Tips To Create Beautiful Herb Centrepiece To Dining Table

The only thing better than enjoying a delicious meal is sitting down at a beautiful table to eat it! There’s something ‘oh-so-magical’ about a beautiful table setting – it makes the simple act of getting together for a cozy meal – a wonderful affair. With the festive season just around the corner, we bring you beautiful table settings that are inspiring.

Add a dash of Tuscany to your table 

The most important and conspicuous part of a beautifully laid table is the centerpiece. Make it striking, unexpected, even edible! 

Commonfloor reader, Sonali Dutta, homemaker, Delhi recommends – Place a small pair of scissors at each setting so that guests may snip bits of herbs from the centerpiece and sprinkle them into their soup, salad, or vegetables. You can’t get herbs much fresher than that. Such a centerpiece can be as simple as a few small pots of culinary herbs and edible flowers temporarily planted in a harvest basket or large soup tureen a day or so before the party. 

Place leaves and flowers on the tablecloth around each place setting or arrange them around the edges of a large plate placed under a smaller dinner or luncheon plate. 

Complete the look 

Bottles of olive oil, silverware atop cloth napkins, and salt and pepper, all corralled on a wooden tray, complete the look. 

Keep it simple

We love this idea of keeping it simple. Let the fragrance of the herbs envelop you whilst you use them as part of your table decor…keeping them in champagne glasses and adding a tea light candle as a decor accent. 

Strew herbs and flower petals across the tablecloth just before guests arrive. Choose colorful leaves and flowers that complement the china and linens. Bay, hyssop, rosemary, rose petals, sage, scented pelargoniums, and thyme are all good choices as they lie flat and are slow to wilt. 

Flowers and herbs sandwich

Sandwich an arrangement of flowers and herbal greenery between clear glass plates.

A pretty posy of herbs tucked into a folded napkin is a tiny, fragrant bouquet that guests can take home. Choose a few herbs such as sage, thyme, and rosemary along with a few flowers, strip off the lower leaves, and snip the ends with scissors. Add a small ribbon to each posy before tucking it into the napkin.

Pretty up traditional paper place cards with pressed dried herb sprigs attached with white glue. Or write each guest’s name on a fresh or dried bay leaf with a black, gold, or silver marking pen, then place it on the dinner plate, tuck it into the napkin, or prop it against a wineglass. 

Source: http://www.commonfloor.com/articles/tips-to-create-beautiful-herb-centrepiece-to-dining-table-17176.html

10 Innovative Ways to Save Water in Your Apartment Community

The demand for water is increasing day-by-day and despite water being the basic human need, this precious resource is being wasted. When you save water, you save money on your utility bills too. Water consumption in your apartment complex can be reduced by following ways.

Tippy Tap for hand washing: The Tippy tap is a wonderful and fun device to dispense small amounts of water to wash hands with soap and improve hygiene. In case of piped water supply, every time the tap is opened for a hand wash, an average of 300 – 500 ml of water is utilized. Using Tippy Tap it is possible to have a good hand wash with only 60 to 80 ml of water. Tippy Tap is a simple device which dispenses a limited amount of water slowly and facilitates a thorough hand wash.

Water when temperatures are cooler: Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.

Convert Your Toilet to a Dual Flush: A dual-flush toilet is a variation of the flush toilet that uses two buttons or handles to flush different levels of water. It’s an interactive toilet design that helps conserve water. It may be slightly more expensive but they give the user a choice of flushes with two handles to handle solid and liquid waste differently.

Individual water meters: The practice of installing individual water meters on multi-family apartment units and billing based on actual consumption results in water savings 8,000 gallons per year.

Check for water leaks: Leaky faucets are a major waste of water. Take some time to inspect the pipes underneath your sinks and tubs. Turn off all faucets and make sure you are not running any appliances that use water. Check the reading on your meter and do so again in an hour. If your meter has moved you have a hidden water leak somewhere in your home. A small leak can add gallons to your daily water usage.

Low flow shower heads: A low flow shower head is necessary for conserving water. Using a low-flow shower in the kitchen and bathroom instead of a tap can bring down water usage by more than 50 per cent. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 150 gallons per month.

Re-use Greywater: Re-use Greywater for non-potable used such as cleaning floors, toilet flushing, watering garden etc. Greywater is wastewater from non-toilet plumbing systems such as hand basins, washing machines, showers and baths. By capturing Greywater and using it in an appropriate manner as an alternative to your water supply, you can reduce your water consumption.

Encourage Rainwater Harvesting: In some states and countries, Rainwater Harvesting mandatory for all buildings covering an area of over 1,500 square meters. The cost of installing a rainwater harvesting is high but when comparing the amount saved on water bill for future, this cost is cheaper or nothing.

Avoid recreational water toys: Avoid recreational water toys that require a constant flow of water.

Encourage water conservation: Share water conservation tips with friends and neighbors. Encourage your apartment owners association or RWA to develop and promote water conservation among children and adults in your neighborhood.

Source: Commonfloor Articles