Growing plants in your home is a great way to bring nature inside. Easy to grow plants like succulents are growing in popularity because many people are discovering the joy of having plants inside their homes but want something that can handle the dry winter air. There are many benefits to growing plants of all types indoors in the winter.

Houseplants can change the look and feel of your home making them feel more modern and inviting. When staging your home houseplants make a great addition to your decor. Look for plants that blend into the room or add a pop of color and use pots that go seamlessly with your decor. 

Greenery has been proven to help fight depression. Green plants are a great way to bring the calming power of nature into your home and fight seasonal depression. Choose large leafy plants for the maximum effect. Bonus if you use a grow light on your plants that same light will help provide you with full spectrum light to help fight seasonal depression. 

Placing plants in your office or work space is a great way to improve your focus and attention while your work is likely due to your elevated mood. This is why it can be beneficial to add plants to your office or the room you set up for work of learning in the home. Families that have moved to working and learning from home can use this trick to help improve focus and attention.

Plants help to keep the air in your home from drying out. Keeping your plants watered will help keep moisture in the air. Dry winter air can lead to scratchy throat and eyes as well as worsening the severity of common illnesses like the seasonal cold and flu. While a humidifier is a great tool for fighting these illnesses, plants in your home through the winter can help as well. 

Plants don't just put moisture and oxygen into the air improving the quality of the room by filtering out VOCs but they breathe in the carbon dioxide you breathe out. This exchange is a great way to help keep the air in your home balanced and fresh even when you have to have your doors and windows closed to keep out the cold winter air. 

Provide your family with fresh food. While most of us do not have the room for an entire garden in our homes most of us can find the space for some fresh cooking herbs or salad greens in our homes. These fresh foods don't seem like much until you sit down to enjoy your fresh harvest. 

Keep your garden alive and ready to flourish for spring time. Bringing in some perennial plants gives them the best advantage to surviving the winter and thriving to the fullest in the spring when you return them outdoors. This is a great way to take advantage of growing plants that are better suited for warmer growing zones. Mayar lemons are a popular tropical that does well when moved indoors in the winter and will leave your home smelling fresh and clean. 

No matter how clean your home is it will never feel truly clean unless it smells fresh and clean. Odors can be caused by everything from lack of air circulation to something that didn't quite get cleaned right or from the last meal you cooked. Keeping your home smelling great can take a little effort with a big return. If you are selling your home you will want to put extra effort into how your home smells when staging for open houses and viewings. These tips will help keep your home smelling great.

When cooking something that has an unpleasant odor like fish place a bowl of vinegar on your stove top to help neutralize the odor. As you clean away the packaging from the foods take them directly to the outdoor trash can to reduce odors that may linger in the trash. 

Change your trash if you notice an odor. Placing coffee grounds on top of your trash to help neutralize trash odors if you can not take the bag out right away. 

Clean areas that may trap water and odors such as under appliances on your kitchen counter and rungs in the bathroom. It doesn't take much for odors to form and take over the house. 

Use a pet enzyme cleaner of fabric and porous surfaces when cleaning your home to neutralize unwanted pet odors. Often sold to get rid of urine accidents from pets these cleaners can fix any pet odors and can be handy for human odors as well like stinking shoes, sweaty workout clothes, and child bed accidents. 

Use fabric refreshers on areas of your home that can not be washed. This will help to eliminate odors that can't be washed away from sofas, curtains, and other items you may not have time or ability to give a full washing. 

Keep fresh plants in your home. There are many benefits to growing fresh plants in your home ranging from keeping your home smelling great to helping improve the air quality. Houser plants can make your home smell and look cheerful and inviting. 

Candles are a great way to make your home smell great and add a relaxing lighting effect to your home.  Choose a candle with a fragrance that carries through the house but doesn't overwhelm. 3 wick candles will send out their fragrance faster while wooden wick candles will give your space a relaxing quiet crackling sound. 

If you do not want to use candles or would prefer to have a more natural and inexpensive option using an essential oil diffuser is a great option for keeping your home smelling great. Some oils are not safe for around animals so do your research before using essential oils around your pets. 

Avoid using strong scented cleaners before having someone come over. While cleaners like bleach can be used to make your home clean and kill germs they can leave behind a harsh odor that doesn't smell welcoming and fresh. When cleaning up before people arrive opt for mild scented cleaners or just plain water and microfiber to prevent from overwhelming soft welcoming fragrances you are using around the home. 

Every home needs a quality first aid kit. This allows you to be prepared for the worse case scenario or just simple cuts and scrapes. Stocking your first aid kit and keeping it stocked is a smart move, providing the best for your family. These are essential items every home first aid kit should have. 

Bandaids are the most common item in first aid kits and should always be kept in good supply. l get a variety of sizes and shapes. If you have children you may want to purchase some fun designs from the local dollar store to add to your first aid kit to make those everyday boo boos more fun to deal with.

Antibiotic cream is vital for first aid kits. This allows you to treat injuries and burns to prevent infection. When purchasing an antibiotic cream look for one with a pain reliever in it to help deal with the pain of minor cuts, scraps, and burns. 

