And you are probably surfing the net to find the best ideas for your Halloween celebrations – it can take time and energy – so I decided to lend a helping hand and give you a variety of Halloween ideas and tips all in one place! From being able to tell your kids what Halloween is to making your own costumes, creating the perfect Halloween treats to decorating on a budget:

Thinking about planning a party?

Check out:

Party Planning Tips

Best Halloween Tips

Halloween Party Planning Tips

Wondering about decorations that wouldn’t cost you arm and a leg?

Here are some ideas:

My Decorations on a Budget

Easy Halloween Decorations

What do you tell your kids when they ask you what Halloween is?

 Here is your answer:

All About Halloween

Oh yes – costumes! Want to make some for your kids?

Take a look at:

Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids

What about adult costumes? Or tips on how to win a Halloween contest?

Easy Adult Halloween Costumes

10 Easy Halloween Costumes

How to Win Halloween Costume Contest

And let’s not forget fun food:

Fun Halloween Snacks

Everybody wants to have the perfect pumpkin!

Check out these tips on how to make sure yours is perfect:

Guide to the Perfect Halloween Pumpkin

Hope this will make your Halloween planning easier – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences – your input is welcomed and very much appreciated!

How to Clean Window Screens:

Screens are like filters.Clean indoor air is an integral part of a healthy home and one of the factors that play an important role in determining air quality is the state of window screens.

Most homes across North America have screens on the windows allowing air to enter while filtering out various flying debris and stopping animals and bugs from entering.

However, since the screens act like filters they often collect a lot of dust and dirt over the course of time and eventually need a good clean. This is especially the case during the warmer months and in arid regions where airborne particles and pollution are more prevalent.

The question is what’s the best way to make them shine and assure easy breathing?

The answer is: Cleaning screens

Cleaning screens is a simple job that can be done during regular window cleaning </a> chores and all that’s needed is a soapy sponge, water for rinsing, and a towel to sop up any excess wetness.

To remove all residues the screen should be gently scrubbed with the sponge and then rinsed by letting water run from top to bottom.

The biggest decision to make on this project is whether to clean the screens in place or take them out.

Cleaning them in place means taking a few extra precautions:

Although you won’t be using much water, be careful it doesn’t spill on the floor, which may have a carpet.

Try not to let excess water drip down the exterior and flood a neighbour’s apartment through an open window. If you live above the ground floor, it’s a good idea to alert whoever lives underneath about your plans.

If the base of the window doesn’t have drainage holes you may be stuck removing any collected water.

If drainage holes exist and the windows aren’t too high up the screens can also be cleaned from the outside using a garden hose and mild scrub brush. Just make sure windows are closed from the inside before spraying the hose at the screen.

On the other hand, removing screens allows for a more thorough and freer cleaning campaign, as they can be washed in the yard, on the sidewalk, or in the bath tub and dried in the sun before being returned. Just one note of caution here: If you clean the screens outside make sure they are dry before returning them so water doesn’t drip across the house.

Extra Tips

In order to preserve your screens apply very little pressure when cleaning, as pressing too hard may dent the wire mesh or dislocate it from the frame. Try to clean the screens twice a year; once in the early spring and once in the late summer between the seasons.

Finally, as tempting as it may be don’t use chemical cleaners, even if recommended. They are unnecessary and will only pollute the ground wherever they drain. If you find there are hard residues on the screen, apply soap and water like you would with cruddy dishes and let the crud  soften. Then rescrub and rinse.

Jakob Barry writes for Networx.com.He covers various eco-friendly home improvement topics vices

Here are a few pictures from my own garden – taken just couple of days ago:

This was the third time I planted Clematis – the previous efforts resulted in dried out plants – probably because of exposure. I planted this one 2 years ago, right next to the walkout from our house and it likes it there. And I love the beautiful and abundant white blooms!

This is where it is growing beautifully – and we have since replaced the trellis to allow the plant to start expanding its beauty upwards

Aside of roses, peonies are one of my most favourite plants. This one is quite old – I think I planted it about 10 years ago. But is is incredible showing off with over 100 blooms every single year. When it starts blooming, I hope it won’t rain too much, because those huge blooms fill up with water and lay down on the ground – and that is pretty much the end of them. It would be nice to have flowers like this all year!

This is my second peony plant – also planted about 10 years ago. This one is a beautiful burgundy shade and it must be a different kind becuase the stacks are stronger and the blooms don’t fall on the ground as easily. Again – I wish it would bloom year round!

