Do you ever wonder how to be a good neighbor? It can be as simple as waving hi, chatting up the family next door, or helping someone out when they need a hand. Remember, it’s never too late to strengthen your bond with the people who live next door, across the street, or at the end of the block. Here are 12 simple ways you and the kids can connect with your neighbors today and every day.
1. Ask them their name. This seems like a no-brainer, but so often we don’t know even know our neighbor’s names!
2. Exchange phone numbers. A simple gesture that says you’re looking out for them.
3. Bake something. The holidays often bring this kind of tradition, but why not invoke it on a random Wednesday? Few people will be disappointed in freshly baked bread, cookies, or other goodies. And everybody loves coffee cake.
4. Plant it. A cutting from your favorite houseplant or a pre-potted begonia: even a small bouquet of flowers is a sweet and inexpensive way to say, “Hey!”
6. Make it a double. Next time you’re at the store, grab an extra bar of soap, dishwashing liquid or another cleaning product and gift it to your neighbor. It doesn’t need to be expensive, and keep in mind many people have chemical and scent sensitivities.
7. Make a hello card. Have the kids paint or draw a simple card that just says “Hello, neighbor!”
8. Carry the load. Help unload the trunk of the car or pick up a package from the bottom of the stairs and place it in front of their door.
9. Invite them to dinner. Make dinner at your house or meet them at your favorite place. There are so many options for your comfort level.
10. Do a work exchange. Mow their lawn, shovel their driveway, pull weeds or something similar. Even if you live in an apartment building you can help tidy up communal spaces or carry their recycling down to the street.
11. Organize a pot-luck. If you don’t have the space to do this in your own place, use a nearby park or community center. Make simple invites that you hand-deliver and set a time limit.
12. Start a club. If you share a passion or hobby with your neighbor, do this hobby together or start a group in your community. This could be a book club, knitting club, woodworking club and so on. The options are endless!
All that inside air starting to feel a little . . . stale? Whether you’re trying to green your space and purify your air with houseplants, looking for flowers for someone special or want to become a member of the plant-of-the-month club, we’ve hand selected a few of our favorite sources for plants and flower delivery, directly to your door. Read on to check them out.
Whether you’re looking for a trio of plants or one big parlor palm, Bloomscape delivers the right plant directly to your door. Choose your plant online: you can filter by collection, light needs, care level, pet friendly and more. Plus they offer 24-hour advice from the Plant Mom to help you choose and maintain the perfect indoor plant for your space. You can also choose the color of the pot when ordering. Shop specific categories like the easiest indoor plants or pet-friendly plants.
The Sill ships plants directly to your door with care card and online access to answer questions about finding the right houseplant for you. They offer a nice array of orchids along with popular houseplants, and they even offer faux plants for people who just can't even with the living thing. You will also find botanical gifts including art and bath products, including adorable things like a Botany Cross Stitch Kit for the true plant nerd in your life. In addition, The Sill offers a monthly plant subscription where you receive a new potted plant each month! Prices vary.
We love the idea behind Plantgem, the online plant retailer working with farmer-florists to bring artfully curated seasonal collections of unique and on-trend plants to the home gardener. Shop their shipping now section to find ideas for Valentine's Day or give an IOU and go for the garden kits that come with 15 young plants—3 plants of 5 different varieties—that take the guesswork out of planting a harmonious garden (they ship in March).
Looking for fresh, festive arrangements that are anything but FTD? The Bouqs is your new favorite service. Whether it's for the holidays or you want to order up from their birthday line, you'll find the right flowers arriving fresh to your loved one's door. You can also find floral subscription boxes to keep things fresh!
If you’re looking for a fresh floral arrangement delivery that isn’t average, Bloomsybox has got you! Just shop the arrangements and select your delivery date, flowers are shipped within 2-4 days of being cut and arranged to guarantee your blooms look great. Want to level up? You can sign up for a floral subscription service and get flowers every month! They also have a small-but-wonderful selection of potted plants and orchids.
This tried-and-true floral delivery service has some cool features you might not have noticed before: they have an array of affordable house plants, tons of flowers and gifts and even botanical gifts based on birthdate/astrological sign.
Botany Box is a curated succulent or cacti box with four easy-to-care-for plants that can be purchased online for direct delivery. The plants come pre-planted and arrive at your doorstep, ready to bring a burst of energy and color into your indoor spaces.
For ease of use and fast service, 1-800-Flowers always ranks in the top, but their bouquets aren't always the most custom or unique. Their plant selection is top-notch, especially for affordability! You'll find houseplants like the popular Money Tree and the impossible-to-kill Snake Plant along with blooming bulbs, seasonal plants and more.
While succulents might be having their moment, we know the bonsai are going to make a surge in the plant world with everyone at home. Bonsai Boy offers a slew of options in all price points from bonsai trees under $30 to beginner-friendly options like our favorite, the Hawaiian Umbrella Bonsai tree.
