Backyard Fun, Portable Fun

Practice Makes Perfect with Basketball and Soccer

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Rolbak Basketball Net

Spring is a perfect time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Sports offer a great outlet to get some exercise while enjoying your time outdoors. Basketball and soccer are fun choices! If you already have an outdoor basketball goal, you know the enjoyment that they can offer. From a competitive game of three on three to a fun round of Horse, you will likely spend hours outside stepping up your game. You can also step up your practice time by using a basketball rebound net. Minimize the time that you spend chasing the ball so that you can maximize your playing time. Let’s face it – we all miss shots. Keep the basketball from damaging plants, windows, and other property close to the hoop. They are easy to install, move, and extend. You can also practice soccer at home with a portable soccer goal. Look for a goal with deep corners. This will help maximize your practice time by allowing you to work on corner shots. A goal that is weighted around the edges will ensure that it is standing strong against wind and powerful kicks. With a few easy tools, you will be bending it like Beckham or shooting like Jordan with all the practice you will be getting in!

Soccer Goal

Garden Tools & Tips, Storage Solutions

4 Quick Tips for Keeping Garden Tools Happy

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Gardening Tools

Whether you’re new to gardening or have been toiling in the soil for years, you rely on garden tools that are in good working condition.  Poorly maintained garden tools don’t last long and most likely make gardening chores more of a chore.

The best way to make sure your tools work well for you over the long haul is to give them a little TLC after each use.  Time consuming?  No way.  In fact, here are four quick and easy ways to keep your tools in top shape during the gardening season:

  • Ditch the Dirt — Remove any dirt from tools after each use.  Fresh dirt will usually come off quickly and easily when tools are rinsed with a hose or dipped in a bucket of water. Tough dirt can be rubbed off with some water and a wet rag.  If left to dry, caked-on dirt is harder to remove and makes digging tasks more challenging the next time the tools are needed.
  • Repel Rust and Rot — Dry off wet tools before putting them away.  Wooden handles can rot and metal parts can rust when water is left sitting on garden tools.  Keep a clean rag or towel handy for this purpose.
  • Ship-Shape Shears — Rub the cutting blades of pruning shears and loppers with a dab of oil on an old rag before hanging them up for the night.  This will clean off any debris and keep them workingGarden Storage Sheds smoothly.
  • Stow Your Stuff — Give your garden tools some shelter to protect them from exposure to weather and to keep them out of reach of children and animals.  A storage shed dedicated to gardening tools and supplies is a handy addition in any yard.  Using storage sheds for gardening gear frees up space in the garage and ensures that your tools and supplies are protected.

A little daily maintenance goes a long way toward keeping garden tools in good working shape throughout the heaviest months of gardening.  Keep the necessary cleaning gear close to where you store your tools.  Doing so will make it that much easier to care for your tools before putting them away.

Garden Tools & Tips, Innovative Solutions, Storage Solutions

Make Your Garden Beautiful While Making a Difference

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Cedar Fence PlanterCedar Storage BoxCedar Dollies

Cedar accessories can make a beautiful statement in your garden while serving a sturdy and long-lasting function. Beautiful cedar planter boxes are perfect for people with limited space who want to grow delicious fruits, vegetable, and herbs. Because cedar is naturally weather and insect resistant, the planters will last for many years to come. Cedar plant dollies have casters that make them a perfect solution for moving heavy plants or providing versatile plant stands. They offer stylish and functional support for a little price. If additional storage space is your goal, cedar storage boxes make the perfect place to keep all of your lawn and garden tools, garden hoses, or whatever else you have in mind. The beautiful red wood color will no only give you stylish design, it will also last for many years to come.

The best part about the products mentioned above is the source from which they come. Cedar Creek Illinois, Inc, or CCI, is a subsidiary of Knox County Council for Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (www.kccdd.com). CCI specializes in work and career opportunities for individuals with disabilities. This wonderful program allows the disabled to become self-supporting citizens who can contribute their talents, skills and labor to the communities in which they live. All of the fine cedar products listed above were made in the United States by disabled Americans working through this company. Your purchase not only gives you a beautiful addition to porch, patio, or garden; it also gives someone a chance at employment that they might have never gotten otherwise. What could be better than that?

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Outdoor Living Spaces

Using Nature to Mask the Noises from Nearby Roads

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Solar Water Fountain

When you live within earshot of a busy road or train tracks, relaxing outside on your porch, patio, or deck may not be all that relaxing.  Train whistles, sirens, honking vehicles, and even the steady drone of cars and trucks passing along the road can interrupt your need for silent reverie.

Music played quietly nearby can effectively draw your attention away from the road noises.  When sitting outside, though, what most of us prefer to hear is nature’s own music.  Birds, gentle breezes, flowing water.  One of the most common ways to bring the soothing sounds of nature into your outdoor living spaces is to introduce a solar water fountain.

Water fountains, in general, provide you with the gentle and relaxing sounds of flowing water.  The constant trickling and gurgling of the water mimics the natural sounds of a mountain brook and quite effectively masks the noises that drift over from nearby roads.  Solar water fountains, in particular, make it easy to place the fountain in any sunny spot where you prefer to sit, even when electrical outlets are nowhere near.  Solar water fountains draw their energy from the sun, so no electrical components or wiring are required to make them work.

Water fountains, solar or otherwise, may not be able to completely mask the noise of train whistles and sirens — no outdoor sound device can do this completely.  But, they do reduce significantly the constant whirring and buzzing of passing traffic that too frequently disturbs quiet moments, and they leave you free to enjoy the music of nature in your own backyard.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Indoor Living Spaces, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Green Energy – For the Planet AND the Pocketbook

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Energy Saving Green Logo
“Going Green” is a trend that is gaining momentum every year and has become a lifestyle choice for many Americans. Not only does it allow you to do your part in conserving our precious resources, but it can also save you hundreds of dollars a year in utility costs. Making small changes can yield huge differences. Replacing just one regular light bulb in your home with an energy-efficient light bulb will reduce that outlet’s energy consumption by 75% and save you up to $40 a year! Imagine the difference that you can make if you replace all of the bulbs in your home. Another important energy-saving tip is to make sure that your doors and window are properly sealed. Drafts and broken seals can waste hundreds of dollars a year in heating and cooling cost and waste unnecessary energy. You will also want to make sure that you are using energy-efficient appliances. Seventeen percent of your household energy is spent on large appliance operation (refrigerators, clothes washer and dryers, and dishwashers). If you are not using an EnergyStar certified appliance, consider upgrading. It will save you money in the long run.

Solar power is also a great way to save energy in and around your home. If you are not ready to install solar panels on your roof and rely solely on the sun, you can still implement small uses of solar power around your home. Consider using Chinese Solar Lanterns or Umbrella Solar Lanterns at you next outdoor party instead of traditional lighting sources. Add solar powered path lights to your driveway or sidewalk. Consider investing in solar swimming pool heaters in place of traditional heat sources for your pool.

Green power is here to stay. More and more people are realizing that making these small, but powerful, changes are a necessary step toward protecting our plant AND our pocketbooks. Start making your home energy-efficient today and you reap the benefits for many years to come.

Chinese Solar LanternsUmbrella Solar Lanterns

Source: US Department of Energy (http://www.energysavers.gov)