Blogs & Tips

Many people know this, but checking your income tax return status is easy and free to do online. You can check your tax return status regardless of whether your return was mailed in or e-filed. The only catch is

You can easily melt the ice build-up from your roof but ice dams and ice cycles are indicative of a more serious problem that we will discuss. If you have ice damming, you will want to melt this ice buildup and

Linoleum flooring is a very old option in flooring that has been given new life in recent years. I remember crawling around on my parents linoleum kitchen floor to this day. But you know what? That old kitchen

Granite countertops, which are a natural stone product will give your kitchen extra sparkle and class especially if you are looking to replace your cabinets. The beauty of a granite kitchen is hard to match anywhere

Compact fluorescent bulbs are all the talk these days. It seems like the environmentally, eco-friendly thing to do, but is it really? There have been vast improvements in compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) for short

Sketchup is a 3D program that is available through a free download from Google. If you have an aspiring architect or designer in your family, this is an excellent way to introduce them to a wonderful 3D drawing

If you don't yet know how to compost, you'll want to take the time to learn. Composting is a great way to lower your waste while doing something that's good for the environment and your yard. Many people

Energy efficient appliances are advertised everywhere you go now. How do you decide which is the best for you? The grandaddy of all appliance raters is the United States Protection Agency's Energy Star rating

There is a great pregnancy guide online at Pregnancy.org, that offers information on everything from getting pregnant to having a baby. They have all kinds of useful information, including tips on getting pregnant

If you have a teenager who has recently gone completely out of control, you may be considering troubled teens schools.  In recent years, the troubled teen industry has boomed - partly because teens today are

A lot of couples who are considering adoption, think that when they adopt a baby, they are getting a clean slate. I'm not sure how many couples read adoption books before making the decision to adopt, but The

Milky Spore is a brand name for a product more technically called bacillus popilliae and is a non-toxic way to control, grubs, japanese beetles and moles in your lawn and garden areas. The grub is the larvae stage

Planting tulips in your garden in late fall will be a very rewarding experience come next spring, when you will be rewarded with a blaze of color for all of your hard work. No other flower captures as much spring

Landscaping mulch is one of the easiest and environmental friendly alternatives to control weeds in both your landscaping beds and garden. Mulch is usually recycled green products such as leaves, shreaded bark

Bamboo cabinets should be a serious consideration for your kitchen or bath remodeling project or for new home construction. Bamboo offers the beauty of solid wood or veneer-faced cabinets with the environmentally-friendly

I used to be a single mom and dating with kids presented all kinds of interesting issues and problems. One of the biggest things that concerned me was when it was an appropriate time to introduce the guy I was

My youngest daughter is 4 this year. Hopefully, she'll start college in the year 2022.  I have a college savings plan, but I haven't been paying nearly as much attention to it as I should be. How

Bamboo flooring is an ideal choice for those of you who want to complement your home with the look of a natural hardwood floor, yet wish to retain an environmentally product. Bamboo flooring is extremely hard and

If you or your children have sensitive skin, you may have thought about making the switch to natural laundry detergent. However, choosing healthy detergent isn't only for those who have sensitive skin or develop

When you think about bamboo, images of pandas in China probably enter your mind. But, have you ever thought about the possibility of using bamboo bedding? There are so many advantages to using bamboo sheets that

Cork flooring or floating cork floors, are a simple and eco-friendly solution for replacing that tired-looking or worn out floor surface in your home. Cork flooring can be installed directly over any material other

I recently replaced my kid's mattresses - it was just time to get new ones. After lots of research, and lots of looking around, I settled on an organic cotton mattress, offered by a company called Keetsa

If you have kids, chances are that you know that a lot of water is used and wasted both in and outside of your home. You may be looking for ways to save water, especially if you have to pay for the water that you

During tough economic times, almost everyone is looking for some quick and easy energy saving tips.  It's hard to pay a huge electric bill every month when things are tight anyway. Almost everyone knows

