WFMW: A Surprisingly EASY Way To Kill Yellow Jacket Nests In Hard To Reach Places!

After I posted about our bee nest in the soffit last Monday, I began to hear buzzing in the wall above my desk—not a good sign!  I had flashbacks of the bees which poured through the wall into my living room  a few years ago! 

A friend recommended SEVIN. She said she had a nest of yellow jackets behind her siding and SEVIN took care of it.  She just waited till after dark so that all the bees would be “in” for the night and then used a turkey baster to shoot the powder into the entrance. 

I immediately got out my can of the powder.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with it, SEVIN is a white powder sold in garden departments to keep bugs off of tomato and garden plants. 

Sure enough, there is a warning on SEVIN that says "extremely toxic to bees". The powder apparently sticks to their legs and when they track it into the hive, it kills the entire nest. (Yahooo!)

Sure that bees would soon be pouring into the house, I decided to forgo waiting for dark, and apply SEVIN right away. 

A turkey baster would have forced me to get too close to the active nest.  So my clever friend suggested I use a spoon to flick it up there.  Talk about ingenious!  Is it any wonder I loved having her as a study partner in high school?  Lol!

I found a nice springy long-handled plastic spoon and took my can of powder to the porch.  Standing upwind and as far away as I could, I began shooting spoonfuls of SEVIN into the places I saw bees entering and leaving the soffit.  Even though only a small amount stuck to the wood (in the right places, lol!), it made the bees swarming mad!

By evening, there was very little activity in the nest, and the buzzing in the wall had diminished.

By the next morning, all was quiet and there wasn’t a bee in sight!

Yippee!!!

SEVIN definitely works!  I’m a little disappointed with my aim, lol!  But I’m completely happy with SEVIN!  And I didn’t even have to hire someone to come in and dismantle my house!

Just keep in mind that SEVIN is a poison, and you want to be careful if you have children and/or pets.  Always read the label carefully and avoid unintended exposure.

For more great tips, check out Works For Me Wednesday at We Are That Family!

A Photo Journal Of My Porch and Deck Projects

If you’ve known me long, you know that when we added the two porches to our sunroom, it was a hurried thing.  After a hail storm damaged our roof, the insurance company agreed to replace it and we had a limited time to get the work done. We had always wanted to add a porch and felt it made sense to go ahead and do it before the roof was replaced.  That way, everything would match.   

It wasn’t an expenditure we had planned on.  It just felt like it was now or never. 

So we built just what had to be done to get it under roof.  We left many of the finishing details, like wiring, steps, lights, etc. undone.  Which is fine.  We’re still kind of thinking about what we want to do.

That said, we have been doing little things to both maintain our investment, and make it more enjoyable while we think.

Back Deck

Last week I finally got around to staining the decks.  I’m not real happy with the color.  But at least the wood is protected.   I can always go darker next time.  From a distance, though, it looks ok.  :)

We looked at several options for a deck skirt.  In the end, I went with something unconventional and really pretty inexpensive. 

I bought several screen-replacement rolls from Wal-Mart.  After I unrolled each screen, I cut them in half long-wise.  Then I stapled one side of each strip to the bottom edge of the face boards, and tucked the other side under the mulch.  Does that make sense?

I like that it inconspicuously keeps out leaves and critters and takes NO upkeep.

As for steps, we set a few 2x6’s on cinder blocks.

I know, it’s kind of hokey, and I just noticed they aren’t even level, lol!  But, remember, it’s a temporary fix while we think.

When I stained the deck, I added a light coat to the steps—which helped.  A little.

A few more hosta plants, too.  :)

As for the very back side of the deck, what a mess!  I wasn’t at all sure what to do with it.  But it felt like we needed some sort of steps on that side, too.  Last year, we used a giant log among other things as a stepping off point.  However, it stuck out too far for me to get between it and a nearby tree with my mower.  So I set out to change it around this spring.

My teenage sons and I moved the giant log to the back of the deck--closer to the house--and added a few more cinderblock steps in a gentle curve. 

 

Then, in place of that big log we had up front, I arranged a tidy and more compact set of three cinder blocks.  Finally, we added some plantings along the edge of the deck, and I stained everything that showed, lol! 

It will do for now!  I know steps wouldn’t cost that much to build.  It’s just that we aren’t sure yet where we want to put them, yet.  We are hoping that having various places to go up and down will help us decide where we would use steps the most. 

