Home Quotes

TipiJuly 28, 2010
Home gardeners know that gardening is not  just the bare basics.  Garden decorations enter the picture at some point.  Some aren't even intended garden decorations but meant rather to serve practical purposes likes pest deterrents or critter protectors like toad home.  The organic farm has a wonderful tipi constructed on a bit of open space.  Despite adding character, the tipi

Strawberry BedsJuly 28, 2010
Imagine my delight when we pulled onto the organic farm to see 2 raised beds planted using the square foot gardening method and larger raised beds for the everbearing and June bearing strawberries.  Pictured are 3 of the raised beds for strawberries.  I didn't get a picture of the smaller (4' x 4' ) square foot raised beds.  I will be sure to get a picture the next

Three Sisters Garden BedJuly 28, 2010
A few days ago a flyer arrived in our mailbox letting us know about a new organic farm operation in our area.  I'm always watching for this type of thing for the fruits and vegetables I either don't grow enough of or don't grow at all.  Yesterday we drove out to see the operation and oh my gosh it is fabulous!  The next few posts will give a bit more on some

A Bowl Full of Shells

 Today I want to show you my summer tablescape with a lot of sea shells!  I am a little behind on this but it is still summer, right?

I made this tablescape with things that I already had around the house.

I started with some of my favorite Pottery Barn glass candle holders and added a candle and some lovely sea shells.

Then I added sliver chargers, plates, bowls, wine glasses and napkins with rings. 

I just wanted to keep it simple!

 

For extra pizzazz, I added a little starfish in each wine glass.  I think that looks cute, what do you think?

 

I also added a couple of shells to each bowl, just for fun!

  

 

Here is a picture of all the bowls.  I made each one a little different.

 

Here is another view of my table!

Here is a close up!

 

I even changed up my other little table in my dinning room.

 

I used this summery plate to add color and it matches my napkins.

 

I even snuck in this cute little shell that I picked up at a garage sale for 50 cents. 

I am borrowing these flowers from my master bedroom and put them in a vase that I bought at a garage sale  for $3 and spray painted sliver.

 

I hope that you liked this simple, summery, sea shell  tablescape!

Here is what I used…

Candle Holders-Pottery Barn: I showed you here how I bought these at a garage sale.

Flatware-Crate and Barrel:  I showed you here how I got them free.

Wine glasses, chargers, napkins and rings- Pier One:  I showed you here how I got them free.

Sea Shells- Pottery Barn:  I showed you here how I bought these at a garage sale

Huge Aqua Plate- Crate and Barrel:  I showed you here how I got them free.

Cleaning Tip for when decorating with glass and jars:  Wash them with Shaklee’s Basic H Window and Mirror formula and super cloth for a streak and lint free shine!

Before.

After.

I am linking to some of these parties.

Also, don’t forget to Check out my Hot Household Tips and enter the Cleaning Giveaway HERE!

Have a great day!

Bonnie :)

Warnings have been issued for southern Ontario regarding giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) aka giant cow parsley.  This is a  perennial, invasive noxious weed that reaches a height of 5 metres is a public health risk.  The sap contains furocoumarin, a chemical that renders skin extremely susceptible to UV exposure resulting in severe burns and blistering (phytophotodermatitis).  This can

The combination of copious amounts of rain daily with high temperatures and humidity have spurred a surge of weeds in the raised garden beds.  I seriously don't mind weeds in my gardens because some of them are edible and others act as companion plants to protect the fruits and vegetables.  However at this point I have no choice but to weed especially when the weeds start overshadowing the

I Love to see furniture pieces which are functional, unique and embraces natural form. It has more to do with retaining the original shape and form than taking away from it. These furniture not only pleases the senses it is also a way of celebrating the beauty and uniqueness of nature.

I have put together some designs that have the appeal and beauty to inspire you to look for one for your home.



 







It is wonderful how we can all make the best of what we take from nature and use it to the full potential while keeping it aesthetically beautiful. If we can cut on wasteful furniture design and turn to natural form it can be inspiring and so rewarding. I hope you all get inspired too !

I Love to see furniture pieces which are functional, unique and embraces natural form. It has more to do with retaining the original shape and form than taking away from it. These furniture not only pleases the senses it is also a way of celebrating the beauty and uniqueness of nature.

