few pots is all you need.

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Americans Get Serious About Recycling

At home, at work and at school, Americans have successfully engaged in recycling programs--and one of the best success stories is paper.

In 2005, a record-high 51.5 percent (51.3 million tons) of all paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) hopes to increase that number and has set an ambitious goal of 55 percent recovery by 2012.

Every American can do his or her part. Although each community's recycling programs may be different, you can generally recycle newspapers, corrugated containers (cardboard), direct mail, magazines and catalogs. Check with your local municipality to find out what you can and cannot recycle.

The AF&PA Recycling Awards were created to recognize outstanding individual, business community and school paper recycling efforts. In 2006, the program was expanded to include a category for schools.

"This year's Recycling Award winners have exhibited innovation and social responsibility," said AF&PA President & CEO W. Henson Moore. "Their accomplishments in recycling have set new precedents."

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Items to put on your home winterization checklist

 

(ARA) - Preparing your home for cold weather is important for your comfort this winter as well as your utility bills. When you're making your winterization to-do list, be sure to include these simple updates that will help prevent costly damage to your home and provide you with the peace of mind that you're saving energy, water and money.
Give your furnace a tune-up: Schedule an appointment to have your furnace inspected and serviced. Annual maintenance by a professional will help ensure your furnace is in prime condition for the long winter and operating as efficiently as possible. Plan ahead and get a preseason check-up before HVAC crews get backed up during the busy winter months. In addition to a professional inspection, don't forget to inspect the furnace filters on a monthly basis. A dirty filter obstructs air flow in the home and reduces efficiency.
Check your insulation: Snuggling under a heavy blanket or layering on extra socks and sweaters may feel like a cozy way to watch your favorite holiday movie, but it could also be a sign that it's too cold in your house. You may need more insulation to keep that warm, conditioned air your furnace is cranking out in all the right spots.
A good place to start is the attic. All it takes is a quick peek at the floor of your attic to know if you need more insulation. If your attic floor is insulated, but the floor joists are still visible, then you probably don't have enough. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that the recommended level of insulation for most attics is approximately 10 to 14 inches or an R-value of R-38, depending on insulation type. Check out the Energy Star website to find a chart indicating the recommended level of insulation per region.
Install energy-efficient windows: A significant amount of heat can escape through older, less efficient windows. Installing Energy Star-qualified windows can reduce heat loss and increase comfort during extreme weather. According to the DOE, some Energy Star-qualified windows feature more than three panes for increased efficiency and sound insulation. Take the time to research which type of window is the best fit for your climate before making a purchase, as different models are available to fit the needs of different performance zones.
Install a water-efficient showerhead: A warm shower during the winter doesn't have to be a guilty pleasure. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense Program water-saving specifications for showerheads require a flow rate of no more than 2 gallons per minute (gpm).
As the 2011 WaterSense Manufacturer Partner of the Year, Delta Faucet Company strives to help people use water in smarter and more environmentally responsible ways. A 1.5 gpm Delta showerhead featuring H2Okinetic Technology uses up to 36 percent less water than the industry standard of 2.5 gpm.
"We understand how much people value their shower routine, so we worked hard to develop a technology that can make the showerhead water-efficient without sacrificing the user's experience," says Paul Patton, senior product development manager at Delta Faucet Company.
Patton says the H2OKinetic Technology employs fluid dynamics to produce larger droplets that retain heat longer and create a denser spray pattern. Together, these effects create a feeling of a drenching, luxurious shower while using less water. Using less hot water not only conserves Earth's most precious resource, but also helps manage utility costs by using less energy from the hot water heater.
Prevent plumbing freezes: Insulate the water lines that run along any of the exterior walls in your home so the water will be less likely to freeze and cause the pipes to burst. It's also a good idea to make sure your entire family knows where the main shut off valve is located and how to turn it off in the event that a pipe develops a leak or bursts.
Winter forecasts look grim with many meteorologists predicting harsher weather conditions compared to what we experienced in many regions across the U.S. last year. A few updates to the interior and exterior of your home can safeguard it from potential damage and keep you and your family comfortable throughout the season.

Items to put on your home winterization checklist

A Practical Solution To U.S. Energy Needs May Exist

While both the demand for energy and energy prices continue to increase, nonrenewable sources of energy, particularly fossil fuels, are decreasing. These factors, coupled with the effects of pollution and global warming, are driving consumers and industry to call for a better solution to the world's energy needs.

Some suggest that the solution might be found by making innovative technological improvements to an existing source of energy- nuclear power. Currently, nuclear power supplies 16 percent of the world's energy.

Unlike coal, natural gas, or oil-all nonrenewable and subject to price volatility-nuclear power plants are fueled by uranium, a relatively abundant element that occurs naturally in the earth's crust. Plus, nuclear energy is the world's largest source of emission-free energy. Nuclear power plants produce no controlled air pollut-ants or greenhouse gases.

One of the latest developments in the production of nuclear energy comes from Westinghouse Electric Company. It has introduced what's been described as the safest and most economical nuclear power plant available in the worldwide commercial marketplace-the AP1000. It's the first reactor of its class to receive Design Certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Based on 20 years of research and development, the reactor builds on the proven technology of major components used in current Westinghouse-designed plants. These components include steam generators, digital instrumentation and controls, fuel, reactor coolant pumps and integrated engineering-and have years of reliable operating experience.

