August 12, 2011

Building Raised BedsThis is a page about building raised beds. There are a variety of reasons to build raised garden beds, from poor soil to creating a more orderly garden space.

 

Getting Rid of Head LiceThis is a page about getting rid of head lice. It is not uncommon for children to get head lice at school. Not only do you have to get rid of the lice in their hair, you also need to make sure you get rid of any lice in your house.

 

Making DreadlocksThis is a page about making dreadlocks. Some people will naturally get dreadlocks by not brushing their hair, but others need to help them form. Forming beautiful dreadlocks takes some time and attention.

 

Homemade Moisturizer RecipesThis page contains homemade moisturizer recipes. Making your own moisturizers isn't only thrifty but is also natural. Homemade moisturizers make great gifts.

 

Removing Motor Oil Stains From CarpetThis is a page about removing motor oil stains from carpet. Motor oil stains on carpet are unsightly. They can also be tough to remove.

 

Homemade Conditioner RecipesThis page contains homemade conditioner recipes. Using conditioner is helpful to prevent tangles in your hair. Making your own conditioner allows you to use more natural ingredients and save money.

 

Homemade Hand Cream RecipesThis page contains homemade hand cream recipes. Commercial hand creams can be expensive and contain a variety of unpronounceable chemical ingredients. You can use natural ingredients and make your own hand cream.

 

Canning LemonsThis is a page about canning lemons. If your trees yielded a lot of lemons this year, don't let them go to waste. It is very easy to can lemons so that you can use them later.

 

Getting Rid of SilverfishThis is a page about getting rid of silverfish. Silverfish are a perennial problem in some regions. Once they get a foothold it can be very difficult to eliminate the infestation.

 

Spiking a MohawkThis is a page about spiking a mohawk. Mohawks are a unique hairstyle and certainly not for everyone. However, if you have one, you know that spiking it is the best way to wear it.

 

Cherry LimeadeI know it sounds crazy to buy two jars of maraschino cherries just for the juice but you can garnish this beverage with some of those cherries and use the rest to make cherry cobbler, make cherry cookies, use in fruit salads, or dehydrate for snacks.

 

Potato RibbonsCrisp and hot, these potatoes will be devoured in no time. This is the favored side dish with hamburgers at our house.

 

Fresh Strawberry PieOh my gosh, this is good, and easier than pie! It may sound unusual, but the taste is really good, and it is so nice having fresh, uncooked strawberries in a pie.

 

Pumpkin And Ricotta LasagneEasy to make and delicious to eat. Enjoy!

 

Festive Rum BallsQuick and easy to make without cooking. I also make these and package in pretty boxes to give as gifts at Christmas time. Not sticky and sweet like some other recipes.

 

Charcoal For Cleaning Odors After A House FireHave you tried charcoal to remove the smell from the house and clothing and books? Take the clothing and books and put in a large trash bag. Place the charcoal in there first and then tie the end of the bag shut.

 

Acne Prevention And TreatmentThere are 2 simple things you need to do to clear up your acne and prevent it in the future. Don't touch your face! This is the most important part. Even if you have oily skin, that alone will not cause acne. Acne is a small staph infection in the pore of your skin.

 

Wildlife: Baby Pony (Assateague Island, MD)While visiting Assateague Island last month we were so lucky to see this little baby. So very neat to watch all the ponies in the wild! It's a special treat when you get to see them on the beach and in the ocean!

 

Garden: Back PorchHere is our new patio set on our back porch. We spend more time out here than inside.

 

Cleaning Fiberglass Shower PanI have tried everything I could think of to clean a fiberglass shower pan. My 87 year old mother was not able to clean it. Since I moved up to NY and into her house, I have tried to remove the gray residue.

 

Creating Your Own Comforter CoverIt's not always easy to find single sheets of the appropriate size, but you can often get lucky in discount stores and clearance sections. When you find two coordinating ones and pillow cases that will match, you're ready to go.

