4 Simple Home Proposal Ideas that Won't Add Carbon Footprint

Almost all activities on Earth that involve machines contributes to carbon production. Dining, communicating, shopping, and travel are some of our daily activities that are major sources of carbon footprint.

It's empowering to know you are saving the planet once in a while. Considering the effects of your choice is one way to minimize carbon footprint. That's why think about an important milestone in your life like a wedding proposal. Make it as impactful to the planet as it is to your loved ones by going for home proposal ideas that won't add carbon footprint.

Below are four ideas to improve your proposal.

1. Bring Out the Dessert

Ask your loved one to a backyard picnic. If you have a rest house in the countryside, pick a spot with a view of the sunset. Get on one knee during the golden moment to have a picture-perfect moment.

You can also pop the question after eating the delicious meal you brought. Place the ring on top of the pie, pudding, cake or with it. You can ask your partner to get it out of the container. If it's IN the dessert, take the initiative to get a slice and give to him or her.

Maximize the picnic set by extending the event until the night. Leisurely walk in the area or watch the stars in the sky. The gem on the ring will seem like a star in your hand once the warm glow of candles and backdoor lights shines over it.

2. Follow the Flowers

There's nothing more romantic, elegant, and eco-friendly than walking to a path lined with fresh flowers. The type of flowers depends on the part of the home you want to propose. If the way leads indoors, consider potted plants and petals to spell it out or enclose the ring box.

You can also go the high route by growing the flowers in your garden or nursery and replanting them once you are ready to ask the question. That way, you hit two birds with a stone. You have a decorated outdoors and partner who'll walk down the aisle.

3. Blindfold Suprise

It takes some trusting before someone agrees you guide them to a path. It doesn't matter if it's just walking in the house. Living without vision is terrifying. That's why placing a blindfold over a loved one is challenging. They might fight back or curse at you for taking them on an ambush.

Go on a trust walk by pulling down the blindfolds in your home and going on different routes to get to your destination. Make sure it's a secluded spot they'll be happy to stay. A backyard camping in a house and lot for sale Cavite is one exciting way to finish the outdoor proposal idea.

4. Take Some Notes

You are taught to write correctly since your youth. The next DIY marriage proposal is easy to execute but requires a few elements. If your home is near the beach or has a beach house available for rent or visit - think Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind - you can draw on the sand. Once done, bring your loved one over to what you created while you get down on your knee. Ask someone to capture the moment so you can recall on the silly yet one-in-a-lifetime moment.

If you want to propose during winter time, you can gather some snow and pack them until they form the letters. Use red coloring or food color to spell out the "Will you marry me in the snow?"

Wedding proposals need not be grand or expensive. They don't have flashy and store-bought materials. There are no right or wedding proposals, just eco-conscious and Earth-friendly ones. Utilizing what you have in homes such as the areas of the house or the supplies are enough as props to an intimate marriage proposal.

8 Home Decorating Styles Not Worth The Hassle

Most home trends on the Internet you can find on social media look immaculate. They become your peg and inspire you to re-do the arrangement of the items and pieces of furniture at home. Often, it pushes you to scour new home accessories from stores at Vertis North - if you are in Quezon City, or Arca South, if near Makati, Taguig, Parañaque, and Alabang.

Unfortunately, some home decorations aren't sustainable. They contribute to clutter, add to hassle of maintaining the rooms or doesn't retain its style for a long time. Here are some home decorating styles that seems pretty in photos but don't add much value to your interior.

1. Chalkboard Walls

Painting with chalkboard paint leaves you stuck with it. The mixture is thick and difficult to top off. Unfortunately, the texture of a regular wall isn't the same as proper blackboards. Thus, writing creates a dusty and messy look.

2. Clawfoot Tubs

Old-fashioned tubs have the luxury of the Victorian era. Having an aesthetically pleasing interior comes with a price. For instance, you have to keep the underneath clean. The elevated feature of the tub will make you fuss over splashes and wet spots underneath.

Thus, you must keep the area dry and polished. Emphasize the foot of each tub to keep them from getting grimy and tarnished. If the bathroom has hardwood floors, it is prone to water damage. Bathrooms maintenance can be costly with this combination.

3. Hidden Book Spines

Backward books are becoming popular in the minimalist home style movement. Homeowners flip their books - curated collection or not - to disguise and make use of the creamy tones of parchment paper.

