7 Garden fixes straight from YOUR Kitchen! AMAZING

Soon, the snow will melt and it will be time to start thinking about the wondrous mess that lies beneath.  I know that here, at Gray Gables, our ground is still hard clay, as it has already started to peek out from under the crisp white that covers the frozen grounds. 

But, the grass will turn green and it will be time to get the indoor garden transplanted back to the fresh air and warm suns rays.  

With that, I have SEVEN Garden fixes to keep your veggies growing healthy and green.

  

1) To Ward off Pesky Wildlife.... 
Use: Cayenne Pepper
You can ward off everything from squirrels, moles, gophers (Yes, Caddy Shack lovers..this works) and even deer by sprinkling a heavy-handed dusting of cayenne pepper directly onto plants that you do not want to be someone else's snack!
 





2) To Rid the ground of Weeds...
Use: White Vinegar
A vinegar spray will burn the plants away. But note that the spray will not penetrate the roots, so expect repeat applications on weeds that resurface!




 

3) To control powdery mildew...
Use: Baking Soda
Add 1 tbsp of baking soda and 1 to 3 tsp of horticultural oil to 1 gallon of water.  Spray both sides of the affected leaves once a week.







 
4) Slug be gone!
Use: Beer
I know that you are saying..."What, waste my beer on slugs...."  but if you pour the beer in a shallow dish and sink it into the ground, the slugs will be attracted to the fermenting yeast and wah lah. Slugs get drunk and disappear!


 

5) To banish mites and aphids..
 Use: Dish-washing Liquid
These tiny pests feed on shrubs, fruits, flowers, and vegetables, so pretty much EVERYTHING!  Mix a few drops of dish soap with water and spray directly on your plants. 

Inside K Cup!

6) Sandy Soil? Enrich it!
Use: Coffee Grounds
The residue from your morning brew will add organic matter and nutrients to sandy soil and increase water capacity.  The grounds also improve drainage in clay soil. Great news, with the Pods, simply open the used ones up and gather in a dish if you do not brew a whole pot and natural grounds, I mean, after all...K cups are kind of a thing now..
 


And FINALLY, 

7) Secret Spy Mission: Operation EARWIGS...How to trap them:
Use: A paper-towel tube and drinking straw
Fill the cardboard core with large-diameter straws and place it under a plant where you see earwig damage.  The earwigs will crawl into the straws.  Grab the tube and cover the ends with your hands. Hold it over a bucket of soapy water and shake the earwigs into the bucket. You will be amazed at how many you unearthed!




And a tidbit:

 

They aren't prefect...it really is an ART!

I am already starting my seeds in eggshells.  I have been saving my carefully crafted broken top eggs (it really is a talent!) and my egg cartons.  The eggs are calcium-rich and perfect for seed starting. Once you remove the top of the shells of the eggs, wash the inside, poke a drainage hole in the bottom and you are ready to grow!  Fill the eggs with a seed-starting mix and plant your seeds per packet directions. 

When it is time to transplant to your critter/weed-FREE garden, tap the bottom of the shell on a hard surface to help break it up and place in your outdoor ground hole! 

New last year for me was my raised garden box and I have learned that pairing is a big deal! I was pot growing (um, not a cash crop) and moved my lettuce into my planting table mid-season with my tomatoes.  I did get one pick of my lettuce before it disappeared...literally.  That was a NO NO! Live and learn! This year, I am prepared, I have my planting table AND a space and I am more than ready for this SNOW to GO!



Happy Planting ALL...from Gray Gables with LOVE.

P.S. Stay tuned...the Chickens are coming... Its so Egg-citing! 

~Kel

           

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...RUN

Life can be so cruel at times.

 

I mean, my problems are simple, in the complexity of things that others are going through.  This is where your personal woos get mushed into the "bigger picture".  

Does this mean that your own personal trials are less than that?  

Does it mean that you are not allowed a day of mopping? 

Does it mean that you are not allowed/supposed to be feeling the way you are?

Well, I think that each personal trial is part of our journey. I think that we are allowed to feel, for a short time, our trivialization.  I think that, in my opinion, then, you must put on your "big girl panties" and pick yourself up and CHANGE whatever is putting a dull light on your life.

Easier said than done...right!

I get that too!

My story is simple.  I still have a job after all.  

Last post, I promise...about this drama that is my life at Gray Gables right now.  

