Lilac Take A Front Seat

I have beautiful old fashion light lavender lilacs along the back of my property. Every spring they bloom beautifully but so few get to enjoy them. Honestly there at times we only get to see them is when we take out the trash. Each spring they also send up shots close to the base of the main plant. In the past I have cut off a number for my sister to sell as a fund raiser at a school sale and I have given some to a friend to put in her yard. This year I decided some of the new plants needed to be moved to the front so we could enjoy the blooms and to help block headlights as cars come around the corner. I picked a place next to a tree stump since the two together will be easier to mow around and the lilac will take attention away from the stump.

The new plants are easy to pluck from the ground. A quick chop of a shovel disconnects them from the main root ball. Digging a new hole for them to go into is a little more time consuming. I have yet to hear anyone say digging in Virginia clay soil is easy. Once they were planted I lined the new bed with salvaged bricks. This not only looks good but will help protect them from “run away” lawn mowers, dog walkers, and kids chasing balls. Well at least they will see it’s not just more grass to trample.

Gardening Gizmos

I’ve recently picked up 2 new gardening gizmos to help out in the yard. First I picked up a Tubtrugs flexible tub. Since the bucket can be used for food along with pretty much anything else in the garden I thought this would be a useful and versatile addition to the shed. The day I brought the tub home I used it to collect sticks, weeds, and trash from the yard, hold plants I was transplanting and water for them, and gathering lettuce from the garden. I intentionally picked up a color which was not one of the kids’ favorite colors in hopes to being able to keep it for myself. It didn’t work, within a day they had confiscated it for their pool toys. I picked up two more in their favorite colors so I could get mine back. If we need a few more ice buckets at the next pot luck I might need to use all three.

The second gizmo I picked up was a Magic Ring. This simple flexible plastic ring is used to hold open paper lawn bags. In our area yard waste is supposed to be put at the curb in clear plastic bags or paper bags. Yard waste would be grass trimmings, leaves, sticks, sod, etc. The bags are also good for composting leaves, etc. Many of the local gardening stores carry these super sized paper bags. I found the ring took a little practice to get just right in the bag so I wouldn’t rip the bag or have it slip and fall to the bottom. Once I got the hang of inserting the ring it worked great. I could toss invasive weeds in without the bag flipping closed.

Office: Spring Peeps

After I decorated my co-worker’s cube with spring flowers her supervisor mumbled ‘do I have to get sick to get that’. I told her it had to be more then the flu. She may have been teasing but she sure seemed a bit jealous. I started to think of what I might be able to do to/for her. It couldn’t be more flowers. I’d already done that.

A friend on FaceBook posted pictures of her office after her boss “peeped” her. For several years now her boss has decorated her office with marshmallow Peep chicks. Then for even more inspiration there is the annual Washington Post Peeps Show. These dioramas are amazing with the contest winners spending hours or weeks designing and building their entries.

Luckily this co-worker has a sense of humor, likes flowers, and seems really down to earth. So the idea was developing. I would go back into the office after she left for the day and decorate her office. Armed with 10 boxes of 10 packs of various colors of Peep chicks, that would be 100 Peeps, marshmallows, pretzels and Wilton’s 4 tubes of cake decorating frosting the invasion began.

First pink Peeps popped up in her large potted plant. They were later joined by yellow Peeps.

Then green and yellow Peeps sounded off and marched along her filing cabinets.

Others decide to start pecking out a message on the wipe board.

Some camped out on her computer. I did insist they have a Peep poop (sugar) drop cloth so our technical team didn’t panic.

Some insisted on having a coffee break.

But most of the Peeps wanted to party.

They dressed up with flowers on their heads, leis hanging from their necks or mini bouquets and started to dance around a bomb fire fueled by pretzels with flaming marshmallows.

They were joined by 4 Peep drummers and a Peep choir. Others hung around in the background chatting while enjoying the music and the dancers twirling around the bomb fire.

It is truly amazing what you can do with a kid free hour in a quite office. Needless to say she was VERY surprised and will be watching what she says around the office from now on. It took her most of the day to give away most of the Peeps but I think by the end of the week all but one was eaten and it was put on my desk.

