Tag Archives: family dynamics

When You Want to Ditch that Lawn

Does a patch of green outside your home seem more like an obligation than a delight? Would you rather spend your Saturdays doing something other than mowing your lawn? An increasing number of home owners are deciding to ditch the once standard lawn and move on to something that requires less maintenance and less water. But ditching the lawn may not be all that easy in your particular area. Here is what you need to know. Check with your town or city ordinance In some areas, there are rules that may prevent you from ditching the lawn. This is because … Continue reading →

Please Pick the Flowers

A couple of days ago we had our first touch of spring. The sun came out to make it warm enough to leave the heavy coats behind, and the gentle breezes just smelled so good. We decided to drop everything and spend a short bit of time walking around our favorite botanical gardens to greet the new season, or at least chase it a bit. The kids had a great time getting out in the air after being cooped so long. Just a few short weeks ago, we were experiencing heavy storms with record snow accumulation, one after the other. … Continue reading →

Focusing on Your Home’s First Impressions

The other night my family and I were going through the hectic night time routine. My youngest was about to pop into the bath, and we had just finished up dinner. The phone rang, and there it was, unexpected company on the way. Fortunately, we set in place a way to focus on our home’s first impression, to make it all seem uncluttered and welcoming, even on a moment’s notice in the middle of a hectic time. The secret to focusing on your home’s first impression is to, for the moment, ignore the rooms that you usually focus on, such … Continue reading →

The Power of Neighbors

Do you have a good relationship with your neighbors? Most of us these days don’t even know much about our neighbors, let alone have a close bond with them. If you can forge a friendship with your neighbors though, it will pay off in many ways. This was especially true for us this weekend. We are dealing with a situation at home that is taking a lot of time, and our neighbors have really come through. From baby sitting to helping to clear our driveway, we have greatly benefitted from having them in our lives. Here are some ways that … Continue reading →

Dental Floss to the Rescue

This inexpensive staple can really help you around the house. If you find yourself in need, take a look at the list below. Here are ten different uses for dental floss in your home. 1. When cookies are stuck on a baking sheet, use a piece of dental floss to release the, Just slide the floss under the cookies. You’ll loosen them without any breaks. 2. Use dental floss to hang picture frames, wind chimes and any other decorations or accents that need to be hung. Double the floss for heavy frames. 3. If you have a mesh bag or … Continue reading →

Caring for Evergreen Trees

Now is a perfect time to plant some evergreen trees. These trees go dormant in the late fall in preparation for winter. This means that they will require less sunlight and other care. Because of the dormancy of the trees, planting them now will be less stressful than planting these trees during the summer or late spring. Plentiful fall rains will also help the newly planted evergreen trees. Once your trees are already planted, you’ll want to take proper care of them. Fertilizing may or may not be necessary in subsequent years after planting. This will depend on your soil. … Continue reading →

When Weather Takes Over

It is amazing how much the weather can affect your home, and consequently your life. For the last couple of weeks, we have been shown this to be so true. From wind and rain that seemed to come out of no where and stayed practically forever, our home and yard has been greatly affected. On one particular day, for example, all three of our car windshields were broken from falling tree limbs! Yes, so there was the expense for three repairs, right there. Of course, I did score a point for having us all clean out the garage so we … Continue reading →

Back Home Again

There is a saying that you can never go home again. While some of that may be true (I’ll never fit into my fifth grade dance costume, for example), when it comes to an actual home, I think the statement is a little misleading. Life changes, and our home reflect those changes. In my life, I’ve lived in a smaller starter home filled with mismatched hand me down furniture, a sleek luxury apartment with hip accessories, a home filled with a crib, a high chair and lots of pastel and baby things, and a home where toys seem to have … Continue reading →

One Person’s Trash is Another Person’s Garden

Last week I put dinner in the oven, and then I went outside to see if my husband needed any help with the yard work. I found him creating a “burn” pile that consisted of about a quarter of a large forsythia bush that was in our backyard. He just wanted the thing gone. It was pretty overgrown, and he wanted a clear slate to work with for some future new landscaping. I grabbed my gloves and the clippers and got to work decimating the remaining foliage, thinking how it was such as waste. But one of the nice things … Continue reading →

What to Buy for Your Home in October

In a previous post, I talked about some grocer food items that you should get ready to buy in October, even to the point of starting to stock up on those coupons, now. There are other bargains out there in October, especially for the home. You can save a lot of money in two major areas in October, if you are ready for the sales. The first area that I want to talk about is in home appliances. Stores will start reducing appliances in late September, and the deals will culminate in October. This is because most of the new … Continue reading →