Posted on April 15, 2020March 13, 2021 by evhkiehn

Whatever the Weather (Cold Weather Care for Indoor Plants)

In continuing my theme of plant care, I have decided to write a post about how cold weather can affect indoor plants. Although it would be logical to assume that since the plants are indoors, they are unaffected by the changing of seasons, that is not 100% true! Even though they are kept inside, the seasonal changes that accompany cold weather are enough to necessitate a change in a plant’s care. Luckily, most of these changes are relatively simple and easy to implement into a normal plant care routine. If you want more plant care tips, feel free to check out my other blog post, “Be-leaf in yourself! ( and other tips on raising indoor plants)”.

Light

The short and dark days that can drag us down, can also affect plants. Sunlight is an essential part of a healthy plant’s diet, without which it can lose its luster and even die. To prevent this, it is a good idea to place all indoor plants in windows that receive the most of the day’s sunlight. Even for more light-averse plants, the weak rays of a south or west-facing window typically does more good than harm. Additionally, consider investing in a UV light lamp, which can boost the amount of growing light a plant receives. Either of these ways is an excellent step towards improving your plant’s growth during the winter.

Water

It may sound counter-intuitive, but indoor plants need less water in the cold weather. While it’s true that the colder air is typically drier, plants experience a slower rate of growth during the cold weather. Some even cease growing altogether. Less water is needed to keep them hydrated and overdoing it can lead to root rot. In this way, it is best to check with care instructions for the specific plant, to see how much to water at this time.

Humidity

Humidity is important for all plants, but especially the warmer climate varieties used as typical houseplants. Too much humidity and they can become moldy, too little, they can become brittle and prone to breaking. To ensure they stay hydrated, the humidity should be around 40-50%. One way to do this is to place houseplants in groups. Not only does this look terrific, but it also creates a pocket of humidity, as the moisture released from the plants collectively, benefits each other. You can increase the humidity even more by placing a dish of water in the center of the cluster. The evaporation allows for more humid air.

Temperature

Most plants, like people, are comfortable in daytime temperatures between roughly 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit, and nighttime temps above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. To provide that for your plants, keep them away from both cold drafts and sources of heat, like radiators, ovens, fireplaces, and electronic devices. Make sure that if plants are placed in windows, they are kept warm, and away from any drafts that may occur. Frequent fluctuations in temperature can kill houseplants just as easily as prolonged periods of heat or cold. For this reason, make sure to keep your plants just as comfortably situated as you would like to be!

Food

Since your houseplants are barely growing, they don’t need any fertilizer. Feeding them now will just upset their natural cycle, so hold off until spring. When you start to see signs of new growth, or the green of the existing leaves appears to perk up, resume giving your houseplants fertilizing, to give them a quick boost for the growing season.

Making these little shifts in the care of your plants is a great way to ensure that your indoor plants are happy and healthy. Houseplants and taking care of them are a great way to destress and brings a nice spot of color to the otherwise grey weather. Take care of your plants, and they will help take care of you!

Sources:

Admin. “15 Things You Are Doing Wrong That Are Killing Your Houseplants.” Balcony Garden Web, 9 Dec. 2019, balconygardenweb.com/indoor-plant-dying-houseplant-problems/.

“Caring for Indoor Plants During Winter.” Sunday Gardener, 7 Feb. 2019, www.sundaygardener.net/caring-for-indoor-plants-during-winter/.

Dyas, Brie. “6 Things Your Plant’s Leaves Are Trying to Tell You.” Good Housekeeping, Good Housekeeping, 21 Mar. 2018, www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/g2681/plant-leaves/.

Enbom, Staffan. “Icy_LingonBerry.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 3 Jan. 2005, www.flickr.com/photos/10449804@N00/2891327.

“Tips For Saving Cold Damaged Plants.” Gardening Know How, 1 Sept. 2019, www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/tips-for-saving-cold-damaged-plants.htm.

“Tips to Care for Indoor Plants in the Cold Winter.” Angie’s List | Join for FREE to See 10 Million Verified Reviews, 15 Oct. 2019, www.angieslist.com/articles/tips-care-indoor-plants-cold-winter.htm.

Posted on October 3, 2019March 12, 2021 by vuukat

Stress, Self-Care, and Balance in College

When in college, you may find it a challenge to take a break for yourself. Some students find it difficult to have an outlet because of the constant urge to work or complete important tasks. Balancing out responsibilities should not be a constant hassle for students; by planning ahead and being efficient with your time can make things easier to handle.

burnetts-staffing-time-management-tips-to-achieve-better-work-life-balance-01-1024x344 — Photo Found Here

My Personal Experience

In Freshman Year of college, I knew this was the perfect time to find out what I am passionate about; I was not stressed about time management, my work and class schedules were perfectly balanced, and I was able to rest during my long weekends. Everything went well, until I transitioned into Sophomore Year. I would never have imagined how much of a challenge time management would become for me.

Sophomore Year became a personal struggle, considering I had full class schedules, weekly work shifts, and an officer position in Vietnamese Student Association (VSA). I truly thought I was someone who was capable to balance everything on a plate. Turns out I was the opposite; I became exhausted after days of work and no break. Because it was difficult for me to balance everything on my shoulders, I gave up my personal time just to get my tasks completed, including time in my sleep schedule and in my social life. Different things in my agenda would stack up and I was unable to take some time to even sit down and rest.

