Gleaning is a wonderful way to get things for free! And last week a friend introduced me to a place just brimming with organic apples, free for the picking. It’s in a large public park in our city, out in the country a bit. In a far off corner, she discovered that there was a …
The how-to of the Savvy Spending Challenge!
What a great response we’ve had to the Savvy Spending Challenge! As promised, here are the rest of the details about what will be happening over the next month. First of all, it’s important to establish where you’re at right now, and set a goal for where you want to be at the end of …
The Savvy Spending Challenge! How low can you go?
Do you have extra debt that you’d like to pay off faster? Are you saving (or wish you could start saving) for a particular item your family needs (a car, a computer, etc.)? Are you just as curious as I am to see how much more you could stretch your regular budget, what you could …
Kitchen tip for honey lovers
Here’s my quick and simple tip for Kitchen Tip Tuesdays, hosted by Tammy’s Recipes. I don’t use regular white or brown sugar (any processed sugar, for that matter) in my cooking or baking. Instead, I use honey, molasses and sometimes maple syrup. There are a few challenges to doing this (substituting honey for sugar in …
He disciplines those he loves
I often make discipline about me. My frustration, my desire for a particular behavior, my anger, my sense of justice, my convenience, my level of energy. When life feels simple and the day is flowing smoothly, the chores being accomplished, no major crises happening, the baby’s not crying, and I feel overflowing with love and …
End of Season Garden Deals
For this week’s post, I just had to show off my latest deal! We needed to grab something from Superstore (for the Americans reading this, it’s like Walmart or SuperTarget, but more grocery based), and as I was about to run into the store, I noticed red clearance signs beckoning to me (am I the …
Antibiotic misuse has tragic results
It grieves me to read the latest news regarding the antibiotic resistant forms of staph infection that are spreading. This morning I read two articles about concern over staph infections in public school students (read here and here). The primary issue in this current situation is not as much the spread of the infection, but …
Smoothie of the Morning
This household loves smoothies!!!! My husband’s affectionate nickname for me (especially when he wants a smoothie, hmmmmm 🙂 ) is the “Smoothie Queen”. Last Christmas I was incredibly blessed (and spoiled!) with a Vita-Mix blender to help support our habit (our daily smoothie habit, that is). I’ll try to share some of my favorite recipes …
A Picture of Femininity?
This morning, I made out an out-of-character choice of clothing. Despite the fact that it is a typically rainy and gray West Coast day, I looked past my shelf of pants and chose a cute, wool skirt! *gasp* What was I thinking? Well, lately I’ve been thinking that I need to be more purposeful about …
Natural houshold cleaners- Part 1
I don’t know about you, but I get excited about finding products that work to keep my family safe and healthy, protect the environment, and don’t break my budget! My kitchen tip this week (part of Kitchen Tip Tuesdays, hosted by Tammy’s Recipes) is the first of a series on natural household cleaners, and we’ll …
Making money through ESL
Over at Money Saving Mom, Crystal asked us to write about ways that we make extra side income. In our home, we have chosen to use our experience with the ESL (English as a Second Language) community as a way to bring in some extra money. When we were first married, we spent a year …
From my Bookshelf
Here’s just a list of a few of mine and my husband’s many, well-loved books! Home Management and Organization: Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed– Carolyn Mahaney and daughters Living Well on One Income: …In a Two-Income World-Cynthia Yates Christianity/Theology/Doctrine: Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts– Jerry Bridges Humility: …
My story
Welcome to Keeper of the Home! My new blog is up and running! How exciting to post my very first post (which I have linked to Money Saving Mom’s new series, “Money Making Mondays”). This blog has been a long time coming, and it is the fruit of many, many (did I say many?) hours …