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Budget Front Porch Summer Refresh
Are you looking forward to enjoying your front porch this summer? With my porch looking a little tired and my budget being minimal, I needed a plan. This year I decided I would actually like to use the space for more than just for a pass-through to my front door. Front porch this spring. North side front porch before. South…
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Back Deck Makeover – Part One – Repair & Resurrection
Over the years my back deck started looking very sad with peeling paint. With the cost of lumber and building these days, ripping down the deck and doing a total rebuild were out of the question. So I decided to do it in stages, like I did with my kitchen. The deck floorboards were a priority. Next would be the…
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Exterior House Painting – What You Need to Know
Last year the exterior of my house underwent a transformation with a lot of paint. The year before, I had a few estimates to get it painted but unfortunately ran out of time before it could get done. So, I decided to tackle it myself (with the help of my son). Are you wanting to transform your house exterior? Read…
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Interior Car Detailing – 7 Easy Steps
This spring I will be doing interior car detailing for some family members. I started with my daughter-in-law’s car which is a Ford Flex. It ended up being a lot more work than a regular car because of the extra row of seats and numerous little cubbies. If you are interested in making your vehicle (almost) like new, do a…
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Life Changing Items for New Home Owners
As a new home owner you may wonder what items you will need to care for it. Over the years I have acquired new tools, equipment and gadgets that made caring for my homes so much easier and indeed, life changing. Where do you live and what type of home do you have (freehold, townhome, condominium, etc.)? The answers to…
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What Do You Do With Sentimental Inherited Items?
Are you struggling to decide what to do with a deceased loved ones’ sentimental inherited items? At least once a year I try to go through everything I have in storage and give the spaces a deep clean. Are you like me and find things you forgot you had? Sometimes you may find sentimental things that you haven’t been able…
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Printed Photos – Organizing Your Memories
If you are like me, you may have thousands of photos stored in various places and formats, so organizing them is a challenge. Digital photos on your phone, your cloud saver, your computer and your external hard drive or USB flash drives. Depending on your season in life, you may also have some on CDs, DVDs, or even VHS tapes.…
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Budget-Friendly Linen Closet Organization
Is your linen closet in need of a re-organization on a budget? New items come in and get shoved wherever you can fit them? Old items get forgotten and take up space? Is a mess starting to takeover? My linen closet wasn’t too bad, but I knew there were some things I needed to let go of. I also wanted…
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Organize Your Home to Minimize Cleaning Time
Did you know that having an organized home can minimize your cleaning time? Anyone who knows me, knows that I like a tidy home, but like many people, I don’t like cleaning! I know there are some rare people that actually do. There is also the satisfaction of a job well done at the end, even if you don’t. Laundry…
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My Vacation Cruise Package – Beware of Extra Costs
Have you bought a vacation cruise package? Back in 2019, I received a phone call about a Caribbean cruise package deal. It was for a discounted price and also included a few days stay in a couple of hotel resorts in Florida and the Bahamas. (Of course, they also required me to listen to a timeshare presentation.) Thanks to the…
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10 Things to do to Reset & Have a Great New Year!
The new year is symbolic of a new start and a great time to reset several areas of your life. Here are ten things you need to do to reset for a fabulous new year. Reflect on last year with gratitude… What did you accomplish in the last year? Even if you had a particularly hard year and barely made…
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Make a Vision Board – Clarify Your Goals & Dreams for the New Year
Do you have a vision for how you would like this year to go for you? Whether you make New Year’s Resolutions or sit down and write out your goals for the year, having a clear vision of what you want can help. I love this time of year. It is a time of new beginnings, a chance to reset…
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The Benefits of Travelling with a Friend
Travelling alone can be fun but travelling with a friend also has it’s benefits. On my cruise vacation to the Bahamas and Florida, I went with my long-time friend, Deb. We refer to ourselves as “Thelma and Louise” on our adventures, although we have never robbed or killed anyone, or driven off a cliff. This was our fifth adventure together.…
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Packing in a Knapsack for a Ten Day Trip
For my vacation to Florida & the Bahamas, I packed in a knapsack for a ten-day trip. On my last trip, to British Columbia, I packed with a small carry-on suitcase and knapsack. Although that worked out well, I thought I would challenge myself to go more minimal. It is a lot easier to get around on buses and trains…
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Decorate Your Christmas Tree – Top Ten Designer Tips
For years I have struggled to decorate my Christmas tree to look beautiful and Pinterest worthy. I know it doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. There is beauty in all attempts to honor and celebrate this special time of year and I look back fondly on my childhood trees with bright coloured lights and sparkly garlands. I…
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Apartment Makeover Before & After
I recently gave one of my rental apartments a makeover to make it habitable for a new tenant. My long-time tenant moved out and the massive job of cleaning and “renovating” it began. We did repairs due to water damage and uncleanliness, and general “wear and tear”, as well as minor updates and paint. You may be faced with a…
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Organizing for the Holidays to Minimize Stress
Do you have your holiday plans organized yet? The gifts, the food, the events, the decorations, and card sending (if you do that)? I know some people put their tree and decorations up right after Halloween. Some people, not naming any names, leave all their gift-buying until December 24th and end up over-spending. The more organized you can be for…
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Budget Shed Makeover Before & After
Do you have a shed in need of a makeover? My shed was long overdue for some repairs and a facelift. It was a dilapidated, ugly brown eyesore with worn shingles, some rotten wood and damaged doors. Wanting to keep it budget-friendly, the repairs were done over time, some salvaged materials were used and a lot of DIY. Before Shed…
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More Travel Tips – What I Learned on My First Trip in Years
Looking for more travel tips? As many of you know I recently flew on my first trip in several years to Vancouver Island and learned some new things. What worked and what didn’t? Even with doing extensive research into an area you are going to, there are bound to be surprises. Some nice, and some not so nice. For the…
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Stress-free Trip Planning (Airline & Budget-friendly)
If travel is back on your agenda, you might be looking for some tips to make it as stress-free as possible. It’s been a number of years since I went anywhere on a plane and there have been some changes since then. Trip planning research…Step One First – where are you going? And will it be for business, pleasure or…
