Something that I used to start my weekend off with (that I need to get back to doing) was picking up some fresh flowers to either put in my living room or bedroom. They're not just pretty and uber feminine; flowers in your home can relieve stress, improve your mood and (get this) even improve your memory over time. In fact, the only downside that I can see is how quickly they die after getting them.
That's where this article comes in. If, like me, you adore having flowers bloom in your space yet you can't financially justify getting a new batch every couple of days, here are some fresh floral hacks that can at least double the amount of time your flowers have (probably) been lasting at your place.
1. Make Your Own Flower Food
Did you know that if you take proper care of your flowers, they can last for as long as 12-14 days? One way to up your chances of this happening is to "feed them". They need some (white) sugar to stay in full bloom, citric acid to reduce the chances of your petals wilting and, if you want to keep bacteria at bay, bleach can make that happen.
Two of the best "foods" that I've seen consist of a half-crushed aspirin in a cup of water or two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice combined with a tablespoon of sugar, a half-teaspoon of bleach and a quart of water. Adding either of these should give your flowers at least an extra week of longevity than just water alone.
2. Play Around with Water Temperatures a Bit
So, what if you bought some flowers and most of the buds are tightly closed? No problem. Cut the stems at a slanted 45-degree angle and then put them into a glass of warm water. After a couple of minutes, transfer the flowers to a container of cold water and leave them there for 20 minutes or so. It'll blow your mind, how quickly your flowers open up (kinda like what happens to our energy levels whenever we take a cold shower).
3. Don’t Always Use a Vase
Something that can totally change the appearance of your floral arrangement is to put them in something other than a vase. Teacups, Mason jars, planters, dessert dishes, tea kettles, cookie jars and pitchers are all things that can give your floral presentation a bit of a unique touch.
4. Stack Your Vases When You Do
As far as pretty presentations go, have you ever put a smaller clear vase inside of a larger one? If they're around ½" apart and you add some water and thinly sliced lemons along the side of them, the lemons will look like they are suspended in water. It's a very easy way to create a beautiful centerpiece.
5. Add Some Fruits, Veggies and/or Berries
Speaking of creative centerpieces, a big mistake that a lot of people make is they simply put flowers into a vase and that's it. Adding a couple of limes and tangerines, carrots or blueberries and blackberries (if not all of these things) to a clear container can instantly make your flowers aesthetically pleasing, even if you've only got a few stems of carnations or roses on hand.
6. Get Your Flowers a Little "Drunk"
If you like vodka, hook your flowers up with 7-10 drops of it (along with a teaspoon of white sugar). For whatever the reason, when flowers are starting to wilt, they wake right on up with they've got some vodka running through their stems. It's a cool way to get another day or so outta your flowers if you do it.
7. Put Your Wilted Petals on Ice
Ice cubes are dope on a couple of levels. Not only can they help to revive wilted petals, they're also a great way to conserve water. Meaning, if you notice that your flower vase could use a little more water after a couple of days, simply drop an ice cube or two into it. It'll wake your flowers up and keep your water bill down at the same time.
8. Drop a Penny in Your Flowers’ Water
If you want your flowers to last longer, you're actually supposed to change the water no less than every three days. If you just read that and was like "yeah right" because of your hectic schedule, a cool hack is to drop a penny into your vase. The reason why this is so effective is because the acid in the penny will help to keep harmful bacteria and fungus away.
One of my favorite flower hacks ever!
9. Try Some Hairspray
Got some hairspray in a cabinet somewhere? Believe it or not, something that will help your flowers to remain their vibrant hues is to spray a little bit of hairspray onto their petals. Just make sure to hold the canister far enough away that the force of the spray doesn't damage the petals in the process. Do this every couple of days for the best results.
10. Avoid the Holiday Season (When It Comes to Florists)
Personally, I can't tell you the last time I hit up a professional florist for a floral arrangement. I will definitely just cop some flowers at a grocery store. However, if going to the florist is totally your thing, it's important to keep in mind that going there around a holiday (like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, etc.) is pretty much the worst time because the prices are typically hiked all the way up. Your best bet is gonna be going right after a particular holiday is over because that's when businesses have too much stock that they are trying to get rid of. Because of that, flowers and floral arrangements are oftentimes sold at a 50-60 percent discount. You'll have the flowers you want without breaking the bank in the process. Enjoy!
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
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Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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