Wordless Wednesday Blooming Crown of Thorns

My Crown of Thorns plant blossomed with pretty pink flowers!

Grow Your Own Avocado Tree at Home: AvoSeedo Offer #avoseedo

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information and offer to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.


AvoSeedo avocado tree germinator bowl makes it easy for everyone to grow their own plant at home from a simple avocado pit. Easy to use for all ages of amateur avocado arborists, clever AvoSeedo bowl design keeps the avocado pit immersed in just the right amount of water to grow effectively. Made for durability from recyclable, non-toxic materials and is reusable for other vegetables like lettuce, celery, carrot tops! Germinate and grow an avocado tree in your own home, whatever the climate. Fun family (Millennial parents, their young kids, grandma/grandpa) project to make a tree sprout and watch it grow from the pit of a common avocado. Increase kids' understanding of ecology, interconnections in nature, responsibility and care for the environment in a participatory and concrete way.

GROW YOUR OWN AVOCADO TREE AT HOME!
Save 20% on any AvoSeedo avocado grower or other product and enjoy FREE shipping too. Visit the AvoSeedo Shop today and get growing today! https://shop.avoseedo.com/ Use Code: sp20 #avoseedo

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about AvoSeedo I am getting a a voucher for a free AvoSeedo (including free delivery) to anywhere on the continental United States. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Benji & The 24 Pound Banana Squash Book Review and Giveaway

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Benji & The 24 Pound Banana Squash is a hardcover children's book that is by bestselling author Alan C. Fox with illustrations by Eefje Kuijl. This adorable book is the story of a child named Benji's experience of growing a banana squash from start to finish. Benji & the 24 Pound Banana Squash is based on a real-life event that happened when Alan Fox was eight. It teaches kids about patience, love, dedication, and perseverance and how much fun it is to grow their own foods.

My kids enjoying our harvests.

Our Thoughts:
Benji & The 24 Pound Banana Squash is a wonderful story of garden-to-table. I love how Benji is so patient even though he sees nothing come from the seed he plants at first. After a while he reaps the reward of his determination and nurturing.

We loved this cute book and its lovely illustrations. The book starts from the beginning where Benji picks the perfect spot in the ground and plants the seed to his family sitting around the table eating the cooked squash with butter and brown sugar. The pictures are fun to look at too. One picture shows Benji trying to dig the hole himself with the shovel and he fell over on his back flinging dirt and earth worms into the air. Another shows his dog bouncing a ball on a small trampoline as Benji carries the large squash inside the house. My kids will treasure this book.

Teela and Zari enjoying the Benji & the 24 Pound Banana Squash book.

I recommend this sweet and endearing story to anyone. It is perfect for those who want to teach their children about where their food comes from or even help them grasp the concepts of being more patient...because it will certainly pay off in the end. It is wonderful for those city folk that want to give a piece of country life to their kids.

BUY IT
Purchase The Benji & the 24 Pound Banana Squash book for $17.95 on Amazon.




WIN IT
Prize: Win a copy of Benji & The 24 Pound Banana Squash Book {US ONLY}

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for Rafflecopter below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

Wordless Wednesday Garlic and Potato Harvest

Elephant Garlic harvest this year was awesome!

This was my first time growing and harvesting potatoes.

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden Book Review

Spring is almost over and summer is just around the corner. I cannot believe how the time has flown by so quickly!  My Mother's Day garden is growing very well. I still have a lot to do, but the main part is out of the way. Weeds still need pulled around my flowers, the soil needs tended to, and more seeds need sown and planted. I absolutely love growing in raised beds and containers because it means a lot less weeding. I love gardening! It is a favorite pastime of mine. Digging my hands into the soil and feeling the earth beneath me, relaxes me. It has always had this calming effect on me. 

The newly revised edition (which now includes a whole chapter dedicated to heirloom vegetables and herbs) of the Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book by Karen Newcomb is a great resource with a lot of ideas to grow tons of organic vegetables in small spaces and in containers. This book is a very practical do-it-yourself (DIY) guide. In the beginning there is an introduction which introduces the history of small gardens. Eight chapters covering different topics, from planning your garden to controlling pests and other maladies, follow to host the bulk of knowledge being put forth. An appendix a and b containing how to compost and seed sources, a glossary, about the author, and an index ends the book.

