10 things to do in May
1. Grow Your Own TomatoesPluck a vine-ripened tomato in your yard or on your porch and never eat a tasteless one all summer. The Tomato Sampler from http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/4889-product.html comes with three young plants of different varieties and easy potting instructions ($15, ships mid-April to June, depending on region).
2. Shop in May to Save
In May, take advantage of clearance sales. It's the month to stock up on linens and to buy that luggage or 32-inch TV you've been eyeing — and denying yourself — for years.
In May, take advantage of clearance sales. It's the month to stock up on linens and to buy that luggage or 32-inch TV you've been eyeing — and denying yourself — for years.
3. Continuous-Spray Sunscreen, $10Problem: You spray, rub, drop the bottle in the sand, and still miss a spot. Solution: The constant mist of Coppertone’s Continuous Spray sunblock gives you quick protection, and it even sprays when it’s upside down (especially handy for hard-to-reach places). To Buy: At drugstores.
4. Upgrade Spring Meals
For easy spring dinners, add frozen seasoned butter to chicken, fish, or seafood. To prepare, let 1 pound of salted butter come to room temperature. Mix in 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Place the butter on a piece of plastic wrap. Roll it into a log 1 1/2 inches in diameter and freeze. To use, add a 1/4-inch slice for each serving of protein in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Serve immediately. Freeze the wrapped butter for up to 3 months.
For easy spring dinners, add frozen seasoned butter to chicken, fish, or seafood. To prepare, let 1 pound of salted butter come to room temperature. Mix in 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Place the butter on a piece of plastic wrap. Roll it into a log 1 1/2 inches in diameter and freeze. To use, add a 1/4-inch slice for each serving of protein in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Serve immediately. Freeze the wrapped butter for up to 3 months.
5. Spring Clean Your Barbecue 
If ashes remain from last season, get rid of them. Wash the lid and firebox with detergent and warm water, using a steel-wool soap pad for stuck-on stains. Rinse and dry.
Before your first cookout, light a fire and heat the grate for about 30 minutes. Then scrape it with a long brass-wire brush, like the 18-inch grill brush and scraper from Weber ($13, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004RAL9/qid=1097618647/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-3151999-7531860?v=glance&s=home-garden&n=507846). During the rest of the season, brush right before and after cooking. A little residual grease is good — it helps give grilled food its smoky flavor.
At the end of the season, dump the ashes and close the lid. Leave the grease on the grate until spring; it will help prevent the metal from rusting.
If ashes remain from last season, get rid of them. Wash the lid and firebox with detergent and warm water, using a steel-wool soap pad for stuck-on stains. Rinse and dry.
Before your first cookout, light a fire and heat the grate for about 30 minutes. Then scrape it with a long brass-wire brush, like the 18-inch grill brush and scraper from Weber ($13, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004RAL9/qid=1097618647/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-3151999-7531860?v=glance&s=home-garden&n=507846). During the rest of the season, brush right before and after cooking. A little residual grease is good — it helps give grilled food its smoky flavor.
At the end of the season, dump the ashes and close the lid. Leave the grease on the grate until spring; it will help prevent the metal from rusting.
6. Free Garden Care Advice
Ah, springtime! The smell of golden daffodils, the sound of chirping birds…the sight of brown dead grass on your front lawn? It’s time to phone in a favor. Get free advice on lawn equipment and garden care from experts at the Yard Smarts hotline, sponsored by small-engine manufacturer Briggs & Stratton. Call 866-927-3847 from noon to 7 p.m. CDT on Fridays in May to speak with a gardening professional. On any other day in May, leave a message and your question w
ill be answered within 48 hours.
Ah, springtime! The smell of golden daffodils, the sound of chirping birds…the sight of brown dead grass on your front lawn? It’s time to phone in a favor. Get free advice on lawn equipment and garden care from experts at the Yard Smarts hotline, sponsored by small-engine manufacturer Briggs & Stratton. Call 866-927-3847 from noon to 7 p.m. CDT on Fridays in May to speak with a gardening professional. On any other day in May, leave a message and your question w
ill be answered within 48 hours.7. Homemade Mother's Day Keepsake
Your mother always told you the best gifts were homemade, so grab those scissors, summon your inner 12-year-old, and whip up this Mother’s Day keepsake. Cut a favorite photo of you and your mom to size, and use it to cover one side of a double-mirrored compact (affix it with a spray adhesive, like Elmer’s Craft Bond). It’s a gift she’ll want to open again and again.
