Gardening.

I began my garden for this year in the first week of april, mainly due to the fact that we had gorgeous weather, and that was expected to continue. I've decided to branch out a bit on what varieties of herbs I grow this year. I've chosen Purple Sage, Pineapple Sage, Lemon Thyme, Purple Oregano, Chocolate Mint, Rosemary (holdover from last year...), Curly Leaf Parsley, and Hidcote Lavender. I'm still working on getting basil, of which I hope to get African Blue Basil, which is sterile and won't die when it blooms like all other basil, but as none of the greenhouses in town are planning to get any, my hopes aren't high. I'd also like to get a bay tree, but they were not ordered in as of when we got the other plants. The rest of the garden will be filled with pretty, blooming flowers that we can enjoy simply for their beauty.

As we live in an apartment, all of these things are in pots, which are now sitting in our living room, since it suddenly dropped to 28°F today and began to snow. As it looks to be clearing up, though, and nothing has actually stuck, I hope to move everything back outside tomorrow.

Money Saving Tips.

Whether or not the economy is up or down, (and it still seems pretty down...) we all benefit from saving money, no matter whether we're saving for a nice night out or a new car or home. I've decided to compile my list of money saving tips that I've discovered or that people have given me over the years. Please share any you've found in the comments section.

1. Cook at home. A meal out for two people can be anywhere from thirty dollars on up. (Twenty if you're lucky.) A meal at home can be less than four dollars a person. It's amazing what you can save by simply cooking your favorite foods at home. Can't cook? Learn. Trust me, there are plenty of websites, classes, and people out there willing to help you get acquainted with your kitchen. If you happen to know me in real life, I would be happy to be one such person, just saying. :) If you choose to go the website route, please check my 'Sites I Follow' section for a plethora of sites to start with.

2. Related to number 1, consider doing a potluck meal with friends, where everyone brings a little something to share, but no one has to cook a full meal. I've yet to really try this, but I'd like to. Also, you can try a round robin, where everyone takes a night of a week, or one night a month, and you cook one meal for the group. This is more dangerous, as far as saving money goes, as you can end up spending as much to feed a crowd as you would on your groceries for the week. The nice side of it is that you only have to cook that one day, and you get a variety of meals you may never cook otherwise.

3. Also related to number 1, take a list to the grocery store, and stick to it. This helps you keep your purchases reasonable, rather than impulsive. There is a bit of margin, if, say, you forgot to put milk on the list, but try not to make too many exceptions.

4. If you like your lattes, chai, or cappuccinos, or just good old plain coffee or tea, make them at home. The mark up on these drinks at a coffee shop is horrendous. Granted, it's nice to treat yourself once in awhile, but try not to make it a habit.

5. Garden. I live in an apartment, as many of you know. I still have a rather large container garden where I get nearly all my herbs. (I refuse to grow cilantro, as I can't stand the smell of it. That is the one herb I will buy when a recipe calls for it, simply because I don't want it in my garden.) The mark up on herbs compared to what you can do with a bit of dirt and some seeds is remarkable. Sometimes you can even get the seeds for free. (I have yet to do this, but one of my sisters does regularly.) Contact your local community garden and see if anyone will allow you to harvest some seeds from their plants. Most are more than willing.

6. Open your windows, as weather permits. Turn off air conditioning, lights, whatever you can, and let the outdoors provide for your needs. Also, turn off the light as you leave the room.

7. De-clutter. Not only will you enjoy being in your home more, but you may find things you can sell, or even donate, (tax write off optional).

8. Rent movies, try Netflix, Hulu, etc. This has become a necessity for us, as taking a toddler to a movie is rather difficult. The lovely thing, though, is that you can have cookies, dinner, home-popped popcorn, or whatever is your fancy, without trying to 'sneak it in' to the theater.

9. Walk. This applies to working out, or simply trying to get somewhere. You save money on gas, and gym memberships to boot!

10. If you have kids, trade babysitting nights, or days if you can, with other couples. This will save on the cost of a babysitter, and you don't have to worry about trusting the 14 year old to know what to do in case of an emergency. :) We've done this to some extent, mostly trading a couple days every once in awhile with other stay-at-home moms. This also ensures that your child will have some other kids to play with.

Spring Cleaning and Gardens.

I find myself in the midst of spring cleaning. It is absolutely gorgeous outside, and I've locked myself indoors with noxious chemicals. (Well, mainly clorox wipes and dust rags, but still...) It looks so lovely outside, I find myself wanting my home to compare, if not match, that beauty. And so, with dust rag in hand, I have been sorting through my shelves, my cabinets, and my closets and dusting everything in sight while tossing in the donation bin anything that has seen better days.

My goal is to finish in time that I can go exploring in greenhouses all over town. I'm greatly anticipating the revival of my deck garden, which beautifies my view immensely. I'm planning on growing mint this year, in addition to the usual basil, tomatoes, etc. You see, I love mint tea, but it never occurred to me to grow my own, until this year. So, that is what I will do. I will try to keep you all updated with pictures of how my garden does this year, perhaps as incentive for me to keep it well-watered. (I'm always forgetting to water!) Also, I think this is the year that I'll test out hanging baskets, as I've learned of a better technique to deal with higher ceilings to hang from. (Replace the plastic hanger with nylon cord, and string to chosen length...stronger, and prettier, and at the right height!) I'd LOVE to grow marguerite daisies, but I'm afraid they wouldn't hold up well to our second floor winds. We shall see what I come home with!