How to Create a Rain Garden
You may have heard rain gardens referred to as “sunken gardens.” This is because they are planted in a depression in the ground, which acts like a bowl for holding rain water.
Rain gardens capture storm run-off from non-porous surfaces like roofs and driveways, directing it to a garden where it will nourish plants rather than ending up in the local sewer or drainage system. Pollutants from streets and rooftops can get into the waterways, creating a pollution problem that rain gardens can, in a small way, help solve.
Have you been wanting to start one, but are unsure of where to begin? Here are some simple, basic steps to help you get started on creating a rain garden.
Choose a Location
Location is everything when it comes to rain gardens. There are some basic do’s and don’ts to consider first.
* Don’t place your rain garden right next to a building. The extra moisture is not good for the foundation. Sources suggest placing it at least ten feet away.
* Level ground is considered better than sloped; level areas hold the water better.
* If you have a septic system, do not put a rain garden over it.
* Sunken gardens near trees can damage the tree’s roots with excess water. So go for an open area away from trees.
* Determine how large it should be in relation to the impermeable areas that will be draining into it. A good rule of thumb is, bigger is better. It’s hard to go wrong with a rain garden that’s very large, but you can go wrong with one that’s too small to accommodate the run-off. You can increase the size by going deeper, too, to make up for a lack of yard space.
* Make sure you have adequate drainage. In areas with heavy clay soils, this is especially important. You may think that choosing a spot that has a natural pond or pool after a rainfall is a good choice, but it’s important to find out why that ponding happens. Observe the area after a rain and see how long it takes the water to drain away. If it takes more than twelve hours, it may not be a good place. If it’s drained within twelve hours, you may have a great spot for your rain garden.
If the spot isn’t just right drainage-wise, there are some things you can do to prepare the soil.
Prepare the Location
Dig out the area to the desired depth. This is hard work, so be forewarned that it may take a while and you may want some friends to help. Save the soil if your rain garden is on a slope; you’ll want the extra dirt to build an earthen dam or wall along the lower edge of the garden.
Once it’s dug, be careful that you don’t walk in the bottom of it too much and compact the soil. Make it roughly level by removing and adding soil where necessary. Work in compost if you need to improve drainage.
Add Plants
Nearly all sources agree that native plants work best. They usually need the least coddling and will put down strong roots, and they support the native eco-systems. Diversity is healthy, so plant an assortment. Finally, the plants should, of course, be water lovers that thrive in a wet environment. Remember, water-loving shrubs and small trees are fine additions that tend to soak up lots of water.
Homemade Mother’s Day Gifts for All Ages
Moms really appreciate homemade gifts; they often become keepsakes. No one is too young or too old to make Mom a gift by hand, even if you have to help. Here are some ideas for homemade Mother’s Day gifts for all ages.
1. Toddlers and Preschoolers
This age will obviously need some help, but some of the most precious gifts can come from the hands of this age group. Such as:
* Dough pendant necklace – Using your favorite bake-to-harden modeling dough recipe (an easy one is to mix 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1/3 cup water), create flat, cookie-like shapes. Put a hole through the top and bake the shape at 350 degrees F for 30-60 minutes (until edges are brown). Paint pendant as desired after the shape is cool.
Variation: make a pin by hot-gluing a safety pin to the back of the cooled, painted shape.
* Using kid-safe, washable paint, help little ones make hand or foot prints on paper and frame the results.
* Press flowers and leaves for several days; when dry, help your little one lay them on the stick side of clear contact paper. Cover with another sheet of clear paper and give to mom for wall art, a bookmark, or a placemat.
2. Grade School
Here are some ideas for grade school kids who are more independent.
* Homemade frames – You can make picture frames out of twigs or craft foam. Twig frames can be easel-style or flat. Just attach twigs at the corners using a hot glue gun (adults only should use the glue gun), and cover joints with twine. Cut craft foam to fit around a photo, and glue craft foam designs (such as flowers) onto the frame.
* Flower pots – Use flower pots to make a useful pen/pencil holder (attach paper flowers to the ends of the pens/pencils), or to start a seed or small plant. Flower pots can be painted, too, and handmade paper flowers make a floral display that won’t wilt.
3. Middle School and High School
Older kids can branch out into more sophisticated crafts.
