"Great To Pot" Houseplants for Improving Indoor Air Quality

Most people recognize the importance of spending some time in nature, living closer to nature can actually help you to live longer, but when it comes to bringing plants indoors, the importance is often overlooked. It doesn't matter if you live in a one-bedroom apartment or a mansion the inclusion of plants in the house is an absolute necessity. Plants not only brighten up a room but they have real benefits to your health and living environment.

Here are some of the many plants that are great to pot and let grow in your household.

• Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea Seifrizii)

The Bamboo Palm is a relatively small, graceful palm that grows not more than 10 feet. This palm pumps much needed moisture, especially during winter months. It is recognized as one of the best for filtering out benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde. 

• Golden pothos (Scindapsus aures)

The golden pothos vine is one of the most popular and dependable houseplants available today.  It’s another powerful plant for tackling formaldehyde; this fast-growing vine will create a cascade of green from a hanging basket. The leafy vine can reach up to 40 feet or more in tropical conditions, but it confines itself to 6-10 feet in a hanging pot. This amazing plant is tolerant of low light and erratic watering.

• Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

The perfect fit for any laundry or bathroom, the peace lily specializes in the removal of mold spores. The plant itself does not require large amounts of water or sunlight to survive and even features often beautiful flowers that make it a decorative piece. The peace lily is hardy, forgiving, and will even let you know when it is thirsty. (Warning: If you own or live with cats the Peace Lily is known to be extremely toxic to cats if they consume it)

• Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

The Chinese evergreen is a popular indoor plant, known for its exquisite lush variegated foliage and easy to care for disposition. Chinese evergreen is one of the plants recognized by NASA as air-scrubbing plants. The longer the plant stays in a particular area, the more effective it becomes at removing the air pollutants and toxins of the area.

• Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)

Probably the most grown tree indoors throughout the wortld, Ficus benjamina, commonly known as the weeping fig, Benjamin's fig, or ficus tree

is popular as an indoor tree because of its numerous small, pointed, green leaves and gray to beige woody bark. The weeping fig can grow to be at least 6-feet-tall. The plant can tolerate a range of light levels, but it likes consistency and looks its best when grown in bright, indirect light. Weeping fig is one of the best plants for improving air quality indoors. It has one of the top removal rates of toxins like formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from tainted indoor air.

• Aloe Vera

Aloe vera, sometimes described as a "wonder plant" or "Wand of the Heaven" is a short-stemmed shrub that is easy to grow and maintain and like many of its counterparts is wonderful for filtering out air pollutants and toxins. The plant is rich in vitamin A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12 with various other health benefits. It truly is a super plant that can even be easily grown in a small pot on a window sill.

• Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Chlorophytum comosum, often called the spider plant, airplane plant or hen-and-chickens, is a flowering perennial herb. The plant is among the most popular and easiest to grow of all hanging/trailing house plants, making it an easy choice for even the most inexperienced of plant lovers. Chlorophytum comosum is effective at fighting off pollutants including benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and xylene.

• Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica)

Like its name suggests the Rubber Plant is one tough character capable of surviving and thriving in much less light and lower temperatures than most plants of its size. Of all Ficus plants tested, it scored the best in removing toxins and pollutants from the inside of homes. It is especially tough on formaldehyde.

Embellishing interior spaces with houseplants, is not just adding greenery. These living organisms interact with your mind, body and home in ways that enhance the quality of life.

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Are You in a Relationship With Your Mobile Phone?

Who is the one who comforts you when you're sad and finds the nearest pizza place when you're hungry?And what is the first thing you reach for when you wake up in the morning? 

Here are 11 signs YOU'RE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR MOBILE PHONE

1. You don't remember how or when it happened.

2. All of a Sudden, your phone knows you better than you do.

3. But you don't need them. Your phone will comfort you.

4. Its warmth calms you down.

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• 5. YOUR FRIENDS ARE GETTING WORRIED.

• 6. YOU TRY TO EVADE THE ISSUE, BUT NEED TO LOOK UP A WORD THAT DESCRIBES HOW YOU FEEL.

• 7. THEY JUST DON'T GET IT!

8. Nothing freaks you out but realizing you left your phone at home is the end of the world.

9. Your hand can't even function properly at this point without it.

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• 10. YOU CONSIDER YOUR PHONE A LIFELINE AND YOU COULDN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT IT.

• 11. THEN YOU WAKE UP, GRAB YOUR PHONE AND START ALL OVER AGAIN.

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These Bands Get A Lego Makeover

My 10th birthday, I got a game that was pretty cool. I remember, of course, the first time I received a LEGO kit. At that time, I was confused as hell as to what it was supposed to be and what to do with it. Can you even believe now that at one point in time I was NOT a LEGO fanatic? There are many enjoyable things in this world, and two of them are ROCK/HEAVY METAL and Lego. Well we quite literally have dozens and dozens of memories to choose from as LEGO has always been a big part in our lives. With the recent release of the Lego Movie and video games, Lego is more popular than ever. 

This is something awesome- Using Lego and stop-start animation here is a recreation of some great videos of the Sex Pistols, The Damned, Iron Maiden, Rammstein and Motörhead- even going as far as to create the scenery and amplifiers!   

Check it out. Really cool stuff :o)

So there you have it – some of your Rock/Metal favourites re-created in Lego form!

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Valentine’s Day Can Mean Love for Everyone (No Matter What)

For many, Valentine’s Day means roses, gifts, cards, chocolates packed in red satin, heart-shaped boxes and a night of romance. But for others it means that there is a painful memory of a broken heart, loss of a loved one, or even the loneliness that leaves you feeling darkened and empty inside. This Valentine’s Day let’s shine some light on this polarised situation that will allow everyone to feel dreamy and woolgathering. 

