Spring has finally sprung, which means it’s time to get swimsuit ready. One of the first things you need to do? Start curing that dry skin.  You’ll want to make sure that you drink plenty of water so that your body is adequately hydrated. Then you need to remove any dead skin cells and moisturize the skin by applying a thick lotion. Whether you have localized dryness on the elbows and knees or hands and feet or if you’re just dealing with generally dry skin, there are remedies you can try.  These 21 blog posts will share solutions for curing dry skin.

Whole Body Dryness

Scrubbing the skin with a pumice stone will help exfoliate dead skin cells, and after exfoliating you’ll want to apply a thick lotion to rehydrate the skin. An important thing to remember is to protect the skin from harsh conditions that may cause more drying.  Check out the cures in these seven blog entries.

• Cure Winter Blahs—Dry Skin Brushing Find out how to brighten the skin by brushing off the dry dead cells with the help of this blog post.
• Natural Cures for Dry Skin This post focuses on homemade cures for all over dryness.
• 5 Effective Natural Cures for Dry and Sensitive Skin Drinking a lot of water will keep skin hydrated and help stave off dry skin.
• 6 Natural Cures for Dry Skin You’ll find more success combating dry skin by exfoliating the skin regularly before moisturizing.
• Dry Skin? We’ve Got You Covered Shower in lukewarm water instead of hot water to keep skin from feeling dry and tight.
• Easy Tips for Curing Your Skin Woes If dry skin is something you are continually battling, you may want to try using a humidifier to add moisture to the air.
• 25 Natural Remedies for Dry Skin There are plenty of easily accessible ingredients that can be used in a myriad of ways to heal or prevent dry skin.

Elbows and Knees

Knees and elbows endure a lot of wear and tear, so extra care must be taken to make sure no damage is done.  If the knees and elbows are already dry and cracked, try washing them gently with a non-drying soap and moisturizing right after washing to seal in the moisture on the skin.  If the skin on the elbows or knees looks darker than the rest of the skin, try scrubbing half a lemon on them to naturally bleach the skin.  For more ways to pamper dry skin and get ready for summer, look at these seven blog entries.

• Fight Dry Skin with Carmex Use this product in a new way to heal extremely dry skin on elbows and knees.
• Smooth Out Dry, Scaly Skin on Elbows and Knees Use ingredients from the refrigerator to soften and moisturize dry elbows and knees.
• Caring for Dry Knees and Elbows! Learn what types of cream to use and not to use based on this blog post.
• An Eye Opener on Shea Butter Try Shea butter for everything from under eye cream to moisturizer for rough knees and elbows.
• Home Remedies for Glowing Skin Eating proper foods and moisturizing the skin with coconut oil can help prevent dry skin.
• How to Deal with Extra Dry Elbows, Heels, and Knees Some easy ways you can help keep skin moisturized is scrubbing with a sugar scrub and limiting baths.
• How to Cure Dry Elbows Drink plenty of water, shower in tepid water and moisturize regularly to keep your skin soft.

Hands and Feet

Hands and feet are the work horses of the body, and they often pay the price by becoming dry, cracked and painful.  There are a plethora of skin creams on the market, but who needs those when the ingredients for making a dry skin remedy are probably already in the kitchen?  To learn how to make some home remedies, take a look at these seven blog articles.

• Wind-Whipped Winter Dry Skin Cured Naturally This post will help you learn remedies to heal dry, splitting skin on your hands and other body parts.
• Need a Hand Curing Dry Skin? This special soap can help keep hands from drying out all winter.
• Having Dry Cracked Skin? Here’s What You Need to Do Aloe Vera plants can help keep your hands moist and cure cracked skin.
• Best Home Remedies for Dry, Cracked Hands Take a look at this informative blog post detailing how to soften dry, cracked hands.
• Home Remedy for Dry Hands and Feet Try the steps detailed in this blog article to treat dry hands and feet.
• Rescue Remedies for Winter Hands and Feet Make some dry hand honey paste that will soften hands overnight.
• Natural Skin Care Remedies for Dry Skin Use coconut oil, Shea butter and beeswax to make a hand lotion bar that will treat dry skin.

