Wish Fulfillment, The Blog

Photo courtesy of my next picnic

Come Monday, many of us will be participating in some kind of parade, feast, or shop-fest in celebration of Labor Day! It’s not only an unofficial marker for the end of summer, but a 128 year old tradition in the United States! This first “workingman’s holiday” was celebrated when 10,000 workers united and marched down the streets of NYC. It’s truly a holiday created for the people, by the people. Whether you’re grillin’ or chillin’, why not make a little soundtrack of your favorite summer songs to commemorate the day? Websites like finetune or Grooveshark let you create the ultimate playlist and share it with friends! Here’s what we’ll be listening to:

1. Summer Nights – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
2. Take It Easy – The Eagles
3. Vacation – The Go-Go’s
4. Hot Fun In The Summertime – Sly and the Family Stone
5. Alice Cooper – School’s Out
6. Soak Up The Sun – Sheryl Crow
7. The Boys of Summer – Don Henley
8. Pool Party - The Aquabats
9. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and The Waves
10. Summer in the City - Lovin Spoonful
11. Summer Song – Decemberists
12. Island in the Sun – Weezer
13. Rockaway Beach – The Ramones
14. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa – Vampire Weekend
15. A Summer Wasting – Belle & Sebastian
16. Surfin’ Safari – Beach Boys

What songs define summer for you?

Every year thousands of incoming college freshmen begin a new phase of life and moving into campus housing for the first time! More and more colleges are making efforts to build eco-friendly dorms, whether it’s through energy-efficient appliances, recyclable cleaning supplies, or composting. Still, the choices student make still have the largest impact when it comes to day-to-day habits. Here are some easy ways to save nature’s resources and cut down on the electric bill – even if you’re not the one paying for it!

1. Energy Star appliances. Fans use much less energy than central or window-AC units, but if you do need to get an AC unit, make sure you get an Energy Star model. Same with refrigerators and laptops, which are more efficient than desktop computers.
2. Get a solar charger for your iPod, phone and laptop. How cool will you look?  Solar chargers are a great way to keep your portable electronics running when you’re on the go and you need no electricity at all!
3. Keep it local. Many college students want an “away from home” experience. Just don’t make it a “shipping tons of stuff all over the country” experience. If it’s your first year at school, try to obtain your furnishings locally when you get to school. If you’re a returning student, think about local storage – many schools offer storage options.
4. Use the used. Check out great used sources of stuff, like local resale shops, Ebay Local, and Craigslist. You’ll be guaranteed to have a really unique room décor, and you’ll have money left over to throw wild parties (Um, we mean library study snacks).
5. Cook it right. You may scoff at the microwave/toaster oven combo, but by combining these two cooking appliances with a cheap rice cooker, you’ve got nearly the perfect eco-kitchen. All three of these appliances boast high energy efficiencies relative to their big-kitchen counterparts.
6. Paper, please. Sure, it’s not the most sexy of materials, but there are plenty of paper options for dorm décor that can be recycled when you out-grow them in a few years. Check out paper wall tiles from MioCulture, paper window treatments from Redi Shade, or make your own paper lampshades.
7. Re-used doesn’t have to mean re-pulsive. Just because you got used stuff, doesn’t mean it has to be old and moldy. This is college. You’re supposed to be wild and experimental. So go crazy. Why not try sewing some cushion covers, or pillows for that old couch. Or invite some of your new friends over for a painting party on that old dresser and table. Unleash your inner crafter with great magazines like Make, or Readymade, or sites like Craft, or Inventibles.
8. Bring in the green. Besides improving the air quality — and the overall smell — of a room, plants create a calming environment that’s perfect for hardworking students. The perfect dorm plants are tough enough to tolerate low light and water levels (just in case), and won’t grow too big for an already cramped room. These include mint, lavender, aloe, African violets, and cactii!
   

Photo and tips courtesy of Low Impact Living, Treehugger, and The Daily Green

Image courtesy of Pure Style Home

Everyone should be lucky enough to take a summer getaway once in a while, whether it means jet-setting to another country or road-tripping to a neighboring city! With so many occasions to celebrate this summer (almost time for fireworks!) many people are visiting friends and family. Staying with loved ones is always a special, personal and affordable experience, but it might not be the most relaxing! Here are some tips to make everyone more comfortable!

For The Host

Make things easy to find. Anticipating and preparing everything your guests need – and then some, will cut down on stress when they finally arrive, and make them feel extra special. Laying out freshly laundered towels and toiletries (someone always forgets their toothbrushe!) in their room, snacks and refreshments (especially if they rise earlier than you), and maybe even stationery and spare keys will leave you with more time for fun later! To make it really feel like a hotel, use some travel-sized items and leave some mints on the pillow!

Stock up on drinks. Even if you don’t drink coffee or tea, chances or someone would like a bit of caffeine after being jetlagged, or adjusting to a new sleep environment.

Show your city pride. Provide brochures, maps, and unique tips so your guests save tons of time researching what they want to do while they’re here. You might be an expert on the local history, celebrities or food, so what better time than this to put your knowledge to use? If your family has a year-round membership to zoos, museums, parks, etc…consider arranging guest passes for them!

