Nix Mosquitoes in the Yard:
One of the best mosquito deterrents is oil of lemon-eucalyptus (OLE). Not to be confused with lemon-eucalyptus essential oil, which isn’t as effective, OLE contains a compound that wards off mosquitoes. This OLE-based repellent provides 95 percent protection against mosquitoes for up to three hours. One repellent to try: Cutter DEET-Free Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent. Also, consider planting lemongrass, an easy-to-grow herb where citronella oil comes from. Plant it next to some spearmint, as the combined scents are twice as effective at warding off mosquitoes as a citronella candle.

Trap Fruit Flies in Your Home:
These tiny pests are drawn to sweet fruit and other food. But there’s no need to lock away your food! Flies hate the scent of peppermint oil, which contains natural ‘fumigants’ that repel them. You can make your own repellent by combining 5 to 10 drops of peppermint oil per ounce of water in a spray bottle. Then spritz the perimeter of your kitchen weekly. Also, pour apple cider vinegar into a glass (about an inch deep), add a few drops of dish soap, then cover with plastic wrap and poke it with a few holes. The cider will attract flies, and the mix will drown them.

Attract Helpful Bugs to Your Garden:
 - Invite Bees with a Drink Station: The buzzing pollinators ensure your garden thrives. To entice them, mix equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, then place in a shallow dish near flowers. And don’t worry about being harassed, as the bees will be too busy with the flowers to focus on you!
 - Lure Ladybugs with Herbs: These garden beauties are especially fond of flowering herbs, such as chives, dill, and cilantro, which provide a nice, flat blossom for them to rest on. And while they’re there, they’ll snack on rose-ruining aphids!
 - Draw Dragonflies with Stones: These peaceful drifters eat pests like mosquitoes and gnats. Coax them with a rock garden of flat stones on which they can "sunbathe." Just place the rocks near a birdbath, water feature, or pond, and you’ll have created dragonfly heaven.

If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle: "Take two aspirin and keep away from children!"

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." ~ John Quincy Adams

It is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves." ~ Thomas Edison