Jerry Baker's What's Growin' On?

Shovel That Snow!—and 4 Other Ways to Use Cooking Spray

2012-02-17T11:19:00.001-05:00

It’s true—as handy as cooking spray is when you’re cooking and baking, it’s also a high-powered super product that you can put to work in your home, yard, and even on your family! Here are a few ideas to get you going:

1. Give your snow shovel a shot of cooking spray before you tackle the white stuff. The snow will slide right off the shovel and lighten your load.

2. Before you fill a plastic food storage container with tomato sauce or any other tomato-based food, spray the inside with cooking oil. This’ll keep the sauce from staining the container.

3. It’s easy to measure sticky things like honey or peanut butter if you coat the inside of the measuring cup with cooking spray first. It makes cleanup a breeze, too!

4. Spray exterior door locks and car door locks liberally with cooking spray keep them from freezing and leaving you out in the cold when temps plunge.

5. Make a snowy day tons of fun by coating the bottom of your sled or inner tubes before hitting the slopes!

So think outside the kitchen, and get cookin’!

And if you’re looking for more super-powered products to make your life easier, check out my Supermarket Super Products book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips and tricks that put common household products to work in thousands of new and exciting ways.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

2012-02-10T10:03:00.000-05:00

So, are you ready for a smooch from your sweetie? Or are you thinking, “Why, oh why does Valentine’s Day fall right smack in the middle of winter, when my lips are chapped, dry, and just plain unkissable?”

The problem is that lips don’t produce any oils on their own, so once they’re chapped, it’s up to you to heal them by bringing them much-needed moisture. Here’s how to treat them right and prevent them from chapping again:

1. Slough off flaky, rough skin with a clean, damp washcloth.

2. Rub in a coating of .5% hydrocortisone cream twice a day.

3. Seal in the moisture with a lip balm that contains a protective wax (like beeswax) and sunscreen.

And by the way, you may not see the connection, but eating green vegetables is a great way to keep your lips in the pink. That’s because greens are rich in zinc, essential fatty acids, and riboflavin—everything your lips need to retain moisture and stay healthy. So like Grandma Putt always said, “Eat plenty of greens every day!”

Check out even more time-tested, doctor recommended advice that’ll cure just about anything that ails you in my Grandma Putt’s Home Health Remedies book—FREE for 21 days. It’s filled with old-time cures that can ease, erase, or eliminate hundreds of everyday ailments.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2012-02-03T10:06:00.000-05:00

…And eating the mountain of junk-food that usually goes hand-in-hand with Super Bowl watching? If you’re finding the memory of last year’s Super Bowl stomachache too painful to think about, this year, take a time out from the traditional nachos, chili, chips, dips, and wings. Swap the fattening food for healthier fare like these:

· Fresh-cut veggies with low-fat dips

· Air-popped popcorn sprinkled with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese

· Whole-wheat crackers topped with reduced-fat cheese (light Jarlsberg is one of my favorites)

· Plain, low-fat yogurt with sliced fruit and a sprinkling of granola

· Pistachios (one serving equals a whopping 49 nuts and only 170 calories!)

So what if you try not to overindulge; yet somehow, find it impossible to resist? If mindless munching leads to a tummy in turmoil, make a Hail Mary pass of your own with one of these terrific taming teas:

· Gas-Away Tea. Add 1 teaspoon each of crushed dill seeds and peppermint to a cup of boiling water, and let the mixture steep for 15 minutes. Strain out the herbs before drinking.

· Tender Tummy Tamer Tea. Mix 1 teaspoon each of peppermint, catnip, sweet marjoram, and lemon balm in a bowl. Scoop 2 teaspoons of the mix and add it to a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 15 minutes, strain out the herbs and sip. Store the rest in an airtight container.

· Stomach Soothing Tea. Mix together 1 teaspoon each of bay leaves, ground ginger, and peppermint in a bowl. Scoop 1 teaspoon of the mixture into a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 5 to 10 minutes, then strain out the herbs and add honey to taste.

And if you’re looking for more unusual cures for common health problems, check out my Oddball Ointments, Powerful Potions, and Fabulous Folk Remedies book—FREE for 21 days!

It’s Time to Ditch Dishwasher Germs!

2012-01-27T08:53:00.002-05:00

You probably think of your dishwasher as a handy kitchen appliance that you can’t live without. But it’s so much more than that—it’s also your best defense against kitchen contaminants. That’s because it sanitizes everything that goes into it—from juice glasses to cutting boards, and even the sponges you use to wipe down your counters.

The key is to keep your “dry” cycle turned on. During the drying cycle, the dishwasher reaches temperatures of at least 170°F. And that’s the magic number when it comes to attacking harmful microbes.

So if you’ve turned your “dry” cycle off in an effort to save energy, switch it back on. And then run everything through that’s dishwasher safe—especially anything that comes in contact with raw meat and fish.

Between cycles, be sure to clean your dishwasher. Gunk, grime, and mineral deposits can make it work harder than it has to, so here’s a few ways to keep it hummin’ along:

· Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into a sturdy mug or bowl, set it in the top rack of your dishwasher, and run through a cycle on the hottest setting—with nothing else inside.

· Cut greasy crud with a simple bleach treatment. Pour 1 cup of bleach into the bottom surface, and run it through a full cycle.

· To tackle mineral deposits, use the bleach treatment (above), then when the cycle is finished, pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the bottom, and run it through again.

· Freshen up the insides by using Coca-Cola® to clean up the crud. Pour a 2-liter bottle of the real thing (use the “classic,” not diet, version) into the bottom of your machine, and run it through a full cycle. And if the bottom tray is really grungy, let it soak for a few minutes before you start the cycle.

· Denture-cleaning tablets will dissolve dishwasher grime in no time at all. So if you have plenty of tablets on hand, drop a couple in the bottom of your empty dishwasher, and run it through a regular cycle.

For more tips, tricks, and tonics for cleaning everything in your home, check out my Cleaning Magic! book, FREE for 21 days. You’ll discover thousands of dirt-defying and dust-busting secrets that’ll make any mess disappear in a flash.

2012-01-20T09:26:00.000-05:00

Lots of folks rely on the sinus-clearing, nostril-soothing benefits of using a neti pot (an Aladdin’s lamp-like container with a small spout, which you can find at a drug store). In fact, some people like the remedy so much that they use it every day—whether they have a stuffy nose or not.

But all good things must come with a warning, and here’s the latest on this trendy treatment: Don’t use tap water in your neti pot. It turns out that Naegleria fowleri, the so-called “brain-eating” amoeba, could be lurking in ordinary water. Two Louisiana residents died recently after using neti pots with tap water that was infected with the nasty parasite, which enters the body through nasal passages and causes a deadly form of meningitis.

If you’re like most folks who use ordinary tap water in your neti pot, it’s not time to panic. After all, the amoebas are very rare, and have affected only about 35 people in the U.S. since 2000. But there’s no harm in playing it safe, and switching to distilled or boiled water (cooled to body temperature) to rinse out your sinuses.

Here’s how to safely use a neti pot:

1. Mix approximately ¼ teaspoon of fine table salt into 1 cup of distilled water that’s been warmed to body temperature, or boiled water that’s been cooled.

2. Lean over a sink and turn your head so your left nostril is lower than your right, keeping your head tilted so your nose is higher than your mouth.

3. Pour the solution into your right nostril, allowing the water to drain from your left nostril and your mouth.

4. Gently blow your nose, without plugging either nostril.

5. Repeat with the other nostril.

Be sure to clean your neti pot after each use with warm water and dishwashing liquid. (Or check with the manufacturer to see if your pot is dishwasher safe.)

For even more healthy hints that’ll have you feelin’ fine in no time, check out my Amazing Antidotes book—FREE for 21 days!

Trick Your Body into Losing Weight!

2012-01-13T15:27:00.000-05:00

So how are your New Year’s Resolutions holding up? If your goal for 2012 was to lose weight, chances are you’ve all but given up at this point. Don’t do it! Instead, ditch the diet and go about losing weight in a whole new way: Trick yourself thin!

These crazy techniques might sound too good to be true, but they’re kind of fun, so why not give them a try? You’ve got nothing to lose—except a pound or two, of course. Here goes:

1. Tighten your belt. Put away the loose sweatpants and baggy t-shirts. Wearing tight clothes to dinner will remind you that you could stand to lose a few pounds.

2. Brush your teeth right after a meal. The minty flavor of the toothpaste will help satisfy your sweet tooth.

3. Avoid distracted dining. Turn off the TV and savor the food you’re putting in your mouth.

4. Watch yourself eat. Munching in front of a mirror can help you keep your weight loss goals in mind and curb your appetite.

5. Eat with your other hand. Studies have found that if you use your non-dominant hand, you’ll eat 30 percent less food.

6. Savor the smells. Frequently sniff an apple, banana, or peppermint, and you’ll trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten. A six-month study of 3,000 participants showed that they lost an average of 30 pounds using this technique!

For more terrific tips to help you reach your weight-loss goal, check out my Amazing Antidotes book—FREE for 21 days! It’s chock-full of idea that’ll whittle your waist and melt away the pounds.

Keep Your Cool and Stay Warm!

2012-01-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

Instead of cranking up the old thermostat to stay warm this winter, try a few of these trouble-free tricks that won’t cost you a dime.

· Lower your thermostat by 1 degree each day for a few days. When you find a temperature that’s comfortable, make it your permanent daytime setting.

· Seal up any gaps around windows and doors with caulk or weather-stripping.

· Install a programmable thermostat and turn the temperature down while you’re sleeping and anytime you’ll be away for more than a few hours.

· Take advantage of the most powerful “furnace” of all to warm things up. Ol’ Sol’s heating power will send your indoor temps soaring, even in the coldest weather. So keep your window coverings open during the day. Then as soon as the sun sets, close them tight to hold in the warmth.

And be sure to keep your windows sparkly clean, inside and out, because even a thin film of dirt will block out a whole lot of light. My Super Warm-Up Window Cleaner will keep your windows clear, spotless, and free of wintertime grime, so the sun’s rays can shine through with all of their welcome warming power. Here’s how to whip up a batch:

Mix ½ cup of distilled white vinegar, ¾ cup of rubbing alcohol, and ½ cup of warm water in a handheld sprayer bottle. Spray the cleaner onto the glass, and wipe it away with paper towels or crumpled up newspaper. That’s all there is to it!

Want more tips, tricks, and tonics for cleaning everything inside—and outside your house? Check out my Cleaning Magic! book, FREE for 21 days. You’ll discover thousands of dirt-defying and dust-busting secrets that’ll make any mess disappear in a flash.

Make Some Noise This New Year’s Eve!

2011-12-30T08:58:00.000-05:00

Did you ever wonder why it’s traditional to make lots of noise on New Year’s Eve? According to lore, it’s not just the sound of celebrating—if it’s loud enough, it’ll also drive out evil spirits and bring you luck in the coming year. So grab a noise maker and make a racket!

What you choose to eat on New Year’s Eve can also be an indicator of luck in the coming year. According to custom, you should forego chicken (which scratches backwards) and beef (since cows stand still) for pork, because pigs root forward, and therefore, you’ll be moving forward in the days to come.

Here’s how to liven up pork chops or pork loin for your New Year’s Eve feast with a tropical marinade:

In a large bowl, mix ½ cup of orange juice, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano. Marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Discard the marinade. Then fork up your good luck!

Happy New Year!

Don’t Pop That Blister, Mister!

2011-12-23T09:31:00.001-05:00

Ho, ho, hooo, boy! Has a day of hustling, bustling, and last-minute Christmas shopping left your feet feeling sore and—yikes!—blistered? Well whatever you do, don’t pop them! Here’s the right way to tend to the troubling bubbles so you’ll be back on your feet just in time for your holiday feast.

· Let it breathe. Even though it’s good to protect a blister with a bandage, you want to expose it to the air for at least 20 minutes a day. A little air circulation will help protect the area from infection-causing bacteria, which thrive in dark, moist places.

· Lace tight. When putting on running or other sports shoes, be sure to lace them up properly, so your feet are held firmly in place. Otherwise, they’ll rub around against the insides of the shoes and create an even bigger problem.

· Wash away the germs. The best way to keep infection-causing germs out of blisters is to clean them (and the surrounding skin) once or twice a day. Wash the area well with soap and water, then dry it thoroughly. Too much moisture will soften the blister and make it more likely to break open before it’s ready.

· No worries with “wort.” The herb St. John’s wort is great for killing germs and easing pain. Use an alcohol-based tincture, available at health food stores, to moisten a square of gauze, then apply it to the blister after you’ve washed it.

The only time blisters are really dangerous is when they get infected. If the pain is getting worse, or if you notice the area is swelling or turning red, apply an over-the-counter triple antibiotic ointment a few times a day. If that doesn’t do the trick, see a doctor.

Merry Christmas!

Perky poinsettias all season long!

2011-12-16T10:49:00.003-05:00

There’s no plant more popular this time of year than the poinsettia—except perhaps the Christmas tree itself! If you’re the lucky recipient of one of these room-brightening flowers, keep it lush and lovely through the season—and beyond—by following these tips:

1. Poinsettias like full sun, so keep yours near a light source, but sheltered from drafts. If you set your poinsettia on a windowsill, place a piece of cardboard between the plant and the window at night to protect it from chilly air.

2. Water your plant regularly and thoroughly, but don’t ever let it stand in water.

3. If your poinsettia’s foliage starts to yellow, the plant is probably not getting enough light or nitrogen, or is being watered too much. Set it in a brighter location, give it a dose of all-purpose fertilizer, and hold off on the watering until the top of the soil has dried out.

4. Leaves will start to wilt if the plant is too dry or exposed to a draft. So move it to a more sheltered spot and perk it up with a drink.

For more holiday houseplant helpers, check out my Terrific Garden Tonics book—FREE for 21 days. The tips, tricks, and tonics inside will help you show off your green thumb both indoors and out!

‘Tis the Season: Fight the Flu!

2011-12-09T10:14:00.001-05:00

Now that the peak flu season is right around the corner, ask your doctor if you’re an appropriate candidate for a vaccination, if you haven’t already gotten one.

But if the flu winds up striking you or yours, don’t just take it—fight back with garlic! Here’s how the heroic herb can help boost your immune system and control your symptoms:

· Treat yourself to a soothing foot rub: Apply a thin coat of olive oil to the soles of your feet, followed by a rubdown with the cut side of a clove of garlic. Then slip on a thick pair of socks, and get to bed—pronto! When you wake up, you’ll feel a whole lot better—guaranteed!

· Reach for a few more cloves of garlic, chop ‘em up, and toss ‘em into your favorite hot soup. Or whip up a batch of this recipe—it’ll ease stress, restore energy, and reduce fatigue so you’ll be on the road to recovery in no time at all:

· Mix 2 teaspoons of miso paste, 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), 1 tablespoon of grated onion, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar in a large mug or soup bowl. Pour 1 cup of hot vegetable broth over the potent concoction, stir to mix, and sip your troubles away.

· Make a batch of this elixir now so you’ll have it on hand when you need to calm a cough and clear out a stuffy nose. Layer 12 chopped cloves of garlic alternately with layers of granulated sugar. Cover, and let it steep for two days while the sugar pulls the liquid out of the garlic. Strain the juice through a piece of cheesecloth, and take it by the tablespoonful every few hours to calm your cough.

For more quick-and-easy cures, check out my Supermarket Super Remedies book—FREE for 21 days. It’s filled with one-of-a-kind healing hints that often work better than expensive medications, traumatic treatments, and painful procedures.

Ho, Ho, Ho! Here Comes The Snow!

2011-12-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

Like it or not, the official start of winter is just weeks away. And in certain areas of the country, that can only mean one thing—let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! There’s no denying that winter wonderlands are beautiful, but pay attention to sidewalks and walkways around your home. If your town is Johnny-on-the-spot with its salt truck, your grass is going to be an ugly mess next spring where the lawn meets the road. Here’s what you need to do before the first snowflake falls:

1. Liberally sprinkle gypsum on all grassy areas that border streets, sidewalks, and driveways—anyplace that will be treated with salt or snow-melting chemicals.

2. Apply my Winter Walkway Protection tonic. It’ll keep your lawn in great shape all winter long! Here’s how to whip up a batch: Mix 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, ½ cup of ammonia, and ½ cup of beer in your 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and apply it liberally over the gypsum.

3. The freeze-and-thaw cycle of winter weather can damage brick or stone walkways. To keep them from popping to pieces in the winter, mulch over them with 6 inches of weathered hay soon after the ground freezes. It makes a decent walking surface, and when spring comes, you can quickly gather up the mulch and dump it onto your compost pile.

