DIY: A PLUG HACK

I get very frustrated when I go to plug in a cord in a kitchen receptacle and it is the wrong direction. I know it only takes a second to flip it over but I never pick the right direction.  

It inevitably happens when I only have one hand free or when I am doing several tasks at one time.  

Here's a tip to make sure you choose the right direction Every Time. Once you do this, you'll wonder why you never thought of it before!

First, take your plug and plug it in the socket in the RIGHT direction. 

Then, take your favorite color of magic marker and scribble a spot on what you determined to be the RIGHT side for each plug.  

I use black on white plugs because I can see them better, but you can use RED or BLUE or any color that is better for you.

I use black on white plugs 

If your plugs are white, you can use black or red marker. If your plugs are black, try using bright red, neon green or a yellow highlighter.  

Here are some more suggestions.

You can use neon green on black plugs

Double-check the right direction of your plug,
then put your mark on it

Red shows well, but so does a neon green or yellow highlighter 

Red on white is also easy to see

Success!  

Once you mark your plugs, you won't ever be frustrated again!

Did you like this hack?  We'd love it if you would leave a comment.  Thanks!

 

Proper Storage For Basil

Keep Basil In The Sun

Basil needs sunlight

You shouldn’t store basil cuttings in the refrigerator because your basil needs sunshine. Basil wilts in the refrigerator.

Place your basil in a half cup of fresh cool water, and then place the cup on the sill of a sunny window. Your basil will last a lot longer. If it sprouts roots, it means that you can replant it and keep growing basil from that sampling.

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Mayflies

Mayflies are also called shadflies and lake flies. They are aquatic insects and contribute to the food source for fish and reptiles.  

They get their name because they emerge during the month of May. They are found in the United States, Canada, and Greenland. Since 2015, they have also been reported to be in Central American countries and Mexico. 

Their color varies but basically, it's pretty dull in hue. They have clear wings due to their diet. They don't eat rich foods and they don't eat on a schedule.  They eat whatever they can, whenever they can.

Mayflies have a short lifespan

They have six legs and two or three tails that are often longer than the entire length of their bodies which is about one inch long.  

Mayflies are part of an ancient group called Palaeoptera.  In that group are also dragonflies and damselflies.  There are over 3000 species of mayflies worldwide.  

You can get a better idea of the size of the Mayfly in this picture showing a mayfly sitting on a human fingernail.

Look how little it is!  Fits on a fingernail.

Mayflies are more active during the warm months and can be somewhat of a pest. If your property is infested with mayflies, there's only so much you can do on your own.  It's probably best to hire a professional pest control company to get rid of them.

They don't sting or bite but because they are attracted by light, they swarm at night around lighted buildings which can alarm some people.

You can change your indoor and outdoor lightbulbs to only yellow bulbs which will lessen their attraction to bright white light. Keep screens in your windows and storm doors, and seal any gaps or cracks because they can get into the home via the smallest of gaps.

 

Life Span

Mayflies spend their juvenile life (one to three years) as water crawlers and they spend their much shorter adult life in the air and on land. 

Once they leave the water, they dry off for one or two days to shed their skin, then fly away to mate. Male mayflies die right after mating. Females die after they lay their eggs.

Their incredibly short life span makes one wonder why they exist at all.  The answer is because they are a valuable part of the food chain for fish and humans in several ways:  

- because they live in streams, ponds, shallow lakes, and rivers, they are used to monitor water quality;

- the energy that is stored in algae and other aquatic plants is prepared by mayflies so it can be a food source for fish, birds, and other invertebrates;

- they are a vital source of food for over 225 species of fish, toads, frogs, some reptiles, and birds. 

- they are also a food source for humans in at least ten countries where whole communities gather to collect them. They either eaten raw, or they are sun-dried, then ground into flour to make cakes and bread.   

The mayfly life cycle begins and ends with reproduction. It is the only insect that has two adult stages. The first stage is sexually immature until it emerges from the water. In the final stage, mayflies molt, reproduce, then die.