This entire side bed is pretty much carefree – I filled it with perennials. When lupins finish blooming, black eyed susans will start and then other perennials so there are always a few blooms there. The colour is added by the shrub that stays dark red all the time – I do not remember what it is called, I bought it because of the colour and it really works well. And of course – hostas – they do really well for me and I have given lots of them away to friends as well.

I just couldn’t resist buying this hanging basket – a beautiful combination of black petunias and white geraniums – stunning!

Great colour addition to any garden – I got two matching hanging baskets with incredible dual shade of red geraniums

This was a little shrub, about 2 feet tall when I bought it – I am pretty sure it was tagged as “Flowering willow”. It grew beautifully and it always looks like it is blooming. The white and pink colours are actually new growths and everyone who visits my garden admires this beautiful tree. And I suspect that it keeps bugs away -we cut a few branches and had them in a house for a few hours and could smell a funny, almost musty odour coming from them – so it could be an added benefit!

You may be taking and second look at this picture, wondering what it is. It my favourite tree, planted about 14 years ago from a small shoot off my friends large tree. It is a linden tree - the national tree of Czech Republic where I am originally from. I remember my grandma collecting the blooms, drying them out and making this incredible tee that she sweetened with honey. One year soon, I will start collecting the blooms to – just for the old times sake.

Hope you have enjoyed this little walk through my garden and that it gave you a few ideas – please send in your comments, your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated

It’s grilling season and I know that most of you have been waiting patiently to be able to cook outside. It is usually meats  that most cook on the grill, and I think it is important to have a little refresher on how to best buy, store and cook different meats.

Tips on Buying the Meat

It is important to buy meat wisely, know how to store it and how to cook various cuts of meat for optimum results.

Recognize quality – Meat should be firm, velvety and fine grained with streaks of fat through it.

Beef – Outside fat is creamy white and firm, the meat is uniform rich red colour, varying from light red to dark red.

Veal – Outside fat is creamy white or tinged with pink. Young veal is greyish pink and older veal is pinkish brown.

Lamb – Outside fat is creamy white or slightly pink in colour. Mutton is more brittle and white in colour. The meat varies from a light pink to dark pink and in mutton from light to dark red.

Pork – Outside fat should be firm and white and there should be a good proportion of lean to fat. The meat varies from greyish pink to deep rose colour.

Tips on Storing Meat

Remove store wrappings and wipe with damp cloth. Place on a shallow plate and cover loosely with waxed paper. Store in refrigerator.  Cured meats can be left in store wrappings.

Approximate storage time in refrigerator:

Roasts – 2-3 days

Steak and chops – 2-3 days

Ground meat – 1-2 days

Liver, heart, kidney, etc. – 1 day

Cured, smoked meats – 1 week

Sausages – 1-2 days

Wieners – 2-3 days

Cooked meats – 3-4 days

Tips on Cooking Meats

Tender cuts – Suitable for roasting, pan frying and broiling

Less tender cuts – Suitable for pot roasting, braising and stewing

How to roast: Roast meats in moderate oven (325F) .Place roast, fat side up on a rack in an uncovered roasting pan in centre of oven. Insert meat thermometer in the centre of the meatiest part of roast so that the tip is not touching bone or fat. Base occasionally during roasting. Season halfway through cooking. Roast to desired stage of doneness or until meat thermometer registers required internal temperature. Let roast stand for at least 10 minutes to make carving easier. Make gravy from drippings in pan.

Timetable for Roasting Meats at 325 F: – Minutes per pound

Beef – Rare – 20 – 25 minutes (thermometer temperature – 130 – 140 F)

Medium – 25 – 30 minutes (Thermometer temperature – 140 – 150 F)

Well – 35 – 40 minutes (Thermometer temperature – 150 – 170 F)

Veal – Well done – 35 – 40 minutes (Thermometer temperature – 180 F)

Lamb – Well done – 30 -35 minutes (Thermometer temperature -180 F)

Pork – Well done – 40 – 50 minutes (Thermometer temperature – 185 F)

Cured meats – Well done – 25 – 40 minutes (Thermometer temperature – 170 F)

How to pan fry (or pan broil): Use a heavy frying pan and add small amount of fat. Snip fat edges of meat to prevent curling. Brown meat on both sides, over medium heat, cooking to desired doneness. Do not cover pan unless indicated in the recipe you are using and do not prick meat. Season only after browning, using salt and pepper. If youa re cooking fat meat, do not add fat. Pour off excess fat that accumulates in the pan.

