The Importance of Shopping Locally

    It's been quite a popular topic lately, 'support and buy locally', 'stop using corporations', 'give your local vendors your business'! Before Walmart, Target or even Amazon, what did we do? We bought from our local farmers markets, from our neighbors who could do trades others couldn't like make clothes, jewelry, landscaped, or went to our local general stores owned by someone in our community. Unfortunately, we started seeing a lot of that fade and started shopping at bigger chains where we could find items less expensive and more convenient. That's not a bad thing at all but we tend forget the benefits and importance of shopping locally. There's the environmental benefits, local economic benefits, and benefits for the community, including job retention and non profit support! 

    Large chain grocery stores, clothing stores, Amazon all use some sort of transportation to get the products in stock for your enjoyment. It's great when our product is in stock but we don't think what it took and what it did to our environment to get that product on the shelf. Planes, trains, 18 wheelers all add to the pollution! Buying locally does help reduce that because items are already available within your community and majority made in the backyard of the shop. That means less travel for everyone to get a product on the shelf. 

    Local businesses provide economic benefits to communities by providing jobs that usually have a higher retention rate. A higher job retention means employees are happy with their employers which gives a better customer experience. Who wouldn't want that?! Another benefit to shopping locally is knowing your money does go back into the community. Typically a local business has a heart for the community and neighborhood they're established in leading them to be the best donors for local non profit organizations that they believe to help continue making their neighborhood strong. If you pass a cute looking shop, would you have no temptation to walk in? Let's not forget the pride that local business owners have of their shops by providing aesthetics for the neighborhood with uniqueness to their shops. It's hard to not want to walk in! The more unique the shop, the more unique the product as well.

    The next time you pass a shop that is locally owned, just walk in, even if you don't buy anything, it will show so much respect for the owners to know that anyone had the slightest interest in what they do and bring to the neighborhood! That alone is rewarding for our local vendors, general stores, floral shops and more!

Summer Health

    

                                                                                    Photo credit: google image search

    Now that Summer is creeping upon us, we need to think about going outside more, being able to go to pools, events, lakes, camping, etc. The most important thought should be staying healthy and cool to get through the Summer to survive the all the fun activities.

Surviving the heat while being outdoors is important. Think about all the precautions you can take while staying active. The most common and practical step to take is drinking plenty of water. Avoid all sugary drinks that don’t provide any hydration. Also, don’t wait until you’re thirsty to get in some water. Drink constantly to avoid getting thirsty as it only leads to dehydration. Wear light clothing as in lightweight, light colored, and loose. This help sweat evaporate and keep you cooler. Try to keep exercise outside in the early mornings or later in the evenings to avoid the hottest times of the day. Try to stay in shady areas as well and if it’s too hot, take the workout inside an air-conditioned building. 

Sun safety is another important tip to keeping healthy in the Summer. The most important and most commonly expressed precaution is the use of sunscreen. It helps and works when used consistently. Using a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF every two hours (before and after swimming or sweating) will help with UV protection to protect your skin. Sunglasses are the eyes sunscreen when using a dark lens that can block 99% of UV light from your eyes.

Taking basic and simple precautions during the Summer will help provide safer and longer outside time to spend with family and friends and enjoy your time in the sun. Definitely do not let your fun distract you from your health! Have a great and safe Summer!!

Stage 2 Watering Rules San Antonio

                                                                           Image Credit:https://www.saws.org/conservation/drought-restrictions/stage-2/

Why do we go into Watering Rule Stages?

    Watering stages are put into place by our San Antonio Water System based on levels of the Edwards Aquifer. The Edwards Aquifer is a honeycombed well that provides about 2 million people in Texas drinking water and the primary water source for agriculture and industry in the aquifer's region. Water conservation is why it is important to help conserve the water funds and the watering rules go into place.