For more handy hints, helpers, and how-tos for every season, check out my Backyard Problem Solver book—FREE for 21 days! It’s chock-full of grow-how to help you get the yard and garden you’ve always wanted.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T10:37:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn’t be the same without the warm, melt-in-your-mouth taste of sweet potatoes. Besides having remarkable flavor, sweet potatoes are packed with beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that may help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and other heavyweight health problems. So give thanks to the sweet potato this Thanksgiving—and every other Thursday of the year!

These healthy sweet potato fries will make you forget about your craving for greasy fast-food French fries. Here’s how to whip up a batch:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray two baking sheets with canola oil cooking spray. Cut 4 scrubbed, unpeeled sweet potatoes in half, then slice each half into several long wedges. Place the wedges on the baking sheets, mist them with additional cooking spray, and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. Bake the fries for 20 minutes, then turn them and cook for an additional 10 to 20 minutes, or until they’re brown and crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle.

Looking for more easy-to-make recipes that’ll tempt your tummy? Check out my Giant Book of Kitchen Counter Cures. It’s loaded with Check out more than 111 recipes plus solid nutritional information and practical advice that you can try—FREE for 21 days!

To Grandmother’s House We Go!

2011-11-18T10:28:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally one of the biggest travel times of the year. And even when you forego flying and decide to drive to your destination, the cost of getting there can really add up! Here’s how to keep the costs in line when driving over the river and through the woods:

· Stick to the slow lane. Driving faster than 60 miles per hour makes your car much less efficient. In a nutshell, you’ll wind up paying a premium of about 25 cents extra for every gallon of gas.

· Lose the load. The more weight there is in your car, the harder the engine will have to work. So pack light and leave any and all non-essentials at home.

· Make your ride aerodynamic. Luggage racks, flags, trailers, and any other add-ons interrupt the smooth flow of air around your car, which makes it much less fuel efficient.

· Cut the engine. Idling for 15 minutes or more quickly burns through gas—especially with the heat blasting. So bundle up and turn off the car while you’re waiting for everyone to finish up at the rest stop.

Above all else, practice patience behind the wheel. Travel safely and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Veterans’ Day!

2011-11-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

Here’s wishing a happy Veterans’ Day to all of our active and retired Armed Forces out there. And for the rest of you, be sure to give an extra tip of the hat (or a great big hug) to all of the service members in your life. After all, they’ve given so much to us.

In the meantime, Ol’ Jack Frost has been making lots of appearances lately, dropping heavy hints that winter is just around the corner. So there’s no time like the present to prepare your beds for the cold months ahead with a thick blanket of mulch. And my Sleepytime Tonic will feed the mulch so that it can nourish your garden until it’s time to wake up. Here’s how:

Mix 1 can of beer, 1 can of regular cola (not diet), 1 cup of baby shampoo, ½ cup of ammonia and ¼ cup of instant tea granules in a bucket, then pour the mixture into your 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer. Saturate the mulch in flower beds, around shrubs, and under trees.

After you’ve given your beds one last sleepytime snack, be sure to store all of your leftover tonics and tonic ingredients in tightly closed, labeled containers, well beyond the reach of children and pets. Make sure that all unused, dry lawn food is raised off the floor on wooden pallets, or tucked into clean plastic garbage cans with good, tight lids. That way, they’ll be ready and rarin’ to go come spring.

For more terrific garden tips and tonics, check out my Backyard Problem Solver book—FREE for 21 days! It’s chock-full of handy hints, helpers, and how-tos.

Give Dandruff Flakes the Brushoff

2011-11-04T08:46:00.001-04:00

It’s true that snow has already made an appearance in some parts of the country, setting records and creating a buzz about how the coming winter is going to be particularly harsh. And while snow may not be falling outside your door, it seems like it’s always the season for little white flakes to appear on your shoulders. Over-the-counter dandruff shampoos may help, but those pesky flakes can be resilient little buggers. Here are some all-natural solutions that’ll help you stop looking over your shoulder and shake those flakes for good!

· Boil 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of water, and 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves. Strain and pour the solution into an airtight container. Let it cool, then massage it into your scalp, and let it dry. Do not shampoo or rinse your hair for at least 12 hours.

· Mix 2 ounces of lemon juice with 1 quart of water, and pour it onto your hair, working it into your scalp with your fingers. Let it sit for 30 minutes, and then shampoo normally. Repeat this process daily for a few weeks until the dandruff disappears.

· Replace any shampoo you’ve been using with baking soda for a month. Just wet your hair, massage a few handfuls of baking soda through your scalp, and rinse. The baking soda will absorb all of the oil from your scalp and loosen the dead skin.

· Use a natural-bristle brush to brush your hair from the scalp outward with steady, firm strokes. This carries excess oil away from your scalp—where it can cause dandruff—to the hair strands, where it gives your hair a healthy shine.

If you’re looking for more odd or unusual cures for common health problems, check out my Oddball Ointments, Powerful Potions, and Fabulous Folk Remedies book. I guarantee that this book is packed with stuff you’ve never heard of before. And it’s yours to preview—FREE for 21 days!

Give Your Lawn Some Late Fall TLC

2011-10-28T08:39:00.003-04:00

Kids will soon be knocking at your door, all decked out in their Halloween costumes. They aren’t the only ones who’ll be expecting goodies from you, though. Your yard and garden are also begging for a little TLC before winter sets in! Here’s what you need to do:

If fall has been dry in your area, give your plants a nice, long drink so they don’t go into the winter with parched soil.
Dig up tender bulbs, such as gladiolus and dahlias, and store them indoors for the winter.
Remove all dead or dying foliage from your beds. Dispose of any woody stalks, diseased, or insect-ridden matter, and send the rest to the compost pile.
After fall clean-up, spray all of your perennial beds with this mixture: 1 can of beer, 1 can of regular cola (not diet), ½ cup of dishwashing liquid, and ½ cup of tobacco tea. (To make tobacco tea, place half a handful of chewing tobacco in an old nylon stocking, and soak it in a gallon of hot water until the mixture is dark brown.) Mix all of the ingredients in a bucket, then apply liberally with your 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer.
Once the ground freezes, mulch beds with chopped leaves, composted manure, salt hay, or pine needles.
As soon as Jack Frost has visited your garden, remove all summer annuals to the compost pile. Sprinkle 1 pound of bonemeal and 1 pound of Epsom salts per 100 sq. ft. of flower bed. Let it set for a week, and then till the soil under.
Mulch your roses with leaves, straw, and soil, or cover them with Styrofoam cones.

Once you’ve got your garden beds all settled in for their long winter’s nap, you can turn your attention to warmer thoughts—like lighting a fire in the fireplace, and curling up with a good book and a cup of tea!

Pumpkins Pumpkins Everywhere!

2011-10-21T08:41:00.004-04:00

Have you harvested your pumpkins yet? There’s no need to rush—in fact, don’t pick ‘em until they’ve reached the rich color you prefer. Once they’re off the vine, their color stops developing. So here’s how to make sure you’re pickin’ positively perfect pumpkins!

· Gently rotate your pumpkins once more to keep ‘em nice and symmetrical.

· If they’re not sitting on boards, cardboard, or plastic by now, carefully set something under them to keep them from rotting.

· Give ‘em lots of water until they’re ready to be picked.

· When you’re ready to harvest, cut the stem free with a sharp knife, and carry the orange orb in your hands—not the stem.

· To store pumpkins, wash ‘em in a solution of 1 cup of chlorine per gallon of water. After they’re dry, store them in a cool, dry, dark place on a board or piece of Styrofoam. Hot and humid areas are no good—and neither is a cement floor.

Then, come Jack-o-lantern carving time, haul your pumpkins out of storage. You’ll have the most ghoulishly delightful decorations on the block!

Get Your House in Order Before Old Man Winter Comes

2011-10-14T08:34:00.004-04:00

Warm weather weekends are coming to an end, so it’s time to clean the outside of your house. As an added benefit, your house will look ship-shape for fall gatherings, and cutting through the grime now will cut down on a major cleanup come spring.

• Spiff up shabby aluminum siding:

This mix gets rid of grime, mildew, and dirt like magic. Mix ¼ cup of ammonia and 2 gallons of water together in a sturdy plastic pail. Scrub the mix onto the siding with a stiff brush, and rinse it clean with a garden hose.

• Clean up cruddy concrete:

Use this mixture to scrub away stains and brighten the appearance of your sidewalks, driveways, and patios. Cover surrounding areas with plastic, so they don’t get damaged by any overspray, and wear rubber gloves, long sleeves, and long pants. Wet the area down with a garden hose, apply a 50-50 mix of bleach and water on with a long-handled scrub brush, and use a little elbow grease until the stains are gone. Then rinse the area thoroughly. And if you’ve got a power washer, pour the mix on wet concrete, and let the water blast do the scrubbing.

• Get rid of rust on your patio:

If your grill or metal furniture has left rust stains on your concrete patio, wet the spots and cover them completely with powdered lemonade mix. Set a sheet of plastic wrap over each area, holding it in place with a rock or brick. Let it sit for about half an hour while the citric acid in the mix bleaches the stains away. Then scrub each stain with a stiff brush, and rinse off the lemonade with plenty of water from the garden hose.

Keep Your Family Safe- Wash It Up!

2011-10-07T08:42:00.002-04:00

Thanks to the recent deadly listeria discovered in cantaloupe and the latest news about the virus being found in Romaine lettuce, most folks are wondering “What’s next?”

Tainted melons and lettuce have been voluntarily recalled by their distributors, but if you suspect you’ve already purchased any of the affected produce, get rid of it, pronto. Then thoroughly clean and sanitize any surfaces it may have come in contact with.

The recent events are a good reminder to wash fruits and vegetables before eating. And clean up thoroughly after prepping produce. Wash your hands, cutting board, and utensils so that you don’t transfer germs to other food. Here’s how to be firm with germs:

1. Before slicing a melon or grapefruit (or any other fruit that you slice through to get to the good stuff), wash the outside of the fruit with soap and hot running water. If the skin is carrying any bacteria, and you don’t wash it first, you’ll drag those germs through the fruit with the very first cut.

2. Most bacteria and dirt are trapped near the ends of fresh fruit and vegetables, where the blossom fell off or the stem was attached. So before you wash that zuke or cuke, slice off—and dispose of—the ends.

3. Soak salad greens in a large bowl filled with cold water, 4 tablespoons of salt, and the juice of a whole fresh lemon. Let them sit for about 5 minutes, then rinse ‘em under cold water.

4. Wash waxy fruit or veggies, then sprinkle on a little baking soda, and use a damp paper towel to rub the coating off. Rinse each piece thoroughly when you’re done.

5. Keep a bottle of this germ-killer handy to clean smooth-skinned fruits and veggies: Mix 1 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water in a handheld sprayer bottle and spritz your fruit or veggies with the solution. Count to 10, and then rinse it off under running water.

For more tips and tricks for selecting and preparing everything from apples to yogurt properly, check out my Giant Book of Kitchen Counter Cures—FREE for 21 days. You’ll get plenty of solid nutritional information, practical advice and over 111 fresh, easy-to-make recipes that’ll tempt your tummy and help keep you out of the doctor’s office.

Get Ready Now for Beautiful Blooms This Spring

2011-09-30T08:43:00.002-04:00

Right now is the perfect time to plant spring-flowering bulbs for a gorgeous display of beautiful blooms next year. Bulbs are a low-maintenance gardener’s dream. They come equipped with their own stored food supply, and they know exactly what to do to replenish it year after year.

Here’s how to get your bulbs ready and rarin’ to grow:

· Soak ‘em in this Beauty Bath to get ‘em clean and ready an hour or so before planting. Mix 2 teaspoons of baby shampoo, 1 teaspoon of antiseptic mouthwash, and 1/4 teaspoon of instant tea granules in 2 gallons of warm water.

· Plant each bulb at a depth that’s three times its size. That means that tulip bulbs, which are usually about 2 inches in diameter, go 6 inches into the soil. And about 3 inches is just the ticket for miniature daffodils, which start off as 1-inch bulbs

· Feed ‘em my Bulb Breakfast of Champions for a slow and steady source of nutrients at planting time. Mix 10 pounds of compost, 5 pounds of bonemeal, 2 pounds of bloodmeal, and 1 pound of Epsom salts in a wheelbarrow. Work this hearty meal into every 100 square feet of soil in your bulb-planting beds. Or, if you’re planting bulbs among other plants, work a handful of this mix into the soil before setting in the bulb.

Looking for more super secrets for growing a gorgeous garden? Check out my Perfect Perennials book—FREE for 21 days. It’s filled with quick tips and super secrets for bloomin' beauties that'll flourish year after year with little or no work!

Blister-Blastin’ Healing Hints

2011-09-23T08:56:00.002-04:00

I’ve been spending lots of time in the garden these days, cleaning up my flower beds, and harvesting the last of my vegetables. And wouldn’t you know it, I’ve gotten a few blisters on my fingers in the process. But I’m not going to let the sores keep me from my gardening tasks—and you shouldn’t let ‘em sideline you, either. Just keep in mind these blister-blastin’ healing hints:

· The only time a blister is really dangerous is when it gets infected, so the best way to keep nasty germs at bay is to clean it (and the surrounding skin) once or twice a day. Wash the area well with soap and water, then dry it thoroughly. Too much moisture will soften the blister and make it more likely to break open before it’s ready.

· Even though it’s good to protect a blister with a bandage, you should keep it uncovered for at least 20 minutes a day. A little air circulation will help protect the area from infection-causing bacteria, which thrive in dark, moist places.

· If you’re still worried about infection, do what my Grandma Putt did for me: Add a teaspoon each of rosemary and thyme to a cup of hot water and steep for about 10 minutes. Let the liquid cool to room temperature, pour some on a cloth, and hold it against your blister for about 20 minutes. Repeat once or twice daily until the blister is gone.

· Big blisters sometimes take a long time to heal. You can speed things along by applying yarrow, an herb that naturally (and safely) draws out the fluid. Chop or crumble fresh or dried yarrow (available at health food stores), then add enough water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the blister and cover it with an adhesive or gauze bandage. Replace the dressing once a day until the blister is gone.

· Above all else, avoid blisters next time you head out to the garden by slipping on a pair of gardening gloves first!

Check out even more time-tested, doctor recommended advice that’ll cure just about anything that ails you in my Grandma Putt’s Home Health Remedies—FREE for 21 days. It’s filled with old-time cures that can ease, erase, or eliminate hundreds of everyday ailments.

Help Our Feathered-Friends Get Ready to Go South!

2011-09-16T08:50:00.002-04:00

Fall brings a wave of migrating songbirds heading south for the winter. So catch the attention of these long-haul travelers by making your yard a welcome oasis. You’ll be providing them with a well-deserved break from their long commute. Here’s how:

· Stock up on basic seeds, plus special varieties like niger, flaxseed, poppy, and sesame seeds. You’ll host plenty of large and small seedeaters throughout the winter—long after the migration season has ended.

· Keep a generous supply of suet and other fats on hand. They are literal lifesavers when temps start to dip below freezing.

· Don’t be so quick to weed your garden, or cut down plants that are past their prime. Weed seeds, seed heads, and wild berries are prime pickings for ravenous birds that have to cover thousands of miles in just a few weeks.

· Hungry birds need extra calories during their long flight south, and they’ll appreciate the concoctions you make just for them. Here’s a special recipe that’s suited to the tastes of robins, thrashers, and thrushes:

Combine 6 parts cornmeal, 2 parts chopped suet, and 2 parts peanut butter, mixing well with your hands. Add 1 part each of finely chopped peanuts, raisins, fresh or dried cherries, and chopped dried apples and mix well with your hands or a strong spoon until evenly distributed. Form into a block to serve in a low feeder tray for perching birds, or crumble 1 to 2 cups and serve directly on the ground.

· Not sure who will be flying by? Here’s a seed mix that will satisfy every bird that arrives at the feeder:

Measure 5 cups of black oil sunflower seeds, 4 cups of millet, 2 cups of cracked corn, and 1 cup of niger into a dry, clean bucket. Mix well using your hands. Store in a tightly capped plastic gallon milk jug.

For more timely tricks that’ll have your feathered friends flocking to your neck of the woods, check out my Backyard Bird Feeding Bonanza book—FREE for 21 days! You’ll turn your yard into a song-filled feeding frenzy faster than you can say “White-breasted nuthatch”!

Turf Treats For Your Lawn

2011-09-09T09:23:00.002-04:00

While your flower and vegetable gardens are starting to slow down, your grass is gearing up for one last burst of growth. So treat your turf right—right now—and you’ll be rewarded with a lush, thick lawn next spring. Here’s how:

1. Continue cutting your grass to its maximum recommended height until it stops growing or goes dormant. Then drop the blade a notch and mow one last time. Don’t know what your maximum height should be? It’s easy: Simply set the height of your mower blade so that you never cut more than one third of the grass blade length at any one time.

