Trampoline Netting Repair (aka I may have been a fisherman)

Perhaps I was a fisherman in a past life....

for today I did the most AMAZING job of netting repair in the whole entire world.

Okay....maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration (pardon me while I toot my own horn).

Here's what happened.

Just weeks after purchasing our trampoline last year, someone found a loose thread on the netting and pulled...and pulled....and pulled until there was a sizeable snag reaching 2/3 the way around the diameter of the netting. 

SO NOT COOL! 

 I was not happy (to say the least) but, after threatening them with expulsion from the trampoline for eternity if they ever did it again, I let the matter go.  Enough said.  Or so I thought.

A few days ago someone got the brilliant idea of sticking their little fingers in the snag and pulling until the hole grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger (hello pretty garden).   

Blood!  Fire!

WHOSE ARE THESE CHILDREN ANYWAY? 

After cooling down (ha ha) I figured I had two choices.  I could either let the problem go and watch it get worse until the whole net was destroyed and had to be replaced ($200+) or I could come up with a plan to fix it.

After brainstorming, I came up with this....

 (Fishing line...20lbs.  Cost me less than $3.00 at Walmart)

and I went to work.

Result: EXCELLENT (toot, toot)
Cost:  < $3.00
Effort:  Minimal

If I can do it...anyone can.

Here are my suggestions on HOW:

#1  Pull out a sizable amount of fishing line (about 1 1/2 times the length of the hole) and than double that length again.  Fold line in half (as if you were using a double thread for swing/stitching) and slip on a quilting or other large eyed needle (I didn't use one myself....wish I had). 

#2  Weave the line through a few squares (about a 1/4 inch from the start of the hole) and tie a good knot.

#3  Starting right next to the knot weave a few vertical stitches and continue on until you reach the actual hole(to secure it).  Once you reach the hole, start widening the height of the stitch (I skipped the first set of squares right on the edge of the rip and started on the second row (for added stability).  Pull the line through and take it vertically to the edge (or one row in) on the other side of the hole and pull tight.  Skip a few squares horizontally (I did every other) and do it again.  Do this for a couple of stitches until you get the hang of it.  (you may have to pull the net closed as you work to tighten it at first).

#4 Once you get the hang of it, try doing several loops up and down before pulling tight.  It saves a LOT of time.

  #5 The completed line WILL unravel unless you keep it tight at all times.  Unless you are an octopus with 8 arms, this will require some finagling.  Pull the line tight (seen below).  (Now here comes the weird part)  Clamp the line in your front teeth to hold it tight.  Yep, that's what I said.  In your teeth.  (Just don't tell my mother...or my orthodontist...he he).

This way both hands will be free to work on the next set of stitching without undoing what you have just done.

#6  Work your way to the other end of the hole.  Back stitch the line a few times and tie it off with another good knot.  You are done.

The finished repair should look something like this.

 

BEAUTIFUL, yes?

I'm gonna make a pre-emptive strike on these two babies before they meet the same fate as the last one. 

Happy Stitching Y'all!

Summer Lovin'--The Jungle

I am going to attempt to catch up on life and the adventures therein.  I was a little (a lot) burned out with blogging and decided to phase my addiction into something more instantaneously gratifying ...facebook. 

But I've missed actual writing and so I think I'm back for a while now. 

Maybe.

As for catching up, here's the first installment. Introducing " Summer Lovin'-- The Jungle. 

What started out as this: 

Has now become this:

This is what we lovingly refer to as "The Jungle".

Goes to show what a little bit of compost and steer manure can do to otherwise extremely sterile soil.  (sterile, as in, not ONE weed popped up the entire spring)

We've never experienced anything like it.  It boggles my mind.  The plants are bigger than anything I have ever seen.  The green bean plants reach well above my knees.  It's insane.   Not even the hail storm we had the other day could stop their growth.

 Holy Monkey Lovin'.

As you can see, we didn't plan enough room for their ginormousness.


Who knew there was gold in dung? Not me...that's who.

Check it out....

The pumpkin plants have started taking over the kids digging area.

 I'm not gonna lie....I'm not too sad about that.  I'm thinkin' we may just need all of that space next year.  No more dirt caked faces (clothes, hair, eyes, tongues, etc) and no more mud pie slinging.  DARN, DARN, DARN! (wink)

Back to the goods.

The biggest yield-er, so far?  The ZUCCHINI!

These babies are just from today (sans 2 that Rob took to work).  That's 9...in ONE day!  Plus the 15-20 we have previously harvested makes for A LOT OF ZUCCHINI!  It's a good thing we love it.

In addition to plumping back up my freezer stores (sliced for regular dinner table consumption and shredded for tasty winter baked goods awesomeness) we have been enjoying a lot of this:

Squash, green beans (also from the garden), 1/2 to 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 tsp minced garlic and a dash of seasoned salt.  SO TASTY (unless Rob cooks it and puts in 4 TBSP oil).

 and some of this:

Grilled pizza---SO GOOD!  You can find grilling instructions on Our Best Bites here.  I also make my own pizza sauce using 1to2 15 oz cans tomato sauce and Our Best Bites garlic bread seasoning recipe (to die for).  Better than ANYTHING you will find at the store.

Next on the list for zucchini love:
This,  this, this (SO GOOD--already had it once--thank you Lisa), this , ohhhh and maybe this.

(Pinterest....I LOVE YOU!)

In the meantime we will are anxiously awaiting more green beans, tomatoes, crookneck squash, cantaloupe, cucumbers, walla walla onions, pumpkins and carrots. 

Fresh food makes my mouth water. 

How about you?

Sigh.....

Now I'm off to eat a Twix.

Goodnight!

Anti-Static Dryer Ball - Adventures In Frugalness

While searching around for laundry soap recipes, I came across an anti-static idea for the dryer that saves your pocket book and the environment.  Plus...it's really good for children (and adults) with sensitive skin who are counseled not to use fabric softeners and/or dryer sheets in their laundry (that would be my children).

It couldn't have been better timing.  I was down to one dryer sheet and didn't want to go to the store to buy more.  So I thought I'd give it a try.

What is it you ask?  Aluminum Foil.  That's it.  Super simple....and Super cheap.

The idea:

Make a tightly wadded ball of aluminum foil.  (Mine started out about the size of a softball and after tumbling around in the dryer a million times (I do a LOT of laundry) it is now about the size of a tennis ball).

Not only will this substantially reduce the amount of static cling in your clothing but will eliminate the issues associated with dryer sheets (residue build up on your lint filter and other dryer parts, on fabrics, causing them to be less breathable, towels to be less absorbent, and skin to be more itchy).

For large loads you can use 2-3 balls (haven't tried this yet).

Monetary benefits...you can use the same ball(s) forever.  They don't need to be thrown out or changed. 

I have been using this method for a few weeks now. 

I'm not going to lie...it is a BIT louder than before and my husband was worried that it might be denting the inside of the dryer.  But...after finding melted crayon on my clothing and being forced to scrub out the drum of the dryer, I assured him, after close inspection, that there was not a dent to be found.  So I just close the door to the laundry room (cutting down some of the noise).

I have been completely satisfied with the static cling free (mostly) results.  Not that we haven't experienced any static...just not any more than with the dryer sheets (except the one load where the ball got stuck in the foot of my little ones "footie" pajamas and was not free to tumble around...there was a little more static then).

I believe we will be using this method for a long time to come...if not forever.

Thanks for the tips Judy @ What I Live For and Lifehacker.

Ah....you hear that?  It's the sound of Savings...my favorite.

Just one easy click!