Side Porch

I also stained the side porch, along with the old set of green stairs we are making do with.

I guess it helped to tie things together.  Remember, it’s all just to make it look as nice as we can until we decide how we want to finish things out. :)

I still need to add the screen deck skirt to the bottom of this porch.  Until I do, I’m using the white gate and a couple ratty boards to keep the puppy from dragging everything we own underneath it. 

Ask me how I know she would do that.  (I’ll be getting another roll of screen very soon!)

Cushions

The last “deck” job I tackled over the last few weeks involved my 17 year old chair cushions.  I hated to pitch them because they are larger, more comfortable and much more durable than the expensive replacements you get these days.  The cushions are covered with a vinyl-like mesh that is easy to rinse clean.  However, the colors just weren’t working for me.

So a few cans of spray paint later, my chairs have a whole new look!  I really like how they came out! And something I learned in the process?  The can of paint that costs more but says it will paint twice as much as the cheap-o cans?  

In a scientific experiment my husband would be proud of, I determined that it took two full cheap-o cans to adequately cover one cushion.  While the more expensive can literally covered four cushions beautifully!  From now on, I will be buying the better paint!

Well, that about covers my little deck projects.

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about a whole ‘nother job that was both sad and gross--all at the same time. 

Frugal Idea For A Teenager’s Birthday: “Extravagant” Doesn’t Have To Break The Bank!

Remember when the standard birthday gift was the same number of dollars as the years being celebrated? 

Not so today!

Even though the average family income here is meager, my boys often talk about what friends at school got for their birthdays.  Everything from iPads and Smart phones to Mini-bikes and cars!  It seems crazy to me!  And I hate feeling like if we don’t come up with something big, my child might feel embarrassed at school. 

So the question is…

How should frugal-minded parents approach a birthday—knowing that the over-the-top gifts his friends are getting just aren’t in the budget?  It’s especially hard when it is a milestone one like turning 13. 

I’m not sure there is a right or wrong way to handle it.  But I’ll tell you what I did. 

I sat him down and explained that while we would love to get him the sun and the moon, we had only xx in the budget.  If you’ve had those conversations, you know they are hard. 

The two things he really wanted most were a Chealsea United jersey and back pack.  Chealsea is the name of his favorite professional soccer team, and their official gear is not cheap.  I told him I would do my best.

As it turned out, I did pretty well on EBay.  Still, when all was said and done, the shirt and book bag left precious little in the birthday budget.  And I usually like to have a surprise or two up my sleeve.   

The only other thing he had jokingly said he wanted was marshmallow fluff.  It’s a treat we RARELY buy. 

So I got to thinking…What if I got THIRTEEN tubs of marshmallow fluff and totally stuffed his book bag? 

At $.99/each, it was definitely doable!  I topped it off with a giant jar of peanut butter and a big loaf of white bread.

The look on his face as he pulled out tub after tub was priceless! 

I’m telling you, he could not WAIT to tell EVERYONE he saw that he got thirteen tubs of marshmallow fluff.

Why?  Because it was extravagant.  Not because I spent a fortune.  But because thirteen of them made a statement in a fun way.  You are extra special. 

It was nice to discovered that wowing a teenage boy doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg!  In fact, it was such a hit that I have a feeling it will become the new birthday tradition at our house.  My  oldest is already dreaming about what he wants 15 of, lol!

And I’m betting it would work for any age!  Simply pick a treat you rarely indulge them in and multiply it by their birthday!

Apple Butter

A few weeks ago, I made some apple butter.  It was actually a slow cooker recipe.  But I did it a little differently, and it still came out delicious.

Instead of coring and pairing the apples and cooking them in the slow cooker, I simply washed, cut and cooked them with skins and cores in tact.  Once they were mushy, I put them through my strainer.  It saved me a lot of time on the prep end.

Then I added the sugar and spices to the sauce and dumped it in the slow cooker to meld the flavors for four or five hours.  

It was all I could do not to eat the whole batch before it was done cooking!  And the house smelled wonderful!!! 

Incidentally, I didn’t have any ground cloves, so I had to get creative with a hammer and strainer.  Lol!  You needed to know that, right?

