How To Start A Weed Free Raised Garden Bed

To start off you will need something to use as a retaining wall for your garden bed. I had some leftover wood from a wood pallet and some 4x4's from our deck project.
Next you will need a supply of cardboard or newspaper. Earlier this year I started saving pizza boxes, soda cartons and other boxes from purchases.
Now decide where and how big you want your raised bed. Then lay out your cardboard flat right over the grass. I overlapped the cardboard just a little. I have been told the grass will die under the cardboard or newspaper. The cardboard will break down into the soil as the summer goes on.

Next lay out your wood or other material to help retain the soil. Cinder blocks would work just as well in this instance. 

Now fill the inside with about twelve inches of soil, peat-moss and other soil amendments. I added 14 bags of organic soil and two large bags of peat-moss. 

At this point I had my husband put some stakes around the out side of the garden bed. This will stop the heavy soil from pushing the 4x4's outward. 

I then added my started vegetables. 

I am looking forward to keeping a record of how my vegetables do in my garden planner. This is the first time I am trying this new raised bed method. I have been thinking that I probably should have put the raised bed together in the fall so it could have sat over the winter. The cardboard would have been nearly decomposed by spring. No matter now I will keep you informed how this method works for me. What do you think? Do you think it will remain weed free for this summer at least? Have you planted a garden this year? Do you use a raised bed method? 

Best Wishes On Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day

My Son in a helicopter when he served in Iraq.

Our prayers are with all soldiers and their families. May God Bless all who have served and all who have given their lives for our freedom. 

Home Sweet Home

After being away for a few weeks I am happy to be home. That saying "Home Sweet Home" sure has a lot of meaning for me.
The first day back I had to go for our morning walk and had so much fun. I got to check out the fox hole. I did not even catch a glimpse of the mama and her cubs. I am looking forward to watching them as they grow.
I stopped by our two ponds and found we have some tadpoles that were not there before I left for my trip. I snapped a few photos to share.

That's a pretty nice sized school of tadpoles.

They are hanging out all over the pond in little schools. 

I caught a couple loners out eating some algae.

I am guessing the tadpoles in the schools are about 4 weeks old. I have been reading up on the subject.The tadpoles become social at about 4 weeks old and start hanging out in schools.  I am doing some more research so that I may be able to pass this knowledge on to my grandchildren. I know they will be asking lots of questions. I hope to post more about our study of the metamorphosis of our tadpoles into frogs.

Back to my walk. Sorry about getting side tracked I do tend to get excited when it comes to teaching my grandchildren. 

While walking through the yard I noticed this this Robin had been hopping along behind us. Just before I left on our trip there was an injured Robin hanging around our yard. I had been tossing it some bread crumbs every morning. I though by know it would have left as it seems to be healthy. My husband informed me that has been hanging out following him about the yard and he has continued to feed it. 

The pond on the left is where the tadpoles are. That pond is more like a little bog. It is shallow and has a lot of algae growth. That is also where all the neighborhood birds like to come and bathe. I noticed the black birds hang around the edges of the pond. I am suspect they are fishing for tadpoles. No worries though their are at least a thousand or so tadpoles in that pond. Every year we end up with lots of little frogs every where. After a while most of them wander off to the game reserve which is a stones throw from our home. 

Lastly I snapped this pond photo. I love the reflection in the water. My little morning walk was relaxing.

How about you? Do you have a routine you follow to relax? Hope you have a great weekend. 

Be Prepared For Weather Emergencies

When bad weather strikes are you prepared? I am talking about tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and other bad weather events.

Because of the recent tornadoes I have been looking over our emergency plans and have found some ways to improve our plans here at home. Our home is on the outer edge of what some might call tornado alley. We have tried to be prepared for the worst but there is always room for improvement.
After researching on line I have found a few helpful tips and resources I would like to share with my readers.

The first tip is make a plan. This plan should include answers to some what if questions.
Example: If  bad weather is approaching where will we take shelter? Answer this question for the places you spend most of your time. Such as home, school, work, neighbors, grandmas, neighborhood park, car and other places. Go over these answers with your family including your children.
Relatives in other states should also know where you plan to take shelter. In an emergency your relatives would know where to find your children if they were separated from you.
Each person in your family should know where your emergency supplies are kept. This would include a first aid kit, flash lights, blankets, emergency contact lists, medications, and other important supplies. Find a list of ideas for emergency supplies here.
Work out a communication plan. During an emergency or disaster it might be easier to call out of town or state. Choose as a contact a person who lives out-of-state for household members to notify they are safe in the event that they are separated from you. This would be a good way to pass on important information.
Do not depend on phone lists in your cell phone. Make a back up emergency contact card for each family member.
I found the following links to some helpful prints outs that can help you with your emergency planning.

Family Emergency Plan Worksheet from FEMA

Child's Emergency Contact Card

Helpful emergency tips.

Information on communicating with family during an emergency.

Tornado safety tips.

These are only my thoughts on being prepared for weather emergencies. The tips and lists mentioned are not a complete list or plan. When planning for an emergency you should search many resources and compile your own complete list per your families needs.

So what do you think? Do you have any tips you would like to pass on? How are you prepared for bad weather?

