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The Very Best Mosquito Repellent Plants

March 23, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

When Spring arrives so do those pesky mosquitoes. Instead of using harsh chemicals on the annoying blood-suckers, consider a more natural approach using these fragrant mosquito repellent plants.

MARIGOLDS (Tagetes sp.)

Marigold plants provide showy garden colors. They contain a compound called pyrethrin that is very effective in keeping mosquitoes away. In fact, this substance works so well that it is used in many natural insecticides. In addition to mosquitoes, marigolds are also useful in repelling other insects such as aphids, tomato worms and squash bugs.

ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Not only will Rosemary make your food taste delicious and your garden look amazing, but its woody aroma is wonderful at keeping small mosquito infestations away. The live plant, cuttings from the plant and its essential oil are all effective at repelling mosquitoes. It thrives in containers but can also be pruned into many shapes and sizes to make creative borders and decorations in a garden bed. In addition to Rosemary’s ability to get rid of the skeeters, a unique lesser-known trait of this medicinal herb is its ability to help improve memory.

LEMONGRASS (Cymbopogon citrates)

Lemongrass contains citronella, which has long been used in natural insect repellents. Since it makes a good container plant, it is often planted in pots around porches or near home entrances to keep mosquitoes away. In addition to pest control, Lemongrass has a myriad of useful benefits that include calming nerves, promoting restful sleep, and maintaining digestive health.

CATNIP (Nepeta cataria)

A research group from Iowa State University studied the essential oil in catnip, which is called nepetalactone. They found it to be ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET. Catnip plants can grow very tall, so be sure to plant them in an area where it won’t block any desired views.

LEMON THYME (Thymus vulgaris)

This hardy herb repels mosquitoes when its essential oil is released by crushing or bruising its fragrant foliage. The oil must then be rubbed onto exposed areas of bare skin to be effective. Lemon thyme is an excellent plant with a pleasant lemony fragrance and a creeping habit that make it perfect for hanging baskets. It can also be planted along a path or patio to form a ground cover.

BASIL (Ocimum americanum)

Basil’s strong fragrance makes it one of the most effective mosquito repellent plants. Mosquitoes detest all basil varieties. However, lemon basil, Peruvian basil and cinnamon basil seem to work best because they have the strongest aromas. A 2009 study concluded that an essential oil from basil is toxic to mosquito larvae. Therefore, it may be a good idea to plant it near water sources to control the amount of eggs being laid.

LAVENDER (Lavandula angustifolia)

Not only are the purple flowers beautiful to look at, but the smell is known to repel mosquitoes and other pests. The lavender plant’s strong aroma comes from the essential oil in its leaves. Experts speculate that the potent scent masks the mosquito’s sense of smell, preventing it from detecting the carbon dioxide that humans emit.

Another benefit of growing this wonderful plant is being able to make Lavender Lemonade. It’s delicious, refreshing AND good for you!

LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon balm contains high levels of a compound called citronellal. This compound has similar properties to citronella, including the ability to repel mosquitoes. It has a lemony scent and flavor that are undesirable to mosquitoes and other pests. It it best grown in containers since it can be a very invasive plant.

GARLIC (Allium sativum)

Garlic has more uses than scaring off vampires and adding flavor to Italian dishes. It can also keep mosquitoes from hanging around your house. Just add some garlic to your flower bed or vegetable garden to increase the likelihood that they’ll find a home elsewhere and leave yours alone.

We wish you much success in using these mosquito repellent plants for a fun-filled and bite-free summer!

Kids Bowl Free and Skate Free All Summer Long (Sign Up Now)

March 13, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

If parents are having trouble finding something for their children to do this summer, sign up for Kids Bowl Free and Kids Skate Free. Children can spend their summer days skating and bowling. It’s a fantastic way to spend time as a family while keeping kids active. Sign me up!

Both Kids Bowl Free and Kids Skate Free are nationwide programs categorized into participating skating and bowling centers. Find the location nearest you and apply in person or online.

Kids Skate Free

Roller skating rinks across the country are participating in Kids Skate Free. Your child not only learns a new skill, but the child will be healthy, enthusiastic, and less stressed while improving balance, strength, endurance, and flexibility.

The newest program offers two skate free passes per child every day this summer. To be a part of this wonderful opportunity, sign up on the Kids Skate Free website. The free passes will arrive via email every Sunday. Hours, limitations, and roller skate rentals vary by location.

Kids Bowl Free

Over 1,500 bowling centers across America and Canada are participating in Kids Bowl Free. The oldest of the two programs, it offers the kids program and a family pass. Bowling center hours, bowling shoe rentals, and limitations vary by location.

