Updated pic of Herb Garden Pin It

We have been busy working on the homestead to get new fruit trees in, plants in, seeds planted, building raised beds, etc.  We’ve pretty much come to a “waiting game” for the moment in the main garden areas as we need more raised beds built and my hubby keeps taking most of the tools with him to work.

So we (the children and I) turned our attention to the herb garden. Here are two pictures of the herb garden and how  it looked a couple of years ago. (July 2008 actually)

and here is a picture of took just moment ago of what the herb garden looks like as of today:

We laid down a lot of wet newspapers (obtained free from local newspaper office) and then topped that with grass clippings from our neighbor’s yard and our yard (neither of us use weed killers, etc. on our yards) and then put some compost from our compost bin around some of the plants.  We then raked up a few wheelbarrows full of pine needles from our neighbor’s yard and put that around the outside of the herb garden to hopefully control some of the weeds.   We need a few more loads of the pine needles to finish the circle bed off.

Currently growing in the bed are several different mints, a couple of different kinds of oregano and sage, different lavender, soapwort, chives galore, different yarrow, rosemary, chamomile, stevia comfrey, rue, roses in the center, and a few other herbs.    I planted my basil, dill, and thyme in another bed this year to see how they do. They are thriving so far.

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Garden Update Pin It

It’s been slow going in the garden lately what with rain and muddy days to contend with.

Hubby really only gets to work in the garden on the weekends so we’ve been at a standstill off and on waiting for the weather to clear, etc. for him to finish some of the raised beds.   We still have more raised beds to build and to completely put in and plant.   He did however get the raised beds around the potatoes, kale, okra, and the spinach patches put up. We will just have to fill them with a little more dirt and compost. We didn't get the other potatoes from our neighbor, planted though. Will do that Monday if the weather holds.

I really hope the tree service brings me a few more loads of mulch. I sure could use it in the garden paths.

 

Here's what it looked like before so you don't have to scroll up and down to compare.

And hubby was so funny. He made me a sliding weeding bench by cutting a piece of lumber to fit two of the beds.  The garden paths are just wide enough to take a wheel barrow through  I can sit and weed and then slide it back to weed another area of the raised beds if my back is bothering me too much and then pick it up and move it to another area.  lol  Gotta love that man!

We cut the kale back yesterday and I made kale pesto from much of it.  Still have some kale leaves to work with this week.

Planted October beans and marigold seeds as well weeded the main garden.

We harvested more lettuce and spinach for our salad last night. Nothing like fresh from the garden salad. YUM!

Hubby sprayed the plants and my roses with a milk/molasses/water/salt mixture to keep mildew down.

Oldest son weedeated around the compost area and then huby weedeated around the backside of the garden fence.

Oldest son (age 11) built me a bench in the garden going by this picture from Mother Earth News.  I think his version turned out really cute by using some free slab wood we were given to make the seat part.  There’s an long piece on the right that needs to be cut off so we can still get through the path once the raised bed is built to the right of it.

I hope to eventually have wood chip mulch around and under the bench as well as the area around it. Will make it nice to keep the weeds down for sure.

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Homemade Kitchen Scrubbers Pin It

I like to recycle and reuse things when I can.  One of those things is the plastic mesh bags that fruit and some vegetables come in.

I cut the any metal ends of the bags, fold them them so they make a square and then sew across them to secure them. I use to use rubber bands to hold them but that didn’t secure them very good.

The finished product works just like the storebought kind.

So instead of buying plastic kitchen scrubbers, consider recycling and making your own.  It only takes a few minutes of your time. If you don’t own a sewing machine, you hand-stitch them close as well.

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Recycling Meets The Aprons Pin It

My two youngest girls love aprons as much as I do.  I’ve been wanting to make them some more aprons for a while now but just never had the time. 

Recently, a friend and I have been getting together on Thursday’s to sew. I had “cut” some aprons out to sew up but wanted to finish some other things before I started them.

Well today was the day to finish the aprons up.

Being my two youngest girls are getting older, they are outgrowing many of their jumpers and dresses.  I try to repurpose the material from those outgrown clothing items when I can.

One way I repurpose material is by making pantaloons from the skirt part of the jumper or dresses.   This go around though, the girls had outgrown two of the matching jumpers I had made them and I had an idea… canning aprons!!  I slit the jumpers straight up the back, serged the edges then turned them over to make a small hem.  I added two pieces of material for the bodice at the top of the back. Ties were already on the jumper so those were left in place.

