Dear Marianne, There are many different types of compost teas out there. Some are going to be much more beneficial than others, and some have the potential to even do damage to your plants and garden, based on the types of organisms you are selecting for. This is why oxygen plays an important role in making compost tea. Most beneficial organisms prefer aerobic conditions, while most harmful organisms (think of salmonella, e. coli., etc...) prefer anaerobic or low oxygen conditions. Have you ever reached into compacted soil and noticed it had a horrible smell? This is from the anaerobic organisms that are thriving. It's the same way with compost tea. One of the first rules, if you're not going to do testing in a lab, is to make sure that your final tea smells earthy or has no smell at all. If it stinks....don't use it! As for the recommendations I've seen on this thread. Some of the teas, for example the alfalfa tea, select primarily for protozoa. You will get bacteria and protozoa, but you won't get the fungi. Fungi is particularly important because it provides much of the disease suppressive qualities. There's a lot to learn on compost tea, feel free to email me with questions, but the best starting points I believe are "Teaming with Microbes" by Jeff Lowenfels, and Soilfoodweb.com, I'll include the link to the appropriate spot on their website below. Good luck!!! Here is a link that might be useful: All about the Soil Food Web

As an Early Childhood Specialist, former nanny, teacher, daycare admin, and now mother of almost 2little ones-lucky enough to work from home offering INFANT/TODDLER CARE, here's my advice 1.) How much should I charge? *This depends a lot on HOW many children you plan to care for at any one time, and HOW OLD the children are....You can charge MORE money caring for infants and toddlers, or if you provide more one on one private care for 1-2children or families only..This is what I do, and it works out quite well! I charge $125 per wk for a full time/5days a week infant, but keep in mind, my rates are high b/c other than my own son, I only care for the one infant..Parents are usually willing to pay for this type of care..especially for an infant. *Even though most providers in my area charge considerably less..I hold my own! If you are chosing to care for a larger group size, then I would charge more along the lines of $80-$90 per week-the higher end of the scale you mentioned,keeping in mind your education and experience..make sure you get what you feel you deserve. Decide on your minimum of how little you will accept for any one situation. You can offer PART TIME or FULL TIME CARE> you can make your own hours, and set your own rates,...I do not have the same hours or set rates for everyone, each family is different, and I charge them solely based on their individual care needs..not by a generic standard...Not all parents need the same hours, the same days of the week, ages of children vary as far as responsibility... 2.) How much more should I charge for a second child in the same family? *You can make this decision on your own, but I would probably give a small discount to a family with more than one child needing care..but it would depend on the situation.. 3.) What arrangement to you have in case of emergencies? (Such as your own child being sick, death in family, anything that would keep you from being availiable.) *I have this clearly stated in my contract, my policy on such things as illnesses, emergencies, etc...I state what I will and won't do in these situations, and have it clearly written that the parent of the child in my care is to have reliable backup for their own child in the event that I am unavailable. If you write it up, the parent will either agree to it or not...you make your own rules in these cases. 4.) What are your hours? And do you take a vacation or have different holiday hours? This is dependant on YOU and what YOU WANT to do...Personally I don't like LONG hours as some daycares have their home open 6-6...this is too much on my own son, and my own life, I wouldn't work a job that long each day outside of the home, and I won't inside...My home opens each day at 730am and closes by 4pm each day. There are many families who need either part time or shorter daycare..or even late starts such as parents who work 11am-7pm, or swing shift workers, you can chose to cater to whomever you'd like..My hours are based upon each individual situation..Otherwise if you want to have a regular FT work week, offering care for many children, A good general is 730am-530pm--this seems to suit most families. Again, you make your own rules. *in regards to vacations and holidays, I clearly state my intentions...for example in my contract I state that I will take at least one week of vacation per year and that I am closed on most major holidays, and the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years..parents are not obligated to pay me during those weeks or days. Again, most parents do not mind this..as they have families and time off of their own! 5.) What kind of snacks/lunch do you provide? (hot meal everyday or a sandwich on some?) Because I care for only infants and toddlers-many eating jarred foods and still on formula, they are required to provide their own food and supplies, diapers,wipes,formula,cereal etc..Most parents do not mind this. However again if you are caring for a larger group, you can adjust your fee scale accordingly if you plan on providing meals out of your pocket...THIS ADDS UP so make sure you aren't spending more on food than you are getting paid! 6.) How do you handle your own older kids' schedule, such as sports, cub scouts, etc.? ( I also have a 6 yr. old that enjoys extra activities.) This is where offering PART TIME or limited hours of care may come in handy...I have a friend who only does daycare on T/W/TH...with mondays and fridays off...and she is a booming care center! This is quite normal in my area..Also, if you know you have activities after 4pm or so, you can make your hours accordingly.. 7.) Do you have a contract and require a once-a-year supply fee like most daycare centers? I always have a contract, even if it's only 1hr per week of care...my contract is VERY DETAILED and clear so as nothing is left out or in question..I also give copies to myself and the family to refer to. I charge no fees other than weekly or monthly payment. 8.) How do you handle doctor visits for your own child? Again, this is dependant upon the hours of care you provide. If you fill your week, caring for other children, you may not be able to make it freely to a doctor appointment during the middle of the day with 6kids! Be sure if you DO PLAN on taking any children in care to appointments, or errands, that you have full permission from their parents. This again, is why caring for only a small group of 1-2 children beside your own may be more realistic way to go. Hope this information helps! If you have any further questions, or need help writing up a contract I'd be glad to help! Enjoy ! ~JEN. ECE SPECIALIST and mom to 17mos old, 31wks preg w/ #2~

Hi Amberley, Thanks for the compliment! My marble is Calacutta Vagli and my cabinets are from Quality Custom Cabinetry. The color was chosen in the shop I ordered it from, but my contractor made so many nicks in the cabs after they were installed that we went through 2 more coats of paint and I am not sure of the color they used. I should ask. They were trying to match the original color. Yes, the hardward is from Top Knobs Tuscany collection-good eye! I have a pallete of cream and grey/blue with copper accents going on in the kitchen. If you look up Stiles at the bottom of the page you will see a thread where you can see some of my pics on photoshop. I will try to get you a close-up of the knobs soon. Are you in the middle or just beginning your remodel? Have fun! Melinda

I suppose it also depends on what you want from your MW. We do have the IKEA cabinet I showed above and a small MW that fits nicely in that. But! I wanted a second oven and went on a quest. I had no idea my quest would bring me to MW/Convection ovens. They get great reviews! Who knew! :-) But the space we have for a MW is only 24" wide and this limits what I can cook in a Convection oven. I really want my second oven to be able to take full size cookie sheets. This then lead me to the OTR MW/Convection ovens which can take full sized cookie sheets. Soooo  I suppose if I only wanted a MW for reheating coffee and popping corn, I would not go with one over the range  unless space gave me no other option. BTW  My last house had a small kitchen that came with an OTR MW. I have no memory of ever not liking it for any reason. When it died, I replaced it with a really inexpensive ($130) OTR MW from Home Depot. It was sooooo much better than the old one  all for just $130. So  they really do not have to cost a lot of moneyÂ