Sharing the planet with insects sometime can be a bit of a pain especially when we are trying to enjoy a nice warm night outside on our back porch or barbecuing with friends and family.

We have resorted to bug zappers, fly swatters, citronella candles or other less natural remedies to ward them away.

However there is a carnivorous plant that can actually take care of this pesky problem for you while also being totally natural and a part of our eco system!

This insect eating plant is known as the Nepenthes or Tropical Pitcher Plant. It is a tropical plant but it can survive it many conditions with a seasoned gardener. These hanging plants work by having low drooping pitcher-like pods that attract the insects into them. The insects are then trapped inside, digested and are used as a food source for the plant.

These plants must be kept from direct sunlight but they do enjoy high humidity. They can dry out easily if not kept hydrated and are in direct sunlight for an extended period of time.

Like any plant, these plants do require specific care but when nurtured properly, they truly do work!

Give them a try and see how they work for you. They are also a beautiful aesthetically pleasing addition to any garden or sunroom / greenhouse!

Tobacco has been a constant variable of medicine for thousands of years in the cultures of many civilizations. The capitalistic nature of the big tobacco companies have used this to their advantage in using unnecessary additives, in which are also addictive, in the recipe for their produced cigarettes.

Indigenous cultures have developed a personal respect and relationship with the tobacco plant by nurturing the plant from seed to leaf. In Native American culture, the peace pipe ceremony has been traditionally held for generations. In this ceremony it is said that the inhalation of the tobacco, which is typically done in societal norm, is not so common. It is said that the “Spirit of the Tobacco” is trapped within the lungs and becomes restless there.

In Mayan indigenous culture, a medicine known as Hapay, a tobacco snuff that is administered nasally, is crafted from their own tobacco crop and the ash of their sacred trees. This is either nasally administered with the use of a Keripe which is a wooden chute, by a medicine person or administered with a self administered tool known as the Tepi. Usually this is done in a ceremonious setting to give the respect to the medicinal benefits that tobacco brings.

Did you know that there are over 30 smokable herbal plants that possess similar to grounding/ anti anxiety effects?  Some of the anti-anxiety herbs are skullcap and damiana. Skullcap is a wonderful calming agent, make sure to drink water while ingesting because does dehydrate the individual. Damiana helps fight coughing, constipation, improves digestion and is also an aphrodisiac providing an uplifting effect. Both skullcap an damiana can also be brewed as a tea!

Damiana (Tunera DIffusa)

To those whom may be struggling with tobacco addiction, there are alternatives to tobacco, that are not chemical based and provide similar calming effects.

Bees are the most essential being that inhabits the planet Earth. There are many allies to pollination such as birds, the wind, water and other animals but, the most efficient and designated role for pollination is filled by the bee. Without bees, we would see the earth’s well being collapse entirely. Without pollination, No food, simple as that.

Before the mass production of honey, there was more of a purity to it. In a lot of the common products at stores that are not organic or raw, there is additives of high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners which take away immensely from the overall health benefits of honey. In most cases in harvesting honey, bees are put to sleep with the use of smoke. This smoke usually contains the chemical, Isopentyl acetate, this serves as an alarm pheromone so that the the honey can be easily harvested.

The purest forms of honey are said to be raw and unfiltered with no additives. The pollen that is in this form of honey is one of the best whole foods due to its high content of antioxidants and amino acids. Honey can also be used as a natural sweetener instead of cane sugars for a healthier alternative.

Honey is an excellent exfoliator! Mix coconut oil, honey and coffee grounds to make a great facial mask!

Honey is a great for healing wounds! Put a layer of raw honey over any cuts or mild abrasions to ensure a speedy recovery!

Beeswax is another byproduct of honey production.

In the bees consumption of eating 8 kg of honey, they produce 1 kg of beeswax!

Redesigning your home? Adding a few extra furnishings to your interior design? Before purchasing any furniture for your living space, look over a few of these ways to approach furniture buying to make it a smooth and satisfying experience!

1. Have an idea in mind of what kind of style you want for your space. You can consult an interior designer or look around online for design ideas.

