Getting Organized for a Yard Sale

Having your own yard sale is a great way to de-clutter your home and earn a little extra spending money besides. But getting everything ready for a yard sale can be a daunting task. Here are some tips on how to get everything organized. Make a Staging Area Pick an out of the way area of your home where you can store, price and organize your yard sale inventory. Most people use the garage or a spare bedroom. Our neighbor makes use of a camper on their property. Having a place to go to drop things off as you find … Continue reading →

How to Buy a Generator 2

Tis the season to lose power as wintery winds, snow storms, and ice coat the land here in most of the country. At our house here in the woods, we tend to lose power at least four of five times a year. This can be very inconvenient, especially since losing power also means losing heat and water. Just two short weeks after we moved in to our home we purchased a generator. It was a very good investment. Here is a continuation of how you can choose your own household generator. Let’s talk about how much capacity you require from … Continue reading →

How to Buy a Generator

With snow and ice blanketing or threatening to blanket most of the country, it is important for home owners to be prepared. Being without power can mean living with out electricity, water and heat, and this could be deadly in some cases. One purchase that may be a good investment, depending on where you live, is a private generator that can replace your source of electricity when your power fails. There are different types of generators, from small portable ones for a few essential services to large whole home ones that automatically switch over in the event of a power … Continue reading →

How Do You Sort Laundry?

All across the land, people are hiding a dirt little secret…their laundry. One thing I have discovered lately, is that people are reluctant to talk about how they do their laundry, when and how often they do their laundry and how they sort it all. Why is this? Keep reading and then share your thoughts. I often ask people how they do their laundry, partly because I am just curious and partly because I want some reassurance that I am doing it the right way. But laundry is personal. Not only is it the evidence of our real life personal … Continue reading →

Making Ironing Easier

Some people hate ironing, while others don’t mind it at all. Whichever the case for you, there are ways to make the task easier. Just follow some simple techniques and preparations, and you’ll be done in no time. Remove any clothes to be ironed when they are slightly damp. Fully-dried clothes have fully-dried wrinkles set in, so a slightly damp garment is easier to iron. If you use a machine dryer, set the timer or setting to leave the clothes slightly damp. If you line dry, shorten the time that the clothes hang and check them every so often. Then … Continue reading →

Make your own Summer Accessories

There is a great variety of summertime accessories to dress up your home. Some of these items have hefty price tags, but you can make your own decorative pieces that will work just as well. Your vacation items can be a great source for summer accessories. Vacation photos add a nice personal touch. A smattering of photos from several years’ worth of vacations will not only add some fun but will also inspire discussion of fond family memories. What about those seashells you or the kids have collected? They make great decorative pieces for side tables and or the coffee … Continue reading →

Reader Question: What if I don’t want to turn on the Oven?

When it’s hot, many of us shy away from using the oven and heating up the entire kitchen (instead of just our food), much like this reader: Here’s my question. So many meals require cooking in the oven. I want to make a good meal but what if I don’t want to turn on the oven and make the kitchen hotter? Cooking on the grill is always an option, but my second favorite is using the toaster oven instead of the oven. If you have a large family, it will take a little longer to prepare your dinner, due to … Continue reading →

When Disaster Strikes: How you can Help, II

If you want to lend a helping hand, it is usually best to first find out what type of help is needed. Many times, people whose hearts are in the right place, find themselves turned away when all they want to do is help those in need. It is nothing personal, but a process must be followed to ensure that disaster relief is done in an organized fashion. This is for the well-being of all involved. Keep in mind that people with no training or experience in search and rescue (as well as other areas) can literally create more danger, … Continue reading →

When Disaster Strikes: How you can Help

Tornadoes, snowstorms, flooding … we’ve seen them all within about a month’s time. Other areas have seen worse, and unfortunately, such things (and worse) will continue to occur at times in various places. When emergencies arise, many of us feel the urge to get involved. Even those who don’t feel the full force of a disaster are generally affected by it to some degree. It’s a shocking event. Many people will simply want to help those near their homes, throughout their communities or even beyond, who have been harmed by a disaster. Unfortunately, some may not know where to start. … Continue reading →

More Quick, Easy Staging Tips

Following yesterday’s article, here are some more quick, easy home staging tips: Freshen up the Bathroom Bathrooms (and kitchens) sell homes. You’ll hear it again and again, because it’s true. So, it is imperative that bathrooms feel fresh and clean. Before an open house, you will obviously want to clean the bathroom thoroughly. Then, add a few simple touches to make it feel even fresher and cleaner. A nice air freshener with a subtle, clean scent is a good idea. Also, switch out things like soap, towels, and even toilet paper. Put a new roll of toilet paper in the … Continue reading →