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Living In an Empty Nest

Start an Indoor Herb Garden

Ms. Molly
Foundation

Taking Care
of Yourself

Start an Indoor Herb Garden
It's Easier Than You Think!
Do you love to taste fresh basil in your pesto? Fresh oregano in your spaghetti sauce? Chives on your baked potato? Cooking with homegrown herbs may seem a little overwhelming - but it doesn't need to be. You can start a simple herb garden on your windowsill today.

Growing your own herbs not only spices up your cooking (fresh herbs are always more flavorful than dried herbs), an indoor herb garden can also be a fun, year-round project for you and your family.

Some of the easiest herbs to grow indoors include oregano, sage, dill, parsley, basil, chives, summer savory and sweet marjoram. You'll find many uses for these popular herbs - from including them in your favorite recipes to experimenting with them in salads, sauces and omelettes.

With just a few clay pots, some potting soil and a sunny window, you can start growing your favorite herbs today. Here's how:

• Pick a window that gets at least 4 or 5 hours of direct sunlight a day. The window should be free of drafts and major temperature fluctuations.
• For starters, use a separate clay pot for each herb. Pots should be at least 8 inches deep and about 6 inches across. Make sure there is a drainage hole in the bottom of each pot. Label each pot with the name of the herb.
• Choose a fast-draining potting soil; herbs don't like overly moist soil.
• Purchase your plants from a good nursery and transplant to your pots...or grow the herbs from seeds.
• Don't overwater. Herbs only need water once or twice a week. The soil should be moist, but not saturated.
• Harvest your herbs with care, cutting the outer leaves and sprigs first. Always leave plenty of healthy growth on the plant.
• If you grow more herbs than you can use right away, simply dry or freeze them for later use.

Help for Domestic Violence Victims
In May 2006, a young mother named Julie came to a stark realization: She needed to escape her abusive husband - and fast. His physical abuse was quickly becoming more and more brutal. She feared for her own safety and her young son's safety. But, like many victims of domestic violence, she felt she had nowhere to turn.

In desperation and fear - just minutes before her husband was to return home one afternoon - Julie took her son to a local hospital and asked for help. Within an hour she was on her way to a domestic violence shelter where she received free housing, food and personal care items until she was able to find a safe place to live.

Julie is one of thousands of women in the United States who've been helped by domestic violence shelters and safe houses already this year. Molly Maid and the Ms. Molly Foundation are proud to help women like Julie through donations to local shelters and safe houses. "The Ms. Molly Foundation was established in 1996 as a non-profit organization focused on promoting education on domestic violence-related issues," said Kristi Mailloux, Vice President of Operations for Molly Maid, Inc.

During the month of October - National Domestic Violence Awareness Month - many Molly Maid businesses nationwide will donate a portion of their service fees to local domestic violence shelters. This is the 10th year Molly Maid has participated in the annual "Making a Difference" drive. In 2005, the drive raised more than $75,000 for local shelters and safe houses. In total, the drive has raised more than $500,000 since 1996.