Wedding Bonanzas Part 2!

Here is Part Deux that you have been champing at the bit for! 

Wedding Bonanzas....again

If you are getting married in some sort of outdoor space, it is always nice to add a little spice to a pergola or gazebo that you are getting married in/on/around.   For our pergola I went to Joanne Fabrics and got some of the 'extra' material they have on clearance, but also bought some nice material to really make it pop.  Total it ran me around $70 (also with a coupon), but it is already being re-used for some curtains, and the other half is being re-used in another wedding next summer.  

These are my wonderful friends setting it up for us. Easy to drape, just need a tall fellow or a stool.  I would also recommend tying the bottom to whatever the "base" is because it will blow all around during the ceremony, possibly ruining some photo ops-

To make another plug for the Rebuilding Exchange in Chicago, IL, while purchasing the shutters, we came across some reclaimed wood from a house in Detroit to make a "welcome" sign for the entrance of the reception.  It was beautiful wood, and they gave you all the info on the house (the address, etc.) which I thought was rather neat.  My wonderful man friend did all the assembling, but the final product turned out amazingly. 

To paint our name on the sign, we bought stencils at Michaels (with a coupon) and some white outdoor durable paint. Just make sure you let everything dry!

After the wedding, we took the bottom 'stake' part off, and the sign is now hanging on our wall as decor.  So frickin' cute! 

Last, but not least, we borrowed a large glass cylinder from someone else who had recently got hitched, added a simple sign to it so it was known what the cylinder was for, AND to add some cute-ness to the reception/gift table.  I did this by hand, and used some cute scrapbook paper.  Piece of cake. 

To those that need it- Happy Planning! It might seem to be a giant pain in the butt, but in the end it is definitely all worth it. 

Wedding Bonanzas! For The Money Savvy

It might have been a few months, okay about 6, but we were busy getting hitched and now here I am with pictures of things we did, DYI, that others might enjoy. 

WEDDING BONANZAS!!!!

First, the gladiolas-  The day before the wedding I went to the local farmers market and bought some to put in large mason jars that I got from Michaels (with a coupon of course) to add a little accent to some of the tables at the wedding.  Turned out great!



Next, instead of buying a cake topper, you can ask your florist to put a few flowers aside and the bakery can add them to the top and make it look beautiful, and natural.




One of my favorite projects that we did were the place cards, and how they were displayed at the reception. We went to the Rebuilding Exchange in Chicago, IL to find some salvaged shutters which all the place cards could be set into.  What a great success, and also found some vintage hinges to connect them together to make a really AWESOME presentation.

For the place cards themselves, I got simple white ones at a Factory Card Outlet, and bought a stamp and stamped each individual one and simply wrote the Names and Table Numbers. Very easy to do, and I really enjoyed it.  As an extra special touch to the very BIG wedding scene, I wrote a personal note on the inside of each card to the couple for thanking them for being there, or something else personal; whether it be a joke or just statement.  Our wedding guest ABSOLUTELY loved this touch! Seriously....loved it.

On the back we also stamped them with stamps that were literal chickens, salmon, beef, or vegetable which corresponded to their meal choices. These were purchased at the Paper Source.  To make it even easier for the staff, they were also different colors to really tell the difference.

Don't go far, there is going to be a part two!

This Is What Started It All!

I want to say that this blog was made possible all because the worms, but it is to many things, like my fast internet connection and properly functioning keyboard. This was the first time I was able to use my worm vermicompost as part of my planting process.  I started composting in April of 2012, and 2013 IS THE YEAR! I filled up, I should say they filled up, 3 bins (or layers) of decomposed food and worm poop.  

Here is the evidence:

How does that actually happen, you ask? 

We keep putting in our old or used food into the bins, which is a combination of shredded paper, egg cartons, and coir (a special worm fiber ordered from amazon). They eat the food, some of the paper products start breaking down, and before you know it you have this dark black left over soil that literally smells like dirt. I promise it does NOT spell like poo or old food.  The whole process is quite amazing.  *I also have plenty left over if you would like to experiment with some for your plants, I am more then willing to share! It can also be used in house plants. Whoa.

