Tipsy Flower Pot Tower

This is my new favorite flower garden feature. My parents gave, made, assembled, and planted this for me for Mother's Day. I love it! As I saw it being put together, it seemed too easy. I wasn't convinced it was going to withstand the wind we get here. But I was proven wrong. It IS as easy as it sounds and has held up through some major storms. Interested? Here's how!

You need:
1 12" clay pot

4 10" clay pots

one piece of rebar or 3/4" conduit ( if using conduit, use a rat tail file to enlarge the hole in the bottom of the pots so the inside of the top of the pot will rest on the conduit)

potting mix

flowers of choice

Cut rebar or conduit 76" long. (We used conduit so the holes had to be filed just a little bit for the pots to easily slide on.)
Place a piece of tape 24" from one end.
Drive that end into the ground, down to the tape.
Slide 12 " pot on and fill with dirt, leaving room for flowers. (This is important. If you fill the pots TOO full with dirt or potting soil, when you water the flowers, the water will spill out.)
Slide 10" pot on and tilt it, fill with dirt, packing dirt around the pipe.
Slide next 10" pot on , resting it on top edge of first 10" pot, fill with dirt.
Do the same with the 3rd and fourth pots.
If the pipe extends past the top of the 4th pot, remove top pot and have hubby CAREFULLY pound rod down til level with or slightly below top of pot. Hold pipe while it is being tapped down to keep vibrations to a minimum. Plant with your choice of flowers.

It seems hard to believe that you don't have to drill additional holes or provide additional fasteners, but that's it!

Here it is the day it was planted with wave petunias.

And here it is a month later.

Beautiful and easy!

John Deere Toy Winner!!

The contest is over. Now time to announce the winner...

Random Number thingie picked 34. (Tried to get it to go here...it wasn't cooperating!)

Who's number 34?

It's Carrie at Mama's Going to Buy You a Mockingbird!!!

Congrats, Carrie! Email me with your shipping info and I will get your farm playset in the mail ASAP!

Thanks to all for playing! Don't worry...there's another John Deere giveaway in the works!

And, completely off the topic...remember my 7 tubs of sour cream?

Yeah, that was nothing.

For the record, that's 15 bags of shredded cheese. FIFTEEN.

Note to self: Clean out the deli drawer once in awhile.


I also have to address this picture. While I am very flattered that you all think I lost 50 pounds and grew long, straight, blonde hair...I have to admit that this is my sister. Not me.

And yes! I am feeling much better! My now cyst-free ovaries and uterus are all behaving. Pain is about gone and I am feeling like my old self again. I have a follow up with my OB/GYN in 2 weeks...on my anniversary, coincidentally. I guess my husband won't be the only guy getting lucky that day.

Wordless Wednesday

Our weekend...before it sucked.
BTW, my John Deere toy giveaway ends tonight at 8:00 EDT. Have you entered?

Summertime!

Because I hate to miss out on a good thing, I am joining the party today to list 10 things I love about summer.

Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Hanging laundry on the line.

2. Roasting marshmallows on the fire.

3. Capris, red toes, and flip-flops.

4. Relaxing and NOT making lesson plans!

5. Planting flowers and sprucing up my flower beds.

6. Watching other people fish while I do this.

7. Enjoying the warm, sunny weather with Gator and 4-wheeler rides.

8. Going out with my husband on our anniversary.

9. Being a SAHM for 2 months and having the chance to watch the crops and kids grow.

10. Taking the kids to daycare one day a week to go from this

to this.

That was fun! If you want to play along, click on the link below. Be sure to let me know if you do so that I can check our your Top Ten list!

I spent the night in the emergency room and all I got were these lousy bruises

The first week of my summer vacation did not exactly start as planned. Sunday night I started having major pain in my lower abdomen. It felt as though my uterus was falling out of my body while at the same time, someone was shoving a pipe up my rectum.

Was that too much information?

It brought me to my knees and I commenced to writhing on the floor in a sweaty, sobbing heap of misery. We called my mom, she got in the car, and started the 30 minute drive. I decided I couldn't wait 30 minutes and had my husband's cousin come sit at the house with the sleeping children while my hubby drove me to the ER.

We arrived at the ER at 10:30 Sunday night. We had a lovely nurse who informed me I had "small vein syndrome." She messed and messed and declared my veins too small to work with. (I found it ironic that the ONLY small thing on my body is my veins. Hmpf.) After 2 failed attempts at starting an IV, another nurse came in and finally got one started.

Hello, morphine.

When I finally calmed down, the nice doctor came in and pushed on my abdomen, asking if it hurt. I am pretty sure when I grunted, yelled, and pushed his arm away, he knew the answer.

After an x-ray, regular CT scan, downing 3 huge bottles of contrasting liquid, another CT scan, and multiple trips to the restroom, I was finally dismissed at 5:30 a.m. with the diagnosis of a ruptured ovarian cyst.

I didn't get much sleep, obviously. But at least I had a hospital bed/cart. My poor hubby sat on a chair with his head against a metal filing cabinet for the 7 hour visit. Luckily we were able to get home and get in a couple hours of sleep before the kids woke up.

I am still sore and have such a bloated, heavy, full stomach. Cole was so sweet when he first woke up, announcing he would do everything for me today. The second thing I asked him to do for me?

"Why do I have to do everything around here?!"

Back to reality. I have a feeling it's going to be a l-o-n-g summer.

Stick a Fork in Me

I'm done!


Among the gift cards and school supplies I received as gifts today, there was a note that said this:

"Since meeting you a year ago, the way I feel about school has changed. I don't wake up in the mornings and say, 'Do I have to get up and go to school?'
Now I say, 'I am dressed and ready for school!'"

And that?

Is the best gift a teacher can receive.

John Deere Toy Giveaway TIME'S UP!!

Tomorrow is my last day of school! (Can I get an amen?!) I think it's time to celebrate with another John Deere Toy Giveaway!

This week's giveaway (brought to you by the lovely people at Learning Curve) is the Fun on the Farm Playset!
The "Fun on the Farm" playset includes a combine, gator, tractor, and front loader--plus two farmers, five animals, fence and cargo.

Hop & Pop Tractor - features removable farmer, wagon with flipping dump bed, tomato crate and tractor with lift-up hood

Thrashing Combine - features removable farmer and combine with pivoting spout

Roll & Rock Gator - features removable farmer, gator with flipping dump bed and hay

Lift & Load Front Loader - features farmer and load

I have to admit, when I gave this to my 5 year old son, I was a little skeptical. I was afraid he would think it was too baby-ish. I should have known better. It's green and has wheels! He loves it!
And look! Little Miss even got a chance to play! She loved playing with it, too. It's rare that both kids like the same toy...and there were so many things to play with, there was no fighting! Thank you, Learning Curve, for a few extra moments of peace in this house!
Do you want a John Deere Fun on the Farm Playset of your very own?! Of course you do!

To enter to win:

Leave a comment telling me why you want to win this awesome John Deere toy set! This is your first entry; it's a must before the bonus chances!

Bonus Entries (all separate comments):

*Go to this site and tell me what other John Deere toy you would like to have!
*Follow or subscribe to this blog. (If you already do, that counts too!)
*Blog about this giveaway and link back to me.
*Tweet about this giveaway and leave your Twitter link in your comment.
*Follow me on Twitter.

Fine Print:
*Winners are chosen by Random.Org. If you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!
*Winner will be contacted by email; be sure to include your email if it's not enabled
*Contest ends Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. EDT
*Open to North American addresses only
*Rules for each entry must be followed to be valid
*Now start commenting!