* Totes – You can use a blank canvas bag and apply family photos, fabric paint, applique, or other techniques to make Mom a handy, personalized tote bag. If you like to sew, you can create a tote out of your old baby or childhood clothes.
* Mugs – For a coffee- or tea-drinking mom, a personal mug can be a great gift. Hand-paint a blank mug with ceramic paints that you can bake in the oven to make them permanent.
* Necklace – Create a beautiful necklace using upholstery thread and pretty beads. You’ll need needle-nose pliers and a sewing needle to thread smaller beads.
Baked Salmon with Black Olive Salsa
Ingredients
1 salmon fillet (1-1/2 lb.)
¼ cup sliced pitted black olives
¼ cup chopped green pepper
¼ cup chopped red onion
5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place salmon, skin side down, on foil-lined baking sheet.
Combine, olives, green pepper, onion, tomatoes and dressing, mix well; spoon over salmon.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork.
Gutter Cleaning Tips
Gutter cleaning is not a particularly pleasant task, but it is a very necessary one. For most homeowners, gutter cleaning needs to be done twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. It’s important because clogged gutters can cause a host of problems, such as:
* Insect infestations (they will make their homes and nests in the gutter debris)
* Sagging, collapsing gutters
* Unstable foundation due to rainwater running off the side of the house
* Mold and mildew in the house
* Leaking roof
Hiring professionals can get pricey, but it’s not too hard to clean your gutters yourself. If you have an area of your eaves that cannot be reached by a free-standing ladder, however, then you should hire a professional, at least for that area.
Tips
Here are some tips for cleaning out your gutters, including safety tips.
1. The right ladder
To clean out your gutters, you’ll need a ladder. But it’s important for safety’s sake that you choose a free-standing, A-shaped ladder, not the type that leans up against something. A leaning ladder cannot be supported when you lean it against gutters; you may take down the gutters and get badly injured in the process. The exception is leaning a ladder against a sturdy surface (not the gutters) and working from there.
2. Gloves
Make sure you wear gloves. In fact, you may be able to perform the whole operation with just a pair of thick gloves. Gloves protect your hands from bacteria, sharp sticks and thorns, insect bites and stings, and other unpleasant things lurking in the gutter debris. Your gloved hand can act as a scoop, and you can just remove the debris that way.
3. Scoops
In addition to gloves, you may want a gutter scoop. Measure your gutters before buying one so you make sure you get the right size. A garden trowel can work, too.
4. Pressure washers
You can use a pressure washer or pressurized attachment on your garden hose to “blast” out the debris in your gutters. Beware, though, that this can make a pretty big mess. Speaking of mess…
5. Debris
What do you do with the debris as you scoop it out? If you have a compost pile or bin, the debris from your gutters can make a wonderful addition. Just let the debris hit the ground as you go, then rake it up and toss it in the compost. You could also toss the debris into a yard waste bag as you go.
6. Clogs
Sometimes, you’ll run into a clogged downspout. If this happens, a pressure washer can usually flush out the clog. If you need more heavy-duty un-clogging action, you can use a sink auger. If you don’t have either of these, you can locate the clog by tapping on the downspout until it makes a tapping sound rather than an echoing “boom” sound. Fill the downspout with water, then tap the downspout where the clog is. Keep tapping and see if that, combined with the weight of the water above it, causes it to flush itself out.
Give Mom the Gift of Your Time
As you begin thinking about what to give Mom for Mother’s Day, you’re probably trying to find something that she can use, but that doesn’t focus on a housekeeping role. You also may want to avoid knick-knacks and “stuff” that will only add to the clutter your mom already has to deal with. There’s a solution to this conundrum: the gift of time!
Time is the perfect gift because it’s creative, it’s something your mom truly needs, it’s something she’ll use, and it doesn’t take up space in the living room. But how? Here are some ideas for how you can give your mom the gift of time this Mother’s Day.
Sneaky Housecleaning
Offering to clean the house may result in your mom protesting that she doesn’t want you to have to clean. So do it in secret instead – your mom will be surprised and delighted. Arrange a time when your mom is not in the house and you are, and do some housework. Depending on what needs to be done around the house (you’ll have to be observant!), you can catch up on laundry, vacuum, mop, change bedding, clean the bathroom, and so forth.
