The holidays are upon us. That means it's time for family celebrations, decorations, cooking, travel and shopping. It also means that things can go wrong... like the year my mom fell over the open dishwasher and broke her elbow when I was a kid. My brothers and I stayed home to finish cooking dinner while my parents spent the day at the hospital. No fun! To this day, decades later, we always announce "dishwasher's open" whenever we load or unload it. Funny? Yes. But, it's way better than ... Read More about Holiday home safety tips: Avoid frayed nerves, too!
Blog
7 travel safety tips for women traveling alone
In my "day job" as a travel blogger, I regularly travel alone to visit new places. I never really considered myself a solo traveler, but I am. There are so many wonderful benefits to traveling alone, which I fully appreciate these days. But, my first few trips as a woman traveling alone, I was nervous. Over the past few years, I have learned many travel safety tips to stay safe wherever I go. Now, I'm an adventurous wanderer, not afraid to travel alone! Even in countries with travel ... Read More about 7 travel safety tips for women traveling alone
How to reroot a plant: Gardening made easy!
When we downsized from our family home in the suburbs to a townhouse in the city, I did okay with planning for the smaller space. But, saying goodbye to my favorite plants was really hard, especially the hydrangea we planted when our son got married. I don't have the best green thumb, but... I knew I wanted to carry a few plants with me to the new neighborhood. So, I consulted with the few true gardeners in my life, did some research a la google, and tried to reroot a plant (several plants) to ... Read More about How to reroot a plant: Gardening made easy!
Easy cranberry mustard dipping sauce
Every weekend during football season, we plan a menu based on a theme -- sometimes healthy, usually not! Last weekend's theme was "healthy-ish" game day snacks. We had veggies and hummus, homemade baked pita chips and air fryer chicken tenders. Of course, going healthy meant my usual blue cheese dip wouldn't be the best choice. So, looking for intense flavor, my husband "invented" a cranberry mustard dipping sauce that tastes as great as it is easy to make! --> Read our best air fryer ... Read More about Easy cranberry mustard dipping sauce
Downsizing your home: Essential tips for getting started
In 2002, our boys were little. We moved from Ohio to North Carolina and built a house in the 'burbs. It had everything we could want, four bedrooms, a playroom, office, formal dining room and a separate bathroom for the kids. We had a large back yard with the swing set, a deck, trees to climb and a quiet street for bike riding. Of course, we added the portable basketball hoop in the driveway. Idyllic! And then they grew up. Well, there's still one left, but she's pretty low maintenance overall. ... Read More about Downsizing your home: Essential tips for getting started