Your mother always told you the best gifts were homemade, so grab those scissors, summon your inner 12-year-old, and whip up this Mother’s Day keepsake. Cut a favorite photo of you and your mom to size, and use it to cover one side of a double-mirrored compact (affix it with a spray adhesive, like Elmer’s Craft Bond). It’s a gift she’ll want to open again and again.
8. Freshen Up Your Ice Cubes
Give mojitos, smoothies, and lemonade their
frosty due by renewing your ice supply every week. If you have an automatic ice maker, the cubes at the bottom of the bin tend to shrink and acquire odors over time. Toss the whole lot before you go to bed on Sunday and you'll have fresh, crystal-clear cubes all week long.
Give mojitos, smoothies, and lemonade their
frosty due by renewing your ice supply every week. If you have an automatic ice maker, the cubes at the bottom of the bin tend to shrink and acquire odors over time. Toss the whole lot before you go to bed on Sunday and you'll have fresh, crystal-clear cubes all week long. 9. Bug-Repellent Clothing, $20 to $70
Problem: The last time you used bug spray, you got more on the nearby bushes and in your lungs than you did on your skin. Solution: Buzz Off apparel keeps the skeeters away without noxious sprays. EPA-approved, odorless repellent stays bonded to the cotton or nylon fabric through 25 washes. To Buy: L.L.Bean, 800-809-7057.
Problem: The last time you used bug spray, you got more on the nearby bushes and in your lungs than you did on your skin. Solution: Buzz Off apparel keeps the skeeters away without noxious sprays. EPA-approved, odorless repellent stays bonded to the cotton or nylon fabric through 25 washes. To Buy: L.L.Bean, 800-809-7057.
10. How to Pack a Cooler
1. Prechill the cooler and its contents. Place ice inside for about an hour
before loading, then pack food directly from the refrigerator or freezer. If your drinks go into a cooler warm, they won't come out ice-cold. 2. Use ice and ice substitutes. First, put both ice and Rubbermaid Blue Ice packs ($1 to $1.50 each, 888-895-2110 for store locations) along the perimeter. The combination reduces condensation buildup, which can result in soggy wrappings and food. Rubbermaid Blue Ice Flexible Ice Blankets ($1 to $5 each) are great for packing around soft items, such as sandwiches, cheese, and fruit. (All Rubbermaid ice substitutes are nontoxic.) If you want to use your cooler to chill drinks for a party, fill it with a slushy mix of ice and water. 3. Fill it up. A full cooler stays cold longer than a half-empty one does. Fill empty spaces with ice and ice packs, and top everything with a layer of that combination. 4. Store in a cool spot. If you're taking your cooler on the road, leave it inside the air-conditioned car — not in the trunk — and try to keep it out of the sun.
1. Prechill the cooler and its contents. Place ice inside for about an hour
before loading, then pack food directly from the refrigerator or freezer. If your drinks go into a cooler warm, they won't come out ice-cold. 2. Use ice and ice substitutes. First, put both ice and Rubbermaid Blue Ice packs ($1 to $1.50 each, 888-895-2110 for store locations) along the perimeter. The combination reduces condensation buildup, which can result in soggy wrappings and food. Rubbermaid Blue Ice Flexible Ice Blankets ($1 to $5 each) are great for packing around soft items, such as sandwiches, cheese, and fruit. (All Rubbermaid ice substitutes are nontoxic.) If you want to use your cooler to chill drinks for a party, fill it with a slushy mix of ice and water. 3. Fill it up. A full cooler stays cold longer than a half-empty one does. Fill empty spaces with ice and ice packs, and top everything with a layer of that combination. 4. Store in a cool spot. If you're taking your cooler on the road, leave it inside the air-conditioned car — not in the trunk — and try to keep it out of the sun. from real simple
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