The more people involved, the faster it will get done, so involve the whole family if possible. If there isn’t much family around, call on your mom’s friends’ family, and you can trade favors and help clean their house for their mom.
Allow Her to Tackle Unfinished Projects
Freeing up some time for Mom to finish projects that are hanging over her head can be a great gift. It might seem contradictory to give your mom the time to work on something, but she will probably be delighted with a chance to get something done that she enjoys and just hasn’t had time to get to. For instance, maybe she wants to finish a sewing project or redecorate a room.
Tackle Unfinished Projects for Her
For moms who aren’t territorial about their projects, you can jump in and finish a project for her, especially if it’s something she wants to get done but doesn’t really like doing. For example, she might have been meaning to clean out the garage forever; go ahead and do it for her. Maybe she wants the laundry room cleaned out, or the bathroom tiles cleaned. Again, you’ll have to pay attention to find out what projects are hanging over her head.
Surprise Dinner and Clean Up
Take some time and cook a special dinner for Mom, and make sure you take time for cleaning up, too. That frees up an evening for your mom to read a book or do something else pleasurable she rarely has time for. Even better, make this a weekly thing.
Leave Her Alone
For some moms, one of the best gifts you can give her is a break from the rest of the family! It may be a bit of a sacrifice, but you’re giving Mom a gift that she will really appreciate (and that she would probably never actually ask for). So get everyone out of the house for a whole day and let Mom have the place to herself. Then, when you return that evening, bring take-out food with you for dinner.
Gardening on a Rainy Day
It’s a rainy day, but you’re in a gardening mood. If it’s warm and you have a good raincoat, there are some things you can do outside. If you stay in, there are still lots of garden-oriented things you can do. Here are some ideas on how you can do your gardening on a rainy day.
Outdoors
When it’s not stormy and it’s warm, there are some things that are actually easier in the garden when it’s raining. Put on your rubber boots, raincoat, and wide-brimmed hat and head outside.
1. Weeding
Pulling weeds is so much easier when the soil is soaked. Wear thick and heavy gloves to protect your hands, and yank weeds in the rain. You can also use a hoe or cultivator.
If you use newspapers for weed control, during a rainfall is an ideal time to cover the garden with newspapers. The rain will do the work of wetting down the papers and save you some money on your water bill.
2. Rock and stone removal
Like weeds, wet soil makes rock and stone removal easier. Wet soil just doesn’t hang onto rocks the way dry soil does. Using a hoe or cultivator, you can prepare the soil for planting in the rain.
3. Compost
You can also work in compost in the rain. Using a large garden fork and heavy rake, you can get the compost down into the soil aided by the rain, which helps it soak in and weighs it down.
Indoors
Sometimes, it’s just not practical to get out in the garden in the rain. Here are some gardening things you can do indoors.
1. Clean and sharpen tools
This isn’t one of the most fun aspects of gardening, but it’s necessary. And when a sunny day comes along, you will thank yourself for taking time to get your tools ready. For rusty tools, use fine steel wool and WD-40 to remove the rust. A wetting or oil stone is excellent for sharpening cutting tools. You can also use a large file. If there’s sap build-up on any of your tools, rubbing alcohol on a thick, rough cloth helps remove it.
2. Plant seeds
Early in the season, many gardeners like to start their seeds indoors rather than out in the garden. A rainy day is perfect for planting seeds in containers indoors.
3. Plan
This can be a really fun aspect of gardening. On a rainy day early in the year, get out the seed catalogs and get your orders ready. If it’s too late in the spring to order seeds, you can take the time to plan your garden layout while your seedlings are getting started indoors.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Ingredients:
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic, chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
vegetable oil
8 bacon slices
Directions:
In a bowl combine the teriyaki sauce, vermouth and garlic.
Add chicken and coat with teriyaki mixture.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Turn BBQ on medium heat.
Brush BBQ rack with vegetable oil.
Remove chicken from sauce mixture and wrap each breast with 2 strips of bacon, covering completely and securing with toothpicks.
Grill chicken until it is firm, about 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
Creating Homemade Flowers with Your Child
Flowers and floral designs lend themselves to crafts, and springtime lends itself to flower crafts. Get out your scissors and get your imagination going, and celebrate spring by creating homemade flowers with your child.