While quick clot may not be common in every first aid kit this essential item should be added to each and every first aid kit. Should someone have a major cut this can help slow and top bleeding while waiting for help to care for the wound. This can be particularly handy for areas like the kitchen where people commonly cut their hands.

Disposable sterile gloves can make caring for woods easier and safer. Keep a few pairs of packages of sterile gloves to help ensure that you have clean hands even in a rush to deal with wounds that could become infected if exposed to dirt that may be on your hands or under your fingernails.

Bandages and medical tape with sterile gauze pads are perfect for treating larger areas protecting wounds from dirt and bacteria. This allows you to make custom bandages to cover any surface. 

Antihistamine medications to help fight allergic reactions and rashes. If you have someone in your home with a life-threatening allergy you should consider getting a prescription for an epi-pen to keep in your first aid kit in case something should go wrong. 

Pain medications to help cope with everything from fevers to headaches should be kept in your first aid kit. This will allow you to keep anyone comfortable no matter what comes your way. Your kit should include aspirin in a container that children can not get into. This will allow you to treat heart attack symptoms quickly without hunting down a bottle of aspirin. 

You should keep a thermometer and if possible an oximeter in your first aid kit. This will allow you to track symptoms should someone in your home get sick. With these simple tools, you can tell when your family needs to see or update your medical care professional. 

Get a small pocket size first aid manual. This can be a great advantage for someone providing first aid care without experience and knowledge. Look for a book that is fit for beginners and easy to navigate.  

Slow WiFi can make life difficult for the entire family. With more families home now than ever, we are seeing more of a need for our homes to have a fast reliable WiFi signal. While you can always upgrade your plan until you have the fastest internet your provider has to offer, this will only go so far in providing your family with faster internet. The more people using the lines in your area the slower your internet will get and nothing can fix the incoming speed. The good news is, there are several things you can do to speed up your internet inside your home. 

Start by testing your WiFi signal strength. This can be done by using apps from most internet providers. If you are unsure you can call your internet provider for directions on how to check the actual speed of your WiFi router. IF your single is much lower than expected for your service plant it is time to think about upgrading your equipment. 

Even if your signal through your router is not the main issue upgrading your modem and router equipment is a great way to improve the WiFi signal in your home by pushing out a stronger signal than your current equipment.  Call your internet provider and ask about equipment upgrades through them or a third party seller such as Best Buy. 

Check the devices using your internet connection. Often when families see a sudden slow down it is due to someone else piggybacking off their signal. This is common in apartments where many people are within your wifi range. If you notice someone outside of your household is using your internet you can change your password to a more secure WiFi password to stop them from using your connection. 

Get a WiFi signal booster. This can be a great way to improve your WiFi signal in a home where the signal is less desirable. This can be a common issue if your home is larger than the distance your router can reach. A signal booster will speed up your internet while extending the distance you have a signal. 

Clean up your devices. Sometimes a slow WiFi signal is not your connection at all but your device. An overrun device with no storage or ram left available for use can be a big hit on speed including the speed of your internet loading. Clean out unneeded files and run a defrag cycle on computers for a quick and easy speed boost. Running updates that you have put off on your device can make a big difference across all devices for WiFi signal. 

Check what your family is doing online. While it may not seem like much if you are trying to get something done online, your family can significantly lower your WiFi speed by streaming video online or playing online games. If you need your signal to be at full strength for a zoom meeting make sure everyone else is offline or at least doing something that won't drain your WiFi signal quality and leave you lagging. 

Winter can do a number on the utility bills. Keeping your home and you warm can be a bit of a challenge when a cold winter rolls through. After a few cold winters, you may have discovered you need some creative ways to help keep warm this winter.

An electric fireplace is a great way to keep warm in the winter. While we can not all have a beautiful real fireplace almost anyone can find room to put in an electric one. These used to cost a lot to run but with the advance of inferred technology electric fireplaces are economical and powerful for helping with zone heating in the winter. Even if you have the heat off, the fire going on its own is a great way to help trick the mind into feeling like it is warm and cozy in the room.

Keep throw blankets around the house. This will give you something to snuggle up with on the sofa or chair or just in bed after a long day. Soft cozy blankets can go a long way in feeling warm and cozy after a long hard day or while snuggled up with a good book. Add a few throw pillows around to make it even cozier.

Get everyone in the family slippers to wear around the house. Even if you place rugs around on hard floors to help stop the cold from working its way up from the basement you can still find some areas that are colder than you would like. Slippers give your family something warm on their feet that won't get ruined and cold like a pair of socks on the floor where spills can soak them.

If the humidity drops too low in our homes they can feel colder. Growing plants indoors in the winter is a great way to improve the humidity in your home. You can also use humidifiers or just take advantage of simple things like placing a wet rag over heater vents or simmering a big pot of water and spices on the stove to raise the humidity in your home.

