It’s time for a pop quiz! If your electricity goes out, what phone number should you use to contact your electricity provider? You likely don’t have it memorized (if you do, you’ve been losing power too often!), but where in your house can you find the number? What’s for dinner tonight? The trim on the front of your house needs to be … [Read more...] about Brainstorming About a Home Management Notebook
Keeping the Home
Rampant Reusing: Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Tubes
How many toilet paper and paper towel tubes do you throw away each year? Dozens? Scores? Do these tubes have to end up in the trash or is there some way to reuse them? I’ve been looking into some options. 10 Ways to Reuse Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Tubes Add some scrapbooking paper and ribbon to make small gift boxes. Place tubes … [Read more...] about Rampant Reusing: Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Tubes
Common Housekeeping Conundrums: How Should Toilet Paper Hang?
The Common Housekeeping Conundrums series is an ongoing exploration of perplexing issues of both serious and trivial varieties that are encountered while caring for the home. The debate has raged since the advent of modern toilet paper: Should the end hang away from the wall and over the top of the roll or should the end hang next to … [Read more...] about Common Housekeeping Conundrums: How Should Toilet Paper Hang?
Housework as Exercise
I’m motivated to maintain my house and keep it clean for a number of reasons: stewardship, comfort and safety, the look and feel of clean surfaces, creating a warm environment for guests, etc. Now I can add physical fitness to the list. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, many housekeeping activities constitute … [Read more...] about Housework as Exercise
Germ Hot Spots in the Home
Which surface in your home has the highest concentration of germs? A toilet seat? A trashcan? What researchers found from swabs of common household surfaces may surprise you. The 10 germiest places in the home In 2011, researchers at NSF International conducted a study to identify the top 10 germ-laden surfaces in the home. Here’s what … [Read more...] about Germ Hot Spots in the Home
Italian Sausage Stew
This stew is another dish on my household’s menu this spring. The recipe for it is an amalgamation of recipes I’ve come across for similar dishes. I love that it can be prepared using only one pot and that it contains numerous vegetables. Don’t let the vegetables fool you, though—it is very filling and the taste of savory Italian sausage … [Read more...] about Italian Sausage Stew
Rampant Reusing: Prescription Bottles
If you or anyone in your household routinely takes prescription medications, then dozens of prescription bottles likely pass through your house each year. I’ve long wondered if there wasn’t some constructive way to reuse the bottles. I think I’ve finally identified a few ways that just might work. If you want to try any of these ideas, be … [Read more...] about Rampant Reusing: Prescription Bottles
Italian Tomato Macaroni & Cheese
I like having homemade macaroni and cheese on the menu each month because it is a meatless entrée that is still hearty. For our most recent menu, I reviewed several recipes in an attempt to find a way to put a spin on the way I traditionally prepare macaroni and cheese. I pulled elements from a couple of different recipes and merged them with … [Read more...] about Italian Tomato Macaroni & Cheese