Watering Stages:

Stage 1: When the water level drops 660 feet mean sea level at the monitored well during a 10 day period, stage 1 begins. This means that watering with an irrigation, sprinkler system or soaker hose is only permitted once a week before 11 am or after 7 pm on a designated date. You can find the designated dates at SAWS.org

Stage 2: When the water level drops to 650 feet mean sea level at the monitored well during a 10 day period, stage 2 begins. This means watering with an irrigation system or sprinkler is allowed once a week from 7 am - 11 am or 7 pm to 11 pm on your designated date which can be found at saws.org

Stage 3:When the water level drops to 640 feet mean sea level at the monitored well during a 10 day period, stage 2 begins. This means landscape watering is allowed onle every other week from 7 am - 11 am or 7 pm to 11 pm on your designated date which can be found at saws.org

Stage 4: Restrictions are declared at the discretion of the City Manager upon a 30 day assessment following stage 3.

These ordinances are in place to align conservation goals with population growth and long-term supply strategies.

Variance Requests:

There are situations where a variance to the City's Ordinance may be requested where watering rules cannot be reasonably followed. These variance requests are carefully reviewed and are not always granted. Variances may include: New Landscape Variance, Water Fountains, Athletic Fields, Large Properties and Power Washing. To obtain a variance request go to saws.org.

Currently San Antonio is under a Stage 2 water restriction. Please help our city in conserving water and only water on designated watering days provided at saws.org.

Earth Day Forever

    April 22, 2021 is known as Earth Day and is recognized by more than a billion people and celebrated by more than 140 countries according to the National Geographic. 

People celebrate Earth Day by raising awareness about environmental issues and doing their small parts to pick up trash, plant trees, limit their water usage, limit their utility usage and offer time to community projects. Even though Earth Day is on a specific day, these activities go on for a week. By practicing these activities, people hope to make a difference and spread the word to continue getting others involved to conserve our precious planet.

It’s wonderful how small a gesture can be for the Earth that can play a huge part to prevent and protect it from further damage. Here are a few facts to give a better idea of conservation by National Geographic:

• One reusable bag can prevent the use of 600 plastic bags.
• Recycling one can of soda will save enough energy to power a tv for three hours.
• Shutting down a computer when it’s not in use cuts the energy consumption by 85%.
• For every mile walked instead of driven, nearly one pound of pollution is kept out of the air.

It’s amazing how little the things we do help conserve the energy and put back the beauty and healing of the Earth that we live on. If everyone continues doing their part and not just for one day or week, our Earth will be around for much longer than we can imagine!

Declutter, Destress

    Not so fun fact, being surrounded by clutter is proven to cause anxiety and stress. Having doubts? Google 'stress of clutter' and find numerous studies surrounding the effects it has on our mental health.  Even the thought of getting the cleaning started can cause anxiety, stress and depression. Where do we go from here? We learn where to start and how to cope.

    It is proven that the stress hormone, cortisol, is triggered and released when one is surrounded by disorganization. The human brain works in a very organized manner to keep all parts of the human body functioning. When we surround ourselves with constant disorganization, our brain goes into overload trying to process our surroundings which reduces our ability to focus making it difficult to relax both physically and mentally.

   It sounds pretty simple. Get organized, stay organized and we won't have to worry about stress. Ideally, very simple, realistically it can be a little more complicated than we realize to even attempt to think about getting the organization started. Here are some small but helpful tips to get anyone started:

• Pick a room and try not to bounce from one room to another. If there is more than one person working on the declutter, assign each a room.
• Make piles of items to keep, recycle, donate, sell or trash. Be mindful and realistic of these items. Do you need the shirt that you may wear but haven't worn in so many years? Is the shirt in good condition to sell or could it be donated? Would the shirt make a better dust cloth? Take your time, think about it.
• Don't stress about finishing the room chosen in a limited amount of time. Take breaks. Work 15-20 minutes, take a 30-40 minute break. 
• Acknowledge the newly cleaned space and take credit for the job well done. Appreciate and breath.

    Taking the time to recognize a cluttered home and knowing that your day to day stress are related is one of the first steps to freedom and relaxation. Once you start, you won't want to stop. So feel good again and help make your own difference!

Keep America Beautiful Month

    The month of April is known as Keep America Beautiful Month and it makes sense as it's such a beautiful time with sunshine, budded flowers, green trees and time spent outside! It's easy to enjoy such an amazing time but how do we maintain it? We come together as a community to clean up our beautiful land and experience harmony in doing so!

