Making the Most of the Minutes

  My greatest challenge in balancing writing time with household responsibilities is avoiding my own tendency toward the all-or-nothing approach. I’ll happily use every available hour to write – except those times when I studiously ignore my manuscript in favor of chores and errands. The problem is that total lack of progress in one priority [...]

The Big Picture Perspective in Running a Household

My husband and I enjoy putting together jigsaw puzzles, but it’s been a while since we’ve done one. To remedy this, I picked out a grand thousand piece puzzle depicting a classic scene from Beauty and the Beast. (Hubby took this selection as commentary, but it wasn’t meant as such – honest!) Right now, we’ve [...]

Spring Cleaning: Getting Rid of Distractions

The notion to get an early start on spring cleaning has taken hold of me. My husband and I have been thinking about getting rid of things, but it’s a little more than a desire for fewer surfaces where dust can accumulate. My head is full of projects: better manage my online/social media presence, do something with [...]

Thanksgiving Lessons-Learned List

Happy Thanksgiving! Here in the U.S.A., today is set aside as a day for worship, family, and food. If you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner (or if you’re responsible for any preparations beyond just showing up at Grandma’s house), you will probably spend some part of this holiday consulting a list. You might think your grocery list [...]

Writing a Meal Plan

I recently had a nightmare about destroying my laptop by accidentally setting it on a hot burner on the stove. Once I awoke (and backed up my work), I made a decision: no more writing while cooking! This resolution lasted about two days, and if you’re a writer who is responsible for the cooking in [...]

Letting Go of Appearances

You already know the signs when something’s got to give. Overscheduled and overtired, you dread what you once enjoyed. Overextended and over-budget, essentials find their way to negotiable status. Daily living takes on a frayed look, tattered around the edges, which you most likely recognize because you’ve been there before or you’ve been there a [...]

The Passionate Writer

Home and family, my passions, swirl through everything I write like a cinnamon ribbon spirals through breakfast bread. I stand at the kitchen sink, my brain ticking off Fifteen After-School Snacks that Spell Love to Your Teenager. I separate the t-shirts from the socks ruminating on Five-Minute Recipes to Romance Your Husband. I walk to [...]

Stash it? Trash it? Or Cash it?

Too much stuff? You’re not alone. Our families are getting smaller – but the top reason people move into a larger home is so they’ll have more room for their stuff. Combine that with another scary statistic… the average person spends 4 1/2 hours a week looking for stuff they can’t find. Sigh. I can [...]

Pinching Pennies: New Uses for Coffee Filters

When it comes to the writer’s REAL life, every penny counts. Here are some tips for making good use of that stack of coffee filters in your cupboard. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make great covers. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they’ll leave windows sparkling. [...]

A bad case of CAS (Cleaning Avoidance Syndrome)

Sometimes I wonder if only writers think this way.  I can’t get the a scene in the Wizard of Oz out of my mind. Remember when Dorothy is walking through the woods with her entourage and chanting… “Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!” That’s how I feel about venturing into my teenager’s bathroom these [...]

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