2. Now’s the ideal time to buck up your lawn with a fresh supply of seed. The seed will have plenty of time to establish itself during the cool fall days if you reseed about six weeks before the first frost is expected.

3. It’s fine to leave grass clippings on your freshly mown lawn, but fallen leaves are a different story. Left on the lawn, they can block sun and moisture from reaching the grass. So rake up the leaves and add them to the compost pile. To speed up the decomposition process, mow them over several times first, chopping them into small pieces.

4. Give your grass a taste of this fortified lawn food, and be prepared for a great-looking lawn that’ll sail right through the worst weather winter can throw at it:

Mix 3 pounds of Epsom salts, 1 cup of dry laundry soap, and 1 bag of dry lawn food (enough to cover 2,500 sq. ft. of lawn area), and apply at half of the recommended rate with a broadcast spreader.

For more terrific tips and fantastic formulas, check out my Green Grass Magic book—FREE for 21 days! You’ll get everything you need to keep your lawn growing gorgeous and green so that it’s the envy of the neighborhood.

Have a Labor Day Picnic For Your Lawn

2011-09-02T08:40:00.002-04:00

Happy Labor Day! There’s nothing like a holiday weekend to get us out of the house enjoying the unofficial end of summer. So invite your friends and family over for a backyard cookout, then when cleanup time rolls around, treat your garden to the leftovers. After all, solid food is just fine for a routine diet, but plants appreciate some liquid refreshment every now and then.

So instead of pouring leftover drinks down the drain, serve ‘em to a plant instead—that liquid is chock-full of health-giving nutrients! Here’s a list of your garden’s favorite refreshing beverages:

· Beer

· Juice

· Tea

· Coffee

· Soda pop

· Whiskey

· Wine

· Flavored water

And here’s a picnic for your potted plants that’ll keep ‘em growing strong until the end of the growing season.

Mix 2 tablespoons of brewed black coffee, 2 tablespoons of whiskey, 1 teaspoon of fish emulsion, ½ teaspoon of gelatin powder, ½ teaspoon of baby shampoo, ½ teaspoon of ammonia, and a gallon of water in a watering can, and water your potted plants with the mixture once a week to keep them happy, healthy, and full of flowers!

For more garden-growin’ magic, check out my Supermarket Super Gardens book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips that’ll help you keep your garden in tip-top shape.

Make Your Trash Work For You!

2011-08-26T08:55:00.001-04:00

We all know that when you’re feeding a crowd at a cookout, paper plates can save you a whole lot of cleanup time. But that’s not the only way these disposable, sturdy helpers can come to your aid. Here’s just a small sampling of other chores paper plates can perform for you:

In the garden:

· Say “adios” to ants. Whether the tiny rascals are traipsing into your house or making mischief at your barbecue, serve up ultra-safe ant bait on a paper plate. When the bait’s all gone, toss the plate into the compost bin, or bury it in the garden. You’ll solve your pest problem and improve your soil at the same time.

· Make sticky traps for flying bugs. Poke a hole near the edge of the plate, and thread a piece of wire through it. Coat the paper surface with corn syrup or petroleum jelly, and hang the trap on or next to a plagued plant. Every few days, remove the bug-covered plate and replace it with a fresh one.

· Make a quickie bird feeder. Use thumbtacks to attach heavy-duty, pressed paper plates to your wooden porch railing or other sheltered spot, and scatter a handful of black oil sunflower seeds in each one.

Around the house:

· Catch paint drips. Before you start painting a ceiling, poke a hole in a paper plate and push your brush handle through. Then you’ll be sure that the paint will dribble onto the plate and not on your head.

· Cushion your china. When ceramic plates are stacked on a shelf, the bottom of one can scratch the surface of the plate below. To keep that from happening, put paper plates between them.

· Play the learning game. Flash cards are great teaching aids, but they can work even better if your spice up the action. How? Just write or draw the relevant letters, numbers, shapes, or words on paper plates. When the student gets the answer right, he or she can celebrate by flinging the plate across the room, Frisbee-style!

For more trash-to-treasure tips, garden growin’ magic, and critter controls, check out my Supermarket Super Gardens book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tricks that’ll help you whip even the saddest yard into tip-top shape.

2011-08-19T09:02:00.001-04:00

There’s nothing like a slice of chilled watermelon on a hot summer day. But in the laziest, haziest dog days of summer, try a sippable watermelon slush instead. Here’s how to whip up a batch of blended bliss:

In a blender or food processor, whirl 1 can (10 ounces) of frozen nonalcoholic margarita mix and 3 cups of cubed, seeded watermelon. Add 2 cups of frozen cubed watermelon* (or ice cubes), and pulse until the mixture is slushy. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

* To make frozen cubed watermelon: Cube seedless watermelon, place the cubes on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and freeze. When frozen, transfer to a plastic freezer bag and return to the freezer.

Now all you have to do is find a cool breeze and a comfy hammock, sit back, and enjoy the summer as you indulge in this sweetest of all cancer fighters.

It’s true! Red watermelon is rich in lycopene, one of the six active carotenoids that create the red, orange, and yellow colors in foods and that are now being heralded for their power to prevent various cancers. At least two studies have shown that lycopene is tops when it comes to gobbling up dangerous singlet oxygen before it can damage your cells and start them on the road to becoming cancer.

To learn more about the healing powers of food—plus over 111 easy-to-make recipes that’ll tempt your tummy, check out my Giant Book of Kitchen Counter Cures, FREE for 21 days! It’s loaded with solid nutritional information and practical advice.

2011-08-12T08:56:00.001-04:00

Ready or not—here comes ragweed season! And for the 36 million seasonal allergy sufferers in the U.S., this means it’s time for sneezing, wheezing, runny noses, and watery eyes.

A lot of allergy sufferers I know swear by this Anti-Allergy Juice as an effective—and delicious—treatment for their seasonal woes. What’s more, besides helping to relieve allergy symptoms, it’s chock-full of vitamins that will fine-tune your whole internal system. Here’s how to make a batch of the jewel-toned sipper:

Cut three carrots, half of a beet with greens, and half of a cucumber into sections about 1 inch by ½ inch, and process them in your juicer (either all together or separately, depending on the size of the container). Drink two to three 8-ounce glasses of the combo a day.

Looking for a simpler ragweed-relief remedy? My Grandma Putt’s favorite treatment still works wonders for me. Soak a washcloth in the hottest water you can stand, wring it out, and lay it across your nose and sinuses. If you keep the cloth as hot as you can, it seems to work on the same principle as hot soup or spicy food: It loosens and liquefies mucus.

Get ready to feel and look your best with even more DIY formulas and tried-and-true treatments that have been around for generations. My brand-new Healing Fixers, Mixers & Elixirs book is packed with remedies, routines, tonics, and toddies that’ll keep you in fine fettle. And it’s yours to preview—FREE for 21 days!

2011-08-05T08:42:00.002-04:00

You’ve been looking forward to your vacation for months, so don’t let a little—URP!—motion sickness spoil your good time. If you tend to turn green on curves in the car or suffer from mal de mer on a boat, then these tips have your name written all over them:

· Face forward. I always wondered why some people wouldn’t ride backward on a train or a boat. Now I realize it’s for balance. If you face forward when you travel, you’re more likely to prevent motion sickness.

· Carefully select your seat. Sit in the most stable section of a moving vehicle—midship on a boat, the middle of a bus, over the wings in a plane, the first car of a train, and the front seat of a car.

· Don’t read. Reading while in motion can make you queasy, so don’t follow the trip’s progress by staring at the map.

· Ban odor. Avoid strong odors before and during trips. At pit stops, for instance, make sure nobody gets in the car with a bag of fries or a double cheeseburger. And keep the fresh air flowing. If you are sealed up in a plane, make sure the air vent over your seat is working.

· Book the QE2. Try a big ship cruise, rather than that romantic bareboat charter. The bigger the boat, the more stable it is in the water. It’ll be smooth sailing!

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to prevent it, you still wind up with an upset stomach. So here’s a few ways to quickly quell the queasies:

· Sip only clear liquids such as ginger ale, plain water, or soothing teas. Vomiting and diarrhea cause your body to lost a lot of liquid, which it’s important to replace.

· Make ginger tea by boiling a quarter-size piece of ginger in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes.

· Grab an uncut lemon, and scratch into the peel. Now sniff the clean, fresh citrus scent.

· When your appetite finally returns, scout around the kitchen for bland food. Consider eating easy-to-digest applesauce, a little plain rice, dry toast, or even a mild cooked vegetable.

Note: If your nausea is accompanied by chest pain, sweating, or shortness of breath, call your doctor right away. These symptoms can indicate a heart attack.

2011-07-29T08:50:00.004-04:00

Goodness, gracious—grapes are in season! And they’re not just yummy. They offer a bunch (pun intended) of health benefits, too.

Think grapes are so sweet and satisfying that there’s no way they’re good for you? Think again. Here are some of the latest scientific findings that show what’s so great about grapes:

· Grape skins are rich in resveratrol, a compound that puts the brakes on an enzyme that cancer cells need in order to grow.

· Purple grape juice is bursting with flavonoids, which improve blood flow and protect your arteries.

· Drinking grape juice helps make bad (LDL) cholesterol less likely to oxidize and stick to artery walls.

Gobble up grapes in these delicious ways:

· Toss seedless grapes into your green salad to add a sweet crunch. They add crispy goodness to chicken, shrimp, and tuna salad, too.

· Serve fruit kabobs for desserts. Skewer grapes, banana slices, whole strawberries, and pineapple chunks. Drizzle with honey, lime juice, and allspice, and set ‘em on a warm grill to heat them through.

· Ditch the candy dish and replace it with a bowl of grapes. Here’s betting you’ll pop a few in your mouth every time you walk by.

Here’s one of my frosty treats that’s packed with flavor—and you can whip it up in a flash! It tastes so yummy that you’ll forget it’s good for you:

In a blender, whirl 1 cup of fat-free frozen cherry yogurt and 1/2 cup of purple grape juice until creamy smooth. Garnish with a cluster of purple grapes, still on the stem, and serve with a wide straw.

Check out more than 111 easy-to-make recipes that’ll tempt your tummy, in my Giant Book of Kitchen Counter Cures. It’s loaded with solid nutritional information and practical advice that you can try—FREE for 21 days!

2011-07-25T08:12:00.005-04:00

If you’ve got a furry four-legged friend as part of your household, you know that when nature calls, dogs answer (after all, a smooth, green lawn is our goal, not theirs). The spots that occur are simply the result of too much of a good thing—namely, nitrogen and salts. The same brown, burned-looking patches would occur if you spilled fertilizer on the grass.

If the deed has just been done, it’s a snap to head off damage: Just turn on the hose, and flush the site thoroughly. After more than a day or so, though, follow this routine from my Supermarket Super Gardens book:

Lightly sprinkle gypsum over and around each spot to dissolve the accumulated salts.
Pour 1 cup of baby shampoo into a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and overspray the lawn to the point of runoff.
One week later, overspray the turf with my Lawn Stress-Reliever Tonic:

Mix 1 cup of antiseptic mouthwash, 1 cup of baby shampoo, 1 cup of tobacco tea*, ¾ cup of weak tea water**, and ¼ cup of ammonia in a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and apply the solution to your lawn to the point of runoff.

*To make tobacco tea, put half a handful of chewing tobacco in an old nylon stocking and soak it in a gallon of hot water until the mixture is dark brown.

**To make weak tea water, soak a used tea bag and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of water until the mix is light brown.

And if you’ve got areas in your yard where you don’t want Rover to roam, try one of these non-toxic dog deterrents:

Scatter rotten potatoes around new planting beds or garbage cans.
Sprinkle slivers of orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruits peel among your plants.
Shove a cinnamon stick into the soil of a potted plant.
Rub chili oil onto leaves of plants that Fido’s been sniffing around or munching on.
Lay aluminum foil on outdoor cushions. The crackly sound and strange feel will send pups scurrying elsewhere in search of comfort.

You’ll learn even more critter controls, weed whackers, and good old garden-growin’ magic when you check out my Supermarket Super Gardens book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips that’ll help you whip even the saddest yard into tip-top shape.

2011-07-15T08:25:00.001-04:00

This week, I’m going to help you out with a really effective insect repellent recipe from my Supermarket Super Gardens book. Have you been looking for one that doesn’t contain toxic chemicals? Well, look no further! Bugs hate this formula, but it’s safe enough to spray on kids. What’s more, it’s a snap to make. Here’s how:

Put ½ cup each of fresh mint, lavender, thyme, and rose-scented geraniums in a bowl. Heat 1 cup of white vinegar just to the boiling point, and pour it over the herbs. Cover the bowl, and let the herbs steep until the vinegar has cooled to room temperature. Then strain out the solids and pour the liquid into a handheld sprayer bottle.

Spritz all of your exposed skin with the potion before you head outdoors, and reapply it every couple of hours. Annoying bugs will bug you no more!

(Note: Store your repellent in the refrigerator, where it will keep for about two months.)

And here’s a few more clever ways to keep bugs at bay when you’re grillin’ or chillin’ in your backyard:

· When you’re kicking back in the shade of a tree, sipping a nice, cool drink, don’t share it with a bunch of bugs. Just cover the top of your glass with aluminum foil, poke a hole in it, and push a straw through the hole. Then sip to your heart’s content—and the bugs’ frustration.

· Bees and skeeters both flee from the odor of scented dryer sheets. So before you head outside in the good old summertime, tie one of these aromatic squares through one of your belt loops or buttonholes.

· Toss a handful of sage or rosemary onto the coals of your barbecue. You’ll keep the biters at bay and spice up your chow at the same time!

· Smooth a bit of mentholated rub onto your arms, legs, and neck before you head out to your garden. It’ll fend off ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting bugs.

· Rub a slice of raw onion over your exposed skin, and the bitin’ bugs will give you the cold shoulder. (But then again, so will your friends and family!)

For more bug-bustin’, garden-growin’, weed-whackin’ magic, check out my Supermarket Super Gardens book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips that’ll help you whip even the saddest yard into tip-top shape.

2011-07-08T08:22:00.003-04:00

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been giving you the low-down on ways to reinvent items you may normally toss out without giving them a second thought. But wait—there’s so much more to my terrific Supermarkets Super Gardens book than that! So this week, I’d like to share my latest and greatest tried-and-true methods for telling slugs to hit the slimy trail!

If slugs are driving you bonkers this summer, grab an empty baby wipe box. Those sturdy plastic boxes can perform almost as many jobs as the wipes themselves! Here’s how they can help you slap them slugs to Kingdom Come:

Sink a box in the soil (minus the lid), leaving about 1/8 inch sticking up above the surface. Then pour in your bait of choice. The slippery slimers will belly up to the bar, fall in, and die happy.

So what should you use for slug bait? Here’s some dandy choices—take your pick of whatever you have on hand:

Beer
Grape juice
Orange or grapefruit rinds
Avocado peels
Raw potato slices

And, if you can get your hands on some quack grass, these “baked goods” will save the day.

Mix 1 part each of finely chopped quack grass blades and wheat bran with 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a bowl. Then slowly add the beer, stirring until the mixture has the consistency of cookie dough. Run the dough through a meat grinder, or chop it into small bits (roughly 1/8 to 1/4 thick). Let the “cookies” air-dry overnight, and sprinkle them on the ground among your plants. The slugs will think it’s time to party when they get a yeasty whiff of the tasty treats. But after a couple of bites, they’ll have a killer of a hangover!

OK, I can’t help myself. Now I’m champing at the bit to let you in on a few more rip-roarin’ ways to reuse empty baby wipe containers! I already told you how they make the perfect slug traps. Just take a gander at these possibilities:

· Building blocks. Just collect ‘em and let the kids build towers, bridges, castles, and even whole towns. They’re sturdy and waterproof, and with their rounded corners, they’re safe for even tiny tykes to play with.

· Clutter busters. Use them as mini storage chests for all kinds of tiny odds and ends, such as hobby, craft, and sewing supplies; spare electrical parts; and small office gear.

· First-aid kits. Fill ‘em up with essentials like bandages and antiseptic ointment, and keep them in your car, workshop, garden shed, or kitchen—anyplace accidents tend to happen.

· Pitching-practice targets. Stake ‘em up outdoors, wind up, and let ‘er rip. Three strikes and you win!

· Seed-starting trays. Sow your seeds in individual containers with drainage holes, and set two planting pots into each box.

