Pine cone feeders

We are in October already. The air is crisp and clean. The leaves are starting to turn. What is there to do? Well I start making my pine cone feeders.

What you will need:

Pinecones,

Either: lard, suet, peanut butter

oatmeal, cornmeal

string

(Optional) High energy feed: dried fruit cut up in tiny pieces, chopped nuts, sunflower or milet



What to Do

First place string around pine cone, leave enough to hang on a tree.
Mix fat (not the Peanut butter) with equal parts oatmeal or cornmeal.
Spread this mixture on the pinecones. If using peanut butter spread without adding anything at this point.
Pour seed on a plate or cookie sheet with edges. You can add the High energy food if you like.
Roll the pinecones in the seed mixture until covered.
Hang the cones outside and enjoy the feast.

What are some of your projects?

9/11

It happened 9 years ago. Like today there was not a cloud in the sky. Life was good. Expecting our first child and buying a new house. My husband drove into the city and I went to the law office in Princeton. We were having coffee and settling down for the day when someone screamed. We ran to the conference room where the TV was on. Normally a busy office the phones stopped ringing. We just stayed around the TV and watched. I could not reach my husband but since he was in law enforcement, I knew he would be in harm’s way.


He called to let me know he was on the road and saw the second plane hit the towers. The turnpike was at a stop but he was going in. He later told me that the tunnels to NYC were closed but he put on his lights and sirens and was waved through. It was eerie being the only car in the tunnel, he said.

I did not hear from him until late that night. I was a New Yorker living in New Jersey. Did not have any good friends near and my close friends were unreachable in NYC. I had no way to get in and only wanted to go in and help - man phones at the Police station, help at a hospital but I could not. My parents were in NYC, they owned a house near the Police Department and like many opened their doors to the First responders that could not go home. A place to crash, a bath, and some food.

We could not believe that this was planned. It had to be a horrific accident. But after the second plane hit we knew we were under attack. I was afraid for us, I was afraid for my unborn child. I was afraid for those who would not see their loved ones come through the door. I saw a country shaken but pull together. The sleeping dog was up and growling. Lady Liberty was crying with her fist in the air. I saw people going to give blood that would not have done it at any other time. I saw strangers hugging and candles lit at night. I saw a unity that was not there before. It did not matter what you were a maid or CEO, who cared about the color of your skin, what language you spoke, what you looked liked we were all the same—Americans. We were united.

After all planes were grounded, I was proud when I saw a Military plane overhead. People around me would stop and look up and wave. We knew they could not see us but we were proud of them.

I learned that two childhood friends were each in one tower. One called the other and true to form said he would race him down to safety. That was the only reason the second left his office. The second waited for his friend outside and only saw the tower fall. Our friend was still inside.

We saw real heroes die and folks saved by a late train. We heard of lost dogs that got lost to comfort lost children. We saw unlikely friendships made. And the search for victims all in vain. We saw cars at the station never to have their owners come back. We saw searches for loved ones never to be seen again. We saw fathers come home covered in ash.

Yet, nine years later, a little voice asks why do you cry today Mommy. What is today? She says her prayers for the fallen. She cannot understand how we all came together since she has never seen that. I cannot explain how the world was so different. How we played outside alone; how we lost the innocence. She never knew the innocent time.

All gave some and some gave it all. Let us Never Forget. Teach your children what this day means.
R.I.P all those who died that fatefull day.  "Let's Roll" to a better world where innocence is not far gone and say "GOD BLESS THE USA".

Ketchup Recipe

My daughter LOVES ketchup.   I do not like all the stuff they put in to the store stuff. The organic one is expensive and is hard to get in my area. So what is a mother to do? Can’t find it – then make it. Here is a recipe I found that works.

My little girl likes it plain but you can add spice to it and change it up a notch. The water is what makes it thin or thick so adjust that to your tast.

Ketchup

3 6 oz cans tomato paste organic is the best

1/4 c honey local if you have it since it helps with allergies

1/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

pinch of cayenne

pinch all spice

pinch garlic powder

3/4 c cider vinegar organic if you can

Water as needed to reach the right consistency.

