Use Photos to Make Unique Mother’s Day Gifts

Is your mom’s house full of old photos in drawers, boxes, and everywhere else? Or is your mom the proud parent of a newborn child, or is she a new grandma? Regardless of just where she is in life, you can use photos old and new to create some memorable, meaningful Mother’s Day gifts. Here are some ideas.

Family Tree

For this gift, you have all kinds of options for the tree, even before you decorate it with photos. Some possibilities include:

* Purchasing a cast-iron or resin tree
* Collecting attractive branches and using them as-is or spray painting them
* Purchasing or creating a bonsai tree
* Purchasing a small potted tree or shrub at your local nursery

Once you have your tree, you can begin decorating it with photos. You can slip each picture into its own store-bought frame and hang them on the tree, or you can “laminate” the photos with clear contact paper, leaving a margin of the paper all around the photo so you can pierce it for a hanging hook without damaging the photo.

Variation: Create a paper family tree by drawing, painting, or using construction paper or craft foam cut-outs mounted on a posterboard background. Glue photos to the tree and frame.

Create a Family Newspaper or Magazine

This can be a fun project for up-and-coming journalists in the family! Try creating a family magazine or newspaper using family photos. The more obscure and funny the picture, the better. Create funny headlines and simple stories about the picture; it can be fiction or non-fiction, whichever your mom would prefer. You might create a magazine with a “Smith Household News” theme, and write up stories on various pictures to present a typical day or week in your house.

Special Photo Services

There are all kinds of gift options you can purchase online using your digital photographs. If you’d rather go this route rather than doing a hands-on craft project, then check online for companies that offer to create various gifts using your photos. Some of these places will print photos on canvas, create mugs or aprons, and even make jewelry from photos.

Photo Jewelry Box

With a jar of inexpensive decoupage medium, the sky’s the limit with what you can create! The idea listed here is a jewelry box, but you can take the decoupage idea and run with it.

For a jewelry box, you’ll need a plain wooden one to start with. This is a great thing to find at a yard sale. You can also buy unfinished ones at some craft stores, or use one of your mom’s existing plain ones if it’s okay with her.

Cut the photos into random sizes and shapes, or line them up in rows of neat squares. Once you have the design figured out, use a brush to coat the top of the jewelry box with decoupage medium. Lay the photos onto the medium, and then apply a coat to the top of the photos to seal and protect them.

Treatment Options for Springtime Allergies and Asthma

If you suffer from springtime allergies and asthma, it’s worthwhile to explore all your treatment options. Maybe you haven’t found a treatment that really works for you, or maybe you want to try something different from your current treatment. These days, there are really quite a few treatment options available. Here are some of them for you to consider.

Over-the-Counter Medications

If your spring allergies and/or asthma are mild to moderate, you might be fine with taking over-the-counter (OTC) medicine as-needed. For some people, this may mean taking it only on days when the pollen count is high, or when you know you’ll be outdoors for a while. Some people just take a short-duration medicine only at night.

OTC medications are antihistamines, and there is quite a variety. If you plan to take it at night, a non-drowsy formula might make you jittery. On the other hand, if you get a regular formula and take it during the day, it might compromise your alertness. And if one doesn’t work for you, try another – antihistamines can vary quite a bit in their side effects and effectiveness.

Other OTC medications are not taken orally. Instead, these medications are delivered directly into the nose and/or lungs.

Prescription Medications

If your asthma is life-threatening and/or severe, or your allergies affect your life to the point that you are bed-ridden or can’t function normally, you might want to talk to your doctor about a prescription. Inhalers, oral medications, and nasal sprays all come in prescription strengths. Sometimes, these prescribed medications have fewer side effects, such as drowsiness, than OTC medications.

A Natural Approach

If you don’t like the idea of taking medications, you might prefer a more natural approach. Here are some natural treatment options for allergies and asthma.

* Neti pots flush out nasal passages and help minimize nasal allergy symptoms. The neti pot flushes allergens out of the nasal cavity, hopefully before they can cause a reaction.

* Some herbs, like stinging nettle, may be effective if taken for allergies.

* Protein-dissolving enzyme supplements are another natural approach to allergy management. Allergens are, as a rule, proteins; so supplements containing these enzymes may help to eradicate the allergen before it causes a reaction.

Immunotherapy (Allergy Shots)

If you have a hard time tolerating medications or if it’s just not something you want to do, immunotherapy might work for you. Talk to your doctor about this series of injections that is supposed to desensitize your body to the allergen(s). It works by introducing a tiny amount of the allergen under the skin via injection, then slowly increasing the amount of the allergen in each shot. Usually, you receive a shot once or twice a week, and then gradually taper off.

Tips on Saving Water in the Flower Garden

Gardens can really soak up water; some sources say that municipal water usage doubles in the summer as homeowners water lawns and gardens. If this is a concern for you, you might want to look into saving water in your flower garden. Here are some tips on how to do that.

Watch Out for Paved and Impermeable Surfaces

If you have a sprinkler set up, make sure it’s not hitting paved surfaces like the road, your driveway, patio, sidewalk, steps, and so forth. Also, note if the sprinkler hits your roof or any part of your house. Water that hits hard surfaces is wasted.

