Watermelon, Watermelon in My Garden

Can you see it? It is hiding there in the midst of all the leaves. Yay! We are so happy to see it. I'm wondering if there will be enough time before summer is over to harvest it.
From Wikipeida.
 Watermelon is a vine-like (scrambler and trailer) flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind (exocarp) and fleshy center (mesocarp and endocarp). Pepos are derived from an inferior ovary, and are characteristic of the Cucurbitaceae. The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon – although not in the genus Cucumis – has a smooth exterior rind (green, yellow and sometimes white) and a juicy, sweet interior flesh (usually deep red to pink, but sometimes orange, yellow and even green if not ripe).

We haven't tried to grow watermelon for a few years because it takes up so much room. If it turns out good, we may plant more next year.

YUM!

Ten Uses (Other Than the Obvious) For Hair Conditioner

Hair conditioner has only been around for about 60 years; in the 1950's Swiss scientists developed the compound that improved hair health. Life without the married set of shampoo and conditioner in my shower would be quite a bit frumpier, but aside from the obvious use as a hair softener, there are many uses for this delightful Swiss creation.

1. Clean "Dry-Clean Only" Garments.

             Sometimes, we feel obligated to spend extra money on the upkeep of expensive things, but dropping 20 bucks at the Dry-Cleaners for our silk shirts and trousers every week can really add up. Remove this extra cost by filling up a sink with water (warm for whites and cold for colors) adding a tablespoon of hair conditioner, putting the item in the water for a few minutes, pulling it out, rinsing it, and hanging it up to dry.

2. Make That Stainless Steel Gleam.

             Avoid expensive chemicals and a trip to the store by putting conditioner onto your kitchen utensils, bathroom appliances, sports equipment, and anything else that is looking lackluster, simply rub it off with a cloth and you'll be blinded by the shine.

3. Shine Up Your House Plants.

             So your leafy little sun-sucker is looking a bit dusty? No fear! Hair conditioner is here! Put a bit of this magical substance onto a soft cloth and apply a thin layer to the leaves of your oxygen-blowing, CO2-consuming, water drinking friend.

4. Stop Your Zipper From Getting Stuck.

             It's pretty annoying to work a zipper free from the jammed teeth of it's partner only to have it get stuck the next time you try to zip up your jacket. To avoid this pain, dab conditioner along the teeth, this will act as a lubricant to stop it from getting stuck again. 

5. Keep Rust Off Tools.

             In order to prevent rust spawning on your wrenches and screwdrivers, rub down your tools with hair conditioner.

6. Oil Those Axles.

             Get rid of the annoying squeak of un-oiled skate wheels. Apply a layer of conditioner to the axles and that obnoxious noise will be obliterated.

7. Save the Shoes! 

             Winter can be a tough time in the life of a shoe, having to slosh around in icy messes, walking on salted sidewalks, and kicking through snowbanks. Protect boots and shoes by rubbing a bit of conditioner on them, who knows, you might save their lives. Plus, it also works as an excellent leather conditioner too.

8. Dismiss Razor Burn.

             Aside from the popular use of hair conditioner as shaving cream, it can also be used as a lotion to sooth razor burned legs.

9. Take Off Make-Up. 

             Don't spend 8 bucks on make up remover when you can use something you already have! Hair conditioner can be used to gently and quickly remove make-up and to smooth skin.

10. Take Off a Stuck Ring.

            So maybe trying on mom's wedding ring wasn't the best idea, and now it's stuck... great. No worries though! Simply lubricate the finger in hair conditioner, and that little piece of metal should slide right off, if not, you may have to cut off your finger. :-)

There are so many things you can do with a little bottle of hair conditioner, if you are changing conditioners consider saving the old one it for something else.

Ideas from: Reader's Digest : extraordinary uses for ordinary things

  

Non-Toxic Homemade Bathtub Cleaner

 Have you ever wanted to clean your bathtub and not use that "green Stuff" that we all sang about when we were kids? (...makes your mouth turn green.....makes you vomit.....) Remember it?

Here is a great simple recipe we use in our home when we clean the tub. I change out the oils every so often and use lemon or orange for a more citrus scent.

