Our culture today has grown to be fond of everything that is organic. From vegetables, to cleaning products even clothing. With the growing fad of everything that is organic, gardening is in no exception. This method of gardening focuses on the health and feeding of the soil and not of the plants. Growing a garden as such sure is fun and healthy. But it sure is never easy. These gardens are difficult to maintain, not to mention the number of pests that add up to the problem. Here are some ways on how you can prevent those annoying garden bugs from coming.

First thing you need to do in organic pest control is to know the plants that you are growing and identifying the specific bugs that are attracted to them. By identifying which types of bugs come into a specific plant, you can develop a certain plan in controlling the pests that meets the specific needs of every plant in your garden.

In choosing which plants to grow, opt for the native species over the imported varieties. The reason for this is that native species have superior immune systems to the common insects that infest your garden compared to the exotic ones. You may also purchase some plants that have been bred to be especially disease and pest resistant.

If you really want to keep your organically grown plants pest free and healthy, you have to get down on your knees and hands. To keep your soil healthy, it is vital to add natural additives into it such as compost and mulch. You may also add nutrients by plowing old plants into the soil and by rotating the variety of your crop each year. Maintaining a healthy soil, one that is not dry and nutrient deficient, keeps your soil from all the pests and problems.

Next to the task of identifying the pests that your plants attract, learn what the primary signs of their infestation look like. By keeping a close eye on your plants, you’ll catch the symptoms early before the problems complicate, thus things would then be easier to handle.

Traveling to San Diego and trying to decide on accommodations? What is the difference between a vacation rental and a hotel room, and what is better? Well, it all depends on what you are looking for. But the vacation rental accommodations sure seems to be creeping up on the hotels…

Here are some thoughts to help you make your decision….

Length of stay: if you are just passing through and need a night, stay in a hotel - (many companies do not even allow a one night stay). Although, if you are planning on staying for more than one day (2+ days), wouldn’t it be nice to be able to completely settle in to a “home away from home”? Vacation rentals are fully equipped with every amenity to give you anything and everything you would ever need to “live” while not at home. The purpose of a vacation home is just that, it is to act as your very own private vacation home, a getaway that you could eventually return to year after year (that is if you are pleased with the home you stay in).

Save $$$$$: It might not seem like it on the offset, but staying in a vacation rental can save you a lot of money. Because you are paying for a home, and not on a per room or per person basis, the accommodations can end up being a lot less than an equivalent four or five star hotel. Also, think of the money you save on the cost of eating out…staying in a hotel you are forced to eat out every meal. Stay in a vacation home, and you have a fully equipped kitchen at your fingertips…even if you eat dinners out, the amount saved on breakfast, snacks, lunch, drinks, etc. can add up to a lot of money…money that can be used for, oh, say another few nights on vacation.

# of People in group: This is what vacation rentals are best for-large groups! Are you going on vacation with your entire extended family, or another family, or a group of friends? Rather then pay for several hotel rooms all separate from each other, rent a home, where everyone can still have their individual rooms, and bathrooms, yet at the same time, everyone is in the same location and can share the same common area. If you need even more space, rent two homes next to each other, or rent a unit which can be divided into two, so you have double the kitchens and double the living areas.

Unless you are going to Vegas or some world class resort, a hotel is typically not the “destination”, rather it is just an accommodation. Vacation rentals are a “destination” themselves. You really never have to leave if you prefer not to…stay in a beachfront rental and the ocean is at your back door-literally, you have a fully equipped kitchen, and if you want to eat out, there are plenty of restaurants you can walk to. You can even opt for grocery delivery or a private chef. Hire a masseuse to come in, or perhaps a photographer to take family photos…the options are endless.

Space Space Space - Vacation Rentals offer considerably more space than you will find in most hotel rooms. Now the whole family can breath and have space to themselves.

Flexibility - If you want to stay in and cook, great; if you feel like going out, great. If you want to be lazy and just soak in the views from your rooftop deck or balcony, perfect; if you want to get out and see attractions, go ahead. When staying at an oceanfront vacation rental, there is no pressure to get out of the hotel room and “do something”.

Comfort and Amenities - You will not find vacation rentals ’sterile’ like many hotel rooms…each one is professionally decorated to give you that feeling of comfort and home. Also, the amenities that come standard give an extra personal convenience. As mentioned, every kitchen is fully equipped to prepare anything from a snack to a Thanksgiving feast. Every rental has its own laundry machines…saves on packing and saves on work to be done when you return from vacation! Most of our oceanfront rentals also have a private spa…not sharing with other hotel guests. Just you and your group.

