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Repurpose Plastic for Extended Use (NC)-The three R's of green living - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -
offer endless opportunity for creativity. Take plastic, for example. A
recent study showed that around 80 per cent of all Canadians have access
to plastic bottle recycling, however only 36 per cent of these bottles
make it back into the recycling stream. About one-third of all plastic
waste in Canada results from residential use. But recycling doesn't have to be a chore. Rather than
retiring household items such as plastic bottles to the landfill, you
can give them and other items such as plastic pots, patio furniture and
toys a new lease on life with paint for plastic. And you can have fun
doing it, using your favorite colours to brighten up home and outdoor
living areas. The dirt on dirt (NC)-
Black earth, top soil, lawn soil, potting soil. They all basically
look the same, so does it really make a difference which one you use? Attracting beautiful birds to your backyard is easier than you think (NC)-  For many gardeners, having songbirds visit is one of the benefits of having a garden in the first place. It's always a delight to see the variety of birds that drop by for a nibble or a rest. If you want to create a bird-friendly garden, it's important to attract them with natural sources of food as well as using bird feeders. Birds have simple needs: food, water, shelter, and protection from predators. Naturally, native birds thrive on native plants, so choose a selection of regional beauties that produce seeds, berries, or nectar. Work dead trees or old stumps into your landscape to attract insect-eaters and provide shelter. The more diverse your food supply is, the more variety of birds you'll see in your garden. Also you can help birds out by placing bird feeders in your yard filling them with a high quality seed that is balanced in nutrition like Scotts or Morning Song Wild Bird Food. The type of food you feed attracts different kinds of birds. Smaller seeds like thistle seed attract bright yellow gold finches. "People like buying our pre-filled thistle sock because all you do is hang it in the tree and within days you can have several birds feeding from it - it easy and convenient. You do not even need a feeder for it," says Syd Pell who heads up the bird food division at Scotts Canada. Larger birds like to perch on feeders and eat mixes of seed with an all time favourite being sunflower seed. Pell explains "A mixed food will provide a good ratio of nutrients for the birds. We worked with the Toronto Zoo to develop the right mix of seeds to meet the nutritional needs of birds." In addition to putting out feeders, you can also grow plants that bloom and produce fruit, seeds or nuts - attracting even more birds to your backyard. When possible, use plants that are native to your area. Many perennials, grasses, vines, shrubs and trees provide food for birds. The following perennials provide seeds or nectar: . Black-Eyed Susan (seeds) . Common Evening Primrose (seeds) . Coneflower (seeds) . Fireweed (nectar) . Phlox (nectar) . Sunflower (seeds) It's easy to add the beauty of birds to your backyard this summer. For more information visit www.scottswildbirdfood.ca. |
Don't put your lawn spreader away just yet (NC)-  Spring forward and fall back are routines that Canadians are quite familiar with. So too is the routine to get out when the forsythia is in bloom and give your lawn it's kick start spring feeding. Follow that up with a fall feeding when the leaves start to drop and old man winter is peaking from around the corner. But to truly have a thick healthy lawn that helps to crowd out weeds, "Now is the time for an additional lawn fertilizer application" according to Scotts Canada resident lawn expert Glenn Martin. "Maintaining a thick healthy lawn is one of the best pro-active measures homeowners can do to help in the battle against the dreaded dandelion," says Martin. An optimized lawn maintenance program includes an application of corn gluten in early spring to prevent weed and crab grass seeds from germinating, followed up by four fertilizer applications throughout the season in early spring, late spring, early fall and late fall. The key to successful lawn fertilizing comes from choosing a product with an All In One Particle that is guaranteed not to burn your lawn. Products like Scotts Turf Builder and Scotts Turf Builder Pro Lawn fertilizers. Multiple feedings not only thicken established lawns but also promotes denser and deeper roots, which result in lawns that require less water as compared to unfed lawns. You may not know it, but your backyard oasis contributes