1. Flower Pins
You and your child can wear these pretty pins and give them as gifts. Here’s what you’ll need:
* Buttons (this is a great craft for using up spare buttons)
* Craft foam in various colors
* Hot glue gun
* Safety pins in various sizes
* Scissors
First, let your child cut out flower shapes. The only rule is that the flower shape has to be big enough to have a button glued to the middle of it and a safety pin glued to the back of it. Once the shapes are cut out, glue the button to the center. Next, cut out a button-sized piece of craft foam. Run a bead of hot glue down the middle of this circle and press the back of the open safety pin into it. When it dries, you should be able to open and close the safety pin. Pretty!
Variation: Attach a magnet to the back instead of a safety pin to make flower magnets.
2. Egg Carton Tulips
These can be as elaborate or simple as you choose. If you only have foam containers, just use the color of the foam for the flower color, or use acrylic paint (tempura or “poster paint” won’t stick to foam). Here’s what you’ll need.
* Empty cardboard egg carton
* Watercolors
* Paintbrush
* Green pipe cleaners or drinking straws
* Scissors
* Craft knife
* Glue
* Vase
Cut the egg carton into individual cups. Cut each cup into petal shapes. It doesn’t have to be strictly tulip shapes; you can cut triangular or long oval petals, too. Use the watercolor to wash the egg cups in subtle color, using a darker version of the same color (or a different colour) along the petal’s edges. Let the color on the petal edges bleed into the main color.
When dry, cut a little slit in the bottom of the painted cup, using the craft knife. Poke the pipe cleaner or straw up through this slit. Secure on the inside with a bead of glue.
Variation 1: Glue a small ball of yellow tissue paper into the bottom center to create a realistic look.
Variation 2: Instead of attaching a stem, use hot glue to attach tulips into a wreath. Glue green paper leaves between the flowers.
3. Flower Wreath
This is a good craft for young and old alike. You’ll need:
* “Grapevine” craft wreath or foam ring
* Various colors of tissue paper
* Green construction paper
* Hot glue gun
* Scissors
First, cut leaf shapes from the construction paper. Then, cut or tear the tissue paper into rough squares, about 4 inches square. Crumple the squares of tissue to form flowers. You can layer colors if you like for multi-colored flowers. Attach the crumples to the wreath using the hot glue, and intersperse the flowers with green leaves.
How to Eradicate Mold from Your Home
Mold can be a major allergy trigger for many people. Mold can lurk, hidden, in your home, causing allergy symptoms year-round. It tends to get worse in the spring and summer, when warm, moist conditions are conducive to mold growth.
What Causes a Mold Allergy?
Mold releases spores, not seeds, into the air in order to spread. The spores land and “take root,” spreading the mold. The airborne spores act like pollen in allergic individuals, resulting in similar symptoms to hay fever: wheezing, sneezing, watering eyes, coughing, and other respiratory symptoms. Even asthma attacks can be triggered by mold.
The spores can get into your home through open windows (trees and plants can harbor mold), and through your heating and cooling system. Mold is especially prevalent in basements, where it tends to be dark and damp. It can grow on all sorts of surfaces, from walls to bricks to insulation.
How Do I Get Rid of It?
Wear gloves, and make sure your work area is well ventilated. Here are some tips for eradicating mold from your home.
* Run a dehumidifier. If possible, run it continually and route a hose from the dehumidifier to a drain, so the pan doesn’t fill up and sit. This can just add to the humidity and mold can grow in the pan itself. Running a hose from the base of the pan to a drain keeps you from having to empty it, too. It’s a good idea to have one in the basement and one on the main floor.
* Vent your clothes dryer outside. If it’s vented inside, it creates a warm, moist environment within the ducts and the plastic cup it vents into – the perfect set-up for mold.
* Scrub moldy surfaces such as plastic, glass, metal and Formica with liquid soap. When it’s rinsed, go over the area with a bleach solution (approx. 1/4 cup bleach per gallon of water) to prevent the mold from returning. Don’t dry the area; let the bleach solution dry naturally. The longer it’s on the surface, the better job it does.
* Porous surfaces like wood, carpet, and sheetrock should be removed and replaced. But if they are not subject to discoloration or if discoloration won’t be an issue (such as with wall studs), then you can clean these areas with bleach solution and allow to dry.
