Archive for the ‘DIY’ Category

23 Apr

Earth Day 2013: Making A Rain Barrel

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in DIY, Gardening. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

I realize it’s the day after the fact, but I wanted to let you know how Emma and I participated.  I knew Earth Day was coming and thought it would be fun to get baby girl outside to do something with Mother Nature, but alas it slipped my mind.  That was until my friend (from our celiac group) called to ask if I was able to make it to the Rainwater Harvesting class at the local Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center in Dallas.  Some of you may know that Josh and I met at Texas A&M in College Station, so it’s nice to have a part of the school up here with us.

Earth Day

It wasn’t until I saw this post from Young House Love that I would have given a rain barrel a moment of thought; but alas it planted a seed.  My friend told me about the class, and since we just finished some landscaping in the back complete with garden, I thought this is a must.  I wanted to get the okay from Josh with the $50 price tag, before diving in.

When I got the green light, Emma and I loaded up the car and headed to the 2-hour class.  We were late and only caught the last half of it, so I’ll have to go back over my rainwater harvesting info to learn more on the topic…it was very informative in the 30 minutes I did catch.

I saw on one of the slides that you can DIY a rain barrel (like a composter) but decided to keep that in my back pocket for next time.  All the holes were predrilled for us, making for fast installation of the faucet and insect netting.  I was hoping to get to crawl in the barrel, to make for more entertaining photos, but that wasn’t an option (and probably a good thing being prego and all).

make your own rain barrel

First, they put some caulk around the 6″ hole on top of the 55-gallon food grade drum.  Then, we placed the netting over the hole and smoothed the caulk towards the corners.  You don’t want bugs or any nastiness getting in your fresh, free water that will be used on plants and vegetables, so this is essential.

caulking the insect netting

Next, we screwed in the faucet, and added a huge gob of caulk to make sure it got in all the crevices so there wouldn’t be any leakage.

caulking the faucet

Finally, we were done!  That was it.  I couldn’t believe how easy it was (not having to drill the holes, etc.), and thought maybe I should grab another while I was at it…but I restrained myself.

rain barrel drum

The fun part became how to get the ole girl home.  Josh has a big truck, and since he was at a meeting close by, I thought I’d have to wait for him for pickup.  But, knowing my trusty Honda and all the crazy things I’ve fit in there from back in my Barney & Friends days, I had an inkling that she might fit (with Emma in the back, no less).

rain barrel in the Honda

Violà!  My car came through again.  I think Josh was the most surprised, but I reminded him that ole Betsy has been through a lot.  The guy that helped load her up said they’ve fit them in a Smart car, so I knew I had a fighting chance.

When we got the barrel home, I just tossed it in the back yard since it was already pretty late.  I knew the landscapers were coming back today to finish the vegetable garden and would have a better idea of where to place it.  I am planning to elevate it pretty high so gravity can do its magic and have easier access.  I also wanted to put it by the garden so we could hook up a soaker hose to leave there for no-fuss watering.  There are so many pluses for having a rain barrel and I can’t wait to harvest all the crazy rain we’ve been getting!  We are lucky here in Dallas to have non-acidic rain water, which is nice.

rain barrel in the garden

I do want to point out a few tips on maintenance, should you go for it and get one of your own:

  • Brush off insect netting as debris falls
  • Replace insect netting when necessary
  • Re-caulk faucet when necessary
  • Watch weather and distribute water before a rain event
  • Do not collect water when leaves or catkins are falling
  • Keep gutters and downspout clean
  • If the barrel is full when a freeze is expected, lower the water height by about 2 to 3 inches

I’ll admit I didn’t realize what all went into keeping a rain barrel.  It didn’t help that I couldn’t totally focus during the presentation since I was trying to keep an eye on Emma and get her to be quiet while she sang ‘head, shoulders, knees, and toes’ to a complete stranger.  Ah, the joys of toddlerhood!

