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Root vegetables have been making a comeback in the home kitchen for a number of years. Especially in winter, it provides us with valuable nutrients and offers a tasty change from the seasonal cabbage varieties. When buying parsnip and parsley root, however, care should be taken to ensure that they are as small as possible.

Small but great!

If you like to prepare delicious dishes from parsnips and parsley roots, you should make sure that the vegetables are as small as possible the next time you go shopping. These specimens have a more intense aroma than their larger versions. As a reminder, the smaller the parsnips or parsley roots, the tenderer and the better the taste.

In addition, the skin of the popular winter vegetable should be firm and intact. Dull and wrinkled skin indicates improper storage and loss of flavor and nutritional value. The foliage is also important: it should look as green and juicy as possible. If you wrap the parsnip and parsley root in a damp kitchen towel after you buy it and put it in the vegetable compartment of the fridge, you can keep it for up to ten days.

That’s how healthy parsnips and parsley roots are

The underground vegetables are bursting with valuable ingredients. Parsnips contain a relatively large amount of carbohydrates and fiber, which keeps you full for a long time. In addition to the typical spicy taste, the essential oil it contains also has a slightly antibacterial effect.

In addition to B vitamins, protein, calcium, and iron, parsley roots contain a large portion of vitamin C! Their intensely spicy aroma also comes from essential oils, which make the vegetable – in contrast to some other winter vegetables – particularly easy to digest and, among other things, also support the function of the kidneys.

Great recipe ideas!

Got a taste for parsnip and parsley root? Great, then here you will find ingenious root vegetable recipes to fill you up.

Dishes with rice are particularly popular with adults and children. But be careful with the little ones, because small children should only eat rice products in moderation. The reason for this is the inorganic arsenic content in rice.

Inorganic arsenic in rice

Young children should only eat rice products in moderation. The reason for this: Rice-based products such as rice cakes, rice milk, rice flakes and the like can contain large amounts of inorganic arsenic. This is now reported by the Bavarian consumer center.

Babies and small children in particular should not consume this toxin too often, as it has a cancer-promoting effect and the amount is larger compared to a small child’s body. The consumer advocates advise bringing variety to the children’s plates by serving rice and other cereals alternately. This means that there is more variety on the table and the child gets new taste impressions.

Of course, adults and older children do not have to do without the pleasure of rice and can access it more often, as the Bavarian consumer advice center explains. Since January 1, 2016, new maximum values ​​for the content of arsenic in food have been in force.

This is arsenic

Arsenic is a metalloid that occurs naturally in various compounds throughout the earth’s crust. The rice plant absorbs the substance through its roots in the soil and passes it on through its metabolism to the fruits, i.e. to the rice grains. Rice may contain more arsenic than other plant foods.

Everyone knows them: the small pocket that is attached to the right front of jeans. But what is this mini bag actually for?

Pants for gold diggers and cowboys

If you want to know what the little pocket on the jeans is all about, you have to look far back into textile history: in 1873 the fabric dealer Levi Strauss designed the jeans as robust workwear for gold diggers in San Francisco. The practical trousers were soon also worn by cowboys, farmers, lumberjacks and soldiers. While the first ones were sewn from brown canvas, later new cotton fabrics from France were used – so-called “denim”. The new cotton fabric was dyed with indigo blue. Levi Strauss’ partner, the tailor Jacob Davis, reinforced the corners of the trousers with rivets. So they became even more stable and looked about the way you know them today.

Because the jeans were primarily intended to be practical at work, they had large pockets for tools. On top of one of these pockets, however, was a smaller one. The men could keep their pocket watches in it, which at that time were usually carried on a chain.

Strauss called the small bag “watch pocket”. Coins were later also stowed in it – which gave it the name “coin pocket”.

