JULY 2022
FIDDLE–LEAF FIGS ARE STATEMENT HOUSEPLANTS HOW TO BE A SAVVY S.C. SHOPPER
At Home with
DR. ANNIE ANDREWS a Charleston City Paper publication
Andy Brack
Your Home Sold
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Volume 2, Number 12
or I’ll Buy
July 13, 2022
Digs, our monthly home-focused publication, connects the people who make the Lowcountry special with content they’ve been missing. Digs gets up close and personal with stories on local personalities, home design and remodeling, plants and gardening, home repair and real estate. To learn more about advertising opportunities offered through Digs, contact our advertising team at (843) 577-5304 or send an email to: sales@charlestoncitypaper.com. Dig it!
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Andy Brack
Toni Reale
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How to be a savvy S.C. shopper From Staff Reports
products at eBay.com/eBayRefurbished.
You can save a little cash on your South Carolina purchases Aug. 5-7 thanks to a statewide sales tax holiday. But with a little extra planning, you can save even more ways when you shop in South Carolina stores or online. These savvy shopping tips can help you score the most savings and some added benefits.
Save on shipping
Time your big purchases
Before any big purchase, spend time researching the product and retailers to find potential upcoming coming sales or promotions. Also, be conscious of the calendar, holidays and gift-giving events that might prompt special offers on an item you want. Another smart strategy: shopping end-of-season sales when items are marked down to make way for new inventory.
Use digital shopping tools
You may be wary of signing up for promotional emails but remember — it’s only junk mail if it isn’t useful. Putting your name on mailing lists of your favorite retailers and brands is a good way to get early or exclusive access to special offers. Downloadable browser extensions and plug-ins are other cost-saving tools that are increasingly popular. When you’re shopping with one or more of these tools installed, your browser automatically checks for coupons or price
Refurbished products can save you a lot of money on like-new products. comparisons that allow you to get the best available deal.
Shop refurbished
Whether it be for savings or sustainability, refurbished products are a top choice among savvy shoppers. These options often deliver quality, like-new products at deep discounts from premium brands that are vetted to meet high performance standards. You can shop across multiple condition grades and a wide range of price points within categories like tablets, smartwatches, laptops, desktops and smartphones — giving you more choice and the reassurance of buying a product that fits your specific needs and budget. Score savings, for example, on trusted refurbished
When you’re researching an online purchase and comparing prices, be sure to factor shipping into your total cost. Many retailers offer free shipping once you spend a certain amount, extend free shipping to preferred shoppers or offer periodic shipping promotions. Also beware that buying items on sale can drop you below free shipping minimums, so ultimately you pay more than you would have by paying full price. In some cases, you can also save money by having an item shipped to the local brickand-mortar store and picking it up there.
Take advantage of warranties
Understanding the terms of your purchase can help protect you if there’s a problem and may even allow you to take advantage of special rewards. Before finalizing a transaction, check into warranty options. Even refurbished products can come with warranties for a specified time. For new items, some retailers offer the option to extend your warranty beyond what the manufacturer provides. In addition, some retailers offer money-back incentives on certain purchases or allow you to accumulate rewards for discounts on future purchases. Family Features contributed to this story.
Shana R. Swain, REALTOR 843-224-8400 shana.swain@carolinaone.com To view active listings visit ShanaSwainRealtor.com
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DIGGING THE DEALS
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AT HOME IN THE LOWCOUNTRY
Andrews embraces the science of decision-making By Andy Brack
Digs 07.13.2022
The brutal 2018 Parkland, Fla., school shooting changed everything for Mount Pleasant Dr. Annie Andrews.
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“Before that, I was not political,” she said. “I was a voter. I really didn’t get engaged. The Parkland shooting propelled me to join Moms Demand Action.” On that tragic February day at Stoneman Douglas High School, a 19-year-old shot and killed 17 people and wounded 17 others. Andrews said joining the national effort to reduce gun violence directly relates to her day job as a pediatrician who cares for children. But it also opened her eyes to understand she needed to do more. “It helped me understand how the lawmaking process happens,” Andrews said on a bright July day in an open, comfortable living room with a huge vaulted ceiling. “It snowballed and started me seeing all of the other issues.” Andrews, 41, is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress. She wants to replace incumbent freshman Nancy
Mace, a Republican who won a tight primary in June. “The more time you spend among lawmakers, you realize you are fully capable of doing that job,” she said. “Most of them are not experts at anything and that’s OK if you seek out experts when you need it.” But all too often, that doesn’t happen, she said, pointing to the political debate over guns in America which she says is defined more by rhetoric and is “completely devoid of facts.” “Every decision I make in health care is data-inspired,” she said. “Treatment is based on data. If our laws were based on data, we could do so much good. It’s a totally different approach to problem-solving.”
