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Buying an infrared sauna cabin can be too expensive, especially if you’re not sure you’ll benefit from it. Infrared sauna blankets, bags or domes force you to lie on one place for half an hour and are not cheap too. However, another option exists - it is to do an infrared sauna yourself.

In this article I want to tell you about two ways to build a sauna completely with your own hands, without prefabricated kits. It can be a relatively cheap solution, so you can enjoy a sauna in your home environment for a reasonable price. You can build it to prove yourself that infrared will give some benefit to your health before buying an infrared sauna cabin, or it can be a convenient way to have a home sauna when you have not much free space at your home.

Before I go into explanations I want to warn you about safety. Building a sauna yourself may involve doing some electrical wiring. Infrared heaters used in a sauna usually have high power requirements - as much as 1000 Watt. Please, do not try to build sauna yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing. Better ask or hire someone who has experience with electricity to do it for you. If you’ll set up a sauna in a bathroom keep in mind that as a wet place it has strict requirements for electrical wiring safety.

Infrared sauna with two infrared heaters

First way to set up a home sauna is described by Jim Clements in his article The Bathroom for FIR Sauna, in which he explains how to use two infrared heaters placed in a relatively small room (5

The tomato is the most commonly grown vegetable in the
States. Here are some tips on how to grow your own
bountiful crop of tomatoes.

Tomatoes should be grown in full sunlight.

Tomato plants require abundant moisture.

Tomatoes grow well in many types of soil but prefer fertile,
well-drained soil with pH of about 6.5.

Garden soil may be improved by adding rotted manure, leaf
mold, peat moss, or other organic materials.

The ideal tomato plant should be six to eight inches tall,
dark green, with a stocky stem and well-developed root
system.

For each family member three to five plants should be grown
for fresh eating. If production for canning is desired,
then five to 10 plants person needs to be grown.

Plant tomatoes when the weather has warmed and the soil
temperature is above 60

Novice gardeners often regard the period between October and March as a time of the year when the garden should be ignored until the warmth of Spring returns. After all the flowers have faded and trees and shrubs have shed their leaves so what is the point? With experience comes the realisation that the garden in winter has a character and beauty all of its own.

Because most trees and shrubs lose their leaves in the fall, the most important element in planning a garden that is attractive in both winter and summer is to get the basic structure right. Paths, hedges, trees and shrubs should be arranged so that the view from the house reveals something of interest at each season of the year.

Just because all your annual and herbaceous flowers are over and now a mass of frosted stems does not mean that there can be nothing to enjoy in the garden. Even without leaves and flowers many shrubs can provide a colorful display through the winter months. Dogwood (cornus alba) has bright red stems throughout the winter. Yellow stems are found on several varieties of willow. Many garden trees exhibit colorful trunks and branches which are only clearly revealed once they have lost their leaves.

With all this talk of bare stems you should remember that there are many shrubs that keep their leaves and do produce flowers during the winter. The Winter Jasmine (jasminum nudiflorum) is a sturdy shrub which will grow almost anywhere whose bright yellow flowers light up any dull winter’s day. Mahonia (M. japonica) is another shrub with yellow flowers which has the added benefit of a fragrant scent. Rose pink blooms are borne from December to February by one of the Viburnums (V. x bodnantense).

Another group that can provide interest in winter are those that have finished flowering but then produce colorful berries. Cotoneaster, Pyracanthus and Skimmia all have bright red berries which make a striking display and also attract wild birds into your garden in their search food.

So far we have been concentrating on shrubs. But what about smaller plants? Does your flowerbed have to remain bare all winter? Not at all, there are plenty of hardy plants that can survive the winter frosts and snow. The Christmas Rose is one of the several varieties of hellebores that flower at this time of year.

Other plants that flower later but are useful for ground cover include Bergenia, Pulmoniaria, Saxifrage and Lamium, the Dead Nettle. Ivies and Vincas also make good ground cover but need to be pruned regularly to keep them under control.

If you are one of those people who have tended to forget about your garden in the winter, I hope that this article may have given you a few ideas on how you can plan your backyard so that it gives you pleasure throughout the year.

Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The Garden Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles, gardening tips and product reviews.
http://www.garden-supplies-advisor.com

[tags]garden,gardening,winter,backyard[/tags]

One of the most fun and rewarding aspects of gardening is starting plants from seeds. And it’s not that expensive either.

To start, you will need basic materials like containers, soil or a soil-less mixture, light, water, a fan and a plastic cover that you will use for the containers.

