Archives for January, 2009
Posted on Jan 30, 2009 under Uncategorized |
Our teenagers’ lives are frequently a closed book to parents and however hard we might try we simply cannot get them to open this book and read what is inside. But how are we going to protect our children and guide them into becoming self-sufficient and confident adults when we do not know what they are up to, where they are going, who they are seeing, what they are thinking and how they are feeling?
Well, below are four tips that might help to open that closed book at least enough to get a glimpse inside it.
Tip 1 – Start when your kids are young. It is much easier to keep a relationship rolling along than it is to set it in motion initially and this is especially true with our children. If we start literally from the day they are born and build a close and strong relationship then life will be reasonably easy when they reach those difficult teenage years. But, if we maintain our distance, or simply do not have the time to get close to them in those early years, then it will get increasingly difficult to do so as they get older.
Tip 2 – Look for common ground. We all have things which we enjoy doing by ourselves but it is important that partners also share interests and have some things, such as cooking, tennis or hiking which they like to do together. This is not simply the case with partners however and should also extend to parents and their children. So, seek out something, and preferably two or three things, that you and your children can enjoy together and which will give you a common interest to talk about.
Tip 3 – Make time to listen to your kids and keep an open mind. The teenage years are a time when children tend to form opinions very quickly and frequently without an adequate understanding of the issues at hand. This in turn means that they will sometimes come out with comments which you find concerning or which you neither like nor agree with. Take the time however to listen to what they have to say and try not to be judgmental. There is nothing wrong with telling them that do not agree with them or do not approve of something provided you go on to explain why and do not turn what you are saying into an attack on them.
Tip 4 – Make time for your children. One of the main concerns for a lot of teenagers is that they are not able to spend sufficient time with their parents and this is all too often interpreted as a matter of their parents simply not caring enough about how they are feeling or what they are doing. One significant result of this is that teenagers also frequently feel that they cannot talk to their parents when they have a problem and want help.
Today many of us lead busy lives but if we were talking about a client at work instead of our own kid you can bet your life that we would find the time needed to spend with that client. Well, our kids are much more important than any client and so it really should not be too difficult to make some time each day, or at the very least each week, to devote our attention to our children for a while.
There are many ways to make sure that we spend enough time with our children and frequently it is just a case of organizing ourselves better. One simple way to achieve our objective is to make sure that the whole family sits down to an evening meal and that this becomes a time to both eat and talk. Another way to spend time with your teenagers is to drive them to school each morning rather than letting them ride the bus. One more suggestion is to play sport together one or two times a week. There are numerous ways to spend time for your teenagers if you put your mind to it.
Parenting is never easy and this is particularly true when it comes to providing help for troubled teens but never forget that hundreds of thousands of parents are already experienced these problems and are only too happy to let you have some parenting tips if you just ask for it.
Posted on Jan 29, 2009 under Uncategorized |
Any discussion of spending holidays must take into account the distinction between week-end holidays and long-term holidays like the vacation.
Week-end holidays are meant for rest and recreation. They are devised as a break from five or six days of work. Since we are not machines, we cannot work continuously without such a break. Even machines cannot work continuously without intervals of stoppage during which they cool down and are oiled and supplied fuel or power. Similarly we too need intervals of rest and relaxation for our body and mind to enable us to be fresh and fit for the next week’s work. On week-end days we can get up at ease, skip some daily routines, have a leisurely breakfast, have a game or two of our liking, enjoy an afternoon nap, chat with family members, visit friends and relatives, glance over our favourite magazine or story-book or watch TV or a movie. We may also complete the unfinished portion of homework or household work. At times we can enjoy small picnics in the company of family members, friends or classmates.
