I'm always looking for the sweet spot where green and frugal living come together. That’s where good for the environment equals good for my wallet, too. These are some things I do that save my family money and help lower the cost to the environment. I’m saying “me” and “I” here but really it’s “we”… Continue reading Frugal and Green Living
Year: 2012
How to Install an Inside Laundry Line
Since now you know I’m lazy when it comes to drying laundry outside and how I picked up the idea of inside laundry line from a previous home exchange our family did, I want to show you how easy it is to install an inside laundry line in your home. Most hardware stores, big and… Continue reading How to Install an Inside Laundry Line
Weekly Meal Plan
My sweet sister, Mary, and her new husband, Weston, visited us this past weekend. My brother-in-law had a seminar in town so they both traveled from Anchorage, where they live and stayed with us. On Sunday night, instead of my son cooking his weekly meal, the newly-weds took our family out to dinner at the… Continue reading Weekly Meal Plan
My Great-Grandmother’s Recipes
I inherited something recently that is very precious: this little notebook. It’s filled with recipes from the kitchen of my maternal great-grandmother, Clara E. Walters. Here’s a picture of her, at age 20, back in 1906. She was an original – for many reasons. I love how she wrote down recipes on the backs of… Continue reading My Great-Grandmother’s Recipes
Why I Use an Inside Laundry Line
I have a confession to make. I don’t hang my laundry up to dry outside because it’s too much work and I’m lazy when it comes to laundry. To go from my laundry area in our basement to the backyard, I have to unlock the door, carry the collapsing laundry line outside, set it up,… Continue reading Why I Use an Inside Laundry Line
How to Make a Reusable Mop Cover
There’s only one area of life I want to make easier for my teenagers and that’s when it comes to chores. I want chores to be simplified so that they can finish them and then do more chores! “You’re learning life skills,” is what I remind them often and then I add, “It’s my job… Continue reading How to Make a Reusable Mop Cover
Weekly Meal Plan
This week's meal plan was somewhat mixed up and switched around. I heard lots of ideas from my kids about changing meals and swapping lunches for dinners. I think they were suffering from end of summer, going back to school soon trauma. We were supposed to have leftover shrimp scampi for dinner on Monday but… Continue reading Weekly Meal Plan
Indian Spiced Lentils with Pork
My poor family. They’ve eaten lentils so many times for dinner the the past few months. Earlier this summer, I entered a recipe contest for the National Lentil Festival with this recipe but didn’t win. Even though I didn’t even get honorable mention with this recipe, it’s still really tasty and oh, so good for… Continue reading Indian Spiced Lentils with Pork
Slipcover or Reupholster? Which to Choose?
When it comes to having chairs and sofas redone, there’s usually two choices: slipcover or reupholster. But, which to choose? Either will give you a lovely end result – a new outside garment for a piece of solid furniture - but slipcover or reupholster? Having this type of sewing work done for you can be… Continue reading Slipcover or Reupholster? Which to Choose?
Places to Stay in Spain
Do we have the tent poles? Too bad no one asked that before we packed our camping gear into a duffel bag and headed to Spain for our 3-week trip. While we had a home swap in Alicante, Spain, we had also planned to camp and stay in small, family run hotels (called hostals or… Continue reading Places to Stay in Spain
Go Gingham 