Guest Post - Gardening Tips That Save You Green

If you have a green thumb and love the outdoors, you may already know the satisfaction planting your own garden has. Not only does having your own garden provide food you were able to make yourself, but it also has been linked to a variety of health benefits along with saving a couple of extra money you would have spent on groceries. 

Did you know that the average American spends roughly $6,800 on food each year? That is about 12.6 percent of their total spending. Plus, the majority of that food expense is spent on fruits and veggies that could easily be made in your backyard or apartment balcony. 

With seeds, pots, and water costing nothing but a few dollars, there is a tremendous opportunity for growth on your investment. Just by planting your own fruits and veggies could save you up to $800 a year. 

Whether you have a green thumb already, or you have no idea where to start, Mint as put together some go-to tips on where to get started, which plants could save you the most green, and the various benefits to taking up gardening as a hobby. 

Check out Mint’s infographic below to see for yourself!

Guest Post - 5 Plants for Sprucing up Your Home

Could your house use a little livening up? To increase your level of happiness in a home, it’s necessary to do some things to bring it to life. Keeping it clutter free and functional is at the forefront. But another easy and cost-effective way to do this is by adding some life: plants!

Plants in the Home

Being near other living things seems to be good for most of us. Our relationship with plants is extremely beneficial – especially when it comes to our respiration. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen. Putting plants into an office space will help oxygenate the environment. Studies have even shown that common plants can absorb synthetic organic chemicals that can be harmful to humans.

This could be one of several reasons that plants have been attributed as beneficial to worker performance in studies. This is likely a combination of improved air quality in the form of reducing the quantity of pollutants and raising the percentage of fresh oxygen, and partly one of aesthetics. You can’t deny it - plants just look nice. Depending on the decor, a home may sometimes become a sterile or stale environment. Lighting, carpeting, and furniture can all add to a potentially oppressively unnatural environment that can mentally bog you down. Adding a few plants to your space will make it feel more alive, because plants are, after all, organic and living things.

Plants and Productivity

Research has been conducted to determine the effect of plants on productivity. While situations can depend, the results indicate plants in a workspace can result in a productivity boost of up to 15%. If you work from home, that can add up quickly!

Many studies attribute self-esteem, mood improvement and fewer symptoms of anxiety to exposure to plants. Whether this can be traced to physical reasons or they are primarily psychological remains to be seen.

Modern houses and apartments, especially those of more modern styling, can be fairly harsh places. Plants, with their natural shapes and colors, and even individual personalities, can help to soften the edges of these environments.

Nearly any room can benefit from the addition of living plants. Common areas like living rooms, bathrooms, and offices will become more welcoming environments when you add plants to them. Some (like Lucky Bamboo) have even been known to live in windowless commercial bathrooms, which aren’t exactly known for an inviting atmosphere with automatic faucets and stainless steel bathroom stalls. It’s easy to see that your home’s washroom will benefit even more from the addition of some greenery.

Creating the Right Environment

While the benefits of adding plants to your house are manyfold, with these benefits come some things to take into account. First, plants require light to photosynthesize energy. But not all plants have the same light appetite. Some of them thrive in bright, almost harsh direct sunlight. Others prefer indirect, diffuse light. Some are perfectly happy under artificial light, while others insist on the all-natural variety. Fortunately, it’s easier than it’s ever been to get your hands on exactly the variety of plant you’re looking for and match it to the right growing conditions.

What Plants Should I Choose?

Believe it or not, there are quite a few varieties suitable for indoor growing. However, each home presents it’s own individual challenges. The plants you choose will need to be able to deal with limited humidity and climate control systems that may keep temperatures low. Most of all, plants will need to survive off of limited natural light and maybe even a diet of artificial light.

Humidity levels are low, and temperature fluctuations are the norm, as the climate control systems will be scheduled to do less heating or cooling while the office is empty.

Aloe Vera – A succulent, the Aloe plant will need plenty of bright light and not much else. It needs water only on occasion which means you can place it on a windowsill and only check up on its soil once every couple of weeks or so. Everyone knows the gel inside aloe’s thick leaves has soothing, healing properties for the skin which makes it a great addition to bathrooms where one may find the need to nurse a cut or scrape.

African Violets – just the right size for a desk without adding too much clutter, the African Violet makes a great addition to most homes. It is easy to care for and will happily reward you with beautiful purple flowers. 

Jade – Perfect for modern homes, succulents like the common Jade plant do well in warmer weather and are very resilient. Water them only when the soil has dried out completely. Place them where they will get some good lighting and you’ll find your Jade will grow quickly to a large size. At this point you can trim it and replant the cuttings. When your Jade outgrows your house, it makes a great addition for your garden.

