Landscaping 101: Getting the Garden of Your Dreams on a Budget (GUEST POST)

About the author: 

Maya Pugh is a stay-at-home mom who considers her garden to be her own version of ‘heaven on earth’. When not tinkering with her plants, she is a freelance writer and an avid blogger. She loves to write about home gardening tips and trick, d.i.y. Home improvement and beautification, and other home creative stuffs.   A zealous fan of nature, she is currently saving for a Eurotrip with her husband Aleksander and their two kids. While she calls Brisbane home, you can easily get in touch with her via email or G+.

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If you think you have to spend thousands to have that garden you have always envisioned, think again!

While traditional thinking dictates you need to spend a fortune on landscaping, it’s reassuring to know you can actually spend just a fraction of the expected amount and still have a space you can consider ideal.

Get the most bang for your buck by keeping the following helpful tips in mind.   

Plants

Obviously, much of the visual appeal of your garden can be credited to your plants.

In line with this, you need to choose well. Opt for plants that will complement the overall theme you have in mind.

Since shrubs, trees, soil and perennials can get downright expensive; it would be wise to purchase them late in the season. This is usually the time when retailers want to dispose of them.

In addition, you can look into getting a few plants that will help layer down the dull areas in your garden. You may also rely on potted varieties to instantly freshen up any bald spot.

Bricks

When it comes to designing your backyard, creativity is always a key component. 

For instance, if you are looking into designing your pathway, consider using bricks.

Fortunately, nowadays, you can easily get cheap ones from demolition sites.  For starters, you can align them side by side, forming some sort of path wave or you can use them as a brick planter and any other designs you can think of.

Soil

Understandably, healthy soil is considered a fundamental element of most gardens. 

That being said, it will work to your advantage to ensure you have healthy soil to work with. Know the kind you currently have so you will have an idea what to do in case it needs some boost.

Also, to further save on costs, look into incorporating old bird cages and window frames into your backyard designs.

In addition, unused tires can also be painted and transformed into a garden art to add more charm and personality to your space.

Compost

The plants in your garden will thrive more given the right nutrients.

While purchasing mulch and fertilizers is something you can easily resort to, it is reassuring to know you have other options when money is tight.

For instance, you can try composting as a sound alternative to buying fertilizers. With the help of yard waste and food scraps, you can easily produce compost for your garden.

In addition, you need to make sure you are aware of composting basics, so your plants can enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.

Maintenance

For many homeowners, this is often the tricky part.

While challenging, however, coming up with a maintenance system that works is actually feasible. You just have to ensure you take all possible expenses into account. For instance, if you have a large lawn and you don’t think you have the time to attend to mowing on a regular basis, make it a point to include mowing fee into your maintenance expenses.

In addition, seeking the help of turf suppliers when it comes to garden supplies and the like will go a long way towards ensuring you will get what you need without having to go beyond your budget.

A garden you can be proud of does not have to cost you much. With patience, ingenuity and a little creativeness thrown in, you can look forward to enjoying your dream garden without having to spend a fortune.  

Guest Post: A Step-by-Step Guide to Installing a New Pendant Light Fixture

Installing a new pendant light can be as easy as removing an old fixture and installing a new one. There are two issues that can help make your installation easier. First, with the exclusion of large heavy chandeliers, most pendant lights are lightweight and fine for a standard ceiling box. This makes them easier to handle or to momentarily suspend from a ceiling box with a DIY wire hook. Additionally, with the exclusion of most track lights, pendant lights usually hang from a canopy. This gives you the opportunity to support your fixture on your ladder or an interim hook, leaving your hands free to adjust the electrical and mechanical linkages.

How To Install a New Pendant Light Fixture

Remember to make sure that the power is turned-off at your home’s circuit box. Place a covering over the switch to make sure that it won’t be turned back on while you’re working. Keep a circuit tester near to make certain that the power is off before touching any electrical wiring.

Step 1: Remove the Existing Fixture

Remove the existing fixture. If you have a ceiling fan, be sure to take away the blades from the fan first. Loosen the screws while holding the fan still. Lightly pull the fixture away from the mounting bracket. Carefully remove the wire nuts from the wires, separate the fixture, and take out the mounting bracket.