They also talked about decorating your barrel by either painting it or covering it with wood slats.  The guy even gave me the idea to do kid’s handprints on there, which I thought would be fun especially when bébé #2 comes along.  You know I’ll keep you posted on what we do in the end.  I’ll also be back when we finally do hook up the barrel to the downspout and get the barrel ball rolling.

decorated rain barrel

What about you guys?  Do you have a rain barrel at home?  Did you do anything to connect with or celebrate Mother Earth?  It used to be a big deal when I was in college, but we have since let the day get away from us.  Maybe now with having kids, I’ll make a conscious effort to connect with nature more.

Note: Check out the AgriLife Extension classes here for more info on making your own.

Note: Photo from here.

15 Jan

Young House Love Times Three

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in DIY, Food, Gluten-Free, Restaurants, Travel. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

First, let me say thanks for letting me vent last week.  I got some nice feedback from my last post and am glad to know I’m not alone.

Second, let’s talk about stalking Young House Love (YHL)!  I mentioned here that I’m an avid follower of theirs, and was super stoked to learn they were coming to three different cities in my home state of Texas, for their BIG book tour.  When I found out that my good friend got me their book for my birthday, you can bet your bottom dollar I was excited to get them to sign it in person.  I’m not a big DIYer, but I aspire to at least be motivated to eventually do something crafty around the house, eventually.  Ha!

Young House Love book

Why follow them around you ask?  Well, I live in one of their stops (Dallas), my sis lives in another (Houston), and my parents live in the third (Austin).  So honestly, it was an excuse to see my family for a few days and hang out.  I don’t think any of my family members complained too much.  Plus, Sherry and John Petersik are really cool people!  I admire their relationship with one another and their daughter; it’s very refreshing to see in this day and age.  Their blog is where I learned about Oil Rubbed Bronze, blogging, and cloth diapering.  Thanks guys!

So without further ado, allow me to do a quick recap of the their tour.  Random note: Sherry wore her black blazer with a different shirt each time, and I wore a ruffle shirt each time.  Gotta keep it fresh. 

Houston

Young House Love book tour in Houston

Their first stop was in Houston.  I had no idea what to expect at their signings, so I planned to arrive two hours early just in case.  Also, since I was watching my nephew, Dillon, at the time, I knew I had to get in early to get out early.  Yup, you read that right, I took TWO TODDLERS to the book signing and waited 3 ½ hours to get my booked signed.  Crazy?  Yes.  Worth the wait?  Definitely.

Emma & Dillon

The girl in line said I should get some award for taking two toddlers.  Ha! I don’t know about that, but my secret weapon was FOOD!  Don’t judge.  My life revolves around food, especially growing up in an all Italian household, so I packed lots of fresh fruit, veggies, and nuts.  Desperate times call for desperate measures people.  Hey it worked, that’s all the matters.

When it was my time to go up to see them, I was a nervous wreck.  I have no idea why, but I was shaking and getting all splotchy.  What the??  I guess since it feels like a lot of us readers know them, it was like meeting a way famous friend.  Weird I know, but John and Sherry were totally awesome!  My favorite moment was when Sherry flipped to the title page and saw my name: ‘Jess,’ to which I added ‘Crunchy Hot Mama’ underneath, and then reacted like this:

Sherry surprised to recognize me

Crazytown!!  It meant a lot because when you get 5 million hits a month, it’s totally surreal that someone would recognize a lil ole blog name like mine.  Thanks $herdog!

Dallas

Young House Love book tour in Houston

This signing was a bit chillier compared to Houston, though it was only two days later (in yet another West Elm).  For this one, I left Emma at home with Josh, and went with my friend/former co-worker, who originally got me hooked.  We had planned to take the train down there, but after being unable to find the station, we decided to drive.  We arrived later than that two hour window I liked having, but the wait wasn’t too bad.  I think this one was only 2 ½ hours, and we picked up some Starbucks to keep us warm while we waited outside.

Katie and me at the YHL tour

Once we got to the front, I got nervous yet again.  C’mon now, this is getting silly, they are people just like you and me.  Oh well, whatcha gonna do?  So, once I got up there and they recognized me, I got hugs from both and then called out by Sherry.  She yelled ‘She has followed us all over!’  Um no, just in Texas…I’m not THAT creepy.  Riiiight.