Apple Butter

Ingredients:

• @6 lbs of apples (I used Jonathans)
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of raw or brown sugar. 
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves (I’m going to use less next time)
• 3-4 teaspoons cinnamon

Peel and core the apples.  Cook in a slow cooker until mushy.  Then mush them up and add the spices.  Cook for a few more hours.

OR

Cut up the apples with skins and cores in tact.  Cook them on the stove till mushy, adding a dribble of water to the pan in the beginning, and stirring often.  Then put it through a strainer, add spices, and cook in a slow cooker for several hours. 

It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.  Or you can freeze/can some.  Jars of apple butter would make wonderful Christmas gifts for teachers or anyone!  Just print off your own creative label and tie a pretty ribbon around the lid. 

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This is the first time I’ve made apple butter, and I was delighted with how easy it was!  It’s the perfect way to use up the great buys on apples this time of year.  :)

Sites and Apps I Am LOVING!

First, because every post is better with a picture, this was our house one morning last week.  I thought it looked very Christmas-y with the green spruces, the red fire bushes, and glittering frost.   

Speaking of Christmas, I can hardly believe how quickly the time is going!   With a few larger than normal gifts on my gift-giving list, I want to get the best bargains I can.  So I’ve been busy researching, price checking and deal hunting every chance I get. 

What would we all do without the internet?  Seriously!  Computers, smart phones, and handy-dandy applications have revolutionized the way we live, save and shop!

Here are some sites and apps I am currently loving!

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For Great Deals… I recently came across this blog, For The Mommas, and it has become one of my absolute favorite “savings” sites!  There are constant updates on deals of all kinds.  Check it out!  I bookmarked the site on my phone, so I think I am officially addicted.  :) 

On this particular post, For The Mommas lists 15 BIG giveaways.  Not only are the giveaways cool, there are lots of blogs in the list that I hadn’t even heard of.  More savings blogs to check out!!  Woohoo!

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For Free Kindle Books…  If you have a Kindle, or a Kindle App on your smart phone or tablet pc, you’ll want to visit this site often to see what new books they are offering for free download!  At the moment, there are 267 of them!!  Here are just a few to show you the variety.  :)  The Kindle Application, btw, is free.

   

   

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For Free Nook Books…  If you have a Nook or Nook app on your smart phone or tablet, here is a link to books they offer for free!  The list is HUGE!!   The Nook application, like the Kindle app, is free.  :) 

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Free Library eBooks!  (Did you guess I love books?  Lol!)   Overdrive Media Console is a free application for your computer, smart phone or tablet.  It allows you to search, reserve, and download eBooks and audio books from you local library  directly to your device to read at your leisure!  You can learn more about it here. 

I was surprised to see that there were actually tons of titles available—including current best sellers!  At the end of the borrowing period, the book simply expires!  No lost books!  No late fees!  No last minute trips to return anything!  LOVE this! 

You can check out compatible devices here, and see if your local library participates here.

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That’s probably enough for now! 

At least now you know what I’ve been doing with all my time!  Sheesh!  I’m like a kid on a free candy spree!  I have NO idea where I’m going to find the time to read all the books I’ve downloaded.  But just thinking about the prospect makes me smile.  :)

What great sites and apps are you enjoying these days? 

For the record, I am not affiliated with any of these sites or links.  I just think they are worth sharing with my friends! 

Freezer Beef

We have a wonderful older neighbor who has raised beef for years.  Although he sold what he had last fall when his wife’s health declined, he missed caring for them.

So we weren’t surprised when he bought two new calves in the spring. 

His intention was to breed them.  However, he couldn’t locate a bull.  And, with the price of corn so high, he decided to take “the girls” in before winter.  

“The Girls.” That’s what his late wife always called their cows.  They were more like pets, than farm animals. :)

Anyway, knowing we have three growing boys to feed, he asked if we wanted to buy a side of beef!  Isn’t that nice?  Of course we said, “Yes!”  His beef is so much better than what you can get in a store.

One evening that week, our family walked down to help him prepare.  He needed to get some extra gates in place, which would help when it came time to load them up.   (I think he is somewhere around 80 years old!)  That’s him in the red cap and suspenders standing next to my husband.

I’m not sure if our little guy connected all the dots of what we were doing and why.   However, he soon lost interest in the animals, anyway.

While his brothers helped the men, he climbed up and down the gate.  :)

This past Sunday, my husband helped to load and haul the animals.  Each one weighed in at around 1300 lbs!  

