Guest post: Proving The Worth of Martha Stewart During Tough Times

A friend of mine is considering starting a blog in which every day she will detail something she learned from Martha Stewart. She asked me to post this article, which would be the first on her blog, to see what kind of response she gets. So, here goes!

Like most of the nation, my husband and I are in a serious financial situation. I do not think I am overstating, every penny counts. We’re beyond coupon clipping and less luxuries. We are making serious sacrifices. Now I fully understand those businesses that have those “Everything Must Go” sales.

We have sold absolutely everything we do not need. It started with our personal collections. My husband had an extensive and unique book collection, and I had the complete collection of the Department 56 Halloween Village (I had been collecting them for years) and my designer handbags. I cried actual tears over my Kate Spade and Coach purses as they went to their new homes. Nothing, but nothing, could have prepared me for selling my beautiful furniture.

My dining room table and chairs, the sideboard, the cabinet and hutch -- even my wool rug -- GONE. When my husband and I were first married, we waited months and saved to buy just the right pieces from Pottery Barn (or “Heaven on Earth,” as I call it). I thought we would have those pieces forever. We’re down to a sofa, two beds and the desk and chair upon which sits this computer I’m writing with.

At the end of the day, it’s just stuff. We’re together with a roof over our heads and we’re grateful. But recently we had another “budget summit” and tried to see where we could cut back just a little more. Well, my husband suggested I stop getting my Martha Stewart Living magazine. I suggested he … well, there are things I won’t write here. I have made a lot of sacrifices, but Martha really keeps me going. I can’t quit her! I began to explain to the Neanderthal I married that the little comfort and beauty we have in our lives is largely due to Martha Stewart. I argued that every single day I do something or cook something or use a product I got from Martha Stewart. He said, “Every day?” I said, “EVERY DAY!” He said, “Prove it.”

So here I go.

For the next 365 days, I am going to blog about "My Daily Martha,” to justify keeping my magazines in the budget. I really do use them. I love Martha Stewart! Everyone thinks you need a billion dollars and a staff of professionals to pull it off “Martha style,” but you don’t. You need patience and time. I’m learning to be more patient and the one benefit of unemployment is TIME! I invite you to follow along this journey with me.

5 tips for keeping organized at home

1. Make a list: Yep, it's that easy. Make a list of things you need to accomplish. Maybe make the list for the next day the night before, then have it waiting for you next to your bed so you won't forget. Maybe make multiple lists; one list for the week or month or year, and a shorter list of daily things needing done. This will help you keep organized. You can even break things up into lists for different places, one for home, one for work, one for church, etc. Maybe you even need a daily planner or a calendar to help you keep your lists.
2. Do one thing at a time: Focus, focus, focus. If you start a task, finish it! Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately too many people become disorganized by not keeping that focus. They begin a job, then don't finish it because they move onto another job, or because their interest is sparked in a different direction. No! Keep your focus. Do one job at a time. Eventually you'll get a bunch of jobs accomplished and you'll feel more organize.
3. Get rid of clutter: I'm not talking about the garbage in your waste baskets, though that needs to go out too. I'm talking about all the things you have that you really don't need and will never use again. Got two lawn mowers? Why? Do you need two lawn mowers? Maybe you do, but if not, sell the other one on craigslist or someplace. If you have more than one set of dishes, get rid of one of them. Have a gigantic book collection? How many of them are you really ever going to read again? Donate some to the library. By getting rid of a lot of things you don't truly need, this will simplify your life, give you less to worry about and allow you to become more organized.
4. Don't wait: You get up from the table after eating dinner and decide the dishes on the table can wait. You need to relax after a meal and what better way than to plop down in front of the television. But oops! Next thing you know, several hours have passed and those dishes are still waiting. Ah, well, you're tired now. The dishes can wait until morning. This ever happen to you? Or something similar? It could have been avoided if you'd dealt with the dishes when they needed it. This goes for a thousand other things around the house. When you see something needing done, do it! Don't wait. You'll never get organized if you wait.
5. Get a professional: If you are in truly dire need, contact a professional organizer and seek help. If you need help finding a professional organizer in your area, contact the National Association of Professional Organizers. I bet they can lend a hand.

