Great Organic Gardening Tips That Will Help You Out

Contrary to popular belief, growing an organic garden doesn't mean you're one step away from joining a commune or living off the land. It just means you want healthier food, bereft of the harsh chemicals that are used by mass-producing farms. Here are some tips to ensure that your garden will always grow.

Attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Certain plants are highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds due to their nectar. Hummingbirds tend to favor any flower that is shaped like a trumpet, especially if it is pink, red or purple. Examples of these are honeysuckle, fuchsia and monarda. Butterflies like flat, daisy-like flowers, such as chrysanthemums, asters and coneflowers. Choose a sunny position, as both butterflies and hummingbirds appreciate the warmth.

Spend the additional money to fence in your garden. You are about to make real investment in time and money to create a garden of your own, but it can all go to waste through the stomping feet of playful children, pets and other small animals. Protect your investment with a small fence that keeps the kids and critters out.

Grow some wheat grass or cat grass next to the plants your cat seems to prefer. Additionally, use your cat's keen sense of smell to your advantage. Citrus fruit peels and mothballs both smell horrible to cats, so put them on the soil near the plants your cat likes to eat.

Try growing crops that are easy to store or store themselves. If handled properly and gently, given the right amount of time to cure, garlic, onions, sweet potatoes, squash, dry beans, or shallots will keep for a very long time in a cool, dry place. No canning or freezing required. This will ensure having fresh vegetables from the garden all winter long.

If you are going to be doing a lot of work in your garden very close to the ground, such as weeding or planting, use a garden stool or pad to protect your knees. This will make it easier to get back up again and move once you finish, and will also reduce bruising on your knees.

Make sure you are realistic about your gardening abilities. It is easy to get excited about the possibilities that your garden holds. However, it does not make sense to purchase seeds that will not thrive in your climate. Research what type of plants you can successfully grow and stick to your list when shopping.

To create nutrient rich soil for your garden in advance, gather unused fish parts and bury them in the soil. Leave the fish parts untouched in the soil for as long as you can before planting over it. For best results, be sure to bury the fish parts at least 8 inches in the ground.

Be sure to buy a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool that you can use for your garden. It can be very uncomfortable on the knees when working so close to the ground, so a light, portable stool makes gardening easier. Gardeners usually need a wheelbarrow to move the heavy dirt and other objects so they are a good item to buy.

When deciding to plant a garden, it is important to survey the areas available for planting and determine which will be the best location. Whether you grow your fruits and vegetables in your yard, on your patio in containers, or on your apartment balcony, your plants should be in a location which is exposed to sunlight. To yield the best harvest, most crops need to be situated in an area which is an open location that is sunny.

To make sure you're getting a level edge when pruning your bushes, use a piece of rope or a line. Simply fasten the rope to two pieces at the approximate height you'd like the bush to be at. Seeing the bush along this straight line will make it easy to see if it's level at a glance.

To keep cats, snakes, and other critters out of your garden, use moth balls. Moth balls may not smell pleasant to us, but they smell even worse to most animals, and they'll easily scare them away. Simply scatter a few moth balls at the edges of your garden. Moth balls can be obtained very cheaply from drug stores and dollar stores.

Give your garden an exotic look with succulents. Succulents, either planted directly into the ground, or in pots, can give your garden an exotic feel. Most are grown for their interesting shapes, but quite a few have showy flowers. They require lots of light, sandy, rapid-draining soil, and modest watering during the growing season. The hardiest succulents are sedum and sempervivum. They are easy to propagate by clump division, and stems root easily when planted in moist soil.

It is important to remember to apply sunscreen to the back of your neck as well as your ears when you are gardening. Many people focus on their face, hands and arms when they are applying sun block before going outside to do their gardening. Your ears and the back of your neck will get a lot of sun exposure, so it is important to protect them too.

Yes, there is a stigma that comes with the word "organic," but that's because most people fail to realize that the word organic, basically means natural. In fact, growing organic is as natural as you can possibly get. So make sure to use these gardening tips when you're ready to grow organic food.

Strengthening Families through Responsible Fatherhood

Fatherlessness has become a growing crisis of family life in the United States today.  It is one of the primary challenges families face in modern society.  In response to this need, there is a major and growing initiative to teach and develop Responsible Fatherhood behaviors and skills to American dads.  These Fatherhood programs are designed to teach and support dads in their efforts to fulfill their vital roles as an important primary influence in the lives of their children.

