Mom's Timeout

Before we bought our home, we rented a house with a large back yard. The yard included a clothesline. I had never had a line in my yard before, but I remembered one in my grandmother’s yard. She had a dryer, but she insisted on hanging out her tablecloths and bed linens. I didn’t understand […]

Lately, I’ve taken an interest in cutting back our expenses as much as possible. I’ve always been the more liberal of the two of us. It’s definitely less about not having the money, though, and more about trying to be more intentional about not buying things just for the sake of buying them. There are […]

I think we all have a basic idea of what sorts of things we’d need to grab if the house were on fire. My husband and I have a small fire safe box with all our important documents that we would likely lug out of the house. I think I’d also go for the photo […]

Do you have a family command center – a space that’s dedicated to keeping your lives organized and running smoothly? What do you do with all of the paperwork that comes home from work and school/daycare each day? How do you organize everyone’s schedules? Where do you keep your shopping lists? If you don’t already […]

It’s getting close to Earth Day and I thought I’d share a little secret with you that is truly a win-win. You can help the environment, clean things up around the house, and while you’re at it – make a little bit of extra money in the process. Did you know that you can get […]

It’s decision-making time around here. We’re just about ready to start finishing the interior of our new addition. Everything is all framed in, the doors and windows are installed, and the deck is done. At this point, I’m left with the dreaded task of sitting down and figuring things out – not one of my […]

I’m fascinated by “life hacks.” These little tricks of the trade seem to make life easier in so many ways. They’re remarkably easy, but somehow the hacks are always things you’ve never thought of before. For instance, who thinks about giving their kid marshmallows for a sore throat? It works and kids love them! A […]

Yesterday I mentioned to my husband that it’s a wonder they haven’t invented a machine that will fold my laundry for me. We have a washer and a dryer, but getting things out of the dryer and folding them seems like a Herculean task some days. Why hasn’t someone invented a nifty little machine to […]

Okay, it’s three weeks after Valentine’s Day. The holiday’s over, right? Not in my house! I am inundated with red, pink, and purple hearts. My kids just can’t say goodbye to the season of love. Well, it’s time to roll up those sleeves, put my foot down and say, “We’re getting rid of this junk!” […]

I hate remodeling! There – I said it. I wish I could just wave a magic wand and have the entire house finished in one fell swoop. This has been ongoing for years now. When my husband and I got together, we redid the upstairs. Right now, we’re adding a sunroom, which is going to […]

We all like to have a clean house (I know I do!). But sometimes, it seems overwhelming to try and maintain the upkeep of your home when you are a working mom. Who wants to spend your entire weekend cleaning? I know I don’t! That is why I have listed 6 quick and easy cleaning […]

No matter what each day consists of, focusing on your husband, children and yourself is a task that we often feel overwhelmed by (You can say that again!). People often ask me, “How do you do it”? Let’s be honest, we all can use a little advice on simplifying our day. After all, my goal […]

Especially after opening up all those Christmas presents a few days ago, we probably are all in need for a little organizing and de-kludging right about now. But with all of those new things that are now a part of your house, where do you start? How do you organize your house after the Christmas […]

When things get crazy this Holiday season and your house is full of people, you may get a little stressed out. Especially with the pressure of family and in-laws, if you are the host of the party, you want to make sure you are as stress-free as you can be before the party as well […]

How many things do you use the microwave for? I only ever use it to eat up already cooked food or to warm my coffee when I didn’t drink it fast enough. But it turns out there are many more things we could be doing with our microwaves that you may never have heard of […]

If you are hosting a large Thanksgiving dinner this year, with out-town family coming in for the big day, here are some smart tips for you! Thanksgiving is a very stressful holiday, so if there is anything that you can do to reduce the stress, you definitely should consider it! Let me know if any […]