Step 2: Affix the Mounting Bracket

To suspend your new pendant light, affix the new mounting bracket to the junction box. Most of the time, older mounting brackets use screws from the bottom; however, the newer versions have open bolts on the base that are topped with a cap nut.

Step 3: Affix the Wires

Affix the wires to the new pendant light following the manufacturer’s directions. This is normally white-to-white, black-to-black, and ground-to-ground.

Step 4: Firmly Fix the Connections

Firmly fix the connections with wire nuts, and then affix the bare ground wire to the green ground screw on the mounting bracket. On a number of fixtures, the neutral wire may be black with a white stripe. Slip the new pendant lamp over the bolts in the mounting bracket, and then fasten the mounting cap nuts.

Don’t forget to put the light bulbs in last; however, wash your hands first. This will help give your light bulbs a longer lifespan. Now you can climb down from your ladder and marvel at your work. Whether you’ve installed it as part of a living room remodel, or just because, we’re sure you’ll be seeing your room in a whole new, better light.

Check this YouTube video for a visual step-by-step guide.

Tim Smith writes for Modernize.

Photo by Chris Patrick Interiors.

What A Woman Wants

Here is the secret: we want to feel loved and cared for. We want to love and care. We want to achieve and accomplish. We want to make our loved ones smile and we want to smile. We want to share and we want to be spoilt. Not so hard to please, are we?

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You are looking for a gift for a special woman in your life (daughter, mother, wife, friend etc) but are clueless? Well, here is the good news: you can easily make a woman happy without having to pay an amount that you cannot afford to pay. Even putting a few things together with some love and extra attention would easily please most women. Just make sure to pay extra attention to details. Us women love details!

Here are a few photos of some crafty gift ideas for your inspiration. You can pick and choose items to customise for your special person according the person's interests or your budget. 

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Wishing you a day when you can make someone smile!

Care Tips for when Heat Hits

As most of you have been experiencing or are aware, the heatwave has been affecting quite a few people in the Southern Hemisphere in general and in Australia in particular recently. It is not very easy to keep cool in this heat. I hope everyone is trying to look after themselves as well as others these days. Caring for others in this heat could be as easy as  knocking on the door of especially some elderly neighbours just to check up on them and also see if you could help them with anything to stay safe. 

However, we also need to keep in mind that us human beings are not the only living that feel the heat.  

Dark red dominates this image, indicating temperatures that were significantly higher than average between December 27 and January 3, especially in Queensland and New South Wales. (Source: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=82790)  

According to this article here, the heatwave also had some deadly impact on the wildlife. For instance, 100,000 bats have died from the heat in Queensland.

Here are some suggestions that come to mind that I would like to share with you with the hope of making a small difference in the life of a living creature. My suggestions are mostly on keeping your pets and also small sized wildlife safe.

* Keep your pet hydrated. Make sure your pet has an access to some fresh water at all times. In our case, we have chickens and we leave them a few extra sources of water in their pen where they can freely access to in case one gets dirty or evaporates quickly and we don't realise it soon enough.

*Add some ice to their water source at times, if possible/applicable, as the water will warm up quickly in this heat.

*Depending on the type of your pet, you can wet them at times to cool them down.

*Try to offer some cool ground for them. It could be that you have a cool place you can keep them in, or you can put some wet sheets underneath them etc. We wet our chickens' pen as well as the ground under trees at times as they are the places they often stay at.

*Offer some green leafy vegetables if possible as they contain water and are often easily consumed by many types of animals.

*Leave some water outside for lost/homeless animals.

*Leave a shallow bucket with some sticks and/or rocks in it in your garden so that smaller animals such as ants can drink some water too without drowning as Wildlife Victoria has recommended.

Stay safe!

TIP: Whitening Socks

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As it is well known to us all by now, white socks start changing colour in time. To whiten them once again, boil them in lemon and water mixture.