· Traveling trash can. Tuck a wipes box under the seat of your car. It’s sturdier than a bag, and when you have anything, um, fragrant to dispose of, you can snap the lid closed to contain the odor.

For more trash-to-treasure tips, garden-growin’ magic, weed whackers, and critter controls, check out my Supermarket Super Gardens book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tricks that’ll help you whip even the saddest yard into tip-top shape.

2011-07-01T08:58:00.001-04:00

Last week, I spilled the beans on a few “egg-cellent” secrets inside my new Supermarket Super Gardens book. So this week I thought I’d let the cat out of the bag on even more of my super secrets for reducing, reusing, and recycling.

You know me—I’ll never throw anything away if there’s a way to reinvent it, especially if it can come in handy around the yard and garden. Whether it’s coffee cans, panty hose, paper clips or old hoses, I just can’t seem to bring myself to get rid of some things.

For instance, before you throw out that empty bottle of liquid laundry detergent, bleach, or fabric softener, STOP! Otherwise, you’d be tossing one of the handiest outdoor helpers you could ask for: a big, sturdy plastic bottle. Here’s how you can put ‘em to work in your yard and garden:

· Deep irrigation system. Poke small holes in the bottoms and sides of the bottles, bury them in the soil at strategic spots in your garden, and fill them with water. The moisture will flow out at a slow, steady rate, directly to your plants’ roots, where it’s needed most.

· Garden-tool caddy. Make a big hole in a giant bottle on the side opposite the handle. Then insert your trowel, pruning shears, and other small hand tools through the hole to carry them wherever they’re needed.

· Plant labels. Cut the sides of white or yellow bottles into strips, write on them with an indelible marker, and shove the strips into the soil next to the appropriate plants.

· Scoop. Cut diagonally across the bottom, screw the top back on, and use it to scoop up sand, fertilizer, compost, cat litter, or just about any other nonedible substance.

· Watering can. Drill a dozen or more holes in the cap of a giant bottle. Fill the bottle with water, and screw the top back on. To water your plants, flip the bottle upside down, and let the H₂O flow!

And, as unlikely as it might seem, a few potent laundry and cleaning products can actually help ease some of the most common—and uncomfortable—outdoor mishaps. Here’s a quick-cure rundown:

· Bee stings. After scraping out the stinger, dab a few drops of bluing onto the spot, and—bingo!—instant relief!

· Fire-ant bites. Douse the flames by dabbing the area with a half-and-half solution of bleach and water. If it’s applied within 15 minutes of the bite, it’ll ease the pain and swelling. (But if the pain is severe, or spreads beyond the bitten spot, hightail it to the closest doctor.)

· Mosquito bites. Nix the itch and swelling by dabbing the spot with a few drops of ammonia. Act fast, though, before you start scratching. If you apply ammonia to broken skin, the sting will feel a whole lot worse than the skeeter’s bite!

· Poison ivy. Relieve the pain and itch by patting the nasty red blotches with a solution consisting of a teaspoon or so of bleach per quart of water.

· Rash. Grab a can of spray starch, and spritz that itch goodbye!

Some folks may think I’m a little crazy when I tell them my best outdoor tips use supermarket “stuff” like detergent bottles, bleach, aspirin, hot pepper sauce, or even beer. But they stop shakin’ their heads and really start believing when they see the remarkable results! (Click here to see what they’ve done in their own yards.)

Best yet, you’ll get ‘em all when you check out my blockbuster, bestselling SupermarketSuper Gardens book. And it’s yours—FREE—for a special 21-Day Preview! While you’re checking it out, don’t forget to watch the DIY video that’ll show you how to put my supermarket secrets to work in your own backyard.

2011-06-24T08:50:00.001-04:00

We’re trying something new here at Jerry Baker, and we’re pretty excited about it! If you regularly receive mailed advertisements from us, you may have noticed the new QR code on the inside back cover of this month’s mailing. It’s the funny looking black and white square that’s actually a two-dimensional barcode. The QR code allows us to participate in “mobile tagging,” and if you found this site using your smart phone, here’s a big hearty welcome to you!

And to those of you who are regulars, thanks for stopping by again, old friend!

This week I thought I’d let you in on some of my best-kept secrets from my new Supermarket Super Gardens book. I’ve spilled the beans in the bookalog that’s in the mail, but there’s thousands more where they came from.

So I thought we’d focus on how eggs and eggshells can help you grow lusher lawns and greener gardens. You’ll learn a lot and save a bundle in the process. These tips may sound funny, but just wait ‘til you see what they can do!

For starters:

· Add ground eggshells to your soil to make it more alkaline, which allows plants to absorb nutrients more easily.

· Toss nitrogen-rich eggshells onto the compost pile to green it up.

· If the bottom end of your squash, tomatoes, peppers, and watermelon suddenly collapses and rots, you’ve got blossom-end rot. Fend it off with an organic mulch, then, each time you water, scratch a handful of ground eggshells into the soil around each plant.

· End your fly frustrations by beating 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of molasses and a pinch of black pepper. Pour the mixture into jar lids or shallow cans, and set them around your house. The flies will fly in for a three-point landing, and they won’t take off again.

· When dilly-dallying deer just won’t leave your trees and shrubs alone, this is the remedy to reach for. It’s become a classic, and for good reason: It works like a charm!

Put 2 tablespoons of ground cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons of hot pepper sauce, 2 eggs, and 2 cloves of garlic in a blender with 2 cups of water. Puree, and let the mixture sit for two days. Then either pour it around your deer-plagued plants, or apply it with a handheld sprayer.

When you’re out of eggs and eggshells, don’t throw the carton away—no sireee! You can use that handy-dandy contraption to:

· Start seeds. Fill paper cartons with starter mix, and plant your seeds according to the packet directions. At transplant time, cut the sections apart and put ‘em right in the ground.

· Pre-sprout spuds. Potato eyes are more likely to sprout if your start them indoors, and paper egg cartons make perfect starter pots.

· Cool your sunburn. Separate the top and bottom halves of a plastic egg carton and pour milk into each egg compartment. Pop the sections into the freezer, then whenever you need relief from sunburn or heat rash, pull out a mini “milksicle” and rub it over the affected skin.

Some folks may think I’m a little crazy when I tell them my best garden tips use supermarket “stuff” like eggs, soda pop, castor oil, or even orange peels. But they stop shakin’ their heads and really start believing when they see the remarkable results! (Click here to see what they’ve done in their own yards.)

Best yet, you’ll get ‘em all when you check out my blockbuster, bestselling Supermarket Super Gardens book. And it’s yours—FREE—for a special 21-Day Preview! While you’re checking it out, don’t forget to watch the DIY video that’ll show you how to put my supermarket secrets to work in your own backyard.

2011-06-17T08:40:00.002-04:00

Father’s Day is Sunday, and it’s the perfect time to sit down with your dear old dad over a few cups of joe. Then show him a few fresh-brewed ways to use the leftover coffee grounds.

· Freshen up a musty car overnight. Here’s a quick fix for clearing the air in a car that got damp: Cut the foot off an old pair of panty hose and fill it with used dry coffee grounds. Then tie a knot above the coffee and set the sack on the car’s dash or in the cup holder overnight. This trick will work like magic—in the morning the car will be fresh as a daisy.

· Say “adios” to ants. Fill a few paper lunch bags with dry coffee grounds and set the sacks wherever you’ve spotted ants inside your house. You can sprinkle loose grounds outside where you suspect they’re getting in. The coffee aroma will repel the ants, and if they happen to ingest the grounds, the caffeine will knock ‘em dead.

· Fill in scuffs and scratches on wood furniture. Disguise nicks and dings by dipping a cotton swab in damp used coffee grounds and dabbing away at the scuffs. The tannins in the coffee will do a quick dye job, and no one will be the wiser.

· Sweep out a garage without stirring up dust. Sprinkle damp coffee grounds across the garage floor before grabbing a broom. The weight of the grounds will keep the dirt and dust in check so cleanup will be a breeze.

· Grow showier shrubs. Work a layer of coffee grounds into the dirt around your flowering bushes for the healthiest, most vigorous shrubs in the neighborhood. When they bloom, they’ll bloom big time!

2011-06-10T09:26:00.001-04:00

School may be out for the summer, but that doesn’t mean you should pack up the chalk. Here are five fantastic ways to use the classroom classic in the yard, garden, workshop, and garage:

1. Say “keep out” to slugs by sprinkling powdered chalk around the perimeter of your planting beds. The slimers won’t dare cross the line!

2. Chalk deters ants, too, so use the powdered version to protect trees, shrubs, and other plants. To keep ants out of the house or she, just draw a chalk line around exterior door and window frames.

3. To keep your tools rust-free, tuck a few sticks of chalk into your toolbox. They’ll attract the moisture that would otherwise cling to the metal.

4. Prevent a screwdriver from slipping by rubbing a little chalk on the tip.

5. If you’ve got a balky car or house key, rub some chalk over the tip and along the teeth. Slide it in and out of the keyhole several times and you’re good to go.

Looking for more super-powered products to make your life easier? Check out my Supermarket Super Products book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips and tricks that put common household products to work in thousands of new and exciting ways.

2011-06-03T08:56:00.003-04:00

The high cost of filling up the ol’ gas tank is hitting everyone hard—including your local supermarket. They’re paying big bucks to have their goods delivered, and they’re passing the extra expense on to you. So here’s how to save more at the grocery store:

1. Don’t be dazzled by sales. If you don’t really like an item, and you’re only buying it because it’s marked down, steer clear.

2. Check your fridge, freezer, and pantry before writing out your grocery list. You might be surprised at the meals you can whip up using food you already have on hand.

3. Being a member of a certain store’s loyalty program doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll find the best deal. Check the sales flyers from all of the grocery stores in your area and shop around.

4. Cheaper products aren’t placed at eye level or on end caps—those spots are reserved for goods the store is trying to sell faster. Look up and down and check the prices of all brands before making a choice.

5. Locally grown organic produce is usually cheaper than organic fruits and veggies shipped from other states. So check the signs and stickers on the displays.

2011-05-27T08:56:00.001-04:00

This spring’s off-the-charts pollen count is bringing misery to allergy sufferers around the country—so it’s time to take a stand against pollen!

If allergy symptoms are keeping you from appreciating the beautiful weather, then check out these ideas for drying up the drips:

· If a bowl of hot-and-sour soup or a dish of spicy chili doesn’t clear your stuffy nose, probably nothing will. Spicy food clears out blocked nasal passages, and the heat loosens mucus and runs it right out of your nose.

· Horseradish perks up the senses and clears passages from the nose right up into the sinuses. This is a powerful potion that’s best taken raw: Just grate some horseradish into a glass of tomato juice; mix it up with your favorite salsa; or, if you’re very brave, eat it right off the stalk!

· Use eucalyptus soap in your daily shower. The scent will permeate your nose with the hot steam and open clogged nasal passages.

· Soak a washcloth in the hottest water you can stand, wring it out, and lay it across your nose and sinuses for a while. If you keep the cloth as hot as you can, it’ll loosen and liquefy mucus.

For even more healthy hints that’ll have you feelin’ fine in no time, check out my Oddball Ointments book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with powerful potions and fabulous folk remedies that’ll prevent, heal, and even cure over 125 ailments and illnesses.

2011-05-20T09:27:00.001-04:00

There’s gold in them thar grass clippings—and food, too! So here’s the deal: If you simply leave grass clippings in place when you mow your lawn, you’ll be supplying up to half the nitrogen your grass needs—and it’s absolutely free. But this only works if you don’t use chemical fertilizers, which stall the decomposition of the clippings, rob the grass plants of free food, and contribute to thatch buildup.

So what should you feed your lawn? There are some excellent commercial natural fertilizers available, but it’s easy to make your own healthy chow. This is the recipe Grandma Putt came up with to keep her lawn in tip-top shape—and it still works wonders today!

Thoroughly mix 5 parts seaweed meal, 3 parts granite dust, 1 part dehydrated manure, and 1 part bonemeal in a large wheelbarrow. Apply the mixture evenly over your turf with a broadcast spreader, then stand back and watch that grass go to town!

For more tremendous tricks that’ll turn a ho-hum lawn into a gorgeous green showplace, check out my All-American Lawns book—FREE for 21 days! Weeds, disease, disasters, and ugly bare spots will be history with this amazing grass growin’ guide.

2011-05-06T08:41:00.004-04:00

In honor of Mother’s Day, here’s a fun way to brighten up Mom’s backyard landscape—after the sun sets! She’ll be delighted by these mini-lanterns all summer long, and the best thing is that you can make them yourself for pennies. All you need are a few small glass jelly jars, a spool of fine-gauge wire, and a handful of votive candles.

Here’s how to make a little moonlight magic:

For each jar, cut a piece of wire 40 to 50 inches long. Bend the cut wires in half to form a V-shaped handle. Hold the bent wire over a jar so 6 to 10 inches of the V extend above the jar for hanging. Wrap the rest of the wire around the threads of the jar mouth. Twist each end of the wire around the V-shaped handle to fasten it securely, and pull tight. Place votive candles in the jars, light ‘em, and hang the mini-lanterns from tree branches around Mom’s backyard!

Happy Mother’s Day!

2011-04-29T08:52:00.001-04:00

The temps are finally warming up outside, so I’m getting ready to take the covers off my outdoor furniture, unfurl my patio umbrella, inspect my deck for any loose nails or splintered wood, and spruce it all up so my outdoor dining area is ready for action when I fire up the grill. Here’s how I get the job done the right way:

To clean plastic or resin patio furniture, try…

· Washing the plastic with a mixture of 3 tablespoon of dishwasher detergent in 1 gallon of hot water. Let the solution sit for about 15 minutes, and then rinse it thoroughly. Be sure to wear long rubber gloves to protect your skin.

· Scrubbing the pieces with a mixture of 3 tablespoons of powdered oxygenated bleach (like OxiClean® Versatile Stain Remover) in 1 gallon of warm water. Use a nonabrasive plastic scrubbie and plenty of elbow grease.

· Restoring the shine by wiping the surface with a cloth that’s been sprayed with WD-40®. Buff off the solvent with a clean, dry cloth.

While your furniture is drying in the sunshine, here’s how to swab your deck to get it looking ship-shape:

To avoid a patchy look, you need to clean the entire deck. So don’t bother spot cleaning the surface. Try a household floor cleaner like Spic and Span®, or mix 1 cup of bleach into a gallon of warm water. Make this potion outside, so you don’t breathe in the fumes from the bleach, and wear rubber gloves, goggles, a long-sleeved shirt, and old pants to guard against splashes. Then cover all surrounding vegetation, buildings, and materials with plastic, so they don’t get damaged by any overspray. Scrub the deck just as you would your kitchen floor—but use a stiff push broom instead of a mop. Rinse the deck thoroughly after you scrub it, and you’re done.

Looking for more smart tips, fast tricks, and DIY solutions that’ll leave your outdoor living areas looking bright and feeling sparkling clean? Check out my Cleaning Magic! book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with thousands of dirt-defying secrets.

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T08:41:00.004-04:00

Even though we only celebrate our planet once a year, it’s important to think green every day. I’m guessing your home is filled with stuff you’d normally throw away or toss in the recycling bin. Well, it’s time to change that way of thinking, and take a fresh look at your cast-offs to see how they could be reinvented in useful ways around your home.

For example, many first aid and health supplies come equipped with packaging that’s every bit as useful as the product itself (though in different ways, of course). Here are some examples of potential trash you can turn into treasure:

Boxes from bandages and gauze. Save these boxes until Christmas rolls around, then wrap them like tiny presents and hang them from the tree. You’ll have one-of-a-kind ornaments for free!

Cardboard rolls from gauze. Dismantle the nests of rubber bands in your junk drawer, and snap them around the reel.

Plastic and metal boxes from throat lozenges. Use them to corral all kinds of tiny odds and ends, like buttons, nails, needles, paperclips, stamps…the list goes on and on.

Reels from adhesive tape. Or any other kind of tape, for that matter. Wrap aluminum foil around them, attach a string, and hang them in your fruit trees and berry bushes to discourage fruit-eating birds.

Any of the above. Turn it into dollhouse furniture. Just cover the box, reel, or roll with fabric or decorative paper, and presto! Depending on the size and shape of the object, you’ve got a bed, coffee table, dining table—or whatever your little interior designer desires.

