This coffee lovers gift basket is the perfect personalized Christmas gift to show someone special how much you love them. They are very easy to make by following my tips. Deck the halls with lots of baskets…gift baskets that is! I just love to come up with all kinds of gift baskets to treat my…
Keeping your dog happy is one of life’s little pleasures, for me. I mean, how hard is it to do things for someone you love so much? Our family members are huge animal lovers. We have had so many furry friends that have become a part of our family over the years – count ’em…
If you are looking for a fun way to incorporate fitness on your life, try walking your dog. I recently developed a new attitude to my health and fitness and have taken it up with a vengeance. I admit it. I have been lax for years about getting in some daily exercise. I have…
Unless you are a fitness person at heart, I am sure you have a million reasons why you should not exercise. I call these exercise excuses and I have a ton of them. My mind knows that I should exercise, but my motivation is not always present. On those days, I have a 101 reasons…
Trying to get some exercise in every day can be a challenge when you have healthy issues. So today’s question is “should you still walk when it hurts?” The answer is a qualified yes! It is sort of a catch 22. Walking is good for your knees and hips. But knees and hips with arthritis…
When summer rolls around, you can easily see the effects of winter moisture on your home. These before and after power washing photos show quite a difference! It’s been a busy summer for my husband and me. Power washing the exterior of our house and surrounding areas was one of this summer’s biggest projects. I…
Keep these power washing tips in mind while you tackle the project and your home will be like new in no time at all. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that my husband Richard and I love to do labor intensive projects that really make a difference in…
Today’s kitchen tip shows how to hull your strawberries with a drinking straw to save the waste that comes with cutting the top off, or the time that it takes to use a knife to hull each one properly. Hull Strawberries with a Straw to save waste. Our family eats strawberries year round. They are…
Cleaning a microwave with lemons in minutes is easy. All you need are cut lemons and a bowl of hot water. A few minutes on high and you won’t be ashamed to open your microwave door any longer! I use my microwave all the time, so it does tend to get dirty and discolored, particularly…
Having a well stocked home bar is helpful for those times you want to call your friends over for an impromptu happy hour at home. Remember the days when happy hour was the highlight of the week? Celebrating with friends over to share cocktail recipes is a fun thing to do. But with the busy…
This project for my front door makeover is one that I have been wanting to do for several seasons. A beautiful front door transforms the entry to your home, adds great appeal and gives a pop of color to an otherwise bland and boring entry. Note: Power tools, electricity, and other items used for this…
Follow these tips for cooking with mushrooms to ensure that every meal in which you use them as an ingredient will turn out perfectly. Mushrooms are one of my favorite vegetables. They are a member of the fungus family and have been used in recipes since the early Roman and Greek times. Mushrooms are very…
These 15 money saving BBQ tips will trim the fat on your grocery bill but still make sure that your gatherings are something for your guests to remember. It is finally that time of the year again. Memorial day, the Fourth of July, and Father’s day are just around the corner. This means that the…
Turmeric is not just used for making Asian and Indian foods. There are also many health benefits of Turmeric. Turmeric is an often used spice in curry recipes and is a healthy way to add flavor and color to an Indian inspired home cooked meal like Tikka Masala. Turmeric is a tropical plant (it needs…
One of the more recent developments in the world of kitchen gadgets are silicone kitchen products. I first heard about them when I tried a silicone baking mat, but since then have heard of many other products. Some popular silicone products are oven mitts, pastry brushes, barbeque brushes, cupcake liners, spatulas, and a host of…
These tips to save money on food will show you how to get the most out of your shopping dollar while still enjoying great tasting meals. As with so many money saving tips, it’s best to start small and be sensible. If your household loves meat, swapping tofu for meat because it is cheaper won’t…
Don’t throw those shopping bags out. There are dozens of uses for plastic grocery bags! Plastic or paper is a question often heard at the check out of the grocery store. Even though paper is better for the environment, I usually choose plastic, because I know that I will be reusing them. Plastic grocery bags…
Did you know that there is quite a list of foods you should not keep in the fridge? The storage of foods is one the most-discussed topics in the food industry. After all, we want to make sure that the money spent is not wasted and that our food is as fresh and tasty as…
So many recipes that we prepare, almost on a daily basis require onions. And so many of us end up in tears the minute we try to slice one. But it is very easy to slice onions without crying if you follow just a few easy steps. It is easy to Slice Onions without Crying….
That dreaded 5 or 10 pounds seems to creep on this time of the year. Here are my favorite 20 tips to help you avoid holiday weight gain. The holidays are here, and for many this means a week so entertaining, indulging and basically forgetting to eat well. Extra junk calories seem to be everywhere,…
Now is the perfect time to winterize garden tools. The garden will be resting for a few months but tools still need TLC. Once the cooler weather sets in, and thoughts of the upcoming holidays come to mind, that last thing we want to think about is gardening. But trust me, your garden tools will…
It’s an expensive time of the year! There seem to be so many uses for our dollars when the holidays roll around. These frugal tips will make your holiday season something to remember without breaking the bank. The whole essence of a successful holiday season does not lie in the amount of money you spend,…
This list of 25 foods you can freeze may have some items that will surprise you. We have all heard about foods that you should not freeze, (salad greens, I am looking at you!), but the list of foods that you can freeze is very long and some may well surprise you. Freezing food can…
Managing your old used candle wax. Candles are wonderful at setting the mood of a room, but once the candle burns down to the bottom it can be unsightly and hard to remove from the container. Some candle containers are so delightful, so it is nice to reuse them. Candles can also be messy and…
This collection of cheat sheets give you a handy way to find the info you want quickly. Sometimes, I just wish there was an easy way to have all the great information that you find online handy in one place, don’t you? Cheat sheets are the way to go. These helpful graphics and charts make…
There is nothing like the look of freshly washed windows, especially when there are no smudges on them. The light just seems to shine in more brightly when the windows are really clean. Many homemade products do just as good a job as those the retail products that you buy in stores. Things like disinfectant…