Activated Plant Charcoal: How Do I Use it?

Some people already know the charcoal for its absorbing properties, especially in case of digestive discomfort, but it can be used for many other things. My favorite use is mostly in beauty, but I also use it in the kitchen. Here are my different tips.

Activated charcoal (also known as active charcoal) is made from wood or coconut shells (more efficient), calcined for the first time at very high temperatures, in the absence of air, then calcined again for activating it, this time with pressurized water vapor. The coal becomes more porous and therefore more absorbent.

In the bathroom

Purifying mask & detox: in a small bowl mix 2 tbsp of white clay + 1/2 tbsp powdered activated charcoal, then add water or hydrosol (rosemary verbenone, lavender, rose ...) to form a paste. Then add a piece of aloe vera gel and mix everything. Option: 1 drop of lemon essential oil.

It is applied with a brush (it is so much simpler and more pleasant) on the whole face, and it is allowed to pose 5 to 10 minutes no more!

The coal will absorb toxins, bacteria, and pollutants on the skin, and also clean it. Aloe vera is moisturizing, purifying and soothing. White clay purifies, heals and softens the skin. A mask that can be used several times a week for a detox action.

To have white teeth: put some bamboo charcoal toothpaste on your wet toothbrush, then brush. So yes I warn you will have teeth, gums, tongue and black lips, but only brushing time. Rinse your mouth and brush normally with toothpaste.

Teeth are instantly whiter! This brushing is done 1-2 times a month, no more.

The charcoal also captures the odors of bad breath, your mouth is cleansed. You can also use the bamboo charcoal toothpaste in mouthwash to fight against bad breath more effectively.

For health

In case of gas, bloating, acid reflux, diarrhea ...: 1/2 tsp diluted in a glass of water, drink at each meal (ask your doctor for advice).

I advise you to drink it with a straw, to avoid having black lips!

It is recommended to drink a lot when consuming coal, being very absorbent, it can constipate. If you are taking any medication (including pill), take it off for at least 4 hours with the plug of the charcoal.

Wasp bites, hornet, bee, spider, scorpion, snake ...: form a small dough with powdered charcoal and water. Then apply on the thick layer sting. The coal will absorb the venom.

In the kitchen

Place a cup in the bottom of the refrigerator, it absorbs bad odors. You can also put one in the bottom of the fruit basket to slow ripening and rotting fruit.

Wash the vegetables: pour a tablespoon of powdered charcoal into the washing water of the fruits or vegetables. Soak for 10 minutes, then rinse with clear water to rid the fruits and vegetables, bacteria and pesticides.

Stick: in this form activated charcoal, used in a carafe or gourd, to purify water, reduce chlorine, balance pH, and mineralized water.

After 3 months of use, it must be boiled in water to reactivate. 3 months later, recycle it: grind to put on the feet of the plants, it is a good fertilizer! Deposited in the litter of the cat or in a pair of shoes, it absorbs bad odors. It also helps reduce humidity.

Maintain the Grass of the Pampas

A magnificent, large-scale grass, the grass of the pampas, adorns with its wavy presence and feathery inflorescences the center of a lawn or an open corner of the garden. Let's see how to maintain it so that it remains splendid for many years.

Get to know the pampas grass better

Cortaderia selloana, better known as 'Pampa Grass', is a large grass native to the temperate zones of South America. The plant can reach nearly 3 meters in height. It forms a large clump of about 2 meters spreading with linear leaves, thin, green slightly arched and sharp edges.

At the end of the summer silver feathery inflorescences, gradually tingling with pink or purple, emerge from the center of the tuft. They continue long months floating gracefully in the air.

How to maintain the grass of the pampas?

Once properly installed this sturdy plant does not need any watering or fertilizer. Only a few large operations will serve to make it look good.

Bring sharp pruning shears and protect yourself with gloves so you do not cut yourself with the leaves.

In early winter, cut the flower stalks at their base, you can keep them in dry bunches. To do this, dry the head upside down and spray them with hairspray.

Then remove all the faded leaves, then cut the leaves that you estimate in excess to maintain a beautiful silhouette to the plant;

If you live in a cool area, tie the leaves together to form a straight tuft so you can easily cover it with a wintering veil or make a coat around it with dry dead leaves. This one will then be maintained by a fence placed all around the plant.

In spring it will be enough to remove the protections so that your plant regains all its vigor!

Tip: in the sweetest areas like the south of France or the Breton coast, no need for protection.

The grass of the pampas, invasive plant

The purple pampas grass is considered an invasive species; It has established itself in many regions thanks to its exceptional adaptability and its particularly efficient reproduction. Indeed, a single plant can disseminate seeds over a radius of 25 km. It monopolizes the site and captures light and nutrients to the detriment of species already present. Some municipalities of Morbihan, Finistere or Ile and Vilaine are trying to destroy it. It is the pure and hard pulling of the plant and its roots then the sheeting of the zone so that residues of roots do not develop.

The size of the inflorescences is a gentler way of fighting, but only against the spread of the species. The flower stems will be cut off as soon as they develop before they have time to go to seed.

Did you know?