How to broil: Direction will vary with the type of broiler used, thickness, kind of meat and degree of doneness desired. Preheat broiler and leave door slightly opened. Place meat on cold rack of broiler pan – distance form the broiler should be about 3-5 inches. Broil meat on one side until browned, season and do the other side.

How to Pot Rast: Brown meat well on all sides in hot fat in a heavy pan or Dutch oven pot. Season with salt and pepper.  Cool pot slightly and slide a rack under the meat. Add a small amount of water or soup stock  – about 3-4 tablespoons. Cover and cook over low heat on top of stove or in moderate oven (325F) until tender and well done. Allow 30 -35 minutes per pound for bone-in meats, and 40 – 45 minutes for boneless meats. Add vegetables if desired, during the last hour of cooking. Uncover oven cooked roast last half hour of cooking for better browning. Use pan juices to make gravy.

How to Braise: Score or pound the meat to break down coarse fibers.  Season and flour meat and brown in fat in heavy frying pan. Add liquid, cover and cook slowly over low heat in a moderate oven (325 F) until tender and well done.

How to Stew: Trim off excess fat and gristle. Cut meat into 1”cubes. Flour meat and brown in hot fat in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven. Add seasonings and enough water or stock to half cover the meat, stir well. Cover tightly and simmer meat slowly until it is tender. Add vegetables about 30 minutes before the meat is done. For a thicker stew, add flour mixed with a little water.

Hope this was helpful to you – please send in your comments, suggestions ands experiences – your input is always welcomed and much appreciated

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1. Make your lawn more eco-friendly: When seeding or over-seeding, reduce the percentage of Kentucky Bluegrass and replace it with hardy perennial and drought-tolerant seeds. Talk to your garden centre people who will recommend the right type for your area.

2. Choose the right plant for the right place: Select plants that are hardy for your growing zone and suit your soil, rainfall and hours of sunshine. The best tips is to choose the plants that are native to your area. They will be naturally resistant to pests and disease and won’t be nutrient hogs.

3. Think like Darwin: Go with the survival of the fittest. If plant died the first time you tried it, don’t replace the same thing – select a better option.

4. Look for healthy plants: At the nursery, check the plants are free of insects and disease and choose the ones with strong stems and healthy foliage.

5. Pick the right pots: Buy plants in biodegradable pots, such as those made from bamboo, coconut, rice or wheat fibres. If these are not available, shop at stores that have returnable and recyclable program.

6. Feed the soil naturally: A great organic garden is built on a good base. Recycle uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps (no meat or dairy products), leaves and grass and garden clippings by adding them to your compost bin. Once it’s cooked, use the finished rich, dark crumbly compost to feed your flowerbeds right through the growing season.

7. Reuse: Dig coffee grounds into garden beds to add nitrogen to the soil.

8. Mulch: A good layer of mulch is worth its weight in gold. Apply mulch to reduce weed growth, retain moisture in the soil and keep roots cool.

9. Practice prevention: Take the time to smell the roses. Once you are up close, you can spot early signs of disease and insect infestation before you have a big problem. And keep your beds free of dead or decaying plant material.

10. Work with Nature: Invite all things good into your garden by welcoming beneficial bugs and other friendly creatures.

This may have happened to you quite a few times. It did happen to me – and I think I am being careful how I store my baking and cooking supplies. I was just about ready to go and bake cookies  and my bag of brown sugar that I put into a basket of baking supplies instead of an air-tight container is rock hard. Not a huge problem, since I do know what to do – even when I need to soften it quickly. But it gave me an idea as to what to share with you today – just in case you find yourself in same situation.

Ten Ways to Soften Brown Sugar:

If you need to do it fast – like I did this morning:

1.       Place the hard sugar in a microwave safe container and put it in your microwave with a bowl of water beside it. Microwave for about 1 minute – then check it. If it still hard, repeat for another 30 seconds. Keep repeating this until your brown sugar is soft – but be careful not to melt the sugar!

2.       Place the hard sugar into a baking pan and put in the over at 250F – check it after about 5 minutes. If it is still hard, leave it in for couple more minutes and keep checking it until it is softened and ready to use

3.       Place the hard sugar in a plastic bag, Moisten paper towel (don’t make it dripping wet) and place it into the bag with your sugar. Microwave for about 30 seconds and then check if it is as soft as you need it to be. Repeat in shorter time periods if the sugar didn’;t soften on the first try. And again – be careful not to melt it!

 If you have time to soften your hard brown sugar:

4.       Place your hard brown sugar in an airtight container with a slice of bread on top. Close the container and let it sit overnight. If it didn’t soften enough, leave it in the container for another day or two – it will soften eventually.