Using this established technology as a jumping-off point, the innovative design of the reactor is said to offer distinct advantages over other reactors-including unequaled safety, economic competitiveness and improved and more efficient operations.

The AP1000's innovative approach to safety reduces the need for human intervention and the potential for human error. Its simplified construction design can lead to significant savings in plant costs and an accelerated construction schedule.

Technorati : A Practical Solution To U.S. Energy Needs May Exist

Green living plus green savings: an efficient equation for today's homeowners

 

(ARA) - Across the nation, both building professionals and consumers are embracing the idea of sustainable building practices. This practice follows a process that is environmentally responsible and resource efficient throughout a building's life cycle: from design to construction, operation to maintenance and renovation, to eventually, demolition. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability and comfort.
Green building brings together a vast array of practices and techniques to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, such as using sunlight to generate solar power and using plants to reduce rainwater run-off.
According to the Energy Information Administration, the demand for green homes is expected to rise 900 percent in the next five years.
In the home, using energy efficient appliances can dramatically reduce energy waste and cut costs. Companies like Miele offer a wide range of Energy Star rated appliances for every room in the house from the kitchen to the laundry room.
For example, Miele offers induction cooktops, which use a non-contact method of heating using magnetic fields to transfer energy directly to cookware. The induction element stays cool, while the target object heats up rapidly for extremely efficient cooking. Like gas, induction is exceptionally easy and quick to control. The ability to precisely control the power makes induction perfect for all types of cooking. It is highly reactive and exceedingly safe. The cooking surface is cool in operation and only generates heat where the pan sits on it. As soon as the pan is removed, the flow of heat stops immediately.
For more information on the various types of energy efficient appliances available, visit www.mieleusa.com.
Young, savvy, environmentally-conscious consumers are at the forefront of the green movement. Programs like the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon allow this demographic to create and design an energy efficient home.
The Solar Decathlon is a program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. This year's winner was the University of Maryland Team WaterShed.
"We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Miele on our entry into the 2011 Solar Decathlon competition," says Brian Grieb, University of Maryland Team WaterShed's faculty project manager. "Miele has a reputation for providing elegantly designed, environmentally conscious, cost-efficient products that are constructed with longevity in mind. These attributes are exactly the qualities we were seeking to include in the WaterShed home."

Green living plus green savings: an efficient equation for today's homeowners

10 reasons to buy a hybrid car

Care for the environment? Want to save the planet? Then you must think in terms of fuel efficiency, non-polluting, and eco-friendly transport. The answer lies in purchasing and using a hybrid car. They not just make a statement that I care but are compact and fuel efficient.

Here are some insights that may just tempt you to buy a hybrid.

1. Made of lightweight materials hybrids are small in size. The engine is designed to be fuel efficient. When the car halts at a signal, the engine will automatically shut down and restart when the car shifts into gear.

2. These cars have the advantage of being powered by a gasoline engine and an electric motor that takes care of acceleration.

3. The batteries of the electric motor recharge automatically by harnessing the kinetic energy produced during braking.

4. Hybrid car engines produce less emission, give better mileage, idle less, and are fuel efficient.

5. The aerodynamic design reduces drag and the tires are made of a special rubber that reduces friction.

6. The battery has high capacity and is made of nickel-metal-hydride. The battery can run the hybrid when called for.

7. The power-train technology enables using two power sources and enhances fuel efficacy.

8. There are many choices. You can have a hybrid from Honda, Ford, Toyota, GMC, and Chevrolet.

9. If your transportation of choice is a hybrid then the US Government will applaud your choice by giving you significant tax breaks.

10. Using a hybrid means you are active in ensuring the air is clean and that you are a concerned citizen who wishes to save fuel which is precious.

Maximize usage by "pulse and glide." This means finding the ideal point where electric and gas energy are equally utilized. Generally this ideal lies between 30-40 miles per hour. Stabilization of energy is learnt by practice it really cannot be taught. Another important aspect is that you benefit if you don't rush around and drive at the prescribed speed limit. If you glide, instead of accelerate then you can make a saving of as much as 10 cents a gallon. Lastly check and maintain tire pressures. This will help lengthen the life of the tires and help you save fuel. Reduced tire pressure studies indicate reduces gas mileage by as much as 10%.

Before you say "yes" to buying a hybrid car, you must do in depth research on hybrids, the pros and cons. Talk to manufacturers and owners. Test drive the different makes and check which one would suit your life-style. Some hybrids are ideal for city driving while others are more efficient on open roads.

Even if the buying price is steep the fuel that you save along with incentives like tax breaks make a hybrid a good and sensible choice.

