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Five Basic Steps to a Lush, Green, Weed-Free Lawn
Are you finally ready to get serious about getting your lawn greener and healthier? See these basic grass care tips.
I spent years trying to figure out how to get rid of annoying weeds and get a healthy looking grass lawn—now I’m a bit of an agricultural maven. If you’re struggling with your lawn year after year, use these five basic steps to achieving a lush, green, weed-free lawn. You must implement each step with consistency and be patient—with time you’ll see positive results.
1. Understand Your Lawn
The first step to having a green lawn is to understand what makes your lawn tick. Grass is a plant like any other plant. It has roots that need nourishing and support. Understand that your lawn needs three basic things to stay lush and green: water, sun and quality fertilizer. These three elements work together to strengthen your grass roots so that they each blade of grass can thrive. If one of these elements isn’t in the picture, it’s difficult for the lawn to continue to grow healthy and green.
2. Treat with Fertilizer Starting in Early Spring
As soon as the last frost is over, it’s time to start feeding your lawn. Fertilize it with a good lawn fertilizer. Pick the kind of grass fertilizer that comes in granules that you can spread evenly—granules are the best when it comes to coverage in my opinion. If you have a major issue with weeds each year, pick a good Weed and Feed fertilizer (granules that you can work into the dirt). Sometimes weeds grow year in and out because there are dormant seeds in the soil. Apply the granules exactly according to the instructions on the product bag and on your spreader. Always take that extra few minutes to read the instructions because it can make all the difference.
If you have spots in your lawn that are light or turning brown, add new grass seed in addition to the fertilizer. Water thoroughly right after the first feeding. Feed your lawn every 4-6 weeks after that all the way into the fall season. The way you treat your lawn in the fall will have an impact on how it develops in the early spring.
3. Water on a Schedule in the Summer
As soon as the temperatures start to hit about 60-65 degrees, it’s time for more regular watering. Experts suggest watering at least twice per week for at least 15-30 minutes. The goal is 1.5 inches per week, which you can measure by putting a small tuna can near the watering area. Rainfall should take care of the rest, but if there is a long period of time without rain, add an extra day or two to the watering schedule. Use a water timer, hoses and sprinklers to ensure that the lawn is watered consistently.
4. Spray for Weeds Every Other Month
An important note: Try different lawn-friendly weed products until you hit the sweet spot. I tried a number of different brands and formulations until I finally hit the jackpot and found a product called Ortho Nutsedge Killer that eliminated all of the weeds in my yard within days.
5. Mow Every 10-14 Days Instead of Every Week
Why recut an already low cut lawn? If the grass is still low, why cut it again? Maybe it’s to always have that perfectly manicured look. But instead of mowing weekly, try a schedule of 10-14 days — especially if your lawn is struggling a bit at the moment (dry and brown). If you hire someone to mow, see if you can get them to come two or three times per month instead of weekly.
It takes time, patience and regular attention to get your lawn green, healthy and weed-free. It took me close to 10 years of trial and error to finally get an effective schedule together. Follow these basic steps to a greener lawn starting in the early spring of each year.
Posted by Louise
Photo credit: Flickr/Sam DeLong
3 Natural Soaps: Oatmeal, Goat’s Milk & Shea Soap
Having dry unhealthy skin is so unpleasant. Next to your smile, your skin is the first thing that people see when they meet you. One can spend a mini fortune buying expensive name brand skin items that don’t even work as well as natural solutions. I decided to give three natural soaps a try: oatmeal, goat’s milk and shea butter soap. Here is what I learned about each type of soap and my personal experience with each.
Oatmeal Soap
Benefits:
– helps with poison ivy and bug bites
– moisturising effect on skin
– helps clean skin by exfoliation
– can help both dry and oily skin
– helps with sunburn, rashes or pain
– helps reduce signs of aging
My personal experience with oatmeal soap: I only use this soap when I have a skin breakout (it’s good for eczema symptoms) or a bug bite. It does a great job of soothing the area and reducing itching.
Goat’s Milk Soap
Benefits:
– high content of alpha-hydroxy acids like lactic acid which breaks down dead skin cells and leaves new cells behind
– excellent moisturizer- soothes dry skin
– contains vitamin D, C, B1, B12 & E
– treats acne because of anti bacterial properties
My personal experience with goat’s milk soap: I was giving this soap by someone I love and trust who swears by it. It’s extremely smooth, silky and milky as the name suggests. I’ve found it to be a good moisturizing soap that makes your skin smooth to the touch, and of course there are no harsh dyes or scents. I love the way it smells.
Shea Soap (raw)
Benefits:
– does not strip essential oils from skin
– disinfecting skin properties
– contains unsaponifiable compounds
– contains vitamins A, C & E
– fights germs & bacteria
– added bonus: shea butter also acts as a sunscreen
My personal experience: while I haven’t used raw shea soap just yet, I use shea butter in its natural form almost every day. This stuff is a great skin protectant and makes your skin supple (like butter). It can also help ease the irritation of rashes and eczema symptoms.
So Are Natural Soaps Right for You?
I really feel a difference in my skin when I use natural soaps. I hardly require any moisturizer on my skin after using them because they already have moisturizing properties built-in. If you’re a person who struggles with very dry skin and other skin ailments, oatmeal soap, goat’s milk soap or shea butter soap just might work better than your usual product. They may help ease your symptoms (just make sure that you’re not allergic to the ingredients) and give you the soft, supple, clear, glowing skin you’ve always wanted.