    The Keep America Beautiful movement was founded by the Girl and Boy Scouts of America alongside Keep America Beautiful, Inc in 1971 and was recognized by one specific day. It soon grew into a week long list of activities in 1982 to further educate people on how to improve the communities they live in. By 1984 it was largely recognized throughout cities across the country calling for a month of activities and programs to continue the common goal of living together in safe and clean neighborhoods. 

    Communities can come together to help continue the movement by reducing waste with repurposing and reusing old items and recycling. Teaching children by example how to practice the prevention of litter is another way to educate and clean up parks and neighborhoods. Planting or potting some flowers around our homes or businesses and cleaning up any left over winter debris will help beautify our communities. 

    There are so many ways to Keep America Beautiful and practice the movement continuously, not just during the month of April. Coming together as a whole community and taking action for our environment will make our country a more beautiful place!

    For more information on the Keep America Beautiful Movement, visit https://kab.org. 

    

Spring Flowers Bring Allergy Powers

                                                                                                                        Photo Courtesy: KXAN.com

    As we head into April 2021, most people are starting to feel the effects of the amazingly potent Texas pollens. If you haven't already noticed the green dust in the air then be prepared for the sight of the invasive soot covering vehicles, taking over decks, patios and even outside pets! It's as if Tinker Bell blew her magic dust all over the city and instead of flying into the air with a blissful smile on your face, you're sneezing in misery until you are out of breath. A bit dramatic, yes, but true. So what do we do from here? We learn what allergies are and take preventative measures.

   Texans are known to suffer all year round with seasonal allergies. If you're from South Texas then you're pretty familiar with mountain cedar beginning as early as December and lasting well into February. Mountain cedar comes from a drought resistant tree known as the Mountain Cedar Tree, which takes over most of central Texas and is the reason for cedar fever. When the northern winter cold fronts start to whirl wind throughout Texas, the high winds carry the mountain cedar through the woods, over the mountains and into everyone's house it blows. Now, that brings us to March through, well, Summer when the grass is greenest producing its own pollens aka Tinker Bell's green dust, next to the oak tree dropping it's pollen pods that look like little green caterpillars, then there is ragweed followed by the summer dust from the dry summer grounds. As beautiful as Texas is, it is potent, that's for sure! Symptoms include but are definitely not limited to so much sneezing, a running nose you'll never catch and a sore throat that has you sounding like you swallowed a frog. Don't feel discouraged, there may not be a full cure, but there is hope.

    Fighting Texas allergies is not a fun task but definitely a fight that must be won. Let's start with allergy medications, mostly over the counter such as:

• Nasal spray examples- Nasacort, Flonase, Afrin, and Rhinocort
• Capsule examples- Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra, Xyzal, Mucinex, Sudafed, etc.

Of course, before starting ANY medications, speak to your doctor. Your doctor is your main health source to feel better and can even prescribe medications or steroids to better heal your symptoms. Moving on from medications and health care, let's talk basic home maintenance. Doing a once a week thorough dusting, sweeping and mopping regime around the house can make a difference for your allergies. Going in and out of your home tracks in pollens from your clothes, shoes and even pets. Keeping a good laundry schedule can reduce the amount of allergens in your home. Pollen and dust get caught in animal fur, so bathing your pets once a week can definitely help both yours and your furry friend's allergies. To help keep the air inside your home clean, use a high MERV rated allergen filter to trap pollens and dust keeping them from spreading through your vents. Air purifiers and humidifiers are another option worth looking into. Air purifiers ventilate a room and humidifiers add moisture to the air allowing for easier breathing and de-congestion. Again, there's hope for every allergy sufferer out there. We just need to stand together and pass a tissue from time to time!

    As killer as Texas allergies can be, you don't have to fall victim. Be aware of what season it is as this will help you identify what pollens are making you feel under the weather. Do your research, talk to your doctor and learn how to take measures that will work best for your own prevention. Be smart and be well Texas!