But a vacation is not the period to be wasted in idleness or gossiping. It is the time when we are free from routine work and can pursue some hobby or activity of our liking. We can go out on long-term tours, visit our relatives living in far-off places, play our favourite indoor and outdoor games, or take on activities like swimming, cycling, riding or gardening. We can also devote ourselves to activities like reading, painting, cooking, stamp-collecting, etc. We can visit the nearby slums or villages, make friends with the residents therein and study their problems. Youngsters with constructive bent of mind may, under the guidance of elders, organize part-time or full-time camps for boys and girls wherein they can live in groups and carry on a number of physical and cultural activities. Choice of activities to be carried on in the vacation would depend upon the circumstances and availability of resources, co-operation and help. But we will have to make plans beforehand for spending our holidays fruitfully.
Our body and mind will rust if we idle away our long-term holidays. If we utilise our holidays fruitfully, our mind and body will develop and we will be able to work with renewed vigour in the subsequent term. Each vacation will add something to our personality, making our progress in life easier and faster.
Posted on Jan 28, 2009 under garden |
Getting Bulbs To Bloom Indoors
Spring flowering bulbs can bloom inside. Start the process of forcing bulbs in the fall for lovely winter blooms. Growing bulbs indoors takes up little space, and it’s easy and fun. The trick is to simulate a short winter. Make bulbs think it’s winter by placing them in a refrigerator, a cool closet, or even in a foam cooler place on a patio or balcony. By doing this, they will grow sturdy roots and start to sprout in preparation for spring.
Start With The Right Potting Soil
Use any good commercial organic potting soil mix, or you can make your own soil to plant the bulbs in. It’s not hard to make your own potting soil.Use one part perlite, 2 parts peat moss and one part sterilized potting soil. Get all these things mixed together well. These ingredients will make a nutrient filled potting soil that is clean, porous, and moisture retaining,.
Unsterilized soil from your outside garden because it may contain bacterial or fungal pathogens that could infect the plant roots, so it’s better not to use it.
Choose A Pot
Choose the pot you want to use after the soil is ready, and place a few pieces of broken crockery over the drainage holes. This keeps the hole from clogging up with compacted dirt, and also keeps the dirt from falling out during the planting process.
Now fill the pot half-full of soil mix. With the pointed ends up, place the bulbs in the container. Without actually letting the bulbs touch, plant the bulbs as closely together as possible. Fill the pot with soil mix, then water the bulbs thoroughly from the top or immerse in a tub of water. That will settle the soil around the bulbs.
It’s Time For The Dark
Try early blooming bulbs such as crocus, daffodils and snowdrops. Those all work well. Many places carry good bulbs. For example, you can click here for Daffodils from Breck’s, plus they have a lot of other beautiful flowering bulbs. It takes about 12 weeks to force these early bloomers. It will take longer for bulbs like tulips, generally about 16 weeks. Keeping bulbs in cold storage for longer times will produce taller flowers.
Not enough time in storage will result in smaller plants and sometimes flowers that start to grown then die.
Light For the Bulbs.
After enough time has passed and it’s close time for the bulbs to bloom, start chiecking the pots every day or two. Fine white roots coming out of the drainage holes, and/or shoots 2 or three inches above the soil, are signs to take the pots out of cold storage.
At this stage of development all bulbs should be placed in indirect lighting for a while before moving them to direct sunlight. Be carefuly not to allow the soil to dry out.
It’s good if you can first move bulbs to a fairly cool location if possible, such as an unheated entryway or closed off back bedroom, where the temperatures are in the ’50s, before moving them on to the heated areas of the house, and into more direct sunlight.
Don’t Throw The Bulbs Out – Reuse Them.
Once the blooms die, cut their stems off if you wish to reuse the bulbs. Let the foliage have plenty of sunlight for continued growth. This will gather the nutrients the bulb needs to bloom next year.
Don’t pull the leaves off after the foliage withers. Store the bulbs with leaves still intact. Place the pots of bulbs in a cool, dry place until they can be planted outside. It doesn’t work well to try to force the bulbs to bloom inside a second time, as being forced to bloom weakens the bulb. Any bloom from forcing bulbs a second time would be small.
Outside planting of the bulbs will allow them to return to their natural seasonal schedule. After a year or two to adapt, they will start making beautiful displays of flowers outside.
Posted on Jan 27, 2009 under Uncategorized |
What does it mean to you when people talk about being organic?