Today it fits in the small jeans pocket

Jeans today usually have five pockets. The fifth, which is placed on the front right, is a little smaller than it used to be. A pocket watch no longer fits in. But hardly anyone wears them anymore. So is the mini pocket on the jeans just a decoration these days? What else could you store in it – apart from coins? A shopping cart chip, a ticket, a lighter, a single key, a lipstick, paperclips, a handkerchief, a tampon, a condom, a candy, your USB stick… Just remember, everything before the next wash to fumble out again.

In short, the fifth jean pocket is similar to the information you just read here: Not too useful. But an entertaining side thing.

Speaking of which: Levi Strauss originally came from Buttenheim in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg. Seen in this way, jeans are somehow also a Franconian invention, right?

If small black flies buzz around when you water your potted plants, then you are probably dealing with an infestation of so-called fungus gnats. Fungus gnats look very similar to fruit flies and are often confused with them. In any case, normal mosquitoes are much larger.

Fungus gnats have small black bodies, however, and are mostly found around potted plants. They multiply in the plant soil. The fungus gnat lays its eggs in the bottom of the potted plant. There the larvae hatch and feed on dead roots and leaves. Sometimes they nibble on young roots and can damage a plant.

How do you know if your plants are infested with fungus gnats?

Fungus gnats usually crawl on the surface of potted plant soil. If you move or water the plant, they buzz. The larvae can be found about 1 cm deep in the ground. They are about 5 mm long, white with a blackhead.

What to do against fungus gnat infestation?

  • Repot affected plants. This reduces larvae infestation.
  • Cover the surface of the potting soil with a 1-2 cm thick layer of quartz sand. The insects do not lay their eggs in the sand.
  • Fungus gnats love wet soil. So keep your plants as dry as possible. Always water from below.
  • Keep your plants free of fallen leaves. The insects feed on dead plant parts.
  • Lay yellow sticky paper around the infested plants. There are also yellow boards or yellow stickers available in stores. The insects are attracted to the bright color and stick to the panels.
  • For biological pest control, there are SF nematodes (Steinernema feltiae nematodes) and BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). Nematodes are tiny roundworms that feed on the sciarid larva. BTI is a bacterium that produces so-called stomach poison and kills the larvae. Both beneficial insects are harmless to humans and pets and are freely available in stores.

  • Check any newly potted plants for infestation before bringing them indoors.

Fungus gnats are annoying little pests that can spoil the fun of your potted plants. But don’t despair. With the tips and tricks above, you can get rid of the little black flies in no time at all and be able to enjoy your plant splendor again.

Many useful tips for furnishing small rooms at a glance. Because small rooms are difficult to set up optimally. But even rooms that are too small can be used cleverly and optically enlarged. In this way, you ensure a pleasant atmosphere.

Tips for furnishing small rooms

Living space is becoming increasingly scarce in cities. Because many people are drawn to the cities. There is a lack of space in many apartments because many rooms are small. In addition, living space is expensive and many people have to be satisfied with smaller apartments. But how do you design small apartments and how can you optimally set up a small room? We have collected the best tips for small rooms:

1) Create clear areas

The first thing to do is to give the room a clear visual structure. Too many disorganized details can easily create an impression of bustling disorder. Do you remember the corner shops of your childhood? The aim there was to offer a large number of everyday goods in as little space as possible. Of course, we loved these treasure troves, but we often felt that we could just turn around in them.

You can avoid this effect by first making sure that the different functional areas of a room are clearly separated from each other when setting up small rooms. For example, if you also use the shared living room as a homework space, you can create separate islands consisting of a sofa, coffee table, and TV cabinet on the one hand, and a desk, pinboard, and a shelf for your work utensils on the other.

2) In small spaces, less is more

Basically, when furnishing small rooms: less is more! So don’t overcrowd a small room with useless decorative items or other odds and ends. Instead, you should clean up properly. There should still be enough storage space. But keep in mind that closed cupboards or boxes on shelves look tidier. As a result, the room appears less crowded.

