Article Archives
Voluntary Simplicity & Simple Living
- What Voluntary Simplicity Is NOT
- Thoughts About Voluntary Simplicity
- Why We Chose Voluntary Simplicity — Sometimes There Is No Tomorrow
- Learning To Slow Down
- Organizing, Decluttering & Purging
- Downshifting To A Simpler Life
- Being Happy In An Unhappy World
- Accepting Responsibility For Your Life
- Rethinking Multitasking & The Myth of Quality Time
- How To Stop Procrastinating
- Save Money By Doing It Yourself
- Green Living And Our Simpler Life
- Our Journey To A Debt Free Life
- How We Are Living A Simpler Life
- Our Simpler Country Lifestyle
- Decluttering and Purging
- Realization Of What Really Counts
- A Sense of Balance
- When Voluntary Simplicity "Works"
- How To Stop Procrastinating
- Organizing, Decluttering & Purging
- When You Give The Gift Of A Smile
- What We Don't Say
- Practicing the Golden Rule
- Achieving a Simpler Life — Step 1: Track Your Spending
- How You Choose to Spend Your Time
- Sometimes It Takes a Closer Look
- Appreciating the "Now" of My Life
- Making the Most of Those Lifestyle Challenges
- Leaving Your Comfort Zone & Taking That First Step
- Partly Sunny with the Probability of Happiness
- Have Necessities Become Luxuries Because of the Recession?
- Two Simple Resolutions for a Happier New Year
- Does Less "Stuff" Equal Happiness?
- The Biggest Obstacle to a Simpler, Truly Fulfilling Life
- Some Thoughts About Raising Free Range Chickens
- Can People Who Live Simply Have Nice Things?
Frugality
- Playing at Frugality... or Really Living It?
- 7 Grocery Shopping Strategies That Work For Me
- What True Frugality Is... and What It Is Not
- Being Sensible About Frugality
- The Wood-Burning Cook Stove In My Kitchen
- An Amazing Natural Wood Stove Cleaner and Polisher
- Stretching Ground Beef in a Recipe
- Grocery Shopping And Frugality
- How Much For Groceries?
- How Can I Stay Motivated?
- Sometimes You Should Complain
- Store Brands Or National Brands?
- Credit Cards Aren't The Enemy
- Getting Out Of Debt — Know Why You Buy
- Getting More For Your Money — 4 Tips For Buying Produce
- Are Buyer's Clubs A Frugal Choice?
- Comparison Shopping Makes Sense
- Homemade Laundry Detergent
- Electric Rates, Appliances, & Costs
- Trying To Keep Heating Costs Down
- Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
- Why We Got Rid of Our Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
- Why I Don't Play The Coupon Game
- Elderly Vehicles, Emergency Funds, and a Panic-Free Crisis
- Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder
- Frugality for the Birds?
- The High Cost of Veterinary Care
- Frugality Without Deprivation
- Real Advice for the Current Economic Situation
- Energy Conservation & Convenience
Inspiration
- Involve Me...
- Precious as Autumn Sunshine
- When I Hear "Life is Hard"...
- Happiness... and Harmony
- Healing for Tired Minds and Overburdened Spirits
- Don't Miss Your Share of Happiness
- As You Go About Your Day, What Do YOU See?
- We Tend To Forget That Happiness...
- ... Maybe Your Soul Has Never Been in Bloom
- That Wise Old Bird
- The Future Lies Before You
- Thinking Done in Solitude
- Peace Amid the Storm
- Seeming To Do Is Not Doing
- The Definition of Success
- "Going Out, I Found, Was Really Going In"
- You Have Succeeded in Life When...
- The Best Things in Life
- The Rewards Of The Simple Life
- Happiness Comes From Within
- Happiness Is As A Butterfly...
- Nothing Is Impossible
- A Friend Is...
- 'Tis Easy Enough To Be Pleasant...
- Realizing What You Already Have
- With An Open & Grateful Heart
- Happiness Is...
