I like saving electricity for lots of reasons beyond saving money. It's important, just like recycling. One of the easiest ways to reduce electricity consumption is to switch out incandescent and halogen bulbs for LED lights. We replaced the indoor lights we use the most often already but were … [Read more...]
All For A New Disposal – New Kitchen Floor and Lights
It all started because we wanted a disposal. When we moved here 5 years ago we decided to add a disposal in the kitchen. Problem was, the counter tops were already cracked and we knew a disposal would make the cracks wider. So no disposal. Instead we wrap food waste in newspaper or use a bowl … [Read more...]
How We Saved $2000 and Kept a Grill – Refurbishing Our Gas Cooktop
We had a pleasant surprise when we moved here. Our gas cook top is a Jenn-Air with modular burners that switch out to a grill, wonderful for grilling hamburgers or steak during our cold Michigan winters. We loved the grill! We weren't too thrilled with the cooktop's regular burners. We have … [Read more...]
Adding Warmth to Our Home with Color
Dave and I love our light-filled rooms. The living room and our bedroom floors are covered in light oatmeal colored carpets with cream walls, color choices that enhance the feeling of light and spaciousness. The colors are fine except combined with our furniture the rooms are bland. Our … [Read more...]
Blue Jays, Cardinals, Chickadees Oh My – Suet Mixes to Attract Birds
We feed the birds sunflower seed and suet year around. The previous homeowners did not and it took some birds a couple years to get used to coming here for lunch. Cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers, sparrows and finches showed up immediately (along with squirrels and chipmunks) but blue jays are … [Read more...]
Chore Time – Cleaning Out the File Cabinet
Quick! Do you like to file? Do you like the lovely vista of file folders all neatly labeled, sorted and placed in the cabinet in a perfect logical order? No? Neither do I. In fact I detest filing and everything associated with it. Except I do like Avery sticky labels. But that's IT. We do … [Read more...]
How to Get Clean Cupboards and Find All the Supplies You Lost
You know the answer, yes? That's right, you need to clean out those cupboards that are the handy stash spots for all the canned goods, bags of rice, boxes of pasta, dribbles and dabs of baking chocolate, spices, baking soda, five types of flour, etc. and etc. And the other point: sort the items … [Read more...]
Milkweed Puffs – Seed Pods Beaking Open Indoors and Out
Last time I walked out back the milkweed seed pods were bursting open, sending white downy fluffs everywhere. The milkweed flowers are a light dusky rose lavender color and they bloom in big flower heads. The plants are about 3 feet tall and will grow even where it's pretty dry. Our field … [Read more...]
What A Surprise! Finding Beauty in Wide Open Fields and Hills In Our Backyard
When we were house shopping we had several criteria: location, layout, quality, setting and price. We found houses that met one or two of these but all five together? Elusive! Setting is the most intangible. We wanted someplace that felt like a home, that had something pretty to look at … [Read more...]
Fall Is Here: Closing Up the Swimming Pool for Winter
Fall arrived last week but it's still warmish here, low 70s in the day and 50s in the night. However, 50 degree nights are too cold to enjoy an unheated, above ground swimming pool. Dave closed up ours. This is the third fall we've lived here. The first year we moved in October … [Read more...]