3) Light furniture to set up small spaces

You should also opt for light-colored furniture, as this optically takes up less space. Another possibility is, for example, to choose shelves that are very high and narrow instead of going wide, as this also visually stretches the room. In order to use the available space optimally and not take up any additional floor space, you can also attach shelves above a sofa, for example. Smaller furniture instead of massive and large furniture also does their job. Then living in a small space is no longer a problem.

4) Brightness can visually enlarge small spaces

But the most important piece of advice of all is: make sure you are bright. Because dark rooms can quickly become oppressive caves. Especially when the windows are small or face in unfavorable directions. Instead, strive to create corridors of vision and light. On the one hand, it is important how the furniture is distributed in the room. Take a critical look at your smallest room and check whether a room divider is unnecessarily limiting the view or whether a large closet next to the window is blocking the incidence of light. Also, note our ideas for cozy lighting and avoid mistakes when choosing the lighting in the living room.

5) Multifunctional furniture to set up small spaces

If there is particularly little space in the apartment, furniture with a dual function makes sense. Because you can vary these as you like and use them cleverly depending on the occasion. In addition, you can set up your apartment with little money, since this furniture has a double function:

  • A sofa bed combines sofa and bed.
  • A secretary is a mixture of a desk and a chest of drawers.
  • A stool is a seat and a shelf at the same time.

6) Use foldable furniture

Foldable and collapsible furniture can be moved quickly and arbitrarily out of the way. This makes them perfect for setting up small rooms. Mobile furniture on wheels is also useful. Because then you can move cupboards and armchairs quickly and easily if there is a lack of space. Folding chairs, serving trolleys, extending tables and the like are well suited for this. Also, note creative ideas for setting up the bathroom.

7) Clever use of niches and high ceilings

A few cleverly placed shelves, a suitably assembled storage combination from the furniture store, or a hand-crafted one-off transform niches and blind spots into clever storage areas that you won’t want to be without soon. If it is an old building with high ceilings and small rooms, you should remember to take advantage of the height. Use high cupboards or bunk beds and loft beds for this, so that the space in height is sensibly filled. In this way, you can also receive overnight guests in small apartments, plan parties or celebrate children’s birthdays.

8) Mirror for optical space enlargement

The use of mirrors can optically enlarge small rooms. There are mirrors in a wide variety of shapes, so that they fit into every room, whether it’s a bathroom, kitchen, hallway, or newly designed bedroom, and they brighten it up. With a large mirror, your room looks elegant, while you can set great accents with small mirrors. So let your imagination run wild.

9) Paint with bright colors

If you decide to remodel, you should take care when choosing the flooring and wall color. A cream-colored carpet, light-colored linoleum, or parquet can work wonders. If white walls are too sterile for you, there is nothing wrong with a warmer tone – then align your room textiles and decorative items with this basic color. Silky gloss colors in light, cool pastel shades are ideal. This also applies to rooms with sloping ceilings. These should also be painted in the same color as the wall to optically enlarge the room.

The window is rather small, does not have the usual standard dimensions, is also located on the sloping roof of a room, and allows it to heat up properly thanks to the intense sunlight. And you’re already faced with a problem: how and, above all, what is the best way to darken such a small window? Is it even possible to find a roller blind, blind, or something similar for these unusual dimensions?

The answer is: Yes, there really is and it’s not that difficult to find privacy and sun protection even for the most improbable outside dimensions of a window. Pleated blinds have proven to be ideal partners for such purposes in particular. They are easy to use, come in a wide variety of shapes and colors, and are just as easy to attach and replace.

The right pleated blind for every window

Pleated blinds have proven particularly useful for windows that are on sloping ceilings. Thanks to their lightness, the simple attachment, and finally also because they can be wonderfully integrated into any room in terms of color, they are the masters of the pleated blinds. The incidence of light, as well as the indirect sun protection, can be controlled and varied as you wish. The different settings of the slats allow a view of the outside, but they are still completely airtight for a view of the inside from the outside. Pleated blinds are therefore very popular, especially in bathrooms and guest toilets.

