I absolutely love the last week of the year. It’s like one final gift of the holiday season. Here are some reasons to enjoy this week. The hustle of Christmas is over and there’s time to slow down. You can relax in your completely decorated home with no more lights to hang, no more shopping to do or errands to run. You’ve finished the baking and making activities. Ahhh, it’sRead More →
There’s a cozy blanket of snow covering the garden. The world is quiet and still as the fluffy flakes continue to pile up. The garden is resting and waiting for renewal to begin. It needs this time to “just be”. The garden embraces this season of rest. That layer of snow can protect the plants from excessive cold, just like being wrapped in a warm woolen sweater. Organic matter leftRead More →
I’m enchanted with fireflies. Those little glowing bugs that flit around the garden at night. But I have never actually seen one in real life. I can only imagine what they would look like at dusk as you sit outside to enjoy the summer breeze. Over the years I have tried to bring that glow to my garden. Little bits of lights here and there to give the backyard someRead More →
Do you have a mason jar collection like I do? I love vintage blue canning jars but I’m not a purist. Modern-day clear jars are perfectly fine to use in my home and I even enjoy the new colored jars. Ball and Kerr are two of the most common jars available today. There are so many ways to use these lovely jars in your home and garden. Here are 10Read More →
If you’re a gardener, you know that there are always new things you need to buy for your garden. You need a new rake or a new pair of garden gloves (or 3 or 4). You need to purchase seeds, fertilizer, pots, plant stakes and more. The list seems never-ending as we go about getting our gardens ready in the spring. But we rarely buy the “fun” stuff. So todayRead More →
Do you remember as a child going on a picnic with your family? Your mom packed the basket and you piled into the car and went someplace fun. Like the park in a neighboring town. After you ran and played for a while, out came the basket. And in that basket was a delicious meal. I don’t really remember what we ate. Probably peanut butter sandwiches. But the fun partRead More →
When the New Year rolls around we are all thinking of our New Year’s Resolutions and what great things we’re going to accomplish. For about a week or two we might even stick with those New Years Resolutions. And then they slowly fade away and before long we end up with the old habits and patterns. I know because I have been there myself. But a few years ago IRead More →
The presents are opened and the cookies eaten. Our homes are decorated and we’re exhausted. But even with all we’ve had to do this season, it’s been a joyful time. Through all the busyness and chaos, this is the time of year we focus on our family and friends. And what a blessing that is. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and finally New Years I hope that your holidays have beenRead More →
We are now in the thick of the holiday season and it seems that we have no time for others. Our busy schedules are packed with shopping, decorating, wrapping and baking. Who has time to be nice to a neighbor or an elderly relative? But now more than ever you need to reach out and show kindness to your neighbors. We all have these mile-long to-do lists that seem toRead More →
Thanksgiving is only days away and soon the work of Christmas begins. You might have plans for major shopping this weekend with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. But for me, I am going to spend the weekend setting the stage for the season to come. And you can too as I share my 5 tips for getting ready for the holidays. Although there is no such thingRead More →