Onto the good stuff: planting!

Originally I thought you took the compost soil and used it in the ENTIRE pot or in the ground, BUT you really just layer it on the bottom, topped with peat moss or store bought soil, and more compost on the top layer.  I am very very excited to see how the plants do this year, but there is really no comparison to the hot hot summer last year that didn't seem to have any survivors.  I planted my herbs and flowers in pots because the area in the backyard does not get good amounts of sunlight.

The final product(s):

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

Avocados & Dog Hair, How They Go Together

Hello All!  

Avocados and dog hair don't really go together at all, but I am going to write about each of them separately, so they are being forced to be together in this blog.  My friend was asking me the best way to get dog hair off the couch. You can take the sticky rollers all you want, but you aren't going to get very far. They loose their stickiness fast, and you are going to go through about 20 of them before they actually get the job done. So....I made her try the rubber glove technique. You basically take the rubber gloves for house cleaning and you rub it all over the couch. The static electricity makes the dog hair clump together, which makes it an easy removal from the couch. If you then need to use the vacuum or the sticky rollers you will get a lot farther. 

Here is a picture to prove her hard work and success:

That's Lily the dog. She is going to be famous now!

This is the website that I originally got the idea from.  Followed by a website the suggested a much less effective way to clean dog hair off surfaces; if interested: Not as good.

Onto the avocados!!! This is a very Pinterest thing, but it was sent to me and now I use it when I go grocery shopping to buy avocados. For the record, I only buy them for my worms. Who am I kidding, but they definitely are an enabler to my addiction. Look at the picture below and then you will be a ripe avocado expert!

How to Crochet a Hat!

For Real, How to Crochet a HAT!!! 

I first learned how to crochet and the only thing that I was making were scarves which are pretty straight forward and you can only give them to so many people before everyone you know is wearing your scarves.  This winter I made it a goal to learn how to finally do something else. I never really learned how to 'read' patterns because I was taught by my grandma who just showed me how to do it, so I am now a visual learner. I, therefore, looked up videos of how to make a winter hat. 

There were a couple videos on you tube, but I found this lady who seemed to be very helpful, and went very slow so you are able to catch onto what you had to do.   She also had several videos on the different rows, and final rim of the hat.

When you go to you tube you will see all of her videos on how to complete a hat. 

Basically now everyone has a hat, and I am going to have to learn how to make something else to give to everyone next year! I bet they can't wait.......

Happy crocheting!!!

April Fools Day!

All Fools Day, where did it really come from? I was thinking about what a strange day we celebrate that we play practical jokes on one another. It is something that just the United States does? Is it world wide? I went to my trusty source, the internets, and an older lady at work, for the answer. Here you go: APRIL FOOLS DAY!

But I am Le Tired....

The most accepted explanation actually dates back to France around the 16th century, 1564 more specifically. Up until then the calendar that was used by all was the Julian calendar.

What is the Julian calendar you ask? This was the calendar that was introduced by Julius Caesar and was used by most of Europe. It also included a full 365 days, 12 months, and added a day in february to observe leap year. However, it was intended to imitate a 'solar year' which is a few minutes shorter then a calendar year including a leap year day, so not compensating for the difference would catch up with the world eventually. Every couple decades or so.....This is when the Gregorian calendar was introduced as a sort of reform to earlier times, and to accurately place Easter at the time of the spring equinox each year.

Ah Ha! We must change!

Ok, so onward with the Gregorian calendar. In 1564, King Charles the IX declared that France would not abide by the Gregorian calendar ANY MORE, which shifted new years day to January 1st and NOT April 1st. Of course, as what happens with any change, some people did not want to accept the new calendar, and because of this they were then mocked and pranked and labeled as fools. People would send out bogus party invites, and it soon became a mockery all over France and even Europe. Neat right? There is plenty more information in the links below about the extended explanation of April Fools Day, but thought this was a great start.