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Simple water-saving tips can have a big impact on your wallet

 

(ARA) - The average household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bill, but by making just a few simple changes to use water more efficiently, you could save approximately $170 per year and help the environment, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
From replacing inefficient appliances, to taking small steps at home to eliminate water waste, you can make a huge dent in your water usage and save some cash. Here are some easy tips to follow:
Bathroom blunders
Did you know toilets are the single largest water-user in a home? A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day, and it is estimated that nearly 20 percent of all toilets leak, reports the EPA. Slow leaks can go undetected for years, but there is an easy way to check yours at home.
Start by adding a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If you have a leak, you'll start to see that color come through in the bowl within 15 minutes. Flush immediately after you're done so you don't stain the porcelain. If you can't fix the leak, consider purchasing a high-efficient toilet like the Kohler Persuade two-piece toilet.
What makes this toilet so efficient is Dual Flush technology, which includes a 1.6-gallon flush and an eco-friendly .8-gallon flush option. The Persuade toilet can save as much as 6,000 gallons of water annually over a traditional 1.6-gallon toilet.
Kitchen conundrums
Have a leaky faucet in your kitchen? According to the EPA, a drip rate of just one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water per year. So even if it seems like a small leak, it could be costing you big time. Many faucets can be easily tightened and fixed to eliminate leaks - otherwise, consider installing a new WaterSense-labeled faucet.
Dishwashers can be another huge water drain. Remember to only run loads when the dishwasher is full, or invest in a dishwasher with a half-load cycle option, like most of the new Bosch dishwashers. Use this cycle or the express wash when washing small, lightly soiled loads. The auto wash programs use sensors to dramatically reduce energy and water consumption every time.
Lawn leaks
Having a green, lush yard is something to be proud of, but if you're not watering the smart way, you could be letting your money evaporate into thin air. The average single-family suburban home uses at least 30 percent of its water for outdoor irrigation and as much as 70 percent in dry climates.
If you want an efficient home, consider some smart-watering techniques. Start by only watering your lawn or garden during cool morning hours to reduce evaporation. If you use a sprinkler, make sure it's positioned correctly and not watering the street or driveway.
If you do plant a garden, only select plants appropriate for your region's climate. Native plants can be a great option because they often require little additional water since they grow naturally in your area. Group plants together based on their water needs.
For more smart tips about reducing water waste in your home, visit www.lowes.com/efficienthome. Remember that saving water can be easy, and you're sure to love the extra savings in your wallet too.

Simple water-saving tips can have a big impact on your wallet

How to keep your new attic from being an energy-efficiency drain

 

(ARA) - The attic accounts for a tremendous amount of lost energy. This space can reach up to 165 degrees in summer months. When this heat makes its way into the rest of the building, energy efficiency drops and cooling costs rise. While building a new home, a radiant barrier is a proactive solution to energy loss, reducing monthly cooling costs in the process.
Consider adding a radiant barrier
Radiant barriers can help reduce summer heat gain and hold in heat during the winter months. An independent study in 2010 by ConSol indicated that radiant barrier sheathing is one of the top three energy-efficient technologies in new home construction in terms of performance, cost and return on investment.
The U.S. Department of Energy recognizes radiant barriers as a way to lower cooling energy usage during the summer. Correctly installed, the foil surface of the radiant barrier sheathing can block up to 97 percent of the radiant heat in the roof panel from entering your attic. This can lower the attic temperature by as much as 30 degrees and reduce cooling costs by up to 17 percent. A cooler attic will benefit your attic-installed air handling system and in some cases reduce the tonnage required in an HVAC system.
A year-long study performed by SGS U.S. Testing Company in the foothills of North Carolina of two side-by-side structures with and without radiant barrier sheathing shows that a radiant barrier can also help prevent attic heat loss during the winter, reducing energy costs by up to 5 percent. So no matter what time of year, a radiant barrier can help you save.
How to choose the right radiant barrier
When building a new home, talk to your contractor about adding a radiant barrier into your roof system. There are a number of radiant barriers available, but not all of these products are the same. One critical factor to keep in mind is how quickly the radiant barrier dries from potential moisture during the construction process.
In order to make sure your contractor is using a radiant barrier that has been manufactured to help prevent moisture issues, it's important to understand just how a radiant barrier is made. Radiant barrier sheathing typically consists of a structural OSB (oriented strand board) panel with a layer of aluminum adhered to the surface. Some radiant barrier panel manufacturers purchase foil materials that come pre-perforated. This may not necessarily allow the panel to breathe, because the perforations do not extend into the wood fiber of the panel. An added challenge is that the adhesive used to apply the radiant barrier to the substrate can fill in the perforations, decreasing the ability of moisture in the panel to escape.
One product on the market, LP(R) TechShield(R) Radiant Barrier Sheathing, addresses the issue of moisture through the use of the patented VaporVents(TM) technology. This product features incisions that penetrate past the foil and glue and into the wood fiber, allowing the panels to breathe and moisture to escape.
"Tests show that VaporVents technology allows the panel to dry almost as efficiently as OSB sheathing without a radiant barrier, while other products that use pre-perforated foil showed a significant amount of moisture, in some cases more than 30 percent, still in the panel after 80 days of drying. Wood needs to stay under 19 percent moisture to avoid structural issues," says David Drew, OSB technical sales manager for LP Building Products.
Understanding the options
In an effort to reduce attic temperatures, your builder may recommend spray-foam insulation to seal the attic and create conditioned space for the HVAC equipment. While this can be an effective method with the right amount of foam, it can also be costly.
"Oakridge National Laboratory recently released a study showing that a roof system composed of cool roof shingles and radiant barrier roof sheathing can provide the same efficiency as a roof-applied spray-foam insulated attic at a substantially lower cost," Drew says.
When building a new home, a radiant barrier is an effective, smart way to achieve greater energy efficiency. However, not all radiant barrier products are created equal. Choosing the right radiant barrier brand can help protect against future hassles and costs associated with moisture damage.