Go for the Roots

If you water by hand, water at the base of each plant rather than spraying or pouring water all over the garden area and over the aerial parts of plants. This also helps with weed control, by the way – by watering only at the base of the garden plants, you are not wasting water on weeds that might be growing in the garden area between plants. No sense in wasting water on weeds!

If you don’t water by hand, try a soaker hose. These hoses slowly ooze water out of their permeable sides, slowly soaking the soil and minimizing run-off.

Timers

You can attach timers to your hose and sprinkler just as you can with lamps. These timers ensure that you don’t leave the hose or sprinkler on, and they also safeguard against watering too long. You can set them to water your garden at the ideal time of day even if you’re not available then (such as early morning or evening).

Collect Rain Water

Take advantage of your gutters and downspouts by hooking up a rain barrel, or attaching a diverter to your downspout. There are other ways to collect rain water, too. You can use this to water your indoor and outdoor plants, and for any other non-drinking applications.

Plant Low-Water Plants

A simple way to save water is to plant flowers and plants that don’t use a lot of water. Drought-tolerant plants like lavender, purple coneflower, hens-and-chicks, and others can make lovely additions to your yard or garden, and they require little in the way of moisture.

Mulch

Using mulch in the garden helps conserve water by reducing evaporation. Mulch holds moisture close to the soil where it’s needed. There are all kinds of options for types of mulch; even shredded or chopped newspaper works fine. Two to three inches are considered best for water retention.

Sunken Gardens

Dig a sunken garden or rain garden to make the most of the rain water in your area. Some rain gardens don’t need watering at all during the summer if there is normal rainfall. You might consider converting your existing garden into a sunken one.

Themed Gifts for Mom

Personalizing Mom’s gift this Mother’s Day shows that you know what she likes, and also that you are willing to take the time to personalize what you give her. Themed gifts do not have to be expensive; they can be homemade, store-bought, or a combination. You can arrange them in a basket or tuck them into a gift bag.

No one knows your mom like you do. So the following are some simple ideas to help you get started creating the perfect themed Mother’s Day gift.

Tea or Coffee

Many moms enjoy their tea or coffee, and a gift with this theme really prompts the idea that you want Mom to have some time to herself. For a tea or coffee theme, try some of these gift ideas.

* Purchase a tea sampler with various flavors or types of tea. If it’s loose tea, include an infuser. Other appropriate items might include a tea cup, a novel or book of poetry, cookies, or sweets.

* A coffee theme might include a coffee-scented candle, mug, flavored creamer, and, if you’re purchasing whole-bean coffee, a grinder. A French coffee press is also a neat gift to include.

Gardening

Does your mom love to work in the garden? Put together a garden-themed gift and put everything into a big flower pot. Stuff Easter grass or green tissue paper between the gifts. You could include:

* A trowel, book(s) on gardening, some new plants or seeds, gloves, or something for her to kneel on when she’s gardening. Think how you can make it easier for her while still supporting her love of gardening.

Movies

Is Mom a movie buff? Get a large, empty popcorn bucket and fill it with:

* Unpopped popcorn, DVDs, a subscription to a monthly movie service, and candies that make you think of the movies (Milk Duds, Sugar Babies, Junior Mints, etc.).

Health Food

Maybe your mother is a health nut. Get a big hemp basket or tote and fill it with some of these healthful goodies.

* Raw nuts, herbal or vitamin supplements (that you know she’d like or that she already uses), natural, organic beauty products, essential oils, organic chocolate, DVDs on healthful exercise that she’s interested in, dried fruit, and whole grain crackers or snack chips. Include a gift certificate to your local health food store, too.

Artist

Your mom might be an artist, or wish she were one. Help her realize her dream and let her know you support her with an art-themed gift. Here are some ideas on what to include.

* Pre-stretched canvases or watercolor paper, acrylic, oil, or watercolor paints, brushes, paint thinner/brush cleaner, clay, clay tools, an inspirational book on art (maybe something by her favorite artist).

No matter what your mom likes, you can put together a personal, meaningful Mother’s Day gift that she will always remember.

Take Advantage of a Rainy Day – Cleaning Kids’ Rooms

Sometimes, a rainy day can be a blessing in disguise. Without outdoor distractions, you can tackle some of those indoor tasks and projects you’ve been meaning to do.

One such project that’s easy to put off is cleaning your kids’ rooms. This can get a little tricky if your kids are around (donating and throwing away does not always come easily to little ones!), but here are some tips that may help. Whether you’re doing this alone or with little people, here are some ideas on how to take advantage of a rainy day and clean your kids’ rooms.

Categorize

It can get overwhelming if you try to tackle clothes, toys, and books all at once. Go for one item category to start with, like clothes. Then move into toys if you have time that day.

Pull It All Out

Once you’ve decided what category of items you’re going to clean out, go for it: pull out all items into an open space (living room, garage, etc.) where you can see everything. This can get tricky if you have a small living space; you can do it in segments if it makes it easier.

Categorize Again

Now you can move into categorizing within your category! Here are some ideas for sorting through the clothes, toys, or whatever you are organizing.

* Clear plastic bins with lids can be used for items you want to keep. Be sure to label them clearly.

* Black plastic garbage bags can be used for items you want to throw away. Make sure they’re black – you don’t want your kids to start “rescuing” items they can see in there!

* For items you want to donate, you can use black plastic garbage bags as well, but you might prefer to use something distinctive so you don’t get things mixed up. Maybe cardboard boxes or white plastic bags would work well. Some people find it works better to have opaque containers for donations for the same reason as the trash items – it prevents small people from recovering items when you’re not looking.

