One rainy day a few days ago, my daughters and I broke out the "Growing Gardens" Kiwi Crate that we received in the mail. My kids had a wonderful time! In the crate was enough craft supplies for my kids to create two adorable craft flowers each out of paper cut outs and pipe cleaners. The craft was simple enough that my girls (both 9) were able to create their flowers completely on their own, without any guidance from me. After they made their flowers, they used the colored clay that comes with the kit to decorate the four Kiwi Crate cardboard pots. I was impressed with the pretty designs Continue reading...
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Kiwi Crates, Fun For Kids
I’ve been offered the opportunity to try and review Kiwi Crate, a subscription service that supplies kids and parents with a box full of fun activities to do each month. We received our first Kiwi Crate in the mail just last week, and my kids are anxious to get started on the projects in this month’s crate! Our “Growing Gardens” crate is filled with two of everything, which is wonderful, since I have two daughters. In the crate are things to create a miniature window garden: Squash and bean seeds, plastic bags to start the seeds in and suction cups for hanging the bags on a Continue reading...
Day 3: A Setback and a Learning Curve
Progress on my home's new shade garden is slow and sure -- with only a few days left to my daughters' summer vacation before school starts, I've been squeezing in as many hours in with my kids as I can. Well, progress on the garden was going well, until I made a major mistake late last week. Many of us have heard the warning to "call before you dig" before setting a spade or any other type of shovel into the earth at one's home. I learned that lesson the hard way late last week when my spade sliced a Verizon wire. Even though I was only digging about 6 inches into the earth to remove the Continue reading...
Night Owls Unite
As I write this post (at nearly 11:30 p.m.), the rest of my family is fast asleep. Whicn is odd -- on a normal night, my husband stays up past midnight watching late-night news shows and his favorite flicks, while my kids wake up at least once or twice to extra get hugs and kisses before settling in for the night. I should be checking in, too. I was so tired today -- while waiting to see the doctor at a checkup, I was so exhausted that I felt like I was going to fall off the table! But I am just getting started, and have so much I want to do! Something about a quiet house is so Continue reading...
Weeds Be Gone!
I spent yesterday at a family member’s house, so I decided to give him a hand and get some of the weeds out of the brick walkway that leads to his home. The walkway is covered with crabgrass and clover – so much so that the weeds look like they will soon take over the space. The problem is that this family member doesn’t want to use chemicals or a commercial weed killer on the weeds, so getting the weeds – which are quite large – out from between the bricks is very tough. I thought about spraying on some weed killer on and not telling him about it, but because he has pets who might inject Continue reading...
Finding a Good Vacuum
My vacuum cleaner really sucks – in both good and bad ways. Last week, the hose on my third Eureka Boss vacuum broke. I’ve owned three Eureka boss vacuum cleaners in about the past eight years. I keep buying the Eureka because it is cheap (my Eureka Boss model sells for only $129 on Amazon.com) and it has really good suction. In fact, the suction is so good that when I first got the Boss, my sister commented on how clean my home’s carpets were, and shortly after getting the vacuum, I accidentally ripped a curtain rod (along with the curtains) off the wall when the vacuum sucked in the Continue reading...
Pallet Furniture
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with pinning images of DIY wood pallet furniture. Just search “pallet furniture” on Pinterest, and you’ll find really creative ideas for homemade wood pallet coffee tables, patio furniture and even home theater seating. The pallets most DIYers are after are made of wood and are used to pack goods while being shipped. The wood pallets can be often picked up for free in parking lots or dumpsters – just be sure to check that the pallets are being discarded before you start loading them into your car! Repurposed Pallet Furniture One pallet furniture piece I Continue reading...
Our Outdoor Space
Now that summer is here, I am hoping to spend more time in our backyard. Our backyard is much improved from when we moved in, when all the backyard had was grass, some trees and a view of the schoolyard behind our house. Two years ago, we put in a gray paver patio, and it looks great! I was lucky enough to snag a black wrought-iron patio set at a big discount from Smith & Hawkins when it went out of business three years ago. Privacy Fence My home’s backyard is also much improved since we planted some skip laurel bushes along the chain link fence that separates our yard from Continue reading...
Organizing With Shoe Bags
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I’ve been pinning a fair amount on Pinterest lately, and I’ve been finding a lot of creative uses for hanging shoe bags – and I mean doing much more than organizing shoes! I’ve seen shoe bags used as office and craft supply organizers and by adding some potting soil, even as hanging planters. I’ve been thinking of maybe trying the hanging planter idea – I’d like to find something to add interest to my yard’s chain link fence. Organizing This and That A hanging shoe organizer can also be a great central organizing area Continue reading...
Coming Up Roses
It's been raining buckets lately here in New Jersey, which has been both a good and a bad thing. It's been great for the gardens that my daughters and I have planted -- in the gardens, our peas, sunflowers, lettuce and cucumbers have sprouted, and the basil, oregano and tomatoes I've planted are doing well. Also, the yellow roses in my front yard have started to bloom, so I'm happy about that! Weeds and More Weeds What has not been so great is that all the rain has encouraged the weeds to grow in the planting bed in my home's front yard -- I am sure our neighbors hate our weeds! We're Continue reading...