How to Get Rid of Pesky Mosquitoes From Your Yard and Patio

 Mosquitoes are not only annoying and itchy, they can carry viruses and drive even the toughest guest back indoors.  

I love the summer months, but especially the evenings on the back patio.  But ever noticed if the air is still how quickly the mosquitoes move in looking for dinner?

I have tried all the toxic sprays and lights and candles and found that unless you are almost sitting on top of them, they simply don't work or leave a yukky smell.  

Mosquitoes Do Not Fly Well

I did some research and discovered that apparently mosquitoes are weak fliers.  They simply cannot stand wind.  Have you ever noticed they are way worse on those still warm nights?

If you love to sit outside in the evenings, by yourself or to entertain, then instead of handing out bug spray and coughing in those fumes, how about using box fans?

These totally work.

Set Them to Create A Breeze Around Yourself and Guests

You don't aim them at you or your guests and blow their hair and cute hats off, you simply aim them at the areas around your seating, and the mosquitoes will not be able to get close to you.

These larger box fans do not need to be on full blast, but just enough to create a breeze around your seating area.

They are a nice addition if the air is still and humid.  Perfect for the porch, deck or back patio.  I found these worked well and you can control the direction.

This way you are not actually on a killing spree but rather a "blowing them away" mission.  You create a soft breeze if positioned right, and you put off the mosquitoes and flies as well without blowing away plates of food or hats!

Enjoy the Summer!

Awesome Outdoor Cat Enclosure to Keep Your Cat Safe

 As much as we would love to just let our cats out and roam, it is just not safe for them!

Between cars, other animals and not so nice people, our cats are constantly in danger while outdoors.

You could leash them, which works if you trained your cat from an early age to except a leash, but wouldn't it be nice if you could enjoy the good weather outdoors and have your cat outside with you too?

I am presently searching for a good enclosure that my cats would feel comfy in, and they could enjoy the fresh air too.

I have checked many pet shops but it doesn't seem to be something they carry, they tend to carry indoor things, so I checked online and found some awesome deals with Amazon.

Depending on the size you need, you can get super comfy outdoor spaces for your cats to enjoy. Many have shelves and climbing frames in them which cats love.

Depending on your budget, you can get ones that almost fill a backyard!  No way your cat would get bored.  Check out this full page of ideas.

Cat Enclosures 

I love my cats dearly and don't want to see them get hurt, or bother neighbors with their digging up flower beds. 

This is the perfect solution and they come apart for storage. You could take them to the cottage so that you can take your cat with you! This was another consideration I had.

Anyways, I hope you check out some of this ideas.  You could also try building your own if you are handy.

How to Decorate a Dark Corner

I live in a basement apartment. Don't get me wrong, it does have pretty big windows, but there is also a massive tree out front that tends to shade my place, which is great in the summer, but makes it hard to have plants.

I was fixing my place up and had this one corner that was not really big enough for furniture or a chair, so I decided on a floor plant, but the lighting was an issue.

I decided to look into artificial plants, and realized how far they had come from those old fake weird green ones of days gone by.  As you can see in this picture they do look pretty real, and have become quite popular.

These actually look real.

I never really thought about getting fake plants, but they do look real! Just think, no watering, or shedding or bugs. I took a look on Amazon and found quite a few affordable ones. 

I decided I would get a floor plant and a small plant stand and then a couple of potted plants to fill that dark corner.  You can pretty much use your imagination for a plant stand too as there is no worry about water damage.  You can get these as small or as large as you want.

How to Clean Fake Plants

This part is easy, your hair dryer on cool.

Once a week or so, depending on the dust levels in your space, give then a quick blow with the dryer on a cool setting.

It is nice to add some natural looking greenery to your space.  They look very realistic now compared to the old ones.  I have even notice flowering ones that are pretty realistic, but I think for now I will stick to the fake greenery instead!

How to Stop Snow Sticking to the Shovel

 

Anyone dealing with winter right now, knows what I mean!  

You have your snow scoop, shovel, or whatever you are using and you are trying to push the snow to the other side of the driveway or walkway and you go to leave the snow there and it comes back with the shovel or scoop right?  Making it heavy.

I came across this pretty easy step to make this chore just a little easier. 

COOKING SPRAY

Believe it, I found some awesome uses for this product other than spraying cookie sheets!

Purchase an extra one to keep by the door with your coat boots and gloves, so you don't have one of those "oh I forgot the spray" while bundled up in your outdoor wear!

This really does work well!  Makes the job that much faster and almost pleasant!

Just make sure and spray it out of the wind.

Simply spray the scoop part of your shovel, and that snow will simply slide off at the side of the driveway or walkway.

You don't need a lot just a light coating.

I figure whatever it takes to make this job easier DO IT!

I have also found more uses for cooking spray other than cookies, more blog posts to follow, stay tuned!