It is a hard transition for me.  I mean, kind of like a catch 22.  There have been thoughts of "I should have just stayed at the job I was working..I had put in 5 years...." but then, where would I be?  I have gone through the "It's NOT Fair" mind set.  I mean, after all, I got this fancy work-at-home job and have spend the past nine months being HERE for my girls.  I have even spoken, out loud, in frustration..."I hate my life and don't even want to be here anymore."  Yes, a moment I regret, did not mean and was said out of pure frustration for the situation. 

I can honestly say - in the past I have mentioned how alone I have felt...I truly have not felt more alone until I received this news.  People at work no longer "reach out"...it is just QUIET. Jobs that I was previously doing are being done by others.  I just feel like doom is awaiting me. 

But, don't worry. I am over being DOWN.  I just have to accept the reality of my own situation.  

I will be going back to work. Outside of the home.  

Yes, it is terribly sad. Yes, it is not ideal.  No,I am not happy, not looking forward to this change, and tears have fallen for my kiddos. But, at the end of the day, no matter how many times I hear that I should just enjoy this time...this part time/part pay stuff...I know that the LONGER I delay in moving forward, the more comfortable I will get in these new hours and the less happy I will be with the less pay.  We are raising a family here, after all.

So, Ready...Set...GO!

I am off and running.  Job hunting is exhausting. I know that I have people in heaven pulling for me. I know that this is something that HAS to happen. I don't know if I am OK with this YET, but I am keeping a positive outlook and thinking of a growing savings account. 



I have five aces in my back pocket currently. I have a feeling the biggest challenge will be knowing which road to take, and that is OK.  It is better to have this challenge than no road to follow.








not 1 but 2 people told me that having childcare in my home was A BAD IDEA- I quote!  This, of course hurt, but I get it. I do. It would just be good money for something that I love to do...kids rule!  But, I guess it is NOT in the cards for ME at this point in life. My Admin. skills have to much to offer, I suppose. (or at least that is how I have to look at it at this point and time)

So, I will keep you posted on my upcoming journey. It is sure to be wild.  I am sad to leave my home, I am sad to say goodbye to my girls who have grown in the past nine months to expect Mom being there...but I know that in the end, the vacations, the weekends, the time we do have together will be worth more than gold. We will make memories to replace the constant time.  I guess that is all I can do! 

We are a working family and I guess, that will have to be OK.

~Kel

Let's do this!

To my girls,

Please do not think that this is an easy decision for Mommy. I have fought tooth and nail to try to make my time at home.  The reality is, as it always has been, if we want to keep our current lifestyle, Daddy and I both have to work. Unfortunately, Mommy working at home turned out to be to good to be true. It was short lived and I feel resentment and bitterness because of the changes that I put you both through when I made the decision to move to the home for work. Even the job at home was not easy and sacrifices have been met since. I have been the MOM who is home...but is not really home. I believe that working out of the home will allow me to leave work at work! I will do my best to make sure that we stay scheduled, we stay together as much as we can and that our transition is as smooth as possible. We are lucky that Nana and Papa are here for us and will help us. That eases Mommies mind more than you know. If I had anyone else have to raise my kids while I work, it would be the Grandmas!

I love you both more than anything and want to ensure you both have everything in life you could possibly want. I hope you find love, as much as material possessions.  Love is and will always be the most important thing that Dad and I can ever give you.  I will always rush to be with you, always. 

I love you both so much!

Love,
Mom

Life at Gray Gables: 5 ways to ready yourself for that TIGHT Budget Bel...

Life at Gray Gables: 5 ways to ready yourself for that TIGHT Budget Bel...: Change is not necessarily a bad word .  Change can be good . Great even.  Change is what helps us grow , expand our "stuck" minds...

5 ways to ready yourself for that TIGHT Budget Belt

Change is not necessarily a bad word.  Change can be good. Great even.  Change is what helps us grow, expand our "stuck" minds and achieve more than we thought. 

Change can also be scary. Maybe it is better to say that Change is Scary!

It is the unknown.  It is the new.  It is the different.

 

 

Well, as you read the other day, my household is changing. It is a tough pill to swallow and will require a change for not only myself but my whole family. 
 

Forget scared, I am terrified.  

It has caused me to think 'outside of the house' and that is worse yet. (House-since I work at home. HOME is my BOX!)

I am going to have to find ways to cut our budget in half. EEK!

