Jill Nystul

Late February and early March are a tough time of year for gardeners! The weather is starting to warm up, and there are undeniable signs that spring is on its way… but it’s still too early to get out into the garden and actually do any planting.

Taking a “mental health day” today….but Kaitlyn’s got this covered! :-)

We have one big tree in our backyard, and once it starts shedding its leaves in the fall, raking them up becomes a never-ending chore! And while this period only lasts for a few weeks, we end up collecting a truly mind-boggling amount of leaves when all is said and done.

Can you believe that I’d never even heard of seed tape until a few years ago? These rolls of perfectly spaced seeds are contained in a strip of paper that you can cut to any length you want, making planting your garden considerably easier. But rather than spending the extra money to purchase seed tape, especially if you already have seeds at home, make your own instead!

It’s that time of year when we want to be outdoors enjoying all the fun activities that spring and summer have to offer. Unfortunately, all that outdoor fun usually comes along with bug bites, including mosquitoes. With concerns about the mosquito-borne Zika virus becoming more serious, today we’re sharing a way to fight back naturally with this clever mosquito-repelling bracelet you can make yourself.

One of my favorite parts of spring is seeing all the chickadees, robins, and woodpeckers return to my backyard. Nothing beats opening my kitchen window and hearing their cheerful tunes!

We don’t eat a lot of fish at our house for the most part. But it’s not because we don’t like fish – in fact, most of us love fish! However, I’ve never felt very confident in my ability to cook fish properly. The few times I’ve attempted it at home have either resulted in overcooked fish, undercooked fish, or a pile of flaky bits that used to be fish. It was all so discouraging that I eventually stopped trying.

It’s been a long winter, so if you have checked your garden tools lately, you may be wondering how to remove rust. Sometimes in spite of your best efforts, tools do get rusty. It’s easy to think that your tools are beyond saving, but don’t throw them out just yet! There are plenty things you can use to remove rust from metal. And you probably already have many of them at home!

Now that school is almost out (yikes!) and summertime travel is just around the corner, I thought it might be a good time to do something I’ve been meaning to do for a very long time – put together a First Aid Kit for the car.

Spring has sprung, and while the weather is still predictably unpredictable for the time being, it has me anxiously awaiting the day I can get out and do some gardening! To tide myself over until then, I’ve been perusing the internet to brush up on gardening tips and tricks, and that’s how I stumbled on the idea I’ll be sharing with you in today’s post!

This post is sponsored by NABISCO. As always, all ideas and opinions are entirely my own. I’ve always looked at Memorial Day as the unofficial kick-off to the summer season. And since Memorial Day is now in our collective rear-view, it’s time to start planning some fun summer activities! And you can’t talk about summer activities without mentioning barbecues!

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you already know just how much I love mason jars. But what’s not to love? These beautiful and iconic containers are as American as apple pie, and today I’m sharing a simple DIY mason jar dispenser that makes them even more useful!:-)

While it hasn’t necessarily felt like it due to some recent late-season snow flurries, it’s technically springtime which means I’ve got gardening on my mind! My domain includes the flower beds that surround our house on all sides and my collection of pots that I like to use for annuals, while my eldest son typically oversees the raised beds in our vegetable garden.

Mmmmmmm…..Manure Tea…..who wouldn’t want a big, tall glass of that??? Well, OK….this particular “tea” isn’t the kind that humans will relish….but your PLANTS will LOVE it and will reward you with delicious food and beautiful flowers!

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day where I live…..the beginning of what promises to be a beautiful weekend! Ahhh….it does my heart good to see the snow disappearing as the mercury in the thermometer rises.  Another thing that does my heart good to see? BIRDS! My son and I spotted some robins pecking around in the backyard today and it got me thinking about a cute little project I’d seen recently designed to help our fine-feathered friends to build their nests this spring!

One of our family’s favorite summertime treats is my mom’s famous homemade ice cream! It’s the perfect refreshing treat during the dog days of summer, and it also gives you a chance to highlight the delicious, ripe fruits that are so abundant this time of year. My family loves using fresh strawberries in this recipe, but you could just as easily use peaches, raspberries, blackberries, or whatever your family’s favorite fruit may be! So without further ado, here is my mom’s “Foolproof Homemade Ice Cream” recipe for your summer enjoyment! :-)

It seems like every year I have to make a trip to our local Walmart to buy a new garden hose. One hose was accidentally left out all winter, another was crushed when someone ran it over—I could go on and on!

Last weekend we finally pulled the patio table and chairs out of storage (the corner of our yard) and set them up on the patio. I can’t tell you how excited I was about this! I absolutely love when the weather finally gets nice enough to start dining outdoors. There’s just something about dining al fresco that is good for the soul! :-)