Month: May 2020

Cactus flowers and 3D-printed agaves

Nancy

May 30, 2020

Ka-pow! Colorful cactus flowers are knocking my socks off.

Look at these orange beauties.

And these in satin pink!

Mwah! I love them.

And check out these bamboo-textured agaves my son printed on his 3D printer. Cool, eh? They look especially good displayed on a Charley Harper-illustrated tray.

The big one is for me. The small one is for our Italian exchange student, who is heading home in a few days after spending 9-1/2 months with us. A nice parting gift from him, don’t you think? It will remind her of Austin.

I’m sending her home with my recipes for her favorite dishes (chicken pot pie, homemade broccoli and tomato pizza, stuffed peppers, brownies) and a set of U.S. measuring cups and spoons so she doesn’t have to convert the ingredient amounts into the European system. And she’s leaving us with recipes for our favorites of the Italian meals she cooked for us (several delicious pasta dishes and her special ragù sauce). How fun is that?

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Best Homemade Fly Trap – How to DIY a Fly Trap for Indoors or Outdoors

Nancy

Every summer, it seems like no matter how hard you try, your yard (or worse, house) becomes infested with pesky flies. These winged creatures are called pests for a reason: they feast on leftovers, crawl on outdoor furniture, and buzz all. day. long. While repelling flies is the recommended first course of action, sometimes it’s too little, too late. When all else fails, attract and kill them with a fly trap. While there are store-bought options that’ll get the job done, sometimes it’s easiest to take the more natural approach by making a homemade fly trap with common household items.

As soon as you see or better yet, hear, them, DIY a few of these fly traps and distribute them throughout your house and yard. That way, you’ll up your chances of getting rid of as many flies as possible.

The Country Chic Cottage

Luring flies to a trap is the hardest part. Luckily, they’re attracted to anything sweet — simple syrup, honey, and fruit — so you shouldn’t have to look too far to find something sugar-y enough to entice them. The Country Chic Cottage uses honey as bait in their fly trap pictured above, but old

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15 Best Bedroom Plants – Plants for Bedroom That Clean Air

Nancy

Wa Nity Canthra / EyeEmGetty Images

You spend a lot of time in your bedroom (at least eight hours every night, right?), so it’s important that your space is as peaceful as possible. And while candles and CBD can ease your mind before you hit the pillow, adding real plants to your space can also help up your relaxation game. In fact, NASA has found that many popular plants, like Dracaena and Snake Plants, remove toxins and improve overall air quality, which is key for a cleaner night’s rest.

Browse through these bedroom plants until you find the perfect option for your space, no matter how small. Even if your bedroom doesn’t have tons of windows or natural sunlight, you can opt for a tolerant houseplant that can survive in low-light conditions. Or if you feel like you don’t have enough shelf, dresser, or floor space to display greenery, consider hanging any of the vining options in a planter overhead. The end result? A cozier, better-for-you space.

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Snake Plant

Snake Plant’s vertical sword-like foliage is an eye-catching addition to any bedroom. This old stalwart, also called Sansevieria, has been a popular

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16 Best Bathroom Plants – Bathroom Plants Online

Nancy

Andersen RossGetty Images

Why should every other room in the house get all the houseplant love? You may not spend as much time in here as the living room or the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean this room has to be boring and blah. Greenery is a way to add that spa feeling to your bathroom, too! In fact, it’s actually the perfect environment for many different kinds of houseplants. After all, many plants are tropical natives that adore warmth and humidity. Display your plants on a window sill, mount shelving, or try a hanging pot if you have no counter space. A south-facing window is best for plants that like bright light, but east and west-facing windows work, too. But no problem if your bathroom doesn’t have wide, sunny windows; many plants will adapt to moderate or low-light conditions. One word of advice: Be careful about overwatering bathroom plants; they won’t dry out as quickly as those in other parts of your house because of the naturally higher humidity levels. Check your plants about every week to tell how dry the soil is; most prefer being somewhat dry between drinks, and none like to be waterlogged. Take a

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14 Easiest Flowers to Grow

Nancy

With a basic understanding of flower types and planting techniques, you can have a lively garden that will be the envy of your neighbors all summer long. From marigolds to sunflowers, here are the best—and easiest—summer flowers to grow. You don’t need a green thumb with any of these popular summer garden picks.

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Marigolds

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Many consider this flower a go-to for gardens, as it’s easy to grow when given an adequate amount of sun. They’re versatile enough to thrive in moist or dry soil, even without any fertilizer.

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Sweet Alyssum

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These dainty flowers, often used for landscape edging, prefer full sun. Their honey fragrance and pretty hues (they come in white, pink, and purple) make them a popular pick for gardens.

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Sedum

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If there’s an area of your garden that doesn’t get enough water or receives too much sun, this flower is for you. Their height differs depending on the variety you choose, and you’ll find them in pink, yellow, or red.

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Catmint

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Many gardeners like these cheerful flowers, which have a minty fragrance, for edging. Go for well-drained soil with a reasonable amount of fertilizer and

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Paddywax’s “La Playa” Candles Turn into Margarita Glasses

Nancy

With a literal pandemic happening, I’ve been constantly lighting candles to feel more relaxed—and occasionally unwinding with a cocktail at night. Sue me! But if you’ve been in the same boat these past couple of months, then you’ll appreciate Paddywax’s “La Playa” collection because it combines candles and alcohol (well, kind of). There are five different scents to choose from, each in their own gorgeous hand-blown vessel that turns into a margarita glass after the candle is finished. It’s sheer GENIUS. (Although you’ll have to make the drink yourself, of course.)

Each candle is $27, but you’re also getting a chic cup out of it, so it’s kind of a deal, tbh. They also have different colors around the rim that are indicative of the scents (e.g., the green has notes of gardenia, pear, and apple blossom), but they also come in handy for keeping track of everyone’s drink if you’re using them for a summer get together—while following the proper safety protocols, please! And because the candles are handmade, they all have unique shapes and bubbles.

Paddywax is known for its other dual-purpose candles too. The “Form” and “Parks” collections can be reused as planters for succulents and

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