Cotton: Nature's Wonder Fiber

Recently, a mother of a young boy with eczema was in desperate need for some tips and recommendations from other parents with similar experiences on a social media group that I am a part of. In her post, she told us that she had already made an appointment with her son's paediatrician but she felt awful just sitting at home and waiting for the appointment day to come that was in a few days while watching her baby in discomfort and pain. This post is not exactly about eczema but that post of hers has inspired me to write about one aspect of our choices as individuals, parents, consumers and makers; fabrics.

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Whenever we need to choose some clothing for our kids, we pay extra attention to use natural fibers, such as cotton. Our now-almost-5-year-old son suffers from a mild case of eczema and we were reminded by his doctor at the time to use %100 cotton wherever and whenever possible even for his bedsheets at the time as synthetic fabrics and wool can irritate but it has always been our preference even before then.

I almost always use only 100% cotton fabrics for main fabrics for my kids and at my shop as I believe in cotton because it is natural and I am a believer of 'goodness comes from nature'. Cotton is a natural fiber that comes from the seedpod of the cotton plant and is used to make many fabric types. It is  used for virtually every type of clothing; you name it, it has it. However, as it is stated here, most of its
apparel usage is for men and boys’ clothing.

some cotton products by MADE BY Y

Cotton fiber has been cultivated for more than 8,000 years. Cotton accounts for 40% of the world's fiber production and generates a $40 billion a year textile market according to this source. It is mentioned by the same source that approximately 80% of the cotton farms are small, and many are family owned.

It is stated here that no other fiber comes close to duplicating all of the desirable characteristics combined in cotton. Cotton can be woven or knit into cloth.

%100 cotton fabrics are breathable. They do not trap the air and allow the skin to breathe. They are smooth and cool which is important for the prevention of overheating. Cotton is very absorbent therefore, it will absorb moist and sweat easily (it evaporates; releases the moist on the surface of the fabric) In fact, as it is claimed here, it absorbs up to 27 times its own weight in water. It is non-irritating. Regardless of the heat or the humidity, cotton fabrics feel good against the skin. Cotton is comfortable. Unlike some synthetic fabrics, cotton fabrics do not rub against the skin, which is bad for eczema as well.

Additionally, cotton is easy to clean. It can be laundered or dry-cleaned (just be wary of the colours and other chemicals that may be added to certain cotton fabrics though). As a general rule, cotton can be boiled, therefore sterilised. As a fabric, cotton is normally durable and strong.

Last but not least, here are some great tips by sewing.org on how to look for a good quality cotton fabric for you:
- look for closely woven fabric with long, 1/2"fibers and even yarns.
- Scrape the fabric with your finger nail, if the threads separate, the fabric won’t wear well.
- To check the fiber length, pull a thread from the fabric and untwist it; if the fibers are at least 1/2"long, the fabric will wear well.
- Rub two fabric scraps together to see if the fabric pills.
- To check for colorfastness, rub the colored fabric with a piece of white fabric; no dye should come off on the white fabric.

Enjoy something natural today!

TIP: How To Prevent Cut Fruit from Discolouring

Photo Credit

To avoid the change of colour of cut fruit such as browning of apples and pears, rub some lemon (or lime or orange) on the cut surface. This will do trick to keep them nice and white as it prevents the air contact (oxidation) that causes the browning.

Travelling with Young Children: What to Know?

My recommendations to people who are planning a lengthy travel with their babies and toddlers especially by plane are as follows:

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1) Apart from a front baby carrier, make sure you arrange a cot for your baby to sleep in on the plane. The best way to do this is to enquire about it while purchasing your ticket as well as checking in approximately two hours in advance as they generally work with 'first in, first serve' policy. They only have a limited number of baby bassinets they can offer on planes. Also, keep in mind that there is an age and weight limit to the use of the cots on planes for safety purposes.

2) If your baby is breastfed and you prefer to be covered while feeding, make sure you bring something to serve the purpose with you. Some businesses sell 'breastfeed covers' but you can easily make your own in less than half a minute and it doesn't even involve any sewing! Take a large shawl with you, fold it in half lengthwise, pretend it is a top that you can wear and where your shoulder is (the one that is not close to the folded end), attach a safety pin. This shape simply allows you to 'wear it' and lay on your shoulders while having the flexibility to bring your baby/toddler under it and breastfeed comfortably. This is not only an easy and functional breastfeed cover, but is also something that you can wear to keep yourself warm with and it doesn't have to add to your luggage weight at all as you can get on the plane with the shawl on you. It can also easily become a little blanket over yourself or your baby while having a little nap or a read/watch. (I will be making a visual post on this breastfeed cover sometime soon. Stay tuned!) 

