Your Aeonium is going to need direct sun and lots of it. They're sun-loving plants and get leggy if they don't get enough sun. I would put it outside as soon as the weather is staying above freezing at night. Put it into a bright but not sunny spot to begin with, then move it over a few weeks closer and closer to a full exposure until it's getting all-day sun. Too fast into the sun can cause sunburn, but once it's there, it will look like a million bucks! Aeoniums naturally shed their lower leaves, but watering carefully will minimize leaf loss. Let it dry out between waterings, but don't let it stay dry too long. And don't fertilize too often - that can cause legginess as well. As for your Sans, you can move it up to a larger pot size, just don't go much over an inch larger than the rootball. Just be a little more careful about watering - Sans are really prone to rotting if you water too much, so my philosphy is that they can almost not be too dry. Almost! I've lost a couple because I overdid the "dry" thing, but most thrive if they're allowed to get dry and stay dry for awhile before watering. You're far more likely to lose them to slight overwatering than to excessive underwatering. Keep your Sans in a bright but not sunny spot. And don't ever let it get too cold! I learned THAT the hard way - they don't tolerate cold at ALL! Congrats on your new aquisitions! Denise in Omaha

Westvillager, we seem to agree on a few things :) (OT - I ordered a Miele S7 Marin (Swing in US) this week. Should get it next week - very excited - it was on a clearance price of $499.99 so I went for it instead of the canister - may still get a canister too "eventually"). I have the E-Cloth in white. Click on link and click on general purpose cloth - you'll see a white option. Andersons, I do own a FL and wash both my kitchen towels and my micro fibre ones in there. No problems here. What make is your machine (it must spin at a very high RPM)? As for scratchy towels - search the laundry forum - there has been plenty of discussion on that and some of the advice there may help you. I usually pre-soak my kitchen towels in oxygen bleach before I wash them. I find this removes almost all stains and odors. My Mom always comments that my towels don't look used. I wash on hot with Persil Universal - only kitchen towels in one load - no fabric softener but a little vinegar in the rinse. Dry in the dryer on medium heat. My mirco fibre towels get washed alone as well. Hot water with a little bit of gentle detergent (no enzymes or stuff) - usually Vaska right now. NEVER fabric softener or bleach and a little vinegar in the rinse. Hang them to dry on my drying rack. Here is a link that might be useful: white e-cloth

I like the idea of doing all the prep, cutting and measuring (not to mention making the mess) in one shot to make meal prep easier. I would like to try chopping all the veggies for soup and stews ahead of time. This time of year is great to get veggies cheaply at the Farmer's Market too. I was wondering if you need to blanch the vegetables before you freeze them? The vegetables I would probably use are: onions, celery, carrots, peppers?, and possibly green beans. If blanching is needed, should they be blanched before or after the chopping or doesn't that matter? Thanks for the advice and good ideas!! Pat

So we started moving in. The countertops are not in yet. But I found myself thinking we have too much wood. We have wood everywhere in every room. I found myself feeling like we are in a cabin. How can I lighten it up? A friend suggested rugs for under the dining table and under the furniture in the adjacent living room. But what else can I do? Maybe the walls are too dark. Maybe the island should be more of a cream.