The cool, crisp autumn air can be energizing, and now may be a good time to use some of that energy to get your house ready for those cold winter months ahead. Looking around your house and property, you may find a number of things that need to be done annually or semi-annually.

INSIDE THE HOUSE
* Change your air filters and clean the ducts and vents to keep the air you're breathing healthy and clean.
* Make sure the seals around your doors and windows are tight to keep the cold air out and keep your heating bills down.
* Drain your hot water heater to remove any sediment and improve performance.
* Clean the dust off your ceiling fans and reverse their direction.
* Test carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and change their batteries.

OUTSIDE IN THE YARD
* Cut back dead branches and other foliage that have grown near your house.
* Start a compost pile and add to it all winter so that it can be used for spring gardening.
* Cover perennials with mulch to protect them from the winter frost.
* Clean leaves and other debris out of your gutters.
* Cut firewood and set aside in a dry place to save for fires on a chilly day.
* Have your chimney professionally cleaned. Yes, we still have chimney sweeps today!

One full day set aside to prepare your home for winter should be enough to have your house and yard ready to face the snow, sleet, ice and freezing temperatures. Get this done now, because before you know it, you will be spending your time attending Fall Festivals and Christmas shopping.

Research into hydroponic gardening and aquaculture began at NASA.  Fruits, vegetables, herbs and other plants were grown without the use of soil and sometimes without the use of water as well.  The purpose of NASA's involvement in hydroponic research was to find a way to grow food in space. 

On hydroponic farms, fruit, vegetable and herb plants are suspended in the air on a rotating fixture where they are sprayed intermittently with a nutrient solution which provides nourishment for the plants.  Check out the Living with the Land information on the Walt Disney World website to see how hydroponics works. 
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/attractions/living-with-the-land/

Sustainability in agricultural techniques is a serious concern for farmers of the future.  As soil continues to erode and lose nutrients, it is becoming increasingly difficult for traditional farms to survive. 

Along with hydroponics, the farms of the future are making strides in integrated pest management (reduction of pesticides), crop rotation, inter-cropping and other irrigation technology.  Check out what the University of Georgia's College of Agriculture and Environmental Science is doing with integrated pest management and other plant science research.
http://ipm.ent.uga.edu/

Hydroponics may be the key to producing an adequate food supply for a growing global population using less land. With hydroponics, massive crop rotation may be done without much soil disturbance.  The nutrient solutions may be recycled and purified so that hydroponics actually uses less water than traditional farming techniques. 

One of the best aspects of hydroponic farming is the fact that food can be grown in areas that are traditionally too cold, too dry or otherwise inhospitable for farming.  This means that with help, some third world countries with starving populations may learn to grow adequate food to feed their people.

Next time you visit Florida, stop by Disney World's EPCOT, and visit the hydroponic farm in the "Living with the Land" Pavilion.  This joint venture between Disney and NASA is fascinating and supplies much of the food consumed by tourists at EPCOT.

You can use this concept to grow your own fruits and veggies at home on a smaller scale with an aeroponic gardening system. Check out this website:  https://www.towergarden.com/  OR take a look at my friend Valerie Campbell's websites to find out easier ways to grow healthier food at home for you and your family. 
www.valcampbelljuiceplus.com
www.valcampbelltowergarden.com
Juice Plus+® - Juice Plus Official Homepage www.juiceplus.com

As August comes to a close, some parts of the country may be starting to cool off, but the heat in Georgia and the rest of the South usually hangs on through September.   There are some ways to cut down on air conditioning use and the resulting electrical bill and still keep your house at a comfortable temperature.  

·       Grill out instead of using the stove and oven.  You can even grill veggies.  Check out the grill recipes on this website.  http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grill/

·       Also, try cold meals like salads that involve minimal cooking.  Check out this recipe site for some ideas.  http://family.go.com/food/pkg-summer-recipes/

·       Washers, and especially dryers, generate a lot of heat.  Do the laundry early in the morning or late in the evening instead of during the hottest part of the day.  Better yet, forego the dryer altogether and hang your clothes out to air dry.

·       You might be surprised to discover how much ceiling, box and oscillating fans help cool your house and allow you to use your air conditioning less.

·       If you only sleep upstairs, and have two AC units, why cool the area all day?  Run the upstairs thermostat up to 80 degrees until about an hour before you go to sleep.  You will save money by not cooling parts of your house unnecessarily.

