Part Three of my Organic Gardening Adventure- by Susan Tucker

Gardening is one of the most rewarding experiences I can think of. And, the biggest reward of MY garden is the bounty of squash! (Especially since not much else has survived). I never even knew that I liked it ....until now. If your garden is anything like my garden, than you're most certainly looking for some summer squash recipes. Here is a recipe help you along the way.

Squash & Spaghetti Summer Surprise
2 freshly picked summer squash
10 or so cherry tomatoes, halved
any other veggies you'd like to toss in
1/2 yellow onion
olive oil
garlic
1 cup fat free chicken broth
fresh basil
1 lb fresh pasta (in the refrigerator section)


Saute onion and garlic in large sauce pan, add squash. Pour in about a cup of broth. Cook for about 8 minutes. In the meantime, cook pasta by package directions (takes 2 min), toss with olive oil and basil. Add squash mixture and serve.

Look for more recipes in the September version of HG eNews. Sign up online at www.homeandgardenmag.com

Late Summer Organizing

I'd like to thank our Guest Blogger, Terri Lynn Mabbit of Chaos2Calm for contributing to today's post. This will be the first of three in a series on organizing.

First day of class is just around the corner, and with that comes the mounting pile of paperwork that goes along with it. I asked Teri Lynn a few questions on tips for managing the mess and here's what she had to say:



When is it ok to destroy important papers (7 years, 3 years, 1 year?)?
The answer is all three! The amount of time you hold on to papers depends on the type of paper you have. For anything related to the IRS and your tax filing, refer to http://www.irs.gov/individuals/index.html for specific IRS guidelines. Of course the document retention guidelines for individuals versus business owners will be completely different so be sure to look in the appropriate section. Better yet, If you own a business or have a more complicated tax situation, ask your CPA for a "retention schedule" that will list out all the documents that you should retain. For ALL the other documents here are some questions to ask yourself in order to determine what you need to keep and what you can shred.

Examples:
Checking deposit slips- toss after you double check the monthly statement
Paycheck stub- only keep the December stub, toss the rest after you confirm all is correct, toss the December version long enough to verify the W-2 is correct
Documents to keep indefinitely- Marriage/birth/death/divorce papers, SS cards and numbers, estates, trusts etc.

What do you recommend for home bill and all the frivolous snail mail management?
There are only three types of paper that come into our life:
*Paper that needs to be tossed
*Paper that needs to be filed
*Paper that requires some action on our part ("to do")

Although Junk mail is a problem from an environmental standpoint it's not the cause of our paper disorganization! The real issue is that most of us have a breakdown in our paper management systems. We don't know what to file or how to file it, we don't know how to properly manage our "to-do's" and we mismanage our time. This is the true cause of the paper backlog on our desks, not the junk mail. A proper paper "flow" with a working file system, project management or "to-do" system and big trash can will take away our junk mail woes. This doesn't solve the environmental impact of course but that is another discussion!

Thanks Teri Lynn for this intro into paper organzation! Stay tuned for more tips!

Liven Up Your Life with COLOR!

Fuchsia, Aubergine, Hot Spice; Venetian plaster, Gilding, Faux Marble .... words from my journey into the world of a Manhattan Interior Designer.

Prior to a recent weekend trip to visit my aunt and uncle in NYC, I was very comfortable living in my earthen oasis of browns, reds and blues. In the past, bright, "loud" colors have always made me think of flashy, old women that retire in Florida and put pink flamingos in the front lawn. I've spent the better half of my adult life sprinting from anything remotely similar.

Needless to say, when my dear aunt Trisha - who is an Interior Designer- started telling me about her new house we were about to visit and began rambling off all these crazy, unfamiliar colors and finishes, I checked out faster than a Vegas dealer flips cards. That is, until I had the first-hand opportunity to experience life from her gilded walls.

Colors have long been known to have an effect on our body's energy. In the early 1900's Max Luscher created standard method of diagnosis based on emotional reactions to color and in India, Ayurvedic healers have used color therapy for thousands of years. It's no wonder that Trisha has boundless energy. Could it possibly be from her enthusiastic application of pink? (Was I starting to feel more lively, too?)

From the dining room (plastered fuchsia) to the living room (layered greens) to the master bedroom (gilded gold), not one inch was overlooked and every vignette had a story. More than a showpiece, her townhouse is a living work of art brimming with complimentary hues, shapes and history.

Since visiting, my pink Flamingo lady image is starting to fade and I am whole-heartedly excited to incorporate a little va-voom into my subdued, earthy life. My first project is the master bedroom, next stop, family room. Thanks for the inspiration!

To help you get color inspired, look out for the fall issue of Boulder County Home & Garden Magazine coming Oct 1st.

Enter to Win FREE Energy!

