Tidy Brown Wren, bringing order to your nest

I've been waiting all winter for this.

I've been concerned about chemicals in my home for some time now. I felt like I didn't have much of a say in the matter until I started reading some wonderful blogs like Sutton Grace and heard about a lot of people making their own. The ingredients are pretty simple. Because our gray water goes into a septic tank I have to be very careful about what I put down our drains. All of the homemade laundry detergent ingredients are very septic tank friendly. First, start with a bar of Fels-Naptha. I bought mine at Taylor's Do It Yourself which is a small hometown type of hardware store. I grated it with my handy grater that used to belong to my grandma. Then I combined the grated soap with some Borax and Washing Soda. I got the Borax at the grocery store (I've used it for years as a laundry booster). I had to drive to a Kroger to find the Washing Soda. It's not the same as Baking Soda from Arm and Hammer. I found it in the laundry detergent isle. Here's the re...

No, this isn't my home. This is typically what I find when I enter a home to stage. Many homes have a room where they just stick stuff. All kinds of stuff. Eventually the room becomes too much to handle and they just keep the door shut. Needless to say Realtors want these rooms "fixed" immediately to sell the home. I hope you never, ever have to see a room like this. If you do run into one, let me give you a few tips to start you in the right direction. 1. First, gather several containers and bags. I use a dark garbage bag for garbage, a clear garbage bag for donations, and a laundry basket for items that need to go to other rooms. You can also label containers for items that need repair, items that belong to someone else, or items that should be recycled or taken to a hazardous waste center (I'm serious). Also, make a place in the room for items that will remain in the room. 2. Start right inside the door. Pick up the first thing you find. 3. Decide right then and th...

The other day as I was preparing to make a pitcher of Sweet Tea, I took a second look at the tin I keep my tea bags in. I've used it every day for 29 years. My husband bought this tin for me because I had shared one of my favorite childhood memories with him and it involved animal crackers. This story goes back to the early 60's (because I'm old). My dad and I lived with his parents because my mother died when I was 7 months old. I never knew my mother, so my Grandma was all the mother I'd known up to that point. I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to take on a newborn just as she was turning 50. Because my Grandfather had retired from the Army, my Grandma shopped at the Commissary and the Military Exchange. Once a month, with me tagging along, she would shop for the whole month. In order to keep me entertained she would pick up a box of animal crackers. I would sit in the cart and nibble on my little animals, always biting off the heads first. As we near...

Sunset at Brown Wren Acres

My oldest daughter and her family were visiting for a few weeks. Since she was born and raised in this area, we have a lot of family and friends who wanted to see her family while she was here. We decided to have an Open House this past Saturday so that everyone could stop by, say hello and cuddle with some of the sweetest, most delicious children in the world (my two grandsons). I decided to have a brunch Open House so that everyone still had the rest of their Saturday to do. . . well, Saturday stuff. We held it from 9:00 to 12:00. I usually like to make everything homemade, but my work schedule was crazy so I had to buy a few pre-made items to round out the menu. Here's what I served: Ham and Swiss Stromboli (recipe below) Fruit platter Banana bread Sweet Rolls (purchased from Sam's club bakery) Sausage (Jimmy Deans purchased at Sam's) Mini Quiche (Frozen from Sam's - simply heat and serve) Brunch Punch (recipe below) Coffee Ice Water Ham and Swiss Stromboli Ser...

I was staging a house the other day and as I walked into the utility room I smelled a slight burnt smell. It wasn't too strong, but it made me wonder where the smell was coming from. Because it's my job to make homes look and smell their best, I started to investigate. My first stop was the washing machine. No problem (or smell) there. My second stop was the dryer. Bingo! The lint trap was completely filled and overflowing with lint. The smell was old dryer lint that was continually heated and reheated. Eww . Not only does this obviously create a smell it is also a fire hazard. This dryer lint could have caught on fire at any time. Here are the steps you need to take to keep your dryer vent in good condition: 1. Unplug your dryer and pull out the dryer lint trap. 2. Discard the lint. I grab a bunch of lint and then use that wad to gather the rest of the lint. Lint seems to stick to lint. 3. Grab your vacuum cleaner or shop vac. Stick the hose attachment ...