I have put together some designs that have the appeal and beauty to inspire you to look for one for your home.



 







It is wonderful how we can all make the best of what we take from nature and use it to the full potential while keeping it aesthetically beautiful. If we can cut on wasteful furniture design and turn to natural form it can be inspiring and so rewarding. I hope you all get inspired too !

First TomatoJuly 24, 2010

I picked the first ripe tomato of the season on Saturday.  It is a Tiny Tim and as you can see from the picture of the tomato on 2 - inch ceramic tiles it does live up to its name.  While this little tomato won't be enough for a sandwich I used it in a loaf of Italian Garden bread.  I'm looking forward to many more tomatoes to come!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©

Turning LeavesJuly 23, 2010
My Mom taught me to look to the sky for weather signs.  I learned from a very early age that turning leaves meant very nasty thunderstorms.  Combined with ominous stillness the turning leaves meant the eye of the storm is very close.  Outside the eye of the storm the winds gain speed.  Friday's storm brought the turning leaves pictured yet an eerie stillness before

We have had a very nasty bout of violent storms over the past few days.  Yesterday one of these storms blew up so I took a few video clips.  This video clip does not show the full force of the violence as I ended up having to take cover.  Cedar trees to the left just out of range of the camera moments later were bent almost in half.  The rain came down so hard the garden was barely visible. 

New ArrivalsJuly 22, 2010 
Many people don't realize that Gnomes come in a variety of sizes much like their human counterparts.  They also have a wide range of interests.  The smallest Gnome is an exclusive design from Cape Shore.  He is about 2 - inches tall.  Unlike working Gnomes this little one is all about lounging on the beach complete with drink in hand.  He sports sunglasses and a funky

Zen bedroom designs are beautiful for its simplicity and the positivity it brings to home. It incorporates soothing colors on the walls and suitable flooring like wood laminate or bamboo, with simple designs for wall decoration. Keeping the furniture to basic and clean lines help the energy flow. Declutter and include all the elements of nature, plants, water and light.











Make your own perfect design for zen decor. Use these layout and pictures to inspire yourself to create your perfect blend of functional yet simple and beautiful bedroom.

Zen bedroom designs are beautiful for its simplicity and the positivity it brings to home. It incorporates soothing colors on the walls and suitable flooring like wood laminate or bamboo, with simple designs for wall decoration. Keeping the furniture to basic and clean lines help the energy flow. Declutter and include all the elements of nature, plants, water and light.











Make your own perfect design for zen decor. Use these layout and pictures to inspire yourself to create your perfect blend of functional yet simple and beautiful bedroom.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

HOT HOUSEHOLD TIPS &

CLEANING GIVEAWAY

It’s giveaway time!  I feel like I haven't done one of these in a while so it is time!

I think that you all know by now, I am a Shaklee Distributor.  You might of seen some of the Shaklee reviews and giveaways around blog world lately.  I just want to let you know that I LOVE sharing these products with you.  I absolutely love opening my email to find a testimony and a thank you for letting them know about Shaklee.  That means more to me than you will ever know.  I love sharing safe products to families especially with young children!  Many women are thanking me that they can now clean in the day and they don’t have to wait until the children are in bed to keep them away from the chemicals an saving money at the same time.  Some women have also said that the can’t imagine cleaning with anything else now and they are hooked on these products. 

I also want to address something else… I have been getting emails from women asking my how my house stays so clean.  I have to honestly say that it doesn’t stay clean.  I wish that it stayed clean at all times, but I have kids!  I have a schedule that I keep to, but no matter how much I try, having 3 children 5 and under,  it get messy and dirty over and over again, lol!

That is why I am so thankful myself to have found Shaklee too!!!  With all of the cleaning I do,  I am glad that I am using safe products that are cheaper and good for the environment.

So…

I am about to reveal all to you here!  I am going to show you A LOT of before and after pictures so (a) you can see how AWESOME these natural, cheap products work and (b) my how my house does get messy.  I will also tell you what I did and which products that I used.

HOT HOUSEHOLD TIPS

This first before and after is obviously my oven door.  I took a wet sponge and dipped it into my Scour Off Paste and scrubbed for about 5 minutes…..and…….

  it turned out beautiful!!!  Just like new, without any harsh fumes (oven cleaners are one of the worst for your health) and it only took 5 minutes!!!!