    No Potty Left Dirty, No Bin Left Full with Great Employees

    As we come to the end of March, we want to say 'thank you' to our Employee of the Month, Ralph Pastrano. Our Bin There Dump That SA and 2 Pees in a Pot team couldn't be more proud to have hard working members like Ralph. We appreciate all you do and continue to do for us! Way to go Ralph!

    

Black History Month with 2 Pee's in a Pot

 

What is Black History Month?

Black History month is an annual celebration of achievements made by African Americans, and a time of recognizing their central role in the U.S History. 

Who started Black History Month? 

Great Question, Carter G. Woodson better known as "Father of Black History" developed Black History Month. Although his parents were enslaved, that didn't stop Woodson from becoming an Author, Historian , and the Second African American to earn a Ph.D at Harvard University. 

Why is February Black History Month?

Woodson chose the Second week of February to coincide with the birthday of Frederick Douglas, a famed abolitionist who escaped slavery. He also wanted it to coincide with Abraham Lincoln since he was the one whom formally abolished slavery.  

Why is Black History Month so important? 

Woodson believed it was important for our younger generations to know about their heritage and indefinitely understand it as well. He felt that " Those whom have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history. " 

How to celebrate Black History Month?

Educate yourself more on not just what Black History Month was about, but also try to get more familiar with people whom played a major role during that time. Ask about truths and if possible question, question question. Try to understand Black History from a Black perspective.

Down below is a list of  iconic people that played an important role in our Black History: 

• Martin Luther King : (Born: January 15, 1968) was a Baptist Minister and a social rights activist. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the American civil rights movement. 

• Rosa Parks (Born: February 4, 1913) was a an American activist in the civil rights movement. She was bets known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott . The congress called her " the mother of freedom movement" .                                                                                                                                                                                                          

• George Washington Carver (Born: January 1, 1864) was an American agricultural scientist and an inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was the most prominent scientist of the early 20th century.

• Carter G Woodson (Born: December 19, 1875 )better known as "Father of Black History"  was an American Historian, Author, Journalist, and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. 

• Frederick Douglas (Born: February 20, 1895) was an American Social reformer, abolitionist, Orator, Writer , and statesman. He was known for escaping slavery in Maryland. Frederick Douglas was a national leader for the abolitionists movement in Massachusetts and New York; that also lead him to become famous for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. 

The list can definitely go on, but Knowledge is Power! Its great to educate yourself on Black History Month so that you can relate to conversations that may be amongst you this month. You can have more of an understanding of the African American culture, how they overcame hardships and persevered them, and how TODAY they recognize those whom served and played a major role during these times. 

Here at 2 Pee's in a Pot we recognize Black History Month and encourage other to educate themselves in regards to its origin too!

Call us here at 2 Pee's in a Pot (210)951-5151. So you can RSVPee for your Potty❤ 

Spring Cleaning Projects with 2 Pee's

 

Spring cleaning is underway, and what a better way to start it early then with 2 Pee's on your side.

Maybe your reconstructing your bathroom and you need a place to pee or poo we got the lou for you!

Spring cleaning typically consists of having to move things around, removing unwanted junk as well as possible completely remodeling. In that instance we would love to ensure that your hiney feels like its in its own comfort. 

Here are some fun facts about spring cleaning:

•  In the Asian Culture the Chinese believed that if you cleaned your house before the new year begins it promotes a more positive outlook for the upcoming year, and will help wipe away any negativity from the year before. 
• Spring cleaning is very popular more in the western countries due to the celebration of the Pass-over, which is a Jewish tradition. "A long time ago, people of Jewish decent would clean their entire houses to get rid of every little piece of bread that contained the cooking ingredient yeast. This strange tradition comes from when Jews were slaves and could only eat bread without yeast. Many Jewish traditions have become very similar to many other Christian traditions, causing a widespread cause to clean one’s home in the spring. "
• The average woman cleans for 12,896 hours in her lifetime, And men clean an average of 6,448 hours
• The majority of household cleaning products ae packed with loads of potentially harmful chemicals that can cause a slew of different problems to your health. The most concerning products are those that contain cancer-causing carcinogens, such as certain laundry detergents that contain formaldehyde, and jewelry cleaners, which often carry the toxic chemical perchloroethylene. Fortunately, there are plenty of natural, harm-free ways to keep your home clean and shiny. Natural ingredients like lemon, cooking oil, vinegar, and baking soda will all get the job done, while keeping your health in check.

