Archive for Home

Abask Dust Buster

Posted by 278Wife on April 4, 2017
in Cleaning, Home

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I absolutely love the Abask handheld vacuum. VERY easy to assemble, and lasts for over 10 minutes without recharging. It comes with different attachments to get in crevices, go on carpeting, use on tile, etc.

I was pleasantly surprised it came with enough attachments so I could stand and vacuum. Most handheld cordless vacuums do not have this option. I was able to vacuum three tile bathroom floors, my large tile laundry room, and my carpeted steps and it did not even start to slow down. It comes with a bag to hold all of the attachments, which I love, and a hook so I can hang it. It’s easy to clean, easy to use, and best of all it has great suction. I HIGHLY recommend this handheld vacuum. I had a few questions for the company, and they were very quick to respond as well. Great customer service.

https://www.amazon.com/Abask-Household-Ni-CD2200MA-Accessories-Rechargeable/dp/B01N1KJ314/ref=cm_rdp_product

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January is Organizational Month

Posted by html404 on January 12, 2015
in Family Stuff, Home, Organization, Uncategorized

FFR January is Organizational MonthYou may or may not recall January is Organizational Month. I have been trying for three plus years to get organized and it never fails something keeps coming up to hinder the process.

I admit I cannot seem to get our home organized the way I would like it. It is like I have a brain film over my organizational skills I used to possess. Perhaps 2015 will be my year…finally.

We are in the throes of de-junking now. We gave away several bags to charity last week and will have more to give away at the end of them month.

What do you need to organize? Do you have any tips to help the organizationally challenged?


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NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser

Posted by html404 on September 12, 2014
in Appliances, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Gift Ideas, Home, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser

We drink a lot of water. We are currently on well water. The water itself is fine, however, we have to add salt since the home has an on-demand water softener system. It is the salt in the water that makes our water no-so-great. That is why we were excited to be offered a NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser. No more carting home 10 1-gallon water jugs since we can use!

The NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser is a nice little appliance to have in our home. It has a stainless steel front and black sides and back. It has a slim size, which makes it a great choice for smaller homes or areas within the home. We put ours just off the kitchen in the master suite hallway since there is no room in our small kitchen.

NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser Specs

~ 33.65 lbs.
~ 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty.
~ Removable plastic drip tray.
~ Hot & Cold water dispenser
~ Two push button controls – the hot water has a safety regulated “hot water” push button, making it safe for children.
~ Light indicators.
~ Hot water 176°F – 203°F.
~ Cold water 41°F – 50°F.
~ Compatible with 2-gallon, 3-gallon or 5-gallon bottles of water.
~ Features a stainless steel water tank which delivers a plastic free taste when drinking both hot and cold water.
~ UL Certified.
~ Easy no installation; simply remove it from its packaging, add a water bottle and plug in!

NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser Review

We really like having the water dispenser. It saves on boiling a kettle of water, making it very convenient to get a cup of tea or hot chocolate. It is holding up well under our family of ten’s use of it. Granted the younger children cannot get hot water unless they have two of them to maneuver the child-safety feature on the buttons! It is easier for the children to get a drink and a lot less mess too, unless of course they overfill or spill, which they have yet to do, thankfully.

The only thing I really do not like about the unit is the fact that the buttons to dispense hot and cold water, as well as the child-safety button are all plastic. I fear they will eventually snap or break under heavy, extended use. I hope I am wrong but only time will tell. We have had it for nearly a month now, but we did limit the children’s use until this past week when I knew I would be doing the review.

Overall, the NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser has been a welcome addition to our home and I am looking forward getting much use out of it.


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Can You Say Huge Farm Fresh Egg? – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on September 3, 2014
in Animals, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Home, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

My daughter showed me this farm fresh egg last night and we could not help but wonder which hen laid this egg. She thinks it was a smaller one because the smaller hens are mighty when it comes to laying over sized eggs! Guess we will never really know.

