In his guest article, Jeff Wilson told us about the hottest trend in decks, and also how to care for these outdoor living areas. He mentioned Thompson’s Water Seal products that will help us have beautiful decks.
Now, for Keeping the Castle’s anniversary celebration this month, you’ll have a chance to win the products that Jeff recommends!
This post is a guest article by Jeff Wilson, of the DIY Network.
ASK THE DECKSPERT
Jeff Wilson is an experienced building professional, and you might have seen him hosting shows like Build A Deck and Build A Fence on the DIY Network. Here he answers questions about decks and deck care, whether you’re sprucing up your home to sell, or you just want to enjoy and protect your investment.
Q. What’s going to be hot this year for decks and other outdoor spaces?
Everything “green” is in — and I don’t mean the color. People are demanding environmentally sensitive products in all parts of their homes. This includes sustainably harvested wood for new decking. Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on the label of the decking you choose. This ensures that the wood is cut responsibly, with an eye toward keeping delicate forest habitats healthy for the long run.
Tags: deck care, decks, homemaking, homemaking blog, housekeeping, housekeeping blog, how to take care of deck, Jeff Wilson, Outdoor Home, outdoor living, outdoor spaceThank you to all of you who joined the giveaway for The Very Best Cooking Guide and Recipe Organizer!
To pick a winner, I used random.org to generate a random number. And that number is:
# 48, which corresponds to commenter:
Patricia Hill
May 2, 2008 at 12:34 pmI really need this
Congratulations, Patricia! Watch for my email so I can get your mailing address! Enjoy the cookbook! :)
Tags: cookbook giveaway, Cooking, giveaway winner, homemaking, homemaking blog, house and home blog, housekeeping, housekeeping blog
Sort and Purge
The very first step to organizing closets is to determine which clothes you still use. To do this at a single go, empty your closet and set up three piles.
Clothes that still fit you and that you still like are keepers.
Clothes that are stained, torn or holey go in the throw-away bin.
Clothes that can still be used, but a) don’t fit you, b) are no longer your style, OR c) you haven’t worn in a year should be donated. Stick to these rules and don’t let your sentimental attachments get the better of you.
Tags: closet organization, clutter, clutter control, control clutter, homemaking, homemaking blog, housekeeping, housekeeping blog, organize closets
What’s in a lemon?
A medium-sized lemon contains approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
When buying lemons, choose those that have smooth skins and small ends. They should feel heavy for their size. If using the zest or peel for cooking, buy organic.
Keep lemons in the refrigerator to preserve their flavor.
When sauteing mushrooms, keep them firm by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to each quarter-pound of melted butter.
When juicing a lemon, here are some tips for getting more juice from every fruit:
* Room-temperature lemons will give more juice than refrigerated ones.
* Microwave the lemon for a few seconds. Just make sure not to overdo it else you will boil the juice.
* Roll the whole lemon on the countertop a few times before slicing.
* Use a microplane zester if you need lemon zest. Take care to remove just the colored part of the peel.
image by mewtate on Flickr
Tags: Cooking, cooking with lemons, homemaking, homemaking blog, housekeeping, housekeeping blog, how to cook with lemons, how to zest, lemon tips, lemonsThere’s some great reading on the homemaking front today:
* Great Gift Ideas To Suit Anyone’s Mom (via CBS News)
* Cooking to Combat Cancer #2: The Round Up (via Mele Cotte)
* Time Saving Laundry Tips (at Simply Good Stuff)
* Dandelions: If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em (via North Forty News)
* Large wall tapestries to decorate your home (via Best Syndication)
Tags: cooking tips, gift ideas, home decor ideas, homemaking, homemaking blogs, housekeeping, housekeeping blogs, laundry tips
To kick off the month-long celebrations of Keeping the Castle’s 3rd anniversary, I’m giving away one copy of The Very Best Cooking Guide & Recipe Organizer by Alex Lluch.
