This budget friendly fall patio makeover can be put together in just a few minutes and sets the mood from Halloween right through to Thanksgiving. I am giddy right now. The temperatures have finally dropped and the leaves are starting to change color. MY TIME OF YEAR! Living in NC is hard on a gardener…
This gluten free black bean pizza is loaded up with some of the freshest ingredients around and the barbecue sauce base will have a party in your mouth, for sure. It is loaded with items that are good for you, but still gives you a feeling of eating some comfort food, which we all need…
This pan fried swai with Indian spices fits right into my clean eating mood. In a word, it is delicioso! For the last 10 days, I have had a case of mommy’s time out going on. Not in the way that you might think, with me taking a vacation or a must needed rest. My…
This recipe for taco chicken 15 bean soup is so hearty and delicious. It makes a filling lunch or a first course before dinner. Don’t you just love it when the temperatures start to fall and you know that all the holidays are around the corner? I do, and I also love fall for the…
Diet accountability is a hard thing for me. I tend to rely on the scales to tell me how I am doing, but those darn things can be part of a love-hate relationship with me. So, I have come up with an idea to showcase how the week has gone with a Wednesday accountability post,…
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…
Follow these easy walking tips and you will be getting the exercise you need and enjoying it to boot. When your hips and knees hurt, it’s hard to get motivated by the thought of any exercise. Even walking can be dreaded more than anticipated with pleasure if your joints hurt. But there are many things…
This chocolate peanut butter smoothie is the best of both worlds. It has the combination I like, but in moderation and it makes a great breakfast option too. You don’t have to have been reading my blog for long to know that I believe that chocolate and peanut butter are food group options. I love…
A winning weight loss attitude does so much to help you stay on track. For me, dieting occurs in the kitchen, with some exercise and in my mind! If you listen to the experts, they will tell you that eating less and moving more is the key to losing weight. And to a certain degree,…
These DIY Halloween wooden decorations have been a favorite yard decor idea for our family for years. When my daughter was much younger, I was very much into all sorts of crafts. I especially loved decorating for the various holidays because she loved what I came up with for decorations. This project takes more time…
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…
Dessert! It’s my favorite part of the meal. My favorite desserts make sweet endings to a meal and are sure to tempt even the most ardent sweet eater. As much as I love desserts, I find that I don’t bake them often. Now that my daughter has grown and moved away, there is just my…
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…
Are you feeling like comfort food? It’s time for a loaded potato and pulled pork casserole! I love making new recipes from things that I have on hand. It makes me feel frugal and ensures that I end up wasting very little food. Luckily for me, the main ingredient in this loaded potato and pulled…
These tips to Create Curb Appeal will not only jazz up your entry but may also increase the value of your home. There is a saying that one can only have one first impression. That saying applies to the front of your home as well as to your personality or appearance. The front door and…
These chocolate raspberry swirled mini cheesecakes are the perfect bite of summertime freshness. Your party guests will love them! Summer is the time for me to use fresh fruits in many of my cheesecake recipes. I love the lightness that they give to the dinner menu, and they are perfect to serve when you have…
This DIY shutter makeover project brings back some life to a worn out looking house, but does it on a budget. Shutters have been used for years to add beauty to your home and also to give some privacy to windows. Note: Power tools, electricity, and other items used for this project can be…
This recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala is perfect for me and he loves it too. It has just a hint of heat and is full of flavor. I love savory chicken curries and I love International crock pot recipes, too. My husband can take curries much hotter than I can, but I love to combine…
This DIY Succulent Strawberry Planter is a great way to display a variety of succulents in one planter so that each plant has its own special space. If you love succulents as much as I do, you will want to check out my guide for buying succulents. It tells what to look for, what to…
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…
This week, the star side dish for our weekly barbecue is a warm Tuscan bacon potato salad. The motto in our house all summer long is “it’s time to fire up the grill.” We grill most of the year, but in the summer time, our BBQ works over time. And all of our grilled meats…
It’s time to repair a broken planter! I recently bought one (on purpose at a discount) to have a matching set. But it needs some TLC. Do you have a planter which is broken but you still want to use it? I had this situation, recently, and decided to just repair my broken planter. It…