Compiled and Posted by Lorraine and Louise
Images courtesy of Amazon.com
Review: Drinkwell Cat Water Fountain by Petsafe
I love my cats and want them to have the best when it comes to both food and water. Since I drink filtered water, I prefer to give my cats the same. A friend told me about the PetSafe Drinkwell Stainless Multi-Pet Fountain, which dispenses water to pets like a drinking fountain. Here is my quick review of this water fountain for cats.
Benefits
– made of stainless steel (no toxic plastic carcinogens)
– holds 1 gallon of water that is filtered, making the water taste great
– multiple cats can drink water at the same time
– ability to adjust the flow of water
– ability to choose different streams
– replaceable filters (foam & carbon filters)
– water pump is fairly quiet
Setting up this fountain is the only downside. It takes some time to assemble the various pieces properly, but once you do it’s pretty easy to figure out in the future. You also have to locate the fountain in a place where it can be plugged into the wall.
But all that aside, the cats love it. After setting the cat water fountain down, I noticed that they were extremely attracted to the streaming water. They then began to luxuriate near the water, sipping for longer periods of time. One of my cats loves to jump on the bathroom counter and sip water out of the spigot, so he particularly loves this contraption.
The clean up and reassembly of this pet water fountain is worthwhile when I consider how much cats love it, but I admit that there are times I take a break and just use the regular water bowl.
So if you are a cat parent that only buys the best cat food, why not provide them with the best water possible and a new fun experience at the same time. I give the PetSafe Drinkwell Stainless Multi-Pet Fountain 4 stars out of 5.
Posted by Jasmine
Downsides of Cosigning a Home Loan
In many cases individuals are pressured into cosigning home loans for family members, friends or significant others. The results can be less than desirable, to put it as nicely as possible. Before you make this very serious financial decision carefully review the downsides and put the situation into the proper perspective.
Issues with Non-Payment
The first most pressing risk of cosigning a home loan is the chance that the other signer will fall into difficult financial times and stop making regular payments. As the cosigner you have to pick up the slack unless you want your credit to be destroyed as well. If the loan goes 30 days overdue the mortgage lender can begin reporting negative information to your credit report.
Getting Another Home Loan
If you cosign on a home loan with another person now you may have trouble getting another home loan for yourself later. For instance, say you cosign a mortgage loan for your child then need to buy a condo for yourself in a few years. Some lenders might not approve you for a new home loan when one is currently open. It depends mostly on your debt-to-income ratio (should ideally be 28% or less, meaning your home expenses should not exceed 28 percent of your gross monthly income). Even if you don’t have to make payments on the loan you consigned, the lender might still consider it in your debt-to-income ratio.
Selling the Home
When you cosign with another person on a home loan in many cases both names are listed on the deed. That means you must get the agreement of the other person to proceed with a sale. If that person is not ready to sell or has disagreements regarding terms you can find yourself stuck in a difficult situation or possibly a legal dispute. In some cases one borrower does not want to leave the home but cannot make payments, so the cosigner is forced to continuing paying or risk defaulting on the loan.
Take Your Time
If you do decide to cosign on a mortgage loan make sure that you and the other person are on the same page from the very beginning. Approach it like a business partnership — draw up an agreement outlining every possibility and explaining how you will handle each situation that may arise. Also, consider your own future plans before signing on the dotted line; you might decide that it is just too risky at the moment. Finally, do not let anyone rush you into your decision.
Posted by Jade
Photo Credit: Flickr/part 3
Dating Advice for Men: 3 Signs That She’s a Keeper
Dating advice for men who want to know if the woman they’re dating is a keeper.
When you get into a comfortable routine with a woman, it can sometimes be difficult to decide if she’s Mrs. Right Now or someone who is a potential keeper. Looks and sex should not be your only clue — explore these three signs that you have a potential future wife within your grasp.
She Tells You the Truth — Even if It Hurts
You’ve heard the saying “the truth hurts.” Well it can also heal. If you have a woman in your life who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth, in a loving manner of course, then you may have a keeper. A woman who doesn’t really have your best interest at heart will tell you exactly what she thinks you want to hear just to keep the relationship going. A woman who truly cares about you as a person will tell you the truth even if it is risky because she knows it can help you be better or help you to heal.
She Supports Your Dreams While Keeping You Grounded
When you’re in a relationship with someone you should both be supportive of each other. Your girlfriend should support your dreams and aspirations — even if they don’t seem realistic at the moment. However, at the same time she should keep you grounded in reality and responsible for your current situation. You can actively pursue your dreams while bringing in an income to support your lifestyle, and having a good woman along for the ride makes it even sweeter.
She Remains Cool Even When Things Get Heated
Some men think that a woman who has a hot head is cute and exciting, but that is not a woman that you would want to keep around in the long run. At some point she is going to get you into some trouble. While it’s good to have a woman who stands her ground when it’s needed, she should be able to keep a lid on her anger for the most part. If your girlfriend can handle challenging situations with grace and calmness, you have a winner.
Keep in mind that what you may think is love may actually just be lust. Also remember that superficial attributes rarely predict whether a woman is a keeper. Search deeper — look at her character and how she carries herself in difficult scenarios to decide if she is a good choice for a long-term relationship.
Posted by Jade
Photo credits: Flickr/gags9999, Flickr/loveiswritten