Herb Gardening

7 Tips for New Herb Growers

Growing herbs is so rewarding! Watching your plants grow from tiny starts to full grown plants… the aroma flowing through your kitchen… being able to clip off fresh herbs for your recipes whenever you want. It is definitely worth the time and effort but if your plants don’t seem to be growing or living up to your expectations, it can be very disappointing. Luckily, there are things you can do to keep yourself from being disappointed by your herbs!

1. Always read up on the herbs you want to grow. Figure out how much sun they need, how big they get, and all of that. You want to try your best to grow them in their ideal conditions for best results.

2. When growing your plants indoors, they will start to gravitate towards the window. Turn your plants every few days to keep them full and pushy instead of one sided. You can also use a grow light to keep this from happening.

3. Think about the size of your plant when choosing a pot or planter. Big plants need big pots or they won’t have enough room for their roots. Bigger plants in small planters also need to be watered more often and won’t flourish as much as a plant in a properly sized container.

4. Some herbs are going to grow best outside. A window box outside your kitchen window is a great option for this provided the window gets enough sun. Otherwise you will want to make sure to harvest herbs from outside plants BEFORE you start cooking.

5. It is a good idea to give your plants some fertilizer or compost tea off and on to keep them healthy. Since you continually harvest them, they need lots of energy to keep producing more foliage.

6. Think about how you want to use and harvest your plants. Do you want to dry some of your herbs? Maybe freeze them? When you plan recipes, think of ways to incorporate your fresh herbs. Half the fun is cooking all kinds of yummy foods using what you have grown!

7. Don’t let your herbs flower and go to seed too early. Once they go to seed they stop producing as much. When it comes to plants, going to seed usually indicates the end of the plant’s life cycle. Pinch off flower buds when you see them to keep your herbs producing longer. If the buds keep growing back, you can also cut off the whole stem.

Once you understand what your herbs need, it will be easy to grow your own delicious garden. It is just a matter of figuring out what your plants need and making sure they get it!

Singles on Valentine's Day

Tips and Ideas for Singles on Valentine's Day

Being single on Valentine's Day can feel tough. You may be feeling even more single than normal. For some this brings on a feeling of depression and loneliness, others a sense of urgency as they try to quickly find a Valentine's Day date. The thing is, Valentine's Day doesn't need to be something you dread just because you are single. It isn't just a day to celebrate romance, but love in general. Here are a few things you can do on Valentine's Day to lift your spirits with no date required.
-Spend some time with family. There is a good chance Valentine's Day was much more about family when you were a kid. Remind yourself of all the love you have in your life by taking your mother out to lunch or spending the evening with some cousins.
-Have a girls or guys night out with your single friends. Celebrate your freedom to go out and have a singles night out.
-Have a group date. Not like a double date, a group date is a bit different. Call up your single friends and invite them to a singles night out. The only requirement is that each person must bring another single friend of the opposite gender. No dates, just lots of singles getting to know each other. This can be a great way to meet new people and have a lot of fun.
-Enjoy some time to yourself. While everyone else is out rushing about, slow down and enjoy a good book, a long bath, a day at the spa... anything you want. Spend some time relaxing and reconnecting with yourself. This is an especially good idea if you are newly single. Valentine's Day can be rough right after a breakup and spending some time reconnecting with yourself before you put yourself back on the market could be just what you need!
While we're at it, lets take a look at some of the things that might sound like a good idea but aren't. Many people start to get desperate the closer it gets to Valentine's Day if they haven't managed to find a date, but going out just because you think you should can easily lead to a miserable night.
-Don't call your ex just because you don't have a date. The only exception is if you guys have managed to maintain a good friendship and can both manage a date as friends. Otherwise you will just be leading yourself straight to heartache. It isn't worth it just to have somewhere to be on Valentine's Day. This one gets messy fast.
-Don't sit around at home moping. If you choose to stay home, don't lay around depressed. Do something you enjoy and make the evening something special even if it is just you. Order in some of your favorite food, sit in front of the fireplace with a good book, don't just sit around feeling sorry for yourself.
-Don't go out just because you think you need to. If you want to date, go on a date. If you are going on a date just because you think you should you are likely to find both yourself and your date having an awful time.
Being single on Valentine's Day isn't the end of the world. In fact, there are many ways to have a great time without having to go through the stress of finding a date or dating someone you don't know. It only comes once a year but love can happen any time, so why put so much focus on only one day?

The idea in the acorn

by Ralph Marston Tree There is no tree in the tiny acorn, but there is the ever-persistent idea of a tree. The acorn cannot move on its own, or ask for help, or even think for itself, but it can hold on to that idea, and it does.

When the tiny acorn becomes overwhelmed and buried by its surroundings, it then begins to express the idea. It does not complain or wish for more, but makes use of what it has to promote and manifest the idea, the idea of a tree that it holds in its every fiber. When the thunderous storms come, it does not fear them or hide from them, but uses them to continue expressing the idea it holds of a mighty tree. When the scorching sun beats down, the acorn takes that energy and puts it to productive use, transforming its idea into reality. And little by little, cell by cell, the idea of a tree begins to become a tree. The hardships and challenges come, yet that idea persists and the tree that is its object grows bigger and ever stronger. The idea in the acorn becomes a magnificent oak tree. It does so using only the resources which happen to come to it. You have a big advantage over the acorn, for you can think, you can learn, you can move yourself and other things around. Just imagine, then, how even more magnificently you can express your own dreams and ideas, making positive use of whatever may come your way. Read more: http://greatday.com/nmot/features/the-idea-in-the-acorn.html#ixzz29je6JSMi

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Begin This Day

May you begin this day with a smile on your face, and with happiness for your soul to embrace. Good morning family and friends. Your day is what you make it!

Liar's

I'm always disappointed when a liar's pants don't actually catch on fire.

 

Benefits of Middle-Age Fitness

The Benefits of Middle-Age Fitness

Even if you haven't previously bothered with exercise, getting fit in middle age appears to reshape the landscape of aging.  READ MORE
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/the-benefits-of-middle-age-fitness/?smid=fb-share