Want to know why I really keep backyard hens? The eggs are great, the chicken TV is a blast, and the deep-litter compost might actually make our hens a financially reasonable investment. But that’s not really why I have the girls. I keep laying hens because the sum total of the work involved in feeding,…
Productive Home
DIY Wall-Mounted Clothes Drying Rack
The ad on Freecycle said, Wooden Baby Pen, and described some sort of a freestanding baby jail made from dozens of dowels. With visions of a garden cucumber support in my head, I said I would love to have it, and could promise reliable pick up. Before I could worry about trellising cukes, laundry room inspiration hit…
Battle Coffee Pot vs. Microwave: An Energy Cost Analysis
For Christmas this year I got a new coffee pot. Among the wonders it offered over and above our old coffee pot (in addition to working) was a fabulous keep-warm feature that holds a pot of coffee at steaming hot perfection for four hours! Amazing, what will they think of next? While I love the…
The 7 Best Strength Exercises For Gardeners
Gardening can be remarkably physical. Over President’s Day Weekend I converted some lawn area into a wide swath of planting beds. In the process I shoveled, raked, pushed 200 pound filled wheelbarrows around the yard, bent over to grab building materials, squatted down to grab rocks, swung a mattock, split logs, flung weeds, lifted and…
What's Next? The Anti-Inflammation Challenge Wrap-Up
A good friend emailed me last night. She pointed out the inflamed elephant in the room: if sleep is my anti-inflammation keystone, spending 3 hours a night after the kids are in bed writing daily blog posts until midnight might not be the healthiest use of my evening hours. Yeah. There’s that. So, dear readers, I’m…
Your Personal Health Keystone: Anti-Inflammation Challenge Week 4
You know what a keystone is, other than a bad beer and a bad pipeline? It’s the special wedge-shaped center stone in an archway. The integrity of the arch depends on the keystone transferring the stress of a load out and down through the rest of the arch and, ultimately, to the security of the…
You Know You're A Veggie Gardener If…
You go to Costco and buy one thing – Sluggo in bulk – and ask for 8 large cardboard boxes to take it home in so you can smother more lawn. You frequent a horse stable even though you have no interest in riding horses. You have a ridiculous multi-component compost hierarchy to handle kitchen scraps and you assume…
Stumbling Over Chocolate Chips: Anti-Inflammation Challenge Week 3
Well as far as anti-inflammatory living goes, this week could have been better. It started last Saturday, with a catering event for some long-time clients. Now, I don’t wan’t this to come across as braggartly, but I make really good food. As a matter of professionalism, I do have to taste the really good food to ensure it…
How Can You Tell If You Have Inflammation? Anti-Inflammation Challenge: Week 2
Inflammation is your body’s natural way of healing itself when you’re injured. It’s actually a really, really good thing. If you slam your thumb in the car door your thumb will become inflamed as your body sends in the immune system to shut down any invading bacteria and begin to heal the wound. You can…
A Slightly Easier Way To Keep The Big Girl Panties Clean
Perhaps, like me, you spend far too much of your life doing laundry. Far too much. I have asked everyone I know if they have any tips or tricks to cut down the number of loads or number of hours involved in laundry and the consensus seems to be, you just have to put on…
Assessing Your Health: Anti-Inflammation Challenge Week 1
On February 1st, we talked about journalling our health baseline and getting our anti-inflammatory plan together. Have you done it? If not, go do yours right now and then come back, or read on to see what my Assessment looks like if you need some inspiration. Need even more motivation to do this? Just in…
February Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Day 1, Making The Plan
A few days ago I asked my readers to weigh in on what February challenge I should sponsor on this blog. Overwhelmingly, people in comments and on the Facebook page voted for an anti-inflammatory diet challenge. Those of you who wanted a debt diet, don’t worry – you’re next. Multiple bloggers, including possibly me, are planning…