Customer service - Find the same customer service you would at any hotel…whether you need extra toilet paper or you would like to arrange for a surprise flower delivery, we are always willing to help you in whatever ways we can to make your vacation the vacation of your dreams!

Vacation rentals offer a “relaxing” vacation, an idea that doesn’t seem to exist anymore. What happened to going on vacation to re-energize and relax? Most vacations I go on these days are great and amazing, but honestly, when I return home I feel like I need another vacation, to recuperate from the previous vacation! An oceanfront rental could not offer a more relaxing vacation experience. There is literally nothing you need to do once you get here, that is, if you don’t want to.

Escape to luxury and live like the rich and famous (at least for a few days) … come stay in one of our gorgeous beachfront vacation homes! You may never go back to a hotel again…

Ever had a bad smell in a refrigerator? It isn’t pleasant. Nor can it be easy to find the actual source. It may take days to localize whether it was the fruits, vegetables, meats, or fish. All can be the culprit.

Plus the air in a refrigerator can seemingly enhance an odour. A simple odour one day can move throughout the interior, until the whole refrigerator reeks. In a frost free refrigerator air is constantly circulating and passing over all the other foods. Therefore an odour in one part of the refrigerator can very quickly be picked up and passed to everything else.

Most odours inside a refrigerator can be localized using your eyes and nose. It is usually an old piece of forgotten food, or an outdated carton. But, if the source evades you try the following:

1. Check the food. It is the primary reason for refrigerator odours. Use your nose as the smell detector. Use your hands to feel for spills.

2. Check the crisper drawers and shelves for small pieces of rotting food. Although obvious, this is often overlooked. Remove crispers and shelves and wash thoroughly in warm soapy water. Use a semi-soft scrub brush to get into cracks and crevices. Many metal shelves are small enough to be washed in the dishwasher. When replacing shelves don’t forget to clean the plastic supports they snap into.

3. Check glass shelves. Small liquid spills here can be transparent. Also glass shelves can be complex – requiring intricate frames. Check the undersides of frames for hidden debris.

4. Clean the inside edge of the door gaskets. Start at the bottom. It is a major location where food and mold accumulates. Rap a soft wet rag around a butter knife to get in behind the gasket. Avoid pulling on gasket because it can rip.

5. Clean the freezer section floor. It too can be an odour producer. If you see loose frozen vegetables on the freezer floor look for the source here. Carefully run your hand around the freezer interior. There may be hidden holes that are not normally visible. Loose foods can be trapped here.

6. If odour persists try using baking soda. Spread two tablespoons of baking soda onto a saucer, and place into the refrigerator section. If the freezer is under suspicion then also place one here. It must be thinly spread out to be affective – leaving it in the box will do limited work at fighting odours. Check every few days. Once it becomes crusted over replace with fresh baking soda. This works well, but does require patience. Allow two or three weeks for even simple odours to subside.

7. When all else fails: turn off refrigerator, allow it to warm to room temperature, remove all shelves and drawers, and thoroughly wash the interior walls. Use warm, soapy water. Avoid using any cleaning products that have a strong chemical smell or are heavily scented. Dry completely using a clean, dry rag. Be especially aware of crevices near bottom of refrigerator interior. If crevices appear dirty clean with a semi-soft brush.

Avoid any product that is sprayed into the refrigerator. This only results in the odour being masked rather than removed.

Since the best defense is an offence, try to avoid any reason for odours to get a foothold in the refrigerator. The following are a few simple tactics in preventing odours from getting started:

1. Keep all foods covered. It is a simple idea that really does work. Any food placed into the refrigerators cool, humid environment will immediately begin to oxidize. Place a steel bar into the refrigerator and it will oxidize (rust) – well, your food will undergo the same process. But, as foods age they also give off odours. Keeping food covered slows oxidation, which in turn will slow the creation of odours.

2. Avoid spills. This may seem like a silly suggestion – except if you have children. One trick is to keep a separate kids container on a lower shelf. In it provide them with foods they are constantly craving. Apples, oranges, precut vegetables, and juice boxes can all be kept here. This keeps the kids spills to a minimum - adults are on their own.

3. Separate fruits and vegetables. The acidity of one can affect the other. Once home from the grocery store separate them and store in their own bags. Zip top bags work well for this purpose. If bagged they can be placed into the same crisper drawer. If simply dumped together into the crisper they can interact, causing some rather unusual smells.

