This is what I missed here. I can’t even plant a single plant unlike when I am still in Philippines I have a small backyard garden with string beans, ladies finger, sweet potato and eggplant. I cultivated them and do weeding when I have nothing else to do.

Photo not Mine

The picture above is not mine, my classmate’s seedlings on their green house. It seems she is having a lot of fun, at least she won’t missed the things she always do in our hometown, yeah she just migrated in the US month ago.

Before one of my Aunt build a small store in front of  our house we have a small flower garden in  our porch. We grew orchids in a drift wood and different kind of flowering plants in a pot. My mother also landscape it with the available resources around us like group of stones and soil. But since they build a small store most of the plants are affected and needs to be transferred or removed.

When my Aunt moved and they torn down their store we didn’t  return the plants anymore on their old place, we also didn’t improved the garden anymore. It remains empty as it is and it was not a bad move after all because after few years they built a new store which covered the empty space.

As what I have learned landscaping your garden makes dull areas  pleasing and it is possible to make ordinary homes into spectacular ones and office buildings into warm, livable spaces most of all beautiful landscaping increases the property value of your home.

If there’s one thing I missed on living overseas that is backyard gardening where I can plant and grow vegetables. When I am still in Philippines we have a small garden in our back yard where we plant string beans, eggplant, ladies finger, sweet potato and even squash. I missed those old times like watering our plants, cultivating and of course harvesting them.

Having a backyard garden is not just fun or the family, it also has a lot of benefits like improving our health by eating  fresh vegetables, saving money from groceries and it is also a good exercise to burn calories and can remove stress also.

I have heard about The Essential Garden Guide, it was created to help unlock the secrets of a great backyard garden. This information, originally created for professional and educational purposes, is the result of over 15 years of contributions from renowned agricultural institutions and extensions.

Roof terraces are becoming increasingly popular, mainly due to their many advantages. These roofs are visually appealing, increase social cohesion, and, most importantly, offer a range of different ecological benefits. It is an opportunity for new ecosystems to develop and thrive, it reduces pollution and it helps people to lower their carbon footprint through the insulating properties. Nowhere is the need to be eco-friendly more acute than in large cities such as London. Although various efforts and initiatives have been put in place to lower air pollution and smog, more needs to be done. The following London roof terrace examples are incredibly important in terms of achieving those eco benefits so desperately needed in high-pollution areas.

[Photo courtesy of Joaquin Carfagna/pexels.com]

London Roof Terrace Examples

1. 1 Poultry, which is found near Bank Junction. The building itself is reasonably new, having been completed in 1998. The roof of 1 Poultry houses a restaurant and a highly intensive green roof. Various beds are included in the design, which contains shrubs and trees. Furthermore, there is a stunning pergola covered in wisteria and grapes. Crab apples have also been planted in the garden. The roof also has a grass area surrounded by clipped hedges.
2. 107 Cheapside, which is in the same district as 1 Poultry, has taken a slightly more simplistic, smaller approach. Rather than having an accessible roof that can be enjoy by guests, it has installed a sedum blanket on the main roof for insulation purposes. Furthermore, at two lower levels, a range of planters have been installed.
3. 10 Queen Street Place is another great London roof terrace example. This building is near Cannon Street Station, an area notorious for pollution. On the fourth floor, it has a very large roof area with views of St Paul’s cathedral. It has an intensive green roof that has been made to look like a park. It has substrates, planters, grass, timber surfaces and more. It is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the views of London.
4. 150 Cheapside is at the foreside of St Paul’s, and the balcony of the Stone Gallery actually overlooks the property. It has a very large sedum area and minimal plant equipment. It also has photovoltaic systems for added eco benefits. Furthermore, there is space for planters at a lower level, which is also used for entertainment.
5. 201 Bishopgate, which is in the east part of the City of London. It is a brand new building that features not just a green roof, but also a green wall. It uses a mixture of Boston ivy and native ivy. The particular focus for this building was on biodiversity.

These are just a few of the many examples of green roofs in London. It adequately demonstrates how much can be achieved with limited space and how important these developments are in terms of creating clean living solutions. Pollution in London is incredibly high, and these roofs and walls have the ability to significantly reduce that.

