Stick (Immersion) Blender

One day, I saw my favorite TV cook using one of these gadgets and I thought I definitely could use one.  When my small food processor burnt out, I replaced it with a stick blender. I use the stick blender mostly to puree soups. It is so convenient with little clean up. I simply put the wand in the pot; puree the soup; and rinse it off.  Some people like to use a stick blender for smoothies;  sauces; and spreads like hummus.  If you are not using a stick blender, give it a try. I think you will like it.

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Planting – Seeds, Annuals and Perennials

This year for the first time, I am holding off putting plants in the ground, or even pots, until after May 27, 2010 – that’s the full moon. I have lost so many plants over the years that I have decided to wait a little longer. My mother always planted after this time, and she had a pretty good looking garden.  I was so tempted to plant flowers on May long weekend but instead I planted a few seeds in pots. I planted nasturtiums, marigolds, black penny, cilantro, scarlet runner and a few other annual seeds. Nasturtium and marigolds last well into the fall when other annuals have died off – so I always plant a few pots of these and just tuck them away until they are ready to be displayed. I also dug up a few perennials to put in pots.  This is not something that I have done a lot of, but I’ve seen many perennials in pots in gardening magazines so I decided to give it a try. Last year, I put Autumn Joy Sedum in a pot on my front porch and it looked great.  Well that is what I am up to in the gardening world, what about you.  Have a great day, Linda

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‘If your gonna jack ‘em up you gotta clean ‘em up’

Ladies, with the cold weather ending, and summer approaching, it is time to look at our feet. Soon we will be wearing sandals, open toe shoes and flip flops.  Not taking care of our feet can become a cosmetic problem.  I once heard a radio announcer say on the air ‘if your gonna jack ‘em up you gotta clean ‘em up’. If your feet have been neglected over the winter and they are dry and cracked, now is the time to freshen them up. It really is quite simple and inexpensive.  Begin by lathering your feet with lotion before you go to bed.  Any lotion will do. Put on cotton socks and leave them on overnight.  If your feet are very dry and cracked add Vaseline to your lotion or use Vaseline by itself.   Each time you shower or bath, use a pumice stone on your heels and rough spots. You can exfoliate at this time also. Do not try to remove all dry skin at one time.

Once a week set aside time to pamper your feet. Follow these steps:

1). Soak your feet 10 minutes in Epsom salts. Remove old polish.

2). Exfoliate with a scrub – (there are many homemade recipes online)

3). Clean, trim and shape nails

4). Apply lotion

5) Optional – apply a few coats of polish (light pink looks clean and natural)

If you keep this up, you will have pretty feet year round.

My online friend at Ozarkhomesteader has a very nice foot scrub on her site, check it out here.

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Don’t Steal the Glory

Ladies, please allow someone else to have the glory – at least now and then.  By this I mean, when someone is sharing a success story, don’t out do them.   Let’s say your friend says very excitedly ‘ As of today, I have made 100 blood donations’ and you yourself have donated 200 times. Don’t expand on your experience, just celebrate your friends success. Ladies please, be gracious and let others have the glory. I am working on getting better at this and hope you do too. Bye for now, Linda

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Bench – Bed Frame

Hi Ladies, I once read about recycling an unwanted head board and foot board by making a bench. One day my husband and I saw a maple head board and footboard in a pile of rubbish heading for the dump. We brought it home.  My husband built this bench from the remnants. The back of the bench is the head board, the front is the foot board.  The sides are the rails.  For the seat, he used wood he already had. These benches work well on a deck or  porch also.

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Syle Evolution

As women, it is a good idea to evaluate our fashion needs now and then. As I look around at the various styles, I am sometimes not sure what is age appropriate. I want to look stylish but I do not want to dress too young or too old.    I came across the book  ‘Style Evolution – How to Create Ageless Personal Style in your 40s and Beyond’ in the public library. Note that this book is for women 40 and over. The author covers how to dress for different body types. She also addresses trends and ageless fashions. For instance, the leopard animal print is ageless, but you  need to know how to wear it for your age group. I also like that she includes a brand analysis. If you are confused about fashion or just want to be sure you are dressing appropriately, I highly recommend this book. You will not be sorry.

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