DIY Garden Projects, Yummy Recipes, & Crafty Goodness
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To be able to grow citrus in my climate is a dream. A dear friend passed on a tiny yuzu sprout that he started from seed that I have tucked away in my herb bed hoping for some of this deliciously sour and fragrant Japanese fruit, albeit many, many years from now. This month on the pages of Martha Stewart Living there is an article about stylish California citrus grower, Alta Tingle, discussing her passion for all things lime.
[Read more...]
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Citrus is a group of scents that I just can not get enough of these days. I still make up this Mango Citrus Body Butter recipe and I have a whipped version that I will share with you one day soon. Until then, I was sent a group of cleansing products from Citrus Clear and have been using them for a few weeks now.
And you too could get a cleansing package from Citrus Clear! Check out the instructions at the end of the post for how to win one of three gift packs! [Read more...]
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How wonderful that gardening supplies have entered the hip world of West Elm Market, Willams-Sonoma and Anthropologie (via their sister garden & home shop, Terrain). The range of tools and accessories surely inspires new gardeners to set up a little green in their outdoor spaces and gives more seasoned green-thumbs some new ideas.
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I love my flip flops. Even though it’s still a bit chilly here the winter boots have been packed up and the flip flops are lined up and ready for wherever the day will take me. Often it’s out to the garden to muck around in the dirt and plant up for the summer. But flip flops + gardening = filthy feet. And not that dirt that just dusts off when you shake your feet at the door. The kind that digs into your skin and just won’t come off without a fight.
This is where a herbal foot soak is the perfect solution. Not only does it soak away the aches of the day, but you can use a little as a scrub as well. I can’t help but think that this would be a welcome gift for the gardener in your life (and yes, you qualify for gifts too!) but add some pretty labels and you have yourself a great gift for mother’s day.
Check out the Herbal Foot Soak post at the My Own Ideas blog for the full recipe.
Make this year a handmade holiday and whip up something for mom. Have a browse through the Handmade Gifts posts for more ideas on what to make this year.
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When the sun starts shining those seedlings will soon be reaching up to meet it. Some plants have nice strong stalks to hold them up but others need our help. Peas, beans, and other vining vegetables need some sort of trellis to support their growth towards the sky. This project shows you how to easily build a bamboo trellis with only one material. Yep, you guessed it…bamboo!
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I often think that the way a gift is wrapped can be as thoughtful as the gift itself. Combine this with my absolute love of canning jars and you have endless possibilities.
This project for the My Own Ideas blog shows you how to make a Apron in a Jar for that special mom in your life. [Read more...]
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Please welcome guest blogger and author, Erica Kerwien, to share with us a recipe from her new book, Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Over 100 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes that are Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free. Her book is said to be the most comprehensive and delicious cookbook on the topic. This full-color book has over 100 recipes that will satisfy an entire family–not just those members who follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.
Oh, and check out how to win a copy of Erica’s book at the end of the recipe!
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Several years ago my oldest son was diagnosed with Crohn’s, which is an auto-immune disease that affects all or part of the digestive system. At times it can be very challenging to eat and maintain proper nutrition. In my search to help my son, I heard about a special diet (called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, or SCD) used by people who have Celiac disease, Crohn’s and other digestive issues. I started a food blog, Comfy Belly, to share recipes so that others could benefit from my ideas and I would now have a reserve of recipes to use.
[Read more...]
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Are you deep in to planning your vegetable garden? Small space gardeners tend to get good yield and lot of variety with a square foot garden. Not only that, but also they tend to have less weeds and conserve water by being planted densely. Year after year you can rotate crops around the beds to ensure that there is no nutrient depletion nor diseases introduced.
Before you plan your garden, this handy infographic created by Atlantis Hydroponics helps to provide you with information on how much space you will need per vegetable, or how many of a kind of vegetable will fit in a square foot. Click on the image to make it larger so you can print it out or bookmark it.
To learn more about square foot gardening it is best to go to the source, author Mel Bartholomew and his book, All New Square Foot Gardening, Second Edition: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More In Less Space.
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Not long ago I had a mini baby shower for a friend and made up these little favours for the gals to take home. You can find the recipe for Lavender Oatmeal Tub Tea over at the My Own Ideas Blog.
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Please welcome guest blogger and author, Stacy Tornio, who will be sharing some chalkboard paint projects you can do outside with kids. Stacy is the co-author of the new book, The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things To Do In Nature Before You Grow Up. Enter to win a copy of her book as well as some CLIF Bars on her website: Destination Nature.
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Anytime we can get kids outside is a good thing, right? We think so! Whether they’re gardening, playing games or exploring the backyard, we want kids to put down the electronics and spend more time in the great outdoors. One way to do this is by encouraging kids to take arts and crafts outside! And this is where chalkboard paint can be a lot of fun.
Stevie recently had a great project on making chalkboard flower pots. To add to that, we wanted to give you a few more ideas for using chalkboard paint outside with kids. Remember that the rain could wash the chalk off, but don’t worry. You can decorate your items again and again! Here are 5 ideas!
