Homeowners shopping for home décor have a great new tool available to them. Pinterest, the social media platform that debuted in March 2011, is perfect for home shoppers who are looking for decorating ideas and suggestions, and who need a place to see how those ideas work together. On the site, users can “pin” images that they like from across the Web to visual boards they create. For instance, in MomHomeGuide.com’s Pinterest account, I’ve created a board entitled “Small Living Room.” To that board, I’ve pinned loveseats, accent chairs and other décor that I think would work Continue reading...
Creating a Raised Garden Bed
A sunflower that I grew in my family's raised garden bed last summer.Last spring, one of the best things my daughters and I did together was designate an area of our yard for a raised garden bed, and started a flower and vegetable garden. We started small and planted sunflowers, peas, tomatoes and sunflowers. My daughters loved watching the sunflowers grow, and especially liked eating the peas straight out of the garden. This year, we decided to expand our garden, and bought the same raised garden kit that we purchased last spring from Eartheasy.com, the Farmstead Raised Garden Continue reading...
Cheese Herb Bread (1 lb loaf)
Recipes for 1 lb-loaf bread machines, like for my Zojirushi 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker, can be hard to find (most recipe books include recipes for 2 lb or larger loaves), so when one comes across a tasty recipe for a 1 lb. loaf, you stick with it! I have made this recipe, which I've adapted from the Bread Machine Magic cookbook, several times, and my kids love it. It is simple to put the recipe together, and the bread comes out soft and delicious consistently. It tastes great with a little flavored olive oil (you can add some dried oregano and basil to the oil) drizzled on Continue reading...
Baking Bread
I’ve long thought about buying a bread machine, but held off, thinking that the small appliance would become a short-lived fad, only to take up the limited space in my cabinets. But, I am happy to say that now that I have purchased my bread maker, the Zojirushi 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker from Amazon.com, the appliance has a permanent place on my kitchen counter. I like the appliance’s mini profile, that the machine is so easy to program (most times, I just press “start”) and that its parts – like the baking pan and the kneading blade – are so easy to clean. Easy to Use I Continue reading...
Crafty Wine-Glass Tags
I love wine glass charms -- they add a little whimsy to a party or a moms' night out, and they make it so much easier to distinguish whose glass is whose (especially after a few glasses have been poured and enjoyed). But, the charms can be pricey -- "Ladies Night Wine Class Charms" from Wine Enthusiast sell for $24.95 -- plus, it can be difficult to find charms I like. So, when I saw some cute and simple charms in the jewelry section at my local craft store at the low price of $2.50 for 6, I scooped them up. I also then bought some earring hoops/findings (with rhinestone accents) for $3 Continue reading...
MomHomeGuide Needs Your Help
Hello! MomHomeGuide has been on the Web for a little over a month now, and it's been fun sharing with you all so far! We hope you've been having fun, too. To help spread the word about MomHomeGuide, we now have accounts at Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/momhomeguide), Twitter (@momhomeguide) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/momhomeguide). To help get the word out about MomHomeGuide, we could use your support. If you like what you are reading, please follow us at Twitter and Pinterest, and "like" our page on Facebook. Is there anything about being a mom homeowner that you'd like to read Continue reading...
Is An Open Floor Plan Home for You?
Photo courtesy of https://depositphotos.com/stock-photography.html When I purchased my family’s home about 9 years ago, I had no idea about would make for a good family home. It’s not until I had kids (twins) a few months after into moving into our house, did I begin to recognize what home features a mom truly appreciates in a house. For one, I discovered that my home’s open floor plan can be ideal for raising a family. My kitchen looks out into the family room, which made it easy for me to keep an eye on my tots as I cooked in the kitchen. The open floor is also great when we have Continue reading...
Crafting an Easter Garden Flag for Less Than $3
I am always astonished at how much it costs to purchase small decorative garden flags -- most cost at least $10. So recently, I've taken to making my own garden flags. I don't even have to travel to a local craft store to get the fabric -- I've been purchasing fabric for my garden flags from my local Walmart, which has a fabric section. Most recently, I made a leprechaun garden flag. (The fabric from that flag came from Joann.com.) But now that Easter is coming up, I decided to replace that one with one for the Easter upcoming holiday. So, I went to Walmart and found a cute Easter Bunny Continue reading...
Making Home Cleaning Easy
I have friends coming over for dinner tomorrow night, so that means between today and tomorrow, I have massive amounts of cleaning to do. Not only do I have to scrub the kitchen floors and clean the kitchen counters, but I have to tidy up the downstairs bathroom (floors, counter and toilet), but I also have to vacuum the entire main floor of our home. (Sadly, we have wall-to wall carpeting.) On top of that, I have lots of decluttering to do. My kids love to read, play and draw in the living, kitchen and family rooms, so there are books, pencils, crayons and toys scattered everywhere. Continue reading...
Crafting a Flag for the Garden
With St. Patrick's Day coming up, I wanted to hang a St.Patrick's Day-themed flag in my garden. But I am always surprised at how much those tiny garden flags cost. For instance, a Leprehaun hat garden flag runs about $12 at Amazon.com. So, using the leftover fabric from the leprechaun window valences that I sewed, I created a St. Patrick's day garden flag for my garden this morning. First, I pinned and sewed about .25-inch seams on each side and on the botton of the flag so I wouldn't have any frayed edges. Then, I pinned a two-inch seam on the top of the flag and sewed that, to create Continue reading...