This post was originally published in December of 2012 but we find these suggestions to be a great list to revisit each year for inspiration and ideas as to how to introduce the holiday season to your little ones! By Jessica Smartt, Contributing Writer Isn’t Christmas with little ones wonderful? It’s been quite a Christmas here, already. We’ve…
Guest post by Tiffany Terczak I’ll be the first to admit — this is the time of year when we typically throw caution out the window. We toss aside “healthy” recipes and reach for the shortening and corn syrup and pre-packaged short-cuts that we’ve always used, all for the sake of tradition. I’m including myself…
By Kresha Faber, Contributing Writer Just a quick note before we begin: I purposely didn’t title this post “5 Ways to Fight Overwhelm” or “5 Tips to Living More Simply” because while the five items listed below are the five things *I* remind myself of when I get into overwhelm mode, I know you wise mamas…
By Kelly Smith, Contributing Writer Mmm, pumpkin donuts! The aroma of sweet pumpkin pie spices filling the air with subtle maple syrup undertones is enough to wake even the sleepiest sleepy heads in our home. Combine these irresistible fall treats with a side of crispy bacon sizzling in a pan and I can guarantee you there will be a…
By Hilary Bernstein, Contributing Writer Always one to look for safe and simple ways to clean my home, I was really excited to finally discover a homemade recipe for furniture polish. For years I had used aerosol dusting sprays, simply because it was the way I had been taught to dust. Only after I started making healthier…
I suppose “rustic” is just a fancy way of saying that I make mashed potatoes with the skins on. Why keep the skins, you ask? Not only does it make the name sound fancier, it also makes for a more nutritious mashed potato. The skins house most of the nutrients in the humble potato, including:…
By Andrea Green, Contributing Writer With the holidays right around the corner, many of us will be hosting friends and family for dinners, desserts, games, and festivities. [Tweet “Dressing up the table for the holidays can be both inexpensive and fun.”] First, you’ll want to enlist the help of your kiddos. Head out on a nature…
Many of our Keeper of the Home readers are big on DIY, and I can understand why. You can create your own products, customized just the way you like them, with ingredients you know are safe and pure, for much less than you can buy them for. But, it’s not for everyone. Many of you…
It’s time for our annual holiday gift guide! Each year we take some of the best gift ideas and compile them into a list to make your holiday shopping a little easier. Christmas is coming up sooner than I care to think about,;and I know many of you like to get your shopping done early…
; By Kelly Smith, Contributing Writer Pumpkin and I have had a great relationship ever since I first met this handsome “gourd.” I remember picking out my first plump round pumpkin as a preschooler and watching my mom turn that hard, rough sphere of orange into a squishy-squashy puree of pure delight! [Tweet “Seriously, who doesn’t love pumpkin? It’s…
I think I’ve finally learned how to keep serving our family real, whole foods, even when life is busy and I don’t feel like I have time to cook properly. Every once in a while, when we have one of those days (you know the ones), my sweet husband will offer that we should order take-out. Tempting as…
; This year’s Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle 2014 is now OVER. We hope that you all enjoy your bundles and watch for the next sale to come around again next year.; We usually also do a homemaking sale every spring. If you’d like to hear about it, make sure you sign up for our emails…
By Erin Odom, Contributing Writer As a redhead with fair skin, sunscreen has always been a staple in my summertime skincare regimen. The few blistering sunburns and sun poisoning that inflicted me when my parents forgot to slather it on me as a kid left a lasting impression: Going without sunscreen hurts! But over the…
In 2013, our family of six embarked on an epic journey. For one year, we lived nomadically, wandering from continent to continent, country to country, exploring, adventuring, learning, seeking, bonding, delighting and relishing in the daily discoveries that travel can bring. It was a phenomenal year, one that we dreamed of and prepared for long…
By Emily McClements, Contributing Writer I don’t know about you, but for some reason when February arrives I feel the strong need to hit the reset button for our family. I’m sure it’s the time off over the holidays, and the cold weather, and being stuck inside, but we all start to get a little…
Guest Post by Dena Norton Pomegranates are everywhere lately – food blogs, Pinterest boards, clothing lines and magazine covers. Pomegranates have been on the scene for a while now (some say since the Garden of Eden), and it doesn’t look like they’re giving up the spotlight any time soon. They hit peak production worldwide in…
It’s that time of year where the warmth of my oven brings forth sweet treats and smiling faces. My boys and I, coated in flour, sugar and everything sticky, find delight in baking holiday treats. Of course we have our traditional favorites like polvorones, bunuelos, and turron de navidad that my boys always seem…
By Stacy, Contributing Writer I’ve always thought that homemade gifts bring a sense of love and care with them. Knowing that someone took the time to create something with their own hands has a way of making you feel special. It’s also good for the gift-giver. Working hard to prepare a gift warms the soul. It…
Thanksgiving may be over for this year, but the gratitude just keeps on coming! We are so grateful for you, the awesome Keeper of the Home readers who make this all possible. We wanted to throw a party to say thanks for being here, so we put together seven amazing giveaways just for you, all…
Thanksgiving may be over for this year, but the gratitude just keeps on coming! We are so grateful for you, the awesome Keeper of the Home readers who make this all possible. We wanted to throw a party to say thanks for being here, so we put together seven amazing giveaways just for you, all…
Note- This sale has now ended. Hopefully we’ll be doing it again next year! 🙂 The only thing better than a fantastically awesome deal is bringing it back again so anyone who missed out the first time can get in on it. It happens without fail. Whenever we run one of our Ultimate Bundles, we…
If there’s one thing we can agree upon it is that cooking real food takes time. I’ve learned that as my children get older, the less time I seem to have in the kitchen. With homeschool, sports and other extracurricular activities, sometimes you just need to get food on the table… fast! So, is it…
Written by Rachel, Contributing Writer For the past few years, I have loved being able to participate in packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child with my kids. I usually let each of them choose the items at the dollar store, we decorate a card and pack the boxes all while listening to Christmas music…
By Kresha, Contributing Writer I love big feasting holidays. I love the excuse to gather with people I love to give thanks for the blessings in our lives, I love the little traditions that spring up over the years, and I LOVE the food. But when it’s a large meal with more food than can…