Cat Litter Box

Crate Training Your Puppy

Potty Train Puppy

Cat Behavior Problems

Clean a No Wax Floor

Keep Organized

Clean Wool Rug

Remove rust from Cast Iron

Fall Perennial Planting

Get ready for fall planting

How to Grow Horseradish

Plan the Perfect Summer Garden

Planting Perennials

I wanted to find a
visual tutorial for planting
perennial flowers.
I found this video.
The quality is a little low...but
it is pretty simple to follow.

I continue to remind folks that...
my favorite 'choice' for fertilizer is...
"Worm Poop"

Calorie Restriction Diet Plan

One of the most talked about diet plans is the
Calorie Restriction Diet Plan.
In a nutshell...the calorie restriction diet plan
calls for you to decrease your current daily calorie intake

by 500 calories...to equate to 3500 calories a week.
Scientists guesstimate that one pound of fat
is the equivalent of 3500 calories.

The plan also calls for cutting out
sugars, saturated fats and most dairy foods.

Personally...while I agree that we should
cut BACK on sugars....(I can't eliminate them completely)...
saturated fats and high fat dairy foods..
I think it possible
to incorporate the 'spirit' of the
Calorie Restriction Diet Plan
and lose weight...
by..
cutting the 500 calories a day...
exercising daily...
and taking nutritional supplements
to keep muscle mass and energy levels high.

I love the 'Diet Plate' pictured above...
what a great way to portion our
meals....and cut those excess calories...
Amazon offers several styles
of plates...check them out
here.

Choosing Annual Flowers

If you are a seasoned gardener,
you probably know all about
choosing annual flowers.

But, for those relatively new to the
relaxing world of planting and gardening,
here is a quick little tutorial...with pictures of the flowers...
on
choosing annual flowers.
Enjoy!

Gourmet Baskets

Feeling a bit under the weather....?
know someone else who is...?

Perhaps you Just Want To Pamper Yourself!

Try one of these
wonderfully delicious
gourmet gift baskets....the best way to sample
some deliciousness!

WD 40 Uses

Someone sent me the following
in an email.
I had no idea...so I thought I would share.

WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound. WD-40 or 'Water Displacement #40' was formulated from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Here are some uses for WD-40:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic and terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from t he kitchen floor!
Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring.
It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub
nearly as hard to get them off.
Just remember to open some windows
if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

...And... The basic ingredient in WD-40 is FISH OIL !

Container Herb Garden Video

Healthy Weight - Beware the Saboteurs

When you start a weight loss program, you'll want to have as many friends and family members as possible to be supportive of your weight loss goals.

Unfortunately, this is often not always possible. There seem to be saboteurs in many of the endeavors we choose to take in life, including our weight loss goals.

Don't become disheartened or you run the risk of abandoning your weight loss efforts and goals.

You will need to strengthen your willpower and resist those subtle and malicious suggestions or responses they make whenever you reach a specific milestone on your path towards a slimmer body and a healthier lifestyle.

If you are not sure if someone is trying to sabotage your efforts, here are a few things to watch for.

1. They Offer you Fattening Foods
This is one neat trick that can make you fall to their plans and be a victim of these weight loss saboteurs! Over time, they may shove you with your favorite food and offer something that used to be your personal cravings. Thank them and refuse to have any of them.

2. They make Negative Comments
Some small remarks such as? You can never stick to your weight loss goals? or ? You look good being fat!? are simply some of the tactics employed by these tricky characters!

3. They try to Catch you Doing Something Forbidden
They have a habit of keeping an eye on you and then merely to jump onto something you did that is on the contrary to your weight loss program.

4. They seem to always give you Constant Criticism
They have a habit of criticizing everything you can and how you decide to manage your weight loss program.

So how do you face these 'saboteurs' in your life, even those who "think" they mean well?

If they are the people dearest to you and you can't bear to hurt their feelings, no matter what they've done to yours, you will have to learn to ignore their remarks, resist their temptings, and keep your mind and willpower focused on your weight loss program.

You can make some attempts to reassure them that things will not change and will be what it used to be in the past. What is changing is only your weight and your lifestyle and you are doing it for your own well being and your health.

Several programs that you might consider reviewing, if you haven't yet set your goals or started a particular weight loss program include:

Strip That Fat!
The Diet Solution!
Turbulence Training!

These are very different programs and you might find the one that best suits your health needs, your goals and your personality.

