DIY "Self- watering container"

 I have NO green thumb.  I once killed an artificial tree (but that's another story).  This year I am going to try to grow a few things.  Since most of my problem seems to be lack of watering what I have tried to grow I am hoping this new "self-watering" container with 1.5 gallon water storage in the bottom will help....this one is for one of my tomato plants.

It already has a few tomatoes on it. 

Grow little tomatoes...grow.

My 3rd set of the 7 items for 7 days results.

I have completed my 3rd set of the 7 items for 7 days challenge.  Here is my results.  Most still has to be delivered but it is ready to go....


1/20
I'm working on my 7/7 challenge today and doing some serious cleaning.  Starting my list but these are not in order.  Finishing projects that have been in waiting for alterations and repair(from other people) this morning.

 1. hoodie repair\
 2. hoodie repair
 3. blanket hem repair
 4. fitted sheet repair
 5. long sleeve shirt repair
 6. short sleeve shirt repair
 7. grey pants-hemmed
 8. lt grey pants- hemmed
 9. blue jeans-hemmed
10. blue jeans- repair
11. blue jeans- repair
12. grey shorts- repair
13. blue jeans- hemmed
updating with my 7/7 challenge items
14.-24. another load put together for recycling
25-35. tub electronic recycling
36.-42. box of items from pantry, trashed

43. -47. 5 small pots w/lids donation bag
48. old but good blender, donation bag

49. broken Blue Ray player, electronic recycling
50. old router, electronic recycling
51. broken printer, electronic recycling

Little extra love for the stove

The drawer underneath the oven is where I keep things like trash bags, storage and freezer bags, foil and supplies handy.  It needed to be re-done.
Before:

After:

Then while cleaning the stove top the drip pans were really looking rough.  Not just dirty but rusty, so we replaced those and added the little disposable protectors.  Now maybe they will stay cleaner longer.

Before:

After:

Round 2 of another 7 Items for 7 Days Challenge

It's the last day for the 2nd round of 7/7 challenge.  Here is what I came up.   I do so well with this method,  I guess because I don't have to stay focused on a specific area, or spot and can just bounce around a pluck things from here and there.

Today is trash pick up day and I am hoping to get as much out there as possible this morning.  Need to do 15 min pickups in my bedroom, bathroom #1, bathroom #2, and the kitchen.


1. 1 bag of items from the freezer-trashed
2. 3 empty box from the under the oven project
3. 1 plastic container to the recycling
4. 1 book "Well-being for Dummies" recycling
5. 5 small pkgs of girls hair bows-added to the bow bag, tossed packaging.
6 Tossed the old little girls hair bow bag(torn)
7. 2 dried up hand sanitizers, trashed
8. 1 empty hand lotion-trashed
9. 2 old hair brushes
10. 2 lids that I can't figure out what they go to...trashed
11. 1 broken fake pearl neckless trashed
12. 1lb sausage from the freezer(freezer burned) trashed
13. 1 cooking pot, trashed-everything stuck to it.
14. 1 small basket-gave away
15.  6 mags to recycling box
16.  1 plastic measuring cup melted, trashed
17.  This weeks newspapers recycling box
18.  2 cardboard broke down recycling
19. 2 broke Christmas decorations trashed
20.  2 shirts to donation bag too small

1/12 updating
21.  New license plate to my son for his new car-off the shelf
22.  2 screws from the counter to put the license plate on
23.  trashed temporary tag
25.  Robe- donation bag too small
26.  2 pair of pants trashed to small and too worn to donate
27.  1 gift box broken down into cardboard box
28.  3 Birthday cards..read and put into recycling
29.  2 pair faded black sock trashed
30.  2 coke codes sent for my end of a trade
31.  2 coke 12-pk boxes out to recycling box
32.  1 toothbrush trashed
33.  6 packages of pudding mix, trashed, expired
updated 1/13
34.  2 large bags of trash from the storage room
35.  1 bunt pan-donated never used it
36.  1 car load of cardboard off to the recycling bin
37.  3 shirts to the donation bag too small
38.  4 movie cases trashed haven't seen the dvd's in years
39.  1 old coupon binder, trashed
40.  2 large plastic containers with broken lids
41.  several nearly empty spice containers-trashed
42.  2 empty coffee containers-trashed
43.  small bags of sewing scraps-trashed
44.  old pin cushion-trashed
45.  jacket ripped never repaired from years ago-trashed
46.  small bag of misc trash from car-trashed
47.  outdated business cards-recycled
48.  outdated business flyers-recycled
49.  2 old sewing patterns that was missing parts-recycled in paper bin
I know some were confused with the numeric challenge but I do so well with this method.  I guess because I don't have to stay focused on a specific area, or spot and can just bounce around a pluck things from here and there.

