Christmas has already exploded on the scene and I usually don't jump on board until the First Week of Advent! But, if you are crafting, you need to start before then! Cricut, a product review!
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Home Made with Love, Christmas Crafts to Blow Your Mind
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Show a Little Love: Stuffies That Will Make you Smile
Today is National Stuffed Animal Day! Guess What? I love my
"Stuffies" and I'm not alone!
A Gift Review
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Warm Toes and Funny Socks are a Great Combination
Summertime has ended and it's now time to get out the woolies! Cold feet are one of the first things I notice when the weather changes! Here's a great Gift Idea!
These are the ones I have and the ones I'm getting for my grandson!
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Plants That Need to Be Brought Indoors Need Special Care
Plants that need to be brought indoors need special care- A Garden Review
Summer is the time when we gardeners are itching to get our indoor plants outdoors for all the growth opportunity that summer sun and warmer temperatures brings. But come the end of September, gardeners are counting the days until they need to bring all those tender plants back indoors!
I know I am scoping out all the window areas of my apartment for possible "growing spots", for all the plants I took out to my balcony in the spring.
One of the most important parts of bringing our favorites back to the indoors, is making sure there are no hidden "bugs" hitchhiking their way indoors.
During the summer months outdoors your plants have been visited by many flying, crawling and maybe even jumping insects. Believe it or not I had a grasshopper on one of my plants and we are on the 18th floor of our building. So anything is possible.
When I am bringing my plants indoors, I like to un-pot them! Yes you heard me right. I take my plants out of their pots, set aside the soil they were growing in and move the plants into by bathroom.
Then I shower them well with warm water, on both the top sides of the leaves and the bottom sides as well. I check their roots and if there are roots that look decayed I will snip them back.
I also check their stems to see if there are any scale insects that may have made their home on my plants. One of my Ivies is infested with scale, so I will take cuttings from it and treat the cuttings with Safer's Soap spray. Then I will root these cuttings and start with fresh soil in a few weeks. They will be potted up only when I am sure they are free of the scale insects and have set new roots.
I do get the pots and clean them out with a good hot soapy water solution, and then let them air dry. I will use fresh soil in these pots to give the plants and cuttings a good start in their indoor home.
With my plants, especially the orchids, I let them stay outdoors until the temperatures drop to about 10 degrees Celsiusor 50 degrees Farenheit. Most orchids like a real drop in temperature for a few nights as it signals the plant to set flower bearing stems. Do NOT let these delicate plants freeze! If there is a chance of the temperatures going down close to freezing, bring them indoors for the night.
By January you should be seeing lots of stems on your orchids that will surely lead to some gorgeous flowers. One of my orchids starts blooming in January and doesn't stop till June or July. They are truly one of my many joys.
Having said that, orchids do need special care. Their leaves are tightly figured and can harbor scale or other bugs. I make sure they are drenched with Safer's Soap Spray before they come in for the winter! You can spray them once a week on both sides of their leaves. Better to be safe than sorry. If one plant comes in with a scale infestation, it can ruin all your plants in very short order.
Bringing our plants indoors is a time consuming endeavor if you are a crazy gardener like me. If you only have a few plants(3 or 4) outdoors, you should be able to do this in a weekend. If you are more like me, and have 8-10 plants to bring indoors, you might need a couple of weekends to finish the task.
You don't need to be in a hurry yet, but don't leave this task till late October or November. Then you will be scrambling to get it done. Bringing in the plants without checking them well for pests, could be your downfall. Take the time while the weather is still relatively nice and do it now. Check them all closely and if you don't want to start with fresh pots and soil, you can also drench the plants and soil with the Safer's Soap. It is better to do that then to just bring them indoors without any preventative measures at all.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
When is the Best Time to Learn Something New? September Sewing Month
September is Sewing Month and a Great Time to Learn Something New!
You never know the power you have to guide and form a new designer, they could end up on Making the Cut! (Our own Tracey, did a review on this show and it is quite a revelation in how many got started in the sewing and tailoring business)
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Why are Teddy Bears the Best Gift Ever?
Now I just have to ask, "Who doesn't Love Teddy Bears?"
Available on Amazon - Click Here |
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Vacuum Packing Made Easy-One Great Kitchen Tool!
Vacuum packing is not new, but it is a wonderful tool to have in your kitchen. ~ A Product Review
For my family that means buying vegetables and fruits when they are in season. You get twice the bang for your buck by doing this. First you get the freshest of fruits and vegetables and because they are in season, the price usually reflects the abundance, by being much lower than when imported.
I prefer to go out and shop at my local farmer's markets, or when I visit my Sister's family, we make a trip out to the St. Jacob's Market, in St. Jacob's Ontario. This is a great place to visit for a day trip or if you live close by, to shop at! You know you are supporting local farmers and the Mennonite Community as well. (I digress!)
We try to buy our vegetables when the season is high. They are the freshest and tastiest vegetables that you could ever want. Picked at the perfect time and very cost effective, you just know you are getting nature's best. But, if you don't have a way to keep them, all that goodness is missed.
With our new Vacuum Sealer, we can purchase more of these vegetables and bring them home. My husband and I sit and clean, divide and package the goodness either the same day or the day after. Once they are all vacuum packed, they go into the freezer. Summer fresh goodness is ours even in the middle of winter.
We don't stop at the fruits and vegetables though. When we go to market, there are many farmers who make homemade sausages. Some farmers have, cattle, chickens, pigs and lambs. Yes we love our meats! There is a real pleasure involved in bringing home the freshest, grain fed, and antibiotic free meats. You know you are eating the finest quality foods available.
With our Vacuum Sealer, we separate our meats into family (for us it's two) sized portions. Some of the Roasts and chicken get treated with spices and then packaged.
When it's time for dinner, out comes a package and while it is defrosting it is also marinating in the spices. We save a lot of prep time, by having everything already put together.
Our Vacuum Sealer is getting a really good workout. We have a roll of freezer sleeves, that can be custom sized so there is no waste in the plastic. It is entirely up to you how small or how big you make your bags. The sealer seals both ends, one before you fill and one after you have filled the bag to your liking. Then you have the choice of just bagging it and sealing it, or bagging and vacuum sealing. Both are options.
This is the exact model that we have purchased and we are delighted with the ease in operation. We spend a day or so with the prepping, but once it's done, we can relax and just enjoy.
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Totally Natural Healthy Ways to Increase Your Garden's Growth - A Garden Review
So do you want to Know What Made the Difference?
As you can see in the picture above and the ones below, there is no lack of little tomatoes for us to enjoy in the next little while.
What do these worms do that makes the garden grow so well?
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Awesome Solar Lights set the Mood Beautifully - A Product Review
Summertime and the Living is Easy!
Wonderful, Beautiful and Economical Solar Lights
You don't even have to buy all your lights at the same time.
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Get Your Socks Wet and Keep Your Feet Happy Too! - A Product Review
These water socks/shoes have 36 different colors and prints available, so that even if you have 2 or three little ones, they can all have different designs on them! I personally love the unicorn socks! They are just so cute!
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