Help Them Choose

If your kids are present, help them make choices about what is going to get donated or thrown away. You can give them a choice between two items, for instance, one to keep and one to donate/throw away. If they are having trouble with this, talk about how some kids really need donated items because they won’t have any clothes or toys unless we give ours away. You could also show them the limited space – if there’s no room for it in the clear plastic bins, it has to go.

Move It Out

If you are donating items, get those items to the second-hand store as soon as possible. The longer they sit around, the more likely it is that you’ll start pulling things back out – and so will your kids.

Surviving Spring Allergies

Spring allergies can be terribly miserable. Constant sneezing, runny, itchy eyes, and a runny nose are just the beginning. Some people suffer from sinus infections, headaches, and stuffiness as well. In order to get through this season, it’s helpful to learn some survival tactics. Here are some ideas for surviving the symptoms of spring allergies.

Avoidance

Okay, it’s pretty hard to avoid breathing outdoor air; pollen is everywhere. But even though you can’t avoid going out in it, there are ways to minimize your exposure. Here are some tips on avoidance of allergens this spring.

* Window filters – If you really like the fresh air of spring, you can get filters that fit in your windows. Finer than screens, these filters fit into your open window and sometimes have a fan attached. These allow you to pull in fresh air and filter out pollens.

* Air purifiers – Having air purifiers in your home, especially in your bedroom, can really help with your comfort. Air purifiers can remove the pollen from the household air, which can come in via open windows, on hair and clothes, or it can be tracked in on shoes.

* Heating and cooling – If you turn on your air conditioner or heat during spring, make sure your filters are clean. Heating and cooling systems can pull in pollen-saturated air and bring it into your home.

* Masks – When working out in the yard or when you’re just outdoors, you can wear a simple face mask. This helps immensely with respiratory symptoms.

Eyes

For your eyes, over-the-counter drops may help. You also might want to wear clear safety glasses while working outside to protect your eyes from allergens. Another tip for helping your eyes – don’t rub them, even if they itch. Rubbing can introduce more allergens into your eyes from your hands, and rubbing can also irritate your eyes and exacerbate under-eye circles and puffiness.

Medications

There are a variety of over-the-counter medications you can choose from. Experts generally agree, though, that taking allergy medications is something you should do temporarily and as minimally as possible. Make sure that the allergy medication you choose does not make you sleepy at times when you need to be alert, such as driving.

If you don’t want to take oral medication, nasal gels and sprays can help. Inhalers can help with lung and throat symptoms. You might prefer this kind of topical treatment, especially if you need to avoid drowsiness.

Springtime Jewelry Crafts

There are so many pretty jewelry ideas with a springtime theme! Here are some ideas to help you create lovely jewelry crafts this spring.

1. Flat Marble Pins

For this craft, you’ll need small pressed flowers, or maybe the petals from a larger pressed flower. This is a good one to do with older kids and teens. Here’s what else you’ll need:

* Flat, clear marbles such as you see in the bottom of flower vases (available at craft stores)
* Small, pressed flowers
* Decoupage medium or white glue
* White craft foam
* Small paint brush
* Hot glue gun
* Safety pin

Gather six of the clear marbles and lay them flat-side-up on your work surface. Dab a bit of decoupage medium on the flat side and lay a flower or petal on it. Gently seal with more decoupage medium by going once over the pressed flower. Repeat with the other five marbles.

Next, cut out a square of craft foam about 4 inches square. In the center, hot glue one of the marbles. Hot glue the other five around this center one, attaching them both to the craft foam and to the center marble. When dry, cut a close circle around the marbles. You now have a circular piece. To the back, glue the safety pin using the hot glue.

Variation 1: Glue marbles down in any shape you like, such as circles, squares, or zigzags.

Variation 2: If you don’t have pressed flowers, use dabs of acrylic paint on the flat side of the marbles to create colorful flower shapes. No decoupage medium required.

2. Button Flower Pendant

Use craft foam and buttons to make this colorful necklace. You’ll need:

* Buttons in various sizes and colors
* Craft foam
* Hot glue
* Scissors
* Necklace cord (leather or synthetic), at least 24 inches
* Pencil

Choose a color of craft foam. Using the hot glue, mount buttons onto the craft foam in flower shapes. Try using one large button surrounded by smaller ones, or a small button glued to the top of a larger one.

When it’s dry, cut a circle closely around the flower shape. Use this circle to trace another circle of the same size. Cut the second circle out. Next, lay the pendant flower-side-down on your work surface, and lay two ends of the necklace cord across it. Use two beads of hot glue to secure the ends. Then hot glue the second circle down over the back of this one, so the necklace cord ends are sandwiched between foam circles. Allow to dry.

3. Polymer Clay Flower Pendant

Polymer clay is baked in your home oven to become permanent and hard. Bake this piece before stringing it on necklace cord. Here’s what you’ll need:

* White, blue, green, pink and yellow polymer clay
* Toothpick

Knead the white and blue clay together so the swirls are distinctive (think clouds in a blue sky). Make a flat disk out of this blue-and-white combination, about the size of a 50-cent piece.

Roll five tiny balls of pink clay and one of yellow. Press the yellow ball into the blue-and-white disk, pressing to make a circle. Do the same with the pink clay balls – these are to be the petals surrounding the yellow flower center. Make more flowers if you like.

