DIY Frugal

February and March are the months to get ready for Spring planting. Use seed and plant catalogs to plan your vegetable and flower beds. Burpee.com and other catalogs are good not only for ordering supplies, but as a resource. Find names and types of plants from photos in these catalogs. Need some catalogs? You can do an Internet search for seed and plant companies and request their catalog. I opt for the printed version just because I prefer to browse the pages.

Ways to get Free Seeds

Try Freecycle.org for seed swaps. Here you can offer and collect seeds from other gardeners. Have a seed and plant swap with neighbors, relatives, and friends. Support your local garden club’s plant and seed sales by buying vegetable and garden plants at these sales. I find that these type of garden club sales often have native and different plants not found at the typical home center. Don’t pass up free seed packs at events and stores that offer them in the coming months.

What to plant in early Spring:

Cold crops such as carrots, beets, broccoli, kohlrabi, salad greens, peas, spinach, radishes, and scallions are first to be planted in early Spring. Use a source such as garden.org/zipzone based on your zip code this will determine the Hardiness zone for planting.

Find new trends in gardening

Attend The Philadelphia Flower Show on March 4, 2012 through March 11, 2012 (pennhort.org). Find inspiration for your backyard. See this year’s new tools, tips, and techniques for gardening. This year’s them is Hawaii. See the tropical wonder of Hawaii’s islands and say goodbye to winter.

Early spring to do list:

Test your soil with soil kit available at most home centers. Add amendments to the soil if so required from the results of your soil test.

Check your water equipment now for damage, replacements or additions to prepare for summer’s heat and dry days. Take inventory of hoses, sprinklers, nozzles, automated timers for the yard, garden sprinklers, and watering cans.

Incorporate solar lighting into walkways, paths, and landscaped areas for a welcoming appearance.

Prune trees and shrubs in early spring that flower in the summer months. Remove dead or damaged branches at this time. It is easier to see the branches before flowering in the months ahead. During the snowy months shelter or remove heavy snowfall from trees and branches to prevent damage.

Early spring is the time to put down a weed and feed on your flower beds. This is also the time to attend to your lawn with a weed and feed dressing. Check for bare spots in your lawn and sow in grass seed.

Be ready to plant annuals and perennials after the last frost has past. Check your growing zone for dates that are safe to beginning planting. I like to wait until Mother’s Day to start planting outside. It’s a safe bet frost has past and the availability of plants from home and garden centers is at the peak during this time.

Here is what to do with your printed copies of seed and plant catalogs after you have made your selections; make your own Valentine’s Day cards. Cut out the pictures of lowers and plants from the catalogs. Glue the cut out pictures onto white or red valentine shaped paper doilies. Sign the back, and your cards are done. We used to make cards this way with my Mom in my elementary school days. It makes a special greeting and it’s inexpensive! Free catalog, heart shaped dollies-around a dollar, and glue-you have that right?

visit Alison at her blog Kitchen Table

Use up those Gift Cards!

Alison — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:44:06 +0000

Remember those paper gift certificates merchants would offer.? Hand written by the sales clerk, non traceable, and good for only one year! Gift Cards seem to be here to stay. Gift cards can be found in most stores near the register, easy to purchase, easy to give and receive.

On Saturday we went to the mall. It was packed. Parking was crazy! Over 20 minutes to find a space. I won’t write about the tempers rising over parking spaces. Since it wasn’t the holiday shopping season I had to wonder why so many people are at the mall. Gift card shopping? Returns?

Good ideas on using gift cards:

Combine the gift card with a coupon.

Buy items you have your eye on when they go on sale.

Know the amount of the card before you shop. You may also have to inform the cashier of the balance of the card.

Treat gift cards like cash. Spend them like cash.

Try to spend the exact or close to the amount of the gift card. Don’t forfeit those last pennies left of the card.

Don’t overspend just because you have a gift card.

Don’t make a purchase just to redeem the gift card.

Read the back of the card or paper insert for expiration dates, limitations, and loss of card.

When you make a purchase with the gift card. Ask for it back and save it if you have to return your purchase.

When stores go out of business and you are holding a gift card from their store, chances are the gift card is no longer valid.

Expiration dates are just that, most likely the store will not honor the gift card.

Have you had a good experience with a gift card? A bad one?

Free Admission to the Pennylvania Farm Show

Alison — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:22:34 +0000

Last Sunday we spent the day at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. We walked through rows of tractors, 4H Displays, and all kinds of farm trailers, and equipments. It’s like shopping for farm equipment-if you are a farmer, and learning all about our environment.

