Tag Archives: home and garden

Home Week in Review: November 24th Through November 30th

After last week’s running around for the holiday, I am looking forward to a quiet week at home. How was your week? If you missed any posts, check them out here. 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 … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: July 28th Through August 3rd

What makes a house a home? Is it the little decorating touches, the noises of little feet stomping down the stairs in the morning or the feeling that when you enter your home you’ve left the world behind? However you define your home, you’ll find lots of ways in the Home Blog to personalize it and keep it cozy and safe. Here is a review of last week’s articles. July 28th When Remodeling, Consider the Neighbors If you are planning a remodeling project, it is important to consider the neighbors. No, not because they might complain but because their home … Continue reading →

Reaching Out to Nature

Usually the morning routine is a frantic pace of getting everyone dressed and fed and out in the driveway in time for my eldest son to catch the bus to first grade. Then after we wave goodbye, I shuffle the other two children back into the house to begin our daily routine. But the time change must be affecting me. The day is as crisp as the newly fallen leaves, and I didn’t have the heart to make everyone go back inside. So instead, I asked if they wanted to play in the woods, which is essentially our backyard. We … Continue reading →

Find Your Reuse Inspiration

I love it when I come across ideas for reusing unusual things. For example, this summer, I posted an article about reusing inflatable toys. I think it is so inspiring when these types of reuse ideas come up. It shows how creative people can be with what they have. One of my favorite sources for creative ideas is a personal friend of mine. She is constantly coming up with amazing ideas that repurpose items in very creative ways for her home and garden. She often serves as inspiration to me. This morning, I got an e-mail from her telling me … Continue reading →

Handy Home Hints and Tricks

Simplify things with these easy tips: Mark the Spot If you’re hosting a potluck or otherwise having guests who are bringing food along, ask them to mark their containers so you’ll know who belongs to what. A simple return address label intended for mail is great for marking containers. Label makers also work great, so have one handy and apply a label to containers that haven’t been marked as guests place their offerings in the kitchen. Friendships have been damaged by un-returned Tupperware! Use Protection Pick up some felt at any craft or fabric store. It’s very affordable and easy … Continue reading →

Home and Garden Tips that Work

I love handy tips, so I’ve got a few more to share. These work great: Fresher Fridge Did you try using rubberized shelf liner in your fridge? There are some other things you can do to keep your fridge organized and cleaner as well. Try adding a storage tray or shallow container to one shelf and using it as the space where you store leftovers. That way, they won’t get shoved to the back and end up turning into something scary. You’ll not only be more likely to remember to use stuff up, but you’ll also be able to pull … Continue reading →

Home and Garden: Some Spring Tips

Spring is the time of year for change and as you also make a few changes in your home or yard, you might find these tips useful: Freshen Up Even if it’s a bit too early to plant flowers outdoors in your neck of the woods, you can still get some started in planters or flower boxes. Place them outside on the deck, porch, or patio during the sunniest parts of the day and bring them inside at night to protect them. This way, you won’t have to wait to enjoy fresh, colorful blooms. When the weather breaks, transplant outdoors … Continue reading →

Winter Gardening

We just got pounded by a major winter storm that dumped more than a foot of snow on our front lawn. It certainly dashed our hopes of an early spring. But, it did nothing to dampen the spirits of our neighbor who spent about 20 minutes today telling me all about the delicious herbs and vegetables she was growing in her year-round garden (this as we both shoveled paths from the sidewalk to our respective front doors.) Honestly, it never dawned on me to relocate my outdoor plants indoors. The idea of digging up, potting plants, and hoping they flourish … Continue reading →

Return of the Area Rug

In a previous blog I told you about how shag carpeting was making a comeback. Personally, I have never been a fan of the furry carpeting, so it’s a trend I wouldn’t consider incorporating into my home’s décor. However, there is another trend in flooring that interests me very much—-area rugs. Research shows that area rugs are growing in popularity and are becoming more than just room “accessories.” An increasing amount of homeowners are using area rugs to divide a room or define a space within a larger room. For example, if you live in a studio apartment, an area … Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day And Your Garden

Flowers and Valentine’s Day—it seems you can’t have one without the other. But for many of us, February is not the exactly the best time of the year to create bouquets from our own gardens. If you happen to live in a part of the world where your garden flourishes year round then putting together an elaborate flower arrangement (or simply picking a bunch of daises) is not out of the question. For the rest of us… it’s time to hit the flower shop. If you are considering skipping the flowers this Valentine’s Day because you think that it’s too … Continue reading →