Upcycled Outdoor Hanging Planter

Last spring, I made my first set of upcycled hanging planters and they fared so well, I am using them again this year and making some more. They were the perfect container for growing herbs. This is cilantro I started from a seed 3 or 4 weeks ago in one of last year's containers.

They are so easy to make! You don't have to be crafty. These are the supplies you need:

 

• Old, clean, juice or soda bottles. (Don't use milk bottles, they retain bacteria if not cleaned properly.)
• Duct tape.
• Scissors.
• Twine or any kind of sturdy string that can be used outdoors.
• Hole-punch.
• Power drill.

Step 1: drill one or two holes in the bottle cap for drainage.

 

Step 2: Cut the bottom off of the bottle.

They should look like this. Imagine my assistant saying, "I am a robot" and moving his arms around.

Step 3: Punch two holes across the opening. These holes will be for the strings for hanging.

Step 4: Wrap duct tape around the bottom (now the top) of the bottle. Fold the tape in. This helps make the bottle stronger. Make sure to find the holes and puncture them again. You can hole punch it after you apply the tape, but you have to have incredibly strong hands!

Step 5: Cut two pieces of string about 3 feet long.

Bonus step: allow assistant to add extra tape and stickers to bottles.

Step 6: Loop one piece of string through each hole.

Step 7: Add rocks to the bottom of each bottle to assist with draining.

Step 8: Fill bottle with soil.

 

Step 9: Tie onto your balcony or hook.  Note: After winter, the strings may dry out, so they may need to be replaced.

Step 10: Add a seed. Label it. Water it. Watch it grow. Enjoy delicious herbs in just a few weeks!

 

GREAT Deal on Neutrogena Facial Cleansing Bars at CVS through May 24

Now through May 24, you can STOCK UP on Neutrogena facial cleansing bars. I love this gentle cleanser and I love this deal!

Where I live, these bars cost $3.39 each. When you buy 3, you get $10 back in ExtraBucks (ECBs). The best thing is you can repeat this deal SIX times! Luckily, I already had $10 ECBs from my last CVS trip, so this literally cost me 75 cents and I got $10 ECBs to use on my next purchase. My CVS had 6 bars, so I was able to do this transaction twice.

 

Here's how it worked for me:

• Scan ExtraCare card. Ring up 3 Neutrogena bars. Total: $10.75. Scan $10 ECB. Pay 75 cents! Get $10 ECB on your receipt.
• Then do it again! Scan ExtraCare card. Ring up the next three Neutrogena bars. Total: $10.75. Scan $10 ECB from your last transaction. Pay 75 cents! Get $10 ECB on your receipt.

Today I got 6 bars and only paid $1.50 out of pocket. I'll check other CVS locations until May 24 so I can maximize this deal. Remember, you can do this six times, so you could end up with 18 bars for a whopping total of $4.50 with $10 ECBs leftover to spend on something else.

52 Week Home Organization Challenge: Week 4

Week 4: Organize fridge and freezer

If there's one thing I generally keep well-organized, it's our food. I hate to see anything go to waste and one of the best ways to do that is to know what you have, cook using what you already have, and know when what you have expires. Every three months, I check all of the expiration dates so I know what I have to use in the upcoming months and can toss anything that might have expired. I don't use any baskets or crates to keep our fridge and freezer organized, but I do like the idea.

I think most people plan their meals around what they want to eat and will go to the store once or twice that week and buy whatever it is they think they will eat. I plan our meals around what we already have. I keep our meat costs low by buying marked down meat -- meat that's at a reduced price because it's the sell by date. If I don't eat it that day, I freeze it so it's good for another six months. Because I buy our meat that way, I keep an inventory list on the side of the fridge.

Here's a peek into our fridge and freezer ---

In our freezer, all of the meat goes in the biggest section. It takes up the most space. Below it, you'll find things like pizza/pizza crust, flattened homemade soups (they stack so nicely when you freeze the bags flat on a cookie sheet!), popsicles, and coffee for when my mom visits.

 

Our inventory list is on the side of the fridge.

All frozen veggies (including our guacamole stockpile) go one one door shelf.

 

Fruit and nuts go on another shelf. Most of the fruit we freeze was either marked down because it was bruised or it was fruit we didn't get around to eating, so I chop it up for smoothies rather than tossing it.

Here's a great example of what a difference three minutes can make. In the photo on the left, the two bottom shelves look ready to explode, but after removing five expired bottles, it looks a bit more organized.

I try to keep  the main part of the fridge as grab-friendly as possible. You have all seen how much food we keep in our home... the one thing that gets on my last nerve is when a certain someone stands in front of the fridge and complains that we have nothing to eat. This fridge clearly has plenty to eat!

Fruit is usually washed and right up front (here are two of Logan's favorites: grapes and watermelon).

Dippable veggies are washed, chopped, and ready for hummus.

Homemade snacks are ready to eat (this is our latest family favorite: yogurt mixed with oats, almond milk, chia seeds, and either jam or fresh fruit).

 

One crisper drawer holds our fresh veggies.

And the other holds overflow. There was a great deal on cheddar cheese at Harris Teeter a few weeks ago and it's one of Logan's favorites, so I stocked up. This is good until August, so we don't need to see it every day. We just keep one block, sliced up, in the meat and cheese drawer higher in the fridge.

