Easy DIY Wooden Planters

I made these with the same wooden crates that I made my kids holiday boxes with. I picked them up at Walmart for $10 a piece. I then used some of the paint samples we had leftover from picking colors to paint our house. I lined each crate with weed mat, but I also considered using a potting nest type netting. 

You will need:

A wooden crate for each type of plant you plan on planting.

Paint

A staple gun (or nail gun)

Potting soil

Weed matting

Step 1:

Cut your weed mat to fit the wooden crate.

Step 2:

Staple the weed mat to the inside of your wooden crate.

Step 3:

Paint the outside of the crate (preferably with outdoor paint)

Step 4:

Let dry

Step 5:

Fill the planters with potting soil and plant your favorite seeds.

Photos of my process below:

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An open letter to my sons, about their inevitable relationships with women

Whether you are gay, straight, or somewhere in between it is inevitable that you will someday have intimate relationships with those of the opposite sex. I strive to be a living example to you of how a woman should be treated, by the way that I demand to be treated, and by the way that I treat others. I know that while actions speak louder than words, sometimes it is equally important to give voice to issues. I know we've talked about girls before, and I hope that you understand most of what I've tried to teach you, but here are a few things that deserve a little extra emphasis:

You don't have to be her knight in shining armor. Whether she's your girlfriend, wife, or just a friend you don't have to save her. Not all the time, and certainly not at the cost of your own well being. You're going to see a lot of propaganda about "real men" over the years. Ignore it. You are both real men. I was there when you were born and I have watched you grow. I can testify to this fact. So when someone tries to tell you how a real man takes care of his woman, take it with a grain of salt. I expect you to be caring, supportive, kind, generous, and compassionate with everyone including the women in your life. However, you are not responsible for their physical or emotional well being. 

While we're on the topic of "real men" your masculinity doesn't hinge on the degradation of women either. It's okay to share the household responsibilities. There are no "mans jobs" or "woman's jobs". Your job in your relationship with anyone is to equally distribute the burdens in a way you both agree to be fair. This means it's ok if she makes more money than you and it's ok if she doesn't have a job. It's up to the 2 of you to define how your relationship is going to be balanced. Don't let anyone else tell you how to define your home life. 

Communicate. A lot. The old adage "men are from Mars women are from Venus" isn't entirely off base. Chances are unless you find an anomaly of a gal, she's going to think very differently than you do. Chances are sometimes it's going to be hard to understand. The only way you'll ever understand her is by asking her how she feels, and why. Let her explain herself. Don't assume you know. You probably don't. This goes for all your relationships (with men too). Talk to your colleagues. Talk to your friends. Talk to your teachers and your kids and your parents. Put down your electronics and listen to other people. Especially if you're trying to make a life with them.

I have hope, that by the time you're a man, the world will have changed. Realistically I'm not sure it will have. So know this: being a woman is hard for so many reasons I cannot begin to explain to you. Not the least of which being an anatomy that works very differently than yours. Women are not weaker than you. They are strong in different ways. They are not less intelligent than you. They think in different ways. Men and women aren't the same, but they are equal. Just because someone is different does not ever make them less.

We all come from different places. The world, for my generation atleast, has put a lot of work into making women insecure, and frightened. It has taught hate rather than love, and many young women come from homes that stifled them rather than empowering them. Keep that in mind when you approach anyone, but especially a woman. You don't know where she's come from, and you don't know if she had to work twice as hard to get where she is. This comes right back to the talking thing. Ask questions. Listen intently. Let people share their story with you. Be open. Let people change you, not because they want to, but because you need to be ever evolving to become better.

Sometimes girls cry. Usually a lot more than boys too. Remember that anatomy bit I mentioned earlier? It comes with a completely different set of hormones. When you might get angry, a woman might get sad. Sorry buddy that's the difference between testosterone and estrogen. I reiterate here that it does not make her weaker than you. Just different.

You're going to meet so many different people of all ages, races, genders, sexualities, religions and creeds. Don't let stereotypes pre-form your opinions. Treat each person as an individual. Don't make assumptions. Let them teach you who they are so that you may share your true self with them.

You're going to get hurt. Someone is going to break your hurt. It's going to feel like being broken into a thousand sharp pieces of glass. You're going to heal and while you're healing try your best to let go of the anger and resentment that tries to form inside of you. Don't hold the actions of one person against every other person who tries to love you. 

Be a gentleman. No matter how much culture and society changes. Hold on to that ideal. It's not about saving people. It's about respect. You don't have to carry the weight of the world to open doors for the person behind you and help someone who is struggling cross the street. Don't let anyone tell you this is wrong or sexist. You can open doors for men as well as women. Pick up something if someone drops it and hand the item back to them. If you see a woman being harassed, step in and do something. Not because she's a woman but because you would do it for anyone. 