Roll a bit of the green clay into a thin strand and pinch off a few bits of it, pressing them into the bottom half of the disk. Let them partially cover the flower(s). Use the toothpick to poke a hole through the top and bake according to the package directions. When cool, thread onto necklace cord.

Kids’ Spring Crafts with Recycled Drink Containers

Wait! Don’t throw that juice box away, and hang onto that water bottle before tossing it in the recycling bin. You also might want to keep a few milk jugs, too – you can make some great kids’ crafts by recycling these drink containers. Here are some fun ideas for kids’ spring crafts using recycled drink containers.

1. Milk Jugs

Even if you don’t drink milk, other beverages come in these handy plastic jugs, from spring water to orange juice. Here’s an idea for a 2-in-1 craft using a plastic jug.

Flower Pot and Cut Flower Holder

Materials:
* Clean, empty, plastic jug
* Utility knife or serrated bread knife
* Craft foam
* Hot glue gun
* Scissors
* Coffee filters
* Soil
* Easter grass
* Cut flowers
* Colored duct tape

Grown-ups: Cut the jug in half using the utility knife or bread knife. First, we’ll use the bottom half. Poke a few holes in the bottom with the scissors.

Kids: Cut springtime shapes out of the craft foam. Suggestions might be clouds, rain drops, grass blades, umbrellas, and flowers.

Grown-ups and kids can work together to run a strip of duct tape around the top of the jug bottom, leaving about an inch over the top. Fold this inch over onto the inside of the jug, one side at a time. This reinforces the edge and makes a nice border. Hot-glue about half of the craft foam shapes to the outside of the jug bottom. Place a coffee filter in the bottom and fill the pot with soil; plant seeds or live flowers.

With the top half, do the same thing. The cut edge is the top – run duct tape around it to make a border like before. Glue shapes to the outside. When you place cut flowers inside, the jug’s narrow neck holds the flowers upright. Fill the rest of the space with Easter grass.

2. Plastic Water Bottles

Here is a fun idea for a plastic water bottle craft.

Stained “Glass” Candle Holder

* Empty, plastic water bottle
* Translucent plastic paint, such as you get with kids’ plastic stained “glass” kits
* Scissors
* Tea light

Grown-ups, cut the top of the bottle off so that you have a cylinder (the top should not taper). Older kids can cut the top edge into interesting shapes, like waves or, if they want a more dramatic shape, they can cut almost to the bottom to make grass-blade-like shapes. Use the paint to make random colorful designs and allow to dry. Place the tea light on the inside bottom and enjoy the glow.

3. Juice Boxes

This craft can easily be adapted to accommodate a large juice box.

Mini Bird Feeders

* Empty juice boxes
* Craft knife or scissors
* Old pencil, sharpened, or a bamboo skewer
* Yarn or twine
* Birdseed
* Craft paint (optional)

Using the knife or scissors, grown-ups can cut out an opening in the front of the juice box. For a small juice box, make the opening about an inch from the bottom. The hole should be at least 2 inches square. If your kids are painting the boxes, let them paint now.

When dry, stick the pencil or skewer into the top of the juice box, making a hole that goes all the way through the front and back. Remove the pencil and stick it between the bottom of the opening and the bottom of the box, leaving it there. This makes a perch. Run twine through the top holes to make a hanger. Hang from tree branches – you’ll have a decorated tree, too!

Rainy Day Spring Cleaning

Springtime does bring a lot of rain in many parts of the country. This means your spring cleaning efforts may get dampened, quite literally. You can’t put household items out on the lawn for cleaning, for instance, and you can’t drag the area rugs outdoors to clean them up. Washing windows is out of the question. You also can’t do any of the yard work that usually goes with spring cleaning.

So what can you do? Plenty! Here are some ideas for indoor spring cleaning that you can do on those rainy days.

Kitchen

When you spring clean, that usually implies deep cleaning. So while your kitchen may seem straight and organized enough, it could probably still benefit from a deep clean. And you don’t need to go outside!

When you tackle the kitchen this spring, try starting with one corner or area in the kitchen so you can avoid overwhelm. Try working from the top down, starting with the area above the cabinets or refrigerator and working down to the floor. Take items out of the cabinets, throw away old items, and wipe out the shelves. This is a good time to clean out the refrigerator, too. The rainy day will be over before you know it!

Living Room

Maybe you can’t drag things out on the lawn, but the living room can still be cleaned for spring. Again, working from the top down, sweep up cobwebs from the ceiling, wall art, and so forth. Pull furniture out from the walls and vacuum the backs and sides of couches, chairs, tables, etc. Spot-clean the carpet and wash area rugs if they are machine washable.

Windows

Working indoors, you can get half your window cleaning done. Just concentrate on the inside of the windows. If you have the sort of window that allows you to remove the pane of glass, you can pull the pane inside and wash both sides.

Bedrooms

A rainy day is a great time to go through your kids’ toys and organize their bedroom(s). Donate unused toys and throw out broken ones. Clean out closets and vacuum floors. As long as you have a dryer, bedding and window treatments can be washed and changed without setting foot outdoors.

Clean Furniture

Using your favorite cleaning foam, you can go over all your household furniture without making a big mess. Be sure to vacuum furniture surfaces before cleaning.

