Are you a good housekeeper? What would others in your home say about that? I would guess it’s not something most of us think about too much. We have way too many other important responsibilities in life to give much thought to it. But for whatever reason, one day I decided to ask my family if they thought I was. Believe it or not, I had to explain to my teens what a housekeeper was. They had no idea what I was talking about. “What’s a housekeeper?” they asked. So I had to rephrase the question. “What kind of a … Continue reading →

What is it with trying to keep the area under the kitchen sink organized? That is probably one of the most neglected spots in my kitchen. When you have nothing but a wide open space, I think it’s just easier to store things in there. But it can quickly become cluttered and pretty soon, you have no idea what’s underneath there anymore. This weekend I plan on doing something about it. I am going to take out everything and get rid of items that are no longer usable. But I’m not just going to toss the remaining stuff back inside. … Continue reading →

Throughout the years I have oftentimes heard moms say that the upkeep of their home isn’t as important as spending time with their children. While I would certainly never argue against that, I do think there still needs to be some balance. After all, if you don’t want to create health problems for your children, you will at least do something about the dust. Those who are quick to pride themselves on quality time with the children, over the inch of dust covering their furniture don’t really impress me. Dust isn’t just unpleasant to look at. It is bad for … Continue reading →

Keeping a home is more than just making sure everything is in order and the laundry is caught up. It is about more than decorating and using the best cleaning products. It is also about safety. Did you know that your home has hidden dangers? Let’s look at where some of those dangers are lurking. How often do you clean out your lint trap in the dryer? You should do this every time you change a load. And you might want to take it a step further and vacuum out the filter chamber. A buildup of lint can lead to … Continue reading →

What feelings do people experience when they walk into your home? Does it feel cold and stiff, as if they have walked into a museum and they can’t touch a thing? Or does it feel warm and welcoming? I don’t think we give much thought to the feelings evoked in others when they step through the door of our home. But it’s something you might want to consider, especially with the holidays just around the corner. Colors can speak a lot about you. Bold, vibrant colors or patterns may be your thing but keep in mind that for others, it … Continue reading →

I’m not much of a holiday decorator when it comes to my home. In fact, there are only two holidays in which I do, the fall season and Christmas. This is the time of year in which I break out the scarecrows. Mr. Bob (yes, I named him) is my favorite. He is my largest scarecrow that sits on our porch. I also have a few pumpkin decorations that grace my home as well. I keep it neutral. In other words, it isn’t about Halloween or Thanksgiving. It is more of a “harvest” look, so that way I can keep … Continue reading →

This week my 15-year-old daughter made an entire meal by herself. It was meat loaf and fried potatoes. I wasn’t home to help her, so she was entirely on her own. When I did come home, it was to a huge mess. I had done a really good job teaching her how to make one of our favorite meals but I had apparently not taught her the art of keeping the kitchen clean while you cook. It drives me crazy when I see someone cooking or baking and there is a mess everywhere. That’s probably why I especially enjoy the … Continue reading →

After cleaning my bathroom floor the other day, I noticed some discoloration in the grout between the tiles. It is much easier to clean the tiles but mildew and dirt can be a bit more stubborn when it comes to your grout. If you want to give it a real good cleaning, use a grout cleaning brush. These can be found at your local “Home Depot,” “Lowes” or other type of home improvement store. However if it isn’t too dirty, you may be able to get away with using a toothbrush (of course, it goes without saying that it shouldn’t … Continue reading →

This past Monday I came back to my home in Wisconsin after a trip to Texas. My family went to see my 18-year-old son’s graduation from basic training with the Air Force. The eight weeks he was gone seemed to stretch on forever. But in the days leading up to the trip, I had so much on my mind in the way of packing and planning, that it diverted my thoughts at least somewhat. One of the goals that I had for this trip was to come back home to a clean house. I didn’t want to leave it in … Continue reading →

My family has been packing for a trip to Texas. So it has required me to take more notice of things that need to be organized. We were trying to decide which medications to take, such as something for car sickness, ibuprofen, migraine and allergy medicine. But finding what I needed proved to be a challenge. That’s because I realized how completely disorganized my medicine cabinet was. And I ended up having to throw out items that were past their expiration date. So I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to clean it out. That required emptying it first. … Continue reading →