Spider Plants – Spider Plants are common they’re attractive, modern and easy to take care of. Unlike Aloe and Jade, they aren’t particularly picky about the amount of light they get. Just make sure they are watered sufficiently.

Cacti – the king of low maintenance plants, Cactus is legendary for it’s indifference to extreme temperature changes and dehydration. Suited to sunny environments, most types of Cactus can take all the heat or cold your buildings climate control can throw at it so long as you place it in the light.

Testing

Just like your home, plants have their eccentricities. There are likely to be some failures along the way. Whether it turns out you placed a plant too close to the air conditioning duct or simply forgot to water for a couple of weeks (or months) too long, experimentation is all part of the process. If you occasionally check your plants for signs of withering or yellowing, you may catch it in time to prevent it from getting worse. But don’t beat yourself up if you can’t recover a plant. Just chalk it up as another experiment!

About the Author

Ryan Larson is a home improvement blogger. When he isn’t puttering around the garage or messing up his cabinet measurements, he can be found playing chess or enjoying the almost-perfect cup of coffee.

Guest Post - Just Bought a Home? Here are 12 Things You Need to Make it More Inviting

Why is it that, no matter the potential, a new home often feels cold and uninviting? To warm it up, it takes life—people, excitement, conversation, dinners! And to achieve all of these things, your home has to be a place where your friends and family want to congregate. Luckily, we’ve got a great list of brilliant ideas, all of which say “come on in and stay awhile” without saying anything at all.

A Well-Stocked Bar Cart—One of the things that makes guests feel welcome in any home is a beverage. Having a well-stocked bar cart—complete with lots of wine, of course—signifies to them that you’re happy to whip up a special drink to make them feel welcome. You don’t have to invest in anything too expensive, just make sure you have the basics, like vodka, gin, tequila, rum and whiskey plus a few good mixers.

A Personalized Welcome Sign—What better way to literally make your home more inviting than to hang a sign that says, “Come on in!” right at the door? Whether with a personalized address sign or front door plaque with your name on it, this is an awesome way to add some personalized pizzazz to the casa so everyone feels warmly welcomed. 

Great-Smelling Candles—We don’t know the exact science behind it, but there’s something really real about the way certain smells make you feel. For whatever reason, lighting candles or burning aromatic oils can immediately elicit strong feelings of comfort and coziness. Go for spicy, sweet and seasonal scents—anything that warms you to the core! Clean smells of cotton and linen can also encourage a fresh start.

Some Kind of Fire Element—In the way that candles warm you up psychologically, fires do so physically. You don’t have to have a raging wood-burning fireplace to achieve that delightful fireside feel. You can recreate it with the help of a tabletop electronic fireplace (yes, these are real and they are actually amazing) or, if you’re looking for something easy and free, play a full HD fireplace YouTube video on the TV.

Lots of Cozy Blankets—The last thing you’d want is for your guests to enter your home and be overcome with a stiff, cold or formal vibe. Peppering some super-soft wool blankets around the living area is an awesome way to encourage guests to kick their shoes off, get comfy and hang out. This one is crucial if you plan on hosting any binge-watching get-togethers.

A Nice Set of Drinkware—We’re not saying you have to roll out the red carpet for your guests, but there is something sweet about serving them with some nice glasses and dishes. We hate to say it, but it may be time to upgrade from your mismatched glasses from college and invest in some pieces that actually go together. Don’t worry though, you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on fancy new glassware and dishes. You can get some really nice stuff on sale or second hand at the thrift store or flea market.

A Personalized Cheese Tray or Cutting Board—There’s something so sweet about kitchen decor that is practical and meaningful. Take the personalized cheese tray or cutting board, for example. These accouterments add a personalized touch to the kitchen while setting you up to create amazing charcuteries and appetizer spreads for your grazing guests. Give one as a housewarming gift to yourself!

Plush Rugs and Furniture—As crazy as we are about minimalist, modern and industrial design styles, they just don’t scream comfy. You can still get the ultra-chic and mod vibe if you go with upholstered furniture featuring contemporary silhouettes and soft, shag rugs with a high pile. If you’ve got the room, select oversized, overstuffed furniture in soft materials. Few things are more welcoming than a big, comfy couch!

