[bc_video video_id="6255066918001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Wouldn’t it be so satisfying to have your garden look full and perfect immediately? Gardening Expert Frank Ferragine shows us exactly how to achieve that. We all want instant gratification, and anyone can do that with this gardening technique known as “Barracuda gardening” - where you create containers to look good immediately and throw all your spacing rules out the window.

The Right Plant

Based on the size of the container that you are using, it's important to make sure you buy the right plant size for the given space. You want to be able to fill the container without leaving any small open spaces. This effect looks great and helps with the stability of the plants within the container.

Right Soil

Plain garden soil is too dense for container gardening.  Use a houseplant soil mixture. Pre-moisten soil either by watering it before you fill containers or by flooding the containers with water several times and stirring. Be sure the soil is uniformly moist before planting.

Drainage

Whatever container you choose, drainage holes are essential. Without drainage, soil will become waterlogged and plants may die. Therefore, it is essential to take out some time to make sure you have drainage holes in all of your plants. We want to keep our plants growing, not drowning!

Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets are also a great option to achieve full fullness. You can even use topicals, perennials and shrubs in your hanging baskets for this purpose. Hanging baskets can go anywhere around your yard space. They make areas look more full and vibrant with a beautiful array of flowers you have the availability to get.

Less Soil

It’s a survival of the fittest, use less soil by filling the base of a large pot or container with logs or used grower pots. You could even use logs you might have within your yard to fill up the space. It's all about using the resources you have to their maximum potential!

[bc_video video_id="6254795286001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Slow living is not doing everything as slow as possible or getting rid of everything you own. It surely doesn’t have to look a certain way and it is not anti-technology! The slow living movement advocates a culture shift for slowing down life’s pace.

How did slow living start?

There’s a consensus that slow living was spearheaded by the slow food movement, which is really an anti-fast-food moment sparked by McDonald's trying to open a store in Rome. There was a huge protest, and it sparked the movement.

Tip #1: Prioritize (Lose the FOMO)

It’s about doing what’s most important to you. You may have done a little less, but you’ve done the things that are most important to you. Everyone’s list will look different, so take some time and consider what is of value to you. You’re going to miss things, that’s okay! You won’t miss the important things by not showing up to every event.

Tip #2: Be Present

You think you’re getting more done because you’re multitasking, but you’re rushing through these tasks. Feed the baby, then make dinner and then vacuum. Be present for all of it. Though you can do anything while breastfeeding, it adds a level of intensity and pressure that we really don’t need. And I know we’re hearing this word “Present” everywhere now. Being present doesn't mean multitasking three tasks at once. It means doing each task separately to be fully invested in the things that you're doing! You can’t be listening to the kids argue, while checking your phone and getting a spin class in. No more!

Tip #3: Make A Meal

Take the time to cook and sit down for meals. Don't set yourself up to make 3 square meals completely from scratch, seven days a week. Instead have one meal a day with the whole family. One meal allows for a point in the day where the workday stops and everyone shifts into meal preparation and dinner. It can become a great marker for being “off” from work and shifting into family mode. Tip #4: Conscious ConsumptionAnother way to add the slow living mentally to your life is to consider your consumption. Slow down your purchasing, stop to think –do I really need this? Is there a local business I can support?

Tip #5: Connect With Nature

Prioritize getting out every day and moving, we know it’s important to get outside, and get moving. In Japan, they practice something called “Shinrin Yoku”, shinrin means forest, and yoku means bath. You’re bathing in the forest atmosphere, with all 5 of your senses. Put your phone away, follow the sounds and smells. These five tips are the key to slow living! It starts as intentional changes, and these changes become a ritual rather than routine. And over time, you feel better and relaxed. You can live slowly anywhere, it’s about making those intentional changes in your routine which then become rituals that keep you going.

[bc_video video_id="6254800676001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] The key to being more sustainable everyday is to re-use what you have as many times as possible. You don’t need to replace everything you have or buy certain things or join a club. Old shirts become rags, become your pets chew toy, right? There are easy ways to get a second use out of things you use in your daily life. Two examples are bananas, coffee grounds, and newspapers.

Banana Peel Bacon

Don't throw away those banana peels! The banana is a great source of potassium, delicious in a smoothie, and the peel tastes great with bacon. What you need:

• Banana peel
• Spoon
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions Peel a couple of bananas into 4 pieces, scrape off the stringy bits on the inside with a spoon. Now for the marinade, mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika - let it sit for 10 minutes. Fry them for a couple minutes until crispy, and set aside to cool on a tea towel. You can eat it plain, or as a BLT.

