Monarch Butterfly MATH Activities

It's that beautiful time of year...when bright orange wings are starting to flutter across our backyard again as the majestic Monarchs migrate north.  Such an exciting springtime tradition to watch them, and find inspiration for our learning!

Happy America Recycles Day

November 15 is America Recycles Day...so let's take a look at what you're recycling!  Nearly everything?  A few cans and jars here and there?  Nothing at all?  No matter where you are on the recycling spectrum there is always room for improvement.  I like to set goals for being a better recycler, because its so important for the planet!  It helps us conserve the planet's resources, reduce landfill waste, and save energy...all are big WINS.  Let's make some goals.

How to Remove a Yucca, Organically - Tested!

Our house came with an uninvited guest - a massive yucca in the backyard.  With a little bit of hard work, here is how we got rid of it...for good.

The Water-Saving Garden

California is in its forth year of "exceptional drought", which means its high time to be thinking about how to use our water more efficiently.  Since about half of a home's water use is estimated to go outdoors, that is an excellent place to start.  

Gutter Planters: Pinterest Fail...and why

Like all Pinterest Fails, it seemed like such a cool idea!  Here's what I learned on why gutter planters aren't worth your time.

Garden Tour: San Francisco's Dogpatch Neighborhood

Time for another garden tour!  This time, we're visiting the Dogpatch district of San Francisco - a little known, up-and-coming artistic neighborhood. Its a blend of historic industry and artsy start ups, where green space is a luxury and gardens are humble and resourceful.

Rainy days and Rainbows

Rainbows are always an exciting sight, and double rainbows are even more of a rare sight.  That is much more so the case in California, where rain showers are few and far between.  What a beautiful way to start the day, and the year!

Simple DIY Table Decor - Using Fall Leaves

The bright leaves of Fall are amazing inspiration for table settings.  This DIY table decor project takes just minutes, uses only "found" elements, and is perfect for the little ones to help make.  

Oven-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin carving is a serious undertaking in our house.  Growing up, Dad's neighborhood claim to fame was always his elaborate carvings - and lots of them.

I've never been much of a carver, so I always got seed duty.  Separating the pumpkin's seeds from the orange fibers and roasting them into a delicious, healthy snack.  For me, Halloween is Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Turning the the leftover bits of pumpkin into a tasty snack is fun for all ages with these simple instructions.

Snacks on the Go with Perfectly Simple.

Life gets busy, and that's all part of the fun!  Keeping the garden growing, the family fed with healthy foods, jetting to and from events and activities...

We've been taking advantage of the cooler days and getting the garden spruced back up for the fall growing season.  Which means pulling out all the summer growth that's past its prime, pruning back the excess summer growth, and working all our compost into the soil before the next planting.  Its hard work, but such a productively relaxing way to spend time.

Make a DIY Bee Bath

We put out bird baths for the song birds, and nectar for the hummingbirds, but how many of us have thought to set out water for the bees? 

They may not be the first creatures that come to mind, but bees get thirsty too!  They're attracted to swimming pools, wading pools, buckets with water in them, and birdbaths...but they can easily drown in the deep water.  Keep your bees hydrated, and safe, with this super-simple DIY Bee Bath!

B&B for the Bees!

Mason bees are the lesser-known relative of honey bees, and are fascinating!  A mason bee can visit as many as 1000 blooms each day, which is 20 times more than a honeybee.  And major bonus for the wary...they don't sting!

If mason bees pollinate 20 times more than honey bees, sign me up!  I've recently received a Bee & Bee (cute, right?) to help attract mason bees to my garden and am excited to invite them in.  

Simple tips for a bee-friendly garden

Bees bees bees, I love them!  When I was a little girl, on my way home from school I'd stop every day in front of our giant almond tree.  The branches were filled with hundreds of honey bees hard at work - buzzing from blossom to blossom.  The neighbor kids were all afraid to get close, but I loved the excitement!  Each little bee had its job to do, and as long as I moved slowly and quietly, they were perfectly happy to have me by their side.

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar

We're lucky to have a lot of hummingbirds buzzing about our yard, pollinating the garden as they frolic from blossom to blossom.  This year I received a hummingbird feeder, together with Mom's "secret" recipe for homemade hummingbird nectar, to help keep the hummingbirds thriving year-round.  

Why I'm SOMETIMES Buying Plants at Home Depot...and How

Earlier this spring I visited Home Depot and was shocked by their new plant tags.  How in the world could they be promoting their plants treated with bee-harming Neonic pesticides as a friendly convenience?  

I was ashamed to have been purchasing there.  Shocked by it all, I researched the topic and wrote Why I'm NOT Buying Plants at Home Depot or LOWES and quickly vowed to go on strike against them and any other nurseries using Neonics.

Cooking with Bee Pollen

Wait...you can eat bee pollen??

Those were my thoughts as I first thumbed through a cookbook I'd received (more on that here).  How could that be a good thing?  And it sounds like way more work than it could possibly be worth...

So when I saw the beekeeper selling honey at the farmers market the next morning, I was filled with questions.  How is the pollen collected?  Does it hurt the bees?  How long does it stay fresh?  How much is it?

DIY Garden Stepping Stones

I recently had some mortar mix leftover after a brick project and was brainstorming ways to put it to use.  In need of stepping stones for my newly expanded vegetable garden, I decided to make these cute DIY garden stepping stones.  It was such a simple project, that results in cute, custom garden steppers for just pennies!  Here's how I did it.

Rooted in Design - Decorating with Plants

With the excitement around my Vertically Gardened board on Pinterest, the cover of Rooted in Design had me intrigued.  What a gorgeous vertical garden installed over a rustic brick wall!

The Results: Using Epsom Salts to Stop Stumps from Growing

When I'd originally posted the tutorial on How to stop stumps from growing back, organically!, I'd made a promise - to come back to talk about how the process went and show the results.  Well, here it is!

Planting with Moon Cycles

Know when is the best time to plant...by looking at the moon!