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 You can easily make your ownvapor-rub ointment! I think it's a pretty safe bet to say that just about everyone in the civilized world has at least heard of Vicks VapoRub. That congestion-relieving smell of camphor, eucalyptus, and menthol immediately transports us back to our childhood years, when Mom would slather that stuff all over our chests at night whenever we were sick with a bad cold. I still use it to this day for my daughter when she is sick.
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I absolutely LOVE knitting! Years ago I made a scarf and then did nothing else. It was about a year ago last fall that I decided to get back into it again...and have been enjoying it ever since! If you are new to knitting, you can check out my post on knitting that I wrote last year that include some helpful resources to get you started.
HAPPY AUTUMN, EVERYONE! I absolutely love, love, LOOOOOOVE this time of year: the cool fall weather, the changing of the leaves, the harvest of the year's growing season, but most of all...apple picking! 
 Lettuce can be planted in the spring for anearly summer harvest, in late-summer for a fall harvest, and in a cold frame in the fall for a winter harvest. Summer is almost here. The days have clearly gotten longer--around here we are seeing just a hint of dusky sunlight at around 9pm.
Depending on which growing zone you live in, you may have already planted your gardens weeks ago. But what if you got a bit behind the 8-ball on getting that veggie garden growing? Fear not, my friends...there is still time to plant and create a bountiful harvest by Summer's end. Lettuce can be planted in the spring for an early summer harvest, in late-summer for a fall harvest, and in a cold frame in the fall for a winter harvest.  Australian Damper Bread Who doesn't love the smell of fresh bread at the local grocery store bakery as it is taken out of the oven? How would you like to learn bread making for yourself?
For the last several months, I have been practicing my bread making skills by trying out a variety of bread recipes in hopes of being able to get away from ever having to purchase bread at a store. So far, I've made European peasant bread, anadama bread, a whole-grain bread recipe from Mother Earth News that takes a couple of days to make, Australian damper bread, and so on. It wasn't until recently that I came across a whole wheat bread recipe that is super-ridiculous easy to make and only takes roughly 3 hours or so to make (most of which is rise time).  During the last decade or so, knitting has been regaining popularity with a new generation. No longer does knitting evoke images of old ladies sitting around in rocking chairs in the kitchen with their itchy balls of woolen yarn; today, you'll see knitters from a variety of backgrounds converging at their local Starbucks to knit, chat, and drink the java. As a recent convert to the woven arts, I've quickly realized WHY knitting is so popular: the ability to create something out of yarn with nothing but a pair of pointy sticks is pretty amazing--and rewarding, too! Knitting is also a great way to relax at the end of a super-crazy-hectic day. And it's extremely portable as well--just pop your ball o' yarn and a pair of knitting needles in your purse and you can knit virtually ANYWHERE!
 Time to plan the garden! Happy 2013! Now that the holidays are over, it's time to hunker down in front of the fireplace with a nice cuppa coffee (or glass of wine) and peruse through those favorite seed catalogs so that you can start planning for the upcoming growing season. Check out Organic Gardening Magazine's website for a list of organic seed catalogs (along with helpful tips on seed starting and garden planning).
With so many super cool flowers, fruits, and veggies available, it's easy to get a little carried away and purchase more than you really need (or have room) to grow. An easy way to avoid this is to map out a garden plan to decide where and what you are going to plant. Mapping out your garden can be done easily in a notebook or, if you're like me, on your computer. There's a really fun free garden mapping tool on the Gardeners Supply Company website that is easy to use.  As the holidays are under full swing, many people are still scrambling to get presents for everyone on their list. Rather than heading out to the store to purchase something, why not give gifts that are from the heart and create them yourself? Here's a list of just a few fun ideas that you can easily create:
 Ahhhhh, garlic! With a variety of uses--both culinary and medicinal--it's no wonder that it is such a popular plant to grow!
The garlic plant (Allium sativum), which produces a bulb, is a member of the lily family, just like shallots, onions, and chives. To learn more about garlic, check out this article on Wikipedia. Here in New England, the best time to plant is around October/November, before the hard frost sets in. In this article, I'm going to demonstrate how easy it is to plant and grow your own garlic. Check it out... | Sign Up For Dirt Momma's Email Newsletter
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