Archives for 2013

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As we continue to talk about the spring gardening season, it is important that we have the proper gardening supplies  to grow and maintain our yard and garden.  I have some beautiful Encore Azaleas growing in front my house.  They have really grown a lot since we planted them back in 2009 and are thriving, but I am in need of new mulch to keep the grass and weeds from from around them. 

Scotts Florida Select Natural Eucalyptus Mulch  is great option for this.  It is natural, made from 100% plantation-grown Eucalyptus trees and is free from waste materials.  It is also considered a sustainable, renewable source, which regrows 4 times faster than Cypress. And it prevents weeds naturally while helping to conserve soil moisture.

And for those of you with an eye for design, you can check out Scotts Nature Scapes mulch.  It comes in three different colors to fit your unique tastes: Classic Black, Sierra Red, and Deep Forest Brown.

Here's a list of supplies that we used to create our flower beds.  Instructions are in this post.

-A tiller or – to till up the soil.

-Potting soil – to spread around the flower bed area.

-A post-hole digger – to dig the holes which the plants will be placed in.

-Plants – We used Azeleas because they require virtually no maintenance and are so pretty, but anything you like is fine.

-Landscaping paper and landscaping staples – These are used cover the soil and protect it while the plants take root in the ground.

-Mulch – After the landscaping paper is down, you top it with mulch.

-Border – Next you need a border to prevent runoff and keep the grass/weeds from spreading in to your flower bed.

And after your garden's had time to grow, it should look something like this:

 

Photo Credit

 

And if you prefer a mix of flowers and plants, here's a great example:

Photo Credit

And then here's a fabulous example of a backyard garden:

 

Check out Scotts Website for more information on their products and tips for sustainable gardening.

 

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZzzQuil for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I often have trouble sleeping.  For one thing, I'm a natural night owl and always have been.  Secondly once I get on the computer, I don't want to get off.  It doesn't matter if I'm working on a post, chatting with a friend, or looking up songs on Youtube, I could stay up forever!  But sometimes I HAVE to get up early in the morning, and although I find that I can go on very little sleep, I much prefer to get some sleep before a big day.  Enter ZzzQuil.

I've been seeing the commercials for ZzzQuil for a while now, and I was really happy to finally get to try it.  From Vicks (the makers of Nyquil and Dayquil), ZzzQuil is a sleep aid that is just THAT, a sleep aid.  In the past you may have taken cold medicines or pain medicines that you did not need because they contained a sleep aid.  But with ZzzQuil you get just the sleep aid, no unneccessary medications.

The medicine comes in liquid form or liquicaps, making it easy for practically anyone to take.  I tried the liquid form.  It comes in a Berry Flavor.  Basically it tastes like cherry cough syrup; at least that is what I'd compare it to.  And although I'm kind of a baby when it comes to taking medicines, the taste was okay.  I did not cringe or anything when I took it, so in my world that pretty much makes it great!  The medicine is also warming.  Upon swallowing you immediately feel it warm in your throat, which I like.

And overall, I'd say it is a pretty effective sleep aid.  Adults and children over 12 take 2 tablespoons of the liquid or 2 of the 25 mg liquicaps.  For me personally, I need to take this medicine about an hour or so before going to bed in order to give it time to kick  in, and unlike some sleep aids this one did not completely knock me out, which is on a good thing.  But at the same time, until you know how this effects you, I would just say that if you don't have time to truly get a full nights sleep, I would not take this, as it could make your groggy.. Or you could do what I do sometimes, which is to take a half dose.

Has anyone else taken ZzzQuil yet? What was your experience?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Missouri Division of Tourism for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Is everyone ready for the summer vacation season to get here?  In my neck of the woods, a good share of the people go to the beach, as the closest one is only about a six hour drive, while others may do a trip to the mountains or the casinos.  Personally I would love to travel out of the region. I’ve never been to the mid-west, but I’m always seeing commercials about visiting Missouri, especially Branson, and it looks so fun!  So let’s talk about just a few things in Missouri that I’d love to see!

Since I’ve already mentioned it, let’s start with Branson.  If I was planning a trip to Missouri, it would be great to spend a day or two in Branson. It is the live Music Show Capital of the World with more than 50 live performance theaters.  There are also three lakes surrounding Branson, a fantastic theme park, and shopping galore, and plenty of outlet malls where you can get your shopping on!

Next I’d have to devote a day to historic attractions.  As a person who LOVES history and actually majored in History and English, I would love to the the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home.  I love historic homes anyway, and plus I remember reading her books when I was a kid, and of course watching “Little House On the Prairie,” so it would be a real treat to see her house!

And also, for the the literature and history lover in me, there is the Mark Twain home and museum in Hannibal, Missouri.  As a huge fan of Mark Twain, it would be so great to see his mom and the places that were the inspiration for his great works.

And finally I would love to experience the Big City Side of Missouri in St. Louis and Kansas City.  Kansas City is Travel + Leisure’s #10 best American city for pizza.  Since pizza is one of my favorite foods, I’d love to try theirs, as well as see how Kansas City barbecue matches up against our good Southern barbecue!

Kansas City is home to the American Jazz Museum, and there’s a variety of music venues, jazz clubs and concert halls across the city.  As a music lover this would be a fantastic way to end end the trip with fun and in style!

Check out this video to see what else Missouri has in store for you:

For updates and more information, follow VisitMO on Twitter and like VisitMO on Facebook.

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