Living the organic lifestyle does not mean you just need to eat organically produced food, it is much more involved than that.
Adopting an organic lifestyle requires consideration of the following
Buy Organically Grown Fruit, Vegetables and meat
It is getting easier every day for people to buy organic food and this is the usual first step towards an organic lifestyle.
The cost of organic food is thankfully reducing now leading to greater uptake. Every day more and more people are moving towards the health benefits an organic lifestyle can bring to their family.
Why Not Garden Organically?
For ultimate control over the quality of your organic fruit and vegetables and the control of its cost, you need to discover the best way of how to grow organic vegetables in pots as part of your overall organic lifestyle.
Tastier crops are your reward for the extra effort involved in organic gardening. But it is more rewarding and the taste benefits make it all worthwhile, together with knowing you are helping the environment by recycling household waste.
Take A Look At Organic Housewares
Surprisingly you will find that organic constituents find their way into other aspects of your kitchen too.
It is common now to see adverts for bio-degradable cleaning products, organic bedding, mattresses and organic cotton towels to include in your organic lifestyle changes.
Buy Organic Clothing
In addition the clothes we wear can be affected by the dyes added to them. Organic clothing offers a healthy alternative for men, women and in particular, children and babies.
It is a sad fact of life that your skin will also let in good chemicals as wel as bad. It is important to consider moving to alternatives as part of your overall organic lifestyle program.
Think About Using Organic Cosmetics
The cosmetics industry has recognised that it too needs to consider the effects of people absorbing chemicals from its products through their skin.
Consequently, you will now find companies offering products to fit in with an organic lifestyle that are free of petroleum by-products, artificial colors, preservatives, fragrances and other chemicals that may be harmful to our skin.
The organic food movement grows in popularity every day. The rich and famous and ordinary people alike are all realizing that chemical additives, preservatives and pesticides can all affect health adversely.
The organic movement is growing as more and more people sign up to a healthier way of life.
Posted on Jan 26, 2009 under garden |
Growing plants in water, without soil is known as Hydroponics. The main idea is that plants will grow in any media that contain all the nutrients of natural soil. Thus it is these nutrients that are the most important factor in the process of hydroponics. When using soil for plants, fertilizers contain only those essential nutrients which the soil may be lacking. However, in the case of hydroponic plants, these fertilizers prove inadequate and so fertilizer formulated specifically for hydroponic systems has to be used.
The amounts and proportions of nutrients a plant needs varies. Best hydroponic nutrients are sold in solutions with simple labels such as ‘grow’ or ‘bloom’ so that even a novice grower can pick up these solutions easily. Change the nutrients along with the growing cycle of your plants. Another reason to change the solution is that the depletion of the elements is subject to the growth stage of the plant. At certain times, important components can run out more quickly. Ideally you should change the solution every two weeks. One must note that the proportion of nutrient solution and water must remain stable. Damage to the roots could occur if the evaporation of water causes on increase in the fertilizer level.
The hydroponic nutrient solutions available are typically sold in a concentrated form. The grower has to mix it according to the instructions and as per the requirement of the plant. For plants that are in poor growing conditions, like overheated flowerbeds or in low lighting, a weaker solution should be used. Even plant cuttings which have just been planted will benefit from a solution which has been diluted. You will want to use a normal (regular) solution for any plant which is normal and healthy. You may be able to use a stronger solution if your garden has all of the requirements for high growth. For example, do you have good air flow and good lighting such as natural sunlight or grow lights like LED grow lights? What about the production and circulation of carbon dioxide? When using fertilizer on your plants you must increase the amount slowly over time so that you to keep the plant from burning up.
Although the concentrate to water ratio is between 150-600 parts per million, most plants require 300-400ppm. Remember that these need to be mixed only with water, and no other part of the solution.
Now that you are aware of the need for different nutrients, you need to know which ones to use. It is important that you know what nutrient you need. Your first consideration should be your growing medium–whether it be stone wool, sand, coco, etc. If you’re using coco, be sure to look for coco that offers specific nutrients like canna coco. Super Veg A or Super Veg B would be ideal, and is a great formula for a vegitable in the crop stage.
