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    Home With Joy

    My Favorite Plant Tips #HomeWithJoy

    I love being a plant parent. My plant babies not only contribute to the decor, but they make me happy. You can never have enough happiness right? I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to my *mostly* green thumb. 

    Anyway, since sharing IS caring, I’m here to share my favorite plant tips with you. Ready? Here we go!

    Start slow

    I can’t stress this enough. Start slow. Get a plant that’s impossible to kill, like a Dracaena trifasciata or a pothos.

    Propagate

    Seriously the easiest (and cheapest) way to add more plants to your collection is to propagate them. I do this with my pothos and plants. I take a cutting, place it in a shot glass, and wait for the roots to develop. Once the roots develop, I transfer the cutting to another vessel so it can spread out.

    Grow in water solely

    Here’s a funny story. Last year, I purchased a Tradescantia zebrina that I planted in a pot. I couldn’t keep that plant alive despite moving it around my house to capture the best light. Before the whole plant died, I took a cutting to propagate hoping I could hold onto the plant. Well, that cutting developed roots quickly. That’s when the light bulb went off.

    Leave it in water.

    That plant has grown so much by leaving it in water. I now have another Tradescantia zebrina that I placed in water after I purchased it and several pothos plants. To find out which plants thrive in water, check Pinterest and Google.

    Reuse glass bottles

    I love using clear glass bottles for the plants I keep in water. I love seeing their roots forming at the bottom.  Make sure you switch out the water as needed. 

    Be mindful of the light

    Sunlight changes based on the season. It’s normal to have to move your plants during the cooler months to capture light. 

    Dust Them Off

    Dust those leaves off so the light can get to them. 

    Water Accordingly

    Google is your friend + watering schedules change as the seasons change. Li

    Get Chatty Cathy

    Plants are living things. Talk to them. 

    And finally, a tip I will forever swear by:

    If it’s thriving, LEAVE IT ALONE! 

    I hope you find these tips useful. Are there any plant tips you want to share? I’d love to hear about them.

    Until next time,

    Joy

     

     

     

  • The Complexities of Life

    Keeping My To-Do List Organized

    Image via Flickr.

    Between my full-time job and this blog, time management is crucial. Having to-do lists help me to organize my tasks not only by importance, but also the amount of time it takes to complete each task.  Even on my lazy days, there’s always something I can check off that damn list.

    I wanted to share a few tools that I use to keep me organized.

    1. Evernote

    I discovered the awesomeness that is Evernote last year. Why it took me so long is beyond me. I love that Evernote works not only on the web, my also on my cell, laptop, and tablet. I manage my to-do lists, and keep blogging/writing tips, blog post/short story/essay ideas. Oh, and Evernote Web Clipper is a blessing! I have it installed as a Google Chrome extension and use it to clip webpages for future use. Saves me a lot of money on printer ink.

    2. Google Calendar

    Life happens. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with appointments, social events, birthdays, etc if it wasn’t for Google Calendar. Like Evernote, Google Calendar works across multiple platforms. You can also create different calendars within (e.g. blogging, social, etc).

    3. Physical Planner (For Writing Only)

    I have a physical planner that I use for writing only. When participating in writing challenges, I like to plan posts at least a week ahead of time. I also use it to notate deadlines for writing contests and blog maintenance tasks. There’s something about using pen and paper that’s soothing in a world where a keyboard has slowly become the norm.

    What tools do you use to keep yourself organized? Are you totally technology-based, pen & paper only, or both?

  • Love, Dating, & Relationships

    Thankful: Google Voice #XD31

    Google Voice is a must have for those on Single Island.  I give out my Google Voice number to those who want to contact me. It gives me a little bit of control. If I lose interest for whatever reason, I don’t have to worry about someone blowing up my cell phone with a lot of crazy. I can just go to my Google Voice account and have that stalker’s number blocked.

    Communication and peace of mind. A definite win for me.