http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com A home and garden blog Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:08:24 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have been keeping my eye out for some inspiration to get the gardening ball rolling this year, so here is a quick list of some Portland-SW Washington events, shows and workshops, (both free and of charge), coming up this weekend! Saturday, February 4th Habitat Restoration What: Help volunteers plant trees to improve ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2012/02/practice-makes-perfect-get-the-ideas-and-inspiration-before-you-begin-your-gardening-spring-rennovating/ Are you an avid gardener? Enough to know about Portland's "zones" and which plants grow best in our previous average zone, 8b? Well, after the release of new information regarding Portland's area slight change in the hardiness zone, the USDA has confirmed that gardeners may need to reevaluate which plants ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2012/02/hey-baby-whats-your-zone-portlands-new-weather-map-has-gardeners-all-over-excited-about-a-new-zone-change/ A family-sized vehicle, suited for kids, pets, soccer games, carpooling, road trips, camping, and most importantly---Fuel efficiency! The 2012 Subaru Forester is about to be a hot car for anyone with or without people and things to haul around. It's a fun, sporty, and sophisticated Subaru that is dressed to impress. In ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2012/01/a-family-car-that-rolls-in-style/ Good news! The economy is on the rise. From a better auto industry, to more Christmas shoppers, and now a rise in units constructed for more homes for more people. November marked a sharp turning point for the housing market all over the U.S. More specifically, the market ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2011/12/home-and-apartment-construction-soars/ She's a woman on the mission in the kitchen, and a woman I strive to be more like! Rachael Ray has endless opportunities in the kitchen, with simple ingredients and simple recipes for anyone to make. Her EveryDay magazine is amazing because it covers so many areas of home decor, ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2011/12/your-weeknight-meal-planner/ Instead of eating three, sustainable meals throughout the day, I have always been a snacker! In fact, I would rather snack on little, different things all day than eat any meals at all. The problem with this is that I'm never truly "full" so I just keep snacking! I don't ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2011/10/have-healthy-snacks-handy-at-home-and-throughout-your-day/ My roommate and I have our new place completely furnished---furniture, curtains, tables, appliances, etc. But what about that darn wall space? We thought about just getting cool paintings, but then we voted against that because we wanted to be "more innovative" then that. That being said, I've been looking around ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2011/09/what-to-do-with-that-wall-space/ Mason jars might just be my new best friend. For kitchen utensils, dry ingredients, candles, bathroom toiletries, office supplies---these guys (both small and large) are a GREAT solution to have around the house. You can just buy the big bulk pack of 12 jars or so in most grocery stores ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2011/09/the-mason-adventures/ All these fall time flavors of candles, cupcakes, cookies, and colors of reds and oranges are making me go even more nuts for crafts and baking! I was simply in a body care store the other day, smelling many different candles, when I came across a Oatmeal Raisin Cookie candle ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2011/09/fall-time-colors-and-flavors-turn-up-my-innovation-as-well-as-my-oven/ Well, I've been keeping up on my gardening blog quite frequently, so that is why I am SO excited to tell y'all about what came up this week in the greens! I got a huge supply of zucchini, yellow cucumber, green beans, peppers, carrots, cantaloupe, and corn! The tomatoes, watermelon, ... http://www.shovelsandcurtains.com/2011/08/hello-organic-stir-fry-and-a-long-future-of-healthy-dinners/