Home Goes Strong

Get Grilling for National Barbecue Month

leahingram — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:17:01 +0000

For many Americans the highlight of warm weather and holiday weekends like the upcoming Memorial Day holiday is to get grilling. According to a new Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association poll, Americans are most likely to purchase a grill for the fun of cooking outdoors (41%) and because of the preferred taste of a meal cooked outside (30%).

Bamboo Cutting Board

leahingram — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:21:18 +0000

In my house we have a handful of cutting boards. That's because like most cooks, I know that in order to avoid contaminating your food, you should use designated chopping boards in your kitchen for different kinds of food. For example, a plastic cutting board for meats, and a wood cutting board for vegetables and fruit.

I just discovered a new bamboo cutting board that takes care of the separate cutting board issue without cluttering up your cabinets—I have five cutting boards ready to tumble out of my cabinets at any moment.

Writing Thank Yous

leahingram — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:50:38 +0000

It's spring, time for bridal showers and graduations. And along with those events comes the need to write thank yous.

I know that for years now the etiquette on writing personalized thank you notes has gotten very lax, with people penning their appreciation by email of even, gasp, text.

But I just found out about a new website that let's you keep up with old-fashioned etiquette while using newfangled technology to get your thank yous in the mail—yes snail mail—in an easy and timely fashion.

Dog Bites Man: National Dog Bite Prevention Week

leahingram — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:19:26 +0000

My postal carrier, and the UPS and FedEx drivers are all smart when it comes to dogs and preventing bites—they carry dog treats with them. Now I'm not sure if having treats on you actually prevents biting or helps you to reward good dogs for good behavior. But my guess that with dog bites man a job hazard, having dog treats on hand can't hurt.

Growing a Vegetable Garden

leahingram — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:31:07 +0000

Last year, like most years, my husband and I took a stab at growing a vegetable garden. And like most years, we were sorely disappointed in our results.

We call it the summer of the $6 pepper. Because we'd spent $6 on pepper plants, plus tomato, green bean, squash, and watermelon plants, and all we got in return was one stinking stingy pepper. Talk about a terrible return on investment.

Home Color Scheme Ideas: Monochromatic

leahingram — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:36:53 +0000

Wearing one color head to toe was a big trend on the spring runways. For example, today I'm wearing fuchsia pants with a bright pink top. No longer is this wearing of one color seen as being too "matchy-match" but rather people see it as being on trend.

Mower Care for Your Lawn Machine

leahingram — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:36:07 +0000

Have you gone out to mow your lawn yet for spring? I know that in some parts of the country, using grass cutters or getting out the lawn machine is the furthest thing from your mind. But eventually you will have to cut the grass.

Small Closet Storage

leahingram — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:17:24 +0000

So when it comes to your home, how would you describe your closet space? Would you say you have small closet storage? Or do you have plenty of room to store your stuff?

Perhaps my being closet obsessed comes from my many years of living in New York City apartments, where closet space was always at a premium. I mean decent square footage for your living space was hard to come by at a reasonable price, let alone good closets.

Grocery Home Delivery Service

leahingram — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:25:01 +0000

Have you ever taken advantage of a grocery home delivery service? For a long time I did my supermarket shopping online, but I drove to the store to pick up my order. That was because my local food store didn't offer delivery service. Now it does.

While I'm not sure that I can save on groceries by ordering them online and having them delivered, I do know one thing—using a grocery home delivery service is actually good for the environment. That's according to experts at the University of Washington.

Create a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden

leahingram — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:51:16 +0000

With the weather improving in most of the United States, I imagine that your weekends are shaping up to look like mine—including spending time outside in the garden. This year I'm hoping to make a real effort to create a butterfly and hummingbird garden. Not only do I want to attract those creatures but the butterfly bushes and perennial flowers for hummingbirds are all the kind I like in my garden anyway.