to our quality of life in many important ways: . Cleaning the air by neutralizing pollutants and trapping dirt, dust and other airborne particles . Keeping us cool - the front lawns of eight average homes have the cooling effect of 70 tons of air conditioning - the equivalent of central air for 23 average-sized homes! . Reducing noise levels by 20 to 30 per cent - in cities . Diminishing soil erosion and flooding by absorbing rainwater . Recharging our groundwater supply by reducing run-off to impermeable surfaces, such as roads, sidewalks, parking lots and patios. Remember the healthier the lawn, the bigger the pay-off! The lawn care experts at Scotts Canada offer homeowners a number of tips to help keep your lawns healthy this season: Visit www.scotts.ca or for more information about healthy lawn maintenance. Luminaries Light the Way (NC)-  Instead of throwing away plastic soda bottles, repurpose them to make luminaries for all kinds of occasions, from glittery summer gatherings to Halloween socials. To do so: Peel the labels from empty plastic soda bottles. Use adhesive remover and a paper towel to remove any residue. Wash the soda bottles thoroughly and let them dry completely. Using a utility knife or scissors, carefully cut off top of each bottle. But how to start the first cut? Yahoo Answers "best answer" recommends heating a screwdriver on the gas and melting a hole which you then cut with a pair of good scissors. Next, cut a half-circle out of the back, near the bottom. (This will make it easier to add the sand and the candle later.) Draw desired shapes on the sticky-backed, removable adhesive paper and cut them out. Adhere the shapes to the soda bottles, being careful to firmly seal edges with fingernail. Cover your work area with newspaper. Spray the soda bottles with Krylon Fusion for Plastic. After 24 hours, carefully peel off the removable shapes. (The spray paint will be dry to touch after 15 minutes but should be allowed to cure for at least 24 hours before the luminaries are put into service.) Add sand to the base for weight and insert a candle into each luminary. Light and enjoy. Materials Krylon Fusion for Plastic Spray Paint available in select colours at Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Rona, Reno Depot, Wal-Mart, Kent and many other hardware and home centre stores. Empty plastic soda bottles from your pantry Con-Tact Paper or any sticky-backed adhesive paper, available at most craft stores Scissors and/or a utility knife Screwdriver Adhesive remover Candles Sand Paper towels Drop cloths or newspaper Rubber Gloves (optional) Other ideas for reusing plastic soda bottles: Make a potpourri holder. Cut off the bottom of the bottle, spray paint it, put it in the potpourri and cover the opening with lace and ribbon. Make a "motion ocean." Fill the bottle with half water, half oil. Add food colouring, glitter and turn. It's great for a child's show-and-tell day. Make ice-packs for coolers or sore muscles. Fill bottles about two-thirds full and freeze. The plastic packs are ideal for placing in coolers and lunch boxes, and handy for emergency use when an ice-pack is needed. |
Consumer report: Premium
countertops Quartz rocks the Granite world (NC)- Consumers in the market for a premium countertop surface are discovering early in their search that quartz, and not granite, has become the highest rated and most popular option available. That's because quartz countertops have emerged as the new worry-free, elegant alternative to high-maintenance granite for architects, designers and homeowners alike. They're stronger than granite, require no resealing, are highly resistant to scratches and stains, come in a huge variety of colours and soon to be manufactured in Canada. In fact, Consumer Reports Magazine rated quartz as the top performer among countertop materials such as granite, ceramic tile, stainless steel, laminate, marble, limestone and concrete when it came to resisting prime kitchen hazards such as stains, heat and scratches. According to the recent Freedonia Group Report on countertop industry trends, there has been a definite shift in the marketplace over the last few years as quartz has become the fastest growing market segment in the industry with 13 per cent growth compared to granite's five per cent. Quartz surfaces are growing in popularity because they have the appearance of natural stone, but unlike granite, these surfaces never need to be sealed. Quartz is a nonporous material, which means it will not promote the growth of mold, mildew or bacteria. This is why leading brands such as HanStone Quartz surfaces are certified NSF 51 (with the National Sanitation Foundation). "HanStone quartz countertops have