- What Is A Home?
- An Old New England Proverb
- A Road Less Traveled By
- "Kindness Is Like Snow"
Personal
- I Know There Must Be a Logical Explanation
- Things Could Be a Whole Lot Worse
- Our Absolutely Amazing Fall
- When I Woke Up This Morning...
- Digging Dandelions in the Spring
- Thoughts on the No Poo Movement
- Five Reasons I Know Spring is Here
- The Reality of Dial-Up Over a Phone Line That Has Been Left to Deterioriate for 36 Years
- A Reasonable Dial Tone
- Will the Squeaking Wheel Finally Get Some Grease?
- A Downside to Our Rural Life
- Progress, Perhaps... But an Intangible Something Has Been Lost
- Does the Electric Company Really Need My Social Security Number?
- The Vet, the Economy & Our Ferocious Dog
- Yesterday Was Not a Good Mail Day
- The Joys of Rural Mail Delivery
- Accidental Art — What Do You See?
- Life is Getting Back to Normal
- Still Hanging In There
- It Was a Very Long Night
- Some Things I Know About You
- 14 Things Unique To Me
- Grapevines & Weaving Baskets
- A Little Too Close For Comfort
- My Husband's Solution To My Creative Chaos
- The Town Clerk's Mistake
- Lost On The Schoolbus
- I'm So Glad Today Is Friday
- Irradiating The Food Supply
- All Creatures Great And Small
- The Mystery Of Duck Duck Goose
- Our Uninvited Midnight Visitor
- I'm Interviewed About This Blog
- Farewell, Old House
- It's The Simple Things That Count
- A Mother's Thoughtfulness
- Special Words & Etc.
- It's Cold Out There
- My Brush With Politics
- When Should You Get Involved?
- The Sound of Silence
- No Old Bold Mushroom Hunters
- Too Many Crackers Late At Night
- A Whiny Dryer Can't Be Good
- The Pig in Our Garden
- Our Talkative Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot: "Want To Talk Bird About It?"
- How To Teach a Bird To Talk
- I Remember...
- I Have a Confession to Make
- Oh No... Not Yet!
- Nobody Here But Me
- Another Knitting Project: My "Feather & Fan" Afghans
Doing It Ourselves
- Somewhat More Intimidating Than the Usual Do-It-Yourself Project
- What Our Finished Compost Looks Like
- A Truckload of Logs — Our Winter Firewood Supply
- Our Load of Logs — A Progress Report
- 196 Little Seedlings
- More Leaf Mold in the Making — It's Starting To Heat Up
- My Winter Herb Garden
- Saving Tomato Seeds
- Nature's Free Mulch
- How We Make Compost
- Composting in a Garbage Can
- Our Hand Dug Backyard Pond
- Digging A Pond — Progress Report
- Firewood — Saving $250+ Per Cord
- Our Handmade Soap
- How To Make Natural Body Powder
- Removing An Enormous Tree Stump
- Or How We Saved $576
- Where All Those Rocks Came From
Food Related Favorites
- Peanut Butter Cookies with a Great Peanut Taste
- There's No Meat in Our Favorite Meatballs
- Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Sugar-Free, Soy-Free Oatmeal Cookies
- The Easiest Crackers I've Ever Made
- Corn & Chicken Soup with Rivels
- How I Make Rivels, Couscous Size
- How I Make Garlic Powder
- How To Make Italian Seasoning Mix
- Chocolate Pudding From Scratch
- Banana Pudding Without a Mix
- The Petite French Lady's Italian Minestrone
- Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzos)
- 9 Tips For Baking Better Cookies
- Making Powdered Sugar
- Turn One Stick Of Butter Into Two
- Maple Syrup From Potatoes
- Freezing Apples For Pies
- Egg Free, Milk Free, Vegan Cakes
- Mix In The Pan Chocolate Cake
- Yes, It's Really That Easy...
- Making Your Own Cake Mix
- Making Onion Rings From Scratch
- Shelf Life of Staples in Your Pantry
- What's In Your Pantry?
