Home is where the heart is. And since our hearts want to be thrifty and green, that’s what we work toward with these posts. Read about home projects, cleaning and organizing, and food (meal plans and recipes).
It happens to every beautiful wall in a lived-in household. A few paint chips here and there, scuff marks, and even crayon or pen marks start accumulating and need a little touch up. Well, all it takes is a little bit of spackle, sanding, and paint to make it like new again. Here’s some touch ups I did in the master bedroom in less than an hour (not counting drying time). I prefer the pink spackle that turns white when…
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In keeping with the plan to spend as close to zero as possible this month, I knew I needed to find a use for our last bunch of bananas-and fast! They were too ripe already for most fresh uses. So, breakfast was banana pancakes: This is a recipe my daughter loves. It only takes one egg and half a banana, blended in my magic bullet, and cooked on the griddle at 275 degrees. Makes 7-8 pancakes per batch. That only…
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The first “real” task (i.e. requiring that I get off the couch) recommended during Ruth’s LWSZ month is to organize the pantry. Voila! And now I know what’s in there and where everything is. So worth it. ? < also love Ruth’s theory of treating the pantry like a store where we’ll be going shopping this month.
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Today’s project is a hidden office in the closet space in our guest bedroom. The desk had been set up next to my dresser in the master bedroom, and it did not look good at all. I’d been eyeing this closet as an alternative setup for awhile, and when I measured, it was just barely big enough to fit the desk. Score! And there’s still room to hang clothing when guests stay the night. I plan on decorating the walls…
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I found this idea on Pinterest and finally got around to trying it today! It was quite simple, truly-and I just used supplies I already had at the house (body spray). I used pliers to pop the wick off the top, filled it half with body spray and half with water, and then snapped the wick back in. That’s it! I’ll be checking to see if the scent smells good in our basement later this morning. EDIT: The scent was…
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Earlier this month, I decided that September was going to be the month that I finally tried Ruth Soukup’s LWSZ program. Since I won’t be getting a paycheck, it seemed like a logical step to me. It’s an opportunity to show my family that we are going to be alright financially, and see what we can save with a month like this every once in awhile. I’ve signed the commitment form: And my husband and I have talked through the…
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My cats are experts at spilling water from their water bowls. Even after I got a fancy supposed no-spill bowl setup thingy. So this is what I did that finally seems to prevent puddles on our floor: I placed one of those cheap (read: ugly) grippy bottom pet bowl mats on the floor and then covered it with a less offensive looking bathroom mat. Then I placed the no-spill bowls on top. Voila! Even if some water still spills, the…
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If you’re like me, you remember to use the coasters strategically placed in the most useful places around the house. But sometimes the iced drinks are left out so long that even the coasters can’t handle the condensation that is running over the sides. So how do you prevent that and save your tables from the inevitable water ring? Here’s a little trick that I use for preventing that- with just one thing you probably already have at home right…
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