Parents who sign their children up will get coupons for two free bowling games by email or phone every day during the summer months. That’s a $500 value per child absolutely free. Eligible children must be 15 and under.

Parents who sign up for the Family Pass will receive two free bowling games every day this summer for up to four adults. It’s a smart way for older children and parents to bowl alongside the children. Eligible adults must be 16 and older.

However, the Family pass is a one-time fee of $29.95. There are Kids Bowl Free coupon codes available, so find those coupon codes and save around 10% off.

Krispy Kreme Giving Away FREE Doughnuts with “Golden Dozen Pass”

Police Search Stage 4 Cancer Patient’s Hospital Room for Marijuana

March 12, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. 23 Comments

Should a terminally ill cancer patient in Missouri have been been subjected to a search of his personal belongings because a hospital employee claimed that the smell of marijuana had emanated from the patient’s room? Furthermore, what rights do terminally ill patients have to relieve pain that they are suffering during their final days.

Viral Facebook Video

The controversy began when Nolan Sousley, a Stage 4 pancreatic cancer patient who recently stopped chemotherapy livestreamed a video on his Facebook Page, Nolan’s Tribe of Warriors Against Cancer. The video showed local police officers in Bolivar, Missouri rifling through his belongings in an attempt to find marijuana. Someone at Citizens Memorial Hospital, where Sousley is being treated, called police to complain that they smelled marijuana coming from his room. The hospital does not allow smoking or vaping on its premises.

On the video, Sousley can be seen telling the police that he doesn’t want them searching his belongings because he did not have any marijuana and that the contents of his bags contained his end-of-life preparations. Sousley also tells the officers that he had recently taken a capsule containing THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive component of marijuana, to manage his pain. A discussion ensues between the legality of medical marijuana and the fact that Sousley doesn’t have much time to live.

The State of Medical Marijuana in Missouri

One of the Bolivar officers indicated that medical marijuana is still illegal, but that is not exactly true. In November 2018, Missouri voters passed Amendment 2, a provision to legalize medical marijuana in the state. That provision went into effect December 6, 2018.

The state of medical marijuana in Missouri is temporarily in legal limbo, however, as state officials are in the process of setting up the procedures for qualifying patients along with dispensaries. Under the law, Sousley would qualify because of his status as a terminal patient.

A woman identified as Sousley’s doctor questioned whether police had the right to search for cannabis. Maybe not. Possession of less than 10 grams of cannabis has been legal in Missouri since 2014.

Krispy Kreme Giving Away FREE Doughnuts with “Golden Dozen Pass”

March 11, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. 3 Comments

Top of the morning to ya! Spend St. Patrick’s Day weekend at Krispy Kreme to try our Green O’riginal Glazed Doughnuts and stay for the chance to win gold. Earn one dozen free signature glazed doughnuts every month for a whole year.

Image by Krispy Kreme

Does that teaser sound tasty? Head to a participating Krispy Kreme location, purchase something from our menu, and apply for the drawing. Alternatively, participants can apply via mail with name, address, age, email, and phone number on a 3×5 postcard postmarked between March 15 and March 17. More mailing information is on the website.

From the entries, a winner is randomly selected at every participating location every day during St. Patrick’s Day weekend starting March 15 and ending March 17. With three winners at every location nationwide, plenty of people will pinch themselves. Mailed postcards get a separate drawing a week later.

All winners receive a Golden Dozen Pass ticket, meaning the winners earn one dozen free glazed doughnuts for a year starting now until St. Patrick’s Day 2020. You read that right. Win one dozen doughnuts for an entire year. Now that’s a lot of gold.

Gold isn’t the only thing lucky at Krispy Kreme. Stay for the green. The Green O’riginal Glazed Doughnuts are returning to participating Krispy Kreme locations.

The green doughnut has a different appearance, yet keeps the same great taste. Purchase your green doughnuts on St. Patrick’s Day weekend to celebrate the luck of the Irish. Hop on the rainbow and collect your green!

Image by Krispy Kreme

This promotion lasts three days, so don’t wait around. Earn your green and gold stripes at Krispy Kreme. Whether it’s green doughnuts or a winning ticket, no one will leave unlucky at Krispy Kreme.

‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ Reboot Coming to Netflix

March 8, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

Nineties nostalgia is back in full swing with the latest Netflix reboot. “The Baby-Sitters Club” is a family-friendly streaming series that puts a modern-twist on everyone’s favorite babysitting fivesome. While the new show will tackle serious issues like divorce and racism, it will also be light enough to be enjoyed by young and old alike.

