An Award, A Thank You, & A New Garden

Rue of Rue and Hyssop has very graciously bestowed a Blog Award on me. THANK YOU Rue! She is the sweetest!! You must stop by her blog for a good read! She (and her blog) are like a breathe of fresh air!

Here are the seven rules of the award:

1. Thank the person giving the award.

2. Copy the award to your blog.

3. Place a link to the blog of the person who passed the award to you.

4. Name seven things people don't know about you.
5. Nominate other bloggers who you admire.

6. Place a link to these bloggers.

7. Leave a comment on their blog notifying them of the award.

So.........Here goes........

1. I don't like to eat fish.
2. But I LOVE shrimp. (they're a crustacean not a fish!)
3. I have a terrible temper (but most red-heads do!)
4. I don't like having my photo taken.
5. I suffer from motion sickness - no carnival rides for me!
6. I need at least 9 (or 10) hrs of sleep every night.
7. I am a packrat but am trying to overcome my habit!

And now to nominate some Bloggers who I admire and who inspire...

1. Grace of My Year in Haiku - I admire anyone who can write Haiku. And her's is great!
2. JoyceAnn of ~~~Feather Spirits~~~ . I admire her simpler way of life.
3. Grimdeva at Cauldron Craft Miniatures . I admire anyone who has such nimble fingers to create such miniature things!

Please stop by their blogs to say, "HI". You'll be delighted you did!

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And now for a THANK YOU to Frog Queen of Frog on the Pumpkin for an awesome mousepad (compete with a calendar and very cool pic of some of their tombstones) which I won in a giveaway that she was having. Stop by her blog for some nifty reads on old Amusement Parks!

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And now for news on a NEW GARDEN. Actually it's more like a community garden.
Suzie of Cat In The Moon was inspired to create a blog about gardening and things Halloween. She has invited Becca of Magickal Seasons, the Frog Queen, and myself to help cultivate and nurture this little spot. It's just a seedling now but I do hope you'll stop by The Haunted Gardens now and then to wander the paths and see what a Magickal, Mystical Menagerie of Earthly Frights and Delights it is!

Spring Cleaning..

It's that time of year when many of us are beginning to think about (if not already doing) our annual Spring Housecleaning. (Though personally I wait until July when it is so ghastly hot outside that I am forced to stay indoors in the a/c!)

And so I thought I might post some hints & tips to make that ritual a bit easier. These are MacGyver style cleaning tips (remember MacGyver?? You know...Richard Dean Anderson. What a hunk he was in MacGyver and even hunkier in Stargate! Anyhoo...let me wipe the drool off my chin and get back to the post) that are also very 'green'.

Baking soda & vinegar ~

1. Great for defunking towels or rags. Run your towels through the washer in hot water to which 1 cup of vinegar has been added. Then run them through another wash cycle to which 1/2 cp of baking soda has been added. Do not add bleach or fabric softener or detergent to any of the cycles!

2. Great for clearing out drains. When combined, these two ingredients create a minor volcanic foam which is good for cleaning minor gunk in the pipes.

Lemonade Drink Mix (powder) ~

Great for cleaning a dishwasher! Just empty a packet into the soap dispenser and run the dishwasher (empty of course!).

Cola ~

1. Polish chrome. Apply cola (any brand will do) and take some aluminum foil and polish away!

2. Clean a toilet. Pour one can into bowl & let sit for an hour and then scrub.

Lemon juice & baking soda ~

Great for removing nasty stains from whites! Wet stained area with lemon juice and rub in baking soda. Let sit for an hour or so. Rinse well. Launder as usual. **Drying clothes in the sun is also a great way to whiten your whites! **

Click here for more hints & tips for Spring cleaning. Or just Google Green Cleaning.

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