How to keep your new attic from being an energy-efficiency drain

5 Great Reasons To Harness Solar Power

Very simply put, 'Solar energy' is energy that is derived from the sun. Our sun is an abundant source of energy; it gives of heat and light. The sun's been revered by several cultures of the past and even by a few cultures still present today. The ancient Egyptians even worshiped the sun as a God.

All said and done, it was not misplaced respect; the sun certainly is an abundant and limitless source of power, at least for several generations to come; the merits for using its solar energy are numerous.

It's free

Every morning with each dawn, the solar energy released by the sun comes filtered through our atmosphere providing light and helping to radiate heat. This has been happening for millions of years yet it is only recently that we have begun to capitalize on this abundant source of almost infinite power.

In the past the Greeks and the Egyptians have been known to harness the power of the sun to heat whatever they wished to by concentrating its radiation.

It's non-polluting

The energy from the sun is clean and free of any pollutants; unlike various sources of energy present today like petroleum or organic fuels that leave back residues and often leave back harmful gases when utilized to create energy.

Extremely reliable

The sun has been burning for roughly four and a half billion years now and is likely to burn on for another four to five billion years to come. That's definitely more than our lifetimes and certainly more than several generations of the future. Every morning it promptly shows up and vanishes for the evening while it lights up another portion of the globe.

The saying "as sure as day" did not come about for nothing; assuming the sun is shining brightly, depending on which part of the globe you are you can harness the energy of the sun to either store it away or utilize its energy in a different way.

Limitless

There is no restriction on how much energy we can use from the sun. Apparently, the amount of energy that comes from the sun every few minutes if successfully harnessed can power the entire United States of America for a whole year. If we were only able to harness the immense energy of the sun we would be able to solve all the worlds' energy problems.

Why

Ever wonder why no one thought about this earlier? How come if there's so much energy just lying around, we simply cannot seem to efficiently harness it? How it that so much of the sun energy seems to go totally unnoticed and is ultimately wasted?

Well one of the reasons that this wonderful power reserve is generally wasted is the fact that the sunlight that we actually receive is so thinly dissipated across the earth to be able to contribute substantially enough if we try to harness it.


For us to be able to actually harness the power of the sun we have to be able to manipulate, focus and store the sun's energy. While this may seem simple it is easier said than done; So far we have only managed to develop three partially successful means of collecting solar energy.

The Reflection Method - Mirrors / Parabola

The reflection method is based on the concentration of the sun's rays through a single or a set of mirrors onto one point and then utilizing the concentrated heat energy that is produced for out need. A parabolic mirror much like a dish antenna can be used to capture the sun's rays and focus them on a single point.

The radiation method

This is the principle behind the solar water heaters. Painted black pipes sandwiched between two layers of glass, have water inside them that is heated thanks to the rays of the sun.

Solar panels

A more recent invention the 'solar cell' is composed of treated silicon crystals, which when hit by the rays of the sun knock electrons out of their orbits and thereby create a void that needs to be filled by electrons from the other silicon crystals, this creates an imbalance of electrons and hence a flow of current which can be either immediately utilized or else stored away in a rechargeable battery.

What's stopping us?

Despite the apparent benefits of using solar power it is most unfortunate that there are very few solar power plants around the world. Sadly, with today's level of technology, cost and reliability are two major factors that are still hurdles in the way of mass usage of solar energy.

Technological limitations dictate that the most efficient solar cells created today are still not capable of generating enough power to be commercially viable without occupying huge surface areas. Furthermore, reliance exclusively on solar cells in not yet practical, for if there were to be a cloudy day it could reduce the amount of electricity generated and that would be disastrous for those people completely reliant on that energy.

On the bright side, constant innovation and research on solar energy is resulting in much more efficient solar cells that are a fraction of the size of existing cells and churn out much more power. For now they are still expensive, but not far is the day when they will be affordable and available to the common man.

Technorati : solar panels energy

How to create your perfect shower

(ARA) - From an invigorating spray that kick-starts the morning to an enveloping waterfall that washes away a long day, today's showers offer luxurious experiences to meet every desire. With a little planning and the right products, you can create a personal oasis. Even small choices, like showerheads and accessories, can instantly upgrade any bathroom.

"Showerheads have become increasingly sophisticated," says Rob Larson, director of business development for Danze, a manufacturer of decorative plumbing products, fixtures and bath furniture. "Whether it's water conservation, functionality or a spa-like experience that is your priority, you can easily customize the experience by mixing and matching different accessories and sprays."

A green stream
For homeowners looking to conserve water, new showerhead technology is offering a variety of efficient water flows without sacrificing performance. Creating a luxurious spray no longer translates into wasted water.

"We've worked tirelessly to design showerheads that push water out with greater force, maximizing water flow regardless of water pressure," Larson says. "It's now possible to save water and energy without sacrificing your shower experience, but you do need to do your homework. Not all efficient showerheads have the technology needed to deliver on performance."

Larson recommends pressure-equalizing showerheads and novel spray patterns, each of which can provide optimal performance at flow rates up to 40 percent lower than the 2.5 gallon-per-minute federal mandate.

