Plants are a great addition to your living space, but not fake plants. Fake plants look, well, fake. Indoor plants are not hard to take care of. First figure which room or rooms you want to put plants in. Second, assess which way the light streams into the room, from the north, south, east or west. East, south and west rooms should get prime sunlight. North facing rooms and windows will have very little to no sunlight and are not ideal for plants. Once you have this information go to your local nursery or home improvement store and purchase plants that do well in the sunlight that you have.
If you are not home often or don't have much of a routine then cactuses are the best plants for you. Pacha trees are great, as are air plants if you are home to care for the plants. For majority of the year in Colorado you will be fine with watering these house plants once a week. During the summer months when it is extremely hot and if you don't have air conditioning you will need to water your indoor plants two times at most three times. If you can set a routine where you always water your plants on Monday or Wednesday you will be doing yourself a favor as well as your plants.
In addition to watering your indoor plants you also need to prune and take off any leaves that are dying. Making sure your plants are in breathable pots is also important to the plant's health. Breathable pots are made of natural products such as taracota and help ensure the health of your plants roots; do not purchase and put your plants in plastic. As your plants grow you will also need to transplant them into bigger pots. If you don't have the room for big plants then divide the plant into smaller plants. Dividing your plants into smaller plants is also a great gift idea. It is also a good idea to add a fertilizer for the plant into the water you feed the plant. Most soil comes with a fertilizer in it, but its effectiveness runs off in three months. Follow the recommendations on the back of the fertilizer to see how often you should feed your plant.
Unlike a lawn, most house plants require very little maintenance. This is not to say you can put them in your house and do nothing with them. You do need to give them at least a minute of your time each week with watering, pruning and rotating the plant so all sides receive about the same amount of sunlight. You will enjoy what live plants bring to your home.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Dear Just Be: With the great weather we just had, I want to start hiking. Any tips for breaking into this Colorado favorite past time?
Good for you! Hiking is a great way to enjoy Colorado at its best, get some fresh air and burn some calories. But if you are fairly new to the sport, there are a few things to consider before heading out.
1. No one wants to be injured during a hike. That's why pre-hike training is vital. Train yourself before hitting the trails by hiking in a park or on trails near your home for about 1-3 miles.
2. Get fitted with the right size footwear and backpack. Break in your shoes so you don't develop blisters. Start carrying a backpack whenever you can, beginning 2-3 weeks before a hike. As you continue to train, add weight and increase the load in your backpack.
3. Stretch your legs, arms and neck before heading out and train on different types of terrain to really get a feel for your shoes and backpack.
As you head out for more adventurous hikes, remember the weather can change almost immediately in Colorado at any time of year and this is even truer in the high country.
1. So be prepared and pack accordingly.
* Dress in layers
* Bring plenty of water and food
* Pack a travel first aid kit and take it with you on the hike
2. Hike in numbers and tell someone who is staying behind your route.
3. Look into joining a local hiking club if you are single.
There is a lot of great information out there about getting started to hike and we suggest you read through it a bit, or go to your local sports store and speak to a sales associate.
Happy Trails!
1. No one wants to be injured during a hike. That's why pre-hike training is vital. Train yourself before hitting the trails by hiking in a park or on trails near your home for about 1-3 miles.
2. Get fitted with the right size footwear and backpack. Break in your shoes so you don't develop blisters. Start carrying a backpack whenever you can, beginning 2-3 weeks before a hike. As you continue to train, add weight and increase the load in your backpack.
3. Stretch your legs, arms and neck before heading out and train on different types of terrain to really get a feel for your shoes and backpack.
As you head out for more adventurous hikes, remember the weather can change almost immediately in Colorado at any time of year and this is even truer in the high country.
1. So be prepared and pack accordingly.
* Dress in layers
* Bring plenty of water and food
* Pack a travel first aid kit and take it with you on the hike
2. Hike in numbers and tell someone who is staying behind your route.
3. Look into joining a local hiking club if you are single.
There is a lot of great information out there about getting started to hike and we suggest you read through it a bit, or go to your local sports store and speak to a sales associate.
Happy Trails!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Dear Just Be: My daughter starts driving in two weeks; do you have tips to share?
Basic driving tips (i.e. laws) she probably knows from studying the driver’s manual and preparing for the test, but some driving tips she may not know as well as tips for taking care of the car, I would be happy to share.
First tip that I am sure many people are unaware of is you shouldn’t let your fuel tank fall below a ¼ of a tank. Letting your gas get below a ¼ of a tank shortens the life of your fuel pump. You think by pushing the fuel gage line to E you are saving yourself money, but in actuality you are pushing yourself towards spending at least a thousand dollars on a new fuel pump.
Second tip, when driving your car make sure your tires are properly inflated. Tires that are not inflated properly cause your car to drag and use more gas. You should check your tires at least once every six weeks if not sooner. It is especially important to have your tire pressure checked when you are going on the highway. Many tire shops and mechanics will check and inflate your tires for free. Keeping your tires properly inflated also extends the life of your tires.
The third tip is for driving on the highway and driving with semi-trucks. Semi-trucks don’t have as much control as you would think. It is difficult for semi-drivers to see everything that is around their big rig and need help from other motorists to make sure things are clear and safe. When a semi passes you, flash your lights to let him/her know when it is safe for them to get over into your lane and to be in front of you. Semi drivers can be your friend or your enemy. Unlike other motorists we can’t easily speak to one another, but they can. Before you get in front of a semi-truck make sure you can see BOTH of their front lights in your rear view mirror. If you can see both lights that means you are plenty far in front of them and not cutting them off. Trust me, you don’t want to cut off a truck driver – they can make your drive extremely uncomfortable.
