As the holidays approach, the lack of money sometimes seems overwhelming. Not only are many of you struggling to keep a roof over your head, but you want to have good family experiences and memories. You want to give good gifts to your family. You want to serve nice holiday meals and even some treats. Take the…
After I wrote my “Thank You” post in September, I received an outpouring of email from readers, telling me about their financial struggles. I want to tell those of you who are struggling to make ends meet and to pay for your basic needs that you are not alone. You are not the only one who is…
We enjoyed a trip to two local museums that were free for Nevada Day on Friday. We had never been before and entrance for our family would have been $93! Most things were indoors, but Ezrom decided to make goofy faces for me at one outdoor display. I did get a kick out of a…
Here’s a reminder of how it looked before (for the last seven years, and the three years before we owned it): And now, right before sunrise: Can you see the edible plants? No? Good. Most of my neighbors don’t, either. I’ll point them out in more pictures. Another great change is that we went from one…
When you get married, you each bring certain items with you. One of the things my husband brought was this bench. It was old and worn even then. Somewhere in our second year of marriage I repainted the metal ends and did a slight sanding to the slats, but it still looked pretty similar….
I spent a lot of time last week digging in the dirt. Most of my time was spent planting bulbs. I planted spinach, beet, mache, lettuce and larkspur seeds in the garden. I picked four small cucumbers from the cucumber plants in the front yard before I pulled them out. I cut Swiss chard and basil from the…
This post is dedicated to Nadine in Lyon, France, who opened my eyes to healthy, simple snacks when her 9-year-old walked into her living room after school one day, asking for a snack while we visited. She told him he could have a piece of cheese, a yogurt, or an apple. Pre-made snack foods are expensive,…
I often get asked where I find pretty items, such as glass bowls, that I use in my photos. Most of my bowls have come from my grandmother, who picked them up at garage sales. I went with my mom to the twice-a-year community garage sale near us on Saturday. I found several great things,…
When I told my neighbors I was planting thousands of flowers in my small front yard, they looked at me in disbelief. Most people put in a few flowering perennials here and consider their yard done–if they have any flowers at all. Annuals are rare here, and bulbs are almost complete strangers in our rock-landscaped…
A sneak peek at the white garden It’s time for another garden tour! Would you like to come see my garden in Las Vegas in person? It will be warm, so wear sunscreen and a hat, bring some water, and of course bring something to take notes with if you’d like. You may bring your camera if…
I worked in the garden a lot last week, filling trash cans with overgrown branches and vines. After filling 5 trash cans I still haven’t made much of a dent in the garden, so this week I plan to do a lot more pruning. I also need to finish mixing manure in the beds and get…
I cut zinnias, iceberg roses, and rose hips from my garden. I gave all 5 girls haircuts this week. Everyone but Winter asked me to bob their hair, so it seems 4 out of 5 girls prefer bobbed hair. I used a coupon code to order twenty-five 4 x 6 prints for free at Walgreen’s. I…