It was second-grade. I was in Mrs. Swisher's class at Central Elementary School. At literature time she read aloud the book Charlotte's Web (oh, I hope my friend Rose isn't reading this -- she HATES spiders, lol). I instantly loved Fern -- I wasn't even sure what a fern was, but I loved this brave, spunky little girl who was lucky enough to live on a farm. Me, a city girl thought her life simply perfect. I wanted to be Fern -- what a gorgeous name she had -- so much better than Gail. Over the years, I have read this book again and again and loved getting to read it to each of my own children. I don't hear or read the word FERN without thinking of the relationship I had with Fern Arable.
All that to say that I have ALWAYS wanted a big old porch fern -- such an old-fashioned thing in my mind....big old Victorian porches adorned in ferns. Well, there are a few things were needed to fulfill that. ONE is a big old porch - got that - and the other was getting over the fear that I'd kill it, lol.
I do fine with growing vegetables and even annuals and perennials, but house plants, as I rule I kill. With the exception of my African Violets, I generally avoid plants in the house. I knew if I took on the commitment of a fern on the porch, the time would come that it would have to come into the house.
Last summer I said that *next year* would be the year I'd finally get one. Next year came around. I did do some research and decided on what kind I wanted and I even shopped (a little bit anyway) and didn't find what I wanted. Then my friend Rose (yes, the same one who doesn't like spiders -- and that is a gross understatment), came in to the office and told me our favorite little plant source for the season was selling everything 50% off. I had given up on a fern for this year but still wanted a hanging basket for my back deck. I scurried on over there. I found a perfect basket -- planted in my red, white & blue theme and scooped it right up.
As the cashier was checking me out we had a conversation about the plants she was buying at 50% -- a couple baskets like the one I bought and a FERN -- what, you have ferns still? -- do you have Kimberly ferns? -- why, yes we do -- I bought not 1 BUT 2 of the hugest, most gorgeous ferns for my porch! Wish me or maybe I should say, wish the ferns good luck -- don't they look stunning on my porch?
I am sharing at Yvonne's Tutorials, Tips, & Tidbits Party!
How to care for your fern:
Placement - Put your fern in a location with a lot of light but little direct sun. Early morning and late afternoon direct light is enough, with shade during the rest of the day. An area of high humidity is helpful, but with proper watering (see below), a fern will be fine in a drier area.
Because ferns are so fragile, it is important to place them where tBecause ferns are so fragile, it is important to place them where they will not be crowded or brushed up against. Be sure to allow them to have plenty of "personal space" so that they can spread out and expand. When a fern is crowded into a small space, it tends to do poorly.
The Pot - Use a clay pot or a hanging basket lined with sphagnum moss togrow your fern. Plastic pots aren’t good for drainage, and adequate draining is crucial for a healthy fern.
Because a fern’s roots are near the surface, they should only be grown in shallow pots (about 6 inches deep).
Soil and Mixes - Many horticulturists recommend planting ferns with a special fern potting mixture, which can be found at a nursery. Ferns require loose, quick-draining mix. It is also acceptable to use regular potting mix and add about 20% peat moss.
Watering - Over-watering kills more plants than anything else. Only give your fern water when the soil is starts to look dry. Don’t use a plant mister on your fern. It can cause the fronds (leaves) to brown and wilt.
The soil of your fern should be moist, but never wet. Over-watering a fern is a common mistake. Over-watering can damage a plant’s roots, and once the roots are damaged the plant may not survive.
Because ferns like humidity, fill a tray with pebbles and water (enough water to cover all the pebbles) and place the potted fern on the tray.
Fertilizers - Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer once a month, during the growing season. Only use one-quarter to one-half of the recommendations on the fertilizer package.
Pruning - New ferns will not grow from cuttings.
If you notice brown around the edge of a leaf, and the fern’s condition doesn’t improve after a couple waterings, cut off the sick leaf. Also cut off any dead leaves at the base of the fern.
If the whole fern looks bad, or pests have invaded, just cut the whole plant right above the soil and let it grown again.
Re-potting - Ferns should be re-potted at least once a year, and can be divided easily in more potted plants. Just remove the plant from the pot, divide the roots with a sharp knife, untangle the leaves, and place the ferns into new pots.
But how do you know when to re-pot a fern? The basic rule is this: if the roots have reached the sides and bottom of the pot, it's time to re-pot it.
Growing Outdoors - In favorable climates, ferns can also be grown in a shady garden spot protected from wind and heavy rains. Keep the fern out of direct midday sun and make sure it gets enough water to keep the soil damp. A couple inches of organic mulch (for example, chopped leaves) will help keep an outdoor fern healthy. And again, give the fern enough room – it shouldn’t come close to touching other plants.
Here is a kids valentine idea that is something other than candy. A bottle of bubbles (can be store bought or homemade) with a homemade heart bubble wand. The bubble wand I made from a pipe cleaner and a paper straw. It's amazing the things you begin to use paper straws for when you look at them everyday! If you are looking for paper straws you can find some in my shop HERE. I also have four different printables available below. 
You can use store bought bottles of bubbles or fill small plastic jars with homemade bubbles. I colored my bubbles with food coloring. Just add a drop of food coloring, tighten the lid, and shake. You can find the "BUBBLES" label below, along with three labels options for the tops of the jars.
To make the Valentine's you will need the following:
First cut your pipe cleaners and paper straws in half. You can make two wands from one of each.
Next bend the one end of the pipe cleaner around to make a circle and wrap end around pipe cleaner to hold in place. Then bend the pipe cleaner to create a heart shape.
Then push the pipe cleaner into the paper straw. 
Use a small piece of tape to hold the bubble wand to the back of the bubble jar. Then tie with twine. I tested these out with Hudson and the paper straw does start to come apart after sitting in the bubbles for a while. But I think it adds a cute touch to the bubble want. You could make these without the straws too, and you can make small little bubbles by just dipping the end of the straw in the bubbles. 
I also made some bigger wands by not cutting the straws and pipe cleaners in half. 
I am finally getting around to posting the pictures from Max's 1st Birthday Party. We had a small party for him, that was Monster themed. Since his birthday is right around Valentine's Day I incorporated a little bit of a Valentine's Day theme too. We had a great time celebrating with family and friends, this last year has flown by! Balancing two kids has been a challenge, and we are still adjusting to the changes. But Max has brought lots of joy and laughter into the family and I look forward to watching his funny little personality continue to grow!
Paper Straws are available in my shop!
I made the monster eyes by gluing the Wilton edible eyes onto toothpicks to stick in the chicken fingers. 
Kid's got to build a monster with play dough, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes.
How Many Monster Eye Can you Count?The jar was filled with red sprinkles and googly eyes for the kids to count.
We had a bubble maker on in the backyard and some homemade heart bubble wands.
We had "Monster Foot" relay races! Using pillow cases the kids had to jump like a monster with one foot down the grass and back until their team was done. It was really cute to watch them cheer each other on.
I love this picture of Max carefully picking at the sprinkles on his birthday cake! I have to mention also that his adorable knitted monster hat is made by Heather's Hook Nook. Heather makes all kinds of precious knit hats and can even customize colors and designs! 
The kids made each other Monster Valentines that I had ordered from Oriental Trading. I also ordered monster bags for each child and moster lollipops to take home.
The kids took home their valentines, lollipops, and handmade monster dolls. I found the monster doll template from One Charming Party.
