Family and Gardening Tips

Having fun in the garden, wrestling grandkids and tackling some laundry over the years have taught me a few things. I thought you'd enjoy these few tips. 

1. Chore lottery

Does it seem that trying to get your kids to do their chores as difficult as climbing Mount Everest? Here's an idea for you!

Draw a weekly chore lottery for the whole family every Sunday night. Write down all the weekly chores on separate pieces of paper and place them all in a hat, on one piece write “day off". Then draw the chores out for each person and stick them to the fridge! This way, mom won’t be left with all the boring jobs and one lucky family member will get a day off – who will it be?

2. Chewing-gum removal

There’s nothing worse than chewing gum stuck to your clothes. For a surprisingly quick and easy remedy, put the garment in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once the chewing gum has frozen you will be able to pick it off with your fingers or chisel it off with the back of a teaspoon.

3. Easy weed killer

Kill weeds fast with a bottle of boiling water mixed with a few tablespoons of salt. This is a great way to eradicate pesky weeds from between your pavers without destroying your back or your fingernails! 

Keep in mind, salt is best used for small-scale gardening where it will be easily diluted by rain or watering, however. If salt is used on a large scale, it can create soil conditions that are not suitable for growing plants for quite some time.