The day program that I work at purchased a really cool Birdsong guide. It has a collection of about seventy- five birds from Eastern and Central  North America. The clients absolutely love this book as do the staff like myself who have an intense interest in mother nature. The Cornell lab of Ornithology/Macaulay Library was responsible for  the huge amount of bird songs...

This building set by Mega Brands is really fun for your little Dora fan.  My 2 year old daughter absolutely loves Dora the Explorer, and she really likes her toddler building sets.  This is a great combination of a block set and a playset all in one.  You get to build the backyard treehouse, but it also comes with lots of pre-made pieces to enjoy, such as Dora, Boots, Swiper, and...

I bought this at Target, and I don't remember the exact price, but it was somewhere around $20.  I needed something to catch spiders (I'm terrified of the little buggers!) and release them outside, instead of killing them.  This is the only one I could find, and it was in the toy department.  It works well on small or average size spiders, but it's not quite strong en...

 I love to garden, I love being outside and I really love my bird houses and bird feeders, so everyone in my family knows I am easy to shop for, this book was something, however I treated myself to . ;)This book literally has over 2,168 natural solutions for perfect grass, brighter bulbs, taller trees and more! It walks you through solving common, and some not so common issues in your yard...

I have this Fort Davis Jones in my backyard.  My daughter loves it.  She grew up with it. It has weathered the test of time.  She had this from the time she was 10 years old and still while she is in college goes out to set in it when she comes home.  It is as sturdy now as when it was first put in. I have just kept up with the suggested staining every other year.  It s...

Wow The children were so excited to get a playset for the backyard. I am here to tell you that these wooden playsets are not all what they make them out to be. First of all they are not as sturdy as they look. My daughter and here friend ages 8-9 where swinging on the swings and I had to get them off when I noticed the unit was tilting. I couldnt believe it. They were not being THAT rough. I me...

We bought this swingset a couple of years ago for our then 3 yr old daughter. It was on sale, and we couldn't afford a true cedar set, so we went with this one to save money. I wish we had waited and gotten a better set. The safety of this swingset leaves a lot to be desired. The slide is very flimsy, so that when my 45 lb child slides down it, it bows down under her weight. The boards on t...

I've been looking for a small watering can for my 21-month-old, because I thought it would be fun for him to help water our the plants in our garden.  I saw this one at Target recently and knew it was the one.  This watering can is made of durable plastic and is shaped like a fish, which my sons loves. It's big  enough to hold a good amount of water for him, but it's ...

Its that time of year again. The trees are blooming and the flowers are out ,and so are the bugs.. The Cutter  Backyard Spray is great.. Have used this for three years, and it really works. One bottle covers 4,000sq ft. , and last for 4 weeks.  You connect it to your hose, and spray. I usually do it at night, after a rain or a sprinkling of water on the lawn. Great around doors and en...

I absolutely love bird feeders and bird houses, my favorite being the hummingbird feeders. I get such a thrill out of watching them feed.For Mothers Day today my family gifted me with this 3 pieces set. It has a Martin house that measures 14" L X 5" W x 5" D and it has a cute little tin roof! The house itself is made of wood in a distressed green finish. If you will notice in the...

This good, cheap, fun, backyard airsoft gun can be picked up at your local Dick's Sporting Goods (and others, including Sports Authority, and Modells, I think) for a mere $60! It comes in both black, and clear, but only clear was available to me at the time. The guns FPS is 225, which is better than most guns of it's price. It is reasonably light, and I use this gun when having backyard sho...

We purchased this trampoline 2 years ago this month for my then 12 year old daughters birthday. A trampoline was something she always wanted but we never had a flat area in the yard to put one until we moved to the house we are in now.  After looking around we chose the Bounce pro because we liked the size, the price and the fact that it came with the net and the pads included all in one p...

The Big Green Egg is a top-of-the-line charcoal grill and smoker.  It is made of space-grade ceramics, and designed for maximum thermal efficency.  While the website says that it can reach temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit for steakhouse-type searing, I've gotten mine up to nearly 1000 degrees without a problem.  Amazingly, it can also smoke foods at temperatures a...

What is it about fires that make you feel so relaxed? Sitting around a fire just makes you feel all snuggly.  After spending some time in a friend's backyard, we realized that we needed to get one of those nifty fire bowls. It's so nice to sit around a cozy fire on a cool, clear evening. We went looking for the perfect fire bowl. We wanted something sturdy, something that would loo...