Home Help: Make backyard squirrels your friends this year
Backyard Buddies
While many people who have bird feeders in their gardens or yards just plain despise squirrels, the furry little creatures can be endlessly entertaining, and there are ways to keep them well-fed without having them interrupt your feathered friends (you also can hand-feed most squirrels, although you need to be aware of the risks). Here's a tip on how to attract squirrels to your yard and how to get them to eat out of their own feeding station:
One of the easiest ways to attract these fun and furry animals is to offer them a variety of food. Squirrels are especially fond of corn, sunflower seeds and nuts and will readily eat at feeders containing these delectable treats. If you want to set up a squirrel feeding station and your squirrels have grown accustomed to sunflower seed from your bird feeder, try mixing some into their squirrel food until they get used to their own station. Since squirrels tend to scare songbirds away, it's a good idea to feed squirrels in a squirrel-specific feeder away from songbird feeders. Remember, squirrels are extremely smart and are only doing what comes naturally to them - foraging for food. If we take a moment to observe these interesting animals, we have the opportunity to learn much about nature and animal behavior. (www.drsfostersmith.com)
Common Scents: Essence of Rose Potpourri Recipe
Scent suggestions, recipes and other tips to make your home smell like paradise.
1 cup pink rose petals
1/2 cup red rose petals
1/2 cup white rose petals
1/4 cup dried chamomile
1/2 cup crushed statice (blue or white)
1/4 cup eucalyptus leaves
1/4 cup oakmoss
20 drops rose oil
Gently combine petals and leaves in a large bowl. Scatter drops of rose oil over the mixture using an eyedropper. Stir gently. Place mixture in a brown paper bag lined with wax paper. Fold and seal the bag with a paper clip and leave in a dry, dark, cool place for 2 weeks. Every other day, stir the contents gently to blend and disperse ingredients and scents. Place in glass bowls or candy dishes. Top with small white or pink rose buds. (www.make-stuff.com)
Did You Know …
Crumbled newspapers lining the vegetable compartments of a refrigerator will keep veggies crisp. (www.thefunplace.com)
How To Freshen a Room Without Spending a Fortune
A tip from About.com on how to add pizzazz to a staid room:
The same chairs you see day in and day out will look brand new with the addition of a slipcover. Although sofa slipcovers look great -- until someone sits on them -- dining chair slipcovers don't get as much use, so they'll stay fresher longer. And they're extremely affordable. Target's Casual Dining Chair Slipcover is just $14.99, and it comes in several color choices.
Out, Out Darn Spot!
How to clean up a ballpoint pen ink stain:
1. Lay the stained area on top of a clean dry white towel. Apply rubbing alcohol to the ink stain and blot with another clean white cloth, removing the stain as you blot. Rinse thoroughly.
2. Lay the stained area on top of a clean dry white towel. Apply nail polish remover to the ink stain and blot with another clean white cloth, removing the stain as you blot. Rinse thoroughly.
3. Apply your normal liquid laundry detergent onto the ink stain and allow the garment to sit for three to five minutes.
4. Wash in the warmest water that the fabric can tolerate.
5. Before drying, double check to make sure the stain was removed. If not, repeat the previous steps until it is. (About.com)
Go Green
A tip from Treehugger.com on how to green your recycling:
Install low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets. Low-flow faucets reduce water consumption and the cost of heating water by as much as 50 percent; using a low-flow toilet can save Americans 2.1 trillion gallons of water and $11.3 million nationwide every day.
GateHouse News Service