How to Care for Your Shoes

For a soccer player, this post makes big sense. But not only for them, even if you are an indoor player or a jogger, taking care of your shoes, is preferable.

Maybe after a full-day practice, you put your cleats inside your bag, go home, and take them out in the following week after then. To get the very best from your shoes, you must clean and dry your shoes.

Here goes an useful guide to keep your shoes in tip-top shape.

• Before putting inside the bag
  
  
  
  After a game, whatever happens just remember to clean any rubbish off your shoes before throwing them to your bag. Bang the shoes together and remove the grass or dirt that are lodged on the sole.
  If possible, get a cloth and wipe off the dirt.
  
  
• Shoe bag
  
  
  
  Keep a separate bag for putting your shoe. This gives plenty of room for your shoes to breath. And it is far better to use a plastic bag for keeping your shoes away from other stuff.
  
  
•  Cleaning your Shoes
  
  
  
  Take off your shoes from the bag once you get home. And make it a habit to keep some time to clean your shoes. But, not the day before the next session of practice.
  If your shoe color is light, it is very important to make that color sharp. Use a wet rag or a sponge to wipe the dirt off and an old tooth brush to scrub the rubber of the shoe. For better results, use a shoe shampoo.
  
  
• Drying
  
  
  • Roll up old newspapers inside the shoes
    
    
    
    Put newspapers or else small rice bags in the shoes. They keep the dryness and absorb the moisture.
    
    
  • Air-drying
    
    
    
    Keep your cleats outside the house in a sunny day. But avoid the direct sunlight. Because, it may crack the leather of your shoes.
  
  
• Storing
  
  
  
  After your shoes are cleaned and dried as well, it is time for storing them for the next day. Before that you can do some leather polish if it seems good.
  
  Taking good care of your shoes will lengthen the durability of them. Just sacrifice a little time for your running shoes. It will save money for buying another pair.
  
  WARNING!
  
  • Use saddle soap only for leather shoes but not for soccer cleats, golf shoes, training shoes etc.
  • Don't use your washing machine to wash your shoes.
  • Reduce using dryers or any other devices to dry out shoes.
  
  ADVICE!
  
  • To reduce shoe odor
    
    
    
    • Remove the insole of the shoe
    • Wash them the same way
    • Put them back inside after drying them totally
      OR
    • Replace your shoe insoles (Buy one from your shoe store)
  
  

How to Purchase Plants in Bloom Wisely

Flowers are the focal point of a garden. Their color and scent are the aspects that attract us to the garden. It is an idea if you are buying the genuine plants, you must be careful.

Follow the following recommendations below when you are up to purchase flowers to your front yard.

• Don't be fooled by the flowers on display
  
  Many gardeners get carried away especially by the color and scent of plants. Shops also get prospective buyers by offering certain plants pride of place when they are in flower. You must be careful not to be guided by their display and end up with plants that are really not established enough to bloom.
  
  
  
  
• Never allow flowering plants to dry out
  
  
  
  Plants may take longer to establish and will need extra care especially if planted during dry time. Container grown shrubs and trees are best planted immediately after rainfall. Water your plants thoroughly before planting.
  
  
• Purchase only flowers which are container-grown
  
  
  
  Check and see whether they are pot-bound. With larger shrubs, remove them from pots and make certain that roots will not be disturbed on planting.
  
  Purchasing container-grown plants give you the best chance of keeping most of the flowers alive but remember that plants in containers dry out very fast, in hot dry whether.
  If can, sink the pots into wet soil to reduce the need for watering.
  
  
• Avoid Plants flowering out-of-season
  
  
  
  There are some flowers that start to grow when their needed conditions get fulfilled. But, it maybe an year or half an year. So, it's better not to purchase seasonal flowers.
  
  
• Look for over-priced purchases
  
  
  
  At peak selling time or when a plant has just been introduced, keep your eyes open for over pricing. On the contrary, you may buy those very cheap at a plant sale.
  
  
• Exact color of a plant
  
  
  
  "Pink roses and Red Hibiscus"
  
  These two flower plants tell how important the color of a plant is. If you want roses, try to get the exact color of the roses. Unlike some artificial transplanting, some plants are worth for their significant color.

How to Maintain a Pond

I have met so many people that love to have animals in there garden. But you can't make your garden a zoo, though. The best thing I suggest them is to develop a Fish Pond. This idea come along with so many benefits. Watching at a pond makes your eyes relax and makes you forget every obstacle in your life. It helps a lot to calm your mind down. And on the other hand, a fish pond makes your garden even more rich with splendor.

Let's check out how you're going to make your fish paradise.

• Hard-scape
  
  
  
  You can make your pond by digging a pit in a shady spot in your garden and fitting the pond in concrete or plastic.
  
  
• Ready-made Ponds
  
  
  
  Even though building a pond on your own gives you some fun, maybe you won't be able to build it your own due to your busy routine. There are already made ponds for you in your local plant nursery. Buy one and build the pond.
  