Office: Spring Flowers

One of my wonderful co-workers was out for a medical reason and I thought I had to do something for her. I may have seen too many of those emails which are floating around showing what people have done to their co-workers while they were out. I thought I needed to fill her cube with silk flowers. Since I didn’t know when she would be back I thought silk would be the best choice. I set a budget and luckily a local craft store had a half price sale on their spring silk flowers. I have to say $25.00 even at a half price sale does not go very far when you are buying silk flowers. The vision of filling her cube with flowers changed to a pleasantly decorated cube. There would be no worries about her getting to her chair or opening any drawers.

I used clips designed for hanging things in fabric covered office cubes to hang 2 strands of spring flower garlands around the top of half of her cube. The gracefully scalloped garland hangs beautifully over the shared printer and her certificates. For the other side of her cube I ‘planted’ a forsythia bush consisting of 2 springs. Two mixed spring flower bouquets fitted nicely into her existing vase.

I had a little more money but not enough for more flowers. I picked up a gardening kneeling pad which I hoped she could use for her recovery or when she gets back out in her garden. I found a pretty journal book covered with spring flowers to brighten her desk too. Lastly, with less than a dollar left I picked up two gourmet butterfly lollipops to fly out of her pen holder.

My initial plan had been transformed into a beautiful cube that she was pleasantly surprised to come back to. She likes enough that she said she was going to leave it up… weeks latter it’s still there adding some cheerful color to her cube and a reminder that she was missed.

Amy’s Tofu Scramble

Amy’s Tofu Scramble with hash browns & veggies

Gluten-Free

Contains soy

Calories 320

www.amys.com

I would never describe myself as a fan of tofu. It seems it can be hit or miss for me. Some things like hot and sour soup I love the tofu ‘noodles’ and other things I wonder why they were ever made. The picture on the box of Amy’s Tofu Scramble with hash browns & veggies made it look tempting enough to try and I’m glad I did. It was very tasty and satisfying. The hash browns were well seasoned with just the right touch of black pepper. The texture of the scramble was very pleasing and tasted delicious. It was a very satisfying breakfast and I would definitely get it again.

Pre-Made Meals: Tortilla Casserole & Black Bean

Amy’s Bowls

Tortilla Casserole & Black Bean

Gluten-Free

Contains Milk & Soy

Single serve

Calories 390

www.amys.com

It isn’t often when I have a gluten-free lunch and I have people flocking to my desk to find out what smells SOOoooo good. I decided I needed a change from my homemade lunches and took an Amy’s Bowls Tortilla Casserole & Black Bean meal to work for lunch. It was really tasty. The textures of the tortillas was good and distinctive from the layers of other ingredients. The tofu was diced small and well seasoned. The black beans were delicious. I would definitely recommend it and get it again.

Shopping: Catalog/Online Ordering Verses Store Front

In a recent Sierra Club’s The Green Life posting the topic was “Green Your Shopping Habits: Gifts”. After a few postings including one about shopping on line to save gas, gift wrapping, etc I had to put in my two cents.

Shopping: Catalog/Online Ordering Verses Store Front

I really consider the shop online or locally a lot like the paper or plastic bag dilemma.

There are things that, depending on where you live, can only be gotten via mail order or ordering online. If you would have to drive great distances to get something it would save money, time and gas to order the item and have it shipped to you. The postal service and other companies who deliver packages have devised systems to save as much time, money and gas to deliver packages. It is in their best interest to because it affects their bottom line ($$$). One of the major carries in the United States maps out delivery routes to decrease the number of left hand turns their drivers need to make since left hand turns often lead to delays at lights or waiting for traffic, both cost the company time and gas – in other words money.

Now if you can find the item in your local area and can combine trips you are going to save gas and money by shopping locally. In addition to eliminating lots of shipping packaging and saving gas you will support your local economy. Amazon.com and other online stores are great and often cost lest but then money goes a long way from where most of us live. If you buy locally you still may be shipping some of your money to far off lands for the manufacturing but you are paying the store clerk, local and state taxes for your roads, schools etc, and if it is locally owned the higher ups also are local and spending their hard earned money in YOUR city or town therefore paying more clerks, landlords, taxes, etc. Virtigo Books (formally of College Park MD) posted on their blog “Why Buy Local?” which explains why should support our local business. Their example states that for everyone $100 you spend locally $45 stays local; at national chains only $14 stays local; and internet purchases $0. Unfortunately not enough people heeded their post and their store closed this April.

So, just as we need to think about our choices for paper, plastic or reusable shopping bags, we need to think before we shop and make the best choice for where we purchase things.