Household Tips

These are so pretty that they get stolen from my front yard! Really! My daughter made one of these with a pretty cross design on it, and someone STOLE it (yes, a cross!) from our front yard.

To make stepping stones, use plastic or rubbermaid tubs (margarine tubs, etc. work great!) Line with vaseline, and then pour concrete in. You can set in stones or mosaic tiles before the concrete sets. When the concrete dries, you can pop out most designs. If they won’t pop, just slice the margarine container away!

crafts, stepping stones

My favorite hose attachement is the multi-nozzle sprayer.

I have one on the hose in my front and back yard.

The best thing about this nozzle attachment is that you can water grass in a wide path, and tiny little seedlings up close, you just use the mist mode.

This Scott’s Website discusses techniques for getting the most out of watering your yard.

I haven’t received any tips about how to handle my squirrels-on-the-bird-feeder problem.

Just this morning, I came across this scene:

I have been known to go to great lengths to provide entertainment for my cats but this is just over the top! I even walked out on the deck to take this picture and the squirrel was no more than a foot and a half away from me! He is getting very daring.

I’m really not sure what kind of products and methods are out there to keep squirrels off my deck. But! Please! Send ideas! And something that might eat squirrels!

squirrels, bird feeders, annoying pests

I know I am supposed to be the one who is full of good tips and little tidbits of suggestions about how to make things easier and more efficient around the home. Well ? I sort of still AM that person, but I have a problem and decided to stop using my own futile thoughts and ask you readers what you suggest.

We have several bird feeders on the deck. I have a medium seed tube feeder, a thistle sack for finches, a hummingbird feeder and a suet feeder.

We are routinely visited by a variety of finches, including some awesome bright yellow ones. I regularly feed a white woodpecker and a red-headed wood pecker. I also feed a family of squirrels and a suspected occasional raccoon.

I have a squirrel baffle on the seed tube but it does no good. This is due to the proximity to the deck railing. Those squirrels are nasty little suckers! However, I like all wildlife and I don’t mind feeding them but I cannot deal with them stealing my feeders!

Today I noticed that my suet feeder was missing. Now. I have a lot of bird feeders and I rotate them a bit seasonally so sometimes I look at it and feel like something is missing, but that is just because I rotate and forget what I put away. But today? No suet feeder. I think it might have been missing for at least a week. I can’t find it. It’s not on the ground, not in the cabinet, not hanging. I think some little creature stole it!

How can I secure a new suet feeder from being stolen off my deck? And, How can I stop squirrels from getting on my deck?

Because, they are also eating my plants!!! Grrrr.

Regardless of where you live, it is just about that time of year again. Time to start mowing your lawn again. The first time you mow, you might feel a little nostalgic for those long summer nights bathed in the scent of freshly cut grass, but soon, you will realize that you now have to mow weekly for the next four months and you are realizing how little television watching and ass sitting you will be doing on Saturday morning and how MUCH mowing and lawn maintenance you will have ahead of you.

Relax.

Lawn mowing is an art.

By following a few simple steps, you can achieve a healthier, greener and better looking lawn in no time!

- Mow in different directions. Horizontal, diagonal, vertical … mix it up each time you mow. This prevents the blades of grass from curving in a particular direction after many cuts.

- Never mow when the grass is wet.

- If you really want a flat, smooth lawn, consider purchasing law rollers and rolling them over your lawn after mowing in even, straight rows.

It is a big misconception that you should mow your lawn super short. Grass is actually healthier when it is a little bit longer.