• 1/3 cup cup Borax
• 1/3 cup cup Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon liquid Dish-washing Soap
• 5 drops Rosemary essential oil
• 5 drops Tea Tree essential oil

Stir all ingredients together to blend. It can take a couple of minutes to blend it thoroughly.  You can store this in a reusable plastic container. I make this every three months or so.

Use a sponge to scrub the tub and rinse. Voila! A clean smelling bathtub that is non-toxic and inexpensive.

Easy Recipe For Homemade Window Cleaner

Make your own non toxic cleaning supplies out of ordinary household items. Now that it is almost summer, I know I'd like to look out of windows that are clean! 
Here is a simple recipe I found that works well and is green and inexpensive to make.

1 Gallon Water
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Liquid Dish Detergent ( I use Seventh Generation)

Mix it up and store in spray bottles. This mixture works as well as the glass cleaners you find in the store. They are much better for you and much easier on your pocketbook.  Make some up today and see what you think.

Home Improvements Can Be Green

Whether you only have a hundred dollars to spend on a home improvement project or thousands at your disposal, the prospect of enhancing and adding value to your home is very exciting for most people. These carefully selected home improvement tips and tricks are just the thing to get you inspired and ready for your next project.

Choose flat or matte paint for wall imperfections. If you use a flat or matte paint on a less than perfect wall, it will hide the little imperfections. This type of paint is useful for ceilings, bedrooms, and living room walls, too. Just remember that while it is easy to touch up, this kind of paint is quite difficult to clean.

If you are lucky enough to have a deck on your home, then you probably do routine cleaning such as sweeping and general removal of outdoor debris. You should also do a deep cleaning of your deck surface at least once a year. Remove everything from your deck to give yourself plenty of room to work.

When you buy new appliances to improve your home, don't just set the old ones out by the curb to take up space in the land fill. Take some time to find a local recycler if they are broken. If they still work, donate them to your favorite charity or sell them for a few dollars to someone who needs them.


There are all types of things that can be done in order to improve your home. This includes many projects which can be done by yourself. One of the easiest and most rewarding projects that a beginner can try is to build a deck. Many people have been successful with this.

When improving the outdoor of your home, replace your garage door. When someone is looking at your home from the outside, the garage door is a major feature. You can install a new garage door to provide your home with a new and good looking feature that will attract attention to your home.

Something that can be done in the way of home improvement is to theme your rooms. For example you may want to have a teddy bear theme in one of your bathrooms and have a native Indian theme in your living room. Doing this will add a level of flare and comfort to your home.

If you have the available financial resources, why wait another day to get started on your next home improvement or landscaping project? Regardless of the scope and scale of the new project, the useful information found in this article will most certainly make the process far more simple and stress-free.

Improving Your Home Tips and Tricks

If you're interested in improving your home but aren't sure how to, then look no further. This article is geared to help you learn ways to improve your house with many insightful tips. Just make sure you read and digest the information because that's the only way you're going to see any type of real change.

When looking for home improvement ideas to help your home sell, do not forget about storage space. Adding additional shelving and cabinets in the garage or custom storage to the closets are a great way to get organized, but also help in the resale of your home. Home buyers are always looking for additional storage space.

When doing upgrades on your home, make sure you do not invest much into an upgrade that cannot possibly get you a return when you sell it. For example, do not pay $30,000 to upgrade a kitchen in a home that you paid $90,000 for if most houses in the area only sell for around $100,000.

TIP! If you are forming the construction of your house, try not to put a television in the kitchen. If you love television, you will then spend more time in the kitchen.

If you hate painting and paneling, try wallpaper. Wallpapering your home is a very simple and inexpensive way to add a new look to any room. Be cautious of which paper you choose, as some are much more difficult to remove than others, in the case you may not like it in the future.

For a quick and affordable way to update the appearance of your master or guest bathroom, consider purchasing coordinated metal fixtures. Towel racks, toilet paper holders, shower curtain rods and cabinet knobs, are available in a variety of shapes and finishes. Many home improvement stores offer these fixtures as part of a complete, coordinating package, that can easily be installed in a single day.

You can easily change the look and feel of your furniture simply by purchasing distinctive new knobs, handles, and drawer pulls. These accents can be purchased individually or as part of a set for added savings, and the selection of colors, materials, and shapes is virtually infinite. This is also an excellent option to update antique or vintage furniture that is missing its original hardware.