Table Of Contents

Introduction   1
Chapter 1 Planning Your Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden   5
Chapter 2 The Postage Stamp Soil Mix   35
Chapter 3 Getting Your Ground Ready   43
Chapter 4 When and How to Plant   50
Chapter 5 Watering Your Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden   64
Chapter 6 Heirloom Vegetables and Herbs You’ll Love to Grow   68
Chapter 7 Plants That Like Each Other   165
Chapter 8 Controlling Pests, Diseases, and Critters   172
Appendix A How to Compost   186
Appendix B Seed Sources   195
Glossary   204
About the Author   211
Index   212

In retrospect, I really should have read The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book before I planted my garden. Since it got a late start though, I was rushing to get everything in the ground. I went with a more conventional row design which isn't really the best way to plant. This book could have helped me tremendously in: planning the arrangement of my garden and maximizing my crop production.

I love that this book makes it easy to have a garden in a very small plot that produces a lot while taking very little work and water. Karen Newcomb recommends beds that are 4 by 4 feet minimum to 10 by 10 feet maximum. She also states that from a 5 by 5 foot bed you can produce a minimum of 200 pounds of vegetables, if it is properly prepared and maintained. This is really amazing if you think about it. There are also some very helpful crop stretching techniques that are talked about in the book like: French Intensive Biodynamic Gardening in a small space, vertical gardening, intercropping, succession planting, catch cropping, container gardening, raised bed gardening, window sill/box gardening, patio gardening, companion planting, etc. The book also talks about taking advantage of better planting times: planting by season, zones, and moon cycles. Watering techniques, soil enriching techniques, and how to organically get rid of or deter: pests, diseases, and critters that might devour your garden are also included in this book. I loved the part of this book that covered other plants to consider growing because I am well aware of the advantages of adding pretty edible flowers and plants that attract beneficial bugs and hummingbirds to pollinate and possibly eat some pests. I love the idea of having a garden also for the hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, etc.

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden book has great garden plans, charts, and tips to keep your garden growing gorgeously. I will just mention that if you like a lot of color photos or pretty pictures this will not be the book for you because it uses a simplistic three color (browns, grays, and greens) printing process for the drawings and charts throughout the book.

There is so much to consider when planning a garden. I wish more people out there would grow their own food because the benefits are just so great! The benefits of growing your own organic garden include: better health, less stress, feeling better, saving money, getting fresh air and exercise, eating healthier and safer and saving the environment. Even someone living in the city with very little space really doesn't have an excuse. This book is chocked full of helpful information to maximize yield organically and ecologically friendly in small spaces. I would recommend anyone who wants to have a wonderful organic garden to read this book, especially those who don't know where to start because they are just in the beginning stages.

BUY IT


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program for free in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

My 2015 Resolutions and Goals

My bulbs pushing through the ground, ever upward to feel the sun.

I know that January is almost over, but I wanted to share with you all what I would love to accomplish this year, both off and on my blog. This is my time to reflect upon myself, the Lord, and my life. My resolutions like so many others are a window into what I would love to change, work on, and grow in.

As the first flowers of spring push through the ground ever upward to feel the sun, I am pushing ever upwards in my edification to be more like Christ, the Son of God.

My 2015 Resolutions and Goals

• To Better Myself - This is a huge resolution that encompasses many aspects of my life.
• I need to deepen in my faith in The Lord Jesus Christ and be more like him every step of the way. I need to also be more aware of what I do and say to become more Christ-like.
• I would like to become more independent. I don't want to rely so heavily upon others.
• A steady progression in my fiber arts studies (sewing, knitting, crochet) is also welcome.
• I would like to continue my studies about herbs, herbal remedies, foraging, nutrition, and wild/raw foods.
• My studies about permaculture and how to best apply it to our farm needs to also continue.
• I would like to learn how to play the guitar and to continue advancing on violin (when I get another one).
• My fitness regimen needs to be more than chasing kids around the house, shopping, and blogging.
• I want to make living sustainably a part of my everyday life. Pushing for a more simplistic and less plastic/less waste lifestyle.
• I would like to cook more healthy meals at home so we don't end up with unhealthy options like takeout or fast food. Growing and having my own healthy food (garden/orchard/greenhouse/aquaponics/chickens/quail) will help with this. Also creating a meal plan will help too.
• Become a lot more involved with my children. Become a better role model and teacher for them.
• I need to have a: more organized household and schedule. I need to plan better, be on time, and procrastinate less.

I know that I may not accomplish all of these goals, but I am willing to at least give it a try. I know that circumstances beyond our control sometimes get in the way of progression. Hopefully I can document my growth on here. This is the first installment in my posts about improvements I will be making this year...with me, my blog, and my homestead/farm.