Let them help. Guests will feel more comfortable if they’re trusted to help with little things (like setting the table or cooking) rather than sitting in front of the television. It will make your day a lot easier, and most likely increase the amount of time you spend together.

Don’t forget your immediate family. Particularly if your guests are staying for several days, it’s important to remember your children or roommates and the commitments you have with them. Maintaining one of your everyday habits or checking in regularly ensures everyone is comfortable.

source

For the Company

A gift is a great first-impression. Few people don’t enjoy a nice pot of flowers or bottle of wine, and no child doesn’t like a new toy! You can even bring something to entertain the whole gang during your stay, like DVDs or amusement park passes.

Be prepared. Bring everything you think you’ll need. Even if the host is on the ball (or read this post!) they’ll be impressed that you have all the supplies for a comfortable stay.

Plan your own entertainment: Know your host’s schedule and amount of free time beforehand, and make sure they can still stick to their responsibilities during your stay. It’s a great idea to leave the house to do your own thing or take them out to dinner to lessen the amount of cooking and cleaning they need to do.

Help out. Save everyone’s time by cooking or washing dishes or picking up after yourself. Even if your host insists that they don’t need the help!

Photo and instructions courtesy of Design*Sponge

Sometimes less is more, and simplicity is best. It would be such a hassle to restock your home with expensive, flower shop specimens when these beautiful wild violets from the garden can be transported to the table or counter in seconds! Dandelions, buttercups, and other under-appreciated plants right at your doorstep would all work – simplicity is key. This is a great project to recycle old and mismatched drinking glasses that you’re still holding onto because they’re too cute to get rid of! A cluster of different heights and sizes looks the best on a table.

Materials

• Collection of old aperitif and other small drinking glasses.
• Several dug up wild violets or other small, sweet weedy flower.
• Moss to cover soil.

Instructions

1. With your fingers or small trowel, dig up individual small flowers, leaving a chunk of soil still attached to the roots.
2. Tuck several small plants together inside each glass, topping off with a thin layer of scavenged moss.
3. With proper watering (the soil should be lightly moist), these centerpieces will thrive for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Photo and tips courtesy of the kitchn

I don’t know about you, but when the weather turns warm I could spend a whole weekend wandering around farmers’ markets! These gorgeous photos were snapped at the one in Hollywood, where the juicy sunshine and rich soil yield some seriously gorgeous flowers and produce. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell exactly what’s meant for the vase and what’s meant for the dining plate! These flowers do double duty because they’re both easy on the eyes and delicious in a springtime salad. They each have unique flavors that perk up any dish – our favorites we can’t live without are arugula and broccoli rabe!

• Arugula – Use the peppery-sweet flowers in salads, sandwiches, soups, and eggs and check out the arugula blossoms spotlight for more ideas and recipes.

• Rapini or broccoli rabe – Here’s a great recipe for sautéed Sesame Broccoli Rabe, though if you have stalks like these that are practically all-flower, try using the blossoms in a salad. They add a delicately bitter, spicy bite.

• Chamomile – Chamomile isn’t just good for making tea. With their subtle apple flavor, the flowers can be used to decorate cupcakes, pretty up a fruit salad, or flavor ice cream. This New York Times recipe for Chamomile Ice Milk sounds heavenly.

• Gai lan or Chinese broccoli – Different varieties of gai lan may have white or yellow flowers, but their bluish-green leaves help distinguish them from other, similar Asian greens. Gai lan is mildly bitter and good steamed, blanched, or stir-fried. We especially like this recipe for Chinese Broccoli with Five-Spice Sauce and roasted peanuts.

• Choy sum or yu choy – Choy sum has white or green stalks and yellow flowers. When buying, look for tender leaves and stalks. This slightly bitter, fast-cooking vegetable may be steamed, blanched, stir fried, or added to soups. Here’s a simple, fresh recipe from Steamy Kitchen for Garlic Yu Choy.

Photo Courtesy of Jellybeans

Arbor Day’s just around the corner, but you still have four days to plan something special for this 135 year old holiday! What we love is that it’s all about being grateful and green – you don’t need to spend a single penny or a week of party planning to show your favorite tree how much it means to you! Of course, making a cupcake tree or redecorating is always a delightful option too! Here are some celebration ideas from the Arbor Day Foundation that will bring out your inner treehugger!

• Volunteer with a local tree-planting organization. You’ll meet new people and make a difference in your community.
• Sponsor a tree trivia contest. Give away trees to winners.
• Conduct a tree search. Ask people to find large, unusual or historic trees in your community. Once the results are in, publish a map that highlights the winners, or hold a walk showcasing them.
• Take a hike — a tree identification hike — and have girl scouts or boy scouts act as guides.
• Fill the air with music. Have an Arbor Day concert of songs about trees, or with tree names in their titles.
• Dedicate a forest, or a tree, or a flower bed in a park, and make it an occasion to talk about stewardship. Get a local nursery or garden center to hold an open house or field day.

Photo courtesy of Food Mayhem

Fresh herbs like basil never fail to get us in the mood for Spring! Next time you’re cooking, use one of these craft punches (find that at most art supply stores) to create festive bits of flavor to garnish your dish! The large, flat surface of basil is perfect for this task, and these four-leaf clovers are totally appropriate for the month of March!