Make sure to keep 2 Pee's  in mind when you are doing your Spring cleaning. All of our potties come with a 10 step servicing, 2 ply toilet paper, best ventilation on the market, 2 hooks , a mirror and a hand sanitizing dispenser. Call 210-951-5151 or checkout our website 2 Pees satisfied!!!

Odor Control in a Potty

No one likes to walk in a bathroom that smells like last night's dinner . Gross!! 

Especially when its a Porta Potty , the first facial reaction or reaction in general is YUCK! 

The great thing is that there are so many ways that the odor can be controlled.

Here with 2 Pee's in a Pot we take every precautionary measure to make sure that all our potties are cleaned with our 10 step service that we provide with every delivery. 

One of the main things that we use to make sure that the odor is controlled is a product called J-Disks, which are product enhancers. They come in different smells as well. They were created to be biodegradable and to help provide a long lasting smell for not only the potties but toilets as well. 

Steps to follow to keep that Odor down would be:

1) Make sure that every unit (Port-a-potty) has a cleaning tablet.

2)Make sure to stay up on the stock. Potties are SUPPOSE to be cleaned frequently especially because typically more then one person is using it. 

3)Air out your potties: Yes the first incline is to shut it and close it out until the funk from your rump has cleared, but let me let you in on a secret. When you crop dust someone you don't put it in a jar and savor the moment, you let it rip and move along. That applies to this as well!!! 

4)Make sure to focus on the touch points with your potties. Everyone and their mother are going to be using the porta potty. So what we mean by touch points is focusing on whats being touched the most: the door, the toilet, toilet paper holder, paper towel holder, sanitizing station. All of these are extremely important to focus on especially since we are still dealing with this pandemic COVID. It ensures our safety as a company and your safety as our future customer. 

When your in need of a Stall you know who to call. 1 service a week within A 28 day rental cycle! We use a 10 step cleaning process! Not to mention we got not 1 ply, but 2 Ply toilet paper, a mirror, a double hook as well as a hand sanitizing station. Call us or checkout our website to Pee for yourself! (210)-441-2121

Sanitation

Did you know???

2.6 billion People do not have access to modern day toilets. 980 million children were out of a toilet at their home according to WHO and UNICEF. That’s nearly 40% of the world’s population that we are talking about, lacking the proper resources, and access to proper toilets.  These conditions leave people but most importantly Children vulnerable to a range of health risks.

If the trend continues, there will still be 2.4 billion people with the same basic sanitation that they have been dealing with for so many years.  Children of course will be the ones paying the price dying, missing school, disease, and poverty.

 

What are the proper ways of sanitation? 

The proper way to sanitize would be Using proper toilets and hand washing - preferably with soap - prevents the transfer of bacteria, viruses and parasites found in human excreta which otherwise contaminate water resources, soil and food. Contamination is the major issue for developing countries. 

Improving the sanitation facilities and promoting hygiene in the children’s education will benefit them, especially their health. Having separate bathroom for boys and girls, as well as having hand washing stations with soap equipped in each bathroom would help prevent contamination. For girls if there aren’t proper facilities they are withdrawn from school which takes away from their education.

Properly disposing of the waste could save a lot of lives and decrease sickness. It starts from a young age so, In order to see a change we need to be a part of the change. Focusing on sanitation is fundamental to human beings.

 

Together we can make a change. So make sure to use proper sanitation. Flush the toilet, Wash your hands, and pass along that message! Sanitation matters!

FUN FACTS ABOUT PORT-A-POTTIES!!!