3) While taking off and landing, make sure your baby/toddler suckles something, whether it be you (if breastfed), a pacifier or their own fingers. This allows babies to handle the pressure that builds in ears better, hopefully totally pain-free. 

4) Bring some age-appropriate toys/books with you. Taking a few favourite toys of your child is always a good idea. However, I also suggest that you take some new toys/books to catch their attention and make them curious so that hopefully they spend some time with them. Take them out one at a time. 

Some books come with a hook that allows you to attach them to some other objects so they don't keep falling on the floor. As for the toys, if you can attach some nice cheap baby rings to them, do so as they will help them stay still (they can even chew on them). 

If your baby is teething, bring some items such as teething rings to give him something to chew. 

5) If your baby is attached to a certain object, do not forget to bring it with you.

6) Keep some large objects (such as a hair accessory for yourself) handy. Sometimes, your everyday objects keep them busier than their own toys. 

7) Depending on your baby's age, bring some plane-safe foods, drinks, snacks with you. Sometimes, it takes a while before they serve you on the plane and babies are not the most patient human beings on earth as you would be well aware by now. Your baby's milk and food is not subject to the same maximum restrictions for aeroplane cabin baggage. You are allowed to carry enough for your baby's journey. 

8) I always take some extra clothing and other necessary items than usual in case your baby reacts differently on that day (vomits, has a diarrhoea, spills food/drinks on him etc).  

9) Back to the toys again.. Make sure your toys are not too hard or noisy for the plane. Not everyone is patient, has a baby or can emphasise.

10) Keep a nice bib or two handy with you. There are some bibs that has a 'waterproof side' and the other side is nice and soft. It may become your best friend on the plane. One side is the best for drinks or fluids in general, the other can be used for solid foods. It is also preferable especially on the plane if it has a pocket as well as it makes it less messy. Also, make sure it is easily washed and can dry fast. 

11) I would not wear any jewellery while travelling with a baby or a young child. To me, it is a safety issue (both mine as well as my baby's. Some babies tend to pull things and a family member's ear was ripped while her baby son at the time decided to use all his strength and pull the earring off her mum's ear). 

12) Especially if you will be transferred from one plane to the other during your journey, you may want to consider bringing a lightweight stroller with you.

13) Don't forget your 'must have' items (eg. wet tissues, nappies, change mat, some bags to put dirty clothes/nappies in etc.)

14) Walking on the plane is one of the most favourite activities babies/children tend to have. So, try to make sure you are well rested and are wearing some comfortable shoes and clothes as you may have a good workout walking up and down with your little precious one during your travel.

15) It can be an overwhelming experience for your baby, so try to be patient. You being calm will surely help them in a positive way as well. Whatever you do, keep in mind that it is a new experience for your baby and try to capture/feel the excitement they are likely to have in their eyes while it is there.  

I hope these recommendations are of some help to you. I am sure there are many other tips that people with experience would have in mind. Please do share your tips with us all in the comments section below. 

Enjoy your trip to wherever you are planning on going!

A CHECKLIST TO HAVE WHILE VISITING SCHOOLS

As I have promised here while telling you about our school search story, I have put together a basic list of questions that you may want to ask or try to have an understanding of when you visit a school. The questions are mostly aimed for primary schools but you can easily adjust them to other schools as well. There are surely many other important factors, such as accessibility and proximity of the school to you, whether the school is co-educational or single-sex school etc, that you will need to take into consideration while looking at school options, but these are only some basic questions (in no particular order) many of which you may want to know the answers of while touring a school. Also, please keep in mind that choosing a school is a personal choice and not every school will work for every child, and one family's key priorities in choosing a school may vary from the others'.

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Curriculum: 
-Curriculum?
-Extra Curricular activities?
-LOTE (Languages Other Than English)?
-Religious studies?

