Month: August 2020

How to Stay Eco-Friendly During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Over the last few months, the coronavirus pandemic has dominated the world and changed the way we live our lives. With the government implementing social distancing measures, and many people being ordered to stay at home, your day to day routine has probably suffered as a result. 

We all know how important it is to do our bit for the environment, so if you’re eco-conscious and wondering what steps to take, here are tips on how to stay eco-friendly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cut Down Energy Use

If you are working from home and want to make quick and easy changes to be more eco-friendly, cutting down on your energy use is the best place to start. Simple measures like switching off your smartphone or computer when they’re not in use, turning off appliances by the switch, and drying your clothes or medical scrubs outside instead of relying on a dryer can help keep your energy bills down and do your bit for the environment.

Don’t Waste Water

The coronavirus pandemic means we are not only just washing our hands more frequently, but we are potentially taking longer baths and showers. If this sounds like you, try and be more efficient with your showers so you can reduce your water waste. Whether it’s turning off the faucet as you scrub your hands, or keeping it off while you brush your teeth, you will notice a huge difference in your water bill at the end of the month once you start making changes.

Use Hand Sanitizer

If you’re going back to work or performing daily errands, bringing a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you can give you peace of mind and add an extra layer of protection against contracting the coronavirus. Hand sanitizer is deemed a green product as most of the ingredients that go into it originate from natural sources. If you run your own business, there are hand sanitizer dispensers that you can install in the workplace which will keep customers and employees safe. 

Ditch Your Car

For those who are currently working from home, ditching your car for the time being is another achievable eco-friendly goal. If possible, try and walk to your grocery store rather than taking the car. Not only will you be reducing your carbon footprint by leaving your vehicle at home, but this can serve as the perfect opportunity to factor in regular exercise. 

Change Your Diet

With many of us having more time on our hands than ever before, why not use this as a chance to change your diet? Rather than sitting around the house and gorging on junk food, incorporating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables onto your plate can be a great way to help the planet. Buying from farmers’ markets, consuming more plants, and choosing organic animal products should be your first step to following an eco-friendly diet.

While restrictions are beginning to ease and more and more people are being allowed to return to work and resume normal life, there are many others who are still being ordered to stay at home. No matter your circumstance, all the tips above are great ways to stay eco-friendly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 Perfect Tips to get an Energy-Efficient Garden

Having a home garden is a wonderful way to save money, cultivate a hobby, and teach the next generation a valuable skill that will stay with them for their entire life. We have a few ideas that will help you garden more efficiently and save energy.

To garden for pleasure is a wonderful pastime that is both peaceful, but also a great way to control your own food growth, and by extension, food consumption. You can be specific about what you plant when you harvest it, and how to properly germinate your crop to produce more plant products like fruits and vegetables.

You can also regulate what you use to kill weeds, like the best dandelion killer. That is, of course, unless you enjoy the catharsis of pulling weeds around your garden and home by hand. However, this usually is a factor in smaller gardens. Larger spans are often handled with chemicals, and at the following link you can find a dandelion killer buyer’s guide to help you make an informed choice.

The garden in today’s world

Burning yourself out and wasting tons of unnecessary money doesn’t have to be the case with the modern, energy-efficient garden. There are plenty of ways to have your veggies and eat them, too, while not pulling your hair out in frustration.

1. The soil

The better the soil, the better the growth. That is just a fact. The best soil is volcanic, but for more domestic uses, a quality potting soil that is nitrogen-rich is the best for the job. Mixing in some compost that has properly decayed is even better. And if you are feeling ambitious, manure from literally any source is a great source of nutrients plants crave.

2. Nearby trees

Planting trees, especially shade-producing trees, is a solid way to make your area cooler, and safer from the sun’s violent rays. The cooler earth, coupled with aeration from the roots, will assist in plant growth.

3. Watering, or not

Having a way to water your plants that is efficient, but not wasteful, will help you to cut your water bills, and help the environment at the same time. A watering can versus a hose is a good place to start. If you don’t want to use water, drought-resistant plants like cacti will work well for you.

