Any chance your apartment is on a septic tank system?
We moved to a house on septic and the first time I ran the washer, the entire house smelled like rotten eggs. Turned out we needed to have the septic tank flushed. ... View related article.
I meant to type "dehumidifier" not "humidifier"...lol. Anyway, the dehumidifier hasn't helped. I'm starting to wonder if maybe the moisture is geting trapped in the stone hearth under the house? I dunno. It's driving me nuts! We have hardwood floors, btw...so no carpet or rugs to worry about wrt holding in the damp smell. ... View related article.
We recently moved to TN, and I have never in my life seen anything like the lady beetle investation we had this fall and winter! I was vacuming them from walls, ceilings, windows and floors several times a day.
I'll try anything to get rid of them, so please keep the suggestions coming, folks. ... View related article.
I line dry, but find that items like T-shirts and jeans always end up being kinda crunchy. Does anyone know of a good natural product I can use as a fabric softener in the rinse cycle? I'm inclined to think white vinegar might work, but haven't tried it. ... View related article.
Our house came with a ceramic top stove and I can't WAIT until I can afford to replace it with a good old coil stove. Not only is it a pain in the you know what to do regular cooking on, but I have burned myself SOOOO many times by touching the surface long after the heat has been cut off. Worst of all, I just discovered that it isn't safe to can on the stupid thing, so now I have to fork out extra money for a single burner gadget I can safely use for pressure canning.
Before ANYONE buys a ceramic top stove, research it. I would never ever own another one. ... View related article.
We grow, freeze and can our own produce at home, but this is a really good option for folks who aren't able to do so. Might also be something my husband and I should look into to supplement our own garden supply.
Since we don't do livestock yet, I'd be interested to know if there is a similar option for eggs, milk, cheese and meat (although, we're cutting back on meat consumption these days). Anyone know? ... View related article.
I'm a firm believer in the philosophy that change begins on an individual level. 2 years ago, my husband and I made the conscious choice to try to go without air conditioning in the summer. In all honesty, that first summer was hard (we lived in humid Va. Beach then). We managed to go until late July before we broke down and started turning the AC on occasion. Then we bought our farm in Tennessee. Last year we used the AC once for only 2 days when temps were in the 90's. That's a huge cut back on co2, energy use, and electric bills. It CAN be done, folks.
This summer, we're making the choice to use alternative lighting. Daylight when possible, an oil lamp to read by, candles for general "don't stumble and fall" lighting. Okay, maybe this sounds a bit extreme, but people thought we were being extreme about the AC ban too , and honestly , we don't even miss it now. It's a matter of what you get used too, I think. ... View related article.
I'm super fussy about my nails when it comes to food preparation, so I keep a good nail brush by my kitchen sink. If I have lemons on hand ( which I usually do) I just use lemon juice and a nail brush to scrub under my nails. If I don't have lemons, plain old white vinegar does the trick. The acids in vinegar and lemons are natural disinfectants, and they are chem-free, economical products most people have on hand anyway. ... View related article.
Seems you and I have discovered the same beauty secret, Marie. I had so many problems with my skin when I hit my 30's that I was honestly convinced I would just have to learn to live with it. I mentioned my dilemma to an elderly woman, and she told me to stop using soaps and detergents on my face. She told me to grind whole oats into a flour, and use a palm full of the flour moistened with raw honey to gently wash my face. I follow this with witchhazel and a few drops of grapeseed oil to moisturize.
My skin at 43 has never been more beautiful. I swear by oat flour and honey! ... View related article.