If you've ever walked past the dryer vent while the clothes dryer is on, you know how hot that air can get. If your washer and dryer are located in your freezing garage, you know how cold the floor gets in

You've probably seen commercials advertising life insurance for children. You may have even wondered whether or not you need it.  I have life insurance policies for all of my children.  Why? Because

If you have too many corners, edges, or ledges, we came across the perfect solution for babyproofing your home. We've got several steps and a couple other areas of our home that we could do nothing about to

Many parents of gifted children know full well that along with giftedness can come certain intensities of emotion.  Often, typical parenting books fall short in helping parents of such kids develop social

http://bedazzledink.com/?page_id=33 Never give up! It’s not just a rallying cry but the everyday philosophy for the twenty heroic athletes chronicled in Running Through Roadblocks (Bedazzled Ink, 2008) by

If you live in the same house with any children over the age of three, chances are that they know something is not right with the economy.  We may think that our kids don't pay attention to what we talk

This morning I went into my daughter's room to finding her jumping happily on her bed.  I thought it was a little strange since she is well aware that I absolutely do not allow jumping on furniture or

If you are reading this then you've been there too, the exasperating pulling your hair out, can't remember why you came, can't finish shopping might as well go home shopping trips. I myself have taken

I got this "name necklace" from Suzanne Myers recently with the names of my husband and sons on it.  It is one of my most precious favorite pieces of jewelry.  It is a great way to keep your

I came across an article the other day in "This Old House" magazine that had 10 uses for an everyday item.  Access the whole archive at this website and find great things to do with household items

Most people know that you can line dry in the summer and warm weather, but few think about doing it during the winter.  I have been trying it with a wooden drying rack this year with great results.  In

Parents play an active role in helping their kids develop a  positive self image.  While we try to be great parents most of the time, there may be times when we unintentionally

Doesn't it seem like there are just some people who never seem to get sick? Maybe you are one of them!?? Well if you are wondering what their health secrets are...check out this article I found on WebMD. Of

If you are like most households, you have about 6 remote controls for your home entertainment system.  One for the DVD player, one for the stereo, one for the Cable Box, one for the Video games.  If

Coffee filters. Who knew!  Here are some innovative ways to use them all over the house.  And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing.    Coffee Filters:  Not just for

I wanted to recommend for all moms to use cloth diapers for their babies.  Here is why: 1. Any cloth diapers are healthier because they're free of chemicals. They are better for preventing diaper rash

I love this article from Parade Magazine. The Dog Whisperer wrote about 8 things we can learn from dogs and other animals, and although we have all read so many, many articles about how to live happier and less

I saw this website on my new favorite tv show, the Dragon's Den. Relax Kids is dedicated to having calm, relaxed, happy kids based on kid-friendly yoga and meditation that seems like a game to them. The website

Good news and bad news-Wii lets you actually get up and move while playing video games, which is exactly its appeal. Bad news-Wii doesn't exercise your brain, just hand-eye coordination and fitness. Enter Big

Our family loves the Wii game system, however every so often the Wii remotes start acting up.  Here are some real life fixes that have all worked for us, so I thought I'd share! Usually, it's either

All of our kids go through phases when they seem fearful of something or another...the dark, monsters, etc.  But what to do if the fear doesn't go away?  What if it gets bigger?  What if the

Do you take care of your family's finances?  Even if you don't, these 5 tips about finances, geared towards women will make you financially savvier.  It is a new year after all, use the fresh

This article offers a list of 10 New Year's Resolutions to stay green this year.  They are things that we have probably seen or thought of before, like using reusable bags.  But it's nice to be

We all want to go green in our own lives, but don't know where to start.  Here are 7 effortless ways to go green, and one of them takes just a minute to complete.  Learn more about this, and 6 other

I am a mom of an elementary child. I send my son to school everyday with a cell phone, because these days you just never know. I want my son to be able to get in touch with me during the day at anytime that he

Do you like free shipping? I know that I do. I always try to save money were ever I can. Freeshipping.org is a great website were you never have to pay for shipping charges. You will see that they have a wide