* Run fans in your home periodically to keep circulation going.
* Run your air conditioner during the hot, humid summer months. Cool, dry air creates a poor environment for mold.
Collecting Rain Water for Your Garden
You’ve probably heard that rain water is better for your plants than tap water, and many gardeners agree. Rain water, after all, is the way nature intended to water plants. But collecting and harvesting that rain water may seem too complicated. There are elaborate systems that you can install if that’s your style; but the good news is, there are simple, inexpensive ways to collect rain water, too. Here are some ideas and tips.
Sunken Gardens
If you just want to collect rain water for your plants and/or for environmental reasons, a sunken garden or rain garden may be just what you need. A rain garden does not provide a reservoir of water that you can use for washing your car, but it does collect rain water in the garden itself, reducing storm run-off that may carry pollutants by the time it makes its way into the waterways. Rain gardens also make use of nature’s water source.
Rain Barrels
This is probably what you’ve heard the most about when it comes to collecting rain water. Ready-made rain barrels tend to be expensive, but they are certainly an option if you can purchase one. Store-bought rain barrels generally have a set-up that allows you to hook it up to the downspout, and it comes with a faucet or something similar to get the water out of the barrel. They are also generally quite easy to set up.
You can also set up various rain barrel designs yourself for less money. Here are some ideas on homemade rain barrels.
* A homemade rain barrel can be made from an industrial plastic container or a flexible plastic trash can. Some good sources of food-grade containers are soft drink factories, juice processing plants, or other companies that process beverages. A trash bin is also an option.
You’ll need a drill to make holes in the container’s lid (for the water to come in) and in the side of the barrel for the outflow. Then you position the barrel under a corner of your home under the gutter. The downspout is then directed into the top hole of the barrel, either by sawing off the downspout at the proper height or by installing a diverter (which you can purchase for less than $10 at most home improvement stores).
It’s important to note that you need to install some sort of screening material in the top hole. This prevents debris and mosquito larvae from getting into the barrel.
* It doesn’t have to be a large barrel. You can also capture water by attaching the diverter mentioned above, attaching a hose to it, and diverting the rain water to any container or area of your yard you choose, such as a garden or pond.
Australian Coleslaw
Ingredients:
1 cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, grated
2 capsicums
3 onions
4 stalks of celery
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of red wine vinegar
3/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of mustard
1 teaspoon of celery seed
Directions:
IMPORTANT! When handling the capsicums ALWAYS wear rubber gloves.
In a deep bowl, add the cabbage and carrots. Dice the remaining vegetables & mix into the cabbage and carrots.
Sprinkle the sugar over the vegetables.
In a medium sized pot, bring the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and celery seed to a boil. Pour this hot liquid over the vegetable mixture. DO NOT STIR!
Allow it to cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Pour off the excess liquid before serving.
How to Clean Mud from Carpets and Rugs
Mud – it invariably gets tracked into your house and onto your rugs and carpets. If you have pets, you know they can’t remove their shoes when they come in on a rainy day! You might lay down a towel for the animals to walk over when they come in, but that is often not enough (and animals can be really sneaky about avoiding the towel).
Kids and grown-ups alike may forget to take off their muddy boots or shoes at the door, or tromp on in and get mud on the carpet before they take off their footwear.
Mud can get on your carpets all year round for all of the above reasons and other reasons. In the winter, it can become particularly bad; home dwellers wear boots and the weather tends to be wet with snow and/or rain. If you burn firewood in the winter, that can get mud on your carpets and rugs, too.
So what is the best way to clean it? Here are some tips.
Let It Dry
It’s very tempting to jump right in and clean the mud immediately, but it may make things easier in the end if you allow the mud to dry. One thing you can do right away while the mud is wet is scoop up any clumps with an old spoon and paper towels. Then, allow the mud to dry.
Vacuum
Once the mud has become dry dirt, vacuum the area thoroughly, going over the spots multiple times. Use a full-sized vacuum, not a hand-held one, because you’ll need plenty of power to get the dirt up. If you need to, use a dry scrub brush to loosen the dried mud before and while you vacuum.
