One of the biggest bummers about living in a big city is that I don’t always get to satisfy my quaint domestic desires.  Sure, I’ve become quite adept at preserving fresh foods, making homemade cleaning products and keeping my life sweet and simple, but there are days I long for a little dirt under my […]

No matter how hard I try to avoid plastic bags, they always seem to creep into my home.  Considering that nearly 1 trillion crappy plastic bags are produced worldwide every year, its no surprise that avoiding them is tough, even for an eco-freak like me who keeps a stash of re-useable bags in the car […]

I spent 45 minutes yesterday completing a task I had been ignoring: cleaning out the fridge. In my fantasy world, this chore would be completed on a monthly basis.  In reality, I probably get to it once every two or three months. Now that Evie is old enough to help herself to certain things in […]

I am always tinkering with homemade ways to clean my home.  I don’t like the expense and chemical overload associated with conventional cleaners, so more often than not I turn to old-fashioned staples like white vinegar and baking soda to get a job done. For a while now I’ve wanted to make a homemade cleaner […]

I grew up without a microwave in our house.  It wasn’t until recently that I realized this was odd.  When I asked my mom why she never installed one in our kitchen, she said quite frankly, “They kinda freaked me out.” Good enough reason for me! Although I now have a microwave in my small […]

Some of my tricks for re-purposing common household staples were recently published in an article on Mint.com.  While I’m no fan of house cleaning, it actually becomes kinda fun when I experiment with new methods of taking care of common chores.  Products like vinegar, baking soda and banana peels take on a whole new life […]

My tip for keeping the house tidy without going crazy was recently featured on the Virtue Radio Network, an internet community for contemporary women. I created a weekly “to-do” list that assigns specific chores to specific days, helping me keep life organized and clean. Other women contributed to the article, so you can find plenty […]

We are slowly recovering from a nasty little virus that made its way into our household. It seems like it was worse based on size – Evie had symptoms for a day, I suffered for a day and a half, and Chris is still working through it. Fortunately, little Mack seems to have been spared. […]

Phew! I sure am glad I’m a homemade mother! Today I was busy dusting furniture when little Mack decided it was time for a diaper change. I put the dusting spray bottle down and brought him upstairs to take care of him. While I was out of sight, two-year old Evelyn took it upon herself […]

There are too many household cleaners available. Why do we need individual cleaners for the toilet, floors, countertops, sinks, and shower?? Shouldn’t we expect products to multi-task?! And, more importantly, shouldn’t we expect the products we use around our families to be safe? As with most household chores, I rely on vinegar and a little […]