Each June, I summerize my bedroom by swapping out my dark red, thick duvet cover for an airy, cream-colored pleated one. I pick my most cherished blown-glass vase from my collection, place it on my dresser, and then keep it filled with my favorite summer flowers.

These are small reminders that while I may still keep crazy-busy work hours, I can at least do a little something to invoke the feeling of carefree summer days -- even if this just means lounging in bed with a good magazine for 30 minutes on a Sunday morning.

Our friends over at ShelterPop have taken it a step further and have come up with a top 10 list for creating the perfect summer bedroom. Throw in natural textiles and colorful throw pillows, and you're well on your way. For the finishing touch and a yummy dried-on-the-clothesline scent, try making this refreshing and inexpensive linen spray.

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Once July 4th hits, it seems like we truly are in the throes of summer -- especially if you're experiencing the heat riddling a good part of the southern U.S. right now. Chances are the kids are feeling the heat right now, too, as they spend more time outdoors looking for things to do.

Here's an idea that combines all three -- round up the kids and make these patriotic popsicles. They're a great treat to have on hand for your Independence Day celebration, they're a refreshing alternative to soda for beating the heat, and it's a great DIY project to keep the kids busy for a few hours.

Check out this video for full instructions. We'd also like to hear from you. What are some easy, refreshing summer treats you enjoy making with your kids? Share your ideas in the comments section below and we may feature them in future How Now posts!

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July 4th is tomorrow, and if you're throwing a big party you're probably busy with last-minute prepping. But don't forget the basics -- before you throw the burgers and dogs on the barbie, make sure that you give the grill a good cleaning.

AOL Living home improvement expert Eric Stromer shows you how to gear up your gas grill to take front and center stage in eight easy steps. All you need is soapy water, a grill brush, a sponge, hose, and few other common household items.

And before you can say 'perfect patriotic party' five times in a row, you'll have a lean, mean and clean grilling machine. Not only will you ensure its best performance, but you'll also provide a clean canvas on which to fire up the juicy, delicious centerpieces for your Independence Day picnic table. Our mouths are practically watering!

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As a Southern girl now living in the Pacific Northwest, I rarely skip my weekly Mexican food fix. There's nothing that can't be cured with chips, salsa, and a frosty margarita. But, I hate paying $8 or more for a cocktail. And, given that an authentic margarita has just three ingredients, I think I can manage to shake it up and save a few bucks.

Our ShelterPop sisters not only supply the perfect margarita recipe but they also make suggestions on how to throw the perfect summertime margarita party -- including how to make this DIY cocktail umbrella lamp. The weekend's just a few days away, and I'm thinking it's margarita time for this mama!

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Frappes. Slushes. Sangria. Just the sweet sound of these drinks conjure up visions of deck parties, frosty pitchers, and those cute little drink umbrellas.

Instead of opting for the same old soda for the July 4th picnic this year, why not stir up these summery drinks to keep your guests cool and refreshed? It's drinkwise-DIY at its simplest: refreshing, thirst-quenching, and made from natural, low-cost ingredients. Cheers!

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Have you ever stumbled on a truly brilliant do-it-yourself solution and wished you could share it with everyone you knew? You might mention it to your best friend, blog about it, or spread it via megaphone at the kids' school drop-off lane. Okay, perhaps not that last method, but what if you could broadcast it to a wider audience in an equally creative way?

Well, if you're the creative sort, then you could possibly earn some dough (like, $2,000 worth!) for your discovery. The good folks over at Howcast are looking for -- as they put it -- the coolest, baddest, flat-out flyest how-to video you can create in three minutes or less. All you need is an SD or HD video connection, an internet connection, and creativity galore.

Continue reading Howcast Video Challenge: Looking for a Fresh View on How-To

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Fourth of July is all about food, fun, friends and fireworks. If you're throwing a party this year, then chances are good that: a) you've probably got a great view of the firework action, and b) you're game for a few easy and inexpensive DIY touches to add just the right homespun, Americana touch to your '4th' fete.

AOL Living rounds up six quick do-it-yourself party essentials, decorations, and even a kids' craft. Check them out here, and then prepare to watch your patriotic party-throwing star power rise.

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By Debra McDuffee

I was so proud of my perennial garden this year. Not only did all of the plants actually come up, but when I planted new ones, the blooms complimented one another perfectly. Then that furry little critter appeared....

Contrary to popular belief, it is not cute to have a resident rabbit. First, our little friend ate my mystery plant -- the one it ate last year, and now it's been so long I can't remember what it is (other than delicious, apparently).