Clara signs the YHL book for Emma

For this signing, I had Sherry sign a note to Emma, from their daughter Clara, since they are the same age.  I think Emma will appreciate it later, if she even remembers who Clara is by then.  Oh, and they also put me in one of their posts…Holy Schnikes!! #sohonored #mosthitsinaday

Austin

Young House Love book tour in Ausstin

The third and final stop of their Texas tour, was in the wonderful city of Austin.  If you saw this post, you’ll remember that I declared a love affair with the gorgeous city and surrounding Hill Country.  Honestly, though, this trip was three-fold, so it just so happened to work out that YHL was there, too.  What a coincidence.

I did get a bit nervous this time, but not as bad as the first.  I liked how it was in an actual book store, so we didn’t have to wait in the cold rain, and they also did a grouping system, so everyone didn’t make a mad dash for them.  I was bummed that we missed most of their presentation, since I didn’t even realize that was going on, but at least we made it.  Oops, my bad.  We passed most of the time in the kid’s section, with an added potty stop, until our group was called.  And once again, I got hugs from the both of them, and Sherry called me out for following them around.  Oh that girl!

Emma even had a blast running around while patiently waiting our turn:

Em having fun at the Young House Love book tour

All in all, I had a great time.  I got to see my family, my old high school friends (read: reunion), and explore a ton of gluten-free restaurants, all the while supporting a really awesome couple.  I don’t know how they do all that touring, while still whipping out two posts a day, AND completing projects, but they do.  They are definitely my heroes in the time management department…amongst other things.  Check them out or grab their book if you get a chance, especially if you have any interest in DIY (they DIYed their wedding for Petersik‘s sake!).  I think you’ll be pleasantly charmed by them, just like the rest of the world.

What about you?  Have you ever travelled far to see someone you really like?  Do you love YHL like I do?  Please tell me I’m not the only stalker devoted follower.  Sherry promised it wasn’t creepy, so I’m sticking with that.

19 Dec

Gardening: How To Ripen Green Tomatoes

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in DIY, Gardening, Organic. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

It’s not rocket science, but I was on the hunt to ripen my green tomatoes (besides the thought of frying or grilling them).

While searching, I came across this site showing you ’How to Ripen Green Tomatoes.’  Maybe you were like me and finally got tomatoes after all your had work and persistence…in the fall.  The guy at the nursery said it was a possibility, and happily it happened.  Sadly, they were holding tight and wanting to turn red, but the sun just wasn’t enough.  Be strong little root!  The freezes were coming and I was not about to let them go to the composter, especially after going out daily to fight for their lives against those cursed cucumber beetles.  In case you didn’t catch my post on growing your own garden, I name all my plants/herb/veggies so there was no chance of leaving Tommy to die.

how to ripen your green tomatoes

First, you are supposed to cut them from the vine, not pull them with the help of a 2-year old, then carefully wrap them in tissue paper or newspaper and put them in a old shoebox.  Next, find a cool spot on the counter and wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Then voilà, you have a red tomato!

how to ripen your green tomatoes

We did have two that turned instantly, which was exciting.  Lucky for me I was able to snap a picture before Emma gobbled the whole thing up in 2 seconds flat!  I’m still waiting on the others, but it feels good to know they won’t totally go to waste…fingers crossed.

growing your own tomatoes

I’ve also been doing some research on how to save my own seeds.  I bought an Heirloom plant, which means they are original tomato seeds, not contaminated by Monsanto, so I want to keep them around for a long while.  I figure while waiting for them turn, it will buy me some time to find the best option.

Now you tell me.  Were you successful in having a garden this year?  Is your New Year’s resolution to grow your own in the spring?  Mine is and I can’t wait to get this ball rolling!  Don’t worry, I’ll take you on this journey with me, through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

10 Oct

YHL Does Dallas (& Houston & Austin)

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in Baby, Crunchy, DIY, Green. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Be still, my beating heart.  Young House Love (YHL) is coming to Dallas and I couldn’t be more stoked about it!!!!!