2011-04-15T08:41:00.001-04:00

It’s just about time for Peter Cottontail to come hoppin’ down the Bunny Trail, so why not greet him with something a little different this year? Gather some all-natural dye makings from the produce section, and spend Saturday afternoon coloring eggs. Here’s how:

Put the eggs in a single layer in a pan with just enough water to cover them completely. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 2-1/2 cups of your chosen fruits, vegetables, or leaves from the list below. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the eggs promptly if you want lighter shades. For darker colors, strain the dye into a bowl with the eggs, and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Here’s your color palette:

Blue—blackberries, blueberries, chestnuts, or red cabbage leaves
Green—spinach
Orange—yellow onion skins or orange peels
Purple—blackberries or purple grapes
Red—beets, cranberries, frozen raspberries, or red onion skins
Yellow—shredded carrots or lemon peels

Now that you have your produce to dye for—er, with—have fun! Experiment with other produce to achieve colors Mother Nature would be proud to call her own.

2011-04-08T08:46:00.001-04:00

Now that the days are longer and the sun is warming up your yard, it’s time to tackle a few outdoor chores. I was recently fixing the loose railing on my deck, when suddenly—WHAM!—a poorly aimed hammer hit my finger, instead of a loose nail. It hurt like the dickens! But I didn’t get too worked up because I have a few simple home remedies that will reduce the pain and help the injury heal more quickly. Here’s a handful of suggestions:

Get ice on the wound ASAP to lessen the pain and swelling.

Clean the finger thoroughly with soap and water. You can douse it with hydrogen peroxide too, if you have some.

Splash on some St. John’s wort to kill any germs that happen to be lurking.

If the area is bleeding, wrap it snugly, and then elevate it as much as possible.

Make sure you protect the nail until it has grown back, because loose nails tend to snag on just about everything, which can make the original injury a whole lot worse.

Take some ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease the throbbing pain.

With these in your pocket, smashed fingers won’t sideline you. So get back out there and enjoy the sunshine while your finger recuperates!

Whether it’s a sore finger, a stiff knee, or a queasy stomach that’s keeping you from enjoying your day, you’ll find hundreds of stop-suffering solutions in my Anti-Pain Plan book—and you can try it FREE for 21 days!

2011-04-01T10:07:00.001-04:00

Happy April Fool’s Day! But it’s no foolin’ around here. In fact, now that spring has sprung, it’s the right time to get your lawn off on the right foot—er, root.

And there’s no better way to do it than to apply my Spring Wake-Up Mix as early as possible. Here’s how:

Mix 50 pounds of pelletized gypsum, 50 pounds of pelletized lime, 5 pounds of bonemeal, and 2 pounds of Epsom salts in a wheelbarrow. Apply the mixture to your lawn with a broadcast spreader no more than two weeks before your first fertilizing. This will help aerate the lawn, while giving it something to munch on until you start your regular feeding program.

Spring is also a super time to aerate your lawn. For best results, aerate the morning after you water the grass, or else after a heavy rain—the soil will be easier to penetrate then. After you’ve poked holes in the soil, put some sifted peat moss, dried manure, or compost in a broadcast spreader, and apply a layer about ¼ inch thick to the whole area. Your lawn will love it—it’s the lawn food equivalent to a hot fudge sundae!

There’s no need to kill yourself aerating your lawn. Just strap on a pair of my Aerating Lawn Sandals over your shoes and take a leisurely stroll across your grass. Check out the how-to DIY video to see how easy it is! Each sandal has 13 spikes that penetrate thatch and compacted soil so your lawn can breathe better and grow greener. One size fits all.

2011-03-25T09:10:00.001-04:00

Now that the long cold winter seems to be headin’ for the hills, you can find me out in the yard on milder days, hunting for the earliest spring blooms. And I know just where to search: those warm spots on the south side of my house, snugged up against the foundation wall. These southern-facing spots are the first to thaw out, so the bulbs I plant there always bloom a few weeks earlier than they do in other parts of my yard.

So now’s the perfect time to mix up a batch of my Out-to-Lunch Mix and give my bulb beds a beneficial boost. Here’s how:

Mix 10 pounds of compost, 5 pounds of bonemeal, and 1 pound of Epsom salts in a bucket, stirring them together with a shovel. (This recipe makes enough for 100 square feet of soil.) Top-dress established bulb beds with the mixture in the next few weeks, after you start seeing foliage emerging from the ground. And for an extra treat, you can add up to 5 pounds of wood ashes (from your fireplace) to the mix.

Need more potions and lotions to keep you growing all year long? Check out my Terrific Garden Tonics book—FREE for 21 days! It’s jam-packed with my world-famous mixes and fixes that’ll have you growing like a pro in no time at all.

2011-03-18T08:41:00.001-04:00

My back has been stiff and achy in the morning lately, and it’s just plain uncomfortable when I’m out and about trying to get things done.

As most of us unfortunately know, few conditions can be more trouble than persistent back pain. So try one or more of these simple strategies to get your back healthy in a hurry:

1. Get up and moving as soon as you can to increase circulation and bring healing nutrients to damaged muscles. Lying in bed can make your suffering muscles weaker and tighter.

2. As soon as your back starts hurting, apply a cold pack to your sore muscles. Cool the area for about 20 minutes every few hours for at least a day after the pain starts.

3. Find at least one position, and possibly more than one, that puts the least strain on your overworked muscles. The less strain you put on your back muscles, the more quickly the injury will heal.

4. Wear shoes that have plenty of cushioning. Cross-training or walking shoes are just what the doctor ordered.

5. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and similar drugs often work as well as prescription drugs for back pain. They work directly on pain, and they have anti-inflammatory effects, which reduce painful swelling.

Whether it’s a bad back, a stiff knee, or a queasy stomach that’s keeping you from enjoying your celebration, you’ll find hundreds of stop-suffering solutions in my Anti-Pain Plan book—and you can try it FREE for 21 days!

2011-03-11T09:26:00.001-05:00

Lately, it seems like every jar I try to open has a lid that’s all-but impossible to remove. So I’ve been racking my brains trying to come up with a sanity-saving solution that’ll get lids off without any fuss. Here’s a few good ideas I’ve come up with:

Put a piece of sandpaper, rough side down, over the lid and twist. It should come right off. And remember this: the larger the grit, the firmer your grip will be.
Wrap a couple of rubber bands around the side of the jar. That way, you’ll have something non-slip to grip, and the lid will come off a heck of a lot easier.
Put on a pair of rubber gloves, grip the lid with one hand and the bottom of the jar with the other, and twist.
Slip the end of a spoon under the lip of the lid and press down on the spoon handle. This releases the pressure and makes it easier (even for folks with arthritic hands) to get the lid off.

For more wonderful ways to turn common household products into super-duper solutions, check out my America’s Best Practical Problem Solvers book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips and tricks for your home, health, and garden.

2011-03-04T09:39:00.003-05:00

Does a lingering cold have you all stuffed up? Blast your sniffles to Kingdom Come with a little heat—from naturally hot foods like garlic, onions, and cayenne pepper! After just one bite, your body will feel the heat, you’ll start to sweat, and your nose will begin to run. Plus, your brain will chill out with a flood of endorphins—mood lifting natural painkillers that create a sense of well-being.

Either way, your cold symptoms will ease, and your nose will feel a whole lot clearer. My favorite way to deliver the heat is to cook up a pot of chicken soup (no need to get fancy—canned will do just fine). Then add fresh garlic and plenty of ground cayenne pepper to it. Inhale the fumes while you sip the soup, and you’ll be breathing freely in no time at all!

2011-02-25T08:53:00.001-05:00

Have you been looking for some non-drug treatments that may help lower your blood pressure? Talk to your doctor about these options. They may be enough to keep borderline hypertension from going over the line, or, at the very least, help you lower your dosages of prescription meds. (But don’t ever adjust your medication without your doctor’s OK!)

Find a Furry Friend—Just 10 minutes spent with a pet can lower your blood pressure. In fact, if you have borderline hypertension, there’s even a holdover effect: If you spend time with Fido or Fluffy before work, you may be less reactive to blood-pressure-raising stress on the job.

Snack on Celery—Crunching your way through four stalks a day could help ease your blood pressure. A component in celery (3-n-butyl phthalide) serves as a diuretic and vasodilator, and helps relax the muscles lining the blood vessels.

Open Sesame!—Loaded with unsaturated fatty acids and calcium, sesame oil may help you lower blood pressure and reduce your dose of calcium channel blockers. Try downing 2 tablespoons daily for two months, and then have your blood pressure rechecked. If your numbers go down, ask your doctor about cutting down your drug dosage, too.

Hold Hands—Touch lowers the stress hormone cortisol, which constricts blood vessels and bumps up blood pressure. To try this antidote, simply get in close touch with your loved ones today!

For more terrific ways to tackle hundreds of everyday ailments, check out my Amazing Antidotes book—FREE for 21 days!

2011-02-18T08:39:00.002-05:00

“Paper or plastic?”

That classic supermarket query is one of the most often-asked questions ever. And here’s how to answer it so that both you and Mother Nature are happy: “Neither, thanks; I brought my own.” Saying no whenever you can to both paper and plastic will help solve countless environmental problems.

So tote your own reusable canvas bags to the store (just keep a stash of ‘em in the trunk of your car so you won’t forget). Once you get used to bringing your own bags, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do so years ago. And as for that mountain of bags that you’ve already accumulated, here’s how to dispose of them:

Paper

Shred the bags and toss ‘em into your compost bin.
Use them to hold newspapers, magazines, junk mail, and other printed recyclables, then take them to the curb on recycling day.
Spread them on the ground in flower or vegetable beds and top them with organic mulch. They’ll help keep weeds down, conserve moisture, and eventually decompose, enriching the soil in the process.

Plastic

Crumple them up and use them as waterproof stuffing for outdoor cushions.
Use them instead of commercial trash bags to line your kitchen garbage can and bathroom wastebasket.
Stash a bunch of bags in your suitcases. The lightweight, moisture-proof sacks are perfect for holding shoes and soiled laundry.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-11T09:11:00.001-05:00

This time of year, I like to treat my sweetie to something delicious that I bake myself. It’s unexpected—since I usually don’t spend much time in the kitchen—so it’s always very much appreciated. Even if I bake my gift of goodies from a store-bought mix, I always give it a homemade touch by topping it off with a beautiful cascading ribbon of chocolate.

And I’ve figured out how to get the job done neatly, with very little cleanup. I just fill a bowl with boiling water, and drop in an unopened 6-ounce bag of chocolate chips. After a few minutes, I carefully remove the bag and knead it to blend the chocolate. I usually have to repeat the process a few times until the chips have completely melted. Then I snip off a small corner of the bag and squeeze the melted chocolate onto the cake, brownie, or cookie in fun patterns. When I’m done, I just toss the bag in the garbage. It’s as easy as that!

For more wonderful ways to turn common household products into super-duper solutions, check out my America’s Best Practical Problem Solvers book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips and tricks for your home, health, and garden.

2011-02-04T09:03:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it? The groundhog didn’t see his shadow on Tuesday; so good ol’ Punxsutawney Phil thinks it’s going to be an early spring this year. The growing pile of snow outside my back door right now makes it hard to believe that a green spring, bursting with colorful blossoms and warm sunny breezes is right around the corner. But it sure is fun to have such a delight to look forward to.

It helps that seed and nursery catalogs have been filling my mailbox in the last few weeks. They're like dream books to me, and I don’t ever get tired of thumbing through them. Besides, this time of year, catalog shopping for seeds, plants, or pretty garden accents sure beats watching reality TV!

And while I'm busy dreaming of gardening outdoors, I'll be sure to keep things green and growing indoors. Whether you grow one houseplant or a bunch, it can be a hassle to remember to water them and fuss with fertilizers, too. So here’s a terrific tonic that’ll save you loads of time—it waters and feeds in one easy step!

Mix 2 tablespoons of whiskey, 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, 1 tablespoon of fish emulsion, and ½ teaspoon each of instant tea granules, unflavored gelatin, dishwashing liquid, ammonia, and corn syrup with a gallon of warm water in a bucket or watering can. Use this liquid instead of plain water on your houseplants, and you won’t believe how quickly they will grow big and strong.

Need more potions and lotions to keep you growing all year long? Check out my Terrific Garden Tonics book—FREE for 21 days! It’s jam-packed with my world-famous mixes and fixes that’ll have you growing like a pro in no time at all.

2011-01-28T08:42:00.001-05:00

If you’re suffering from a raging sore throat, put down that hot tea! Drinking piping-hot liquids swells your uvula—the soft structure that hangs at the back of your throat—and increases your discomfort when your throat is already tender. To help curb swelling and pain, it’s better to drink cool or even icy drinks. Just crush some ice in a blender, add your favorite juice, and sip it throughout the day.

For an easy-to-make cooling soother that also boosts your energy, whip up this great little drink:

Combine 1 cup of orange juice, 1/3 cup of nonfat dry milk, 1 tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread, and 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder in a blender, and blend until creamy. Pour the super-duper smoothie over ice and sip away.

2011-01-21T09:05:00.001-05:00

A dirty window can muddy up even the prettiest winter snowscape. So improve your point of view with this wonderful window washing technique:

Step 1: Squirt dishwashing liquid into a bucket with a gallon of hot water.

Step 2: Dip the sponge side of a squeegee into the solution, and wipe the window.

Step 3: Beginning at the top of the window, draw the squeegee’s blade back and forth across the glass, overlapping the strokes.

Step 4: Finish the job by wiping the sill with a damp cloth.

Of course, once your windows are sparkling clean, your walls are going to seem drab and grungy. So get ‘em clean as can be with this terrific two-hand, two-bucket system:

Step 1: Squeeze a few squirts of mild dishwashing liquid into a bucket. Fill it ¾ full of warm water. Have another bucket handy, but leave it empty.

Step 2: Hold a large sponge in one hand, and an absorbent rag in the other.

Step 3: Dip the sponge into the water, then starting at the top corner, wipe down. Squeeze the sponge out into the empty bucket, and rewipe the same area of the wall.

Step 4: Wipe down the same area one more time with the rag.

There, now doesn’t that improve your view—and your mood?

For more handy household helpers, check out my Cleaning Magic! book—FREE! It’s filled with tons of terrific tips that’ll keep your home sweet home in tip-top shape, all winter long.

2011-01-14T08:36:00.002-05:00

Brrrrr! Baby, it’s cold outside! But instead of cranking up the old thermostat to stay warm and cozy indoors this winter, grab an extra sweater and a hot mug of cocoa. Then try a few of these trouble-free tricks that won’t cost you a dime:

Lower your thermostat by 1 degree each day for a few days. When you find a temperature that’s still comfortable, make it your permanent daytime setting. You’ll notice a savings of as much as 1% per degree on your heating bill.
Open south-facing window shades during the day to let the heat from the sun warm up your house. Then close the shades at night to keep the heat in.
Seal up any gaps around windows and doors with a good quality caulk or weather-stripping.
Install a programmable thermostat and turn the temperature down while you’re sleeping and anytime you’ll be away from home for more than a few hours.

2011-01-07T09:22:00.001-05:00

Being cooped up inside all winter long will get anyone down, including your houseplants. So give all of your winter-weary friends a good misting with this formula to keep them looking moist and refreshed:

Mix 3 teaspoons of baby shampoo, 3 teaspoons of ammonia, 1 teaspoon of antiseptic mouthwash, and 1 quart of room-temperature water in hand-held sprayer bottle. Mist-spray your plants twice a week to keep the leaves clean and provide a little nutrient boost, too!

And if your poinsettia looked lush and lovely through the holidays—and is still going strong—consider keeping it around so you can enjoy it for another holiday season. Here’s how: Stop watering it and store it in a cool, dry place as soon as the leaves fall off. In spring, water it and cut the stems back to 6 inches tall. From early October until blooming starts, place the plant in a dark closet for 12 hours each night. Keep the plant in a sunny window for the rest of the day, and it should be in full color again in time for the holidays!

Need more potions and lotions to help you get growing all year long? Check out my Terrific Garden Tonics book—FREE for 21 days! It’s jam-packed with my world-famous mixes and fixes that’ll have you growing like a pro in no time at all.

2010-12-30T09:23:00.001-05:00

When it comes time to start packin’ your ornaments away, don’t just dump your Christmas tree at the curb. Ol’ Tanenbaum can be recycled in so many ways, it’d be a shame to have the garbage men haul it away. Here’s how to reuse it:

Set the tree up in your yard, stand and all, and redecorate it with strings of popcorn, peanuts, apple chunks, grapes, dried cherries, and cranberries. Hungry birds will gobble up the treats, and thank you for your generosity.
Cut off the tree’s branches and lay them over frozen perennial beds for a perfect lightweight, but insulating, winter mulch.
Put the tree through a shredder, needles and all, then spread the resulting mulch over your dormant beds. Just remember: This mix will tend to make the soil acidic, so you’ll need to add some lime come spring.

For more great garden tips, check out my Backyard Problem Solver book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with the best of my all-time favorite handy hints, timely tonics, and super solutions that’ll make your yard the envy of the neighborhood.

