Tag Archives: home

Get Your Porch Organized and Decorated for Fall

Fall is fun! There is nothing like the crisp air, the bright colors, and the last push for outdoor adventures before the cold winds of winter start bringing everyone in doors. While you can still enjoy the outside, why not get your porch organized and decorated for Fall? Fall is a great excuse for decorating, but who has the motivation when the front porch is filled with clutter and debris? This area sets the first impression whenever anyone visits your home. Start by removing everything from your porch, so you can clean the floors. Shake out those rugs, use a … Continue reading →

Homemade Cleaning Recipes: Wipes

Make your own laundry detergent; prepare some homemade cleaners; make your own baking mixes.  Whatever it is that you currently buy at the store to keep your home running, from baby wipes to toilet cleaner, chances are that there is a homemade version that will save your money, be gentle on your cleaning surfaces and your family. Non-toxic cleaners are healthier and easily made. Plus, who doesn’t like saving money in the household budget? I’ve gather some of the best and complete homemade cleaning recipes and make your own blog posts on Families.com. Bookmark these posts, so you can come … Continue reading →

Clean For Green

How clean is your home? So many of us whine and complain that cleaning our living space is a never-ending chore. We wake up from deep slumbers with a smile on our face remembering the dream we just had:  The one where our entire house was clean for more than a couple of hours. Household chores are part of a vicious cycle that will follow us to our graves.  But, would your take on washing dishes, dusting and scrubbing toilets change if you were given cold hard cash to complete them? One of the most popular home businesses out there … Continue reading →

Saving $600

 Last week was a rough one. From a fallen tree to the truck’s transmission going bad, it has been one challenge after another. That is why we were pretty much exhausted by the end of it and almost lost $600. My family and I ran some errands on Saturday that kept us out pretty much all afternoon. We did want to make sure that we made it back home in time for the town’s free firework show at the park. So, with just enough time, we left the kids in the car and ran in to the house to grab … Continue reading →

Build Your Own Fire Pit

When our store-bought fire pit became a victim of one nasty storm (a tree limb fell on it and crushed a big dent into it), we started to look around for a new one. The problem was that it was out of season, so such things weren’t easy to come by, unless we wanted to special order one in the hundreds of dollars. The one we had was a clearance item at our local grocery store and cost us less than $60. It was functional and decorative and served us well. We looked around a bit and couldn’t find anything … Continue reading →

Do It Yourself Woods Management

There is a treasure trove out there in the yard, if one only stops to look for it. We live on two acres of wooded property. Some of it is overgrown. Okay, a lot of it is overgrown. When you live in the woods, you tend to live and let live. Even the poison ivy feels comfortable here. It tells its friends, and we get some new crops spouting up each year. Still, there is only so much of this overgrown plant stuff that a former city girl can take. And so, with my limited skills (hey, I can smack … Continue reading →

Preparing for Your Home Birth

When you plan to have your baby at home, part of preparing yourself for the birth of your baby includes preparing your home so that you have a safe and comfortable place to give birth. As your pregnancy progresses, why not gather up everything that you will need and place it in the area where you would like your birth to take place. The biggest item that you will need is the birthing tub, if you would like to have a water birth. Tubs can be purchased or rented, so ask your midwives about what options there are in your … Continue reading →

Finding Time to Cook

When life gets busy, cooking at home is usually one of the first things to go. It is tough to find the time to cook, when there is work, school, kids activities, etc., isn’t it? Eating out becomes the normal thing to do. Unfortunately, eating out can be both expensive and unhealthy, especially if it is continued over time. Because of these two facts, effort must be made to do most of the cooking at home. So where do we find the time to cook? Track the Time Commitment Eating out can actually take more time than you think, unless … Continue reading →

Looking Toward the Light: Centering Spaces and Rituals in Your Home

It is snowing today, and it is quiet. It’s still early in the morning, and everyone else in the house is asleep. This is the time when I can write, and it’s a time when I can be by myself, cultivating my introverted self. This is the busy season, and it is also a season that is dark. This time of the year brings families together, and it is also a sad time for those who have lost friends and family – during this year, during any year. My aunt died suddenly and tragically at Christmas time, and my father’s … Continue reading →

Cleaning Out The Closets

The change of seasons is a good reminder to clean and reorganize your closets. I always rotate clothes with the seasons, this gives me more room in the closet and allows me to see what I’ve really been wearing. First you need to pull everything out of your closet, not all at once, one thing at a time. Ask yourself these questions: 1. How often did I wear this? If the answer is less than twice in six months, it should go in a give a way bag. 2. Do I feel good when I wear this? If it makes … Continue reading →