5.       Sprinkle a little bit of water over the chunk of hard brown sugar, place it in an airtight plastic bag and leave overnight.

6.       Place the hard sugar into any container and cover it with moistened cloth (paper or cloth) and let it sit until it softens.

7.       Wrap the sugar in plastic or foil, place dampened paper towel over the top of it . Place in airtight container and let sit for at least overnight.

8.       Buy a clay disc that is being sold for the purpose of softening hard brown sugar – or if you have a piece of pottery handy, it will work as well. Soak the disc or pottery in water for about ½ hour, pat it with a towel to remove excess water, place it into airtight container with your hard sugar and let sit overnight.

9.       Place the hard sugar into airtight container with a few apple slices on top of it. Close the container and let it sit for a few days – then remove the apple slices.  

And this is the quickest way to get rid of the hard lump –

10.   Place it in a food processor or blender and pulse/chop until it is usable.

Hope this was helpful to you – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences. Your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated

I start baking about 10 days before Christmas – and really – just like with everything else – having a plan and organizing what I will do and when is the key to success.

By spending only couple of hours each day in that time period, I get everything done in time and without stress. That is why I am starting this book with a sample of schedule you can adopt and follow if you wish.

Find what you want to make by going through your cookbooks, recipe cards, magazines – whatever you feel will give you the information you need. Or just follow this book – there are plenty of tested, great recipes here!

Decide on how many varieties you want to make – and that goes for baking and for cooking. You can make your plan for all your cookies, cakes and meals that you will be planning to prepare.

Write it all down , making sure you not only put down the name of the recipe, but also the source of it – so you don’t have to spend too much time looking for it when you are ready to cook or bake. That is why this book can be your best friend – it’s all in one place already!

When choosing your recipes, take into consideration:

• How difficult is it – read through it and if you think it is something you would rather not attempt. Save it for later when it will be the only thing you will need to make
• Cost of special ingredients the recipes call for – it is a good idea to try to choose the recipes for which you have most of the ingredients in your kitchen cupboards already (this is a great advice for your budget!)

Now – create your shopping list and calculate approximately how much you will need to spend to make everything you are planning.

You will be able to get all the ingredients at once for your baking and just save the portion of your shopping list that has fresh items on it for shopping at a date closer to the time you will be preparing a specific meal.

The one thing you may also want to double check on the tools you will need – like pans for baking, etc. If you have pans and tools that are old and worn, consider replacing them – it can make a difference in the way your creations will taste!

The other items you should check out are containers for storing your baked goodies – they should be clean and airtight. Then you will not have to worry about your cookies – they will be just fine! And it is a good idea to have containers that are large enough to hold a full batch of each variety – then just take out the quantity you need when it is time to serve them!

I also find that it is helpful to organize the shopping list by store where I am planning to purchase various items – especially if you need to purchase items such as the tools, or anything special you will not be able to find in your supermarket.

And then its’ time to go shopping! The one advice I can give you is to do everything first and leave the grocery store as your last stop – you maybe purchasing frozen or refrigerated items. I live in a cold climate, so I usually don’t have to worry about that too much – but – grocery bags full of perishable stuff in a trunk of a car on a sunny day – even in the winter…. not a good idea.

When you bring your supplies home, you may want to consider designating one of your kitchen cupboards as you baking supply centre. That way, you will everything in one place and not spend time looking when you need something.

It is actually possible to make a few kinds of dough one day, wrap them tightly, store them in your refrigerator overnight and bake several kinds of cookies the next day. That can actually be very efficient since quite a few types of cookies will have same ingredients and you will also have your tools handy at the time.

There is one thing I want to remind you do: you need to use items like butter, eggs and cream cheese at room temperature, so take them out of the refrigerator at least couple hours before you start making your dough.

And another good tip for you – if you are going to make several types of dough at once is to write the name on each package after wrapping – you don’t want to try to have to figure out which dough is which type of a cookie the next day!

If you are ready to bake the next day, again I want to remind you to take all hour prepared dough packages out of the refrigerator and leave them in room temperature for couple of hours. The only exception would be cookies that you need to slice into rounds – those work really well if you form the dough into the needed “before cutting” shape before wrapping and storing it. Then when you are ready to bake, slice them cold – it will be much easier!

Now you can start baking!

I would start with cookies that require the lowest oven temperature and increase the temperature depending on what each recipe calls for.

You may have one little challenge when you start taking your cookies out of the oven – enough cooling racks. You can actually spread double thickness of aluminum foil on your countertops and use that for cooling your creations.

