Alternate Escape Route for Fires

Three sisters aged 12-19 died this weekend in a house fire. They had huddled in a closet and called 911. Their mother jumped off a deck to escape the fire, and neighbors could not get in to rescue the girls. I was devastated by the news remembering how my parents suffered my my sisters died young from disease. I can’t imagine how having your children die without warning must feel. The pain must be multiplied exponentially. This got me thinking about our family’s fire escape plan. We have two different route’s planned out… one to go out of my son’s … Continue reading →

Getting Your Home Ready for Summer Vacation

It seems that summer is always ready before I am. I still haven’t finished all of the spring cleaning before everyone gears up for the summer activities. Even though my oldest child will be in school for almost another month, there are already evening summer activities lined up, such as music concerts on the lawn and summer barbecue parties. As the mom, I will be expected to host everything from backyard camp outs to worm gardens, all while smiling in my matching short set and carrying a cool pitcher of lemonade. Forget the fact that there is still insulating plastic … Continue reading →

What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA is a great way to have your household become connected with your community, while enjoying fresh food and even some great savings. In today’s modern form of CSA, community members buy shares in a farm or from a farming community. In turn, these members get to share in the bounty of the farm’s harvest. Members get local, seasonal produce and other farm products. There are a lot of rewards in this system for both the farmer and the member. Benefits to CSA Some of the benefits that you will experience when you are part of … Continue reading →

Retro Items You Should Have at Home

Do you think that you left the 70’s or 80’s behind long ago? With all of our modern conveniences, there are still a few retro things that we shouldn’t ditch just yet. Having these items around could save you money, be convenient and help take care of the environment. Plug in Telephone I am proud to say that we always have a plug in telephone at the ready. While we use it a little bit differently from how I remember using it growing up (long cord stretched into the apartment bathroom for privacy away from my parents), we still do … Continue reading →

It’s Tax Time 2009!

Are you all set with your taxes? If you live in the United States, you know what I mean. Tax paperwork is due next month, and many of us still have it hanging over our heads. This weekend, my husband and I are determined to get the monkey off of our back, so to speak, and get all of our paperwork organized. We divide and conquer. My little portion is to add up the deductible household donations that we have made during the year and take care of any business-related expenses. With tax time in mind, I thought we might … Continue reading →

What the Color of Your Car Says About You

Are you aggressive, fun loving, cool, or cautious? Research done comparing insurance claims and the color of people’s cars reveal some interesting trends regarding a link between the color of your car and your personality. Insurance.com pasted the results of the survey, which was done in great Britain and took a look at 130,000 insurance claims. It also took a look at which color cars are most likely to be in an accident, and which not. The most dangerous car color is black (no surprise there), and the lease dangerous car color, that is the one least likely to be … Continue reading →

Daylight Savings Time

If you are wondering whether you should reset your clocks today, you can relax. Daylight savings is on November 2nd this year. That means that you will just have to wait one more week until you can sleep in and enjoy the extra hour. We have been having discussions with the neighbors about Daylight Savings Time and how it will affect our lives. It is already getting pretty dark here around 6 p.m. No doubt our heavily wooded lots contribute to that a bit. Away from open sky and the city lights, things tend to go dark a little earlier. … Continue reading →

Have a Victorian Evening at Home

When we look back at the Victorian era we see it as a romantic and nostalgic time. While the people who were living it might not have thought so, there is still something magical about that time period, with its emphasis on children, family and togetherness. I recently watched the videos of a show originally produced in Great Britain called The 1900s house. In it, a modern family becomes a Victorian family, living as the Victorians did in a house that was period perfect. While I might not want to go on such an adventure with my family, a Victorian … Continue reading →

The Phone is Ringing!

The home phone (landline), my cell phone, and my husband’s cell phone are each ringing at this very moment. When you have kids, especially teens and ‘tweens, it may seem like the phone never stops ringing. Even if you don’t have kids, it may ring quite a bit. You might just begin hearing ring tones in your sleep! On that note, it’s a good idea to pick a ring tone that you really, really like. My cell phone rings all day while I’m at work, so I have a ton of voicemail by the end of the day. The home … Continue reading →

On Being Practical

Being practical might sound boring. Boring or not, it is an essential quality when it comes to maintaining a household. If you are feeling the economic crunch, these practical tips might just come in handy. The best part is they are pretty painless. Conserve Energy Yes, it’s the environmentally conscious thing to do, but it’s also practical in other ways. You’ll save money by using the fan first instead of going straight for the air conditioning. You may also help avoid power outages if your area is prone to them under heavy power usage. If each of us uses just … Continue reading →