Stain Removal
If, after the scooping, drying, and vacuuming, there is still a stain, then you need to take more action. If you have a carpet that is not acetate or rayon, you can use a cloth to rub in some rubbing alcohol. Then cover the stain with several layers of paper towels dampened with rubbing alcohol. The paper towels will begin to absorb the stain.
As you see this discoloration happening, replace the paper towels with fresh, alcohol-dampened ones. Make sure you keep the stain and the paper towels damp with the alcohol.
Detergent
Another method to attacking the stain after vacuuming is to use dish detergent. Mix 2 teaspoons of liquid dish detergent with 2 cups of hot water in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Then whip the mixture at high speed until you get a thick, rich foam.
Using a sponge, apply this thick foam to the stain and rub it in well. Then rinse the sponge and go over the area with warm water. Finally, use clean rags or paper towels to blot the carpet. The stain should be soaked up into the rags as you blot.
Crafts for Bug-Loving Kids
Bugs! Spring is when these little critters first become active, and many kids find them fascinating. Why not bring the bugs in with some bug-related crafts? Here are some crafts for bug-loving kids.
1. Coffee Filter Butterfly
This simple craft can be done by almost any age. If you don’t have coffee filters, tissue paper works fine. Save these to use for Christmas ornaments! Here’s what you’ll need for 1 butterfly:
* Coffee filter (pleated style)
* Wooden clothes pin (the open “slit” or clip varieties – both will work)
* Black pipe cleaners
* Black craft paint
* Plastic plate or several layers of newspaper
* Watercolor
* Paintbrush
First, paint your clothes pin black and allow it to dry. While it’s drying, open up the coffee filter to make a flat circle. Lay this on the plate or newspaper (the watercolor will soak through). Using lots of water to make drippy paint, dab various colors onto the coffee filter until it’s covered with color. Peel up the filter and lay it on newspaper to dry.
Once dry, pinch the coffee filter in the middle, so that it fans out on either side. Attach the clothes pin at this pinched-in section. Take one black pipe cleaner and wrap the middle of it around the top of the clothes pin to make antennae.
2. Clay Caterpillar
This flexible guy can make a fun toy and decoration. You’ll need:
* Air-dry clay, colored or white, polymer or earth clay
* Wire (approx. 22-gauge)
* Toothpicks
* Googly eyes
* Hot glue
* Wire cutters
* Acrylic paint (if you’re not using colored clay)
* Needle nose pliers
First, make 6 or more balls of the same size out of the clay. If you are using polymer clay, use several different colors if you like. Use a toothpick to poke a hole through the balls; you’ll need this to string them on the wire. On the ball that will be the head, poke only 1 hole with the toothpick; don’t go all the way through; stick two bits of wire (1 1/2 inch each) into the wet clay of the head. Allow to dry.
If you used white earth clay, paint the balls in one or two different colors and allow to dry. String the balls onto a piece of wire and bend into shape. Use the pliers to bend a little loop in the wire at the caterpillar’s rear to prevent the balls from slipping off.
Make two little balls from the clay and stick them on the end of the antennae (paint when dry if desired). Hot glue googly eyes under the antennae to make the caterpillar’s face.
Beat Rainy Day Boredom This Spring – Involve Your Kids in Spring Cleaning
Uh-oh…it’s a rainy day and your kids are stuck in the house. Maybe you had planned to get the cleaning done this weekend, or while the kids were at school and you forgot it was a holiday. Or maybe you have kids who are too young to be in school. Whatever the reason – you have a rainy day, kids in the house, and cleaning that needs to be done. Can you actually get anything done, or will you have to clean another day?
Here’s an idea: why not get the kids involved in spring cleaning? You can bust boredom and get cleaning done at the same time! Here are some ideas.
Find It!
Kids usually love to find stuff – hence the game “hide and seek.” Tell your children you’re on a hunt to find forgotten and or lost toys (you will!)
, or slip a fun treasure like a gold chocolate coin under the piles of stuff you need to go through. They’ll find the coin at the bottom.
As you find toys, it can be hard for kids to get rid of them; they’re like new again. So maybe this would be a good time to concentrate on organizing rather than donating (for now). Put the newly-discovered items in their own “homes” in the form of bins.
Music Time
Put on fun music and clean to the rhythm! This is a great way to get everyone energized and having fun. You can do fun dance moves as you vacuum, throw things away, wipe counters, mop, etc. It’s also a great workout!
