DIY Holiday Gifts: Making a Terrarium

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to start thinking about the Christmas season.  But there’s no need to break the bank this year.  Just think DIY.

Terrariums

Essentially, terrariums are mini gardens.  They are easy to make and you don’t even have to have a green thumb.  These unusual gifts form their own self-contained environment that is very easy to maintain – even for the most botanically challenged.  Here is what you will need:

• A pretty glass container
•  Potting soil
• Gravel
• Charcoal
•  Rocks, shells, or other ornamental elements
• Plants

Choosing a Terrarium Container

When it comes to making terrariums, you can choose from a number of different types of containers.  They can either be open at the top for cactus plants and other succulents, or they can be closed at the top, creating a more humid environment for tropical plants.  Your container should be large enough to house your growing plants and they should be constructed of clear, smooth glass for the best view.  Fish bowls, mason jars, or even glass tea cups make beautiful containers for terrariums.

Choosing Terrarium Plants

The trickiest part of creating a terrarium is choosing the right plants.  Take into account how much light the terrarium will get.  Will it sit under fluorescent lights in an office?  Will it sit in a window?  Will it be in a relatively dark corner?   Houseplants and cacti are always good choices for terrariums.  If in doubt, ask your local nursery attendant to help you choose small, hardy, slow-growing plants.  You can add interest by picking out plants that have unusual leaf shapes, different heights, and variegated foliage.

Assembling Your Terrarium

Once you have your container and your plants picked out, it’s time to assemble your terrarium.  Here’s how:

• Start by laying down a layer of gravel for drainage.

• Add a layer of charcoal to absorb decaying matter and retard fungus and mold. 

• Put in a layer of potting soil for your plants to grow in.

• Install your plants.

• Add any decorative elements such as rocks, pebbles, marbles, or seashells.

Your terrarium plants will need very little water.  And when you do water, remember to keep it to a minimum.  Just a sprinkle will do. 

  

Add a homemade touch to gift-giving this year by getting creative with do-it-yourself terrariums.  They are simple, fun, and economical to make and they don’t require any special skills to maintain.   Best of all, the one who receives your terrarium will be awed by your talent and touched by the fact that you took the time to make them a gift.

American Politics: Obama's New and Improved 'Gitmo'

 Congratulations!  You, the taxpayer, have just completed financing a beautiful new soccer field – at Guantanamo Bay?  The finishing touches are now being completed on ‘Gitmo’s’ third recreational area – a $750,000 soccer field. That’s right.  In a time of record-breaking deficit spending the U.S. government has decided to spend exorbitant amounts of money on some amenities to make the terror suspects awaiting trial ‘Gitmo’ a little more comfortable
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And, as if that weren’t enough, along with the world-class soccer field, more upgrades have been added, as well.  Flat-screen television sets have been installed complete with dozens of cable channels along with a library of DVDs to choose from.  Also available for the honored guests – I mean, fanatical terrorists – are newspapers from around the world, a large library from which to borrow books, and an array of “enrich your life classes”.  That’s right, just in case their life is not rich enough,

Read more: http://www.infobarrel.com/American_Politics__Is_Guantanamo_Bay_a_Prison_or_a_Resort_#ixzz1xUVWMTWD

Original Articles. Constant-Content.

The History of Earth Day

The first Earth Day was celebrated in the United States in 1970. Instigated by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson, the date for Earth day, April 22, was selected because of how it falls in the calender year. Originally an educational day, Nelson wanted to ensure that college classes would be in session on Earth Day.

On the first Earth Day celebration, New York City shut down 5th Avenue. An estimated one million people participated in New York alone.

Earth Day went worldwide in 1990 and is now celebrated in over 100 countries. In Spain, .......


Continue reading on Examiner.com The history of Earth Day - Houston life coach | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/life-coach-in-houston/the-history-of-earth-day?cid=db_articles#ixzz1rx0sW1lx

Original Articles. Constant-Content.

Creating an Online Business through Affiliate programs

There are great many opportunities for you in creating a work at home business that focus on the Internet and working online. One of the best resources for you to find information about this is at www.affiliateprograms.com. You'll want to spend a great deal of time visiting this website because you can find many different affiliate programs that you can market in many different categories. Some of the categories that they have that you can market include finance, food and beverage, automotive, and health and fitness. Take the time to read through each listing because each affiliate program will list their website as well as a small description on what they do and you will want to visit the website as well. If you are going to be spending a great deal of your time promoting a particular affiliate program, you'll want to make sure that this is worth your while. Also, with each of these particular programs, you should look at how much money you would be making by selling each of these products. You'll probably find several programs that appeal to you so see which one peaks your interest and pays well and head for that opportunity.