Source: http://www.summernanny.com/

Multipure Corporation is now currently offering free weekly corporate opportunity calls that provide you with the latest news and information about Multipure’s products, opportunity, and promotions. To those already excellent Distributor tools, Multipure is adding all new Multipure Sizzle Calls to offer you  24-hour access to Multipure’s knowledge and insight! At your convenience, callers can learn about Multipure’s innovative line of water filtration products, Multipure’s exceptional business opportunity, and the many reasons why Multipure is superior to bottled water!

Whether you’re interested in better health, or an eco-friendly alternative to bottled water, or the chance for financial control and freedom, Multipure’s Sizzle Calls present a powerful and accessible informational and motivational resource. And because you can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Sizzle Calls fit all schedules and all lifestyles, and are convenient for anyone interested in cleaner water and better lives.

So dial in and get sizzled with Multipure!

U.S. Toll-Free Phone Number:  1.855.MP-4-PURE (1.855.674.7873)

Click here to join Multipure today!

Can you imagine what would happen if we all turned around one day and started looking after the environment? Maybe we would have a great planet to hand over to our children, but you know that is not going to happen. We’re going to keep abusing the earth until it’s too late. Future generations won’t even want it. They will probably jump in their spaceship and go to live somewhere else.

Why don’t you ignore what everyone else is doing and start saving more energy at home. It probably won’t make much difference to the planet, but at least you will do doing something and you’ll also save a little money while you’re at it. There are some things you can do that will make the biggest difference and we can look at them now. Start implementing them and see how much money you end up saving.

Keeping the heat inside

I know it’s nearly summertime and the sun is coming back, but what do you do in winter when you want to stay warm? You obviously wear a lot of clothes because it stops the heat from getting out and the cold air from getting in. This is what your home should be like, but instead of clothes it uses insulation. If you don’t have the walls and attic insulated it might be a good idea to get them done now and you will save money in the future.

Lower the heat

If you were to inspect one hundred water heaters you would realize that a lot of them were too high. Is yours one of them? If the water heater is sitting at around 140F it’s too high. It only needs to be at around 125F, but don’t let it go below 120F. If you’re going to adjust it you should follow the correct instructions because you don’t want to mess up. You will also need to check the hottest temperature coming from your faucets because sometimes the dial is not accurate and you don’t want the water to be too cold.

Reach for the stars

You will eventually need to buy new appliances when your old ones start to fall apart and I’d suggest buying Energy Star ones even though they might be a little more expensive. The reason why they might cost more is because they are better and they will save your energy in the long-run. Bigger appliances like a refrigerator can use up a ton of energy over the year, so anything you can do to reduce this number is a good thing.

Generate your own electricity

You don’t need to rely on big energy companies to produce your energy. Would you like energy from the wind or the sun? Maybe you could speak with a professional who lives in your area and they should be able to help you decide which option is best for you. Solar panels are becoming really popular at the moment and you’ve maybe seen them sitting on the top of roofs in your neighborhood. Any option you choose will be a little expensive in the beginning, but you will eventually make it all back.

Light bulb solution

I know you hate when you flick a switch on and realize your light bulb has blown because it must happen all the time. The reason your light bulbs don’t last long is because they are well out-of-date. The best light bulbs you can use today are compact florescent lights because they last a lot longer and use up much less energy. At least you won’t have to constantly climb onto chairs to replace your bulbs any longer.

Mona Blaise is an employee of Magneto Store which is a well recognized LEDMart. When she is not busy attending to customers at work, she likes to indulge in writing and painting.

Making the decision to go green is a great move and something that should certainly be commended. Once you consciously decide that you are going to start trying to reduce your carbon footprint and begin recycling and gardening, you will not only reduce your contribution to global warming but also encourage others to follow in your stead while saving yourself money and picking up other good habits.

 Unfortunately though, good intentions alone are not enough. While you might mean well, going green isn’t always as simple as it should be and sometimes the very things you think are helping the planet can actually be doing more harm. There are many common examples of things that sound eco-friendly but actually have caused more waste than they save. Of course this is a big shame if you are genuinely trying to do good and a serious waste of that good will. So to make sure that all your energy is being put to good use, read on and make sure you aren’t making any of these common ‘green mistakes’.