Mix together and simmer while stirring, for five minutes. Remove from heat. Cool. Adjust seasonings. Flavor will improve on standing .

For those that have to have it now. You can skip the simmering but this helps blend the flavors. Try adding different spices like chipotle to the mix.

Bon appetite.

Toronto

We took a trip to Toronto, Canada as a family. Wow what a beautiful city. It was clean and the people were very friendly. Two things caught my eye. First on the main strip, the restaurants have big windows facing the street. In two of the restaurants, right by the big windows, I saw not one but two MOMs breastfeeding. It was a beautiful sight. Yes they were not exposed but they were not shoved in the back or told to hide. It was accepted as normal. Yet here in the USA we still see lawsuits about MOMs not being allowed to breast feed or asked to move out of sight.

I then noticed a lot of wheelchairs. The city accommodates them and they are seen everywhere. It was with great ease that they moved around and the transportation system easily accommodated them. I always remember a trip to NYC where I saw a wheelchair bound person struggling with the buses. Here everyone seemed to be more mobile. It was nice to see.

And finally the last thing that impressed me was the way recycling was a part of everyday life. From the time we crossed the border there were blue bins for paper and cans and glass. Even the hotel rooms had these bins. Some places even had organic matter receptacles headed for a compost heap. I wish we did that more. They made it easy to recycle so more people did it.

Well those are my thoughts for today. How can we make the world better? One step at a time. Do one nice thing for another today.

Angels Come when you least expect it

A few weeks ago, my daughter needed a medical test performed at a well know NYC Hospital. It was a non -intrusive test but would be very long. She was testing for lactose intolerance with a breath test. It was negative our search goes on. Prior to the test she was on a restricted bland diet. Little girls on restricted diets don’t do well. All the cartoons had a food theme that day. Little brother only wanted to talk about ice cream and very good foods. We had him on a restricted diet to limit the foods she saw.

Towards the end of the day it occurred to me that I was not sure if she could drink water in the morning. Could she brush her teeth with toothpaste? Simple questions but if I choose the wrong one I could invalidate a test and have to do this all over again. It is an hour and a half drive to NYC and we needed to leave before the testing center opened. I doubted that I would hear back from them in time.

I called and e-mailed my contact anyway. And would you believe it! I got a response right back. Our pediatric Nurse Clinician Aris A. sent me back a detailed e-mail and a text message. He was even able to accommodate us from our long trip. As soon as we got there we rested and freshened up and the test started. He knew children. She was very scared even though we all said that it would not hurt. He told her Daddy could try the drink first and then she would drink it all up. Daddy did and gave her a big smile and she ended up asking for more. I knew she was thirsty as not even a drop of water could she drink.

It was a long test, about three hours. We played on her DSI, read books, Mom crocheted a shawl and Dad read and read. Yet every time that Aris came by he would walk right up to her and explain to her what was happening. He taught her how to blow up the balloon and what a good job she was doing. He even thought to bring her books to read that were at her level.

His kindness and professionalism of answering a late placed email impressed me. Too often, we do not praise or acknowledge the little things in life. I call them the little angel acts. A kind word comforts a frightened child. A smile relaxes one. A return of an email or phone call comforts a distraught mother. Each action in and of itself is small and yet if even one were missing the result would not have been so good.

I have a little girl who knows she needs more tests and is not afraid to go back. She knows she will meet with friendly people and be safe. I only wish and hope that everyone she meets is as kind and professional as Aris. Thank you Aris for a job well done.

Food for thought

This is not the post I intended to put up today. I am working on one about my daughter medical test and helpful hints on that and a great nurse practitioner.

But then I saw this from the FDA. Food Recall Link  It made me think how lucky I am. I buy most veggies from the farmers at the farmers market. My meat is from within 100 miles at the Whole Food store. My milk from a local dairy. My eggs from the small farm a few miles over where they are free range.