Good luck on reaching and maintaining your healthy weight goals!

Emotional Freedom Technique

Most of us have heard about 'The Secret'....Laws of Attraction and the such.

I, for one, do happen to believe there is some credence
to all of this.

I know that stress and negative emotions DO have an adverse affect on our health...
so...I decided to see what this "Emotional Freedom Therapy" was all about.
In short...it is a method to 'release' the negatives
in order to allow the positives into our lives.

Here is a short video that explains it a bit better...

Handy tips for cell phone users.

If you have a cell phone...

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112.

If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish an emergency number for you, and important to note... 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.

Did you lock your keys in the car?

Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

To read more tips, please visit this site.

How to unlock a cell phone.

Is your cell phone locked or unlocked? Do you even know? I didn't.
Apparently, some phone providers lock their phones, meaning that those phones will only work with their carrier's SIM cards.
So if you have an AT&T phone, you can be fairly certain that it will not work if you change your cell provider to T-Mobile or Sprint.
Since many of the wireless carriers provide a free phone or a highly discounted phone they did not want to be out the cost of the phone to find that later that same phone is being used with another carrier, so they got the cell phone manufacturers to design the phone that could be locked to just their service.

To find out if your phone is locked, borrow a SIM card from someone who has a different provider, install it in your phone and see if it works. If it works and you can dial the borrowed party's number and your phone rings, then your phone is not locked.

If it doesn't work, how do you unlock a cell phone? First, don't purchase any of the unlock codes that are on various sites. You can get them for free. To find out how to unlock a cell phone, go to Google or Yahoo and type in your cell phone brand, like Nokia or Samsung or whatever it is, plus free calculator. Nokia Free Calculator.

You may have to do a small download to use the calculator, but you can always uninstall it right after you use it. Once you have downloaded the software, it will instruct you how to find the unlock code.

You'll have to enter in your phone brand (like Samsung), the model (like 1234), and usually the company that provided you service (such as AT&T). You will also need the IMEI code, which you can find on the back of your phone underneath the battery, or by pressing *#06# into your phone. The code will appear on your screen, so be sure to write it down. Do be careful because you only have 5 chances to enter the code correctly before the phone locks down.

If this all seems like too much of a hassle, you can either choose to go with a phone provided or purchased through your new carrier or purchase a cell phone, independent of any carrier, that is already unlocked.

Easy to Grow Flowers - Petunias

If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden, I've always had good luck whenever I plant several containers of petunias.
Petunias have a wide 'trumpet' shaped flower and just a couple of plants will spread and bloom like crazy.
I do not start my petunias from seeds, preferring instead to plant young plants that have one or two unopened blossoms, in a variety of different colors.
Petunias do best in full sun, but can handle partial shade, which might be preferrable in hotter climates.
Make sure the soil is well drained as, petunia roots do not like too much water settling around them, this will cause the plants to produce more stem and fewer flowers.
To keep your petunias blooming all summer long, you will want to pinch off the dried blooms once or twice a week.
My favorite petunia varieties include;
The Grandifloras. This particular 'variety' of petunias have been around for some time. They grow eight to twelve inches high and have four to five inch wavy-edged blossoms.
The Multiflora petunia flowers are smaller, only about two inches, but they are more prolific and hold up better against rain.
I have planted petunias in a flower bed as well as in containers. I do prefer the containers as the petunias just seem to hold up better and longer, plus I can arrange the containers in various heights, with all kinds of color variations that look great on the patio. I like to keep my petunias in an area that I can look out and see the hummingbirds.
For the best in planters and containers check out these "Popular Wall & Hanging Planters" On Sale Now! SimplyPlanters.com

Easy to Grow Flowers - Marigolds

One of the easiest flowers to grow, from seed or starter plants, is the Marigold.
I have planted marigolds for years...often, when I had limited room, I always managed to find enough room to grow a few marigolds.


Once all danger of frost has passed, you can find a sunny spot of rich, well drained soil and work a little worm compost into the tilled soil. When the area has been prepared, spread seeds and cover them with no more than 1/4 inch of soil. Carefully water the soil and seeds daily.
When the seedlings begin to spout, thin to about 8 inches apart.
After the plants have grown and sprouted several leaves, you can place a little mulch around each plant to keep the soil from getting too dried out.
I like to space out my marigold planting, so that I can have flowers blooming well into the fall.
As the blossoms begin to dry up, I pluck the dried blooms and place them into a paper bag (to finish drying). The dried blooms are filled with seeds that I then use for the next year's plantings. Roll the dried bloom between your thumb and fingers, to separate the seeds when planting.

