Thanks!

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I'm particularly anxious to try coffee as a garden pest repellent.

My tomatoes (yes, still producing in February) have some really weird looking little bugs on the stems that aren't the least bit bothered by peppermint soap spray, so we'll soon find out if coffee does the trick.

I haven't had a problem - maybe 4 or 5 a season, but when they get in, they take over if you don't catch them.

One solution is to put (I think it is) baking soda on the crack of the window sills as they can get in through the screen on the top/bottom/side (they can go paper flat when they want to).

I'm wondering if a line of coffee grounds may also do the trick?

I am going to try a couple of the ideas. I wish there was a way to attach them to one of my dogs. He can clear a room sometimes. LOL

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Let us know what you try and how it works!

Ranger loves wearing his collar with all of the tags. We can even put bells on at Christmas and he prances. He does not like wearing coffee. LOL He was trying to get if off and then started whimpering-my brave 100+ pound dog. I tried about two tablespoons but I think I will try it again but with a couple of teaspoons. Ranger can get uspet about some things you would not expect. We rescued him and were told he was one of the most neglected dogs they have ever seen. He came from a no-kill shelter and he had been placed in seven different homes and if we didn't want him he was going to be put down. That was three years ago.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Hopefully, he'll soon get used to the coffee sachet added to his collar ornaments.

We can't imagine life without him. I will be waiting a week or so before I try again. He went flying out of the kitchen this morning. LOL He is a smart dog and has us wrapped around his paw.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]There aren't many places better than wrapped around the paw of a loving fur-baby.

I feel the same way about my cats -- no matter how many rolls of toilet paper they shred!

when you are scouring with grounds, do you just put them on a rag? Don't they stain all the dishrags? Is there any problem with all the grounds going down the drain? Will it clog the drains if there is too much?

So some of these I probably wouldn't risk as my middle name isn't "Grace" by accident.

I thought that if I decide to use this for scrubbing, I will put the grounds in the sink, get a rag, and keep everything right in the sink. Since no one accuses me of grace either.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Since I didn't write the column and haven't tried any of these suggestions yet, I certainly can't answer your questions.

It seems to me that the best idea would be for those of us who try any of these things to post back here with the outcome, along with any suggested modifications.

I hope we hear from some. My only use for grounds so far has been in the garden and compost, so it would be interesting to see how this works for others.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]My use for grounds has been the same as yours, so I'm looking forward to trying different ideas and seeing how others do with them, as well.

As for staining, perhaps a through rinse before use would help. To be honest, some of my dishrags end up look like smoker's lungs, anyhow. I just bleach 'em.

The last thing I want is to have a clogged drain, and I know I would never think to just put them down the drain. But I know that the strainer in the sink will not stop coffee grounds. But I may try a little of this just to see how it goes.

Of course, I don't want this to get too complicated or I will never bother. Like, how to keep the filter from moving off the drain and being useless.

But....thinking about that, it might work and be easy to do. Put the filter down, put the strainer in to hold it in place, and go to town.

I take my used grounds and mix them 5:1 with sugar and just enough olive oil make to make a slurry and use it as a body scrub in the shower. Scrub it on wait 5-minutes and rinse. You'll want to shower with whatever bodywash you prefer after. The caffeine is supposed to be good for your circulation, but I don't know if that's true or not. It is, however, a nice gentle scrub that leaves you soft and silky.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I'm at an age now where my skin is getting drier and really need to start doing something about it. Your mix is the kind of natural, home-made concoction I favor, so I'll be trying it soon.

I even make my own flax seed hair gel. Wonderful stuff. Inexpensive and it moisturizes.

Edit to add. If you're into things like this you can also do a lovely facial scrub with a bit of brown sugar and olive or argan oil. Your skin feels like silk after you use it and it's so hydrating.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Flax seed is a regular addition to my bread dough. I don't use hair gel for styling, but wouldn't mind a good moisturizer/conditioner. Tell me about your flax seed hair recipe.

The sugar/oil facial scrub is one I've heard of before and really do need to try. My face was always oily, though, so I didn't use it. Those days are pretty much gone now and it's time to adjust my habits.

One cup water

2 tbls flaxseed

1/2 tsp glycerine

A few drops lavender oil.

Boil until the water begins to gel (forms strings when the spoon is lifted) bottle and refrigerate until use. Simple.

You can add this concoction to your conditioner as well. Just add a dallop into your palm with your conditioner and apply as usual. Highly moisturizing. I do a hair/skin mask by mixing my flax gel with equal parts honey and leaving it on for 15 minutes.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Glycerine is now on my shopping list. Can't wait to try your recipes, including the mask.

On hands or cutting boards? Vinegar works fairly well for the cutting boards.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I don't like hot peppers, so never work with them.

But I do keep a spray bottle handy of white vinegar mixed with a few drops of dish detergent for washing produce, cutting boards, and counters.

There's no point in replacing what works!