Point is I know where my food comes from. I have it fresh and if there is a nationwide recall I am pretty safe from where I get my food. There are enough local farmers where I am at that if one has trouble I just buy from the others down the road. They take pride in their food and will tell me when something is damaged. For example, “ the melons are very soft but they are good to eat take two for the price of one”. “ Tomatoes are strange looking but good for sauce”.

Due to necessity and convenience, we usually have no idea where our food comes from and so we increase the danger of the recalls. I do not know how the spinach is packed or the eggs are handled at our supermarkets. I have to trust them. I see how the food is packed at the local farmers market and see the care they have for the food.

If you can buy local. Help our farmers. You are not only helping the environment but keeping you and your family safe.

Back to School

Here are some back to school tips that I thought you would like and a chance to dosome good for the environment and our children:

1.Art supplies.  Paints should be water-based to avoid solvents and colored with non-metal pigments.          Polymer clays that stay soft at room temperature or can be hardened in a home oven --  are made from  PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and often contain phthalates.  When possible make your own clay. 

2.Hand washing. Plain soap and water is great but if you have to choose a sanitizers use one that has ethyl
 alcohol but no fragrance

3.Backpacks.  Natural fibers are the way to go. Skip those made with PVC that is no #3, the symbol for
   PVC, or look for "no PVC" on the label.. Second best are the  polyester and nylon ones.
4.Lunch boxes. Make sure they do not cntain lead  paint, PVC, BPA and antimicrobial chemicals. Some      options are: cotton lunch bags, BPA-free plastic or unpainted stainless steel. Reuse utensils from home and pack food in reusable, rather than disposable, containers (such as lightweight stainless steel or #1, 2, 4 or 5 plastics). The Safe Landing  has great products including drinking containers.

5.Pencils and pens. Pick plain wooden pencils (no paint or glossy coating) made from wood or recycled       newspaper. Skip the scented ones.

6.Notebooks and binders. Plastic covers on binders and spiral notebooks are usually made from PVC (#3    plastic).  Avoid these.

7 .Paper products. Look for recycled paper, no  bleach. Avoid added lotion, fragrance and dyes.

8.Glue. Good options are: glue sticks, white/yellow/clear "school" glue. No rubber cement.

9. Clothing.  remember to label everything.  I usedto make my own labels but I have enough to do without
 that so now I buy mine and get to stick them on and peel off when I am through with an item try them at Children's Labels.

Okay Mom's you have the information to make better choices for your children.  Mine like the binders and folders with the plastic and designes.  So I cut out the pictures from gift wrap and use my glue stick to glue on their books and notebooks.  This worked and then it is also handmade with extra touches.  Hope this helps.  Let me know what else you need info on,

Hockey Equipment Cleaning Tip

Hockey Moms,


I think I have a solution for the stinky protective gear. First, stink is caused by bacteria that love moist places. Our kids stuff gets moist just by being used. They need to wear it to get protection but they do not need that stinky smell. You need to let them dry thoroughly. That means not in the back of the car or piled on the floor. I made a mannequin out of scrape wood and wire we had. Not that pretty but I can store the gear on it and know I have not lost anything. The wire on most of it lets the air circulate around the equipment and dry it out.

When I have a long break between practice and games, I use a solution of bleach and warm water to rub on the equipment. That seems to kill much of the smell. When I do not have time for that, which is usually the case, I spray the equipment with a natural disinfectant. I use  Mela-magic by Melanuca product that kills germs. On the mannequin, I dry out the equipment and yeah the smell is gone.  Contact me on how to get this product if you like.

I have a little guy in the atom or mite division and they are picky about the smell of things. As they get older I think they just think it is natural but I will see how long I can keep battling the stink. Let me know what you do.

Whats in our Cosmetics?

As a Mom, I always worry about what ingredients are in the products I use. I did my research on the cosmetic and bath products that my family uses. I was shocked to discover that manufacturers can put any ingredient in their product and without any government review or control. That means that some products may contain harmful ingredients. I learned that personal care products, including children's products, may contain a cancer-causing ingredient, 1,4-Dioxane, and 60 percent of sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a potential hormone disruptor. There are reports of hidden substances in fragrance and preservatives in personal care products.


