BOIL WATER WARNING

Not too long ago my city had a boil water notice go out. Now my city never had a boil water notice in all the years that I have I have lived here. I wasn't even that sure on why I was really supposed to do. After a couple hours, it got me thinking...

What if this was worse? What if this was a regular thing. Am I prepared? Can I handle boiling water for everything for long periods of time? The answer was no. Which is really shameful seeing that I live in in a state that gets lots of hurricanes. Hell, we even have a football team named the hurricanes. That should let you know how common they are here. I had only a couple bottles that I could keep water in and a big plastic jug in the fridge. That's all. Well, that won't get me far. So I started looking to see what was available. As much as I'd love to not have plastic I have to be realistic here. Plus I need to be able to easily store and access the items. 

I looked around and came across some neat storage containers that stack which is awesome because this will help save space. I also thought camping gear would be of good use just in case power went out as well during hurricane time. Below are just some items that would be useful primarily in a boil water order. Of course, they can be used any other time if you wish.

Camping Shower

I have this one. In a pinch, it's great as long as you have some place high to tie it too. Our shower wasn't high enough to allow the spray hose to work without kinking up. So we had to use it outside. Long term use would get annoying but for a few days, this would work well.  

Mass Storage

Even though I try to not to gt things that can't be just folded away when not in use, I really like these, I like the fact they stack and look easy to fill. It may take some time to fill them when boiling water, with only being 5 gallons each it shouldn't be too bad.  

Pots

If you are able to boil on your stove then go ahead and use the pots you already have. I do not have grill safe pots but this on is pretty nice. Lighter in weight than I expected and get's the job done. I like that it holds a good amount of water. Allowing the process to happen faster.

Water Bottles

For fast access when washing hands or drinking we always have glass bottles around. I swapped out my plastic and metal ones for glass. The glass bottles are a lot stronger than they used to be and the tops are usually bpa free which is nice.

All of these items can be used year round if desired. But they are just really handy when you freak out over a boil water warning like I did. :)

Have you ever had a boil water order? How long did it last? Were you prepared? Do you live off the grid and this is daily living for you? Let me know in the comments and share any other suggestions you might have. 

*pic via: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamiesrabbits/5678713590

SCENT YOUR HOME WITHOUT CHEMICALS

I love having my home smell good. I find it comforting. However one issue I have is all the candles & sprays that are full of chemicals. You don't need all those wasteful items in your home and you certainly don't need those chemicals in your lung. Plus summer rains in Florida certainly doesn't smell like whatever is in those things!
Making your home smell good naturally isn't hard. You probably even have all the items you need already in your kitchen. All you need is some water, pot and various spices.

Here are 3 our favorite mixes that I make regularly.

Rosemary & Citrus (this is my every day scent)
-3-4 sprigs of rosemary
-peel of two lemons (or sliced lemons)
-couple of drops of vanilla extract

Festive Fall
-2-3 sticks of cinnamon
-1 tsp nutmeg peel of 1-2 oranges (or sliced oranges)
-1 tbsp whole clove star anise (optional)
*An alternative that works very well is swapping the oranges for 2-3 whole apples*


Winter Delight
-4-5 springs of pine (I ask where trees are sold if I can have some of the broken off pieces)
-2-3 bay leaves 1 tsp of nutmeg



Once you have gathered your ingredients stick them in a pot and cover with water. Bring mix to a boil, then lower to a simmer. You can either leave it on the stove and add water as it evaporates, or you can pour the fresh hot mixture into a mason jar and place around the home. You will have to reheat on the stove or in a microwave throughout the day. When not in use you can save it in the fridge and reheat when needed. The mixture will last about a week before the smell begins to become odd. Once you are all done just toss the mixture into the compost or bury directly in the ground if you don't have a compost.

I like to use the peels so they don't go to waste since the best smell comes from the peels.

What is your favorite scent combination? How do you plan on using this simple room freshener?

Baking Soda is all you need.

I am not a fan of gold. I have always loved silver. I do not however love the way it tarnishes. For many years I used the really stinky chemical filled silver cleaners. They work wonders do not get me wrong. However it isn't conducive to natural living or even simple living for that matter.

So I started to dig around for natural silver cleaners and what did I find?

pic via:  www.apartmenttheraphy.com

Now I knew that baking soda was a wondrous product for cleaning the home and your teeth but I didn't realize just how great it is for jewelry. It really gets into the nooks and crannies. What I like about using baking soda is you don't need a lot. Just make a paste (usually 3:1 baking soda, water ratio), and work it all into your jewelry. Here is a pair of earrings I cleaned with baking soda.

(left: before | right: after {halfway}) 

There are a lot more uses for baking soda as well. Toothpaste, Carpet Deodorizer, Deodorant, etc. Check the link out below for more tips!

75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda

Pin It Tweet

The Fantastic Aloe

I love aloe. I refuse to live anywhere without an aloe plant. There is such a wide range of uses. Aiding in weight loss, acne, burns, scars, are just some of the many uses. Aloe are very easy to grow and are long lasting. I don't even remember how old big momma is but she has produced loads of offspring that have been sold and given to friends. I do not want to focus so much on her medicinal uses, instead I will focus on the care. However I have included a couple links for more information concerning Aloe Vera.

link 1  |  link 2 | link 3


Container Aloe
Since I live in an apartment, my aloe has always been in a pot. She was purchased from a store but the toxins have long since left her system (I will go into this another time). Recently I have had her in nothing but soil and some pebbles to provide some drainage but I know she is not producing as much as she used to so I will be changing her home. Aloes do not require lots of water or nit-picking. They just need sun, room to grow and soil with great drainage. The best I have found for aloe over the years is a 50/50 mix of sand and soil.