Assembly Line
Play an assembly line game. This works for cleaning out things like kitchen cabinets or pantries. Get your kids in a line (this works with one child, too) with a garbage bag at the end of the line. Pass down old items that need to be discarded and let the last person toss it in. You can switch around so everyone gets a turn to toss the item in the garbage. Set up a basketball-type hoop over the trash if you want to make it even more fun.
Crafts
As you clean out, let the kids get ideas for making something out of one or two items (it’s a good idea to limit it to one or two; kids’ creative imaginations can find reasons to save about anything). After cleaning, promise your children you’ll do a craft with them from the saved items.
Soup can puppets, plastic bottle bird-feeders, and other fun things can be made with recycled items. Some of those old spices and herbs from the kitchen cabinets have interesting containers, too; clean them out and do layered colored salt or sand crafts, or plant seeds in them.
Grilled Tequila Shrimp
Ingredients:
2 pounds of large, unpeeled shrimp
½ cup of peanut or olive oil
½ cup of Tequila, any brand
¼ cup of lime juice
2 shallots, chopped
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for an hour before you get started.
Thread 3 or 4 shrimp onto the skewers and place them all in a shallow glass dish. Don’t use an aluminum pan!
In a bowl, mix the tequila, lime juice, garlic, shallots, cumin, and salt and pepper. Base the salt and pepper on your personal taste. Slowly whisk in the peanut oil until everything is well blended. Pour over the shrimp and leave in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours to marinate.
Oil the grill to prevent sticking or apply a non-stick spray like Pam. Bring the grill to medium heat. Lay out the skewers and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.
What’s Making You Sneeze? Common Spring Allergy Triggers
Do you find that you stock up on tissues in the spring, when most people are putting them away because cold and flu season is ending? You are not alone – many people suffer from spring allergies, but it can be a little hard to know just what is making you sneeze.
Determining the source of your spring allergies and how it works can help you seek appropriate treatment, and also help you better manage your allergies. Here is a list of common spring allergy triggers and how they work, so you can determine what’s making you sneeze.
1. Tree and Shrub Pollen
When most people think of pollen, they think of flowers – and flowers are a source of pollen, but they are often sneaky. Most of the flowers that cause allergies are not necessarily the showy garden flowers you may be thinking of. They are usually disguised as weeds, trees, and grasses.
Many people overlook trees and shrubs as a source of pollen allergies. Some common trees and shrubs that can make you sneeze include the following.
Evergreen trees:
* Cypress
* Cedar
* White pine
Evergreen shrubs:
* Juniper
* Box elder
Deciduous trees:
* Ash
* Cottonwood
* Alder
* Aspen
* Elm
* Maple (various types)
* Willow (various types)
* Oak (various types)
* Birch
Notice that evergreens are on the list. While they are green all year round, they are not as active during the winter, and the sap is not running. They can produce spring-like allergies during the winter, though, when people bring live Christmas trees indoors.
The deciduous trees put out leaves and flowers in the spring, and their pollen becomes airborne. Also, both evergreen and deciduous trees can be a source of airborne mold, another spring allergy trigger.
2. Grass
Yes, grass can trigger allergies, too. Another term for spring allergies is “hay fever.” Hay is a grass! Generally, closely-cut grass is not the allergy trigger that long, unmown grass is; short grass does not produce flowers. But vacant lots, farms, and neglected lawns mean that uncut grass is all over. Ornamental grasses, too, or any grass that is allowed to grow and produce flowers and seeds can induce allergies.
Here are some of the more common types of grass that can incite allergic responses in the spring.
* Fescue
* Bermuda
* Orchard
* Timothy (a type of hay if allowed to grow tall)
* Rye
* Kentucky bluegrass
3. Weeds
Often, weeds are grasses gone wild, and many of them are the same species as noted above. Other weeds that can cause spring allergies include:
* Stinging nettle
* Ragweed (usually worse in the fall)
* Brambles/wild blackberry and raspberry
* Various (there are so many weeds that cause spring allergies that there’s no room to list them all!)
As you learn about your spring allergies and what’s making you sneeze, check your local pollen count. Watch your local weather and/or news channel, and find out how much and what type of pollen is prevalent at any given time. It does vary day by day and week by week.