Garden Box

I just had this great idea that I wanted to try my hand at gardening. Never mind the fact that I can never get anything to grow, mostly because I have a bad habit of drowning everything. So my always supportive husband jumped on board with the idea and helped me put together a garden box. so far this has been the easiest DIY yet! 

Here is the after picture just to inspire you to get started. 

Our side yard is not a very pretty area, but this does seem to get the best sunlight and would be out of the way.

We used cedar boards that I believe were 1x6's and we stacked them on top of each other and measured them out to 8'. But you can make whatever size to fit your area. We used outdoor wood screws to hold the boards together and secured the boards to the corners with 1x2s as support. I believe our box was about 3' across and 8' long. 

To try to prevent some of the weeds and grass from growing up through, we lined the box with this black weed proof mess (you can find it at Lowes's) and then added newspaper. I HATE WEEDS! By the way, I have used the newspaper trick in my flower beds and it definitely cuts down the weeds. 

 

We loaded that bed with a ton of soil that included peat moss, compost, and vegetable garden soil. And watered it all down. 

I had to do some research about what will grow best in our hot climate and when I should plant certain things. I also learned that cumbers and tomatoes should not be planted near each other. This year, I decided to just try a few different things, just to see what would grow. I have jalapeno plant, bell pepper plant, cuccumber, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, cucumber, strawberries, watermelon seeds, and romaine lettuce.

 That tiny strawberry was my first harvest. lol!! I'm still shocked that things are growing and my husband is completely impressed that I haven't given them to much to drink. Right now, I have watermelon leaves coming through the soil, multiple strawberries, and about 8 tomatoes starting. The cucumber and squash plants are growing like crazy but no visible produce starting yet. 

Sugar Did That!

I have recently become fascinated by nutrition even though I considered myself a fairly healthy eater. However, as a pediatric nurse, I have seen an increase in extremely obese children and personally, I want to live a healthy, fit lifestyle.  I have watched documentaries and read multiple books and articles on the subject. All of this lead my husband and I to decide to do a 2 weeks challenge in which we ate nothing with preservatives and nothing with sugar of any kind other than fruit. That meant no pasta, bread, desserts, store bought spaghetti sauce, most condiments, etc.  What I was not prepared for was the effects of cutting out sugar and artificial products.

    
1. SLEEP!!! Both my husband and I work 12 hour night shifts, so sleeping during the day with the sun up, neighbors mowing their lawns, dogs barking, garbage trucks, solicitors knocking on the door…anyways, sleep is always impossible. Now put two restless sleepers in a queen bed…needless to say, neither of us got any sleep. This is how it had been for the past 3 years and we just assumed it was because we worked night. Nope! About 1 week into our challenge, we were sleeping completely through from the time our heads hit the pillow until our alarms sounded it. It was a deep, restful sleep. I kid you not, that never happened before (unless we took an Advil PM, which we sometimes did).

  2. Since we slept so well, we felt so rested when we woke. We had so much energy at work whereas before we would start dragging around 1AM and only be half way through the shift. I was wide awake all night and even had more patience for my patients and their families.

  3.  I was satisfied after eating and did not feel hungry again for hours.

  4.  I began to crave real food and fruit actually tasted sweet…almost too sweet.  Our dinner plates were actually colorful and looked appealing. Ever notice how plain a plate of fettuccini alfredo looks or a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios?

   5. Weight Loss and muscle definition. My husband lost 12 pounds in those 2 weeks and both of us had more definition.

  6.  Ever since I have known my husband, he has always gotten sick in January. Every year without fail. I attributed it to his job as police officer where he is outside on cold, wet traffic stops then back into a warm car repeatedly throughout the night. However, this year he has not had one little sniffle or sore throat and the only difference has been our diet.

  7. My joint pain has disappeared! I love running and high-intensity workouts and as a result I often push myself too far. Since before thanksgiving, I had been struggling with pain in my right leg, foot, and ankle.  I had tried everything to relieve the discomfort-rest, ice, ace wrap, Motrin. Nothing seemed to help. However, about 10 days into the challenge, the pain was gone. I continue to run (up to 9 miles) and still did not have the pain I had when I was only running 6 miles. My husband had also stopped complaining about his knee pain as well.

 There were some downsides too.

1.       After 2 weeks, we were somewhat bored of having eggs for breakfast. I guess there are worse problems to have.

2.        I still craved pasta and desserts and would even dream about my favorite foods.  However after eating them when the challenge was over, I learned I was not missing a thing!

3.       The biggest negative for me was the lack of energy I had when working out. It was difficult to accomplish that 6 miles and even harder to complete 9 miles without carbs.

After my 2 week challenge, I decided that I earned a break and so I broke down and ate a sugar-cinnamon bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. Once I finished the bagel, I was still so hungry and the worst part was that I was back to another restless “night” sleep. Additionally, my husband and I went out for a date night to an Italian restaurant and followed that up with dessert at Cheesecake Factory. BIG MISTAKE!!! Overall, we felt horrible. I definitely did not feel satisfied. My stomach was killing me and I began getting a slight headache. My husband actually complained of blurred vision after finishing his dessert. Within 15 minutes of us being home, we were sound asleep (we had only been awake for few hours as it was)…sugar coma!!