That means that each one will probably give around 800 lbs of meat!  I was glad we had decided to split our half with another friend!

When all is said and done, I think we are going to end up paying between $1.90  and $2.00/lb.  We think that’s pretty good!  

And we truly appreciate the sacrifice these beautiful ladies have made to help feed our family!

Have you ever bought freezer beef?

$10 in Free Downloadable Products From Scholastic Teacher Express!!

You can download $10 worth of any ebooks from Scholastic Teacher Express for free when you use the coupon code 10THANKS.  Since they have a ton of (really cool!) dollar downloads available right now (through 9/20), you can get as many as 10 ebooks for free!!!

I just downloaded my 10, so I know it works!  I think I’m in Heaven!  Lol!

Have fun picking out your treasures!

And have a wonderful weekend!

Before and After Pictures of The Bathroom Makeover

Sorry it took me so long!  Like everyone else, I’m swimming in end-of-the-school-year-activities.  :)

This is pretty much the bathroom of our boys’ bedroom before:

The walls were a buttery yellow—a pretty color, actually.  But there were holes in the walls from overzealous towel hanging.  Um, yeah.  I’m sure that’s it. 

After patching all the holes, I decided to paint the room a light grey/blue to match the bedroom. 

The vanity was sad.  The wood finish was in bad shape and the hardware was rusty and outdated.  (I forgot to take the picture with the hardware.)  But, trust me, the whole thing definitely needed something!

In the end, we painted it a light grey to match the walls.  The dark grey accent color is the same grey I used to paint the crown molding in the bedroom.  So it ties in pretty nicely.

Walmart had these door pulls.  Do you think Sabrina Soto would approve?  Lol! I love her show, by the way!  She is SO clever with her home staging tips!

I decided not to replace the towel bars or toilet paper holders.  I wasn’t anxious to patch more holes anytime soon!

So, instead, we (mostly) wandered Walmart’s bathroom decor isle looking for ideas and picking out a few things:

• We found an inexpensive toilet paper holder which fits over the tank and under the lid.  Works for me! 
• We picked out a pretty set of over-the-door hooks to hang on the side of the shower stall.  And actually, I think the placement is more convenient than where the previous towel bars were. 
• We found an inexpensive sticky-backed hook to apply to the mirror.  It’s now a simple and functional hand towel hook. 
• We picked out short black curtains to match the long ones in the bedroom. 
• And as a final touch, we swiped a black bath rug from another bathroom.

I would still love to frame or replace the mirror.  But for now, it’s fine just the way it is. 

And I’m moving on to the last bedroom.  Well, I will be after the boys get out of school for the summer.  Monday is their last day.  Sigh. :)

This year, I’m more anxious than the boys (if you can believe it) for school to be over!  Can you say SLEEP IN?  Lol!

What projects do you have planned for the summer?

Non-Conventional Bed Frame

My son’s loft bed would have taken up a huge amount of space in the new bedroom.  So, sadly, moving that in wasn’t really an option. 

But since he wanted to move in right away, I decided to try something on a whim.

My husband left two very large book cases in the room that wouldn’t fit in his new office space.  One was exactly the size of a twin mattress.  See where I’m going?  Lol!

We put that shelf on it’s back and flopped the mattress on top.  Then we slid it up against the larger bookshelf.  Instant bed and headboard!

I was concerned at first that the shelves of the “frame” might not stay upright.  I still think I need to put a couple tiny screws in the side of each shelf to keep them from shifting or collapsing to the bottom.  But with two days of flouncing and sleeping without any mishaps, I’m thinking this is a great temporary bed. 

And a bonus?  He has lots of dust-free storage under his bed!  That is, if he doesn’t mind lifting his mattress to get to it!  Lol!  Good thing he’s young and strong!

Oh, the things we mom’s will do…

Come See!! The First Bedroom Is Now Complete!

Whew!  I really pushed yesterday.  But I’m so glad I did!  As you can see, we picked two shades of grey as our color scheme.  If you are just stopping by today, and don’t know what the room looked like before, scroll down—or click here.

The crown molding looks SO much better in the dark grey.  The painted-brown-look from before detracted from the room, in my opinion.

We don’t have a desk yet.  But for now, we placed two low bookshelves in a T-shape to conserve space.  Then we topped it with a scrap piece of plywood which I painted to match the molding.  Not bad!