Recently there was a report that the increase in learning disabilities may be linked to all the chemicals we are exposed to in uterus and out. So I was glad to hear that the Congress introduced a bill to help solve this problem. The bill is Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (H.R. 5786). It is intended to expand the review and control of ingredients used in the cosmetic and bath products. It may allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prohibit dangerous ingredients that have already been banned in Europe.

If you want to support this bill and I urge you to click on the link below. Thank you.




Click to support the Bill

Do Cleaning Products Cause Breast Cancer?

ScienceDaily (July 19, 2010) — Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health asked more than 1500 women about their cleaning product usage and found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control had a higher incidence of breast cancer.

Julia Brody, from the Silent Spring Institute, USA, worked with a team of researchers to carry out telephone interviews with 787 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 721 comparison women. She said, "Women who reported the highest combined cleaning product use had a doubled risk of breast cancer compared to those with the lowest reported use. Use of air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control were associated with increased risk. To our knowledge, this is the first published report on cleaning product use and risk of breast cancer."

The researchers questioned women on product use, beliefs about breast cancer causes, and established and suspected risk factors. They found that cleaning products, air fresheners, and insect repellents were associated with breast cancer, but little association was observed with overall pesticide use. Women with breast cancer who believed that chemicals and pollutants contribute 'a lot' to the risk of developing the condition were more likely to report high product usage.

Speaking about this potential bias to the study, Brody said, "When women are diagnosed with breast cancer, they often think about what happened in the past that might have contributed to the disease. As a result, it may be that women with breast cancer more accurately recall their past product use or even over-estimate it. Or, it could also be that experience with breast cancer influences beliefs about its causes. For example, women diagnosed with breast cancer are less likely to believe heredity contributes 'a lot', because most are the first in their family to get the disease."

In order to avoid possible recall bias, the researchers recommend further study of cleaning products and breast cancer using prospective self-reports and measurements in environmental and biological media.

See this link: More Info

Organic or Not

We always look for the best foods to buy for our family.  After much research I found that it pays to buy these foods from the organic section.  On my next post I will tell you which ones to buy from the regular section.  We have grown many of these in our gaden to make sure they are organic.

Celery
Peaches           The animals eat ours before we pick them
Strawberries   A few plants go a long way and are fun to grow.
Apples
Blueberries (Domestic)  In NJ we have organic farms and freeze the berries.
Nectarines
Sweet Bell Peppers  We grow our own.  Not hard and great to grow.
Spinach
Cherries
Potatoes  We tried growing them this year in planters.  Not hard and now we have some to store.
               Next year we will plant more.
Grapes they are growing on the side of our home.

Why should you care about pesticides? There is a growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can have adverse effects on health, especially during vulnerable periods such as fetal development and childhood. We know that chemicals are bad and now we learn that they can affect birth defects.

Of the 12 most contaminated foods, seven are fruits.

More than 96 percent of peaches tested positive for pesticides, followed by nectarines (95.1 percent) and apples (93.6 percent).

Nearly 86 percent of peaches contained 2 or more pesticide residues ‚ followed by apples (82.3 percent) and nectarines (80.6 percent).


Among the vegetables:
Some 95 percent all celery samples tested positive for pesticides, followed by imported cucumbers (84.5 percent) and potatoes (84.2 percent).

Nearly 85 percent of celery samples contained multiple pesticides, followed by sweet bell peppers (61.5 percent) and collard greens (53.2 percent).

Also keep in mind that maintaining your family's health is not the only reason to choose organic food. Pesticide and herbicide use contaminates groundwater, ruins soil structures and promotes erosion, and may be a contributor to "colony collapse disorder," the sudden and mysterious die-off of pollinating honeybees that threatens the American food supply. Buying or growing organic food is good for the health of the planet.

Heat Problems

It is 102 in NJ right now. I thought I'd post this relevant info on heat  on treating Heat Stress Disorders.
Please seek medical advice as soon as possible if you have any of these.  Check on the elderly and anyone living alone.

