BRING ON THE BIRDS!
The DIY Birdhouse That Blends Into Your Garden Step 3: Give the house a door. Use your 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit to create a door in the round wooden plaque, about 1 1/2 inch from the bottom. Use the sandpaper to smooth out the edges of this hole for the birds’ safety, and use your outdoor acrylic paint to coat only the outside of the plaque and let it dry. Once dry, push the wooden plaque into the pot until it is firmly wedged inside, and you’re done! This birdhouse is an excellent way to attract birds without the obviousness of a stand-alone house. Also, its lack of a perch helps stop predators
Springtime is filled with flowers, baby animals, and colorful birds. And while many people love to watch our fine feathered friends, not everyone wants to put a colorful birdhouse in their yard that clashes with their decor or attracts unwanted visitors like squirrels. Luckily, there is a style of birdhouse that will blend into your yard, keep pests away, and is incredibly easy to make — it’s a flowerpot birdhouse! To make a flowerpot birdhouse, you’ll need the following items: • Drill with a regular drill bit and a 1 1/4- inch hole-boring drill bit • Two 1 1/4-inch fender washers (stainless steel to inhibit rusting) • 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch carriage bolt washers (stainless steel to inhibit rusting) • 7-inch-diameter flowerpot (preferably terracotta) • 1/4-inch nut washers (stainless steel to inhibit rusting)
• • • •
6-inch-diameter round wooden plaque
Sandpaper
Outdoor acrylic paint
Sponge brush
Step 1: Choose your location, and drill! Pick a vertical surface like a fence or wall to mount your birdhouse onto. Try to pick an area where people rarely walk. Then, determine how high you want the birdhouse to be, and use the regular drill bit to make a hole. Step 2: Mount your pot. Take your flower pot and align its drainage hole to the hole you drilled in step 1. Then, slide one of the washers over the carriage bolt before pushing the bolt through the drainage hole and into the drilled hole. Slide a washer over the end of the bolt sticking through the other side of the fence or wall, and twist the nut onto the bolt to hold the pot in place.
from gaining a foothold that can lead them inside. Just remember to place it out of the way of rodents or other
predators to help keep nests and chicks intact.
Train Your
BRAIN!
Cod and Asparagus Bake
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Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
INGREDIENTS
• Oil for baking pan • 4 4-oz cod fillets
• 2 tbsp lemon juice • 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest • 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a 15x10x1-inch baking pan brushed with oil, place cod, asparagus, and tomatoes. 2. Brush cod with lemon juice, then sprinkle with lemon zest. Sprinkle cod and vegetables with Romano cheese. Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 12 minutes. 3. Remove pan from oven; preheat broiler. Broil cod mixture 3-4 inches from the heat source until vegetables are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
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