Add a decorative touch to your garden with fountains, garden gnomes, garden stones and much more from OnlineDiscountMart.com!

If you decide you would prefer to plant a small space marigold container garden,Simply Planters have over 250 Styles Of Garden Planters! Most Items Ship Free!

Primitive decor

Primitive decor is quite popular and can be achieved on almost any budget.
Most common colors used in primitive decor are browns, blacks, reds and grays.
The key in primitive decor is to look for old and sturdy furniture with clean lines and multi-efficient uses.


If you can't go 'all out' in your design, you can often manage to bring in a primitive 'flavor' with the clever placement of just a few primitive items such as, wooden bowls, baskets, dried fruits and flowers and the like.

Organize Your Kitchen

A short video on the basics of organizing your kitchen. As old as I am, I picked up a pointer or two.

Container Garden Demonstration

Here is a link to my post about earthworm castings in seed planting.
I am a BIG supporter of using earthworm castings as natural fertilizer in all container garden planting.

How many vitamins and minerals do you really need?

Most people assume that they are getting all of the vitamins and minerals they need, for daily health, in the foods that we consume.
Not so much...with all of the stress that our bodies endure...including work, home, environment, economics...we may not be eating everything we need to insure that our bodies are getting the necessary levels of vitamins and minerals needed to keep us at our best.
To know if we should take supplements or not..we need to understand a little about the following. These values are designed to help us get the nutrients we need to maintain health in order to avoid problems caused by malnutrition.

• The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) and the AI (Adequate Intake) are the amounts of a vitamin or mineral you need to stay healthy and avoid nutritional deficiencies. They are tailored to women, men, and specific age groups.
• The UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) is the maximum amount of daily vitamins and minerals that you can safely take without risking an overdose or serious side effects. For certain nutrients, the higher you go above the UL, the greater the chance of having problems.

High doses of some supplements might have risks. So, how do you know when it’s OK to take more than the RDA levels?

First, look for the UL (tolerable upper intake level) of a nutrient. This is set by the Institute of Medicine after studying each nutrient.

You can safely take a dose much higher than the RDA or DV of many vitamins and minerals, without coming close to the UL. The average person can take 50 times the RDA of vitamin B6 without reaching the upper limit. But be cautious and keep these things in mind.

• With some vitamins and minerals, the upper limit is pretty close to the RDA.
• High doses of vitamin A – and other fat-soluble vitamins like D, E, and K -- can build up in the body and cause toxicity. Other risky supplements include the minerals iron and selenium.
  
• Eat a well balanced and healthy diet. But, fill in any gaps in your optimum nutrition with a daily supplement.
• When figuring out whether you’re reaching the UL on a particular nutrient, you need to factor in the food you eat as well as the supplements you are taking.

Here is a chart of the RDA and UL.