Green Mistake #1 – Leaving the Heating Off

Heating a property uses up a lot of energy, which leaves many people to try and avoid using it. This is a good idea in theory but actually it is almost certain to waste more energy than it saves. The reason for this is that leaving the heating off when it starts to get cold will mean that your walls become cold and eventually that they reach what’s known as the ‘dew point temperature’. At this temperature the walls will begin to attract condensation which will steel yet more heat from your house and they will be incredibly difficult to warm back up again. If you try to save energy by leaving the heating off until the winter months, you’ll then be forced to waste a lot more to bring the temperature back up to normal and you’ll risk mould problems and leaks if you don’t. Oh and don’t leave the heating off for long stints when you go on holiday either.

Green Mistake #2 – Turning Off the Air Conditioning

Likewise, turning off your air conditioning can have the same problem. If you’re going away for a few days in the summer and you’re tempted to turn the air conditioning off completely in your absence, note that when you get back the house may have warmed up to such an extent that the system needs to go into overdrive to cool it back down. Once again, this could end up costing you more overall than leaving it on at a low setting.

Green Mistake #3 – Hanging On to Old Appliances

You might think that throwing things out is wasteful and that’s true in most cases. However, when it comes to things like ovens, boilers and air conditioning units the opposite is true as upgrading will mean an upgrade in energy efficiency and particularly if you the old unit isn’t running as well as it once did.

Green Mistake #4 – Showering

Showering is not a mistake – it’s hygienic. However, if you are showering instead of bathing because you think it’s saving water, then you may just want to look into that a little more closely. While some showers will indeed use less water than a bath, power showers can actually be much more wasteful than you realise. This is particularly true if you think that you can stand there for hours preening yourself just because you’re showering. Whether showering or bathing, the real way to save energy is just to try and be as efficient as possible which means using less water, being quicker. A bonus of bathing is also that you can share bath water of course which isn’t an option in a shower!

Green Mistake #5 – Turning Off

What’s the best way to save your phone’s battery when you’re not using it for half an hour, turning it off right? And how can you save energy when you’re in a traffic jam? Turning off the engine right?

Actually no – if it’s only for a few minutes then turning off most machines and gadgets will actually cost you more energy than it will save. The reason for this is that turning devices back on is actually often the most power-hungry process of all. In most cases, your phone would be better off running quietly for half an hour than having to go through the powering-up process.

The author of this post, Gemma Hastings, is a voracious reader who likes to convey her views and opinions on a variety of topics through her blogs. She is an employee of SolarPanelGrants.org; you can click here to find out more about them.

Food service businesses have long been a major user of disposable food packaging. Take out containers, delivery containers, and storage food boxes are made from a variety of products, including cardboard, plastic and Styrofoam. With the huge green movement worldwide, it is important that your business takes a look at becoming more Eco-friendly. You can start by using recycled and reused items in order to remain competitive and grow your customer base.

As a food service business, one of the best ways you can do that is by using environmentally friendly, recycled (and recyclable) food boxes. These boxes will help your company “go green” and promote an environmentally friendly frame of mind. One example is the Bio-Plus Earth carryout containers.  Not only are the food boxes convenient and Eco-friendly, but in most cases they promote a quality image for anyone.

Some of the best features of eco-friendly food boxes include:

• One piece designs so that you don’t have to worry about lids or separate pieces. This makes using these food boxes a great way to save space and add convenience!
• An upscale, modern look that adds a perfect complement to your food and will improve the image people have of your company.
• Leak resistant designs that make boxes great for sauces and gravies, and virtually all types foods. Leaky take out boxes are a big complaint among consumers.
• Microwave friendly so that consumers don’t have to deal with melted food boxes or ruined food when they warm up their take out.
• Keeps hot foods hot while venting steam to keep foods fresh and tasty instead of soggy.
• Come in a variety of sizes, many can be imprinted with a logo

Going green may seem like a big step for anyone, especially for a food business, but even small steps count. By using eco-friendly food boxes you are reducing waste, recycling and making an effort to change the way the food business impacts the environment.

When the time comes to choose your take-away food boxes, why not look into making a small change with environmentally sound food boxes and see if you could use the benefit of being known as an eco-friendly business among your customers. There are many people who will not frequent businesses which aren’t going green. These are the people that are dedicated to improving and protecting the environment. They won’t hesitate to take their business elsewhere. Don’t let this simple fix cause you to lose clientele!

Tony has experience working in some of the most upscale restaurants on the east coast and has implemented eco-friendly containers for people to take home their left-overs in.