Rearrange Furniture

This is the ideal time to move around your couch, chairs, coffee table, etc. You can clean as you rearrange.

Pressed Flower Craft Ideas for Kids

Pressed flowers are naturally beautiful, and lend themselves to a variety of craft projects. Once you have your flowers pressed and dry, get them out for some of these great crafts.

1. Placemats

You can also use this craft to make a window decoration or wall art. You’ll need:

* Pressed flowers
* Clear contact paper
* Scissors

Cut a placemat-sized piece of clear contact paper (it’s up to you as to what “placemat-sized” means). Lay it sticky-side-up on your work surface. Arrange pressed flowers on the sticky side. When you’re finished, place the sticky side of another, slightly bigger sheet of contact paper down on the flowers. The two sticky sides should meet. Trim the edges, and you have a lovely springtime placemat. If you want to put it in your window, attach with small balls of white beeswax in the corners.

Variation: Use strips of contact paper (or cut the above craft into strips) to make bookmarks.

2. Coffee Table Perk-Up

Perk up your glass-covered coffee table by placing pressed flowers under the glass.

3. Decoupage

Pressed flowers look wonderful in just about any decoupage project. Using decoupage medium and a brush, try applying pressed flowers to some of these items:

* Flower pot (you can’t get it wet, so it’s purely decorative)
* Picture frames
* Clear votive candle holders
* Glass bottles (to make a lovely flower vase)
* Wooden jewelry boxes

4. Pretty as a Picture

Using a store-bought picture frame, remove all the cardboard and paper, leaving only the glass. Using white glue, gently glue down pressed flowers directly onto the glass. Turn it around so the flowers are on the back and place the glass back into the frame. The front will have flowers behind glass. Place it in a sunny window.

5. Stationery and Cards

This is a great craft for Mother’s Day or just to make stationery for note-writing. Here’s what you’ll need:

* Card stock
* White glue
* Paintbrush with stiff bristles
* Pressed flowers

Cut card stock in half or fourths. Then use the paintbrush and white glue to decorate the corners and/or edges with pressed flowers. Lightly brush some glue onto the place where you want the flower, then lay the flower on top. Touch up the edges with a little more white glue, brushing gently outwards. Some ideas might include one flower in the upper left corner; a border of flowers all around; or, a row of flowers across the top edge.

6. Bookmarks

These make a great gift as well. You’ll need:

* White or light beige card stock
* Scissors
* Clear contact paper
* Pressed flowers
* White glue
* Paintbrush with stiff bristles

Cut the card stock into strips the size you want your bookmarks to be. Then attach various pressed flowers to one or both sides, brushing on glue and laying the flower on top. When finished, lay the bookmark on the sticky side of a piece of clear contact paper. Lay another piece of clear contact paper on the other side. Trim edges to create a “laminated” bookmark.

Planting a Native Flower Garden

Planting a native flower garden is a wonderful way to create a low-maintenance, eco-friendly garden. There are various benefits to planting native species, so let’s take a look at some of those benefits and some tips and guidelines on going native in the garden.

Benefits

There are all kinds of benefits to planting a native flower garden. Here are some of them.

1. Hardiness

Naive wildflowers are very disease-resistant; after all, they’ve thrived without human intervention for centuries. They have “learned” how to cope with the various forces of nature and the climatic conditions of your area, so they don’t require a lot of coddling or special treatment. They tend to be frost-resistant and tolerant of wet or dry conditions, depending on where you are located. Also, many native species hold their own against weeds, too.

2. Pests

When it comes to pest resistance, native species excel. As with climatic conditions, native flowers have adapted to the conditions around them and developed various techniques for resisting pests. They already know how to “work with” the local insect population and other plants to resist pests.

3. Fewer chemicals required

Since you will not be battling pests and diseases much in your native flower garden, and since your native plants are adapted to the soil conditions in your area, you will save money and protect the environment by not having to resort to chemical weed-killers, pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers.

Tips and Guidelines

Before you begin planting your native wildflower garden, it’s a good idea to make sure you are going about it in a way that will yield the maximum benefit. So here are some tips and guidelines for planting that native flower garden.

1. Choose the right site

Just because you’re planting native flowers does not mean they don’t have requirements, or that every part of your yard automatically provides an environment similar to the natural eco-systems in your area. So it’s important to choose a site that gets adequate sun, shade, and water, and choose plant species accordingly.

If conditions aren’t ideal, look for a plant that prefers the “extreme” condition. For example, you may have an area that’s very shady and moist; choose a flower like Sweet Woodruff if it’s native to your area. The same goes for hot and dry spots; find out what’s native and work from there.

2. Remove invasive, non-native weeds

It’s important to eradicate non-native invaders like honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet, and others before planting your native flower garden. You can dig them up by hand, but it’s far easier just to cover the garden site with several layers of wet newspaper held down with rocks. After a few weeks, the soil should be bare.

Even better, start the season before and leave the garden area covered all summer. In the fall, plant native seeds that nature intended to overwinter before sprouting.

3. Check with your local extension service

Most extension services are branches of the agricultural community. They are usually glad to fill you in on what species are native and may even be able to help you find seeds or plants.

How to Plan a Mother’s Day Outing

Sometimes, the gift that Mom will appreciate the most is getting out of the house and doing something fun! What’s considered “fun” will certainly vary from mom to mom; but here are some ideas to get you thinking about what would work for your mom. Following are some tips and ideas on how to plan a Mother’s Day outing.