Fill the container with soil, sow the seeds into the container, add water, then wrap the plastic over the container securely. Once done, transfer the container to a spot where it is exposed to the sun. There are exceptions here that you must note. There are seeds that need darkness to grow and these include nasturtium, schizanthus, phlox and verbena.

Now, wait for the seeds to germinate. Bear in mind that germination is not the same for all seeds. The marigolds, for example, germinate in three days. Other seeds may take as long as 40 days. Once you’ve seen the seeds germinate, expose the seedlings by removing the plastic top and turn on the fan. The wind’s force tends to strengthen seedlings that are tender.

You will notice that your seedlings will develop a “true” set of leaves soon enough. These are actually the plant’s second set of leaves. That’s the signal for you to transplant the remaining seedlings outdoors or possibly into a larger container.

Once transplanted, remember to water the seedlings regularly and expose them to sunlight and warmth.

If you want to transfer the seedlings outdoors, leave the containers outside for a few days until the seedlings have acclimatized themselves to their new surroundings. You will know the seedlings are ready when they acquire a more hardened look. This usually takes a week or less. Once the time arrives, you’re ready to transplant your seeds.

There are seeds that seem to tolerate extremes in the weather, either hot or cold, better than others. For best results, though, transplant those seeds during the warmer months even though they may be seeds that actually flourish in the cool air such as spinach, godetia, phlox or poppies.

Now the hard part is over and the easy part, maintenance, begins.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Gardening, Boating, and Home.

[tags]Plants, seed, gardening, seedlings[/tags]

Does your home make you feel happy, energized, and at the same time bring you peace? Or, do you feel unhappy, depressed, or distressed in your home, and you don’t know why?

Many people design and decorate their home following traditional interior design methods only to feel unsatisfied with the results. Perhaps you’ve repainted, reduced clutter, and updated your home, but you still feel something is missing. It’s time you learn the principles of Design Psychology so you can purposefully choose design elements that promote positive emotions and well-being.

Imagine revisiting the most memorable, joy-filled home you’ve had the pleasure of spending time in. What made this home special to you? The people who lived there? Were they happy, enthusiastic, and enjoying life? What features in the home and furnishings instilled joyful memories in you?

Envision your own joy-filled home. What feelings does this home conjure in your imagination? Do you seek joy and happy activities? Or, do you yearn for peace, tranquility, and rest?

We want our homes to provide and promote comfort, relaxation, inspiration, refreshment, laughter, and happy moments. You can intentionally design your home to foster joyful feelings when you apply the principles of Design Psychology. How? Choose design details, such as lighting, colors, patterns, textures, and furnishings specifically to support your emotional needs.

First, jot down the activities you desire to take place in your rooms. Second, make a list of the feelings you want to support in your specific spaces. With these wishes in mind, you’re ready to tackle your home makeover by deciding new design details that support your emotional requirements.

You can use fresh interior design ideas for your home makeover to make your home feel great and look fabulous.

© Jeanette Fisher (Publish with live links only.)

Jeanette Fisher teaches home makers ten ways to makeover their homes for happiness. Get the designer’s touch on a budget. Free Interior Design Psychology Information Ebook. Interior Design Psychology Information

[tags]interior design psychology information,home makeover,decorate home,interior design ideas[/tags]

When choosing bulbs for the garden, always look for the healthiest and strongest specimens. Obviously this is impossible when buying by mail order. However, most mail order nurseries are reputable and only send out their best and healthiest stock.

Always look at bulbs, corms and tubers closely and choose firm ones that seem solid and heavy for their size. With bulbs and corms, the larger and heavier they are the better in terms of flowering potential.

When selecting tubers, simply look for healthy specimens, since size is not so important. Check the outer skin carefully and choose those with the least damage.

Do not buy bulbs that are obviously shriveled or have any soft spots, particularly around the base or the neck. Reject bulbs with any sign of mould, no matter how slight and look carefully to ensure there are no insects that could weaken or destroy them.

Bulbs generally survive and flower well the first year, even when poorly planted. They can even survive being planted upside down, although this is not recommended!! The soil should be enriched with plenty of organic matter prior to planting but there is no need to incorporate specific fertilizer into the planting holes, as the bulbs’ own store of nutrients will see them through the first flowering season. Subsequently they will require annual fertilizing in order to maintain the best results.

Most bulbs, corms and tubers can be propagated easily, by lifting and dividing them every few years. In fact most will benefit from being divided occasionally, as flower production is reduced if they are left undisturbed indefinitely.