10 storage and packing tips

1. Labels: Putting labels or markings of some sort of every single box you plan to store will help you to sort things later on. This will also make it easier if you are storing seasonal items, because you'll be able to tell which boxes contain Halloween things, Easter stuff, etc.
2. Box sizes: Try to keep all your storage boxes the same size. This will make storing them easier because it keeps everything uniform.
3. Stacking: Put your lighter boxes on top of your heavier boxes. This decreases the chance of damage, and it can make those boxes easier to move around should you need to.
4. Inventory: Make a list of each box and what can be found in each box. It might sound like a lot of work, but it can make your life so much easier when you're seeking that elusive object you know you've got shoved away somewhere.
5. Yard tools: Shovels and rakes and similar tools for the yard can be stored together in an empty garbage can or even in an old golf bag. This keeps similar items together, and they're right there for your use when needed. You could also tie an old belt around the tools.
6. Cover: Furniture to be placed in storage should have at least a thin cover, maybe an old sheet, placed over it. This will keep off the dust, and can help prevent scratches and wear and tear to the furniture when boxes and items around the furniture are being shifted or moved.
7. Inside those boxes: It's a simple rule. Heavier items on the bottom. Lighter items on top. Again, this will help lessen the chances of damage. Also make sure you're aware of anything going on top of each box, such as other boxes, so you don't put something too heavy there. If you don't watch for this, it could lead to a heavier box squishing down on lighter material in the box beneath, possibly damaging something or ruining the lower box.
8. Hang it up: Pegboards can be useful for keeping tools and paintbrushes and the like out of the way while still keeping them handy for use when needed. Hang the pegboards on the walls of your garage or a storage shed, and this will save you from having more boxes to stack.
9. Use your furniture: Make use of any storage space within your furniture pieces. Empty drawers can be an excellent spot for fragile items that have been wrapped in bubble wrap and newspaper.
10. Special containers: If you have certain items that are quite precious and fragile, for example jewelry or plateware or other family heirlooms, use specially-made storage boxes for these items. Most truck rental places will have these special boxes. Boxes for dishes will have multiple separators within to keep the plates from banging against one another.

What's the difference between cement and concrete?

The basics

Cement is a binder made of various rock-like elements. Concrete is created from mixing cement, sand and rock.

Cement

Cement is a dry powder used for binding. Modern cement is usually made of ground up limestone, silicon and calcium, often with aluminum, iron and other trace elements included. Cement is used to make concrete. Today, there is a wide variety of cements used for different purposes. Cement has been around for thousands of years, at least since the Roman Empire and perhaps even earlier. When Rome fell, the secrets of making cement were also lost for more than a thousand years. In 1824, an English engineer named Joseph Aspdin patented what is called Portland cement (after the limestone on the Isle of Portland), though earlier engineers had also been working on creating various mortars similar to modern cement.

Concrete

Concrete is made of cement, sand and usually gravel, though other rocks such as limestone or granite are sometimes used. Cement normally makes up about 15 percent of concrete. Much like cement, the recipe for good concrete was lost after the fall of the Roman Empire. It wasn't until 1756 that Englishman John Smeaton is credited with re-discovering the secrets of concrete by using hydraulic lime. There were versions of concrete used earlier than Smeaton's discovery, though generally they are not considered as durable as more modern concrete.

10 Ways to save money on air conditioning

1. Watch placement of your appliances: Electric appliances put off heat. Sometimes it's not much heat, but sometimes it is. Even televisions put off a certain amount of heat. So don't place any appliances near your thermostat. This fools the thermostat into thinking it's actually warmer than it really is, and then the thermostat will kick on more often.
2. Keep out the sun: Whether you've got blinds or heavy drapes or some other kind of window covering, keep them closed so the sunlight doesn't allow in more light and heat. Adding awnings outside above your windows can help even more to keep out sunlight.
3. Paint your house with light colors: Darker colors hold in more heat. Light colors hold in less heat. It's that simple. Paint your house using lighter colored paints. This will help to cool your house.
4. Cook outdoors: This one isn't feasible for everyone, but for those with outdoor grills, this could help keep down your air conditioning costs. How? Because cooking and baking creates quite a bit of heat, and that heat will linger a while when the cooking is done indoors. Remember that if you have central air, not only is your unit pumping in cool air, but it's also pumping out warm air. Thus, the less warm air there is, the less work your central air unit has to do.
5. Don't block those vents: The cool from your air conditioner can't circulate if the vents are covered or obstructed by drapes or curtains or furniture. Keep anything from covering those vents, allowing the air conditioner to do a better job at cooling. This would allow your place to cool better and faster, instead of tying up the thermostat which will keep reading a warmer temperature even though the air conditioner is running.
6. Make sure your attic is ventilated: The sun beats down a lot of heat onto rooftops, and that heat will linger at the top of your house unless there's a way for it to dissipate. The best way is through attic ventilation. Most houses will have some kind of vents for the attic, but some old houses do not. If your house doesn't have ventilation, talk to a contractor about correcting this situation, or if you're one of those do-it-yourself persons then look into it yourself. Also, make sure not to block any of your vents from the inside or the heat will have a harder time getting out.
7. Turn up the temperature: This is the easiest way to save a little air conditioning money. Turn that thermostat up. Even just a couple of degrees can save money, but the higher you turn it up, the more money you will save. Just don't let your place get too warm because that can be unhealthy and downright dangerous in extreme warm weather.
8. Inspect those coils: Central air units will have an indoor coil and an outdoor coil. You need to keep those coils clean for the air conditioner to work to its best potential. If you don't know what the coils look like, check your owner's manual or call the company's help line. Dust tends to gather on the indoor coil, and sometimes dirt or dust can build on the outdoor coil.
9. Watch those seals: If you have a window air unit, one of the most common ways to lose cool air is for the seal between the unit and the window to have a hole or not be tight. Check those seals frequently, at least once a week. Sometimes you'll have to replace a seal altogether, put other times you can close up a small hole with a piece of duct tape.
10. Don't forget the fans: Ceiling fans. Floor fans. Handheld fans. Doesn't matter. They're all cheaper on the electric bill than an air conditioner. A fan can't bring in cool air like an air conditioner, but fans do help to circulate what cool air there is. Also, fans can feel pretty good when they blow on you on a hot day!