2010-12-22T09:04:00.002-05:00

This delicious—and easy!—recipe will make a plateful of cookies or a bough-ful of edible Christmas tree decorations. But I’m guessing that you won’t be able to keep your mitts off ‘em to keep the tree trimmed until Christmas Eve. Here’s how to make them:

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. In a large bowl, cream together ¾ cup of softened butter and 1 cup of sugar; add 1 egg, and beat well. Mix in 1 teaspoon each of peppermint extract and vanilla, then gradually stir in 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour. Divide the dough in half, and add several drops of red food coloring to one half.

Refrigerate both halves of dough for at least 30 minutes, then roll out a tablespoon each of red dough and plain dough until they are each 6 inches long. Twist the rolled dough together and pinch the ends, then bend one end into the shape of a candy cane. Place the candy cane on an ungreased cookie sheet, and repeat the rolling technique until all of the dough has been used. Bake for 8 minutes.

2010-12-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas is just a week away. So how’s your tree holding up? Mine still looks lush and lovely, thanks to the Christmas Tree Survival Tonic I keep feeding it. Every year, without fail, Grandma Putt poured this elixir into our Christmas tree stand to keep that ol’ tree fresh and green throughout the year-end holidays. I still use it—I’ve never found a better formula! Here’s how to whip up a batch for your tree:

Mix 2 cups of clear corn syrup, 4 tablespoons of household bleach, 4 multivitamin tablets with iron, and 1 gallon of very hot water in a bucket. Carefully pour the mixture into the stand, and deliver a fresh dose whenever the water level starts going down. Your evergreen will stay fresh as a daisy right into the new year.

For more old-fashioned, commonsense secrets, check out my Grandma Putt’s Old-Time Vinegar, Garlic, Baking Soda, and 101 More Problem Solvers book—FREE for 21 days! Her tips, tricks, and tonics are sure to put a smile on your face.

2010-12-10T09:30:00.001-05:00

Every year, you haul the same treasured decorations down from the attic to deck your halls and trim your tree. But do you ever take the time to clean your ornaments? Here’s a few timely tips that’ll have your knick-knacks, garlands, greens, and baubles shining like new:

Before setting up your artificial tree, give it a winter windstorm to get rid of dirt, dust, and fuzz balls. Lay the branches on the floor, cover your vacuum’s brush attachment with cheesecloth, set the vacuum on “low,” and run the brush over the branches.
A light swipe with a dry microfiber cloth will restore the glory to Christmas tree ornaments, ceramic snowmen, and other hard-surfaced décor.
When your glittery ornaments have lost their luster, bring back the shine by dusting them off with a soft artist’s brush.
Hang dusty cloth covered ornaments and knit stockings on a drying rack in your garage, and give ‘em the once over with your blow dryer set on cool. They’ll be ready to dazzle in no time at all.

For more handy household helpers, check out my Cleaning Magic! book—FREE! It’s filled with tons of terrific tips that’ll keep your home sweet home in tip-top shape.

2010-12-03T08:32:00.001-05:00

It’s beginning to look a lot like, well, winter! Now that December is here, snowy and icy weather isn’t far behind. So make a plan now to keep your walkways clear or you’ll be slippin’ and slidin’ all over the place. But before you go sprinkling the areas with deicing salt, you need to know—plain and simple—salt kills grass! And no matter how carefully you apply the salt, it’s likely that some will spill onto the lawn bordering your driveway and walkways, or the run-off will seep into the turf. So what’s the solution?

Before the winter weather turns icy, liberally sprinkle gypsum in a 5-foot-wide band all over the grass that’s within spittin’ distance of where you’re probably going to be using salt. Then overspray the gypsum with my Winter Walkway Protection Tonic:

Mix 1 cup of dishwashing liquid, ½ cup of ammonia, and ½ cup of beer in a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and then apply it over the gypsum to the point of run-off. Your soil and turf will be in great shape for even the toughest winter weather.

But this winter, why not try some terrific natural alternatives to melting the ice? Clean cat litter and sand both provide traction on slippery surfaces, and they’re cheap, effective, and environmentally friendly. There’s also a whole slew of new ice melters that are salt-free—so check ‘em out at your local hardware store.

2010-11-24T08:23:00.003-05:00

Now that fall bird migration is coming to a close, it’s more important than ever to make sure your feeder fillers meet the needs of the fine-feathered friends that decided to stay for the season.
Start by switching your feeder menu to a hearty, high-calorie diet by following this checklist:

Stock up on basic seeds, plus seed specialties. You’ll host plenty of large and small seedeaters this winter, so be ready!
Put out a generous supply of suet and other fats, which are literal lifesavers when temps dip below freezing.
Try mealworms and other insect foods to attract some unusual birds, such as that neighborhood mockingbird that’s decided to stick it out instead of moving south.

Want to feed the birds, but don’t have a feeder? Grab a bagel instead! Sturdy bagels make perfect hanging feeders, accessible to chickadees, titmice, Carolina wrens, and other clinging birds. Here’s a terrific recipe that’ll give ‘em some added nutrition with oil-rich extras:

2 bagel halves

1 commercial block of pure suet

½ cup of chopped walnuts

¼ cup of sunflower chips (hilled seeds)

2 short lengths of string or wire

Spread the suet on the cut side of each bagel half. Sprinkle the walnuts and sunflower chips on top, and press them into the suet with the back of a spoon. Hang the bagels from loops of string or wire attached to a hook.

For more tips, tricks, and treats that’ll have your fine-feathered friends flocking to your neck of the woods, check out my Backyard Bird Feeding Bonanza book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific ideas so you can enjoy a beautiful, bird-filled yard.

2010-11-19T08:18:00.001-05:00

Hooray! Thanksgiving is almost here! I can practically smell the pumpkin pie—which is, without question, my favorite part of the Thanksgiving feast. So what better time is there to give thanks for pumpkin and its potent nutrients?

Pumpkin is as potent a vegetable as you’ll find anywhere. Its deep orange color is a sure sign that it’s just crazy with carotenes, which fight both heart disease and cancer.

So of course pumpkin pie is great for Thanksgiving. Put this recipe in your favorite piecrust, and you’ve got a winner. But here’s a little secret: If you bake this filling in custard cups instead of a crust, you’ll have a power-packed dessert with half the calories of last Thanksgiving’s pie!

Spicy Pumpkin Custard/Pie Filling

2 cups of canned pumpkin
1 ½ cups of evaporated skim milk
½ cup of packed brown sugar
¼ cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk, sugars, molasses, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and eggs, and stir with a wire whisk until thoroughly blended. Ladle into six custard cups (or into a prepared pie crust). Arrange on a rack set in a baking pan of hot water. (The water should not go more than halfway up the sides of the cups.) Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the custard comes out clean. Chill before serving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-12T08:55:00.001-05:00

Good ol’ Jack Frost is staging his return engagement, so now’s the time to think ahead and give your annual flower beds and vegetable garden a little pre-winter care to save you time and a lot of hassle next spring. Here’s the bedding-down routine:

Step 1: Clean out all plants and toss them onto the compost pile.

Step 2: Loosen the subsoil with a garden fork. By doing this now instead of waiting until spring, the earthworms have time to repair the damage to their tunnels.

Step 3: Dig my Bedtime Snack into the soil:
Mix 25 pounds of gypsum, 10 pounds of natural organic garden food, and 5 pounds of bonemeal together in a wheelbarrow, then apply the mix to every 100 square feet of soil with your handheld broadcast spreader.

Step 4: Spread a thick layer of leaves over the soil and top it off with straw or other organic mulch. This combo keeps the worms warm and busy all winter long, enriching the soil with their castings. Come spring, your planting beds are well fed and all set to grow.

Step 5: Finally, overspray the mulch with a good healthy dose of my Sleepytime Tonic:

Mix 1 can of beer, 1 can of regular cola (not diet), 1 cup of baby shampoo, ½ cup of ammonia, and ¼ cup of instant tea granules in a bucket. Pour the tonic into a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and saturate the mulch to the point of run-off.

For more super solutions for getting your yard and garden ready for winter, check out my Backyard Problem Solver book—FREE for 21 days!

2010-11-05T08:16:00.001-04:00

Before Old Man Winter makes a return appearance, apply my Fall Wash-Down Spray to get rid of any bad bugs that are hiding in and among your trees and shrubs. Here’s how to do it:

Mix 1 cup of tobacco tea*, ½ cup of baby shampoo, 6 tablespoons of fruit tree spray, 4 tablespoons of antiseptic mouthwash, and 2 tablespoons of witch hazel in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer (link). Douse your plants to the point of run-off, making sure you hit the plants and the soil underneath them really well. That’ll knock out any pesky pests that were planning to spend the winter nestled in your trees and shrubs!

(*To make tobacco tea, place half a handful of chewing tobacco in an old nylon stocking and soak it in a gallon of hot water until the mixture is dark brown.)

Need more potions and lotions for getting your yard and garden ready for winter? Check out my Terrific Garden Tonics book — FREE for 21 days! It’s jam-packed with my world-famous mixes and fixes.

2010-10-29T11:59:00.001-04:00

Ready or not, here comes Halloween! Between the trick-or-treaters, the scary costumes, the carved pumpkins, and the mountains of candy, your little monsters, super heroes, and princesses can’t wait for their day of fun. But are you ready for the morning-after miseries?
The first order of business is the “too-much-sugar” tummy ache. If your little one(s) overindulged, bring on the bland to help settle his stomach. Put easy-to-digest applesauce, a little plain rice, dry toast, or even a mild cooked vegetable on the day’s menu.

Then you can deal with the chocolate stains that set in on costumes, tablecloths, or other fabrics during the post-trick-or-treating candy bar food-fest. Here’s how:

Since chocolate is a combination stain (part grease, part dye), you need to tackle it in stages, treating the grease first. Rub in some liquid dishwasher detergent. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Then dab the spot with ammonia, and wash the item as usual in the hottest water the fabric can stand.
Use a piece of Fels-Naptha® soap for extra stain-bustin’ power. Just wet the stained area and vigorously rub the soap into the spot like you would a stain stick. Then toss the item into the wash. Look for Fels-Naptha in the laundry section of your supermarket.

For even more squeaky-clean solutions that’ll make any mess disappear in a flash, check out my Cleaning Magic! book—FREE for 21 days!

2010-10-22T11:53:00.001-04:00

Why not try something a little different for Halloween this year, and carve up a turnip lantern (or two!) to hang out on the porch along with your pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns? It’s easy – here’s how to do it:

1. Find a big, round turnip — the bigger and rounder, the better.

2. About a quarter of the way down, slice off the top completely.

3. Scoop out the insides with a spoon. Make the shell as thin as you can without breaking the skin. Leave a layer of flesh on the bottom. In it, hollow out a socket for a candle.

4. With a very sharp, fine knife, etch a design on the turnip. Be careful not to cut through the skin — it’s a lot thinner than a pumpkin shell, and if it’s broken, your lantern will collapse.

5. Push a candle into the socket.

6. With an awl or a nail, poke a hole on each side, about an inch or so down from the top.

7. Thread wire or sturdy cord through the holes to make a handle. Be sure to keep it long enough so you don’t burn your hand when you hold on to it.

8. Light the candle carefully, using a long fireplace match.

9. Then hang it up outside on Halloween night for all the little trick-or-treaters to enjoy!

2010-10-15T09:06:00.002-04:00

Now that fall bird migration is in full swing, it’s time to make sure your feeder fillers meet the needs of your fine-feathered friends.

As soon as cold weather approaches, switch your feeder menu to a hearty, high-calorie diet by following this checklist:

Stock up on basic seeds, plus seed specialties. You’ll host plenty of large and small seedeaters this winter, so be ready!
Put out a generous supply of suet and other fats, which are literal lifesavers when temps dip below freezing.
Try mealworms and other insect foods to attract some unusual birds, such as that neighborhood mockingbird that’s decided to stick it out instead of moving south.

Want to feed the birds, but don’t have a feeder? Grab a bagel instead! Sturdy bagels make perfect hanging feeders, accessible to chickadees, titmice, Carolina wrens, and other clinging birds. Here’s a terrific recipe that’ll give ‘em some added nutrition with oil-rich extras:

2 bagel halves
1 commercial block of pure suet
½ cup of chopped walnuts
¼ cup of sunflower chips (hulled seeds)
2 short lengths of string or wire

Spread the suet on the cut side of each bagel half. Sprinkle the walnuts and sunflower chips on top, and press them into the suet with the back of a spoon. Hang the bagels from loops of string or wire attached to a hook.

For more tips, tricks, and treats that’ll have your fine-feathered friends flocking to your neck of the woods, check out my Backyard Bird Feeding Bonanza book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific ideas so you can enjoy a beautiful, bird-filled yard.

2010-10-08T08:44:00.002-04:00

The traditional gathering up of fall leaves is a gardening ritual that some of us love and some of us hate. No matter which camp you’re in, these tips will make the job easier:

Use a plastic snow shovel to push leaves into piles. The shovel will slide smoothly over the grass, and it’s easier on your shoulders than raking.
Lay a large, empty cardboard box on its side on the lawn. With your gloved hands, rake the leaves into the box, and then drag the boxed leaves to their destination.
Hold a garbage can lid in each hand and clamp clumps of piled-up leaves between them. Transfer the clumps to a yard waste bag, your garden cart, or compost pile.

If you’ve got a compost pile, remember that leaves make great additions. If you shred ‘em into nickel-size bits before tossing them on the heap, it’ll speed up the decomposition process.

And here’s a nifty backyard trick—clean your garden gloves while you’re still wearing them. After you’re done raking, simply lather your gloves up with soap and water, and scrub ‘em together to get rid of the grime. Rinse under running water, strip them off, roll them in a towel, and give ‘em a good squeeze to soak up the water.

If the gloves are leather or suede, lay them flat to dry; if they’re cloth, just clip them to your clothesline. They’ll be stiff as a board when they’re dry, but don’t worry—they’ll soften up as soon as you start digging in to the next round of garden work!

For more fast, cheap, and smart ways to clean up everything in and around your house, check out my new Cleaning Magic! book — FREE for 21 days. With my help you’ll make any mess disappear in a flash!

2010-10-01T09:02:00.003-04:00

Here’s one surefire way to tell it’s fall when you step outside—the bees and yellow jackets are everywhere (especially at the cider mill). So how can you enjoy the last outings of the season with all the buzzin’ going on? Here are a few ideas that just might curb the little buggers’ enthusiasm:

Lay plates of freshly sliced cucumber several feet away from where people will be eating. Bothersome bugs will be attracted to the cukes, and leave you (and your food) alone.

Tie a fabric softener sheet to a belt loop or to the back of your ball cap. Bees and yellow jackets can’t stand the smell of the stuff.

Make a trap out of an empty 2-liter bottle. Cut a banana peel into strips and put them into the bottle, along with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of vinegar. Pour water into the bottle until it’s about 3/4 full. Set or hang the open bottle near where you’ve seen lots of stinging insects. They’ll be attracted to the bottle’s sweet contents, but when they fly into the bottle, they’ll get stuck in the sticky mix and won’t be able to get out.

2010-09-24T08:36:00.001-04:00

The headlines have been splashed across newspapers for months now: Bedbugs are no longer sticking just to big city hotels for their bloodsucking buffets. The little buggers have moved on, and now they’re invading suburban homes, movie theaters, and even clothing boutiques.

So what can be done to keep us from shaking in our sheets?

Travelers can bring the bugs home from hotels, where they crawl into luggage or other personal belongings. So when you’re in a hotel, keep your suitcase on a baggage rack. That way, it’s up off the carpeting and away from any bedding.
Leave your pillow at home. Bedbugs will hitch a ride on any bedding you bring into an infested hotel room. And all it takes is one bedbug to start an infestation in your home.
If you buy used clothing or furniture, you may risk bringing an infestation home. So inspect used purchases thoroughly. Adult bedbugs are about ¼-inch long and wingless with flat, reddish bodies. Be on the lookout for eggs, too, which are small and black like poppy seeds.
Wash your sheets weekly in hot water, and dry them on high heat.
Vacuum floors regularly, then use the brush attachment to vacuum your mattress.
Purchase a plastic cover for your mattress. Bedbugs can’t break through the plastic, and have nowhere to hide when the sheets are removed from the bed.
If, in spite of your prevention measures, you discover an infestation, your best bet is to call a licensed, professional exterminator. Bedbugs are very difficult to get rid of, and products sold over the counter generally won’t do the trick.

2010-09-17T08:40:00.001-04:00

Fall is just about officially here, but it’s not time to pack your lawn mower away for the winter just yet. Most of us still have several good weeks of green grass left to enjoy before ol’ Jack Frost comes a callin’.