But the most common use is on unusual window positions, such as on sloping ceilings. The fit of a pleated blind can be precisely tailored and there is also plenty of scopes when choosing the color and size of the individual slats. Even the respective material and the respective operation of the pleated blind can be very different. You can also use them to protect and cool your home from the heat in summer.

Pleats can also be found on doors

The fact that pleated blinds are extremely versatile is shown by pleated blinds that are attached to front doors, for example. With simple operation, such pleated blinds can be easily attached to doors and finally operated. Pleated blinds that can be pushed from bottom to top and vice versa are particularly popular. These special folding blinds are usually made of very light and yet extremely durable material.

The folding technique allows them to be pushed together and pulled apart very easily, similar to an accordion. If you now choose a pleated blind in a light yellow tone for the kitchen door, for example, the incident daylight and, above all, the sunlight is intensified, but without too much solar radiation being able to heat the room. The room looks friendly, and bright and is filled with a summery atmosphere, and is still completely opaque.

Pleated blinds for children’s rooms and bedrooms

Precisely because pleated blinds are so easy to use, they are used in children’s rooms just as often as in bedrooms. Pleated blinds made of metal are suitable for children’s rooms, so they can be easily cleaned at any time. A bold hue blocks too much sun exposure, but is still a nice and fresh splash of color to the room.

The flexibility of the height adjustment allows them to be quickly pulled down when the child goes to bed and during the day at half-height only let in as much sunlight as is necessary for playing and romping. Pleated blinds are the ideal partners in bedrooms. They allow sunlight to come in conditionally and at will, are opaque, and still allow a view outside. With open windows, they always allow sufficient air circulation thanks to their fine slats, even if they are completely closed. In addition, note tips for properly cleaning windows without streaks.

Finally – the baby is here! But it looks so small and fragile. Therefore, use valuable tips for newborn babies. So you are more confident in dealing with the little ones and ensure appropriate protection.

First-time mom

For first-time mothers, life is suddenly turned upside down. Questions and questions race through your head. What basic equipment is sufficient for the baby, is the children’s room really right? How can I nip allergies and intolerances in the bud, what food is healthy, what can my baby eat and drink and how much should it sleep? Is the bed too soft or is the Maxi-Cosi too hard. The list of thoughts and worries of an expectant mother is immeasurable. The communication between child and parents will work well with the right sensitivity.

Safe handling of newborn babies

When the newborn baby arrives, things change for the parents. Not only does less sleep and more hustle and bustle come into the house, but also new habits. The new parents still have a lot to learn. The following knowledge and valuable tips can make it easier for you to handle your baby safely.

1) Allow support

In the early stages of life, parents are particularly challenged and are on call around the clock. You want to do everything well and correctly. That can be very tiring. A baby who has been crying for hours should and can, if the nerves are already so raw, be placed in another room, protected and safe, in order to get out of the situation for a certain time. This is how you find new strength.

You can also get help from grandparents or friends. Then they can take the child away from you for a while. In that time you can do important things or rest. Domestic help can also support you in everyday life by taking over certain household chores. You just have to dare to ask. How to organize such help is also repeatedly the subject of preparatory courses for expectant motherhood.

2) Read informative books

It is best if you get good reading material right away and read it carefully. Also, feel free to take good advice from your mother and grandmother. After all, they speak from experience. But don’t worry, you will act instinctively, from the gut. And that’s mostly true as a mom. The previous knowledge can help you to filter useful and useless for you and your child. In such readings, you will learn everything about the basic equipment for your baby, as well as which sleeping environment is right for babies, and much more.

3) Avoid soap in babies and newborns

For example, many of your own daily hygiene and care routines with a wide variety of products are superfluous for babies. Therefore, it is important to avoid using soap and other personal care products on babies and newborns. This applies in particular to the first 12 months. If stubborn dirt in the diaper area has to be removed, gentle cleaners without artificial ingredients should be used. In addition, read how to protect your baby in winter.

