For Eben’s 5th birthday, we planted a pizza garden. (Gosh, he was so little) This is a super fun activity for children and will cultivate their love for gardening. It is perfect for both young and older children.
At the time we lived in the woods in Georgia and didn’t have a garden established so we planted the pizza garden in containers on our patio. We planted several different types of tomatoes,onions, peppers, basil and oregano. Eben’s favorite part was planting the plants and then watering them each morning. It was fun to watch the plants grow and watch his excitement grow. The best part was harvesting the veggies and making our own pizzas from scratch. This was a great gift for Eben because he is now 8 and loves to garden. It has blossomed into a hobby that he really enjoys and looks forward to.
Would you plant a pizza garden?
Send me your gardening pics, I would love to share them with everyone.
It’s warming up and it is time to take the party outside. I personally think cocktails, appetizers, and lovely desserts taste better when you are enjoying the outdoors. Set the perfect party setting with lots of comfy chairs and tables and beeswax candles. If you don’t have an outdoor space that you can use, invite your friends to a picnic in the park or a BBQ at the pool.
To start, choose a couple of fabulous organic wines, my favorites are Quivira and Parducci, a great organic beer is always a winner for the guys and mocktails, such as Shirley Temples for the kids. You can also jazz up regular water by adding slices of citrus, apples, or sprigs of mint.
For appetizers, organic tortilla chips with organic salsa and hummus is always a good thing. You can also serve fresh fruit and veggies with a refreshing dip.
For dinner, put together your favorite meats and veggies or just veggies and make kabobs. Kabobs are great for outdoor get-togethers because they are simple to grill. You can serve them with a fabulous cucumber sauce and pita triangles. You could also grill homemade pizzas, yes pizzas, pizzas are fabulous when they are grilled on the BBQ.
Serve Smore’s for dessert. Kids and adults alike love Smore’s. Collect twigs or leftover chopsticks and roast marshmallows (or vegan marshmallows) over an open fire pit. Have an assortment of graham crackers and different types of chocolates available. The adults may enjoy exotic or dark chocolate.
What are your green outdoor plans this summer? Send me your pics, I would love to see them and share them with everyone.
One of my favorite times of the day is tea time. I have tea every afternoon Jayson and Eben. It is the perfect time to relax together after a long day of work and school. It is also a great time to reconnect. We sit in our chairs on the patio and chat about the current day’s activities and enjoy a lovely cup of tea. We mix our own loose-leaf blends so each cup is unique. Some of our favorites are green and blueberry tea or green and peach tea. We purchase all of our tea at Whole Foods in bulk and bring our own container to transport it in.
Millions, yes millions, of Americans are sleep deprived. Surprised? Not really. At least you are not alone. Did you know that Yoga can help you sleep? It’s true. Clinical studies have shown that bedtime Yoga can help insomniacs significantly reduce their sleepless hours. Yoga reduces cortisol levels, this is why you feel so calm after practicing it. Insomniacs have a higher level of cortisol, so it only makes sense to give yoga a try. Most types of yoga, practiced on a regular basis at bedtime should bring on the sleep.
With warm weather finally here, it’s time to enjoy all that summer has to offer. But one thing many homeowners don’t want to deal with during the summer is pests. Ants, cockroaches, and termites tend to make their way into homes when the weather is nice. And these pests can be more than just annoying — bugs can do a lot of damage to a home, which is why it’s important to take care of them quickly. But it’s not always ideal to use harsh chemicals in your home to rid of bugs, especially if you’re one of the 44% of U.S. homeowners who have a dog. Chemical pesticides can be harmful to the health of people and animals as well as harmful to the environment. So let’s take a look at a few natural ways to get rid of and prevent bugs that won’t be harmful to you, your family, your pets, or the planet.
Do Some Landscaping
Pest control should actually start outside of your home. If you have trees, bushes, and other plants right up next to your house, this can make it easier for pests to enter your home. With trees and bushes right next to the house, pests can simply crawl up them and make the jump to the house. So take a look at the landscaping around your house and make changes as needed — look for greenery that is close to the house especially near the roof, windows, doors, and cracks in the siding. You should also check the cracks in sidewalks next to your house, which is a common place for pests to hang out. While it’s true that having smoother pavement can extend pavement life by up to 25%, it’s also important for controlling pests. So start with some basic landscaping to make it more difficult for pests to enter your home.
Use Soaps and Oils
If you’re looking for a product to buy, you can consider insecticidal soaps and oils. These products are botanical mixtures and contain no harsh chemicals. You can spray these soaps or oils right on the pests or around your house as a preventative measure. If you’re one of the 20% of homeowners who have termites as their main pest issue, this may not be an ideal solution. Insecticidal soaps and oils may be less effective on hard-shelled pests unless used on the eggs. These soaps and oils will be effective against many pests, while not harming other bugs nearby, like ladybugs.
Grow Some Herbs
Some insects, like ants and spiders, don’t like the smell of certain herbs. So even if you don’t use herbs very often, it may prove to be beneficial to grow some herbs in your house, specifically in the kitchen. Some herbs to consider include mint, rue, tansy, and pennyroyal. Or if you don’t want to actually grow any herbs, you can also consider placing dried bunches of these herbs around your home. Placing herbs near windows, doors, and other cracks pests can sneak in could do the trick. Additionally, you can spray some mint, lavender, or other oils near these trouble spots for further prevention. Either way, having some of these herbs in your home is sure to help deter pests from entering.
Change Out Stored Items
Homeowners tend to change things in their house regularly, especially with interior designers recommending updating home decor at least every 10 years. But there are some items in a home that rarely get changed out — stored items, like towels, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and bags are perfect nesting locations for pests because they don’t get moved around often. The average home in the U.S. has 300,000 items in it. So during the warmer months, it’s crucial to check on your stored items. Make your way around the house and check those cupboards and drawers you rarely go into to move the items and wash or replace them as needed. While this may seem like a nuisance, it can go a long way in preventing pests from settling in your home.
As you can see, you don’t have to resort to harsh and harmful chemicals to keep your home pest-free this summer. These simple tips will help prevent and kill pests in your home while keeping you and your family safe — all while being better for the environment, too.