Here’s one of the finished canning aprons aka former jumper.

I am always looking at curtains, sheets, etc. as possibilities for material for other items.   One such thing was a recent dust ruffle.  I really didn’t need the web like material on the center part but wanted the pretty floral material on the ruffle.  I at first thought it might be good for a skirt part of a jumper but it wasn’t long enough.  Then I got the idea for waist aprons.  Even the ties I used were recycled material from other things.

I think they turned out really cute!  

  

I made my two youngest girls’ one each, my friend one, as well as her daughter one. I have a few more that I hope to get finished maybe later today or tomorrow and give those to others as well as keep one for myself.

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Homemade Strawberry Glaze (and easy change up for different flavors) Pin It

as posted in my  Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and  Easy strawberry pie

 

Homemade Strawberry Glaze

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch
6  TBSP strawberry jello (1  3oz boxes)

Blend sugar, cornstarch and water together and cook to almost pudding stage. Add strawberry jello and mix thoroughly.

That's it.

Makes about 2 cups

use in recipes that call for strawberry glaze.

You can experiment with other flavors of jello to make different flavored glaze as well.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Pin It

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 2 cup water 2 cup sugar 6 TBSP cornstarch 12  TBSP strawberry jello (2 3oz boxes) 3 pint fresh, clean strawberries, sliced 2 cups of rhubarb, cooked tender then cooled quickly with cold water 2 (9 in.) deep dish pie crust, baked

Blend sugar, cornstarch and water together and cook to almost pudding stage. Add strawberry jello. Mix the cooked, cooled rhubarb with the sliced strawberries and spoon into the baked pie crusts (evenly into the 2 pans) . Pour glaze mixture over berry mixture.

Chill 2 hours at least.

Top with whipped topping at serving.

makes 2  (9 in.) pies  (cut recipe in half to make just one)

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BOOK REVIEW: Ten Tips for Raising Readers by Fran Hawk Pin It

Ten Tips for Raising Readers by Fran Hawk Author:  Fran Hawk Publisher: Pond House Press, December 2009 ISBN: 0-615-29024-8     ISBN-13: 978-0-615-29024-9

I was sent a copy of Fran Hawk's Ten Tips for Raising Readers to review. I was told by her publicist, "It is right up your alley." She was right!

Being the mother of many children, I can tell you that EVERY Child is different when it comes to not only learning to read but having a desire to read. 

My oldest son who is 11 is an avid reader. He loves books pure and simple.

My second oldest son who is 9, well he likes to read but he is no where near the book lover that his older brother is. 

This book came at a great time too as I am still in the process of teaching my 7 year old to read. She understand the phonics and can sound out words, she is just struggling with getting the words to click for her faster.  She’s getting there little by little though.

Fran’s tip #1 is something I have lived by for a long time… read to babies.  I am now happy to say that my oldest daughter who is married with a little boy of her own, reads to her baby. He turns a year old in July and I hope he grows to have a love for reading.

I still have preschoolers as well as toddlers and elementary aged children in my home but that hasn’t prevented me from reading to my children on regular basis. We have storytime just before the littlest ones go down for their afternoon naps. It helps to relax them as well as me plus get in some great reading.

 

Press Release:

Media specialist and popular parenting columnist Fran Hawk has published her first book for grown-ups. After serving as a school librarian for a half dozen South Carolina schools, and writing several books for children, Hawk's new release explains that reading with children is not just good for them, it's good for parents too.

Ten Tips for Raising Readers is not an academic thesis; it is an entertaining play-by-play from a parent/librarian who has been there, fighting on the front lines for literacy. Each chapter includes a reading "Tip," an explanation of the tip, a "Be Your Own Librarian" section, and age-specific book picks from Hawk.

According to Bart King, author of The Big Book of Boy Stuff and The Big Book of Girl Stuff, "This book should be a required accessory for every parental nightstand in the country. Not only does Hawk lay out a lucid reading program from picture books through puberty, she makes me hopeful that the rumors of literacy's death have been greatly exaggerated."

Visit the author’s website at http://franhawk.webs.com.

The book is available for purchase at The Reading Warehouse.

