For many, this means heading down to the local home improvement warehouse to buy chemical products that might produce a green lawn, but will do a great deal of damage to [...]]]> Even if the weather in your area is still a bit chilly, it’s time to start thinking about giving your lawn a little TLC.

For many, this means heading down to the local home improvement warehouse to buy chemical products that might produce a green lawn, but will do a great deal of damage to the soil, water, and wildlife in the process. Here are some tips from Care2.com

If you’d rather take a more organic approach to lawn care, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Fertilization: Spring is a crucial time to fertilize because it replenishes the food reserves your yard draws from while dormant in the winter and fuels grass’ rapid growth phase. Hopefully, you’ve been composting your kitchen waste all year long, and you have the means to make compost tea to fertilize your lawn and garden. This will produce a thick, healthy lawn that also helps prevent weeds. (And don’t worry: if you haven’t been composting, there are lots of packaged organic fertilizers on the market, but just like when shopping for organic foods, be careful and read the label).

Weed control: Apply a pre-emergent weed killer on lawns to prevent grassy weeds from germinating. Spring broadleaf weeds like dandelions, clovers and plantains, are best prevented by maintaining a proper mowing height and fertilization. After a mild winter, annual weeds that germinate in the fall, like henbit and chickweed, will be more visible and require higher levels of broadleaf weed control through herbicides. Never use chemical weed killers! Check out natural and effective options like Burn Out, (made from clove oil, vinegar and lemon juice) instead.

Pest control/Disease repair: Severe winters may increase the incidence of winter diseases such as snow mold and Bermuda dead spot. Proper cultural care is important in helping your lawn recover from stress related winter diseases. Properly timed fertilizer application and mowing at the recommended height for your grass type are two items that will aid in the recovery of your lawn.

Mowing: Contrary to popular belief, setting your mower at a very low height can actually increase weeds by exposing the soil surface to sunlight and removing stored nutrients in leaf blades. Cool weather grasses, such as bluegrass, ryegrass and fescues, should maintain a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches. Warm season grasses, like bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine and centipede, should be kept at 1.5 to 2.5 inches tall. Also, think about skipping the loud, carbon-intensive gas powered mower for an electric or human-powered alternative.

April showers? Get a slicker at less-than-sticker price. Want to turn that patio or deck into your home-outside-of-home for the next five months? You might find decent discounts on furniture, containers and flowering [...]]]> Whether you crave a fresh salad, a little chocolate or a new laptop, you can probably find a deal this month.

April showers? Get a slicker at less-than-sticker price. Want to turn that patio or deck into your home-outside-of-home for the next five months? You might find decent discounts on furniture, containers and flowering plants.

Whether you want to add a little spring zing to your menu, home or attitude, Bankrate.com has compiled a list of more than 20 items from on which you can find discounts, deals and sales this month.

April holidays mean deals on candy, from chocolate bunnies to jelly beans.

Early in April, the biggest discounts are on Easter candy: treats such as “chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs filled with peanut butter or cream or different confections,” says Denise Alvarez, marketing manager for Retail Confectioners International, an association of independently owned candy producers and retailers. In many cases, shoppers will find discounts of 10 percent to 15 percent, she says.

If you love the candy but don’t care about the calendar, the days after Easter (April are a candy lover’s bonanza. Anything themed that can’t be repackaged for other holidays can be up to half off, she says.

If your tastes run toward the nonchocolate, April 22 brings National Jelly Bean Day. Depending on the retailer, you could find discounts on jelly beans of up to 10 percent to 20 percent, Alvarez says.

April is a good time to save on TVs, laptops and tablets — oh my.

“April is actually a pretty good month for both televisions and laptops,” says. “Part of it is because it’s the end of the model year. And it’s the end of the fiscal year for Japanese companies — they’re trying to clear the books.”

Generally, shoppers can expect discounts of about 10 percent on TVs and laptops, he says. With TVs, “it’s really all over the place,” depending on the company and the model, he says. TVs without some of the latest high-tech features (such as Internet interface or 3-D) might offer greater discounts, he says.

Ditto with laptops. The big influx of “ultrabooks” (lightweight, superthin, shorter boot times and longer battery lives), means shoppers can find bigger discounts on more traditional models, Barry says.

Mother’s Day, graduations and Father’s Day come in May and June, and that means good prices in April on accessories for electronics — things such as cases, docking stations and carrying bags, Barry says.

April brings savings on party supplies and kids’ dress clothes.

Want to get a good deal on kids’ dress clothes? During the first week of April (right before Easter and Passover), parents will see dress clothing marked down by 25 percent to 50 percent, says Daniel Butler, vice president of retail operations for the National Retail Federation.

There are two times of year when parents try to outfit their children in dress clothes: just before winter and spring holidays, he says. Bargains include everything from baby and toddler sizes to juniors and young men’s sizes, he says.

The only problem for bargain hunters is that it’s a short window of just one week, Butler says.