Remember, It’s Mom’s Day

It’s considered bad form to use Mother’s Day as an excuse to go somewhere you or the kids have always wanted to go. This is Mom’s day, so even if she wants to go to an art museum that everyone else thinks is boring, then you take her anyway!

Museums

Speaking of museums, some moms long for time to spend looking at artifacts, artwork, history displays, and so forth without constant interruption. To plan a museum outing where Mom can enjoy herself, make sure you have plans to keep the kids occupied if they get bored. For example, try to choose a museum with kid-friendly exhibits where they can play while Mom browses in the adult areas.

Picnic

Nothing says “Mother’s Day” quite like an old-fashioned picnic. Still, Mom usually is the one who plans the menu and packs the food, so for you to do this for Mom will take some planning. Here are some tips.

* Work on picnic-friendly versions of her favorite foods (if one of her favorite foods is picnic food, like fried chicken, then you’ve got it fairly easy in this regard!). For instance, if she loves vegetable soup and it’s not practical to haul a huge pot of it to the site, then fix individual servings of soup in sealed glass containers. Keep them hot with newspaper and an insulated carrying case. Or if she loves roast beef, try roast beef sandwiches rather than hauling a big carved roast.

* Have games for the kids so Mom can relax if she wants to. If she is the type who likes to be active, then plan a hike for after you eat.

* Include a special dessert to make Mom feel really spoiled.

Day Trips

Day trips offer a lot of the “getaway” aspects of vacations, but without the hassle and expense of a week-long or even weekend-long holiday.

* Do all the planning so she doesn’t have to. You will want her input as to where you want to go, but make sure she doesn’t have to do all the logistics.

* Plan to pick up dinner or eat out at the end of the trip when it’s time to come home. The last thing you want to do is stick Mom with fixing dinner right after you get home!

* Day trips can include historic sites, hiking or day-camping, canoeing, or just driving and sightseeing.

A New Take on Flowers: How to Create Unique Gifts with a Floral Theme for Mom

Flowers for Mother’s Day: they seem like a natural choice but they are not particularly creative, and they don’t last. Why not try something different? Here are some ideas on creating unique gifts for Mom with a floral theme.

Pressed Flowers

Pressed flowers can be the start of many lovely crafts and unique gift ideas. Here are just a few of the things you can do with pressed flowers.

* Bookmarks – Use clear contact paper to make a bookmark. Cut a bookmark-sized strip of clear contact paper; lay it sticky-side-up. Place flowers on the sticky side of the contact paper. Cover with a slightly larger piece of the contact paper and trim edges.

* Placemats – Using the same technique as above, make Mom a set of flowery placemats.

* Jewelry – Use craft clay (or make your own) that is baked to become hard and permanent. Create a shape for a necklace pendant, pin, or earrings; bake until hard. Using decoupage medium, apply the pressed flower to the piece. Cover with decoupage medium to seal it.

* Picture frames – Use clay to make a picture frame; bake to harden. Apply pressed flowers using the same technique as above.

Edible Flowers

You don’t have to pay a fortune for professional, edible bouquets; you can make your own. All you need is fruit and bamboo skewers (available in most grocery stores). Use a large piece of floral foam to mount the skewers. Place fruit on the sharp end of the skewer, and place the blunt end of the skewer into the foam. Thread grapes onto skewers, cut melons in flower shapes, put whole strawberries on the ends, and so forth. Use mint or parsley sprigs to fill in the space between the “flowers” once they are arranged.

Variation: make flowers out of chocolate candies, veggies, or whatever Mom likes. A hot glue gun can be used to attach wrapped candies.

Paper Flowers

For a floral gift that won’t wilt or rot, try making flowers from paper. You can get elaborate or go simple with paper flowers. You can use them to make bouquets, garlands, or wreaths. Here is how to make tissue paper flowers:

Stack half-sheets (about 5″x8″) of tissue paper to make about ten layers in various colors (or one color). Starting on a short side, fold the sheets in strips fan-style. Wind a few inches of a green or brown pipe cleaner tightly around the middle to pinch it. The rest of the pipe cleaner will be the stem (if you’re going to make a wreath, use short bits of pipe cleaner to pinch the middle of the tissue).

Trim the edges of the tissue to make even edges. Then, separate each layer of tissue on each side of the middle, pulling the pieces gently inward to cover the pipe cleaner. When you finish, you should have a fluffy, colorful flower.

Managing Pollen Allergies

While there’s no “cure” for allergies as yet, you can manage your pollen allergies so that you don’t have to suffer as the days get longer. Here are some tips for managing those pollen allergies this spring.

Don’t Ask for It

The weather is often wonderful in spring, and it’s tempting to spend all your time outdoors. Of course it’s not practical or desirable to stay inside all the time; but it’s not a good idea to invite trouble, either. Inviting trouble means you’re deliberately going to do things like lie in the grass, or run through fields of flowers, or gather bouquets to bring in the house. Doing those things is like going the extra mile to bring on an allergy attack!

Prepare for Storms

Did you know that ER doctors have a term for increase in allergic asthma victims they see in spring? They call it “thunderstorm asthma,” because the hours and day following a thunderstorm brings more asthma patients to the ER. Why? Well, heavy raindrops such as occur in thunderstorms break up the blobs of pollen into tinier, finer powder, which is more easily inhaled. And storms’ winds distribute the pollen far and wide. So when spring storms threaten, it’s a good idea to get inside or get your inhaler ready.

