Wedgie

Price: $14-16.

What it is: A lightweight, ergonomically designed 7 inch long plastic gardening tool.

How it makes your life easier: Simply insert the wedgie in loose soil where you want to plant small to medium-size seeds, bulbs, vegetables or flowers. Gently rock the tool back and forth and side to side to form the desired "wedge" or furrow for the planting. The back and forth motion pushes the dirt to the side and holds a space for your plant or seedlings. Drop the plant in the hole and re-cover with the sidelined soil. It's a great way to get plantings into tight spaces. It's also ideal for making neat rows of plantings in flower boxes, containers or beds. I used mine to quickly plant tomato bushes, peppers and petunias. Its ergonomic ball-top design is easier on your hands than a traditional trowel and eliminates messes caused by digging holes in soil. Its yellow color makes it standout in a crowd of gardening tools.

Who would use it: Novice and experienced gardeners, weekend warriors, senior citizens, momma's little garden helpers (children) and those with carpal tunnel or arthritis.

Where to get it: www.wedgie.biz/.

joyce clark hicks

joyce.hicks@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8908

Backyard sighting

"An Eastern Bluebird couple has been checking out the NestCam box in our backyard. This is a picture of the activity taken the morning of May 25."

A short movie clip of the female investigating the interior of the NestCam box can be viewed at:

www.youtube.com/watch?v= 9LrBHqWe1d0

Fred Benson,

Cary

Finance your dream

I've always dreamed of taking a trip to Spain. Maybe your dream is to renovate your kitchen, open a small business, take scuba diving lessons or pay off some debt. If only you had a little seed money to start, you say. Well, the folks at the newly launched Barnes & Noble how-to Web site Quamut.com (pronounced "kwómut") are offering a chance for you to make your dream come true. From now until July 15, text "QUAMUT" to 23857 or visit www.quamut.com to enter the Quamut How-to Dream Sweepstakes. One lucky winner will be awarded $5,000 to fund a big idea. No purchase is necessary. While you're on the site, check out Quamut's wide-ranging selection of expertly delivered how-to advice and download the free "Quamut to Go" guide of the day. Check back often for tips on everything from cooking basics and jewelry making to financial advice, home plumbing repair and more.

Energy saving tips

In this day of $4 dollar a gallon gas and increasing food prices, there is a way to lower your household expenses. Marvin Woll, a consumer-savvy reader from Raleigh, says you can drastically cut your electric bill by following these simple tips.

Your heating/air conditioning system uses the most electricity in your house. If you set your thermostat at 78 or 79 degrees in the summer you will save $30 to $70 dollars per month depending on the size of your home. Over a five-month period that works out to $150 to $350.

There are some people who may not be comfortable at those temperatures. If you do this for a week or two, you will find your body will rapidly acclimate to this change. You can also use ceiling fans or other fans to help circulate air and make rooms cooler.

Using compact flourescent light bulbs or CFL's will also reduce your electric bill. They are slightly more expensive to purchase, but they will save money in the long run. They use one-fourth the electricity of a regular bulb and last eight or nine years.

By using these procedures and others we have managed to cut our electic bill in half. The money we are able to save is a big help in paying our increased gas and food costs.