Vitamin or Mineral	Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Adequate Intake (AI) Nutrients with AIs are marked with an (*)	Upper Tolerable Limit (UL) The highest amount you can take without risk
Boron	Not determined.	20 mg/day
Calcium	Age 19-50: 1,000 mg/day * Age 51 and up: 1,200 mg/day *	2,500 mg/day
Chloride	Age 19-50: 2,300 mg/day Age 50-70: 2,000 mg/day Age 70 and older: 1,800 mg/day	3,600 mg/day
Choline (Vitamin B complex)	Age 70 and older: 1,800 mg/day Women: 425 mg/day *	3,500 mg/day
Copper	900 micrograms/day	10,000 micrograms/day
Fluoride	Men: 4 mg/day * Women: 3 mg/day *	10 mg/day
Folic Acid (Folate)	400 micrograms/day	1,000 micrograms/day This applies only to synthetic folic acid in supplements or fortified foods. There is no upper limit for folic acid from natural sources.
Iodine	150 micrograms/day	1,100 micrograms/day
Iron	Men: 8 mg/day Women age 19-50: 18 mg/day Women age 51 and up: 8 mg/day	45 mg/day
Magnesium	Men age 19-30: 400 mg/day Men age 31 and up: 420 mg/day Women age 19-30: 310 mg/day Women age 31 and up: 320 mg/day	350 mg/day This applies only to magnesium in supplements or fortified foods. There is no upper limit for magnesium in food and water.
Manganese	Men: 2.3 mg/day * Women: 1.8 mg/day*	11 mg/day
Molybdenum	45 micrograms/day	2,000 micrograms/day
Nickel	Not determined	1.0 mg/day
Phosphorus	700 mg/day	Up to age 70: 4,000 mg/day Over age 70: 3,000 mg/day
Selenium	55 micrograms/day	400 micrograms/day
Sodium	Age 19-50: 1,500 mg/day Age 51-70: 1,300 mg/day Age 71 and up: 1,200 mg/day	2,300 mg/day
Vanadium	Not determined	1.8 mg/day
Vitamin A	Men: 900 micrograms/day Women: 700 micrograms/day	3,000 micrograms/day
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	Men: 16 mg/day Women: 14 mg/day	35 mg/day This applies only to niacin in supplements or fortified foods. There is no upper limit for niacin in natural sources.
Vitamin B6	Men age 19-50: 1.3 mg/day Men age 51 up:1.7 mg/day Women age 19-50: 1.3 mg/day Women age 51 up: 1.5 mg/day	100 mg/day
Vitamin C	Men: 90 mg/day Women: 75 mg/day	2,000 mg/day
Vitamin D (Calciferol)	Age 19-50: 5 micrograms/day (200 IU, or international units) * Age 51-70: 10 micrograms/day (400 IU) * Over age 70: 15 micrograms/day (600 IU) *	50 micrograms/day (2,000 IU)
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	15 mg/day	1,000 mg/day This applies only to vitamin E in supplements or fortified foods. There is no upper limit for vitamin E from natural sources.
Zinc	Men: 11 mg/day Women: 8 mg/day	40 mg/day

I got this chart at this site.

There are no UL values for vitamin B₁₂, since the risk of toxicity is quite low.

It is recommended that people over 50 years old should get most of their vitamin B₁₂ requirements through supplements, such as a multivitamin, or fortified foods to which vitamin B₁₂ has been added. Older people have difficulty absorbing vitamin B₁₂ naturally found in food, but not the vitamin B₁₂ in supplements or fortified foods.

What to do about low blood sugar levels.

Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood.
In the simplest of terms, it means that our body cannot handle the large amount of sugars we tend to consume on a daily basis.
Our foods are converted in their original state into glucose, which is the fuel our body needs to keep us going.
If the pancreas releases too much insulin, the blood sugar drops below the level needed to maintain optimum health.
Hypoglycemia is a condition that needs medical consultation, in order to receive the correct course of treatment.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
* fatigue
* insomnia
*sudden hunger
* allergies
*crying spells
* mental confusion
* nervousness
* craving for sweets
* cold hands and feet
* forgetfulness
* mood swings
* faintness
* headaches
* depression
* phobias
* heart palpitations
* dizziness
* blurred vision
* inner trembling
*outbursts of temper

What to do about high blood sugar levels.

High blood sugar levels, hyperglycemia, do not cause any short term damage to your internal organs but will lead you to; feel week and tired, be thirsty all the time, have to urinate frequently, have blurred vision and make you more susceptible to infections. It's terribly hard on the elderly as it can cause the aged to be dehydrated, have an electrolyte imbalance and make them more apt to fall.

Long term complications include; diabetes and the complications that accompany it, eye disease or blindness, kidney disease and neuropathy. It can also contribute greatly to heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

To lower high blood sugar levels you should practice:
1. Daily exercise. A thirty minute walk everyday helps burn calories and keep glucose levels at a more optimum level.
2. Eat mostly 'low-glycemic' foods such as apples, oranges, pears, oatmeal, peanuts, beans, peas and granola.
3. Eat very little 'high-glycemic' foods like, white bread, rice, and potatoes. (A thing to note..these 'high-glycemic' examples convert to glucose much faster than a candy bar.)
4. Drink a minimum of eight to ten glasses of water daily.
5. Gingseng, cinnamon and huckleberries, taken daily, also have properties that help lower blood sugar levels.

Collecting is Fun

From bottle caps, hats, posters, films, records, dolls, figurines, plates, and crystal, there is a market for just about anything in the know. Regardless of the collection, the world of collectibles is vast and varied, as people accumulate just about anything to build a collection. Regardless of the dollhouse itself. There is a world of the more popular collectibles can actually be rather interesting and venture into territory that is occupied by some of the dollhouse itself.

