In the past, I’ve written about my lack of motivation to clean, especially the scrubbing variety of cleaning. I just don’t like it. I’m sure that someone out there does like it, but I don’t know many of those people. Like many, I dislike the process of scrubbing: the procrastinating, the other procrastinating, collecting the equipment, moving everything out of the way, scrubbing, wiping, putting things back where they were. To be honest with myself, it really only takes ten to fifteen minutes to do each of these tasks. It’s just that the procrastinating bit takes longer. Much, much longer. … Continue reading →

I don’t keep house like my mother did. I most certainly don’t keep house like my grandmother did. Yet, when I walk into my house, I feel that it is a safe, clean, and functional space. Yes, the clothes may be shoved into drawers rather than ironed and folded. Yes, the sinks may sometimes be dirty. But overall, my house looks the way I would like it to look, and it looks like people live there. In the past few weeks, I’ve heard two interesting comments from mothers. One was from a woman I had just met. She mentioned that … Continue reading →

On my daughter’s bedroom wall, there is a list. I like to have a can-do attitude about things, so instead of having a list of the chores that she must do, there’s a list of things that she’s able to do. It includes items like “brush teeth and comb hair,” “pick out clothes,” and “make bed”. My daughter can also set the table for dinner, and apparently she can remove everything from her school bag and sort it, although this skill seems to be one we need to work on! While I like to think of my daughter as a … Continue reading →

Eat your greens. Floss your teeth. Insulate your attic. While we weren’t energy-saving wizards, we thought that we’d covered most of the bases of healthy and energy-efficient living. But the energy bills kept on coming and the floors were cold. That’s when we realized that we were living in a sieve. It was a nice sieve. Bamboo floors, hemp curtains, walls painted in low-VOC off white. It was the blower door test that revealed the problem. Imagine this: a man comes to your door with something resembling a giant fan, installs it in said door, and seems to suck all … Continue reading →

I’m a minimalist, not in the things I do, but in the things that I have. At least I try to be. So why is it that it takes me ages to put everything away when I get home? It doesn’t matter if I’m getting home from work or from a day out doing something else. I have a full scale clutter party in my house once I return home, and that seems to be life. Unfortunately, I am also a clutter-o-phobe. While I can live happily with a dirty sink in my bathroom, visual clutter makes me want to … Continue reading →

I am so amazed by anyone who is willing to serve in the military to protect our freedoms, our country and all for which we we stand. That is why I am happy to talk about how soldiers and veterans in need can get help for their homes, whether they need repairs or a home away from home for their families while they get medical treatment. If you are a veteran who needs home help or know of one who does, then you will want to keep reading. There are a number of new programs out there that can provide … Continue reading →