I was completely shocked at how much these foods can POISON your body. In the future, I will continue to eat clean however, I will add brown rice, quinoa, and oats back into our diet so that we have the energy we need to workout. The overall sense of well-being is so worth it. As far as desserts go (I have a sweet tooth that takes so much DISCIPLINE to control), I will attempt to only eat things that I make at home because I know they will not contain artificial ingredients. I will also strictly limit those times. There are plenty of healthier desserts such as banana ice cream, baked cinnamon apples, homemade quinoa oat bars or avocado chocolate mousse.

FYI: Most people do not realize that when they eat pasta and bread (except breads such as Ezekiel  products)  it is quickly broken down into sugar (high glycemic index), which causes a fast release of insulin. It is insulin that causes excesses sugar to be stored as fat. Not exactly what you want to happen if you’re looking to lose weight. Plus there is no nutritional value in those products. There is a compound in grains that prevent the absorption of important minerals. So do not let the package fool you when it says it contains vitamins and minerals because your body won’t be able to use them. What you eat will either be beneficial for your health or detrimental, though you may not see these effects today or tomorrow, there will be long term consequences.

Books I suggest:

1.       The Daniel Plan by Rick Warren, Daniel Amen, and Mark Hyman, M.D.

2.       It starts with food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig

Documentary I suggest:

1.       Fed Up (released 2014) Excellent!!

We ate plenty of meats, seafood, eggs, dairy, nuts, fruit and vegetables. Look how colorful! 

Avocado and Mozzarella topped chicken with broccoli and a mixed green salad (balasamic dressing)

Venison burgers with cheese, spinach, and guacamole. Cucumber and onion salad. Side of sweet potato fries and homemade ranch.

Scrambled eggs with spinach, green pepper, cherry tomatoes, and ham. Half a banana. 

                

Coffee Table Turned Ottoman

AFTER

BEFORE

My husband found this beat up coffee table at a local thrift store and I immediately thought of turning it into an ottoman. And so this project began. The first thing I had to do was make a frame around the sides that was even so that I could wrap the fabric around. I believe I used 2"x2" and my nail gun.

Next I sanded down the legs so that they could be painted or stained.

Decided where you want your tufted buttons to go and drill some holes. Do this now before you cover your table. *It is often cheaper to get your buttons covered at an upholstery shop than it is to do it yourself. Most kits cost $10 for 10 button and then you have all the work to do whereas my local shop charges the same but they do the work. Your holes do not need to be extremely large but big enough to pass an upholstery needle through. 

Cover your piece with 2" or 3" upholstery grade foam which can be bought online or at Joanne Fabrics. Use an adhesive spray to make sure the foam stays in place. I also put the foam into the space on the sides. 

Next cover your piece with batting using a staple gun.

Now the fabric. To make the sure the design is put on straight and doesn't get pulled off center. Staple one side and then staple the direct opposite side. Never go clockwise/counterclockwise. Always straight across.

The corners may be tricky but try to tuck them in and staple in place.

The tufting part is not difficult but you will need 2 people. First DOUBLE thread your upholstery needle with upholstery grade thread. And pass your needle from the back of the table through to the front. Then place the button onto the needle. Sorry the picture is very blurry. 

Pass the needle back through the same hole...somewhat of a challenge. That is why you do not want to small of a hole to start. 

One person needs to be at the top of the table pushing in the button enough to get the tufted look you desire, while the other person staples the thread tightly into place. You may need to use a few staples here. I think my husband used 3 staples per button. 

Admire your handy work! 

Inexpensive Fall Decor

Yes!!! My favorite season is here. Here is some of the fall decor that is around my home. The "Happy Fall Y'all" sign was made of reclaimed wood using the same technique that I described in my Sign tutorial link. In a previous post, I showed you how I transformed an ugly picture into a versatile chalkboard, which now says "Thankful and Blessed." 

The "BOO" flag sign over the mirror was a super easy DIY project. I simply tore pages from an old book that I no longer wanted. Tearing them gave them a more aged look than simply cutting the edges. Actually, truth be told, I always cut crooked no matter if I have a line to follow or not. Opened my Microsoft publisher program, picked my font, and printed them out on the old paper. I punched holes in the top and used some left over twine to drape it across the mirror. 

Happy Fall Y'all

I absolutely love fall and you better believe that the first remotely cool day that we had here in Texas (and by that I mean any day with temperatures less than 90), I had my fall decorations out. I love the way the box turned out. Its going to be great for Christmas decorations too. And those pallet pumpkins were made from left over pallets and plywood.

It is Well

It's always interesting to see how God works and to see the different things He uses to get someones attention. In this case, it was a combination of a recent devotion that I read (the Sept. 20th entry in Jesus Calling) and sign that a coworker asked me to paint.

I am that Type A, control freak, plan things to a T kinda person. I like things to go as I planned so that I can get my entire "To Do" list complete at the end of the day, otherwise, it was not a productive day. And I don't like unproductive time. But when something upsets that plan, I immediately get so frustrated. Yet, this devotion encouraged me to look at things from God's perspective and to learn to shrug off those petty annoyances. "If you shrug them off immediately and return your focus to Me, you will walk through your days with lighter steps and a joyful heart." 

The same day that I read that devotion, I began working on this sign and the song "It is Well" continually played in my head. So when those frustrations come up, I remind myself that "It is well with my Soul." 

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

2 CORINTHIANS 4 : 17 – 18

My latest....

This works perfect on my outdoor mantle. 

Thanks Tiffany, for the chance to make this for you! I absolutely loved doing it. 

A friend of my husband's ordered this sign. Can't wait for them to see it!