Favorite Pick: Expanding Folding Crate on Wheels

Expanding Folding Crate on Wheels I know you are wondering why any person would need such a contraption. Do not dismiss this versatile, back saving, cart just yet. I didn’t think I needed on either. I took the advice of a reader and decided to give this a whirl. I discovered it was the one thing I never knew I needed. You see in my homeschool, we are hardly ever home. School is often on the go and that means lugging around a ton of school books and projects. I normally priortized and spread things out among the kids to … Continue reading

Where to Start Your Family’s Genealogy Blog

Are you considering starting your own, personal, genealogy blog for your family? One of the first things you need to decide is where that blog is going to go. Fortunately, there are several simple online resources that can help you get started. Here are a few good ones to choose from. You’re ready to make a genealogy blog. The first thing you are going to need to do is figure out where online you want that blog to be. Here are some options to choose from. One of the easiest ways to make a genealogy blog is to go with … Continue reading

Death by What? A Guide To Old Disease Names

If you are new to genealogy research, and even if you are just new to looking at records that go quite a ways back, you may find yourself looking at a death record and wondering what to make of it. You see, causes of death today are not the same as they once were – or even if they are, they may have had a different name. For example, your father’s grandfather may have died of consumption. It is only natural to wonder, then, what he had been consuming – was he an alcoholic? Did he eat excessively and therefore … Continue reading

Ways to Survive a Car Trip With a Baby

We have lovely friends who live at least an hour’s drive away from us by car. Our extended family is also a short trek away – close enough to make the journey seem feasible, but far enough away to make it seem impossible when you have a child who can’t stand the car seat. I vividly remember the first time we tried to head out to a pre-Christmas dinner with family. Our daughter was about 3 months old, ands she screamed for a good 20 minutes along the way. She screamed so violently that I debated turning the car around, … Continue reading

Quick Ways to Boost the Value of Your Home

The news for reselling a home is pretty depressing. Sales of existing homes are at their lowest point since the 1996, and home values are dropping faster than ever. But sometimes you just need to sell your home, and there is nothing else to do. If you are in this situation, or if you just want to boost your home’s value for a possible refinance, there are some smart moves that you can make. While redoing the kitchens and bathrooms are always a plus, they are expensive and time consuming. Instead focus on some quick tips that will pay off. … Continue reading

Home Blog Month in Review: October

As I sit here looking out my window at the backyard, the birds are hovering in the pine tree against a strong wind and steady rain. The temperature is chilly today, and the calendar reminds me that we have left October behind. October 1st Buy a Home for $1.75 It seems that the housing crisis has made some interesting news lately. Home Month in Review: September 2008 Has the weather turned cooler now that September has passed? Pretty soon, it will be time to get that heat turned back on! Meanwhile, check out all of the articles that were posted … Continue reading

Baby Blog Month in Review: August 2008

Isn’t it crazy the way babies grow so quickly? It seems that you just get used to one stage and boom they are already into another. Tonight, were busy getting the household all set for my eldest child’s first day of second grade. My two younger ones are excited and want to start school, too. It will be a busy month. Don’t worry about the missing last week of blogs. I’ve gotten quite a few questions about where I have been. The Baby Blog tends to go on hiatus the last week of the month. That may change in the … Continue reading

Ask a Baby Blogger: Can a Baby Be Allergic to Breastmilk?

Question: I was told that my baby was fussy and spitting up so much because he was allergic to my milk. This doesn’t really make sense to me–can you explain it better? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but being allergic to breastmilk is not really possible. Babies simply are not allergic to their own mother’s milk. Healthy babies are designed to eat and what they eat is mother’s milk. Plain and simple. Anyone who tells you to switch to formula because your baby is allergic to your milk is not someone that you should be … Continue reading

Sometimes Odd But New Uses for Old Stuff

There is a certain addiction in our household. I can almost say it is a competition sometimes. We all enjoy discovering new uses for items that are used for something else entirely. The stranger the use the better, though we all agree it must be practical too. I have written articles about lots of the things we reuse often, however I plan to write some new ones too. In honor of the new articles that are coming, I thought I would recap my favorite reusable items. A Clever and Very Frugal Way to Use Torn Panty Hose I am completely … Continue reading

More Tile Tips

Yesterday, in New Ways with Old Tile we talked about cleaning, re-grouting, and finding ways to use less than favored tile colors to your advantage. One of the best things about tile in an unusual color is that everyone else won’t have the same thing. You can play up the color or tone it down, but if you do it right, it will look like it was intended as part of your very original design plan. You can always use your imagination and try something a bit more daring than the previous suggestions. Instead of a crisp white against turquoise, … Continue reading