And lastly, forever stay my sweet little boys, even when you're grown men.

The Walking Dead: 5 Huge Differences between the Comics and TV Show (spoilers)

1.) Daryl mother-trucking Dixon:

I don't think I'm posting any major spoilers here for non-comic readers if I tell you, Daryl doesn't exist in the comics. Neither does his brother, Merle. No motorcycles,. No sexy in a you need to shower type of way man-meat.  There isn't even a character I can think of to draw a parallel to here, other than possibly attributing Tyreese's much less aggressive tv show counter-part to Daryl's existence as Rick's right hand man. Daryl is a brilliant character, and I have fallen in love with him, along with most of the country, but I can't predict what's going to happen to him from reading the comics. Which is probably what the TV show producers were going for. 

 2.) Carol is a strong psycho killer, with a dead daughter:

I'm sort of bundling here. For one, Sophia is dead on the show and alive in the comics. She becomes Maggie's adopted daughter, much like Enid on the show. This is of course after Carol dies in the comics. Which happens pretty early on in the comics. In the TV show, Carol has turned into a stone cold pragmatist who thinks nothing of putting bullets into people who have been infected with a virus and threaten to infect the group at large. It’s a huge transformation, both from her Season 1 days suffering emotional and physical abuse from her husband and from the comics, where she is a bit of a looker (not the mousy, short haired and quiet character in the show), a total nut job and much feistier, flirting with and dating Tyreese and suggesting a threesome with Rick and Lori.

3.) Where the heck is Andrea? 

Oh yeah, dead. Andrea's initial indecision and emotional imbalance annoyed many viewers. Her decisions to relocate to Woodbury, to begin a relationship with the Governor and to leave Rick’s group riled many fans; it was tantamount to unforgiveable betrayal. But her death, or turning, in the TV show is pretty hardcore. This episode just doesn’t happen in the comics. Instead, Andrea becomes a sharp shooter and is central to the defense of the prison. What the heck TWD!? Andrea was hands down my favorite female character in the comics. Don't get me wrong, Michonne is awesome, but Andrea is a sniping badass who ends up with Rick, as Carl's Mom. She is the perfect for Rick. The lack of Andrea has brought Michonne and Rick together which is great and all, but is going to be interesting to the story arc since it cancels out any chance of Michonne developing a relationship with the "King" of the Kingdom. They've really rearranged the characters here. Which is confounding, but I'm excited to see where they take it. Who will the whisperers end up killing NOW?!

4.) Dale's early demise:

God love him and his penchant for open Hawaiian shirts, bucket hats, that trusty RV and moral philosophy. Dale dies sooner, and far more suddenly, in the TV show than in the comics. In the former, a few walkers ambush and disembowel him as he takes an ill-advised walk through fields. In the latter, Dale’s demise is a more prolonged affair, involving two bites and an amputation to stymie the first. This has a few major plot affects. For one, he and Andrea never date. I know it seems weird and creepy but Andrea and Dale were totally in love in the comics. This also leaves an opening for Bob, the alcoholic medic, who in the comics was a white guy who falls in love with Lilly Caul and helps out the Governor. That was a really weird twist. 

5.) Morgan's super weird story line

So... on the show there's a goat and a homemade jail cell mixed with a zen buddhist attitude. All very strange. In the comics he leaves his crazy booby-trap infested home with Rick and makes his way to Alexandria with the group after the jail is blown up. He's with Rick when he goes all zombie crazy and bites a dude who's threatening Carl. He is one of Rick's main men. The change could be partially attributed to Daryl's place in the show or could have just been a scheduling conflict. Who knows?

Interested in catching up on the comics. Get started here!

So what do you think? Am I on point? Did I miss any HUGE differences you would have mentioned? Let me know in the comment section. 

5 Best Pacey and Joey Moments

Let's be honest Pacey and Joey are the best couple from Dawson's Creek, and possibly TV in general. Mostly because Pacey is the best character of all time.

#5 When Joey Leaves Capeside with Pacey on True Love

In the last episode of Season 3 all the Pacey/Joey/Dawson drama comes to a head and Joey has to choose (in one of many choices) which boy she wants to be with. For obvious reasons, she chooses Pacey, and a summer aboard the True Love. It also gave birth to the crying Dawson GIF, for which the internet will always be thankful.

The Scene I'm referring to starts at around 6 minutes and it is pure Joey and Pacey gold. 

#4 When Joey Tells Pacey That Touching Him Makes Her Feel Alive

And then Pacey is adorable and basically says, if you want me not to kiss you you'll have to stop me. Because he's basically the king of asking for consent in the sexiest most masculine ways possible.

#3 Pacey bought Joey a friggen WALL

If you don't remember this scene then you aren't a Dawson's Creek fan

YOU BOUGHT ME A WALL?!

