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Home Blog Month in Review: August

Did you have a good month? We seem to have packed an entire summer’s worth of activities in this past month. Now, it seems, it is back to school and time to get ready for autumn. Still, it is nice to look back toward warm sands and wearing shorts even as we will soon be crunching leaves and taking out the sweaters. August 1st Getting Out Grass Stains With summer in full swing, chances are that your family has been playing outdoors quite a bit. And with all of that outdoor play comes the grass stains, especially if you are … Continue reading →

Building Fairy Houses

In our yard there have been all sorts of little houses springing up. Just talk a walk around our property, and you just might spot a few. As you exit our house and travel up the slate paved walk, don’t look down. That is because if you keep your eyes ahead and open, you just might see something curious. Just up ahead, there just might be a quaint little cottage tucked beneath a tree. It had a door with a doorknob and a stately tree out front. These fairies like to build there abodes in cozy nooks. Their homes are … Continue reading →

Fresh Ideas For Outdoor Play

Even the most outdoorsy kids sometimes need suggestions for new ways to enjoy being outside. The next time boredom strikes when you are playing outside with your toddler, suggest one of these fun activities. You may just discover a new favorite outdoor activity. Sometimes, the best way to mix things up outside is to do things outdoors that you would normally do indoors. If it is lunch time, why not spread out a blanket and enjoy a picnic on the lawn. Reading is another great indoor activity that can easily be enjoyed outdoors. If your child enjoys having tea parties … Continue reading →

No Free-Range Kids for Me?

You may have heard the term, “Free-Range Kids.” Author Lenore Skenazy has written a book about this topic. I admit that I haven’t read this book, so I can’t review it directly, but I know several parents who have. One thing about the book and the whole “Free-Range Kids” idea is that it is definitely controversial. Skenazy’s website gives a bit of detail about her thoughts and advice. Basically, she advocates for allowing kids more freedom from parents, such as allowing a child to walk alone to school or ride a bus alone. She calls it, “sane parenting.” Here is … Continue reading →

Embracing Frugality

Although we started practicing a frugal lifestyle to allow me to stay home with our first child, since then we have come a long way to embracing the lifestyle. A lot of it, I think has to do with attitude. We’ve gone from thinking, “How on earth can we figure out hoe we can afford to live?” to “I wonder what new opportunities will come our way today!” When you really embrace frugality, you don’t have time to moan about what you don’t have, because you are too busy living life and enjoying it. You’ve cut off the bad part … Continue reading →

Should You Get A Home Equity Loan?

If you have built up a good amount of equity in your home, you might be considering taking out a home equity loan, but is this a good idea? First, think of a home equity loan, also sometimes called a home equity line of credit as an investment tool. If you will be using the money in order to make a significant improvement to your home that will increase it’s value, then this is probably a good investment. A good example is if you remodel your kitchen or adding on additional square footage to your home. These things will generally … Continue reading →

Is It Too Early?

Somethings are just too embarrassing to admit. Okay, so most of us have been there before. We’ve waited and wondered if it was the right time, or if we should just wait for a few more weeks. But some things happen even when you don’t expect them too. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised at it happening. After all, everything around me seems to be screaming out to me that it is the right time now. Every time I go into a store, for example, I feel as though I am surrounded with Christmas decorations, trees, and even music. … Continue reading →

Repairing Our Front Walk

Sometimes a simple home improvement project that should have taken a day or perhaps even a weekend stretches out to last more than a week or two. Have you been following the adventures we have been having trying to get a simple front walk put in? If you missed out of what we have been up to, you can catch up here: Hail in August and Our New Walk Putting in a New Front Walk Defining Our New Front Walk When I last left off, we had just returned from getting some river rock to define the edges of the … Continue reading →

Home Week in Review: August 4th Through August 10th

From summer adventures to falling hail in August, it has certainly been a busy week for us at home. Did you miss anything? Catch up on all of this past week’s Home Blog articles right here! August 4th 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 … Continue reading →

Introducing Myself: Coming Home

Home. There are so many things packed into that small word. Family, warmth, security, frustration, pride, bills, hope, work, creativity, love and a place to hang your hat. The home is the heart of a family, no matter whether it is a one room apartment or a 100,000 square foot castle. There are so many images, so many memories associates with the home, and that is why I am excited, awed and humbled by the opportunity to be one of the bloggers here on the Home Blog at Families.com. Sherry has been bring us some amazing articles, and I’ll be … Continue reading →