Each year, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and an alliance of organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sponsor Drinking Water Week to highlight the importance of tap water and the need to reinvest in our water infrastructure.

Tap water plays a critical role in the success of a society, from meeting the basic public health needs of providing safe drinking water — and adequate sanitation, to promoting dental health (through fluoridation) and supporting industrial, agricultural, medical, and recreational activities.

During the past century, many improvements in the health, prosperity, and longevity of the U.S. population can be attributed to improvements in water quality. One hundred years ago, life expectancy in the United States was only 47 years (now life expectancy is 78 years)! This short life span was partially due to sickness and death from diseases spread through drinking water, like typhoid fever. Though these diseases are still common in lesser developed countries, over the last century, treatment, disinfection, and the environmental regulation of water contaminants have made U.S. tap water one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world.

Despite the safety of our tap water, new challenges require us to continue to work to protect our water supply. A primary concern is the fact that our drinking water infrastructure, which includes the pipes that bring water to our homes, is aging (up to 100 years old in some cases!) and needs to be upgraded or replaced. Other challenges include climate change impacts on water availability and quality, chemical and toxin contamination of water sources, and the increasing need to reuse and recycle water.

Official Website

• The American Water Works Association (AWWA): Drinking Water Week

Dates of Celebration and Additional Resources

May 5-11, 2013

• CDC Features – Drinking Water Week 2013
• MMWR: Announcement: Drinking Water Week — May 5-11, 2013

Cinco de Mayo – or the fifth of May commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.

History of Cinco de Mayo: Battle of Puebla

In 1861 the liberal Mexican Benito Juárez (1806-1872) became president of a country in financial ruin, and he was forced to default on his debts to European governments. In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, ruled by Napoleon III (1808-1873), decided to use the opportunity to carve a dependent empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.

Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez (1814-1892) set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a rag-tag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla. Led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza (1829-1862), the vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez drew his army, well provisioned and supported by heavy artillery, before the city of Puebla and led an assault from the north. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash.

Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at Puebla represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement. Six years later—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the Civil War—France withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico by Napoleon in 1864, was captured and executed by Juárez’s forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph there.

Cinco de Mayo in Mexico

Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s unlikely triumph occurred, although other parts of the country also take part in the celebration. Traditions include military parades, recreations of the Battle of Puebla and other festive events. For many Mexicans, however, May 5 is a day like any other: It is not a federal holiday, so offices, banks and stores remain open. Cinco de Mayo in the United States

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations. Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the victory of indigenous Mexicans over European invaders during the Battle of Puebla. Today, revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.Confusion with Mexican Independence Day

Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. That event is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810.

Source: http://www.history.com

Cleaning your house in the best, most inexpensive way is important. Sometimes harmful chemicals aren’t the best cleaners; there are often better, and even more effective options available. Asses the everyday products you have in your home, you may find that the cleaning power you have been looking for has been there the whole time.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is one powerful compound. When added to water, it can be used to conquer anything. Baking soda water can be used to remove stains from virtually everywhere, clean the inside of the refrigerator to perfection, and dissolve thickly caked-on food from pans.

When mixed with baking soda, water becomes unconquerable. There is no stain that cannot be defeated. Using water to create your own arm and hammer solution is one of the best ways to clean your home.

Castile Soap

We use oil for cooking, but it can also be turned into a powerful cleaner that can be used for a wide variety of things. Castile soap is a soap that usually contains olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, cold water, and lye crystals.

This soap is one that can easily be made in your own home with liquids that you probably already own. It can be used for so many different things that it may become the only soap you need. Here are some of the ways castile soap can be used:

• Get back the natural beauty of your hair by using castile soap as a shampoo
• Save money by using it as a laundry detergent
• Use just a small amount diluted in water for the cleanest mopped floors you have ever had
• Create your own dish soap
• It may not taste the best, but castile soap can even be used as a toothpaste
• It can be an effective carpet cleaner, used the same as harsh chemical carpet cleaners

Castile soap in liquid or bar form can become the all-purpose cleaner. It is completely biodegradable, using no harsh chemicals. By using the oils already in your home, there’s almost no need for any other type of cleaner.