Heat Cramps
Failure to replace salt lost in sweating. Painful muscle cramps. Drink lightly salted water or lemonade; tomato juice, or "athletic" drinks; stretch cramped muscles.

Heat exhaustion
Failure to replace water and salt lost in sweating. Weakness, unstable gait, or extreme fatigue; wet, clammy skin; headache, nausea, collapse Rest in shade and drink lightly salted fluids.

Dehydration exhaustion
Failure to replace water losses over several days Weight loss and excessive fatigue. Drink fluids and rest body weight and water losses are restored.  See your doctor.

Heat stroke
Total collapse of temperature regulating mechanisms. Hot skin; high body temperature (106°F or higher); mental confusion, delirium, loss of consciousness, convulsions. Rapidly cool victim immediately, either by immersing in cold water or soaking clothes in cold water and fanning vigorously to promote evaporative cooling. Continue until temperature drops below 102°F. Treat for shock if necessary once temperature is lowered. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Send for medical help and begin treatment at once. Brain damage and death result if treatment is delayed.

The Funkey Smell

When I got up today and the kids went skating I noticed a strange smell from one of the room. Moms you know that smell of an upset tummy but no little one hiding in the room. I just got some Melanuca products and thought I would try them out as I searched for the smell. I tried the glass cleaner because I like immediate feedback and wow my windows were cleaner and no chemical smell. I then polished the furniture and while it cleaned and polished I could not get rid of the smell. There were spots on the walls from little fingers so I used the general cleaner and that worked but the smell was still in the room. I took out the disinfectant and sprayed the room and then vacuumed. Smell was less but still there. Short of cleaning the rug I could not find it. And yes, I did sniff on all fours. Room was clean but where was it from….


I decided to trim the dead leaves from my rubber plant. I needed to do that and just reshape it a little. Boy was that smell stronger. I checked around the pot and looked inside. It seemed my little ones had over watered the pot and by rubber plant had this RED algae growing in the excess water. Anyway, I sniffed and sure enough that was the source of the stink. Outside went the plant (we are warm enough now for it to stay near the house) and outside went all the water containers. I cleaned them with vinegar and doused them with my new disinfectant. Smell is now gone.

So my lesson is don’t blame the little ones even though all signs point to them. I was so sure one of mine had had an accident of some type and did not want to tell Mommy about the mess. But no it was a simple overwatering of a plant. I really think Dad did it but do not tell him I said that. Well my new products work like a charm. The front room is clean and now I am going to clean my whole house. The products don’t make my hands feel like they were in chemicals but do make the house look and feel cleaner. The jury is still out but so far I am happy with them. DM me for more info on them but check your plants for too much water.

Hmm I guess I should repot my rubber plant???

Clutter and More Clutter

I love to store things and since I have a green home, I do not like to use plastic.  I found these on-line and love them.  I took some old sheets and cut out some liners for them.  I like to attach them with this Velcro washable tape Velcro Brand Fabric Fusion Tape 3/4"X5' White 91029  That way, when the liner gets soiled, I can stick it in the washer.  I always liked the lined baskets but could never get the liner out and washed and then back in.  This velcro was the solution.

I store my sweaters in them with some cedar planks Kingsford KWP10 Cedar Planks.  That keeps the moths away and does not use harmful chemicals.  In the winter I switch and put my polo's in them. 

Clean winter boots go in the big one.  They are safe and out of mind.  Labels on the outside help keep me organized. I use some pretty ones made for the garden and I plant them down the front side.  I write in calligraphy and that makes even the most mundane item look nice.

I found a great tip for getting rid of old cloths.  I stick a clothespin on ever item.  Then I give it the season.  If I only gave it a month or two, I could talk my way into keeping the item.  When I wear an item, the pin comes off.  Anything that still has a pin at the end of the season gets put into a basket for donation or gets thrown in the rag box.

