Time To Get Planning Your Yard Projects!

Time to get planning your yard projects!

I love when it starts to warm up and I get my yard ready for the summer months ahead. Winter snows and spring wind and ran storms usually leave my yard with some cleanup to be done. That seems to be the first thing on my yard to do list. Next, I like to plan for new plants and gardens. This year we are putting in a veggie garden for us and one for our kids to oversee. One thing I always do before starting any project is to come up with a list of things I need to do.

Before I start putting plants in the ground I do a few things so I don’t run into any issues. I like to sketch out my yard, so I can figure out how much sun and water each area gets naturally. This will help me get the right plants that will thrive in the area I put them. Some areas are better different plants so make sure you know what type of soil you have, how much water they get from your current watering system or if I need to add a sprinkler or drip system.

Once I have a good idea of the best area for my garden I can go plant shopping. Make sure you read every label for the plants, so you know they are right for your yard and needs. I always look to see what type of light they need, how much water each plant requires and how much space they need to grow. Before I started planning my garden out I would just go and buy whatever looked pretty and what I wanted. This usually ended up with a bunch of dead plants. Having a good plan will ensure you have a success and beautiful garden. If you need help removing your ward waste, please give us a call and we will be happy to help you find a bin that fits your needs.

Snack ideas to keep the whole family happy!

Snack ideas to keep the whole family happy!

My family are snackers, instead of big meals we like to pick throughout the day. I realized our snacking wasn’t very healthy, we were reaching for things like chips, popsicles and sweets. In an effort to change this I replaced those items with whole grain breads with no sugar added, protein rich cheese, and fresh fruit and veggies.

I was met with reluctance and sad faces, but I wanted my family to get all the best nutrition and be healthy, so I decided to get creative. A few fun cookie cutters, cute plates and some kabob sticks I went to work to see what would work. The cookie cutters make fun shapes in the bread like unicorns and dinosaurs which both my kids ate up! (Save the scraps for croutons or recipes) String cheese strands and veggies on a cute plate became fun faces that is just as much fun to make as they are to eat.

But the snack we all love the most is fruit kebabs and dip. The fruit dip recipe is below, and although it may have more sugar than I’d like we limit the portion size and use it as a treat rather than daily snack. All things in moderation, right?!

For the fruit kebab just slice up any fruit your family loves and skewer them or arrange them on fun plates or trays. My kids love eating snacks from ice cube trays, anything that presents food in a fun and unique way is great to get even the pickiest eaters excited about different foods.

We love strawberries, grapes, apples, pineapples and cutie oranges. But any fruit will work great with this dip.

French Cream:

·         One 8-ounce package cream cheese

·         1 cup powdered sugar

·         1 cup whipping cream

·         1/4 cup granulated sugar

·         1 lemon, zested and juiced

·         Pineapple juice

Enjoy this yummy and easy recipe. Check out the other blogs for more great spring time recipes.