The demands of work, children and housework don't always allow much time for maintaining a backyard. But a stunning yard needn't be a luxury. Creating an inviting, beautiful garden that won’t take away valuable time out of the day is possible with careful planning. Follow these tips to create a lovely yard with little effort. Plant Hardy, Low-Maintenance Plants The first step in creating a low-effort yard is making smart choices for plants. Be sure to select species that can grow without constant attention and focus on native plants suitable for your climate and soil conditions. Because Continue reading...
28 Inspiring Eco-Friendly Home Tips for Sustainable Living
Walking into an eco-friendly home feels different—there is a sense of harmony that is immediately noticeable. As a mom of five kids, I've spent years transforming our home into a sustainable sanctuary. When managing the needs of five children, finding eco-friendly home tips becomes not just an environmental choice, but a necessity. The average household produces 8 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is why making sustainable changes can have a significant impact—something I have witnessed as our family's carbon footprint has decreased despite our larger household Continue reading...
Spring Gardening—How to Plant and Grow Herbs and Tomatoes to Enjoy This Season & in Summer
It's almost Mother's Day, which in New Jersey means that its time to start planting warm-weather herbs and vegetables! I don't plant many veggies, but I like to grow tomatoes and a few easy herbs, both in containers. Check out these growing tips to cultivate some veggies and herbs of your own! Growing Rosemary Rosemary is one of my all-time favorite herbs! I had a beautiful and bushy rosemary plant that lasted a few years, but it suddenly died a month or two ago! I used to enjoy cutting a sprig or two often to add to my potatoes. In New Jersey, it is best to plant rosemary this month Continue reading...
Inexpensive Ways to Fully Enjoy Your Backyard this Summer
Even if you can't get away for a vacation this summer—whether it's because you lack the time or just because things are so expensive—you can still have a lot of fun in your own backyard! Sometimes, when my family and I can't coordinate our schedules for a long family getaway, we plan a staycation filled with lots of fun activities in our backyard! And with summer still a few weeks away, there is plenty to get your backyard ready! Roast Hot Dogs & S'Mores Around a Fire Pit Adding a fire pit to a backyard can provide lots of opportunities to enjoy your backyard. My family and I love Continue reading...
Spring Happenings—and Giveaway!
If you read my blog, you know that I have an adorable little Shih Tzu named Mochi! He is my buddy! I just got him a haircut, and he is looking super dapper! I love how clean he is now! The groomer even brushed his teeth! But anyone who has a dog knows they can be messy! For instance, when he goes on walks, he loves when we go to this one wooded area with a stream and gets into everything! Sometimes I have to brush dirt and leaves off him, which can get my hands quite messy. So I'm glad I have NOWATA—I bring a tube of it on our walks. My kids are about to graduate from college next month, Continue reading...
Hammock Pad Tutorial: Protect Your Hammock with a Comfortable and Waterproof Covering
Today I am sharing a super easy tutorial for how to create a comfy and protective pad/cover for an outdoor hammock—my husband and kids gifted a hammock and hammock stand for my birthday this year, so I am looking forward to using it! My DIY cover will make it more comfortable and help keep it clean! Sturdy Fabrics for Outdoor Decor I got my outdoor waterproof fabrics and trim from Fabric Wholesale Direct™. They have a wide selection of fabrics and sewing tools to suit all sorts of fabric projects. My hammock is 144 inches x 51.5 inches, so I ordered 5 yards of each fabric and Continue reading...
Make Gardening Easier with the Right Tips
Photo Credit: DepositPhotos.com Gardening can be one of the most rewarding and relaxing hobbies you'll ever try—it's one of my favorite hobbies! But, it can take a lot of time and effort. It’s natural to want to make gardening easier, which presents a conundrum. You want it to be easier, but you’ll still want your garden to look amazing. You might think you’ll have to compromise on something. While that can sometimes be the case, it doesn’t always have to be. Instead, it could just be a matter of using the right gardening tips. Some of these could have much more of an impact than many Continue reading...
DIY Flower Pot Umbrella Holder (and My Outdoor Work Area)
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one, I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. Thanks! Amazon is having its BIG SPRING SALE, so now is the perfect time to ready your patio and buy all the decor, furnishings and supplies you'll need! I adore sitting on my paver patio with my Shih Tzu pup, so I recently worked on getting it spruced up. Because the patio can be quite sunny, I got myself a half umbrella to shade the little outdoor loveseat that I like to sit on outside with my pup. I got a red patio umbrella, since dark umbrellas block the sun and its UV rays more Continue reading...
Planting Spring Bulbs in Planters
Happy Sunday! I can't believe that Halloween and the end of October are almost here! This past weekend, I took some time to get some spring bulbs planted. Spring Bulbs in Planters Earlier this month, Longfield Gardens had a sale, so I purchased 100 tulip bulbs, 100 daffodil bulbs and 50 crocus corns in bulk. Yesterday, I decided to start planting them! That day, I nestled about half of the tulip and daffodils and all the crocus corns in 11 planters. Today, I hope to plant the rest in my front yard gardening bed. As you see in the below photo, the tulip and daffodil bulbs came in Continue reading...
End of Summer Roundup
Wow - I can't believe that it's September already! This summer flew by, even though my twins had internships and were away from home for most of it. But we were all able to vacation in beautiful Stowe, Vermont, together or a few days, which was amazing! I also had some great gardening wins this summer and got two new small appliances that I love for my kitchen! Read on for my recap for summer 2024! My Twins' Senior Year of College Both of my kids are seniors this year and will be graduating in May! Time flies!! One is at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania—where I went to college—and the Continue reading...
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