So continue cutting your grass to its maximum recommended height—right up until it stops growing and becomes dormant. Then drop the blade a notch, and mow one last time. And don’t let fallen leaves remain on your lawn, or they’ll block the sun and moisture from reaching the grass. Rake ‘em up and add them to your compost pile. And to speed up the decomposition process, mow over the debris several times first, until they’re nickel-sized pieces.

Many types of grass start to go dormant when the first frost hits in the fall. So pay attention to the weather forecast, and a few days before temps are expected to dip into the 30s, give your turf one last, thorough soaking with my Last Supper Tonic. A lawn that goes into the winter with a full stomach will always wake up in better shape than one that didn’t get that extra bit of pampering. Here’s how to whip up a batch:

Mix ½ can of beer with ½ cup each of apple juice, Gatorade®, urine, fish emulsion, ammonia regular cola (not diet), and baby shampoo in a large bucket. Then pour the solution into your 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and apply it to the point of run-off.

For more terrific tips for keeping your turf in tip-top shape, check out my All-American Lawns book—FREE for 21 days!

2010-09-10T07:55:00.005-04:00

Aaahhh-chooo! That’s right—we’re smack-dab in the middle of ragweed season. And that pesky pollen can sure make you miserable. Did you know that a single ragweed plant produces millions of pollen grains every season? No wonder you can’t stop sneezing!

I was having allergy problems myself last week—then I remembered that Grandma Putt always recommended eating hot and spicy food to clear out a stuffy nose. So I whipped up a zesty bean dip. I tell you, if the heat from this snack doesn’t bust through blocked nasal passages, nothing will.

To make the dip, mix a jar of the hottest salsa you can find with a can of rinsed and drained black beans, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of dried cilantro. Dig in with tortilla chips, and munch away. You’ll be breathing easy and flowing freely in no time at all.

For even more terrific ways to clear a clogged nose, soothe stuffy sinuses, and tackle hundreds of other everyday ailments, check out my Grandma Putt’s Home Health Remedies book—FREE for 21 days!

2010-09-03T09:16:00.002-04:00

Some flowers are incredibly vigorous, and they’ll take over the whole backyard if you don’t divide ‘em. Others grow better after dividing because you get rid of the old, weak growth that produces puny blooms and attracts pests and diseases. Best of all, dividing is a great way to get loads of beautiful new flowers for free!

And guess what? Early fall is best season for dividing crowded perennials! So get out there and start chopping away at those overgrown clumps.

Once you get your divisions in order, my Perennial Transplant Tonic will get them back on their feet without missing a beat. Here’s how to whip up a batch:

Mix 1 can of beer, 4 tablespoons of instant tea granules, 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid, and 2 gallons of warm water in a bucket. Soak your newly divided perennials in this tonic for about 10 minutes just before replanting them. When you’re finished, dribble any leftover tonic around your newly settled divisions to get ‘em off to a supercharged start.

Get even more great garden grow-how with my Terrific Garden Tonics book—FREE for 21 days. It’s filled with hundreds of my world-famous tonics so you can DIY to grow the lush lawn, beautiful blooms, and gorgeous garden of your dreams.

2010-09-01T08:32:00.001-04:00

2010-08-27T08:15:00.002-04:00

Have you been feeling a little “ripe” this month? It may just be the heat of August’s dog days that’s putting your sweat glands into odoriferous overdrive. Or it could be the food you’re eating. So if you’re going through deodorant like there’s no tomorrow, and you still can’t stop the smell, try these few dietary adjustments—your friends will appreciate the results!

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and add a squeeze of fresh lemon to at least one of the glasses.
Munch on plenty of uncooked fruits and veggies.
Eat yogurt that contains live, active cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Snack on some pumpkin seeds. They provide a good, concentrated supply of the mineral zinc, a deficiency of which can lead to body odor.
Sip sage tea—steep 2 teaspoons of dried sage in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, then strain and savor.

Want more ways to unlock the healing powers of ordinary household products? Check out my Supermarket Super Remedies book – FREE for 21 days. You’ll discover how to ease just about anything that ails you.

2010-08-20T08:53:00.001-04:00

You just can’t beat a yard that’s brimming with birds. It’s good for you, good for them, and good for ol’ planet Earth.

I attract birds to my backyard by planting trees and shrubs that have the fruit, seeds, or berries they love. And while these natural foods will bring birds to your yard, if you want them to linger, be sure to include these in your landscape:

Birdhouses. They attract bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, purple martins, swallows, woodpeckers, and more. You’ll find houses at bird-supply, discount, and hardware stores, and online.
Feeders. Even though you’ve planted bird-attracting trees and shrubs, having a few feeders in your yard will bring even more fine-feathered friends. Make sure there’s room for at least a dozen birds to perch at one time, and that the feeder holds enough seed so that you don’t have to refill it more than once a day.
Birdbaths. Birds will drink from just about anything when they’re thirsty. But to really make them happy, set up a birdbath that’s at or near ground level. Keep the water depth shallow to make birds will feel safe when using the birdbath. And look for baths that have multiple depths to attract a wider variety of birds.

To keep your birdbath in tiptop shape—so your feathered friends will keep flocking to it—add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the water when you refill it. Birds don’t seem to mind the taste, and it helps slow down fast-growing algae. Plus, it’ll help prevent “ring around the birdbath”—those white lines of dried minerals that form inside the basin as the water evaporates.

For more quick and easy ways to make your yard absolutely irresistible to birds, check out my Backyard Birdscaping Bonanza. And my Cleaning Magic! book is filled with terrific tips for cleaning everything from A to Z. And, you can preview them both—FREE for 21 days!

2010-08-13T08:43:00.001-04:00

If you’ve ever gotten too up-close and personal with an earwig, you know they look nasty. But the truth is, earwigs are actually beneficial to your garden. Here’s a rundown of their do-gooder tactics:

They eat dead plant material, breaking it down into humus.

They prey on aphids, fleas, grubs, and other destructive insects.
They are among the few garden good guys who prey on fire ants.

Now here’s the bad news: Sometimes earwigs will chew the daylights out of living roots, leaves, and flowers. So if you’re not willing to risk them running amok, loosely roll up several sheets of newspaper, dampen the tube, and set it in the shade. During the day, hordes of earwigs will crawl inside. As evening approaches, before the critters mosey out for dinner, unroll the papers over a tub of soapy water.

In the case of an all-out earwig infestation, let ‘em have it with my Great-Guns Garlic Spray:

Mix 1 tablespoon of garlic oil (1 bulb of garlic, minced, steeped in a cup of oil for a day or two), 3 drops of dishwashing liquid, and 1 quart of water in a blender. Pour the solution into a handheld sprayer bottle, then take aim and fire!

For more secrets, strategies, and solutions for battling garden thugs—or attracting good guys to your turf, check out my Critter Control & Pest Prevention book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with 2,193 problem solvers that are guaranteed to put bad guys out of business. For your Free 21-Day Preview, click on the link below:

2010-08-06T08:40:00.002-04:00

Quick—here’s a test for all you weekend warriors out there: What’s the difference between a sprain and a strain? Answer: A sprain is an injury to the ligaments that support your joints, and a strain is a pulled or overexerted muscle. But all you really need to know is that both hurt like the dickens.

So if you’ve laced up your gym shoes and jumped in to an athletic activity without building up your muscles gradually, you may have overdone it and ended up with a pain-in-the-(fill in the blank)!

The most important thing to do when you strain or sprain anything is easy to remember—RICE. Here’s how to use this handy acronym to feel better in a flash:

Rest it. Stop the activity and rest the injured body part.
Ice it. Apply ice wrapped in a towel or a cold compress to decrease swelling.
Compress it. Wrap the injured limb in an elastic bandage or a splint or sling.
Elevate it. Keep the injured part elevated above the level of the heart.

Don’t use heat until at least 24 hours after the injury, and not until the swelling has gone down. And by all means, seek medical attention if the pain or swelling is severe.

For more tried and true treatments, check out my Oddball Ointments book—FREE for 21 days. It’s filled with effective ways to prevent, heal, and even cure over 125 ailments and illnesses with items you probably already have around your house.

2010-07-30T10:11:00.000-04:00

On most warm summer days, you’ll find me happily puttering among my plants, listening to the birds sing their sweet songs. I make my feathered friends feel right at home in my backyard by creating a birdscape they find irresistible.

But during the long, hot days of summer, birds are super-thirsty and quick to dive into a welcoming birdbath. That means that housekeeping is extra important now—algae grows quickly in hot weather, and mosquitoes are always looking for a place to lay their eggs. So empty and scrub the basin every two days with warm soapy water, then rinse it thoroughly several times, and you won’t have a buildup of either pesky problem.

And every now and then, I like to give the birds a little extra treat. Here’s a recipe for Summer Suet Pudding that won’t melt in warm weather:

Melt 1 cup of suet over low heat and strain the hot liquid fat through cheesecloth. Then return the suet to the heat, and add 1 cup of peanut butter. When the peanut butter has melted too, remove the pan from the heat. Add 2 cups of yellow cornmeal, 1 cup of flour, and 1 to 2 cups of chopped fresh or dried figs or plums, and mix everything together. Spoon the mixture into the cups of a muffin tin, filling each cup about half full, and put the tin in the refrigerator. When the mixture has hardened, pop the “puddings” out of the muffin tin, and place them in zip-top plastic freezer bags for storage in the freezer. Take individual puddings out as needed, and set them on tray feeders for the birds to eat.

For more quick and easy ways to turn your outdoor spaces into bird-pleasing places, check out my Backyard Birdscaping Bonanza book—FREE for 21 days! With this treasure-trove of bird-smart garden tips you’ll have the bird-buslin’est backyard in town.

2010-07-23T06:00:00.002-04:00

This time of summer is a terrific time to clip off the heads of your early-blooming annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs. The practice of deadheading will make your yard look neater and help the young plants send much-needed energy to the newer buds growing further down on the stems.

Snipping off spent blossoms also keeps the plants strong, makes future blooms more spectacular, and prevents the plants from making any unwanted seedlings.

And if you’re worried that summer’s heat and humidity have gotten the best of your annual flowers, don’t give up on them yet. You can still enjoy several more weeks of blooms if you treat ‘em right, right now! Cut them back by about half, water them thoroughly, and then douse them with a shot of my Annual Pick-Me-Up Tonic. They’ll be back in bloom before you know it!

Here’s how to whip up a batch:

Mix ¼ cup of beer, 1 tablespoon of clear corn syrup, 1 tablespoon of baby shampoo, 1 tablespoon of 15-30-15 plant food, and 1 gallon of water in a watering can. Slowly dribble the solution onto the soil around all of your annuals. Within two weeks, they’ll be real comeback kids—and you’ll get to enjoy their lush leaves and beautiful blooms right up until old Jack Frost makes a return appearance in mid-fall.

If you’re ready to grow the most gorgeous garden in town, check out my Terrific Garden Tonics book—FREE for 21 days! It’s got all the motions, potions, and lotions you’ll need for the beautiful blooms you’ve been dreaming of.

2010-07-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

I just can’t seem to shake my sore throat! I know that lots of things can trigger an itchy, scratchy, painful throat—allergies, infections, too much talking…the list goes on and on. But since I don’t also have a fever, swollen glands, or white spots in the back of my mouth (signs of a strep infection), I’m going to save myself a trip to the doctor and try to find some relief at home.
Here are a handful of hints that’ll help put out the fire:

Use throat lozenges or hard candies to keep your throat moist.
No cough drops or candy handy? Soak half a lemon in salt water, and suck on it for a while. This treatment moistens your throat and relieves soreness.
Pop aspirin, ibuprofen, or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug as directed to dull the pain.
Drink lots of water and other fluids to keep yourself hydrated and your throat moist.
Sip warm liquids, such as salty soup, to help fight inflammation.
Gargle with salty water to dissolve mucus, cleanse your throat, and reduce swelling and inflammation. Here’s what you do:

Put 1 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of hot water, and gargle four or five times a day. Don’t be heavy-handed with the salt—the gargle should taste a little salty, but not overwhelmingly so. Too much salt will cause further irritation to your already sore throat.

Looking for more unusual cures for common health problems? Check out my Oddball Ointments, Powerful Potions & Fabulous Folk Remedies book—FREE for 21 days! It’s loaded with more than 1,000 terrific tips that’ll save you time, money, and the hassle of running to the doctor every time you feel under the weather.

2010-07-09T08:58:00.003-04:00

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, between one lawn mowing and the next, huge amounts of pollen, dust, and dirt got blown onto my grass from who-knows-where. And, as every allergy-suffering lawn keeper can imagine, a lot of that crud flew right up into my face. Heck, even when I’m not the one manning the mower, lately I’ve been getting clobbered by particles that drift into my house through the open doors and windows.

Well, it turns out you don’t have resort to paving your whole yard to alleviate your allergy woes. Here are a couple of easy ways to ease your discomfort on mowing day—and all summer long:

Mask your mug. Protect yourself from allergy overload by wearing an inexpensive facemask (available at any drugstore) every time you head outside to mow.
Mow low. Keep your grass cut to a height less than 2 inches.
Shut ‘em up. Close your windows before you start mowing, and leave them closed for a few hours after the job is done. And this means all windows, not just those on the ground floor.
Rely on shower power. As soon as you’re done mowing, hit the shower to shampoo and suds away all the pollen that’s clinging to your hair and skin.

And here’s a landscape-enhancing way to nip seasonal allergies in the bud: Next time you plant new shrubs or trees, plant only female varieties. You’ll cut back on sneezin’ and wheezin’ because it turns out the male plants are the ones that release huge amounts of pollen into the air, hoping for a female of the same species to snag the particles with her flowers.

For even more lawn-lovin’ tips, tricks, and tonics, check out my All-American Lawns book—FREE for 21 days.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-02T09:29:00.003-04:00

Since we’re celebrating our great nation’s independence this weekend, I’ve been spending a little time this week transforming our deck into a red, white, and blue extravaganza—with patriotic perennials and all-American annuals from my very own garden.

For starters, I cut some white Shasta daisies and placed them in a tall vase, then interspersed them with red bee balm blossoms. Next, I attached some glittery blue stars to florist’s wire and set them among the red and white flowers. And there you have it—flowery fireworks in a vase! I also potted up some red geraniums, white hydrangeas, and blue delphiniums and placed small American flags in the containers to add to the colorful fun.

Need a little help growin’ the most gorgeous perennials in any color and any season? Check out my Perfect Perennials book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with 1,784 super secrets for bloomin’ beauties that’ll flourish year after year.

2010-06-25T09:30:00.001-04:00

I don’t know exactly what I got into in my garden this week, but I started itching as soon as I came inside. Turns out my backyard weeding session left me with a vicious case of hives! If the same thing happens to you, here’s a handful of hints that’ll help you ditch the itch:

Reduce your scratching by soaking for 10 to 15 minutes in a bathtub full of warm water with finely ground colloidal oatmeal added to it. This over-the-counter bath powder stays suspended in water and won’t clog your drain.
Dab the hives with cool mint tea. Just stir 1 teaspoon of fresh or dried mint leaves into 1 cup of boiling water, simmer for 10 minutes, then strain. Soak a soft cloth in the cooled tea, and dab it gently on your skin.
Soothe the burn with chickweed salve: Steep a handful of fresh chickweed (which you can buy at a health food store or online) in 2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid into a handheld sprayer bottle, chill, and spritz it on your hives. Keep the leftover salve in the fridge, ready for your next close encounter of the itchy kind.

For more tried and true treatments, check out my Grandma Putt’s Home Health Remedies book—FREE for 21 days. It’s jam-packed with hundreds of safe, natural, and effective cures to keep you (and yours) healthy.

2010-06-18T08:55:00.002-04:00

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a day of being spoiled rotten. And there’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned cookout to cap off the festivities.

But it never seems to fail when the whole family gets together: Either a hotdog will go haywire and send mustard flying; barbecue sauce will dribble on the tablecloth; or red wine will find its way onto the cushion of a deck chair. So this year, I’m coming to the party armed with a handy dandy guide to getting out food stains. Here’s a taste of my handy hints:

Ketchup—Blot it up with paper towels. Then pour a little club soda directly onto the spot, and immediately blot it again with a clean, dry cloth. Repeat a few times until the spot is gone.
Mustard—Wipe as much as you can away with a paper towel, then immediately apply a commercial laundry stain treater to the area. Wash the item in cold water and then check the spot. If a stain remains, rub some laundry detergent into it, and soak it in a sink full of warm, soapy water for about 12 hours, then launder the item.
Wine—When your cabernet gets tipsy, immediately cover the stain with salt. The salt will soak up the wine and counteract the stains while you finish your meal. Later, shake off the salt, rub some dishwashing liquid on the stain, and launder the cloth in cold water.
Barbecue sauce—Wet the spot with a sponge, then sprinkle the stain with salt and pour on a splash of club soda. Wipe it clean, and launder the item.
Grease—Place the stain facedown on a paper towel. Give the spot a squirt of grease-cutting dishwashing liquid, wait a minute or two, and rub it in with your fingertips. Then wash the item in cold water.

