Tile Strawberry Planters

    A couple of weeks ago someone was throwing out several stacks of tile. They had never been used and contained a varied assortment of colors and sizes. I was sure that I could make something with them. Now that we have finally made it throughout the end of the school year activities and the garden doesn't have anything urgent I had to address these tiles. Despite the many youtube videos demonstrating how easy it is to drill holes in tile- I couldn't seem to do it. So I laid the larger tiles on the flat dirt all the way around a rectangular hydroponics type pond that my husband built last year. I then took my trusty caulk gun and glued four smaller tiles together to make a pot with on open bottom. I then set this on the larger tile. I am hoping that there will be enough drainage if I set it between two of the large tiles. I had enough to make 10 pots. I think that is looks classier than the wooden board we had before for on edge and I have more planting space. They have to dry for 24 hours and then I will fill them with a layer of gravel and potting soil. I will then take my strawberry plants out of the kiddie swimming pool they have been growing in. I think that this will be a huge improvement and it only cost me $3 in caulk.
   Update on the Blue Jays: I am thrilled that they have moved away! Also, the tomato plant eating rabbit hasn't been seen from. Evidently, my 20 pinwheels and mylar balloon bouquet made them all move on. I don't know if my dollar store toy snakes had an effect of not but I am just glass that they are gone. It was such a simple solution that I may never garden without pinwheels again.

The Impossible Errand List

     It is the end of the school year, the end of the month and my husband has been traveling a lot. I could tell that a list in my mind was growing. I needed to return shoes that didn't fit to one store, a broken cable for a refund to another, a replacement zipper for mending, the copy store- you know those little errands. I felt the mounting pressure. I didn't see how I could get these all done. I thought that I just might have to take a day when my husband got back and drive around doing dumb errands. Or my worse thought was that some of them just might not get done. I hate that because then it is just like losing money. I could get $20 just for bringing the cable back to the Apple Store because we are part of their Apple Care program. I could get $25 for bringing my son's shoes to Target and returning them because they didn't fit. I bought them without him because they were on sale. I could tell that the person waiting for the new zipper was impatient because I found the sweatshirt in the garbage. I took this as a hint that I was taking too long. I am sure that you have had similar lists.
    I decided to write down everything that I needed to do in what I called in my mind "The Impossible Errand List". Well much to my surprise I started to see that the errands- because the list was so long-could be grouped. Some of my errands could be done at the same store and some the same area of town. Encouraged, I organize everything I needed to accomplish the list- the shoes, cable, sweatshirt, coupons, library books, tuba- Oh yes I told you this list was impossible! I made a plan working around two music lessons and a trip to the library and set off with four of my children. I wasn't sure how far we would get but I wanted to try. Miraculously we did it! The whole list! I calculated that we saved a least $150 by doing them. When we came home I made homemade frosties to celebrate. The kids looked a little wilted. It did take a little longer that I anticipated because they were having so much fun shoe shopping at Target's 70% off rack. Next time I will pack some drinks and snacks in the car to keep up our strength. This weekend my family can do something fun together instead of the "Impossible Errand List".


 

Budget Ballet Teacher

    I love our Ballet Studio. Our Ballet instructor keeps all of the fun in ballet and takes out the run away expenses. For example, each year for our recital the girls wear simple lovely tulle skirts over their regular black leotards. Each class has their own color. These skirts are reused every year. They receive a simple handmade hair piece that they get to keep. The girls feel fancy, grown up and elegant. They are comfortable dancing in their leotard that they have practiced in all year instead of some scratchy sequin monster that cost an outrageous amount.

Newspaper Pots

    I have been making newspaper pots for my little sprouts. I just love them. They are free, quick to make, and the right size. I have about 112 and need to make about 72 more. There are many different ways to make these pots. The youtube video that I like and shows the method I use is called

DIY: Newspaper Pots for Seed Starting/Cuttings

and here is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dlGQP81yfo


    They are sturdy little pots. My daughter had a couple of sheets of pretty tissue paper left over from something and used this method to make a pretty box. It isn't very strong but she is going to keep bobby pins and barrettes in it just for fun. If you used card stock you could make a pretty gift box. Well I better get back to the regular old newspaper ones because these sprouts aren't going to wait. They are growing like crazy!

More Sprouting Success

   I have had great success using Byron's Sprouting Method using Camomile Tea. I have 6 year old heirloom seeds that I was unsure about. They are well past their prime. Here is the method that I have used:

1) Make a cup to Camomile Tea by letting it seep for 4 minutes.
2) Drink tea.
3) Use the same tea bag to make a second cup of tea by letting it seep for 4 minutes again.
4) Add 3 cups of water to dilute the tea making a total of 1 quart.
5) Soak seeds in tea solution for about 2 hours.
6) Saturate a few paper towels with the tea solution.
7) Place seeds in a line one by one without touching each other on the paper towel.
8) Roll up the paper towel and place in a ziplock bag.
9) Place in refrigerator for about 8 hours.
10) Take the paper towels out of the ziplock bag and lay them on a cookie sheet in a roll.
11) Cover cookie sheet with plastic wrap.
12) Place on top of refrigerator.

    In 3 days I had 7 out of the 8 varieties of seeds sprout. I am still holding out hope for the last one. Some seeds just take longer. The tea inhibits the growth of fungus. This is a very thrifty method as well as an effective one. A used tea bag is such less expensive than a product like Miracle Grow. The refrigeration is supposed to help break the dormancy. This may not be exactly Byron's Method but it is as close as I can figure out and it is working. I then plant the sprouted seeds in a seedling tray. Thank you Byron wherever you are!

Mother Nature is Not Kind

   My garden began with a war with the stripped cucumber beetle quickly followed by rabbit attack. Today I was dive bombed by a pair of Blue Jays. Seriously, first swooping and then a death spiral right towards my head. I brought out an old mylar balloon bouquet left over from a party that the kids had tired of playing with and put it in the pine tree. Those Blue Jays yelled at it for hours. I realize that this is just the first battle of my war with them. Wow. I have only been gardening for a couple weeks and I feel like at every turn I am in a life or death battle. I thought that Mother Nature was supposed to be kind.

Fitness for Tightwads

        I love the book You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren. He has a great attitude about exercise. He says that you don't need a lot of fancy exercise equipment or an expensive gym membership. You can use the weight of your own body to provide the resistance for your workout routine. I have to admit that his workouts are hard for me but I have found the book to be very inspiring. A great book for the tightwad who wants to become fit.