Beyond the usual dozen long-stemmed roses, UrbanStems has uber-cool arrangements (with succulents!), flower subscriptions and plants. Or go right to the goods and shop their Valentine's Day collection.
Now that the summer is officially fading (sad, we know), it’s time to step up our fall decor game—what better decor style to channel than fan-favorite farmhouse chic? We took a deep dive into Amazon’s webiverse and found some pretty amazing deals and steals (a gorgeous pillow below is just $11!). So if you’re like us and want to spruce up your home with some autumn spirit (with a healthy bent towards white-washed items and natural fibers), check out the below and snag this fall decor that can be on your farm-inspired doorstep in two-days flat.
Ticking (the durable blue and white stripe fabric traditionally found on mattresses and bedding) gets a modern update with a faux leather accent. Available in five colors, this 18" x 18" pillow is such a steal you can outfit an entire bench or sofa with these decorative cushions.
Quite possibly our favorite find on Amazon, these versatile faux potted plants come in a handy tray and work as a centerpiece (as shown above) for when you have guests over, or you can break up the set and use them to decorate around the house (and use the tray for collecting letters or wayward keys), or keep them together and put them in the windowsill—adding a touch of greenery to your life without the commitment of keeping something else alive.
Collections are a farmhouse decor staple. Whether you want to add to a current collection or use these as your starter set, these multi-purpose ceramics can be filled with flowers from the yard or elegantly styled on a bookshelf.
This mix of white pumpkins and gourds will match any style of fall decor. Made from high-quality dense foam, the gourd and pumpkin set comes in an off-white color that can be kept as-is or be painted if you're super crafty! Can you ever have enough pumpkins come autumn? We think not.
Rustic decor is at home during the fall season, and this galvanized metal milk jug is the perfect place to add some faux florals. Dried lavender, cotton buds, sprigs of eucalyptus or strands of berries would bring the perfect festive vibe.
This is currently on sale at Amazon, for $15 when you apply the coupon!
Nothing is more low maintenance than faux florals and these dried-cotton stems add the perfect amount of rustic and fall-inspired look while being neutral enough to match any style.
Purchase 15 bolls (8 stems) for $10 right now on Amazon.
This wood sign hits all the farmhouse elements we love—a bit of rustic ribbon, some black and white buffalo check, a touch of fans eucalyptus that results in a warm welcome for family and friends.
Soften up your fall look with some comfy and themed throw pillows. Whether you like buffalo check, solids or cute printed designs like this Happy Harvest farmhouse version, there are tons of pillow options to check out.
Nothing says a change of seasons like a new wreath added to the front door. This grapevine and faux pip berry wreath can be personalized with your choice of ribbon and your choice of scent!
The return of fall means relaxing on the couch with a cozy blanket and a good book. This gray and cream plaid throw blanket is neutral enough to match almost any decor style while still giving off that warm feel.
This durable, non-slip doormat made of coconut coir fibers is warm and welcoming for anyone that shows up at your door—and helps keep dust and dirt at bay.
Most shoppers make a quick pit-stop in the garden section before heading inside on their Trader Joe’s run, and you’ll definitely want to now that fall products are arriving. On a trip this weekend, our editors spied a spooky and sweet new succulent: baby toe’s!
Known officially as Fenestraria Rhopalophylla, these potted succulents grow in individual stems that look oddly enough like adorable baby toes that you love to nibble. The pretty plants come in brightly colored porcelain pots and are perfect for the spooky season (because baby toes not attached to a baby foot are the stuff of nightmares).
The petite plant is easy to care for, just needing a lot of sun and water when the soil becomes dry. You can also easily propagate if you’d like a total garden of baby toes, which could be the ideal way to scare your neighbors this Halloween.
You’ll find the potted succulents in the usual garden section of your local Trader Joe’s during the fall season for less than $5.
A pop of greenery is just what you need right now—trust us! And you won’t have to add yet another thing to your to-do list as these plants will totally survive if you forget about them for the next two weeks. Get one delivered to your home today, or send one to a friend for a housewarming gift!
