reduce-reuse-recycle

Restore rusty cast iron with a little elbow grease (and some actual grease)

rusty cast iron rusted

I have a confession to make: even though this is a blog that includes housekeeping advice, I have recently hired a house cleaner.  I feel like Ali Landry’s character in Legally Blonde: a celebrity fitness instructor who gets liposuction.  But here’s the deal with why I hired the cleaning lady:…

Read More

5-minute ribbon and wrapping wreath

It’s almost New Year’s Eve and I’m sure some of my loyal readers (Hi, Mom) are hosting for the evening.  As I was getting ready for my annual Festivus party on the 23rd, my doors were bare and that was driving me crazy.  I may have had 18 Christmas trees,…

Read More

Rendering Beeswax

As I posted last week, I recently had my first honey harvest.  I spent a couple hours each night of the week bottling the honey, so by the weekend that part of the project was done.  But I still had the crushed beeswax to deal with.  I’m sure a lot…

Read More

Butterfinger Blondies

I had no Trick-or-Treaters this year.  Zero.  Zilch.  Nada.  Very disappointing.  And what made it more disappointing was that there were kids Trick-or-Treating on my street, but they were too lazy to walk up my long front stairs to come get the candy.  It’s like that every year, but at…

Read More

Apple cider jelly

We’re finally having some fall-like weather here in Virginia, so it’s definitely apple picking time!  Some girlfriends and I went up to Carter Mountain Orchard outside of Charlottesville the other day.  I always say I love apple picking, but here’s the thing: unless you’re buying a metric shit-ton of apples,…

Read More