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Spring is in the air! As the weather starts to get warmer, many people take advantage of this time of year to catch up on spring cleaning! There are hundreds of different cleaning solutions to choose from but the costs associated with these chemicals can be high! To cut down these costs, you could try making an inexpensive, easy-to-use, and natural alternative which can safely be used in place of commercial household products. Here are a few homemade substitutions that you can easily make using your purified Springs Mountain Water combined with common household products.

Note: These formulas and substitutions are offered to help minimize the use of toxic substances in your home, and reduce the environmental harm caused by the manufacture, use, and disposal of toxics. Results may vary and cannot be guaranteed to be 100% safe and effective. Before applying any cleaning formulations, test in small hidden areas if possible. Always use caution with any new product in your home.

All-Purpose Cleaner:

·      ½ cup vinegar

·      ¼ cup baking soda

·      ½ gallon Springs Mountain Water

Combine the vinegar, baking soda, and water. Mix together well. Can be used in a spray bottle or by pouring a small amount on a towel. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc.

Bathroom Mold Removal:

Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts Springs Mountain Water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. Wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower.

Oven Cleaner:

·       ¾ cup baking soda

·       ¼ cup salt

·       ¼ cup  Springs Mountain Water

Moisten oven surfaces with sponge and water. Combine the baking soda, salt, and Springs Mountain Water to form a thick paste. Spread paste throughout oven interior (avoid bare metals and any openings). Let sit overnight. Remove with spatula and wipe clean. For tough spots, rub gently with fine steel wool.

These formulas and more can be found with the original article here

The benefits to shopping in small businesses are endless.  What a great feeling to know that you support your local economy during the holiday season! Springs Mountain Water takes pride in being a local water delivery provider. We’re grateful when customers choose local businesses.

“In choosing where to shop, many people look first at prices, then location and then the name of the store, with little thought given to the importance of supporting small, local businesses. Small local businesses provide advantages to the surrounding community that large big box retailers cannot offer. Understanding those advantages can encourage customers to support their local merchants.

Significance

Shopping at small, local businesses can have a significant impact on the local economy. Businesses pay sales tax to the city and county where the business is located. When patrons make the choice to leave the area to do their shopping, they are supporting areas outside of their own. Large businesses also pay sales taxes to the local government.

Benefits

The money paid to local governments by small, local businesses is used for many things, including the financing of roads, public schools, sidewalks and parks. In addition, those tax dollars help to fund additional public service workers such as police officers and firefighters. Many cities subsidize youth sports leagues that are sponsored by the parks department. The money used to fund such activities comes from taxes, which are paid in part by small local businesses as sales tax revenue.

Time Frame

Each year, cities calculate the amount of sales tax revenue that they anticipate receiving from their local businesses. That revenue estimate is used to forecast the following year's budget needs and the budget gets decided. If the revenue does not match the estimate, the city goes over budget, which can cause financial issues. Local businesses that are able to maintain positive growth through sales tax revenue each year help meet the city's financial needs. In addition, the city is able to project the following year's probable revenue figures based on the local business' revenue the previous year.

Considerations

Small local businesses provide job opportunities for local residents. This can be in the way of part-time help, or full-time management. Local jobs keep the residents in town during their shift, so the advantages extrapolate outward as the employee spends money at the local restaurant during meal breaks, gasses up at the local station to get to work and stops at the local grocery store on the way home at night. The advantage of a small local business employing local residents creates a domino effect that helps the community as a whole. In addition, small local businesses typically provide better customer service than their large, corporate counterparts. The small business owner often lives in the community, worships, plays sports and socializes with community members, and cares about the individuals who patronize his business. Because of his personal involvement with the community, he will strive to provide the best service possible to customers.

Potential

Aside from providing local job opportunities, small, local businesses support the area through their everyday needs. Small businesses open accounts at local banks, hire local CPAs and attorneys and when they need supplies they can step down the street to get them quickly. Running a small local business provides automatic advantages in the daily operations.”

Original Article: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-small-local-businesses-2159.html

US bottled water sales reach record high in 2015, with growth expected to continue: Mintel

By Rachel Arthur, 24-Feb-2016

CLICK ON THE LINK http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Markets/US-bottled-water-sales-reach-record-high-in-2015-Mintel

Colorado is a popular place for winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and sledding. According to dripdrop.com, the body’s thirst response is diminished in cold weather (by up to 40 percent even when dehydrated). This happens because our blood vessels constrict when we’re cold to prevent blood from flowing freely to the extremities. (If you’ve ever had cold hands in winter, you know the feeling.) This enables the body to conserve heat by drawing more blood to its core.

But because of this, the body is fooled into thinking it’s properly hydrated, e.g. you don’t feel as thirsty  and your body doesn’t conserve water. Thus, in cold weather, athletes are less likely to drink water voluntarily, and additionally, their kidneys aren’t signaled by hormones to conserve water and urine production increases, a condition call cold-induced urine diuresis.

So diminished thirst response and increased urine production are two contributing factors. Yet, there are several others that can lead to winter dehydration, including:

• Wearing extra clothing. Heavy jackets, long underwear and other pieces of warm clothing help your body conserve heat. But the added weight is one factor that makes the body work between 10 and 40 percent harder. By working harder, the body produces more sweat, contributing to fluid loss.
• Increased respiratory fluid loss. In cold weather, we lose more fluids through respiratory water loss. For example, when you can see your own breath, that’s actually water vapor that your body is losing. The colder the temperature and the more intense the exercise, the more vapor you lose when you breathe.
• Sweat evaporates more quickly in cold air. We often think we aren’t sweating in cold, dry weather, because it tends to evaporate so quickly. This is another factor that can contribute to a diminished thirst response.

So whether you’re hitting the slopes or spending an afternoon cross-country skiing – don’t forget to hydrate!

Read the original story here.