As we’ve discussed in previous installments of Dare to Prepare, every family needs to assemble a basic disaster preparedness kit and create a family emergency plan. If your family is like mine and has a member with special needs, then it is important that you consider some additional topics. “Special needs” is an umbrella term that … [Read more...] about Dare to Prepare: Disaster Preparedness for Families with Special Needs
Keeping the Home
Building a Home Management Binder that Works for You
Over a year ago I set out to create a home management notebook. It’s taken me far too long, but I’ve finally completed this task! Why did it take so long? Sometimes I found myself dragging my feet (you’re mistaken if you think I write posts about things like laziness because I think you need to change…I write these posts because I need … [Read more...] about Building a Home Management Binder that Works for You
Dare to Prepare: Creating a Family Emergency Plan
Sometimes families have to rush out of their homes due to disasters. Though there is often warning that an incident such as a hurricane is about to occur, warning is rare for disasters such as wildfires and industrial accidents. If work, school, or other activities have your family separated when a disaster that requires evacuation occurs, how … [Read more...] about Dare to Prepare: Creating a Family Emergency Plan
Italian Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Every now and then I come up with an idea for a truly unique dish—something that is unlike anything I’ve eaten previously. That’s what happened when I thought of Italian Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches while developing our menu for this fall. These tasty sandwiches are easy to prepare and hearty, making them a great addition to our … [Read more...] about Italian Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
How to Sew Simple Rod Pocket Curtains: A Tutorial for Novices
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
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
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