My husband hates spring. Hates it! Where we live, spring starts off with what we call mud season. All the snow melts and the ground starts to thaw out and it's a royal, muddy mess. Part of mud season means the roads get posts to heavy loads aren't allowed on certain roads until all the active ground thawing stops. It also means that people, like loggers, can't really work because their equipment will just sink in the mud in the woods. Growing up, his dad worked in the woods and he often helped … [Read more...]
Frugal Family Fun – Spring Edition
Ah, spring! If you live where you have a long winter, you probably look forward to spring in eager anticipation. You're probably going a bit stir crazy and can't wait to get out and have some family fun. But who wants to go and spend a fortune on a fun day out? Just because it's finally spring doesn't mean there aren't still bills to pay. Check out these ideas for spring time frugal family fun that won't have you reaching for the credit card or eating college kid food for months to make up for … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning Your Kitchen
Ah, spring! Flowers, green grass, birds singing....pollen, mud, rain. Good side and bad side, right? If you're like me, you considering spring cleaning to be a good thing! I love getting the house back in shape after a long winter trapped inside. What if you don't like spring cleaning? Do you still do it? If you spring clean no other area of your house, make sure you give your kitchen a bit of an overhaul. As we are coming into grilling season, vacations, and spontaneous runs to the ice cream … [Read more...]
Maple Syrup and How We Make It
It's that time of year again. It's maple syrup season! I think most people realize that maple syrup comes from maple trees but that is all they really know. There is so much more to it than that. There is quite a bit of science to it. First- Maple syrup comes from maple sap that is boiled down to remove most of the water but leaving the sugar. Second- It take approximately 40 gallons of sap to make just 1 gallon of syrup. Wow! Huge ratio for sure. Third- The weather has to be just … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning!
It has been so nice up here recently. Sunny, warm (60s/70s), so amazing after a long winter. Perfect weather for lots of playing outside and spring cleaning. Around this house, here is what spring cleaning looks like. Laundry. Lots and lots of laundry. Regular laundry, winter clothing, all the sheets....well, you get the idea. Many other things going on too. The typical "clean the windows" thing is a big one. General deep cleaning of the house. Even vacuuming out the van after a … [Read more...]