Applying this designing technique may work for others, but it certainly doesn’t make any sense for people who take time to read the pages. Book titles make excellent conversation starters. It shows your interest to your guests and people who chance upon your home.

4. Invasive plants

Your love for Mother Nature is still evident even when you don't have sprawled plants in your home. Allowing invasive plants to crawl their way and thrive in your home is guaranteed to create a hole or some form of disaster in your home. Invasive plants may be difficult to hold off once they start spanning in different areas of the house.

5. Mirrors in the Kitchen

All the decorations and decoration at home are bound to get dirty. Having a mirror in the area magnets grease that will be harder to clean once the dust settles. Most of all, it doesn't really help to see your reflection when cooking.

The same goes with artworks. Art is aesthetically pleasing but it can make a small kitchen cluttered. It takes up the space needed for utensils, condiments, and spices.

6. Open Shelving

The arrangement of your china, books and other trinkets looks in pretty in photos, Instagram and Pinterest posts. It’s different in real life when you start to consider how to clean between the spaces. It’s also the same when you reach out something from the back. You have to pile them again to maintain their arrangement or how they were before. Cleaning is also a hassle. Dust and grease in between and inside bowls, cups, and glassware are time-consuming if you plan to check on them on a daily basis.

7. Vessel Sinks

Those water fixtures in hotel rooms and luxurious home interiors is actually a pain when you think of maintaining a pristine condition. Similar to clawfoot tubs, a raised bowl means that anyone can see your the dirt and grime on the surface. Meanwhile, a strong water surge or opening the faucet on a strong setting too soon will make water splash everywhere.

8. Slipcovers

Covering pieces of furniture seem like an easy and practical way to decorate. Unfortunately, pre-made covers somehow never fit the furniture. You still need to take the furniture’s measurements and make the necessary alterations. On top of its unfitting size, slipcovers come undone once a family member flops on top of it.

These home decorating styles are pretty to look at and pleasing to the eyes. Some of them are also cheap and quick to implement in the space. However, maintenance costs, repairs and cleaning supplies may take more than your monthly budget. Be wise and look for alternatives before adding these to your unit or house and lot.

Improving Home Relationships Through Abundance

Green living isn't only choosing organic and naturally-derived products. It also includes healthy options to create a balanced environment for everyone at home. Nourishing the physical body with fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious food is one aspect of living well. Consequently, you have to consider your mental health and the state of your spirit.

Daily thoughts and experiences shape your mental state. Passion, creativity, and the thrust for knowledge encourage the spirit. These things are essential components of life. You need these to create and lead yourself to the life you wish for you and your family. Thus, you must be the source of positivity and change if you want to transform the aura of a house and lot for sale Cavite.

To set a healthy mental space, you can start by improving your mindset. The right frame of mind can bring you to success and open doors of opportunity in your life. Moreover, it can help you make sound decisions that can improve your attitude and quality of life.

When considering your mindset, you have to remember these terms - abundance and scarcity. These different ideas can exist in any person's psyche. A person may acquire it from family values. His or her formative years has a lot to do with how they are today. The mindset may also be the effect of past experiences. Regardless of how a person gained their perspective, it is still possible to alter and direct it to something better.

To gain a better understanding of the two perspectives, here are five components that exhibit their differences.

1. Proactive vs. Reactive

The Abundance Mentality pushes a person towards a positive disposition. Therefore, they are pro-active in life. They actively partake in building the life they want for themselves. They create long-term strategies and plan for what's to come. They are also active learners. They seek ways to improve their skillset and expand their knowledge base.

On the other hand, the Scarcity Mentality pushes the person to become react in the instances of life. They also place limitations on their capacity to learn.

2. Perception

People with scarce mindset consider themselves as victims whenever a situation turns sour. They also pile on the stress of daily life along with the negative emotions from everyday exchanges. They are not only hollow vases of negativity, but they are also weak in health and spirit.

It's the opposite of the abundance mindset. People who believe in abundance look towards their vision. They concentrate on improving their health and plans for the future.

3. Change

Change happens to everyone. It also applies to all the things that exist in the world. Unfortunately, the scarce mindset would rather cling to what exists. It resists change because of their fear. People who aren't comfortable with changes complain about it and take longer to accept new ideas, concept, and reality.

The abundance mindset embraces the opportunities for change. They acknowledge the need for change and its positive outcome.