Day #7 Last Day of the 7/7 Challenge

 7/7 challenge...I made it!
33. broken heater-trashed
34. Fabric softener bottle- trashed
35. box of new Christmas lights- donation box
36. 2 pillows(flat) -trashed
37. stack of Dec P&G inserts- recycle box
38. 5 knifes in 2 plastic containers-trashed
39.  2 coke codes entered, recycle box with cartons
40. 5 Christmas card envelopes  -recycle box-entered address in address book
41. 5 magazines-recycle box
42. 2 takeout menu from closed restaurants- recycle box
43. 3pk globe lights, replaced burned out ones threw old ones away
44. 3 old grocery lists-recycle box
45. 2 empty chapstix
46. 2 kids puzzles-trashed- too many pieces missing
47. stack of receipts into December folder
48. dried out gel pen- trashed
49. 2 dvds that wouldn't play anymore-trashed
50. weeks worth of newspapers- recycle box

Here's a picture of some of the items I started gathering up closer to crunch time.

Day #6 of the 7 items for 7 days Challenge

 Friday my son got home from Brazil vacation, it took him 36 hours of traveling(boat, bus, plane, layovers, and driving). Saturday my youngest (23) came over and spent the day, visited for supper and catch-up with his brother.  Family will always come before de-cluttering.:awe:  Picking up where I left off with the 7/7 challenge:
Day 6
25. queen size sheet set-donation bag
26. 3 broken hangers,trashed
27. 2 hand towels-trash-material isnt good for rags of which I have plenty of already
28. 2 bras- trashed
29.  small box of old computer disks-trashed
30. bottle of lotion that I don't like the smell, trashed
31. 2 potholders that were wearing too thin to serve their purpose, trashed
32. 5 cereal boxes that I put contents into better containers, boxes in recycling box


As far as cleaning- Since I haven't done that much the last few days I need to do 15-min room cleanup checklists for:
Bathroom #1
Bathroom #2
Living room
My bedroom
Playroom #1
Playroom #2
Laundry Room
Kitchen(kitchen will probably be more than one set)

Day 4 of the 7/7 Challenge

 Day #4 (I'm behind) 
23. White store bag of misc food from the frig. Several fresh(at one time) produce items and some expired sandwich meats...ugh, I hate wasted food.
24. 10+ plastic pieces that didn't match up with lids. I am finding the less of these I have the better. I try to limit my plastic storage to no more than 15. That is plenty for what I need. I use to have a cabinet that every time I opened it, they would just fall out in the floor. I would try to avoid opening at all costs, including just tossing food instead of digging in there to find something to store it in. Since I purged them I actually use what I have now.

Day 3 of the 7 Items for 7 Days Challenge

17. Another 2012 Calender
18. stack of papers from my financial binder
19. 3 candles trashed- nothing left to burn
20. broken coffee cup, trashed
21. socks trashed the no matched and hole(y) ones
22. basket-I thought would be useful but not- donation bag

15 min timer on socks. All the socks are clean, I rounded all them up, washed, threw in a laundry basket last night. So today I set the timer and matched what was in the laundry basket and tossed about 10 or so that were no match or hole(y). Still need to put away though.

Day #2 of the 7 items for 7 day challenge

10.  3 prescription bottles trashed
11.  2 expired boxes of brownies trashed
12.  raok 1 pamper code
13.  2 children scissors broken trashed
14.  2 sweaters donation bag
15.  3 cardboard boxes broken down added to recycling box
16.  Several more Christmas cards to recycling

Day #1 of my 7 items for 7 days challenge

Good start today:

1. one windex refill bottle.  Filled up reg bottles, trashed
2. Bag of casserole dishes, pie plates from Christmas dinner to return to my mom, in car.
3. Large snowman decoration, doesn't work, trashed
4. Lighted wreath that no longer lights, trashed
5. 3 shirts too small, in donation bag
6. Live wreath, took apart and trashed frame and greenery in burn pile
7. wreath hanger, broke, trashed
8. Throw, got a new one for Christmas, old one in donation bag
9. Large live dry tree, out to burn pile.

My tip of the day.....I used to drag my live tree through the house and spend FOREVER cleaning up the needle mess.  Now I cover with a sheet, tie the top so it wont slide off, no mess.