If you’ve never heard of them, they’re totally famous DIY bloggers who get 5 million hits a month!  They are a quirky couple, living in Richmond, with their daughter, Clara, and dog, Burger.  Sherry and John are amazing writers and have tons of inspiring posts that get even a non-DIYer, like me, to want to do stuff mahself.

I was introduced to them when I was working at the Art Institute of Dallas.  A co-worker told me about this cool blog, where a charming couple DIYs on the cheap and easy, and were pregnant with their first baby.  I didn’t really catch on at first, nor was very big into the blogging world (ha!), but soon they became part of my daily ritual (even Josh knows about them).  After logging in at work, I would open my email, Facebook, and YHL in that order.  Probably not the best employee behavior but I did get my work done, promise.

They have inspired me to make a compost bin for cheap, become addicted to ORB (oil-rubbed bronze) spray paint, and taught me a few crunchy tips along the way.  I may have a few too many products that I learned about from Sherry, but if it hadn’t been for her making cloth diapering (CDing) look so easy, I might not be where I am today.  Thanks $herdog!

It didn’t help that our daughters are 2 months apart and Emma is obsessed with watching Clara videos.  It MIGHT be Clara’s fault that Emma is addicted to ‘Moves Like Jagger’ and ‘The Alphabet Train.’  Just sayin’!

The point of the gush is this: they are coming out with a book!  It’s a 243 page guide on DIYing with a boatload of inspirations and amazing projects concocted by this super sweet couple.  I have never been so excited for someone’s book to come out like I am with them.  I just know they will inspire me to decorate my barren house and give me tips on how to do stuff on the cheap (or at least empower me to ‘save my pennies’).

Before they released the tour dates, I just knew they had to come to Texas at some point-this state is just too darn big to pass up.  Lo and behold, they are coming to Dallas, Houston, AND Austin!  I have family in the last two, so I asked Sherry if it would be creepy if I saw them at each stop and she sweetly said ‘no.’  It sounds good now, but when they see me show up for the 3rd and final time in Austin, they may duck and hide when I come at them with yet another book to sign.

Honestly, my hope is that Emma can meet Clara.  I told baby girl this morning that she could possibly meet Clara, if she comes along with John and Sherry, when they do their stop here in Dallas.  I then asked if it would be exciting to meet Clara and she said ‘see Burger, too.’  Not sure if he will make an appearance but we shall see.  The funniest part is when I asked Emma what she would say to Clara and she said ‘Quién es tu papi?’ (Who’s your daddy?).  HAHAHA!  She is going through a phase of watching her Brainy Baby Spanish video and ahem repeating every.single.thing we say around her.  I nearly died laughing this morning as that was the start to my day…here’s hoping we do get to meet Miss Clara!

For those of you who know about them and lurve them, like I do, here are their tour dates:

  • CINCINNATI: Saturday, October 20, 10:00 A – Books by the Banks Festival, Duke Energy Convention Center. Talk, meet & greet, and signing. More details here.
  • NEW YORK CITY: Thursday, November 1, 6:30 PM – FLOR, 142 Wooster Street; Book Party, Signing & Raffle (we’re unveiling and raffling an exclusive FLOR rug of our own design!) with wine, popcorn, cookies, and soda. More details here.
  • WILTON, CT: Friday, November 2, 9:30 AM – Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road. Talk & Signing. For details, call the event partner, Elm Street Books, at 203-762-3950.
  • BOSTON: Wednesday, November 7, 6:00 PM -West Elm, 160 Brookline Avenue. Cookies, Cocoa + Crafting Ideas: A festive talk with signing and refreshments to follow. RSVP here.
  • RICHMOND, VA: Thursday, November 8, 7:00 PM – R*Home for the Holidays at The Visual Arts Center of Richmond, 1812 West Main Street. Talk, Signing & Silent Auction: we’re      offering up some of our favorite finished projects from the book to support the The School of Richmond Ballet. Wine & Hors d’hoeuvres will be served. Tickets here. Update: we’re      working on a second Richmond event as well, details to come.
  • CHICAGO: Saturday, November 10, 1:00 PM – West Elm, 1000 W North Avenue. Cookies, Cocoa + Crafting Ideas: A festive talk with signing and refreshments to follow. RSVP here.
  • TORONTO: Monday, November 12, 6:00 PM – West Elm, 109 Atlantic Avenue. Cookies, Cocoa + Crafting Ideas: A festive talk with signing and refreshments to follow. RSVP here.
  • MINNEAPOLIS: Wednesday, November 14, 6:00 PM – West Elm, 3879 Gallagher Drive, Edina, MN. Cookies, Cocoa + Crafting Ideas: A festive talk with signing and refreshments to follow. RSVP here.
  • HOUSTON: Thursday, November 15, 6:00 PM – West Elm, 3910 Westheimer Road. Cookies, Cocoa + Crafting Ideas: A festive talk with signing and refreshments to follow. RSVP here.
  • DALLAS: Saturday, November 17, 11:00 AM – West Elm, 5307 East Mockingbird Lane. Cookies, Cocoa + Crafting Ideas: A festive talk with signing and refreshments to follow. RSVP here.
  • WASHINGTON, DC: Wednesday, November 28, 6:30 PM – FLOR, 1037 33rd Street NW. Book Party, Signing (we’re raffling an exclusive FLOR rug of our own design!) with wine,      popcorn, cookies and soda. RSVP here.
  • AUSTIN: Tuesday, January 8, 7:00 PM – BookPeople,603 North Lamar Boulevard. Talk & Book Signing. To reserve your copy and RSVP, call 512-472-5050.
  • MIAMI: Wednesday, January 9, Time TBD – Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables.  Talk & Book Signing. To reserve your copy and RSVP, call 305-442-4408.
  • FORT LAUDERDALE: Thursday, January 10, Time TBD – Books & Books at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, 1 East Las Olas Boulevard. Lunchtime Talk & Book Signing.  To RSVP call (954) 262-0255.
  • GRAND CAYMAN ISLANDS: Friday, January 11, Time TBD – Books & Books Grand Cayman, The Town Centre at Camana Bay, Grand Cayman. Talk & Book Signing. More info here.
  • TACOMA, WA: Friday, January 25, 1:00 PM – Tacoma Home & Garden Show. Talk & Book Signing. More info here.
  • PORTLAND: January date TBD, 6:00 PM – Rejuvenation, 1100 Southeast Grand Avenue. Talk & Book Signing. For more info call (503) 238-1900.
  • RIDGEWOOD, NJ: Friday, November 2, 7pm – Bookends, 211 Ridgewood Ave, book signing. More info here.
  • WASHINGTON, DC: Saturday, December 1st, Time TBD – Living Social, 918 F Street, Talk, holiday crafting, and book signing. More details to be released here.
  • RICHMOND, VA: Sunday, December 2nd, 1pm – Mongrel, 2924 W. Cary Street, book signing. Store information here.
  • CHARLOTTE, NC: Early February. Other details TBD

There are several that you have to RSVP to, since they are way famous, so get registered ASAP!

I will definitely follow-up with a post on when I do meet them, and if they ran from me or rolled their eyes seeing that’ Texas girl with the 2-year-old spitting out Spanish sayings’ coming at them.  Ha.

Is anyone else obsessed with an avid reader/follower of YHL?  Please tell me I’m not the only crazy one who has the same whale faucet cover, wet bag, and Joovy Kooper stroller as them.  Bueller…Bueller…Bueller…

Note: Photos from here.

4 Jul

Gettin’ Crafty With Pinterest

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in Crafts, Crunchy, DIY, Make It Yourself. Tagged: , , , , , .

Happy 4th of July everyone!

I am making a few ahem non-paleo goodies for the holiday that I plan to share tomorrow, so stay tuned.

This post, however, is all about my lack of craftiness.  One of my 30 Pinterest boards is called Gettin’ Crafty so I thought it fitting to title a post with it.  Let me start off by saying I am not crafty, at least in the sense of coming up with my own ideas.  Thanks to Pinterest, I can find inspiration and copy it or at least do my own rendition of it.  I really love to cook, and even though I have a theatre degree, I’m not very crafty.  Sad, I know.  Oh well that’s what Pinterest is for, right?

