Bedroom TV

Do you have a TV in your bedroom? Everything I’ve read suggests that the bedroom is one of the worst places to have a TV. Watching TV in bed can be disruptive to intimacy. The TV can affect the way you sleep. The bedroom is supposed to be a quiet and calming place. Television is disruptive the serenity we are looking for in the place where we unwind, rest, and rejuvenate. My parents have always had a TV in their bedroom. That’s what I grew up with. The children were not to have TVs in their rooms, but Mom and … Continue reading →

Make Your Bed

Do you make your bed every day? When I was little my mom taught me to make my bed every day. Mom told stressed upon me how made beds are much nicer to get into at night. She was right there. Mom told me that your room could be a little bit messy and still look nice and put together if your bed was made. The funny thing about that was that Mom’s room was never messy. The house was never messy either. You could be sick in bed and Mom would make the bed around you. I am horrible … Continue reading →

Taking Care of Glassware

A little bit of care will help keep all of your glassware looking like new, whether you have crystal stemware or everyday drinking glasses. A little TLC will go a long way to keep your glasses scratch free. Should You Put Glassware in the Dishwasher? Hand washing glassware is always best, but yes, you can glasses in the dishwasher. If you want to keep them at their best, you should use the delicate wash cycle, space the glasses out so they don’t accidentally clink together, and skip the high heat drying cycle. Instead, air dry the glasses. Hand Washing Glassware … Continue reading →

Advice for a Home Office

Having a separate place to go to play bills, organize papers and conduct business at home can really be helpful. If you happen to work at home, too, then a home office is essential. Go beyond a basic functioning space to one that feels warm and good to be in. A sweet home office will not only have you looking forward to using it, but will also increase your productivity, when you can find exactly what you need exactly when you need it. The first thing you should do when setting up a home office is to take how you … Continue reading →

Advice for a Small Living Room

The living room is often the center of the home. We use it for relaxing, entertaining, as a play room and often even for working. It really is the everything room, especially in smaller homes. Maximizing the space and keeping everything functional is the goal of a small living room. There are some special considerations and things that work well in a small space. Here is some advice for you if you want to set up or redecorate a small room. Start with the Seating To some degree, your small space is going to dictate the type of seating that … Continue reading →

Having a Home Office with Kids

I’m a work at home mom. As a freelance writer and content manager, as well as a mom to three children, each day is a matter of balance and time management. My children need me, my clients need me, my community needs me, and of course the house needs me (well, in the sense that it needs my attention so we don’t wind up being featured in an episode of hoarders). Just yesterday, for example, my husband was out later, leaving me alone with the kids. Of course that doesn’t mean that my work schedule can change. So, while meeting … Continue reading →

The Romans Laundry Room

A laundry room is just another utilitarian room in the house. Or is it? After reading Crissy’s post, My Laundry Room,” I was inspired to write my own. After all, I learn a lot from the way other people have their homes set up, and I am always looking for suggestions for my own. Just like Crissy, I seem to be doing laundry all of the time, but it is no longer daily. With our new larger capacity washer, I find that it is usually more efficient to wait until I have an overly full basket of one type of … Continue reading →

Drop-Side Cribs

Before we could be licensed as foster parents, we had to have beds for the children we were taking into our home. Our age range was zero to five. We decided that cribs that converted to beds were best. That way we could change the bed style depending on the child. I started shopping for cribs. I was always a fan of sleigh beds, so loving sleigh cribs made sense. I worried, though, that I wouldn’t be able to lay down a sleeping child or pick up one in distress. I am very short and the thought of using a … Continue reading →

Cooking vs Fixing

When I got married I cooked dinner for my husband almost every night. I subscribed to several different cooking magazines and couldn’t wait to try each recipe in every one of them. I bought cookbooks and drooled over the pictures and wanted to cook, cook, cook. I am the youngest of four with five nephews and four nieces. Whenever my family would gather together for holidays and events, I would bake a beautiful and delicious cake. I loved baking cakes for the family and the compliments my cakes would receive. Our first house was ideal for cooking and baking. The … Continue reading →

My Laundry Room

How often do you do laundry? I don’t remember how often my mom did laundry. There were a lot of us, so I’m sure she did it frequently. The washer and dryer were on the service porch and pretty easily accessible. When Chris and I got married we lived in a townhouse in Huntington Beach. We had a washer and dryer in the garage. I did laundry on Mondays. I had to run up and down the stairs frequently but it worked out well. The pantry in the kitchen had laundry hookups for a stacked washer and dryer, but it … Continue reading →