So, after some research, I found five ways to help our family get ready to tighten that budget belt.  It is time to stop spending and start finding ways to cut corners, so to speak!

Here are a few of the simple changes, apart from couponing, that we will be making in our spending habits:


1) Cut back services to reflect actual usage.

I guess it is safe to say that this tact is not rocket science.  When living on a tight budge, every penny helps, we all know this.  

If we decrease our garbage, using methods such as composting or recycling, we decrease the need for a large can.  This little change can save us over $60 a year, since we pay for our larger can at the curb. 

We also are looking over our bundled service from our local T.V. provider, which costs up upward of $200.  We actually have a house phone that we do not use! [gasp]  What a waste!  We only have the line for our alarm, but with the increase in wireless features, it is worth investigating to cut costs. 




2) Your children do not need to look like they are from the pages of the Gymboree e-mails you get!

 I know that this one is hard. You see those gosh darn cute outfits and you can literally picture your little Mr. or Miss. dressed to the T in them.  Guess what?  You need to stop there. Leave that day dream at the door of your local Once Upon a Child and learn to shop second hand.  If that is a tough pill to swallow, try to only buy clearance items and off of the  sale racks. I bet, you can find some pretty cute ensembles, if you just look! You need to realize that your kid will find a stain five second from now and it won't matter how much it cost!!!





3) Start Meal Planning.

This has been a challenge and yet very exciting for me.  I have played around with Meal Planning for years now. I have a ton of recipes that I thought sounded good or looked good at one time or another, sitting in a drawer collecting dust.  By spending ten minutes on Sunday evenings, to look through my drawer, I was able to print off a calendar and plan out our dinner week. 

I want to note that due to Hubby working second shift, it is difficult to plan, but I am sticking to my guns on this one.  I will make what I write in that calendar date box and pack it up with him for work. My kids, who are beyond picky, have adjusted nicely as well.  I think that by planning, it gives them a heads up and they have been on board to at least try new things! (they usually like it too!)


4)  Use the library.

With this new school year I have picked up a BAD habit.. Scholastic's.  The flyer comes once a month and it is enticing, especially with a Kindergartener who LOVES to read and is excelling. But, with each month, shelling out $30-$40 for new books, I finally realized that with cutting costs, means finding another resource for new books. 
We were using the library over the summer, even joining the summer reading program. It just became more convenient to buy books that were being re-read.  Well, it is time to head back out and use the wonderful library resource that we have!
  
 Also, the library has MORE than just BOOKS!  You can borrow movies and music, take on events, such as children's story time. Check out your Library's local webpage for more info!


5) Avoid your Kryptonite!

 
What the heck are you talking about, Kel?  Well, figure out what kills your budget and then, learn how to control it. (or avoid it!) 

For me, personally, I need to stay away from Target!  That is one of those places that I can seriously bust the budget in one stop! 

 

 Do you have other ideas for budget cuts? If so, I would LOVE to hear from you!  Leave or comment or e-mail me directly at: kam0900@yahoo.com.

 

 ~Kel

 

 

 

Number 1 reason why I am so BLEEPING Happy Today!

 

 

 

Oh Happy days!

Enjoy this FIRST DAY of MARCH!!

 

 ~Kel

5 ways to get started as a Stay At Home Babysitter

It is time to start "shopping".  Of course, the thought of no longer working at home, being here for my kids is starting to make my anxiety rise.  My children have learned, in the past nine months, to depend on me.  They are now used to Mommy being Home.  For me to head back out into the field and give up getting my oldest child on the bus, or off, and give up getting my youngest her breakfast and getting ready to go to Nana's, or picking her up in the afternoon, is frankly, just not fair! (in a high whine voice, of course)


 

So, what do you do when you know...that God's plan is a big, fat push in your butt to find your own way?




Well...you find your own way, right!  So the 'heat is on' to find my path and what better way than with you.  What better way to have accountability, right!



So, let's look at 5 ways get started as a  Stay at Home Babysitter...let me help you, as I help myself!

Start a Babysitting Business - Ideas for Babysitting for Stay at Home Mom Income

Why Babysitting?

I am personally great with kids.  I love kids.  I started my college education wanting nothing more than to be a teacher, even spending time working in a daycare facility while in school. 

