Monthly Archives— March, 2014

Put a Shine on Your Shoes.

Restore their life and save some cash. After the wettest March on record in Seattle, my shoes look just terrible. Time to pull out my shoeshine kit and give them a second life. I am not one of those women that lives for shoes. I tend to buy only a few pair of high quality… Continue reading →

  • Words by Andrea Leigh Ptak
  • March 31, 2014
  • 1 Comment

Garden With Native Plants

Reason 1: Create a Backyard Wildlife Habitat As our population grows, mankind encroaches on the natural world, pushing out species of both plants and animals—some to the state of extinction. There’s not a lot I can do personally to save the tiger or polar bear, but I can make sure that area songbirds have plenty… Continue reading →

  • Words by Andrea Leigh Ptak
  • March 25, 2014
  • 1 Comment

The Flowers of Spring

What’s Blooming in My Garden on the First Day of Spring Celebrate the Vernal Equinox with flowers. Seattle’s climate allows for an early Spring. Warm winters can mean blossoms on the forsythia as early as Valentine’s Day. This year they didn’t bloom until early March, but I’ll take it! The daffodils and hyacinths have been… Continue reading →

  • Words by TheGreenQueen
  • March 20, 2014
  • 3 Comments

Making Chili with Soyrizo

Try this spicy meat-replacement! When I complained to my doctor about the aches and pains of aging, she suggested I investigate the vegan lifestyle. She recommended a terrific book, Forks Over Knives, to get me started. Research has shown that eliminating animal products from one’s diet can have a variety of health benefits, from less… Continue reading →

  • Words by Andrea Leigh Ptak
  • March 19, 2014
  • No Comments

St. Patty’s Hostess Gift

Delight with this lovely native “shamrock.” If you live in the Pacific Northwest, a pot of Oxalis Oregana makes the perfect hostess gift for a St. Patrick’s Day party. This PNW native is the closest thing we have to a shamrock and grows like the “weed” it is. You can find Oxalis Oregna, a member… Continue reading →

  • Words by Andrea Leigh Ptak
  • March 17, 2014
  • 3 Comments

Memorable Masterpieces

saving precious artwork when space is at a premium When my daughter was born in 1995, I bought some acid-free scrapbooks and boxes to store those precious paper mementos that come with childhood. Now, filled with finger paintings and Crayola masterpieces, they sit on closet shelves. As my daughter got older, her artwork improved; some hang… Continue reading →

  • Words by Andrea Leigh Ptak
  • March 14, 2014
  • 5 Comments

Rescuing Dog-Toy Plushies

Like children, dogs love their plush toys. But unlike children, dogs enjoy chewing on and ripping apart their toys. It’s a natural canine behavior that shouldn’t be discouraged. Unlike some, my dog takes a while to tear into her plushies, preferring to gnaw on them, shake them, snuggle them and carry them around, indoors and… Continue reading →

  • Words by Andrea Leigh Ptak
  • March 3, 2014
  • 6 Comments
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