Plant Therapy / FREE SUCCULENT & POT GIVEAWAY

Hey there, Steem People! I'm trying out new nicknames to see what feels best. I don't think its this one.

Day 4 I took a break from all the excitement of GIF making. I also got a love note from Steemit saying my enthusiasm for posting and upvoting used up all my bandwidth, so I didn't really have a choice. After a brief outburst of FUCK-THIS-I-SEE-YOU-STEEMIT-TRYING-TO-CON-ME-INTO-BUYING-STEEM-SO-I-CAN-KEEP-PLAYING, @NutinButDaTruth explained that since I haven't even been here a week, it's going to take some time to build up my account. I did mention I'm impatient, right? OK. So, Day 5 of Succulents and Cement.

"The visual aesthetics of plants are known to elicit feelings of inner peace, which generates positive emotions toward a meaningful appreciation of life. Direct contact with plants guides the individual's focus away from stress enhancing their overall quality of life." - YJ Lin

When I googled "plant therapy" this is what jumped out at me. Sure, it came from death studies in Taiwan, but wiki also had it front and center as the definition of. So it must be truth! (Oh, sarcasm is also a big thing for me, but its hard to type it. File under things to remember when blogging...). Regardless, I find being around succulents, touching succulents, even just looking at succulents has a calming effect. Although I will say the memes probably aren't true. Ask any succie addict how much they've spent on their babies and I'm guessing the answer will surprise you! More than a hour with a therapist, thats for sure.

First things first, a little term borrowed from French culinary - Mise en place. I got all my plants, tools and other necessities ready for a little me time.

The best part of gardening is getting dirty. I love the feeling of cool soil on a hot day :)

But, tools do come in handy. The smaller the better in my opinion! (Obviously. I'm 4'11.5") I got these from my sister for Christmas one year after she heard I was using spoons from the kitchen. You can get yourself a set on Amazon - comes with a great squirt bottle with a long nozzle for watering those in between spots. I added the pink shovel and free Gevalia coffee scoop myself. Hey, whatever works!

I'll admit it took me more than an hour to figure out just how I wanted the arrangement to look and moving succulents around until it was perfect - but I loved every second of it! The most stress I felt was in my thighs from squatting so long and the burning sun on my black sweat pants. Next time you're feeling like you want to kill someone, try potting up some succies instead.

Now on to the FREE* part, which is why you're all here anyways. I couldn't resist buying this mess of a succulent cluster from that nursery with all the sick plants. I went hard on cleaning off all the old dirt from the roots and one crested piece was just begging to come off! Naturally, I plucked it. Bad habits die hard.

So, if you're located in the Continental US (sorry international friends, I dont know how to ship plants off the continent without a nursery permit), here is what's up for grabs:

(boyfriend making coffee table with planter box insert not included)

One MadPotters marbled cement shooter with the escaped succulent cluster. Assuming the crested baby survives by the time this contest ends. I'll separate a fresh piece, if not!

All you have to do is:

• Resteem this post
• Leave me a comment with your go-to for relieving stress and anxiety

Winner will be chosen at random unless you make me literally LOL. Then you win. Contest ends in 7 Days. It's *Free if you dont count upvotes/follows/using bandwidth on me!

Good luck, and Happy Potting!
Christie

OH, and one last note on plant pick me ups:

I've brought this guy back from the dead at least four times now. I keep forgetting to water him, which is why houseplants are not my thing. Luckily, a little water is all he needs to bounce back! How can this not make you feel like a successful gardener? ;)

#bandwidthissues #freecontest #succulentgiveaway #minnowsupport #planttherapy #succulentaddict #plantlady #cementpots #sandiegosteemer