What are you working on this year?

Earth Day Freebies, Activites, and Events 2013

If you look around you can find all sorts of fun FREE Earth Day activities and events that are going on around where you live. Here are some I have found that most of my readers can participate in. 

© Day2Day Printing
1. You can get a FREE set of 4 Earth Day Cards at Day2Day Printing. These cards have seeds embedded into them and are biodegradable and earth friendly. If you plant them the seeds will grow.

2. Pottery Barn Kids has a free in store event on Saturday April 20 - Monday April 22. Go to your local store to get a FREE packet of seeds to plant (while supplies last). Plus the proceeds from of select lunch products will go to Trees for the Future. Find a nearby store to you to participate. There are other in store events there also throughout the year.

3. Jo-Ann Fabrics and Craft Stores has a free in store event on Sunday April 21 from 2-3pm at participating stores. You can make a FREE Make It-Take It Earth Day Planter.

© Target
4. At Target you can get a FREE reusable shopping bag (while supplies last) at participating stores the day before Earth Day on April 21st.

5. At the Disney Store you can get a FREE Brave or Cars 2 Reusable Bag when you come in and recycle 5 plastic shopping bags (while supplies last) on April 22.

6. At participating Michaels Stores on April 20 celebrate Earth Day and learn how you can upcycle your old T-shirts into trendy and fashionable accessories for FREE when you register at your local store.

7. At the Home Depot you can register online for their FREE in store event on April 20 from 10am-11:30am to Learn how to build and maintain a "Flower Tower".

© IKEA
8. IKEA Portland is having some fun Earth Day Events. If you don't live local to Portland, Oregon try your local store. On April 2 - June 23 you can donate $1 to plant a tree with American Forests while you are in the checkout line. On April 22 from 5am - 7pm IKEA Portland will be having a FREE Shred Day. Bring up to two boxes or bags of paper to be safely and securely shredded in their parking lot then recycled at no cost to you.

9. April 22 - April 26 is National Park Week and National Parks are FREE to experience during this time. You do not have to pay an entrance fee. So get outdoors!

10. Portland, Oregon is having some fun FREE local events for Earth Day for those of you that live nearby. Some are free on these lists... Red Tricycle, PDX Pipeline, Radio Disney Portland's Team Green, Around the Sun, NW Kids, PDX Kids Calendar

11. Cowlitz County in Washington is having a FREE event at the Cowlitz County Expo Center on April 20 from 10:00 am - 3:30 pm. Activities include steel drums, trout pond, whirly bird, gyroscope, rock wall, petting farm, reptile roadshow, wildlife rehab trailer, planetarium, OMSI, and historical society recycled crafts, to name a few.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of these fun activities. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post.

Hide 'em & Hatch 'em Eggs Easter Review and Giveaway

For Easter this year there is a new product that is great to add to Easter baskets and use for Easter egg hunts. These are also great for Spring. They are called Hide 'em Hatch 'em Eggs and I received some free to facilitate this review. These are eggs that actually hatch animals from their shells. They are also great to use in Easter egg hunts because they are so much more fun than plastic eggs and regular eggs. These come in packages of three eggs and hatch into three different animals: chick, duckling, and bunny.

We had a lot of fun with these eggs. Watching them hatch was the best part. I have seen a real chick hatch and the process was so realistic, although these are hatched from the egg into water. I admit that the bunny coming out the the egg was confusing for my youngest daughters. I had to re-educate them that a real bunny doesn't actually come out of an egg and is actually a non egg laying mammal like us. I made a whole homeschooling unit out of it. We talked about birth, the difference between mammals and birds and I even told them what a platypus is.

The Hide 'em Hatch 'em Eggs have a single hole in the top and two holes in the bottom to let the room temperature water inside the eggs once they are submerged. You need to hold them under the water briefly until all air bubbles stop coming to the surface so the water will go just over the top of the egg. Place them in a container that is clear so you can see all the action. We placed ours into glass canning jars and this worked very well.

The first day after about 6-12 hours you should see some breaking happening of the shell around the pet. We saw the first egg start to hatch after about 10 hours so you need to be patient with these. They will hatch at different rates and speeds for different people. Our first one that started hatching was the chick. It was really exciting for my kids. They were enjoying these a lot.

As the pets grow they will be slimy, because of the material the pets are made out of, and this also contributes to the water's murkiness. The shell will also crack and flake off. The water needs changed often to help solicit growth, keep the water at room temperature and keep the water clear. Slowly you will see more and more of the baby as it breaks out of its shell as it grows. If you are impatient you can help your little friend out by cracking the shell (just like a mamma might need to do for her hatchling) or you can change the water and let it continue to grow as we did.

