DIY Life

My no-dig vegetable garden is still in its infancy. I have a big ole pile of grass clippings mixed with kitchen compost, as per the instructions of veggie guru Patricia Lanza in her wonderful book, Lasagne Gardening.

Problem: This decaying pile is located in my front yard. A real visual treat for my neighbors, I'm sure. Honestly, it looks like I got halfway to the curb with a ton of garden waste then simply gave up and dumped it all on the lawn.

As a considerate citizen, I want to tidy things up with a low retaining wall. Trawling the Internet in search of easy-to-follow instructions, I cried "Hallelujah!" when I stumbled upon popular blogger Pioneer Woman's post, "Build Your Own Raised Flower/Vegetable Bed."

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!

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.

There are a lot of great reasons to pick up a six pack of some cold, icy beverage in the summertime -- grilling, boating and lounging at the beach, for instance. But before you toss out those six pack rings or that cardboard six pack bottle holder after your brew is gone, consider the idea that you could put them to work for you instead.

Six pack rings, especially, are dangerous to marine wildlife. Birds and fish can get tangled in the rings, leaving them unable to eat or swim. Cutting the rings before disposing of them is one way to make them safer, and cardboard six packs can always be recycled. But as DIYers know, reusing is more frugal and more fun!

Here are six great ways to reuse a six pack holder:

Plans for homemade hammocks range from the complicated to the super-simple. Let's focus on the latter: those made and hung in an hour or less using easy online instructions. You can have it done in plenty of time for your 4th of July get-together!

You will need an eight or ten foot length of any sturdy fabric and about 50 feet of equally sturdy rope. Both must be tough enough to suspend your weight without snapping.

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.

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 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.

Whatever you decide to do on your staycation, it seems that the common themes are relaxing and enjoying the people in your life. What's your favorite staycation activity?