Kirk - just saw this on eBay - see even the small Red Wing Pottery goes for a good price. It's up to $34 (with the shipping). Keep an eye on this piece and see what it sells for in the end. (copy and paste) http://cgi.ebay.com/RED-WING-STONEWARE-POTTERY-CO-MN-PLANTER_W0QQitemZ260116930394QQihZ016QQcategoryZ455QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Jackie, sorry about not replying sooner to your Q, I just saw it. Do you mean the small crock with the wrap I made (from Create & Decorate mag) on it - there are no markings on it. None on the little bit larger one in the back on that stool also (the one that's two toned). I just wanted some crocks as a country display so picked these up. I was looking for unusual shapes and colors.

Man! that is a power house. Good workmanship too. I have a simple one I made with the same Aluminum duct, but a two bulb socket that points opposite each other. Two 40 watt 6400K bulbs. Realy makes those seedlings get up and grow. My thoughts on CFLs is that they are great with reflectors but too hot or too far away when used without a reflector. I burned some branches of my container tomatoes with bare bulbs that way.

I have one daughter and 3 stepsons - all ages 8 to 10. We usually have 1 to 10 neighbor kids over a few days every week as well. I have a two story house plus a finished basement. The kids get the basement as their play area. The main level is the adults refuge. Rule - No toys are allowed on the main level at the end of each night. Any toys left on the main level will be put into a take-away box. The kid has to work them off if he wants it back. If they don't want to work for the toy, then it goes to Goodwill or in the trash after two weeks. Work is things like taking a wet rag and cleaning the hardwood floor or walls, raking the yard (nothing easy, but something they can do). When the floor is piled full of toys, it is impossible to vacuum. Once each week they have to pick everything off the floor (downstairs and their bedroom) so I can vacumm. I found picking up the toys and clothes was much more work than vacuuming so I tended to let the vacuuming go before. Now, I'll tell them the day before and remind them again before I get ready to vacuum. It is their responsibility to pick everything off the floor. If it is left on the floor, it is immediately put in the Goodwill pile or put in the trash. I have found that this helps keep the amount of toys in check so they can keep them up and really sends a quick message that they have to take responsibility for taking care of their things. It has also taught them the value of work (hands seem to stay off walls better when they know they will be cleaning them later. It is harder to teach them how to complete their task well than it would be to do it myself, but I know it will be much better in the long run. If they have a few things in the take-away box and the work has been good with minimal complaints, I might reward them with more than what they worked off and compliment them on a job well done. I do believe in providing positive rewards too! and bragging on them when they go above and beyond. One other thing. I keep a large plastic container in each room so they have a place to put toys off the floor. They are allowed to keep the amount of toys that will fit in the container in their room. All other toys have to be kept in the basement where I have more storage options and room. While my method may seem harsh, it works... and my wife and I have don't yell at them to get them to do something. We tell them what needs done, give them time to do it and then take action as necessary. If you say you will throw it away if they don't clean it up, you should mean it. I sent a stereo to Goodwill last weekend. We also have one additional way to get things done in a timely manner. Almost all kids, when given the choice would like to stay up later than they should. Each child has a bedtime, but if they act out, break a rule, or won't do somthing, they are given a strike and each strike requires them to go to bed 15 minutes early. It is not uncommon for a child to lose a hour of more if they keep acting out. If sent to bed, it's either lights out or they may read a book. This has been a great technique to stop temper tandrums (maybe not the first one or two, but eventually they get the message). We have one boy that is a worker and three that are on the lazy side, but I've found they are ALL capable of doing a good job. I do need to spend more time with them on organizing things in their room as mentioned in previous posts. When left on their own, they will just pile it on top of things in the room (but its off the floor). I watch all those HGTV shows where they neatly organize things into bins and cabinets, but you have to get the kids to use the storage areas and keep the amount of toys in check so everything will fit easily(note-kids will need twice the amount of storage an adult does because they don't pack stuff nice and neat). They tend to do things the quick and easy way (some things never change).

Speaking of glue, I just love Roxanne's Glue-Baste-It. The glue looks like Elmer's--a thick white liquid, but the applicator is a long thin hollow needle that puts the glue out in tiny beads. No mess. I recently used it to attach 140 batting squares to 6" novelty squares and attach the novelty squares to their places in the center of the circles of a Peek-a-Boo I-Spy, then glue-basted the circle flaps over the squares, and I still have quite a bit of the bottle left.It cost $7+ at Rosie's Calico Cupboard. Worth every penny. I didn't use a single pin in this quilt, except for when I was putting the circles together, and was able to stitch down the flaps without any shifting of the fabric. I didn't wash this quilt before passing it on to the person who ordered it, but I warned him, for the first time he washes it, to put it through the machine twice if he noticed any stickiness after the first wash, in case any glue remains.