Most of us are trying to save money any way we can. One area that you may not have considered when it comes to this is your laundry. So here are some tips that may help save you some cash. It could also make the task of laundry more manageable. The first tip is to wash less. The average top-loading washing machine uses about 40 gallons of water. Even though front-loading machines use less (between 10 and 24 gallons), it is still a waste of money to put in smaller loads. You can save not only the use of your … Continue reading →

When I bought my house the inspector said the roof was leaking. Being the optimist I am, I thought a little roof tar and I would be good. That just shows how little I knew about roofs. After waking up to a steady stream of water entering my attic I found I had a lot to learn. Once the rain stopped I patched the roof but knew I had to do something about this aging roof. I did some research online and since the roof was the original one on the house, it was time to replace it. Asphalt roofs … Continue reading →

Last month I wrote about “Chores That Relax You,” which focused on how certain chores are found to be relaxing to some people. One of the other things I have discovered this past week about taking care of my home is that it can also be therapeutic. Our family has been struggling this week to adjust to the fact that my oldest son is no longer living with us. He left Tuesday for basic training with the Air Force. No one can really prepare you for the emotions you will experience when a child leaves the home, no matter the … Continue reading →

If you are a fan of the “Jungle Book,” you might be familiar with the tune “The Bare Necessities.” It is a cute little ditty with some lessons about life. It starts off this way: “Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities…” What exactly are the bare necessities of life? They are the things you need at the most basic level. If it helps, here is another line from the song: “And don’t spend your time lookin’ around, for something you want that can’t be found, when you find out you can live without it, and go along … Continue reading →

Every day we are faced with the challenge of protecting our homes and families from pests. Every year I battle ants, spiders and bees. Right now, it is prime mosquito season here in Utah. We are luckier than most places because it’s such a dry climate but that doesn’t mean we are immune. Mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus so it’s important to protect your family. In most cases the infection is mild, but one in five people develop severe symptoms. Most of us take the usual precautions. Bug spray, citronella candles outside, wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants … Continue reading →

Guess what the first week of August is? It is “National Simplify Your Life Week.” How many of us could use some of that? Although this could apply to a variety of areas in our lives, I can’t help but think of how we could simplify things in our home. Everything from the clutter we collect to the chores that overwhelm us. I think sometimes we make things in life, including the keeping of our home, to be so much more complicated than is necessary. We can’t find things yet we do nothing about the fact that our closets are … Continue reading →

There is nothing like getting ready to go on vacation that makes you realize how much needs to be done around the house. I’m leaving on Saturday to go to Maryland for a week. Hailey and Josh are coming over to housesit and keep the dog. I keep finding things I need to do before they come over. I’ve spent my time after work cleaning, vacuuming, doing laundry and pulling weeds. I still need to pack. Based on airline guidelines I’m trying to decide what to take and what I can live without. It will be much easier to pack … Continue reading →

Are you a busy mom? I know…that’s an oxymoron. What mom isn’t busy? Just thinking about this upcoming week has my head spinning. A full workload, preparing paperwork and other documents for my son’s leave for basic training, finishing touches on a creative writing class I will be teaching for a week, professional pictures being taken, a going away party for my son, appointment with the recruiter and well, you get the picture. Although the details are probably different, I would guess you have a lengthy list as well. So when we have days, weeks or even months where it … Continue reading →

Does your home reflect who you are or who a magazine says you should be? So many times I have left walls and shelves bare more concerned about finding the right decorations than finding decorations that tell you who I am. My home will never be featured in a magazine. Number one it only stays that clean for a minute after it’s done, the rest of the time is sort of messy chaos, in a friendly, happy way. Secondly, what I love, and what’s important to me aren’t necessarily the things other people love. Family is most important to me, … Continue reading →