an aesthetic that can emulate the look of granite, but are also available in unique colours and surface effects not found in natural stone," explained Mark Hanna, President of Montreal-based Leeza Distribution Inc., one of North America's leading distributors of HanStone Fine Quartz Surfaces (leezadistribution.com). "The benefit of quartz is that it doesn't have any of the drawbacks associated with materials such as granite." What is quartz? Quartz is silicon dioxide and it occurs as individual crystals and fine-grained masses in a large variety of forms, patterns, and colours. It is naturally hard and scratch resistant. Most quartz countertops are manufactured with up to 93 percent quartz mixed with pigments and resins. This prescribed mixture results in a product that is non-porous, exceedingly durable, and more than twice as strong as granite. The top rated quartz surface in the industry by designers, architects and developers alike is HanStone, because it contains a higher quartz content than the norm and includes clear and multiple quartz colours, bringing greater depth, dimension and style to its surfaces. The popularity and growth of quartz in North America led to one of Korea's largest industrial corporations, Hanwha Living & Creative Corporation, to break ground recently on a new manufacturing and distribution plant in London, Ontario for its Hanwha Surfaces products. The building solidifies Hanwha's presence in North America as one of the leading producers of fine quartz surfaces - via its HanStone product line. The new plant promises to boost the local economy while lessening the industry's environmental impact. More information on quartz surfaces is available at www.leezadistribution.com. Tips for a successful moving day (NC)-  Summer is a popular time for Canadians to pick up and move. While moving is definitely a major undertaking, it can also be a great excuse to organize our belongings and decide what to keep and what to give away. Whether we are moving in with a roommate, into an apartment or into a different house, spring cleaning helps streamline the items that need to be transported and can cut down on moving costs. Cut down on clutter Go through your junk drawers, garage and storerooms - everywhere your clutter accumulates. Ask yourself what you really need to keep and what can be given away, recycled or thrown out. Better yet, why not organize a yard sale to sell the items you no longer need? Who knows? The money you make might pay for pizza on your moving day! Tips for a successful pre-moving yard sale: . Ensure that all items being sold are clearly labelled with the price you are asking. Buyers may be reluctant to ask you directly. . Have several small bills on hand ($5 and $10 bills) as well as change to facilitate transactions. . Consider organizing a collective yard sale with your neighbours. The more items you have on sale, the more likely you are to lure prospective buyers. . Create a festive mood. Provide music and hang some balloons. . Have batteries and an extension cord on hand to demonstrate that your appliances work. Everything in its place When the time comes to pack your boxes, a good electronic labeller will be extremely useful in helping organize your items. The P-touch labeller from Brother, for example, is an affordable and handy tool that can be found in office supply stores or online at brother.ca. When the popular P-touch brand was launched in 1988, Brother patented an exclusive line-up of laminated tapes that were tested to the extreme to withstand the elements. "Our handheld P-touch labellers are compact and functional for on-the-go needs, which make them ideal for the moving season. Users just type, print, peel, and stick durable, laminated labels in seconds," says Brian Caldwell, Senior Product Manager at Brother Canada. P-touch tapes are available in a variety of sizes and colours, and can be switched in a snap to make colour coding easy. Convenient and much more elegant than the traditional big black marker, colour labels can help you associate items with the corresponding rooms. To help your movers, you can assign a colour to different rooms or areas of the house and label your boxes, furniture, lamps, mirrors, paintings, plants and other bigger items accordingly. Brother labels won't leave residue when removed. Another good idea is to label each cord from your computer and audio equipment. When the time comes to reconnect your machines, you won't have to search through all the similar black cords to find the ones for your computer, your DVD player or for your video game consoles. By being well-prepared and ensuring that the right equipment is on hand, your moving day should go off without a hitch! |