The Sill
Bird of Paradise—with its broad vibrant green leaves, this tropical plant really delivers on the summer vibes! It’s great for outdoor patio and porch spaces, too. $57
The Sill
Summer Succulent—A colorful mix of hens and chicks (Sempervivum), this succulent requires bright light but little else, making it perfect for anyone traveling this summer. $45
The Sill
Philodendron Birkin—Sought after just like the bag it shares a name with – this unique hybrid houseplant has lush green leaves with white/yellow pinstripes. $48
The Sill
Monstera Adansonii—A fun, quirky plant! Related to the popular Monstera deliciosa, the leaves of the Adansonii are slightly smaller but with even more pronounced leaf holes. $40
The Sill
String of Bananas & String of Dolphins—Two unique trailing succulents perfect for summer. Drought tolerant, they only look difficult to care for. $34
The Sill
Philodendron Prince of Orange—Low maintenance like most philodendrons, yet unique in its leaf color, which changes from bright orange to green as the leaf matures. $43
Bloomscape
Pet-Peromia Collection—This too-cute threesome of pet-friendly peperomia plants will look lovely on a windowsill or in your office. $69
Bouqs
Oasis Snake Plant—Sssspice up your life with this sleek snake plant. Upright green and yellow leaves are known for promoting focus and helping boost your memory. This plant purifies the air, reduces allergens and is low maintenance. $59
Bouqs
Desert Love—This set of two Hoya hearts basically shouts, “Life would succ without you!” Potted in sweet lil’ cement planters with pink rocks, these babies live for bright sunlight. We love this sweetheart’s heart-shaped leaves. $44
What do you get when you combine one of the most popular plants with comedic TV classic? A Golden Girls Mini Ceramic Planter with an artificial succulent potted inside!
Forget about boring faux ferns and other indoor plants. This top Amazon pick is the perfect choice for any Golden Girls fan. The sculpted ceramic planter features none other than Sophia’s face—over-sized glasses and all.
Not only do you get a Sophia-sized planter pot with this purchase, it also comes with the succulent. Don’t worry if you’re not exactly a plant-care whiz. The contents of this sweet ceramic 3D sculpture won’t require a green thumb. The succulent is 100 percent fake, making this decorative item a no-fuss, no-muss choice for the busy Golden Girl-loving plant parent.
Find the Golden Girls Mini Ceramic Planter for $17.99 on Amazon here!
If you grew up binge watching rom-coms then you may remember How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The movie has many memorable moments but none so much as the “love fern.” Now you can have your very own fern inspired by the flick.
If you haven’t seen the movie, here’s a quick rundown. Advice columnist, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), sets out to write a piece about how to get a man to leave you in 10 days while Ben Berry (Matthew McConaughey) bets his friends he can make any woman fall for him in 10 days. When they meet, both plans backfire.
Andie leaves the fern at Ben’s apartment to stake her claim, after only a few days of dating. Benjamin freaks out and subsequently winds up killing the “love fern” which doesn’t go over so well, as you can imagine.
This gift is the perfect gift for your spirit-loving Galentine or Valentine. Each Love Fern comes with a unique 15% discount code for King St. Vodka on ReserveBar.com.
Cue up How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and here’s to hoping your “love fern” fares better than Andie’s!
This year, decorating for the holidays is even easier. Walmart is helping customers bring their favorite traditions home without ever having to head out to the store. This holiday season, Walmart will hang your lights, or deliver a live Christmas tree right to your doorstep.
The service doesn’t end at trees. If you desire holiday greenery, poinsettias or an amaryllis, Walmart has it covered.
To have the perfect Christmas tree delivered, just go on the website, chose your tree and set a delivery time. Customers can also select whether they’d like a fresh-cut tree or a potted option in sizes ranging from 3 feet tall to 9 feet tall. All you need to do is decorate!
Do you feel like Clark Griswold when it comes to hanging the Christmas lights? Walmart, in partnership with Handy, will hang your lights for you. Don’t worry if you don’t have lights. Lights of every variety are available on Walmart.com and can be purchased alongside an installation.
To get lights installed, simply add Christmas Lights Installation Service to your cart. After checkout, Handy will reach out via email to schedule an installation appointment. You just need to supply the lights, clips or anchors, and extension cords. Once that’s done, a professional will complete the installation.
For $129 in single-story homes and $199 in two-story homes, Walmart ensures all of the joy with none of the hassle. As a bonus, having the lights taken down is only $99 for a single-story home and $159 for two-story homes.
If it just doesn’t seem like the holidays without the fresh scent of Christmas tree in your house, we have the list for you! These Christmas tree farms and nurseries around Phoenix, Arizona offer fresh-cut Christmas trees in all sizes from mini to 10-feet tall. Head on over to choose the perfect one!
Valley View Christmas Trees For over 40 years, this farm has imported fresh-from-Oregon Christmas trees to the delight of families all over town. Stop by and pick out your tree to take home with you or have it delivered. You may even find Santa there when you visit! You can reserve your tree online to make sure you get the one you want.
Tolmachoff Farms Note: Website not yet updated for 2020. This four-generation family farm offers Douglas, Grand and Noble firs for purchase. You can make a day of it with chickens to visit, s'mores to eat and Santa to visit while you are there.
