MaryJanesFarm Sister Issue - December, 2015

Hello
f rom Sister #1
Gift Ideas
It’s that time of year. So I thought I’d share an unlikely
gift idea, along with a gift that everyone is likely to enjoy,
young and old.
This gift idea has farmgirl ingenuity written all over it.
Wanting to get a leg up on one of my ongoing gardening/
yard-work dilemmas, I put my thinking cap on. Because
of the drought we experienced this past summer, my
annoying, someday-must-solve-this-problem problem
rose to the top of my winter getting-ready-to-garden-soon
list. I do a lot of watering. In fact, me and hoses, we got
a thing goin’ on.
Because I like to use rain-bird-type sprinklers, I’ve found
they rarely push into the ground far enough not to end
up on their side after I’ve walked away (you’ve probably had this happen to you, too).
Hours later, I look out and there’s water spewing straight into the air. So every time I’d move
a sprinkler, I’d pack around a few bricks or cinderblocks to weight down a couple of the legs.
Sandbags to the rescue, and cute ones at that! Using vinyl-covered fabric, I came up with
a half dozen stitched, boxed-bottom bags, perfect for filling with sand. For a handle, I’m
using the mini bag clip from TheHandyCamel.com. Their larger version is handy for carrying
around sacks of animal feed, etc. Even if you don’t have a use for sandbags (I mean …), one
of their handy-dandy handles would make a great stocking stuffer.
For my grandgirls, I’ve decided that one of things I want to do with them when they visit
is spend time watching and identifying birds. Granted, I already have dozens of funky bird
feeders here and there around the farm, but I don’t have any that attach to my windows for
crystal-clear bird watching, like this one by Nature Anywhere.
And for suet feeding, I wanted something simple, sturdy and easy to load. Here’s one by
Stokes Select that works perfectly.
For a novel approach to suet, you might want to try some from BirdsDontEatCows.com.
One of the things I love about Christmas is the challenge to gift not only handmade, but
unique, useful gifts that aren’t expensive.
Wishing you a Happy Noel and a jolly good year!
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November 2015
© 2015 MaryJanesFarm • Moscow, Idaho
TheHandyCa
mel
Stokes Select
Nature Anywhere
© 2015 MaryJanesFarm • Moscow, Idaho
November 2015
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