The Responsible Fatherhood movement and initiates developed from it are designed to help fathers create nurturing, loving relationships with their children and to be actively involved in their upbringing and their lives.  All major research on the subject shows that children do far better when their fathers are present and active in their lives.  With loving and involved fathers children are more likely to have healthy self-esteem, be successful in school, use pro-social behaviors, and avoid risky behaviors such as truancy, drug use, and criminal acts.  Studies show when dads aren't a part of their kids' lives, they are more likely to use drugs, drop out of school, run afoul of the law, and become teenage parents themselves.

There are more than 55 organizations around the nation dedicated to teaching and providing Responsible Fatherhood activities.  The curriculum used in these Responsible Fatherhood programs is intended to help fathers effectively meet the goal of fulfilling their roles as:

• Parents  
• Relationship and Emotional Partners
• Wage earners and Workers

by learning how to:

• Improve their relationships with the mothers of their children
• Become better parents
• Get job training so they can contribute to the financial
  well-being of their children

Programs even cover down-to-earth topics such as managing anger and conflict (both off and on the job site) as well as issues of race and racism. The responsible fatherhood movement also encourages healthy motherhood and encourages stronger community supports for fathers and mothers to grow as emotionally healthy parents.  The overall core goal is to strengthen our urban communities by assisting fathers and their families achieve core stability and economic success.

Here amid the dawning years of the 21st century, our growing awareness of the importance of successful father-child relationships has the potential to promote and produce children with greater empathy towards others, higher verbal skills and increased curiosity to learn and obtain higher scores for cognitive competence in basic educational subjects.  By helping families and fathers achieve economic success and all-round stability, the goal of strengthening urban communities can be met. Please visit this site for more info.

President Obama, who himself grew up without his father as a part of his life, stresses to fathers through the country that the most important job he has is being a dad.   He has joined fathers across the nation in a fatherhood pledge that states that the men who sign it will do everything they can to be there for their children and for other young people without fathers involved in their lives.

The pledge is simple:

•I pledge to renew my commitment to family and community.

•I recognize the positive impact that fathers, mothers, mentors, and other responsible adults can have on our children and youth, and pledge to do all I can to provide children in my home and throughout my community the encouragement and support they need to fulfill their potential.

The President's Fatherhood Pledge encourages two things: for fathers to be involved in the lives of their children, and for men to be positive role models and mentors for the children in their lives and communities without fathers.  

Simple & Effective Memorial Fundraiser Ideas

No one knows when a life will end, and when it does, it can be hard to cope with. It is important to grieve, but you still need to create a memorial service to help illuminate the life of your loved one. Memorial services--while helpful--can also be a little expensive, which is why good memorial fundraiser ideas can be helpful. The following are just a few that you can consider.

Personalized Bricks
One thing you can consider is using personalized bricks to get donors to help you with the expenses of the funeral. The bricks can forever immortalize the charity of these donors and should attract those who want to remain a special part of the loved one's memorial. The bricks can be placed over the grave-site or around it.

Create a Fund Page
Another good idea that might work is to utilize social media to promote a fund page. Social media can connect you with some of the loved one's friends and perhaps make it easier to collect a little help during these trying times. Get more info on this website.

Of course, these are just a few ideas, but hopefully they are helpful.

Stop The Headaches, Learn More About Hiring A Carpet Cleaner

There are many times where you should forgo doing something yourself and hire a professional, and carpet cleaning is in that arena. You don't want to create more damage, so it is best to leave it to the experts. Here are several things to ask any company before you go into business with them.

When you are cleaning, focus the majority of your attention on the spots where people are sitting like in front of the couch. These are typically the spots where you will find the most dirt, grime and bacteria when cleaning. Run over these areas at least three times when you are vacuuming.

On plush carpet, make sure that you spend a little more time vacuuming. These areas are usually thicker than a standard carpet, so you are going to need to go over it a few more times to get the job done. This will help you to become as efficient as possible during your cleaning regimen.

Do not believe everything that you read about carpet cleaning. Many companies offer great deals in their ads, but you are not getting what you expect in most cases. Be sure to ask hard questions before you have them come to service you. Chances are those prices are just to use water.