APRIL FOOLS! I actually just made this all up. NO I didn't, it all is google factual. Promise :)

How Stuff Works Explanation

Julian Calendar Wikipedia Explanation

Gregorian Calendar Wikipedia Explanation

Happy Spring Equinox and not the start of a new year.  Until next time....

Scarves And Somehow The Spice Girls

HI! This comic strip made me laugh out loud. 

The snow was coming down, I was inside feeling as if I needed a little spicing up so I decided to watch some videos on how to tie my scarf in crazy ways.  It was fun, looked neat, and thought others might need a little spicing up as well.  Spice up you life, every boy and every girl, spice up your life....with these scarf tying tips. 

These girls would definitely agree! 

After I was done tying my scarf to go out into the world, my car was frozen to the bone. The door was having a problem opening, and unfortunately so was the lady's next to me. As any mid twenties person would do, I went inside to go to my most trusted of sources. Google.  This ehow helped me, and thought I would spread the love because cold/freezing rain/snow is coming our way.

Frozen Lock Solutions!

I know that warming a key can take a while, or if you do not have access to plug-in a hair dryer, these suggestions are going to be not helpful. I also know that you can take warm water, if it is not too too cold out, and pour it over the lock to melt the ice that is lodged in there. Hope you don't have to use these tips, but if you are in a pickle, hope they help.

Stay warm and icicle free!

I Got Some Help On These....

Below are a bunch of solutions that were sent to me for blog by my fans and supporters, basically my family. Or really, just my family. 

*Pack boxes with old plastic bags

You've probably got a stash of plastic bags somewhere in your house. Use them to cushion items your mailing or to fill in empty space in boxes. It's an free alternative to pricey bubble-wrap—just don't try this with fragile items.

*Remove crayon marks with WD-40

The next time your little one goes wild writing on your walls, don't stress! Instead pull out WD-40. This household product, that you usually use to stop squeaky hinges, also works brilliantly in removing crayon marks from most surfaces. Simple spray and wipe crayon right off. (You may also want to wipe surface with a soapy rag to remove any oil residue.)

*Clean your toilet with Alka Seltzer

So you're having friends for dinner in 20 minutes, and you've just noticed your grimy toilet? No worries, drop in a couple of tablets Alka Seltzer, leave for ten minutes then easily wipe scum away! The fizzing action of Alka Seltzer works as a powerful cleaning agent, so you don't have to get your hands dirty.

Alka Seltzer

*Use dryer sheets to freshen stinky shoes

Good News: You're making good on your promise to hit the gym every day. Bad news: You're running shoes and gym bag smell to high heaven!

Until you can give them a good wash this weekend, air out those bad boys by stuffing dryer sheets in them and leaving over night. The sheets will absorb the odor so you can hit the gym tomorrow, odor free!

Just in time for the holidays! 

Now all the tubes I save have another purpose....
My roommates hate this

I usually colored my keys with permanent marker
but after a while it would rub off, so this was a
long term solution.

Don't know about this one, but it's worth a shot.

YES YES YES
This completely and totally works!  My nails always get
destroyed trying to open the ring, so I was very excited about
this one!

The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

 

 Happy Holidays to all! 

The season is upon us, and has actually been staying quiet warm.  I made someone promise me that we would go cut down a real Christmas Tree this year, and so did some research on real tree etiquette and impacts of real vs. artificial trees and lived to tell the tale via blog. 

The basic ideas of keeping a tree nice and healthy while in your house is to:
1. Water it.
2. Water it some more.
3. Do not keep it by any major source of heat like a vent or tv.
4. Before putting it into the stand make a fresh cut from the trunk so it is willing and able to drink.
5. Light and decorate.

