When my husband and I purchased our home two years ago, we went in search of curtains. I was surprised at how pricy they were! Though I have very rudimentary sewing skills, I decided to purchase fabric and sew my own. Now that we are furnishing a nursery, I purchased some cute fabric and pulled out the sewing machine once again. Rod … [Read more...] about How to Sew Simple Rod Pocket Curtains: A Tutorial for Novices
Why I’m Glad We Don’t Have Cable or Satellite TV
A few weeks ago my husband and I had access to cable television because we were staying in a hotel for a couple of days. Though we have a TV in our living room, we don’t have cable or satellite for it. We typically enjoy having temporary access to cable. My husband will watch a couple games and other sports-related shows. Together we’ll … [Read more...] about Why I’m Glad We Don’t Have Cable or Satellite TV
Dare to Prepare: Remaining Vigilant
September is National Preparedness Month. As we did last year, we’re going to take advantage of the national emphasis on disaster preparedness to look at a couple of important topics. Public health experts recommend that all households create an emergency plan and assemble a basic disaster supply kit. Though these sound like good ideas … [Read more...] about Dare to Prepare: Remaining Vigilant
Fall 2014 Menu
The official start of autumn is only a couple of weeks away. In addition to the changing leaves and pumpkin-flavored baked goods, I’m eager to start a new menu. As I’ve shared before, I periodically develop monthly menus. We use each for 3 consecutive months before moving on to a new one (read more on why and how I plan monthly menus … [Read more...] about Fall 2014 Menu
Book Review: 52 Uncommon Dates
I was thrilled when I was contacted earlier this summer about reviewing 52 Uncommon Dates: A Couple’s Adventure Guide for Praying, Playing, and Staying Together, a new book by Randy Southern. As many of you know, I’ve written previously about the importance of dating your spouse. It’s often difficult to find time to date and to come up with … [Read more...] about Book Review: 52 Uncommon Dates
Frugal Ways to Create Variety in Your Meals
If you have a limited grocery budget, chances are you eat many of the same foods over and over again. In my household we eat a lot of chicken, ground turkey, brown rice, apples, and bananas. These are some of the most affordable foods in the grocery store, so they’re our staples. Without a little creativity, our meals would get pretty … [Read more...] about Frugal Ways to Create Variety in Your Meals
Going Without Makeup: Normal or Newsworthy?
A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were somewhat speechless at an article we read on the news: Would You Go One Year Without Makeup? In short, the article is an account of a 20-year-old university student who is going a year without wearing makeup. She has undertaken this “experiment” to help women become more confident and feel … [Read more...] about Going Without Makeup: Normal or Newsworthy?
Tips for Freezing Casseroles
With our little girl due to be born in just 10 weeks, I’m starting to freeze meals to help us make it through the postpartum period. My husband and I love casseroles, so I’m assembling a number of these. I’m drawing on my previous experience and suggestions in a decades-old Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book to make sure these casseroles … [Read more...] about Tips for Freezing Casseroles