DONATION HINT.  Keep a writing tablet in the box with a pen or pencil attached by a cord in the basket.  When you put something in write it.  Check out the donation value at these sites Salvation Army  or Good Will and write down the value of each item.  With the proper receipt you can get a deduction.

Spring Cleaning 101

Its spring and its time for the yearly clean up and spruce up of the house. Get out the old jeans tea shirt and tie your hair back. Find a big basket to hold your tools and cloves. Tackle one room at a time top to bottom. That way if your like me doing this as awe watch the kids feed the dog etc we will have at least one room clean.


Kitchen

Into the basket goes, a botanical germ killer, cloth wipes, sponges, glass cleaner, duster, vacuum (little one), all purpose cleaner. I love the MelaMagic and Tough & Tender but there are many other great products out there.  See link for ideas.  Contact me if you want more info on what I use.

Climb on the couter top and with the little vacuum, vacuum all the tops of the cabinets. I line the tops of my cabinets with newspaper. I change it every year and use the old one to stop weeds in the garden. Put fresh paper. Take down the décor and wash it . Wash down the cabinets. Look inside the cabinets and take out all the stuff you never use. Do you need to save it ? Yes wash and put back. No, then pack for a donation or to sell.

While up there clean the windows and the exhaust fan and hood.

Take a break and have a cup of tea as you look out your clean windows.

Check the cupboard for expired packages of dried food. What you can compost do. All else throw out. When in doubt throw it out. Organize your cupboard. What treasures have you found? While you are doing this spritze the inside of the stove with water and backing soda. This natural cleaner will clean without the smell.

Clean the counters and all the storage areas. Clean the fridge inside and out. Clean the coils and underside as best you can.

Now finish up by chasing all the little ones and pets out and cleaning the floor.

Now how many rooms do you have???

Email Woes

The change of an email address is no easy task. Unfortunately, you use your email to access all sorts of websites and accounts. It is not a simple thing to change once you change a provider. Now that I think of it I should have gotten one of the free emails not tied to a provider and had all my accounts registered to it. I fear not being able to change it latter or worse having them bounce me out for an invalid email.


I just created my Amazone associate link and now find that I must change a provider. Not to change would cost me $100’s of dollars and right now things being what they are we must watch every penny.

From a marketing point of view I want users with valid emails. From a customer point of view I want to be able to change my email and transfer my history and info to another username if needed.

What do you think about this? Please comment and let me know.

Take time to recharge

Can you believe it? We are already at St. Patty’s day this year. Time is sure moving fast and we need to catch up. So what have you done for yourself today? As a Mommy, I always do stuff for the little ones the school, work, my hubby and the dog and never get to me. But we need to take care of ourselves or we cannot take care of our families.

If you enjoy working in the garden then that’s a great release. It has to be done and yet it can be your escape. You can still watch the little ones play while you tend to the garden and slip into the world of nature. Smell the soil, work the earth, smell the plants, see the butterflies.

If you like horses, then steal away and mount up. The weather is bright and crisp, a good day to steal an hour for a good ride. It is expensive but it sure beats paying a shrink. At least a horse is my therapy when I can get away for a bit.

If cooking is your passion, then make a meal or a cake for no reason that the love of the art. If we put off for tomorrow then it may never come. Make the meal for yourself for your family. Make the special cupcakes your daughter likes with the sparkles just because you have fun making it. Or make the cookies the boys like because they are so fancy when Mom makes them and you love to escape in the process.

If you are like my girlfriend, she looks at my Arbonne webpage and orders some Spa things to escape for an hour and be spoiled. Her husband even calls and asks me to send some of her favorite stuff just because he knows she needs a bit of down time. And yes by the end of the bath, her littlest one plunges in to take advantage of the bubbles. But by then Mommy has had at least some time to recharge.

Now once you are recharged lets talk about spring cleaning. That’s my next blog. I am going to help you be organized, ready and able to take on the world. Follow me to a better you, more informed and happier.

