Smart assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant have become everyday staples in many homes thanks to their convenience. However, if you aren’t cautious, voice assistants may end up listening to conversations unintended for them. So, how can you prevent this from happening?

• Understand how the assistant is programmed to turn on (e.g., wake words like “Alexa, Ok Siri”) and how it’s turned off. Recordings are usually sent to the manufacturer’s servers, and employees may listen to them when managing quality assurance. It’s wise to check the settings on your device and opt out or limit the data sharing.
• Delete old recordings or check if there’s an auto-delete option.
• Read privacy policy updates. 
• Have separate password-protected accounts for each person in your home if possible. Set a passcode for your email if you can, and for online shopping, turn off voice ordering when you are done.
• Create strong passwords (longer is better, as well as a mix of upper and lower case letters, symbols, and numbers). Another layer of protection is to use multi-factor authentication. 
• Research how to better secure your router, such as by setting up a VPN.

Striking the balance between convenience and privacy requires using all the layers of protection you can. You can still have anomalies, so it’s wise to be mindful of sensitive conversations around voice assistants.

Sometimes, uninvited guests show up in your garden, leaving your plants fighting to survive. For some chemical-free ways of fighting off these pests, let’s dig in.

Healthy soil precedes healthy plants, so mix in organic compost to fertilize your plants so they can better withstand pests. 

Choose plants based on the amount of sunlight exposure to your garden, so they don’t weaken and become more vulnerable to pests. Plant strong-scented plants that repel pests such as marigolds, chives, thyme, mint, and lavender. These plants also attract pollinators which help to fertilize your garden. Plant a variety of plants so pests don’t concentrate in one area (e.g., alternate vegetable rows with pest-repelling plants). Another tip is to rotate your vegetable crops annually to confuse pests and keep the soil healthy. 

If you detect pests early enough, remove the leaves of the infected plants. If the whole plant is infested, remove it from the garden to prevent the infestation from spreading. You can also include plants that attract the predators of the pests attacking your garden. 

Another defence against pests is row covers, which let water and sunlight in, but keep pests out. Just be sure to lift them off for a few hours every morning to allow pollinators in.

Good luck, and may the pests avoid your garden!

If you are looking at your walls and are thinking that they need a fresh coat of paint or just want to switch things up with a new color, read on for some tips to make your paint job a smooth one.

• Paint samples onto paper and hang them on the wall. Look at the colors in different lighting to see if it’s really the color you desire.
• Determine which kind of primer you need, if any (e.g., wood, drywall, masonry, or a paint and primer in one). If the walls are in good condition or the colours are not a drastic change, you may not need a primer.
• Choose a sheen suitable for its use (e.g., satin enamel works well for rooms with moisture, like kitchens and bathrooms).
• Cover furniture and flooring with plastic sheeting.
• Fill small holes or cracks with filler or spackle, let it dry, and then sand it. Then wipe down the area you will be painting with a mild soap solution to remove any dust, which would affect the paint’s adherence. 
• Next, tape off the room by applying paint tape to the boundaries you are painting around.
• Paint the ceiling first, then the walls, and end with the trim.
• Let the first coat fully dry to prevent cracks and peeling. After the second coat, decide if you want a third coat.

Happy painting!

Are you looking to pack some “pollinator power” into your garden? If you don’t already have them, try adding plants that attract pollinators, like bees and butterflies. When pollinators feed on the pollen and nectar of the plants they are attracted to, some of that pollen and nectar clings to them, and as they forage around your garden it spreads itself onto other seeds and plants to help them germinate, fertilize, and thrive. So, what are some tips for getting started with a pollinator garden?

• Plant native plants, which produce flowers that are rich in nectar and pollen, such as coneflowers, aster, lavender, salvia, sunflowers, zinnias, and herbs such as oregano and basil. 
• Include plants with different bloom times, so you have beautiful colour and pollinators in your garden throughout the growing season.
• Group the same plants together to make it easier for pollinators to collect and spread pollen and nectar. Not all pollinators will be attracted to the same plants.
• Avoid pesticides, which harm pollinators.
• If you have a container garden on a windy balcony, install a windbreak such as a trellis or a screen. If your balcony is mostly shaded, include pollinator plants that thrive with less sun, such as columbine or honeysuckle.

It's estimated that one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of pollinators. So, pollinator gardens are a win-win. Food for pollinators means food for us too.