Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.A few years back, I left my compost pile as is when winter weather arrived—no cover, no protection, nothing. As things got frigid outside, sleet began to fall, and soon my compost was under a blanket—not of warm, insulating straw, but of cold, freezing ice. Overnight, the compost pile turned into a frigid, ice-covered mass, and when I went outside in the morning, I couldn’t help but think: Could this have been avoided if I’d just covered...…Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.A few years back, I left my compost pile as is when winter weather arrived—no cover, no protection, nothing. As things got frigid outside, sleet began to fall, and soon my compost was under a blanket—not of warm, insulating straw, but of cold, freezing ice. Overnight, the compost pile turned into a frigid, ice-covered mass, and when I went outside in the morning, I couldn’t help but think: Could this have been avoided if I’d just covered...WW…

Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.I love making my own compost since it’s a cheap, easy way to create nutrient-rich soil amendments for my garden.When I first started gardening, though, I wasn’t sure how to add it to my garden beds. Should I layer the compost atop the beds or mix it directly into the soil? For immediate improvement, mix compost into the topmost 6-8 inches of soil to enrich it quickly. For better-performing garden beds, top-dressing with compost is...…Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.I love making my own compost since it’s a cheap, easy way to create nutrient-rich soil amendments for my garden.When I first started gardening, though, I wasn’t sure how to add it to my garden beds. Should I layer the compost atop the beds or mix it directly into the soil? For immediate improvement, mix compost into the topmost 6-8 inches of soil to enrich it quickly. For better-performing garden beds, top-dressing with compost is...WW…

Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.Many years ago, I used to toss most things in the trash, but once I started composting, I loved watching my kitchen scraps and garden waste turn into nutrient-rich compost.I wasn’t just reducing the amount of waste my family sent to the landfill. I was also replenishing my soil each year, converting garbage into “black gold” and enriching my garden.Obviously, the quicker you compost, the faster your garden benefits, so you might be wondering,...…Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.Many years ago, I used to toss most things in the trash, but once I started composting, I loved watching my kitchen scraps and garden waste turn into nutrient-rich compost.I wasn’t just reducing the amount of waste my family sent to the landfill. I was also replenishing my soil each year, converting garbage into “black gold” and enriching my garden.Obviously, the quicker you compost, the faster your garden benefits, so you might be wondering,...WW…

Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.If you’ve ever lost a plant to spider mites, you probably know how frustrating it is. I had to rip out two heirloom tomato plants last year because I didn’t know what a spider mite infestation looked like and thus didn’t react soon enough to save my plants.Thankfully, I was able to mitigate the damage to my surrounding plants. But the experience got me thinking that I might be able to help other gardeners who were struggling with a pretty...…Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.If you’ve ever lost a plant to spider mites, you probably know how frustrating it is. I had to rip out two heirloom tomato plants last year because I didn’t know what a spider mite infestation looked like and thus didn’t react soon enough to save my plants.Thankfully, I was able to mitigate the damage to my surrounding plants. But the experience got me thinking that I might be able to help other gardeners who were struggling with a pretty...WW…

Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.If you’ve been gardening for any time at all, you’ve likely had aphids in your garden, even if you didn’t realize it at the time. These little pests show up out of nowhere, reproduce exponentially, and cluster around your plants’ leaves and flowers. If you’ve seen clusters of little black bugs on your plants, you might have asked yourself, “Are aphids black?”Aphids come in a wide range of colors—green, brown, red, white, yellow, gray,...…Skip to contentThis post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn about the care I take when recommending products to my readers.If you’ve been gardening for any time at all, you’ve likely had aphids in your garden, even if you didn’t realize it at the time. These little pests show up out of nowhere, reproduce exponentially, and cluster around your plants’ leaves and flowers. If you’ve seen clusters of little black bugs on your plants, you might have asked yourself, “Are aphids black?”Aphids come in a wide range of colors—green, brown, red, white, yellow, gray,...WW…

Posted: Jan 10, 2021 / 06:00 AM CSTUpdated: Jan 12, 2021 / 11:48 AM CSTAUSTIN (Nexstar) — In two days, lawmakers from across Texas will come to the State Capitol for the start of the legislative session. The new session comes as the country is still facing the aftermath of Wednesday’s riot in Washington, where mobs forced their way into the U.S. Capitol to temporarily disrupt the certification of the November Presidential election.The events before, during, and after the riot put some Texans in the spotlight.Hours before the violence, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke in Washington at...…Posted: Jan 10, 2021 / 06:00 AM CSTUpdated: Jan 12, 2021 / 11:48 AM CSTAUSTIN (Nexstar) — In two days, lawmakers from across Texas will come to the State Capitol for the start of the legislative session. The new session comes as the country is still facing the aftermath of Wednesday’s riot in Washington, where mobs forced their way into the U.S. Capitol to temporarily disrupt the certification of the November Presidential election.The events before, during, and after the riot put some Texans in the spotlight.Hours before the violence, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke in Washington at...WW…

Posted: Sep 20, 2020 / 10:32 AM CDTUpdated: Sep 20, 2020 / 10:32 AM CDTAUSTIN (Nexstar) — Somehow, Shereda Rawls has managed six months without a paycheck. Rawls lost her job in March then went on unemployment. But her unemployment payments stopped almost as soon as they started.Rawls said her employer filed an appeal with the Texas Workforce Commission, claiming she shouldn’t be qualified for unemployment benefits, and the employer’s account shouldn’t be deducted because of it.The appeal filing stopped her payments.Then, both sides waited for the TWC, which oversees unemployment claims in...…Posted: Sep 20, 2020 / 10:32 AM CDTUpdated: Sep 20, 2020 / 10:32 AM CDTAUSTIN (Nexstar) — Somehow, Shereda Rawls has managed six months without a paycheck. Rawls lost her job in March then went on unemployment. But her unemployment payments stopped almost as soon as they started.Rawls said her employer filed an appeal with the Texas Workforce Commission, claiming she shouldn’t be qualified for unemployment benefits, and the employer’s account shouldn’t be deducted because of it.The appeal filing stopped her payments.Then, both sides waited for the TWC, which oversees unemployment claims in...WW…