bird feeders.

Every fall we like to make some sort of bird feeder for our yard. This year we had a new idea. We saw a terra cotta pot bird feeder craft in an old garden craft book (which I can't now remember) and we thought it would be nice to try making one, but using compostable bio pots and bamboo/recycled saucers instead of the terra cotta!


We picked up bio pots (with holes in the bottom where you can put a cord) and bamboo saucers (a few inches bigger than the top of the pot so you have enough room to add bird seed).

To start, the boys painted a white base using outdoor acrylic craft paint on the inside and outside of compostable pots and let dry. They then painted their designs on the outside of their pots, and let that dry again. This paint is outdoor paint, so with the combination of the white base layer and the boys' thickly painted designs, we didn't feel we needed to varnish them too.


Once dry, we looped a strong cord through the pot holes on the top and knotted tightly (to create a loop to hang it). I put a blob of glue on the knot just to be sure it held.



We sandpapered the lip of the pots a tad bit, and then I used gorilla glue to adhere the pots upside down onto the saucers (added: you can gently smooth the glue as it poofs out of the crack as it is drying so that there isn't any glue outline on the outer edge). We let that dry too, and then voila! Ready to hang.

(yes, he's trying to slyly stick his tongue out - ha!)

We added some bird seed and hung them on a tree.


We had birds within an hour. The bright designs look great in our bare tree, and will pop once the snow hits the ground. We can see it from our back door so can bird watch all winter!



.

let it fly!

The boys woke up this morning with a cold, which for G means asthma attacks, the nebulizer, inhalers, and being home. So, today we were all about being pretty still, but having fun. After baking some cookies, the boys were ready to fold some paper airplanes!


We spent hours folding designs from our paper airplane books (we just picked up a new one over the weekend), reading diagrams, testing, re-folding, and working on getting the best flight from our planes.


Paper airplanes were launched down stairs, from on top of the couch or any other elevation in the house...distances measured, tricks compared.


Definitely a fun way to spend a not-feeling-so hot kind of day. And tomorrow? I think the boys might just have a few more ideas and design tweaks...



Want to make some paper airplanes??

Fold and Play Paper Planes, Dean Mackey

Super Simple Paper Airplanes: Step-By-Step Instructions to Make Planes That Really Fly From a Tri-Plane to a Jet Fighter, Nick Robinson

Cut and Fold Paper Spaceships that Fly, Michael Grater

indoor gardening!

With the gorgeous weather and A getting over a bug he caught on Halloween, we have been staying close to home. Lots of garden cleanup work, bread making, bubble blowing, book reading, microbe researching, and craft/giftmaking planning. Oh, and indoor garden planning. The indoor garden has been on our mind for awhile. At first I really wanted a lean-to greenhouse outside, but with HOA restrictions, cost, limited placement options with our tiny space, massive snowdrift possibilities, and me not wanting to permanently affix something big to the side of our house, well, we are bringing it inside. I seed start in the basement each spring and usually grow window herbs through the winter, but we wanted to do a little more this time.

The boys wanted to help with everything from seed selection to technical requirements to planting, so they have been involved in planning. This is going to be pretty basic, but the plan is to start seeds in trays - we are testing two planting mediums so the boys can see which produces the best seedlings. We plan to take advantage of any sunshine during the day, and then move trays into our growlight seedling setup in the basement at night...just until seeds germinate and we start getting some growth.

The boys did the planting today. We setup the two soil mediums, planted all seeds, marked all of the cells with what is planted there, watered and put it in the window to start. We started a graph of what seeds we have, what their germination needs are and water preferences. A wants to expand that to include seed to plant time estimates and harvesting notes. Good ideas!


After rambling on you are probably wondering WHY are we starting seeds inside in November? Well, we preserve and freeze and save foods all summer from our farm visits and garden and work to keep our food local as much as we can. We do sprout a lot in winter, but fresh herbs and greens would be wonderful. Last winter the boys grew a few carrots, radishes and small onions in a window, so why can't we do more?


We are planting a few things for this first round (they will be transplanted into larger pots later)::
-mustard greens
-salad bowl lettuce (cut and come again)
-spinach
-cilantro
-chives
-swiss chard
and by special request we will try
-window box roma tomato


As we go we plan to succession plant what is working, eliminate what isn't, try new things, and see how much we can grow inside in the winter. Should be fun - and the boys are EXCITED to see results!