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Hi Reader,

Oh, the last week has been just glorious weather here - sunny and in the 70s for a few days!!

In typical Oregon fashion the weather for Spring Break next week is rainy and cold. 😂 Though if you like to ski on spring break there will be fresh snow in the mountains!

I did get all of the flower beds cleaned up last weekend (and finished The Other Bennet Sister which turned out to be a really good book!). Here's the sunken garden after photo like I promised last week:

So nice to have a tidy garden again! Once I got everything cut back and removed I could see a couple things I couldn't before.

First, the bleeding heart I planted last year didn't make it through the winter, sadly, though that is about the only thing that died this year, even with our multiple day ice storm.

Second, I thought I had planted lots of daffodils and other bulbs in the four beds, but they don't have any bulbs blooming! I can't do tulips here (the deer LOVE them), but I need to make a note to add more daffs and iris for sure.

Gravel paths: I had a number of people ask me about the weedless gravel paths here and there are two major things we do to create paths that don't grow huge amounts of weeds (we never have none - there are two in the path right now that I need to pull, but that will probably be it for months).

1. We lay a thick (at least 6mil) layer of black plastic that goes completely under the edging, overlapping and held down with earth staples.
2. We buy gravel with no fines. This is important - fines, or little pieces of chipped gravel/rocks and some dirt, will create pockets over time of dirt-like areas that weeds will grow in. It will make it hard to remove them, too. Using bigger gravel with no fines makes it harder for blown-in weeds to get a foothold and when they do, they're easy to pull because the roots can't go further than the plastic.

As far as maintenance, you do have to keep any dirt or debris off the gravel (as much as you can). Any that's allowed to settle under the gravel will be able to host weed roots in the future.

But that's about it - I love our gravel paths!

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Easter Dinner Ideas

​Ham Glazed with Sweet Onion Marmalade​ OR: Honey Jalapeno Jelly​ Both of these are SO good. ​

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette​ Spinach, sweet onion, chopped nuts, sliced strawberries and feta cheese drizzled with this dressing would be so springy, don't you think?

​Parmesan Celery & Onion Salad​ This is surprisingly so good - a great way to use this often glossed-over vegetable. Plus, it stores well so you can make it ahead.

​Easy Baked Potato Fans with Cheese​ Slice, coat, and bake - simple steps with a pretty and delicious outcome!

​Lemon Berry Cake with Incredible Lemon Frosting​ My favorite springtime cake - you can make it with any berry jam you have. Fresh berries are pretty, but optional. 😀

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Easter Decor Ideas

Did you know I had an article all about simple Easter-spring decor?

There are lots of ideas here, including some fun free printables I link to. If you're hosting, you might fine something you can use!

From The Blog

​Homemade Onion Dip WAY Better Than a Mix​ Pretty sure it's the caramelized onions. 😀 This would be great for Easter or March Madness. ​ Get The Recipe Here! ​

​Slow Cooker Chicken Lentil Curry with Veggies​ Super flavorful one pot meal that cooks while you're away. No fancy cooking steps, either - just layer in the pot and let it cook. 💜 ​ Get The Recipe Here!

A Few More Things

After paying hundreds to have our two-story house windows cleaned last year - and seeing that they just used a brush with water and didn't rinse - I invested in this water-fed-pole cleaning kit. After research, I learned that using deionized water is the key to being able to wash without rinsing. With the rain that's coming I don't think we'll get to it in the next couple weeks, but I will keep you updated on how it works!

After reading about the microplastics found in many tea bags (the glue used as well), I've been doing a taste test of three different Barry's Tea flavors since they are a company that's on record for not having any traces in their bags. We had mostly the Gold label while traveling in Ireland, but I've found I like their Irish Breakfast and the Classic Blend more. I drink at least 2 cups a day, so I want to make sure to eliminate the plastics where I can! Have you had this brand before?

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Wishing you a blessed Easter weekend!

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