Why do onions make you cry, and what can you do about it? My brother told me about the simple trick he uses to process large batches of eye-burning onions without shedding a tear. In case you don't have the “trick” item on hand, I have other options that work pretty well to help you avoid “onion eyes”. [Read more…] about Why Do Onions Make You Cry? Plus 5 Tips to Keep You Tear Free
12+ Easy Homemaking Tips for the Busy Homesteader
I am not a super awesome housekeeper. Every so often I rehome rarely used items and do more thorough cleanings, but for the most part our home is unlikely to end up in a photoshoot for Better Homes and Gardens. That said, I do use a number of homemaking tips and tricks to keep the clutter under control and make things a little tidier and easier to use. A minute saved here and there; reusing, repurposing and extending the life of items so we don't need to buy replacements so quickly – every little thing adds up to make a difference. Plus – a new study has linked clutter with depression, so keeping things neater may help improve your mood! [Read more…] about 12+ Easy Homemaking Tips for the Busy Homesteader
Cooking with Herbs – How to Use Herbs in the Kitchen
This is a guest post from Jennifer Downing of Nourish about cooking with herbs.
I love my vegetable garden. It’s tucked in the corner of the yard surrounded by a white picket fence. It makes me happy. Buzzing with honey bees from our hive, bushels of beans and towering tomatoes, this modest garden produces a lot of food for my family.
I dream of acres and neat rows of rotational planting but ironically, the yellow house garden has wonky paths and a patchwork of seed plots. It’s fun, but not efficient. So, it may make sense a disproportionate percentage of my garden is filled with randomly placed herbs. They creep across the dirt and sway in the breeze. In spring, I anticipate the arrival of perennials like old friends. Selecting annuals is thrilling as I search for something new to play with in the kitchen. Since many herbs are easy to grow, I am left with little do but harvest and, harvest, and harvest. I step into the garden, gather fragrant arm loads full and return to the kitchen and get cooking with herbs. [Read more…] about Cooking with Herbs – How to Use Herbs in the Kitchen
Involving Young Children in your Homemaking Activities
One of the best parts of blogging is getting to know lots of really interesting people with great ideas. Earlier in the week I did a guest post for a new friend, Angela from The Coupon Project, titled “Homesteading 1-2-3“.
Today, I'm welcoming Angela here to Common Sense Home to share her expertise on how to include young children in work around the home (without driving yourself crazy). 😉 Boy, does this bring back memories! Her kids are so cute I want to reach out and hug them from across the country. Enjoy!
I used to envy stay-at-home moms….before I became one myself. I quickly learned that juggling domestic duties with littles underfoot was not for the faint of heart. For the first couple years, I struggled in my new role. How in the world was I going to get stuff done anymore?
When I decided to fully embrace my new life instead of fighting it, I began to find new and clever of ways of tackling tasks around the home. I wanted to share four things I've learned that have helped me involve my children in my homemaking activities. [Read more…] about Involving Young Children in your Homemaking Activities
