LittleMissKnowitAll

I just want to give a shoutout to the Kenton County Library and their phenomenal Career and Job Services program. If you are looking for work, are considering looking for work, or are looking to just improve your job seeking skills I HIGHLY recommend looking at their programs. They are one of the top ten programs in the country--and entirely free. Want to get a better job? Check out Kenton County. Want to get a promotion? Check out the advanced skills courses. Some of the best information I've ever seen, well organized, and available for free to anyone with a Kenton County library card (which is also free if you live in the Cincinnati region.)

And hello to all of my friends from the class today!

https://www.kentonlibrary.org/careerandjobservices/

My littles are now grown, about to fly the nest. It does go by quickly, and I will miss them…but also, I’m glad I took time for myself. I was a better mom for it, a better wife, a better ME.

Major recall of Insignia brand air fryers! Over 770,000 are recalled due to fire risk. Check the link below for more details, and share with friends—this is a popular brand!

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Best-Buy-Recalls-Insignia-Air-Fryers-and-Air-Fryer-Ovens-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards?fbclid=IwAR2-qyGYCfqHrenqe1BKZzMfXSjSolQIYaurYJCvj2118AdbREkXENSDeKU&fs=e&s=cl

Best Buy Recalls Insignia™ Air Fryers and Air Fryer Ovens Due to Fire and Burn Hazards Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled air fryers and air fryer ovens and register online at www.insigniaairfryerrecall.expertinquiry.comor call Best Buy at 800-566-7498 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday to arrange a return through a pre-paid shipping box and label and ret...

Part two of building hugel beds: more layers!

Layer four: Branches from shrubs we’d recently pruned.

Layer five: pine straw

Layer six: More wood chips

Layer seven: last year’s straw bales, partially composted.

With each layer I’ve taken care to spread it out and try to fill any gaps that are visible. This is almost three feet high now.

Next is to let it settle for a couple days, let the rain wet it all down, and compress a bit. Then this coming week I’ll add about two to four inches of good top soil for planting!

Building hugel beds, steps 1-4.

Hugel beds use natural materials to build large raised beds that retain water (but still have drainage) while slowly decomposing to feed the soil. The base is made of tree trunks and large branches. Hugels can be as tall as 6’.

Step one: I marked out the layout of the bed and added landscape fabric as the siding to hold it all together. (Landscape fabric is totally unnecessary, but I live on a slope and needed something to prevent it washing out with the rain.) There will be two beds, each 4’ x 6’ and 3’ deep.

Step two: I laid down chicken wire to prevent groundhogs and other critters from coming up through the soil. Earthworms and beneficial insects can still make it through.

Step three: hauled large logs, trunks and branches up the hill and into the bed.

Step four: the first layer of wood chips.

I’ll water it well, let it settle to fill in gaps (gaps mean mice and snakes) and then start the next layers. I’ve got pine needles, small branches, last year’s decomposed straw bales, cardboard, and more wood chips. On top I’ll add a couple inches of compost to plant in.

Hugel beds have been used for centuries in Eastern Europe and other cultures. They use found materials from Mother Nature instead of requiring you to spend $$ at the garden stores. They require less watering, naturally retaining rain water in the wood, releasing it as the soiil dries. But because of the layers, there’s plenty of space for the water to drain if there’s a heavy soaking. I am building mine at waist height to make it easier to reach the veggies. As it ages, it will compact down to a reasonable height.

Have you built Hugel beds before? What tips can you pass on?

Dusting off my LittleMissKnowitAll gear, and opening up the old toolbox. I’ll be posting strategies soon for how to save money even in record inflation. Stay Tuned.

Love cold brew coffee? Let me save you some time and $$! Take a half gallon mason jar, insert this super fine mesh strainer, add 1 1/2 cups of your favorite coarse ground coffee, insert it into the jar, then fill the jar to the top with water. Let sit for 16-20 hours, remove the filter with the grounds—and you have half a gallon of cold brew coffee!

It’s super easy and sooo cheap. I can make a week’s worth of coffee in one go, and have it ready every morning. Cold brew isn’t bitter or acidic, and you can drink it hot or cold. It’s totally up to you!

Link below to the filter I use. It sits nicely in the jar with the top fitting perfectly on the rim of the jar. It works with any wide mouth mason jar lid.

https://amzn.to/2VtnJiE

Want to get your converse white again? Try this trick: mix baking soda, Dawn dish soap and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide together. Mix and let sit for a minute or two, until it becomes foamy. Using a scrub brush or a toothbrush, scrub this on the cloth and around the soles. Pay attention to the stained spots (of which there were many on these!) and let it sit a bit longer. I like to leave it on for thirty minutes. Then give the shoes a really good rinse, and dry. Tip: if you don’t have a drying rack in your dryer, tie the laces at the top and hang the knot out the dryer door. It will hold them in place in the dryer as it runs without denting the drum.

These shoes were far from white when I started! They were a dingy gray with grass stains and yellow marks after trying to wash them recently with laundry detergent. I’m not careful with them—they’ve been all around town, in the garden, through the yard…they have seen better days! It’s a gray day out—hard to capture how clean these got!

Scrambling to find netting to protect your trees and shrubs from cicadas? Try tulle from your local fabric store. The holes are the right size and they cover without blocking light. Plus it’s cheaper! I bought 20 yards for $1.49/yard at Joanns. Plus they had a coupon for 20% off my pickup order, bringing the price down to about $1/yard.

Cleaning out the fridge tonight, I found random drink bottles and pitchers with less than one glass each left in them—so I mixed them together for a Saturday Night cocktail/mocktail hour. It was good! I’ll definitely be making this again. This is great as a punch for kids and adults alike. Adults can substitute a dry Prosecco for the ginger ale.

Equal parts pineapple juice, lemonade and ginger ale. Mix together and then Add a splash of grenadine.

What’s your favorite Saturday night drink?

Mosquitos bugging you? Here’s a tip: they aren’t very good fliers. A simple fan will keep them away! I clip this on my hammock and on my deck table. You can use a bigger fan for larger areas. Keep the air moving around you and they won’t get near you!

10000mAh Portable Rechargeable Clip on Fan, 40 Hours Work Time, 7" Battery Operated Fan with Hanging Hook, 2-6 Hours Timer, USB Fan, 4 Speeds Personal Desk Fan, Ideal for Outdoor Camping Picnic Beach 10000mAh Portable Rechargeable Clip on Fan, 40 Hours Work Time, 7" Battery Operated Fan with Hanging Hook, 2-6 Hours Timer, USB Fan, 4 Speeds Personal Desk Fan, Ideal for Outdoor Camping Picnic Beach

Hello to all my new friends! I’m attempting to keep up with questions and answer comments, but they’re coming in faster than I can answer. So here’s the basics:

1. No, there’s nothing else in the bag.
2. Yes, it’s pretty crazy that it works!
3. It does not work for hornets or for bees.
4. If you have carpenter bees, try scrolling through the comments. There’s a number of great suggestions on that post!
5. I’m not sure how I’d be scamming anyone, since it’s just a paper lunch bag. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m just sharing something that worked for us.