So you received a lovely bouquet from your partner or you want to create your own beautiful centerpiece that will last longer than a few days. Fortunately, there are some ways you can preserve your flowers for as long as possible!

For picking flowers – never cut with scissors, get a pair of garden cutter shears because scissors crush the stem which prevents the flowers from getting water. Always cut the stem at an angle, so it is tapered at the bottom, this will give the flower the most water.

For maintaining flowers – keep bacteria from building up. How to do this is by using bottled or purified water and changing the water daily but if this isn’t possible, add a little sugar or clorox to the water and make sure you remove any petals or leaves that may have fallen into the water.

Some flowers are needier than others – here are a few ways to pick and maintain specific flowers:

Tulips – roll the stems in wet newspaper and submerge in cold water up to the head. When ready to vase them, scrap the newspaper and place them in cold water.

Lilacs – Place them in one-quarter cup vinegar per two quarts of water for longest life

Irises and daisies – Add a few drop of peppermint essential oil to a quart of water

Roses – the roses that will bloom and not droop are the ones where the petals feel tightly bunched, if you have loose petals there is a good chance they will be bowing their heads before the end of the day.

Are there any other ways you maintain or pick flowers that keep them vibrant and long-lasting?

Be sure to put these tips into practice the next you make a floral centerpiece or receive a lovely arrangement from a friend!

See the article here: sixdifferentways.com

There are some health and beauty products we can find at our local drugstore but wouldn’t it save time and money if we could gain the same benefits from ingredients we already have sitting in our fridge or kitchen pantry?

Here are some at home remedies that’ll keep you happy and healthy: 

• Eggs – Eggs make a great face mask – in fact, they make more than one kind. If you use only the yolks of the egg mixed with a tsp of honey and apply it to your face, it helps moisturize and the honey has antibacterial properties to prevent pimples. If you have want to use a firming mask for oily skin, you can use only the egg whites and mix with a little lemon juice and apply this to your face.
• Aspirin – Calluses on your feet? Crush up a few of these and mix with 1/2 a tsp of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of water. Coat your feet with this mixture and cover with a warm cloth for 10 – 15 minutes, it softens the calluses so they are much easier to remove with a pumice stone.

• Garlic – This is one powerful plant! Chop up garlic and add it to just about every meal if you feel a cold or flu coming on. Garlic can kill viruses and bacteria that cause many upper respiratory issues.

Haikus can serve as much more than a style of poetry originating in Japan. They are actually quite beneficial when it comes to gaining clarity and simplifying your feelings and thoughts. Haikus are only three lines and  express a vivid and direct messages in only 17 syllables. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7 syllables and the last line has 5 syllables. I find it much easier to write a haiku when I count the syllables on my fingers.

Sometimes we can over analyze and over complicate our feelings, thoughts and ideas. I’ve used haikus to get to the heart of a the matter and when I’m feeling blocked creativity, they are a fun and simple way to get the ball rolling again.

“New Year’s Day
The desk and bits of paper
Just as last year”
– MATSUO

They are a great way to observe the nature of the world around you, providing you with new perceptions and most importantly, placing your in the present moment.

“Loves of the cat;
Forgetful even of the rice
Sticking on his whiskers”
– TAIGI

Don’t worry if you find it a little difficult at first to make a haiku, they take practice because they offer a whole new way of thinking to whoever makes them.

A fun and easy activity for kids parties especially when they are all hopped on sugary treats like cake and candy is homemade play dough! The actual activity is fast and simple to do and they can let out some of that extra energy playing with it afterwards.

What’ll you need:

• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 large wooden spoon
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp cream of tartar
• 1 to 1.5 cups of boiling water
• 1/2 tsp purple gel food coloring
• a few drops of glycerin (optional)
• 3 or 4 lavender drops of lavender oil

How to make it:

Add the flour, salt, and cream of tartar to your large mixing bowl and mix with wooden spoon. Stir in the vegetable oil.  Add the boiling water to the mixing bowl and stir with wooden spoon vigorously until all lumps are gone and it begins to come together. Then knead it with your hands until it stops being sticky. Add food coloring and lavender oil (you can add a 1 or 2 extra drops of lavender oil for a stronger scent.)

The consistency of the play dough should be like the kind you would buy from the store.

The reason I chose lavender is because both the aroma of lavender and when lavender oil is absorbed through the skin is safe and beneficial. In aromatherapy, lavender oil is used for relaxation, stress and creates a calming effect.

Homemade lavender infused play dough is the perfect kids party activity!

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Presentation can make a big difference especially when throwing a summer party! Also, you never know these days whether your guests are on a special diet like vegan or gluten-free. Below is the coolest summer beverage to serve for gatherings and parties.

Vegan and Gluten-Free Beverage – Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 12 oz fresh, organic raspberries
• 1 liter club soda or sparkling water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 lemon
• mint leaves (preferably garden fresh)
• Pitcher
• Blender
• Large wooden stirring spoon
• Thick, colorful straws – light blue and bright yellow straws look best
• Mason jars

Add raspberries (place about 5 -6 raspberries off to the side), sparkling liquid, sugar, honey, lemon juice into a blender.

Blend until well mixed.  Add your mixture to the pitcher. Cut lemon into thin slices. Add lemon slices, about 5 – 6 whole raspberries and ice cubes to the pitcher.

Want that New Orleans look and feel to any room in your home? Use these 6 simple steps to give it that Louisiana style you’ve always wanted.

Wall Paint – Make your base a soft pale pink, a vivid salmon pink or wine red- this means paint the whole space in this color.

Next, paint the trim in a seafoam green, chartreuse or aquamarine color. You can play with a combination of these or use one as the accent / trim color.

