Detroit urban garden cited for blight amid Duggan and Pulte blight tousle - Grand Rapids News | Examiner.com

 Detroit is known for rampant urban blight. Businessman Bill Pulte accused Mayor Mike Duggan of edging him out of Detroit cleanup efforts, reported WXYZ Feb. 24. As Duggan and Pulte tousle over who gets to de-blight Detroit, farmer Kate Devlin's urban garden was cited for blight. Devlin converted a city lot, formerly used for illegal dumping, into a garden. The City of Detroit fined Devlin $1,000 saying garden compost was illegal dumping.Detroit urban garden cited for blight amid Duggan and Pulte blight tousle - Grand Rapids News | Examiner.com

Super Bowl XLIX buffet recipes, half-time appetizers, make-your-own salad bar

Sunday, Feb. 1 mark 2015 Super Bowl XLIX. Whether you watch for the game, half-time entertainment or the commercials--The Hollywood Reporters says they're half the fun--you'll likely be eating. And Super Bowl buffets are known for meat-heavy foods: buffalo wings, BBQ, chili, nachos and burgers. But what about fans who are gluten or lactose intolerant, have allergies, are vegan or vegetarian or dieting?Super Bowl XLIX buffet recipes, half-time appetizers, make-your-own salad bar

 

Free printable Advent coloring book and Bible Christmas coloring pages - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Advent is the Christian season of preparation before Christmas. It begins four Sundays before Christmas. The Catholic church entered Lent on November 30, 2014. During Advent, people practice gospel virtues of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. They follow Advent calendars with Bible readings and prayers.



For a more interactive children's Advent calendar, why not use Christmas themed coloring pages? Have kids color one each night before Christmas. Here is a free printable Advent coloring book with Bible pictures and readings from the Christmas story. DL-TK has assembled a 24-page Bible coloring book, with one page for each day of December to Christmas

Free printable Advent coloring book and Bible Christmas coloring pages

Meijer Black Friday 2014 ads and Black Thursday deals

Meijer superstores announced Black Friday 2014 ads and Thanksgiving weekend deals November 6. Breaking with its long tradition of closing on Thanksgiving, Meijer has been staying open the entire weekend in recent years. Meijer is open 24 hours daily, but sale prices for each day go into effect at 6 a.m. on Thursday (November 27), Friday (November 28) and Saturday (November 30). Here's what's on sale Black Thursday, Thanksgiving. Meijer Open Thanksgiving, Black Friday 2014 ads and Black Thursday deals - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Make Despicable Me Minion Halloween costumes green, cheap and no-sew

"Despicable Me" is one of the hottest kids' movies of all time. What's so crazy-popular aren't main characters, but the supporting cast--aka those cute little vitamin-B shaped Minions. Minions continue to place in the Top 10 Halloween costumes for 2014. But you don't have to buy a minion costume. Here are easy DIY Despicable Me minion Halloween costume patterns and ideas. They're cheap too, if you use recycled materials, scraps and secondhand clothing.  Make Despicable Me Minion Halloween costumes cheap and no-sew - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Healthy, Lycopene-Rich Tomato Snacks and Appetizers to Lose Weight

I'm Lady Greenwise and I'm all about living green in lots of ways--eating locally grown, using sustainable, renewable resources, saving money, living minimally, losing weight and being less dependent on the corporate greed machine.



I do that in different ways. One is to enjoy local produce in season. Take tomatoes, a Michigan staple. How to I love tomatoes? Let me count the ways. They're are low-calorie, lowfat and yummy! Eating more veggies and fruits has helped me lose 100 pounds.



Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and lycopene (a carotenoid that fixes everything from artherosclerosis to asthma, HPV to prostate, cancers to cataracts says Web MD)



Not to be indelicate, but lycopene is linked to sexual prowess. It keeps everything down there happy and working well! To that end (sorry, no pun intended), here are 10 of my favorite tomato snacks and appetizers. Healthy, Diet, Lycopene-Rich Tomato Snacks and Appetizers to Lose Weight.

How to Get a Bat Out of the House Fast and Safe (to you and the bat!)

People often think, if a bat gets in their house, that it flew in by accident. That's not usually the case. Bats have echolocation--nature's GPS--and rarely get lost. If you see one bat, it probably means a bat colony has chosen to roost in your attic or chimney. Lucky you, right? This is common in older homes and those near a river or bayou. Bats will also roost in disused chimneys, where the owners installed a new furnace with side venting.  Bats are awesome little creatures, but don't belong in the house--so here's How to Remove a Bat from Your House Quickly and Safely (safe for you and bat!)

Interior Wall Paint: Flat, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-Gloss or High-Gloss Which is Best?

I'm big on budget DIY home remodeling. So I have used a variety of paint styles. Many readers have asked which I like best. I found it's not as much about brand as paint style and the application you'll use it for. In this article we will focus on interior latex paints as those are safer. Latex paint is low-odor, non-toxic and much easier to work with. I just about knocked myself out, using Kilz in an poorly vented bathroom. Don't do that. Be sure you use low odor and keep air moving! So, back to choosing paint. Here's my guide Interior Wall Paint: Flat, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-Gloss or High-Gloss? #bubblews

Best Nature Centers and Hiking Trails in West Michigan

Michigan is blessed with many wonderful state parks, national forests, lake and wildlife attractions. As homeschoolers, a great deal of our schooling revolved around field trips, wildlife explorations and nature study. Whenever we'd visit a new place, city or county, we'd immediately check out local nature trails, state and country parks and national forests. Here are our favorite West Michigan nature centers, hiking trails and nature activities.

  DeGraaf Nature Center: Holland, Michigan. This is a woodland nature center with historic pioneer cabins and costumed docents. DeGraaf has a lovely wetlands walk. In the spring, DeGraaf hosts a maple sugaring event. Students can touch, taste and collect sap and see it cooked into maple syrup and maple sugar.


  P.J. Hoffmaster State Park and Gillette Nature Center: Muskegon, Michigan. On the southern end of Muskegon Country in Norton Shores, Gillette Nature Center hosts a lovely interpretive nature center, dunes exhibit, theater, interactive animal activities, plus miles of woodland trails. Walk through an old growth forest. Learn about a dune's geological structure. Climb the Dune Staircase to view the panorama of the dune and Lake Michigan. Hofmaster Nature Center hosts Snake Days, Frog Days, Insect Days and Bird Days, as well as the Annual Trillium Festival.


  Blandford Nature Center: West Leonard St. near Grand Rapids, Blandford has an entire historic village, one room school house, blacksmith shop, carpentry shop, narrated barn exhibit, settler's cabin and general store. Blandford Nature Center hosts a spring sugaring event and Civil War infantry re-enactment. Blandford has habitat trails: pond life, meadow, wetlands and forest. There are animal exhibits and an animal rehabilitation hospital which guests may visit.


  Great Lakes Visitor Center: Ludington, Michigan. Located on the Au Sable River, that runs to Lake Michigan, through Ludington State Park, Great Lakes Visitor Center has a fine interpretive center. A sky-view dune walk navigates the
forested back of the dune. Stroll Lake Michigan's shoreline or follow the wooded 1.5 mile trail at Ludington State Park to visit Big Sable Point lighthouse


  These nature centers and nature trails are an outdoor classroom full of learning experiences and activities.

How to Decorate a Bike for a 4th of July Parade Using Recycled Decorations

I love doing holiday crafts with kids. But I hate spending money on craft supplies. Want to decorate kids bikes for 4th of July parade? Here's a guide to bicycle decorating using super cheap (mostly free) recycled Christmas wrapping paper and birthday party supplies. How to Decorate a Bike for a 4th of July Parade