Tidying Your Home and Garden

From time to time we all need to spring clean our gardens and homes and make them look their best. Depending on where you live in the world you will either have a lot or a little to do. The best time for tidying up your garden is after the winter months as it will probably be looking worse for wear after being neglected for so long. Working on your garden in the winter is out of the question in many places that suffer from very cold winters, so many people have to wait until the start of spring to begin thinking about getting their garden in shape.

 

Garden before spring cleaning -image:commons.wikimedia.org

Here are a few tips to help you get your garden in order before we take a look at spring-cleaning your house:

• Try to wait until the soil in your garden has had time to dry out. Walking around on wet soil will only compact it and form clods that are hard to work with. When spring arrives you will find that the sun soon dries out your soil, enabling you to tidy up your flowerbeds and vegetable patches
• One negative factor that is associated with winter is the arrival of weeds. When temperatures start to rise, so do weeds. When you see the first weeds of spring, get to work and get rid of them before they have chance to get out of hand. Whether you use a commercially available weed killer or you simply get rid of them by hand, you will need to be ever vigilant if you want to eradicate weeds and show off your garden to its best
• Removing old leaves and branches that have fallen during the winter months will let the sun get to areas of your garden that have previously been covered. You may want to make compost out of this mulch and feed it back into your garden

Many people like to carry out a spring clean in their house as well as their garden. You will be able to find experts online to help you if the job is too big for you. If you live in San Antonio, death clean up experts also offer other services that can help you to get your home in a liveable condition once again. Whilst you may not have a dead body in your house, these experts will be able to help you get rid of the clutter that has built up in your home and many of them also offer an odour removal service too. Wherever you are in the world, you should have no trouble finding a cleaning expert to help you get your house back in order.

Follow these tips for getting your house clean and clutter-free:

• Organise your clothing by getting rid of old clothes that you no longer have use for. You will be able to find many charity shops that would be happy to take these clothes off your hands. You will soon be left with a collection of neatly arranged clothes that you wear on a regular basis.
•  Clean walls and working surfaces. You will probably find that the walls in your house can get marks on them, especially if you have young children. By simply cleaning these marks with some warm, soapy water you will be able make your house look like it has been redecorated by professionals.
• Carpets can hold a lot of dust and they may even start to smell if you have split any liquids or food items on them. Try to vacuum your carpets on a daily basis and always clean up after any spillages. You may want to contact a specialist cleaning company if your carpets are really dirty.

If your house is not too messy, you will be able to carry out the spring clean on your own. You could start by simply collecting all the old magazines and newspapers that you have accumulated over time. You will be able to recycle much of the rubbish such as recycle empty ink and cartridges you collect and maybe make a bit of pocket money by selling it to recycling businesses. For teaching your kids about the importance of recycling and sustainability, you can check out first this recycling for kids guide.   Before long your home and garden will be looking great best again.  

Principles of Natural Pools: Important Concepts for Maintaining a More Sustainable Home

Living in a continent as dry as Australia, it wouldn't be a surprise if people have a major desire to cool off as often as they possibly can in a swimming pool or beach. Extremely hot weather can be uncomfortable and distracting — not to mention harmful to health, if you're exposed to it long enough or frequently enough — and a quick dip can easily help a person feel more refreshed and rejuvenated.

Of course, not everyone will have the means to drive out to one of the many splendid beaches Down Under on a whim, or even to a public pool — or, even if they did, many will likely prefer to cool off somewhere that is easily accessible, safe, and private. Therefore, many who want to be able to go for a swim in a safe environment, whenever they like, choose to invest in having a swimming pool installed in their own home. And because in Australia water is a precious resource, it's fortunate that there are companies you can contact that maintain the principles of natural pools so that homeowners can have a sustainable solution to their need or desire for their own home pool.

What is a natural pool?

The traditional swimming pool, as all would know, is a space carved out of the ground, cemented and tiled over, built with a filtration system, and filled with water that needs to be regularly treated with chlorine to kill bacteria and prevent the buildup of other unsavoury organisms. Anyone who has ever gotten into a typical pool will know the bleachy smell of the water, the dryness in their skin and the mild to severe irritation to the eyes and nose that are commonly associated with swimming in chlorinated water.