5726 N. 75th Ave. Glendale, AZ Dates: Open daily 9 a.m.-9 p.m. through Dec. 24 when they close at 5 p.m. Online: tolmachoff-farms.com
Whitfill Nursery With three locations to choose from, you are guaranteed to find the perfectly-sized tree to fit your home this holiday season. Buy one that's already cut or go green and choose a potted version to plant in your yard when the holidays are over.
Moon Valley Nurseries This spot has a number of locations around Phoenix and typically has pre-cut as well as live, potted Christmas trees for purchase. If you have your heart set on a potted tree, order yours in advance online.
Seasonal Farms You may know these spots as offering pumpkins in the fall months, they also offer Oregon and Wisconsin Christmas trees for sale in December. Varieties include Noble, Grand, Nordmann and Douglas Fir as well as Christmas wreaths for your front door.
To all the moms whose kids don’t ever sit still, I know your day is long.
I understand that these are the longest days you have ever known in your life, and you are hanging on by your teeth. Dad’s, you’re in it too, I know. There seems no reprieve from the endless drawl of open time, and the little ones don’t play by themselves for very long. At least the ones who don’t ever sit still. And if they are sitting still panic shoots through your chest in the realization that trouble is afoot. They have found the flour in the pantry and have decorated the living room quietly. They have unearthed your poor potted plant from its cage and released it into the wild nature of the bathroom. Granted, the bathroom does have wall hangings of flowers and leaves stenciled in patches, and the toilet wand is in the shape of a small tree, a gag gift given by a friend at some point that seemed a shame to waste. The kids can be smart, you can’t blame your budding conservationist for seeing the connection there, and wanting your sweet house plant to be in its rightful place.
Let’s be honest. The bubbles poured all over the air hockey table in the basement was pure genius. You only wished you had been in the room when your little Einstein turned it on to see if the air would make the bubbles blow. It did, making one tiny three-year-old face light up with great joy. It almost didn’t matter that the wood surface of the hockey game was already swollen and ruined by the time your oldest child reported the misdeed. These are the confusing things with our children who don’t ever sit still. They destroy every ounce of peace, and most of our furniture, but they curate such love and admiration at the same time, you almost break in half every single day trying to parent them. They are amazing and infuriating, and they don’t ever sit still.
I know absurd things are coming out of your mouth these days, things that make you stop and ask yourself if you really just said that? Did you really spend ten minutes convincing your toddler that they can’t wear the same jammies four days in a row and then sleep in them again? I mean, three days is the limit. Or challenge your preschooler during “gymnastics” time to a pushup competition and then cheer when you won, and they lost? Because just dipping your tummy doesn’t count, you have to bend your arms! And should you be worried? No, probably not. Quarantine is an alternate universe that knows no time or space or specific dictations on how to set appropriate rules or boundaries with children who don’t ever sit still.
When your kid is jumping from the couch to the coffee table and back, cheer them on. When they run circles around the room, throw on a backpack with a few books in it, so they get some heavy sensory work out of it. When they are carving your kitchen table with a fork because you forced them to sit for lunch instead of gnawing on a cheese stick as they wander around bugging the other children, calmly hand them one of the dozens of amazon boxes stacking up in your recycling to destroy. Someday you will look back fondly at that table and think, I remember that day of quarantine 2020. That was hell. Then vow to carve up the table when all this craziness is over and keep that one piece of wood that has your kids’ artwork, albeit angry and maniacal slash line art, but still, your little one made it. Put it in their baby box for future fun. Or is this one of those things we say in quarantine that makes you wonder, is this okay? Should I be worried? Nah, it’s just a table, right?
It may not help you right now, but it’s worth it to say that children who don’t ever sit still are the ones who will dig in and work the hardest on their passions. They are the ones who will put endless hours into their families when they grow up. They are the ones who will run the longest in a race and cheer everyone on and hold everyone up because they have the energy to do it. They are the ones who will take every ounce of your energy to parent them, and drain you and climb on you, need more from you than you think you can give, and then refuse to go to bed at night.
They will wake up early as hell and make you dream of swimming in coffee, infusing it directly into your pores because you are so damn tired, and there is nowhere else for them to go. Nowhere else for you to go. Know that you are not parenting in vain. The key is to sink in when you want to run. Let go when you want to force your way. Hug tight when you want to scream. And when you think you can’t give another inch, remember you always have the bathroom with the houseplant in it because no one ever really cleaned that up yet.
Have a seat and take a breath, read one page of a magazine, bring some chocolate that you stole out of your wildest kids candy stash, and tell yourself you are a great mom. You are a great dad. As long as your kids know they are loved, they will be just fine. Your house may need a few touch-ups at the end of all of this, but paint is a magical thing. In the meantime, Godspeed. Keep going, and remember this one truth: there is always time for a dance party in quarantine. Alexa, play some gangster rap, please.
Krissy Dieruf is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children, loves to sing and dance around the house and has a soft spot for rebels and crazy hair.