Farming and gardening is my father’s past time,  he is semi-retired in doing construction and carpentry jobs hence it was already too heavy and too delicate for him to climb in higher elevation especially he was already in maintenance because of his high blood pressure. Semi-retired because there are times his old employer asked him at times to fix small things in their house.

Growing pineapples requires significant time and commitment, it can be an exciting home gardening and culinary project. It is almost pineapple season and my father has some pineapple plants, he already harvested twice and don’t think too much about the harvest, because there were only two pineapple heads each harvest (hahaha), my father harvested them earlier before the thieves could harvest them.

The first harvest, we ate the big one and the smaller one was given away, while the second harvest both the pineapples were given away.  My father’s pineapple started from from few plants, and they multiply after my father planted the pineapple crown, as you can see above one crown was already taken away from the fruit and it will be ready for planting, all you have to do is plant it into the soil.

Home makeovers can be costly, but it is possible to make your home more appealing without splashing out a lot of money. How? Well, all you need to do is to declutter, mix-matched your furniture at home, bring the nature and  reorganized everything. The other day, I did some decluttering at home and throwing  things I don’t need anymore like old shoes, frames, toys and books.  To see more space at home was so fulfilling, but just like any other task, it was quite tiring and as expected I rested after  it.

People play games for all kinds of reasons – from a bit of relaxation away from “reality” to a social experience playing with or against their mates, while others play professionally or to win a bit of cash, depending on the nature of the game and their own ability of course and because it was quite tiring to declutter, I relax and entertained myself by playing money games,  I have learned about them through my officemates and I was lured by their winnings.

It was good at first try, I won a large amount of money in an accidental spin and I was able to buy a laptop. Then it became addicting, but as the day goes by I am losing than winning and with this I look for new alternative games I can play to entertain myself after a tiring day and that’s where I found about educational money games online.

Mortgagecalculator. org has a variety of engaging and educational money games that can help users to be  money smarts and to practice their financial decision-making using real-world scenarios.

Anyway, here are the games I had fun playing that you might love as well:

Farm Factory

Growing up in the province means being surrounded by field and trees, I grow up that my family is raising pigs, chickens and ducks and having a garden at home , so planting and harvesting was one of the thing I enjoyed the most and since I would like to experience running a farm, Farm Factory caught my interest, it is an idle clicker farming game where you add livestock to a farm and upgrade the farm to earn as much as you can in 5 minutes.

Grocery Cashier

It has been my long dream to own a grocery store in town, so I tried playing  Grocery Cashier which  actually design for younger children to practice their math skills in addition and subtraction along with the familiarity with the value of money, by operating a virtual cash register.

In this game, each customer represents another level of the game, at first I didn’t realize that as you play longer the number of items you ring up increases while the time limit for each customer decreases. It was fun, but I had a problem giving change because I always forgot the total amount of items I sold, had a problem too on customers paying through gift certificates, because I wasn’t aware that if the customer pays via gift certificates, you will only enter the amount of the gift certificate and the minus sign and you will not make change to this customers.

Stocks

Investing in stock market always fascinates me, it was been my long plan and dream to learn the trade, but me having no time and spending my money on other important things stopped me from joining and learning,  I tried playing Stocks to give me an idea how trading works and how fast the stock changes.

The game was fun, but you need to be quick witted and move your hand faster because the stock prices were fast moving, and it was hard to capture when the price increases.  The player was given $500 to start with and play across 30 days, with a goal of liquidating their shares and earning as much profit as they can in a month.

Backyard gardening has been a long practice at home, I grow up with it and our home garden became one of my play ground growing up as my parents tasked me to water our vegetables in the garden every afternoon. The garden supplies us fresh fruits and vegetables, yes it saves us buying from the local market.

Today, there is no more space to do backyard gardening so my family opted in planting vegetables and fruit bearing shrubs in plant bags, used cans and pots.  We have planted eggplants, chili peppers and even strawberries in plant bags, it has been two years since our family grow strawberries at home, the strawberries usually bear fruit during summer months specifically April, but this year as early as February the strawberries had fruit already to my friends amazement when I uploaded a few photos of them in Facebook.

Growing strawberries at home can be incredibly fun and rewarding, they are among the only fruits that suitable to grow in small spaces as they don’t grow that much, you can even plant them in window planters, or plant bags and pots like what we do at home. Homegrown  strawberries taste better than those we can find in grocery stores —they’re simply delicious.

