Miscellany | a star map, a car, a hydrangea, and more
Time for some randomness!
Sonia has a cool star map.
I got a PR email telling me about custom star maps and asking if I'd like a sample.
Since Sonia is very (very, very, very) into everything astronomy-related, I said yes. I framed it using a frame and mat I had on hand, and it looks pretty fancy now!
(Sonia's star map has a date, location, and coordinates printed at the bottom...I just blurred them out because, privacy. The design looks much more balanced with the information un-blurred, though!)
Basically, you input a date and location, and they print out a map of what the starry sky looked like at that time (people choose significant dates in their lives, like birthdays, anniversaries, and so on).
Sonia chose to get a print of what the sky looked like when she was born on March 2nd, 2004, and she loves it.
I'll paint the frame white one day this summer so it matches everything else in Sonia and Zoe's room, but this will do for now.
You can order a star map here if you've got a night-sky person in your life!.
(I'm not affiliated and I get no kickback if you buy a star map.)
I sold all my schoolbooks except one!
I listed six books last week, and all are sold and shipped save one. I'm pretty pleased about that...less clutter in my house, more money in my wallet, and the joy of knowing that the books are going to people who will use them.
My little hydrangea has become a large hydrangea.
I bought this teeny tiny hydrangea stick/plant at Aldi for $2.99 back in 2009.
And now it's a large, happy bush with lots of flowers.
(Why yes, I DO need to weed. And mulch.)
In other news, hydrangeas are one of the few bushes that the voles don't seem to eat.
So now I have six of them, all from Aldi except one.
You have to go with what works, you know? Frugal people do not like to buy plants that get promptly eaten.
Speaking of frugal plants, I planted some purple bean hyacinths next to my front railings, and they are already busily climbing up. I think they'll look really lovely once they fill out and bloom this summer.
And that's all the miscellany I have for you this Thursday!
Would you do a post on used car buying tips for those of us who are also in the phase of life where we need additional vehicles?
I've got a draft going!
I hope the car purchase will go well. It reminds me of buying clothes at thrift stores. You might need one thing, but you have to go through a lot of stuff to find what you like. I think that's one reason why people just buy new. It's so much easier to just go to a store and pick what you know you need 🙂
Yes, I've had that exact same thought multiple times throughout this car-buying process. I completely understand why people buy new vehicles instead!
Hydrangeas are my favorite flower. Sadly they don’t grow here. 🙁
Are you amending the soil around your hydrangeas or is that just the native soil? I noticed the flowers seem to lean to pinkish in some blooms, blue in the others. Ours bloom straight blue -- we have acid soil in our area, which means blueberries and azaleas like it, too.
I cut some really pretty blooms from mine last year, dried them in the dehydrator, and gave them to my sister, who wanted some to decorate a wreath. Another tip is to dip them when fully dried in melted paraffin to preserve them better, but they have to be completely dried, or they will mold after being dipped.
Our cats brings us a dead vole every now and then. You should tell your cat to get with the program :).
I've never heard of the star map. That would be neat for a star-gazer.
I don't need to order chicken, I need to make sure I have the room for the half-pig that I'm to pick up today. We've been eating out of the freezer, but I'm still thinking I might be borrowing my daughter's freezer for a while, too.
Good luck on that car purchase! I'll agree, buying new is much, much, easier than trying to find a good, used car. I hope this one is a winner.
I'm trying! They're naturally light pink, so we've been adding coffee grounds to the soil to make them more blue.
Those plants are gorgeous! It's so hot here that not much is wanting to grow any more. Ugh. I've always wanted tons of flowers in the garden, but it's a real struggle with so much heat and sun. Congrats on the car! I hope that inspection goes well so you can have one less thing on your hands. 🙂
ME TOO. I'm getting a little weary of the car stresses.
But I'm trying to remember that they are just a part of life. If the car purchase goes fine tomorrow, there's nothing saying there won't be more car drama just around the bend. It's the nature of owning stuff.
I do feel like we are due for at least a little break from car issues, though. 😉
I have a hydrangea that has only bloomed once in several years. Other than not having any blooms, it grows well and has beautiful foliage. Do you or any of your readers have any suggestions on getting it to bloom?
Huh, I have no idea! I do absolutely nothing to my hydrangeas to make them bloom, except plant them in shady areas, which they love.
Hopefully a reader can help you.
