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Diary of a New Homemaker

A Thankful Year

John and I were going over the year last night, as one begins to do come Thanksgiving. Our assessment: nothing horrible happened. The roof is still over our heads. John got a small raise. My surgery went very well. Jo's college experience is tough but good--and boy has she grown as a person. And Lou is coming out of the turbulent years into something mellower. We'll call it good.

I hope your year has gone at least as well. I'm thankful for everyone who visits here.

Newest Article

Organizing and Cleaning for a Move

My family and I are preparing for a move. Now last time we moved we did not have time to prepare. A desperate situation made it a grab and go affair. We moved from a large house into a far smaller one and we still have boxes we have yet to unpack.

That was almost eight years ago.

Thankfully this time around we have a little more warning to prepare. In fact, we have yet to find the house we are moving to, but we want to move soon and are looking. This time, we’re taking a proactive approach to our packing needs. Unlike the previous move, we have no wish to take every knickknack and scrap electronic we had. I could swear we even packed up the trash!

To cut down on the clutter in our new home, this time we’re cleaning and discarding stuff before the move. Here are ten ways we’re getting ready to move without a lot of mess coming with us.

A Seasonal Taste:

Boxed Wine: A Green Option for the Holidays

There are no bottles in these boxes of wine -- just wine and the plastic pouch that holds it. It's a great "green" option for holiday parties. Boxing instead of bottling wine saves half the shipping weight (and associated carbon emissions) and keeps the product fresher longer. Photo: BotaBox.

ear EarthTalk: Apparently boxed wine (instead of bottled) is becoming all the rage for environmental reasons. What are the eco-benefits of boxed wine over bottled?
--Justin J., Los Angeles, CA

With more and more wineries offering organic varieties to lower their eco-footprint, it’s no surprise that they’re looking at the environmental impacts of their packaging as well. The making of conventional glass bottles (and the corks that cap them) uses significant quantities of natural resources and generates considerable pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the process of manufacturing glass not only contributes its share of greenhouse gas emissions but also generates nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and tiny particulates that can damage lung tissue when breathed in.

A Taste of the Family Section:

Throw a Grown-Up Birthday Bash

onsidering how much fuss parents make over their kids birthdays (theme parties, special dinners, cupcakes at school, etc.), and how little fuss they make over their own ("oh, I don't want anything special this year, honey"), you'd think birthdays were something you outgrow. While turning 33 may not seem quite as momentous as turning 3, or 13, you never outgrow an excuse to celebrate.

Your birthday is the perfect opportunity for you and your spouse to plan a date, start a tradition and take a break from the grind to remember that you can still have fun. Here are some tips from parents on how to make the most of the grown-up birthdays in your life.