From Novels to Netflix

Ann M. Martin began writing “The Baby-Sitters Club” novels in 1986. Initially planned as a four-book series, the babysitters found an audience with tweens and teens who related to the friendships in Stoneybrook. The book series was first turned into a live action television series in the 1990s. A popular feature-length film starring Schuyler Fisk and Rachel Leigh Cook was released in 1995. Thanks to Netflix, a new generation of children can enjoy learning from the babysitters as they watch alongside their families.

Backed by Netflix Royalty

Those involved with “The Baby-Sitters Club” have already experienced a massive amount of success through Netflix and beyond. The showrunner for the series is Rachel Shukert, who has served as a screenwriter and executive story editor for “Glow.” Shukert has twice been nominated for her work on “Glow” by the Writers Guild of America. The new series is executive produced by Michael De Luca and Lucia Aniello, who will also direct. Martin will serve as producer of the series.

Netflix has ordered 10 episodes of “The Baby-Sitters Club.” There is no word yet about casting or when the show will be available for streaming.

Celebrate NEA’s Read Across America Day

February 25, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever shared a book with a child, you know the joy and excitement this small but meaningful act can bring. But, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, since 1993 only 53 to 58 percent of children ages three to five received this joy on a daily basis.

We can do better! Simply reading daily with a child does requires parents, older brothers and sisters, and other caring adults to add yet another hat to the many they already wear to care for and raise a child. But by adding the reading hat to your collection, you also add great rewards:

Children who are read to at home have a higher success rate in school.
Children who read frequently develop stronger reading skills.

To get kids excited about reading and encourage more adults to spend time reading with their children, the National Education Association (NEA) launched the first NEA’s Read Across America day in 1998. On March 1, 2019, NEA’s Read Across America will mark nineteen years of celebrating reading and the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

So from coast to coast, teachers, celebrities, community members, and parents are putting aside the many hats they wear for work and play and donning their reading hats, the red and white striped stovepipe hat of the Cat in the Hat.

In bringing a nation of readers together under one hat, NEA’s Read Across America offers opportunities for you to volunteer, to read, and to share your life experiences; opportunities for businesses to contribute products to congratulate young readers and for employees to volunteer time at reading programs; and opportunities for our elected officials, from the national to the state and local levels, to make reading a high priority.

Let’s all join together on March 1, and every day thereafter, to ensure that America’s children have caring adults to share books and rich reading experiences.

Kansas City Builds Tiny House Village for Homeless Veterans

Mermaid Tail Lollipops

February 21, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

These easy-to-make Mermaid Tail Lollipops are the ultimate treat for any child (or adult) who’s ever dreamed of flipping their sparkling fins and exploring under the sea just like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. They are the perfect addition to any Mermaid-themed birthday party!

The Silicone Mermaid Tail Mold can also be used to make chocolates, homemade soaps or as a topper on cupcakes.

Mermaid Tail Lollipops

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Cut or break Jolly Ranchers in pieces. They cut pretty easy with scissors, but you could also place each color in baggies and hit with a rolling pin to break up as well.
Fill each mold with pieces of the candy. Make sure to fill the entire mold.
Place on a sheet pan and stick in oven for 5-6 minutes or until all pieces are melted.
Take out and place lollipop sticks on each tail. Since the sticks will be touching, place a strip of parchment paper over each row of lollipop sticks. Let cool.
Once cooled, pop out each lollipop from the mold and enjoy!!

Here are some other recipes we thought you may enjoy:

Healthy Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits

Copycat Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread

School Bully Assault Nearly Blinds Teen

February 18, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. 43 Comments

A recent school bully assault in Derby proved just how vicious fellow students can be. On February 6, 2019, 15-year-old Nathaniel Dryden was violently punched in the face with so much force that his eyeglasses shattered. He was left with many cuts and much bleeding to the face.

Images by Amanda Dryden

The Results of the Bullying Were Horrific

According to the Daily Mail, the punch could have left him permanently blind if it had landed even an inch lower. His father, who is a nurse practitioner, said that his son will most likely suffer the psychological effects from this attack for the rest of his life. Plus, there is sure to be scarring from the glass that shattered around his eye.

Bullying Happened More than Once

While the worst attack on Nathaniel occurred on February 6, this was not the first incidence of bullying against him. On January 23, a schoolmate began punching Nathaniel seemingly for no reason. The next attack in February was actually caught on camera and shared via social media.

According to Derbyshire Live, Nathaniel sustained the punch directly to his face. The smashed glass gave him multiple cuts around his left eye and required him to receive 13 to 15 stitches. He also had to have a shard of glass removed from his eye.

