Keep Bird Feeders Tidy with Patio Stone

I love having a bird feeder. Ours is placed just outside the living room. The entire family enjoys watching the wildlife it attracts. Acrobatic squirrels entertain our cat and dog for hours. However, the downside of having a bird feeder is the mess it makes all over the ground underneath it. It seems I'm constantly pulling up weeds that sprout. To combat this issue, I decided to use patio stone underneath the feeder. The patio stone helps to keep the seeds from sprouting and gives it a decorative look.

I shopped around at my local Lowe's for patio stone and chose one that would suit the purpose, and add character to my bird feeder. The area under my feeder is small, so I only needed 4 pieces. I paid less than $5 for the stones.

We cleaned out the area under the feeder, measured where the stone would be placed, and began to dig. We dug a little bit deeper then the depth of the stones and a little wider. Then we positioned the shepherds hook that I hang my feeder on in the hole and put down a layer of sand. I then placed my patio block on top. We filled in the cracks around the stone pieces with more sand and a little bit of pea gravel.

Scarf Wall Decor

My husband travels frequently for work and he recently returned from India. He brought me this beautiful silk scarf. But, I don't wear scarves and decided to display it in my home instead. So, I tied it around a simple straw hat, and hung it on my wall. Now it adds a pop of color to my bedroom that I enjoy every day. So if you're looking for wall decor that is not only unique, but bright and cheerful too, give this a try.

Upcycled Patchwork Jeans #2

Instead of throwing away your favorite pair of jeans when you get a hole in the knee, try patching them. A patch is not only functional, but can add character too.

St. Patty's Day Pie

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, here's an easy dessert to whip up for your family. My 3 year old had fun helping. We even made a lighter version with low fat milk and lite cool whip.

Cool, Creamy St. Patty's Pie
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg Jell-o pistachio pudding mix
2 cups cool whip, thawed and divided
6 double stuff oreo cookies, chopped
1 oreo pie crust
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate

Pour milk into a large bowl and add the dry pudding mix. Beat with a wisk for 2 minutes. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups cool whip and chopped oreos then spoon into crust. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup cool whip on top. Melt chocolate as directed and drizzle over pie. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Ice bubbles

Need something fun to do when it's cold outside? Try freezing bubbles. The temperature needs to be at least 16 degrees or colder for this to work. Blow a bubble, then try and catch it on the wand. Once it has frozen, place it gently on a hard surface. They will pop, but since they are frozen will not disappear. Instead they become beautiful, delicate structures that resemble glass.

Hopeful for snow

With temperatures in the mid 60's all week, it doesn't look promising for any white stuff. At least my latest chalk board art I did puts me in the mood.

Pepperint Swirl Cookies

I bake several kinds of Christmas cookies each year to share with friends and family. This is a "twist" I made on one of our favorites. After baking the cookies you top each one with a peppermint Hershey kiss. Instead of refrigerating them to keep their "kiss" shape, I allowed them to melt and swirled them with a toothpick. I think they are much prettier this way and your children will have fun helping.