News from the Nest, February 20

Happy President’s Day in the United States!

February 20th is a busy and curious day in the ‘National Days of…’ calendar.

As I mentioned, it is President’s Day in the U.S., a federal holiday when all U.S. presidents are celebrated, but it falls close to our first President’s (George Washington) birthday. It is also National Family Day in parts of Canada and National Comfy Day…wherever you need to get comfy. It is National Love Your Pet Day, National Muffin Day, and National Cherry Pie Day (note the George Washington tie)! I can get behind all of those, to be sure.

But, and here’s the curious part, it is also…National Handcuff Day! Hmmm… Being an inquisitive sort, I did a little sleuthing and discovered that on February 20, 1912, a patent was granted to George Carney for his revolutionary hand restraint system!

So, celebrate today for whatever you want to celebrate! You have many choices and will get no judgment here. I’ll be loving on my Flora and my Peep and eating cherry pie! 😘

We returned home Tuesday afternoon and are back on the road today with my mom for a quick trip to scout out some apartments for our daughter, who will be doing her rotations much closer to home! (happy momma here!)

Then we will be home for a bit, which is good because I am ready to work in the yard.

We have had a raised bed organic vegetable garden for the past fifteen years but have been half-hearted about it since we moved almost four years ago. The problem has been that we I couldn’t decide where to place three raised beds. Terry told me where they needed to go to get the best sun, but that’s not where I wanted them to be for aesthetic reasons. We have very few options in our small backyard and have been going back and forth about this for the past three years.

But I had an epiphany, and I have finally embraced where they need to be. I am excited about turning this little plot into a potager garden, such that it is a producing vegetable garden but also aesthetically pleasing! I’ve ordered some metal raised beds, and we will get busy as soon as they arrive. I am chomping at the bit to bring my idea to reality and to start seriously gardening again.

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new on the blog

• This layered taco dip is one of those appetizers that are easy to make, can be largely prepared ahead of time, and disappear almost as soon as it is put down! The recipe is delicious as is, but I included a few substitution or addition ideas to make it your own.

• I have wanted to make handmade soap to give along with my hand-knit washcloths for a while, but have been intimidated by using lye and the list of needed equipment. Honestly, my craft room is already chock full of supplies and ingredients needed for various projects, and I wasn’t anxious to add more. Then I discovered melt-and-pour soap base. Basically, you get the soap after someone else has done all the work with the equipment, lye, and time. Then you melt it, add a few optional ingredients and mold it to make it your creation. Here’s the recipe for Goat’s Milk Soap Bars!

We enjoy one of the bars in our shower and powder room. I like the little exfoliation feel that the lavender buds provide.

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from the craft room

Here are some more bath + body projects for you. These all make great gifts but are also nice to keep for yourself.

• Moisturizing Hand Balm
• Heel Balm
• Lavender Microwable Neck Wrap
• Herbal Bath Salts

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from the kitchen

I use my frozen ginger lemon cubes to a tea ball and add a spearmint tea bag and some honey you then have a medicine ball drink from Starbucks.

Theresa

• I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating… I LOVE the crowd-sourcing of ideas that we, as a community, bring to Nourish + Nestle. ❤ I received this message from Theresa yesterday, and my response was, “BRILLIANT!” I had previously purchased all the ingredients to make a Starbucks Medicine Ball when I felt under the weather, without realizing that the ginger lemon cubes in my freezer were all I needed. And when I run out of spearmint tea bags, I pop into the garden to pick some fresh mint.

• This Turkey Chili is on repeat in our home when the weather is cool. In fact, I pulled some from the freezer Saturday for our dinner. It is easy to make, hearty, and freezes well.

• I’ve always thought white beans and ham were made to go together, and this White Beans + Ham with Vegetables soup is a great example of their alchemy.

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from the knit studio

• Learn to knit the applied i-cord, and you’ll always have the ideal finish for just about any knit or crochet project. It finishes raw edges perfectly.
• I used the applied i-cord to knit the faux fur edge of this Half-Linen Stitch Blanket, which is one of my favorite knit creations. And I can vouch for that Sirdar Alpine faux fur yarn; it is luxurious. I was always hesitant about faux fur; it always seemed scratchy. But this is so soft, and I’ve used it on many projects.

• Want to learn how to knit or hone your knit skills? Check out all the posts we’ve published so far teaching knit skills. We continue to add to it, so check back often.

in the garden

• While we wait until we can start gardening again, we are actively adding to our compost bin. We live in an area with very few deciduous trees, which means we really struggle with adequate brown matter in our compost bin. We’ve gotten creative and shredded every brown paper bag (that isn’t heavily printed) to add to the bin. Much packing material, like sourdough discards and lint, makes good compost fodder. I continue to add to our list of compostable materials. Check out why and how to compost to benefit your garden.

in the home

• Eight tips for successful wall stenciling.

• Some tips for reupholstering furniture.

• Want to try your hand at ‘building’ your own furniture? In all honesty, many true furniture builders would call it ‘building-lite.’ But I’m O.K. with that. I’m still darn proud of my projects!

This console table was my first ‘build’ and still proudly sits in my foyer.

This second console table was a bit more time intensive as I ‘faux’ marbled the top. It’s gorgeous and has been promised to my daughter.

Well, friends, I’m signing off, jumping in the shower, and hitting the road. I’ll ‘see’ you next week.

Hugs,

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!