How to Cover an Ugly Wall With Shower Curtain Wall Art

I bet you read that title and thought... WHAT???. 

 But after doing some research I found this to be the most affordable option to add large wall art to an ugly wall.

I rent my space, so fixing the ugly wall was not an option, so I chose to cover it with beautiful art instead!

If you check online or in the stores, shower curtains have come a long way. You have the usual plastic liner, but many come with that fabric panel that sits on the outside of the tub to add decor to your bathroom.

Well now you can use them to make beautiful art around your house for cheap! 

Step 1 - Purchase any sizes of canvas you want. You could fill the wall with the smaller ones you get at the dollar store or you can go to a craft shop and get larger ones on sale, or online with Amazon.

Step 2 - Purchase a beautiful fabric shower curtain that you like.  You could cut it up to make many smaller pieces with small canvases or you can make a larger one.  You can get some pretty good deals online.

Step 3 - Iron the fabric if needed, then lay on a clean floor and then place the canvas on top.

Step 4 - Cut approx 6 inches around the canvas to allow for stapling.

Step 5 - Using a staple gun, pull the fabric tight and staple.

Step 6 - Trim off any excess and there is your first piece of beautiful art.

Step 7 - Put nail in the wall and hang.

You could place many smaller canvases closer together or simply create a larger one.  If you are handy you could save some money creating your own wood frame.

Here is a video to get the idea.

Have some fun with your walls.  Instead of hiding that bad wall, why not add some ceiling to floor wall art!

A great project for the New Year!

How to Prevent Fogged Up Car Windows

Where I live, winter is right around the corner, but for now I am dealing with the cold nights and warmish days, which seem to trigger condensation on the inside of my car windows.

It is hard enough getting myself ready with the darker mornings and getting it together to get outside without trying to wipe down the windows or waiting for the car defrost to take care of it.

I found this "life hack" that I thought I would share with you as it does work!!

A little bit of DIY but easy.

What you will Need:

One clean sport sock (they work the best as they are designed to wick moisture)

Silica Cat Litter (this works the best for absorbing)

Method

Take your sport sock and by whatever means you can, such as a funnel, or someone else holds the sock, fill it with the silica cat litter to the ankle part.

Tie the sock tightly and leave on the dashboard of the car, when you are done your errands for the day.  The silica litter absorbs any moisture that has been left in the car at the end of the day. 

This is such a time saver, plus it also seems to absorb odors, which is a great bonus, especially with cars closed up overnight.

I am going to use this thru the winter as well, as moisture does build up in a car from wet coats and boots.  So give this a try!

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies This Works!

 After staying at my son's place for 3 weeks to babysit the critters, I came back to my place to find those tiny fruit flies flying around the kitchen!

I had been so careful not to leave anything out on the counter and everything was perfectly clean, so where did the come from?

After much research I found there are many varieties of these little pests, and that many will come in on the fruit and veg you buy at the grocery store, and then will quite often find a nesting place in the drain of your sink!  

Any food particles that end up washed down the sink don't always go all the way down, and if you are not there to run the tap, guess what???  the little bleep bleeps make a home and have babies!  

So, now what?

I found the perfect solution and it worked in 2 days for me.  You will read many solutions on the internet and Youtube, which I tried, believe me!  The best solution so far???

BALSAMIC VINEGAR

I am telling you this worked better than apple cider vinegar, wine or any other fruit trap.

I am not sure if the smell is just that much stronger and sweeter for them, but give this a try.

Step 1 - Find a tiny container, or bowl that will hold approx 3 tablespoons of vinegar.  (I had a dipping sauce bowl)

Step 2 - Place approx 2-3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in this tiny bowl (the tiny bowls work the best because then you don't have to use as much of this expensive vinegar)

Step 3 - Cover tightly with plastic cling wrap.

Step 4 - take a toothpick or sharp object and punch a lot of tiny holes into the plastic.

Step 5 - Place on the counter close to where you have seen them gather.

Step 6 - Leave it there for the next few days.

I quickly noticed by day 2 I didn't see anymore little pesky flies.

NOTE:  If you keep things like cutting boards on your counter, make sure you wash them before you use them, as I saw them checking the boards out for food.  

You can get balsamic vinegar online or at your grocery store.  I use it for my salads such as "oil and vinegar" dressing.  But who knew it could be used to attract those pesky fruit flies and let them have their last meal?

How Does This Method Work?

The little flies can't resist the smell of this vinegar, and they will crawl on the plastic wrap until they find a hole and crawl in.  They won't be able to find their way back out (don't make the holes too big) and will drown.

You have effectively given them their last meal!  

If you don't like the idea of using your balsamic vinegar, you can also purchase special fruit fly traps online.

You will feel much better when you get rid of these pests, and also remember to run your faucet to wash away anything in your drain.

HAPPY FLY HUNTING!