For more stain-busting secrets, check out my Cleaning Magic! book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips that’ll make any mess disappear in a flash.

2010-06-11T09:01:00.002-04:00

I’m planning a backyard barbecue this weekend, and I want my guests to linger long after dessert to enjoy the cool night air. But as I was cleaning up my outdoor furniture last night, I was chased inside by a bunch of hungry mosquitoes!

So first thing this morning I whipped up a batch of my Buzz Buster Lemonade and sprayed it on everything in my yard. I’ll reapply it the morning of the barbecue so the vile villains have to take up the hunt elsewhere.

Here’s the recipe:

Put 1 cup each of lemon-scented ammonia and lemon-scented dishwashing liquid into a 20 gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and hose down everything in your yard three times a week, preferably in the morning.

To really control backyard mosquito problems, you need to eliminate their breeding grounds. Here’s a short to-do list:

Get rid of any debris that could hold water—like those old tires you keep meaning to take to the dump.
Fill in potholes and any low-lying areas where rainwater collects.
Change your pets’ water at least once a day, and refill birdbaths every couple of days.
Empty portable wading pools as soon as the kids are through using them. Then, turn them upside down or take them indoors.

For more ways to send pesky pests packin’, check out my Critter Control & Pest Prevention book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with a whole wheelbarrow of ways to kick ‘em outta Dodge—and keep ‘em out!

2010-06-04T08:20:00.005-04:00

I’ve been waking up the past few mornings to the not-so-soothing sound of a woodpecker having an early breakfast in the tree outside my bedroom window. My first thought was that I sure hope he goes away. But then I got to thinking about my Grandma Putt, and how she liked to put up nest boxes for woodpeckers—even though most of the time a squirrel claimed possession before the ol’ hammerheads had a chance to check it out.

I’ve tried attracting a mating pair of woodpeckers to my yard with birdhouses myself, but these birds are so adept at whacking out their own homes that there’s really no reason.

So this summer, I’m going to roll out the welcome mat with this Come ‘n’ Get It Woodpecker Welcome recipe. The nutty, corny mix will delight the rhythmic rappers, and hopefully, keep ‘em coming back for more! Here’s how to make it:

Tear 1 loaf of any kind of bread into pieces, and place them in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of chopped suet or fat scraps, 1 cup of cracked corn, and ½ cup of chopped walnuts. Mix and mold firmly with your hands to fill two wire suet cages. Then hang the cages somewhere far enough from your bedroom window so you can sleep, yet close enough so you can watch all the fulfilled action.

For even more terrific taste treats that are irresistible to your favorite fine-feathered friends, check out my Backyard Bird Feeding Bonanza, FREE for 21 days! It’s got more than 90 DIY recipes that’ll tempt the taste buds of over 100 different varieties of birds.

2010-05-28T08:23:00.002-04:00

Hooray! It’s Memorial Day weekend! Warm summer weather is here in all its glory, so take full advantage of it by getting outside as much as you can. But before the gang arrives for the big holiday cookout, make sure your outdoor furniture is ready for company. Here’s how:

Sponge down aluminum furniture with a mix of warm water and dishwashing liquid. Pay particular attention to the joints and crevices of the frame, and sponge the cushions or webbing with the same mix to freshen up the seats. Finish by rinsing everything off with a garden hose until all the soap bubbles are gone.
If a nearby shade tree has showered your patio furniture with sap or pollen, dissolve the sticky mess with a mix of 1 part glycerin and 1 part warm water. Wipe the furniture with a clean, moist sponge.
To clean canvas chairs or chaises, wet the fabric with a garden hose, rub a scrub brush across a bar of Fels-Naptha® soap, and give the canvas a good going–over. Rinse thoroughly, let the chairs air-dry, and you’re done.
Spruce up grungy outdoor cushions by wiping them down with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of borax, 1 teaspoon of dishwasher detergent, and 4 cups of warm water, soaking the seams and creases. Let the solution sit for 15 minutes, then rinse it off with a garden hose. Set the cushions on end to air dry.

You’ll find even more solutions for cleaning everything from A to Z in my jam-packed Cleaning Magic! book. It’s filled with over 2,000 terrific tips to get your whole house (indoors and out!) clean as a whistle.

2010-05-21T08:39:00.001-04:00

There’s nothing better on a hot summer day than a ripe, juicy tomato, picked fresh from my own garden. And since things are finally heating up outside, it’s time to get my tomatoes going.

I use one of two ways to plant my tomatoes:

1. The holey moley method. Simply dig a hole about the size of a soccer ball, and put a layer of compost or well-rotted manure mixed with a handful of bonemeal and 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts in the bottom. Then set in the plant so that only about the top 4 inches sticks up above the soil. (Clip off the lower leaves with scissors first.)

2. The trench method. Make a 6-inch-deep trench the length of the planting bed. Spread a thin layer of compost along the bottom, then trim off the leaves from all but the top 4 inches of the stem. Lay each plant in the trench horizontally, with the 4-inch leafy part curved up out of the ground. Pack soil around it so it stays in place, and then cover up the rest of the stem with soil.

After you’ve got your tomatoes planted, it’s a good idea to set in some basil, bee balm, or borage close by. These aromatic herbs are the best neighbors your tomatoes will ever have because they send out chemicals from their roots and leaves that make tomato plants healthier and boost ‘em to new heights!

And if you want to get the most mouthwatering tomato crop on the block, treat your plants to my Tomato Booster Tonic. To whip up a batch:

Mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts, 1 teaspoon of baby shampoo, and 1 gallon of water in a watering can. Generously soak the soil around your tomato plants in early summer, just as they show a bunch of yellow flowers, to stimulate fruit set.

For more super secrets on growing big, juicy tomatoes and other incredible edibles, check out my Terrific Tomatoes, Sensational Spuds, and Mouth-Watering Melons book, FREE for 21 days!

2010-05-14T08:00:00.003-04:00

Don’t look now, but here come the critters to kick off their season of mischief making.

Raccoons seem to be the wiliest of the bad guys—they’re agile, persistent, and smart. So whatever you do to make the rascals relocate, remember to change your tactics frequently. Otherwise, they’ll catch on to your game and you’ll be right back where you started.

The conniving creatures will eat just about anything they can get their little paws on. But corn, fruits, and berries of all kinds top the favorite list. Here are a few tricks that just might make the rascals ramble:

Raccoons hate the smell of both bleach and ammonia. So fill old margarine tubs or other small bowls with either aromatic liquid, and set them among your vulnerable plants.
Keep ‘em out of your garbage cans by dipping a large wad of paper towels in ammonia, dowsing it with hot sauce, and tossing the wad into the can.
Raccoons have hairless and very sensitive feet, and they don’t like to walk on anything that’s sticky, slippery, sharp, or just plain strange feeling. So lay a 3-foot-wide strip of any of these materials around your veggie patch, and those critters’ll clear out fast: broken pot shards or jagged stones; nylon netting; plastic sheeting; smooth, round pebbles; thorny rose or bramble fruit canes; wire mesh.

For more super secrets, strategies, and solutions for battling garden thugs, check out my Critter Control and Pest Prevention book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with just what you need to send pesky pests packin’—pronto!

2010-05-07T08:56:00.002-04:00

To prune or not to prune: That is the question. And here’s the answer! If you have huge, old shrubs that are blocking your windows, interrupting your view and keeping the sun from brightening your rooms, grab a pruning saw and pruning loppers, and cut back those bushes by about one-third of their size. You can be even more aggressive if you like, but I’ve found that the one-third guideline is good to begin with.

And remember: Shrubs that get too big for their britches can make even a big house look small. It’s not being snooty to want your house to look at least as large as it really is, and one way to do this is to control the size of your foundation shrubs. But instead of carving them up into nice, neat cubes, let them have a looser, more natural shape. They won’t need pruning nearly as often, and that means a lot less work for you!

When pruning, sterilize your tools before moving from one shrub to another, especially if any of them show signs of disease. Use my Tool Sterilizing Tonic made of 1 part rubbing alcohol or chlorine bleach to 9 parts water. Soak the tools for several minutes before wiping them dry and moving on.

For more timely tips about trimmin’ shrubs and a whole lot more, check out my Backyard Problem Solver book—FREE for 21 days! You’ll find super solutions that are guaranteed to turn an ordinary yard into a little piece of paradise.

2010-04-30T08:41:00.001-04:00

Early spring perennials are sure putting on a gorgeous show! But if you’ve got weeds—ugh! Don’t let weeding woes take all the fun out of your flower gardening. Just follow my simple suggestions for keeping these pesky plants to a minimum, and you’ll have a great-looking perennial garden with a minimum of muss and fuss. Here’s how:

As soon as you see a weed, pull it. If you wait, it’s just going to get bigger, and in the meantime, it’s stealing water and nutrients that your perennials and bulbs could be using to give you more beautiful blooms.
Always use special care when cultivating, to avoid damaging bulbs or the roots of your bloomin’ beauties. If you’re using a hoe, make short, shallow, scraping motions instead of chopping deep down into the soil.
You’ll never need to use weed killers in your flower gardens as long as you put an adequate amount of mulch down to cover the soil. Grass clippings, chopped leaves, shredded bark, and pine needles all fill the bill. You’ll just need to pull the occasional weed.
When you’re cleaning out your flowerbeds, make sure you remove all the weeds you can see before adding a fresh layer of mulch. Don’t count on the mulch to smother weeds, because it won’t!
If you need to get rid of tough-as-nails weeds growing through cracks in patios and garden walkways, pour some salt on them. In a day or two, the weeds will curl up and die from dehydration, and you can easily pull them out.

Want a cheap, long lasting, and easy-to-wield weeding tool? The next time you see a set of steak knives on sale for a buck or two, grab ‘em. Steak knives make super weapons in the war against weeds!

For hundreds of handy hints for weedin’, feedin’, and waterin’ the right way, check out my Perfect Perennials book—FREE for 21 days!

2010-04-23T08:56:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Earth Day, but just because the day has come and gone doesn’t mean your green-up efforts should be put on hold until next year.

One easy way to stay green is to reuse things you would normally toss into the recycling bin by turning them into handy garden helpers. My Supermarket Super Gardens book is chock-full of ideas for recycling potential trash into terrific treasures ranging from bug traps to bird feeders.

For example, so-called “disposable” food-storage containers can be reused several times. Then, when they get too grungy for food storage or the lids go M.I.A., there’s still plenty of life left in them. Here’s just a sampling:

1. Wipe out mosquitoes. Fill large containers with water, add a few squirts of dishwashing liquid, and set them outside. When female skeeters set down to lay their eggs, they won’t get up again.

2. Lighten up big pots. Before you add potting mix, set closed smaller food-storage containers in the bottom. (Upside down if the lids are missing.) They’ll take up space and eliminate the weight of a lot of heavy soil. Use this trick only for flowers; trees and shrubs need all the room to roam they can get.

3. Trap slugs. Bury a container up to its rim in the soil, and fill it with an inch or so of grape juice. The slugs will belly up to the bar, tumble in, and die happy.

4. Make plant labels. Cut roughly 2-by-6-inch strips from the sides and bottom of old containers, and use a permanent marker to write the pertinent details on the top portion of each strip. Then insert the bottom part into the soil in your garden beds, or into the starting mix in your seed flats.

2010-04-16T09:01:00.000-04:00

April 22 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. But did you know that the organizers of Earth Day have designated April 17 and 18 as Global Days of Service? These two days are acknowledged by volunteers around the world who come up with climate change solutions for parks, beaches, schools, and forests in their own communities. “Green up” activities, like planting trees, protecting urban gardens, and streamlining energy needs are completed by folks of all ages.

Find Global Days of Service activities in your neck of the woods by visiting the Earth Day website, www.earthday.net/globaldaysofservice.

Get the green-up ball rolling in your own backyard by starting a compost pile. Whether you use it as a mulch or dig it into the soil, you can never have too much compost! Here’s a few helpful hints to keep your pile really cookin’ and the compost comin’:

Never, and I mean never, use meat, fish scraps, or cooking fats in your compost pile. They’ll attract varmints and insects, cause bad odors, and slow down decomposition of the pile.
Whether it comes from a human or any other kind of animal, hair is full of iron, manganese, and sulfur—all good stuff for your garden. Work it into the soil or toss it onto the compost pile, and watch your plants eat it up!
Give your compost pile the air it needs for speedy decomposition. Drill holes along the length of a large PVC pipe, then place the pipe upright in the center of the pile, and add your compost materials around it. Believe you me, it’s a whole lot easier than turning the pile with a pitchfork every few weeks!
No time or space to tend to a full-scale compost pile? Try this trick: Save your non-meat table scraps—peels, shredded veggies, eggshells, coffee grounds, and so on. Every few days, place the scraps in a food processor or blender and cover them with water. Add a tablespoon of Epsom salts to the mix, and liquefy. Pour this compost cocktail onto the soil in your garden, lightly hoe it in, and your plants will jump for joy!

2010-04-09T08:46:00.003-04:00

It was Opening Day this week for your favorite Major League baseball team—so how’s the turf at your home field looking? Take some time between innings to get out there this weekend and give your yard a good old-fashioned spring-cleaning. Here’s the starting line-up:

Rake up the remains of last fall’s leaves and grass clippings.
Overseed to repair any damaged areas of the lawn. Make your lawn-repair job a homerun with my sensational Spot Seed Tonic.

Combine 1 cup of beer, 1 cup of baby shampoo, and 4 tablespoons of instant tea granules in a 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and lightly apply the mixture to the mulch covering your newly seeded areas.

Then get your key player in tip-top shape: Sharpen your mower blade, or replace it with a new one, so you’ll be all set for the first cut of the season.
Remove thatch from cool-season lawns. Then spread screened compost over the dethatched turf, followed by a dose of my Kick-in-the-Grass Tonic.

20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer

For more super solutions to grow, repair, and maintain the best lawn in the league, check out my All-American Lawns book, FREE for 21 days!

2010-04-02T08:42:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter! Here’s hoping you have a wonderful, sun-filled day, and that the Easter Bunny leaves lots of treats for you and yours. If you’ve got leftover hard-boiled eggs, lucky you—gobble ‘em up, then save the shells to use in your garden. Here’s how:

Eggshells are rich in nitrogen, which makes them a top-notch “green” ingredient for making compost. So rinse off the shells and toss ‘em onto the pile.
Set dishes of crushed eggshells around any area that’s off-limits to ants. I don’t know why, but the little buggers will steer clear.
Add ground eggshells to your soil to make it more alkaline.
When you’re ready to plant squash or cucumbers, mound up your soil into hills, according to the directions on your seed packets, and bury a hard-boiled egg 6 to 8 inches deep in the center of each hill (gently crack the shell first). Then plant three pairs of seeds in a circle around it. As the egg decomposes, it’ll provide time-released nutrients for your growing plants.

For more garden-growin’ magic, check out my Supermarket Super Gardens book—FREE for 21 days! It’s filled with terrific tips that’ll help you whip even the saddest yard into tip-top shape.

2010-03-26T09:08:00.001-04:00

When I was a kid I couldn’t wait for Easter to roll around. That’s when all of us kids would gather in Grandma Putt’s kitchen to make our own Easter eggs to give as special springtime presents. These eggs were so spectacular—each year we tried to outdo our efforts from the year before. Here’s how to make some extravagant eggs of your own:

Using a long carpet needle, very carefully poke a hole at each end of a raw egg, making one hole a little larger than the other. Hold the egg over a bowl, with the larger hole pointed down, and gently blow into the smaller hole, so the yolk and whites flow out. Rinse the inside of the egg thoroughly with clear water, and lay it on paper towels to dry overnight. The next day, decorate the eggs with acrylic paint and decorative trimmings of your choice.

Then, for each ornament, thread the carpet needle with a 12-inch length of embroidery floss, and pull it through both holes in the egg. Tie a knot at the end that’s outside the smaller of the two holes. At the other end, tie a loop for hanging. Spray the finished product with acrylic fixative.

For more terrific ideas using eggs and other ordinary, everyday items, check out my Grandma Putt’s Old-Time Vinegar, Garlic, Baking Soda, and 101 More Problem Solvers—FREE for 21 days!