To date, I have quite a few crafts, recipes, and decorations that I’ve made from there so it hasn’t been all for naught.  If you remember I did a post a while back on homemade laundry soap, from Pinterest, that I am still in love with and using full-time now.  I recently threw a baby shower for my dear friend from high school, who was having a little girl, and found a cute idea from Martha Stewart.  These vases were for baby shower ideas so I thought it might be fun to incorporate them with the shower colors.

The description called for streamers (which shocked me for Martha) but I thought ribbon would look nicer.  I just wrapped the ribbon around the vase twice and attached it with some double stick tape.  I think it turned out pretty cute and could be adjusted for any holiday/theme.

I then found this cute bow holder that was being sold on Etsy but figured I could craft it myself.  I wanted to make it for the shower as well, so her baby girl could have a place for the oodles of bows to come.  I just used a leftover frame that I had and spray painted it ORB (oil-rubbed bronze).  Then I bought some cute ribbon, used a staple gun to attach it to the back and violà!  It was quick and easy and I’m thinking I may have to make one for Emma now, too…

My next inspiration came from a friend who had pinned a bunch of kid craft ideas.  I thought these sticks were cool and wanted to do my ‘crunchy’ spin on it and make my own homemade dyes-which happened to be a lot of fun especially with Emma’s help.

I ended up using blueberries (purple), espresso (brown), turmeric (yellow), and raspberries (pink).  To make the green, I combined the yellow and blue and will admit that I added a little help to the red and green, with the store-bought stuff, since they weren’t vivid enough.  Someone on the site suggested using tea bags for a quicker, easier method, which I will try next time.

Emma had fun making shapes and letters out of them so I know they were a hit.

Tip: use glass containers when soaking sticks in food dye…I dyed wooden Easter eggs in my plastic measuring cup and to this day is still yellow from the turmeric.

Well there you have it-probably my one and only post on crafting!  Ha. I hope you all have a wonderful fourth of July and get to celebrate with your loved ones!

Note: photo from here.

20 Apr

Gardening: Grow Your Own Garden

Posted by Crunchy Hot Mama in DIY, Gardening, Green, Organic. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

It’s that time of year when everyone seems to be out in the front yard sprucing up their landscaping, getting their gardens started, and enjoying this gorgeous weather.  I, too, have jumped on board and finally got my smidge of a garden going.

Now I know I’m late on getting everything planted this year but our Plan A of building raised beds fell through since Josh doesn’t have the time right now.  I mean isn’t it normal for people to be at the office ’til 1:30am then come home, ‘sleep,’ wake up , and do it all over again?  No?  Shootfire.  It was sweet of him, however, being an engineer, that he designed his own set of plans complete with engineering ruler and all.  Gotta love those mathematicians who break out the graph paper and slide rulers for small projects!  Please ignore the bad quality as it is a cell phone picture.

Any who, back to Plan B which entails using the pots we had from the previous years, borrowing a few, and purchasing a big hunk-a pot to do some companion growing in.  I was excited to get a bunch of veggies going this year on my journey to be self-sufficient but alas that dream will have to wait another year.  Le sigh.  That’s ok though, because ever since I got started with the growing.my.own.herbs.while.living.in.an.apartment bug, I am excited at the chance to grow bigger and better the following year.

Side note:  You’ll never guess where my inspiration for growing my own herbs came from.  For three years, I worked at Barney & Friends as a shopper and would have to frequent plant nurseries and would occasionally shop for myself…you know, like getting planters for my balcony.  Thus began my love affair of growing my own herbs, then drying them out to use as spices (it saves a bundle)!

Without further ado, let me introduce you to the family (pictured in April).  They might not be the prettiest but gosh darnit they’re mine.

 

From left to right (back row): lettuce, rosemary, sweet bell pepper and eggplant, tomato, and basil. (front row): marigold, flowering cactus, and chives.

