When installing tile, there’s the eternal question: Should you go for porcelain or ceramic tile? The answer will ultimately depend on your budget and what your list of pros and cons looks like. And let’s not forget the important question of style — certain materials and designs look better than others, depending on your choices. […]
how-tos
Posted inAt Home
Punch It Up this Holiday Season
If you are looking to host an unforgettable holiday cocktail party, punch can make a memorable impression on your guests and bring your get-together to the next level. Punch reached the height of its popularity during the Victorian Age. Originally made with alcohol, it ultimately became a nonalcoholic drink largely due to the preference of […]
Posted inAt Home
5 Ways to Dress Up Your Gift Wrapping Game
So, you’ve done the research and bought the perfect gift, but now you want to add that extra-special touch? I’ve got the answer: wrapping paper! Getting creative with your gift wrapping game is a fun way to take a thoughtful gift from “wow” to “wooooow!” Here are a few ideas of how I like to […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Scrabble Party
From Thelma Higbee’s 1959 dictionary to CJ’s Evergreen General Store rhubarb strawberry pies — it was a wild Scrabble game. This isn’t my first rodeo, I mean Scrabble party. Over the years, I have had a few of the giddy, giggly get-together events. One Scrabble gig was a yard party with some 20 folks and […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
How to Throw a Wine Party with Wow
Wine, food and music. These are the key elements of any great party and as the height of party season, you’ll want to get your party A game dialed in. First and foremost is wine. Select a few different bottles to complement the food you’ll be serving as well as to provide enough variety, so […]
Posted inAt Home
6 Tips for Avoiding Charity Scams
Charitable giving is a significant part of many people’s lives and budgets, especially during the holiday season, and individuals are often eager to give back and lend a helping hand to those in need. Unfortunately, not every organization seeking a donation is exactly what it claims to be. If you’re not careful, you could wind […]
Posted inAt Home
12 Holiday Safety Tips for a No-Worries Noel
The fun, festive activities during the holiday season make it a favorite time of year for many people. At the risk of sounding like a Grinch, though, all that festivity can lead to unintentional safety hazards. For example, some 30 percent of all home fires and 38 percent of home fire deaths occur over December, […]
Posted inAt Home
Tips for Keeping Your Pipes Safe this Winter
Burst water pipes due to freezing can leave you, your family and your home in a state of crisis. When water freezes in your pipes, they expand, and that expansion can cause a rupture. Typically, the rupture doesn’t occur at the point in the pipe where it’s frozen but between the freeze and the faucet, […]
Posted inGarden
The Garden Grows a Bouquet
We have all done it. Picked flowers and presented them to a favorite teacher, mother or a special friend. Giving a bouquet of flowers tells the recipients they are special, and even more so when the bouquet comes from your garden. Whether you grow them for the home vase or give them away, flowers are […]