Well I hated the mosquitos that we had last year so I decided that this year we are making bat houses! They will take care of the bugs and we can enjoy the outdoors in piece. I will place them around the backyard on huge posts. For those of you who have not made it to Austin, Tx to see the bats well this could be an alternative. I remember the first time I saw the show. I kept thinking what is the the big deal then......whoosh......the sky turned dark with loads of bats out for the night. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen well next to childbirth. lol It was a beautiful show. I suggest that if you ever get a chance then mosey on down there to check it out!
I also need to trim my apple trees! I am not sure when you are supposed to do this and how. I would love to hear ideas. I know it sounds like I have tons of things going on but it is just my list from last year that didn't get finished. We do a lot of canning so the trees need to be lower and produce a higher yield so that I can make pies and apple sauce!! My pear trees are fine but I need to find an organic spray to keep the pesty bugs off!!!
Now if you have a garden and have problems with the animals taking off with your produce....well I have been told that a great way to fix this is to use pie pans.
What you will need~
four posts (for each corner of the garden)
8 pie pans
a bag of popcorn unpopped
twisty ties or pipe cleaners
a hole punch
heavy fish line
Take pie pans and punch matching holes around the pans (so you can tie them back together)
fill with a 1/2 of popcorn and then put the two pie pans together (the bottoms should face out on both sides)
use the twisty ties to tie the pie pans together so that the popcorn does not fall out.
Tie fishing line through one of the holes
make string long enough so that you can attach it to the poles.
Now I haven't used this idea yet but we are trying it out this year. I also know that merrigolds planted in between the veggie rows is supposed to deter animals!!
Do you have a great summer idea? How about a craft? We are always looking for great ideas!!!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Ideas for summer~
Ok so I know I am thinking ahead but......It is really good to be prepared. Now is the time to really start thinking about your garden. What do you want to plant? How much space do you have to work with? I start planning now so that I can start drawing up plans, picking out seeds and start growing them so I have great seedlings so that they are ready to plant. I also need to plan a place for my composting so that I can keep it going. During the winter I put my compost right on my garden. For those who live in small spaces a contained compost is a great idea! Here is how to do that:
What you need~
1- medium sized ruber maid storage container (size will depend on space. I used one that was about a 5 gallon)
1- bag of organic soil
1- organic\natural paper
1- bucket of water
1- container of earh worms (this is optional but it works faster with them)
First drill small holes in bucket as follows
2 on each end and four on the sides. They should only be about the size of a pencil.
Next, add a little damp soil to just cover the bottem.
Take the paper and rip it up into strips. Wet them then lay over the top of the soil.
Add worms!
It is that easy! Then just add all your food left overs, BUT do not put meat or dairy products in your compost. It will stink and if you have a small space it will not smell great! You canput egg shells, lettuce, tomatoes, bananas, etc! You will want to turn the soil about every three weeks but be careful of the worms! You don't want to hurt them! :)
What you need~
1- medium sized ruber maid storage container (size will depend on space. I used one that was about a 5 gallon)
1- bag of organic soil
1- organic\natural paper
1- bucket of water
1- container of earh worms (this is optional but it works faster with them)
First drill small holes in bucket as follows
2 on each end and four on the sides. They should only be about the size of a pencil.
Next, add a little damp soil to just cover the bottem.
Take the paper and rip it up into strips. Wet them then lay over the top of the soil.
Add worms!
It is that easy! Then just add all your food left overs, BUT do not put meat or dairy products in your compost. It will stink and if you have a small space it will not smell great! You canput egg shells, lettuce, tomatoes, bananas, etc! You will want to turn the soil about every three weeks but be careful of the worms! You don't want to hurt them! :)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Savings!
Well I thought that I would go ahead and start posting my savings so that friends and family can see how well I am doing!
Ok well here are some great deals at Walgreen's!
Dove Men's body wash is $5.99 then you get $5.99 in R.R
If you have the Dove coupon it was at Meijers (hehe) it is for $1.00 off when you buy one Dove Men's body was h and 6pk bar face soap. They run about $3-$4.
Next, Shick Titanium is on sale for 8.99 plus I have a coupon for a rufund up to 11.99 so it makes the razor free. Then you get $3.00 back in R.R.
Hall's are on sale for .99 cents then I have a coupon for $1.00 off 2 bags. This makes them .50cents a bag!
Shick quattro razors are on sale for $5.99 - $1.99 walgreens coupon= $4.99
Then use the $3.00 off 1 coupon that came in the S.S. to make the razors only 1.99
Kotex pads and tampons are 2 for $6. Then you get back $3.00 in R.R for a price of 2 for $3.00. I then have a coupon for $2.00 off when you buy 2. This makes them a $1 for 2!!!
