Until recently, I was a very sad birding enthusiast. I had a few bird feeders in my backyard, but all they seemed to attract with our birdseed were non-colorful blackbirds and morning doves. So I did some reading on attracting goldfinches to your yard and hoped for the best. That was until I purchased a very simple and inexpensive netted sock bird feeder ("thistle sack") from a local grocery store. Filled with nyjer/thistle seed, the sock attracted beautiful black and yellow Eastern Goldfinches (New Jersey's state bird) to my backyard daily. Now, when I feed the birds, it looks Continue reading...
Mom Home Guide House Tour
I just love looking at online house tours of other mom bloggers' homes. One house tour I recently saw was that of blogger Jenna from SAS Interiors. I just love how beautiful her home looks, from her tidy and clutter-free foyer, to her modern kitchen with beautiful wood floors to the serene master bedroom. I wish my home was so masterfully designed! To me, my home is a work in progress. Over the past few months, I've completed a few home improvements, like making our home's mudroom/foyer area more functional, creating a fun study/media/play space for the kids and adding Continue reading...
What’s New on Mom Home Guide
Here at Mom Home Guide, I've been getting ready for spring with Easter Crafts, an Easter giveaway, some decorating for the kids and some spring gardening! Check out what I have been up to! Crafting a Simple Easter Flag I am always astonished at how much it costs to purchase small decorative garden flags — most cost at least $10. So recently, I’ve taken to making my own garden flags. I don’t even have to travel to a local craft store to get the fabric — I’ve been purchasing fabric for my garden flags from my local Walmart, which has a fabric section. Click here to read Continue reading...
Planting Peas in a Vegetable Garden & Giveaway
The other night I was treated to a great dinner at a Mexican restaurant with my good friend, Lela, her family, and my husband and kids. I've known Lela for more than 20 years, and she has become like a sister to me! She noticed that I was wearing the lovely charm bracelet she gave me a few months ago for my birthday, as well as a two-peas-in-a-pod green and silver charm that I've added to it. She noted that she loved my "gardening" charm. I bought the charm to symbolize my twins, but it really is a great charm to represent the gardening that both Continue reading...
Craft: a St. Patrick’s Day Garden Flag
With St. Patrick's Day nearing, I'm getting ready to get out some emerald green decor! My first step will be to hang my handcrafted St. Patrick's Day garden flag, which was quite simple to make. To learn how to craft your own St. Patrick's Day garden flag, read more in this below tutorial, which I posted last year. With St. Patrick's Day coming up, I wanted to hang a St.Patrick's Day-themed flag in my garden. But I am always surprised at how much those tiny garden flags cost. For instance, a Leprehaun hat garden flag runs about $12 at Amazon.com. So, using the leftover fabric from Continue reading...
How to Create a Raised Garden Bed
Last year was a busy year! I started this website, and thankfully, at least a few people have read it! Thanks everyone for your visits! It's been a fun year. For all you new readers out there, I thought I'd post some of the most-read posts from 2012 -- enjoy! Since spring is approaching, I thought I share how I put my bacyard's two raised garden bed together! It was easier than I thought it would be! Last spring, one of the best things my daughters and I did together was designate an area of our yard for a raised garden bed, and start a flower and vegetable garden. We started small and Continue reading...
Homemade $1 Garden Flag
I've been wanting a holiday garden flag for my home's frontyard garden for a while now, but haven't wanted to spend much on it -- garden flags that I love often cost $10 or more, and I can't bring myself to spend that much money on such a small decoratiave item. So the other day, when I spotted a cute dishtowel with a cute blue and red winter cardinal print, I bought it to use as the material for a homemade Christmas garden flag. Making the Flag To craft the DIY garden flag, I only used one side of the towel, since the towel repeats the same print on the front and back, but with Continue reading...
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...
Shade Garden Complete For Now
Thanks to my setback, where I accidentally sliced through a Verizon cable while preparing my side yard's shade garden, it took me longer than I expected to complete a new shade garden for my home. The garden is nearly complete now, except for a small patch that I've left exposed, without a covering of red garden stone, because I am still waiting for Verizon to come in, take out the temporary cable that they installed, and bury a new permanent cable . But, I am happy with what I've been able to complete so far. I've lined my shade garden with a red gravel, and have planted the bed 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...