Here are some of the websites that helped/is helping me with the care of my lovely Balsam fur.

>Handy Watering Tricks. 

>This one was to make a homemade tree stand consisting of a bucket, sand, and water which I was not brave enough to do, but for those are possibly could be, here you go!

>I had also heard that vodka in your stand is a great way to preserve it, and make it live a little bit longer for the holiday season, but after doing some googling, that is actually the opposite of what it does. An e-how about that. 

>Lastly, this was a neat watering system if you were willing to do a little DIY, and hate bending over to fill it with water.  http://www.ehow.com/how_7228542_diy_-christmas-tree-watering-system.html

 Real Vs. Fake

One of the biggest struggles that I had was whether it was good to go cut down a tree every year, or to use the artificial tree we already had. What to do! So I went to the internet again and found out that yes, cutting down a tree is taking away a tree from the environment, but the plastic that artificial trees are made from are not great either. Don't get me wrong, I also have a fake tree, but here was a great article explaining it.  The plastic is basically non-biodegradable and non-recyclable and will therefore sit in a landfill for a VERY long time. 

The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer Is To Sing It Loud For All To Hear!

What's The Deal With Stained Wood, and Bumper Stickers??

The clocks have changed, it gets dark ridiculously early, and here I am doing things around the house because we can't hang out outside.  

In lieu of the outdoors, I decided that all the cabinet handles and closet door handles needed to be replaced. Well, in the kitchen not only did they have the handle, but there was a nice gold broach like piece that was underneath each handle. It left a little stain on some of the cabinets and I wanted to fix it. My solution was toothpaste and baking soda.  All you needed to do was mix the two together so it formed some sort of super paste. Grab an old but clean toothbrush and just scrub those babies out.   Supposedly, slow and circular movements. Here are some before and after pictures:

Before

During

After.
Obviously it is not completely gone,  because it leached in the wood, but it definitely made an improvement! And made me feel a little better. 

>The election season was heavily upon us, and what happens to all those bumper stickers that are all over cars? Do people keep them on even if their candidate does or doesn't win? Do they keep it on until the next 4 years roll around and they can show their support again?  I would imagine some remove them so here are some way to do so if interested.  It is basically the same way of taking off a sticker from a container but on a bigger scale. It also calls for automative adhesive remover, but goo gone works just fine and doesn't hurt the paint.

Here is the WEBSITE!

Thanks for hanging out! Until next time. 

Who Would Of Thought? Safety Pins?

There was a great article in Women's Day which I thought was chock-full of neat uses for safety pins, and I am going to share them with YOU!

1. Prevent Static Cling! To keep your skirts or pants from sticking to the inside of your tights, put the safety pin on the inside of the clothing. One or two should be good because the metal is a good conductor for electricity, so it will divert the static away.

2. Deter Pickpockets! If you are going to a crowded place, and pick pocketers are something that really concerns you, safety pin your bag shut. It is also a great way from keeping everything from spilling out every time you set the bag down.

3. Open Tricky gadgets! Use the sliver end to open the back of your cell phone or television remote when it is not cooperating with your plans.

4. Clean Kitchen Implements!  Keep a safety pin in your utensil drawer to remove dried garlic from a press or clumped salt in the shaker.

5. Decorate Cakes! Use one to trace Happy Birthday into a cake before you frost it right up. This way it will be nicely spaced, and serves as a great tracer to make sure your designs turns out great!  



>Do you hate when all your plastic lids for tupperware are falling all over the place and driving you CRAZY!?  Here is a great solution also from Women's Day. This blog is basically going to be devoted to them. You can use a letter holder to sort the lids, even by size, and a great way to keep them organized and under control.  What a awesome idea!

>Want an easy way to hang your silk or any type of thin scarf so they stop falling all over the floor because the coat hanger is just TOO slippery? A great way to prevent this is clip shower rings together, or binder rings, and hang them through the binder ring. It keeps all the scarfs together and the rings are thin and keeps them hung up beautifully!