10 basic tips to help your lawn stay green

1. Don't cut the grass too low: You really shouldn't have your lawn mower set to cut more than one-third the total length of your grass blades. So don't let your grass grow really tall before cutting it. Grass that's cut too low can dry up and die quite easily because you've cut into the crown of the plant.
2. Pour a little Epsom Salts on your lawn: Sound crazy? It's not. Epsom Salts are full of magnesium, which is for germination in your grass. Epsom Salts also have sulfur, which makes a good grass nutrient. Sprinkle the stuff on your lawn with a seed spreader, or mix it with water and spray. You'll need about two pounds of Epsom Salts for each 1,000 square feet of yard.
3. Rake up those leaves: That's right. It's Autumn. The leaves are falling by the bushel. And if you leave all those leaves (get it?), they will form a carpet over your grass and kill that grass. Next Spring, after the snows all melt, you'll have a brown, yucky mess instead of a nice, green lawn. So rake.
4. Water frequently: The water needs to sink down into the ground, at least 4 or 5 inches. Why? Because if the water doesn't, then the roots of your grass will not dig down and deep. This is important for healthy grass. The deeper those roots, the stronger the grass. Water near the surface just keeps the roots of the grass near the surface, and that causes weaker grass that's easy to kill by weeds. So, water often.
5. Not enough sunlight?: If you live in the city where there are tall buildings, or have a lawn anywhere that the grass won't get much shade, it is still possible to have a green yard. It just takes some thinking and a little work. For one thing, when you're seeding the area, don't drop as many seeds as you might normally. You want fewer seeds because you want less grass. Sound nutty? The truth is that you want less grass so the individual plants won't be competing against one another so much for what available light there is and for water. Also, don't cut grass in a shady area as often and try not to walk on the grass very much; this will help the grass to grow stronger.
6. Sharpen your mower's blade: Yes, you want a sharp blade on your lawn mower. This not only gives a neater, cleaner look to your yard, but it also does less damage to the grass. A dull blade will whack and tear grass, causing damage to the grass' blades.
7. Know your growing seasons: This is especially important for seeding and fertilizing. The types of grasses found in warmer climes are best treated in the early spring or summer. Grasses usually found in medium climes are best treated in early spring or late fall. In the United States the easiest way to know your climate is to look at a map. Most anything below Tennessee is a warmer clime and anything above not so much.
8. Water in the morning: Yep, the best time for watering your lawn is in the morning, especially before 9 a.m. Later in the day, and the water might evaporate too much and too quickly before having a chance to sink down to those roots. And definitely don't water in the hottest parts of the day, because this will only bake the roots of your grass.
9. What to do with those grass clippings: Raking up those cut grass clippings, or using a mower with a bagger, leaves behind a clean look, but it also denies certain nutrients to the lawn, especially nitrogen. But don't leave big clumps of grass behind, because that will kill the grass beneath.
10. Dethatching is important: Thatch is basically old grass and other organic matters that build up in the soil and around the roots of your grass. Getting rid of thatch can help your yard to breath better, and it also helps the grass' roots to grow stronger and take in more water. Dethatching is a bit of manual work, but it's well worth it, so head to your local lawn store and get a dethatcher. What does one look like? Kind of like a rake, but the sharp spines at the end of the dethatcher will be short and usually curving out and away from the handle.