4) Bathe babies properly

Most babies love bathing, as the warm water reminds them of their time in Mommy’s tummy. A bath in warm water usually has a relaxing and calming effect. But when do I bathe the baby for the first time? Once the navel has healed, you can bathe your baby in a baby bathtub or bath bucket. The bathing temperature should be around 36 or 37 degrees.

You can also add mild bath oils or oil-lotion baths to the water. Or use pure almond oil from the pharmacy. These additives prevent the skin from drying out. However, you should only dose the bath additives sparingly so as not to unnecessarily stress the skin. Since babies don’t really get dirty yet, that’s enough for cleaning.

5) Only clean the baby’s nose in exceptional cases

Basically, the baby’s nose cleans itself. Therefore, cleaning the nostrils is usually not necessary. However, it can sometimes happen that secretions form a crust on the nostrils or that thick secretion does not simply come off but sits in the nostrils. In the case of secretions of this type, you should of course always consult a doctor in order to identify and treat a possible illness in the baby.

If you want to clean the nose in such a case, make sure that you do not block the airflow of newborn babies. So clean the nostrils gently and carefully with the tip of a twisted piece of clean tissue paper. And you can soften and remove the outer crusts of the secretion with a little lukewarm, boiled water and a washcloth. Then dry the skin well again. Also, note natural home remedies for colds.

6) No choking objects near the baby

Babies explore everything with their mouths. Their sense of taste and smell is still so sensitive that a baby can distinguish between its mother’s milk and the milk of another woman. As a result, babies between the ages of 4 and 9 months prefer to put everything in their mouths. This allows them to taste and touch with their tongues. For this reason, you should never leave pointed, sharp-edged, or swallowable objects within reach of your baby. A truism that is unfortunately always forgotten! Therefore, a good place for your baby is the play mat, where you can keep an eye on it. Also, note useful tips for changing and changing diapers.

7) Coconut oil for tick protection in babies

We recommend using coconut oil to protect babies and small children from ticks. Because coconut oil effectively protects against tick infestation in children and newborn babies. All you have to do is rub the skin with native organic coconut oil. The intense scent of coconut oil deters ticks. In addition, oily skin is very difficult for ticks to penetrate. Because ticks do not manage to nest in the oiled skin.

8) Regular doctor visits are a must

In particular, you should definitely comply with and have well-known examinations that are specially designed for babies and toddlers. This saves you from worrying that the child may be ill or has been struggling with a specific illness for a long time. Pediatricians pay a lot of attention to the well-being of the children and carry out this examination in a standardized way. In general, a health check is important as a precaution for old and young.

Some drawers contain many small items, such as tools, Legos, or other small treasures. You don’t feel like putting everything in and taking it out every time you’re cleaning. That’s why we’ve collected clever drawer vacuum cleaning tips for you. As a result, you will not find any small parts in the vacuum cleaner.

No more small parts in the vacuum cleaner

One of the most common vacuuming mistakes is accidentally picking up small parts. Because sometimes you’re lazy and think I can suck around it. And whoops, the small part disappeared into the vacuum cleaner. This is particularly the case when vacuuming drawers. And this topic also occupied a participant in the lion’s den a few years ago. But there is no need for a new invention. So that the cleaning still works, we have the best tricks for you. In addition, note the best vacuum cleaners and useful vacuum robots in comparison.

1) Vacuuming with a tea strainer or tea filter

Hold a small tea infuser or tea filter for loose tea in front of the vacuum cleaner nozzle. This is an easy way to solve the problem. The drawer is cleaned of dirt and the utensils that have been sucked up can be easily removed from the tea net and shaken back into the drawer. In addition, note how you can drill without dust and dirt.