Coffee grounds sugar scrub

Coffee grounds are one of the easiest things not to throw out. They’re great for your garden, especially for roses. You can keep a jar of grounds in the fridge as a deodorizer, and a jar under the sink to scrub tough dishes. A great way to use my coffee grounds is to make a sugar scrub! It's great when you need to get that garlic smell off your fingers. What you need:

• 1 cup finely ground coffee
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a scent you like, if using an essential oil you’ll need about 10-12 drops

Directions: Soften the coconut oil by warming it. Don’t let it get too hot because we don’t want the sugar to dissolve. Stir in the sugar, coffee grounds, remaining oil, and the scent you’re using. Once everything is mixed and coated, and there aren’t any dry parts, it’s ready. Divide into glass jars and store!

Newspaper seedling starters

In this digital age it’s so easy to cut down on your paper waste. You can get all digital subscriptions for magazines, newspapers, everything, and even bills can be paperless. However, local papers and flyers always are still delivered. Instead of tossing them into recycling turn them into newspaper seedling starters! Directions:

• Check out the folding technique here

[bc_video video_id="6254797988001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] If you’re rolling out of bed 10 minutes before a Zoom meeting or lead an otherwise hectic life, products that streamline and shorten your beauty routine can help save you a lot of time and effort. Beauty Expert Bahar Niramwalla shows us some of these *MAGICAL!* products. Face Gloss: The all-natural skin look is a favourite, but who doesn’t love a good glow?! A face gloss is a great alternative if you're looking to move away from a face of full coverage foundation. It’s perfect as there’s low maintenance and a much lower time investment in application.   If you’re looking for the perfect face gloss, we recommend Revlon-Rose Glow Face Gloss. This product has a lightweight gel formula that is 80% water. It straddles that happy line of skincare + makeup as it’s made with glycerin, olive oil and fruit. Bahar’s Tip: You don't have to apply it everywhere as this can be used as a highlighter on bare skin, too! Soft Focus Powder: If you're aiming for matte because the 90's are BACK, just go in with the right product. Find a powder that has light colour coverage but leaves your skin still looking like skin. There are new technologies out there to really help lessen the powders sitting inside lines and instead almost hovering over and diffusing them. For flawless coverage, Covergirl makes a great pressed powder; Covergirl Simply Ageless Instant Wrinkle Blurring Pressed Powder. This lightweight powder is a great alternative for a less or no-makeup day/look. It includes Hyaluronic Acid and is infused throughout with Vitamin C. Bahar’s Tip: Use a *big* fluffy brush to apply to keep things light vs. heavy. Goof-Proof Eyeshadow: The norm of applying eyeshadow usually includes; multiple brushes, insanely large palettes and eyeshadow primers. This can get quite time consuming, especially when you want a wash of colour to last throughout the day. The solution to this is using a cream shadow with a built in primer. You can use a brush to apply this or make it easier by patting it on with your finger. If you’re looking for a quick, easy eyeshadow colour, try Rimmel’s Wonder’Cloud Liquid Eyeshadow. This eyeshadow features a built-in primer that is also crease-proof- a known dread of any eyeshadow wearer! It’s available in 6 shades, with a green kick for a pop of colour. Bahar’s Tip: Use your fingers for a quick, easy application and no brush to clean afterwards! Reliable Sun Protection EVERY TIME: How many of us actually set a reminder on our phones to reapply sunscreen? And how often are we actually re-applying? There are now cool little stickers you can purchase that will turn clear after you’ve applied sunscreen over it and it’s exposed to the sunlight. When the dot turns purple it’s time to reapply your sunscreen, how easy is that! [caption id="attachment_240108" align="alignnone" width="300"] SPOTMYUV® Detection Stickers (CNW Group/SPOTMYUV®)[/caption] The SpotmyUV Detection Stickers uses a unique technology that includes a layer within the sticker that responds like your skin would to sunscreens, activities and UV levels. The sticker is also waterproof which means it will last through any summer activity! Bahar’s Tip: Place this in a visible spot so you'll notice when the colour changes. Winged Eye Liner for Life Applying winged liner everyday is a task. All the time spent before an evening out making them perfectly symmetrical, ensuring they’re the same length on each side, etc. Well struggle no more as using eyeliner stamps makes this process super easy! Simply stamp in one corner using the bottom of your eye-line as a good guide. Flip over the stamp and use the marker to connect the wing to your eye- easy peasy! For a great eyeliner stamp, try Lyda Beauty’s Cleopatra Cat Eye Stamp. It comes in three shades; black brown and green, and comes in two levels of thickness; steep for a thinner line and bold for a thicker one. Bahar’s Tip: Easy clean up with any mistakes is best done using a synthetic bristle flat brush and a tiny bit of concealer OR eye makeup remover.

[bc_video video_id="6254797652001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] We’re all in dire need of easy lunch ideas right now but easy doesn’t have to mean bland and boring. This salad has a crunchy and punchy flavour that not only celebrates the changing season but has tons of nutrition.