Wildflowers in the Woods

I love wildflowers; there's nothing quite like a bouquet on the dining room table. I have to admit to not being knowledgeable of their names, though, so this is my new quest -- studying up on Michigan wildflowers.


On Wednesday I took a walk in the woods with my daughter and grandson. We discovered many different wildflowers in bloom. I tried to capture a few with the camera, but the wind was blowing just enough so that every time I was ready to shoot, they moved.

Can you help me name a few? (Update: Thanks to a few helpful followers, I was able to name all flowers shown here.!)

Here are a few I was able to capture:

A View of the River as we crossed the bridge

Blackberries starting to ripen. We ate a few :)

Mullein

St. John's Wort

Crown Vetch

Deptford Pink

Ox-Eye Daisy

Queen Ann's Lace

Please make your car a NO PHONE ZONE!Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:Bits, Tales, and Yarns - my newest writing adventure.

Triscuit Home Farming

I want to tell you about something wonderful. I wasn't sure whether I wanted this post on Thyme for Herbs or An Herbal Bedfellow, so I am going to post it on both. Please forgive me if you are a subscriber to both blogs.

I'm sure you've all tried Triscuits. It's a delicious cracker that is a favorite at my house; we use it at all of our holiday and family gatherings to go with our dips and spreads.

The folks at Triscuits have become interested in Home Farming; they've joined in with Urban Farming, which is a non-profit organization that encourages us to grow our own vegetables and herbs. The goal is for us to learn to grow healthy vegetables, etc, that are not only good for us, but also saves us money, at the same time, not being harmful in any way to the planet. They would like to help fund and create 50 new community-based farms throughout the US.

To aid us in getting a start on this project, Triscuits has set up a helpful web site. Here you can share and gain knowledge from others at the community forum, get advice from experts, follow a crop guide, and find new recipes. You can even plot your garden on a map with the other gardeners in the country.

To make all of this more fun, Tricuits has placed plantable seed cards in 4 million boxes of Triscuits! You can find Basil Seed cards in Original Triscuits packages, and Dill Seed cards in Reduced Fat Triscuits. Just soak the seed cards for 2-4 hours, place them in a pot filled with soil, and cover with 1/4 in. of dirt. In 10-12 days, you should see some sprouts. It's a fun project for the kids this summer, too.

Now get out there and grow your own garden, and at harvest time, I'd appreciate an invitation to dinner.

Triscuits provided me with two boxes of crackers and a $20 gift card to help with expenses and supplies. I was under no obligation to do a good review.

Please make your car a NO PHONE ZONE!Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:Bits, Tales, and Yarns - my newest writing adventure.

Garden Safe Giveaway

Did you see the Garden Safe photo above? I was recently offered a chance to test-run this line of products, but because of all of the rain we've had, I haven't been able to use them as I would have liked. I have however had a chance to use the Insecticidal Soap and the Flower and Garden Insect Killer spray. They were both premixed and in a 24 oz. sprayer container. That is what I really like. See a problem in the garden? Just go to the shed and grab the product you need. A few spritzes and you're on to the next chore. I had great results and it was easy and safe to use.

Garden Safe products are an alternative to synthetic chemicals. They are Botanical Insecticides, which means they are derived from plants; therefore they break down easily in the soil and are not stored in your plants or animal tissue. All products are good to use up to one day before harvesting so are considered safe for organic gardening.

Garden Safe would like you to have a chance to try their products. They are offering a FANTASTIC giveaway! Did you really look at the photo above?
It includes: Houseplant & Garden Insect Killer, Rose & Flower Insect Killer, Fruit & Vegetable Insect Killer, Multi Purpose Garden Insect Killer, Insecticidal Soap, Fungicide 3, AND Fungicide 3 Concentrate. Don't you think that is a pretty good stash? Well, it's only a fraction of what is being offered to you today as a giveaway!!!
What else, you ask?
How about a Garden Tote which includes a weeding fork, sprayer, hand rake, trowel, transplanter, clipper AND a $20 Gift Certificate to Lowe's! Total retail value --- $100 !!!!


1. Leave a comment after visiting the Garden Safe web site about something new you learned there, or wh you need to try these products.


2. For a second chance to win, sign up as an e-mail subscriber with Feedburner, Feed Blitz, or become a Google Follower (see sidebar.) Then leave a second comment telling me you have subscribed or that you are already a subscriber.
If you subscribe in more than one way, leave a separate comment for each.


3. For a third chance to win, blog or Tweet about this contest with a link here, then come back and leave another comment telling me about it.


4. For a fourth chance to win, subscribe to the Garden Safe Newsletter, then come back and tell me that you have done that.


5. If you're not a blogger, be sure to leave your contact e-mail address like this to avoid spammers: pianananna(at)gmail(dot)com. If I don't have a way to reach you or you don't respond in three days, your name will be disqualified, and I will choose again, picking my favorite answer.

Good Luck!!

Running a contest or giveaway of your own? List it on my Mr. Linky and receive another chance to win! Don't forget to leave me another comment to tell me about it!


Open to US residents only, 18+.
Winners will be chosen by random.org.
Email addresses will not be shared with any third parties.
This Giveaway ends on June 30, 2010 at midnght EDT.

Garden Safe provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose; nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.







Please make your car a NO PHONE ZONE!Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:Bits, Tales, and Yarns - my newest writing adventure.

