orchid grown in a jar

Orchid grown in a jar...

Orchids are hands down my very favorite flower and this is such a beautiful and unique way to both display and grow them.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that they don't want to be soaking wet. If you are growing them in a jar, don't water as often as if it was just in a pot. Otherwise you will have a rotten orchid.


You will want to collect a few decorations for your jar... keeping in mind that you want to leave enough room for the plant to breathe.


Place enough substrate in the bottom of the jar to hold your plant securely. You can also add other small plants such as the fern you see to the right. Then add some moss to hide any unsightly spots...
Place in a sunny location, but not in direct sun. This would create a small oven and you would end up baking your plants. Water with a spray bottle as needed, however, you don't want to overdo it. Make sure that you take out any dead leaves as soon as you notice them so they don't start to mold.

Use your imagination and see what ya get! :)

Recycled newspaper seed pots!

It's so easy to make your own newspaper pots to start your seeds that there is no reason to buy!

All you need are some paper scraps, tape and a can of food!

1- Start by tearing a single piece of newspaper in half, then fold it lengthwise into thirds. So it looks like a long hotdog.

2- Place the can of soup on the newspaper with about 1/4" of the can over the edge of paper. You want it snug but not so tight that you won't be able to slip the can out later. Tape paper.

3- turn can upside down so it's standing on its top. Now take a section of paper and fold it against the bottom of can, tape and repeat process till the bottom is all folded down. It will be just like wrapping a Christmas present that's round.

4- Gently slide the can out and you have a little pot for your seeds!

The entire thing can be planted in the ground when it's time, or you can gently peel off the paper when your ready to plant.

I use a standard size can for most but if you are starting larger plants, you may want to use a little bigger can.... Common sense!

Have fun and happy growing!

Memories box

This is a very cute and easy way to save your ticket stub/paper memories. All you need is a shadow box. You can decorate it however you would like. Cut a slot at the top of the frame and you can just drop your stubs in. It can also be occasionally shaken gently to change your memories.

If you make one, take a picture and let me know! I'd love to see what you come up with.

Happy Memories
:)

Ginger and its uses....

Ginger is an amazing plant that has been used for thousands of years. The earliest recorded record of using ginger comes from more than a thousand years ago...

Medicinal uses of ginger include: Congestion, nausea and headache as well as being a powerful antioxidant.

When my family is sick ginger tea is the first thing I serve.

Mix either 1 inch of thinly sliced, fresh root, or 1 t. of powdered ginger into almost boiling water. Let steep for about 10 minutes. Breathe in the vapors from the cup and when cool enough to drink, stir in honey to sweeten and drink tea. This will help with congestion from a cold/allergies.

Ginger also is a digestive aid. Both ginger ale and ginger beer have been recommended as "stomach settlers" for generations in countries where the beverages are made. Ginger water was commonly used to avoid heat cramps in the United States in the past.

Ginger has also been shown in research trials, to have a role in the regulation of natural inflammatory response of the body. In India ginger is applied, as a paste, to the temples as a headache relief. In Myanmar (Burma), ginger and a local sweet(Htan nyat, made from palm tree juce) are boiled together and taken to prevent the Flu.

Ginger has also been commonly used to treat inflammation. There have been several studies that have shown very positive results on minimizing joint pain from arthritis as well as other inflammatory disorders. It may also have blood thinning as well as cholesterol lowering properties, making it effective in treating heart disease.


Young ginger roots are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. Ginger is often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack, or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. The root can also be stewed in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as a sweetener. Mature ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Asian cuisine to flavor dishs. Ginger is also candied, is used as a flavoring for candy, cookies, crackers and cake, and is the main flavor in ginger ale as well as ginger beer.

Powdered dry ginger (ground ginger) is typically used to add spiciness to gingerbreads and other recipes. Ground and fresh ginger taste very differently and generally, ground ginger is a particularly poor substitute for fresh ginger. Fresh ginger can be successfully substituted for ground ginger and should be done at a ratio of 6 parts fresh for 1 part ground. You generally achieve better results by substituting only half the ground ginger for fresh ginger.

In general, I try to include as much ginger in my everyday cooking as possible. It can be added to almost everything! Personally, I have had a lot of success incorporating this into my families diet.

I hope that by using it, your find the benefits as helpful as I did.

Make your own citrus cleaner

It is so easy to make your own cleaner there is no reason not too!

While orange is traditional, I love the scent of lime or lemon the most.

This can be used with any citrus you prefer.


Ingredients:
The peel from one orange, lime, lemon or grapefruit and 3 cups of distilled white vinegar.
You will also need a quart sized container with a lid.

Instructions:
1 - Place peel and vinegar in container. Store in a safe location (away from pets or kids) for 10 to 14 days. During this time you will need to shake or swirl the bottle every few days.

2 - Strain the peel and any bits out with cheesecloth. Then return liquid to jar and return to safe location.

3 - This liquid will need to be diluted with water before you use it.

• spray cleaner - one part citrus vinegar to three parts water.
• floor cleaner - 1 cup citrus vinegar to 2 gallons water.
• toilet cleaner - use 3/4 cup in toilet bowl to clean and deodorize.