Inspiration

" I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms..." .. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Beginning Thoughts on Plumbing

I have been considering options regarding plumbing for my tiny home. There are lots of options for running water lines from traditional Copper on to the more modern PEX. While researching the options, I came across this ingenious little item.  Known as the Clear J Trap, it is a semi-transparent (there are other options ranging from black to clear) J-Trap that opens at the bottom! How awesome is that?

DIY: Home Made Laundry Soap

I have this intense desire to nest and when it comes to my home, I am super-duper organized. I love to clean and I love to learn new tips and tricks. I believe in having  a home, not just a house with walls and a roof. One of the things I really enjoy doing is making things from scratch and getting back to basics. I am also a teacher, so I get screwed and live on poverty wages my income is limited. If I can save money, all the better!

Last night I made my entire year's worth of laundry soap. It is very easy, just a little time consuming as it is done in two steps. I learned this and modified the recipe from here. Think you might like to try? Here is how I did it...

Investing in Cast Iron Cookware

Lately I have been reading up about pots and pans. Odd, I know, but I need to get new pans and I found out some disturbing information about pans that have non-stick coatings and those made of aluminum. Evidently studies have shown that non-stick coatings convert to gasses and leach chemicals into food. I have long stayed away from aluminum because of its link to Alzheimer's and Dementia. So in my quest to find the perfect choice of cookware I discovered a blog that had a Junk Up Your Kitchen Challenge.