Earth Day is now behind us but it’s still important to bring “green living” into our every day lives! When it comes to cleaning, here are some great tips for keeping your home clean the all natural way!

<strong>1. Mirrors & Glass</strong> – Most glass cleaners are filled with harsh chemicals like ammonia. In order to clean them the “green” way try mixing 4 tablespoons lemon juice mixed with a half gallon of water.

<strong>2. Furniture</strong> – Instead of using furniture polish and sprays, try mixing 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice and apply it to your furniture using a soft cloth. The combination gives your wood furniture a nice smell and a sparkling shine.

<strong>3. Copper or Brass</strong> – If you brass or copper antiques in your home, clean them using lemon slices dipped in salt. Rub your copper or brass item with the salted lemon. Afterward, rinse and dry thoroughly.

<strong>4. Antibacterial Soap</strong> – Skip using this soap which is filled with chemicals and instead make your own natural soap using liquid castile soap and filtered water.

<strong>5. Cleaning Wipes</strong> – Not only are store-bought wipes expensive, they can be full of harsh chemicals! You can get your home surfaces clean using your own a roll of paper towels. white vinegar and water (1 1/2 cups of each.)

Should I put all of my fruit in the fridge? Should I store my potatoes in the pantry? These are questions we all ask ourselves and we think we know best! Here is a breakdown of the best places to store certain produce in your home to keep them fresh.

<strong>Store in Pantry Away from Sunlight and Heat</strong>
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic

<strong>Store on the Counter</strong>
Apples
Avocadoes (until ripe)
Bananas (until ripe)
Citrus Fruits (lemons, limes, grapefruits)
Peaches (until ripe)
Pears
Tomatoes (until ripe)
Tropical Fruits (mangos, pineapples, kiwis)
Watermelon
Winter Squashes

<strong>Store in the Refrigerator</strong>
Artichokes
Asparagus
Berries
Broccoli
Carrots
Celery
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Green Onions
Mushrooms
Peas
Peppers
Radishes

We’ve moved on from one season to the next which usually means our wardrobe makes a change too! It’s time to clean out that closet and we’ve written some tips to make this difficult task a bit easier for you!

1. Pull out everything that is on a hanger! If you pull everything out and lay it out in front of you it’s easier to decide what items will make the cut. Then you can either hang them back up or store them away if they fall in the fall/winter category.

2. Ask yourself “would I buy this again?” If you were at a store today and you saw this item on the rack would you purchase it? If the answer is no, put it in the donation bag!

3. Take inventory! Did you realize that you have 12 pairs of jeans? Probably not! I bet there are a few pair hiding in the closet that you haven’t worn in quite a while so why not give them away?

4. Store small items in baskets! Do you keep hats or scarves in your closet? Put them in baskets and store on a shelf to make room. If you have winter hats and gloves in your closet, store them in bins or storage bags for the next several months.

5. Don’t forget the footwear! Do you have 3 or 4 pairs of sneakers? Consider donating the pair you no longer wear to make room in your closet. Purchase over the door organizers to store small footwear like flip flops so they can stay off the floor and out of your way!

With Earth Day quickly approaching it’s time to start saving energy! There are plenty of simple things you can do to help you reduce your energy consumption and limit your environmental impact.

1. Turn off your dishwasher’s drying cycle and allow your dishes to air dry.

2. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. These provide the same amount of light while using less energy.

3. Shut off and unplug your electronic devices when you’re not using them! This includes your cell phone charger that seems to always stay plugged in.

4. Use a toaster oven to warm up leftovers rather than your regular oven.

5. Avoid over-drying your clothes in the dryer. Check them before the cycle is over to see if they need the extra 15 minutes to dry or not.

Let’s all admit it, somewhere in our house we have a junk drawer. Whether it’s that drawer right next to your kitchen sink or the top drawer of your home desk, there’s a spot in your house where junk makes it’s home. Here are 8 steps to organizing your junk drawer!

<strong>1. Dump out the drawer</strong> – It’s important to see what you have in your junk collection. Tip the drawer upside down so you can get a closer look at everything.

<strong>2. Clean it</strong> – Once everything is out of the drawer, grab a wet cloth and wash it down with a little soap.

<strong>3. Test the writing utensils</strong> – You know there are at least 5-10 pens in that drawer and some of them may not even work! Toss out the ones that are out of ink.

