The Tonight Show recently featured a Solutions product on Jay’s Christmas Gift Ideas Part II. We were flattered when contacted by the show about highlighting one of our favorite Christmas products. After seeing it live on TV alongside some products he poked fun at, we are far too excited not to share what we consider his positive review. Watch all four minutes or skip to the end because the Solutions Pull-up Tree is reviewed last. See Jay in person demonstarting just how fast setting up your Christmas tree can be.

Even if you don’t have a lot of space, you can help guests feel more comfortable during their stay with these 6 easy tips.

1. Make sure to have coffee on hand. The Coffee Stack organizer keeps your pods organized so your guests can easily find java when they need it.

2. The Fold-out Ottoman quickly converts to a comfortable bed for your guests and is perfect for those small spaces. Fold it up and tuck it away during the day.

3. Provide a variety of reading material for your guests. The Reader’s Nightstand keeps books and magazines organized next to the guest bed. There’s even room on top for a clock and some bottled water.

4. Make sure to provide extra toiletries and towels for your guests. The space-saving Duo Shower Curtain Rod holds your shower curtain on one side, while guests can hang their towels on the other to dry.

5. If you need extra space for meals, the Round Table Extender turns your square table that normally seats four and turns it into a round table that seats up to eight!

6. Don’t forget about those extra touches, like leaving a surprise ornament by the bedside or decorating the guest room with a lighted willow branch. Little touches can make the room seem extra cozy.

Roasted vegetable; corn on the cob; apple pie. While these could easily be the ingredients for a neighborhood barbecue, they’re also the perfect ingredients for a memorable autumn celebration.

As you’re starting to sense the end of the summer season, why not have a fall-themed celebration to welcome the winter ahead? These ideas should help get you started:

• August, September and October are prime times for grape harvest for many wineries. Host a wine tasting party, and have guests bring a bottle of wine of their choice.
• Have a dinner party, using fall ingredients such as butternut squash soup, corn on the cob, pumpkin, cranberries and apples.
• Decorate tables with hearty winter squashes and mini pumpkins. Use colorful oranges, yellows and reds. You can even paint your pumpkins using silver or gold point to add a colorful accent.
• Have candy apples and an apple-dunking contest for the kids. Give your guests jars of apple-butter jam as a party favor.

Ready to get started?

 

This spring I decided I was tired of all the mismatched planters on my deck. So, before I filled the pots with soil, I crafted a solution to my planter dilemma that was quick and cheap.

I didn’t want to replace my perfectly good pots so I decided to buy a can of dark brown spray paint. I sprayed a thin coat of paint on each pot, let it dry and repeated—until I had three full coats of paint.

As you can see from the picture above, the results were surprisingly good. Both the terra cotta and plastic pots coated well, albeit with slightly different shades of brown.

If you’re like many of us, you have busy schedules and limited space. Patio gardening can be a great alternative. It gives you easy access to your plants so you can remember to water them daily. Plant varieties that are labeled “patio, pixie, dwarf or baby” are ideal but not required for small-space gardening.

You can grow vegetables in almost anything that can hold soil and has proper holes in the bottom for drainage (make sure the container’s large enough for the plant’s root development). Have fun with it and choose colorful pots to brighten up your patio. Terracotta looks nice but dries out quickly.

If you don’t have holes, it’s easy to create your own. You can use baskets lined with garbage bags to hold in water, milk cartons or anything creative you can think of!

Most importantly, don’t forget sun. Most vegetables want six hours or more of direct sun per day, so choose a sunny part of the yard. Leaf-crops are one of the things that can grow with limited sun. In addition to making sure your vegetable plants have proper sunlight, make sure to invest in nutrient-rich soil and a dedicated watering routine. If you overlook any one of these areas, it can create an environment more inviting to bugs.

Visit Solutions.com for a unique collection of pots and planters.

Summer’s around the corner, and it’s a great time to start thinking about outdoor entertaining. Here are some quick ideas to help you create that perfect party.

1) Host a potluck-themed event and prepare foods in advance, as much as possible. It will save time and work!

2) Clean your yard and make sure there’s enough seating for everyone. Place blankets on the grass for kids.

3) Grill skewers: Grilled vegetables make a great side dish, are easy to prepare ahead of time, and take a few minutes to cook.

4) Keep your guests cool! Consider a portable fan to keep outside during hot summer days.

5) Set out a few yard games to play so your guests have some fun activities to choose from.

6) Create an inviting atmosphere with lights for nighttime. Consider natural bug repellant candles to keep the insects away.

7) Add some color to your table with vibrant dishware. Top it off with an eye-catching centerpiece. Fill up a glass bowl with colorful fruits, such as bright lemons and limes, or fill glass jars with fresh-cut flowers.

Don’t forget to relax with your guests and enjoy all your efforts!

Looking for a quick housewarming gift?
Fill a basket, bucket or box with essentials that any new house might need. Get creative an include something for every room. You can include dishcloths, light bulbs, kitchen gadgets and even cleaning products. You might also want to throw in any useful local neighborhood information for those who are new to the area.

You can even pick a themed gift basket, such as a garden basket filled with gardening tools.

Small space gardening can be a rewarding process. Whether you’re decorating a patio or looking to add fresh vegetables to the dinner table, we have some easy tips to get you started.

Container Gardening
Container gardening is a simple and portable form of gardening that can produce great results. Find a small space on your deck, balcony or entryway to place containers (ranging from 3 to 10 gallons). A 3-gallon container will fit one group of vegetables, where a 7-gallon will fit two or three. The larger the container, the more plants you can add.

Find a place around your home with good sunlight for the container placement. Once you have your containers arranged, line the bottoms with newspaper to prevent soil from falling out of the drainage holes when watering. Fill the containers 3/4 to the top with potting mix. Add some compost and add a small amount of slow-release fertilizer. (Try and avoid granular fertilizer when container gardening). If you use potting soil, add either vermiculite or sphagnum moss to aid the soil with draining water. The soil in your pot should be mixed well and sit 2 or 3 inches below the rim of your container once prepared.

Place your plant selection in the middle of the container and water generously. Having your containers close to the house, will make it easy for you to check them daily. This will also allow you to easily snip herbs for cooking. Expect to water the containers every other day—depending on the weather, and container size you choose.

Jump Start to Container Gardening:

• find containers—3 gallons per plant average.
• arrange your containers in a sunny location close to a door, for easy access to water and any picking of vegetables or herbs.
• line the bottom of your pot with newspaper to prevent soil loss through drainage holes.
• fill your containers 3/4 to the top with potting mix, then add some compost and a slow- release fertilizer. Mix this well, it should settle down to 2 or 3 inches below the rim of the container.
• place your plant selection in the center of the container and water evenly and throughly. You’ll probably have to water every other day, depending on your container size, as well as the weather. You can add water soluble fertilizer to your watering can once a week if you choose.

Picking a Container
Ideally you’re picking a container that fits both the size and style of the setting around your home. If you choose a dark colored container, it will heat up more in direct sunlight—so make sure to consider the color that will best suit your climate and plant. In addition to the style of your container, you should be looking for some growing benefits. You want a container with wide openings for your plant to expand and grow. Glazed ceramic pots will last much longer than plastic, which tend to take a beating from UV rays. Terra cotta pots dry out faster and take water from your plants. If you want a wood look, use either Redwood or Cedar, which are both fairly rot- and stain-resistant. Make drainage holes about a 1/2 inch wide at the bottom of your container (if it doesn’t come with holes already). This isn’t necessary, but drainage holes are helpful.