More flexible flow
When functionality is top of mind, handheld showerheads with slide bar mounting systems on the wall offer a great solution as they cater to a variety of needs.

"Slide bar shower systems are a versatile option for any homeowner because the spray direction is so easy to manipulate," Larson said. "You not only have the ability to pair a wide variety of handheld showerheads with them, but they also cater to diverse heights and accommodate physical limitations. Often paired with a wall- or ceiling-mounted showerhead, handheld showers are particularly useful when washing your hair, rinsing off legs, bathing children or even cleaning the shower."

Slide bars come in a variety of styles, finishes and sizes to accommodate every shower enclosure. Danze, for instance, offers 24- and 30-inch systems with multi-function showerheads to ensure the perfect custom combination.

The H2Oasis
If you're hoping to create a spa-like experience, today's custom shower systems often combine wall-mounted body sprays, handheld sprayers and high-performance showerheads to transform the shower into a relaxing getaway.

"For those days when you want to escape and truly wash it all away, custom systems are the ideal shower solution," Larson said. "Adjustable, wall-mounted body sprays added to a shower allow you to direct the water flow in your preferred position to complement the other elements of your shower."

Many custom systems offer a variety of styles and finishes that also coordinate with bathroom faucets and accessories to create a cohesive decor. The sleek, sculptural Sirius Collection from Danze, for instance, includes a shower system, faucets, and accessories like towel bars and shelves to carry your unique style beyond the shower walls.

For more information on the variety of new shower systems, accessories and technology, visit danze.com.

“Don’t Touch It,” and other simple, nature-friendly advice

Each summer, I visit the Chequamagon National Forest in Wisconsin. An amazingly beautiful and lush forest, this place is my sanctuary. I stay at a low-key resort, in a cabin overlooking Lake Namekagon. It's a breath of fresh air - quite literally - to spend two weeks each year at this place, away from bustling streets and busy people. It's like a different world.

Or, at least, it was. I had a very different experience this past July. Upon entering our cabin, my fiance and I were greeted by a large television, equipped with Direct TV. Don't get me wrong: I'm a TV-lover, through and through. There was, however, something strange about having to look around the television to see the lake.

We overlooked this; after all, we don't own the cabin. Some resort-goers might crave 500 channels before they crave hiking and fishing. Convinced that the TV (both the sight of it and the temptation to watch it) would put a damper on things, we went out on the water.

As I started the old, rented pontoon boat, something occured to me. We were no better than the TLC, MTV, and MSNBC addicts. Yes, our boat was used for the enjoyment of the outdoors; however, it left a muddy, green wake behind it. Yes, we came to the resort to get away from everyday conveniences and to surround ourselves with nature, but we were staying in a cabin - not a tent or a sleeping bag. We cooked our breakfast every morning on a fairly modern stove, we drank coffee made in a Bunn coffeemaker, and we turned on the electric heat if the cabin got too cold. It turns out we weren't roughing it; we were faking it.

Since this realization, I've been troubled. I don't understand where our appreciation for nature went. I don't understand how misguided travelers - myself included - consider themselves to be experiencing nature, when really all we're doing is glancing at it between commercials. Granted, everyone experiences nature in a different way. For some, glancing at it through a window - or on a TV screen - might be enough.

I'm concerned, though, that by accepting this as a legitimate way to experience nature, we are missing something. Or, perhaps, we are missing everything. On a basic level, there is something satisfying about feeling a different kind of air on your skin, and about feeling the crunch of leaves and dirt beneath your feet. Where city lights don't corrupt the night sky, we can see stars in a new way, and the level of darkness is foreign and exciting.

There more to this simple human/nature combination than deep satisfaction, though. There is a danger present in the ways we currently explore nature. It is common for travelers to hop on boats, jetskis, waverunners, or ATVs to travel through lakes and forests. In these cases, vacationgoers are experiencing nature - while leaving a trail of pollution behind.

And what about our cabin? Built in the middle of the forest, trees had to be removed in order for the resort to exist. There is an inherent disconnect, here: the resort was designed to house nature-loving travelers who want to see the forest's natural beauty, and yet in order for the resort to exist, some of the forest had to be cut down. Instead of experiencing untouched and unscathed nature, vacationers are experiencing a forest marred by human interference.

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Three green trends for 2012 home remodeling

(ARA) - For some homeowners, remodeling projects are regular occurrences to keep their homes looking fresh. Sometimes, that means smaller changes like a new coat of paint or changing a light fixture. Other times, more substantial changes are needed. Determining those changes can be a challenge, but looking at the potential return on investment is a great way to prioritize.

Bathroom remodeling offers a 68.7 percent return on investment, according to a National Association of Realtors survey. One way to add value to a bathroom remodel is to pick bathroom fixtures that are more efficient than what you currently have installed. Americans are going green in many areas of life, whether with more energy-efficient light bulbs, hybrid cars or by recycling more regularly. Bathroom fixtures are no different.

Here are three reasons why you should consider going green with your bathroom modeling project:

* Products may be outdated. Toilets made before 1994 use anywhere from 3.5 gallons to 8 gallons per flush (gpf), while new EPA WaterSense labeled high-efficiency toilets can work beautifully on a modest 1.28 gpf. Not sure of your toilet's vintage? Look at the underside of the tank lid - the date of manufacture is often stamped into the porcelain. In the shower, the typical showerhead installed in California homes built after 1994 uses as much as 2.5 gallons per minute. At that rate, your eight-minute shower consumes a whopping 20 gallons of water.