- Pantry Inventory — Things I Forgot
- What's In Your Refrigerator?
- Quick One-Dish Dinner... Spanish Rice
- Easy To Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
- Homemade Egg Noodles
- Making Homemade Ketchup
- Effortless Way To Clean Oven Racks
- Quick & Easy Homemade Ice Cream
- Our Favorite Homemade Yogurt
- All Natural Watermelon Popsicles
- Is Coleslaw a Part of Your Thanksgiving Tradition?
More Favorite Recipes
- Our Favorite Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Vegetable Stir Fry
- Oatmeal Apple Crisp
- Blueberry Snack Cake
- Oatmeal Raisin Nut Cookies
- Molasses Drop Cookies
- A Snickerdoodle-Like Molasses Cookie
- Applesauce Spice Cake
- My Mom's Gingerbread
- Easy Pickled Carrots
- Champion Sponge Cake
- Wheat Banana Bread
- Whole Wheat Raisin Bread
- Streusel-Filled Coffee Cake
- Sticky Buns
- Cheesy Herb Potato Sticks
- Quick Pasta Salad
- American Chop Suey
- Dill Refrigerator Pickles
- Frozen Cookie Balls
- Tropical Chicken Salad
- Luncheon Chicken Salad
- Three Fruit Smoothie
- Breakfast Fruit Smoothie
- Waffles Made With Yeast
Other Reader Favorites
- How To Season Cast Iron Cookware
- Produce, E. Coli, Bacteria & You
- My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets
- Small Appliances — Extravagant or...?
- Natural Tarnish Removers
- Rose Petal Beads
- New England's Dark Day
- One Test of a Good Cook, Circa 1880
- How To Do Laundry, Circa 1880
- How To Take a Bath, Circa 1884
Making Bread
- By Request — My Oatmeal Bread Recipe
- Baking Bread at Higher Altitudes
- Kneading The Dough
- How Do I Tell When Bread Dough Has Risen Enough?
- When Bread Tastes Too Yeasty
- Making Hamburger & Hot Dog Buns
- Shaping Crescent Rolls
- Ice Box Butter Buns
- Teddy Bear Rolls With Your Kids
- Save Money On Buying Yeast
Getting Organized
- How To Get Organized
- Quick Cleaning The Living Room
- Waking Up To A Clean Kitchen
- Washing Dishes Made Easy
- Organizing Recipes
- How I'm Organizing My Recipes
- Coping with Housework Drudgery
Soy Allergy
- Learning How To Eat Again When You Have A Soy Allergy
- Living With A Soy Allergy
- Why I Avoid Soy
- Can You Trust Allergen Labeling?
- Make Your Own Soy-Free Mayonnaise
- Making Soy-Free Soft Butter Spread
- Is It Possible To Have a Soy-Free Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner?
- My Soy-Free Recipes
Hostas
- Growing Hostas
- Harvesting Hosta Seeds
- Hostas From Seed
- My Hosta Seedlings
- Streaked Hosta Seedlings
- Do Hostas Seed Themselves?
- How I Divide A Hosta
- Cherry Berry
- Christmas Tree
- Fire and Ice
- Gold Standard
- Golden Tiara
- Great Expectations
- Ground Master
- Guacamole
- Halcyon
- Honeybells
- June
- June And Its Seedling
- Krossa Regal
- Lancifolia
- Patriot
- Queen Josephine
- Regal Splendor
- Shade Fanfare
- So Sweet
- Sum and Substance
- Summer Joy
- Tattoo
- Tokudama Aureonebulosa
- Twilight
- Undulata Albomarginata
- Undulata Univittata
- Can You Help Me Identify This Hosta?