Egg Shell Gardening

Why should I even bother to plant in an egg shell? The answer is quite simple:

1. it is a cheap pot and very good for the soil. You can have pots that go right in the soil lessoning the transplant shock to the plants.
2. Egg shells provide calcium which is needed for fast growing plants. It is quickly depleted from the soil so egg shells are a good way to keep the balance.
3. Egg shells can be used on the bottom of pots to help with drainage instead of stones. They are lighter and give nutrients back.
4. Egg shells also deter the slugs and cutworms that love tender plants such as; peppers tomatoes, broccoli, and cabbage . Just place the egg shell around the stem of the plant.
5. Tomatoes, these are fast growing plants who tend to suffer from blossom end rot. Egg shells help prevent the end rot. Either grow the plant in a shell and then add more egg shells near the soil .

Where do we start?

1. When you bake, make eggs, save the shells. You can use them one of two ways in the garden , either as pots or an additive.
2. Wash the shells out well with water. VERY IMPORTANT
3. Moisten the starter soil or medium. It is easier to work with this way and less is loss. I use GreenSoil’s tea listed below since it gives the seeds an extra boost.
4. Fill the shell with the medium and press one or two seeds down to the depth the package recommends.
5. Finally mist with the water or “tea”.
6. Place the eggs in an egg carton and cover with a clear top. Plastic bag or cover or glass work well.
7. Place in an area where you can control the temperature and light the seeds will receive. The closer you match the recommendations on the seed packet the better.
8. Make sure that the soil is moist but not water logged. Look for signs of life.
9. If two seeds have sprouted in your container remove the smaller one and plant in its own container. I use one seed and if nothing sprouted I plant another seed and mark the date. I try to have seeds started 10 days apart to extend the growing season, when one ripens another is still a wk away.
10. I use the “tea” every 10 days to ensure proper growth.
11. Transplant your seeds when you see three sets of leaves. Water your plants. Carefully squeeze the shell. You want to break the shell but not the membrane. The membrane will help keep moisture around the seed. It’s okay if it breaks. The broken shell will break down easier into the soil. Place at the proper depth in the soil wither in a garden or a pot.
12. Crush up other shells for you tomatoes plants.

There is how you do it. Leave me a comment please. What other info can I give you?

What do we plant?

I have washed and saved the egg shells of our eggs for a month. They are needed to plant little seeds in. They make great organic containers for little seeds and are away to individually plant the plants without worrying about the netting in some other seed starters. I also just saw a wonderful tool that I think I will purchase. It is a wooden tool to make newspaper pots. They are great to start the plants and then transfer to the garden. I will test this out and see how they hold up to watering.

My family has picked out the seeds that we want to plant. The parsley in the window is growing very nicely. I picked some for an omelet already. The parsley has a nice strong flavor not like the kind from the grocery store. We are expecting a Nor’easter this weekend and planting the seeds will give my children something to do.

I have prepared @Greensoil’s tea and that is waiting to water the seeds. The blog below explains more about her wonderful tea. Check out the link on the right for more info on her tea.

We will plant tomatoes, basil, peas, carrots and peppers. We have no idea where pumpkins will grow this year, but they seem to come up all by themselves. I think Baron, our dog has something to do with this as he loves to run around with one in his mouth after Halloween and then we can’t find it. What are you planting?