Here is my fridge. I have no clue how it got this bad.  My kids are learning to get there own water this summer and they are always making a mess with the water, plus, if I don’t keep it locked, my 18 month old can push the water button and make a huge mess and FAST!!!

 

I just sprayed this with my all-purpose formula of Basic H and wipe with my window and mirror micro-fiber cloth.

Here is another example of doing the same thing on my dishwasher.  Basic H work awesome on stainless steal and it leaves no residue.

   

Ok, here is my kitchen table after a party with a lot of kids (we have those often.)

I just sprayed my degreaser formula of Basic H and wiped with my all purpose  micro-fiber cloth.

That turned out great except now you can see that I need to paint over that cup mark, lol.

I did the same thing on this chair.  Basic H is totally safe to use on furniture and painted furniture.

I does a great job of cutting grease.

 

   Ok, this is a little embarrassing!!! I was in my bathroom getting ready and the kids were quiet….I little too quiet, so I opened the door to find my boys drawing on my chair with a PEN.   ARGH!!!!

So I sprayed my degreaser formula of Basic H and let sit…..

  and wiped and it ALL came out perfectly.  Basic H is safe to use on fabrics.

Here is a picture of both so you know that I didn’t just switch the chairs, lol!

 

This is another example of Basic H on wood.   (It also works GREAT on HARDWOOD FLOORS-see here for pics)

  

I just sprayed all-purpose Basic H and wiped down with my all-purpose micro-fiber cloth.

Basic H works GREAT on windows, mirrors and glass.  Do you see how foggy this lamp is here?

  

I sprayed with my windows and mirrors formula of Basic H and wiped with my super window/mirror microfiber cloth and it turned out beautifully!  I can also make a gallon of window cleaner with Basic H for LESS than 1 cent!!!!

         Here is  a picture of my sink with a huge rust stain on it.  Yup, I came home from my vacation to Canada to find that I left my cast iron pan in the sink.  It was there for a WHOLE week.  I had the whole house spotless before we left, don’t ask me how I forgot this one!  Anyway, Scour Off was there to save my day (and my sink!)  I did have to scrub a little harder than normal but it only took a couple of minutes until it looked like…..

this!!!!  Look at it shine now!!!!

    

Here is a full view, if you look carefully, you can see the Scour Off that I used.

  CLICK HERE TO SEE THE COST COMPARAON CHART

HOT HOUSEHOLD RECIPES

Soak the Impossible.

  
¼ cup Fresh Liquid Laundry and
¼ cup Nature Bright Laundry Booster

Mix in a pail of hot water, add your soiled items and let soak up to 5 days!

Try it; it’s amazing and completely safe even for fabrics which are not supposed to be washed like the wedding gown.

Recipe for a Shaklee Drain Cleaner

1 oz Basic H2
1 Tbsp Scour Off
1 Tbsp Dish Wash Concentrate
1 Gal Water

Boil 1 cup of water-add first 3 ingredients-pour contents into a clogged drain-follow up with approximately 1
gallon of water.

New Uses for Soft Fabric Dryer Sheets.

A new dryer sheet can be used for dusting or a used one can be put on the Swifter Duster to pick up dirt and dust. (Very economical with double usage and safer for you than Swifter products).

I love new cleaning tips, don’t you?

HERE IS THE GIVEAWAY

I am GIVING AWAY BASIC H2 samples to 10  PEOPLE!!!!!

I am giving away enough Basic H2 to make two bottles of powerful cleaner when diluted in 16 ounces of water.

You must be a follower of my blog!

Entry : Tell me why you are interested in these products!

FOR BONUS ENTRIES…..

Entry 2: Post about my giveaway  (leave a link)

Entry 3: Tweet or Facebook about my giveaway (leave a link)

Entry 4: Order something from my website this week (3 entries)

Entry 5: Order the Get Clean Kit this week (5 entries)

THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS NEXT THURSDAY the 29th @ 8 PM!!!!

Good Luck!

HAPPY CLEANING!!!!!

Bonnie :)

Please visit my online Shaklee Shop to learn more about these products or buy them now.

Any testimonials here do not represent Shaklee's position on their products. It comes entirely from the experiences of a satisfied consumer.