·       By the same token, if no one is home all day, why keep the house cool?  Run all of your thermostats up while you are not at home, and install timers to turn the AC on about an hour before you get home.

·       Closing blinds and curtains during the day will help keep the heat out, and only turning on lights that are absolutely necessary will help as well.

·       LED and CFL light bulbs give off less heat than traditional light bulbs.

·       Planting lots of trees in your yard will make a noticeable difference in the heat as time goes by and the trees grow to provide plenty of shade.

·       Speaking of shade, making sure your outdoor AC unit is shaded will help it operate more efficiently.

·       At night, you can put your heavy comforters to the side and sleep under the sheets only.  This way fans may be all you need to keep cool overnight.

Minimizing your air conditioning use might save you a significant amount of money which you can put toward a Fall vacation trip to the mountains or a unique family Christmas gift.  Using less AC power is also better for the environment and will help make your household eco-friendly.  So, turn up the thermostat, turn on the fans and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Use Houseplants to Improve the Air in Your Home

Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. In contrast, houseplants take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. So, what a great team -- humans and plants!

This unique partnership opportunity means that you can potentially improve the air quality in your home by placing a plant or two in each room.

Research conducted by scientists at NASA has shown that the plants that seem to do the best job of helping to purify the air in a home include:

Reed palms,                            Boston ferns,                          Peace lilies,
English ivy,                              Weeping fig,                           Rubber plant
Chinese evergreen,                  Spider plants,                         Bamboo,
Cornstalk,                                Heart leaf philodendron,          Gerbera daisy,
Moth orchid.                            Dracaena                               Australian sword fern

All of the plants do not necessarily have to be positioned by a window in direct sunlight to thrive. Ask a horticulturist at your local nursery which ones can still undergo a high rate of photosynthesis in shaded areas. Photosynthesis is the process plants go through to create their own food. Some require more sunlight than others for this process.

Plants also absorb harmful chemicals, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), that accumulate in your home over time.  Placing well-selected plants in each room of your home may make a noticeable difference with any allergy-sufferers in your family.

Research has also shown that houseplants do a better job of cleaning the air if they are not placed in a drafty area; therefore you may want to position your plants away from heating and air conditioning vents.

Plants have the added benefit of being much less expensive and more sustainable than having a complicated air purification system installed in your home. So, if you want to purify your air and beautify your home at the same time, try using plants in your home decor.

Do You Work with Morons? Practice Anti-Stress Techniques at Your Desk

Work can be challenging, and every job has its share of crazies. Don’t let them get to you. You can practice anti-stress techniques at your desk to calm and rejuvenate your mind and body.

Breathing is the most vital component of relaxation. It is surprising how shallowly we breathe.  Close your eyes and breathe deeply – inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds.  This has the added benefit of resting your eyes which could be under strain from staring at a computer screen for hours.

Try stretching your neck to the right and then to the left. Roll your head slowly in circles to the right and then to the left. Roll your shoulders slowly forward and back. You might enjoy listening to a nature sounds CD download a free nature sounds app on your cell phone.

Take off your shoes under your desk and point and flex your feet. Also, roll your ankles to the right and to the left. You might also try standing up and stretching your arms to the ceiling. Reach up with one arm as high as you can and stretch over your head and to the side. Reverse and repeat on the other side. Slowly stretch forward to touch the floor. Relax and hang there for about a minute. Then slowly roll your spine up to a standing position.

When you take your break, you might try lighting a scented candle and sipping a warm cup of green tea. Try keeping a blessings journal. Meditate while you are sipping the tea, and jot down your blessing for the day in your journal.

A lovely plant and photos on your desk of your family may make your office a more pleasant place to spend the better part of your day.     

Get Relief from the Heat with a Healthy Smoothie

Have you ever wondered where smoothies came from? Well, they originated on the American West Coast in the 1930s when health food stores began serving puréed fruit drinks.

They continued to grow in popularity, and became a favorite of the Hippie generation in the 60s and 70s. In the 80s, independent smoothie shops began popping up all over the country.

An innovative teenager in the 70s, Steve Kuhnau, tired of having to forego milk shakes due to his lactose intolerance, began blending his favorite fruits with ice. The wildly popular Smoothie King franchise was born.

If you are a lemon lover, try this luscious lemon twist smoothie:

1/4 cup lemon

1/4 cup papaya chunks

1/4 cup frozen strawberries

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

1 TB honey

1 cup water

1 1-2 cups ice

Blend all together until slushy. Serve with a smile.