4. Watch out for fruits. They in particular are different than most other foods. Many of them will actually deteriorating faster when inside a cool environment. Apples are a good example. When removed from the sealed bag and put into the refrigerator, they leave their dormant state and begin to literally “breathe”. Taking on more air leads to accelerated decay.

5. Beware the preserves. Odours can occur when an old container (Aunt Martha’s Christmas jam?) is pushed to the back of the refrigerator and forgotten. Being semi-sealed they can produce slow, almost imperceptible spills and gasses. If you have a really obnoxious smell that comes and goes, look for preserved pickles or fruits. Preserved jams on the other hand will tend to bubble out, producing sticky spills.

6. Throw away leaking containers. Milk bags in particular are renowned for leaking. Simply pouring contents into a sealed container before placing into refrigerator will eliminate this problem. If leak occurs clean the entire shelf immediately. Even a few drops of milk or cream can cause horrible odours if left long enough to go sour.

7. Beware the stinky cheese. Store within its own sealed container rather than open on the dairy shelf. It’s a live food. It continues to age because of bacterial content. As it ages its characteristics can change. While processed cheeses harden with age, natural cheeses can start to weep. Weeping will produce ever-increasing amounts of gas. Some cheeses can really start to stink. Anyone who has ever had cheese go bad will never forget the smell.

8. Be aware of packaging. Pre-packaged foods can become odour absorbers. Cardboard containers can easily pick up and then hold any odours that are circulating inside the refrigerator. Also the cartons can break down with age, slowly spilling their contents. Ever found an old cardboard carton of molasses at the rear of the refrigerator. Bet you it’s been there since you made baked beans. Ten years ago?

Keeping your refrigerator interior clean and smelling fresh requires constant vigilance. The major advice we offer our clients about preventing odours is — don’t let them get started. Although a simplistic answer, it’s truthful. A bad smell is much easier to prevent than to treat.

Copyright © Donald Grummett 2005. All rights reserved.

The most important thing to know is that a psychic reading is not scary! There is nothing to fear. A psychic reading is meant to bring comfort, hope and guidance. It is not a substitute for legal assistance, medical care, or a way to find out the winning lottery numbers or something to be used for the wrong reasons.

Depending on the psychic and also what happens during the reading, it can last anywhere between a few minutes to a couple of hours. Readings can be draining on the psychic’s energy so the average length of time for a good reading is usually from thirty minutes to an hour.

Your psychic will greet you first of all and ask that you make yourself comfortable. You should switch off your mobile phone and try to relax. He or she will then try to “tune in” to your energies. Sometimes information starts coming immediately and other times it takes longer to make the connection. Very occasionally the psychic will be unable to make a connection and ask that you come back at another time. This doesn’t happen often but it does happen sometimes.

What Information Will Come Through?

Sometimes you will receive astoundingly accurate information and other times it might not seem to make sense at the time of the reading. A psychic reading usually contains a mixture of information. Anything that does not resonate with you might have reference to a future event. The information which comes through in a reading varies widely. You might receive messages from spirit guides or from loved ones who have passed over. You might receive names, places or dates which are meaningful to you. Sometimes you receive information you already know, which is to reassure you that a connection has been made or that loved ones who have passed over are letting you know that they are still around. The psychic might give you words, pictures, scenes or a mixture of them all. No two psychic readers are alike and neither are any two psychic readings.

After the Psychic Reading

After the reading, you should allow yourself time to let the reading sink in. Don’t try to overanalyze the information you received. After a few days you can review your notes or reflect on your reading. Some psychics offer follow up readings and most allow you to ask questions during the reading so they can focus on one particular area of your life you are seeking help with.

How Often to Have a Psychic Reading

Many readers advise having readings every six months or a year apart. There is very little point in having a reading a week after your last one, since the information will be the same. Neither should you depend on psychic readings in order to make decisions or live your life. They can give you information and help with the decision making process but you still have to make your own decisions in life.

Whether you are trying to find closure on a past event or relationship, seeking advice and help or seeing a psychic out of curiosity, you should approach with an open mind and enjoy the experience.

Pearl jewelry has been for years, one of the most treasured and coveted personal items a person can have. Its simplicity and sheen truly makes it a unique jewel that marks the sign of good taste and wealth. When we think of a pearl, generally we think of a small white sphere. What we don’t think about is the many different types and colors of pearls available. Different types of pearls come in not only different colors, but also shapes, nacre, luster and with different surfaces. Knowing each type and their differences can help you gain an understanding of pearls and help you make the best choice in pearl jewelry that fits your specific needs and even your pocketbook.