I have to say I bought the zaycon chicken a few months ago on a previous deal and personally will never buy it again. The breasts are unreasonably large (seriously our family of 3 eats one and still has leftovers) and I have a feeling they've been pumped full of water as they have a weird texture. We only use them if they've been able to cook among other things in the crock pot. We were not happy with this at all and will not purchase again.
Interesting! I've yet to receive my first order, so I haven't gotten to experience Zaycon chicken for myself yet.
I hate how chicken is pumped full of water these days. You can pay a premium for air-chilled chicken to avoid that, and my goodness, that chicken does taste WAY better.
This was exactly my experience. We butterflied the breasts before we froze them. Yet, I still felt like they had a weird texture when we cooked them. I have had one last ziploc in my freezer from 15 months ago. I just need to bite the bullet and toss it despite not wanting to waste food.
This is exactly what happened for us. I have ordered from Zaycon a few times. But, my latest time of ordering a few cases of the chicken breasts was not good. I still have a few extra large ziploc bags full in my chest freezer that we are using up. The chicken just wasn't good quality anymore. The breasts are HUGE, which isn't an issue for us. I just use 1 for our family of 3. But, the texture of the meat after it has been cooked is super weird. Almost chewy, I don't know. But, its super noticeable and considering I cook mostly in my crockpot which allows meats to break down and become super tender, when the chicken breasts still come out with this weird texture I know its the meat. Very, very disappointing.
Despite this sale being such a GREAT price on BS chicken breasts, I don't think I will order it again. I have come to really like either Meijer or Aldi chicken breasts when they go on sale for $1.69/lb, which is my target price in my area. Both have very good quality meats in my area.
I'm afraid we're going to be used car shopping sooner than later... sigh. I love hydrangeas! They are my favorite.
Where do you sell your school books?
I usually check Amazon and eBay to see where I can get the most bang for my buck and where things are most likely to sell. I feel like I usually get a little more money from eBay, but on the other hand, Amazon makes it a little easier to list stuff.
Hi Kristen, what size star map does Sonia have? It looks like the perfect size. Thanks.
She has the 8x10, but of course it's larger once framed and matted.
Is there a code for the .99/lb or it maybe regional? I don’t see it.
Like you, I’ve read mixed things and I’m nervous to try them. I’ve also read mixed reviews of the customer service so that makes me extra nervous. I would do take a chance for .99/lb. Chicken breasts regularly go on sale around here for 1.69/lb and Zaycon regular price in my area is at least 1.89/lb.
Yep, you use code FALLFRESH at checkout.
Thank you! I guess I’ll give it to try.
Heh, you sound like me. I'm a little scared, but I figure the only way to know is to try it once myself. And then I can share my experience with tons of other people by blogging about it.
Hi Kristen,
Sorry, I have another question! Why did Sonia choose the one without the constellations? A cleaner look? Thanks.
Yep! She looked at both and decided she liked the more minimalist look. I feel like if you got a really big star print, the constellations would look less cluttery, but for the small one, they made it feel crowded.
Goodness, I hope the third time's the charm! I just ordered my star map for my brand new great niece! Thanks for posting the link. I wanted to let your readers know that I found a 10% off coupon if they'd like to order. If they order in June use FIRST10.
Have a great summer.
Your hydrangeas look so pretty! I love them, but have never had any luck growing them. I've tried several times....nope.
I love the star map. I think Groupon had a deal for something similar several months ago, but I didn't buy it....I think my hubby would like that for a birthday present.
I'm really amazed that some people don't like the Zaycon chicken. I don't find them "pumped full of water" or even a "weird texture". It's a terrific product, and I usually can half of the 40 pound case in pint jars. As far as them being too big - got a knife? I know just what my husband and I will eat, and I portion it out & freezer bag it. I honestly couldn't be happier with these breasts. If they were pumped with water, they wouldn't can up as nicely as they do. I buy Zaycon's 80/20 burger - which is shrink-freezer wrapped in pound packages, and the chuck roasts - which is shrink wrapped in 3 pound packages. The quality is great.
That baby hydrangea is simply adorable. (and the grown plant is beautiful of course.)
I hope the civic's pre purchase inspection goes well so you can be done with used car shopping and Joshua can have a nice car. My mom had a civic and that car went on forever. If you get a good one, it should last. (unless a bus hits it of course... 🙄 )