The chair was made by my dad’s pop-pop.  So as old-fashioned as it is, it’s still a keeper.  I’m thinking of letting my son paint it pewter to go with his room, though.  What do you think?  One part of me hates to put paint on such an antique.  But the other part realizes it is a functional chair that I think my son would appreciate more.

The fan blades were walnut grain and “old” looking.  So I took it apart and painted them dark grey to match the molding.  Now instead of being an eyesore, the fan is one of my favorite parts of the room!  I think it makes the room brighter, too. 

Oh, and the bed?  It isn’t really a bed.  We don’t have a frame.  But since I forgot to take pictures, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to see how we managed! 

We still need an armoire since there is no closet in this room. 

And there are still two bedrooms to re-do!  Onward and upward!  Isn’t that what they say?  Lol!  My other sons are hoping their rooms turn out as well!

Finally! A Fast Way To Search Multiple Cities/States on Craig’s List!

I search Craig’s List fairly often.  However, it is time consuming when I’m checking multiple cities for something specific.

SearchTempest is a site designed to make make that job a whole lot easier!  And I LOVE it!

It allows you to enter a number of things in the search fields and then search everywhere you want to search—all at once!!!  Even multiple states!  Plus, you can sort the listings however you like. 

As an added feature, it even asks if you would like to include EBay or Amazon listings in your results.

If you are a fan of Craig’s List, check it out!  Search Tempest has already become my “go to” site when I’m looking for a bargain.

And who isn’t?  (Looking for bargains, that is!)

Free Veggi Tales Album!

Did you know you can download The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree, a Veggi Tales Christmas album, for FREE on Amazon.com right now?  I saw it this morning, and decided to give it a try.

I’m so glad I did!  It’s really cute!  I’ll probably be playing it for the next two months whether my kids like it or not.  Lol! 

So tell me, do you listen to Veggi Tales Tunes even when your kids are not at home?  (Or all grown up?)  Lol!

Homemade Light Sabers: Quick, Easy, And A Must-Have at Star Wars Parties!

O.K.  Was that a long title or what??  Lol!  My boys said I really needed to post about this because we had so much fun making and using them.

So here goes.  I’m happy to say, there ARE such things as cheap, durable light sabers you can make yourself! 

All you have to do is get creative!   Walk the clearance isles at your favorite stores, raid your husband’s electrical and plumbing supplies, and…let The Force guide you!  Lol!

Here are some things I found:

• Bubble wands:  Wal-mart, clearance isle for $.50.
• Electrical tape (in various colors).
• Pool noodles.  The thin ones are great!
• Foam Pipe insulation
• Pieces of dowel rod or thin wood to insert part way up the foam.
• Duct Tape
• Scissors, and low temp hot glue (which I ended up not using).
• Glow Sticks

I made a variety of light sabers as I experimented.  But, I’ll show you the boys’ favorite version.

• Take a pool noodle, cut it in half. 
• Then take a bubble wand and insert the top part of it into the noodle, up to the “hilt.”  It fits tightly. 
• Cut a small piece of pipe foam insulation (the black foam in the picture above) and wrap it around the bubble wand handle.  Pull the strips off the self adhesive edges of the pipe insulation and press them together like the zipper of a jacket to cover the handle.  
• Use duct tape and electrical tape to decorate the handle.
• And if the kids want to dual at night, drop a glow stick down the end and tape it shut.  I used just a little glow bracelet and its light gave the noodle a soft glow.  So I’m sure if you picked up one or two of those really bright glow sticks, the effect would be awesome!!!

Here are a few of the finished sabers.  

And this is one of my favorite Jedi. 

The handles still unscrew, which enables the Jedi to unleash an immobilizing wave of his top secret arsenal.

“Death Bubbles.”

Don’t you love it??  Lol! 

Note:  You don’t have to insert anything rigid in the handle end of the foam.  You can just wrap tape around one end of a pool noodle to make the handle.  But adding a short stick makes it a little less floppy. 

I made a few light sabers out of just pipe insulation and sticks, and they turned out fine.  But we liked the colorful pool noodles a little better.  :)

And there you have it!  A cheap durable light saber that, incidentally, you can let the kids beat the tar out of each other with. 

Safely.  :)

Kid tested.  Mother approved.  Budget friendly.  Works for me!