Looking to Spring

Now that Valentine’s Day is over and the snow is on the ground, we start thinking of Spring. Yes, that time of year when the green of plants pushes up and out f the soil. When the sun once again warms us and the smell of flowers fills the air. But for there to be flowers, plants and vegetables, there needs to be good soil. Oh no! Now what can we do?
If you are like me, you did not get the compost going and are not good with crawly things. Maybe you are but the time just got away from you. You can still have a wonderful garden. And yes my secret even works for window plants and potted vegetable plants.
My secrete weapon came in the form of a Twitter friend, GreenSoil. We started tweeting (that is talking on the internet about growing plants.) I have a spot of garden in which I grow organic veggies and fruit for my family. I do not like to use commercial fertilizer as I don’t like all the chemicals that adds to my food source BUT I want beautiful plants and an easy way to take care of them.
That’s when Greensoil stepped into the picture. You see, GreenSoil is really Annie Haven of Authentic Haven Brand Natural Brew Soil conditioning tea. She graciously reached out and told me about how easy it was to make this tea for my garden and how I can try it out. I even received a sample packet of the tea and have tried it on my indoor plants. It is easy to put the bags in a 1-5 gallon containers, fill with water and leave them alone for up to 4 days. The tea comes in small gauze bags that are compostable. They have a soft sent of freshly plowed earth. I then use them to water my plants. Even a mom of two active little ones can doth is and the result is incredible.
How do I know that the animals that this manure tea comes from don’t eat and ingest chemicals and hormones? Ms. Haven harvests the manure right from her own animals that have been free of chemicals since 1924. Her farm was ahead of the game and wanted to produce good clean livestock. We know to compost but how many of us take the next step to make sure our compost is natural and contains nothing unnatural? When you find a source of good fertilizer for the plants it’s a good idea to keep it and continue to use it.
My plants are growing beautifully and my husband wants to know why I have not killed this lot of plants. Now you know my secret but please do not tell my husband.

Contact Annie Haven at annie@ahavenbrand.com

http://www.authentichavenbrand.com/

St. Valentines Day is on the Way

Winter is upon on and we long for a bit of warmth. So February brings in St. Valentines Day . In many cultures, the day is not only for love but also for friendship. It is a day when acts of kindness towards friends are often done.

So you have little ones and they want to do a craft. My all time favorite is to get plain pink cards with envelopes. Cardstock would work well but for little ones the pre-made cards are easier. Then I buy glitter pens in bright colors and a package of foam or paper hearts.

Clear the table and put down newspaper or brown paper. I get mine from the boxes of product that I order. Let the little ones go and watch as they decorate the cards each with a special person in mind. This can keep them busy for quite a bit of time depending on how many cards they want to make.

My daughter has a special teacher and she wanted to give her something as a keep-sake. She wanted to make the perfect gift. I had a little red clay left over from Christmas. With that she made a beautiful heart and made a design on top. This went into the oven to harden and now the teacher has a home- made paper weight for the classroom.

PLU Codes and What they mean

As you pull out the food from the grocery store you wonder why they bother to put those little stickers on each and every peach. They are hard to take off but tell you a wealth of knowledge if only you can decipher the code. The glue on these stickers is food safe but don’t eat the sticker.
Those little stickers are called the PLU code or the price lookup number that speed you out at the checkout stand. This little code also tells you how the fruit was grown. You can tell if the fruit was genetically modified, organically grown or produced with chemical fertilizers, fungicides, or herbicides. All this valuable information that you did not even know you had.

Here is the code breaker:
Conventionally grown (grown with chemicals) PLU code consists of four numbers.
Organically grown fruit A five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 9.
Genetically engineered (GM) fruit A five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 8.

The numeric system was developed by the Produce Electronic Identification Board, an affiliate of the Produce Marketing Association, a Newark, Delaware-based trade group for the produce industry.

I try always to buy as much food as I can that starts with a 9. The next best is anything that does not start with a 8. While all food is to some extent genetically modified by cross pollination and selective breading, I prefer that it be done the natural way and not by the manual transfer of genes of one species to another.

When my children were born they had allergies. I looked at the world in a different light. I started seeing everything in my house as if for the first. Anything that touches our skin is absorbed into their bloodstream in 60 seconds. What foods were we eating? What was I cleaning with? What was in their lotions and soap? What about the sunscreen? And what was I putting in my body that they were also absorbing?
What we use on and around our bodies will impact our health. I searched. I looked. I read. I found natural products and saw my little girl stop having to use all those medications. It helped her body become stronger and able to heal. It may not work for you but it may help. She now does not take anything but one over the counter medicine on very bad days. These products are all natural. They are made with herbal and botanical ingredients. They worked with her bodies not against them. I slowly changed from just baby stuff to my skin care, to my laundry products to what we eat. Join us in our adventure to a better safer life.