Add a Splash of Green to Your Apartment With These Easy-Care Houseplants

There’s no better way to breathe new life — quite literally! — into your apartment than by adding a few lush, green houseplants to every room. Even if you don’t exactly have a green thumb, these low-maintenance plants will last for years with minimal care.

  1. Pothos. The pothos plant is one of the most common houseplants, and you’ve likely noticed its trailing stems filled with marbled green leaves in many offices and homes. Aside from its beautiful appearance, this plant also requires little light, minimal watering, and even helps to remove toxins from the air.
  2. Aloe. Spiky aloe plants do best in direct sunlight on a windowsill, and because they prefer dry soil, they’re perfect for the forgetful indoor gardener.
  3. Jade. This succulent plant is one of the most interesting in appearance, as it contains thick, rubbery leaves that grow across criss-crossing branches. It also has a very long lifespan of a decade or more.
  4. Snake plant. The snake plant, also known as “mother-in-law’s tongue,” is an affordable alternative to pricey floor plants, as its long, snake-like leaves grow upright in a unique and attractive way. It requires little watering, and it doesn’t mind low sunlight.
  5. Fiddle Leaf Fig. Although it can be a bit finicky, few plants make as much of an impact as the stylish, trendy fiddle fig. If you keep it in bright sunlight it can even grow as high as the ceiling.

24 of the Easiest Houseplants You Can Grow [Better Homes & Gardens]
The 15 easiest indoor house plants that won't die on you. [Today Home]
Easy Houseplants [This Old House]

Bookmark These Three Websites for Cooking Measurement Conversions

Not all recipes are created equal—at least not when it comes to metric versus American Standard measurements. Don’t get struck trying to do math when you’re in the middle of making your favorite French pastry. Instead, rely on these three websites to give you cooking measurement equivalents:

  1. Cooking Measure Equivalents [Info Please]
    This website provides an easy guide to the metric system as it relates to the U.S. system of measurement. You'll also find a thorough conversion guide for the U.S. system from tablespoons to grams to pounds.
  2. Measurement Equivalents [Exploratorium]
    This conversion site gives you a quick reference for liquid and dry amounts, as well as oven temperatures.
  3. Cooking Measure Equivalents [Fact Monster]​
    Find conversions for ounces to pounds and inches to millimeters on this site, along with a quick reference for metric to U.S. system conversions.

These Android Apps Can Help You Learn New Languages

Whether you’ve always wanted to learn romantic French or you’re going on an upcoming trip to Spain, there are a number of great reasons to learn a new language. You don’t need to enroll in an expensive class to learn to speak a foreign tongue, however; all you need is your Android smartphone. Here are two great Android apps that will teach you a new language right at home.

Duolingo
For visual learners, Duolingo is a great choice because of its bold, colorful design and a simple layout that doesn’t distract from the lessons themselves. This app offers the chance to learn French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, and a number of other languages by listening to real people speaking the language and completing fun quizzes afterward. Duolingo even keeps track of your learning progress through its attractive log features.

Babbel
Babbel is a popular language app for Android that has a minimalist look and a selection of more than 13 different languages to choose from. After spending just a few minutes each day using Babbel, users can greatly strengthen their speaking and writing skills. Complete written sentences with the correct words and repeat the proper way to pronounce foreign phrases, all on this inspiring app.

3 Common Hair Care Mistakes You Might Be Making

We've all been stricken with a bad hair day now and then, but if you're regularly waking up with unruly tresses, it could be a signal that you need to reevaluate your hair care routine. Here are three common hair care mistakes you might be making:

1) Washing too often.
Unless your hair is excessively oily, you probably don't need to wash your hair every day. Doing so strips your hair of its natural oils, making tresses lifeless and more prone to breakage. To keep your hair looking fresh between washes, consider using a dry shampoo, or simply rinse your hair with cool water only while showering.

2) Applying conditioner only on the ends of your hair.
You've likely heard that conditioner should only be applied to the bottom half of your locks, especially if you have fine, limp hair. However, no matter your hair type, your whole head of hair should receive regular conditioning to prevent breakage and tangles. Use a light conditioner if you're concerned about volume, and be sure to rinse thoroughly. To prevent product build-up, suds up with clarifying shampoo every so often.

3) Misusing heat styling tools.
If you regularly style your hair using dryers, flat irons, curling irons, or other heat styling tools, be sure to first apply a product intended to prevent damage caused by heat. Allow your hair to air dry at least part of the way before taking a blowdryer to your tresses. Also, be sure that your hair is completely dry before attempting to use any heat styling tools.

Top 5 Most Common Hair Care Mistakes Solved! [Daily Makeover]
The 10 Biggest Hair Care Mistakes [Women's Health]
5 Shampoo Mistakes You Had No Idea You Were Making [Oprah]
13 Things You're Doing Wrong With Your Hair [HuffPost]

What Are Aerobic Exercises?

Does walking count as an aerobic exercise? Is playing golf an aerobic workout? These are common questions, and many people don’t understand what qualifies an activity as an aerobic exercise. If you want to learn more about aerobics, these informative facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can help:

  • Aerobic activity, or “cardio”, is any activity that increases your heart rate and makes you breathe faster. Aerobic activity isn’t just reserved for working out – biking, dancing and even walking up the stairs are all aerobic activities.
  • The intensity is how hard your aerobic activity is. Aerobic activity is grouped into light, moderate or vigorous intensities, and light intensity activities usually don’t count toward fitness guidelines.
  • Moderate-intensity activities include things like walking quickly or playing tennis..
  • Vigorous-intensity activities include running, swimming laps or playing basketball.
  • If you haven’t worked out regularly or have taken time off from working out, don’t start out with vigorous-intensity activity. Begin with moderate-intensity activities and work your way up to avoid injury and build stamina.

Visit the CDC's website to learn more about aerobic exercises.

How to Save Time and Money in the Kitchen

Between family, friends, work, and errands, there's often little time left in the day for cooking a wholesome, healthy meal. Whether you're cooking for one or preparing a feast for your entire extended family, these time-saving cooking tips can help you stretch those seconds in the kitchen.

1) Keep your cabinets well-stocked.
Before you make a trip to the grocery store, do a quick assessment of your cabinets. Are you low on essentials such as rice, flour, cooking stock, basic seasonings, and pasta? Keeping these kitchen staples on hand will prevent hiccups in your meal planning process down the line. Consider printing this handy grocery checklist from Martha Stewart.

2) Plan ahead.
Establishing a meal menu for the week will not only make dinner prep easier, it'll also help you save money. Scan the newspaper for coupons, then flip through your grocer's circular for any notable bargains. Afterwards, plan a menu based around the food that's on sale. For instance, if chicken is being offered at a discount, capitalize from the deal by creating a chicken-centric menu for the week. Assemble oven-ready dishes, such as casseroles and soup stock, that you can freeze and eat at a later date.

Menu Planning: Save Time In The Kitchen [Organized Home]
Save Time in the Kitchen [Martha Stewart]
5 best time-saving cooking tips [EatingWell]

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