Yes Joey, he bought you a wall because he is male perfection.

#2 When Joey Finally Kisses Pacey 

I'm just gonna let you watch this one for yourself

#1 is a tie, so you'll have to let me know which one wins 

THE FIRST KISS: 

Or

PACEY REMEMBERS EVERYTHING

And here are some honorable mentions in the form of someone else's opinion on the subject: 

So what do you think? Am I way off or totally on point? Are you one of those weirdo Dawson/Joey shippers?

Let me know in the comments.

If you love Dawson's Creek as much as I do, consider buying it on DVD with my affiliate link.

DIY Natural Easter Eggs

So with Easter and the Spring Equinox around the corner I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite traditions with you. I don't hide candy in my yard because well we still have a bag of candy leftover from Halloween. I don't eat it. My kids don't eat very much of it, and overall it ends up being a waste of money. So in keeping with our sort of Unitarian, respect for all cultures, vibe I like to do crafts that respect the origins of Easter.

What You Need:

• 1 Dozen (or more) white eggs (brown will not work well for this project)
• Large pots (2 or more for dyeing, 1 for boiling eggs)
• 1 head of red cabbage (blue, purple dye)
• 1 beet (red, pink dye)
• Jars for dyes
• Distilled white vinegar
• Old panty hose
• Twist ties (optional)
• Leaves, flowers, stickers – whatever you’d like to imprint on the egg

Step 1: Make Your Dye

In a large pot, mix 2 quarts of water and 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Then add 1 head of chopped red cabbage. This will make purple and blue dye. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let simmer for several hours until you get desired color. In another pot, mix 1 quart water 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar with 1 chopped beet for a red and pink dye. You can try other fruits and vegetables for other egg dye colors.

Step 2: Boil Eggs

After your dye is made, you’ll want to make hard boiled eggs. In a large pot, add cold water and your eggs. Then bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the water comes to a hard boil, let your eggs boil for 10 minutes. Take out and cool.

Step 3: Put Egg in Hose with Leaf

Take your panty hose and cut 4-inch squares – the hose should be flat – not doubled. Then lay your leaf down on the hose. Lay your egg on top of the leaf then cover with the hose. Make sure it is tight! Then use your twist tie to secure. You want to make sure your leaf is tight on the egg, if not, the dye will seep into the spots and bleed color where your leaf print should be.

Step 4: Dye Eggs

Put your eggs into the dye and let sit for at least 30-45 minutes – or longer if you want darker colors. For the darker eggs let them sit for four hours. You can use several jars to have more eggs dyeing at once.

Step 5: Dry Eggs

Let your eggs dry before taking off the hose! If they are still wet, they can drip into the imprinted spot. Being wrapped in the hose longer also makes them darker. You don’t want them to dry for too long or your egg will pick up imperfections from where they are laying. Make sure the leaf side isn’t touching anything when drying. The perfect time for drying is about 45 minutes to an hour. Unless they are super wet and in that case, try an hour and a half. 

Step 6: Let Leaf Dry

Once you take the hose off, you’ll want to make sure the rest of the egg is dry before pulling off the leaf. This only takes 10-15 minutes, unless your egg is completely dry already.

Step 7: Take off the Leaf

After everything is dry, gently pull off the leaf and see your imprint!

If you're more of a visual learner this YouTube video is a GREAT tutorial.

Mama Megan's Meatballs

So unfortunately for you guys I'm one of those horrible people who doesn't measure anything when cooking my own recipes. I apologize in advance but honestly you're going to want to mess around cooking these a few times before you find your own personal sweet spot.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

Italian breadcrumbs (between 1/2 cup and 1 cup)

Mozzarella cheese (to taste)

Parmesan cheese (anywhere from a 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup)

Basil (to taste)

Chives (to taste)

Minced onions (to taste)

Red pepper flakes (to taste)

One egg

Garlic (I use both powder and fresh minced)

Parsley (to taste)

Oregano (to taste)

About 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce or A1 sauce (or both) 

1 package mozzarella cheese sticks

Your favorite pasta sauce. I usually mix ragu with something a little more "Italian" like prego or Aldis brand and add sugar and red pepper to taste.

Step 1: Plug in your crockpot and fill it with pasta sauce. Set it on low. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

Step 2: Mix the rest of the above ingredients except for the mozzarella cheese sticks in a bowl.

Step 3: Chop the mozzarella cheese sticks into cubes, and roll the meatballs around the cubes.

Step 4: Put the meatballs in the oven for anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the balls and how long you plan on leaving them in the crockpot.

Step 5: Transfer the meatballs from the pan to the crockpot and set it to medium heat. Let them simmer for as long as you have til dinner time (the longer they stay in the sauce the more it will seep into the meatballs and the more flavorful they will be)

Serve with pasta or on subs.

Need a slow cooker? Check out this programmable one!