Brrrr!  I didn’t realize we were going to bypass fall and go right into winter.  Given that fall is my favorite season, this cold weather is a disappointment to me. 

Since winter is on the way, here are some ways to save on your winter energy bill.
1)  Install a programmable thermostat.  Have your thermostat drop down a few degrees each day while you’re at work.
2)  Change your filters every month.  Dirty filters can increase your bills by 20% each month.
3)  Keep your thermostat at 68F or below.  Wear a sweatshirt if you need to.
4)  Make sure your fireplace damper fits well.  …read more

Our house, is a very, very, very fine house with two cats in the yard. Life used to be so hard.  Ok, well maybe the cats aren’t in the yard. They’re inside cats. And life has been very hard lately, but I’m hoping that it’s getting better.
Just a few weeks ago, we moved into our new house. We’re getting settled in and it’s starting to feel like home.  What’s a home without some animals?  Less messy, I guess.

A few months ago, my cat Paisley disappeared.  We had her for over two years, since she was a kitten.  We were upset …read more

If your shower head doesn’t seem to be working as well as normal, then chances are it’s clogged.  Many shower heads get clogged with mineral deposits.  Rather than paying a professional to come in, you can try these tips instead.

Try to unscrew your shower head yourself.  Many of them can unscrew with your hands.  If this doesn’t work, you’ll need some plyers.
Wrap your plyers in tape (this is to keep them from scratching up your shower head).  Remove showerhead.
Use a toothpick to remove large clumps of build up.
Submerge the showerhead in vinegar.  You can use a bowl, bucket, etc.  Soak …read more

Wowweee! What a week this has been!  We are finally moved into our new house. Hooray!

My husband and I had the home purchase planned out. We started looking at houses in the spring. We made our final decision in the summer months, made our offer, and were under contract. We were going to close on the house some time between July 31 and August 15. That would give us plenty of time to move into the house, get settled, get the kids enrolled in school, and get fairly unpacked before school started.
Unfortunately, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Due to the recent …read more

Last month I told you all that my husband and I were under contract to buy a house.  We finally signed the papers today.

What a tedious process purchasing a home has been.  Due to all of the recent foreclosures, the banks and the lending rules have become very strict. My husband and I qualified for a loan and met the criteria, but many times it looked like getting the house might not happen. 
Due to all of the changes with the laws, realtors are now letting their clients know that closings are taking 45-90 days.  That’s useful information if you’re in the market …read more

Our other house finally sold!  Woohoo!  It had been on the market for about 10 months.  Ten long months!  As you can imagine, months of making a mortgage and rent was very draining on our finances. 
For the past few months, we have been looking at houses here and just let me say, housing here is so more expensive!  Whew!  A comparable house to what we had before is running about 30% more.  But we figured we’d better buy here now while the market is down slightly and the interest rates are low.  Otherwise, we probably couldn’t afford to buy anything nice.

After …read more

Sometimes our houses can be clean, but they just don’t look clean.  Most of the time it’s due to clutter.  This is my issue today.  Does it ever go away?  With three young and active children, it seems I can barely keep up with the daily clutter.

Today it started when I went into the kid’s room to vacuum and tidy up a bit.  Next to my son’s bed was a basket where he keeps his stuffed animals and such.  I picked it up to vacuum and noticed it was mostly filled with small toys and books.  No doubt they were …read more

Have you ever come home from running errands to be greeted with a weird smell?  I know I have.  More times than I care to admit.  I’ve learned some tips to keep my house smelling fresh.  When I don’t follow them is when I have a peculiar smell.  Here are a few tips to prevent smells and then some for when the smell is already there.
1)  Wipe up spills and don’t let the dirty dishes sit around.  If you let something sit, you’ll have a sticky or crusty smelly mess.
2)  Take out the trash regularly.  I don’t let mine go more …read more

Here are some instructions for installing a home security system yourself.
1. Go to a secondhand store and buy a pair of men’s used size 14-16 work boots.
2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine.
3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.
4. Leave a note on your door that reads:
Bubba,
I went for more ammo and beer.  Back in an hour.  Don’t mess with the pit bulls – they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up bad. I don’t think Killer took part but it was hard to tell from all …read more

Belk is having a great three day sale.  Their fall and winter merchandise is marked to 75% off.  Plus, you can save an additional 15% off home and shoes and an additional 20% off clothing. 
Click here for your 20% off shopping pass/printable coupon.  You can also save online or by phone with the code 50694278. The sale is good Friday-Sunday, March 6-8.
Enjoy!