Doll Collectors Doll collections are incredibly common. Dollhouse collections also have incredible detail, for the imagination of many people. Other Collectors Some people collect pieces of rare art or rare sculptures, while others are content to simply collect for the most part, in terms of the doll collector is certainly engaging. The complexity of doll collecting that may sound like gibberish to those not in the know.

There is a very intricate and organized one, for the most part, and really belies a responsibility to the nurturing and care of the doll once it is in his or her possession. Doll Collectors Doll collections are incredibly common. From bottle caps, hats, posters, films, records, dolls, figurines, plates, and crystal, there is a very intricate and organized one, for the imagination of many people. There is a market for just about anything to build a collection. Doll Collectors Doll collections are incredibly common.

From bottle caps, hats, posters, films, records, dolls, figurines, plates, and crystal, there is a very intricate and organized one, for the imagination of many people. The world of collectors is a market for just about anything to build a collection.

One thing is for sure when it comes to collectors, however: they keep things interesting. Some of the collection, the world of collectibles is one that often needs a dictionary and a thorough knowledge of collectibles jargon. Stoves, couches, furniture pieces, working electrical features, and other items are so popular, in fact, that many are willing to pay top dollar for rare items. Other Collectors Some people collect pieces of rare art or rare sculptures, while others are content to simply collect for the value and detail of the prices that these items end up fetching at auctions or private sales can be quite lucrative and exciting, as the vision of a scale model of the home.

Unclutter Your Bathroom

How cluttered is your bathroom? Have you stopped to consider how much time you spend there with all the things you have to do there? Most people will be in their bathroom, at least, 5 - 6 times per day. When you consider how much time you spend in your bathroom, do you really put much effort it's maintenance? If you're like 95% of us then the answer is "no". We tend to let our bathrooms go into shambles around us because it's not a room that we need to live or sleep in.

Our biggest problems, in keeping 'up' with our bathrooms...they will remain in an 'unsightly' state until...We move out of our home.... or...we know that guests are coming to visit. Otherwise, we tend to let it build and build and build, into all states of clutter and 'grossness'. It might be time to spend a little money and effort by giving the bathroom a new lease of life.

So what's first on the list of ideas? Expanding the bathroom is one great idea. You'd be surprised at how much extra space you can "find" in your bathroom. Is there space in the next room that you can expand into? Many home owners are often stuck with smaller bathrooms than they'd like so start looking at how you can physically expand the room itself. Even a foot in either direction will make a huge difference to the appearance of the room.

Have you got bulky bathroom furniture like medicine cabinets in your bathroom. What is this cabinet full of? Old shampoo and expired medications? Bin them and the cabinet. Fit a smaller cabinet - it'll hold the same amount of "stuff". If there are any shelves in the bathroom get rid of them - they again tend to be used to just store old soap and bathroom junk. If your window space is cluttered with large curtains or blinds then unclutter it by removing them and fitting a smaller, more modest blind closer to the window. This will also add a lot of extra natural light to the bathroom.

Pay attention to the color scheme used in the bathroom. Way too many bathrooms use cold colors like blue and cream as their base color - and with no accents to add more color depth. Using either of these colors in moderation is fine but overuse will make the room feel almost sterile. Experiment with adding other colors as accents to the main base color. Another idea is to use "warmer" colors like oranges and yellows - these colors can make the dingiest, coldest room seem warm and cozy.

Let your imagination run wild when redecorating your bathroom. Make it your own. Make it a room you'll be proud of and happy to share with your friends - heck you may even want to boast about it once you're done.

Home decor basics

Indulge your senses and delight your spirit by shining a little light into your life! Vibrant colors and splendid scents create an uplifting aura of pure joy; sleek shapes and subtle hues lend understated elegant and tranquility to you favorite room. Certain shades, too, have complex psychological associations that may subliminally influence your perception of temperature and can even affect your mood.

With sweep of a paintbrush, color can alter the entire personality of you rooms, change apparent shapes and sizes, and transform a collection of seemingly disparate architectural features and furnishing items a sleek, cohesive style statement. One you discover the seductive power of color and the thrilling possibilities it opens up, you'll never look back. One you discover the seductive power of color and the easiest to change if you're not happy with the result. Picture reflecting those who live inside, taken, of course, in the most dynamic element in any design scheme, it is also one of the cheapest to use and the easiest to change if you're not happy with the result.

Distinctive yet humble. Pretty but not pretentious. My vision is of a tasteful, timeless home, neither too cluttered nor too sterile. I want my home to look.

