Kathleen | Roots & Boots
Changing of the Guards: Our Rotating Book Display
Well, it’s a new month and almost a new season. We’ve also got a birthday in a few days. [Older Brother will be 7–I can hardly believe it!] At the Yankee Homestead, all of this adds up to: A New Book Display. Several new book displays, actually.
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Year Round Nature Activity for Kids: Raising Butterflies
Raising butterflies is a perfect nature activity for young children–it’s fairly easy to do, and gives everyone a firsthand look at a butterfly’s life cycle. Reading excellent books on the topic makes the experience even more delightful. Want to give it a shot? Read on for our favorite butterfly-raising resources. Also check out this…
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Homemade “Lysol” Spray {Easy & Non-toxic, with Essential Oils}
During my days as a Coupon Queen, I used to stock up on cans of Lysol and other aerosol sprays for next to nothing. We used them mainly for the kitchen trash can and in the bathroom. But guess what? Now I know that most household cleaners and sprays contain dangerous chemicals. When you know…
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Free Printable Activity: Last Days of Summer
Last Days of Summer It’s hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. Summer is still with us for a few more weeks, though, and what better way to enjoy these final days of the season than with this fun (and free!) printable activity from Harmony Art Mom, over at Handbook of Nature…
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Using Herbs in Flower Arrangements
This is the time of year when herbs are growing like crazy in our garden. Yours, too? Here’s an idea for putting herbs to good use, aside from the obvious culinary uses… Include them in floral arrangements! We recently hosted a large cookout and I had a fantastic time putting together a zillion small…
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Laundry Room Makeover, Part 2: The Sorting Closet {Before}
The Sorting Closet Remember the sorting hat from the Harry Potter books? Well, we have a sorting closet. Unfortunately, our sorting closet does not actually perform the sorting for us (like the magic sorting hat). However, it does simplify the process, not to mention the fact that all sorting can be hidden…
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Certified Organic Restaurant in DC {Gluten-free Friendly}
Friends in the Northern Virginia / D.C. area, and visitors to our nation’s capital, I’ve got a fantastic restaurant recommendation for you. Especially for you Real Foodies out there. Restaurant Nora Restaurant Nora claims to be America’s “first certified organic restaurant,” which means that at least 95% of all ingredients must come from certified organic farmers…
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This Year’s Garden Experiments: Organic Bug Control
If you’ve been following along with our Garden Experiments, you may know that we’ve experienced a few mishaps along the way. Recently, I showed our abundant green bean harvest, so you may also know that we’ve experienced some success as well. The first major Garden Experiment was the implementation of a new method: Square Foot Gardening. You can…
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Learning to Can (Can)
Somehow, I spent an entire childhood in the beautiful farm country of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and emerged without any knowledge or skills in the culinary art of canning. A family friend pointed out that the this likely had to do with the fact that my mother was born and raised in east L.A. Canning was not…
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Nature Activity for Kids: Butterfly Identification
As you may know by now, we’re crazy about nature here at the Yankee Homestead. [By the way, if you’re a parent or teacher, or have any interaction or influence with children, I highly recommend this book: Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. It’s fantastic–both inspirational and practical. Read my…
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