  
• Make a animal-friendly environment
  
  
  
  After finishing your work with the pond, put water and then put duck weed and few tadpoles to your pond. Then introduce your colorful fish to the pond. You can also put deep water plants, pebbles etc. That's all up to you; how to beautify your pond.
  
  Here are some water plants to try in your pond:
  
  • Iris laevigata (Japanese water iris) - grows in shallow water
  • Butomus umbellatus (Flowering rush) - has umbels of pink fragrant flowers
  • Nymphaea alba (White Waterlily) - for large ponds only
  • Nymphaea Pygmaea Helvola - good for smaller ponds
  
  
• Observe the pond for modifications 
  
  
  
  Once you have established a balanced bio diversity in your pond environment, the water SHOULD remain clean. After that, the pond doesn't need any further attention. However, certain changes in number of fish, tadpoles and water plants may affect the pond environment incalculably. And even a current of algal growth may result.
  
  
• Don't bother about Pests
  
  
  
  Pests are not a problem in ponds with fish. Because, the fish eat the insect in their very first stages. If aphids bother you, feel free to use a hose pipe to wash away them.
  
  
  
• Maintaining your Pond
  
  If your country has a continental climate, the best time to clean your pond is in late autumn when most of the creatures are less active. But in a tropical country, the climate doesn't affect much.
  
  
  • Drain the pond
    
    
    
    Use a pump for this. You can rent a pump from you nearby machinery shop for a day.
    
    
  • Removal of fish
    
    
    
    As the water level falls down, move the fish to a basin.
    
    
  • Call the smaller creatures
    
    
    
    Set the Decaying Plant Material on the side of the pond, so that any remaining small creature hiding away can find their way to the pond
    
    
  • Remove the silt from the base
    
    
    
    Do this while in the pond boundary and make sure to add back a little silt to the pond to help re-establish micro organisms.
    
    
  • Brush and Scrub
    
    
    
    Clean the pond base and liner, with a brush or a hose pipe and remove the dirty water out with a bucket.
    
    
  • Refill the pond
    
    
    
    After returning the saved silt, refill the pond with water (Rain water if possible). Then, position the pond plants.
    
    
  • Return the fish
    
    
    
    Finish by moving your fish and other creatures back to the pond.
    After cleaning a pond it may take few months to return to a balanced eco-system.

How to Water Your Garden Wisely

Water is a scarce and a precious resource. Even though everybody knows it, people use their domestic water to water their plants. Other than that, we can make our garden irrigation system more wisely.

Below are some basic tips for you to make your garden water wisely while still preserving its natural beauty.

• Harvest Rain water
  
  
  
  Simply, you can collect rain water in a tank, pool etc. In this way you won't use drinking water to water your plants again. You can collect rain water in a smaller scale if you are in an urban area.
  
  
• Use Drip Irrigation
  
  
  
  Always, water your plants at the roots. When you hose water, only about 2% actually reaches the roots. The rest is just wasted. Keep a stop to this and use water wisely.
  
  
• Hard-scape
  
  
  
  This is one of the best solutions for your garden irrigation system. You have already reduced your watering issues, then. Hard scape on lawn areas. Because, that soil supports storing water. When you hard scape, make sure the beauty doesn't fade away. You can even beatify the area with pebble stones, concrete steps, etc.
  
  
• How often to water?
  
  
  
  Observe watering times for effective plant growth. Through observations, stretch the intervals between watering. Early mornings and evenings will be the beneficial times to start your irrigation on.
  To observe how long you should keep watering, dig a hole to the root area of the plant and observe the moisture level. If the water doesn't go down further, stop!
  For better results, only water when plant leaves start to wilt.
  
  
  
• Try Shade Gardening
  
  
  
  Partly enclosed gardens sounds effective when it comes to preserving water. Because of the shade given, the soil hardly gets evaporated.
  
  
• Using Grey water
  
  
  
  Grey water refers to the water you get out of bathroom basins, showers, tubs, washing machines etc. It may contain dirt, food, grease and hair even. But, it is a beneficial source when it about irrigation. You can infiltrate grey water into ground but DON'T store grey water in tanks etc. That will be a terrible nightmare.
  
  
• Be the Gardener
  
  
  Just keep making your own creative ideas and you'll come up with a new gardening style. You may even marvel others and yourself by innovating aesthetic beauty that can even be a trend to others to follow.
  
  
• Irrigation Systems
  
  
  • Seek for advice
    
    
    
    The most efficient way to apply water is a well-designed and automated irrigation system. You can buy a DIY Irrigation kit and make your system your own. But it is necessary to take expert advice from professionals.
    
    
  • Using Space emitters
    
    
    
    This will help you to apply water to your crops evenly. But place emitters only where they are needed. Make sure they water only plants not your house or the pathway.
     
  • Partition of the Garden
    
    
    
    Divide your garden into different zones based on the garden size and flow rate, as vegetables, lawns, bushes etc.
    