Thanks for reading, and until Halloween........

Brides Against Breast Cancer

I went to this event and I wanted to write about it because my experience was great, and if I could spread it's amazing-ness then why not blog it!

It was a wedding dress expo that was called Brides for Breast Cancer.  People and designers donate their dresses, ALL out for the taking.   They only do certain cities at certain times, so you have to catch it if you can or plan ahead if possible.  Tickets are $5, and the proceeds go towards treatment programs for cancer patients and their families.  It is also tax deductible!

THE SCOOP ON THE DAY!
We arrived a little early, to beat the crowds, which was no problem even though our ticket said we couldn't start searching til 12pm. Already a super awesome aspect!  They immediately handed us a bag of things, and told us to proceed to the vendors for all sorts of stuff. Flowers, make-up, more flowers, jewelry, shoes, more jewelry and shoes.  After passing that section, a volunteer takes you to another personal volunteer that helps take dresses to the dressing room and makes sure you are A ok the entire time you are there!  All the dresses were sorted by sizes which made looking through them a breeze, but you were only allowed three at a time. I would imagine this was too insure that everyone has the chance to see as many dresses as they can.  The dressing rooms were no big deal, shower curtains with mirrors in the main area so you can see how B E A utiful you looked.

I tried on dozens of dresses, and ended up finding the ONE, which is really pretty and costed the whopping price of $300.  It was a little big, but nothing a few threads and needles can't fix.  If anyone is getting married, or know someone who is and this is something they would be interested in, this organization is all over the United States, and I would recommend over and over again.   Here is all the information!

Brides Against Breast Cancer!

Thanks for reading.

PS- The worms are doing great!

Goofy Tid Bits

I did a bunch of goofy random things, or I should say I had to fix a bunch of random things, so here I am dumping it all on you.  The first of many was eating chocolate chips on the couch, and then someone sat on one or two and it congealed to their pants. Awesome! Of course chocolate on the butt looks like a big poo stain, so we needed to fix that.

>Chocolate on Clothing:  First, scrape off any excessive chocolate that was left on the clothing. Then rub an ice cube on the chocolate for a few minutes, freeze that baby, then scrap off any other other frozen chocolate that you can. Apply carpet stain remover and rub it into the stain. Rinse it off under water or throw it into the washing machine and it should come right out.  

That picture is similar to what I looked like eating my chocolate chips but significantly less cute. 

>Freezing for easy removal:  I like to burn candles but they are always in a candle holder, so when the candle gets all melty you have a waxy mess on your hands. For easy removal of the wax, stick it in the freezer for an hour or two, and it will chip right off when you take it back out.  This can also be used for any liquid substance that gets stuck on something and could pry off when it gets cold and hard. I am blanking on another instance it could happen with, but I know they are out there.

>Removing wax from carpet:  Heat up an iron, put paper towel on top of the wax, put the iron directly on top of stain/paper towel, and eventually the paper towel will "soak" up the candle wax.  As a heads up, you may need multiple paper towels. It takes a little while, but worth not having that nasty stain. 

>Mildew in clothes: The smell of mildew is not appealing to my nose, in fact, I strongly dislike it.  At times I have gotten attacked by the mildew gods and I found a pretty good way to fix it.  This relates mainly to clothes and towels.....wash your load with vinegar first, then follow with your normal detergent.  My washer has a short cycle that I use to rinse it with the vinegar, then I wash with detergent for a full cycle following. Dry as you normally would.  A side cause of mildew could also be the water residue that is left in the washing machine.  If dirty water keeps washing your already dirty clothes, they are never going to get fully clean. Wipe the inside of the washing machine with a water and vinegar mix or run the 'clean cycle" with vinegar if offered on your washing machines.  I know a lot of the front loaders have this option, and water does get trapped in the rubber that lines the door, so make sure you get in there and soak it up. The same goes for the residue that is left on the actual door. 