I also will break up this order so that I can use my R.R (or you can hols on to them for bigger purchases). You cannot get cash back so make sure your order uses all the R.R.
Ok so now to explain some of the lingo!!
R.R. means register rewards. It is a coupon you will get bck that is good for your next purchase.
S.S means smart savers coupons
R.P is red plum coupons
P&G is Procter and Gamble
Make sure to check back tomorrow for deals dealing with groceries!!
Ok well here are some great deals at Walgreen's!
Dove Men's body wash is $5.99 then you get $5.99 in R.R
If you have the Dove coupon it was at Meijers (hehe) it is for $1.00 off when you buy one Dove Men's body was h and 6pk bar face soap. They run about $3-$4.
Next, Shick Titanium is on sale for 8.99 plus I have a coupon for a rufund up to 11.99 so it makes the razor free. Then you get $3.00 back in R.R.
Hall's are on sale for .99 cents then I have a coupon for $1.00 off 2 bags. This makes them .50cents a bag!
Shick quattro razors are on sale for $5.99 - $1.99 walgreens coupon= $4.99
Then use the $3.00 off 1 coupon that came in the S.S. to make the razors only 1.99
Kotex pads and tampons are 2 for $6. Then you get back $3.00 in R.R for a price of 2 for $3.00. I then have a coupon for $2.00 off when you buy 2. This makes them a $1 for 2!!!
I also will break up this order so that I can use my R.R (or you can hols on to them for bigger purchases). You cannot get cash back so make sure your order uses all the R.R.
Ok so now to explain some of the lingo!!
R.R. means register rewards. It is a coupon you will get bck that is good for your next purchase.
S.S means smart savers coupons
R.P is red plum coupons
P&G is Procter and Gamble
Make sure to check back tomorrow for deals dealing with groceries!!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Products I love!
If you have ever suffered from food allergies, you know how hard it can be to find good products. Well I have found a few products I love and just wanted to share them with you. Some are Gluten free and some are well...just good.
If you have never tried TINKYADA pasta, then now is the time. They have many varities and come in non-organic and organic. I love this pasta! It tastes just like regular pasta. I have found out that the best way to cook it is this- soak it in cold water for one hour. When ready to eat prepare as followed- heat water until boiing. then drain and rinse pasta. finally, add pasta to hot water. Cook until hot then serve with sauce.
I also love UNCLE EDDIES vegan cookies. If you have never tried these then you are deffantly missing out! They carry about six different kinds. My favorite are the trail mix cookies.
Mother's Cocoa Bumpers YUMMY! They taste like cocoa puffs but they are natural! I also noticed that once you have had them you can't go back!
I love to cook so great food is a big deal. I love to take the TINKYADA shells (they look like big seashells) and stuff them with a mixture of riocotta cheese, basil, parm, and well any cheeses you love actually. I then take a red sauce mixed with cut veggies and pour it over the top. I then add a bit of parm and then mozzerella over the top. Bake at 375 degrees until cheese is golden brown. Make sure you cover with foil for the first 20 minutes. Take cover off and cook another 10 to 15 minutes. YUMMY! I also like to make hmemade mac and cheese.
To make mac and cheese-
I start with the TINKYADA elbow noodles. I soak 2cups in cold water for an hour. The I rinse and set aside ( this will soften the noodles and take some of the starch off the noodles). Next I prepare the sauce. To do this you will need 2cups milk, 2tablespoons butter (i like real butter), 2tablespoons flour (you can use rice flour for this and some times I only use one tablespoon), 1 1/2cup sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup mozzerella, about 1/3 cup parm cheese ( this depends on how much you like this cheese), paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
I put milk, butter, flour, and cheese in pan and melt on low ( you can do medium low but watch to make sure you don't scorch the milk). Cook until all cheese is melted. I then add a sprinkle of paprika, a bit of salt and pepper to taste. I then place noodles in boiling water until warm. When they are warm place them in an oven safe dish. Then add the cheese mixture. Stir to mix it all togther. Sprinkle top with paprika. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees!
If you have food allergy to gluten you will love these gluten free peanut butter cookies.
1cup sugar granulated. It can be organic.
1cup Peanut Butter. Again, can be organic.
1 egg.
Mix all ingredients together. I like to bake them at 350 for about 10 minutes. This will depend on your stove. I also like to melt gluten free chocolate and dip the cookies in the chocolate and then let them set. When the chocolate hardens they are ready to eat!
