May Flowers-Life Hack

April Showers Bring 5 Flower Hacks

What do you get when you combine soda, vodka, apple cider vinegar, hair spray & bleach? Some incredible ways to preserve your flowers this season. Sure, April showers bring May flowers, but mother nature went a tad over board with it this April. So how well are you prepared for the spring bloom? Check out these unique flower hacks that can be found around your home.

Soda

Don’t throw away those last drops of soda! Pour about 1/4 cup into the water in a vase full of cut flowers. The sugar in the soda will make the blossoms last longer. Note: If you have a clear vase and want the water to remain clear, use a clear soda, like Sprite or 7-Up.

Hair Spray

Just as it preserves your hairstyle, a spritz of hair spray can help your cut flowers look fresh longer. Stand a foot away from the bouquet and give them a quick spray, just on the undersides of the leaves and petals.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Everyone likes to keep cut flowers around as long as possible, and there are several good methods. One way is to mix 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar with the vase water before adding the flowers. Be sure to change the water (with more vinegar and sugar, of course) every few days to enhance your flowers’ longevity.

Vodka

The secret to keeping cut flowers looking good as long as possible is to minimize the growth of bacteria in the water and to provide nourishment to replace what the flower would have gotten had it not been cut. Add a few drops of vodka (or any clear spirit) to the vase water for antibacterial action along with 1 teaspoon sugar. Change the water every other day, refreshing the vodka and sugar each time.

Aspirin

It’s a tried-and-true way to keep roses and other cut flowers fresh longer: Put a crushed aspirin in the water before adding your flowers. Also, don’t forget to change the vase water every few days.

Bleach

Freshly cut flowers will last longer if you add 1/4 teaspoon bleach per quart (1 liter) of vase water. Another popular recipe calls for 3 drops bleach and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1quart (1 liter) water. This will also keep the water from getting cloudy and inhibit the growth of bacteria.

Ready to #feelbetter?

You're just a click away from a wicked good massage!

Book Now!

Please Pass the Mustard

I’m going to go way out on a limb and guess that the last time you had a leg cramp your immediate reaction was to either stretch it, rub it, ice it or a combination of any of these responses. What if I told you that you should eat some yellow mustard for an almost…

Cheers to More Energy, Mental Clarity and Focus in 2015!

The following post is contributed by Anne Turnbull. Ann is a global business development leader with Max International, a company in the forefront of glutathione research and development. She is a frequent presenter to audiences in Canada, US and Africa and is passionate about spreading the word about the importance of glutathione for good health.…

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Do you recall the days in college that you would brew a pot of coffee to get through the occasional all nighter? Today, you have an endless supply of vices to curb that ‘energy fix’ we all crave. From Red Bull to Death Wish coffee (yes, that’s an actual brand), you can all get your…

Running is as easy as 1-2-3

There are two kinds of runners in the world; those who love it and those who don’t. I am definitely the latter of the group. However, the one thing they all have in common is, you guessed it, running. Regardless of whether you are enjoying your time on your run or not, we all know…

Head Games

To paraphrase the great Yogi Berra; Running is 90% physical and the other half is mental. No one ever claimed to understand the old Yankee skipper, but we knew what he was attempting to say when he was discussing the ability to master the game of baseball. The same holds true with running (and many…

What’s the Scoop on your Poop?

Being the father of two little girls, I know I have my work cut out for me. I have come to accept that there are lessons that I can teach my children and there are others lessons they will simply have to learn through personal experience. One of the lessons I constantly remind them of…

Your Referrals Can Be A ‘Real’ Pain

No, I don’t mean the favor of your referrals of friends and family. We LOVE to get those. Today I want to talk about a type of pain known as ‘referred pain’. Referred pain is something that all of us have experienced at one time or another, yet may not have known what was happening.…

What are Shin Splints?

What are Shin Splints? We treat a lot of different conditions at The Boston Bodyworker, ranging from general stress and fatigue to chronic pain. One of the more popular complaints we get from our running population is shin splints. If you have ever had them, you know how uncomfortable the pain can be and how…

Let’s Talk About Sex!

There are three areas of conversation that we are told too avoid at all cost while in the treatment room; sex, politics and religion. These subjects are clearly based upon ones personal opinions and beliefs and are rarely needed to provide sound clinical outcomes in massage therapy. Today, I am making an exception. New research…

Tips on “That” Tape

Over the past year or so, we have seen a heightened interest in “that cool looking tape” otherwise known as kinesiology tape. The tape has become more and more popular and is now even being sold in places like Target and City Sports. To weekend warriors, success with this new tape has been a bag…

« Previous
1
…
16
17
18
19
20
Next »

Helping Boston #feelbetter since 1999