TIP! Take a sponge to your drywall! Don't sand your drywall seams, sponge them. With practice, a wet sponge is just as effective in smoothing out the seams of a drywall job as is careful sanding.

Take a close look at your home and ideas. As with any home improvement project, you need to know where to begin. Looking through your entire home and cataloging changes you want to see if you can get the best idea of where to start out. Work through the list from necessity to wants.

Hopefully, with the information you acquired from this article, you're feeling like you have a better idea of what it is you need to do to improve your home. Now that you have this knowledge, formulate strategies for success and apply them wherever you see fit. If you do that, you should be satisfied with the results.

Interested in How You Can Add Green Energy To Your Lifestyle?

How can green energy change your life? It can do a number of things, such as reducing your need to rely on the electrical grid, lowering bills, and helping to save the environment. What ways are there for you to be involved? Read this article for simple tips on using green energy.

Buy rechargeable batteries for all of your gadgets instead of using the disposable version. Restrain from throwing any battery in the trash. The environmental impacts of such a disposal method are not good. Save yourself some money and do the environment a favor when you recharge your batteries. Choosing rechargeable batteries over traditional types will save you a lot of money over time.

Choose a green gas source to heat your home. This type of gas has a net zero impact on changes to the climate on our planet. You can often purchase this type of gas directly from your electric company, though you will pay a premium to do so. The benefits to the environment can be worth the extra cost though, and the more people who subscribe the less expensive this option will become.

When you install a solar energy system, place the batteries close to the cells. This avoids power loss in the cable. It also lowers the possibility of shading the cable cells and lessening their output capacity.

If you are not using the lights, turn them off. Lights should only be used after dusk when they become necessary. Also remember to turn off the lights when leaving a room. If you don't need them, turn lights off, like those on your porch or in your cabinets. This will decrease energy consumption.

Organic Gardening Tips

Ready to start growing your own food via an organic garden? Do you know how to start growing a garden like that? If not, no worries, this article has your back. Below are some tips and tricks that can get you started with the basics of growing an organic garden.

Save those old or damaged Venetian blinds! The slats can be re-used make excellent markers for your organic garden. Cut the slats loose from the cords holding the blind together. Cut the slats at an angle (so that the end is pointed and easy to stick in the soil) with a small wood saw. You should cut about four inch lengths. Use a lead pencil or an indelible marker to write the name of the plants, and stick the marker in the ground!

If you find yourself battling annoying clumps of weeds, one solution is to use a concentrated spritz of water and vinegar to the most choked areas. Adjust the nozzle on the sprayer so that it is easier to target only the affected areas. This is most effective when used on a sunny day.

TIP! Embrace earthworms in the organic garden! Earthworms are an organic gardener's best friend. Through tunneling and their nitrogen-rich castings, they can help to aerate the soil.

For organic fertilizer to use around the plants in your garden and flower beds, start a compost bin made from all-organic material that would otherwise be wasted. Pitch in yard clippings, leaves, vegetable peelings, eggshells and coffee grounds, turning the contents of the bin often. In just a short time, you will have great material to mix with your soil that will provide nutrients and nourishment to your plants without added chemicals.

With the previous tips kept in mind, you ought to be ready to start growing your own organic food. It does take some research, hard work outside, and some patience, but if you keep at it, it is indeed possible to have a successful organic garden. So, get out there and grow!

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

We are down to the wire now and your last few days of Christmas shopping are slowly going away. But you still have a list and of course they are the hardest people to buy for.

Here is a few suggestions for those hard to buy for people left on your list.

• Dinner and a movie (great for a single person, or friend you want to treat)
• Coupons for kids - 1 hour of game time with mom, get out of chores free etc...
• Bake a batch of someones favorite cookie and deliver it with a bow
• Donate to their charity in their honor
• Offer free babysitting cards - perfect for the new parents
• Host a game night complete with lots of goodies to eat and drink
• Give a gift to a favorite magazine
• Enroll and pay for a one year membership to the local farm co-op

If you get creative, you will find lots of gift ideas just around the corner. Gifts do not have to be big, expensive off the shelf items. We all have too much of that laying around our houses anyhow. Put a little thought into it and you'll be amazed at the response. Maybe you will even start a new tradition.