Air Condition Your Car and Home

Although it costs in energy, fuel and utility bills, air conditioning your home and car and keeping the windows closed can go a very long way toward providing allergy relief. Air conditioning filters, dries and cools the air, both in the car and the house. Closed windows prevent hot, pollen-filled air from coming in.

Use the Clothes Dryer

Okay, so it’s another energy user. But hanging your clothes out in pollen-infested air only brings the allergens in. Hanging out your sheets and bedding is probably the worst – you bring the pollen into your bedroom where you lie in it all night! The clothes dryer is really helpful for those with pollen allergies.

Wash Your Hair Daily

Many of us do this anyway, but make sure kids wash their hair each day, too, in the evening before bed. Even a good rinse helps and is better than nothing. Hair, especially if it’s long and worn loose, can pick up pollen spores during the day. Washing removes the allergens and helps prevent night-time allergy attacks.

Medication

Some allergy sufferers shun medication; others take it daily; still others take it only on an as-needed basis. Whatever your approach, if you decide to go with medication, make sure it’s not going to compromise your ability or safety. Many medications for allergies can make you drowsy, and others can make you feel “space-y” and out of it. If you have trouble with oral medications, you might consider nasal gels or sprays.

Beautiful, Low-Water Flower Gardens

One of the biggest uses of water in the summer is to provide water for the garden. You can collect rain water to offset the cost, but in many areas, there just isn’t that much rain in the summer to collect. For others, a rain barrel or downspout diverter just aren’t options for various reasons (such as living in an apartment). People who travel a lot can come home to a withered garden if there wasn’t any rain.

Whether you grow in containers or in open ground, if you need to save water and reduce the amount of water your garden needs, low-water flower gardens are one answer to the problem. You can grow a lovely flower garden that doesn’t require a lot of water. This is called xeriscaping. Here are some tips on how to create this type of garden.

Choose Native Plants

As much as possible, choose plants that are native to your area. There are various reasons for this. For one thing, native plants tend to be tough – they have survived for millennia without the care of a gardener. Native plants also support (or at least do not interfere with) local eco-systems.

In addition, pest and weed control tend to be much easier due to the hardy nature of native plants. And finally, native plants are generally quite disease-resistant – again, they’ve survived for thousands of years.

Native plants have adapted to low-water conditions naturally (provided you choose low-water native plants). So take advantage of their adaptability to create a lovely garden.

Here is a partial list of drought-resistant plants; check to see if they are native to your area or similar to plants that are native to your region.

* Yarrow
* Sage
* Butterfly Bush or Butterfly Weed
* Lamb’s Ears
* Spurge (various species)
* Dianthus
* Hens-and-Chicks
* Cranesbill
* Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)
* Thyme
* Lavender
* Cactus plants
* Various succulents

Choose the Spot

When it comes to creating a xeriscape, you may decide to replace high-water areas with drought-resistant plants. If you spend a lot of time and money watering and mowing your lawn, for instance, you can replace the high-maintenance grass with drought-resistant plants.

You also may want to create a container garden, which lends itself well to xeriscaping since containers tend to dry out quickly (choose clay and earthenware pots rather than plastic or metal).

Make sure you choose a spot that does not collect rain water or experience ponding of water on a regular basis.

Living Springtime Crafts for Kids

Spring is a season when animals, plants and trees come to life. Springtime crafts that build on this theme are educational fun for kids. Here are some ideas for living springtime crafts for kids.

1. Live Easter Grass

This is a lovely way to create a living Easter basket or springtime scene. It’s easy, and it’s fun to watch it grow. (Be careful if you have pet cats – they will love to eat this grass!) You’ll need:

* Basket or other decorative container with holes for drainage (you could use an empty cardboard egg carton, too)
* Potting soil
* Wheat berries (available at health food stores and some grocery stores)
* Water
* Spray bottle

Fill your container with soil. If you’re using a basket, first line the basket with a coffee filter or single layer of newspaper. Fill container with soil, leaving about 1/4″ from the top if using small containers; if you’re using a basket, leave several inches.

Water the soil thoroughly. Sprinkle on wheat berries in a single layer over the top of the soil. Sprinkle a light coat of soil over the top, just to cover the seeds. Mist with the spray bottle. Mist several times a day, and watch as the grass begins to grow!

2. Tin Can Herb Garden

You can use any empty metal can for this, such as those that have soup, fruit, vegetables, and beans in them. Don’t use soda cans as they won’t be strong enough for this.

* Several metal cans, clean and dry and sanded/filed so there are no sharp edges
* Craft foam
* Hammer
* Nail
* Soil
* Seeds or seedlings
* Hot glue gun
* Craft sticks
* Permanent marker with fine point

Turn the cans upside down. Use the hammer and nail to poke several holes in the bottom (this is an adult job). Next, wrap craft foam around the outside of the can, putting beads of craft glue as you go. Glue the seam. If you like, cut out shapes from the craft foam and glue those to the outside of the can, too.

Fill with soil and plant seeds, or put in a seedling. Write the name of the plant on the craft sticks and put them in the soil. Use herbs if possible, so your child can enjoy eating and smelling his or her craft as it grows.