4. Emotions

Thinking that there's plenty for everyone make people live in bliss. They become filled with positive energy and emotions. They share their happiness and success with others. Most of all, they bask in excitement when others reach their wants and goals.

When you think resources aren't enough for everyone, you will compete for it. You will be clouded with fear of the unknown and the lack of opportunities. You become bitter and resent those who will come before you.

These are some instances where the belief of abundance is more beneficial than clinging to scarcity. Believing there is plenty for everyone is an essential mindset to instill in each member of the family. Share the blessings in your life and more will come to you.

Are Organic Foods Safer and More Nutritious?

Organic food items are now a staple of fresh produce aisles on most supermarkets. Perhaps, you are wondering why the sudden fondness of organic produce where people flock the weekend market all over the metro like AANI Weekend Market. There are studies claiming that there are no significant differences when it comes to the nutrient contents of organically and conventionally farmed. On the other hand, there are studies that proved otherwise.

Safer the way organic foods are produced

Primarily, organic farming practices are geared toward conserving soil and water and reducing pollution. Organic farmers do not necessarily use fertilizers and pesticides. For the latter, when a conventional farmer sprays pesticide on the produce, residues are left. Although the amount of pesticide residue does not exceed safety thresholds, the fact remains that we can ingest such.

Buying and consuming organic products, therefore, is a way to limit our exposure to these toxins. About 240 studies that compare organic and non-organic foodstuffs discovered that the former are less contaminated with agricultural chemicals. Conventional produce is discovered to contain 40% more pesticide residues. The percentage can be higher than reported.

Further, there is a separate study that organic foods have low levels of cadmium (48% on average). Cadmium is a carcinogen that accumulates within the body. Put simply, constant exposure to cadmium leads to the onset of certain cancers.

More nutritious due to higher antioxidant contents

Another nutritional difference between organic and conventional food is the antioxidant content. Research findings proved that organic fruits and vegetables contain 18 to 69% more antioxidants compared to their conventional counterparts.

Based on dietary interventions, the higher levels of antioxidants resulted in reduced risks of chronic, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Certainly, antioxidants also fight the development of certain cancers.

Food safety tips

Studies said it. However, there are additional safety tips to keep in mind. First, choose and buy various food items from various sources. The practice not only reduces your exposure to chemicals but also provides you with a mix of nutrients.

Second, buy in-season fruits and vegetables. Better yet, buy fresh produce from the farmers’ market.

Third, read labels carefully. The term organic is not interchangeable with the term natural. Organic products are labeled 100% organic. Some products are produced using organic ingredients, and thus should be labeled ‘made with organic ingredients,’ for example.

Fourth, even when the product is labeled 100% organic, it is still best to wash the fruits and vegetables under running water to clean them further. Washing removes dirt, bacteria and chemical residue.

The value of having peace of mind over what you eat and what’s within what you are eating are immense. In the time when green living is more apparent than ever, the movement towards organic diet is a welcome change. Based on the findings, consuming organic foodstuffs is safer and more nutritious than consuming non-organic foodstuffs. 

Isn’t it a perfect time to go organic? Your call.

Should You Demand a Green Maid Service For Your Home?

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Cleaning our home is already a part of our lives. We clean not just because it's already our routine but because we want to ensure that we live in a healthy environment. You don't want to be sick just by looking at your messy home, right? Yes, it's psychological too! Of course, it doesn't matter where you live, be it in a condo in Quezon City or any other condominiums in the Philippines, cleaning your home is a must do.

Some of you here might have tried different ways or methods in cleaning your home. While other condo owners have difficulties to clean their home properly since they are also having a hard time finding time for cleaning. That is why some of them are planning to hire cleaning services just to make their home clean. But before you can decide on what cleaning services you are going to hire, know the company first.

Not all cleaning services provide do cleaning in an environmentally-friendly. Some of them used chemicals that can kill and are dangerous to our health. Indeed, cleaning methods and materials matter. It is important for you to know if they offer services that are friendly to our environment. If not, then there are still other cleaning services that provide good quality services not just to your home, but also to the environment.

Are chemical cleaners that bad?

Before anything else, it is given that chemicals are harmful to our health. Yes, there might be some products that are not that harmful (the mild ones), but usually, chemicals that are used for cleaning are dangerous. Moreover, science has made it clear that chemicals found in cleaning products can have a great impact on our health. Well, this might affect our skin and respiratory irritations and even on our eyes. Using these kinds of chemicals is not good, especially when you are prone to asthma and other allergic reactions.