Here’s how you can love and feel loved on Valentine’s Day (no matter what)

Show Gratitude

Expressing gratitude to your partner or yourself is like gardening, you create a very fertile soil from which the flowers of love can grow and bloom.

Make a list of 5 things you're grateful for.  If you're committed to someone, give it to them or read it out for them. If you are flying solo this Valentine’s Day, make your list of 5 things and read it aloud for yourself.  Let your entire body feel the affection and excitement in your words.  It doesn't matter what your relationship status is, gratitude will only give you a loving and loveable attitude towards life.

Be More Passionate

Life is similar to a shooting star that is hurling through the night sky.  It never last too long, so you might as well leave behind a streaking white-hot trail.  And when it comes to love, there isn’t a single moment to waste.  Show it to your partner as if you were on a first date. If you're going to love, you might as well be more passionate.

If you're single on Valentine’s Day, love yourself with as much energy as if you were giving it to someone else.  Allow that love to resonate, and affirm that passionate love will continue to radiate into and from your being.

Love Selflessly

Love is like the eternal light that pierces through the darkest of nights. Keep one thing in mind, when you shine your light of selfless love, you shouldn’t expect a specific return but you can be assured that you'll receive reciprocation at the right time. Let your partner know that your love does not have prerequisites.

You can love selflessly without being in a relationship. Enter your experiences with a love that has no attachment or limits. That’s where you'll find a place of contentment, knowing that you are in complete control of your individual perspective and choosing to LOVE.

Find love outside of people

Love between people only represents a silver lining of the total love available in the world.  It’s obviously wonderful to love someone, but there is so much more that exists around us.  Whether you're with someone or not, don't limit yourself to roses, romantic dinners or a box of chocolates; take the time out to play in nature.  Appreciate the abundance of love in everything around you – spark your senses and appraise the overflowing love that radiates from your environment.

The greatest love of all lies within. 

If you are able to discover this powerful love, then you can begin to truly love others.  Doesn’t matter if you’re alone or with a significant other, take time to practice a heart-centred meditation that will open your chakras and bring more love and positivity in your life.  This practice is not meant to be a selfish activity, but one that allows more love to flow to you and through you.

Allow yourself to be spoiled!

This is one day every year that you should be pampered! (By someone else or from yourself) You don't need to spend a fortune in a spa. Here’s how to make an easy homemade foot soak that will leave you feeling refreshed and renewed without the lightened wallet!

Foot Soak

You will need:

4 Litres of water

3 drops peppermint essential oil

1 drop eucalyptus essential oil

1 drop lemon essential oil.

Boil the water and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Pour it into a bowl or basin large enough for your feet. Add the oils and stir well. Soak your feet for as long as you like. This soak will leave your senses invigorated and your soul energized!

Use this as a reference to love and be loved this Valentine’s Day, and EVERY day following.  And by the way, we LOVE you!

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Commuting Made Fun With October Jones

For most of us commuting is a very monotonous affair, most of us end up listening to music, reading or staring out the window being all philosophical and questioning the significance of life or existence in general. But how many of us actually enjoy our commute?

Illustrator and blogger October Jones (real name Joe Butcher) , has come up with a very creative and somewhat an unusual way to spend his time – with just a few pen strokes he draws cartoon heads on his fellow commuters. Sticky notes, marker pens and a field of imagination is all that he needs to make his commute amusing and interesting.

From Mickey Mouse grinding his teeth to a tired-looking Winnie the Pooh who forgot to shave seem right at home on Jones’ Monday-morning commute. Jones has, quite simply, reinvented commuting.

Jones is best known for Text From Dog, an ongoing Tumblr series where his dog sends him hilarious text messages, and which was recently turned into a full book, Texts from Dog: The Dog Delusion, available for purchase here.

Take a look at these pictures.

  
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Why do Indians Eat With Their Hands?

 If you visit India, you’d probably be surprised to see people eating with their hand.  It is normal to wonder why they use their hand instead of spoons and forks. Some even find the practice to be annoying, unhygienic, uncultured, uncivilized, and perhaps even gross! But is it really so? Here are some reasons why eating with the hand is a better and safer way to eat. Read on!

  Connecting with Food – It is said that we should connect with the food we eat, but are we really doing so? BUT what better way to do so than to eat with your hand! Eating with your hand puts the sense of touch to good use, feel the food, and understand its texture. It improves your consciousness of the food and helps you enjoy it completely.

Type of Food – Some foods are best eaten with hands, don’t you agree? How does one eat chicken wings, burger, popcorn, pizza, or chips? With hands, of course! Eating certain types of Indian foods such as Roti, Dosa, Idli, Pani puri, and Pav bhaji with a spoon and fork would be such a nightmare! HENCE THE HAND! 

  

 Age-old Practice – Culture and traditions are given a lot of importance in INDIA! Eating food using hands has been a practice since vedic days. In fact, hands are believed to be the conduits of five elements. If you visit South India, food is served on a banana leaf during special occasions. Ideally, people sit on the floor and use their right hand to eat food from the banana leaf. However, the practice of sitting on the floor is diminishing, but eating with hand still prevails and is preferred by everyone.

Hygiene – It is a common practice to wash hands before touching the food and obviously after eating too. So that makes a person clean his hands at least six times in a day when having food, apart from other times.

Here is an interesting conversation between the then Indian President Dr. Radhakrishnan and the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. When they both sat down to eat, Churchill reportedly asked the president, “Why are you using your hands? Use spoon and fork, they are more hygienic." To this, Dr. Radhakrishnan reportedly quipped, “Since nobody has used my hand to eat before, my hand is more hygienic than any spoon you can find.”

FACT : Indians do use spoons and fork whenever social circumstances or the type of food require them to.

 
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