Is your home ready for the holidays and winter? Now that November is over, it is time to gear up for the December ahead. Take a look at last months articles and see if there is anything you missed!
November 1st
Home Blog Month in Review: October
As I sit here looking out my window at the backyard, the birds are hovering in the pine tree against a strong wind and steady rain. The temperature is chilly today, and the calendar reminds me that we have left October behind.
November 2nd
Fall and Holiday Decorating with Nature 2
Isn’t it fun to decorate for the fall and upcoming holidays? I’ve done a little bit with a basket of mini pumpkins, a friendly scarecrow and some candles, but I am itching to do more. Some of my favorite decorating involves the use of natural materials. I covered some ideas for fall and holiday decorating with nature in an earlier post. Did you like that log idea? Now I’ll share some more suggestions for your home.
November 3rd
Home Week in Review: October 27th Through November 2nd
Here is the week in review for October 27th through November 2nd.
November 4th
Bringing the Importance of the Presidential Election Home
Just before bed one day last week, my seven-year-old son was asking me about the presidential election. Bouncing my two-year-old on my hip and supervising the “almost-four-year-old” while she brushed her teeth, I started launching into the two-party system, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, the names of the current candidates, taking him with me when I went to vote, weighing the issues, etc. My son looked at me quizzically, and then gave a slight nod. “But the important thing is that history is going to be made.”
November 5th
My Love/Hate Relationship with the Fall Leaves
When fall first arrives, it brings great delight. The leaves change colors and descend, brightening up the yard and driveway with colors from nature, as though an artist’s brush has painted the landscape. People travel from all over to the hot fall spots (we called these tourists “leaf peepers,” when I lived in New England. (By the way, I am adamant that New England has the absolutely best display of fall leaf color. It is the combination of warm fall days and crisp cool nights that does it.)
November 6th
How to Garden in a Bad Economy
Let’s face it, the economy is affecting everything, even gardening. In fact, I think it is increasing the prevalence of gardening, as people look to grow their own food, stay close to home and have activities that don’t cost a lot of money.
November 7th
Where the Cold Germs Hide in Your Home
If someone comes down with a cold or flu in your household, it is usually inevitable that at least one other family member will get it. At least that is the way it is in my household. By the time one person starts exhibiting the symptoms, chances are that we have all already been exposed to the same germs. That still doesn’t stop me from disinfecting everything in sight.
November 8th
Involving Kids in Fall Cleanup
Around our house, fall yard work is a complete family affair. Everyone is expected to do his or her part, even the youngest. While this may see like cheap labor (in fact it sometimes takes more time when kids help then when they don’t) it is actually a way of spending time together as a family while doing what needs to be done.
November 9th
Four Questions to Ask Your Moving Company
When it comes time to make a move to a new home, one of the scariest things to do is to find a moving company that you can trust. Everyone has horror stories to share about bad situations they have been in with the movers that they selected. I have heard tales of movers damaging or losing belongings, or worse, outright stealing or holding items hostage until an inflated fee is paid. This makes it hard to feel secure about hiring movers.
November 10th
Home Week in Review: November 3rd Through November 9th
On Sunday evening, we decided to have an early night. We finished our errands for the day, enjoyed a crock pot meal and then cozied up to a roaring fire. These are the best days to appreciate being home. How did you end your week?
November 11th
Useful Things to Do with Fall Leaves (No Crafting Involved)
Sure the fall leaves can be pretty, but around this time I get overwhelmed with what to do with them all. It seems so silly to clean up nature and “toss” it away.
November 12th
If you want a wonderful hardscaping element in your yard that will withstand the test of time, consider a dry stack wall. A dry stack wall can be beautiful, study and increase the value of your home and property.
November 13th
10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds
Now that fall is here, we have been enjoying the cardinals for whom the pine tree outside of our dining room window appears to be particularly comforting. These bright red birds with the black masks are always a treat to enjoy, especially when they show off their colors against the green pine needles or the white winter snow that is sure to fall sometime in the next month or so.
November 16th
10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 2
In my household, the kids are just as excited to watch the birds outside of our dining room window as they are to watch television. I kid you not. Fall is when they put on the very best show. We have a large bird feeder, as well as some plants that tend to attract a colorful array of birdie personalities.