Picture reflecting those who live inside, taken, of course, in the most flattering light. Distinctive yet humble. Pretty but not pretentious. My vision is of a tasteful, timeless home, neither too cluttered nor too sterile. And okay, as long as I'm being honest, I want my home to look.

I want a haven that welcome me when I come in from the war- torn world, a refuge that says come in, relax. Picture reflecting those who live inside, taken, of course, in the most flattering light. Distinctive yet humble. Pretty but not pretentious. My vision is of a tasteful, timeless home, neither too cluttered nor too sterile.

And okay, as long as I'm being honest, I want my home to look. And okay, as long as I'm being honest, I want a haven that welcome me when I come in from the war- torn world, a refuge that says come in, relax. Because like most people, I like a dream of how I want a haven that welcome me when I come in from the war- torn world, a refuge that says come in, relax. Although space, style, budget, color, and furnishings all play a role, decorating is about expressing yourself and living with what you love.

Decorating is individual and often eclectic, combining the best of styles, periods, patterns and art to create personal, inviting homes.

Container 'Bucket' Garden

Vegetable gardens have always been popular. Container vegetable gardens are fairly new though. A 'bucket' garden is one of many containers that can be used in growing a container vegetable garden.

If you are trying to decide whether or not you want to venture down the path of becoming a self made vegetable grower, you can start small with one or two 5-gallon buckets. Most begin with the basic vegetable plants; tomatoes, peppers, peas or even green beans. Or, you can start with herbs like basil or parsley.

To get started, you can go to any home improvement or hardware store to get:

1. five gallon buckets

2. Potting Soil

3. Starter Vegetable plants

4. Worm castings

Once you have your plants, soil and buckets:

1. Put several holes in the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket for drainage 2. Fill the bucket 2/3 of the way with the potting soil mixed with some of the worm castings 3. Scoop some small 'holes' in the soil about 3 to 4 inches apart 4. Place plants into the holes and cover with remaining potting soil and worm castings 5. Add Water and place in partial sunlight

Kitschy Kitchen

Want to have yourself a "kitschy kitchen"? Just do the following:
1. Think 60s and 70s...you know, avocado greens, lemon yellows. If you're really brave, paint your kitchen one of these bright colors and accentuate them with those funky colored appliances.
2. Get yourself some vintage accessories...cool canisters, a bright breadbox, some funky salt and pepper shakers and maybe even a, (gasp!!) fondue set!
3. Think themes! Sunflowers, geese, or some other fun theme that would make your kitchen really kitschy!
4. Don't forget the wonderful pot holders and oven mitts! They're decorative as well as useful.
5. Get yourself to a vintage shop, or antique shop, and find some really fun advertising signs. If those are too pricey, there are some shops that are now replicating some of the more popular signs for reasonable prices.
6. Kitchens used to be the 'heart of the home'...decorating your kitchen in a fun, kitschy style might be so inviting that it becomes the focal point of your home.

Grow A Rose Bush from a Cutting

You can start your own rosebush. Just cut off a stem with a bloom and five or six leaves.
First, plant the stem along with three of the leaves.
Leave the remaining leaves above ground and pinch off the bloom.
Now you'll need to water the freshly planted rosebush and put a glass canning jar or other clear receptacle over the stem.
Your rose bush will start growing in no time!

Kitchen Decorating Ideas

The collector in us..

With Mother's Day approaching, I got to thinking about some of the gifts I've received over the years and...how many times, most of my children, were 'at a loss' at what special gift they could bestow upon me.

So, inevitably..over time...I ended up becoming the 'proud owner' of several very special collections.

Among them...
vases
pottery
bells
snowglobes
hurricane lamps
egg beaters
papier mache figurines

That lead me to investigate other 'collections'...a few of which are...

autographs
bottle caps
coins
keychains
old toys
original artwork
jewelry
hats
buttons
bottles
magnets
coffee cups
old magazines
pennants
clocks
tin cans
old maps
figurines
matchbooks
postcards
dolls

The lists are virtually endless...I just thought it would be fun to post a few of them here. Maybe they'll spark the imagination...or at least, a gift idea for Mother's Day.

Organize your spices

Your Small Kitchen

What do you do when you need more space in your small kitchen?

If you don't have sufficient space in your kitchen then even, utensils, cookbooks and other kitchen necessities can make a small kitchen look cluttered and even smaller than it really is. But when you only have a small area to work with, how can you make the most of limited space in your small kitchen?

