Organic Living -- Tips

If you are on a tight budget and just can't afford the finances nor time to put in pavers, shells, cement or other path makers, here is an inexpensive way to lay a path in your yard or garden with little work and little expense.

Drive around the neighborhood and pick up used carpet that is laying out for the trash guys to pick up. Forget the underlays as this won't work. Once you get it home lay it down and cut it to fit the pathways you want. Then just lay it down where you want to put a path. You can even cut out shapes to lay down where you want to dig a flower or vegetable bed. It will kill the grass and weeds and yet let the water through. It doesn't matter which side you lay face down; try either way and see what you like best. In time, the carpet may rot and you just replace it with new salvaged carpet.

Here is a bath sachet you can put together that will give you a relaxing respite from the daily routine. Great for after working in the yard!
Ingredients:     1 oz of peppermint or rosemary leaves
                      2 cups grated castile soap
Combine and use 2 tablespoons per bath. Fill a muslin drawstring bag or cheesecloth, tie and float in the water as the tub fills.

Hint 1: Add 2 tablespoons of oatmeal or cornmeal per bag if you have oily skin.

Hint 2: You can also buy the disposable tea bags and put the mixture in the bag. Heat seal the bag and float that in the tub while it is filling.

Hint 3: To neutralize the chlorine, pour a small bottle of hydrogn peroxide into the bath, then add a cup or so of epxon salt.

Hint 4: Add some fresh herbs such as lavender for an extra relaxing effect.

A family that spends about $250 on a medium-to-large garden can save up to $5,000 in grocery bills over the course of a year! Home gardens have a 25 to 1 payback. Now doesn't that help beat the economy?

Ever wonder what to do with old venetian blinds when they don't function as window dressings any longer? Use them for garden labels or plant pot labels.

You can cut them up with scissors into 4 to 6 inch lengths making a diagonal cut at one end. Write your plant name on the end cut straight across with permanent magic marker and stick the pointy end into the earth.

The longer ones are good for marking garden rows, while the short one are good in pots.

There is a magic marker now on the market put out by Sharpie called Super Permanent Marker that is more permanent. This will last longer on your label.