Well I hope you enjoy the goodies I have liste above! You can let me know. Just drop me a line!
If you have never tried TINKYADA pasta, then now is the time. They have many varities and come in non-organic and organic. I love this pasta! It tastes just like regular pasta. I have found out that the best way to cook it is this- soak it in cold water for one hour. When ready to eat prepare as followed- heat water until boiing. then drain and rinse pasta. finally, add pasta to hot water. Cook until hot then serve with sauce.
I also love UNCLE EDDIES vegan cookies. If you have never tried these then you are deffantly missing out! They carry about six different kinds. My favorite are the trail mix cookies.
Mother's Cocoa Bumpers YUMMY! They taste like cocoa puffs but they are natural! I also noticed that once you have had them you can't go back!
I love to cook so great food is a big deal. I love to take the TINKYADA shells (they look like big seashells) and stuff them with a mixture of riocotta cheese, basil, parm, and well any cheeses you love actually. I then take a red sauce mixed with cut veggies and pour it over the top. I then add a bit of parm and then mozzerella over the top. Bake at 375 degrees until cheese is golden brown. Make sure you cover with foil for the first 20 minutes. Take cover off and cook another 10 to 15 minutes. YUMMY! I also like to make hmemade mac and cheese.
To make mac and cheese-
I start with the TINKYADA elbow noodles. I soak 2cups in cold water for an hour. The I rinse and set aside ( this will soften the noodles and take some of the starch off the noodles). Next I prepare the sauce. To do this you will need 2cups milk, 2tablespoons butter (i like real butter), 2tablespoons flour (you can use rice flour for this and some times I only use one tablespoon), 1 1/2cup sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup mozzerella, about 1/3 cup parm cheese ( this depends on how much you like this cheese), paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
I put milk, butter, flour, and cheese in pan and melt on low ( you can do medium low but watch to make sure you don't scorch the milk). Cook until all cheese is melted. I then add a sprinkle of paprika, a bit of salt and pepper to taste. I then place noodles in boiling water until warm. When they are warm place them in an oven safe dish. Then add the cheese mixture. Stir to mix it all togther. Sprinkle top with paprika. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees!
If you have food allergy to gluten you will love these gluten free peanut butter cookies.
1cup sugar granulated. It can be organic.
1cup Peanut Butter. Again, can be organic.
1 egg.
Mix all ingredients together. I like to bake them at 350 for about 10 minutes. This will depend on your stove. I also like to melt gluten free chocolate and dip the cookies in the chocolate and then let them set. When the chocolate hardens they are ready to eat!
Well I hope you enjoy the goodies I have liste above! You can let me know. Just drop me a line!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Getting ready for summer!
Well as I watch, I am starting to see signs of spring. Yes I know, I sound crazy but I feel it in my bones! So what does that mean to me? Well now I start getting my plants ready. I start my seedlings so they are ready for planting, plan out my garden and well get the compost ready! I compost all year long so that I have great soil for my garden. But this year we are also going to cut back the apple trees so that we can get more yeild. I want to be able to get more fruit so I can uh can. LOL I mean make applesauce and can it. I also have pear trees and grapes. So what would you plant in your garden and why? I would love to have recipes that go with the foods you grow!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Losing weight!
Ok so the time has come where I need to lose weight! I have until June to lose about 38 pounds. I have found that since I have had kaelyn that I keep gaining weight, not losing it. So starting tomorrow I am doing it...that's right the dirty little word...exercise. I am going to try to cut down my pop intake to only one pop a day. I need to drink more water and really focus on that. I have been working out with the YOUR SHAPE on the Wii. So I guess I jus need encouragement so I am asking everyone that is going through tis to post a comment and let me know your favorite ways to lose weight. I would also like to know your favorite cleanse programs also!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
RESPECT
How important is respect? I only ask because it seems to me that some kids out there lack it. They are rude and disrespectful to friends, parents and well just everyone in general. I try to instill the importance of good manners in my children but they seem to lose it when they are with their friends. So how do we teach them? How do we make them realize that manners are important? What about lying? You catch a kid in a lie then what happens? You ground them? So do they lie again? HECK YES they do. They know they can get away with it some of the times. But how do we make them realize the wrong of their actions? I mean come on we did that when we were kids right? I know I had a little white fib from time to time. But I tried NEVER to be disrespectful. How hard is it for a kid to say thanks mom for making me dinner? Or mom can you pleas pick me up from my friends house? Or just a may I please be excused? Oh well I guess I will have to figure a new way to teach tehe basics!
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