So, you thought this was going to be a post about sex, huh? You should know me well enough by now to know I don't kiss and tell! But, don't be too disappointed yet. The habits I'm suggesting might just help you in that department - if in a roundabout way. Haha!!
This IS kind of a dirty post about something I think everyone should be doing - outdoors. And it's actually about sticking your hands - in the dirt - and trying to pull forth food or beauty. I have a few reasons for feeling this way. Here they are.
Gardening will relax you and bring life into perspective.
If there's one thing I've learned from parenting preschoolers, it's that they behave best when they spend lots of time out of doors daily. Not only does this get them away from the TV and produce a happier playing experience, they eat whatever I serve without complaint ('cause, as my oldest claims, they're "starving") and they sleep restfully.
Guess what? This goes for adults too! There is something magical about sticking bare toes in the dirt and taking deep breaths of that fresh outdoor scent as you gently tuck dirt around a new plant or pull weeds so another can grow. Suddenly, whatever is stressing you out won't seem so bad. When you come inside, you'll feel relaxed, re-focused and tired in the best way. If you have such a brown thumb that you kill everything you touch, just get a shovel and dig in the dirt like a kid. If you listen hard, you just might hear a plant calling your name and promising to grow for you.
Gardening can save you money and reduce garbage waste if you do it right. Veggie scraps from kitchen cuttings, dead leaves and branches, egg shells and banana peels make free compost/natural fertilizer and minimize garbage waste. All that yucky decaying matter turns into rich, fertile soil capable of creating the best veggies you've ever tasted. When you find success at gardening - even if it's just one crop - you can save the money you would have spent on buying that product in the store. And, you can produce it organically! My grandmother and other moms I know will affirm they wouldn't have been able to feed their families nearly so healthily without gardening.
Gardening will allow you to eat organically on a budget and help your kids to like strong food. Growing your own food will allow you to avoid all those nasty chemicals on conventionally grown foods without breaking the bank. And, I can guarantee your kid will be a lot more interested in eating her vegetables if she grew them herself!
Gardening will help YOU love real food! Instead of produce that wasn't picked ripe, was transported in cold (almost frozen) storage and therefore lacks the flavor it's supposed to have, you'll eat the tastiest version of whatever you grow!. No wonder it's so hard to love veggies when we're eating tomatoes that taste flat and flavorless or strawberries that don't smell sweet or strawberry-ish! Eating fresh stuff from your own garden will turn you into a true foodie.
Gardening will bring your family together over the dinner table. Although you can make a very quick meal from the garden, it's one that will require a little chopping and thought. Enjoy a refreshing drink and conversation with your lover or kids while you're chopping away! You'll be surprised at the conversations you've been missing.
Gardening can help you get into shape. Fresh air, aerobic exercise and real food is a recipe for a strong body! Unhealthy processed foods lose their appeal once you've tasted real food flavored with fresh herbs.
And the point we've all been waiting for...Gardening just might get you some. Ever heard the phrase, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach?" That goes both ways, baby! Who doesn't think a strong and relaxed urban farmer with a slightly sweaty, rosy glow is sexy? What man doesn't think the aroma of good food is the best perfume? Duh.
To your newly fresh, confident demeanor, add the sensually delicious aroma of a fresh tomato and basil salad straight from the garden and you may find you've found an irresistible aphrodisiac!
Here's to love and gardening!
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