    
  • Install a rain switch
    
    
    
    Rain switch will manage your automatic controllers. It is also beneficial to switch soil moisture sensors to automate the system.
    
    
  • Try a Tap timer
    
    
    
    Using a tap timer, you can control the time and amount of watering.
    
    
  • Check for faults regularly
    
    
    
    Every irrigation system have issues. So, the quicker they are pinpointed, the better. Observe the system and look for leaks, blocked nozzles in space emitters and plant growth that is blocking the irrigation system.
    
    
    

 WARNINGS!

• Don't mix different types of emitters on one planting scheme
• Don't put too many emitters so that insufficient water will make your garden, a mess.
• Don't put two few emitters on one line so that the existing emitters will work on high pressure.

How to Get rid of Insomnia

You got to bed to have your beauty sleep and after sometime when you glance at your bedside clock and WTH? It's 3 o'clock in the freaking morning, and you are still lying in bed staring at the ceiling. This is 'Insomnia' at its best.

 

Don't start to worry now. It's not a disease at all. Believe me, I've been up until 5 am enough times that you don't even want to know.

Insomnia is just a word referring to, the inability to fall asleep. In fact, sleeplessness. Symptoms are, frequent wake-ups suring night, difficulty of sleeping, rising way too early in the morning and daytime sleepiness.

Insomnia appears in two types. Acute which will only last one or several nights. Chronic which will last months to years.  

Now, lets move on to your action plan.

• Long term Sleep Solutions
  
  
  • Set your Bedtime routine
    
    
    
    Try to stick to a bedtime routine no matter what. Of course, on weekends even. 10:00 pm to 6:00 am is the best time period for your beauty sleep.
    
    
  • Track your sleep
    
    
    
    In order to find solutions for your issue you'll have to record your sleeping period in a day. For this, smartphone apps including Zeo, YawnLog and more will assist you. At the meantime, keep track of the moods you are putting throughout the day. This will help you identify why you can't tame the beast 'insomnia'.
    
    
  • Arrange the bed properly
    
    
    
    Make it a habit not to study, eat or work on the bed. Bed is only for sleep.
    Choose a nice, cozy mattress which pleases you. And keep your bedroom dark and cool. It promotes a restful sleep.
    
    
  • Be a teetotaler
    
    
    
    Smokers and alcoholics commonly exhibit symptoms of insomnia. Need another reason to quit smoking and drinking?
    
    
  • Consult a Doctor
    
    
    
    If you tried anything and everything, yet no sign of a good night sleep, now it's time for you to consult a doc. Your doctor will help you with getting medications to get a beauty sleep.
  
  
• Short term Sleep Solutions
  
  
  • Move it!
    
    
    
    Exercise makes you fit. Aerobic activities play a great role in order to improve insomniac's sleep quality. Exercise at least 2 hours before getting to bed. Results will definitely be satisfactory.
     
  • Have fresh air
    
    
    
    Go outside and expose yourself to natural light during day. That will balance melatonin level, which will assist you sleep later (in fact, at night).
    
    
  • Try Sleep-friendly Food
    
    
    
    Foods containing Magnesium, Almond, Nuts, Spinach and other greenery food will assist you take a good night sleep.
    
    
  • Keep calm
    
    
    
    When you come home after work, don't forget to have a relaxation tea with your loved ones.
    It's better to meditate before going to sleep because it calm your mind waves.
    
    
  • Avoid Jumbo Meals before bed
    
    
    
    Pre-bedtime meals should be light enough for your stomach to digest. For better results, after dinner remain awake for at least two hours.
     
  • Never use brain before bed
    
    
    
    Avoid reading complex, mind-storming materials, watching TV shows or movies, working hard on a project, or think too hard - about anything, before bedtime. Turn off lights, screens and get ready to rest your body and soul.

• Instant Sleep Solutions
  
  
  • Don't force to sleep
    
    
    
    It's true that it suck when it is past 2 am and you couldn't even have a wink. Jumping in to bed when yo don't feel like sleeping is just not right. If you couldn't drift off to your dreamland within 30 minutes, jump off the bed and do some relaxation activity again until you are sleepy enough.
    
    
  • Mute the Disturbances
    
    
    
    If the next door dog is barking all night long or if you are in the middle of a busy street, cover up the noises by turning your relaxation music lullabies on, or putting your bedside fan on.
    
    
  • Have a hot bath
    
    
    
    Step into your hot bath tub for about 20 minutes and move into your cool room. The immediate difference of temperature will make your body drowsy and you'll fall asleep in no time.
    
    
  • Take a glass of hot milk
    
    
    
    It's said by experience that some hot milk can lull us to sleep out of the blue.
    
    
  • Imagine yourself in the dreamland
    
    
    
    While breathing deeply, and relaxing yourself, visualize yourself drifting to your imaginary dream world. Close your eyes and go with the flow of your sweet dreams.
    
    GOOD NIGHT! and DON'T LET BED BUGS EAT YA!