Browsing Category: Homemaking

How to Keep Your Home Cool in the Summer

11 Tips for keeping your home cool in the summer and increase your energy efficiency!

This seems like a weird topic for me because it’s mid-May now and we actually just had hail last week. :O BUT, it is predicted that this summer will be the hottest on record. Last summer was pretty brutal, the humidity was out of control. (Seriously. My crown moulding buckled!)  So I want to plan ahead a little and prep for this summer’s heat wave extravaganza.  Standing around and complaining about what a scorcher it is might be fun, but it’s not going to make my home any cooler.  The tips below, however, are going to do a much better job of that.

11 Tips for keeping your home cool in the summer and increase your energy efficiency!

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Cut the clutter

You might love having a cozy home full of soft furnishings everywhere, but when the heat starts to settle in, all that softness can be as much of a pain as it is a comfort. During the summer, it’s better to switch out your cozy style for something a more minimalist. Not only is it going to help cool air circulate around the room a lot cooler and stop those soft furnishings from retaining more heat, but it’s also going to make it easier to clean.

You don’t want to spend the hottest days of the year cleaning around the home. Cutting the clutter can reduce the buildup of dust and dirt, making it a much quicker job. Who doesn’t want that?!

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Causes of Property Damage and How to Manage Them

We are getting our house ready to hit the market in the next month or so! We’ve bought our land and we’re waiting on the building permits to get started on our dream house. We couldn’t be happier. But there’s a lot of work that goes into getting a house ready to sell. Here are a few things to consider to help keep your house in tip top shape!

Some causes of property damage and the measures you can take to try to avoid them.

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Wind Damage

The most common source of property damage is actually wind related. Wind can uproot trees and it can also damage your roof. We’ve had a couple big wind storms this spring and we’ve seen the wind lifting the roof shingles on the house across the street!

So keep your nearby trees pruned, especially any long reaching limbs that might fall on your vehicle, fence or shed.

Check your roof regularly and inspect the ground for any evidence that shingles have blown off. You’ll want to keep your roof in good shape to prevent any leaks from sneaking into your home!

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How to Make Moving House a Little Easier

Tips and suggestions for making moving house a little easier

Preparing to move house is one of life’s most stressful moments. Hands down. You are effectively attempting to move your entire life from one property to another, and that is an incredibly daunting task. The first step is acknowledging the mammoth challenge you are facing and the next step is to come up with some solutions. So, here are some ideas on how you can make moving house less of a frightening prospect. This is going to be a reference post for the move we’re planning in the spring, I’m only slightly terrified, lol.

Tips and suggestions for making moving house a little easier

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Have A Plan

First and foremost you should make sure you have a thorough plan well in advance of starting your moving preparations. It might seem like a cliche these days but the saying ‘failure to prepare is preparing to fail’ might never ring truer than when you are moving home. Some things that you might want to consider when it comes to making a plan is starting a spreadsheet or document which details where you are putting your belongings and what labels to create.

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5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Garden Space for Children

5 Tips for Creating The Perfect garden space for children

Having an incredible garden for your kids gives them somewhere to learn and grow (Ha! Pun intended!). Not only does a garden look beautiful and spark the imagination, it can teach them so much about plants and crawly critters, and gives them some freedom to play and do what they like. I really believe in having adequate green space for my boys to explore. It’s one of the reasons we are planning a move soon, our yard isn’t quite cutting it anymore. Below, are 5 tips for creating the perfect garden for your kiddos!

5 Tips for Creating The Perfect garden space for children

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  1. Create Different Sections For Different Activities

If you want to create a gorgeous garden for your kids, then you should divide into different sections for different activities. This works well if you have a larger garden and the space to section it off. For example, you can have one section for gardening, one section as a play area, one as a lounging area and so on.

My boys love their sandbox, we could not have a garden without it. In fact, when we were discussing renovating our kitchen, my 4yo suggested putting a sandbox in it. lol! Their sandbox isn’t fancy, it’s just 4 boards nailed together in a rectangle and filled with play sand. But they could dig in there for hours, they love having a section of the garden that’s just for them!

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Zero Waste DIY Produce Bags

How to make diy zero waste produce bags! This is a quick DIY for reusable produce bags. A great zero waste project to help you on your eco journey. There's no more need to use those flimsy plastic produce bags that clutter up the landfill anymore! These DIY produce bags are extremely lightweight and slightly transparent making them perfect for transporting your fruits and veggies.

These DIY produce bags worked up a lot faster than I expected! They take about 15 minutes to whip up, so they are a fantastic last minute gift idea!

I’m continuing to make small changes in our lifestyle in order to reduce our waste output. The amount of garbage one little family can make is fairly alarming! So these reusable produce bags are a step in the right direction. The zero waste movement tugs on my heart strings and I’m always looking for ways to improve. And if I can turn those improvements into a DIY project, so much the better!

How to make diy zero waste produce bags! This is a quick DIY for reusable produce bags. A great zero waste project to help you on your eco journey. There's no more need to use those flimsy plastic produce bags that clutter up the landfill anymore! These DIY produce bags are extremely lightweight and slightly transparent making them perfect for transporting your fruits and veggies.

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I found the cute bee printed ribbon at my local sewing store, it was a great find! I thought it was really appropriate too, you know ‘save the bees, don’t fill their wildflower fields with plastic’. That’s how the saying goes, right?! Haha

I found this ribbon on Amazon, it’s similar to my bees. But you’ll likely find an appropriate ribbon at your local craft store.

Here’s what you need for this project:

Bee Ribbon, Cotton, 3/4 yard per produce bag, at least 3/4″ wide
Satin Ribbon, 1 yard per bag, 1/4″-3/8″ wide
White Cotton Voile Fabric, 1 yard will make 4 bags

use white cotton voile to make diy zero waste produce bags

I found some cotton voile at my local fabric store, it was about $12/meter, which is pretty inexpensive for 4 produce bags!

I used voile because it is super lightweight and you can mostly see through it. So it won’t add much weight to your produce and the cashier will still be able to read the stickers through the bag. 🙂

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