Lover of shrimp, grits and the Lowcountry lifestyle
Andrews, born in Kentucky but raised in Indiana, came to the Lowcountry in 2009, fresh out of medical school at the University of Cincinnati and a pediatric residency in Cincinnati. She joined the Medical University of South
Andrews’ home office provides a view of her backyard pool.
Doing what’s right for kids
Just this month, Andrews was promoted to become a professor of pediatrics. She’s also stepped away from the active life of a daily pediatrician to focus on the congressional race. “I always wanted to be a doctor,” she said. “The science particularly fascinated me.”
THE LOWDOWN ON DR. ANNIE ANDREWS Age: 41. Birthplace: Paducah, Kentucky. Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Dayton; Master’s degree in clinical research, Medical University of South Carolina; M.D., University of Cincinnati. Current profession: Pediatrician and professor of pediatrics, MUSC. Also of interest: Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress, 1st District of S.C.; and gun violence prevention researcher. Family: Husband, Charlie, and three children. Pets: Cleveland, 13.
Photos by Andy Brack
Hydrangeas from Andrews’ yard brighten her kitchen.
Favorite thing to do outside of work: “Playing board games with my kids.”
As a pediatrician, she said she enjoys the fact that when children come to the hospital, she gives them the best care possible — regardless of who they are or where they are from. “I get to treat them with a standard of care — no matter what.” Then she started doing clinical research into reducing gun violence to reduce the number of pediatric injuries from firearms. She started talking with groups and advocating for gun violence prevention, particularly through calls for measures to store guns safely and provide better education about gun safety. The research and advocacy led her to realize that she could help more than individual patients, but a population by making things safer for kids. And the logical extension — running for Congress to help kids across the country. “Why isn’t it everyone’s priority to do what’s best for kids?” she asks. “It seems to be obvious to me.”
Your passion: Gun violence prevention: “It’s the leading cause of death of children. I’m a pediatrician and researcher. Every single one of those deaths is preventable.”
Making data-driven decisions
A rainbow of books are on shelves (top) and spare bedside reading (above).
Something people would be surprised to learn about you: “My first job was at a strawberry farm in Indianapolis, where I grew up.”
Andrews said she wants to help members of Congress focus on the importance of using science in making decisions for the country. “Every single committee could benefit from people with a scientific background who are data-driven in their decision-making,” she said. “We are not in a normal election cycle. There are so many urgent issues now that we have to right the ship.” Andrews has pledged she would only serve three terms in Congress, if elected. “This election is going to be about women’s reproductive health and gun violence,” she said, adding that more people are paying attention to politics now than ever before, particularly after a May school shooting in Texas that left 19 dead and 17 wounded. She also said she felt she was in the right place at the right time to help lead people away from anger and fear that’s infected the nation. “I’d feel a little helpless if I was just a bystander when all of this is happening.”
Favorite novels: Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon. Favorite cocktail or beverage: Tequila with lime and Topo Chico. Three people (alive or dead) you’d like to dine with: Actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michelle Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. What meal would you want served to you for your last supper: A good steak, Brussels sprouts and flourless chocolate cake. Secret vice: “Watching bad romantic comedies.” Guilty pleasure: “Drinking my coffee in bed on weekend mornings.” Favorite musicians: Adele, Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Dave Matthews. Childhood hero: Princess Leia. Pet peeve: “Children chewing with mouths open.” Philosophy: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Your advice for better living: “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Find balance. Find the joy in every day. Don’t take anything you have for granted.” Your advice for someone new to Charleston: “Buy lots of sunscreen. Throw away your ice scraper. Make sure the air conditioner in your car works. Buy rain boots. Don’t stress so much about hurricanes — you get plenty of warning.”
