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My Week!
Bugs, Buckets, Art and a Very Motivating Neighbor
We’ve got a yard-and-patio gathering coming up in about three weeks, and of course it’s landing smack in the middle of the buggiest stretch of the season. I keep hearing about Mosquito Dunks — you drop one in a 5-gallon bucket of standing water and it’s supposed to knock out mosquito larvae before they ever become the biting, party-ruining kind.
So tell me — have you tried these?
Do they actually live up to the hype, or is it one of those things that sounds better than it works?
And with about 2.5 weeks before our event, am I cutting it too close?
I’ve seen people say to use half a dunk per bucket, others say a whole one —
what’s actually worked for you?
Drop your wisdom (and any other mosquito tricks) in the comments —
I need all the help I can get before this party!
Speaking of getting ready for company…
a neighbor came over for dinner a couple nights ago, and he walked straight through the yard to get to the patio. I was mortified. Perennials I’d transplanted were still sitting in nurse pots three months later instead of in the ground. Annuals needed deadheading. The patio needed a good sweep.
The next morning? I knocked all of it out in under three hours.
Why does it take a guest showing up to finally light a fire under me? Please tell me I’m not the only one who needs an audience to get motivated. 😅
One of my favorite activities in late summer, early fall are art fairs or markets
The newest one in Kansas City is the Moon Market
on the Rock Island bridge, 120 years old and 60 feet above the Kaw River!
It was such a treat last night!
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As We Head into Fall, Let’s Visit Some Early Fall Favorites
Best Secrets For Your Dish to Win the Next Potluck
Potlucks aren’t a competition… or are they? If they are for you too, I’ve got the tips to make your dish the one that comes home empty.
Pumpkin Butter Cake
Not your ordinary ooey gooey butter cake — this one’s a step above with pumpkin and all the warm spices folded in. Early fall baking at its finest.
How About Some Great Finds From Around the Web?
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Getting Ready For Fire Pit Season
Labor Day next weekend means the unofficial start of fall,
and cooler nights mean one thing for me: fires under the stars.
I love the flames — not so much the smoke that ends up in my eyes and my clothes.
I’ve had my eye on a Solo Stove for exactly this reason.
Anyone else made the switch?
A New-to-Me Craft Blog Find: A Crafty Mix
Honestly, I’m not much of a Halloween person —
I’m so over orange plastic everything and I don’t love leaning into creepy.
So it takes something genuinely clever to win me over.
Michelle’s Trash Mummy and Sarcophagus DIY over at A Crafty Mix did exactly that —
her big-eyed mummy is honestly wonderful.
Complete with a wonderfully detailed (the way I like them) How-To!
Go give Michelle some love.
A Little Kindness, Far From Home
Two Australian tourists were walking to their hotel in Phuket, Thailand —
one of them still hauling his suitcase —
when they spotted local workers struggling to fix a massive, stuck excavator.
Instead of walking on by, they stopped, rolled up their sleeves, and jumped in to help lift
and secure the steel track back into place.
No fuss, no fanfare, just two guys on vacation deciding to be useful.
Watch the moment here.
Psst — Did You Miss This Week’s TECH TIP?
This week’s email included a quick TECH TIP that’ll have you asking
“why did I never know this?”
It’s subscriber-exclusive, so if you’re not already getting the Weekender email in your inbox, now’s the time — you’ll get it plus my Creative’s Toolkit.
Wishing you a week full of joy, successes and loads of laughter!