The most common pearl most people are familiar with are Freshwater Pearls. Freshwater Pearls are exactly what they sound like. They come from mussels located in freshwater lakes and rivers. Today, China is the leading exporter of Freshwater Pearls, with the majority of pearl farming taking place about 300 miles outside of Shanghai. Recently, however, Chinese pearl farmers have switched their emphasis from the quantity of Freshwater Pearls to the quality. This ensures that the pearls exported are of the best conditions and beauty. 

Freshwater Pearls range in size from 4mm to 11mm. The majority is of oval, button and coin shape. Unlike saltwater pearls, they are not quite a perfect circle. Colors range from white, cream, gold, peach, pink, and purple. Some may even have a rose and/or a green over tone to it. Freshwater Pearls tend not to have the same intense luster by comparison to Akoya Pearls, but still have an excellent sheen to them. This and the general oval shapes they come in, tends to make Freshwater pearl jewelry less expensive than other types, and thus making them very popular. Freshwater Pearls do have a thicker nacre, however, which makes them more durable against chipping and general wear and tear.

Akoya Pearls are considered to have the best luster of all the types of pearls. Saltwater pearls, these derive from the Akoya oyster, which is the smallest of the pearl oysters. Therefore, Akoya Pearls tend to be the smallest of pearls. Sizes range from 2mm to 10 mm, but on average, you will find an Akoya Pearl that is 6mm to 7mm. Harvested primarily in Japan and China today, cultured Akoya’s were actually introduced early in the 20th century.

Akoya pearls are closest to being a perfect sphere compared to other pearls. On average, they are 70% to 80% round or near-round. The rest tend to be baroque or semi-baroque. The surface of an Akoya ranges from a clean surface to lightly or moderately blemished, while the nacre can be thick, medium, or thin. Again, the thicker the nacre of the pearl, the more durable it will be. Akoya’s also range in a variety of natural colors including white, cream, some yellow, pink, and blue. Some may even have a rose or green overtone as well.

Tahitian Pearls were first introduced internationally quite recently in the mid-1970’s. Cultivated from black lipped oysters, it is important to know that a pearl is a Tahitian Pearl only if it is cultured in Polynesia. Black lipped oysters tend to be large, with some weighing as much as 10 pounds! So their pearls also can be abnormally large as well. However, on average, Tahitian Pearls are generally 9 to 10 mm and can span anywhere from 8 to 14mm. Tahitian Pearls generally appear black, which some are. However most are a deep grey or green color that appears to be black. Other colors also include blue, peacock, aubergine and pistachio. The luster of the pearl can be quite beautiful from the dark shades of colors present in Tahitian Pearls. The shape of the pearl is split between mostly round or near-round and baroque or semi-baroque. The last 20% of average pearls generally have an oval, button or drop shape to them. With the dark colors, Tahitian Pearls also tend to have a variety of surface types; with clean, lightly, moderately or heavily blemished. So depending on the surface, this will affect the quality and pricing of your Tahitian Pearl jewelry. These types also come with a thick nacre, making them strong against nicks and other wear and tear.

Lastly, we have South Sea Pearls. South Sea Pearls derive from anywhere on the coasts of Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Generally, 60% of your South Sea Pearls will come from Australia. However, those that are more creamy or yellow are generally produced in Indonesia. Today, South Sea Pearls are considered to be the most cultivated type of pearl on the market.

Traditionally, South Sea Pearls are larger, ranging in size from 9mm to 18mm. On average, however, you will find a pearl about 13mm. The shape of it tends to be oval, button, or drop shaped 40 to 60% of the time. However, you can find a variety of baroque or round pearls as well. South Sea Pearl jewelry tends to be a little pricier because of its unique characteristics. The luster of the pearl tends to look more satiny and has a distinct shine to it. The surface of the pearl is also quite naturally good, with a range from clean to lightly blemished. In addition, South Sea Pearls come in colors that are not common in other types of pearls, which include gold, white, and silver. The golden hues are especially exquisite with the natural satin finish of the pearl. You can also find South Sea Pearls in blues, creams, with possible overtones of rose or green. The nacre of the pearl also tends to be much thicker than other types of pearls as well, making it quite durable.

All four of these pearls have their positives and differences. Knowing what makes each distinct and special will help you make a knowledgeable decision when selecting your own pearl jewelry. You can ask the right questions, make the right choices, and hopefully select an exquisite piece of authentic pearl jewelry that you will enjoy and care for, for years to come.