Growing Gardens & Writing Books   

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Happy Chicks!

Whomever said that a dog is man's best friend clearly didn't raise chickens. My girls are so quirky and absolutely the most friendly hens! When anyone pulls into the driveway, they run to fence to great their new guest. They follow you around, let you pick them up, and get this...they give us eggs!!! We are now getting at least 3 eggs every day! So for anyone out there debating if they should have chickens, I say yes! Keep in mind, you will get a lot of eggs per week from 5 chickens!!! We give more away than we eat but I can tell ya, all the neighbors and some lucky co-workers just love the fresh eggs. They make a great Christmas gift (I also gave out homemade Kahlua (courtesy of Kristal's post).

A few warnings:

1. Chickens need to roll in the dirt. So beware that your flower beds will destroyed if they can get in them!
2. They will eat bugs! Yay! Except that they will dig up your plants to get at the bugs!
3. Their poo makes great fertilizer...for flower beds not vegetable gardens.

More info on Buff Orpingtons

More info on Silkies

Photos are when they were younger.




Monday, July 29, 2013

iPad case with Keyboard on Sale!!!

I love to write and you never know when you will hear something or think of something that inspires you. That's why I love my iPad. I take it everywhere and I have several stories that I am working on so it allows me to work from anywhere. The single best accessory is my case with removable keyboard from Belkin. I have kids and even though they have their own iPads, they always end up borrowing mine when theirs is dead. Today I found a great Living Social coupon for a case with keyboard for only $29 (plus $5.95 shipping)!!! That is a huge savings. These easily run near $100. This one does not have the removable keyboard but for $35...I can manage!




https://www.livingsocial.com/cities/859-st-charles-county/deals/746348-ipad-2-3-4-case-with-bluetooth-keyboard?afsrc=1&utm_campaign=digest_daily&utm_content=859&utm_medium=email&utm_source=blast

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Homemade Gardening Remedies

It is now June 4th and I have to send a special shout out to a very helpful gardening enthusiast, John Tenison. In one of those passing conversations, I mentioned I have been having a problem with my cucumbers, squash, and watermelon. Every year they grow and every year a white powdery substance devours them! The solution? Soap and water! Now, I know there are a lot of easy homemade tricks that work well in the garden but I could not pinpoint what the white powder was so I had no idea how to stop it. It is apparently a fungus and a simple solution of soap and water sprayed onto the leaves took care of it. Another trick he offered up was to boil tobacco (I got a can of cheap snuff, longcut) like a tea. Strain the tobacco leaves out and you are left with a homemade solution for pest control. Now, remember to not use too much, you don't want to get rid of the beneficial bugs too! Please let me know if you have any easy homemade tricks for gardening. Love to hear from ya!
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