Got a spring party planned? When it comes to items such as balloons, costumes, place mats and special dinnerware, you could find deals of 25 percent to 50 percent off during the first week of April, Butler says. If you wait, the real deals come after the holidays, when you can find the same items for 40 percent to 70 percent off, he says.

With April weather a peril, buy apparel at a discount.

April showers bring not just May flowers, but also deals on rain gear, says Daniel Butler, vice president of retail operations for the National Retail Federation.

Shoppers will see discounts on lightweight weather gear — such as umbrellas, slickers and jackets — for 20 percent to 30 percent off, he says.

If you would rather plan for sunny weather, you can likely find bargains on swimwear in April. Many stores mark swimsuits down by 25 percent to 50 percent, Butler says. Warm-weather casual clothes, such as shorts, T-shirts and tank tops, are popping up at 25 percent to 40 percent off, he says.

Your supermarket will have plenty of produce on sale in April.

If the weather stays warm, leaf lettuce should be a great value in April, says James Parker, facility team leader for the global produce buying office of Whole Foods Market. He lists romaine, green leaf, red leaf and butter lettuce.

Grape or cherry tomatoes are another good buy in April. Instead of price cuts, look for larger amounts sold at the same price, Parker says.

Prices on artichokes, asparagus, strawberries and mangos dropped in March, and, if the weather holds, supplies will be even more plentiful in April, Parker says. Consumers could see either lower prices or larger portions for the same price.

April brings plenty more bargains in produce, including for red peppers. In general, hothouse peppers will run about $2 to $4 a pound, while peppers grown in the field will be about $1 to $2 a pound, Parker says.

Consumers should also see some good buys on broccoli and cauliflower, he says. If the favorable weather continues, prices for both will go down about one-third in April, Parker says.

In April, you can find deals on outdoor furniture, clay pots and some blooming plants.

You might not get the best prices on outdoor living goods in April, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a discount.

If you’re in the market for some patio furniture, you can find markdowns of 20 percent to 30 percent in April, says Daniel Butler, vice president of retail operations for the National Retail Federation.

In April, many garden centers run specials on terra cotta pots — a favorite for container gardening, says P. Allen Smith, author of “Living in the Garden Home” and host of “P. Allen Smith Gardens.” While the discounts aren’t as big as you’d score in October (as much as 80 percent off), you can get deals of up to 20 percent off, he says.

Nurseries and garden centers will also run superlow prices on select items in April, hoping that you’ll buy other things once you’re in the store. So look for loss-leader prices on things such as hanging baskets of blooming plants and flats of perennials, Smith says.

Discounted spa services deliver a less stressful April.

Longing for an hour of “me time” sometime in April?

For Spa Week (April 16 to 22), more than 800 participating spas are offering promotional deals, says Lynne McNees, president of the International Spa Association.

You get an hour of services for $50, she says. That can be anything from a single facial or massage to a combination of treatments. “You really can get anything you want,” McNees says. “It depends on the spa in your area.”

April is Stress Awareness Month. Many spas and health clubs offer free or discounted classes, seminars and services aimed at stress reduction, McNees says. This can include classes on meditation or how to multitask without losing your mind.

This article from Caring.com says avoid these five foods that can *prevent* you from getting a good [...]]]> Sleep; it is so good for us but for many it can be so hard to achieve. Believe it or not your lack of sleep may be coming from the foods you eat.

This article from Caring.com says avoid these five foods that can *prevent* you from getting a good night’s rest:

1. Preserved and smoked meats

Slap your hand away when it reaches to make a ham sandwich as an evening snack. Ham, bacon, sausages, and smoked meats contain high levels of the amino acid tyramine, which triggers the brain to release norepinephrine, a brain stimulant that makes us feel alert and wired.

2. Chocolate

Love an evening cup of cocoa? That sundae in front of the TV? Be careful of chocolate in all its disguises. Many people are increasingly sensitive to caffeine as they get older, and even the little chocolate chunks in chocolate chip ice cream could zap you just enough to prevent ZZZZs. Chocolate also contains tyrosine, a stimulating amino acid.

3. Energy drinks

Red Bull and other energy drinks are high in caffeine as well as the amino acid taurine, which boosts alertness and adrenaline. Recent studies have shown that even if you drink energy drinks early in the day, the combined high dosage of taurine and caffeine can make it hard to sleep, or to sleep well, later on.

4. Tomato sauce, chili, pizza, and spicy foods

Digestive disturbances are a common source of sleep problems, but many people fail to make the connection. Acidic and spicy foods can cause reflux, heartburn, and other symptoms that interrupt sleep.

5. The nightcap

A drink or two may make you feel more relaxed after dinner, but it comes back to haunt you — literally — a few hours later, by preventing you from achieving deep sleep. And because alcohol both dehydrates you and makes you have to pee, it wakes you up, too. Wine is high in the stimulant tyrosine as well.

There are two main factors at play that make buying versus renting a better choice.