Class:
-Size?
-Teacher/student ratio?
-Open learning areas/class based (old-fashion these days)/combined classes?
-Use of technology in class?

Special Needs:
-How do they cater for below average kids?
-How do the cater for above average kids?
-Do they/How do they cater for kids with other special needs (eg. language) or disabilities?

Parent Involvement:
-Is parent involvement welcome?
-How can you be involved?
-Who can be involved? (police check done on parents/volunteers that come in contact with students?)

Policies:
-Copies of school policies?
-Homework policy?
-Discipline policy?
-Unacceptable behaviour (eg. bullying) policy?

Library:
-Well maintained?
-Qualified teacher-librarian(s)?
-Books/computers etc?
-Principal's attitude (above questions' answers should give you some ideas on the principal's attitude on the school library and the use of it)?

Student Profile:
-(Cultural, lingual, socio-economical background information may give you an indication of the school culture in general)

Other:
-Are you in the school's current neighbouring zone (if applicable)?
-(If an independent school), scholarship programs, additional costs to the term fees?
-How clean are the buildings/toilets etc? (gives you a feeling of the amount of respect that the school has for their students)
-Does the school accept children with no immunisation (if that is applicable to your child)?
-Does the school accept children with no kindergarten experience (if applicable to your child)?

Please feel free to share your thoughts/experiences and tips on this topic in the comments section below.

Wishing you all the best of luck in your choice!

ROOMING-IN

Some of the most important benefits of rooming-in after the birth are as follows;

* Allows the mother to respond to baby quickly,

* More likely to successfully breastfeed, 

* Better connection between the mother and the baby,

* The risk of jaundice for the baby is decreased,

* More sleep for the mother.

GUEST POST: Tips for Easy Appliqué

Today's author is Bridget Sandorford. She is a freelance food and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching baker pastry chef jobs. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.

Tips for Easy Appliqué

Appliqué is a great way to dress up t-shirts, onesies, and other pieces of clothing. You can personalize them or add a little bit of flair. It's also a great way to cover up stains or to patch over holes. Of course, appliqué is also a great way to make beautiful and unique quilts.

There are many ways to appliqué, and this blog has already covered one of the most popular methods, which involves fusible webbing. Here are a couple of other tips to create easy appliqué so you can personalize your clothes or make your own onesies for wedding gifts:

Fabric Glue

Appliqué simply requires that you attach one piece of fabric to another, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to use fabric glue. Fabric glue is flexible enough so that when it dries, the fabric is still supple, not hard. You can dot fabric glue around the edges of your piece, and attach it to the surface. You don't need a lot -- just a small edging to hold it in place while you sew it down. You can use a blanket stitch or use your machine to do an overcast or zigzag stitch.

Sturdy fabrics like felt or microfiber do best with this technique. If you are using a fabric that will fray, treat it will fray check first and allow it to dry before you glue it and sew it.

Freezer Paper

Freezer paper is a great option that works in much the same way as fusible webbing. You simply draw your pattern onto your freezer paper and then iron it onto your fabric with the shiny side down. Cut out your fabric, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Then either spray starch onto the hem line or dab it on with a paintbrush. Fold over the edge and iron it back all the way around the hem.

When the fabric is dried and the hemline is ironed back, you can remove the freezer paper. It will peel off quite easily and your hemline should stay intact. Then just sew your appliqué in place as usual. You can pin it down or add a bit of fabric glue to hold it in place.

This method is best for thinner fabrics that are prone to fraying and need tidier edges in order to maintain their shape. It would not work for thicker fabrics like felt or wool.

Sewing Two Pieces Together

Getting a good appliqué is largely about preserving the hemlines. You can do this easily by sewing together two pieces of fabric to create a closed edge. You would cut two pieces of fabric for each shape and then sew them together face to face. Complete the edge all the way around, and then make a slit in the middle of one of the pieces. Use that opening to turn the pieces out to the right side, and then iron the seams flat. You'll have a nice shape that you can then sew in place on your fabric.

There's more than one way to appliqué. Use the technique that is easiest for you and that best accommodates the fabric you are using and the kind of shape you are trying to create.

What techniques do you use to create appliqué? Share your tips in the comments!