A large tuft of purple pampas grass from the pampas can serve as a refuge for many animals, including hedgehogs. Go easy on size operations and do not put fire especially as it is sometimes recommended!

Xiaomi Smart Home - Where to Start?

Would you like to introduce a little automation into your home, but you do not know how to do it? Xiaomi's Smart Home system may seem complicated at first glance. You need to know what are the possibilities offered by the data of the device, how they communicate with others. I will present basic information about the system, how to start your adventure.

Unfortunately, in the Xiaomi ecosystem, everything is not clear, some things work, some have a regional blockade and only work in China. At the moment, Xiaomi's Smart Home is mainly geared towards the Chinese market, but it is coming out more and more, an example may be big smart vacuum cleaner which already speaks English. Xiaomi is not the producer of all its products, it often finances start-ups from crowdfunding platforms. Sometimes, twin products, mostly seen on the example of cameras, do not work with the MiHome app, which is the heart of virtually everything from Xiaomi. At MiHome, we virtually add and manage all Xiaomi devices, creating links between them. Yeelight light bulbs and lamps are already Yeelight application level, however, we can still create scenes with other Xiaomi devices in the Mi Home app.

Differentiation of devices

Xiaomi devices combine in three ways:

Bluetooth - you cannot create scenes from the communicating device via Bluetooth

Wifi - we can connect from anywhere on the earth if only the device to which the device is connected has an internet connection.

ZigBee - the devices are connected to ports, the so-called Gateway and the gateway connects to the router and we can also control from anywhere in the field. However, without a gateway, devices that communicate with Zigbee will be useless. Zigbee devices are powered by a battery, and through the use of this transmission, the battery lasts a year or two. A very energy efficient connection.

I created three lists, in which there is a list of all devices communicating in a certain way:

Bluetooth devices

WiFi devices

Zigbee devices.

If a device is missing please let me know in the comment, I will add.

When you log in to the Mi Home app for the first time, you must select Region. Probably the majority of the choice of American or Chinese bushes will choose the United States. You must choose China, By choosing the United States, some devices will not be displayed at all. If you are only interested in, for example, Yeelight bulbs, after selecting the Singapore location, we will be able to associate the bulbs with the IFTTT.com portal. The door has a built-in lamp and a radio, the radio has only Chinese radio stations by default, but a very simple way you can also add polish.

The two most important rules of Xiaomi Smart Home, we choose the location of China and a gateway is required for Zigbee devices.

Part 2: 10 Ways to Wake up Earlier in a Good Mood

6.CHOOSE THE RINGTONE CAREFULLY

Remember to change your phone's ringtone from time to time to prevent your brain from getting used to it and starting to stall it. Choose a ringtone that you particularly like and which is soft enough not to attack you on waking and rhythmic enough to arouse your attention. If you like to wake up to music, schedule a compilation of your favorite songs or your favorite radio.

7.SET AN ALARM TIME

In more or fewer minutes, your light alarm clock must sound exactly at the same time every day. In the long term, your metabolism will develop a sensitivity that will allow it to naturally go into the waking phase at the approach of the time in question. You will come out much more rested and cooler to attack the long day ahead.

8. DO YOURSELF A LITTLE COCOONING ROUTINE

Do not get up at the same time as your family. Generally, it's a "shotgun" hour that generates a lot of stress. You do not have to feel all the pressure when you have just woken up. Remember to get up a half hour before everyone else and take the time to pamper yourself, take a shower or drink a nice glass of hot coffee ... This quiet moment will allow you to put your ideas back, comfortably in place.

9.AVOID ARTIFICIAL LIGHT SOURCES BEFORE BEDTIME

About 1 hour before bed, remember to stay away from all devices emitting artificial light. The blue light emitted by all these technological tools disrupts the secretion of the hormone responsible for sleep: melatonin. Leave aside television, mobile, tablet ... Exposing yourself to this type of technology will keep you awake much longer than expected.

10.BE CAREFUL

There is nothing more pleasant in the morning than to find the coffee already ready, the table set, your chosen outfit of the day ... You only have one thing left to do, slip into your clothes and eat a good breakfast. lunch. Even if it takes time, consider preparing everything you need in the morning at sunrise.

Part 1: 10 Ways to Wake up Earlier in a Good Mood

Every day of the week (and even weekends for some people), you have to get up to go to all your occupations before going to work. Hard to do daily especially when you have only one desire: to get under the comforter and play lazy for the rest of the day. Rouge We offer you 10 ways to not only start getting up early but also to do it in joy and in a good mood!

1.PROGRAM YOUR ALARM CLOCK BEFORE THE TIME

Well, it may not be a solution to consider if your companion is a light sleeper, but it is extremely effective. Indeed, by scheduling your alarm one or two hours rather, you give your body the opportunity to emerge slowly taking advantage of this latency time to resume its benchmarks. Psychologically, you are more prepared for the ringing which, this time, signals you that it is time to get up!

2.WRITE SMALL MESSAGES

Personalize your light alarm clock by choosing, for example, a phrase or a saying that gives you the fishing and the desire to enjoy life to the fullest. If you're using your phone's wake-up application, make sure to record a nice message that will appear on your screen when you wake up. Give free rein to your imagination and think of one or more phrases that will make you want to jump out of bed.

