Natural Aphid Control

Published on by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

Perhaps you don’t have an aphid issue, but we do.  On several of the fruit trees.  And bugs creep me out.  Masses of bugs creep me out even more.  I’ll spare you the pictures, but if you want to be sufficiently grossed out, Google ‘aphids on leaves’ to get an idea of what we were dealing with.

After a little searching for a natural, home-made spray, we found something that works.

1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups water
2 teaspoons dish soap

Mix everything together and spray on the affected tree or plant every few days until you’re aphid free.

Basically, the oil in the mix suffocates the aphids.  Apparently, aphids don’t go back to the same tree once they’ve left.

Another option is a garlic oil spray:

3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 pint of water

1 teaspoon liquid dish soap

To make, combine the garlic cloves and vegetable oil.  Let this mixture sit for 24 hours.  After, strain out the garlic pieces.  Then, add the liquid to one pint of water and dish soap.  This is a concentrated batch, so dilute two tablespoons of garlic oil with another pint of water before spraying on your tree.  Test this out in a small area before going crazy, though.  If the leaves turn yellow, dilute the mixture with more water until you’ve determined it is safe for your plant.

You should know that these mixtures can harm helpful bugs, too.  Fortunately, the lady bugs have arrived to do some work and our aphid problem isn’t as bad.

Green Equals Green: Fruit Trees

Published on by Our Humble Abode29 Comments

I know I’ve mentioned that Ben is a total freak about trees.  He has planted a total of 22 fruit trees in the 5 years we’ve been married.  Crazy, right?  Especially considering we have a 1/4 acre lot.

Seventeen fruit trees are alive right now.  So far, we have 5 apple, 8 cherry, 2 plum, and 2 pear trees, most of which have produced fruit.  Look!  A baby pear!

Actually, the apple trees have done the best, but that’s not surprising considering the climate.  Most of the apples are best for baking, but Ben makes a mean apple crisp.  Is it fall yet?


I am most excited about our cherry trees, though.

Obviously, planting trees is an earth friendly decision.  Yes, the trees require watering, but our soil is pretty sandy with a high water table, so we’ve never had water issues.

We get fruit, so we spend less money on fresh produce.  And, our fruit doesn’t have chemicals or pesticides.  A few days ago, we picked several cherry trees and man, were they delicious.  I can’t wait for more.

Recently, Stephanie, the creative mind behind the Living Room Floor shop, contacted me to see if I was interested in reviewing a beauty product from the Good Fortune shop.

After checking out the site, I decided to give it a try.  Why?  Because Good Fortune uses only all natural ingredients to make soaps, lotions, candles, sprays and other beauty supplies.  And, I love their story and eco-conscious business practices.  The commitment to use natural ingredients and recycle packaging while maintaining quality is amazing.  “Good Fortune is an environmentally friendly company. We use recyclable and reusable paper, aluminum, and plastic in our packaging. Even the smallest steps to taking care of the environment make a big difference. In an effort to reduce the amount of waste generated, we also recycle shipping boxes and cushioning materials.”   How could I say no?  Three days after talking to Stephanie, I received a Kiss Me Kit and I couldn’t wait to try it.

I scrubbed my lips with the brown sugar scrub and licked it off.  I didn’t know if it would actually taste good, but, it was delicious.  Perhaps it’s the sugar.  The scrub was very moisturizing, but I followed it up with the chocolate peppermint lip balm, which was also quite tasty.  And moisturizing.

The only thing that could make this better is a giveaway, right?  Now it’s your turn to try a great, eco friendly product.

The Goods: One Kiss Me Kit, valued at $20.00

To Enter: Subscribe to follow Our Humble A{Bowe}d, if you’re not already.  To subscribe, click the “Sign Me Up!” button under “Be the first to know.”  Once you’ve subscribed, leave a comment, which can (but doesn’t have to) include our Just for Fun question.

Just for Fun: Which celeb would you most want to pucker up to?

For additional entries:

1.  Add Good Fortune Soaps on Facebook, come back and leave a comment telling us what your favorite item is.

Contest Closes: Wednesday, July 20th at 11:59 pm, central time.

Number of Winners: One!

Ships: Anywhere in the U.S.

Other Info: We will select the winner using random.org and announce on Thursday, July 21st.  Good luck!!

Gimme a Giveaway: Living Room Floor Winner

Published on by Our Humble Abode2 Comments

Quotes can provide great inspiration and insight.  I recently came across this quote on Pinterest and couldn’t help but fall for it.

But this one is pretty great, too.

That Einstein sure was a smarty, huh?

Our winners liked great quotes, too.  Speaking of, the three winners are number 11, Melissa who’s favorite quote comes from Pride and Prejudice, “In vain have I struggled! It will not do! My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Number 68, Angie, a librarian who loves our blog and Shakespere’s quote, “Come, and take choice of all my library, And so beguile thy sorrow.”

Our final winner is number 14, Lauren.  She likes the “That it will never come again” print.  So do I, Lauren.

If you didn’t win, don’t worry.  We still have a deal for you.  Enter the code FREESHIPOH at checkout to get free shipping now through Sunday.

Entertaining Entertainment

Published on by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

We’re slackers and haven’t built anything from start to finish since starting this blog.  Our laundry room progress has taken a back seat to project ADD life.  I thought I’d redeem myself by sharing a plan for our built-in entertainment center.

We knew we wanted hidden storage for toys and electronics, so we made a plan for cabinet doors on the lower half.  Open shelving for decorative storage above takes some of the focus away from the tv.  The shelves are fixed, just because we don’t prefer the look of the adjustable metal tracks.

When we build cabinetry, we start from the bottom up.  Ben worries about the durability and strength of everything he builds, so he uses 2 by 4s on edge for the toe kick and counter top.  Then, the cabinets are faced out and doors are added.  It’s pretty much the same process for the upper shelving.  instead of 2 by 4s, Ben uses 1 1/2 inch wide by 3/4 inch thick MDF to support the shelves.

It’s difficult to get into the particulars on how to build the entertainment center without step by step pictures.  I promise, when we finally have the laundry room cabinets done, we’ll share every detail.

Until then, I want to know if you’ve built a piece of furniture?  What about a built-in?  Not brave enough?  Try buying a plain bookshelf and add crown molding and taller baseboards to give it a more custom look.

Etsy Additions

Published on by Our Humble Abode8 Comments

Because we’re not working on our concrete patio right now, I’ve been working on other small projects.  Some house related, others, not so much.  My creative moods some in spurts, and I try to capitalize when that feeling strikes.  So, I’ve created a few new prints to add to our Etsy shop.

The first print is perfect for your own kitchen, or to give as a house warming gift.  Bonus, if you don’t know forget the proper place setting, you have a reference.

Buon Appetito is an affordable print, customized to blend with your decor.  Choose from our color options or we can match a sample.

I also painted a Yellow Warbler for our home, and if you like it, you can buy a 4 inch square limited edition print to hang on your wall.

Only 50 prints are available, so get one while you can.

What do you think of the newest additions to the art family?  Any suggestions for future content?  Perhaps you have an idea of an art piece you want, but can’t find exactly what you’re looking for?  Share your ideas with us to see if we can make your dream a reality.  We love custom orders.