Blog Posts

Homemade Winter Teas

January is when the queen of cold and the king of brisk are both at the height of their seasonal reign. So having an arsenal of head-to-toe warm-up ideas is essential in the pacific northwest. While handwarmers and heated blankets are obvious go-tos, nothing compares to the inner warmth that comes from a hot cup of your favorite winter tea. Or the calming benefits it brings in lieu of other less healthy beverages. Below, weve made a list of teas you can make from your apartment to get you through those colder winter months. Homemade Winter Teas Peppermint Tea Peppermint tea is known for its ability to soothe upset stomachs from stress, being sick, or something that just doesnt agree with your digestive system. And it couldnt be more straightforward to make in a pinch. Youll just need a bit of ground fresh peppermint and sugar in a tea bag or tea kettle to make this come to life. Find out how to make it over here . Vanilla Rooibos If youre looking for something that pairs well with freshly baked cookies or warm winter pastries, vanilla rooibos should make the top of your list. Just blend two tablespoons of organic red tea, one tablespoon of cacao nibs, and a half teaspoon of vanilla bean pod to bring this one together. Warm vanilla can have a similar soothing effect as lavender tea. You can find the original recipe here . Elderberry Tea Elderberries are often used as both a digestive and immune system booster tea. Whether youre using dried elderberries or syrup, the pairing of cinnamon sticks, cardamom, whole cloves, and honey make this a warm winter treat. You can find elderberry syrup in the health food aisle at your local grocery store, and dried elderberries online or a health food store. You can find the recipe over yonder . Homemade Chai Last but not least is this easy and earnest homemade chai recipe. Though you can buy chai at the store, its often more expensive than it should be. Black peppercorns, fennel, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and black tea are all youll need to mix up your own go-to batch. You can find the exact measurements for it all over here .

Christmas Tree Tips

Christmas or holiday trees are an essential part of the holidays for many. And though there are ways to keep it fresh until the end of the month, there comes a time in any trees life where it needs to be disposed of in the right way. If this is your first time with a tree, or if youre looking for a more seamless way to get things cleaned up after the holidays, weve gathered a list of tips you can utilize below. Christmas Tree Tips Tree Removal The most important thing to remember about tree disposal is that you shouldnt wait until the tree itself is completely or mostly dry. Dry holiday trees can cause fires from something as simple as a spark from an outlet or heat from holiday lights. Check the needles often to determine if your tree is starting to dry out. Once the tree is starting to dry out, and after youve removed ornaments and lights, wed recommend using a large plastic bag, or an old blanket or sheet, to wrap around the tree. This will help keep needles and sap off of your floor as you move it from your apartment to the car or recycling area. Having a bucket nearby to dump out the remaining water in your tree stand can also be handy. Cleaning Up Everyone knows that trees leave behind lots of needles. But resist the urge to vacuum them up if you can. Though its far more convenient, needles can clog or damage your vacuum. Instead, try to sweep up as much as you can before going over everything with a vacuum later. The water in the tree stand can sometimes overflow and cause eventual water damage. To prevent that, you can use a carpet cleaner or steam vacuum to catch it early and prevent mildew or mold from growing in its place. Recycle It To make it easier to transport to a recycling area, its generally best to cut the tree into 4 FT sections. And though obvious, it needs to be free of any ornaments to be picked up or recycled. You can call around to local recycling centers to research tree drop-off options, but you can also make phone calls to our citys public parks department, or organizations like the Boy Scouts of America to find the option the works best.

Christmas Breakfast Ideas

December is ripe with holiday planswith everything from finding the right gifts to decorations and holiday parties. But if youre looking for the perfect breakfast to wake up to on Christmas Day, you might be willing to break tradition and try something that will stick. If youre reading this post, youre in luck. We decided to round up a few recipes that are sure to satisfy this year. For visiting family or friends or just your merry old self. Christmas Breakfast Ideas Fresh Cranberry Scones Cranberries certainly are a fixture on Thanksgiving Day, but their tart flavor is just as synonymous with a hearty and festive winter breakfast. With a decadent rum glaze, and clementine orange zest, these buttery scones are the perfect blend of soft and sturdy. To get the step-by-step instructions, you can head over here . Eggnog Breakfast Bread Pudding Eggnog deserves to shine as a star in more than just holiday drinks. And the fact that you can do most of the prep the night before, and pop it in the oven in the morning, makes this a no-brainer. French bread, bourbon, eggnog, fresh butter, and sugar all work together in beautiful tandem to bring it all together. Youll find the recipe over here . Baked Chai-Spiced French Toast French toast is nothing new in and of itself, but utilizing the wintery taste of chai is a brilliant way to remix this long-standing favorite. Challah bread, cinnamon, chai spice, and vanilla all pair like heaven with a warm cup of coffee in the morning. You can even let the bread soak in the french toast custard overnight to save time. You can head over here to find out how to make it and what youll need.