Once your cookies are cooled to the room temperature, line your storage containers with waxed paper and place cookies in layers – one layer at a time – with putting sheets of waxed paper between each layer.

Store your containers in a refrigerator or a cool place in your basement or a garage.

If you have chosen cookies that need decorating, you will want to do that as close to serving them as possible. Those cookies that are chocolate covered can be finished couple days before use – just make sure you are keeping them in a cool place and let the chocolate cool and harden completely so it won’t stick to the paper.

And if you are frosting your cookies with creams – I would do that just before serving them, unless you have lots of storage room, since you will be able to stack them after decorating them.

You can follow similar process of planning for your meals – you can in fact prepare quite a few items ahead of time – like potato salad. I find that it is actually better the day after you made it when all the flavours blend in together.

You can have salad dressing, glazes, vegetables, etc. ready ahead of time in your refrigerator and save some time a frustrations when it is time to put together that special feast!

Hope this information was helpful to you – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences, your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated!

Tips for Setting Your Thanksgiving Table

Thanksgiving Table Decorating Ideas

Top 10 Tips for Setting Your Thanksgiving Table

How to Set Your Thanksgiving Buffet Table

Make Your Own Thanksgiving Tablecloth

Hope you have enjoyed all the information – please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences, your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated

Here are the top 10 tips on what to do:

1.      All Garden Plants: Continue watering during dry spells in the fall to help roots store energy for winter, but stop fertilizing after midsummer to discourage new growth that might suffer winter damage. Any weeding done now means less weeding in the spring.

2.      Lawn: When grass stops growing (around mid to late October), feed it high nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen is the first number in three part formula you will see on fertilizer bag description. This will increase root growth and gets grass off to a green start next spring. Make the year’s last mow shorter than normal – about 2 inches to discourage winter fungal growth.

3.      Newly Planted Evergreen Shrubs: Insert sturdy wooden stakes in the ground around the shrub and attach burlap with staples to create a screen. Place stakes far enough away so that burlap won’t touch foliage. The burlap will shade foliage from winter sun and protect it from the drying effects of wind.

4.      Perennials: No need to cut down all dead stems and seed heads. These provide shelter and food for birds. But – if plants were infected by diseases or insects during the summer, cut them down to about 3 inches above ground. This will discourage diseases and pests from overwintering and resuming their destruction next season.

5.      Newly Planted Perennials: When the ground begins to freeze and plants are dormant, lay a 2 inch layer of shredded leaves over crowns. Late winter’s alternate freezing-thawing cycle can heave the perennials which haven’t had the time to grow strong root system, out of the ground.

6.      Tall, Narrow Junipers and Cedars: wrap jute twine – gently, not tightly – around and through the shrub from bottom to top to keep branches from splaying our and breaking under heavy snow.

7.   Broad-leaved Evergreens: Spray with and antidesiccant in late fall, when daytime temperatures are just above freezing to protect foliage from burning in winter’s strong winds and sun.

8.      Climbing Roses: After leaves fall, tie the long canes (branches) to a fence or trellis to prevent them from whipping around in the wind.

9.      Tender Roses: When the top few inches of ground freeze, mound weed-free topsoil or coarsely shredded leaves over the bottom 12 inches of the plant. Next, apply about 2-3 inches of wood chips, shredded leaves or small evergreen branches over the root zone.

10.   Container Plants: Compost plant that won’t be overwintered indoors, remove potting soil and store empty containers upside down in a sheltered area or indoors to prevent frost damage.

Hope you have found this information helpful, please send in your comments, suggestions and experiences – your input is always welcomed!

1. If the school is new to your child, make arrangements to take a tour before the school starts
2. Meet the child’s teacher – if you can’t do it in person, schedule at least a telephone conversation
3. If your child has any medical conditions – and that includes allergies, finalize them with the school nurse
4. The night before first day of school pack your child’s backback with his help – then there are no questions locating important items
5. Put your child to bed early the day before school – if he or she has a tendency to be anxious and stress, fatigue will aggravate the situation
6. On the first day of school make sure your child wakes up early enough to allow plenty of time to get ready and have a good breakfast
7. Pack a nutritious lunch and sneak in a little love note – especially for the younger child
8. You may want to consider driving your child to school for the first day – even if plan is to use alternative transportation later
9. Walk into the classroom with the younger child, gtreet the teacher and introduce your child and yourself
10. Remind your child what time you will be back to pick him or her up
11. If there are other parents present, introduce yourself to them
12. And whatever you do – do not be late!