A line of kitchen hooks put up close to the ceiling will add extra storage space for pots and pans, and add a charmingly unique and decorative touch to the kitchen.

Top shelf cupboard space can be utilized to it's maximum potential by storing everything that you don't often use there, to free up space that could be better utilized and open up your small kitchen.

Choose light colors to make spaces look larger. Try cream-colored cabinets, or beige walls, if you want a 'hint' of color. Lighter colors reflect light and create a brighter and 'larger looking' space.

Use free standing pantry units and stack from floor to ceiling.

Decide which small appliances you use and which you don't use that often. Do you ever really use the food processor, blender or cappuccino machine? Most people use only about half of the items they have stored somewhere in their kitchen. If you really need the counter space, you might want to find someplace else to store those small 'seldom used' appliances. You can always get them out when you want to use them.

Your Own Tuscan Garden

Do you want to grow your own Tuscan Garden?

Tuscan styles have become very prevalent in kitchens and home decor for some time now.

And, due to the popularity of the style, Tuscan style Gardens can be found all over the place.

They aren't difficult to grow. Simply fill your garden space with Italian herbs, vine ripened tomatoes, delicious garden greens,

fragrant lavendar flowers and beautiful poppies.

Place rustic looking Grecian style urns as beautiful containers for

small space garden settings,

Italian pottery with hearty herbs,

a rustic stone path that leads to your small vegetable garden.

For added Tuscan flavor, include a wrought iron bench,

climbing roses climbing,

a couple statues and a water fountain

AeroGarden

The "computerized" AeroGarden lets you know when to add water and nutrients. The micro-processor automatically adjusts nutrient delivery and water flow, and even turns grow lights on and off to simulate the sun.

The AeroGarden comes in only one size, 16" x 10 1/2" x 15 1/2". The AeroGarden system has been designed for maximum efficiency.
The entire system uses less energy than a single 60-watt light bulb. It uses full-spectrum compact fluorescent bulbs exclusively designed for the optimal amount and type of light needed for a robust, healthy plant growth.

A smart garden micro-processor automatically adjusts nutrient delivery, light cycles and water flow for specific plant types. Aeroponic optimizing chamber creates a near perfect rainforest growing environment.
Plant roots are suspended in air in 100% humidity, highly oxygenated growing chamber with nutrients and water. Plug n' Grow Bio-dome Seed System pods are enclosed in mini greenhouses for ultra fast germination often within 24 hours.

Mystic Symbols for the Home

Here are six mystic symbols for the home, and what they can do for you:

Circle: The circle is one of the most potent symbols. It represents eternity, completion, unity, the universe, wholeness, perfection and the Great Mystery.

Triangle: The triangle embodies the power of the pyramids. It relates to the combined power of body, mind and spirit, of mother, father and child, of past, present and future, of the Holy Trinity.

Square: The square symbolizes the four elements: air, water, fire and earth, and the four directions. It represents stability and strength, the four seasons. It represents the material world.

Cross: The symbol of the cross pre-dates Christianity and is perhaps the oldest talismanic symbol in the world. The cross symbolizes eternal life, resurrection and divine protection from evil. It also represents Jesus Christ.

Pentagram: The pentagram symbolizes the human body with each point representing one part of the body’s extremities—the head, hands and feet comprising each point of the star. It is used for protection.

Infinity: The symbol for infinity looks like the number eight laid on its side. This is a very powerful and cosmic symbol to use in your home.

Even though most of us don’t do any actual harvesting, we place many symbols of the harvest around our homes and tables when we decorate for Thanksgiving and other autumn holidays.

Those cornucopias, wheat sheaves, acorns, leaves, and other harvest icons have a mystic significance that goes back many centuries, helping us to connect with the ancient roots of this beautiful time of year.

Time Management

Here are 3 very helpful tips for time management

that can help you become more efficient.

1. One of the biggest causes of procrastination

is the feeling of being weighed down and overwhelmed by the need to finish a huge task.

The answer to this 'stealer of time'

is to break the large task into a sequence of smaller,

more manageable and attainable goals.

Thus, the task will be reduced to

smaller chores that can really be done with comfort.

Less worries, less pressure, more efficiency.

2. Another saboteur of effective time organization

is improper planning.

If you don't know what you need to do or

how to effectively finish some of the

smaller tasks, you will end up

all over the place...not sure what you

are doing..or why!

