mycrescentmoondreams-blog

[mycrescentmoondreams-blog]

Why your office air is making you sick and what you can do about it

Every morning when I walk into my office space my nose starts to get runny and I begin to sneeze. At least once a week a co-worker asks me if I might be getting a cold, but every night when I leave the office my symptoms suddenly disappear. I began to fear after a month of being sick in the office, but fine when I left, that I was allergic to my workplace. In a way I was right. Turns out that indoor air pollutants are ranked among the top 5 environmental risks to health. According to Deputy Director of the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, Maria Janowiak,

“Stagnant indoor environments allow pollutants to build up and stick around in greater amounts than we humans should be breathing in. Living and working in places rife with air contaminants and lacking decent ventilation can cause "sick building syndrome, which can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and eye, ear, and nose irritation.”

NASA has been researching how to address this indoor stagnant air pollution problem and their solution was to use houseplants to clean the air. Janowiak and NASA provided a list of 9 houseplants that are nearly impossible to kill that will clean your indoor air for you and stop that runny nose from occurring every day (link to this article http://greatist.com/connect/houseplants-that-clean-air). 

9 Air Purifying plants to buy for your office or apartment:

1.Garden Mum

2, Spider Plant

3. Dracaena

4. Ficus/Weeping Fig

5. Peace Lily

6. Boston Fern

7. Snake Plant 

8. Bamboo Palm

9. Aloe Vera (also great to use on your skin!)

A few other options besides buying a spider plant is to get a ion air purifier. You can find a wide range of ion air purifiers on Amazon.com ranging from $20-100 depending on the size of the purifier you desire. If you find that you are always sick when you go into your office just remember that its not in your head, the indoor air is stagnant and making you sick. 

When you start to experience cold like symptoms from stagnant indoor air pollutants know that you have options besides just being sick 5 days a week. Take the time to go out and buy (or if your office will buy one have them order it) one of those 9 air purifying plants or a ion air purifier for your office space, your health depends on it. 

Disclaimer* All images taken from Google images 

http://greatist.com/connect/houseplants-that-clean-air 

[mycrescentmoondreams-blog]

Top 7 outings to venture on when your out-of-town girlfriends are visiting Denver

I am always at a loss in terms of what to do with my out of town guests. My family and friends are from the East Coast, so coming out west is a brand new place to explore and experience. I searched the blog sphere about what to do around town when people are visiting and every page seemed to be listing the same things. I had a epiphany after i read the tenth blog listing the same ten attractions as the last nine blogs. My light bulb moment was that instead of thinking of things my out of town visitors must see around town that are tourist attraction staples, how about showing them the fun things that I like around Denver as a local.  I provided the top ten must see’s and do’s for a week or weekend with your out of town girlfriends below. 

1. Drink Bottomless Mimosas and make a DIY craft at Upstairs Circus. 

http://upstairscircus.com/co/project-menu/

Located just two blocks (to the right of Union Station if you are facing 17th street from the front of the building),Upstairs Circus is a fun spot to go get your creative energy flowing with your girlfriends, mom and a great first date spot to break the ice. You’ll have a lot of giggles while creating some pretty cool projects that you get to take home. Upstairs Circus offers a wide variety of projects to pick from. Projects range from making your own dog collar, flask, painting, string art, jewelry, to cutting your own wine bottle tumbler glasses. At Upstairs Circus they have a project for everyone. 

2. Play Trivia, Eat, Drink and Pour Your Own at First Draft 

http://www.firstdraftdenver.com/

Located in the art district of RINO (1309 26th Street), First Draft is a fun space to experience with friends. You pour your own drinks from the taps located around the main room and have the opportunity to try a little bit of everything or settle on one delicious beer, cider, or wine that you discovered. On Wednesdays they offer trivia nights at 730 which is a fun way to bond with your friends and get some good laughs. 

3. Eat Nachos and Play Corn Hole on the Rooftop at Tap Fourteen

http://www.tapfourteen.com/

This bar is located on Blake street in the LoDo neighborhood (across the street from Coors Stadium). This bar offers its patrons 70 Colorado Draft Beers, 100 Colorado Distilled Spirits, American Alpine Fare and Amazing Skyline Views. This is a fun spot to grab some sun rays on the rooftop and play a competitive game of corn hole with your friends. 

5. Have Cocktails at the Terminal Bar in Union Station

http://www.terminalbardenver.com/

Union Station has a romantic vibe when you step inside and take in the gorgeous station architecture, but its also a fun place to go with your girl friends for a fancy cocktail and a game of shuffle board. This is a historic staple in Denver Colorado (so you'll be taking your friends to at least one of the historic attractions in Denver). Make sure to stop out front of the station to take a few selfies in front of the famous Union Station Terminal sign before heading inside for a cocktail with your friends. Your friends will love the ambiance of the building and get a good buzz going if this is just a pit stop to your next destination.

6. Walk or bike along the South Platte River and View some Local Eye Candy at the Flagship REI Store’s Starbucks

Although this specific REI store is my fathers favorite spot in downtown Denver to visit (hopefully he wont will change his mind about this after he reads the next bit), it’s Starbucks is also a well known pick up spot for the good looking outdoorsy men of Denver. So if you have any single girl friends coming into town who want to go view some local eye candy, I would make it a point to stop in at the REI Starbucks for a refreshing beverage after, before or in between your stroll or bike around South Platte River. Denver offers a lot of bike rental stores and bike share spots including one at the REI store. Denver is rated the second most bike-able city in America (behind Portland) and is a popular way for locals to get around town. 

7. Take a picnic to Washington Park and Paddle Boat on the Pond

Washington Park is a beautiful space in downtown Denver. it boasts of 155 acres of  manicured grounds, including two lakes, two flower gardens (one of which is a replica of George Washington's gardens at Mount Vernon) and there are a variety of unique shops and dining spots nearby the park located on Old South Gaylord Street. On sunny weekends, you will find local denverites playing pick up games in the park consisting of  volleyball, Frisbee, bocce ball, soccer, and croquet. Wash Park (as the locals call it) is  also another well known eye candy viewing spot. If its a sunny day outside this gives your single girlfriends a chance to discreetly, behind their large sunglasses, eyeball the local hotties playing shirtless games of volleyball and Frisbee in the park. Take a picnic to the park complete with wine and cheese (alcoholic beverages are allowed in the park but no glass bottles) and just lay back and relax. If you are not the lay back and relax type of gal do not fret, you can join in on one of the many pick up games around the park or rent a paddle boat for a hour and go out one of the two lakes to view the ducks.