By accepting the reality of having a difficult time balancing my schedule, I was able to learn and grow from this experience and test out different methods of stress relieving and schedule planning. One hobby that I found fun and helpful was bullet journaling. I like to think of it as a DIY planner where you get to decide what format or design to have. The reason why I enjoy bullet journaling is because it allows me to make use of my passion in drawing while prioritizing my schedule every week. For more information, here is a helpful guide on how to start your own bullet journal! By incorporating your passions with schedule organization, you are able to not only enjoy what you do but also have fun with planning out your days!

Tips!

Here are some things to consider or to try when you are stressed or when you think you are unable to find time for yourself:

Do not think that you have no time to rest. Your mind might tell you that, but your body might say otherwise so remember to listen to your body
Set aside time for free time with your friends, your family, or even yourself. Don’t let your responsibilities be the only things you’d be doing every week.
Make time for the things you enjoy doing, whether it be hobbies or passions!
Seek out opportunities that enable yourself to go outside and enjoy the fresh air. Staying inside can create a lack of motivation or even increase your levels of fatigue, so having some time just to go outside can help reduce stress and wake you up!
Use a planner or schedule organizer! I find it easier to balance my time out by writing out what priorities must be completed within the week.
If your schedule restrain you from resting, try to rearrange your agenda or even communicate with your team or your supervisors in request for time off.
If you are on campus, there are always different events and activities that can help you de-stress and enjoy so keep an eye out on promotions (especially towards the end of the quarter!)
- An example of an activity you can do during Finals Week is de-stressing with coloring in the library!

Don’t force yourself to constantly go on a workflow. Although some people may seem to think that they can handle the amount of work given, everyone deserves a break at some point. I learned that despite my motivation to continuously stand up and do something, it isn’t bad to stop and find time to rest. Of course, everyone does have different experiences with stress or time management so make sure to test out what methods are helpful for you and take time for your well-being!

Posted on June 25, 2018March 15, 2021 by libraryvoices

De stress with Origami

School can be difficult, and sometimes exactly what can help all the bottled stress is trying something completely different. So next time you feel as if you need a break from studying, try some of these easy DIY projects! You don’t have to be an expert on paper craft to appreciate the ancient art of folding paper that is origami. All of the projects listed below are rated on a scale from one to five, with five being the most difficult and one being the simplest. For the purpose of this activity, i.e de-stressing, all projects are rated three and below. Here is a list of some easy projects to get started with!

Supplies:

Square pieces of paper approximately six inches by six inches. You can use origami paper but any other thin sheet will work as well, such as printer paper. If you do not have a square piece of paper follow instructions here to make some. One of the reasons that makes origami so great is that it requires very few materials, and thus is accessible to a wide audience.

Fun and simple origami projects:

The Classic Crane:

Video Instructions: Crane Video Instructions
Written Instructions: Crane Written Instructions
Difficulty Rating: 3 on a scale of 5
Additional Notes: An ancient Japanese legend holds that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes in one year you will be either granted a wish, or receive good luck. While 1,000 is likely unattainable for the busy college student, try out this project if you have 5 minutes to spare. Additionally, paper cranes can make beautiful decorations using patterned paper or strung together!
Image found here

Jumping Frog:

Video Instructions: Frog Video Instructions
Written Instructions: Frog Written Instructions
Difficulty Rating: 3 on a scale of 5
Additional Notes: If you’re looking for a fast, and entertaining project to take up some time, look no further than the jumping frog! This project will only take you less then 5 minutes, yet this creation is something that you can play with for a long time after-just don’t become too distracted!
Image found here

Lotus Blossom:

Video Instructions: Lotus Video Instructions
Written Instructions: Lotus Written Instructions
Difficulty Rating: 2 on a scale of 5
Additional Notes: The lotus project not only creates something beautiful but also something functional as well. This project makes a wonderful addition to any study space and serves as a great place to hold items, as well as for decoration. Additionally there are many more origami creations that build off of the lotus design, making this a useful project to know overall if you are interested in pursuing more origami .
Image found here

Butterfly:

Video Instructions: Butterfly Video Instructions
Written Instructions: Butterfly Written Instructions
Difficulty Rating: 2 on a scale of 5
Additional Notes: The origami butterfly is a project like the crane that can be turned into a beautiful decoration as well as a fun occupation of time. They stick well to walls with any form of adhesive and can be used to liven up any space. Try this project with a variety of different papers to explore different crafting styles.
Image found here

Wallet or Envelope:

Video Instructions: Wallet Video Instructions
Written Instructions: Wallet Written Instructions
Difficultly Rating: 1 out of 5
Additional Notes: The origami wallet/envelope is the simplest project featured on this list, but it is one of the most versatile. In addition to being a great de-stressing project, the product of this activity will yield a useful item that can be easily used to hold anything from flashcards to extra pens.
Image found here

Overall Tips:

It is easy to become overwhelmed whenever you decide to pick up a new craft, especially where specific terms are concerned. Origami is no different and when reading over instructions getting lost in the terminology is one quick way to becoming confused. Below I have listed several resources that you can turn to for any clarification about names or types of folds.

Rather then explaining what corners to fold where at the start, origami instructions often use the term “valley or mountain” to refer to which way the paper should be creased/standing. Look here to find out the basics of this differentiation.
All origami projects that feature the creation of a 3D object, such as a box or basket, rely on a step called a squash fold. In basic terms the “squash” refereed to in the name is simply the neat art of learning how to delicately smash your paper. Look here for much more information and projects containing the squash fold.
Finally here is a breakdown of all different terms/folds you may find in any instructions and how to properly execute them.
Image found here

Searchable websites featuring hundreds of other origami projects:

If you want something a bit more difficult, or just feel like something different then the projects featured above, I recommend taking a look through any of these sites.

Happy Folding!

: Image found here

Library Voices

Tag: mental health