70 Summery Backyard DIY Projects That Are Borderline Genius

From planting a small flower garden to sprucing up your outdoor furniture, many of these projects will take you less than a day to complete and some may not cost you anything at all if you have a few basic supplies on hand.

Go ahead and get ready for summer by adding some beauty to your outdoors. From DIY stepping stones to marvelous outdoor patio furniture that you can make yourself, this collection has it all. There are even instructions for how you can add a little color to a stone patio and wonderful ideas for dressing up boring fences and adding a bit of privacy.

Whether you choose on project or choose them all, we are certain that you will find something that will instantly improve your outdoor décor and give you a great reason to get outside this summer.

Make a Giant Xylophone

If you want something really fun, not to mention cheap and easy to build, you can make a giant xylophone for your little ones. They will have hours of fun making music in the backyard and since xylophones are generally different colors, you can brighten up your outdoors just a bit. This is such an easy project that just calls for pine boards, paint and rope. You’ll also need a staple gun and you can build it in just a few hours. Imagine the fun your little one will have putting on an outdoor concert for you.

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70 Summery Backyard DIY Projects That Are Borderline Genius – Full News.

‘The Notorious G.R.E.E.N.’ Collard Wrap [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

I’m a wrap star! Yes, I’m Becca Rhymes, in the same crew as Farro Williams, The Roots, and Kale-ye West. Gimme a beet! It’s so simple to be a wrap star: Just take a nori sheet, brown rice wrap, collard leaf, or large piece of romaine lettuce; add everything you want inside; roll it up; and (hip hop) hooray, it’s ready! Collard back, yo!

“The Notorious G.R.E.E.N.” Collard Wrap [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

This Recipe is :

Dairy FreeHealthyNutrient Dense RecipesSingle ServeSoy FreeSugar Free / Low SugarVeganWheat Free

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‘The Notorious G.R.E.E.N.’ Collard Wrap [Vegan, Gluten-Free] | One Green Planet.

7 Tips for Cooking Vegetables So That They Taste Delicious

Everyone knows we have to eat lots of vegetables because they are healthy, loaded with vitamins and minerals and good for our bodies. The truth is that we also need to nourish our appetites, taste buds and minds. If we don’t like the way vegetables taste, we probably won’t eat many of them, and the ones we do eat, we might do so reluctantly. If we can cook vegetables so that they taste delicious, savory, sweet, caramelized, spicy and flavorful, then we will look forward to our next dish of veggies. There are so many ways to cook veggies and fill them with flavors we love and crave, all without compromising nutrition. Here are some tips for how to cook vegetables so they taste delicious.

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7 Tips for Cooking Vegetables So That They Taste Delicious | One Green Planet.

Think Salads are Just Lettuce? Here are 10 Summer Salads That Will Make You Think Again

When summer arrives, the last thing anyone wants to do is spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking. Yet, we all still need to eat healthy and satisfying meals. That’s where salads come in to save the hot and steamy day. There are a lot of people who think salads are boring bowls of ripped up lettuce and tomatoes with bottled dressing poured on top. What a sad thought!

Refreshing summer salads can be so much more. It’s all about color, texture and taste. Ingredients can be simple or stunning, easy or exotic, light or luscious. There doesn’t even have to be any lettuce at all! Check out 7 Steps for Making Refreshing Summer Salads. And forget that bottled dressing stuff. See 10 Creative and Delicious Ways to Flavor Raw Leafy Greens and 10 Ways to Make Amazing Salad Dressings for lots of homemade, tasty recipes and ideas. Here are 10 amazing recipes for summer that will change the way you think about salads.

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Think Salads are Just Lettuce? Here are 10 Summer Salads That Will Make You Think Again | One Green Planet.

Breathtaking Photographs of Bioluminescent Caves Will Inspire You to Stand Up for Nature

It can be easy to fall into a pattern in our lives and not pay attention to all the small natural wonders that surround us. Most of us spend our days in offices or school buildings and only get to witness nature through windows or on short walks to and from our appointments. It’s really no surprise that many people take the natural world for granted, but tragically, given the damage that has resulted from this apathetic mindset, rainforests, ice caps, and other amazing wild places are disappearing right before our eyes.

There are many small things that we can all do to minimize our impact on the world around us. Some of these things are as simple as recognizing the environmental impact of your diet and opting to choose more plant-based foods, but you won’t be motivated to stop and make a change for the betterment of the world unless you take the time to appreciate its wonders first.

If you’re in need of a little reminder of why the natural world is worth protecting, look no further than these breathtaking photos from Joseph Michael.

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Breathtaking Photographs of Bioluminescent Caves Will Inspire You to Stand Up for Nature | One Green Planet.

How the Plastic You Use Is Killing Animals on One of the World’s Most Remote Islands

Midway Atoll was the site of an important turning point in world history in the 1940s. The Battle of Midway occurred in June 1942, six months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The tiny, seemingly insignificant chain of islands that make up the Midway Atoll ended up playing a pivotal role in the history books and turning the tide on World War II’s action in the Pacific.