Next, it systematically broke off each stem of my apricot-colored yarrow, to nibble at the blooms. Frustration began to set in....

Continue reading Keep Rabbits Away from Your Plants

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By Debra McDuffee

I recently wrote a post with some ideas for planning every family staycation. As I was browsing the Internet today, I found that lots of other people have great ideas, too, but that the most unique ones came from Better Homes and Gardens.

BHG put together a gallery of their 25 best staycation ideas. Some of their more unique activities include:

• turning your home into a spa -- Make some spa-quality products at home and let the pampering begin: for your face, your hands and body, and your feet.
  
• going on a family bike ride
• flying a kite
• having a field day for the kids -- Or, create your own summer camp.
  
• organizing a block party -- You coulc choose to do this in a Mexican or Hawaiian theme, some of BHG's other party ideas.

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By Anna Sattler

For the last couple of days, the weather has been humid, without much wind to cool it off. It was hot enough outside that I had to split the lawn mowing into two days. I will not complain, though, as I will take the heat, sans humidity, any day of the year.

Unfortunately, it gets pretty hot in my house too, as we don't have much shade or air conditioning. It wasn't enough that I had cold water to drink: I needed something more to help cool down my body temperature. I wasn't prepared, but next time, you can bet I will be with these 6 simple frozen treats I can concoct myself.

Continue reading Homemade Frozen Treats To Help You Chill

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By Heather Craven

One of my favorite parts about summer is watching my flowers bloom. Well, I don't really watch them bloom but I do enjoy stepping out on the patio each morning to see more color than the evening before. It is such a simple part of life, but the satisfaction I get from the different colors is a wonderful feeling. That is partly why I am always saddened to see the leaves turn and the snow fly as we set in for months without color in the garden.

Fortunately, the winter does not have to be many long months of white, you can easily save those summer blooms to enjoy during the darkness of winter. One method of flower preservation is to hang the blooms upside down so that they dry out and maintain their shape. This is probably the easiest method and it produces a pleasant, faded flower. However, if you are looking for a more vibrant effect, drying your flowers in a borax/silica combination is a better approach. Following is a step by step guide:

Continue reading Save Your Summer Flowers for Color Throughout the Year

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By Debra McDuffee

When I was a kid, many of my friends had slides going right into their pools. Cool. Not quite as cool as a water park, but it did the trick. Can you replicate the water park experience at home?

Homemade water slides are great fun... big fun... huge fun... if they're done right. I should probably write a Don't-it-yourself post on the contraption I have rigged in my backyard right now: a Little Tikes climber with the slide going right into my son's kiddie pool. Yes, it is wobbly and completely unsafe. Don't try this one at home, folks.

Instead, try making this water slide (reminds me of the old Slip 'N Slide from my childhood) from a piece of 4-ply plastic and a sprinkler. Stake it down every 4-5 feet so the plastic is stable, and send the kids whooshing. Rather than just hitting a patch of lawn at the bottom, you could always set up a trap to make a small "watering hole."

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By Debra McDuffee

The mint in my yard is running wild just about now, begging to be plucked and used. That sure is handy, since it's hot outside! I could really use some cooling fresh mint in my beverages, to combat this sweltering heat.

I'm sure you must also have some peppermint essential oil around the house, right? You've got to have some left over, after making your chocolate mint lip balm and ant repellent, so pull it out and add some cool to your summer drinks.

After the break, I'll share recipes for simple syrup with mint, which can be used for a number of summery delights, and other refreshing minty recipes to keep your beverages interesting -- as well as hydrating.

Gallery: Minty drinks

Continue reading Minty Summer Drinks

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By Bethany Sanders

Colony collapse disorder, the mysterious phenomenon that has entire colonies of honeybees vanishing into thin air, has brought the state of our bee population to the forefront. Not many people realize this, but bees pollinate about 90% of our flowering crops. What that means is: without bees, we don't eat.

Creating a bee-friendly yard may not solve the issue of colony collapse disorder, but it is a great way of doing your part to encourage a healthy bee population. It'll also ensure that any of your own fruit, vegetable, and flower crops get pollinated, so that you have fresh food to eat and a beautiful yard to enjoy. In addition, the same plants that draw bees bring other pollinators, like butterflies.

So how do you go about attracting bees to your yard? It's not difficult at all. Read more about it after the break.