November 17th
Welcome the fall and the cooler weather with a cozy fire pit. Dreams of roasting marshmallows and gathering with friends and family to enjoy the show of the fall leaves isn’t far away. And while this project may be in the advanced category when done because of fire safety issues, with careful planning it isn’t that hard to do. If you want a tamer project, you can consider purchasing a ready-made fire pit and still enjoy the ambiance.
Home Week in Review: November 10th Through November 16th
After a warm two days, the weather suddenly turned colder here, and it is time to settle in for the winter, I think. Winter is a great time to focus on your plans for your home. Check out this past week’s articles and feel free to suggest future topics!
November 18th
Using Fall Leaves as Winter Mulch
Here is a great idea for using some of those fall leaves that are falling all over your yard. By creating winter mulch out of them, you’ll protect your tender plants and bulbs, save money and feel better about having to do all of that fall leaf clean up!
This fall season, the colors for home are soft, warm and fresh. Here is a guide to what is really in style this season for your home. The main feelings for home design this season is to evoke a feeling of warmth and comfort. The colors are gentle on the eye, yet fresh and new.
November 19th
Turning Fall Leaves into Compost
Compost really makes sense. If you have some fall leaves just laying around (ha, ha), why not put them to work? Don’t trash or burn those leaves when you can use them to enrich your garden.
November 20th
10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 3
Thanks to some of our fall plants and trees, and the inclusion of a large window bird feeder, our view out of our window is not lacking for the number of birds. The little things are always pleasant to watch, and their antics are enjoyable.
November 21st
The wintery flurries we experienced yesterday have overnight turned to a wintery wonderland. We have our first snow day of the season.
November 22nd
When Do You Decorate for the Holidays?
This morning, as we were sitting down for a leisurely breakfast, I glanced through the dining room at the picture window in the living room. I beheld a very strange site. There were our fall decorations: a jolly scarecrow, a basket of small pumpkins, a thick wire pumpkin candle holder, a cloth in a soft fall burgundy and more. Just past the decorations, the view outside was incongruous. The scene showed a wintery wonderland of woods. Suddenly, my fall decorations looked out of place.
November 24th
Graves are a Solar Energy Source
Here is a news story about being green even after you have passed on from this world. The generations before that contributed to global warming can now contribute to saving the planet through solar energy.
Home Week in Review: November 17th Through November 23rd
Home sweet home! What would you love to see in the Home Blog?
November 25th
Free Thanksgiving Decorations and Ideas
Turkey Day is almost here. Hopefully you have your plans all made for Thanksgiving and the Thanksgiving meal. How about the decorations? Here are some ideas for decorating, as well as links to some free printable decorations.
November 26th
In this economy shopping for your home should be approached with caution. It is easy to spend quite a bit when you purchase things for you home. Aside from a buy nothing policy which isn’t very practical, especially when the roof leaks or your kitchen chair breaks, what can you do? I’ve found that even in a tough economy, there are stores out there that are very budget friendly. They will help you out without breaking a budget.
November 27th
10 Fall Plants that Attract the Birds: Part 4
This morning, the kids and I hunted around the yard for pine cones. We wanted to slather them with peanut butter and roll them in birdseed as a Thanksgiving feast for the birds that visit us. Unfortunately, it looks like the squirrels might have gotten to them all, because there was not a single pine cone to be found, including the one that served outside of one of our fairy houses. Still, there are other ways of attracting the birds. I have been mentioning different fall plants that will work. We are now at the end of this list. Here are the remaining three plants to note.
November 28th
How Are You Spending the Day After Thanksgiving?
I hope that you enjoyed a good Thanksgiving holiday. How are you spending this day after? For us, we started the day by sleeping in for a bit. We had a lot of sleep to make up, thanks to an emergency room visit and a long Thanksgiving day that ended with a two-hour drive back home. We enjoyed the day, but we all feel tired and a bit achy.
November 29th
If you are looking for a great way to put you in the mood for Christmas at home, check out the following videos on YouTube! Isn’t technology in the home wonderful? In an instance, YouTube can take you back to an old fashioned Christmas, take you half way around the world to view spectacular Christmas lights or just take you into the homes of other families to see how they celebrate the season.
November 30th
How do you put up a tree? Do you take it out of the box and out it together? Do you go down to your local Home Depot or corner tree lot and put up a real cut tree? Do you go out to a tree farm or the middle of the woods and cut your own?