The Very Best Cooking Guide & Recipe Organizer is two wonderful products in one, making it the most useful and all-encompassing cookbook available. First, it features a full back-to-basics information guide that will help even the most inexperienced cook make the most out of recipes and learn to prepare meals like a gourmet chef. Second, the product contains an attached hardcover accordion file folder to keep cherished recipes safe and handy. As a bonus, the product includes a pop-up cardboard easel for displaying loose recipes, featuring a protective plastic sheet to guard the recipe while cooking. This product is the ideal gift for newlyweds or anyone who wants to improve their kitchen skills. The guide is an invaluable tool that will undoubtedly minimize kitchen stress while maximizing cooking fun!
To join in, just let me know you want it. Please leave only one comment to join. This giveaway will end on Wednesday, May 7, 12 midnight EST. This is open for U.S. and Canada only. I will randomly draw a winner soon after. Good luck!
This month, I will be celebrating three years of blogging about the house and home! It seems hard to believe, but yes, it’s been three wonderful years!
In May 2005, Keeping the Castle was born as the Housekeeping and Homemaking Blog of Shai Coggins’ Aboutweblogs network. Aboutweblogs merged with b5media later that year, and that’s when Keeping the Castle got its own domain and permanent home. But it all started when Shai and I agreed that homemaking needed it’s very own blog!
Here is what I wrote on that very first welcome post:
My name is Maricar. I’m a stay-at-home mom and homemaker with a penchant for what’s quick, easy and effective. Join me in my hunt for the best products, tips, and articles that will help in making housekeeping efficient and fun!
Three years later, I have learned a lot and find that I’m even more eager to find these tips for myself and for you. Thank you so much for keeping me company as we all strive to keep our homes comfy and efficient. I look forward to having even more fun with you in the coming years. For starters, this month, there will be several giveaways of cool products here at KTC. So, keep an eye out for them! Meanwhile, pass the mojitos!
balloon clipart from Bridal Association of America
Today, the bloggers of b5media’s Lifestyles Channel opens up their homes by giving a glimpse of their blogging spaces. Be it a desk, a porch, or a moving office, you will find a warm welcome in these spaces. Have a tour with:
Sandy Mitchell - All Holidays Cafe
Gayla McCord - MomGadget also blogging at Dating Dames - Supernanny Rules and CelebAmour
Marye Audet - Baking Delights - also blogging at Kettle and Cup
Christina Zola - Solomother
Chloe Findlay-Harder - Tangled Thread
Tracy Thompson - Foodie Obsessed
I have another use for 3M Command Hooks. I’ve installed them on the sides of windows to have a place to wind the cords around. This keeps the cords well away from my kids hands, and so helps keep them safe. And, it can be removed anytime.
Make sure that the hooks are oriented in opposite directions:
Tips, advice, and resources on housekeeping and homemaking.
A Child Chosen
A Creative Journal
All Holiday Cafe
Babylune
Baking Delights
Behind The Vines
Blog Fabulous
Brew Ha-Ha
Busy Family Meals
Career and Kids
Chocolate Bytes
Cooking Gadgets
Dating Dames
Declutter It
Foodie Obsessed
GenBetween
Hankering for Yarn
Inside Fatherhood
Inside Motherhood
Jewelry and Beading
Junk Creation
Keeping the Castle
Kettle and Cup
Layers Upon Layers
Macro Cats
Mad Cropper
Marriage Actually
Mom Gadget
Mother Earth's Garden
MyCrimeSpace
Noodles and Rice
Offbeat Homes
One Book Two Book
Our One Heart
Parenting Tweens & Teens
Parents Behaving Badly
Play Library
Psycho for Love
Quilting and Patchwork
Robust Cooking
She Knows Parties
Simply Thrifty
Solo Mother
StampingMad
Supernanny Rules
Tangled Thread
The Food Bowl
Thrifty Mommy
Toolbelt Tips
Tree Hugging Family
Unplugged Living
Widows Quest
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