Start Your Own Avocado PlantThe next time you make guacamole, take the avocado pit (often called the stone) and push the flat end into a six-inch pot of moist, multi-purpose soil. Leave the pointy end exposed. Make sure to keep the plant at about 65° F until the first leaf shoots appear. Aftet that, it likes normal room temperatures with slightly cooler temperatures (60° F) in winter. To encourage upward growth, pinch off new buds when they appear below the top leaves on the plant stalk. With proper care, in three years your Avocado will grow to an elegant, large-leaved houseplant about 3 feet tall.

Start Your Own Avocado Plant
The next time you make guacamole, take the avocado pit (often called the stone) and push the flat end into a six-inch pot of moist, multi-purpose soil. Leave the pointy end exposed.

Make sure to keep the plant at about 65° F until the first leaf shoots appear. Aftet that, it likes normal room temperatures with slightly cooler temperatures (60° F) in winter.

To encourage upward growth, pinch off new buds when they appear below the top leaves on the plant stalk. With proper care, in three years your Avocado will grow to an elegant, large-leaved houseplant about 3 feet tall.

Send a Free Mother’s Day card, plus you could win $1,000!Let iVillage help you say thank you this Mother’s Day. Send a free personalized Mother’s Day Card from Sincerely Ink, the app that lets you send amazing greeting cards from your iPhone or Android. Plus, you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win $1,000 to make this Mother’s Day extra special! Click here to send your mom a free card now! High-res

Send a Free Mother’s Day card, plus you could win $1,000!
Let iVillage help you say thank you this Mother’s Day. Send a free personalized Mother’s Day Card from Sincerely Ink, the app that lets you send amazing greeting cards from your iPhone or Android.

Plus, you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win $1,000 to make this Mother’s Day extra special!

Click here to send your mom a free card now!

Your Home’s Eco Trouble Spots The Trouble Spot: Painted WallsPaints can contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been linked to respiratory illnesses. In older homes, lead paint can affect brain development in a fetus, newborn or young child. Healthier option: Look for low or no VOC paint products to avoid health problems. (In case you’re wondering, the only reason to choose “low” instead of “no” would be if the color you have your heart set on isn’t available in “no VOCs” form. If your home was built before the 1970s, test it for lead paint; if you find it, call in a professional who knows how to deal with lead paint. Read more about how to make your home a healthier (and greener!) place to live here.

Your Home’s Eco Trouble Spots

The Trouble Spot: Painted Walls
Paints can contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been linked to respiratory illnesses. In older homes, lead paint can affect brain development in a fetus, newborn or young child.

Healthier option: Look for low or no VOC paint products to avoid health problems. (In case you’re wondering, the only reason to choose “low” instead of “no” would be if the color you have your heart set on isn’t available in “no VOCs” form. If your home was built before the 1970s, test it for lead paint; if you find it, call in a professional who knows how to deal with lead paint.

Read more about how to make your home a healthier (and greener!) place to live here.