We had lunch here in the exhibition hall. We dinned on a perfectly cooked Pennsylvania Baked Potato and a delicious chocolate milk shake from Pennsylvania Dairy men. There are other options for food, all from Pennsylvania farms. The prices are good, the food is good.

The best part of my day at the farm show was watching the draft horse competition in one of the arenas. We watched beautiful strong horses, jingle bells and all, circle the arena for the judges to view. It was spectacular. Like an old fashioned winter, just without the snow!

The arenas have signs at their entrance to alert you of times and event going on in the arena. I found that very helpful.

In the cattle hall we visited with extended family members who were there with their Angus cattle. Absolutely beautiful animals and the farm was awarded prize ribbons for their cattle. While you are in this area, cattle are being walked back and forth to the cattle shower area and for judging so be aware of the animals and stay clear of their path. It’s courteous and safe to make room for the cattle since there are so many visitors in this area.

Visit the halls of goats, sheep, chicken, rabbits, lamas, and horses. The Equine hall was closed when we were at the show since the judging was going on and the horses were being taken back and forth to the arena.

The last area we visited was the Main Hall. Don’t miss this area. We almost did, and am glad we didn’t. In this hall there are many displays and fun activates to do. There is a carousel for children an adults to ride. There is a butterfly house. There are vendors selling all things Pennsylvania. From Wine to treats for your dog this is the place to find PA Prefered goods. We purchased Buckwheat pancake mix, Cornbread mix, and a bottle of maple syrup from Burnt Cabin Mills, all three for $10.00. I find that a bargain, and glad to support Pennsylvania agriculture.

Be on the lookout for the free coloring books and activity sheets at vendors through the show. These are good for home or classroom use. There are exhibitors offering hands on activities for children with coloring sheets, and games to do on site.

This is a nice activity for children to participate in a scavenger hunt with these markers. Pick up the activity book to follow along the hunt. I found a stack of the books at the base of one of the markers.

If you plan to go this year or next I suggest visiting farmshow.state.pa.us before you leave your house. Pick up a FREE schedule when you get to the show.

Parking this year is $10.00. Admission to the show is FREE. We parked at HACC and there are plenty of FREE shuttle buses to take you back and forth to the Farm Show. Our bus driver was fantastic and gave us good tips of what to see and do once inside the building.

Published in The Phoenix on

Happy New Year, Happy New you.

Alison — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:50:53 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

How are your resolutions going? I spent this week organizing the contents of 14 totes of Christmas decorations. Maybe it’s not a resolution for myself, maybe it’s a goal. But it is done.

Now about that exercising and eating right-it’s a daily resolution.

This year be the star of your own life.

Here is looking at a great new year with blessings from God above.

The toting of the totes

Alison — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:30:25 +0000

This time of year seems like the invasions of totes and bins. Green and red totes are piled high in stores waiting for shoppers to purchase. Totes in all sizes, shapes, and locking features. There are totes to store your Christmas stockings, the mistletoe, and that collection of Santas that adorn your mantel year after year.

Green and red totes work well for this time of year. Black and orange are perfect to spot the Halloween decorations amongst the towers of totes in your storage area. Colored totes make for easy direction to have the family lug the totes out of the attic or basement without much direction.

Label your tote on the outside with a description of what is inside the tote. Go as far as labeling what room the totes contents should be placed. A friend of mine takes photographs of the decorations in her home as to their location and then places the photo on the outside of the tote. This way her family can help with the decorating and not have to keep asking “where does this go?”

I am planning on purchasing ornament totes this year. One for each of my children to store their ornaments. (This is a good idea from my mother) After I left the home front my mom gave me a box of my very own ornaments from my childhood. She had labeled mine and my siblings with numbers so she knew whose was whose. An ornament with the number 1 on was my sisters, and so on. You can also use thier first intital as a marking.

Use a small piece of masking tape to label ornaments for family members that may want to take theirs along to their new home. Special ornaments from faraway places or special stores I keep the merchandise label/price tag on if it is not too tacky looking. This way the children can remember a little more about that particular ornament. Store the ornaments in the box they were sold in also, it makes for safe keeping.

There are specialty totes for storing wreaths, individual ornaments, and strings of lights. This type of tote usually will be on clearance soon in major department stores. Target, K-Mart and the like are best bets for these sales. The green and red totes will be marked down as well. Yes, you will be taking a chance they are sold out even before they are reduced in price, but if you aren’t desperate for the storage hold out for a better price. Use sale ads and comparison shop. Plain and simple totes with a snap off lid will cost less than a latching type lid.

While you are on the organizational path this month clean out a closet Donate the unwanted items to charity.

Clean out your pantry. Discard outdated food products. Share excess food products with a local food bank. Make a list of staples to replenish from holiday cooking and baking.

