Plants That Are Safe For Your Pets

I’ve written about toxic plants for your pets, but what plants can now be safely used in your home? Here are a few common plants to both beautify your home and improve indoor air quality.

Secrets of Indoor Gardening in an Air-conditioned Room

This is one of my most viewed posts so I’ve decided to update as of May 2020, especially now that we are mostly confined at home with that #stayhome. What better way to improve your air quality than by adding plants!

I have recently bought a few plants to liven up my bedroom. Although I have a garden, I think indoor plants make the room brighter, more enchanting and improves indoor air quality.

My bedroom is usually airconditioned especially at night. During the day, I open my windows to let the sunlight in and to have a fresh breeze. What I have found out though is that not all indoor plants can survive airconditioning! Why? The humidity is different. The air is drier. And yes, the fluctuating temperatures can be a major problem (when the air conditioner is off).

The following are some plants that can survive indoors in air-conditioned rooms:

Tillandsia

1.     Tillandsia

These air plants are the craze nowadays. Water these at least twice a week, perhaps more if your air is really dry, and submerge them weekly for an hour. Bright filtered light is best so putting them beside the window is perfect.

Sanseveria Masoniana

2.    Snake plant (Sanseveria masoniana)

There are a variety of snake plants and this is my new found secret plant that actually survived several months without watering, in low light… It was unfortunately confined to a corner with some furniture from my clients that are being stored at my home (yeah, my home is now a warehouse as we wait for construction to finish for them and some suppliers don’t have storage space or charge for monthly storage space). That’s why we failed to notice this poor plant at the corner, what with it being covered with furniture. After 6 months of absolutely no watering, two out of the four leaves it had still survived! Talk about a miracle plant! Yes, I found it after doing some needed spring cleaning! It’s now being watered twice weekly (due to the very hot weather). Usually, a weekly watering is good. I really don’t recommend letting six months go without watering! That was an unfortunate accident).

Snake Plants, Photo by Costa Farm

3.     Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, Snake Plant (Sansiveria Trifasciata)

This is one of the most popular varieties of snake plants. They survive in medium to high light and can also do low light as long as you don’t overwater. It can survive the most unsuitable conditions and is therefore perfect for those without a green thumb. Water only two times a week  and don’t water the leaf rosette (only the soil).

4.     Pothos

Peace Lily

Pothos are simply hardy. They can grow in low light and is easy to care for. They thrive easily even for those who consider themselves, plant killers! They are also easy to propagate through simple cuttings. I love their trailing leaves too so you can mount this on a hanging pot or simply place on a bottle with water and watch them grow!

5.     Peace Lily

What I love about this is that it has flowers!!! It is difficult to care for flowering plants indoors but the peace lily is the happy exception. It can survive lower light but there will be less flowers and who wants that?! Water these when the soil is dry and mist the leaves several times each week.

Zanzibar Plant. Photo from Ambius

6.     ZZ plant or Zanzibar

ZZ plants are easy-to-care for and will be good for a beginner. They need less water which means you need to wait for the soil to dry before watering again. They can also survive low levels of light. Outdoors, these thrive so well. My ZZ plant has broken several of my clay pots though as it’s actually growing too well! So for outdoors, this will be best planted straight to the ground. For indoor purposes, it still thrives without destroying any pots.

7.     Parlor Palm

They prefer low light (but not no-light) and grows slowly to a maximum of three feet. Water sparingly allowing the soil to begin drying in between waterings. Evenly moist soil is ideal.

Parlor Palm, Photo by ume-y

Victoria lady fern

8.     Victoria Lady Fern

Ferns are very hardy. I water them every day but make sure not to overwater to avoid root rot. They need an evenly moist soil. Place them in shade or partly shaded areas.

9.     Cactus

Cacti are drought tolerant plants. I have my own Peruvian cactus in a corner of my bedroom. I simply open my curtains in the morning so it can receive sunlight, and water when the soil is really dry. A plus factor is that it also produces beautiful blooms!

Hope these tips help and happy plant shopping!!!

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Decorate with Intention

There are so much guides out there that talk about what to put on your coffee table, bookshelf,  or any other place where you want to put decor. But have you ever thought what is right FOR YOU?! Yes, I don't believe in adding décor just because it's trending. Although, to be honest, yes, I've gone with trends too. Problem with my passion project is that I see plenty of pretty things! Ugh, the dilemma! 

You know, you don't really want everything you see in a trendy inspirational photo to also be in your home. Although if you like trendy, no one's stopping you! Just beware that trends come and go. Your home should showcase your personality and that of your family. It's not a model unit meant to be showcased for all but for you to enjoy your life so you can live exactly the way you like it. 