What Makes a Dad

What Makes a Dad
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad
Author Unknown




Please make your car a NO PHONE ZONE!Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:Bits, Tales, and Yarns - my newest writing adventure.

Fathers' Day Giveaway from 1-800-Flowers

"Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,
Who loved thee so fondly as he?
He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,
And joined in thy innocent glee."- Margaret Courtney

Wow! Father's Day is coming up in only one week! Have you thought about how you will celebrate and honor your father or husband? It seems that gifts for my dad are always a little bit harder for me than for mom. My dad and husband aren't into flowers all that much, but I know some dads are. Whether Dad likes flowers or not, here's a suggestion --

1-800-FLOWERS.com makes gift-giving so easy for you, you'll wonder why you haven't given it a try before. I have to admit, I didn't even know until recently that they had a section just for Dads -- and it's 3 pages long! You can browse all of the selections or sort by price. They have everything form Grilling Steak Sauces to Dish Gardens.

I ordered a Golf Bag Cooler that was packed with snacks for my husband. I couldn't believe how quickly it arrived!

Check out the 1-800-FLOWERS site and if you love it like I do, then go ahead and enter to win a fabulous gift -- a $40 Gift Certificate. Use it now or later, but you can't win if you don't enter!!!

1. Leave a comment after visiting the 1-800-FLOWERS.com web site about something new you learned there..
　
2. For a second chance to win, sign up as an e-mail subscriber with Feedburner, Feed Blitz, or become a Google Follower (see sidebar.) Then leave a second comment telling me you have subscribed or that you are already a subscriber.
If you subscribe in more than one way, leave a separate comment for each.
　
3. For a third chance to win, blog or Tweet about this contest with a link here, then come back and leave another comment telling me about it.
　
4. For a fourth chance to win, subscribe to the 1-800-FLOWERS.com newsletter (bottom of the page), then come back and tell me that you have done that.
　
5. If you're not a blogger, be sure to leave your contact e-mail address like this to avoid spammers: pianananna(at)gmail(dot)com. If I don't have a way to reach you or you don't respond in three days, your name will be disqualified, and I will choose again, picking my favorite answer.
Good Luck!!
　
Open to US residents only, 18+.
Winners will be chosen by random.org.
Email addresses will not be shared with any third parties.
This Giveaway ends on Thursday, June 17th at midnight EDT.

1-800-FLOWERS.com provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose; nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
　
　
Please make your car a NO PHONE ZONE!Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:Bits, Tales, and Yarns - my newest writing adventure.

New For Summer - Giveaway Linky!

I've added a Mister Linky for giveaways!!! (See the tab at the top.)
I hope you'll be able to find lots of summer goodies here.
If you have any giveaways you'd like to add, please feel free; just keep it family friendly or it will be deleted.
I hope you'll come back often to check in on it.

Please make your car a NO PHONE ZONE!Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:Bits, Tales, and Yarns - my newest writing adventure.

Tropical Traditions Lotion Giveaway

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything on Thyme for Herbs. I am still trying to cope with the house sale problems. It looks like it will actually happen soon this time.

I have been keeping up my garden; I want to pass it on to the next person in good shape. Beside the aching back and sore knees, I now find I have a new body problem --dry skin. Too much time in the outdoors has finally caught up to me, or maybe it's just old age. My legs, which I was always very proud of, are now dry and scaly, and this year the same has begun to happen to my forearms.

I was thrilled when Tropical Traditions offered me a chance to review their Moisturising Lotion, so of course I chose the lavender scent. Herbs are one of my favorite things to garden and lavender is one of my favorite herbs to harvest and use. I just love to handle it, and breathe in the lovely aroma.

If you haven't heard of Tropical Traditions before you are in for a treat. Their lotion is derived from organic Virgin Coconut Oil and organic Virgin Palm oil. Essential oils imported from France are also added. This lotion has no alcohol, no petroleum products, and no artificial fragrances. The only bad thing I can find to say about it, is that it is so thick and rich that you have to work to get it out of the bottle. I think I can handle a few extra shakes to get to something this good!

Here's your chance to win an 8 oz bottle of Tropical Traditions Moisturizing Lotion:

1. Leave a comment after visiting the Tropical Traditions web site about something new you learned there or your favorite product.

2. For a second chance to win, sign up as an e-mail subscriber with Feedburner, Feed Blitz, or become a Google Follower (see sidebar.) Then leave a second comment telling me you have subscribed or that you are already a subscriber.
If you subscribe in more than one way, leave a separate comment for each.

3. For a third chance to win, blog or Tweet about this contest with a link here, then come back and leave another comment telling me about it.

4. For a fourth chance to win, subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter, then come back and tell me that you have done that.

5. If you're not a blogger, be sure to leave your contact e-mail address like this to avoid spammers: pianananna(at)gmail(dot)com. If I don't have a way to reach you or you don't respond in three days, your name will be disqualified, and I will choose again, picking my favorite answer.

Good Luck!!

Open to US and Canada residents only, 18+.
Winners will be chosen by random.org.
Email addresses will not be shared with any third parties.
This Giveaway ends on Friday June 18, 2010 at midnight EDT

Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.







Please make your car a NO PHONE ZONE!Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:Bits, Tales, and Yarns - my newest writing adventure.