I ordered some stuff from Amazon recently and part of that order arrived today. I got a bunch of earring cards to put my earrings on so they look more presentable than just stuffing them in to little plastic bags. I'm hoping to sell them at a local flea market if we ever get back to being able to safely gather again. I also ordered a mannequin head so I could better photograph the hats I made and get them sold, but I ordered one with green eye shadow and natural looking lips, and they sent me a head with bright pink eye shadow and nearly fluorescent lips - it looks like Barbie, so I'm going to have to send it back. I also ordered a big pack of 1000 plant labels so I could set to work winter sowing. I figure 1000 will last me a while. I had two other packages coming from USPS that show "out for delivery" but they didn't make it.
The teas I ordered on the 30th of December are supposed to be coming via FedEx but they've been in transit for ten days now and have finally made it to Minnesota, but no longer have an estimated delivery date. I'm hoping they'll show up tomorrow. Perhaps the couple missing USPS packages will arrive too.
I moved the Aero Garden from the kitchen up to my bedroom just to clear space in the kitchen. I have it plugged in but not planted yet. I hope to put two micro-dwarf tomato varieties in and a few different lettuce plants. I can have salad while I wait for the tomato plants to grow. I've always used the system for basil but the basil tends to overwhelm everything else. Last time the basil was the only thing that came up! Crossing my fingers that I'll have better luck when I get around to setting it up this next go round.
As much as I have enjoyed the abundance of basil produced by the Aero Garden, that's really all we've been able to grow in it thus far. I would love to get a hold of an aquaponics aquarium with built in lighting system. For a while a long time ago, #2 had one in his room, but the sunlight wasn't enough for the plants to thrive without putting the whole tank in the window which just grows algae in the tank. I wonder if I could find a similar aquaponics tank and set it up beside the Aero Garden if the lighting from the Aero Garden would be enough to get the plants to grow in the other system. I'm pretty sure that tank was in the old basement when it flooded, so we don't have it anymore. That's a shame; it was expensive.
I love the idea of growing food indoors over winter when it's too cold to be gardening outside. With cats, having potted plants is a challenge. We have a few houseplants but they have to be very hardy to survive the cats - and me forgetting to water them on a regular basis. So far the pothos and the aloe vera seem to be surviving alright. The Wandering Jew plant I keep killing but managing to save one sad cutting to restart the plant again. It is not as resiliant when I forget to water it.
Anyway - I suppose I should start considering my options for what to grow this year. It's already halfway through January, which means Winter Sowing season will soon be upon us!