FFR Huge Egg 090214


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Beautiful Clematis – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on July 16, 2014
in Gardening, Home, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized

FFR Clematis June 2014

Beautiful Clematis

My photo does not do this Clematis justice but I still wanted to share it! This is a clematis at one of my paper customers. It makes me sad because when I transplanted mine last year from our townhouse to the house we are renting, it took a step backwards and is a puny little thing. :( Sniff. Sniff.


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Retirement

Posted by html404 on July 14, 2014
in Articles, Family Stuff, Home, Uncategorized

This is a featured post.

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Used with permission. Copyright: iriana88w / 123RF Stock Photo

My mom retired five years ago. Wow. It seems like yesterday. My dad did not get the chance to retire completely while here on earth but he is fully retired now and has been for over eight years. I do not know if my parents had dreams of what their retirement years would look like. I am sure it would include many car shows though! They loved going to car shows together and old cars was a passion of my dad’s. My dad was just 56 when he died. After my dad died my mom had my sister and her family move in with her for a while so she wouldn’t have to be alone and then gradually they all needed their own space. My mom offered our childhood home to my sister and they found mom a new place to live for a new chapter in her life. My mom’s idea of a retirement home is her little home in the woods away from people but still close enough to town that she can get what she needs. My sister shares the property but has her own little humble abode. I know my mom is not the norm but she is for my small hometown, which only has one golf course and I do not think there are any homes on it like there are on golf courses here in the U.S.

Golf course communities are appealing to many retirees. They opt to live on a golf course during their retirement because of the attractive views, ample time to tee off and watch others play your favorite game. Golf is a game of leisure, right?

Pool and community activities are another feature retirees are drawn towards when living at a golf course retirement community.

Golf course communities are usually 55+ so there are no screaming, meddling children 24 hours, seven days a week, unless they are visiting grandma and grandpa for the day.

My parents are not into golf so you wouldn’t see them at one of these retirement communities but perhaps your parents are gung-ho to live in one, like my aunt and uncle in British Columbia. If that is the case, you can find out more here.


Do you know anyone who lives in a golf course community?


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Why We Aren’t Taking a Family Vacation #PGeveryday #Sponsored

Posted by html404 on June 27, 2014
in Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Home, Things to Do in Chicago, Travel, Uncategorized

My husband and I love to travel, so do our children. We have traveled to Texas, Canada, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Minnesota and Iowa on family vacations or weekend trips. We always have fun, make memories and of course face challenges.

Travel Map of USA
Copyright: hamik / 123RF Stock Photo. Used with permission

It has been a number of years since we took a family vacation. Probably 2009, if I remember correctly. Money has been tight, plus we have chosen to become farmers. Summer is our busiest time on the farm with our CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture), markets, egg and chicken business. That is one of the downsides to farming. One of the agreements Robert and I had when we decided to farm was that we’d still take vacations. Well…we didn’t realize how long it would take to recover from a bout of unemployment nor did we expect another season of unemployment so soon.

FFR CSA Week 2 062514

Like the author of this article on P&Geveryday™ titled, Why We’re Skipping Summer Vacation, I admit it is kind of hard sometimes when we hear of others taking their family vacation. I also confess to being green with envy sometimes. But like Christie Tate and her husband, we realize this is the season of life we are in. Extended family vacations are not in the cards for us due to our commitments at home.

That does not mean we cannot take day trips to Chicago to visit museums, the zoo, Navy Pier or the Shedd Aquarium or travel other short distances. It just means it will take a bit of planning on our part to make sure everything at home is taken care of first.

P&Geveryday™ has a section on Travel Tips that will be useful to parents planning trips with children. P&Geveryday™is committed to making every day just a little easier by helping you achieve a life full of rewarding moments. Every day. The site aims to inspire, support and empower you to unlock the extraordinary potential in your everyday life. It offers a variety of topics, helpful articles for family life, delicious recipes for the 4th of July, etc. Check out their informative P&Geveryday Facebook page too.