Green Ideas for Christmas

Going Green With Your Christmas Tree

What is that you say? Christmas Trees are green? Sure they are in color. But what is the best way to be "green" with your Christmas Tree? Some believe that having a fake Christmas tree is the greenest way to go. After all, you can reuse it year after year. These trees may be green for awhile and you may enjoy the easy clean up and freedom from watering, but after a few years these pvc green wanna-Be's end up in the landfill anyhow.

Well that is one strike already for those!

Let's look at fresh Christmas trees. From a lot, or from your local forest, some people can not stand the idea of cutting down a living tree. Let alone removing it from the forest. Truth is there are a few green ways to make this living tree a better choice. After the holidays, you can mulch the tree and place it around your garden beds. You could also cut up the wood and let it dry for summer camp outs. Trim the branches and use for slippery winter walkways or donate your tree to the local boy scout chapter and they will recycle it for you.
You get to enjoy a tree in your home for a few weeks, and you save maybe a larger tree from being cut down for the purpose of wood chips.

It's maybe not a strike, but still it's not the best option.

So what is the number one way to keep your Christmas Holiday Tree green?

Go to the local nursery and purchase a beautiful fir tree or whatever tree you would like to decorate. Sure it costs more, but many of us around the country pay just as much for a tree off a lot at Christmas time.
Take your living green Christmas tree home, and keep it indoors for a few weeks. Decorate it, enjoy it, water it! When Christmas is over take your living green tree outside and prepare it for planting in your back yard. Instant landscaping, and a beautiful tree that will grow and bring you many memories of Christmases past. Imagine the yard you will have in just 10 years. If you don't like the thought of spending your New Years Holiday digging a hole, donate this living tree to your local parks and recreation department. They will plant it and you will be bringing a beautiful tree to your town.

It really is the greenest way to celebrate this year.

Things to do with Coffee Grounds

Do you have too many coffee grounds? Want to get a free used coffee grounds from Starbucks but not sure what to do with them. Well, here we have a few cool and fun ideas that will stretch those precious coffee grounds and help you around the house too.

• Sprinkle around house plants
• Use coffee grounds like you would ant deterrent. Throw coffee grounds around the foundation of your home and keep ants from getting in. It is said ants won't cross them. Well....we still don't have ants.
• Mix coffee grounds with your favorite body wash to add a micro abrasion therapy for your skin.
• Place coffee grounds in all your garden beds to keep cats from using it as their personal liter box.
• Bathe your dog with coffee grounds and water. It is said to repel fleas.
• Add a bowl of used coffee grounds to your freezer or fridge. It will help absorb odors.
  
• Place used coffee grounds in cotton bags and keep in closets to absorb odors.
• It's always nice to keep some coffee grounds in the kitchen. Run through the garbage disposal or use on your hands after cutting onions.
• Coffee is a great hair rinse too!
  

The Toddy

I'm in love with my new coffee maker. It's a cold brew Toddy. I found mine on craigslist, so it was a bonus score.

If you haven't heard of the Toddy, it is a cold brew coffee system. You soak a pound of coffee in about a gallon of cold water for up to 12 hours. Filter through it's reusable filter pad, and you have a gallon of coffee concentrate. Just 2 ounces of coffee concentrate to 6 ounces of boiling water and you have a perfect cup.

Oh but there is more to this fabulous coffee. It is less acidic for those you have trouble with regular coffee. Because it uses a cold process no hot water touches the actual grounds releasing the bitter oils. Full flavor with out the oils.

According to the directions, you use the coffee once, and throw the grounds away. However, I found that my grounds were still full of flavor, so I drained it, and poured in another gallon of cold water and let sit for 12 more hours. Yup, just as good as the first batch.

Another sweet fact, instead of throwing those coffee grounds away, mix them into your composter, add a couple tablespoons to your house plants, or mix it in a couple of gallons of water and water those outside plants and gardens. There are Fabulous results being reported all over on this wonderful natural fertilizer.