The way in which bulbs are propagated depends on their structure. True bulbs produce small offsets, which grow around the base of the mature bulb. These in turn will grow into mature bulbs once they have been separated from the parent bulb.

Corms produce cormlets around the edge of the base of the mature corm every season. In order to propagate, lift the corms and gently pull away the cormlets then replant the mature corm.

Tubers are propagated by cutting the mature stock with a clean, sharp knife. For it to be able to grow make sure that each cut section has either an eye or a section of stem. Replant immediately where the plant is to grow.

Bulbs do not easily compete with weeds, which deplete the soil of moisture and nutrients. If the area around the bulbs is well mulched, weeding will be less of a problem. If, however, weeds persist, water the ground several hours before weeding. This is less traumatic for the bulbs and makes the task easier.

Although regular moisture is required for healthy growth, bulbs should not be over watered. Provided the soil has good drainage qualities, over watering should not be a problem. But should the soil be inclined to be boggy, attempt to improve the texture by adding plenty of compost or manure. The amount of watering the garden requires depends on the type of soil, the style of garden and the general climate and amount of rainfall.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Gardening

[tags]gardening[/tags]

In this article we’re going to discuss simple steps for reducing the dust mite allergens in your bedroom.

Dust mites. You can’t see them but they’re there. And they do most of their attacking at night while you’re asleep. Why? Because dust mites generally live in your bed; on the mattress, the pillows, your blanket, just about anywhere you can think of. Enough of these little creatures can make your life a living nightmare.

But there are simple steps you can take to help reduce the number of dust mites you have to share your bed with and hopefully make your sleeping experience a little more enjoyable.

First, a little bit about what dust mites are. They are actually microscopic spider-like creatures that feed on the flakes of your skin. They reside anywhere that is considered to be a “dust trap” which include the things already mentioned plus your draperies, carpets and upholstery. And since dust is just about anywhere, dust mites are just about anywhere as well. Dust mite exposure is a significant cause of indoor allergies, which are much different from outdoor allergies. These allergies can lead to asthma and hay fever. Studies show that over 45% of homes in the United States have concentrations of dust mites that are considered to be dangerous enough to cause asthmatic conditions.

So just how do we reduce the number of dust mites in our homes?

For starters we can cover our beds with dust proof covers. These are covers that are specially made to go over our mattresses and pillows. These covers are not cheap but the good that they do far outweighs the cost. These covers can be purchased in a department store that sells bedding supplies.

Another thing that can be done is to vacuum regularly, most preferably with a vacuum that has a hepa filter so that the allergens don’t end up just going back into the air when the vacuum is emptied. A hepa filter and bagless vacuum is your best bet for keeping the allergens out of your home after you have picked them up off the floor.

Another thing that is very effective for getting rid of the dust mites in your home is to steam clean as many items as possible. Some articles can’t be steam cleaned so you have to use caution when doing this so as not to ruin any of your items. The reason steam cleaning works is because dust mites need a dry environment to live in. The moisture from the steaming is what helps kill them.

It should be noted that while these procedures do reduce the level of dust mite concentrations below severe symptom levels, they do not reduce them to the point where people do not still have sensitivity to the allergens, such as sneezing and coughing. Unfortunately it is impossible to completely reduce the level of dust mite allergens to absolute zero unless you are living inside a bubble and the technology for such an environment is not quite yet with us.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Allergies
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[tags]allergies[/tags]

Feng Shui is about balance and harmony in our environments. The bedroom is a very important room (we spend the majority of our day there), so many people naturally ask how to improve their bedroom using color selection according to Feng Shui. As we discuss bedroom colors, it is also imperative to recognize the importance of the other rooms in your house. Enhancing your bedroom without enhancing the other beneficial areas of your home does not provide you with the full benefits of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is about balancing the energy in your complete and total environment.

With that said, here are some Feng Shui tips to consider for your bedroom

Don’t overdo the bright colors in your bedroom. Bright colors are alive and moving, so the more bright colors that are used, the harder it will be to stay asleep. This also applies to plants and especially water. Plants and water manifest yang energy, and cause the same issues in the bedroom as bright colors. The colors associated with plants and water are green, black, and blue. Bright colors to avoid are reds, strong oranges or bright yellows. Florescent colors are out of the question!

Pictures of moving water can also cause problems. If you’ve got a picture of a waterfall, river, or ocean in your bedroom, it’s a wise idea to move it. Unfortunately, aquariums in the bedroom can also cause sleeping issues and should be moved. Although you should avoid red in the bedroom, a little touch of red can spice up your sex life! (Red is fire, so lit candles count as red.)

