Check, Double-Check

January and February are always crazy. In three weeks, my cousin, Honey, mom, step-dad, and two brothers all have birthdays. Not to mention I always forget to order my planner (which MUST be the Moleskin pocket calendar, and not any other planner which obviously won't do the job) in time for the new year, and must spend the first few weeks of January managing my schedule via post it notes and index cards crumpling in the depths of my purse.

But. I'm always. So. MOTIVATED! in January.

We spent the last two weekends tearing out the pathetic excuse for a "lawn" that we had (really, it was more of a mud hole), and reclaiming the yard as best we could, considering that neither one of us has much of a green thumb, and we've already gone through two "reclaim the garden" phases, which lasted maybe a weekend or so, and then went back to total crap.

I'm just not my mother. Why fight it. I hate weeding. And though I tried my damn-dest last summer, the squirrels got everything except for a few grape-size tomatoes and one red pepper, which was maybe the size of a golf ball and somehow quite tough.

So, we came to terms with the following:

-We basically suck at gardening

-We don't have much time for it, and don't want to spend much time pulling weeds

-We don't get much sunlight out there thanks to the huge tree hanging over most of the yard

-The squirrels here have clearly been genetically engineered beyond their fears of cats and/or infuriated women screaming and waving shovels at them.

Considering all of the above, the mud hole seems like a reasonable option. But, when coupled with the following:

-We genuinely love being outside and really do enjoy the garden, when it's nice

-We don't want to simply dump a bunch of chemicals out there or trap animals or do other mean things

Answer (So far, at least): Enter the rock garden.

Or, the whatever garden. It's not really a "Japanese" garden at all, I thought maybe I'd get in touch with my Korean roots and try for a traditional Korean garden, but instead of reading books and drawing plans and all that, we just looked at a few pictures online, and, 14 bags of gravel later, we're sitting out there with our laptops, watching the cats spy on the new fish.

It's actually quite lovely. Gardens really are one of life's simple pleasures (or, not-so-simple pleasures, if you're more dedicated than I am). And, so far, no weeds!

Simple Pleasures: Patio Garden

As a child, my parents did a lot of gardening. At Mom's house, she had planter boxes bursting with flowers, arrangements designed to attract ladybugs, butterflies, and bees. She'd plant things to use in the kitchen, research plants that needed less water, plants that do well in our climate. She planted many different things, with the theory that at least a few of them would take off and do well.

My dad was totally different. At his house, he approached it more like agriculture: he'd plant fifteen tomato plants, twenty ears of corn, and sunflowers. Not much variety, but we ate well, and he always had a soft spot for the sunflowers.

Small Pots: Parsley, Kitty Grass, Blue Bells, Lavender, Mint

Now, I'm the kind of girl who thinks everyone is entitled to a garden, no matter how small or shadowed your patio or yard or window box may be. We've got a lot going this season: strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, beets, basil, dill, cilantro, mint, lavender, parsley... and of course, kitty grass. But I have to replant that every few weeks because they are absolutely insatiable.

Oscar

Louis

Simple Pleasures: Sleep Soother

There was once a time when I'd never heard of such luxuries as "linen spray," "bed mist," or "room tranquilizers." In high school, I loved the smell of conditioner so much, I would mix it in a spray bottle with water and spray it over my bed. Or, I'd rub a sheet of fabric softener over my sheets, to get that freshly-laundered scent that I've always found so clean and soothing.

And then, behold! Trying linen spray (or whatever you want to call it) for the first time is like trying gazpacho for the first time: weird at first, but so memorable, and from then on, you either love it or hate it.

I've tried quite a few mists, but this one by V'Tae is by far my favorite. Not too floral, not too "clean" (which borders on "chemical" all too often), I swear I don't last 30 seconds after my head hits the pillow. One of my favorite things is crawling in to my neroli scented sheets with freshly shaved legs, I feel downright royal. And for $18, it's a splurge I can handle.