DIY Life

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....

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.

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:

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."

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.

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]

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.

You'll find more details on how to have a greener Independence Day in Greenzer's article. So fire up that barbie with a clear conscience!

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.

OK, so maybe you can't do the whole project with the kids (unless yours are old enough to help drill holes), but you can work with them to plan an elaborate sprinkler that will entertain them on hot summer days.