<strong>4. Toss the junk</strong> – Expired coupons? Old receipts? Start tossing/shredding the items that don’t serve a purpose.

<strong>5. Use an organizer</strong> – Purchase a plastic or wire organizer with trays that will fit in the drawer and start giving everything a designated home. (i.e. takeout menus, pens, batteries, etc).

<strong>6. Store small items in plastic bags first</strong> – Items like thumbtacks, batteries, coins etc can be stored in plastic Ziplock bags before they are put into their tray in the drawer to reduce clutter.

Spring is officially here and it’s time to start thinking about sprucing up our patios and balconies! Sometimes we can put a lot of effort into planting gorgeous flowers only to have them wilt on us weeks later! Here is a list of annuals that are low maintenance that you can use to brighten up your pots and window boxes this year!
<strong>Begonias</strong> are a favorite with many gardeners because of the durability and low maintenance. You can put them in full sun if the soil stays moist or have them in the shade and they’ll flourish.

<strong>Coleus</strong> is an old favorite among gardeners for both indoor and outdoor gardens . The leaves of the plant are the most exciting as they will add texture and vibrancy to your garden.

<strong>Impatients</strong> are a great addition to your pots if you’re patio or balcony gets a lot of shade. These pretty little flowers don’t need to be trimmed or pruned. They will flourish with very little maintenance.

<strong>Petunias</strong> are great for a garden that gets a combination of both sun and shade. They come in vibrant purple and pink hues and as long as their “dead heads” are plucked every so often they will survive through the season.

After a LONG winter we all may feel a little sluggish but it’s time to get our energy back! Did you know that there are ways that living in an apartment can benefit your exercise routine? Keep reading to learn our tips for living a healthy lifestyle in your apartment home!

1. Use the stairs! If you live on a floor above the ground floor try using the stairs instead of the elevator. Even doing this just once a day will benefit your health.

2. Use your apartment gym! Does your apartment have a facility with exercise equipment? Take advantage of it! Most gym memberships cost around $25 a month but when you live in an apartment sometimes you get this benefit for free!

3. Organize a workout group! Does your apartment have a common area? Maybe recommend to the staff that they offer weekly Zumba classes or even get together with some of the other residents and try yoga together!

4. Walk! The great thing about living in an apartment is that you always have neighbors around! Plan a walking route around your apartment area and get together with neighbors to walk in the evenings or on the weekend to get some exercise in.

Watch the video below to learn how to make your own colored succulents to spice up your apartment decor!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOwBgdJz2B4&w=560&h=315]

They say we should all drink 8 glasses of water a day and sometimes plain old drinking water can get boring! Check out these ways to spice up your drinking water the natural way!

1. Add lemon and lime to give your water a citrus flavor without extra sugar.

2. Want a cool refreshing taste? Consider slicing up a few pieces of cucumber and muddling in your glass.

3. Try flavoring your ice cubes. Freeze some herbs like rosemary or mint and drop them in for a unique taste.

4. Make a pitcher full of frozen fruit. Add raspberries and blueberries for a delicious combo and keep refilling your glass to get your essential ounces during the day!

5. Crushed ice may sound boring but it can give your normal glass of water a new texture and you can chew on the ice when you’re done for even more h20!

We’ve all heard of the coupon craze but there are other ways besides clipping coupons to save on your grocery bill!

1. <strong>Stock up</strong> – if a perishable item or toiletry you buy every week goes on sale, stock up! You can store these items in your pantry and save in the long run.

2. <strong>Substitute for bargain brands</strong> – sometimes we enjoy buying brand-name items but check the price difference compared to the bargain brand! Sometimes the items within the packages are exactly the same but the brand name price is almost double.

3. <strong>Don’t buy prepared meals </strong>- Yes sometimes it’s more convenient to buy that pre-made dinner or frozen pizza but if you do the math, it’s usually cheaper to purchase all of the ingredients and make these meals yourself from scratch.

4. <strong>Use your drugstore points</strong>- Have a CVS or Walgreens card? Usually you’ll get coupons and points when you use them. If you’ve stocked up some credit at drugstores, buy some of your weekly items at these places rather than letting your coupons expire.

5. <strong>Substitute ingredients</strong> – Does tonight’s dinner call for an ingredient you don’t already have and will probably never use again? Before buying it, do some thinking and see if you have something in your pantry that you can use as a substitute instead of wasting the cash.