My First Attempt to Grow Paperwhites for Christmas

 

 

 

If you follow me on Facebook then you know that last month I attended a holiday open house at a local nursery.
While I was there I picked up a few things which you can read about HERE,

and while in the check out line I happened to glance over and saw the bulbs and remembered that this was on my to do list.

 

 

 

The process seems pretty easy, so this year after watching everyone adorn their home with beautiful flowers during the holidays, I decided to give it a try.

 

 

 

 

So I grabbed five bulbs.

 

I put them in this glass bowl. From the pictures I have seen these get pretty tall so I tossed around the idea of putting them in tall glass vases, but in the end I went with a glass bowl so I could see what was going on and really watch them grow.

 

Kind of like a kid with an ant farm! LOL

 

I wanted to watch those babies grow and nosey in on them from time to time.

The bowl I am using is deep enough to get a good base of rocks and water and allow room for the roots to grow.

 

 

I quickly realized I needed more rocks after they started to sprout so I added more randomly throughout the bowl to help hold the bulbs in place.

Right now I have them in my dining room where they get filtered light and I noticed that they like to grow towards the light so I turn them slightly each day to keep them as straight as possible.

 

See the runt of the pack in the lower right corner? LOL

 

For whatever reason he is not jumping for joy like the rest of em'.

 

He's a little behind the group but he IS growing so I think he will be ok.....just a late bloomer.

 

The process is pretty easy at this point-no flowers yet so lets keep our fingers crossed!!!

 

Right now I sit and wait. 

 

 

 

Have you ever tried forcing bulbs during the holidays/winter? Ever tried Paperwhites or Amaryllis?

 

Enjoy your week,

 

 

Jennifer

Linking Up To:


 

 

 

Rug Pad Corner Review-Make a Cheap Rug Feel Like a Million Bucks

 

I struggled with the name for this post.

 

Was I going to give it the literal and boring name

 

 "Rug Pad Corner.Com Review"? 

 

Or was I going to give it a name that really speaks to what I am about to show you?

 

 

 "How to Make a Cheap $24 Rug Feel Like a Luxury Hotel Rug".

 

Seriously folks. 

 

 

 

 

If you are like me, you  glazed over the rug pads in the stores thinking you didn't really need one.

 

I was of the mindset that if the rug had a gripper of some sort on the back then I was good, right?

 

Boy was I WRONG!

 

But lets backtrack...when I was asked to try out the rug pads from Rug Pad Corner.com I was skeptical because of the negative experience I had previously with a rug pad that discolored our vinyl flooring and never worked.

 

But I was happy to see that the Rugpadcorner.com rug pads are environmentally friendly.

 

 

They are chemical free and will NOT harm your floors.

 

So now I was curious and excited to try the rug pads.

 

When they arrived they were neatly rolled up together and packaged in plastic to keep them dry in the shipping process.

 

 

 

 

Can you believe there are two rug pads rolled up tightly in this package?

 

When you unroll them there are instructions included too.

 

 

 

 

So I removed my carpet, swept and cleaned my floor, then unrolled the rug pad facing the correct way per the instructions.

 

 

 

For my 5x7 area rug I ordered the 3/8 inch Superior Thick Protection pad.

 

It is a thick cushy pad that really beefs up my inexpensive area rug.

 

 

See the bottom of my inexpensive cheap rug?

Its just a mesh backing that does not protect my floors OR prevent slipping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the rug pad enhances it by adding a layer of softness and

of course protection against my hard wood floors.

 

 

 

It raises the rug a bit but you can't tell by looking at it that there is a rug pad underneath, until you step on it of course!

 

The rug has bounce now and is kind of squishy under your feet.  

 

 

 

So now on to my second rug pad.

 

Remember by Ballard Designs rug I got a while back?

 

 I ordered the Ultra Premium Non-Slip rug pad for it and am using it in the back of my front room.

 

 

 

I started with a clean and empty floor......just ignore the stain. :)

 

The round rubber pieces grip the floor..........

 

 

and the textured side grips the rug to prevent slipping.

 

 

 

Once the rug pad was rolled out I simply positioned the rug on top and they immediately connected and there was no slipping!

 

 

 

It really worked!

 

My dog runs across it every day on her way out to the garage and I used to have to straighten it EVERY.TIME!

 

But now my rug stays put and I love it!

 

 

Here it is with the rug on top.

 

This is a wool rug from Ballard Designs so it is naturally thick and plush, but the rug pad really takes it to the next level and makes it feel like an expensive and luxurious rug.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can find my rug pads at Rugpadcorner.com.

 

Their rug pads come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, and they also offer anti-slip options as well!

 

 

And lucky YOU!

 

All Decorated Chaos readers can get 15% off their order at Rugpadcorner.com

 

Just use the code REVIEW15 at checkout to get your discount.

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Jennifer

 

*I was provided with the rug pads to review, but all thoughts and opinions are of my own.  

 

 

 

 

 

Linking Up To These Great Parties:

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Christmas Present to Myself & Giveaway Winner!

Well, what can I say? Being an adult, and adult home owner nonetheless, means sometimes we have to sacrifice fun stuff we like to do in exchange for something we HAVE to do.

 

Through all the home décor posts, holiday mantels, and recipes I have shared with you, there is one spot that I rarely show.

 

And that is this space.

 

My side yard.

 

It is the side between the house and the garage where there was once a breezeway that was eventually finished into a real room that I use as my mudroom and office.

 

 

 

 

About five years ago this space use to be filled with weeds and random plantings that the previous homeowners put in.

 

I dug it all up, put down pavers to define the space, and then planted this little vignette:

 

 

It was a major improvement and looked good for one summer

(and yes, the window was bad back then too)

 

but over time the plants became over grown

and those sedum (live forevers) drew way too many bees for being so close to the house,

so I dug it all out and now it sits empty again, and my window has worsened beyond repair so now it has to be replaced.

 

Merry Christmas to me!

 

I get to treat myself to a new window.

 

See the wood rot? I tried to buy some time by filling in all the cracks and weak spots with waterproof outdoor caulking, and it worked for a while, but the time has come for a replacement.

 

This is something that a person may never have to do if they buy a house with new windows.  Mine were estimated to have been installed in the late 80s or early 90s, and the window is framed with wood, which overtime will eventually need to be replaced.

 

So here I am. The lucky home owner who gets to have her window replaced.
(feel the sarcasm?) LOL  

 

Windows are something I know very little about.

So where do I begin researching?

 

 I discovered a company called SmartReno.com. They do all the leg work for you by connecting you with contractors in your area for your specific need. 

 

All you do is go online, tell them what you are looking for, and the contractors will contact YOU.

 

No need to spend my lunch hour making phone calls and following up on voice mails, or researching online at night.

They do it for me!

So I guess the silver lining to this cloud is that I will get a new window for Christmas, which will help beautify this side of the house that has been a pain in my rear for so long.

Jennifer

 

 

*And congradulations to Jennifer O.! She is the winner of the Bona floor care giveaway.