Pet-Friendly December Tips, part 2

Holiday decorations are unquestionably an integral part of the season. But if you have pets and youre not sure whats safe or unsafe to hang up or put out this year, you might be worried youll look a bit like a scrooge from your lack of holiday spirit. The good news is that you dont have to give up on your favorites. With a few simple guidelines, you can have a pet-friendly December after all. Pet-Friendly December Tips Stocking Stuffers If youre looking for the perfect gift to get your pet this holiday season, youll just need to remember a few important guidelines. For dogs and cats, stay away from any toys that can be taken apart or have smaller components inside. Thats just a choking hazard waiting to happen. Instead, opt for toys that are indestructible to pets, kongs that are stuffed with healthy foods, or chew treats that are safe for digestion from the pet store. You can also look for a toy ball thats bigger than your cats mouth, or something like a stuffed catnip or cat dancer toy. If youre getting something stringy for your cat, just stay away from anything with ribbons, yarn, or loose little parts that could get stuck in their intestines. For Guests If anyones visiting for the holidays, be sure they keep medication zipped up and out of reach so pets dont accidentally ingest anything thats not intended for them. When more people are at the house, dont forget to reserve a quiet space for your pet to settle down. Your animal-loving guests can also be a big help in keeping your apartment pet-safe over the holidays by giving them some extra petting attention or some casual play time. Just be sure everyone keeps leftovers and their platesand foods with chocolate or otherwisein view. Other Tips Its also a good idea to put any candles out when you leave a room, temporarily or otherwise, and to keep them higher and out of reach of any potential wagging tails that could catch on fire. Youll also want to make sure cocktails, which can lead to respiratory issues or comas in pets, and the water under your tree dont get ingested. The bacteria in the water, and fertilizers, can be bad news bears for your furry friend.

Pet-Friendly December Tips, part 1

Holiday decorations are an essential part of the month. But if you have pets and youre not sure whats safe or unsafe to hang up this year, you might be worried youll look a bit like a grinch from your lack of holiday spirit. The good news? You dont have to give up on your favorites. With a few modifications and simple guidelines, you can have a pet-friendly December after all. Pet-Friendly December Tips Christmas Trees Christmas trees are still an okay thing to have in your apartment if youve got pets. First, putting your tree in a corner can reduce the temptationand abilityfor your pets to pounce on your noble fir. If that only slightly quells the danger of them jumping, you can utilize a water bottle filled with noisy nick-nacks to sound off when they get too close for comfort. Small festive baby fences can also work. As far as lights and ornaments, its best to keep those off of the lower branches. This will help hedge off the risk for burns or shock if they gnaw at the wire, and the danger of ornaments being ingested. If youre a fan of tinsel, youll want to do without it as tinsel can cause intestinal blockagesomething that only surgery can usually fix. Its also a good idea to vacuum up any pine needles on the floor. Though not usually all that harmful, brittle pine needles can cause punctures in your pets intestines. Other Decorations Holly, mistletoe, and poinsettia plants are poisonous to both dogs and cats. Stores make pretty convincing plastic variations of each if youre still going for that classic aesthetic, but putting these plants out of reachand keeping a watchful eyeis also okay. If you have any wires running from lights or other decorations, its smart to tape those flush to the wall if you can. This can help reduce the risk of electrocution.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Knowing the Signs

Now that fall is nearly overand winter will show up before you know itthat means less sporadic days of sunshine in the Pacific Northwest. That change in how much light we get due to clouds leaves even the most energetic or optimistic among us feeling a loss in energy. While anyone thats lived here a while knows that a guest appearance from the sunin a season it doesnt belonggives you a real kick of newfound energy. If youre feeling down this season, or maybe every winter or fall as theres less available sunlight, theres something you can do about those symptoms of seasonal affective disorder or otherwise. Below, weve outlined some of the symptoms. And in our next post, well outlined what you can do about it. Mood The more noticeable of the symptoms is going to be a change in mood. But that can sometimes be harder to detect than youd think. Some of the common emotions to look out for are an increase in anger, anxiety, apathy, general discontent, hopelessness, inability to feel pleasure, loneliness, loss of interest, mood swings, or sadness. Even subtle but consistent changes are something could be good to meet with a doctor or therapist about. Sleep Most people are pretty familiar with the lethargy that comes with dreary or overcast days. And they might attribute smaller changes, and seeking warmth under a nice throw blanket, as our form of hibernation. But if youre noticing an excess in how sleepy you feel from day to day, trouble sleeping or insomnia, or sleep deprivation, those can be caused by seasonal affective disorder. Other Signs Seasonal affective disorder can also show up when youre going over thoughts more than you usually do, excessive crying or social isolation, a change in appetite, fluctuation in weight, or even a lack of concentration or restlessness. Though its nothing to be concerned about, and normal in this part of the world, its still something good to be aware ofand something thats good to know how to treat.