Who says the officials of Boulder don't care? This just in ... Xcel Energy has teamed up with the City of Boulder (and various other caring businesses) to give away a FREE energy makeover! How cool - or hot - is that?

The contest doesn't start until Friday (7/13) so link up your Blackberry (or simply mark your calendar) then log on to the Smart Energy Living website to put your name in the pot.

Click here for more info.

Stay tuned for results!

Part Two of My Organic Gardening Adventure - by Susan Tucker

After a slow start, the vegetables in the garden are starting to grow. The cilantro and mint are exploding, the lettuce lush and the green onion shooting up to the clouds. I think I'm on the road to success, then slowly a brown patch begins to take over the our sweet innocent green tomatoes. What is it? Tomato blight.

Thanks goodness for the nice, informative fellas at McGuckin. They directed me to a copper formula that seems pretty easy to use and will most certainly cure our problem. While there, I was sure to get some new, very cute, gardening gloves and pruning shears. I love McGuckin!

I'll deal with our blight issue, and in the meantime, I'll be sure to NOT overwater, and finally get to the weeding. For I am DETERMINED to upload photos of the luscious fruits of my labor come fall!

Making a GREAT First Impression in this Tough Real Estate Market

With real estate "season" firmly upon us, I thought it would be beneficial to investigate ways in which seller could get a leg up on the competition. My answer miraculously appeared by way of Macky Bennett, owner of Re-Arrangements & More, a local home staging company.

Macky suggests using this simple checklist to set your property apart:

1. Create Curb Appeal: A clean mail box, fresh paint, updated lighting, a manicured lawn, a driveway and walk way cleared of snow, and seasonal flowers are all signs that home is well maintained.

2. Clean: Shampoo or replace worn and stained carpets. Polish hardwood floors, professionally clean entire home. Replace dirty light switches, freshly paint worn walls, replace burned out light bulbs. Wash all windows and replace or remove worn or dated window treatments. Use new slip covers and fresh bedding as needed. Keep bathrooms spotless. Add clean fresh towels. Vacuum pet hair daily, and keep pet areas fresh and clean.

3. De-clutter: Buyers need to see architectural features and space not stuff! Pre-pack or store off-site extra clothing, books, toys, sporting goods, tools, dishes etc. Clean and organize closets, drawers, and pantries. Clear kitchen counters.

4.De-personalize and neutralize: Remove the seller’s imprint, (family photos, collections, and religious items) so the perspective buyers can picture how they will live in the space.

A Staged Home will stand out from other properties in the same price range.

To fast track your home sale, call Macky today!

Macky Bennett, owner of Re-Arrangements, LLC. is a Professional Real Estate Stager. She consults with sellers and Realtors and is a member of IRIS, BGBG, and a BARA Affliate. Her projects have been featured in the Denver Post and Boulder Daily Camera. Visit her website at www.rearrangementsandmore.com for more information on her services.

Part One of My Organic Gardening Adventure- by Susan Tucker

This year, with new baby in tow, my family and I decided to start an organic garden. I don't consider myself an environmentalist, just a concerned mom. There is nothing like feeding a growing tot to make you aware of the things we are putting in our bodies.

After picking a sunny spot in the corner of the backyard - making sure the sprinklers reached it (I'm not a good waterer, but I'll save that for another post) - we marked off the size (11 x 16) and set off to find a tiller (Home Depot - $35).

I remembered that Lee Hill Peat offered 10% off when you mentioned Boulder County Home & Garden Magazine, so we took the topper off the truck and headed that way. The fella there was quite helpful in assisting us on how much compost to get and promptly loaded up the back of the truck. Total needed 1 truck full ($31).

Thank goodness the weather was nice that day, because I have to tell you, loading up a wheel barrel and transfering dirt to the farthest corner of the yard is hard work! My husband, brother and I all rotated job duties between tilling, filling and dumping. Several hours in we had a nicely plowed plot, plumped with delectable soil. How satisfying!

We have discussed which herbs and vegetables we'd like to eat and since the official last frost date of May 15th is just now upon us we have set some time for later in the week to buy them (next year we'll start from seeds). I've laid out the plans and just can't wait to get the plants into the ground.

In the meantime, I've detailed a plan of action for the remainder of the summer:

1. Research organic pest control; I've read that garlic spray, soap bars, human hair, natural predators such as ladybugs and wasps can all be effective methods.
2. Concoct organic fertilizer; apparently my compost pile could work as a natural fertilzer, as well as manure and even companion planting.
3. Weed, weed, weed.
4. Water
5. And, EAT. This of course, will require researching lots of recipes to insure we don't tire of eating tomatoes (again).

I know this is only the beginning of what I hope to be an annual treat. I'm prepared to learn all I can about gardening organically and am sure it's just a figure-it-out-as-you-go kind of thing. I'll keep you posted on the progress!