There are few ways to plant and grow strawberries, our strawberry at home we plant them through runners. My mother was given one strawberry plant by neighbor friend and from there, we have collected runner and replant them to plant bags and pots, until we have already have a lot of strawberry plants at home, my mother also handed few strawberry plants to neighbors and relatives for them to grow.

How about you, what do you grow at home?

The indoor air quality in your home isn’t typically something that most people give a lot of thought to. It doesn’t really keep you up at night, nor does it have you stressing out. But here’s the thing, maybe it deserves more attention than you’ve given it in the past? Did you know that poor indoor air quality can lead to a number of unpleasant sympAtoms? You may suffer from sinus congestion, dryness of the eyes/nose/throat, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, sneezing, coughing, nausea, and heightened allergic reactions.

There are a variety of factors that can contribute to poor indoor air quality such as indoor air contaminants, not enough outdoor air intake, the wrong humidity level, and more. If you are concerned that the indoor air quality in your home is less than ideal, then these five tips can make a substantial difference.

Change the Filter in Your Furnace Regularly

This may sound like a really simple tip, but it has a massive effect on the indoor air quality in your entire home. The filter in your furnace is meant to filter out pollens, impurities, dust, and so forth. If it is so packed full of dirt and grime, it is no longer able to perform the job of filtration. That means all those pollutants and contaminants are just circulating through your home.

Experts suggest that you check your furnace filter every 30 days, and then replace it every three months. As soon as it turns gray, it’s time to swap it out. You can easily purchase a replacement filter online through the Discount Filter Store and have it delivered right to your house.

Switch to Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

The cleaning products you use in your home can also have a negative effect on the indoor air quality. Making the switch to eco-friendly products that don’t contain harmful chemicals will be much better for the air. You can even use all-natural cleaners that are homemade with ingredients such as vinegar and lemon.

Open Up the Doors and Windows

While this may not be practical all year round, another great way to improve the air quality is to ventilate your home and let the air in/out. Opening up doors and windows at least once a week can really refresh the entire home. Even if it is winter, opening up a few windows for a short time won’t be enough to cool down the entire house, but it will help to let that fresh air in.

Indulge in Your Green Thumb

Having greenery in your home is not only beautiful and gives a sense of nature and the outdoors, but plants are heralded for being excellent air purifiers. They are constantly removing toxins from the air and then creating more oxygen. While any plant will be great for the indoor air quality, some are better than others. Ideally you want to look for ivy, bamboo, and various Dracaena plants.

Make Your Home Smoke-Free

Finally, you can make your home a smoke-free environment, as this is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to poor indoor air quality.

All of these tips will help to improve the overall indoor air quality in your home.

It is pretty stressful having a hard day at work and the air conditioning unit broke up in your home and when you live in a large city, it can be difficult to get some fresh air. Especially if you live in the inner city, it might seem impossible because of the tall buildings and lack of trees. However, there are plenty of ways to increase the circulation within your home no matter where you live.

[Photo courtesy of Mikhail Nilov/pexels.com]

The simplest thing to do is to open your doors and windows. Again, however, you may find this to be difficult if you live in a heavily polluted area with a lot of outside traffic, etc. Even so, try opening your windows at night when it is cooler out and there is less traffic for some fresh air. A window fan can be placed on the ledge for better air circulation and if not that, consider installing mesh covers to let in the air and keeping the excess debris out. Other than a traditional fan, consider installing exhaust fans in humid areas such as the kitchen and bathroom. By drawing the excess water in, you will be able to breathe better with less humidity and contaminants in the air.

[Photo courtesy of billow926/pexels.com]

When such situation happened that the temperature inside your home is uncontrollable, all you need is to find a cool place to unwind. Stepping out of your house to get yourself a cup of an iced coffee may help you relax and feel better,  but stepping up into the home entertainment section would be best to reduce the exhaustion you are feeling, as you have to let your mind focus into something different.

There are many options, from exploring the web and playing interactive online games , such as card games, word games, logic games and many more without downloading any app.  It is proven that playing video games can reduce stress and place you in a good mood by increasing pleasure. Pleasurable activities increase dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good. These positive feelings are a great tool to combat daily stress and create a flow state, similar to meditation.