Fall Clean Up

Ah, the beauty of fall. The leaves turn orange and yellow and red. The holiday season is just around the corner and do you hear it.....the neighborhood is quiet. Yes, we love fall around here. Here where I live, the leaves are on the tree for less then a week after they start changing. We go from summer to winter in no time. The simple beauty of fall gives way quickly to the clean up of fall.
Raking, piling, raking some more, sweeping and doing it again tomorrow since the neighbors leaves blew into your yard.

I learned this year that instead of raking up and bagging all those leaves, we could just run the lawn mower over them on the mulch setting. This seems like an easy way to feed our lawn and save labor. If you have too many leaves to leave on the ground, rake a few and place them on top of your garden beds. Give a little turn and you will have beautiful soil in the spring.

The key to leaving the leaves on the grass for the winter is if you can still see grass blades you are fine. So, mulch away.

Green Ideas - Soda Bottle Solar Lights

What a great inventive idea. Why this was invented for 3rd world countries, I bet we could find wonderful green uses in our own homes. A great recycled use for those bottles.

Go Green - Plant a Tree

Plant a tree or two around the southern exposure of your house and you will eventually appreciate the few degrees of coolness the shade provides. Not only will you have more shade around your house but you can run your air conditioner up to 40% less due to the shade the trees provide.

Having trees around your home also helps keep your yard cooler by counter acting the island effect that can happen in urban neighborhoods.

Another great benefit is all the wonderful oxygen hanging around your house because of those trees. Tress take our carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. What a great deal for us!

Go Green - Share a ride

A wonderful way to save on gas, wear and tear on your vehicle and emissions is by sharing a ride with a fellow co-worker or neighbor.

This information site at Marc.org can help you see just how much money and emissions you can save by changing a few habits.

A great Emissions Calculator Here!

Shoe Polish - Organic Style

It's true the banana might be one of the more versatile fruits. Eaten plain, mixed with yogurt, in your cereal or atop your ice cream sundae you will find bananas have so many uses. We have told you before about the bananas amazing ability to clean house hold plants on this blog before. Here. But did you know it works as a fabulous shoe polish too. The potassium in this yellow fruit rivals the potassium found in commercial shoe polishes.
To polish your shoes, first make yourself a banana smoothie. Don't throw away the peel. Then, while you're enjoying that smoothie, take the peel white side up and polish your shoes just like you would with a commercial polish. When you have covered your shoe with this glorious organic compound, take a soft rag and buff.
Easy as...well....banana pie. Enjoy!

Go Green - Fix Water Leaks

It doesn't take much to usually fix a leaky faucet. Not much money and not too much time. Usually a leaky faucet has to do with a failed washer. They are quite easy to fix. Here is a video showing you step by step how to fix a leaky faucet.



Not sure how much water your actually wasting? I found this great website that will tell you just how much water your wasting per day, per year and so on. It will take you less then 60 seconds to get the information needed to show you how much water you could be saving if you fixed those leaky faucets. Head on over to Water Science for Schools and see just how much water you could save.

Go Green Today

Buy Local Produce and Reuse Bags

Spending your dollars at your local farmers market or road side stand not only gives you more for your money, it saves on emissions from delivery trucks and keeps your money going right back to produce more local fruit and veggies. 

Since we started buying local and tasting the difference we make the extra effort to keep our dollars local.

Green Ideas for Back to School

It's getting close to that time of year again. The kids are nervous the parents excited. Back to school comes quickly especially when your having fun. We want to teach our kids to be kind to our environment and back to school is a perfect time to practice what your preach.

When looking for clothing there are two options. You can head to your second hand store and purchase clothing at deeply discounted prices, therefore reusing items already made. It's about as green as you can get with clothing. The other green option is to look for clothing that is made from 100% organic cotton. Cotton is a renewable resource and organic means it's been treated with as much care as possible to the environment.

Don't like using second clothing? Or maybe your child is dead set against it? Add a little trim and lace to the jeans or ribbons to the shirts. Get your child to help you and they will love wearing the new creation.

When it comes to school supplies, choose the recycled versions over the new ones. Refillable pens over throw away ones and crayons over markers.

Make a list and check it twice. Don't buy duplicates of things that will work perfectly fine. Have fun and get creative. Then come back and tell us how you went green this back to school season!