Missing Home

I have been away from home for almost three weeks. I have missed the usual walks my husband and I take  around our home and yard. We usually walk around our property two or three time a week. Often it is just to enjoy looking at certain plants and trees. Also its nice to know if something is not right or needs fixing.
Being the best husband there ever was he decided to take photos of his walk last week to share with me. What can I say except he is sweet like that. Now, I have all these pictures and I want to of course share them with you.
Well right off he found this critter hole. Fist thing is you have to watch and see who lives there. Some critters are welcome and some are not so welcome. We will have to wait and see. 

This is the view of our fish pond from our drive way. Lots of weeding to do there. I can't wait to get home and clear the weeds out.

Next, is the front flower bed. Weeds, weeds and more weeds. 

Blossoms in our apple tree. They sure are pretty this time of the year.

 Another view of the pond from our porch.

A view from the second fish pond. There are no fish in it now. Usually it will be filled with tad poles at this time of year. I will have to check that out when I get home.

My hubby could not leave out our grandson Little Bug. He is helping papa fix the lawn mower. He sure is a great helper.

Later that same day my hubby spotted this cute little critter hanging around. She is a mama. So I bet you can guess who is living in that hole.

After some observation. My dearest came to the conclusion there is a mama fox and four cubs (pups).

What do you think about our little walk? Do you have a morning routine you like to keep? 

Preserving Your Wood Furniture Naturally

Product Review

Thanks to Scott's Liquid Gold I have been give the opportunity to begin preserving and restoring my dining table back to its formal beauty. My dining table and buffet hutch are made from a dark wood. This set has been in our home for a very long time. With daily use the original luster and shine has faded. After trying this polish for about two weeks I was amazed at the improvement in the shine and beauty that has returned.

The product is made from a blend of natural organic oils that clean and moisturize wood. Keeping wood moisturized helps to preserve the wood. Scott's Liquid Gold is not a furniture polish it is considered a wood cleanser and preservative.The product does not contain water, wax or silicone.

Below is a photo of the first time I tested the product. I have circled the newly polished area in red. I hope you can see the difference.

 This wood cleanser works great on wood furniture, unfinished wood, paneling, and most any wood furniture. Not only is it a great furniture cleanser but it can polish brass, stainless steal and chrome.
I have a little tip to share with you on the best way to use Scott's Liquid Gold or any furniture polish. Spray your rag not your furniture. Spraying your rag will insure an even glossy shine to your furniture.
Check them out on Facebook.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day.  I hope you have a great one.

Farm Field Trip

This week my granddaughter's kindergarten class had a field trip to a farm. Although I was unable to be there to enjoy the experience with her I was sent some awesome pictures of the trip. Pumpkins mother was able to chaperon on the trip and shared the fun with me.

Pumpkin holding a chick. What a cute little fluff ball. You would have thought all the little girls would want to hold a little baby chick.

That sure is a fluffy calf. At first I thought it was a pony. 

Now, look where Pumpkin has got her head. She sure is not afraid of animals. Must be because she has been around animals since she was a baby. 

Last but not least Pumpkin learned to milk a cow. She has one up on her grandma. I have never learned to milk a cow.  What do you think readers? Was that a nice field trip for kindergarten? Have you ever milked a cow?

Shopping Online

Disclaimer: Sponsored post from Cultfurniture.
Opinions expressed here are my own.
I wasn't always a fan of online shopping. As only those who have been following Grandma Bonnie's Closet for a long while would know. I am an old fashioned shop in the store kind of gal. I enjoy the touch and feel while buying gifts for my family and friends. The one thing I do not like about shopping is the crowds in the stores. So I decided to embrace change and try shopping online a little more. I have learned to enjoy shopping online. I like to sit in my comfy chair, sip my cup of tea and just browse for hours on end. I have reaped the benefits of shipping to family and friends far from home. You all  know I have grandchildren spread out far and wide. What you may not know is I have family over seas in Europe and Asia. There was a time I would purchase gifts and ship over seas for birthdays and Christmas. If you have ever had the pleasure of shipped over seas you know the time and process of filling out customs forms. Not to mention the high cost of shipping. Often times shipping with out insurance. Well, I now have the answer to this problem thanks to Cultfurniture I found a great store that ships to UK and Europe. They have a large selection of modern furniture, accessories, clocks, and art work. I found the perfect coat hanger and pink office chair that would make a great graduation gift for my niece. She has just graduated from college and will be setting up her own office.
Cultfurniture accepts Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and other forms of payment. There shipping costs average from £5.95 to £15.95. With there shipping times estimated 3 to 7 days. You just can't beat an online shopping experience with easy and affordable shipping to the country of your choice. If you stop on over and visit their site you will find it easy to navigate. Pour yourself a cup of tea and plan to spend a little time browsing. Just don't say I didn't warn you. You may be there for a long while. 
Do you enjoy shopping online? Do you have family over seas? 

Off Visiting

I have been off visiting my grandsons. I will be away for a couple weeks. I have a photo to share. I just love this shopping cart. It made shopping a pleasure. I sure do wish every market had them. How do you like to shop? With children or alone?