A fourth tip is to help your fellow drivers. If you see an accident ahead pump your breaks to let others know they need to slow down. If you see motorists on the shoulder working on their car or speaking with an emergency vehicle, give them room and move into the next lane.
The last tip and one that is probably hard for new drivers to do is make your car a phone free zone. New statistics show that driving and texting and even driving and talking are just as dangerous as driving after drinking four alcoholic beverages. Both texting and talking while driving are considered distracted driving and over 6,000 people die each year because of it, and half a million are injured in crashes caused by driver’s who are distracted. If you absolutely have to talk make sure it is on a hands free device, keep the call short and more importantly, pull off the road. For more information on the Phone Zone pledge visit Oprah Winfrey’s website
First tip that I am sure many people are unaware of is you shouldn’t let your fuel tank fall below a ¼ of a tank. Letting your gas get below a ¼ of a tank shortens the life of your fuel pump. You think by pushing the fuel gage line to E you are saving yourself money, but in actuality you are pushing yourself towards spending at least a thousand dollars on a new fuel pump.
Second tip, when driving your car make sure your tires are properly inflated. Tires that are not inflated properly cause your car to drag and use more gas. You should check your tires at least once every six weeks if not sooner. It is especially important to have your tire pressure checked when you are going on the highway. Many tire shops and mechanics will check and inflate your tires for free. Keeping your tires properly inflated also extends the life of your tires.
The third tip is for driving on the highway and driving with semi-trucks. Semi-trucks don’t have as much control as you would think. It is difficult for semi-drivers to see everything that is around their big rig and need help from other motorists to make sure things are clear and safe. When a semi passes you, flash your lights to let him/her know when it is safe for them to get over into your lane and to be in front of you. Semi drivers can be your friend or your enemy. Unlike other motorists we can’t easily speak to one another, but they can. Before you get in front of a semi-truck make sure you can see BOTH of their front lights in your rear view mirror. If you can see both lights that means you are plenty far in front of them and not cutting them off. Trust me, you don’t want to cut off a truck driver – they can make your drive extremely uncomfortable.
A fourth tip is to help your fellow drivers. If you see an accident ahead pump your breaks to let others know they need to slow down. If you see motorists on the shoulder working on their car or speaking with an emergency vehicle, give them room and move into the next lane.
The last tip and one that is probably hard for new drivers to do is make your car a phone free zone. New statistics show that driving and texting and even driving and talking are just as dangerous as driving after drinking four alcoholic beverages. Both texting and talking while driving are considered distracted driving and over 6,000 people die each year because of it, and half a million are injured in crashes caused by driver’s who are distracted. If you absolutely have to talk make sure it is on a hands free device, keep the call short and more importantly, pull off the road. For more information on the Phone Zone pledge visit Oprah Winfrey’s website
Monday, May 10, 2010
Dear Just Be: I would like to ride my bike more, any suggestions on trails?
Riding your bike is a great way to get exercise, save money and help the environment. The state of Colorado has some fantastic trails as does the Denver metro area. In the metro area you can take trails to ride for fun, or take them to get to work. Bicycle Colorado has some great maps for you to use when planning your route. Check out their website for a trail near you.
To get to the trails you can ride to them from home or you can drive to them with your car. If you choose to ride your bike to the trail, you will need to share the road with motorists. The following code is important to keep in mind anytime you are riding on the streets as opposed to on a trail. The 3-2-1 Courtesy Code is a simple guideline that helps cyclists create goodwill and positive sharing of the road with motorists. 3 stands for three feet to pass, 2 stands for abreast when clear, and 1 stands for single file to allow for passing. Share this information with others. Motorists and cyclists need to learn how to share the road. Also keep in mind and share with fellow bicyclists that we have all the rights and duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle and can be penalized for violating traffic laws.
Trails also carry safety guidelines to follow. For starters always ride on the right side of the trail. You need to follow traffic control signs and markings on trails. If you need to pass someone on the trail do it on the left, and only when the trail is clear of traffic. More importantly, give an audible warning before overtaking other trail users such as ringing your bike bell or loudly and clearly call out "passing." You should also use hand signals to indicate turns and stops. Again, ride single file so that other users may pass safely. And, slow down when the trail is crowded, and travel at speeds that are safe and appropriate to trail conditions.
For more bicycle safety trips and tips for riding trails visit Bicycle Colorado
To get to the trails you can ride to them from home or you can drive to them with your car. If you choose to ride your bike to the trail, you will need to share the road with motorists. The following code is important to keep in mind anytime you are riding on the streets as opposed to on a trail. The 3-2-1 Courtesy Code is a simple guideline that helps cyclists create goodwill and positive sharing of the road with motorists. 3 stands for three feet to pass, 2 stands for abreast when clear, and 1 stands for single file to allow for passing. Share this information with others. Motorists and cyclists need to learn how to share the road. Also keep in mind and share with fellow bicyclists that we have all the rights and duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle and can be penalized for violating traffic laws.
Trails also carry safety guidelines to follow. For starters always ride on the right side of the trail. You need to follow traffic control signs and markings on trails. If you need to pass someone on the trail do it on the left, and only when the trail is clear of traffic. More importantly, give an audible warning before overtaking other trail users such as ringing your bike bell or loudly and clearly call out "passing." You should also use hand signals to indicate turns and stops. Again, ride single file so that other users may pass safely. And, slow down when the trail is crowded, and travel at speeds that are safe and appropriate to trail conditions.
For more bicycle safety trips and tips for riding trails visit Bicycle Colorado
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