3. Cuttings

Taking cuttings can be a fun learning experience for kids. Try this craft if you have plants that root easily from cuttings, such as mints, English ivy, and most herbs (particularly members of the mint family, like basil and lemon balm).

* Thriving plant
* Sharp scissors
* Small glass or plastic containers (baby food jars, miscellaneous glass bottles, and even empty eggshells will work – this is just the container for rotting the cutting, not where the finished plant will grow)
* Water, preferably rain water or filtered water

Fill your containers with water. Next, take multiple cuttings from your plant(s) of choice. Make the cutting at least 2 inches long (but no longer than 4 inches), and try to make the cut just below a leaf. Snip off this leaf, and place the cutting in the water. Roots are more likely to sprout where the leaf used to be.

Make sure at least an inch of the cutting is in the water, and that no leaves are submerged. Change the water daily and watch for roots. Once the roots are at least half an inch long, you can plant the seedling(s) in the container(s) of your choice.

Including Water Features in Your Flower Garden

Water features add beauty, drama, and a sense of peace to flower gardens. They also provide water for wildlife, which you can enjoy observing. From fountains to ponds, water features add much to a garden setting. Here are some ideas on types of features and how to include water features in your garden.

Fountains

Fountains can be purchased or you can make them yourself. To include them in your garden, it’s worthwhile to consider several things.

* Fountains need a power source, so you’ll need to install your fountain near an outdoor outlet. Or you can go with a solar-powered fountain as long as it’s in a sunny location.

* Make sure the fountain is not directly under a tree. Fall-out from evergreens and deciduous trees alike can choke and clog up a fountain.

* If you want the fountain to blend in, then consider putting plants in containers around it to make it look integrated.

Ponds and Waterfalls

Many gardeners and homeowners fantasize about having a pond and/or waterfall in their yard or garden, but it can seem like a daunting task. It is work – but, depending on how simple or complicated you want things, you can include a lovely pond and waterfall without too much trouble. Here are some tips.

* Look for pond kits if you want to do it yourself and you’re not very experienced. These kits come with the basics for setting up, such as a liner and pump, and you provide extras like rocks and plants.

* If you like, study the kits and then put together something yourself. It may be cheaper, especially if you already have something you can use on hand (such as a pump or pool liner).

* Pile up rocks and hide the pump tubing in among them. Have it exit at the top and you have the beginnings of a waterfall.

Birdbaths

From birds to bees, birdbaths attract all kinds of thirsty critters. Here are some tips to consider.

* Birds do not immerse themselves in water, so keep it shallow – a couple of inches are fine.

* Place a rock in the birdbath to give birds something to perch on and other critters something to crawl out onto if they get “stranded” in the middle.

* The birdbath should have a tree or shrub nearby to which birds can fly for refuge from predators. (Holly works great for this.)

Maintenance

All water features need to be cleaned regularly. Once a week or so, scrub the birdbath with a stiff brush and fill with fresh water. About every month, it’s a good idea to use a weak bleach solution to scrub the birdbath. Be sure to rinse very well before putting in more water.

In the winter, many water features will need to be dismantled and brought inside. Freezing temperatures can break and crack items like pump motors, housing, and hoses.

Look at your local garden supply store for special tablets you can float on the surface of your pond to keep out mosquitoes.

Immunotherapy for Allergic Asthma – an Explanation

Allergic asthma is different from exercise-induced asthma, or asthma due to other causes. Allergic asthma means that asthma attacks are triggered by allergens, just as nasal symptoms are triggered.

In sensitive individuals, harmless substances (that is, substances that are not disease-causing pathogens) such as pollen, mold, animal dander, dust, etc. cause an immune response normally reserved for pathogens. This over-reactive immune response involves inflammation, mucus production, and often spasms of the bronchial tubes in the lungs. The spasms cause tightening or restriction, making breathing difficult, and mucus production further inhibits breathing. The asthmatic usually coughs up this mucus or phlegm after the attack has passed or when it’s nearly over.

Because allergic asthma is an immune response, immunotherapy is often considered as a viable and effective treatment.

What Is Immunotherapy?

Working on a similar principle as vaccines, immunotherapy involves exposure to a decreased or weakened form of the allergen in order to desensitize the individual. The theory is, if you are regularly exposed to a very tiny amount of a known allergen, your body will become used to it and will no longer overreact in the presence of the allergen.

Usually, immunotherapy is administered in the form of shots or injections. The shots are given under the skin, and the area may become slightly itchy, red, or swollen after the injection. This is temporary, and usually goes away within a few hours. You usually begin with a twice- or once-weekly injection of a very tiny amount of allergen. As you continue the shots, the amount of allergen in the injection is increased. Your tolerance for the substance should also increase.

Recently, oral forms of immunotherapy have become available. These are usually taken sublingually – under the tongue – and come in soft, fast-dissolving tablets or pills. These may become more readily available as time goes on. The principle is the same – the pills contain a small amount of the allergen, and the substance goes into the bloodstream via the mucus membranes of the mouth.

If you have a pretty good idea of what brings on your allergic asthma, and you are fairly certain than exposure to one or more particular things brings on an attack, talk to your doctor about seeing an allergist, or talk to your allergist if you have one. He or she can determine for certain what you’re allergic to through various tests. Then the immunotherapy can be customized to fit your particular allergies.