Of course, I want to add that I did not become a teacher. Unfortunately, one professor crushed my dreams and self-esteem, not to mention my drive.  That was a career that I really wanted, but at nineteen years old, someone telling me that I would not be a good teacher can really effect a person, especially someone so young and trying to find their way. So, I went for an interdisciplinary degree where I majored in Business Administration and minored in English. I guess it was kind of the best of both worlds.

But, today, I feel that this is the best path for where I want to be in life.  With kids. Working at home. 



How do we get started?

You need to decide if this is for you. 

Ask yourself:   Do you want to run a traditional home daycare?  

Sure, the idea of bringing in extra money sounds great, but you need to be realistic.  It can cut into family time.  Maybe you just don't "do" diapers, or perhaps your own kids are older, so you would rather have kids in that age bracket?  

These are things that you need to nail down before you start your venture. 

Of course, there are alternatives.  

Here are FIVE ways to get Started as a Stay at Home Babysitter:

1) Traditional Daycare

2) Occasional Babysitting

3) Mom's Day Out

4) Homeschooler's Day Out

5) Parent's Night Out/ Holiday Childcare Option

1) What is Traditional Daycare?

A traditional daycare setting would entail babies to school age children in a set time/weekly environment.  You will need to have hours to accommodate your parents.   You set a rate for that child based on length of service, usually around $30 a day. 




2) What is Occasional Babysitting?

Occasional babysitting and/or Nanny Services take place in YOUR home or perhaps, the Child's.  Something like this could be run on a part-time basis.

Who says you have to watch children on a set schedule?


In an effort to start a babysitting business, you could keep the child every Wednesday at a certain time while Mom attends to other things.  A great way to have that stay at home Mom income while still spending time with your Family.

3) What about Mom’s Day Out?

 

A similar style of babysitting is to offer a Mom’s Day Out.  This is appealing to stay at home Moms because this type of care can be offered once a week, once every two weeks, or once a month. 

Typically a flat fee of $25 is charged while Moms drop off their little ones with you for 4-6 hours at a time. 

Ideas to offer Mom’s for their new found freedom?

How about grocery shopping? Getting their hair and nails done? A massage? Visit with friends? A lunch date with Daddy? Sleep? All of these things are possible and would be great things to include in your advertising.

4) How about a Home Schooler’s Day Out?

 

While most stay at home Moms get FREE TIME once their children hit school age, homeschooling Moms are with their children 24/7.  

Why not take the Mom’s Day Out idea and market it to Mother’s that Home School their children?

Every Mom needs a break sometimes!

Starting a business that would cater to Home Schooled children and offering them something fun and constructive to do while they are in your care can be very appealing.  This way the Mom gets a little free time to do other things while you add a little extra money to your Stay-At-Home income.


5) Parent’s Night Out and/or Holiday Care?

A very popular way to start a babysitting business is offering Parent’s Night Out.  Mom and Dad need alone time every now and again, a chance to remember why they got together in the first place!   This is a service that could be offered once or twice a month.

Pick a Friday or Saturday night, rent PG movies, order pizza and set up the sleeping bags. Now you are all set for a mini-slumber part for school aged kids that can last from 6p-midnight.  Consider charging $25-$35 a child for this service.

Some parents have to work on holidays and it’s a challenge finding a daycare to provide services. Add this idea for babysitting! If you are able to start a babysitting business for these special days, you can charge a premium rate.  An example of this would be offering childcare on New Year’s Eve, or Valentine’s Day.  A reasonable rate would be $50-$100 per child for the entire night.  Of course, when we think of “holidays,” images of Christmas and Thanksgiving come to mind, but don’t forget about your bank holidays, also! Not everyone gets those days off from work and this can be a fabulous holiday care service that would really pay off!

I think this alternative is very important, as I am a Mom that still has yet to find a babysitter to have those nights with my Husband.  We are lucky to have my Parent's for these nights, but there will come a time when they will be busy also! 

 
Additional Ideas:

Have you considered a Preschool Program?

A Preschool program could be help 2-3 times a week and last a few hours.  The kids would get to socialize, make crafts and other fun activities, and you would make a little income on the side.  This could be a great alternative when the Preschools are full and some kids are just left out.

 

So, if you think you are really ready to start this adventure, it is time to get started!  What is the next step?  Well, I am going to be renewing my CPR, AED and First Aid certification.  

You can  get a great deal at Groupon.com right now:

Happy Business Venture!!

Have a great weekend!

 

~Kel