How I Converted an Old Rock Garden to a Garden Storage Area

How I Converted an Old Rock Garden to a Garden Storage Area

Thirty-eight years ago, the original homeowners designed this area of our back yard as a rock garden. To me, it’s always been unusable space. It collects leaves. And undesired plants and weeds took up root. The area is in the back and on the opposite side of the house from the gate. I decided that I wanted to use this space for garden storage and a compost bin.

Original Rock Garden

Rock Garden Removal in Process

Step 1   List the rocks for free on Craigslist.

Last year I listed the rocks on Nextdoor. One couple responded. They came over and took 3 or 4 SUV loads of rock. Then the area sat untouched until this spring when I ran the ad on Craigslist. Success! Several people responded and within 2 weeks most of the rocks were gone. I still had to dig out and move a few and relocated them to another part of the yard.

Step 2   Fill in the holes.

Removing the rocks left an uneven surface. The front area was dirt, or mostly dirt. I know there is black plastic down in the soil somewhere but I don’t intend to plant here, so I left it. I filled a rather big hole near the tree trunk with used potting soil.

I then collected several 5 gallon buckets of spruce pine needles from the front yard and spread it thinly over the clay and watered it down. Next I put on a layer of cardboard, allowing a 2 foot square around the tree. The gutter drains into this area. I sprayed water on the cardboard.

Spray Down the Cardboard Mulch

Step 3   Cover the cardboard with wood chip mulch.

My son helped me mulch the area with wood chips. This gave a nice clean appearance that can easily be back filled as it breaks down. I got the wood chips from a local tree trimming company. No charge, just tip the driver.

Layer Wood Chips Over the Cardboard

Now I have a lovely outdoor garden storage area and a place to make compost and weed tea that isn’t visible from the windows or the patio. I’m very pleased.

Please leave comments!

Why I Quit Counting Calories

Why I Quit Counting Calories

I finally deleted my online calorie counting account.  I haven't had the app on my cell phone for many months, but I am still monitoring my health stats. Constantly logging Every Bite is Over! I'm sick and tired of it. That's why I quit counting calories!

A recent blood test revealed that my cholesterol is up.  Again.  In spite of my dieting,counting, monitoring, and logging, I have watched my lipid numbers yo-yo just as my weight has.

So now what?

I'm eating vegetarian most of the time. So, yeah, I still eat animal foods, but I avoid it most of the time. Gradually, I am able to be happy and satisfied eating whole plant foods. Many restaurants have started offering a vegetarian selection on their menu, so it's not too hard to find something besides a salad.

Do you count calories?

Why I Quit Counting Steps

Why I Quit Counting Steps

I’ve worn or carried a pedometer for somewhere near 14 years. My first one was the Oregon Scientific PE316CA. It was a pendulum counter with a belt clip on the back. I loved it! I could get my step count, distance, and the time. I monitored what I ate, got 10,000 steps most days and I lost weight.

Oregon Scientific Pedometer

Eventually I lost that one. Since then I’ve owned more pedometers than I can even remember, but the last pedometer I carried was the PED USA PE-771 Tri-Axis Multi-Function Pocket Pedometer. It’s a great unit. If you want a pedometer, I recommend this one for accuracy, size, and ease of use. You can get it on Amazon.

Recently I quit counting steps, and here’s why:

• In all these years, I have lost weight, gained weight, lost, gained, while recording millions of steps on my trustee pedometer. Thus, I have finally determined that lack of steps is not the cause of my weight problem.

For a few days I would reach for my pedometer in the morning; but then, remembering my decision to stop carrying, I would recoil. And throughout the day, I would feel my pocket, looking for the pedometer. In those moments I realized how much mental energy was wasted in carrying that little tracker. Always in the back of my mind was this question: What is my step count?

Sure. In the beginning a step counter can help a person realize just how sedentary or active they are. But to go on and on, counting steps indefinitely, produces diminishing value. I no longer reach for my pedometer, and I don’t miss it.

I am not a health professional. This is my personal experience, and not intended as guidance for others.

Support me by shopping on my Avon website at www.YourAvon.com/TracyM

Is It Better to Buy Avon From a Local Representative, or to Buy Avon Online?

Six reasons to buy Avon from a local Avon Representative, and six reasons to buy Avon online.

Each way has advantages, but you can have the best of both ways when you buy Avon online from a local Avon Representative. 

Advantages of buying from a local Avon Representative:

• Easy returns - Just give it back to your Avon rep and she will take it from there.
• Free shipping.  Always.
• Layaway - Shop now and make a couple payments.  Not all Avon Representatives do this, but I do.  It is a service I can offer that most of the big box stores no longer do.
• Environmentally friendly: 
• Combined shipping to one place uses less fuel.
• Avon combines all products that are shipped to me into bigger boxes so less packaging material is used.
• I can't speak for other Avon Representatives, but I re-use my shopping bags to deliver to my customers.
• Support your local economy. - When you buy Avon from your local Avon Representative (in person or online) the money earned by the representative stays in your local town.
• Receive the new Avon books regularly.  I deliver new Avon books to all my local customers whether they buy online from me, or call in their order to me.

My Avon Website

Advantages to ordering Avon online:

• Free direct delivery to you (faster) on orders over $40; $5.95 for smaller orders.
• Choose FREE Representative Delivery for orders under $40 - available with local Avon      representatives only.
• Order for yourself - No need to recite your order to another person. 
• Take advantage of coupon codes offered by Avon Products, Inc.
• Take advantage of specials and flash sales offered by Avon through email.
• If you order online with a local representative, you can still receive Avon books at your door.

Sometimes my customers tell me that they want to order their Avon Products directly from me (the old fashioned way) because they want to make sure that I get credit for the sale.  I appreciate their concern, and I am in business to earn money, but we can have it both ways.

To find an Avon Representative near you go to www.avon.com/findarep.

 Buy Avon Online at www.youravon.com/tracym

Sign up to sell Avon at www.startavon.com reference code tracym

Why I Sell Avon

How I Decided to Start Selling Avon

Avon Ind Sales Representative, Tracy Magisano

I am very active.  I run, swim, hike, ski, do heavy gardening (moving rocks, and lugging wheel barrows) house painting, cleaning, cooking, move furniture and more.  Shorts or jeans and tee shirts are my normal attire.  In June of 2014 I started a business at home selling Avon.

My situation: 

I'm married to a wonderful guy, and we have 2 teenagers.  I had been out of the workforce for several years, raising our kids.  Previously, I worked as a bookkeeper and network administrator for small companies.  Bookkeeping doesn't change much, but my computer skills were outdated.  I was ready to start earning some money again; but, I wanted to try something new.  

Searching:

So, I started exploring other ideas, which brings us to the title of this blog post: Why sell Avon? 

1) How hard can it be?  Friendly seems to be the number one skill of successful sales people.

2) I can schedule my own time, and while my kids don't need constant monitoring, I like to be available to my family.

3) I had some sales experience prior to bookkeeping.

4) I know how to do the bookkeeping for my Avon home business.

But Why Sell Avon?

1) Avon is a quality, well known product.
2) I love the flexibility of my Avon home business. I can work how, when, and where I want.

3) I am my own boss.

My Decision:

Round all that out with the fact that everyone needs skincare, lotion, and shampoo.  One doesn't need a certain personalty to sell Avon! And Avon has a low start up cost.  I can do this; and you can too!

Start Your AVON Home Business! Click Here.

Buy Avon online at youravon.com/tracym