* Savings to be had. Compared to 3.5 gpf toilets, TOTO's Aquia One-Piece Dual Flush High-Efficiency Toilet has a flushing system that enables homeowners to select the level of water used each time the toilet is flushed - 1.6 gallons for bulk waste or .9 for liquid. The approach provides exceptional water savings paired with outstanding performance. A family of four can save more than $90 annually on their water bill, and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilet.

If you replace a typical 2.5 gpm showerhead with a TOTO high-efficiency Trilogy Showerhead, you will experience the same luxurious shower, yet consume a responsible 14 gallons, saving 20 percent of the water used by older models.

Even something like a faucet can contribute to water savings. TOTO's Silas Widespread Lavatory Faucet is a WaterSense labeled lavatory faucet that consumes a responsible 1.5 gallons per minute without sacrificing an ounce of performance. Its design has a classic contemporary elegance with a graceful, curved spout.  

* Be a trendy homeowner. A whopping 68 percent of builders surveyed by the National Association of Home Builders say that energy-saving technologies and features including low-E windows, energy-efficient appliances, and LED lighting will be common along with other green features like engineered wood products, and water-saving plumbing fixtures such as dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets by 2015. Start now and you'll be ahead of the curve.

4 Natural Home Remedies to Ease the Pain of Sunburn

At some time or another, we've all experienced the effects of sunburn - be it a light burn or a more heavy burn.

Although the sting of regret of inadequate protection (from UV exposure) can be an excellent incentive to plan more carefully on 'future' occasions, it's of little help in soothing the immediate physical sting (i.e. pain) accompanying sunburn.

However if you 'have' found yourself having spent a little too much time in the sun, -- here are 4 natural home remedies to help ease the pain of sunburn, and assist in the body's healing process:

1. Cool Milk Compresses: - The fat and lactic acids in milk are known to have soothing qualities for sunburned skin. Soak a soft cloth or cotton gauze in cool whole milk, and dab carefully onto the burned skin. Do this for around 20 minutes, and follow by rinsing off with cool water. (Due to the importance of the milk's fat content, it's important that whole milk be used in this treatment).

2. Cool, sugarless tea: - The tannin in tea is the active ingredient here, which helps to soothe and relieve some of the discomfort of sunburned skin. After brewing a big pot of tea, and allowing it to cool completely, slosh the affected areas with a soft sponge or washcloth. As with the vinegar (4), you could also fill a spray bottle, and spray the tea directly on the skin. And don't throw away the used (cool) teabags. These are especially good for sensitive areas around the eyes - simply place the teabags over your eyes if they feel hot and tired. (If you have 'St. John's Wort', consider using this as it contains cooling properties, which can help tone down some of the heat in your skin, as well as soothing the nerve endings damaged by the sunburn).

3. Aloe Vera: - Aloe Vera is commonly used to treat sunburn. As well as providing soothing relief, it may also assist in the healing process. Apply to the affected areas as needed. Although the gel extracted directly from an aloe Vera plant works best, if you don't have ready access to one, you may use an 'over the counter' Aloe Vera Cream that contains the gel. For this to be effective, just ensure that the cream contains a high concentration of Aloe Vera than it does water or other solutions.

4. Water: - When exposed to the sun, your body loses water and essential body salts. Dehydration occurs when your body loses too much fluid, and begins to reabsorb fluid from the blood and other body tissues. To prevent the consequences of dehydration, increase your fluid intake to ensure you adequately re-hydrate your body for optimum recovery and health.

Sunburn should of course be avoided where possible -- particularly as it's adverse affects not only include damage to the skin, but also the increased risk of skin cancer. Prevention and protection should always be considered the best treatment for sunburn, and will assist in ensuring your optimum long-term health!

DISCLAIMER: These are home remedy tips only, and should not replace your regular health care provider. If in doubt at any time in relation to your sunburn, please seek the appropriate health care assistance.

Technorati : UV exposure, alternate remedy, alternative medicine, cancer, home remedy, natural remedy, skin cancer, sun exposure, sunburn

4 Easy Ways To Relief Headache

Having headache is annoying and sometimes it is difficult for us to avoid. Mostly when we are under pressure, headache appeared automatically. If it gets worse, we might faint due to the pain we felt.

A headache is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head. It can also attack at our upper back or neck. There are different types of headache, but most of the time headache brought on by stress, too long in front of computer, noise and others.

One of the main causes of headache is tension in the muscles of the neck, scalp and jaw. We usually deal with it by taking some sleep or consume over-the counter aspirin to release our pain. However, can we do this at any place?

Obviously, we cannot sleep at the office or at the mall. In addition, we might run of aspirin when headache strike us.

Do not worry! The easiest way to handle headache and we can do it everywhere is through massage. Massage is the practice of applying pressure or vibration to the soft tissues of the body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, improve circulation and relieve tension.

When we suffer from headache, we can help ourselves with self-massage. Simple and everybody can do it, either at work or home.

Here are four easy ways in massage to heal our headache.