1. Greenery is King

Nowadays, the trendy thing is to have plants and cacti in your home. Oh boy, I do loooove plants! But before you even plunge into the plant craze, please do some research and find out what plants will actually thrive in your home. Admittedly, I've had some plants die on me... Sometimes, you just can't help the bad weather.

What do you do? Research, research, research... Different plants have different needs. If you want a cactus, don't even dare put it in a place with little sunlight. Cacti thrive in the sun and so be mindful or your poor plants will die and you'd think you have a black thumb. The oh-so-trendy fiddle leaf fig, on the other hand, is one that likes bright filtered light. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves! 

2. Flowers are Simply Gorgeous

Who can resist a bunch of fresh flowers? If you have flowers in the garden, that will be ideal. If not, even though plenty designers shudder with faux flowers, there are beautiful silk flowers you can use! Don't get the cheap plasticky ones because they are really tacky. The key to decorating within your budget is to do it a section at a time. Whoever said you need all the décor right now?! So wait a bit and buy when you have the savings!

3. Art and Books Always Add Character

What other things should you consider to add some style? Art and sculpture will always be timeless. Books are always good to add height to your objects of art and yes, for someone to actually read! I love reading books and magazines.

4. Photos are Lovely Personal Touches

People nowadays don't print photos but how about considering it? A family photo will always be something you will treasure. If you're really not into the printed photo, there are digital frames that show different photos you've taken. Your guests will love looking at these personal stuff. Or even if you don't have guests frequently, aren't they a good reminder of you and your loved ones?

5. Travel Mementos to Remind You of Your Favorite Places

Finally, if you travel a lot (or maybe even if it's a few times only), consider pretty travel mementos to add some spice to your space. 

6. Nothing Says You More Than Your Collection

Are you a fan of Stranger Things? Maybe you have a collection of wine bottles? Even perfume bottles can be a collection. That always reminded me of my grandma. She had a really pretty doll in her closet together with her numerous collection of perfume bottles. I saw it occasionally when she opened her closet but why keep it out of sight when you can admire them on a place you can see everyday?

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and decorate your space!!! It's so therapeutic to see a well-styled space!

“Decorate with intention!”

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SAVE OR SPEND???

One of the things I'm sure you want to know more of is what to invest in and what you can buy cheaply!

Here are some pointers on what to save and what to spend for your place:

FURNITURE - IT DEPENDS

Ok. Why? If you have a very tight budget, if you're still in the process of saving to acquire your furniture, then, by all means, start with lower priced items. However, if you are at the stage where your income is more substantial and you want something that will really last, I suggest looking for sturdier furniture. How will you know the quality? Well, honestly, it takes a while to learn. I myself started with cheaper furniture when I first got married because that is all I could afford. Now that we've built up our savings, I do invest in higher quality furniture. Knowing what types of furniture are of high quality and those that are less quality will take another blog post though.

PLANTS - SAVE

Plants are all the rage nowadays. What I love about this is that they naturally soften the place and makes it look inviting. If you are a new plant collector, I do suggest taking the time to learn which ones are sturdy! Air plants haven't died for me yet. Try tillandsia-- beautiful and I only water twice a week.

ORGANIZERS - SAVE

These are life savers in making your day better by ensuring that everything is at its right place. I say save on the organizers. There are expensive ones but trust me, you'd need a ton. Before buying any, find out first what items you will store, then categorize them and count the number you need. Oh and do be resourceful-- there are plenty of things you can use as organizers even if it wasn't meant for that purpose.

PILLOWS - SPEND

Ok. This might be personal for me... Maybe it's my age! I do prefer a soft (but not too soft) fluffy pillow. I have been searching for the best one ever since and so far what I have always loved are those Shangri-La pillows. Arghh! They are fluffy and has just the right softness. The problem with that is they are custom made for Shangri-La. Maybe I should just buy it there. Believe me, I've collected a ton of pillows over the years. If you have the perfect pillow, do comment below.

DÉCOR AND ACCESSORIES - A MIXTURE

Some say don't spend while others like to do so. I think this is more personal. I have collected décor over the years... sometimes, I just cannot resist! Some came from my travels while others are from my local jaunts. For items like throw pillows and table linen, you should not spend a fortune because these are the ones that are easy to change depending on the season or for occasions. 

ART - SPEND

I believe art is subjective. However, having said that, in your most prized areas, let's say your living room, a piece of well-chosen art can totally make or break your space. No prints please! If you've never owned any painting or sculpture before, maybe this is the time to go for it. You don't need to spend hundreds of thousands to find something you love. You just have to be resourceful. Perhaps start with looking at galleries. Do it in person, not online... Yeah, I know... but for you to truly find one that is worthy of your attention, you must see it LIVE. Not to worry, in future posts, I will discuss more on collecting art.

Alright!!! This is my first post for the blog. I will be having more posts about what to save or spend. Let me know your thoughts or questions below.

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