The Joy of Taking Care of Things

Fix and Maintain What You Have

People of our grandparents’ generation grew up taking care of things and learning how to make things last, a useful skill that can help stretch dollars today. We honor our possessions when we take good care of them. This quiet January is the perfect time to tackle a few maintenance tasks and take care of … Read more

Weekend Challenge – Tackle a Hot Spot

Tackle a Hot Spot

Most of us have a “catch all” place (or two) in our homes where things get dumped. For our family, it’s a small kitchen counter that seems to attract papers, mail, magazines, and other odds and ends. Readers have written about tables, desks, closets and spare rooms that are stuffed with stuff. Your challenge, if … Read more

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Pretzels Bites

Chocolate covered pretzel peanut butter balls

You are going to love these creamy, crunchy, crunchy, chocolatey Chocolate Peanut Butter and Pretzel Bites! Buckeyes are one of my favorite holiday treats. The only downside of these chocolate-dipped peanut butter-powdered sugar confections is that they’re very, very rich. In an effort to figure out how to eat more Buckeyes in a single sitting, … Read more

Make Your Own Custom Chex Mix

YOLO Snack Mix

If you love Chex party mix, you’ll love this recipe to make your own custom Chex mix. What a genius marketing idea for Chex cereals when they debuted the Party Mix recipe in Life Magazine back in 1952. The original recipe called for Rice and Wheat Chex.    I was first introduced to Chex mix … Read more

Leftovers and Long Goodbyes

Thanksgiving turkey

Dear friends, It was Thanksgiving evening, and my son and I were in our coats. We’d been trying to leave for 20 minutes. I was hot, I’d eaten way too much, and I was starting to feel anxious.   Now our sweet Mama wanted me to take the turkey carcass. “Let me just wrap it up … Read more

Make Your Own Marbled Christmas Ornaments

Marbleized Christmas Ornaments

Here’s a fun holiday craft you can make with just a few simple, inexpensive materials – pretty marbled Christmas ornaments.  In less than an hour, you can craft several of these pretty ornaments that will perfect for holiday gift giving or hanging on your Christmas tree. Here’s all you need to make your own pretty, … Read more