3.THINK OF THE DIFFICULT FUTURE

Can you never get to bed early enough? Just think of the difficulty of getting out of it tomorrow morning. Indeed, thinking about the consequences will certainly encourage you to leave programs on TV, social networks, books ... to slip into your bed at a convenient time.

4.PREPARE FOR YOUR WAKE-UP THE NIGHT BEFORE

Remember to tidy up your room before going to bed. There is nothing more disturbing than waking up in the middle of a room upside down. There is enough to give you a headache when you wake up. Try to organize as much as possible the day before to have the least things to do the next morning. Otherwise, you may get stressed (needlessly) and taken by the urgency of going to all those occupations left on hold.

5. NEVER GIVE YOURSELF A FEW MORE MINUTES OF SLEEP

The easiest way to get late and in a bad mood is to give yourself a few extra minutes of sleep. Indeed, even if you go back to sleep only for a little while, your body remains on the lookout for the ring. Moreover, if you make it a habit, your brain will learn to ignore the sound emitted by your light alarm clock. The result of the races: your alarm will not manage to get you out of sleep anymore.

Part 2: What Grasses We Can Plant to Decorate Our Garden

The massifs entirely composed of grasses are also of the most beautiful effect. To make your decor a success, place a tall grass such as Miscanthus 'Giganteus' with deep green foliage in the bottom of the massif. Then alternate grasses with soft and dancing port, like Stipa tenuissima, which will give life to the heart of your massif to erect species like the Helictotrichon. And for an explosion of color, opt for a Pennisetum 'Fireworks' with exceptional foliage variegated with green, pink and purple-red, whose intensity varies depending on the sun.

Tip: Avoid planting grasses in straight lines, prefer a staggered planting, to the effect much more natural!

A giant grass: a show alone!

Those who love the spectacular will see their desire filled with giant grasses, whose inflorescences sometimes culminate up to 4 m high. Planted in isolation, these grasses become the real focus of your garden, offering alone a remarkable identity, and noticed!

In this category, the purple pampas grass is undoubtedly the best known with this giant stubble in the form of silky feather dancer swaying more than 2 m from the ground. This giant grass can, however, be an invading strand and seem a little outdated to some.

Purple pampas grass can then turn to the original Miscanthus 'Purpurascens', probably one of the most beautiful varieties of its kind. Standing at nearly 2 m, its green-gray foliage is dyed purple in summer, before turning to coppery orange in autumn. The contrast with its pink and silver spikelets is superb.

Grasses to put the movement in your aisles

With their silky blossoming, waving at the slightest breath of wind, grasses are excellent plants to energize the borders.

The cascades of creamy white feathery ears of Pennisetum villosum or the misty clouds formed by the pink ears of an Eragrostis are thus the most beautiful effect along a garden path.

For a more rustic look, even wild, border your paths of perpetual waves of Calamagrostis acutiflora with long bright yellow panicles or a Stipa ichu. Guaranteed effect!

You'll understand, if grasses are in vogue in our gardens, they deserve it! The extraordinary variety of their foliage, as well as their flowering, allows multiple and lively compositions, far from the frozen massifs of yesteryear. Alone or associated with annuals, they offer a show in perpetual change, which is not about to stop inspiring gardeners, beginners !

Part 1: What Grasses We Can Plant to Decorate Our Garden

Herbs, cereals or bamboos, grasses, or Poaceae, are a large, very variegated family. Very popular in our gardens, the many species of ornamental grasses offer an immense diversity of size, shape, and color that never ceases to amaze.

By the way, in another article, I'm talking about Miscanthus Gracillimus here if you want to know more about a particular grass.

Not to mention the many qualities that make them the friend of all gardeners, even amateurs.

Grasses: plants with cascading qualities

Between blooming flowers and exuberant foliage, deciduous and evergreen grasses provide decorative interest for much of the year, while being very simple to grow. Ornamental grasses such as purple pampas grass are indeed easy hosts in the garden. They are satisfied with an ordinary land and even settle for a poor soil, without requiring fertilizer.

Not content to be undemanding, grasses do not require special maintenance outside a winter size. And between spontaneous seedlings and underground rhizomes (depending on the species), their multiplication is effortless.

The hakonechloa macra or grass of Japan, bears pretty arched tufts, linear leaves

Highly resistant to diseases, grasses are a valuable ally of the gardener because they attract auxiliary insects. Left on the spot, the dried stems of deciduous grasses also form a valuable winter shelter. They can also be cut to provide mulch protection for other non-hardy plants.

With such qualities, the question is not whether to adopt them, but how to choose among all the species of grass!

Give relief to your massifs with grasses

Grasses are ideal plants to animate the massifs. With them, finished decorations frozen and no question of having to staggeringly sow his seedlings or plantations to ensure a continuous decoration.

Associated with annual flowers, the grasses come to underline the brightness of the flowering and ensure the spectacle once this one completed. Focus on contrasts by blending, for example, the golden flowers of Carex 'Aurea' or the almost black purple of an Ophiopogon 'Black Beard'.