Timely nuggets of information and ideas we want to share with you.

Have you ever gazed longingly at a beautiful house and wondered what the gardens must be like?  Now you can find out. The Garden Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing gardens in the U.S. The group has ‘Open Days’ which give visitors access to private spaces all around the U.S.  This year’s list has over 350 garden sites in 26 states.  It is a diverse group of sites, from urban rooftops and organic farms to historic estates and more.  Go to https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days for a $10.00 ticket and find the gardens you’d like to see.

Caroline’s Cakes has added ice cream! We have long been fans of Caroline’s Cakes.  They are the multi later cakes that arrive frozen and when you serve them taste as if they were just baked.  They have certainly solved my dessert crises many times.  Now Caroline’s Cakes has expanded to ice cream which they ship right to you. There are six flavors to choose from, named for their famous cakes.  There is a minimum order of four pints, and shipping is expensive.

I read about this stain remover bar in an article about laundry mistakes, and the author said, “I swear by this inexpensive stain-remover-bar”.  I thought I should give it a try.

I remember years ago coming across it as an effective poison ivy oil remover, and it worked well after my children had been romping in a poison ivy patch.  It can even be dissolved and used as a garden spray to keep bugs off your flowers or vegetables.  It has an 84% five-star rating on Amazon, and (a new feature to me on Amazon), it is rarely returned. $12.29 for a pack of three 5.5 oz. bars.

It’s very hot.  If your air conditioner is running on overload, add an oscillating fan to help it out.  If you use an oscillating fan along with air conditioning, it will allow you to adjust the air conditioner’s setting by 5 to 10 degrees and get the same comfort.  That’s huge!  And, an additional tidbit, for ceiling fans, make sure the blades are turning counterclockwise to create a cooling downdraft.

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