 

Organizing and Maximizing Your Pantry SpacePantries can get really messy. With their deep shelves, foods can easily get pushed to the back, only to be found after they expire.

 

Keep Bottles From Leaking in LuggageTo keep your bottles of makeup, lotions, and shampoo from leaking all over your clothes and suitcase, place some cotton in the cap before closing. This will keep it from leaking out!

 

Use Raft as Air MattressUse a blow up air raft, the kind used to float in a pool, as a bed when camping. The air raft carries flat and, when folded, it makes a small package. It is lightweight and it can be used as a float near the campsite if you are camping near water.

 

Garden: Dr. Brownell Tea RosesI love my tea roses and work hard to maintain them in Missouri. My three bushes of Dr. Brownell have had many blooms on them this year.

 

Organizing Garden ToolsI have a small garden shed for my tools, fertilizer, pots, etc. Keeping the tools organized is an ongoing struggle. Here are a few ideas that work for me, assuming I actually put them away.

 

Save Spice Jars For Storing SeedsDon't throw away your empty spice jars or stock powder jars. I keep these to store seed that I have collected from my plants and flowers, The seeds stay nice and dry and easy to store and label.

 

Audubon Insectarium (New Orleans, LA)This is a photo of one of the butterflies in the oriental butterfly garden at the insectarium in New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

Cook Meals For A New MomThe best thing anyone did for me when I gave birth to my three boys via c- section, was to cook a meal for me. Because of my busy schedule with the boys, I discovered that I could double or triple our family favorite and freeze it.

 

Store Fresh Veggies In Cereal LinersI save all my empty cereal bags (the linings from boxes), making sure all the crumbs are cleaned out. I use these to store my vegetables. You'll be amazed how long vegetables last in these bags.

 

Prissy Pig BankThis is a quick easy craft the kids will enjoy making.

 

Tips for Keeping Your Car CleanKeeping the inside of your car clean can be a chore, especially if you have kids. Dirt, crumbs, and toys can build up pretty quickly. Here are some tips to help keep your car clean:

 

Keep A Spare Leash In The CarI keep 2 sets for each of them. Each one (collar and leash) has the pet's name on it. I keep one set in the house in my coat closet in a small bin up on the shelf. The other set goes in the car.

 

Use a Wading Pool to Bath Your DogBathing your dog indoors can be very messy. I hate cleaning the dog hair out of the bath tub when they are bathed in the house. I prefer to do it outside when the weather permits.

 

Thickening GravyIf you are making gravy and run out of flour, substitute pancake mix. You can use up to 3 tablespoons of pancake mix. It turns out really great, just try it!

 

Use Dishwasher For StorageI have a dish washer and find that I rarely use a dish drainer. I decided to put that old drainer to a better use. It works great to hold all of my lids for pots and pans upright in the small space under the sink.

 

Fabric Covered Gift BoxesThese make nice storage boxes for cotton wool, hairbands, etc.

 

Natural Hair DyesAt the beginning of this year, I decided that as much as I liked having dyed red hair, I really didn't like the damage being caused by the over-the-counter hair dye I was buying. I'd heard a bit about using henna to dye hair and looked into it.

 

Suzie Peanut (Schnoodle)Suzie Peanut is a 1 year old Schnoodle. Suzie Peanut is a rescue dog from California. She is actually my rescue dog, helping me to get over the loss of my fiance who died 4 months ago.

 

Lumpy (Tabby)Lumpy is a 1 year old Tabby. We got Lumpy (aka Pepper) when my husband suffered from two strokes last fall. We wanted a pet for him to help in recovery and to help relieve stress.

 

Scenery: Crimson Sky (Potash Lake, Ontario,...This was our view all the way home. Potash Lake, Ontario, Canada

 

Bi-Saver Mortgage PaymentsIf you are in good standing on your Mortgage payments, many banks will put you on Bi-Saver payments which means that you pay one half of your monthly mortgage payment every two weeks.

