Blog Posts by Networx.com

By Noah Garfinkel, Networx

When I was growing up, my mom was exceedingly mom-like. She cooked, she cleaned, she over-protected. But, not even once did I see her iron any clothes. She didn't like to iron, and she didn't do it. I, therefore, grew up with no positive ironing role models and have been muddling through adulthood with no idea what any of you people are doing when it comes to rubbing what looks like a future spaceship coffee pot over your wrinkled clothes. I ironed exactly one time in my life while in a panic at a hotel room, but it took 30 minutes and when I was done my shirt looked about the same as it did when I started, and it smelled burnt. I currently still own no iron, so if I find myself in a wrinkle emergency, I am left with do-it-yourself ironing solutions I find on the internet. Here's how a few of those worked out.

My first attempt to find a do-it-yourself shirt pressing method was an utter disaster.

Thank you, internet. Real helpful. But upon some

Chamomile in the author's garden















By Sayward Rebhal, Networx

Chamomile has always my favorite bedtime beverage. Growing up, we just bought the supermarket boxes of bagged tea. And although I enjoyed the pretty white flowers on the packaging, I never really considered the connection between the decorative exterior and the drink inside.

Flash forward a decade or so and I was working my way through college slinging coffee at a small art house. That's where I discovered the joy of loose leaf teas. I remember the first time I opened the chamomile canister, and poured out a pile of ... dried flowers! It seems silly now, but it was such a surprise to me. "Of course! Chamomile is a flower!"

Flash forward yet another decade, and these days I'm planting my own pretty white chamomile patch in my own little garden, harvesting and drying the buds, and brewing my own homegrown tea. And it is, unquestionably, the best tea I've ever tasted.

The great news is that chamomile is just the tip of the tea-stained iceberg. There

Earthships in New Mexico, near Taos.















By Kevin Stevens, Networx

Imagine a home that heats and cools itself without the need of a furnace or AC unit; one that produces its own zero emission supply of electricity, and is not dependant on a municipal source for water. This kind of home also processes all of its wastewater locally, and can even grow a quantity of its occupant's food. Additionally the home is built with local and recycled waste products, and it can be built with basic low-tech labor. Does this sound like the ideal home of a space age future? Believe it or not, these homes exist today (many have been built by builders in New Mexico) and have been in existence for over 30 years. This type of home is called an "Earthship" and it exhibits all of these features and more.

Heat and Cooling Naturally

Earthships are homes built with passive solar design principles. During the cool winter months, low angled sunlight enters the home and warms the floors and walls. Exterior and load bearing walls are

Native plants support local pollinator populations and have bright, beautiful blooms.















By s.e. smith, Networx

Gardening with native plants has a number of advantages, but gardeners are often intimidated or overwhelmed with myths about native plant gardening, so they're afraid to take the plunge. I talked with Ania, a researcher at the University of California, to get the scoop on working with native plants in the garden; such plants are indigenous to an area and not introduced by humans, although in some regions "native plants" include those that may have been cultivated and introduced by Native Americans, but not Europeans.

I asked Ania to elaborate a bit more on the different types of native and introduced species, because yes, there is a hierarchy, and it's important for gardeners to think about it whether they're planning a garden installation or prioritizing the management of existing plants. She explained that some introduced species are invasive, having a tendency to spread rapidly and aggressively, while others thrive primarily only in cultivation; the

By Sayward Rebhal, Networx

Can you hear that? It's the sound of the world waking up. It's the sound of springtime, and boy howdy friends, does it sound fantastic.

Spring is all about curbside daffodils, warm and friendly drizzling rain on the concrete, birdsong and baby squirrels, opening windows and airing out the winter musties. Spring is such a hopeful time of year!

And perhaps my very favorite sign of the changing season, is the start of the Farmer's Market. Spring means fresh food again: the tender greens and the precious asparagus, lazily leading into strawberry season ... which means all-the-other-berries season is right around the corner. Before you know it, there will be heirloom tomatoes and juicy peaches, and just when you're starting to feel overheated, the weather will shift again and the greens will return for their second showing. That will mean the glorious gourd days are right around the corner, with butternuts, acorns, and kabocha. Pumpkins everywhere, slowly

Don't shave your legs with this.















By Noah Garfinkel, Networx

The fact that you can use peanut butter for purposes other than eating is one of those things you've probably heard about from a "fun fact" person at a terrible party. It usually comes right after they tell you that an avocado is a nut and a peanut is a legume, but before they inform you that a banana is technically a berry. Rightfully, we all try to ignore this type of person, so most of us have never actually tried out any of the alternative uses for peanut butter that they might suggest. To see if our prejudiced unwillingness to heed annoying peanut butter advice is warranted or not, I tested a few alternative uses. Let's begin, though, with one use I didn't test.

Everyone has heard that peanut butter can help get gum out of your hair. That may or may not be true. But, what I can tell you is absolutely true is that peanut butter does not at all help get Silly Putty out of your hair. When I was around 12 years old, I tried spreading Silly Putty over my

Ladies: You can outsmart substandard plumbers with these tips.













By Laura Foster-Bobroff, Networx

Chances are you need a plumber in your life on a regular basis. Plumbers not only take care of common household repairs like leaky pipes and clogged drains, but some are also responsible for maintaining heating and cooling systems. Some specialize in commercial or residential projects, or in a particular type of plumbing application, such as natural gas lines or fire suppression systems. While the majority of plumbers are reputable, the plumbing industry has its fair share of sub-standard contractors who employ shady business practices. Here are the most common problems and recommended cures to prevent a leaky wallet.

Trick #1: Inaccurate Estimates

"Inaccurate estimates are the most common way a plumber can get more money out of you," says plumber Dave Buteau of OnDemand Plumbing located in Concord, New Hampshire. He admits, "The hardest part of the job is convincing a potential customer that a low-ball quote is probably not an accurate

Comparing apples to apples...
























By Sayward Rebhal, Networx

Is healthy eating expensive? Well . . . yes and no. "Expensive" is a relative term, but before we even get into all that, let's take a moment to define what we mean by healthy, shall we? We'll go with a more inclusive definition, something along the lines of: whole foods, mostly plants, organic when possible. Can we all agree on that? So with that out of the way, let's get down to business.

Is it expensive to eat healthfully? Well . . . that depends. Because of course, if you're talking about an exclusively organic, entirely whole foods diet, and you're comparing it to the most nutrient-negligent, gas-station-bought, bottom of the barrel processed food-like-substances available, well then of course the real food is going to cost "more" (in the short term, that is - we'll touch on that later). Slim Jims and Top Ramen will always be cheaper than real food, so we're going to have to set that stuff aside for the sake of discussion. We're trying to compare