Take advantage of the cold weather for baking and even running the self-clean cycle on your oven. Running the oven heats your home up a good deal leaving most people skipping oven-baked dishes in the summer. Take advantage of the cold to make casseroles, pies, homemade bread, and sweet treats. Not only will you have great food to enjoy, you will help make your home feel warmer. Leave the oven cracked after shutting it off to let the heat escape.

Take the insulation up a notch. From adding plastic over windows to replacing the weather stripping on your door there are several great things you can do to improve the warmth of your home this winter. Look for drafts and make a plant to help keep cold air from getting in and reduce how much heat escapes your home. Close off rooms you are not using and hang thermal curtains over the doorways to help keep your home warmer.

Find yourself exploring the different areas of Philadelphia for your family’s dream home? We know, the options seem to be endless. There are so many potential locations that may suit your needs. However, we understand how important it is to find the perfect home for your family and the many requirements that come along with making that big decision.

With you in mind, we took the time to identify five neighborhoods in Philadelphia that your family will love. We made sure to analyze important factors such as: median household income, unemployment rates, cost of living, crime rates, school ratings and family friendly activities in each location. Now, let’s take a look at which neighborhoods ranked the best!

Ardmore

This suburb is located on the West side of Philadelphia. It has a population of a little over 13,000 people within its community. It is comfortably located within Montgomery County and takes pride in being one of the top sought out areas to live in Pennsylvania. Ardmore offers residents a mixture of urban and suburban vibes. Most residents are noted to own their own home, which increases longevity of residents within the community. The median income of families averaged to be $75,828. Whether you are looking to explore day or night, Ardmore has just the thing for you. This area offers a variety of parks, coffee shops restaurants and bars to suit any residents needs. 

Bonus Tip: Get a taste of the community by visiting Ardmore Farmers Market, the whole family will enjoy. It is a great daytime adventure with an impressive assortment of produce, baked goods and eateries that all make fun for a great day with the family.

Search homes for sale in the Ardmore neighborhood of Pennsylvania

Chestnut Hill

Known as Philadelphia’s Garden District, its distinct urban feeling featuring colorful blooms and gardens is hard to miss. This location is actually known to be the home of the Morris Arboretum, a 92-acre garden located in Chestnut Hill that offers a seasonal changing landscape of colorful trees, flowers, gardens, landscapes and other adventures to explore. 

Families always find something to do in this part of the city. Especially sports fans who can enjoy watching live baseball events featuring their home team, Philadelphia Phillies, playing at the Citizen’s Bank Park. 

Residents of Chestnut Hill claim it has a fun, urban feel. This area seems to offer a great variety of homeownership and rental options for residents. With 57% of residents renting and 43% owning their home. The Median Home Value is estimated at $514,142.

Search homes for sale in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Pennsylvania

Manayunk

This vibrant neighborhood might be Philadelphia’s best kept secret for family living. It is affordable, walkable and quickly growing. With a small population of 7,444 residents, it gives families a place to establish their roots within the community. Manayunk offers many family fun activities through the year such as: StrEAT Food Festival and the Art Festival. Numerous walk and bike trails are offered throughout the city to residents to take advantage of. 

Residential homes average a Median Home Value of $241,689 and a media rent of $1,566 for apartments. Historic row homes, trendy loft apartments with views of the riverside are just some of the impressive housing options available. Almost half of all residents have their Bachelor’s Degree and slightly less have earned their Master’s or higher. The Median Household Income averages about $73,000.

Bonus Tip: Manayunk loves dogs! They offer numerous parks dedicated to giving your fluffy friends exercise and fun. Seriously, check out the Manayunk Dog Park of Pretzel Park for yourself if you are in the area!

Search homes for sale in the Manayunk neighborhood of Pennsylvania. 

Old City

Old City is a historian’s paradise. This historic neighborhood can be found in Center City, Philadelphia. It is best known to tourists as the home to Independence Hall, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted. It is now viewed as the centerpiece of the surrounding Independence National Historical Park. 

In this neighborhood you can find a healthy mixture of residents who own their home and are renters. It offers residents a dense urban feel where many young professionals are coming to start their families. The Median Home Value in Old City averages at $458,946. Residents boast on how calm, clean and safe the environment is of this thriving area. 

Search homes for sale in the Old City neighborhood of Pennsylvania

Upper Uwchlan Township

Upper Uwchlan Township is one of the highest rated suburbs of Philadelphia. Home to over 11,000 residents, it offers a suburban rural feel to the community. About 94% of its residents all own their own home. The Median Home Value runs in the range of $436,400 with rents averaging about $1,700 per month. 

Residents praise the local public and private schools selections in Upper Uwchlan. Specifically, the Downingtown STEM Academy, a magnet school located in Downingtown, PA. State scores average students at this school to rank 95% in reading and mathematics. 

For family fun, a highly recommended experience is the Uwchlan Trail, offering families 2.5 miles of scenic trails to walk, bike and inline skating. While still a work in progress, this trail will provide an off-road connection between the Struble and Chester Valley trails, linking to the latter in Exton Park.

Search homes for sale in the Upper Uwchlan Township neighborhood of Pennsylvania