2. Make sure you look around for the best seller of the furnishings you want. It is beneficial to look at buyer reviews not only regarding the seller’s performance but also reviews on the product you are thinking of purchasing. Sometimes less expensive can mean lower quality, but sometimes it depends on where the furnishings are being made. If you are making a large purchase, the seller may even work with you with a percentage discount.
3. Lighting changes the appearance of many fabrics and finishes. If you aren’t sure if the color or finish you want will match, ask for swatches to be sent to you if available first.

4. If you need the furnishings by a specific time make sure the furnishing you are purchasing isn’t a custom design, these take many weeks to arrive and times differ. Additionally, if a furnishing says 1 -2 weeks delivery, give it a 4 week buffer. This doesn’t mean it will take 4 weeks to arrive, it may even take less than 1 week to arrive, but its important to know that many furnishings come from warehouses in many places and need time to get to you.

5. Ask any questions you may have about the furnishing so there aren’t any unpleasant surprises when it arrives.
6. Look around online for lifestyle images of the furnishing you want if the seller doesn’t have one on their site. “Lifestyle” images are images of the furnishing in a home setting. This will help you get an idea of how it may look with other furniture and color schemes.

7. Keep in mind that if the furnishing has any damages or missing some parts upon arrival, this is ridiculously more common that you might think. Stay calm and realize it isn’t necessarily the fault of the seller or their customer service representatives, most of the time it is issues out of their direct control.

8. Lastly but most importantly, have fun! Furniture shopping shouldn’t be a stressful experience. Use your time wisely, ask questions and create your dream space!

Rock art is a unique and beautiful interior design technique to transform your space using natural materials. You can choose an entire wall to create a rock wall art masterpiece or choose one home furnishing to transform using a combination of stones, pebbles, agates and / or geodes.

This interior / exterior design technique works in a multitude of design motifs including modern, contemporary, rustic and even industrial chic.

Additionally, these natural materials are very durable.They can withstand harsher environments where they may experience elements from exterior weather conditions or damp and wet places such as in the bathroom on a shower wall.

The natural beauty of the geodes and agates make for an exquisite and eye-catching appearance when displayed under light.

The actually display of the rocks and pebbles can be placed in unique shapes and patterns to create a mesmerizing and captivating design.

Even if you do not choose to display them in a quirky way, the naturally occurring details and formations of the individual rocks, geodes and pebbles are works of art unto themselves.

We often see beautiful rock and stone work done on the exterior of homes, but bring these gorgeous designs into your interior living space for a surprising touch of organically chic meets contemporary style.

For thousands of years musical instruments have been created and reinvented. Many Instruments around the world have changed their original ways of production for efficiency, consistency and overall demand for the instrument. There will always be some areas of the world where musical instruments are made as they always have. The African Djembe drum is one of those instruments.

In Gambia, West Africa, the djembe creation is a beautiful experience.The djembe is crafted from a tree but, not just any tree, trees are specifically chosen in the depth of wooded areas known as the BUSH and the one chosen is usually very dry to ensure that the environment is not negatively impacted. In the harvesting of one tree, a total yield of djembe drums from any one tree varies from 8 – 15 drums.

The drum is cut to size, debarked, and then internally carved to shape it. This position in the assembly is known as the Carver. Afterwards, the Djembe shell is brought to the neighboring village. Beneath the drumhead and at the top, metal rings are measured and fitted then, the djembe is brought to the welder to weld the metal to solidify the rings.

Next, the shell is brought to receive a fresh goat hide for the drum head. The skin is dried for several hours and is coated with the ash of the fireplace. Ash expedites the drying process and also wards off insects..

While the skin dries, Palm oil is gathered and is applied to the inside of the drum shell. Palm oil prevents the drum from cracking and promotes longevity. Knots are then tied equal distance apart around the top and bottom of the drum head. The skin is then stretched over the drum head and ropes are then weaved through the metal ring on top of the drum head to the bottom of the drum head to tighten the skin to the top of the drum head. The Drum head is then shaved and is completed!

The people of Gambia say that “a good drummer makes the Djembe speak.”