Sources: 

Pestworld's Pest Guide
Purdue Department of Entomology 
Maine.gov
The Chesapeake Bay Program

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What Are You Putting Down Your Drain?

If you think your local water treatment plant has the ability to make absolutely sure that the water supply coming into your home is 100% safe, you might be surprised to know that they don't have all the capabilities that you think they do.

Do you throw your old medications down your toilet?  Reply in the comments.

The Wrong Way To Dispose Of Old Medications

Besides the overuse of pesticides that pollute the ground, our air, and our food crops, probably one of the worse contributors to poisoning our water supply is when people dump prescription medications down their household drains - especially their toilets.  

Most people dump because they don't need or want the drugs anymore. Others do it because they think it's the safest way to get rid of them. 

Drug handouts explain how to dispose of medications 

The Rules Have Changed

For years, drug companies stopped offering a return policy for discarded drugs.  So they told hospitals, pharmacies, and other medical facilities that it was acceptable to dump drugs down the drain. That's how the public came to do the same thing. If it was good enough for medical facilities, then it must be OK for regular people to do. 

It was, but back then, it was a common belief these pills and capsules completely dissolved and disappeared into the system.  It was also believed that water treatment plants would extract them when they treated the water. As long as the tap water came out very clear and odor-free, dumping medications down the drain seemed harmless.   

That's partly true. Most of the drugs do dissolve, but they don't disappear.  Trace amounts remain behind. If you multiply just two drugs by the number of people living in one small city, the trace amounts are now astronomical.  

Infected Sea Life And Food Supply

Federal, state and local water authorities perform various quality tests throughout each day. After years of dumping, they found that these medications - whether or not they had dissolved - still remained in the wastewater. Some is washed out into the ocean, where fish and other sea creatures absorb them.  Scientists attribute the dumping of medications to the different kinds of anomalies in fish, in our environment, and in our food supply.

Click on picture to enlarge; check out the findings by scientists

 

Although the EPA has guidelines to say that certain percentages are "acceptable" in our water supply, laboratories found excessive amounts of antidepressants, steroids, contraceptives, and pain medications were present.  When they tested animals and sea life that were exposed, they have found high amounts of hormones that created mutant fish (with both male and female sex organs), neurological disorders as well as physical changes.

Scientists say if the public continues to dump medications down their drains which leads into the water supply, the drug residue in the filtration systems at water treatment facilities will continue to build up.  

Metformin - from an article on US NEWS 

 

What To Do With Old Medications

The most convenient and safest way to dispose of old medications is by taking advantage of bulk disposal day so meds are taken to a central location.  Sometimes communities will sponsor the placement of drop boxes around town so authorities can arrange for proper disposal.  

Many cities place disposal boxes in pharmacies

If it is not convenient, or if you are homebound and must dispose of your medications on your own, the FDA recommends that you make the medications as unattractive and as unappetizing as possible so animals, homeless people, and children don't come across them when they are trash-picking. 


Mix the pills up with something like bleach and garden dirt, in "used" cat litter or "used" coffee grounds (without crushing the tablets themselves). Then place the mixture into a sealed plastic bag.  For added security, you can carefully pour some household bleach or ammonia in the bag so the smell chases snoops away.


This way if anyone does find your old pills in the trash, they won't want to use them - especially if they are mixed up in "used" cat litter and ammonia!

Dispose in used cat litter, add bleach or ammonia to repel.

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Proper Storage For Cucumbers

Cucumbers don't fare well when they are stored in the fridge. They quickly become waterlogged and lose a lot of their flavor. 

Store on your counter or in the pantry, not in the refrigerator

If you store your cucumbers on your counter or in a pantry, keep an eye on them to check or spoilage. The smell of a rotten cucumber will alert you days after it spoiled which is not pleasant.  

If you want cool cucumbers to put on your eyes or as another beauty treatment, just before you are ready to use them, dunk the slices of cucumber in ice water for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and use.


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