Kirk, Yes there is a product called MOSQUITO DUNKS. They float around in bird baths and water features and do not hurt birds. They keep larva from hatching or something like that. (?????) I could cut one up and put a bit in each bottle if the sun does not evaporate the water (while it is evaporating the Spirits dont cha know). James, No the bottles are unfortunatly not old. Ebay had some red bottles that were listed around $30. which is too rich for my Charlie Brown Tree. My house trim color is a brick red. So red bottles plus amber bottles equals brick red when you look at them together. That is all of the math I know and that made me dizzy. (You see who your dealing with now.) I live life on the happy side of the brain. flowerlady- If I could do it over again I would have asked for more of those branches. They make great indoor decor like curtain hangers, outdoor trelises, twinkle lite trees for entertaining, ect. The secret is in the staining and poly treatment. They become richer. Susie

Hey bubblefairy, What kind of soap did you make with parsley? What is chickweed? I haven't made soap in awhile and now is probably not the time to get back to it. Our house is up for sale - a showing every couple of days it seems, sigh. I will be so happy when it's sold. I used a book, The Soapmakers Companion, wonderful recipes, everything turned out great. Well, the milk and honey soap was a bit soft. Maybe I should have let it cure longer but it was so nice and smelt good enough to eat. I made one with calendula petals from my garden so I understand where you're coming from - totally addictive, fun and everybody who received a bar of soap as a present acted as if I was a genius.

There are many different types of candles. So first, you need to decide what type you want to make. For instance, do you want them to be scented? Do you want pillar candles, tapers (to fit in candlesticks) or container candles? What type of wax do you want to use (paraffin, soy or beeswax, to name a few)? Once you have narrowed it down a bit, it might be good to go to a craft store and buy a starter kit.

I make a beeswax-based furniture polish. It just has 2 ingredients- beeswax & jojoba oil. Since I add no fragrance, it is also food-safe. The formula is 3 part jojoba oil to 1 part beeswax, by weight. They need to be melted over low heat, to mix and then allowed to cool.