Here are ten reasons to rent instead of own from shine.com:

1. Fancier Living: You may not ever be able to afford to own it, but with renting, you can enjoy that luxury condo overlooking the ocean.

2. Perks!: A lot of apartments come with community pools and gyms. My favorite thing about the apartment complex that I lived in during college was the massive swimming pool they had. My roommates and I would spend hours in the summer working on our tans, flirting with the cute neighbors, and sipping on margaritas juice. And think of all the money you’d save on gym memberships.

3. Water/Heat Included: Oftentimes, apartments come with water and heat included, so that’s less bills that you have to keep up with. And the world is simply better with less bills to pay.

4. No Need for Weeding: I’ve never mowed a lawn. Ever. I’ve never felt the hot summer sun on my back as I pushed a heavy lawn mower across a yard, drowning in my own disgusting sweat. Perks of renting!

5. When the Move Bug Bites …: While renting, the worst case scenario is waiting a year to move. Bad landlord? Peace out. Annoying neighbor? Buh-bye! With a home it’s a much stickier process.

READ THE REST HERE

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The summer is seriously winding down now! Back in May when we were all anticipating our summer plans, going to the beach was one of the first things on our lists.  Just because it’s getting a little windier doesn’t mean that you need to stop thinking about sinking your toes into the sand.

Even though an amazing part about going to the beach is laying out until your skin feels like it’s melting and then jumping into the ocean, I find that I have a lot of fun there on colder days as well.  Throw on a sweatshirt and take that long walk on the beach that you normally would.

Something that my friends and I enjoy are bonfires at the beach.  Specifically, nighttime bonfires.  It’s a little windy by the water, perfect weather for a fire, marshmallows, and the occasional dip into the water.  The wind also makes it perfect for flying kites: so use this time to do two of your favorite summer activities!

So let’s end this summer right: Show the changing weather who’s boss by not changing your plans.  Keep yourself warm while still enjoying the sand between your toes and the feel of your hair from the salt water wind!

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Eight glasses of water here, five servings of fruits and veggies there – keeping up with all these health rules and regulations can be a pretty huge task. So, it might help you to know that you may be able to toss some of these rules right out the window.

Here are 12 health rules that it’s okay (maybe even good) to bend/break:

1. Don’t eat food that’s fallen on the floor.

If you’re an avid believer in the five-second rule, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news first: if you drop your food on a contaminated floor, it takes only a couple of seconds for bacteria to attach to the morsel. The good news: most bacteria found on the floor are not dangerous as long as the food hasn’t been floor-bound overnight. Where you drop it is more important than when. Kitchen floors are the most contaminated in the house. And if you drop food on your office desk, just forget about picking it up. The average office desk harbors 400 times more nasty bacteria than the average toilet seat.

2. Stay away from people with colds.

Colds are not as contagious as you might think – as long as you practice good hygiene. Most colds are spread when you pick up cold germs left on surfaces and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Even if your hands come in contact with cold germs, you can keep from getting a cold by washing and sanitizing hands frequently. Unless you have asthma, lung disease or other respiratory conditions, it’s generally okay to be around people with colds.

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3. Eat five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

There are no studies showing five to seven servings is more optimal than three to five. Studies do show that people who eat more fruits and veggies tend to be healthier, but more is relative. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables along with a balanced diet – but don’t obsess over numbers.

GET MORE RULES HERE

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The American Heart Association reports that some people gain 5 to 10 unwanted pounds over the course of the holiday season–between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Here are a few tips from shine.com that can help you start the New Year on the right—and maybe lighter—foot:

1. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to beat dehydration. Alcohol consumption, fatty foods, and insufficient water are some of the main reasons people feel “hung over” and heavy from the holidays. Every cell in your body needs adequate water to function properly so try to drink at least 2 liters a day to flush fat and toxins out.

2. Take a high-quality B-complex and vitamin C supplement, both of which are depleted by alcohol consumption and stress—and chances are you had both during the holidays.

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3. Eat fruit in the morning on an empty stomach—fruit is the best food to keep the lymphatic system cleansed and moving properly. The lymphatic system is what I call “the body’s version of a street-cleaner”—it sweeps up toxins, fat, and the by-products of bodily processes to lessen pain, inflammation, cellulite, and toxic overload in the body.

Click here for more

Work out on your lunch break

Finding ways to save water will not only cut down on your monthly water bill, but will be a boost to the environment as you conserve one of Earth’s most valuable resources. Here are some ideas from realsimple.com:

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Why it’s worth the effort: Low-flow showerheads cut water use in half. If you take a five-minute shower using this type of showerhead, the showerhead would save enough water in a year to fill a 15-foot aboveground pool. Plus, you save all the energy that would have gone into heating the shower water.
Your one-year effect: 4,550 gallons of water saved.
The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: Enough water to fill about 2,100 Giants Stadiums.