UPDATE: Here’s the family in October, and I have to say I’m quite impressed!  Hopefully next year we can yield more produce.

grow your own garden

From left to right (back row): milkweed, rosemary, sweet bell pepper and eggplant, tomato, and basil. (front row): marigold, pineapple, and chives.  If you end up getting late tomatoes that don’t ripen, see this post to find out what to do.

I’ve also got some crazy mint going on that may have spread to the grass and gets watered since it’s under the spicket.  Oops, my bad!  Should I leave a note?

Be careful when growing mint, that stuff is like a weed and will spread like nobody’s business, so keep it contained.  My mint used to be of the chocolate and spearmint variety but they have since grown together to become one in holy matrimony.

But the main point of this post was to talk about Tommy the Tomato plant.

Yeah, I said it.  I name most of my plants, vegetables, and herbs that I grow because they are living, breathing things, too (and it’s just plain fun).

And for even more entertainment this evening, here’s a list of a few of the kiddos that have come into our lives:

  • Tommy the Tomato plant
  • Freddy the Ficus (deceased)
  • Rosy the Rosemary
  • Penny the Pineapple
  • José the Jalapeño
  • Jazzy the Jasmine-our newest edition

The funny thing is that my hubby will even call them by their name when he inquires after them…for some strange reason that man loves me despite my kookiness!

I would now like to share with you the tips on growing tomatoes.  I’m not an expert by any means but I’ve done it for the past two years, both successfully and unsuccessfully.  Obviously you know climate has a big factor in how they turn out and our ridiculously hot summer what not a friend to Tommy last year.

Let’s take it step by step shall we?  *Oh no, I think I’ve just channeled New Kids on the Block.  So sorry.

Step 1: Fill a pot combined with potting soil and no more than 50% compost (you can do your own compost bin).

Step 2: Add a banana peel and cover with more soil.

Step 3: Sprinkle some cornmeal (gluten-free or regular) on the soil and add the tomato plant.  My MIL taught me that one, so this is the first year I’m giving it a go.

Step 4: Cover with remaining soil and add your tomato cage (a special helper is a plus).  You may think it’s too early to add this but I just busted a black crow trying to eat Tommy’s leaves.  Not cool; he’s just a lil guy.  And in case you’re wondering what type of plant I got, it’s called an Heirloom.  Basically they are non-hybrid tomatoes and are classified as “breed true” meaning they haven’t been altered by the almighty Monsanto.  Just say NO to Roundup!

A trick my hubby found, which does work, is to hang a few of those red Christmas ornaments on the cage so the birds think they are actual tomatoes.  They will try to peck at them and when they realize they ain’t gettin’ a drink, they will move on and leave the real fruit behind.  I know it doesn’t look the prettiest, though maybe a little Christmas festive, but you want to reap the benefits of your labor.

Another trick I learned, or was forced into doing, was adding a pie pan to the cage to keep that cursed crow away from my eggplant, peppers, AND marigold now, too.  That crow hasn’t seen the last of me!

Oh, and one more tip is to ‘spank’ your tomato plant.  You read that right, spank your tomato plant with a rolled up newspaper, every few days to help it spread its seed once it blooms.  Also, make sure you don’t water the leaves, just the soil.

And for some added help, Josh found this plant food that I use on my flowers, herbs, and veggies.  It’s called Hasta Gro Plant by Medina and he got it at Lowe’s.  The instructions say to mix 1 oz. per gallon of water and apply with a sprinkling can. Thoroughly water the soil around the plant. Repeat every 3-4 weeks during growing season.

Well there you have it.  I swore I wouldn’t talk this much about how to plant a tomato plant but yet again nothing is quick and easy for me.  And where did all the movie and song quotes come from?  Did you catch them all?  My hope is that you will get inspired to grow a garden, even if it’s small, so you too will have the satisfaction of running out to grab that special ingredient that you grew with your own two hands.

Does anyone else have some garden action going on or do you aspire to rid yourself of your brown or black thumb?  If you need help, talk to people at nurseries or search around online.  There are tons of tips out there.  I really had no clue what I was doing but I went ahead and jumped right in.  Happy gardening!

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