While conflict may have ended decades ago during the first Battle of Midway, there appears to be a second battle of a different type raging both on land and at sea. And unlike the wartime fighting that was fueled by international tensions, this new battle is rooted in a common culture obsessed with consumption and throwaway goods. It’s a battle between the environment and garbage that’s thrown away but never actually goes away.

The characteristics of this second Battle of Midway do not involve heavy artillery, strategically planned attacks, or a direct assault on human life. Rather, the war is more passive in nature from man in his onslaught of wildlife on this tiny patch of land in the middle of the Pacific. A little bit of carelessness and ignorance on the part of one individual results in insurmountable destruction when you consider these actions taking place amongst entire populations of communities living along the coast. The plastic pollution that finds its way to the shores of the Midway Atoll becomes an eyesore at best and a lethal meal for a variety of marine life at worst.

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How the Plastic You Use Is Killing Animals on One of the World’s Most Remote Islands | One Green Planet.

Breathtaking Photographs of Bioluminescent Caves Will Inspire You to Stand Up for Nature

It can be easy to fall into a pattern in our lives and not pay attention to all the small natural wonders that surround us. Most of us spend our days in offices or school buildings and only get to witness nature through windows or on short walks to and from our appointments. It’s really no surprise that many people take the natural world for granted, but tragically, given the damage that has resulted from this apathetic mindset, rainforests, ice caps, and other amazing wild places are disappearing right before our eyes.

There are many small things that we can all do to minimize our impact on the world around us. Some of these things are as simple as recognizing the environmental impact of your diet and opting to choose more plant-based foods, but you won’t be motivated to stop and make a change for the betterment of the world unless you take the time to appreciate its wonders first.

If you’re in need of a little reminder of why the natural world is worth protecting, look no further than these breathtaking photos from Joseph Michael.

Read More Here :

Breathtaking Photographs of Bioluminescent Caves Will Inspire You to Stand Up for Nature | One Green Planet.

Cheers To That! 8 Unexpected Benefits Of Champagne

That’s right folks, you can now justify your alcoholism!

Jokes aside, champagne is surprisingly more beneficial than one would think–so long as you don’t go overboard. Next time you’re at brunch, have yourself a cheeky mimosa and explain to your friends some of the benefits of champagne:

1. Improves Spatial Memory

Studies have shown that spatial memory can be improved after the consumption of champagne. Spatial memory is the ability to recognize one’s surroundings, as well as perform complex tasks and calculations. It is of particular importance to older people. Very early signs of dementia can occur when you’re in your 40s, therefore it can be beneficial to have a few glasses of champagne weekly to ward it off.

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Cheers To That! 8 Unexpected Benefits Of Champagne.

Those Who Always Eat Unhealthy Foods Will Ditch Their Bad Diet After Reading This

You know how important it is to eat healthy foods. Who doesn’t, right? But consuming certain unhealthy foods can erase your healthy progress in a matter of seconds. If you want to win the battle of the bulge, avoid these 10 unhealthy foods like the plague.

#1: White pasta

Refined carbohydrates are one of the biggest weight gain culprits of unhealthy foods. And pasta is particularly troublesome. The flour used to make most refined or “white” pasta is highly processed and stripped of most of its nutritional properties. Refined pasta and other grains can make your blood sugar rise rapidly, releasing a hormone that blocks your body’s ability to burn fat. That alone should be plenty of incentive to skip the pasta.

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Those Who Always Eat Unhealthy Foods Will Ditch Their Bad Diet After Reading This.

Why Are Public Toilet Seats U-Shaped?

There’s a difference between a public toilet and the one in your house, and it’s not the smell: their seats are shaped differently. Almost all public restrooms have what are called open front toilet seats, which are shaped like the letter u and have an opening at the front. Most private bathrooms, by contrast, have oval or round toilet seats that wrap all the way around the toilet. Why the gap?

The two-prong, open-front seat is required by the plumbing codes adopted by most public authorities in the U.S. “All water closet seats, except those within dwelling units, shall be either of the open front type or have an automatic seat cover dispenser,” as California’s state plumbing code reads [PDF]. The requirement was first included in the American Standard National Plumbing Code in 1955, and in the Uniform Plumbing Code in 1973, according to Dan Cole, a Technical Services Manager with the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).

This is largely a matter of hygiene. No matter what kind of junk you’re packing, u-shaped seats give you a little breathing room to avoid touching the seat with your genitals, and provide one less place for urine to splash.

Open-front toilet seats are largely designed to make it easier for women to wipe, according to Lynne Simnick, the senior vice president of code development at the IAPMO. The opening is designed to “allow women to wipe the perineal area after using the toilet without contacting the seat,” she says. So basically, open toilet seats are designed for front-wipers. (Clearly the ladies in question have not been lectured on how to prevent UTIs.)

U-shaped seats are also cheaper, since they use less material. And they’re less likely to be stolen, according to Roger Barry, the managing director of Healthmatic, a UK-based company that designs and manages public restrooms. Though I question why anyone would want to steal a public toilet seat, he says that theft is a major problem. “The appearance of u-shaped seats is something that has dampened in the UK,” he reports, mostly because public toilets are no longer fitted with toilet seats at all to combat stealing.

Indeed, we should be grateful to have any toilet seats at all in public washrooms.

via Why Are Public Toilet Seats U-Shaped? | Mental Floss.