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After the winter holidays, most of us remove the Christmas ornaments from the tree and take it on a one way ride to the city dump. Well, at least after we work out the will to perform this task, considering that it’s not only difficult to maneuver a larger Christmas tree, but they also tend to leave a trail of pine needles all across the floor of the house and in the car. The following guide will point out 10 practical applications of the seasonal home decoration that has accommodated all those wonderful Christmas presents even after this time of the year has passed.

1. DIY natural mulch for the soil

The reason why the needles of the pine make an excellent mulch for the soil of your garden is twofold. In essence, their propensity of drying rather quickly and decomposing at a very slow rate ensures that the pines constitute the perfect mulch for ground covering plants like strawberries. At the same time, you don’t even have to worry about the development of mold. However, be advised that this solution is not recommended for crops that do not thrive in acidic soils.

2. Christmas trees make an excellent bird sanctuaries

If you enjoy bird watching, then you can utilize the dead pine tree by hanging several bird feeders on its branches. You can also add some live trees in order to create a networked sanctuary and decorate them in an attractive manner. A further suggestion consists of placing cones covered in peanut butter on the branches in order to attract more birds. The only situation when adding more dried needles to the bird sanctuary is highly discouraged is when your residence is located in a dry climate where wildfires are common.

3. Protecting your perennial plants with an additional layer of natural insulation

During the colder season, the perennial plants can suffer heavy damage from frostbites as well as the weight of the snow deposits. The good news is that these issues can be prevented by simply covering their beds with the branches of your pine tree. All you need to do is saw them off the trunk and arrange them on top of the perennial plant beds in the pattern of your choice. Make sure you adjust their size correctly and you can obtain the ideal free and natural insulation layer that also makes it easy to clear the snow without damaging the plant bed.

4. Constructing edges for your flower beds and/or your garden

Another application of the Christmas tree comes from the trunk, which can be cut into discs no thicker than 2 inches in order to create a delimitation for the flower bed and, if it is large enough or when you have several trees at your disposal, the yard. This way you will not only avoid incidentally stepping over the flower bed, but you will also safeguard the plants against insects that keep away from pine/cedar resin.

5. Creating shelters for the local overwintering fish

In the eventuality that your residence is in the vicinity of a still water mass, then the branches of the tree can constitute an excellent protective shelter for the fish population overwintering there. The fish can hide from the cold as well as the predators among the branches, so you are basically ensuring they have a better chance to survive during winter. However, you will need to ensure that the tree was not treated with chemical substances that could negatively influence the composition of the water.

As we all know, vinegar is a mild acid commonly used for in some cooking recipes (cabbage salad) or for cleaning tough stains. In fact, due to its rather low cost and satisfactory results, vinegar represents itself as a universal product that benefits our health and keeps the environment safe at the same time. On the other hand, few people are actually aware of the potential its mild acidic properties have. Let’s explore the versatility of this amazing substance.

1. Helps control cholesterol levels

The ability of vinegar to keep the cholesterol at optimal levels has not been tested on humans yet. Nonetheless, the numerous results obtained on animals foresee future medication based on acetic acid. To summarize, rabbits and rats that were constantly fed acetic acid over a given period of time had significantly lower harmful cholesterol levels, reduced blood pressure and enjoyed many health benefits compared to the control group.

2. It reduces high glycemia

Several studies carried between the 1990s and 2000s indicate that adding a small amount of vinegar into your dishes can help reduce the glycemia caused by foods rich in carbohydrates. In other words, vinegar may have a role to play in helping diabetics keep their condition under control. While some researchers are convinced that vinegar helps control glycemia and can reduce the amount of medication required, it is highly advisable to discuss this issue with your physician before you try it on yourself.

3. The oldest treatment for infections

While the Greeks used vinegar both internally and externally to treat infections in the 4th century BC, in reality they only discovered half of the truth. However excellent of a disinfectant the substance is, vinegar is essentially contraindicated for internal use, particularly in large quantities. Nonetheless, in some parts of the world a mixture of one tablespoon of vinegar and one-quarter warm water is still being used to fight off yeast infection and maintain the normal pH balance of the female reproductive organs.

4. Helps you create an optimal soil for a flower garden

As any gardener will tell you, some flowers thrive in a more acidic soil. Therefore, if you are thinking of growing azaleas or similar plants in your garden you too can create the perfect environment for them with the help of vinegar. Simply add two tablespoons of the substance for each 250 milliliters of water in the mixture you use to water azaleas, sit back and watch them grow. The benefits of vinegar for a flower garden are two-folded, since pouring undiluted vinegar onto weeds will destroy them immediately without affecting the environment.

5. Vinegar keeps unwanted pests out of the garden

If rabbits have given you a hard time and they are constantly coming for lunch in your vegetable garden, then vinegar can help you create a natural and safe repellant. All you have to do is soak common cotton balls in vinegar, arrange them in film containers with small holes and place them in your garden. As a side note, depending on the size of the vegetable garden, it is probable that you will need more than one of these natural repellants.

Vinegar is also helpful for those of you who are experiencing problems with ants. Essentially, you can keep the ants away from your garden by simply spraying the substance onto the fence and prevent them from crossing.

Cognac is a popular drink and a popular remedy and cure for health problems. This article serves to intrigue and maybe illustrate other ways people can utilize the drink for non-entertainment purposes.

1. Flambéing:

Snoop Dogg makes mashed potatoes with cognac. I once ate a soup in a restaurant called the cream crab and cognac soup. Flambéing is the best option, especially when cooking seafood in a frying pan. Try it, but be forewarned since the liquid ignites.

2. Mixed Drinks:

Try adding cognac to specialty drinks like chai tea, blueberry tea and eggnog. Look in the Food and Wine magazine to see how you can mix it up.

