Beat the heat with these Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipes – refreshing for summer! Perfect for relaxing outdoors and entertaining adults and kids alike. #NonAlcoholicDrinks #SummerDrinks
Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipes Refreshing Summer
Enjoying the outdoors, summer parties, and beating the heat!
Summer is in full swing and that means it’s time to relax on the porch with friends and family. What better way to refresh than with a nice cold drink. So, here is a collection of delicious and amazing non-alcoholic beverages perfect for summer refreshment.
I know you will love this roundup of drink recipes from some very talented bloggers. They are gorgeous and make a beautiful presentation. Plus, these summer drinks are kid-friendly. Enjoy!
Looking for something fun and fabulous for your drinks? Try these DIY Bug Umbrellas For Party Drinks. Your guests will love them, and you can match whatever decor you use.
Photo: Cindy McNatt, OC Register
PIN and SHARE
17 Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipes Refreshing Summer
Have a lovely and relaxing summer, and try to stay cool.
Debbie Lewis joins us again today with some easy and doable projects for making the most of your rental living spaces.
5 Budget Friendly Projects
For Your Apartment
Living in a rental can leave you feeling a bit restricted when it comes to updates. If you’re looking for a way to ditch the cookie-cutter feel of your apartment, try these affordable upgrades that you can tackle over the weekend.
Add Geometric Interest to Walls
Painting isn’t always an option for renters, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with boring walls. Update your apartment with a geometric stick-on solution instead. Purchase sticky vinyl in your chosen color, and use a manual die cutting tool to create your desired shapes. Go for a colorful array of polka dots, chic stripes, or series of retro starbursts. Your options are limited only by your imagination and willingness to trace and cut the pieces. Once you’ve prepared the shapes, just stick them up. They’ll peel right down again when it’s time to move. Check out this Vinyl Wall Art of the Eiffel Tower that Lorelai did in Rory’s bedroom.
Storage space is typically at a premium in an apartment. You want to make smart use of every available inch without giving your place a cluttered look. DIY storage can offer a versatile solution that’s custom made to fit the available dimensions. Make your own plywood rolling drawers to fit perfectly under your bed or beneath hanging clothes in your closet. Build shoe storage from PVC pipes for a wall-to-wall piece that lets you make use of every bit of available closet space. The options are endless with a little DIY ingenuity.
Opt for Open Storage
Is your apartment lacking some of the desired cabinet space for your kitchen essentials? Turn to open storage that doubles as a decorative element instead. Mount two or three shelves to any open wall and keep your most colorful cups, plates, bowls, and serving ware here. Add hooks to the bottom of the lowest shelf for your collection of mugs or a few bright dish towels.
Upgrade Your Showerhead
Many apartment fixtures are too troublesome to change, but your showerhead is something that you actually have a great deal of control over. Changing out the showerhead is a matter of quickly screwing the standard installation off and adding your sparkling new fixture. You can dramatically improve your morning routine with an adjustable showerhead with multiple settings. If you want to reduce your water bill, a low-flow showerhead is an investment that can help you save in the long run.
Change the Doorknobs
Doorknobs are another apartment feature you can easily swap out with minimal effort. Upgrading to new knobs can instantly give your apartment a fresher look. You’ll also enjoy the benefit of knobs that lock properly if that’s something you’re struggling with. Have kids you don’t want isolated in their rooms? Switch to knobs that don’t lock at all. Just keep the old ones so you can change them back before you leave.
There’s no need for rental restrictions to leave your unit feeling dull. Get creative with the available space in your apartment and make the most of what’s available with these smart solutions.
Have you ever wondered about aquaponic gardening? If not, perhaps you should; it is fascinating. Explore the possibilities and learn more about aquaponics from our regular contributor, Megan Wild.
What Is Aquaponic Gardening
and How to Get Started
Living sustainably is a trend that has continued to gain popularity over time. Aquaponics is a method of gardening that combines fish farming and growing plants to create a system that is (hopefully) self-sustaining. Sounds pretty interesting, right? Check out the information below to learn more about this method and get started on your own aquaponic garden.
With an aquaponic system, waste from the fish become fertilizer for the plants, and the plants absorb it to keep the water clean and healthy for the fish. Fish waste creates ammonia and nitrate which can be harmful for the fish if it builds up. In an aquaponics system, however, the plants absorb the ammonia and nitrate and cycle the water to keep the fish safe. Once your system is established and self-sustaining, you’ll only need to add small amounts of water to replace what evaporates.
What Type of Fish Do I Need?
Tilapia is one of the most commonly used fish because they mature quickly, like warm water and do not require high levels of oxygen. In some places, however, tilapia is difficult to get or illegal to grow, so people will use catfish instead. If you don’t plan to eat the fish, goldfish can be another great option. Blue gill and koi have also successfully been used for aquaponics.
What Kind of Plants Can I Grow?
Aquaponic gardens can grow all kinds of things, but aquaponic systems function at a pH level that’s pretty neutral. Plants that require a very acidic pH won’t make it here, so if you had dreams of blueberries or azaleas, aquaponics isn’t for you. Here’s a partial list of some plants that will do well in your aquaponic garden:
Kale
Swiss chard
Mint
Basil
Sage
Lemongrass
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Broccoli
Eggplant
Getting Started
Aquaponic systems are pretty customizable, but every system needs to have these components:
A tank for fish. You can reuse containers you already have around the home, but always clean it thoroughly and don’t use anything that had harmful chemicals in it. You don’t want to put your fish or your food at risk.
A grow bed. This is where all your plants will be. Your bed should contain a growing medium like lava rock, gravel or hydroton.
Pumps and pipes. These will move water to and from your grow bed. Setting up the system for the pumps and pipes can be the trickiest part of creating your own aquaponics system.
An aerator. Having an aerator helps to provide oxygen for your fish.
Live red worms. Many people use live red worms in their growing medium. The worms help remove any solid fish waste, and worm castings are great for your plants. You can shine a flashlight on your worms to get them to dig themselves into your grow bed.
Once you have your supplies, you should establish your fish and your grow bed. The medium you choose will help clean the water even if there’s no plants in it.
Why Aquaponics?
There’s several reasons why more people are choosing to do less traditional forms of gardening, such as aquaponics. So, why should you start an aquaponic farm?
Aquaponic systems use far less water than traditional gardens. The water you use gets cleansed and recycled by the plants so you only add a small amount of water over time to replace what evaporates.
This method is perfect for people who have soil that isn’t good for growing. Rather than spending time and money trying to amend your soil, you can skip it altogether.
Aquaponic systems are organic.
Aquaponics reduce back strain from bending since most systems are built at waist level.
Only a small amount of energy is required to run the pump and aeration for the fish. This means you could potentially supply this through a sustainable source, such as solar panels, which would reduce your overall energy bill.
Building an aquaponic system is a giant step toward living more sustainably. You get the satisfaction of fresh vegetables and fresh fish that come from your own home — what could be better than that?