Did you spill something in the microwave?  To easily remove a spill from the micro, wet a paper towel, put it on top of the spill. Nuke it for 30 seconds, and the spill will get absorbed in the paper towel for an inpecable clean up! Yes! No one really likes cleaning out the microwave.  A piece of advice: Clean the mess right away so you don't have hard dried food on your hands, which is never any fun. 

If you didn't have time to clean it right away, microwave a cup of water and it will steam the food making it soft for a then easy clean up. Adding vinegar or lemon juice will take out any nasty smell that might have been left behind. Neat. 

Until Next Time....

Critters Snacking, Flatulence, And Tons of Useful Ideas!

Critters! I was having a problem with little critters eating my plants/peppers/tomatoes on the side of the house. I had read that you could sprinkle cayenne pepper on the leaves and plants and it would deter those guys from having a little snack. I did not have cayenne pepper around the spice cabinet, so I found a great alternative that also worked quite well.  Crushed Red Pepper. I sprinkled that all over the plants, leaves, pots, and it proved successful over the past couple weeks. A positive side note- if you use crushed red pepper it rinses off easily, and does not effect the taste of the leaves or veggies or fruits.

Flatulence! I had grown up using matches as a smell eliminator and I thought this was something that was common knowledge. Talking to some people, they didn't know that this could be something that rids the stank in the bathroom, so here I am telling you that matches are a fantastic solution.  The sulfur dioxide that is emitted when the match is struck is a very pungent smell, which does a great job of covering up the other really pungent smell.  Not too be fooled though, it doesn't RID the smell, it just masks it or fools our brains to think that it is riding it. Apparently there was a 2006 Mythbusters episode on this phenomenon and they concluded that the smell of the match being lit and then burnt really just masks our perception of the odors rather then the match neutralizing the gases.   Proof!

Tons of Ideas!

Stay Fresh, And Away From The Mess

Hey! I have been doing some more experimenting and I wanted to share MORE tricks for the blog.

This cartoon picture is ridiculous, and the
exact opposite of what is happening right now.

Corn!  I like to buy corn at the farmers market but it is on Fridays, and we don't always get to eating it that day. The solution: take the corn out of the husk, wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it into the refrigerator. I left it in there for about a week, took it out of the wrap, boiled the corn, and it was just as fresh and delicious as day 1.


My roommate taught me THE magic trick for NON-STICKY bar or restaurant napkins. To avoid your glass sticking to the napkin, throw some salt right on the napkin and it creates a barrier between the glasses and napkin.  No more awkward 'drink with napkin' move.

The Stick of the Scis-sor:
I don't know about you, but I strongly dislike when you go to use a pair of scissors and they are sticky or just hard to open because something has gotten stuck up in there.  Usually the scissors come apart so you can easily goo gone or scrape the gunky stuff, BUT for those scissors that do not come apart here is a solution.  Take some rubbing alcohol and pour it over the scissor part that is sticking, preferably over a bowl and just let it sit for 20 minutes or so.  Since you can't get in there to scrub it, it doesn't cure it completely, but does help to decrease cutting frustration.

My food guru fahja sent me these helpful pointers. Check it out, it's pretty neat!
3 Surprisingly Heart-Healthy Foods
>Beer
Red wine may soon have company on the healthy drinks menu. According to a recent review of more than 18 studies on booze, beer is just as good for your heart as vino. Drinking a little more than a pint of beer a day could make you 30 percent less likely than non-drinkers to suffer from stroke, heart attacks, and heart disease, researchers found. Credit heart benefits to the alcohol itself, and polyphenols (antioxidants) in beer. And make sure to drink that beer with a smile.
>Burgers
As long as they’re grass-fed. How come? A heart-healthy diet has to be balanced in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio is usually way out of whack on most of your conventional beef, but with grass-fed beef, it’s close to 1:3—similar to the ratio found in most heart-healthy fish. Another bonus? Grass-fed beef is loaded with cardio-protective vitamin E. Check out your local farmer’s market to find the best grass-fed beef. http://www.tallgrassbeef.com/
>Eggs
A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that eating eggs increases HDL (“good”) cholesterol but not LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. So eggs actually help your arteries stay clear! In another study, overweight participants ate a 340-calorie breakfast of either two eggs or a single bagel 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Those who ate eggs (including the yolk) reported higher energy levels and lost 65 percent more weight—with no effect on their total cholesterol levels.

