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Are Organic Lawncare Services Right for Your Home? Here Are Three Reasons to Try Them on Your Lawn and Garden

organic lawncare serviceEach year, Americans use approximately 78 million pounds of pesticides. These chemicals are used for everything from agricultural applications on large farms to lawncare treatments for homeowners. However, once these pesticides seep into the water table, they infiltrate water supplies and have been linked to a variety of diseases, including cancer, birth defects, liver and kidney damage, neurotoxicity, and other effects on the reproductive and endocrine systems of humans. In fact, these pesticides have been found in the groundwater in 43 states so far. With this in mind, many people are now switching to organic lawncare services to have a pesticide free lawn and garden and help their community by contributing less pollution to the earth.

What are the advantages of switching to pesticide free lawncare treatments? Here are three of the reasons why so many people want to switch to organic lawncare services:

1. Organic is better for the environment
Pesticides and herbicides are some of the world’s top polluters, leading to more than one million chronic diseases and deaths per year. Because lawncare treatments, especially, are so concentrated to one area, the average suburban lawn can see up to 10 times as much chemical pesticide use per acre than farmland. Additionally, these pesticides are also responsible for killing between 60 and 90% of earthworms in that lawn, which degrades the quality of that soil in surrounding areas. The more pesticides are used the worse off the soil and water quality are in a particular region. Organic lawncare services, however, can provide solutions that will beautify lawns without the negative environmental effects.

2. Pesticide free lawn services are safer for kids and pets
Lawns that get traditional chemical treatments will always have small placards placed into them later that warn neighbors and homeowners to keep off the grass. Because the lawns were sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, these chemicals can travel into homes on shoes or even bare feet, where they can have detrimental effects on the health of family members. These chemicals also prevent children from playing on the lawn lest they come into contact with these chemicals, and they also prevent a hazard for pets who might lie in or chew on grass. Organic lawncare treatments, however, do not pose the same risks and will be safe for adults, kids, and pets to be around.

3. Growing fruits and vegetables in a pesticide free lawn can help homeowners produce their own organic foods
Anyone who has bought organic produce at the supermarket knows how expensive it can be and how limited the selections usually are. Getting an organic and pesticide free lawncare treatment, however, gives homeowners who enjoy gardening the opportunity to grow their own fruits and vegetables without having to worry about chemical pollution.

Have more questions about the benefits of organic gardening and lawncare? Leave a comment below.

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The Who, What, Where, When and Why of Donating Clothing to Charity

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With the arrival of spring, many people begin to consider donating clothing to charity organizations in their areas. However, before giving any kind of donation, it is always important to be mindful of what is given and to whom and why they may require those donations. Additionally, many donors are unsure of exactly where and when to donate clothes, which can create some confusion.

If you are planning to donate clothing to charity, make sure that you know exactly how to go about the donation process. Here’s what you need to know about donating using the Five W’s: who, what, where, when, and why.

    Who

    The answer to the question of who is twofold: who receives donations of clothing, and who can donate? The answer to the former can vary depending on the organizations you plan to help. Some focus on helping families in need; others may work with specific populations, such as wounded veterans charities. As for who can donate clothing, the answer is far simpler: anyone can donate to those who are in need.

    What

    What should you donate to charity? Any clothing that can be reused again is the most sought after item for many organizations. If you’re giving in a specific season or climate, make sure that what you’re donating will be useful (e.g. coats and boots for the winter months up north). Additionally, charities will often accept all clothing types, such as garments for men, women, and children of all ages, so now is a great time to clean out your kids’ closets, too.

    Where

    If you’re wondering where to donate household items or clothing, be sure to check locally first. While there are plenty of global charities, there are often groups in your town or city who need clothing donations the most. Start there and then broaden your search if necessary. Thinking locally rather than globally is a great way for those who are new to donating to help others.

    When

    As for the question of when to donate clothes, there really isn’t a wrong time to do so. Clothing donations can be used any season of the year. Make sure that what you give is seasonal, and you should be able to help others easily.

    Why

    You know about who, what, where, and when to donate clothes, but what about why? Besides helping others, donating clothing is also an eco-friendly way to solve the problem of pollution. As much as 12 to 13 million tons of clothing heads to landfills in the U.S. each year,

    Have more questions about donating clothing or other items to charity? Contact an organization in your area that can use the garments, household goods, and other things you and your family no longer need. You can leave a comment for more great suggestions, too.

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Chromecast Update Allows You to Use Your TV Remote to Control Certain Programs

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In recent years, a number of companies have begun moving away from traditional television remote controls, allowing users to control their equipment with their smartphones and mobile devices instead. While some people have likely found this to be convenient, many others have found it to be inconvenient; after all, when these devices are used for so many different things, can you really blame a family member when they wander away with the tablet in the middle of a show, leaving you unable to change the channel? Now, one company seems to have adapted their system, allowing customers to use normal TV remote controls.

Since its introduction, one of the biggest issues with Google’s Chromecast is that it could only be controlled with a phone, tablet or laptop. However, the latest firmware update for the system extends basic controls to regular TV remotes. While these functions will be limited to play/pause controls, if your television supports HDMI-CEC, you won’t always have to rely on your mobile devices to control this system. Fortunately, most televisions produced in the past few years have this capacity, although you might have to dig through your settings and input your TV remote codes to set up this new change.

The update was first noticed by Reddit users, who have reported that the remote control change seems to apply to Chromecast’s WatchESPN, HBO Go, Plex, and Youtube apps. However, the new feature is clearly limited: in addition to only offering the most basic functions, it doesn’t apply to popular apps, such as Netflix. Still, this change alone will likely cause plenty of people to buy replacement remotes simply for the convenience.

For generations, people have dreamed of being able to control every aspect of their lives with all in one remote controls, and now that mobile technology is an integral part of our everyday routine, we seem to be closer to that goal than ever before. However, mobile devices seem to lack convenience when it comes to using them as remotes. Whether you use Chromecast or not, don’t give up on your TV remote codes just yet: while some companies are still pushing mobile devices, traditional remote controls still seem to be what the average consumer wants.