However, replacing these cleaning chemical products with eco-friendly and organic cleaners can reduce and help prevent potential health danger. If you know that a particular company still uses harmful chemicals on their service, then you can demand a friendly way to clean your home. Or better find another cleaning company that offers a green maid service.

What is a green maid service?

Some of us here might be wondering what a green maid service is all about. Well, it is called "green" since it is different from the other maid services. They offer organic and natural ways to clean your home rather than using chemicals and other cleaning tools and equipment. You will know if a cleaning company offers a green maid service when they use 95 percent natural cleaning materials and have an environmentally friendly or biodegradable packaging. And of course, the company must be accredited by the government that it is safe to hire that particular cleaning company.

Moreover, before they can run their cleaning service company, the government would test their cleaning materials and other products used for cleaning is safe for the environment. If not, then they might not be able to put up a cleaning service company. Of course, it is to ensure the safety of us all.

Benefits of a green maid service

There will always be advantages when you choose and hire a green maid service to clean your home. Aside from the benefits, you can get when it comes to your health, you also contribute a fresh and green to our Mother Nature. Of course, when you use harmful chemicals, this might be the cause of an air pollution where you neighbors and other homeowners can inhale the toxic chemicals. And you don't want to be the cause of their sickness, right?

Moreover, choosing a green maid service is a great choice for you, if you are one of those homeowners who are concern about the adverse effects that traditional chemical cleaners have on the environment. Also, if you have children, it is also safe for them to move around the house without worrying about the harmful air caused by the cleaning chemicals used.

So should you demand a green maid service for your home? Definitely yes! It is also for your safety and good.

Easy Ways To Increase Natural Light at Home

Natural light will always be a good choice than the artificial one. Not to mention it has a lot of advantages when used at home. It gives your room a rich, full spectrum hue that light bulbs can't duplicate. Moreover, natural light increases your serotonin levels, which would give you a pleasant or good feeling. Sad to say, not all homeowners can realize how important natural light is at home. Whether you are living in Nuvali, Alviera, any Ayala Land estate or any real estates in the Philippines, it is advisable for you to use natural light.

Fret not if your home is not designed with natural light in mind since there are simple ways on how you can achieve such light at home. To give you an idea, we list down some easy ways to increase natural light.

Paint your eaves white

The overhangs created by your roof outside your windows are the eaves. They are either left open or covered up with a horizontal soffit. Regardless, you can make increase natural light in every room of your home by painting it white. When you do, the painted eaves will reflect the light into your room. Moreover, since most eaves are angled toward the house, the curb-side appearance will bot be affected.

Use lighter, brighter interior wall and ceiling paints

If you think that light colors are boring, then you better think again. If you want to reflect natural light at home, then it is best for you to use bright colors. One of the best ways to increase a natural light at home is to paint your walls since Light Reflectance Value (LRV) can range from 100% for pure white down to 0% for black. And most importantly, try to avoid dark colors, it would only give a darker ambiance in your room.

Turn your walls into mirrors with higher gloss paint

Choosing the right color is crucial when it comes to increasing natural light at home. That means, you have to make sure to choose colors that would help reflect the light into your room, For many homeowners, they prefer to use glossy paint for their walls, since it gives them a mirror-like effect. And as we all know, mirrors reflect light.

Use glass or highly reflective tiles in your kitchen or bathroom backsplashes

Glass tiles are also one way you can do since it reflects natural light back into your home. Perhaps, you can install highly glossy ceramic tiles for a nearly equal reflective effect. However, never install these glasses if you do not know what and what not to do with it. If you are planning to go for glass tiles, make sure to seek help from home services or any professionals to install the tiles to make sure that it would be fitted properly.

Replace wall space with glass

This project may not be that easy to fix, but this is one of the most efficient ways to increase natural light at home. Through replacing sections of your exterior wall with glass block, it would bring in a fair amount of natural light than not having it replaced. Since glass block is not a structural replacement for a wall stud system, the headers must be installed over the block sections to ensure it would work out.

Install skylights in your ceiling

Skylights are an ideal and practical way of increasing natural light. In fact, skylights or "windows for roof" are not only they give us the light that we needed, but it also adds beauty to the interior design of your home.

See? Homeowners who do not have enough natural light at home can already achieve a desirable outcome through following these tips mentioned above.

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