Clean Green: Recipes for Homemade Cleaning Products Cynthia Ewer April 6, 2024 Taken a trip down the cleaning aisle at the supermarket lately? If you believe the ad hype, you can't keep a clean house without loading your shopping cart with a different cleaner for each surface, floor and sink in the house. Hogwash! Simple recipes using products from your pantry make effective household cleaning solutions. An added plus: these natural products are more environmentally friendly than commercial alternatives. Cleaning Tips Green Living Pantry Power ..read more

Menu Planning: Save Time In The Kitchen Cynthia Ewer March 28, 2024 What's for dinner? It's the question of the hour!  Too many of us look for answers in the supermarket at 5 p.m. Harried from the day's work and harassed by by hungry children, we rack our brains to solve the what's-for-dinner dilemma. Three meals a day. Seven dinners a week. From supermarket to pantry, refrigerator to table, sink to cupboard, the kitchen routine can get old, old, old.  No wonder we hide our heads like ostriches from the plain and simple fact: into each day, one dinner must fall. What's the answer ..read more

What's Your Clutter Personality Type? Cynthia Ewer January 15, 2024 It's silent. It's sneaky. It creeps about in corners: clutter! When the state of the house aggravates you to your last nerve, it's tempting to launch an all-out battle in the war against clutter. First, though, know your enemy!  There are as many reasons for household clutter as there are clutterers. As Pogo says, "We have seen the enemy, and he is us!" Take aim on your household's clutter problem by going to the root of the problem: your own thinking.  What's your clutter personality ... and which of these intern ..read more

Seven Tips for Sparkling Christmas Letters Cynthia Ewer December 6, 2023 Christmas is coming, holiday cards and letters fill the mailbox--and it's time to write your family's annual Christmas letter.  Want your letter to stand out from the crowd? Looking for ways to spice up the same-old, same-old Christmas greeting?  Try these seven tips for a sparkling holiday letter. Start off on a positive note It's a trend you can count on! Roughly 95% of holiday letters begin with a sentence like this: "I can't believe the year has come and gone so quickly!" While we all feel this sentiment ..read more

Christmas Calm: 10 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season Cynthia Ewer November 16, 2023 Sure, you love the holiday season--but just not so much of it! This year, you're hoping to cut the crazy out of Christmas: to trim the celebration back to one that is sustainable and calm. Question is, just how do you do less--and enjoy it more--during the Christmas holiday season? If you're aiming to simplify Christmas, take time to ponder ways to cut stress, save money and tame over-the-top traditions. Setting simplicity strategies in place early will keep you from being swept up in holiday madness. &n ..read more

Holiday Survival Kit: Six Last-Minute Additions to the Shopping List Cynthia Ewer November 15, 2023 The holidays are here, with wall-to-wall shoppers at the supermarket. Who wants to have to join them? Instead, assemble a holiday survival kit. Before you shop for the holiday meal, check supplies of these often-forgotten items for your holiday gathering.  Pencil these items into your regular shopping list--and save a last-minute trip. They'll keep the fun in the festivities! Kitchen Tips Seasonal Spin Christmas ..read more

You've Been BOOed! Print Halloween BOO Poem and Signs Cynthia Ewer October 19, 2023 They're popping up in a neighborhood near you: "We've Been BOOed!" signs that fly from house to house. First one neighbor, then another ... and then it's your house! What's behind it all? You've been BOOed! Welcome to the wonderful world of Halloween BOO-ing! Seasonal Gifts and Crafts Halloween BOO Christmas ..read more

Fall Cleaning Chore Checklist Cynthia Ewer October 19, 2023 It's Autumn. Pumpkins glow in golden fields. Shorter days, crisp mornings signal winter's approach. Can the holidays be far behind? Use Autumn's brisk and breezy days to conquer deep-cleaning chores for a clean and comfortable winter home, and to wrap up summer's outdoor lifestyle. Clean House Cleaning Checklists ..read more

Santa Saves: Shop Back-to-School for Holiday Savings Cynthia Ewer August 15, 2023 With summer winding down, school is on the way--and so are rock-bottom prices on back-to-school needs!  During late summer, office supply stores engage in penny price wars, while discount stores bring racks of school supplies front and center ... and cheap!  Back-to-school loss leaders--products sold below cost to attract sales--are hot and heavy in the supermarkets these days--and even the crafts stores offer a variety of binders, stickers and backpacks at sharply reduced prices. Back-to-School Se ..read more

Autumn Calendar Check: Schedule Now for an Organized Christmas Cynthia Ewer October 11, 2023 When you think about Christmas from a few weeks away, there’s a luxurious feeling of “plenty of time”, but as December draws near, the season’s pace quickens exponentially. Where did the time go?   Take major action against the seasonal time crunch with a pre-season scheduling session. The goal: to arrange for all those little appointments that slip the mind so easily. With the Christmas calendar as a guide, consider scheduling these important pre-season tasks: Christmas Christmas Planning ..read more