1. Eyes Area Massage -- Close your eyes. Place your middle fingers to your eyes that are above cheekbones. Massage that area gently but firmly in circular motion for 1 minute,

2. Eyes to Nose Massage - Using thumb, go along the underside of eyebrows (along the bone on top of eye socket). Feel where this bone meets the bridge of your nose and eyes and find a point where there is a small indentation. Very gentle pressure, press your thumbs into the points. You can do it four times by holding and press that area for 10 seconds in each press.

3. Neck Massage -- Massage a point where you can feel it by moving the middle fingers of your hands to the back of your head and feel the base of your skull. Specially, at the tops of your neck that meets the base of your skull. Massage for a minutes using finger tips gentle in circular movement.

4. Scalp Massage - Let your palms of your hands massage your scalp on the top of your skull for a minute gently.

Once you have done all those massages, start taking a deep breath. Lift your shoulders towards your ears for five to 10 seconds to relief remaining pain, and then let them drop back down into their natural position.

You are going to feel better when you can do that for a couple of times. Your massage will relief your headache and your head will feel less weighty.

“A Dreadful Superstition Grips America”

A terrible superstition holds people around the world in its grip. Ministers of religion, lawyers, architects, men renowned as brilliant scientists, physicians (particularly, physicians), University professors, middle class people, working class people, people of all nationalities, are its victims.

I was one for 43 years. I really and truly thought that what my doctor said was gospel and never questioned him.

What is this superstition? It is that health may be obtained and maintained and diseases "cured" by drugs, medicines and remedies. They have not taken the pains to investigate, in an unprejudiced manner, this absurd and dreadful belief.

So what we have is physician, nurses and drug stores (by the way we do not have "drug stores" any more. They call themselves "Pharmacies" I just checked the phone book.) Other medical specialists all engaging in these false hopes.

Frightful suffering and bereavement are the common lot of mankind, except for the few who have released themselves from this superstition.

I consider myself lined up with Natural Hygienists and Naturopathic doctors and we feel it is simply amazing that the simple facts of which we have can be ignored so generally. And that people offer themselves as sacrifices to this great superstition.

When a theory of health is presented of the ways and means to "Cure" something or they are going to "find a cure, so give us more money" these stories are heralded as a great triumph of "science"

Yet the first principles of science are violated right in the beginning and in the entirety of such a theory.

If an articles is written which lays down in simple words the rules of health, means by which diseases can be obviated and recovery from diseases can take place, very few orthodox journals of high circulation will print it.

An example is in 1980 when after suffering for 43 years with arthritis and in weeks I was free of the debilitating disease; I took my book to the Regional meeting of the Arthritis Foundation. I was so thrilled to think that with this book they could fulfill their promise that if we send them more money they will find a cure.

What a disaster. My husband dropped me off at the hotel entrance and went to park the car. When he got to the entrance he found two uniformed guards walking me out. Bodily.

We were stunned. They told me they did not want that sort of book at their meeting.

Since then I have over 310,000 copies around the world and get calls and emails daily thanking me for changing their lives.

So it is mainly to people, like myself, who believe as natural hygienists believe, to spread the word. In 1980 there were about 6500 hundred doctors who were telling their patients that what I am saying here is true. Two of them are named in my book "I Cured My Arthritis You Can Too". Today in 2006 there are thousands more.

To us it is amazingly simple.

Eat the truly good food, breathe good air, drink pure water, exercise, maintain optimistic and pleasant thoughts, and therefore enjoy fantastic health. Give our cells the proper nutrition and our immune systems will become as God gave us in the first place. Our immune system will then rebuild our body and we will enjoy the freedom of no illnesses.

There are now millions who are beginning to rebel against what we might almost call the atrocities suffered as a consequence of this superstition.

Many who are ill and are being subjected to the remedies and poisons that are administered to them. Drugs in large containers have the skull and crossbones on them but when we get the little bottles as "prescriptions it is not there.

My mother was told in the 30's to use an aluminum type product as a cheap deodorant. She did and I believe it was a contributing factor in the way she changed in later years. Aluminum is causing Alzheimer's.

While drugs may get immediate temporary relief, you will feel and know that the disease is becoming more and more serious.

I do not have final figures but look around. In the early years of 1900 it was almost unknown to have heart troubles. They did not spend time on it in medical schools. All the major diseases of today, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, the list goes on and none were minor. In 1960 one in 20 had arthritis. Now it is 1 in 3

Same with cancer. Now children are commonly getting it. Heart troubles are killing us faster than ever. I will try to find these figures.

The Untied States is way down in the world as a healthy nation. Have you ever known of so many people with so many health issues? Baby boomers are filling our hospitals with more sickness.

I take my son to the VA hospital due to his Vietnam days and see people his age in terrible condition. Amputees from diabetes, overweight everywhere.

I have felt since 1980 that I have a duty to tell people the other side. I have done lectures and TV and radio. I now do this newsletter. I get people asking me to unsubscribe them due to my teachings.

My phone rings daily with people calling, crying, telling me of the 5, 6, 8 different drugs they are taking. Although they call them prescriptions. I ask each and every one of them to get the hand out from their "Pharmacy" of every drug they are taking and read them to the last page.

Then have a good talk with their doctors.

What do I preach in just one paragraph?

Give your body what it needs in minerals, vitamins and enzymes and exercise, drink pure water, let no negative thoughts or people into their lives and feed our cells to let our immune system take over the job that God meant it to do.

