Utah is in full-blown drought mode. Reservoirs and storage systems are desperately low, and even the Great Salt Lake, that paragon of salty buoyancy, is only slightly more than a shallow, briny puddle, instead of the vibrant desert ecosystem it is supposed to be. The evaporative effect of a full GSL is vital for normal weather patterns and the snowfall that fills the … [Read more...]
Watering Today: Utahn Develops an App to Help Save Water while Maintaining Green Lawns
For years, Kevin Steed has been working on ways to save water. His efforts led to the development of Watering Today, a recently released app that helps reduce the amount of the precious resources used for irrigation. The app tells users the amount of water needed to irrigate a piece of land, the best days to water, and the recommended run times for each sprinkler zone based … [Read more...]
What to Do about Smishing Text Messages
Fraudsters are nothing if not innovative. They keep up with the times and trends. As emails have given way to text messaging as a communication preference, scam artists have followed suit with smishing text messages. Email usage has shrunk and now has a smaller audience, with texts having a higher read rate. So, those wishing to separate you from your money or information … [Read more...]
You Are What You Eat: Tips for Creating a Healthier Kitchen
I know very few people who don’t feel like they could eat healthier and create a more healthy kitchen, including me. Taking steps to cook and dine more healthily aren’t that difficult to implement; it’s just a matter of taking the Nike plunge: Just do it. Here are a few tips to help get started. Mealtime should be thought of as quality time. That means putting away your … [Read more...]
Forest Bathing and Wellness with The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy
The term, “forest bathing”, was coined in Japan in the 1980s. Forest bathing or “Shinrin-yoku” is the act of immersing yourself in the woods for the sake of physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Most practices involve a mindful practice and a 2 to 3-hour immersion that builds our relationship with the natural world. Recent studies have shown that forest immersion helps … [Read more...]
Utah Home Buyers and the New Decade
Are you planning on buying a home in Utah in the new decade? The ’20s will be full of big changes for everyone including home buyers. Whether you’ve bought a home before or are a first-time home buyer, there are some significant changes to home life that will alter the way we all look at home buying and living. New Home Security Along with transportation, the face of … [Read more...]
Reduce, Reuse, Redecorate!
Creative Sustainability Redecorating brings a new, fresh, and exciting look to your home. Choosing colors and picking out furniture and flooring is so appealing! With so many choices of design, color, and feel, how do you go about choosing the decor which creates the presence that is right for your home? One way to install a unique and characteristic feel to your … [Read more...]
Winter Gardening — Why Wait for Spring?
Why Wait for Spring? Most gardeners believe the only way they can grow vegetable plants during the dead of winter is in some type of greenhouse. However, I have successfully grown cold-hardy plants such as spinach, lettuce, arugula and even carrots, beets, radishes and Swiss chard right through the coldest Utah winters for more than 30 years without any protection from the … [Read more...]
Salt Lake City—conserving water for spring garden preparation
Hugelkultur Beds Salt Lake City—Conserving water for spring garden preparation comes with a German accent. Many of you are getting started with spring preparation for your vegetable garden this growing season. If you’re thinking of expanding your garden by converting another section of your lawn into a garden bed, you might consider installing a hugelkultur garden bed. … [Read more...]
Utah’s Jackrabbits—The Great Freebie
Everyone knows about jackrabbits—those nasty vermin out there in the West Desert, right? Actually, most Utahns know very little about either of the two largest rabbit species in North America. The largest rabbit is the white-tailed jackrabbit found throughout the mid-elevation expanses of Utah’s sagebrush, while the slightly smaller black-tailed “jack” is found throughout … [Read more...]