Easy Home Fixes for Spring

With the arrival of longer days and an increasing amount of green growth outside, for many of us it signals a time to crawl out from under the afghan on the couch and increase our productivity. With warmer temperatures and increased motivation to create a to-do list, it’s a great time to consider a few fixes that improve the look and functionality of your living space while saving money. With a little planning, most of these thrifty tricks can be done with a few items from Home Depot,  thrift stores or with other items already in your home.

Remember Rubik's Cube?

Were you ever to save that annoyingly addictive puzzle? I couldn't do it, but my brother could.

It was a fun game, but I don't think I'd like it immortalized on the wall of my bedroom.  However, a friend of my family is trying to convince my daughter that she should do exactly that when she chooses a new paint color for her room.

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Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum

An achievement of interior design has been making the rounds of the Internet:  a child's bedroom that incorporates an entire pirate ship, complete with rope bridge and a crow's nest.

I showed pictures of this room to my older son, a fan of all things pirate.  He was (almost) tempted to forgo his college education if I'd provide him with a room like that.

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Open Door Policy

A really good friend is someone who doesn't have to knock before they come through your front door.   We have a bunch of those, and they visit every Wednesday night.   That's when we host practice sessions for our church's guitar choir.  People bring their kids along, and the kids play while the adults rehearse.  Of course, there's more socializing than rehearsing, but we get it all done and have a great time in the process.  It's a good reason to look forward to Wednesdays.

Because we've been practicing at my house every week for at least the past four years, the "regulars" no longer bother to knock when they arrive around 7 PM.  They just open the front door, holler a greeting, and walk right in.

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Window Dressing

Next time you go shopping for window treatments, think about how they look on the outside.

Sure, you want the windows to look gorgeous to the people who are in the room.  But what about people who are driving or walking by your home?  What do they get to see?

If you're choosing brightly-colored drapes, you may find that the backs of these drapes look like a faded version of the front.  That's fine when you're actually in the room, but if you're outside the house, it looks like your curtains have been sun-bleached.  Not a pretty sight.

You can get around this problem in a couple of different ways.  Blinds or window shades offer a buffer between the curtains or drapes and the outside world.  They can add to the look of the window treatment as well, and they offer extra privacy; this is nice when it's dark outside and your lights are on inside.  Do you want the whole neighborhood to look in on your living room every evening?

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Weird Holiday Monday: Proxy and Potty Edition

March 1 - 7 is National Ghostwriter's Week! What, you thought all those celebrities write their own books? TODAY ONLY! Buy 4 Romance Books & Get 5th for Free at Borders.com Enter coupon code ROMB4G5AF. Valid through: February 28, ... Read More

Don't Try This at Home

If you're walking down hallways in the dark, sometimes things will pop out of nowhere and trip you.  Even if you're not starring in a horror movie.

I had to learn this the hard way.  More accurately, I had ... Read More

Even Things Out

Want to drive my mom nuts?  It's really simple to do.

Just leave your window treatments opened unevenly.

I first noticed this quirk of hers when she started teaching.  The shades in her classroom, which faced the sunny side ... Read More

Weird Holiday Monday: My Daughter's Birthday Edition!

Fifteen years ago today, my daughter was born--and there's nothing weird about that celebration! For her birthday dinner, she wants a big tray of Chick-Fil-A nuggets.

Dec. 30 is Falling Needles Family Fest Day. Even though I have a ... Read More

Light the Lights!

For the second year in a row, we're the only house on the block with no outside Christmas lights--at all.  Our neighbors always put us to shame with their dazzling outdoor displays; "Clark" gamely climbs that ladder to his roof ... Read More

Get the Message Out

When I take my daughters to preschool, we travel down the same windy road each time. The girls like to comment on different things they see along the way. During Halloween, it was any pumpkin or blow up decorative figure ... Read More