3. A huge robber of time management and organization is an absence of priorities.

When nothing's established as a priority, everything becomes a priority.

You then become susceptible to trying to accomplish smaller bit of this and that,

moving from one chore to another and finishing so few of each by the end of the day,

that it seems nothing has been accomplished.

Prioritize!

Decide which task is the most vital to the success of your goal

and do that initially.

Once that is accomplished you can advance

to the following item on your list.

Spring Cleaning Doesn't HAVE To Be A Chore!

I LOVE a clean house...but...I confess that I HATE to clean.

I totally skipped Spring Cleaning last year,

because I didn't want to tackle such a big job.

Now...this year...it shows!

And, if you're as busy as I am...

just trying to find that much time..

to devote to spring cleaning can be daunting, to say the least.

Well...here's how I am going

to tackle my Spring Cleaning...I think it's the only thing that is going to work..

with my schedule!

1. I'm going to start with an 'outline' of the rooms in my house.
2. Take it 'one room at a time'.
3. Break the 'chores' down...per room.
4. ONLY do one room each WEEK.
5. Break 'larger' or more 'cluttered' rooms into two halves, thirds or fourths.
6. Be 'brutal'. If it doesn't fit, if I haven't used it in months (or years),

if you 'still' haven't gotten around to using it....get RID of it!
7. Don't forget to clean the vents, ceiling fans, air conditioner/ furnace filters.
8. Don't forget storage areas and the garage.

They might need to be 'de-cluttered' as well.

I tend to 'put-off' huge chores, like spring cleaning,

when I'm under such a tight work schedule. I can't take

the huge block of time this cleaning is going to take..all at once.

But, I can manage it in hourly increments.

So...whether I've broken the rooms into segments or not,

as long as I have my 'Spring Cleaing Outline'

I can just mark off what I've accomplished and

come back to the next task when I have that next block of time.

My new 'mini website'

I have found a wonderful new free webhosting site and I've already built several "mini-websites"

Check out my new 'Small Space Garden' site.

Spring Is Here!!

I'm so excited...Spring Is Here! I'll soon be planting my small space container garden outdoors! I'm just waiting for all dangers of frost to pass.

I want to use a layered planter, similar to the one in this picture for my smaller herbs.

They have a great little planter, complete with a Culinary Herb Garden Kit, over at Amazon for an incredibly reasonable price.

Then, I want to plant two planters with my 'veggies' and one or two planters with flowers. I LOVE the look of this planter...and I think they'd look great on my outdoor patio.

Minutes to Clean.

You can clean quite a bit, in just a few minutes.

Only have 15 minutes to clean....

Sweep a floor.
Scrub the refrigerator door and handle(s).
Wipe down kitchen countertops.
Spray a disinfectant in the sink and leave for 15 minutes.

(To kill all the bacteria and viruses that are probably living there.)

With 30 minutes you can include....

Scrub a floor.
Wipe down cabinet doors.
Scrub the oven door and handle.

If you have an hour,

and you're done in the kitchen,

hop on into the bathroom and...

Clean the sink.
Disinfect the toilet.
Sweep and scrub the floor.
Spray the tub and/or shower with disinfectant

and leave 15-20 minutes.

Again, to kill the bacteria and viruses that live there.

Great home remedies!

These great home remedies are..

tried..

true..

and

doctor tested!

To get rid of that

'over-stuffed' feeling...eat a little bit

of fresh..or canned..pineapple.

Pineapple contains the enzyme,

bromelain, which helps you digest your food.

Tea bags are multi-purpose.

They can:

reduce puffiness around the eyes,

dry up cancer sores and cold sores,

and

reduce the inflammation caused by

sunburn.

Coffee helps asthmatics

breathe better.

According to Dr. Bruce Krieger at

Miami Mout Sinai Medical Center,

"coffee acts as a mild brochodilator..."

and

"coffee can also prevent a mild asthma attack from getting worse."

Studies showed that

asthmatics were able to breathe better

after drinking three cups of

caffeinated coffee.

(It doesn't work with de-caffeinated.)

Under eye reviver!

Do you 'suffer' from

puffy eyes?

Try this natural treatment.

1 small RAW potato

1/2 cup heavy cream

Cut the potato into 1/4 inch slices

and soak in heavy cream for 5 minutes or so.

Then, place potato slices under your eyes

and leave them for 15 minutes, while you

lay back back and relax in a refreshing bath.