Which is to be in a state of health.

If our immune system is not getting the proper nutrition we are in trouble.

Will this happen overnight? No, You cannot stop taking the drugs you are on without the consent and help of your doctor. Too many side effects can occur.

You did not get in the condition you are in overnight. You will not get into a state of health over night. But start now and by summer or sooner you will not know yourself.

Start promoting healthy cellular replication, get strong muscles, have clear breathing, increased energy levels and have body fitness.

Get supplements that are advanced Nutraceutical supplements. Make an impact on your health today. Feel the results and get VIBRANT HEALTH.

Take heed of what the Bible teaches of food. Mainly moderation in all things.

Stop this insane habit of all cooked foods and foods pre-made. We have gotten into the habit of fast is better. Fast is not better. It costs more in dollars when you buy it and cost thousands in medical bills later on.

Print this in your sub consigns mind. "I am the one responsible for what I eat and drink and do. I am the one who can make changes so I may live, play and have a happy, illness free life".

If you help yourself to this attitude you will be doing your doctor a big favor. He is overworked and struggling to help.

Stop looking for a magic bullet. There is NONE.

I getup every morning thankful for my health. And my state of mind and for the love of my family. I look forward to each day with joy.

I look at problems as they come up as just a problem that needs a solution.

I work on the solution. If I cannot fix it or change it I have a mental box that I put these things in and I lock it.

I allow nothing negative into my space. If a negative thought pops in I chase it our.

Can you do this? Of course. Let me know how this changes your life.

I am here to help You, help Yourself enjoy a Healthier and Happier Life Style.

Technorati : alternative health, health, natural health

7 Factors Needed for a Compost Pile

Compost, made from decomposed grass clippings, leaves, twigs, and branches, becomes a dark, crumbly mixture of  organic matter.

Learn how composting works. Even a newbie to composting can make good quality compost. It can be compared to cooking as art or part science. The following 7 factors will help you master the art of composting.

1. Materials
After a time anything that was once alive will naturally decompose. But, not all organic items should be composted for the home. To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water, and a small amount of nitrogen are needed.

These items are safe to compost at home:
* grass clippings
* trimmings from hedges
* vegetable scraps
* leaves
* potting soil that has grown old
* twigs
* coffee filters with coffee grounds
* tea bags
* weeds that have not went to seed
* plant stalks

These items are Not safe to compost at home:
* weeds that have went to seed
* dead animals
* pet feces
* bread and grains
* meat
* grease
* cooking oil
* oily foods
*diseased plants

2. What To Do To Make It Work
There are small forms of plant and animal life which break down the organic material. This life is called microorganisms. From a minute amount of garden soil or manure comes plenty of microorganisms.

Nitrogen, air, and water will provide a favorable environment for the microorganisms to make the compost. Air circulation  and water will keep the microorganisms healthy and working. The nitrogen feeds the tiny organisms. You may have to add a small amount of nitrogen to the pile.

Putting on too much nitrogen can kill microbes and too much water causes insufficient air in the pile. You just cannot add too much air.

3. Beneficial Microorganisms
Bacteria are the most effective compost makers in your compost pile. They are the first to break down plant tissue. Then comes the fungi and protozoans to help with the process. The arthropodes, like centipedes, beetles, millipedes and worms, bring in the finishing touches to complete the composting.

4. Smaller is Better
The materials will break down faster if the microorganisms have more surface area to eat. Chopping your garden materials with a chipper, shredder, or lawnmower will help them decompose faster.

5. Size of The Pile
The activity of millions of microorganisms generates heat in the compost pile but a minimum size 3-foot by 3-foot by 3-foot  is needed for a hot, fast composting pile. Piles that are any larger may hamper the air supply needed in the pile for the microorganisms.

6. Moisture and Aeration
If you can imagine a wet squeezed out sponge with its many air pockets, then this would be the ideal enviroment for the microorganisms in the pile to function at their best. Pay attention while your pile is composting, to the amount of rain or a drought you may have. Water in a drought and maybe turn the pile in a lot of rainy days. The extremes of these two may upset the balance of the pile. The use of a pitchfork would come in handy at this time.

7. Temperature and Time
Keep your pile between 110F and 160F and the beneficial bacteria will love it. Not too cool nor too hot.
The temperature will rise over several days if you keep a good ratio of carbon and nitrogen, maintain lots of surface area within a large volume of material, and maintain adequate moisture and aeration.

-Importance of Compost-

+Compost has nutrients, but it is not a complete fertilizer.

+Compost provides nutrients in the soil until plants need to use them.

+ It loosens and aerates clay soils

+ Retains water in sandy soils.

-Using the Compost-

+ A soil amendment, mix 2 to 5 inches of compost into gardens each year before planting.

+ A potting mixture, add one part compost to two parts potting soil.

+ Make your own potting mixture by using equal parts of compost and sand or perlite.

+ A mulch, prodcast 2 to 4 inches of compost around annual flowers and vegetables, and up to 5 inches around your trees and shrubs.

+ A top dressing, mix finely sifted compost with sand and sprinkle evenly over lawns.

The final thing I would suggest once you have mastered the art of composting is to look very seriously at making your very own aerated compost tea. This elixir will give you results that are hard to believe.