The most common way to grow new African violets is to propagate them from the leaves of existing plants. Once you do this, you can sprout the cutting in water. To propagate a new African violet in water, you'll need a sterilized cutting tool, a thin-necked bottle (such as a sterilized beer bottle), and a plastic bag or wrap.  Select a large and healthy leaf from a healthy African violet. Include 2 inches (5 cm) of stem and cut the leaf from the plant on a 45-degree angle. The cut side of the angle should be on the top of the leaf. Fill the bottle with lukewarm water. Place the stem of the leaf into the neck of the bottle, so that the stem is in water and the leaf is resting above the rim. Cover the leaf and top of the bottle loosely with plastic to help keep in the humidity. Place the leaf somewhere warm that gets lots of filtered light. Add more water as necessary to keep the stem submerged. Over the next several weeks, the cutting will begin to sprout baby African violets. Alternatively, you can also plant that same cutting directly into soil rather than sprouting it in water. To do this you'll need your healthy leaf and 2 inches (5 cm) of stem cut from a healthy violet, a small pot of clear plastic, potting soil, and a plastic cover or wrap.  Fill the pot with loose potting soil. Press the cut stem a half-inch (1.3 cm) into the soil. Cover the top of the pot with a clear plastic cover or wrap. Place the cutting somewhere warm where it will get lots of filtered sun. You probably won’t need to water as long as the plastic keeps in the moisture. One way to grow African violets is to start them from seed, though this is less common than propagating the plants from cuttings. To grow African violets from seeds, you'll need seed starters, a plastic cover or wrap, a spray bottle, growing lights, and a medium suitable for African violets, such as milled coconut and perlite or pasteurized peat moss.  Water the medium and allow it to dry out so it’s moist. Fill the seed starters with medium. Spray the top of the medium with water. Sprinkle a few seeds into the top of each starter cell. Cover the top of the cells with plastic. Place the seed starters 10 inches (25 cm) below the grow lights. Provide the seeds with 12 to 14 hours of light per day. If the environment stays humid thanks to the plastic wrap, you won’t need to water.

Summary: Grow a new plant in water from a leaf. Plant a leaf right in the soil. Grow them from seeds.


Your monthly cash balance measures how much money you have left over each month after your expenses have been taken out. If this number is positive, you may consider allocating more money to savings. If it is negative, however, you should look through your expenses and try to find areas where you can cut them down. Totaling up your expenses in this way may help you realize areas where you are spending more than you thought. For example, you may think nothing of spending $8 or $10 each day on lunch, but over a month this adds up to several hundred dollars. In this case, you could consider packing a lunch or seeking cheaper options. Look for cases like this where you could reduce your spending, if necessary. After completing several of these monthly budgets, you can use them to track how spending on some expenses change over time. For example, maybe you've been spending increasing amounts of money on entertainment over time, or maybe your cable bill increased without your noticing. Compare expenses between months to see if they remain more or less constant. If they don't, look into the problem further.

Summary: Analyze your monthly cash balance. Look for areas where you are overspending. Analyze spending over time.


You can use any type of fabric that you like for your wrap skirt, but cotton or jersey are great choices. Opt for cotton if you want your skirt to be slightly more structured or go with jersey for a skirt that has some stretch and movement. You can also opt for a sheer fabric, but you’ll need to wear leggings or a slip under it.

Summary: Choose a fabric that moves easily for a comfortable wrap skirt.


When purchasing men’s jeans, look for inseam measurements on the back label. They will typically be listed with waist size first and inseam second, so a pair of pants marked 34x32 will have a 34 in (86 cm) waist and a 32 in (81 cm) inseam. Women’s jeans rarely list the inseam, so you may have to consult a store attendant, make a conversion using the brand’s sizing chart, or measure the seam yourself. Websites like Search By Inseam allow you to find the inseam measurements for popular pant brands. Though compact shoes and sneakers won’t make a significant difference, high heels and similar shoes may. In general, add between .5 and 1 inch (1.3 and 2.5 cm) to your inseam measurement to accommodate raised shoes. If possible, measure your inseam while wearing the raised shoes to get a more precise number. Over time, jeans made from cotton, linen, and wool may shrink, something that will affect the inseam. If purchasing a name brand pair, search online for information on how much you should expect the pants to shrink. If necessary, purchase pants with an inseam that is about .5 inches (1.3 cm) too large, giving the legs room to shrink.
Summary: Look for jeans that match your measurements. Add extra length if you plan on wearing the jeans with raised shoes. Check the jeans’ material to see if it will shrink.