MOST CONIFERS .... will not sprout from a cut stump ... definitely picea pungens ... i doubt on thuja ... regardless ... was just reading the generic roundup tech info ... and it is labeled as a stump killer at 50 to 100% .... concentrate.. not pre-diluted ... just apply it to the edge of the stump.. which would be the cambian layer ... when to remove.. is all a function of you and your saw.. and physical capabilities.. and available space. .. my goal is to remove it one season short of paying to have them removed ... with a ladder and hand saw.. you should be able to take down a 15 foot tree.. and with some rope.. make it hit the ground and nothing else .... but i cant really tell you what is within your capabilities ... i do NOT think techy is very aggressive... i do NOT know why you would go with the extra cost of a named variety.. when the straight thuja species are more likely to be native and faster growing .... check out the growth rate on thuja occidentalis ... a quick call to your county soil conservation district will get you more info than you need FOR YOUR AREA.... and they MIGHT have a fall plant sale.. for VERY CHEAP plants .... and i THINK mine offered a larger version of arb .. compared to the normal 12 inch plants .... good luck ken

If you google vermicomposting and kids you can get all kinds of ideas. The food idea sounds do-able in 3 weeks and taking pictures is a great idea. Some other food ideas: In one container put fresh chunks of food, in another food that's been frozen and thawed, in another food that has been liquified in a blender, in another cut up food that's about a week old . Which do they start eating sooner? There's a study on why worms seem to gather together. They thought maybe they left a trail (as ants do) and the other worms would follow. In the experiment, they had a central area with 2 choices of ways to go to food. They put one worm in the central area to see where it went. They then added other worms. They didn't necessarily go where the first one did (therefore, they concluded that they weren't leaving a trail). When they put a number of worms in together, they tended to all go to the same place. Their conclusion was that they just have a herd mentality and tend to follow other worms. Wouldn't hurt to try it out yourself. Some of the foods they don't like are citrus, onions, garlic. They love melon. Freeze a slice and thaw (so that you're killing the fruit flies--I didn't freeze mine the first time and I was really sorry).

A friend of mine has stored belongings for her adult children at different times, outside, over long periods of time in a somewhat similar manner. Their method is to pack everything into lidded storage tubs, and then cover the tubs with a good tarp. Apparently this has worked quite well for them. No idea what storage tubs are running these days, but moving boxes aren't that cheap either if you have to buy them. Wherever you end up storing your stuff, toss a box of mothballs around the base to discourage critters.

Yes we only want a cheap option for a year or so before we upgrade the kitchen. The upgrade will be new countertops and possibly new cabinets. We don't know if we will sell within 5 years. We like this house, the neighborhood and the schools but I've learned to never say never. And to never count on a house being a forever house. As our children get older we might find that our needs change. With that in mind, I don't want to make any changes that will make it harder to sell. Most of the houses that go on the market in this neighborhood have painted or stained builder grade oak cabinets topped with new granite. It's not that I don't want to paint the countertops but that I'd rather not mess with it. Based on what I've read online many people paint/stain their cabinets and have good results. However, it seems that fewer people paint their countertops and that the outcomes are mixed. Painting the cabinets seems much more of a sure thing. Especially given that it's so common in this neighborhood and all of the homes have the same cabinets.