Hopefully this inspires you to organize your fridge and freezer too!

My Little Plants Now Live Outdoors!

They grow up so fast!

This Sunday, I was reminded again why I love weekends. I was feeling really frustrated about giving up on my elimination diet but spending two hours out in the sun with my hands in the dirt and sweat on my brow was all I needed to clear my head. What's better than eating something you raised yourself, right?

I learned a lot from my little seedlings. Some, like summer squash, okra, and zucchini, grow really fast! I think it would be better to start them in a larger seed tray with a taller cover. Others, like chives and spinach, failed to thrive in the trays. I'll be starting them again next weekend, sowing them directly outdoors.

You will notice that my little garden does not look like the standard potted garden. Pots meant for plants are expensive! Baskets, tubs, and containers purchased from a thrift store on a half price holiday are really inexpensive and easily converted to gardening containers with the help of a drill to poke a few holes on the bottom for drainage and a layer of rocks on the bottom to further assist with the drainage.

Some containers, like empty juice and soda bottles are even better, because they are completely free! In an upcoming post, I'll show you how easy it is to upcycle and make your own hanging containers with materials you probably have around your house. Raising some of your plants off the floor really helps to make the most of tight spaces.

So far, I've planted summer squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, okra, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, lima beans, sunflower, and lettuce. I plan on adding Italian basil, Thai basil, lavender, more lettuce, oregano, chives, and maybe some carrots.

I am so excited to watch my garden grow and my little helper is excited about it too. When he awoke from his nap, I was about halfway through getting everything planted so dirt and supplies still littered the balcony. The first thing Logan said when he came outside was, "you make a mess! I sweep!" When he was done sweeping, he quickly got to work watering the fronts of all the containers. We'll have to work on his reach so the plants in the back aren't neglected!

More to come!!

The Breakdown

It happens when you least expect it. You can only feel like you have it together for so long and then, suddenly, you realize you're overwhelmed. You find yourself crying in bed in the middle of the night and, at first, you think it's because of something silly, like realizing you probably can't eat bananas. Bananas. One of the first foods we all turn to when our muscles ache!

That's when you understand the real reason you are crying: you've just accepted another perfectly normal thing your abnormal body can't do. Also, maybe part of it is because you are hungry. You've been drinking Ensure for two weeks on an elimination diet and the first food you reintroduced, that you thought would be a surefire win, was a failure and you just remembered you didn't eat rice today because you're afraid of reacting to another perfectly normal food.

You remember you're not normal and you're overwhelmed and disappointed. Disappointed because this disease you are trying so hard to control has bested you again and all you want is to wake up in the morning feeling well-rested and ready to take on the day. You want to snuggle with your child in the morning without feeling like crawling back into bed when he is wide awake. You want to survive your workday without squirming, doing everything possible to stay awake and focused on your tasks, without excruciating pain every time you rise from your ergonomic chair. When you pick your son up from daycare, it takes every bit of patience go allow him to explore the world around him on your walk home and every last bit of strength to lift him up when he wants to walk on the wall or carry him when the cold wind hurts his little face. All day long you've been thinking about tour grand evening plans: pulling together a practical dinner, doing a load of laundry, AND cleaning at least one thing (usually one of three gets accomplished) before bath time, story time, and bed time.

Thank goodness for weekends. They restore my sanity and priorities. After a lot of discussion with Ryan, I've decided to take a break from the elimination diet and try another, less severe method. For now, I will focus on eating whole foods and going back to eating old-fashioned, traditional foods, and will eventually get an ALCAT test (it's a test that measures how your blood reacts with 200 foods/ingredients and helps to determine sensitivities). Thank goodness for weekends, husbands who make you realize you're driving yourself crazy, and wonderful children who remind you why you need to be patient with yourself.

First Food Fail

I spent all of last week sipping Ensure and Boost, drinking water, and chewing sugar free gum. By the third or fourth day, I noticed an obvious improvement in how I was feeling and how I was able to move my body. By the sixth and seventh day, I woke up with energy. Prior to last weekend, I could not have told you the last time I awoke with energy and the mental capacity to take on the day. I was able to accomplish a lot last weekend without feeling exhausted. I still felt some pain and still felt fatigue but it was a level if pain I am comfortable with (like a post-workout sore) and a nap didn't feel like a necessity, it felt like a boost. While shopping Sunday, Ryan commented that he didn't think he could do what I was doing: sit in a restaurant drinking Ensure while everyone around me enjoyed burgers, hot dogs, and French fries. I explained that when food hurts you as much as it hurts me, it's worth it... And hopefully, only temporary.

Monday morning, I was so excited to add bananas back into my diet -- food I could chew! Sort of. I woke up with energy, made a banana Ensure shake for breakfast and had enough energy to go on an hour-long walk at lunch. I was feeling good. I had another banana with Ensure at dinner but was feeling sluggish and sore. I thought it was from my walk but I awoke Tuesday feeling more aches in my legs. Still thinking it was from my walk, I continued to eat bananas. Now it's Thursday and I am feeling even more aches in my legs since Tuesday. I have had to slow my walking pace and I can't cross my legs. The only thing I have changed this week is adding bananas.

Bananas are out.