Search Results for: blog before you leave the house i

The Treasures That Fill Your Home

You’re such a “Bah Humbug,” my daughter said to me with a chuckle.  Here it was the day after Christmas and she had woken up to a house put back together. That’s right.  The lights were taken down from the windows.  The Christmas tree was packed up and there was no sign that decorations had ever filled the rooms. I’m really not a Scrooge.  I love Christmas.  I treasure this time of year.  And I enjoy decorating my home. But I am so much more comfortable when everything is normal.  My normal means the many picture frames that decorate the … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Homemade Cleaners

Home remedy cleaners are nothing new. In fact, home owners have been crafting their own cleaners for decades, and these old recipes have been proven over and over again. At the same time, there is a call for new types of cleaners, such as dishwasher rinse aids. Making your own cleaners is much less expensive than spending money on the cleaners that you purchase at the store. Try the following home remedies and see which ones you like. Toilet Bowl Cleanser The nice thing about this toilet bowl cleanser is that not only is it cheap, but it is also … Continue reading →

It’s Fall – Time to Redesign Your Garden Space

What are you thankful for today? Today, I am thankful for my new garden up the road – a borrowed garden in someone else’s yard that is so much sunnier than my own. I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with mulching techniques and garden design. In my own small garden, I’ve had to be quite creative about space. I live in a townhouse with a tiny yard, and my tiny yard doesn’t really have room for a big garden bed. For a few years, I tried having a garden bed, but it just didn’t make sense. It was … Continue reading →

Freebies from JC Penney, Waffle House, American Apparel, and More!

People who are frugal become experts at finding a deal. Finding a good freebie is always a treat! If you know where to look, you can find a whole bunch of freebies on a variety of things. This time, I found freebies on haircuts, music, coffee, and more! JC Penney is offering free haircuts for kids every Sunday, starting on November 4, 2012. It seems that this is in the hopes of bringing more customers into the JC Penney store, and also to help families to fit a haircut into their budget. You should probably call ahead and make an … Continue reading →

Green Tips For Your Home Business

When you make the switch from working outside of the home to working from home, you do something wonderful for the environment by cutting out your daily commute to and from work. Even if you were not driving a very long way to go to work, cutting out that vehicle trip five days each week does reduce your effect on the environment. Now that you work from home, you may be spending a lot more time at your house than you did before. This is a great opportunity to take some time to learn a few new habits that can … Continue reading →

Teach Your Children Before It’s Too Late

We all have things we wish we would have done differently., especially when it comes to raising our children. If I could do things over again I would have made Hailey do more chores, take more responsibility around the house. When I became a single parent it just seemed easier to do things myself. The time it would take to teach Hailey was time we could spend doing something we enjoyed, so I didn’t teach her. Now she is an adult and is missing some very important life skills. If you think it’s hard to teach a ten year old … Continue reading →

Pets Leaving Food: Should You Worry?

My cats have caused so many food-related problems this year. I went from giving my cats food once a day to twice a day, then three times, having to split up normal portions into weird smaller amounts. My cat’s gluttony, food thievery, mischievous behavior, and sudden desire to eat people food all prompted my decision. As spring progressed and melted into summer, I thought I’d finally sorted things out. No, now my cats have changed their eating habits again. It all started when Jon and I left for a weekend. I put out two days’ worth of food; we weren’t … Continue reading →

Missing Your Spouse, Even When They’re Around

Do you miss your spouse when he or she is around? I have on occasion found myself telling Jonathan that I miss him, even when he’s sitting right in front of me. Usually I say this in response to his having to leave for a day or so for work. Sometimes I even do it when he has to take a rare night shift, which I know is crazy. On those days I’m actually getting to see more of him than I would on a normal day, because he’s home in the morning, leaves at 3 pm, and is back … Continue reading →

Picking Up the Night Before

Nothing can put a damper on your day quicker than waking up to a messy house. Well, at least that is true for me. When I find it impossible to pick up the night before and I wake up to what wasn’t done, it can quickly dictate my mood. Suddenly I am a little snappy and touchy. I get an overwhelming sense of dread about the day that is before me. While this might seem like commonsense, I would guess that not everyone has considered the idea of picking up at nighttime. But I guarantee you it can make a … Continue reading →

When You Are Prepared, You Don’t Panic

On Tuesday evening there was a loud pop and a few sparks at the end of our driveway. At the same time, our power went out in the house. It looks like the temperamental transformer blew, and it left five homes, including ours, in the dark. Although this was very inconvenient, we didn’t have to panic. We had a cell phone, which we used to call the power company, plenty of bottled water in case we got thirsty (without power, we lose function of the well pump), additional water to flush toilets, lots of snacks and easy to eat food … Continue reading →