The medium determines the kind of nutrients required. Basically the organic or best hydroponic nutrients are made up of different combinations of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen is essential for leaf growth and development. Potassium aides in cell production, while phosphorus helps to make roots grow.
Posted on Jan 25, 2009 under garden |
Landscaping a garden is an important part of the building of a house. It is an enjoyable way of making the exterior part of the house look beautiful. However, problems may arise in maintaining your landscaped garden).
The following are effective solutions in the maintanence of your landscaped garden and may provide a solutions for the problem areas:
1. If the garden is too rocky, the rocks may be used as a design that will create a beautiful rock garden. Putting the excess rocks together to create a slope will add a natural look in your garden. The slope that is formed with these rocks will keep the garden from looking flat and unattractive
2. If the problem is too much sunlight in the garden that causes drought, the solution is to use plants that are low maintenance and can be planted even in direct sunlight. The plants will survive even when there is less water or too much sunlight.
3. Another maintenance solution if the garden has too much sunlight is to plant shade trees at the corners of the garden. This will keep sensitive plants away from direct sunlight and will help to keep your soil moist. Regular watering should be continued if needed.
4.When a garden becomes too shady it makes it difficult to grow certain plants. The solution for this is to choose plants that can survive even in the shade.
5. If there are weeds or unwanted plants growing in the garden, they should be pulled. You must pull the weed and its roots to prevent the weed from growing back. It is not good enough to just cut or trim the weeds. It is best to pull everything out to stop the problem returning.
These are common solutions to some problems encountered in the maintainance of a landscaped garden). To make the maintenance job easy, it is recommended that you tend the garden regularly. This will prevent small problems from getting out of hand. If your landscaped garden is well maintained, your plants and trees will last a long time and will save you money as you will not have to buy new plants or accessories.
Posted on Jan 24, 2009 under garden |
Agriculture is very old and perhaps gardening and pest control are equally old.
It’s an industry that’s growing rapidly. In the past 5 years the pest control business has grown 50 % and has become a $7 billion dollar business.
With increasing frequency, remote areas are being chosen for the construction of new housing. The desert and the woods are attractive and appealing locations for some people It’s their home, and you’re building in it – the pests are the ones who live here. They only become pests because they come into YOUR home.
What is pest control and horticulture all about?
It’s basically the reduction or eradication of pests. Structural home pest control refers to pests that invade your house or garden ,such as termites or fire ants, while insect pest control is the manner in which pests are controlled that take over your lawn. To speak of gardens, plants and pesky weeds will often spill over into one’s home as well.
It is important to keep up with your gardening, and take preventative pest control measures to protect not only your gardens, but your heath as well. Once pests are discovered in the yard, the damage has gotten out of control. Well there are measures you can take to help eradicate the problem.
What do you need to do to get rid of the pests in the Garden?
Gardening and home pest control is viewed by many people as do-it-yourself job. To some extent, up to a point that is fair enough. To have control over garden pests requires the acumen of a physician: you need to know the nature of the pests and determine how far these pests have damaged each specific plant before you can ascertain the appropriate pest control technology to use. Many homeowners do not actually read or follow the instructions on items they purchase because they believe use and assembly will be simple.
The well being of both your family and any visitors into your home could be affected by this over concentration of insecticide. Naturally, we are talking about chemicals, since chemical pest control remains the primary method used in modern pest control. However, since chemicals can have long range effects, interest was redirected toward traditional and biological pest control toward the end of the 20th century.
For those who don’t do DIY gardening and pest control, there is the option of monthly visits from your local pest control company. If you have your house pest controlled on a monthly basis this means that problems will be detected as early as possible. One drawback to having monthly pest control is that homeowners insist that the PCOs give a monthly chemical treatment whether there is pest problem present or not .