 

• ·     Porta potties can be traced back to shipyards all the way from the 1940’s.
• ·     Using a porta potty at an event conveniently saves 45 billion gallons of water each year.
• ·     When obama was inaugurated he had over 5000 porta pottys.
• ·     Porta potty uses less than 90% of water then a regular toilet does.
• ·     At one point Soft toilet paper wasn’t even a thing until the late 1800’s. Splinter paper didn’t come into existence until 1935.
• ·     Before flushing portable toilets, chamber pots were the go to. Chamber pots are a small bowl that you can relieve yourself in. Of course they had to be emptied and cleaned out every time they are used, so good thing porta potties were invented.

 

• ·     Porta potties have so many different names. Port-a-John, Porta-Potty (American English) , Portaloo (British English) or honey bucket. At one point they were given the name chemical toilet.

 

Who would of ever known that Portapotties have so much history and still serve us today! One bum at a time!

 

Order your potty with 2 Pee’s in a Pot!

THINGS YOU WISH YOU KNEW AS A TEEN IN YOUR 20’S

 

GROWING UP EACH GENERATION WAS RAISED DIFFERENTLY. FROM THEIR MORALS, TO THE WAY THAT WE DRESS, THE MUSIC WE LISTEN TO AND THE WAY THAT WE MOVE. ONE THING WE NEVER REALLY CONCERN OURSELVES WITH KNOWING IS HOW TO PREPARE FOR OUR FUTURE. ALTHOUGH YES WE BELIEVE THAT OUR PARENTS SHOULD HAVE EDUCATED US ON THAT, BUT WHAT IF THEY WEREN'T EDUCATED IN THAT FIELD. SO  WE TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND EDUCATE OURSELVES.

 

THINGS THAT I WISH I WAS AWARE OF AS TEEN TO THE AGE I AM NOW IS:

·     CREDIT IS VERY IMPORTANT

SAVINGS, SAVINGS, SAVINGS. REALIZING THAT ALTHOUGH YOU MAY NOPT USE THAT CREDIT WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WHEN YOU GET INTO THE REAL WORLD; YOU RECOGNIZE THAT THAT CREDIT SCORE HOLDS MORE WEIGHT ON YOU THEN YOU KNOW!

·     EMPLOYMENT – IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WORKING FOR ANY PLACE IS GOOD. YOU LEARN TIME MANAGEMENT, HOW TO BE DEPENDABLE AS WELL AS YOU BUILD LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR CO-WORKERS AND BOSSES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A POSITIVE ASSET FOR YOUR FUTURE JOBS. YOUR JOB IS NOT MEANT TO BE FUN; YOU ARE THERE TO PROVE YOURSELF. YOU ARE PROVING TO THEM WHY YOU WERE A BETTER CHOICE FOR THE COMPANY THEN ANYONE ELSE.

·     LONG LASTING FRIENDSHIPS: NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE REALLY TAKE THIS SERIOUS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU BUILD AND KEEP POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE WHOM YOU HOLD CLOSE. CREATING THESE RELATIONSHIPS CAN ALSO PREPARE YOU FOR THE REAL WORLD. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS. FOCUS ON THOSE WHOM STAY CONSISTENT WITH YOU. YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO TRUST AND RELY ON THOSE YOU CALL “FRIENDS.”

·     AND LASTLY SAVINGS:

EVERY TIME THAT YOU GET PAID, PUT 10% OF YOUR CHECK IN A SAVING ACCOUNT. IT NOT ONLY TEACHES YOU HOW TO SAVE BUT IT  ALSO CREATES A RAINY DAY FUND. EVERYONE NEEDS AN RAINY DAY FUND BELIEVE IT OR NOT! SAVING CAN GO A LONG WAY AND IT TEACHES YOU MONEY MANAGEMENT. DON’T BE THE PERSON THAT LETS MONEY GOES THROUGH THEIR HANDS LIKE WATER! IM TELLING YOU IT’S IMPORTANT!!!

 

 

MANY OF THESE THINGS THAT I WROTE MIGHT SEEM DUMB OR OUR OF THE REALM TO PREPARE FOR BUT WHEN YOUR IN YOUR MID TWENTIES LEARNING ABOUT THESE FEW IMPORTANT DETAILS THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT’S A RUDE AWAKENING. WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER AND BE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT IS WILLING TO LEARN NEW THING! KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, SO USE IT!