Astrology

I'm an ARIES child. Also a Monkey. And what else? What else could I be? Stick with me as I discover the underlying secrets about myself, characteristics, personality, and mentality. If you're not an Aries I suggest checking out some of these sites here and learning more about yourself. 

Happy Discovering!

Cetlic Tree Astrology 
See what your birthday says about you,
click here --> Celtic Tree Astrology

Alder - The Trailblazer

March 18 - April 14

 If you are an Alder sign within the Celtic tree astrology system, you are a natural-born pathfinder.

You're a mover and a shaker, and will blaze a trail with fiery passion often gaining loyal followers to your cause. 

You are charming, gregarious and mingle easily with a broad mix of personalities. In other words, Alder signs get along with everybody and everybody loves to hang around with you. 

This might be because Alder's are easily confident and have a strong self-faith. This self-assurances is infectious and other people recognize this quality in you instantly. 

Alder Celtic tree astrology signs are very focused and dislike waste. Consequently, they can see through superficiality and will not tolerate fluff. 

Alder people place high value on their time, and feel that wasting time is insufferable. They are motivated by action and results. 

Alder's pair well with Hawthorns, Oaks or even Birch signs.

The Night Sky in 2014: 11 Must-See Celestial Events

The Night Sky in 2014: 11 Must-See Celestial Events (Infographic)

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

I'm a huge Green Activist. I not expecting you to read this then go out and go Green crazy, but if you did manage to take away a few simple things to help out that's all I could wish for. I hope that there is something here that will spark an interest or a will to change things up a tad.

So, Scroll on...and let me know what you've done to GO GREEN.

Energy Saving Tips: The Small Things

Kitchen Tips

1. Don't use too much water.
   When boiling water or pasta, use only the amount of water necessary to cover the food and allow for expansion. Heating less water is more efficient and will cut down on time.
2. Cut food into small pieces.
   Smaller pieces of potato or veggies cook faster and will use less energy.
3. Use lids on pots and pans.
   You'll capture the heat and enable yourself to use a lower setting.
4. Use the correct sized burner.
   Larger burners used for smaller pots or pans will throw off as much heat as it uses.
5. Avoid preheating when possible.
   Often we preheat for longer than necessary. Unless the recipe is more precise, turn the oven on when you place food inside and take advantage of all the heat.
6. Consider Hand Washing.
   If your dishwasher is old and you can't yet replace it with a more efficient model, consider hand washing to save energy and possibly water.
7. Make your own ice.
   Automatic ice makers use unnecessary energy and are prone to breakdown. Likewise, cold air can be lost through in-door dispensers with poor seals.
8. Use an oil lantern.
   Some lanterns are even designed to run off waste vegetable oil, which is a cheap buy, making this just one of the energy saving tips that also saves you money.

Electrical Tips

1. Utilize sleep mode or shut it down.
   If you're walking away from more than an hour, consider shutting down your machine completely. If you can't shut it down, save your work and put it into sleep mode when you step away.
2. Turn off computer accessories.
   Scanners, printers and even some personal faxes can be shut down until needed, thus saving their standby energy.
3. Unplug chargers.
   Chargers continue to draw energy, even when they aren't charging anything. Only plug them in as needed.

Go Paperless

Stop Receiving Junk Mail

DMA Choice

This should be your first stop. Direct Marketing Association represents nearly 3,600 companies, each required to respect your preferences. Through their opt-out service, you'll be removed from many or even most of the mailers you now you receive, while still receiving the ones you want. It can be done online for free or through the mail for $1. Visit DMAchoice.org for details on how to stop receiving junk mail from their members. You can even do the same for your email.

For others, simply contact the company. Find a phone number and give them a courtesy call. No need to be rude; just simply request to be removed from future mailings. Business prefer not to waste money and should appreciate your notifying them. This make take a minute or two of your time but will save you time in the future, as well as the resources wasted in unwanted mail.

ME: I used an app called paper karma that allowed me to scan in the address of the mailer and unsubscribe from junk mail that way. 

Find A Use For Junk Mail

So, until these opt-out forms start working, what can you do with all that junk mail? Here are a few ideas to create a use for junk mail:

Recycle it: 

With well over half of all junk mail not being recycled, be sure to place yours in your paper bin to at least save a few resources..

• Mulch it: Shred non-glossy paper and use as a mulch around plants, use as bedding for hamsters
• Package Material: Crumble it up or even shred it and use it for a sustainable packing material.
• Crafts: Can be used for collages, paper beads, paper mache and other crafts.

Day 4

DIY FURNITURE; Latest Findings

My Oh My!

If you are not already familiar with Pinterest, then you are missing out. PinteLLrest is not just a DIY site, but much much more.

However here are a few of my Latest Findings. 

I absolutely love this pallet idea. You could also add some height and more storage by simply stacking a few pallets together. However, make sure you nail these boards together. 

Tip: No need to buy pallets, you can always find pallets that someone wants taken off their hands. You could certainly try local stores or checkout your local Craigslist or papers. 

Here is another simple use for a pallet!

You could sand the pallet or use it as is.

You could use the natural color or the wood or try staining or painting the piece to personalize it. 

I've seen alot of really cool staining techniques to get different out comes. Explore a little, and dive into the creativity. 

As if this isn't the BEST idea you've seen ALL DAY!

I'll admit I'm absolutely in love. This will be going in my backyard PRONTO!!

Day 2

Think Before You Speak

It's a GORGEOUS day here in Lansing. Temperatures in the High 80's almost reaching the 90's. The sun is shinning oh so bright, make sure you get a dose of your Vitamin D today!

Everyday I wake up and the first thing I do is find a quote, motto, or picture that expresses how I will challenge the day. Today I chose this one. I believe it is important to think before you speak, and to speak with meaning and empathy towards those you come in contact with. 

It's almost 6 o'clock here so the day is almost over now, but do you know how many people I have seen come into my work with frowns on their face and after just a few moments with the slightest effort on my part they walk away having at least cracked a smile once. We may not be able to change someone's day completely, but how hard is it to offer a wonderful smile and just a few moments to talk about the lighter things. 

DAY 2

My First Blogging Experience

Hello World,

For some time now I have been thinking about creating my own blog. But the thoughts of no body viewing my blog always held me back. But today is a new day and I have decided that there is only one way to test that theory and well here I am. Today is Day 1. 

Let me begin by telling you why I have begun blogging. 

I believe that experiences in life are learning lessons, I believe that you can learn a lot from others, and I also believe that you can never stop learning. Whether it be something vital or something small. Whether its just a nifty little trick or one of those life lessons we've learned the hard way.

What I'm trying to say is that I hope that in some way you enjoy my blog and explore different aspects of it. This isn't your typical blog. Every post is sure to be something different. Something that I felt like sharing. I hope you find something that will spark an interest. 

Happy Day!

Day 1

Day 1