Vinegar

It may not smell the best, but vinegar can be one of the best around the house cleaners. Because of its high level of acidity, it is highly effective at getting rid of the worst mold, bacteria, and germs. White distilled vinegar is completely non-toxic, and the perfect way to avoid using harsh chemicals.

Vinegar can be used to clean almost everything around the house. Just mixing it with products such as salt, water, or baking soda can create one of the strongest all natural cleaner available. It can restore even the worst damage done to your antique dresser from your great-grandma.

It is important to stay clean, but harsh chemicals aren’t always the best way to go. Liquids that are non-toxic and environmentally friendly often work better, and are less expensive. Get the most out of your oils and vinegars; use them for cleaning.

By Cassie Costner

Cassie writes for Kelmann Restoration cleaning services in Milwaukee about green cleaning methods. She also writes about water damage, smoke damage, and mold remediation.

Every year, along with the beautiful weather, a barbeque every weekend, and sunburns at baseball games, comes those high energy bills from trying to keep your home cool.  Summer heat in most US climates can be difficult to deal with without spiking energy bills, but read on for a few tips on how you can lower both your cooling bill and your environmental impact.

Thermostat Operation

• Many modern thermostats have programmable functions.  Use them to keep your house at a warmer temperature while you are away and return to comfort when you are coming home.  If yours is not programmable, make it part of your morning routine to turn up the temperature before you leave.
• Keep your TV and other appliances away from the thermostat – the warmth from the appliance may cause the thermostat to think the room is warmer than it is.
• Put your thermostat at a temperature that is as high as comfortably possible.
• Some people like walking into a really cold room when coming in from the outside, but besides the possible health risks, it takes an insane amount of energy to maintain those abusively low temperatures.  Give up the notion that the temperature has to be freezing for you to be comfortable

Use fans

• By installing and operating ceiling fans, you can set your thermostat a full 4ºF warmer than otherwise, without any change in comfort.
• Place a box fan blowing inwards in one window and one blowing out in another to create a breeze through the entire space.
• Be sure to turn these fans off when you leave the room.  They cool the people in the room through a chilling effect, not by cooling the room itself.

Operate Your Appliances Efficiently

• Use the dishwasher – it uses less water than washing dishes by hand.  However, let the dishes drip dry instead of using the heating function.  After your dishes are clean, they don’t need to be sterilized unless you are running an industrial food preparation operation.  And despite your arguments otherwise, a family of 5 is not industrial.
• Let your clothes air dry.  You will enjoy the different feeling and fresh smell of clothes dried in the wind.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Turn your water heater down a bit – 120ºF is sufficient for most purposes.
• Turn off any appliances that you aren’t using and are releasing heat – many TVs and DVD players use energy and release heat even when they are not in use.

Cool Your House Naturally

• Open your windows at night if you live in a climate where it cools off at night.  Then, before the sun shines in in the morning, close the windows and blinds or shutters.
• Installing outdoor shutters prevents the sun from warming the curtains inside your window – they can even be designed to let in indirect light!
• Outdoor curtains can block sun from entering a patio area, while allowing a breeze to flow around.

Strategic Landscaping

• A well-placed deciduous tree can offer shade over a window in the hot summer months, but losing its leaves, allows the sun to warm the room in the winter.
• Strategically placed shrubs and fences can direct summer breezes to flow through the home more strongly than in their absence.

Whatever your strategy is, following a number of these steps can help you reduce your energy bill and your impact on the environment without affecting your comfort in the least

This is a guest post by Lilly Sheperd, an occasional blogger, mainly interested in green related articles.

Multipure wants to help your yard, your garden, and your business spring forward with our Splash into Spring Promotion!

From April 8, 2013 through June 30, 2013, we’re offering our beneficial Aquagrow yard-and-garden de-chlorinator at $15 off to customers who purchase any Multipure Drinking Water System! The Aquagrow easily connects in-line to your existing garden hose to reduce the levels of harmful chlorine in your outdoor water, giving your plants the healthful water they need to grow and thrive!

The Aquagrow is perfect for washing your pets, perfect for washing your car, and perfect for watering your hydroponic garden!

The Multipure Splash into Spring promotion runs from April 8, 2013 through June 30, 2013, so this Spring, save some green!

For full promotion details, including Terms and Conditions, please visit http://www.multipure.com/media/mp-splash-into-spring.pdf.

To purchase your very own Aquagrow visit: www.multipure.com