The 10 Minute Tiny Pond Project

Having a water feature can bring lots of new creatures to a garden. This isn't really a pond, but a planter I found on end of season clearance at Target. I added a solar aerator, goldfish and plants from the backyard pond, and voila! A new point of interest in the yard for Mabel (the goldfish have a magnetic quality). I'm also hoping it will be a point of interest for nature's own mosquito control, dragonflies and damselflies.

Gardening Chit Chat

My oldest brother reminded me that it's a good time to pick up some soil sample kits from our local cooperative extension office. Consider this an annual PSA: send off soil samples now, so when the ground thaws you'll know what you need in order to balance your soil nutrients!

Those of you in Mecklenburg County can pick up soil sample kits at these fine locations.

While discussing gardening, I read a few articles on the topic yesterday:
Poisonous food and how agricultural chemicals hurt people at every point in the growing process.
Seeds, who owns them and what you can do with them.

Both articles strengthen my resolve to produce more of our own food this year. If you're new to gardening and interested in a super easy way to get started in filling your belly with homegrown goodness, check out Biophilia {images from Biophilia's site}. 

Biophilia is Danielle, a NC-based permaculture designer. Her shop makes it easy to jump right into a more sustainable lifestyle through gardening and producing your own healthy food.

Notes to nicely wrap up a week

I've decided the tooth fairy is actually a mean little bugger. She goes around punching infants and toddlers in the gums {mostly at night, and all night long at that} then only comes back a few years later with the money to apologize.

The apology is, I think, actually a small percentage from the dough dentists use to bribe the tooth fairy to play nice. Otherwise no one would ever let anyone near their teeth and gums again.
 Later today I'm showing off the seed catalog prettiness that abounds this year. Is it me or are they prettier than usual??

Okay, so from all that pretty to something more gritty (especially the fat rendering post), I'm really into The New Home Economics blog. She covers books, recipes, gardening and DIY projects. . . sound a little familiar? Plus the budgeting posts are really good for my not so budgety brain. 

Then there's the weekend. What are we doing? Appeasing the grumpy gummed kiddo, finishing the chair project, making fermented sauerkraut and who knows what else!? How about you? What are you getting into?

Friday, Naturally

Herbs are intimidating to me. I'm not all that knowledgeable when it comes to their healing properties and kind of wonder how much truth there is to all the hype. I am, however, a firm believer in arnica (I should share the picture of a bruise the size and shape of a bicycle seat on my leg that disappeared within 2 days thanks to that feisty favorite wildflower), as was the Duke, or so it was suggested in one of his movies.
After a little experiment with making comfrey balm this week to use on the Sneak, its the newest addition of natural remedies in our first aid kit. Want to know more? Read how to make your own on Modish today!

Happy Friday! Whatcha got in store for the weekend?