Salt is an efficient and affordable product you can use to clean your carpet. Salt will absorb liquids such as wine or grease. You should pour enough salt to cover the stain and wait a few minutes. Most of the stain will be absorbed by the salt if you react quickly enough.

If you are cleaning a stain, try to focus on working towards the middle. This motion will isolate the stain so that it will not spread on your floor. Try to use a cleaning product that gets rid of the stain without harming your rug in the process for the best results.

When thinking of hiring a cleaning company to clean the carpets in your home, check to make sure they have a valid business license. Some companies believe that because carpet cleaning is unskilled labor, they do not have to have a license to operate a business. This can come back to haunt you if there is an issue with the work they do in your home.

Prevent pet stains, if at all possible, because they can be very difficult to remove, and they also leave an odor. In case of an accident, be prepared with specialized pet stain removers and treat the soiled area immediately. Follow up by soaking the carpet with water and blotting with a clean towel until no stain is visible on the towel.

When choosing between your short list of companies, ask them for references from satisfied customers. These could be businesses who contract them to come in frequently, or residential clients who have hired them once or twice. Don't just accept the list, but also follow up by calling a few people on the list to double check the validity of the company's claims.

The best way to clean an area rug is to move it outside onto a deck or clean tarp. Use a small carpet shampoo machine and go over the rug at least two times. Allow the rug to air dry completely before moving it back indoors. This method can only be used in warm, dry weather.

Invest in a high-end vacuum. Most vacuums are very weak and cannot do what is necessary to remove dirt, dander and fur from your carpets. While they can be very expensive, the money you will save in not having to replace your carpets as frequently will cause the vacuum to pay for itself.

Always compare the prices of carpet cleaning companies before choosing one to clean your carpets. Most companies offer competitive pricing, but it doesn't mean they are your most recommended or best reviewed. Take a few minutes to compare companies on different levels before making your final decision of who to hire.

If you have areas of the carpet that are soiled pretty badly, you may want to ask if you will be charged extra for that. Some companies charge a flat rate per square foot, but others may try to charge you more to get rid of any stains that are heavy.

Check into the carpet cleaning company's credentials. Make sure that the company is licensed and bonded, and that they have a good reputation. Ask about the employees as these will be the people that you are dealing with at your home. Make sure that they actually use their own employees and don't sub-contract the work to someone else.

Rubbing a stain will cause it to spread and penetrate deeper layers of your carpet. You need to only blot the stain before applying the cleaning agent. Steam cleaning can finish removing what remains of the stain.

When hiring a carpet cleaner, request references from past customers. Reputable businesses will have lists of references. Do not rely on this fully as they will not give you the names and numbers of unsatisfied customers.

There are many people that fail to ask the right questions when it comes to having work done on their home. You don't want to end up with a larger problem than you had to begin with. The questions here are a good way to figure out if the carpet cleaning company you are considering is worth it.

The 3 bedroom condo Grand Cayman Residents Appreciate

Condos are becoming a increasingly popular option for first time renters. There are many advantages to renting condos such as the 3 bedroom condo Grand Cayman residents appreciate. Condos are built to be owned, so you can expect to find luxury finishes inside. Stainless steel appliances, marble floors and granite counter tops are common in many condos. This means you can move in with a limited amount of kitchen appliances, which saves you money. The condo will also be maintained by the owner. So aside from the usual cleaning of the living area, the windows, walls and carpets will most probably be cleaned by hired help. You do not need to worry about cutting the grass or ensuring you have a perfectly manicured garden as all outdoor maintenance is carried out by the building management group. The complexes are also gated, walled and have security guards manning them around the clock. So aside from having neighbors in ear shot during an emergency, you do not need to worry about anyone breaking into your condo.

California Mortgage Tips for Big Savings

Real estate in the Golden State can be pricey, but you can use California mortgage tips to try to extend your purchasing power. Whether you're interested in buying a home or a commercial building, it's important that you acquaint yourself with all the information that's out there. By doing so, you can avoid making common mistakes that newcomers to the market often succumb to.

It's important to remain cognizant of current interest rates, the importance of your credit score and other factors that could bear upon your financial position. Mortgages tend to be long-term arrangements, and it's important to do everything correctly so that you don't have any regrets later on. It may be prudent to solicit the guidance of a professional mortgage team. Get more info by clicking here.

