My husband’s birthday was last week. As it approached, I brainstormed gift ideas and searched Pinterest for a handmade birthday card I thought I could mimic. The latter task was somewhat unfruitful—most of the cards I saw on Pinterest were far too elaborate for my rudimentary skills! My brainstorming was a bit more effective, though. My … [Read more...] about Birthday Gift Idea: A Good Night for My Knight
Dare to Prepare: Obtaining and Storing Disaster Preparedness Supplies
If you attempt to gather the disaster preparedness supplies we talked about two weeks ago, you’ll likely encounter some tricky issues related to procuring and storing the supplies. Let’s explore four of these. How to afford disaster preparedness supplies You may find yourself shelling out as much as several hundred dollars if you purchase … [Read more...] about Dare to Prepare: Obtaining and Storing Disaster Preparedness Supplies
Revitalizing Mealtime Prayers
Does your family “say grace” or pray over your meals before you eat? In the past I’ve felt that this was a very meaningful expression of my faith. In recent weeks, though, I’ve begun wondering if it’s really that significant. The prayers my husband and I pray before meals are often redundant. We say the same words—nearly verbatim—almost … [Read more...] about Revitalizing Mealtime Prayers
It’s the Little Things About Fall
Fall 2013 officially begins this weekend! It’s the little things about fall that gladden my heart and put a smile on my face. Apples. Though apples are available year-round, they take center stage during fall. I'll soon have caramel apples, apple cider, apple crisp, baked apples, apple pie—they’re all delicious! Changing leaves. I … [Read more...] about It’s the Little Things About Fall
Healthier Queso Dip
The cheesy, spicy flavor of creamy queso dip is practically addictive. Until recently, the only queso dip I was familiar with was made with Rotel® and Velveeta®. As my husband and I have moved in the direction of healthier eating, we’ve eliminated processed cheese products (including Velveeta®) from our diets. We weren’t about to go … [Read more...] about Healthier Queso Dip
21 Cleaning Jobs for Toothbrushes
If you replace toothbrushes at the recommended interval, each member of your household will go through 3-4 toothbrushes each year. Given that each toothbrush costs money and each ends up contributing to the trash your household produces, why not make sure you get your money’s worth and reduce your need for other cleaning equipment by reusing … [Read more...] about 21 Cleaning Jobs for Toothbrushes
Honey Wheat Butterhorns
Though my husband enjoys most of the foods I prepare, he rarely stops in his tracks over the flavor of one. A couple of weeks ago this rare reaction occurred after he took a bite out of a breakfast sausage link encased in a honey wheat butterhorn. I have a feeling I’ll be making lots of these over the coming months! Ingredients (Adapted from … [Read more...] about Honey Wheat Butterhorns
Product Review: Pomi Tomatoes
It’s very difficult to avoid bisphenol A (BPA) if you eat any canned foods. This is especially true of tomatoes because their acidic nature limits what substances can be used to line the cans that contain them (you can read more about this here). After looking into the available options, my household has begun using BPA-free and non-GMO Pomi … [Read more...] about Product Review: Pomi Tomatoes
