How to Childproof Your Toddler’s Room

Toddlers are really good at getting into things that parents wish they would leave alone. A viral video that showed a dresser falling over onto twin toddler boys made many parents want to learn how to childproof their toddler’s room. You may have seen the viral video that showed two twin toddlers climbing up their dresser when they were supposed to be sleeping. The two-year-old boys, Bowdy and Brock, figured out how to open up the bottom drawers of the dresser and use them like a step so they could climb up to the top of the dresser. Unfortunately, the … Continue reading

Invest Your Time Wisely

“Time is money” is an old saying that is meant to convey the urgency of rushing ahead because any time wasted could be time spent earning money. Many times in our frugal lifestyles, we trade off time in order to save money, such as cooking from scratch instead of going through the fast food line, taking out the time to create a grocery list and clip coupons before shopping, etc. Most of the time these are good choices and have a secondary benefit. The time I spend hanging laundry means saves some money, but it also means that my kids … Continue reading

Staging Your House for Less

Something about spring makes me start watching all of those home shows. You know the ones where couples and sometimes singles look for the perfect house, fix up and put their homes on the market or just do some renovations. Maybe it is because spring is the most popular time of the year to list a house and get a buyer. While the housing market has promise of turning around, there is still quite a lot of “stock,” houses on the market. This means that in order to make yours sell, it needs to shine. One thing that helps house … Continue reading

Tips for Designing Your Nursery

Many parents – to – be get a great deal of enjoyment out of preparing their homes for their new babies. Designing a special nursery for a new arrival can be a lot of fun, even if you are working with a tight space and/or a tight budget. Here are a few tips and ideas to get you started – with a little of your own creativity, your nursery will be a one of a kind sanctuary where you and your baby can relax. Save on furniture costs by mixing and matching store bought pieces with basic shelves and bookcases that … Continue reading

10 Money Saving Ideas for Your Home

Spend less, save more, and make your house a home with the following ten money saving ideas. 1. Buy Less Most of us have more stuff than we need, and we continually add to it all of the time. Think about borrowing instead of purchasing, and evaluate what you really can’t live without in your home. You’ll save money and have a more peaceful environment. 2. Learn to Make Repairs A simple change of a washer will cost you just a couple of dollars if you do it yourself, but if you call a plumber, you will be given a … Continue reading

Is Your Sofa Safe?

I often worry about the chemicals I use in my house.  I worry about what exactly is in the air freshener I use.  I freak out when my husband buys a Teflon skillet. But, I just read that another real threat in my house may be my sofa. My sofa?  A threat?  Yes. Since 1975, California has required that all furniture with foam such as sofas and baby products such as car seats be treated with flame retardant chemicals.  That standard, maybe because California is so large a state, became the standard for most other states. The problem is while … Continue reading

Furniture Deals and Discounts in February

Last Saturday, my family and I spent most of the afternoon at IKEA. We are finally at the  point of furnishing the living room, and we wanted to get some good ideas. Plus, I needed to pick up some personal laundry hampers for two of the kids, since their clothes never seem to find their way into the main upstairs laundry hamper. One of the things that we noticed while at IKEA is that there were a number of furniture items that were discounted by up to 30 percent. These were tagged “last chance” because they were being discontinued to … Continue reading

Extra Expenses of Caring for an Elderly Parent in Your Home

If you will be caring for an elderly parent in your home, you may need to budget for some extra expenses. Even if your parent has his or her own income to pay for items such as prescription medication, you still may have additional costs that creep up and raise your bills at the end of the month. Make sure to put a little extra aside in the following categories of your budget. Electricity With an extra person in your home, you may see an increase in your electric bill. Many elderly people can’t get around and tend to watch … Continue reading

A Homemaker’s Christmas

What is a homemaker? A homemaker is not male or female, young or old. A homemaker is a person who builds a house into a home. Helping someone find the tools and skills to create a home is a wonderful gift. How can you share the homemaking love this Christmas? Give Inspiration I’m giving out a lot of homemaking inspiration this year in the form of jams, cookies, and canned fruit. I love to share what I’ve made, and sometimes it inspires others to do the same. Give Family Recipes I’ve done this a couple of times, and I’ve also … Continue reading

Three Home Businesses that Can Get You Out of Debt

To speed up your debt recover, consider starting a home business. It can help you earn extra income that can be applied directly to paying off your debt. Best of all? Most home businesses can be done at home, on your terms, and take as much time as you want to spend. This makes home businesses ideal for retirees, stay at home moms, stay at home dads, and even students. In fact, any one can start a home business to get out of debt. When selecting a home business to pursue for the goal of getting out of debt, it … Continue reading