See How They Glisten!

Over the July 4th weekend, with temperatures in the high 90s, I found myself hankering for a refreshing ice-cold beverage. I made my way to the kitchen and the 20-year old Magic Chef refrigerator that came with my home when I purchased it. I poured myself a glass of iced tea and took that first exciting swig...but something was amiss. The tea wasn't so much "iced" as "colder than room temperature". I quickly did a spot check of other items in the old 'fridge and discovered this "lack of full chill" was not limited to the tea - it was systemic!

My heart sank as I realized the day had finally come - the day I knew would come since I purchased my home. It was time to replace/purchase a major appliance. (I assume they are called "major" due to both the price and importance to... Read More

It's Always Something

If there's one thing I've learned about owning a home, it's that there's always something to be done to it... in it... around it...for it...

Before my husband and I bought our house, we lived in a small apartment. Ahh, the carefree days of the landlord having your garbage disposal replaced when it starts making that strange gargling noise. Having the building manager send out a plumber to fix a clogged tub. Telling the management company you need your carpets steam cleaned, since it has been a few years. Those were the 'good old days'.

Except for when your landlord said you couldn't paint your walls. Or when the manager left her clothes in the dryer all day so you couldn't finish your laundry. Or the time the management company took weeks to come fix a... Read More

Sharing Poison Ivy

The other week, I contacted poison ivy from, I suspect, vines I was pulling along the fence that separates our backyard from two of our neighbors'. The poison ivy most likely was hiding among the other vines that grew alongside and under and over and, well, you get the picture. It was a mass of green weeds that had to go and my arms and legs paid the price of my weeding activity.

As I was pulling the vines, I was thinking of how long we had waited before addressing the rock garden along the fence that had turned into a weed garden. Maybe we weren't being a good neighbor by not addressing this sooner.

Yesterday, when I was walking toward our shed to put something away, I noticed one of our neighbor's pruning her bushes along our shared fence. I stopped to warn her ab... Read More

Get Rid of Unwanted Items the Green Way

Now is the time of year when many of us finally get around to tackling our biggest cleaning and organizing projects around the house. That might include cleaning out cramped closets, boxing up clothes, and even getting to that cluttered garage. Do your part to create a second life for your extra and outgrown stuff and keep it out of the landfill.

Clothing
There’s just something satisfying about a clean closet. As you organize, you might have a lot of old or outgrown clothes you no longer need. An easy thing to do with clothing in good condition is to donate it to Goodwill. You will get a tax deduction and the resale of the items pays for job training programs. Gently worn children’s and teen clothing is highly sought after and you can even make a little money by taking it ... Read More

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Put Your Home On An Energy Diet

I'd like to share a great article from the Rismeida site (see link below for more info) about putting your home on an energy diet.

We’ve all been there on making well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions, among them promising faithfully to go on a diet, exercise and eat healthier. And sometimes, we may even keep those resolutions for a little while before falling off the wagon.

As part of the yearly New Year’s resolution-making ritual, the Alliance to Save Energy encourages consumers to check out their home’s physical fitness and, depending on its overall state of health, put it on an ‘energy diet.’

How is your Home’s ‘Physical Fitness?’

The “physical fitness” of your home can make the difference between soaring energy bills or comfortable savings... Read More

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Real Tree or Fake Tree

For those of you celebrating Christmas (or Druidism) this holiday season, I wonder if you go real tree or fake tree. And whose choice is it? Yours? Your spouse? Mom or dad's?

Oh, and we go real tree. My choice. ;)... Read More

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