Clean out cupboards and closets in the coming months so in Spring you can go outside and play!

Visit Alison at http://www.kitchentable4.com

Start Ringing in the New Year with Dinner Time fun at Dave & Buster’s

Alison — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:18:52 +0000

Reusing my New Year’s Resolution

Alison — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:18:28 +0000

My 2012 calendar is filling up before the new year has even arrived. Appointments, days off from school, birthdays, vacations, and events are written down as they are scheduled. There is something neat and tidy about a new calendar and a new year. Our calendar doesn’t seem so neat and tidy and it’s not even on the refrigerator as of yet.

I also write down events on the new calendar that occur annually. For example for the month of November, I write down to start Christmas decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. Every year I vow to start decorating earlier for this holiday season. It’s a good idea, but I’d rather shop on that weekend.

On the 2012 calendar for the month of December I wrote down Trees for Troops (Trees For Troops.org)to remind me to participate in this worthy cause. You can make an online donation, volunteer, and spread the word on making Military families Christmas merrier with a Christmas Tree.

What about those New Year Resolutions? By late February I notice resolutions are fading like the cold winds of Winter.

I am not going to make the resolution that I will totally clean and organize the contents of my house. It’s not going to happen. I’d settle for one area cleaned and organized.

Do you make one or more resolutions; live healthier, exercise; spend less, save more, volunteer, and recycle. Sounds good, right?

Last year my resolution was to accomplish one goal a week. Two months into the weekly plan it faded away, slowly, but it did. I resolved to sort out and clean out clutter on my weekly plan. Clutter is such a big word. How can you make a resolution about clutter? I did. I tried. I’ll make it my resolution again this year.

New Year’s Day is the day to begin your New Year Resolutions. What’s wrong with today I ask? Start today and make a change, make a difference, and make a plan to accomplish your resolution.

There is an area in our basement we call the gift wrap counter. The contents of this area; gift bags, tissue paper, ribbon, wrapping paper, tape, scissors, gift tags, cute little things to tie onto the gift bag, and clutter. After an hour or two of sorting, there was a shopping bag of excess to donate to a good cause I had in mind. The gift wrap area is one of my resolutions for now, not the New Year. Mainly because it needed cleaned before I can begin Christmas gift wrapping. A good reason to purge the paper. The resolution for this area is not to buy any more wrapping supplies. Not easy for me to do, but I am going to try. Try for my house, try for my wallet, and try for reducing. As in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Reduction is my resolution.

What are your resolutions for the New Year?

Feel free to visit Alison on her blog where she writes news and events from her Kitchen Table.

Published in The Phoenix on December 27, 2011

CyberMonday Finds at The Philly Social Media Moms Holiday Party will rock your list.

Alison — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:35:20 +0000

How is your Christmas Shopping going? I am still decorating inside and out and have more shopping to do! Let’s not talk about wrapping all that stuff I bought so far.

Something that gave me a boost in helping me figure out my list was the CyberMonday Holiday Party with Philly Social Media Moms. We were introduced to some really cute and fun toys! Now as I read the Sunday paper ads I see these toys in store ads on sale! I will be able to save on toys that I know are awesome.

At the party we ate, and drank, and talked, and played games. A nice evening indeed. The ladies that organized this event made the evening special and fabulous. I know there were hours and hours of planning for this night and it was spectacular.

The sponsors of the evening were extremely generous and shared their high quality products with us. Thanks to Jo-Lynne Shane for her photos! You can also visit her on her blogs: Mussings of a Housewife and All Things Chic. (photo credit to Jo-Lynne Shane )

paradocx wines

DrinkBai antioxidant beverage

BigJigsToys

KooKoo Birds,

Villeroy and Boch

Sites of the sponsors for the CyberMonday Holiday Party well worth visiting:
http://www.wikkistix.com/

http://www.corolle.com/

http://www.kazambikes.com/

http://www.lego.com

http://www.astratoy.org/

www.paddywhacklane.com/

http://www.mylittlemissmuffin.com/

http://www.kookoozoo.com/

http://www.bigjigstoys.us/

http://www.villeroy-boch.com

http://www.horizondairy.com/

http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com/

http://www.mabel.ca/

http://www.ohanarama.com/

http://joxenford.avonrepresentative.com/

http://www.suave.com

http://www.drinkbai.com/

http://www.paradocx.com/

http://www.daveandbusters.com

One of the toys, Little Miss Muffin is perfect for those little girsl on your list-head over to Kitchen Table and to see photos of her and gifts for everyone on your list. You might just fill in the blanks on your Christmas List!