It is astonishing to see the factual pattern of the pesticides used in the home and the garden:
1 In the lawns each year the amount of pesticides applied is 67 million pounds.
2 Much more pesticide is applied to city lawn and gardens per unit area than to most farmland.
Please use any kind of pesticide with greatest caution. In fact, you may be getting rid of the bugs that are beneficial to keeping your pest problem under control. If the pests should return, you may have to spray additional times in the future. Further, various bugs contribute to plant pollination which helps your garden thrive and flourish. Don’t use persistent, broad-spectrum, contact insecticides like diazinon, malathion and carbaryl. Such products only work for a short time, and are even more likely to kill off the bugs you want around than those you don’t. When the insects who prey on the pests are decimated, you will notice the quick revival of the pests and, lo, these plant eaters multiply faster soon after you had used the spray.
Most consumers also don’t realize how potentially harmful they can be:
1 Pesticides are easily tracked indoors, an EPA study found 23 pesticides in dust and air inside homes.
2 Garden chemicals harm the environment, the US Geological Survey routinely finds every type of garden chemical, particularly weed killers, in the streams and rivers around urban centers.
It’s an eye-opening shock isn’t it, can we really, really not be without these methods of pest control?
Gardening and Natural Home Pest Control
We believe the logical approach to gardening and pest control is to create a balance of organisms in your yard or garden. Natural pest control is less expensive than buying and applying pesticides, and it’s safer for your garden, natural wildlife and the environment.
Let’s look at some hints and tips to help your gardening and pest control:
1 Physical controls – traps, barriers, fabric row covers or repellents – are often successful at controlling pests.
2 Strive to attract good bugs with a variety of plants that produce pollen and nectar throughout the year.
3 You can keep pests from damaging your plants by preventing them getting to the plants in the first place. And in cases where you only see a few pests, physically removing them can often keep the problem under control.
In summary, a lot of folks are in the same boat. Thousands of people across the world are also looking for pest control, so we hope this has been of help.
Posted on Jan 23, 2009 under garden |
All serious gardeners should have their own garden tool set. If are one of those people who have just started gardening, make sure that you have the right garden tool set to help you get started. Buying a tool set will not only save you from a lot of troubles trying to find the right tools to use on your garden, it will also help you avoid buying stuff that you cannot really use at all. No, there is no need for you to spend a small fortune on tool sets and garden tool storage. There are plenty of garden tools sets that are being sold in the market today for very reasonable prices. To help you find all the right garden tool set, here are some pointers for you.
Go For Stainless Steel Tool Set
Stainless steel garden tool set may cost more than the other types of garden tools but it also last longer that most types of garden sets. Moreover, stainless tool sets are easy to clean and maintain. To find good stainless steel tool set, go online and go through those sites that are selling garden tools. Compare the features of the different tool sets before you decide to buy any of them. Remember that not all tool sets are created equal. Some are better than the other so if you don’t want to end up buying the not so good ones, you need to take your time to compare the features and the prices of these tool sets.
What Types Of Tools Should You Have In Your Garden Tool Set?
When buying tool set, make sure that you have some descent garden fork, garden trowel, garden cultivator and a weeding cutting tool. You will need your garden fork for loosening, weeding, and cultivating the soil. The garden fork is also very useful in mixing your compost on your garden soil. On the other hand, the garden trowel is an essential part of your garden tool set. You will need this tool to weed, dig and transplant your seedlings. Every self-respecting gardener should have a good garden trowel in his/her garden tool set.
The like fork and trowel, the garden cultivator is also a very important addition to your garden tool set. This tool is used to aerate and loosen the soil to make your plants grow healthy. The cultivator can reach tight spaces which would otherwise be inaccessible if you use either the fork or the towel. To complete your garden tool set, you will need the weeding cutting tool. The weeding cutting tool is very useful especially when your garden is prone to weeds and vines.
click here for more about organic gardening
Posted on Jan 22, 2009 under Uncategorized |
Your child learned a lot and grew by leaps and bounds between one and two years of age, so the second birthday party is going to be a little different from the first. But throwing the perfect second birthday party will be easy when you follow these tips:
1. Keep in mind that the point of a birthday party is to get family and friends together to be with your child. It is not a competition with other moms and it is not a race to see who can have the most professional looking party. Keep your sanity and your enjoyment level in mind when you start planning.