 

Crochet Plastic Bag Storage Lady?I am looking for the pattern for a crochet bag lady (holds plastic grocery bags). She has a hat, a face with eyes, nose, mouth, she also has upper body and arms, and her skirt holds the bags. Everything is crochet.

 

Repairing an H2O Mop?My H2O mop quit working. I took it apart and it started working again. As soon as I put it back together it quit working. I am thinking it might be the pump that is going bad. Do you have any other suggestions that might help me with getting my H2O mop rolling again?

 

Hydrangea Only Blooming on One Side?I have a hydrangea that blooms beautifully on one side, but not the other! What is wrong?

 

Refrigerator Overheating?I have a 3-year-old Kenmore Elite refrigerator, double door with bottom freezer. This morning my daughter woke me up to tell me that the refrigerator temperature was registering 124 degrees!

 

Painting Aluminum Doors?I need some advice on painting aluminum closet doors. Thank you.

 

Freezing Squash?How do I freeze squash?

 

Cleaning Italian Aluminum Espresso Coffee Makers?I have an Italian espresso coffee maker that has collected a lot of oily stuff inside the upper container (where the coffee is collected). Someone had told me never to wash it, now I have my doubts. Any advice?

 

Helping a 6 Month Old Sleep Through the Night?I'm desperate for help to get my nearly 6 month old son to sleep through. He is in a strict routine which he's probably had for the past 3 months of, bath, bottle, and bed all by 8 o clock.

 

Canning Cobbler?I need to can a cobbler. Do I just make the cobbler then can it as usual?

 

Cleaning Grimy Window Sills and Tracks?What is the best way to clean grimy window sills and tracks? I have some sliding windows and the tracks are very dirty. They are very hard to clean because of all the crevices. Is there a trick to cleaning this part of the window?

 

Identifying Beneficial Garden Insects?I have a food garden and I see a lot of different bugs. There are wasps, ants, different flies, and so on, including some bees. Which bugs are good and which bugs are bad for your garden? Is there a natural insecticide for your garden?

 

Keeping Plants Watered While Away?How can I water indoor plants when away? I can group them all in the bath tub. I don't want to lose my orchids!

 

Freezing Bananas in Their Skin?If you freeze the bananas in their skins are they still alright to use or are they bad?

 

Can You Grow Ornamental Bananas in Western Washington?Can you grow ornamental bananas in western Washington? I would love to have these in my yard, but I am not sure if they would last through the winter here. Has anyone had any luck growing them? Any advice?

 

Getting Rid of Ants in the Kitchen?I have ants in my kitchen; how can I get rid of them for good?

 

Freezing Corn on the Cob?With all the gardens here, I get lots of summer corn. What is the best way to freeze it, with the husk on or off? Must I blanch it first or just husk, seal, and store? Thanks for all replies!

 

Determining the Value of a 1953 Craftsman Reel Mower?How or where can I find the value of a 1953 craftsman reel mower?

 

Indoor Gardening?I would love to grow a gardenia and a lavender plant inside. I know a certain amount of humidity is needed especially for the gardenia. Also I'd love to grow some basil inside too since my son loves pesto. Does anyone have any tips for a brown thumb?

 

Picking Watermelons?How do you know when to pick watermelon? How big does it need to be?

 

Gift Ideas for Boyfriend?It is nearly my boyfriend's birthday. I want to give him a special present, but I don't know what I should give him on that day. He is a lecturer.

 

What Kind of Snake is This?What kind of snake is this? It was coiling up and lashing out as if to try to bite. It wasn't more than 15 inches long, if that. It looked like a baby. I couldn't identify a button on its tail, yet the head is indicative to being a poisonous type of snake.

 

Planting Pachysandra?What time of year can you plant pachtsandra? What kind of dirt should you use? How long does it take to spread?