 

 

Disclosure:  I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing same.  No other compensation was received for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal and honest opinion.  Your experience with product may vary.

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REVIEW: One World, One Love by Michael Bolton Pin It

Michael Bolton is back with a new album that is sure to become a favorite of yours as it is mine.

He has some classic love songs he remade as well as a few new ones.  I have always loved the “Crazy Love” song and his rendition is beautiful as many of his past songs have been. 

One World, One Love  Artist: Michael Bolton

Want to hear some of the songs from this album?  Click here.

You can check out some live Michael Bolton action on:

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on May 4^{th  (maybe find this one online)}

The Ellen Degeneres Show on May 7^{th   (see the performance here)}

The Jimmy Kimmel Show on May 11^{th (see it online here after the show airs)}

Throughout the course of his career, Michael Bolton has sold over 53 million records.  He has been the recipient of multiple Grammy trophies for Best Male Vocalist and countless other honors, including six American Music Awards.

He has performed with powerhouses such as Luciano Pavarotti and Ray Charles, written songs for Bob Dylan, and penned hits for likes of Barbara Streisand, Cher, and KISS.

His new album One World, One Love (Universal) hit stores on May 4th and includes collaborations with Lady Gaga and Ne-Yo.

Visit MichaelBolton.com for more info. You can also find Michael Bolton on twitter (@mbsings) and on Facebook.  Find out more about his 6-month World Tour through September 2010 that has stops across the US and Europe.

 

Disclosure:  I received this product free from Universal as a member of Music Moms, for the purpose of reviewing same.  No other compensation was received for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal and honest opinion.  Your experience with product may vary.

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freebies, contests, and a special Sale @ CurrClick 5/10 to 5/15 Pin It

CurrClick.com is offering 5 days of freebies and contests where both you and your child could win an iPod nano or shuffle this week in honor of Mother's Day.

And check out our Mother's Day freebies from now until May 14. Every day you'll find a new batch of free titles!

Quote:

You’re a 5 Star Mom today and every day.
And to celebrate we want you to spend the weekend relaxing with your family.

Then, visit CurrClick on Monday, May 10th for 5 days of f freebies and contests where both you and your child could win an iPod nano or shuffle!

We want you to feel special all week long so join us May 10th, 10:00am CDT-May 15th, 10:00am CDT for freebies, contests, and a special sale just for moms.

This event was made possible by our wonderful CurrClick Publishers, many who are moms themselves!

See you Monday,
Staley and Leah

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I’ve been sewing Pin It

My two youngest daughters have been in need of some new pantaloons and being urged on with sewing days with a friend, I was able to get some cut out from material on hand and get them sewn up. I finished the last few today.

I think they turned out really cute.  This gives them some church ones and some new ones for every day wear.  They are made them from material on hand as well as recycled flat sheets and even the  bottoms of jumpers I had previously made them that they had outgrew recently.  The eyelet material and some of the lace are recycled from curtains and dust ruffles. I have been blessed to find lace as well as elastic for the waist and legs at yard sales and thrift stores in the past too.

I wonder if others would have an interest in items such as these for their daughters or granddaughters. I can make them in larger or smaller sizes as well. Something to think about. Maybe I could market them on ebay or etsy. hmmm.

Here's a pic of the two slips I made for myself from a cotton, eyelet, shower curtain.

 

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Franklin Springs StoreWide Sale!! up to 25% off! Pin It

Franklin Springs is very pleased to announce the launch of their  new FranklinSprings.com website.

To celebrate the launch they are offering a site-wide sales event with

• 25% Off All Individual Film Titles 
• and all film packs are discounted at 10% off the already substantially discounted pack prices.

This special sales event will end on May 9th, so be sure to place your orders soon!

 
If you have enjoyed the Homestead Blessings Series, Hosted by The West Ladies, be sure to check out their latest release:   Homestead Blessings: The Art of Quilting.

  Pre-Order "The Art of Quilting" for just $14.95

 Order All Nine of the Previous Releaesd Homestead Blessings  DVDs for just $107.95

The Complete Pack of Franklin Springs Titles in One Complete Pack  Includes 20 of the award-winning film titles from Franklin Springs. 
 Order The Twenty Film pack   for just $188.10 Just $8.50 per-DVD

and take advantage of the Free Shipping Offer

 

All Offers Valid Through May 9

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