The baby can be kept in the water so it can continue to grow a tad bit more out of the egg. Once removed from the water shrinkage will occur but the animal will dry and harden and then you can play with it. These are great for Easter or spring, but if you do get them just be aware that they take a while to hatch, so plan ahead. Ours took about 5 days to be fully out of their shells. Also these are recommended for children over 3 years old because of small part choking hazard.

BUY IT


WIN IT
Prize: Win Hide 'em & Hatch 'em Eggs.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review and the opportunity to give another away to my readers. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. This post does contain referral links. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Gardening with Little Miss Greenfingers: Growing Culinary Herbs In Containers by Anja Koch Ebook Review

Did you know that May 5th 2012 is Herb Day? What better way to celebrate than to plant and grow some culinary herbs in some containers for your kitchen or outdoor area!  'Gardening With Little Miss Greenfingers: Growing Culinary Herbs In Containers - Healthy & Delicious!' by Anja Koch is just the ebook to give you the perfect amount of information you need to do this in an easy and affordable way.

This ebook is the first of a series called 'Gardening With Little Miss Greenfingers' by Anja Koch. It covers all aspects of growing culinary herbs in containers indoors and outdoors. It contains all the information needed for growing herbs including: where to grow your herbs, stuff you need for container herb gardening, growing herbs from seed, culinary herbs suitable for container growing, how to look after your herbs, dealing with pests and diseases, harvesting and preserving herbs, make your herb garden attractive, annual herbs, perennial herbs. Seventeen popular culinary herbs are described in detail with growing instructions and tips for cooking and preserving. The ebook has a total of 85 pages.

I found this ebook very informative and useful for anyone who wants to grow herbs in containers. This ebook is great especially for the person who wants a kitchen window, patio, deck, balcony, or rooftop container garden. Perfect for those of us that are renting and cannot have our own backyard garden or haven't the space to do anything else. It also gives you ideas on how to make the most of small spaces.

My children love to garden and gardening is a great homeschool teaching tool too. I had my boys read this ebook too because they love to learn and I thought it was the perfect thing for them to get to know more about so we could start our own kitchen herb garden together. I also love to cook with fresh herbs and so having them on hand to give that recipe perfection right in my kitchen is fabulous for me! I just wish I had an awesome garden or greenhouse window in my kitchen to place them in like I did when I lived in Reedsport, Oregon...maybe in my future home.

I also love the fact that this ebook goes into storing and preserving the surplus herbs that you grow so that you can have them on hand year round. I would love to have a pantry full of herbs and other plants/flowers hanging in tied bundles upside-down to dry or preserved in jars of oil or vinegar. I also love the idea of ice cubed herbs to throw in soups, dishes, or beverages. I had never heard of salt preserving before and this was also quite interesting.

I also learned a lot about pest and disease control and a little secret about milk I didn't know. Pests and disease can be a nuisance to gardening and this ebook helps you defeat them.

Anja goes into even more detail with the individual herbs that she talks about. I just wish that all of the pictures were showing up in the ebook PDF version I received to download (there were blank spots where pictures should have been, but no picture). Regardless of that small oversight this ebook has a lot of really good information in it. I have never tried chervil and cress so these are going to be very interesting to try out in containers and to also cook with. I am really excited to get going planting, sowing and growing seeds. This was the perfect guide and ebook for adding to my Spring Gift Guide!

BUY IT:
Purchase this ebook in PDF file format from Little Miss Greenfingers at $14.95 or from Amazon.com in Kindle format for only $2.99!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Spatulatta: cooking 4 kids online Review

My boys are on The Spat Blog! Click here to see. We love the Spatulatta website!! It is one of our favorites to go to find wonderful kid friendly recipes and activities. It also won a James Beard Award in 2006. My boys homeschool and this is a great tool for teaching kids cooking. My boys love watching the videos of the two sisters Liv and Belle, who are about 9 and 11 years old, making food and crafts. My boys grew this avocado tree with the help of their website. Liv and Belle even have their own spiral bound cookbook that has 50 yummy recipes in it with pages that are stain and spill resistant! Just perfect for kids to use and not get messy while cooking. Speaking of not getting messy they also have aprons with the Spatulatta logo on them in their shop along with many other great things that kids or even parents can use. Check out their new Valentine's 2009 videos and recipes on their website and don't forget to purchase an autographed cookbook while you are there!