Tidy Brown Wren, bringing order to your nest

Last year was the first year I canned tomatoes and I was hooked.   I loved being able to grab a jar of organic tomatoes out of my pantry in mid-winter to make soups and chili.  What I didn't love was trying to scape the labels off of my jars when I was done.  You see, canning jars and their rings are reusable (Go green!).  Only the lids must be replaced.  The labels you can buy are handy to use but are a real pain to remove from the jars.  This year, after canning tomatoes and relish ,  I decided to try to come up with something different - something less sticky. I cut up some of the abundant brown burlap left over from my daughter's wedding last fall and secured it with elastic hair bands I found at the dollar store. Then I simply printed out some labels on card stock and punched out a cute tag shape with a paper punch.  After punching a small hole in the top, I snipped from the top of the tag into the small hole and that allowed th...

I tend to choose neutral colors when I decorate.  I love colors, but prefer to live with a calmer backdrop.  Case in point: my kitchen island and stool with only a red dish towel and bowl to add color. Imagine my surprise when I found a bright green stool at a consignment shop and fell in love with it. I left the store without it but couldn't stop thinking about how cheerful it was and what a great shape it had. The next week, I had to go back and see if it was still there.  I had decided that if it was, it would be mine.  It was and it is.  I am loving the pop of color in my kitchen.  I don't have anything else in my home that matches it but it doesn't matter.  Every time I walk into the kitchen, it makes me smile. Have you ever bought something unexpected for your home because you fell in love with it?

If your car is a mess, start at the beginning by reading Post #1, Post #2, and Post #3. source If your car is looking good, but you need help keeping it looking nice, then keep reading. . . 1.   Keep a trash bag in your car and FILL it.  2.   Empty the trash bag every time you fill your car up with gasoline. 3.   Once a month, check over your car.       a.   check the tire pressure, windshield wiper fluid, oil, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid      b.   check the paperwork in your car to make sure it is current - insurance, registration, and inspection       c.   vacuum carpets and seats, wipe down dashboard and console, clean windows 4.   Remove extra items from your car whenever you arrive home.  Don't leave extra clothing, toys, or supplies in the car.   Doing so only welcomes more items to pile up. 5.   Keep containers in your ca...

Here's a thought that's been rolling around in my head lately. . . How much time does a certain activity take up in my life? How much time do I spend: on the computer? watching TV? praying for others? talking on the phone? reading my Bible? helping others? exercising? shopping? For the past several weeks I've been casually keeping track of how I've been spending my time.  Here are a few things I learned about myself. I spend more time on the computer than in The Word. I spend more time doing laundry than helping others. I spend more time watching TV than praying.  Hmmm. . . time for a change. Can I challenge you to keep track of how you spend your time?  I must warn you  - it's a real eye opener.  Try it if you dare. 

With all of the rain and moisture we've had lately, the mushrooms are really having a party. I don't think I've ever seen such a variety of mushrooms in my yard before. This one was huge.  It showed up overnight. White ones with curled up edges. Pretty red ones growing in clusters. Large ones, so heavy that they tilt to the side.  I'm sure there's a frog under there somewhere! These remind me of miniature bird baths. I'm linking to:  

I'm on the road a lot. Between work, church, errands, and fun (shopping) I'm quite friendly with my car.  It's my "home away from home".   I've found that it's important to have a number of items stored in the car in case of emergency, or just to make my life easier.  source 1.   The most important item you can have with you in an emergency is your cell phone.  This is your connection to help.  Keep a charger in the car too. 2.   3 Hazard triangles (or flares) 3.   Jumper cables - Consumer reports recommends 6 gauge rating for most cars. 4.   Flashlight - check batteries every few months 5.   Rope and or bungee cords for securing items 6.   Duct tape 7.   Bottled water - keep a bottle in the trunk for your overheated car. Bring a fresh bottle with you each time you travel for drinking.  8.   Blanket - I like my waterproof, heavy duty picnic blanket.  We can use it to keep dry, keep warm, or ...

If you are the proud owner of an ugly sofa, then you know how important slipcovers are. Problem is, whenever you sit on your slipcover, it gets all catywhompus.  (Apparently spell check doesn't acknowledge catywhompus as a word, but I use it all the time, so it must be a word) Well, thanks to one of my readers, Tiffany, I now have a solution.  Pool noodles!  Pick one up now while they're on summer clearance. Tuck it in the crevice between the sofa back and the seat. The foam holds the fabric securely. Because I'm short, I need pillows to help support my back while watching television.  I decided to use two bed pillow shams with bed pillows in them to brighten up the sofa, add some interest, and be handy to grab for comfortable sitting.  A red check pillow adds a punch of color and makes me happy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the pool noodle holds the slipcover in place through several sitting sessions.  Before this little ...