Fair Warning

Beware of certain opportunities on the internet, however.  Taking surveys posting on free  forums for several hours day may sound good at first, but many people have signed up and found that they have wasted a great deal of time and money doing these activities. Remember to listen to your gut when presented with such "opportunities". There are many work-at-home scams out there so make sure to take your time and research the details.

Wheeler, the German Shepherd - A Rags to Riches Story

We've all heard touching rags to riches stories, but about in the life of a canine?  Wheeler, the German Shepherd was once an abandoned pup wandering the streets of New York.  Like many in his situation, he ended up behind bars at the New York State animal shelter.  Little did he know that his luck was about to change.  According to Petside, Wheeler was adopted by Liz Keller, who works for the Glen Wild Animal Rescue.  Liz saw that Wheeler had potential as a police dog and soon he was enrolled in a rigorous, 20-week training program at the New York State canine division.

Wheeler, now referred to as Sgt. Wheeler, has helped police investigators with tasks such as narcotics detection, cadaver detection, building searches, and tracking.  He even has his own profile page on the New York State Police website.

And Sgt. Wheeler is not the only dog to go from shelter life to a life of fighting crime.  About one third of New York State's police dogs are rescued from shelters.

Frequent Hair Washing - A Relatively New Concept

Would you be surprised to find out that people didn't always wash their hair every day?  In the past, shampooing ones hair wasn't a daily or even a weekly occurrence.  It wasn't until the early 1900's that frequent shampooing became popular.  During this time, America's Industrial Revolution was in full swing and there were many new advances in modern conveniences like indoor plumbing which made bathing and hair washing more accessible.  A New York Times column in May of 1908 advised women of the day that it was perfectly OK to wash their hair once every two weeks.



In prior centuries, hair was only washed when absolutely necessary.  In fact, in the Middle Ages, washing the hair was an undesirable habit and medieval cultures avoided it like the "plague".

The 1970's ushered in the lather, rinse, repeat customs that many adhere to today.  Ad campaigns from that era used celebrities like Farah Fawcett to convince the general public that they could shampoo their way to  shiny locks of lustrous hair.



We've learned a lot since then and, while our medieval predecessors may have taken the "no shampoo" lifestyle to the extreme, dermatologists and other health care professionals generally agree that shampooing the hair every day is not necessary and actually damages hair by stripping it of natural oils.

Man Order Priciest Starbucks Drink

Ahh, Starbucks. Land of the $4 cappuccino ... and $23.60 Frappuccino? That's the final tally one man managed to ring up on his quest to order the most expensive Starbucks drink ever. Logan Warren started by requesting the largest size beverage, the 31-ounce Trenta. Into it went a Java Chip Frappuccino, enhanced with plenty of that'll-cost-you-add-ons: 16 shots of espresso, soy milk, caramel, banana and strawberry purees, vanilla beans, and Matcha and protein powders, all topped with a bit of caramel and mocha.

If that sounds gross, well, Warren went so far as to explain on Geek on Call...........read more

Woman's Dog Saves Her From Intruder

The woman began to open the door, thinking it was a neighbor, and the man forced his way inside.

The two began to struggle and that is when the woman’s dog jumped in.

The dog, a Doberman mix named Damien,............read more

Wedding Trends: The Choreographed Dance

Your wedding day is one the most memorable days of your life and one of the hottest new fads trending today is for the couple or the entire wedding party to perform a choreographed surprise dance.

The trend actually started some time ago, but thanks to internet sites like You Tube and reality shows like Rock the Reception the choreographed wedding craze, just like the videos, have gone viral.

Traditionally, the bride and groom share a special two-step shuffle to a slow, romantic tune , but today’s couples are going for performance-quality, “Dancing with the Stars”-style routines that are unique and memorable instead of simply sentimental.

Sometimes it’s the just the couple performing, but more often the whole wedding party is involved making it a full-blown production that is likely to be remembered for a long time. There are even dance studios cropping up that include a program for choreographed wedding dances.  If you are thinking of following the trend of choreographed first dances for your own wedding, check out these videos for inspiration:

Norm and Renee’s wedding dance to Michael Jackson

Baby Got Back wedding video

Julia and James’ Dirty Dancing video