 

I use sand that is used for kids play areas. I noticed less toxins in this and I can buy in large amounts. I make my soil moist prior to adding the sand (I keep my soil in rubbermaid containers because I found it keeps them moist, like you just bought it from the store. No dried out begging for water soil here!), I noticed that when I go to add water later I do not over water. Just mix the sand and soil, no special mixing technique. Just mix. Just drop your aloe in a hole, not too deep, they do not grow deep roots (in containers from my experience). Just make sure it is down enough to stand up on its own. If you need to you can use a stick or spike of some nature to assistant, and remove once aloe is steady in its new home.


Trimming Aloe
Sometimes the aloe gets too happy and needs to be trimmed down. I do this when the aloe reaches a certain height because balcony space in limited. Trimming an aloe is MUCH MUCH easier than you think. I suggest laying down some paper or cloth to catch the dirt and dripping from the aloe as you trim. All you need to do is remove from the pot, and lay down. Make sure you have a sharp knife near by. Bread knife works great by the way. Make sure the soil is moist when it is time to trim. If it is dry, water lightly and trim the next day.

Decide how much you want to cut. If you need to remove leaves do so by gripping tightly (wear gloves if need be. I am used to it) pull each leaf downward, it will just peel off.

Once you have the leaves peeled off you will see lovely fresh skin. Now do not freak out. Chop off the amount you need or want gone. Do not worry about the roots, it will re-root very quickly. Toss the cut piece in the compost or try planting it and see if that will sprout. Do not water until your soil is bone dry. In my experience of trimming, I noticed my plant rooted quicker when the soil was moist and I waited to water. Why I do not know. These are hardy plants so do not be fearful of causing too much damage.

That is that! Trimmed aloe ready to produce more pups. IF your aloe is not producing check your soil. If conditions are not where they'd like them to be they will go dormant until they feel their space is set up properly. Also colder climates may have some issues with aloe. Make sure you keep them in sun or a warm room. They will grow indoors. Just remember moist not wet soil with proper drainage and warmth. That is all there is to it.

Now that you have trimmed your aloe, place back into its pot (DO NOT WATER) Leave it for a couple days. When the soil is dry (stick your finger in, never gauge by the surface), then add water. It is best to use container that allow you to water underneath. Remember its the roots that like water when it comes to plants. Some like to be sprayed but having a soil surface that is too wet can cause mildew and other issues. Always check by stinking your finger into the soil.

Here are some pups ready for a home.

Death of a garden...

So my plants are all on their last legs. Well was. I had to uproot everything and toss it. Some may say use them in a compost. I can't. Some have blight. Some are infested with pre-moth critters. Plus I don't have a compost at the moment. I am dying to get this: 

But it will take a min. I have other things I want to get. Back to the topic at hand. Other problems that ruined my plants was the heat. It came hard and fast. No amount of watering could help them. I am sad. Discouraged. Disappointed. I will try again later in the year with seedlings maybe. I am not sure. I am going to be much more serious and take lots of notes and make lots of plans. Even though it is just a balcony garden it will prepare me for the future when I have a farm. And I will. Somehow I will. So the soil will be getting some worm castings soil mixed with it and it will be set aside until I am ready to use it again. *sigh* RIP Dear Garden Dreams.

Balcony Farm

I know it's not really a farm but I call it that sense there are animals galore all over my balcony at any given time. The squirrel and I came to an agreement. I leave him/her food he/she leaves my plants alone. ^-^ Any who onto the pics...








1. I use old vitamin or pills bottles and sometimes soda bottles as irrigation of sorts. I clean with vinegar and lots of hot water then poke holes at random all around. I bury them so they have a couple of inches of top showing. Then fill with water. That's it. I add water about once a week. Seems to be working well because the roots get water like they need without the soil getting all moldy from top watering.

2. I reuse boxes lined with plastic bags or rubbermaid containers. My soil seems to love the rubbermaid. I drilled holes in the bottom for air circulation but not big enough it entices ants to make a new home. My soil stays at a nice moistness but not WET. Everytime I open the container is smells so nice. I hope to start a compost of sorts with it and grow my own black gold.

3. You may seem some small sticks in some of the plants. I use that for extra stability on plants with thin stems. Once they have grown enough and show they aren't going to flop over from weakness I take them off so they aren't that dependent.

4. The wires you see on the longer planters are for makeshift greenhouses. I cover them with a opaque plastic bag I cut when it rains too much or its just too hot. It also worked well as the starting home when it was cold. Great for starting seedlings. But more than anything I wanted to protect the sprouts from the hard heavy rain drops. It also freaks out the birds who don't like landing on it. (Bonus)

I am starting small. Once I get the hang of it I will be looking into raised beds to line and take up 75% of the balcony. It isn't big but its length it was seems to make things a little easier.