Saturday, July 18, 2009

Paperback swap

I'm still working on my technical kinks (see what comes of frugality and not upgrading your computer!) so I thought I'd share a site I discovered this past week: Paperback swap. If you are a bibliovore like me, this website is the best thing since sliced bread! You can upload gently read books you no longer need simply by typing in the ISBN# (can we say Twilight anyone?), and then when requested, mail them to another member and get credits for books you want to purchase. Other than the cost of shipping, which is just media mail, it is free!! You can also buy additional book credits if you get caught up in all the wonderful book offerings online for less than the cost of shipping at Amazon or Bookfinder. It is used book selling/trading at its best! Economical and fantastic for the environment!

Amazon also has a great sale right now on Live Butterfly Gardens, which include a coupon for the caterpillars, and since I mentioned them in a previous post, I thought I'd better let you all know! We will probably wait for next Spring to get our caterpillars because I'd like to let the butterflies go in our backyard after they change (metaphorphize? - I'm so not a science girl :). They might even be good for our garden!

Speaking of gardening...I've gotten very inspired by those of you who grow your own vegetables, so we are thinking of trying it out next year since I've managed to keep the herbs alive this long :). If you had only minimal space - say 6-10 feet for a garden, what would be your choices for home grown veggies?

I'd best be off, I'm stealing time as it is from birthday party preparations for Mr. Noah who is turning 5, and I'm needing to make dirt and worm cupcakes for a bunch of little boys and a girl. We're also prepping for a couple of big reenactments events at the end of next week -including a 1859 celebration of faith for Oregon's 150th anniversary. Pictures to follow soon - I hope! Have a great weekend!

4 comments:

Emily2651 said...

Tomatoes! We have a very small garden, about 10X15 or so. Over the years, Brian has transformed it into something really extraordinary. Fig, peach and mandarin orange trees, kiwis, herbs. But tomatoes are the best bang for your garden buck because homegrown ones are so much more delicious that any purchased tomato. Maybe it's slightly different in WA, but we have tomatoes from July through October, sometimes early November. It's SO WONDERFUL! :)

Victoria said...

I agree about the tomatoes. My suggestion is in the form of a warning--beware of pumpkins! I planted "only" 6, and they are now taking over and threatening to drag me under! They are huge. I'll have enough pumpkins for every child in my daughter's class, to line our walkway and outline our roof. Good grief Charlie Brown, it's the Great Pumpkin.

Peas are easy, poke the seeds in with your finger. Green onions and carrots, scatter seeds, they nearly all come up. Lettuce, ye gads, can't get rid of the stuff. It goes to seed easily, so time your starts to spread out over the season.

Sarah said...

I agree that tomatoes are great. Nothing is better than a sun warmed tomato with a bit of salt. Yum!

I personally like to grow zuchinni and summer squash since everyone likes to eat them sauteed with some butter and sliced mushrooms. They take up quite a bit of space though.

We tried celery this year for the first time. We harvested our first few stalks last night and they are amazing. I have eaten celery a lot (store bought) but I had no idea it had TASTE to it! :) It takes up very little space.

I also like green beans that you can grow up along a wire fence or something like that. They don't take up much space if done that way and I love green beans boiled with red potatoes and ham and onions.

Lauren said...

Glad t osee you are back up and running. We used to have a small garden, but we have to put our yard back to the way it was so we can move out next year!