Sewing. Growing.

Haven't been doing tons of sewing lately. But here and there, I have finished some things! Mostly shorts (this pattern, of course! Affiliate link.) Coastal craze baggies for the win. 

Gardening, Sunglasses, Flowers, and Sewing.

Here's what I've been doing all summer. Not sewing as much, but I've been GARDENING. 

How have we never grown sunflowers before this summer? They are amazing. And so simple to grow. In fact, my four year old planted some on accident around the garden. 

Accidental Gardening.

This week, we discovered we are growing pumpkins in our backyard! If you've followed my blog for long, you know from my failed herb garden that I am not much of a gardener.

I {Heart} Flowers

I am not into gardening. At all. I dislike bugs. Dirt. Dirty fingernails.
Yet I love flowers.

Pinterest-Inspired DIY Sandbox Lid

My dad loves to make things. Two years ago, he made a (really heavy) sandbox for my almost one-year old. We covered it with a tarp after every use. A few weeks ago, while browsing Pinterest, I came across a sandbox cover idea. I emailed it to him. 

Well, my dad made the new cover with benches for the boys! We now have a great cover that folds into seats. 

Growing Tomatoes

We've got some tomatoes out in our garden! A hot, dry summer made them grow well.

But they crack and split open sometimes. That's weird.

I found a source in Better Homes and Gardens (August 2010) which says that, "A prolonged dry spell followed by rain can cause ripening tomatoes to grow so rapidly that the skin splits. To prevent this malady, maintain constant soil moisture. Water deeply and mulch around plants to reduce evaporation."

Interesting! Guess I should have been watering more regularly all summer! We'll eat them anyway.

Composting

We have a garden. Our soil is just "builder's soil" meaning it's mostly clay and not that great for growing things. Composting is great for helping improve it so our tomatoes and peppers grow better!

Starting a compost pile is easy. Just designate a part of your yard (preferably away from where you spend your time...it does attract bugs...) as the 'Compost Area' and dump your vegetable and fruit scraps plus eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, and other things there. Also, pile on the grass clippings and leaves.

You could also purchase a "Gastro" (a name my parents gave their outdoor plastic compost bin) but I didn't, so that isn't very Monkey See, Monkey Do-esque. Or frugal. But my parents got theirs for free, so it was frugal.

Things That Do Not Belong in a Compost Pit or Bin:
Cooked Veggies
Meat
Dairy
Bones
Fish
Grains
Tomato Products*
Pickles*
Citrus Fruits*

*These things change the pH of the compost.

Edited to add: I was recently sent a link to this site with an extensive list of other things you can compost! I was excited to see that many of these things are just everyday household items. Some are paper-based, so make sure you don't let them blow all over your yard (add them under other things that will wet them to weigh them down). So check out Backyard Boss for surprising suggestions.