Buy Recycled-Paper Products

Why it’s worth the effort: Products made from 100 percent recycled paper require much less water in their manufacturing than do those made from virgin paper. If your family goes through four rolls of paper towels a week, choosing recycled reduces waste significantly.
Your one-year effect: 637 gallons of water saved.
The effect if every household in the U.S. did it for one year: More than the amount of water that cascades over Niagara Falls in a day.

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Water Your Lawn in the Early Morning or Evening

Why it’s worth the effort: If you irrigate in the middle of the day, evaporation prevents 14 percent of the water from reaching the plants’ roots. Watering the lawn in the early morning or evening can save the typical home owner 87 gallons a week.
Your one-year effect: 4,524 gallons of water saved.
The effect if every household in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to nine times the annual rainfall in Seattle.

Water Your Lawn With a Hose, Not a Sprinkler

Why it’s worth the effort: The average single-family home pours at least 25,000 gallons of water a year on the lawn-more than double the amount used inside. People are smarter than automatic sprinklers: Watering with a hose is at least twice as efficient.
Your one-year effect: 12,500 gallons of water saved.
The effect if every household in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to the volume of water in Shasta Lake, in Northern California.

Eat One More Vegetarian Meal a Week

Why it’s worth the effort: It takes a lot of water to grow the grain to feed the cow that ultimately produces a hamburger. Replacing just four ounces of beef in your diet a week with a vegetarian option can save more than 3,000 gallons of water.
Your one-year effect: 171,704 gallons of water saved.
The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: More than twice the volume of water in the Chesapeake Bay.

Click here for more tips

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Want to heat up your sex life this summer? Here are some ways to bring the flames back into your love life.

Dress for the Weather

To light up your guy’s libido, treat him to his very own wet tee shirt fantasy. Put on a tissue-thin white tee or tank top and “accidentally” get wet (say, by getting sprayed by the garden hose) so that it clings alluringly to your body. Wearing a damp top will not only cool you off, it’ll also drive him crazy.

It’s better to be a woman…no really!!!!

Turn Off the AC

To tap into sweat’s seductive powers, let your bedroom’s temp get tropical, then send your man into a foreplay frenzy by massaging his body with your own.

Hit the Floor

If your summer sex session gets too steamy to bear (read: you’re panting like a couple of marathoners), take it to ground level and point a couple of fans toward you. As the cool breeze plays over your sweat-soaked bodies and gently moves the little hairs on your skin, you’ll feel reinvigorated.

Want more tips, click here.

Define the relationship before it’s too late

Dehydration is one of the most common conditions to have and is the hardest to spot. Here’s nine ways to tell that you may be suffering from a lack of water in your diet:

• Headache
• Irritability
• Weakness
• Cravings for sugar and salt
• Dizziness
• Dark urine
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Been feeling like crap lately? Drinking more water might be the solution to your problem!

Click here for more tips on how to stay hydrated

Check out the 5 healthiest ways to cook here!

Orchids are one of my favorite plants, but I have to admit I have no clue how to take care of them.  I recently got one as a gift and wanted to make sure I knew how to make it bloom and thrive in my apartment.

Here’s what I found out:

1) Make sure you have all the items you need. A pot or a proper place outdoors to plant the flower, soil, fertilizer, plants, etc.

How to start a garden.

2) Dendrobiums enjoy moderate temperatures ranging from 60-85 degrees. If you live in a climate with more extreme temperatures it will be best to grow them indoors. Also these flowers enjoy plenty of sunlight during the morning hours with light shading during the mid-day hours. Then in the afternoon hours they do best with more light.

3) Allow the soil to become dry between watering. You do not want to deprive the flowers of water, but you also do not want to keep a constantly moist medium.

Fertilize the soil once a month.

5 steps to beautiful flower arrangements.

Did you know it was possible to be allergic to water?  According to the dailymail.com, a young mother cannot drink, bathe, or even wipe away her son’s tears. If her son drools on her or a drop of sweat touches her skin, she breaks out into a very painful blistery and burning rash.

Excess hair in women linked to illness.

According to the article: ” Michaela Dutton said the condition, known as aquagenic urticaria, has left her scared to leave the house for fear of it raining. When she does, she always carries an umbrella with her, whatever the weather.”

How does she bathe? She has to limit her showers to 10 seconds. After that point, the pain–and the blisters–get unbearable.

I can’t even begin to imagine life without water!!!

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