Music That Sets a Chill Vibe—One of the first things you’re going to want to do when you move into your new home is to set up those Bluetooth speakers in all the primary living areas. Make sure you’ve got one anywhere guests tend to congregate, including the living room and kitchen. Just make sure to choose tunes that are relaxing and welcoming, and play them at a lower volume. Jazz and lo-fi hip-hop are two of the best options. 

Lots of Personal Photos and Knickknacks—You know how they say to de-personalize the house when you’re selling it? Now’s the time to re-personalize it with your most cherished photos and mementos. Get creative about hanging your favorite photos. Consider having those photos printed on home décor items like throw blankets and pillows or spend an afternoon designing and creating a show-stopping gallery wall.

A Stash of Snacks—Don’t ever let your guests go hungry! Make sure to keep some easy snacks and finger foods on hand at all times to ensure that you’ve got something to offer whoever comes through the door. Create a snack basket that you can bust out anytime you or your guests feel their bellies rumbling. Stock it with crackers, nuts, dips and a few sweet treats.

Good Lighting—Do not overlook the power of good lighting! Nothing makes a space feel colder or more sterile than too-bright lights. Make sure to swap out all those old, energy-hogging incandescents for warm-toned (2,500 to 3,000 Kelvins) LED bulbs. If you’re making any upgrades, consider installing dimmers on your lights so you can control light levels at all times and create warm, cozy or romantic environments on-demand.

Bonus: Friends and Family

The most important thing you need to warm up your new place is loved ones to share it with! Whether you host a big housewarming party, invite your closest friends over for game night or go all-out with a meticulously themed dinner party, it’s the love and joy from those around you that will make the space feel special and warm. Happy hosting!

Author Bio: Ashley Peterson is the Director of Marketing at GiftsForYouNow. Her favorite part of her job is connecting others with sentimental and personalized gifts that foster lifelong memories. Ashley is also a mother of 2 and enjoys spending time with her family exploring the outdoors.

Guest Post - Garage Conversions: How to Create a Rec Room You'll Love

Are you looking to add more living space to your home in the form of a rec room? If you lack a basement or the basement space, building an addition onto your home is a distinct possibility, but additions can be expensive. In fact, according to Home Guide, the average cost to build a 20’x20’ addition is around $48,000. For a more affordable option, consider instead converting your garage to a recreation space. If you’re currently using your garage as storage space, this could be the perfect solution. Follow these garage conversion tips to create the ultimate rec room your family and friends will enjoy.

Consider the door

When converting your garage to a living space, you can leave the garage door as it is, add a layer of insulation, remove it and build a wall in its place, or remove it and install sliding doors or another type of door. Of course, the most affordable thing to do is to just leave it as it is. However, depending on your wants and needs, you might consider other options. In this renovation from This Old House, they chose to add pocket doors, which are both functional and stylish.

Handle the walls

If your garage is already insulated and drywalled, you are a step ahead in the game. If it’s not, you will need to add sheets of insulation and drywall yourself or hire professionals to blow in insulation and cover it. Before closing up the walls, have any electrical work done such as running wire for overhead lighting and adding outlets and switches. Once the walls are finished, you can paint them, add corkboard, install paneling, or include other design touches.

Install the right flooring

What are you going to do in your rec room space? If you are using the room for exercise equipment or yoga, you’ll want flooring that is comfortable and clean such as bamboo, cork, engineered wood, or vinyl. Carpet tiles are also a comfy, affordable option if you are using the room for watching TV, playing with kids, or just hanging out. Carpet tiles are easy to install, and if one of them gets stained, you can just replace the individual tile rather than the whole carpet.

Organize the space

Are you currently storing a bunch of items in your garage? If so, you’ll probably have to move some of the larger items out to make room for couches, TVs, a billiards or foosball table, an entertainment center, or whatever else you want in your new rec room. When moving bulky items to storage, avoid injury and get some help in the form of professional movers. Thankfully, a quick internet search can help you find dozens of options in your area that are both affordable and reputable. Look for movers that are licensed and bonded, and search for real move reviews from actual customers.

A professional organizing business can also be a big help when you are moving items in and out of your garage space, and getting your rec room set up for use. Seek out expert organizers such as those from h2horganizing.com. They offer moving services, as well as decluttering and other organizational assistance, for homes in Fairfield, New Haven, and Westchester Counties.

A rec room can be a great space for your family and friends to come together and have some fun. Instead of building on an expensive addition to your house, with some careful planning, a few DIY projects, and a little professional help, you can create an amazing rec room space that is both affordable and functional.

Author bio: Natalie enjoys writing about homebuying and hopes to inspire homeowners of all stages enjoy the perks of homeownership!