Hola! It has been a little while, did a little traveling, and answered a pretty important question.  Of course while away from the blog, I was constantly thinking about new material and here I am back and ready for action.

As soon as I mentioned that I did not have fruit flies (which is one of the major down sides to composting), they must have read the blog and then flew straight to my kitchen. Oh course I sighed and said sh**, but then looked it up in my vermicomposting book and came up with a solution.  If they travel to your house for one reason or another, the best way to trap and rid them is TO set a cup with apple cider vinegar about half full, put plastic wrap over and secure with a rubber band. THEN poke some holes in the top, but not too big. You want them to get in but not be able to get out. They will be drawn to the vinegar, and away from your kitchen.  My cup is pretty full with those little fruit eaters!

My new recent obsession mixed with an old obsession has created a great cleaning bonanza in the house. Not literally mixing them together, but having them both near by.  The new: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, and the old: tea tree oil.  You can basically get anything done with both of these bad boys (oh! and of course my best friend vinegar).  Mr. Clean takes off the dirt from the lawn chairs, stains on the kitchen floor, and scum in between the tiles in the bathroom. Tea Tree oil (diluted with water) gets the makeup off the counter, oil off of my skin from my bike chain, and so many other things.  Absolutely love them both, and you can literally use them for just about any household anything.  I mentioned in a previous post, but will reiterate, tea tree oil is great for your skin too.  Helps reduce pimples, heal bacterial infections, and great for your cuticles.  It does have a very potent odor, so it's not for the weak of smell.

I did answer an important question and now have a bit of bling on my left ring finger.  It was my grandma's engagement ring, and therefore had a couple of years behind its '"belt".  I wanted to give it a little extra lovin, and mixed it in a solution of 6 parts water to one part ammonium and put it into a vibrating denture cleaning machine.  Of course this is something that I have access to because of where I work, but this solution will also work if you let them soak for a while.  After your rings have relaxed for a bit, rinse with soap and water and scrub with a soft brush. The key to this is PLUG THE SINK when doing this so your valuables don't go right down the pipe.  This solution can be used on gold, sterling silver, diamonds, all types of jewels.  Should have taken a before and after photo, but if you trust me, it definitely makes things sparklier.

The next and final tid bit was given to me by a generous contributor and I have not  tried it personally.  You can clean dry erase boards with nail polish remover.  If they are starting to look a little dingy, you can pour a bit on there and it will clean right up. Apparently the acetone-free type worked great too!

Thanks! Flanagan out. 

It's Been A Year

That's right, it is my anniversary and I have been blogging for a year. Wow-zaaas! Of course I could not have done it without the eyeballs of you guys and gals.  Thanks for clicking and checking back every now and again!

I decided to devote this episode to my worms and give you the update on those little buggers because I just love talking about them. AND if you have made one on one contact with me I am also obsessed with the fact that I got attacked by a Canadian goose while I was riding my bike the other week.  It looked sometime along the lines of this: with a side of pecking at my bike helmet. For real.

And this is how to avoid a goose attack in case I have scared anyone to death. Goose Survival Guide

Ok, enough of those terrible Canadian geese, and onto the worms. They are much more caring, and less terrifying, plus they dig the food that I give them.  I have been doing the vermicompost for two months now, and they have pretty much eaten up a good chunk of the food and are ready to move into bigger and better places.  How the system works that I have is, you build upwards and the worms are able to detect where the food is and they migrate north.  There are little holes in the bottom of every "bin" which is how they move from one to the other.  They are all in one bin as of right now which is pretty full, so the bottom tray is going to be used in the garden as planting compost, and they are going to start breaking down the food in the "working bin".  Was that confusing? I took pictures to better show what I am trying to describe. 