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Carolina (MUSC) as a pediatrician, caring for children and teens throughout the Lowcountry at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. In 2011, Andrews married Charlie Andrews, a neurological critical care doctor at MUSC, at a ceremony on Charleston Harbor. Now, they’re raising three children in an updated 2,747-square-foot cottage home near Shem Creek. It’s got a crisp, airy great room that’s open to a stylish kitchen. A white-countertopped island features hydrangeas from the front yard and an icy pitcher of tea glistening with beads of condensed water. Nearby is Charlie’s office. Just down a hall off the master bedroom is another office — Andrews’ small pink office that looks out onto a kidney-shaped pool. There’s always something good in the refrigerator, but necessities include milk, sparkling water, berries, eggs and cheese. Andrews, true to Midwestern roots, said a cheeseburger is her favorite food. But she’s grown to enjoy cooking shrimp and grits, a favorite of one of her children. With the trial and error of a scientist, she said she has learned to cook the grits in chicken stock, eventually adding butter, cheese and milk. She sautes the shrimp in butter. After she puts the shrimp on the grits, she crumbles bacon on top, to the delight of her family.
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By Toni Reale, special to Digs Ficus lyrata, commonly known as the fiddle-leaf fig, is one of the most popular houseplants around due to its elegant branches and unique fiddle-shaped dark green leaves. These beauties have graced home and garden magazines since the 1970s and have exploded in popularity since the advent of Pinterest. Many new plant parents shy away from owning this plant because it has a reputation for being finicky. But with a few helpful tips, this plant will surely make a statement in your home and will be easy to care for.
Caring for this tropical native Fiddle-leaf figs are native to the low, tropical rainforests of western Africa where they grow in thick, warm and humid surroundings. It’s important to know a plant’s native habitat because as plant parents, we need to do our best to replicate those
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environmental conditions at home for the plant to thrive. One of the most important considerations for proper placement of your fiddle-leaf fig is to locate where in your home you get the most indirect bright light. These plants love light, but direct light (if not introduced slowly) might burn the leaves. Find a place in your home that has plenty of sunlight. Do not place it directly under a vent as the air turning on and off is not ideal. Watering your fiddle-leaf fig is easy. These plants like to be watered about once a week, but to ensure that you are not overwatering, stick your finger in the soil and if the top 2" to 3" is dry, then it is time to Reale water. Water it so the soil is saturated but not soggy. Be sure your pot has drainage to avoid root rot. Encourage growth in the spring and summer with fertilizer. Any highnitrogen fertilizer will do, and even Amazon sells a product specifically formulated for these plants. Take good care of your fiddle-leaf fig by wiping its beautiful big leaves with a damp cloth or neem oil. Not only does this encourage good health but they look better without dust on the surface.
Settle it in
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Keep an eye on the leaves: Too much direct sunlight might burn the plant.
The bad rap these plants get is from its desire for consistency, meaning it doesn’t like to get moved around from spot to spot, doesn’t like to be under air-conditioning vents and likes consistent (not necessarily persistent) care. When you bring a new fiddle-leaf fig into your home, be sure to have its spot ready
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The fiddle -leaf fig prefers consistent care and location in the home.
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LOCAL & EXPERIENCED and keep it there. Let it stay in its nursery pot for a month or so before you re-pot it. You can tuck the nursery pot into a prettier planter before you re-pot it as long as there is drainage. After four to five weeks, plant it with a good soil medium in a pot that is one size up from the nursery pot.
brown or crispy at the edges, you may need more humidity. Pay attention to your plant and its needs. Unlike a snake plant, it will not thrive on neglect. With just minimal effort, though, this beauty will be a statement plant in your home that you will be proud of.
Be on the lookout
Toni Reale is the owner of Roadside Blooms, a unique flower and plant shop in Park Circle in North Charleston. It specializes in weddings, events and everyday deliveries using nearly 100 percent American- and locally grown blooms. Online at roadsideblooms.com. 4610 Spruill Ave., Suite 102, North Charleston.
Take notice of the leaves when you are caring for your plant. If leaves are dropping, that could be a sign that the plant is not getting enough light. You may have to consider a new location. If the leaves are
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