Do you plan on taking a family vacation this summer? If so, where? If not, why not?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.


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Natural Mosquito Repellent – Do You Use it?

Posted by html404 on June 17, 2014
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Health & Garden Tuesday, Health and Garden Tuesday, Health and Nutrition, Home, Personal Care Products, Seasonal Stuff

Re-posted from July 2013.

I don’t know what it’s like where you live but here the mosquitoes are horrendous. We don’t like to use chemical laden insect repellents. We tend to rely on a natural mosquito repellent, like our essential oils. I’ve taken to putting the essential oil Purification on at the beginning of my paper route and while it does not work 100%, it does deter many of these pesky creatures. We have also used cedarwood, peppermint and lavender.

Rural Countryside

Mike the Gardener had a little article on what to plant in your garden to repel mosquitoes and I sure wish we had got our lemongrass and marigolds planted! Our daughter did plant a pot of catnip for the cats, which has sprouted. That was more to keep the cats down at the barn rather than at the house – they think they are house cats and try to get inside! But they have a job to do down at the barn – rodent patrol – so we want them to stay down there. Our children love those cats and started feeding them at the patio door and guess where they camped our and hung around? Yep, the patio door! Or any door for that matter. We nipped that in the butt by telling them to stop feeding the cats at the house or the mice would take over!

So do you have a natural remedy to combat the mosquitoes? Have you ever grown your own natural mosquito repellent?

P.S. If you happen to sign up for Mike the Gardener’s Seed of the month, please use our referral code: https://www.averagepersongardening.com/seedsclub/step_2.php?node=R28D4WDCHM so we can get credit for it.


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Reverie Sweet Slumber Pillow Review

Posted by Brande on May 20, 2014
in Bedding, Home, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Shopping, Uncategorized

FFR image for posts

 

Reverie Pillow

My husband said this is the best pillow he has every slept on!

The Sweet Slumber Pillow is 100% cotton quilted with a removable cover that is machine washable. Guess what’s in the pillow?  Nope, not feathers, it is shredded natural rubber.  Cool, right?  This fabulous pillow is hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial and dust mite resistant. Those are great assets in a pillow.

My husband claimed this pillow the second it came in the door. He has never slept well nor found a pillow that is comfortable with him.  He tends to wake up with a headache.  Since this Sweet Slumber Pillow arrived he has had minimal headaches in the morning and is sleeping much better.

Reverie also has a mattresses and linens. You can order yours today!  Click here to be taken to Reverie’s website.

**If you have an allergy to latex, I would advise against this pillow**


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Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Review – Smiley360

Posted by Brande on April 21, 2014
in Cleaning, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Home, News Worthy, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

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I received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 here!”

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Cleaning just started smelling better in my house!  Many thanks to Mrs. Meyer’s brand cleaners, I no longer have a harsh chemical smell my kitchen.  It now smells of geraniums and it’s so refreshing!  All of Mrs. Meyer’s products are “cruelty free, not tested on animals and are all biodegradable. “ myers

I was happy to test of the following products all are scented in geranium:

Mrs. Meyer’s Liquid Dish Soap – At least 97% of the ingredients are naturally derived.  It has essential oils that get the grim off dishes.  Yet it is safe for you and our environment.

Mrs. Meyer’s Liquid Hand Soap – The hand soap also has essential oils that are easy and soft of your hands and it smells great!

Mrs. Meyers’s Counter Top Spray – Just spray this product on no-porous counter tops and whip away the dirt.

Mrs. Meyer’s has a wonderful line of products to choose from, including household cleaners, hand & body, laundry, and air fresheners.  You can choose from 14 different scents, ranging from radish to baby blossom.

I really enjoyed these products no only do they smell good, they clean really well also.

Mrs. Meyer’s is available online as well as your grocery store.  Head over to Mrs. Meyer’s Facebook page for great tips!

Happy Cleaning!


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