Be sure to read the latest California mortgage tips before undertaking any real estate transaction. You'll then be able to act in a confident and well-educated way rather than just stumbling about in an uncertain fashion. It may be possible for you to save many thousands of dollars.

When You Need Ideas About Basketball Fast, Read This

No matter if you are in the stands or on the court, information helps appreciate the game. Know nothing about the game? Don't give up! As exciting as basketball is, it's also an easy sport to learn. Read on and gather up some fun tips to help you better your skills and make the game more fun to watch.

To be successful with free throws, you need to be sure you're taking the best approach. When at the foul line, have your feet about a shoulder's width apart. Now, use both hands to dribble the ball. Bend your knees and and picture the ball going into the basketball as you take your shot.

Stay low when playing defense. Keep your shoulders lower than the offensive player you are guarding will give you a better chance of moving more quickly. A lower stance will help you play the ball as well. Try to remain about an arm's length away. When you get too far away, the other player can shoot easily.

Learn the positions on a basketball court. Each position has different roles to fill on both offense and defense. There are guards, point guards, forwards, power forwards, and centers. If you want to really enjoy basketball, learn the needs of all of the positions, not just the one you are most interested in.

Remember that refs don't see, catch or call everything. You're going to get fouled sometimes and not hear the whistle. Just remember that works both ways. You will also get away with some fouls that aren't called. Respect the refs, but remember that they don't determine the winner and loser.

There may be sneaky or subversive moves that you can make in an attempt to won a game but they are not worth it. Your teammates and fans deserve a player to be proud of, not one whose actions they have to defend. Be a player that your team and the opposing team can both respect.

Master the stop and shoot. Basketball is so much about movement that sometimes the most effective manner to get clear of an opponent is to surprise them with no movement at all. Master dribbling up court fast and when you hit a mark you're comfortable with, stop short, pull up and shoot. Your opponent will find it tough to stop their forward movement, so you'll have a clear look at the basket.

Remember that being good at basketball starts with being athletic. That means working on all of your skills, not just those which involve a ball. Run to build stamina and your cardiovascular health, and lift weights to build your strength. The harder you work on your overall condition, the better you will play.

Balance is an important aspect in basketball, especially when taking a shot. When shooting, make sure you are balanced both side to side and from front to back. Do not be leaning away from the shot or lunging forward. If you keep your balance on shots, you will make baskets more consistently.

You can use your guards and point guard to trap an opponent with a 2-3 zone defense. They can then trap the point guard. While that is happening, your forwards should race out to the opposing wing players. This will likely cause the point guard to make a high, short pass, which your forwards will steal quite easily.

In order to improve your weaker hand, make use of it for everyday things, such as brushing your teeth, eating out of a spoon, etc. If you gain more mastery of it in all walks of life, you improve overall control. Keeping your opponents on their toes is an important part of basketball.

If you want to be a better jump shooter, learning the proper way to jump is one way to improve. It is extremely important your jump does not drift from side to side. If you begin to drift your shooting arm will lose aim at the basket. Jumping straight up and coming straight down will increase your accuracy and consistency.

Don't show up your teammates. Remember basketball is a team sport. If you spend time turning your team against you, you'll find that your opportunities on the court will quickly dry up. Soon you could even be riding the bench. This is a team game that takes trust, so do your best to earn it.

Be careful when attempting to get a rebound off a very long shot. A lot of power goes into launching the ball in the air that far away, and this often leads to very powerful rebounds once the ball hits its mark. They traditionally go wild and can hurt you if you are in the way.

Double dribbling is a huge no-no. A double dribble is when you stop dribbling, then start again. Once you've stopped dribbling, you can only pass the ball or shoot the ball. You're unable to restart that dribble again. This will make a turnover occur which means the opponent will get the ball.

As you go for a rebound, jump off both feet at once. Jumping off just one foot leaves you slightly off balance and potentially not able to jump as high as when you are able to launch off both of your feet. Better control will lead to catching more rebounds.

Keep your hands away from the face of the person you are defending. Poking them in the eye could get you ejected from the game, and one rogue thumb is all it takes for this injury to happen. Keep your hands where the ball is and away from eyes, ears, mouth and nose.

Was that as difficult as you thought it would be? Since you have now expanded your basketball knowledge, you will be well aware of the joy that can be gained from the game. If you are prepared to make a change, now is the best time to do so. While you may not be the next NBA star, you will improve nonetheless.