4. Proper tools

Safe garden tool use that won’t hurt the plants when weeding or harvesting is the best way not to accumulate wasted product. Using hand tools versus power tools is the better way to go and will give you better control.

5. Lighting

If you want to garden for less energy consumption to keep your bills lower, solar lights are a great garden accessory to install. They use a photocell to turn on the light, and solar panels to charge it. No need to wire it to the home.

Conclusion: To garden like a pro, you have to think like a pro, and someone who has made a career out of effective, energy-efficient gardening, will know the right ways to maximize their garden’s output and produce the best product. Think of those giant tomatoes at the farmer’s market. They didn’t just happen. They were cultivated by experience, research, and time. To get your best output, do what they do, only better. Do you have an area that you use to grow your own flowers or produce?

About the Author

Archie was a builder for more than 40 years. Mainly after his retirement the enthusiastic electrical works in the garden and writes for a blog Homemakerguide.com to keep himself occupied. His many years of experience can get you the right tool reviews whether it is a drill, welding machine or so. An impressive fact to note about him is that almost everything in his house is a representation of his skills made by his hands.

A Glimpse Into Their World: 6 Common Problems Teenagers Face and the Solutions to Each

Ask virtually any group of adults about common teenager problems, and the chances are good that the list will come back with the standard litany: how to get your teen to clean their room, be more responsible, handling the rebellious, defiant, out of control behavior, aggressiveness, and more. Unfortunately, not much is said about problems from the teenager’s perspective.

Looked at from a teenager’s perspective, problems abound. You can help teens with relationships, help your teen lose weight, get better grades in school, and more. Here is a guide to six common problems teenagers face and the solutions to each.

Body Issues. Teenage bodies are rife with issues as they adjust to new shapes and sizes. What was once a cherubic child has morphed into a kid who is all at once, gangly, gawky, hairy, zitty, and uncoordinated.

Fixing this problem is a matter of making teenagers aware that many of the body problems they face can be fixed with diet and exercise and an acceptance of who they are.

Need for Acceptance and Community Involvement. The world can be a big and scary place. This is especially true for a teenager who is still trying to determine their place in it.

Teenagers who feel they don’t belong can end up having their whole lives being affected. Teens should be given guidance to find groups who provide them with love and acceptance for who they are.

Managing Time. Teenagers today are under constant stress from numerous external sources. These include school demands, social pressures, media, and much more.

Teenagers need to be made aware that doing everything simply isn’t possible. Further, they probably need help prioritizing the things they want to do. This provides the added benefit of eliminating things that might be bad influences.

Appropriate Heroes. It’s often the biggest bullies, most spoiled brats, music icons, and sports celebrities who become a teen’s heroes. Unfortunately, many of these are inappropriate for a variety of reasons.

Teenagers need to be familiar with heroes of more character-building pursuits.

Drugs and Alcohol. More than a third of American teenagers report using alcohol in any given month. Further, more than 40 percent of American youth have reported using some sort of illicit drug in the past year.

Drugs and alcohol can severely damage a teenager’s brain. It’s essential for parents to make their teenagers aware of the dangers of drugs and alcohol and to find out what is happening in their children’s lives that might affect the chances that they will become involved in the use of these substances.

Screen Time. As beneficial as screen time can be, too much and that which is unhealthy by its content needs to be limited. Going online can expose teenagers to violence, porn, mean people, and harmful images.

As beneficial as technology can be, there is no way to protect a teen entirely from online influences. Parents must be aware of what their teenagers are doing online and how to interact safely with the internet. If nothing else, teach them to read more.

Teenagers today often find themselves living on a very superficial level. They find themselves on the edge of their society with virtually no acceptance and very little positive affirmation. With no place left to turn, they turn to negative influences on the internet, television, and elsewhere.

Parents can make up for this by teaching by example and living for personal excellence. This will teach a teenager more than anything for a lifetime.