2) Women’s tights vacuuming drawers

You can also use discarded and fine-meshed women’s tights to help you. To do this, fix it to the vacuum cleaner gland with a rubber band. As a result, you can vacuum in drawers without vacuuming up small parts, because the small parts get caught on the tights and do not get into the vacuum cleaner. In addition, you have both hands free with this variant. Also, note other useful tips for avoiding the most common vacuuming mistakes.

3) Use a special vacuum cleaner gland

You can find special attachments for your vacuum cleaner online or in retail stores. These are specially designed for vacuuming drawers or cleaning keyboards, ventilation, or hard-to-reach corners. These are easy to use and save you time. Because in future you won’t have to put the drawers in and out.

The way to the perfect Italian coffee is quick and uncomplicated thanks to coffee capsules. In terms of taste, the small capsules are in no way inferior to other forms of coffee preparation. On the contrary! You can find out the advantages of coffee capsules here.

How coffee capsules revolutionized the market

Coffee is considered an indispensable part of quality of life across all social classes. Thanks to the coffee capsule, enjoying a hot drink became a lifestyle experience at the beginning of the millennium.
Its history goes back several years. The engineer Eric Favre invented the capsule system as early as 1970, which first came onto the market in 1986. But the breakthrough of coffee capsules only came in 2001. Since then, this form of coffee preparation has enjoyed great popularity and has changed drinking habits, especially in western industrialized nations. No wonder: The coffee capsule systems have a lot of advantages, both in terms of preparation and taste.

With coffee capsule machines, preparation is child’s play

Thanks to the machines, which are designed for coffee capsules, there is no time-consuming preparation. The preparation is very simple:

Clamp the coffee capsule with portioned coffee powder into the capsule machine.
Place a cup or mug under the nozzle.
At the push of a button, water gets into the small can with great pressure. There the coffee brews itself first.
The coffee capsule ruptures due to the high pressure.
The finished coffee then flows through the opening directly into the cup. The result can be seen and tasted: The coffee tastes just like you know it from an Italian café – and all that at the push of a button!

The advantage: Better crema and more aroma

The preparation in the capsule machine has a decisive advantage in terms of later enjoyment. It is due to the fact that the coffee brews itself under high pressure in the capsule. Thanks to this process, your coffee is then crowned with a particularly beautiful crema, and more aromatic substances are released than with conventional preparation.

In addition to the better crema and the aromatic taste, the capsules have another advantage: you can be sure that your coffee always tastes the same. Aroma and strength do not change because the capsules always contain the same amount of coffee.

Coffee capsules preserve aroma particularly well

Coffee capsules are made of plastic or aluminum and are also individually wrapped so that the aroma is fully preserved.

Since the freshly ground coffee is sealed in a capsule, it is optimally protected from oxygen, light and moisture. The aroma is preserved particularly well and only released again during preparation. In this way, you can always enjoy particularly fresh coffee with capsules.

Storage: What is the best way to store the coffee capsules?

When it comes to storage, coffee capsules come in handy. Because unlike coffee beans, ground coffee or coffee pods, they stay fresh even without a sealable jar.

Anyone who values order in the kitchen is well advised to use space-saving and elegant storage solutions such as caskets or capsule holders.

Simple and easy to care for: the coffee capsule machine

The capsule machine is always quickly ready for use. It only takes a few seconds for the device to heat up. Then you can brew your coffee at the push of a button.

But that’s not all: the maintenance of the capsule machine is also easy. You can easily clean removable inserts. And like any other coffee machine, you should descale your capsule machine from time to time.

Varied drinking pleasure thanks to coffee capsules

There are many different types of coffee capsules – so you have plenty of variety in your cup. So you can enjoy a delicious crema in the morning and a strong espresso in between. In households with several people, everyone can brew their favorite type of coffee whenever they like.

Coffee capsules are therefore not only ideal for preparing individual portions, but are also very popular with families where everyone prefers a different type, or in offices where individual portions are regularly prepared.