Furniture – Add pale yellow, off-white or ivory decor and furnishings, try a rustic contemporary style – choose pieces that look shabby chic yet elegant or try a traditional Victorian style choose items that look vintage yet regal.

Lighting – Royal chandeliers and lampshades with bead work and fringe are an additional option.

Accents & Decor – Add decorative, gold framed mirrors of varying sizes and New Orleans inspired artwork on the walls and long draped curtains to windows

You know those epic poses you see superheroes do in the movies? How about Wonder Woman’s classic pose, legs spread shoulder width a part, back straight, chin up and fists on her hips? Poses like that are what researchers at Harvard University, The University of Oregon and The University of Texas studied and what they discovered is that body language plays a large role in our hormone levels.

They all discovered that leaders and those with more confidence had higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol – these can be affected by a number of factors but one factor totally within our personal control is our body language if we are aware of it. Amy Cuddy and her team conducted a study and found how different poses which they called “high power” and “low power” poses affected testosterone and cortisol levels. They discovered that when in a high power pose for 2 minutes or more, testosterone increases by 20 percent and decreases cortisol levels by 25 percent.

Aside from hormone levels, our body language will also influence the way others perceive you as well. Having a more open, relaxed and strong demeanor as opposed to having a closed off and guarded one is generally more inviting and powerful.

You can use these power poses before a big meeting, an interview for a new job or even just to feel more confident throughout your day.An easy solution to turn you into the Wonder Woman that you are!

Read the rest here: sixdifferentways.com

Whether you are working late nights, running around with the kids, have a new baby to care for or you simply can’t fall asleep, you can sometimes wake up feeling groggy, sore and just plain exhausted. My first instinct is to run to the coffee pot for some liquid energy- which of course helps, but another great method is to start a daily practice of morning meditation and vocal toning.

Even if you don’t think you know how to meditate or you’ve tried and couldn’t sit still, just 5 minutes in the morning is a great way to begin, which can eventually increase overtime. Meditation comes in many forms, joggers say they enter a meditative state on their runs and caregivers say they can enter a meditative state when washing the dishes or folding laundry – menial and repetitive tasks – but what they do is help clear the mind through moving the body. This form of morning meditation requires stillness, breathing and using your vocal chords – which is great because who wants to immediately jump out of bed and do chores when we are already feeling tired.

Upon waking, sit upright in your bed, you can have a pillow behind your back or you can find a comfortable place on the floor, place a pillow underneath your bottom or even go outside if you have a backyard and the weather is nice. Sit crossed legged and take 3 deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel your chest and belly swell with each inhale and on the last breath blow out as much air as you can.

You may start to feel tingly and relaxed, you may even want to go back to sleep but this is when the fun part comes in. On the fourth breath you inhale deeply and upon exhaling – let out a giant “AUM,” or “OOOOOOOMMMMM.” Let it out for as long as your exhale is, then inhale again and repeat. The sound “OM” is a powerful mantra and upon saying it especially as loud and openly as you want, its vibration recharges your mind and body and wakes up the senses in an organic and calm way.

This mantra increases concentration, rejuvenates the mind, clears away negative or obsessive thoughts, removes toxins from the body,  decreases stress, anxiety and blood pressure. Once you have sufficiently repeated this mantra – sit in silence for several minutes. You will find your head is clearer, your body feels more awake and the grogginess and sleepiness has dissipated.

This is great to do as a daily practice but sometimes I forget and honestly – sometimes I just don’t feel like it – but whenever I do take the time to do this short morning meditation and vocal toning,  I feel calm, collected and focused throughout my day and things flow more smoothly.

Here is the original post: sixdifferentways.com

Dusty Blue is traditional dark blue having a grayish hue to it. It is calming and draws the eye to it subtly without overpowering. This color looks incredible with a room dominated by a linen white, cream and a bronze or taupe color scheme.

The magical quality of dusty blue is that it captivates attention without being so prevalent that it it becomes a discussion by every person that walks into the room. However, it may draw attention to artists, designers and a few observational souls.

Dusty blue is a very versatile color.  You can use dusty blue as the color on an accent wall, the entire walls of a particular room or in a few pieces throughout the space. If you don’t prefer white and beige colors or browns and earth-tones, you can pair it with pastels. Pale yellows and soft pinks make great partners to dusty blue.

Another great feature of dusty blue is you can create a colorful room without using white, such as dusty blue mixed with soft pink and add splashes of more vibrant, eye-catching colors as decor within the interior space.

Not sure of what splash of color would work best? Try sage green. It really adds a whole other element to the landscape without overpowering.

Dusty blue is a color you can have a lot of fun and flexibility with, experiment with your space and see where it takes you!

The lion, a regal creature with great power, hunting abilities, a strong family structure and majestic appearance is not just the “King of the Jungle” protecting the land and all the animals within it, but also the King of the Home.

The symbolic representation of this royal animal can be see in the stone lion we see guarding the entrance way of homes, estates, palaces and buildings has a rich history in design. These exterior fixtures have their origin in China, they were known as Foo Dogs or Shishi meaning “stone lion.” These ancient symbols stood outside of imperial palaces, imperial buildings, government buildings, temples and homes of the elite.

They represented protection, often in pairs, which symbolized both protection and stability in the home and those dwelling within it.

They are made of stone, bronze and marble shown in various sizes, some are very large, almost the size of the home they are protecting.

The guardian lion can be found all over the world, an excellent example in the United States can be found outside of the New York Public Library in NYC.

The symbolic image of the lion, with its mouth fiercely or sitting with a stoic posture and strong presence has transitioned to not only exterior design demonstrating its protective quality but can be found inside the home or building as a watchful guardian for the space and the dwellers within it.

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