Oh, the weather has been just glorious this week here!! And we finally have a Saturday free, so it's garden time - yeah! I hope to have some good before-and-afters to share with you next week.
Oh, and did you catch the Caesar Slaw with Bacon I posted last week? It is fabulous with grilled sausages - yep, we're breaking out the grill this weekend, too!
On to this week's three things (Note: the links I provide are often affiliate links, though not always):
We celebrated our daughter this week who turned 20 (hold me!). She is the HUGEST blessing to us and it's been such a privilege to watch her grow and mature into a lovely young woman - both inside and out. We can't wait to see what the future holds for her!
I have to talk about this photo, though - first off, it came out of the camera completely dark except for the candles - the white balance must've been messed up by the bright candles, since all the photos we took before and after the cake were fine. Weird. I had to really bump the exposure to even get this - but then thought it was kinda cool, since the candles are so bright. Also - I love that everyone is clapping for her like she's 80 and may not get all 20 candles blown out, ha! And isn't that the greatest look my mom's giving her - it's like, "you can do it!" Such an encouraging grandma. 🙂
I completely forgot to mention PBS's original series, Mercy Street when it was airing - did you guys see it? We really enjoyed it and wished it was longer! I have heard that they are making a second series, which we're already looking forward to (if you missed it and you have Amazon Prime, you can watch the whole series, which is only 6 episodes, or watch it with a 30-day free Amazon Prime trial).
It's set in the civil war in Alexandria, Virginia- a town that held people who fought on both sides, setting up divided loyalties. It's focus, though, is on a hotel the Union soldiers have taken over as a hospital and the nurses, doctors and patients who are there. It's not perfect, but it's good!
How do all you gardeners feel about bypass pruners? I use them all.the.time, of course and for years I coveted Felco pruners since they are touted as the best. When I finally found a deal I bit the bullet and bought a pair. And they were good for awhile (though I didn't hear the angels singing or anything - they still seemed like basic pruners).
The problem? I'm hard on pruners. I don't wear a little case for them on my waist (most of the time I'm covered in a long shirt or sweatshirt...), so I invariably left them out in the yard, weeding bucket, or wheelbarrow. Oh, and one time that wheelbarrow got dumped on the burn pile right before it was lit - it was only afterwards that we saw the half-charred pruners among the ashes. Oops. Not the best treatment for $40 pruners, right? We replaced the blade and oiled them, but you can probably guess they've never worked smoothly since.
So I started researching a good cheaper bypass pruner - if I'm hard on them, why not embrace it and get a less expensive set that won't cause me stress when the inevitable happens, right? And I just found this set of Fiskars Professional Bypass Pruning Shears that sound perfect! They've got good reviews, with some saying they've been using them for 3-4 years and they're still going strong. Best part? They're just over $17.00! So these are in my shopping cart now and I'm looking forward to gardening with less anxiety now. 🙂
Have you used these? What are your pruner experiences?
Links To Check Out:
Pretty container garden ideas.
15 secrets to slow cooker success.
Do you like maps as much as I do? Here are lots of crafts you can make with maps.
Save your lemon rinds and make a no-cook fresh lemon syrup. (Who knew?)
Here's how you can freeze eggs. (Another one I didn't know!)
I love this kitchen remodel because it seems so do-able: it clearly the same space, just looks a million times better and has more storage.
Uh, oh - famous quotes that are, um...a bit wrong.
This DIY body wash would make a nice Mother's Day gift.
Like these links? I'm always pinning these and lots more - follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration and ideas!
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links and by clicking on them you help support AOC at no extra cost to you – thanks so much! Plus you can trust I'll only share what I love. (You can always read our entire disclosure page here.)
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