[Photo courtesy of Liza Summer/pexels.com]

Activities that provide instant gratification totally transform those feelings of stress. Playing and winning can cause instant gratification, receiving a reward can make your feeling positive right away and can make you more engaging and productive at home.

Here are top picks of games you can play when you are stressed out and feeling tired from exhaustion, of having no fresh air at home.

Candy Fiesta Game

If you are candy crush fanatic, you will enjoy this games where you have to match 3 candies game and try to score as many points as you can in 65 moves. Valid moves require you to swap piece positions so that you create 3 or more in a row vertically or horizontally.

Garden Secrets

If you are not a keen observer, this is a bit challenging game where you have to find all the hidden objects in the garden, morphed into their location.  This game has 10 levels which are timed where you can score up to 3 stars on each level based on how quickly you find the missing items or complete the puzzle.  If you are stuck on an item you can click use a clue by  clicking [?] at the bottom, then click on the item to reveal where it is located, this will cost you one hundred (100) points.

Candy House

To win this game, you have to match 3 or more same tiles or candy in a vertical or horizontal row for these to vanish. Matching more tiles will give you power-ups that you can use to destroy other tiles. It has a timer so make sure you complete the task given on time.

On the other level, some tiles are locked and can’t be moved. You can only break these by matching 3 or more tiles adjacent to it. My favorite power-up is the rainbow which can be earned when you make 5 in a row. This will remove all pieces of your chosen color from the board.

Letter Scramble

The classic letter scramble is easy to play by typing the available letters and making words. There are three levels where you should spell more words from 20 until 40. You can also repeat the words but the gist of this game is for you to type out the longest word that you can.

Do you look in your garden and feel there is something missing? Could it possibly be that that missing thing is a swimming pool? A swimming pool is the perfect addition to your home, the thing which takes your home to the next level. Of course we have to accept that not everyone has the space – or the money – for one, but hey, we can still dream right? We all enjoy a splash in a pool, but why do you actually need one?

A swimming pool is a proven health benefit, with most doctors agreeing that a pool is an excellent source of exercise. This is because of the amount of muscles at work when you swim. The water resistance provides something for all your muscles to be working against. A good cardiovascular workout can be done by swimming lengths, water weights or aerobics or even just going out there for fun. The great thing about this is that swimming in itself is fun (though I know a lot of people would disagree with that!), it’s not something like running where you feel like you have to force yourself out of the door every time. Keeping yourself fit in the pool can also only be a good thing for your personal/love/sex life… I am sure you have all heard of the famous ‘swimmer’s body’? That can be you.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

If you aren’t into lengths, there are a number of games to play in the pool, which can be entertaining for both children and adults. In fact, that is another great thing about a swimming pool – most age groups can enjoy them. A good game can be found with the simple addition of a ball, they are not just for playing football (which would be pretty impossible to play properly in a pool) but you can always play volleyball. Okay, so you need a net too, but it’s hardly expensive and if you’re already considering a pool then I am guessing that you have some extra money to use. Pool volleyball is a fun game for anyone of any age, whether it’s a bunch of kids playing or a party activity for adults. Don’t go thinking that is the only game though, you can also buy some basketball hoops and play basketball – though admittedly bouncing the ball has the same problems as playing football in the water, but that does not stop you from trying to score a 3 pointer and becoming the Michael Jordan of your pool. I have only highlighted two games to play, but there is a plethora of games to play in your pool, the scope of your imagination provides no limits. If you are intent on playing games in your pool – (and let’s face it, why wouldn’t you be!) – then you need to consider effective channel drainage solutions to help drain away all the excess water that will no doubt be splashed out of the pool during those games!

[Photo courtesy of Toni Cuenca/pexels.com]

Still not convinced? Well how about the simple fact that it’s a swimming pool. Think about that for a second, think about how awesome it would be to say that your house has a swimming pool. You will instantly become that much more popular. Sorry, but it’s true. It would be just like the first time you got your new huge HD television, you would just stand there and marvel at it. Yes there are a lot of things which need to be thought out before you dive in to a final decision and yes a pool is a large investment, but it’s an investment – not an expense. An investment means that it should just keep giving and giving.