Bullying Is Not Acceptable at School

Photographs posted by his mother, Amanda Dryden, on Facebook showed the damage as her son was in Derbyshire Hospital. She posted, “Bullying is not acceptable by any means.” Her posts have garnered numerous sympathetic comments and a sense of surprise that any child would stoop that low to hurt a schoolmate.

While bullying seems to be heating up in schools around the country, the Merrill Academy in Derby is dealing with this school bully assault as well as it can, utilizing its school behavior policy and keeping parents informed throughout the process. However, Nathaniel Dryden may be headed to a different school once his wounds are healed in hopes that a fresh start will accelerate his emotional recovery from this senseless act of bullying.

Kansas City Builds Tiny House Village for Homeless Veterans

School Bully Attack Leaves Teen In A Coma

Kansas City Builds Tiny House Village for Homeless Veterans

February 15, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. 16 Comments

When the Veterans Community Project set out to build a tiny house village for homeless veterans, their goal was about much more than just giving them a place to live in Kansas City. It is also about giving these veterans of all ages and stations in a life a way to make their lives truly matter through job training, drug rehab and so much more. While it may be a minor solution to a growing need, it is certainly the right start for the area.

Image Source

The Program Was Started by Veterans

According to CNN, the tiny house village for homeless veterans was started by veterans who hoped to help those in similar circumstances. We discovered that US Army Corporal Chris Stout came up with the original idea for this project and worked with other veterans in the area who had dealt with homelessness themselves. Aware of what their comrades were going through, they wanted to create a visible way to help.

The founders had to use their own money and their own time to make the program succeed, quitting their jobs and investing their savings. They did not want a program that was similar to the homeless shelters already available. Instead, they wanted something far different that would give veterans real solutions.

The Program Helps Veterans Rebuild Their Lives

The Veterans Village does not just provide a place for these retired warriors to live, but also gives them ways to succeed for the rest of their lives. Veterans living here are given training for future jobs as well as medical appointments, counseling and drug rehab as needed.

The goal for the program is to help veterans become mentally strong and physically healthy and to give them the resources to acquire good jobs to support the rest of their lives. Veterans can live here for as long as one year if they follow the rules. There are certainly rules, such as requirements for attending drug rehab programs and a strict no-alcohol policy for all.

The Program Has Attracted Plenty of Support

Not all has been perfect at the tiny house village for homeless veterans. Because of its popularity among residents and within the city, the village has attracted much support as well as publicity. However, this has not been all good. Sadly, privacy has become an issue here, and signs are posted to keep unnecessary visitors away from the area.

The Program Is Not Complete Yet

According to Kansas City’s 41 Action News, work is not yet complete at the village. At the end of 2018, there were 26 homes, and Fox 4 News reports that Chris Stout plans to open even more homes this year once they can begin building in the spring.

School Bully Attack Leaves Teen In A Coma

February 14, 2019 by Good Living Guide. This post may contain affiliate links. 51 Comments

Bullying remains in the news these days with the latest example being a school bully attack in Elko, Nevada. A 16-year-old had been complaining of bullying for months but did not deal with it for fear that the problem would worsen with outside help. Sadly, things got out of control on January 17.

The Attack

On January 17, 2019, Sandra Davidson received a call saying that her son had been hit at school and had taken a nasty fall. He was unconscious and being taken to the hospital. Once there, doctors discovered that Neo Hobbs had bleeding on the brain, and he was quickly transported to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City hundreds of miles away.

The damage was readily apparent. Not only did he have a brain bleed with bruising, but also his skull was fractured in multiple places.

The Treatment

According to Fox 13 News, Neo remained in a coma for days but is now responsive. However, due to the brain damage sustained in the attack, he will have to relearn many of the most basic acts of daily living, such as walking, talking and feeding himself. He will need months of physical therapy and will almost certainly remain in the hospital for at least two months.

GoFundMe / Neo Hobbs

The Aftermath

Life may never be the same for Neo, and the Elko school district has yet to clear up matters. According to Newsner, the school district has been doing its best to downplay the situation, saying that the injuries were from some punches and a fall.

On the other hand, Neo’s lawyers maintain that something much more than that had to happen. Looking at what happened to Neo’s skull and brain, it seems apparent that he had to have been hit with something.

Neo’s mother, his lawyers and others engaged in this school bully attack will have to wait until Neo can tell his side of the story. Additionally, the bully has yet to be identified. Until that time, the family appreciates all donations made to the Neo Hobbs GoFundMe page.