Continue reading Attract Bees to Your Garden

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By Debra McDuffee

There's nothing like a cool drink to refresh on a hot summer day. Last week, we explored drinks made with fresh mint and essential oils. Now it's time to think beyond the mint.

Did you know that most citrus and herbal essential oils are sold to large food companies as flavoring? Hydrosols, which are the water left behind when plants are steam-distilled into essential oils, are also safe to ingest in small quantities when they're organic and top quality, according to Suzanne Catty, author of Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy.

Make sure your oils and hydrosols are organically grown and of good quality, then read on after the break for drink recipes -- citrus, herbal, and even some floral -- made with essential oils, herbs, and hydrosols.

Gallery: Make a slushie

Continue reading Summer Drinks - Coolers, Teas, and Blended Drinks

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By Kelly Smith

So, the Fourth of July is upon us. That means fireworks, beer, grilling, beer, and oh, did I mention beer? But I digress. Let's talk grill hygiene. What's tackier than a grill with chunks of last week's burgers on it? Cleaning the grill doesn't have to be a big chore.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so a video must be worth, what, a million? The creative folks at Howcast have created a great grill-cleaning how-to video that makes the job a piece of cake. You'll need aluminum foil, a grill scraper, and a bit of patience.

There's also a great tip on making future clean-ups easier -- spraying the grill with non-stick spray while it's still warm. It reminds me of seasoning my cast iron pan. But that's a tip for another blog post!

[Via Howcast.com]

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By Debra McDuffee

Green? I bet you thought red, white, and blue would be the appropriate colors for an Independence Day BBQ, not green.

Think again. Clearly, most people are interested in doing even little things to help keep their families healthy and preserve the environment in this age of toxins and pollution. Here are some things you can do to help while throwing a bang-up July Fourth party:

• Skip the plastic plates and cups. Go for anything recyclable or reusable, even bamboo.
• Natural gas grills pollute the air less than charcoal grills.
• Don't shoot off polluting fireworks at home. If you'd like to enjoy the big boomers, find a town celebration nearby.
• Serve up local, organic food, which causes less transportation pollution to the environment -- and your food will be super-fresh.
• Throw a potluck party to share resources.

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By Bethany Sanders

I'm usually all for letting nature just be in my backyard. I'd rather take preventative measures (like the fence around my garden to deter hungry bunnies) that allow us all to live harmoniously together than poison, trap, or kill. Sometimes, though, insects get a little too intrusive and that can be a problem, especially when they're insects that sting.

If you have a wasp problem in your backyard, the best way to get rid of them is to remove the nest. We have to do that at least twice a year in our children's "fort," and we try to keep an eye on it so we can stop the nest building before it gets out of hand. But if you can't find the nest or are afraid to move it, a simple, homemade wasp trap may help you catch the queen (especially if you use it in the spring) or reduce the number of wasps in the area nearest your home.

Keep in mind that wasp traps' effectiveness are not proven, and if you aren't careful, you could end up drawing more wasps to your home. In addition, wasps really are beneficial insects who eat the bugs that bug you the most. So if you can live in harmony, do. If you can't, these simple measures are worth a try.

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By Debra McDuffee

Make a sprinkler? Why on earth would you do that when you can go out to just about any store and grab a cheap one for less than ten dollars?

I'll tell you why:

• You could be reusing waste materials from other projects to make your sprinkler.
• It's an easy and fun project you could even do with the kids.
• Speaking of kids, you could make an impressive play sprinkler for them to romp about in.
• You could create a system that would water your entire lawn.

Continue reading DIY Summer Camp - Make Your Own Water Sprinkler

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By Ilona Peltz

If you've ever tried to make your own grown-up version of your kids' fruit popsicle, you'll have discovered that alcohol doesn't freeze so well. In fact, a little googling showed physics-deprived me that alcohol does indeed freeze, but needs much colder temperatures than provided by the average home freezer (which I'd discovered myself through trial and error, but now I know why).

Well, boo. What if mommy (or daddy or Aunt Suzie or Uncle Fred) wants a margarita popsicle while the tots are having their wholesome real-fruit-juice frozen goodies?

Epicurious has a great way around the non-freezing alcohol problem. What you do is take a few regular store-bought lime popsicles, and over top of them you pour a lime juice-tequila mix, and then rim the popsicle with salt. Is that not brilliant??

While lime margaritas are one of my top three summer vices, if you prefer something else, this would be a very simple recipe to modify for just about any fruity summer drink

[via: Tipnut]

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