3. Straight up:

You can drink like Americans and Europeans do, the straightway up in a shot glass. 3 shot glasses and you will definitely need to call a cab for yourself. 4, you may start seeing rainbows.

4. French Onion Soup:

Many people eat French onion soup with just a bit of cognac. I`ve seen a number of recipes online with this idea.

5. Cognac Oil:

This is a by-product of the distilled cognac. Oil is obtained by steam distillation of the residue of grape tissues and fungus.

Vodka is not just a drink people pour into a shot glass. Since 11th century, people have used vodka for medicinal purposes. 16th century herbalists also believed that vodka aids fertility and lust.  This top 10 list examines the 10 most popular usages of vodka today.

1. Drinking:

Screw-drivers, sex on the beach, you name it. There are so many popular drinks that mix vodka inside. In fact, some Europeans love to drink a shot of vodka straight up with a lemon to smoothen the taste.

2. Remove Band-Aid:

You no longer have to suffer the pain of removing a Band-Aid that is stuck to your skin. You can use alcohol to remove the adhesive. The Band-Aid will come off easily.

3. Dry cold sores:

Open and wet cold sores are problematic. They prevent you from kissing others or sharing used utensils. If you apply vodka to a cue tip and apply it to a cold sore, you will dry it. A dry cold sore is less infective than an open cold sore.

4. Cleaning wounds:

Many use sterile pads and rubbing alcohol to clean wounds. If you do not have the two, vodka works as well. In fact, sterile pads and rubbing alcohol contain vodka ingredients inside. The effect may sting.

5. Cure feet odor:

Washing feet in vodka is an effective way to regulate foot odors. Green tea extracts can help eliminate sweating.

One of the most common and popular vegetables is the tomato. This is due to the versatility and bountiful health benefits the tomato  can offer. Tomatoes can be found in many different dishes and are used for a variety beneficial reasons. One of the more popular forms of the vegetable is in juice form. Tomato juice is a nutritious drink with many health benefits.

The main organic compound in the tomato is the lycopene. Lycopene gives the tomato the red color it is well known for and has been found to have antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. It acts as an antioxidant by shielding the cells and organs from oxygen damage. It has also been found to help protect DNA in white blood cells. Lycopene has been found to be effective against several types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancers.

Tomato juice is also most popularly used as a cure a hangover (or at least lessen the pain). This is because it can help to replace some of the nutrients lost from the night before. Drink it the night before and mix it with cucumber juice, spinach juice and a table spoon of olive oil.

There are other health benefits this article shall examine and they are:

1. Reduces skin oiliness:

Some people take a tomato and slice it. They then rub the tomato half on their skin, squeezing the juice simultaneously. After 15 minutes of waiting, people would rinse it off and repeat twice daily.

2. Restore Skin Discoloration:

When you get patchy skin, you do not need to worry. Many people use tomato juice to restore skin discoloration (i.e. freckles). Take a cotton swab dipped with tomato juice and massage the tomato juice into the skin.

3. Reduces Irritation:

Do you have skin irritation, redness and feel itch? Many people use tomato juice and pulp from tomatoes to reduce irritation.

4. Odor Remover:

If something has a bad odor, take a sponge and soak it into tomato juice. You can then wash the itemwith  a sponge filled with tomato juice. Lather, wash and clean and the odor will be gone in no time.

5. Restore hair color:

My friend told me that someone uses tomato juice to restore hair color. I looked it up and it is quite true. Those who are blonde may have their hair affected by chlorine. Tomato juice is their cure.

Honey contains a number of properties which help its ability to fight infection and promote healing. Its high sugar content helps it drain infection and fluids from wounds through osmosis. Honey also prevents bacterial growth with its acidic pH. Its enzyme also produces small portions of hydrogen peroxide.

As such, here are 10 unconventional uses of honey. The usages date back to Zeus and how he was saved by the bees who were feeding him honey.

1. Antiseptic:

It could be used as an antiseptic on a wound when injured. The honey is pure, so it cannot cause any harm to the body. No dirt would touch the wound.

2. Athletic uses:

Honey is drunk right before an athlete has an important event. It helps enrich their calcium and mineral levels when performing extreme activities.

3. Anti-biotic:

One woman had a 20 year old wound which was anti-biotic resistant and filled with bacteria. The pain was excruciating and there was nothing anyone could do to help her. In August of 1999, she read an article about honey and its healing powers. She applied the honey to the wound, which healed after a while.

4. Baldness:

Honey has been used as a therapeutic agent to cure baldness. It has been used to slow down the process of hair loss.

5. Gastro-Intestinal Problems:

Honey has also been used to cure gastro-intestinal problems. The first reference to this was in the Bukhari and Moslem Hadith books. Ever since, Muslims have used honey cure many disorders like Diarrhoea.

Before you think of enjoying a drink of beer, take a quick rundown of list of top 10 interesting uses of beer. You will be surprised at the many and unimaginable uses of beer.

1. Use in your Chicken BBQ
This has got to be the easiest way of having chicken BBQ. The beer and adds a distinct flavor while you are cooking your chicken. You will surely end up with a tasty chicken BBQ.

2. Create a Batter
You can substitute baking powder with beer as your raising agent when you are making a batter. The yeast and the bubble of beer will provide the raising in your batter.

3. Lather your Hair
You can “shampoo” your hair with beer to add body and luster. In fact, if you are into the natural maintenance of your hair, then beer shampoo should be high on your list.

4. Use as Bee Deterrent
You can use spent beer cans to deter the bees and wasps in your yard while you are having your picnic. Wasps and bees are naturally attracted to beer. However, place the cans away from the places where you are going to stay.

5. Use as fertilizer in your garden
Beer is good for garden plants. If you end up with a lot of left-over then it is best for you to use it to fertilize your garden.