Wildflowers
- Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
- Canadian Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)
- Starflower (Trientalis borealis)
- Fringed Polygala (Polygala paucifolia)
- Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
- Red Trillium (Trillium erectum)
- Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia)
- Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
- Hepatica americana
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
- Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema atrorubens)
- Jack-in-the-Pulpit Seeds
- Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
- (Aquilegia canadensis)Red Wild Columbine
- Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)
In My Garden
- It's Almost Time To Plant the Tomatoes
- Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata hortensia)
- What Does Bee Balm Look Like in the Spring?
- Inexpensive "Cold Frames" -- Our Solution to Our Short Growing Season
- Spring Blooms — Primrose
- Pulmonaria — Lungwort
- Bleeding Heart Seeds?
- Primroses In The Snow
- Bee Balm
- Bleeding Heart
- Common Foxglove
- Common Primrose
- Feverfew
- Heucheras From Seed
- Hens and Chickens
- Sempervivum Flowers & Growing Sempervivum From Seed
- Heuchera
- Hollyhocks
- Lamb's Ear
- Leopard's Bane
- Looking For Blooms
- Money Plant
- Orange Day Lily
- Oriental Poppy
- Spiderwort
- Sweet Cicely
- What's Flowering Now?
- How To Save Tomato Seeds For Planting Next Year
- Sage (Salvia officinalis)
- How I Grow My Winter Herb Garden
- Growing & Harvesting Garlic
Enjoying Nature
- What Has Happened to All the Birds?
- Wolf Spiders — Natural Pest Control in the Garden
- Eastern Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
- Little Acorn... Mighty Oak?
- Tricolored Orange-Belted Bumble Bee
- Mushrooms
- Bullfrog — Male or Female?
- Northern Green Frog
- How Bees Collect Pollen
- Why Bumblebees Buzz
- Bee & Foxgloves
- Remembering Summer
- Bullfrog
- Tiny Toads
- Frog, Bullfrog, or Toad?
- Eastern American Toad
- First Toads Of The Spring
- Turkeys Passing Through
Simple Treasures
- The Mister & the Missus
- J.&G. Meakin Ironstone China Pitcher
- “Neu Deel Cookin Ware”
- Swan's Down Cake Pan
- Pure Food Sanitary Cooking Ware
- Antique Stoneware Rolling Pin
- My 1902 Antique Baby Nurser
- Welded Metal Garden Dogs
Household Hints & Info
- Another Green Cleaning Solution That Really Works
- A "Green" & Natural Method for Cleaning Stainless Steel
- How To Freeze Cakes — Frosted or Unfrosted
- Olive Oil & Trans-Fats
- Measuring Techniques
- Quinoa — Eating More Whole Grains
- Tips For Removing Garlic Odor
- Cleaning With Vinegar
- Frozen Basil That Doesn't Turn Black
- One Piece Kitchen Utensils
- Measuring Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Peppercorns
- Allspice
- Equivalent Measures
- Dehydrating Fruits
Miscellaneous
- Don't Touch That Shopping Cart!
- Are Your Hands Clean Enough?
- Do You Still Want To Shake Hands?
- A Little Book About Law & Life, Circa 1881
- What Did Things Cost in 1872?
- What Did Things Cost in 1860?
- "Any Citizen of the United States Has the Recognized Right of Paying His Respects to the President"
- Hulled Corn or Samp — What It Is & How To Make It
- Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid — An Alternative to the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid
- How "Normal, Thin People" Eat
- How To Make Salt Beads & Salt Clay
- Common Sense, Good Hygiene & the Flu Pandemic
- When Organic Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be
- Produce and Pesticide Residue — the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15
- High Fructose Corn Syrup -- The Debate Goes On
- When Christmas Isn't So Merry
- Bubble Lights & A 7-Foot Bargain
- It Just Doesn't Stop Growing...
- A Broken Bread Machine
- My Own Garden Tomatoes On Christmas Day
- Real Poison Ivy Relief
- Energy Efficient Countertop Ovens
- What $25 Worth Of Strawberries Looks Like
- The Answer Will Always Be 2
- Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act — More Harm Than Good?
- Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act — A Reprieve
Written by Shirley
... I appreciate your support.
