some nearby yard work planned, I incorporated a rain barrel.

After some research (through which I learned there is no shortage of techniques for making rain barrels nor in the shear number of rain barrels now on the market), I chose a 60 gallon rain barrel made by a company called EarthMinded. I picked it because 1) it looked good 2) it was comparatively large 3) it looked easy to install and 4) it could be bought through a local conservancy that subsidized the barrels bringing their cost down.

With rain barrels (like real estate) location location location is everything. Screened (at least partially) from the road, I set the barrel just downhill of last year's Vinca planting and just uphill from a bit of grass I intended to overseed (I completed this this past weekend and plan to post on it). I purchased 2 bags of pea gravel, used scrap (ground-contact-rated) 4x4s (further treated) and a spare piece of blue stone. Together, this/these provided a solid, level and elevated base (all very important).

Assembling and installing the barrel was a snap (Earthminded's instructions were excellent) BUT I did have to request beforehand a kit that would work with my new round downspouts.

I may write more about this project on my blog in the coming weeks but for now if you have questions, don't be afraid to ping me. Thanks for reading. ~jb

want to know that my clothes are actually getting clean, before I jump on the bandwagon!

The 4 basic ingredients of homemade laundry detergent are Borax, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and Fels-Naptha bar soap. I also added Oxi Clean and doTERRA Wild Orange essential oil, to give it a little extra cleaning power, and a delicious citrus scent. Check out my full post to see how/why each of the ingredients work to create the best, most effective laundry detergent. Click here: http://askannamoseley.com/2013/05/the-best-h...

Edit: This detergent can be used in a front loading washing machine, there are instructions if you click on the link above. It is also safe to use if you have a septic system, I researched all of the individual ingredients and they are all safe to use. My sister has been using this for years on her septic system and she has never had any problems.

#diy #homemadecleaner #laundrydetergent #budgetfriendly

years! One day there was nothing and the next day bam it was there! It was disgusting and I wanted it gone ASAP so I broke out the big guns and with ease was able to remove 10 years of hard water deposits in 15 mintues! Check out the before and after pictures and find out what tools you need to remove hardwater deposits like this. http://decoratedchaos.blogspot.com/2013/04/r...

French doors and a window in this space as well as the dining room light flooding this small out-of-the way room too. Please take safety into consideration (perhaps low wattage bulbs, never incandescent and a high heat/temp paint or a flameproof coating. See tutorial for link.

research on how best to build a treehouse without doing much damage to the tree. We asked our kids their input on what they wanted most, and took it into consideration (sadly, electricity was not included. :) It took us about two months, working mainly on the weekends. The treehouse is accessed through a trapdoor through the deck which you climb up through the ladder. Overall, it was a smashing success! My boys play in it every day, even in the rain. To see the full project details and more pictures, check out my blog post.

label completely off with no traces of the sticky gunk left behind. In the past I've used a product called Goo Gone for this job and it's always worked well. But guess what? You can make your own Goo Gone by simply combining vegetable oil and baking soda. I tested it out on a couple little glass jars and it really does work! You can click on the link below to read the complete instructions.