throw a modern-day swap meet!
It’s that time again — time for the semi-annual apartment purge known as spring cleaning! And now I have a nice pile of things that need a new home, so I’m thinking I should throw a modern swap meet. I’m going to invite my like-minded friends over and trade goods. So far, my pile to swap includes:
Extra kitchen tools — I seem to end up with extra wooden spoons, spoon rests, wine openers …
Magazines — Design and cooking. Great for inspiration or craft projects. I have plenty to keep me busy for a while.
Tech supplies — extra stereo cables, speaker wire, iPod cables, thumb drives
Office supplies — Who needs a giant box of business envelopes?! Not me!
Houseplant seedlings — I have about a half-dozen succulent cuttings that could use a windowsill of their own.
Workout gear — extra weights, bands, workout DVDs
Now all I have to do is give my friends a little time to gather their things, and make an afternoon of it. What’s leftover, we can donate to a nearby shelter or Salvation Army. What do you do with your extras? — Rebecca F.
Photo credit: Amazon.com
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post off: what’s growing in your garden now?
This is the first spring in our house and we are timidly dipping our toes into edible gardening. There are a still a bunch of plants around the yard that haven’t flowered yet, so rather than dig things up, we decided to start some containers with vegetables on our deck. We didn’t get our act together in time to grow from seeds, so we picked up some plants at our local nursery. We chose stuff for pasta and pesto — tomatoes, basil, oregano — and things to help with guacamole — peppers and cilantro. For kicks I planted a few fennel bulbs and some bib lettuce, both which look lovely in our bright plastic pots (from Home Depot). Elsewhere we have raspberry bushes which seem to grow like weeds. I can’t wait for our first home grown feast. What’s growing in your garden? Please share and inspire this novice. – Angela M.
birdhouses in a snap from tweet tweet home
Our yard has exploded into spring: the magnolia tree is blooming, the grass is out of control, and currently, the avian philharmonic has taken up an artist in residence position. I love those cute critters — but to discourage them from nesting in the rafters, I think a few well-placed birdhouses would be a smart addition to our yard. Enter Tweet Tweet Home; flatpack, easily assembled birdhouses crafted from recycled plastic. These birdie bungalows snap together without glue or nails, and are available in two shapes and a wide array of colorful designs here for $8.95 each, at Click to Shop. — Megan B.
Via Better Homes and Gardens
new twist on lawn chair webbing: leather belts
I’ve re-webbed patio chairs and I’ve written about chairs woven with belts, but this is the first I’ve seen leather belts used to web patio chairs. Lori Wyant has the how-to at Green Is Universal. I confess I’m slightly on the fence about the finished project, but I think it could be a lot of fun to search out funky belts at thrift stores. Just be sure they’re long enough to use as webbing! And if you need a little more instruction, revisit our chair webbing how-to. — Mary T.
coffee: the perfect cuppa green fertilizer
Instead of dumping your coffee grounds in the trash, save them! Spring’s the perfect time to go green. For any acid-loving plants — think evergreens, roses and tomatoes — coffee grounds spread around the base of the plant will give a nitrogen boost. But take care; as with any fertilizer, coffee grounds are toxic to both dogs and cats, so make sure you’re applying them in a pet-free zone. (Just to be safe, I usually water the grounds in or place mulch over them.) For indoor potted plants like gardenias, skip the messy grounds and simply pour any leftover coffee on the plant. Once every other week or so is plenty. — Sarah L.