2. As you’re planning your child’s second birthday party you’ll want to keep his or her abilities and limitations in mind. Two years old is still too early to have a full blown birthday party with lots of friends. Your child is learning to play with others but he or she is still too young to truly enjoy the company of peers. It’s wise to keep your guest list small. Invite close family and friends and no more than two other children your child’s age. This way you won’t have too much chaos at your party location.
3. Having your party at home is the easiest way to keep things under control. However, if you feel like your house isn’t big enough for a party, you can use the local park or a recreation center. Parties at corporate child-themed play centers can get expensive and you won’t be able to enjoy any time with your child. Often the activities are geared for kids who are much older than your child.
4. Some people choose a theme by selecting their child’s favorite television character. It’s easy to go this route, but if you want to be a little bit more creative, you can come up with your own homemade theme. Two-year-olds generally aren’t old enough to insist on a character party, so you can easily plan something around their favorite activities or interests. Pick something that your child loves, like music, colors or dinosaurs, and then run with that theme.
Some other two year old party themes are:
* Barn/farm animals
* Cats and dogs
* Jungle animals
* Pirates
* Garden (with butterflies and flowers)
* Gnomes and Fairies
5. Once you’ve got your theme, you can start to plan activities. Toddlers enjoy activity stations that can let them wander from place to place. These are easy to set up and really suit this age group because they don’t have to follow instructions. Arrange two to three different stations that parents can help out with. Consider a station with toys, a game station and a coloring station. This way the kids will be entertained and the parents can get involved too. Find coupons for discount craft supplies here and discount art supplies here. And check here for coupons on award winning educational programs and activities.
6. Your party shouldn’t last more than two to three hours. If your child takes regular naps, you can schedule the party for in between the first and second nap. If they vary from day to day, a party in the late afternoon will work best. No matter what type of party you plan, it will be a special event!
Posted on Jan 21, 2009 under garden |
The concept of organic gardening pest control isn’t new; actually, it’s as old as farming itself. The problem is that since World War II organic pest control has been replaced in civilized countries with man-made pesticides that are detrimental to both the environment and to the people who consume the plants on which the products are sprayed. Today people are returning to organic gardening pest control and choosing to reject, or at least restrict, the use of man-made pesticides. Not everyone feels the same about these products. Some people oppose their use only on food, and others hope to minimize their use as much as possible.
There are a variety of sensible reasons that appeal to logic for using organic gardening pest control methods. One of the most important things about this is that because of the absence of pesticides when the insect pests are left alone genetically they are not in a position to become resistant “super bugs”. Organic methods tend to be less polluting and blend into the ecosystem around it instead of disrupting it. In addition, because many of the pesticides that are available are derivatives of petrochemicals, their costs are higher, thus making alternatives more attractive. Whatever the reasons may be for avoiding their use, the organic gardener has to be prepared to work in order to make up for the loss of those chemical products that he chooses to abstain from using.
Natural gardeners have a number of valuable, non-chemical methods that they can use to manage garden vermin. An easy and effective way to avoid pest problems is varietal selection, which includes choosing seed varieties that have been bred to be resistant against certain diseases and pest. The cultural control method of organic gardening pest control involves changing your gardening methods in order to reduce the hospitality that your garden offers to pests. This may mean removing or burning diseased plant material and destroying weeds and plan debris that provide hiding places for insects. Using stakes to keep fruits off the ground as well as pruning to remove diseased limbs, removing sickly plants, proper building of the soil, and making sure the plants are in raised areas in rainy seasons also help control diseases and pests. Crop rotation can also help in the prevention of disease and in pest control.
Using non-pesticide methods for pest control may not be as quick as the use of pesticides, but it is safer and over time, these methods will not simply repel the insects for the current season but prevent their reappearance in other corps. Organic gardening pest control may be a longer process, but it is well worth the effort.