Dark colors (shades of brown) should be used in the d

When it comes to choosing a window covering that will meet the various needs of your rooms, there is no one formula to use or refer to. Both selections possess their own set of advantages, as well as disadvantages. Final decisions should be based upon your personal preference. After all, you are the one who is going to look at them every day.

Throughout the years, curtains have been a popular choice. You probably grew up as a child with curtains shielding your living room activities from the sun, as well as delivering a certain level of privacy. Curtains have always been known to provide a satisfying addition to room decor through the many available colors and designs. The setback with choosing to use curtains throughout your entire home is that there is no way of acquiring one pair to match up every window throughout your household.

Sometimes, curtains deliver the best option for the particular look you wish to accomplish throughout your home.

Choosing the right curtains is a must or you will be left with undesirable results. For instance, if you are dead set on putting up sheer curtains, you should know that your privacy levels have gone down a considerable amount of notches. If privacy is important to you, shades that allow you to shield yourself from outsiders may be an option for when you don’t want others to be able to see into your house.

For extra privacy, select curtains that are thick. Also, when it is dark outside and you have the lights on in the house, curtains will allow others from the outside to see what is going on inside. You will also have to remove your curtains from their position, so that they may be cleaned. This helps to retain their appearance, but is often a bothersome task.

As for choosing blinds for your home, you should know that you will most likely receive a versatility look that offers a nice level of privacy. With blinds, you will also be able to enjoy the luxury of added control. For example, you can determine how much light you wish to let into your home by adjusting the length of your blinds. If it is a variety or style that you seek in your blinds, you will be disappointed. The farthest you will get in terms of style are a wide range of colors.

Maintenance of your blinds is rather easy. All that is needed is soapy water and a cloth. In minutes, a simple rubdown has them looking like new. For added style, pair blinds with attractive fabric draping or valances. This allows you to tie in the style or color scheme of a room. Often, you will find that blinds by themselves are quite unappealing. This tends to reflect a look of not being completed or poor design taste.

Sometimes, the two worlds are blended and both curtains and blinds are used for each and every window in a home. This means that you can have your privacy, as well as be able to experiment with a variety of design concepts. You will also be able to enjoy the freedom of adjusting the light within a room while matching the fabrics of your home decor. Alone, each selection has its ups and downs. Together, you may be dealing with a match made in heaven.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as luxury home decorations at http://www.luxuryhomedecorations.com

[tags]home accessories, curtains, blinds[/tags]

Many people find gardening an incredibly relaxing hobby. A hobby that allows them to get in touch with the earth and themselves. Likewise, gardening is not an expensive hobby to start, although the hobby may become expensive as you progress in the art of planting. Needless to say, thousands of people enjoy gardening each year and if you are fond of the outdoors, you may find yourself interested in gardening too.

You won’t need much to start gardening. Some basic tools like a shovel, a rake, and hoe may do you well in the garden. You will need either seeds or starter plants, whichever you prefer. But, before you start working on the garden there are a few essentials that you need to learn to become a master at gardening and such skills need to be obtained before you lay the first seed.

Read up on the art of creating a garden, don’t just wing it. Why? Well, quite frankly, there are certain plants that fare better under certain conditions. Likewise, there are plants that do not do well next to other plants. Moreover, you will need to know what plants to plant and when, as plants may grow according to certain seasons. Visiting the library or the local bookstore can help you learn everything you need to know about gardening. If you don’t have the transportation then visit websites that talk about the garden and different plants and how to care for them.

Likewise, while browsing websites, read up on the various techniques that other gardeners use. Find out what they feel makes their garden successful. Hints and advice abound on the Internet and the wealth of information available can help you make a success of your garden. Once you have done your homework, you may want to speak to others who own gardens and discuss techniques with them as well. It never hurts to ask for advice when you are planning a garden.

You can also pay a visit to the local florist. Florists are often versed in plant care and the techniques used for growing various flowers and vegetables. You can even buy your starter plants and seeds from a florist. You can also visit the local home and garden center near you and get advice from the staff working there about fertilizers, pest control and other issues that may concern you when you are creating a garden. The essential thing to remember is that when you are creating a garden you do not have to do so on a whim. The help is available if you are willing to take the time to ask questions and research your garden project before you begin.

Once you have versed yourself on all of the plant varieties and techniques used for growing you can select the right spot for your garden and begin your adventure. Follow the advice you have found about fertilizing soil, water levels, and planting. In no time you will be blessed with gorgeous blooms in your garden.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Gardening
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[tags]gardening[/tags]