 

      The Old Set-Up --->     

                 The New Set-Up --->
 

 The very top bin is the "working" one. The worms to head to their summer northern home, and leave behind all their other memories.  In the old set-up it looks like 2 bins (including the Spigot one), and in the new there are 3. The bin that has the spigot on it doesn't have any worms in it, that collects excess moisture which is rich in nutrients to be used in household plants or in the garden. 

The "Hole-y" bin

Things that might be interesting or questions one might have.  They really prefer kinds of foods over others. For example, avocados which were already mentioned, corn in the cob, they were wrapped about those bad boys which was pretty neat.  Fruit, specifically watermelon rinds, grapes, and strawberry tops.  It is still in my kitchen, and still doesn't smell. The actual garbage can smells much much worse.  No fruit flies hanging around the kitchen, which is a really common problem, but as a preventative measure I have been putting the scraps in the freezer or fridge.  I have a container that is the overflow until I feed them, which is about 2 times a week.  I have not had too many scraps yet, but the summer is coming which means more fresh veggies, fruits, so we will see what happens. When it got too hot in the house they knew right away and started fleeing the dirt to cool down, that was a pretty cool process to watch.  Not actually leaving the bin because it's impossible, but going down to the spigot level where they are not supposed to go. At first I was offended they didn't want to hang out in the home that I made them, but then I figured it out, and felt bad for the crawlers.  The air was turned on shortly after, not for the worms though, for the humans. Honest.

I think that's about it.....One year down with another one just upon us.

Later gators!

Potters, Plants, And Puns Are Phenomenal!

The nice weather is upon us, the sun shines bright and early in the morning, which means avocados and Oberon are in season! You have to love the midwest/midwesterners because we really know how to get out there and enjoy the weather.

I actually got this idea from the chalkboard paint CAN, although I am sure it is all over Pinterest. If you don't know about Pinterest, it is an internet site that you can find a lot of crafty things and so much more. I painted the rim of the pots to write what 'breed' of plant they are, for ALL to see.  It is such an easy easy thing to do, and a small quart of the paint goes a long way.  Obviously, if you want to have the chalk stay in tact you can't really water it with a hose, but the watering can works great. Here is the picture:

Cute, right?

AVOCADOS! Another thing that I recently discovered is how to keep an avocado fresh after you cut it open and can't really finish it all in one sitting.  My worms really love the avocado shells, so I have found myself using that as an excuse to buy more avocados, therefore needed a freshness cure.  Here is the solution to THE freshness: I usually eat only half at a time, so when you cut it is half, stick the other half on a small plate and this way it seals it air tight and your avocado will stay nice and fresh until you want eat it again.  No more Ziploc bags, plastic wrap, or container that just doesn't fit right!  I have done this for as long as 2-3 days, and it still tastes great and as green as could be.  I thought it was a great fix for that seemingly impossible cure for the non-air attacked avocado!

Right above my finger is where it was
catching and I added clear nail polish

EYE GLASSES! I am blind as a bat, and wear glasses the second that I take my contacts out because I would literally be running into walls.  One of the problems with my glasses was they were constantly getting stuck on my hair when I was putting them on and off.  I mean.....ripping my hair out and it was driving my crazy. I went to the glasses store and the incredibly nice women told me instead of replacing the sides of the glasses (price-y) to paint some clear nail polish on the part where the glasses were getting caught. So that is what I did, painted the side where the metal did quite meet up, and it worked like a charm.  My knowledge from Pearl Vision passed onto you!

Hope this finds everyone well, worm update coming soon to computer/mobile devices near you (to those interested)!

Flanagan out.