A natural pool, on the other hand, makes use of specific types of plants and gravel that serve as its filtration system. These natural features filter out nutrients that would result in the growth of algae. It also uses a black liner that harnesses solar gain so that the water can be warmed without using electricity.

What are the things to consider when building a natural pool? With this down-to-earth technology, your family can experience the following benefits of natural pools:

• No chlorine smell and irritation to the skin and eyes
• No chemicals required as the plants do the work of keeping the water clean
• Less water used. Water collected from the pool's outdoor shower will be reused in the pool, and rainwater harvesting ensures that you'll have a steady supply of recycled water to top up the pool
• Costs less to maintain
• Makes use of environment-friendly building materials
• Creates a habitat for wildlife
• Provides a more invigorating swimming experience

A natural pool would be like a private little oasis within your own property. Imagine taking a dip in a pool with crystal clear water, surrounded by lush foliage and without a hint of chemicals whatsoever — it’s possible to have a sustainable (and breathtakingly beautiful) paradise in the midst of the extreme Australian environment.

About the Author:

Kenneth Lawrence is a passionate "handyman". His craft involves DIY concepts and he loves to share guidelines and tips about stuff on home improvement. He writes and reads about almost anything that can help him hone his skills and increase his knowledge about DIY concepts. He occasionally writes for http://watermevertical.com/principles-of-natural-pools.

Yellow Umbrellas

Our hotel room has swimming pool view. Captured in the early morning, the swimming pool still looked empty. Yellow umbrellas were noticeable easily.

Monday Mellow Yellows

 

Feng Shui Nursery - A Haven of Peace

Expecting a baby is definitely fun and exciting along with the preparations for your new arrival. Planning and decorating a space for your baby will be one of the first things to do on the list. The nursery is a place where your child will spend a lot of time as he/she grows. Designing a Feng Shui nursery can be a fun and rewarding experience. A good flow of Feng Shui energy will indubitably lead to a healthier and happier child. Yes, Feng Shui nursery aims to enhance, stimulate and enrich the atmosphere that contributes to the overall health of your baby.

How to Feng Shui a nursery?

Feng shui is an old Chinese practice of interior designing that allows for open flow of energy. Hence a Feng Shui designed nursery will help your baby thrive well and be happy and healthy. Let us in this article discuss how to initiate a home remodelling to create a sacred, safe and nurturing nursery incorporating Feng Shui principles.

Location

First and foremost of all select a good location for your baby’s room. Never choose a room that is near the garage area or that has an empty space below. Also make sure that the baby’s room is not located where there is excessive noise as it might hinder the baby’s sound sleep. Choose a room that has a window to facilitate natural light and chi movement to flow in.

Bed placement

The crib should be placed on a solid wall with the head of the crib against the wall. Avoid placing the crib lengthwise as the baby will be in a defensive position. The bed should never be placed against a window or in line with the door.

Colors

Incorporate soothing pastel shades in a child’s nursery. Implementing bright colors can over stimulate your child and hinder good sleep. Choose soothing and restful colors that are harmonious in Feng Shui terms to allow your child to calm itself.

Clean the room

Clean and clear the room by removing all clutter and consider an energetic cleansing also. For this purpose you can sprinkle therapeutic grade essential oils and wipe surfaces with water mixed with citrus oils.

Choose themes and motif with extra care

Incorporate natural designs as they are an excellent way to promote your Child’s growth. Avoid designs and motifs that depict aggressive or ferocious animals. Avoid patterns that have sharp edges also.

Lighting

A soft and pleasant level of lighting is essential to create a gentle and soothing atmosphere. Very bright light can disturb the baby’s restful sleep and too dim light can induce respiratory problems.

Foster soft movement

To create soft energy and movement mobiles can be hung near windows. These mobiles will sway gently in the breeze and create a soft music to induce a restful atmosphere.

Sound

Elimination of electronics that can create an electrical magnetic field in the nursery contributes to a soothing environment.

Implementing Feng Shui techniques is the perfect way to ease the transition from womb to room. Think about those lifestyle rules next time your hire a professional home builders to remodel your home. And yes, Feng Shui is a great way to ensure a healthy environment for your “bundle of joy”.

Breakfast Room

Hotel guests have breakfast in this room every morning. They offered various food and drink, but I was more interested in its design interior.  

 

The Weekend in Black and White