Want to plant something that attracts bees?  Here are three examples of plants that they love!  They are also really easy to grow.  The top is  Confederate Jasmine.  It will bloom a couple of times a year and smells really nice!  It's so fragrant you that you will be able to smell it all over your yard.  The second picture is a southern favorite that loves shade.  This is hosta.  Something most people do not consider is that bees also will enjoy shade loving plants.  Hostas will also spread. If you have a bed that you need to fill that doesn't get a lot of sun, this is the way to go. Both the jasmine and hosta will come back year after year.

Sunflowers!  Just looking at them seems to make people happy.  The bees go crazy around our sunflowers.  They aren't perennial like the jasmine or hosta, but they are really inexpensive.  Most seed packs are under $3.00.  

Ten Ways to Save Money on Your Utilities

Every year I end up going through the same shock and awe when I see my summer utility bills coming in!  That first bill comes in with a substantial difference and I'm an energy ninja.  You would think that having spent most of my life in SC that I would be used to this!  =)
Anywayyyy, here are some quick things you can do to instantly cool down AND start seeing a savings on your bill.
1. Set your thermostat higher.  Most people can handle temps between 73 and 80 degrees.  Raise it as far as you can stand it.  Which leads to step #2....
2. Use your fans.  Most of us here in the south have ceilings fans for a reason.
3. Menu plan.  Yep, here we go again with menu planning.  Take it up a notch and do your "big" cooking once a week.  Preferably one early morning before it starts getting hot outside.  That way you don't have to heat up one end of your home cooking for an hour every evening.  Use your microwave ( we all have them) and quickly reheat your meal.
4. Speaking of cooking, ever notice when you see or tour old homes that the kitchen is always separate from the house?  Not only did this decrease the chance of fires, but our ancestors here in the south knew it kept the home cooler!  I'm not saying build an outdoor kitchen, but how about grilling out?  Everyone loves a good BBQ!
5. As soon as you wake in the morning make sure all windows, curtains and blinds are shut.  I love natural light so this is a hard one for me, but it makes a huge difference.
6. Leave lights off!  Unplug appliances you are not using.
7. Dress appropriately.  I could live in a sundress and flip flops so this one is easy!
8. Remember your mom fussing at you when you were a kid for keeping the fridge door wide open while you pondered what you were having for a snack?  All kids do it.  Keep snacks easily available on the counter within reach.
9.  Implement your solar powered apparel drying device.  Use a clothesline!!
10. Plant trees around your home.  They benefit everyone!  Trees provide an incredible amount of shade which means they are blocking that sun from cooking your home.

May is an insane time of year!   It seems like everyone has something going on.  Graduations, formals, wedding season is kicking off, people are busy making plans for the summer, etc. If you are a homeschool family, you may take shorter breaks like we do and do school year round.  Either way, it is busy, busy, busy!  But I actually like it like that.  I like going to bed at night knowing that I've lived A LOT during those daytime hours.  The older my children get, the more I want to fill that time making lots of memories.  =0)

We're trying to grow new plants and use different types of containers to do so.  One thing we're trying is growing potatoes in a recycled bushel container.  I punched holes in the bottom for drainage.  If (keeping my fingers crossed) this works, the vines should look really pretty coming out of the top.  I put a layer of organic container soil (not potting soil, container soil!) in the bottom, placed the seed potatoes on that and then covered with another layer of soil.  We'll see what happens!

Weekends, Birthdays, and Gardening

Well, we will be celebrating my son's birthday this weekend. His birthday was on the tenth, but it was a matter of getting everyone where they needed to be.  Sometimes it works out that way.  I have a feeling he kind of enjoys it.  Who wouldn't want two birthdays?? We have family coming in from the upstate for the festivities and my daughter will be coming home from camp. I've missed her soooo much.  A week can seem like an eternity when one of your children is away!!  At some point I hope to start some seeds/plants for our Fall garden.  Can you believe we are already thinking of Fall?  The summer is flying by!  Hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend  =0)

Stairs Redo

I'm loving the fact that the carpet is slowly, but steadily, disappearing!  My hands are killing me.  Five hours invested at this point, but I'm thinking it will be all worth it!  I am headed to Lowe's to pick out a color for the stain.  Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping this project will be finished by tonight...