Category Archive

Nitty Gritty

This is our category dedicated to the hard topics of occupancy – the realities of having a home. Nitty gritties might involve moving, dealing with appliances, handling passive aggressive landlord notes, or choosing a utility company.

Avoid gift-giving stress by creating a virtual gift drawer

When I was a kid my mother had a “gift drawer” — a cabinet in our house that she kept a as a catch-all for gifts. Whether she needed a present for one of my friend’s birthday parties, a hostess gifts, or something to bribe us kids into being good on long road trips or frightening doctor visits, that gift drawer was at the ready. As an apartment-dwelling adult, I don’t have room for a gift drawer, so I have my gift drawer hack: a virtual gift drawer!

Solar Roof Shopping? Things You Should Know

I don’t know about the rest of the country, but in Massachusetts, green is the new black. The state continues to offer rebates and special deals for folks who decide to put solar paneling on their roofs to help the environment. But as I learned, it’s not one-size-fits-all shopping. Here are some things to keep in mind…

10 tips for buying your first home from a Homie in the trenches

This should really be titled “things I wish someone had told me before we tried to buy a home.” So, because no one told me, I wish to tell you, in hopes that it will help.

How our cat demands we use fabric grocery bags — and the 5 tricks we use to remember to use them!

I WANT to help the environment, but that alone usually does nothing to help me remember my reuseable shopping bags. Then the issue went from “Help the environment” to “Help the environment and save the cat from death by plastic.”

Always be prepared: How much water do I need to keep on hand in case of emergency?

If disaster strikes tonight, if Godzilla comes down your street, crushing the pavement, ripping up water lines and making travel difficult, will you be prepared? Part of running a household means making contingency plans. How will you stay safe and healthy in case of natural disaster, monster infestation, disease outbreak, service interruption, alien invasion, civil unrest, or war?

Hacking myself: How I remember to take my pills

Lately, I’ve taken a stronger interest in my health. Step one: Get a baseline blood panel.

Lo and behold, I was super low in Vitamin D and Vitamin B. My blood pressure is high and my sinuses are a wreck. I’ve been prescribed sprays, allergy meds, vitamins and I am back on the aspirin.

So after a few years of taking nothing but prenatal vitamins, like a lot of Americans, I’m back on the daily pill party.

As I have a lot of other tasks vying for my attention, taking daily pills just isn’t something I always remember. But at least I know enough to hack myself.

How musical is your home?

I’m looking at my empty piano nook and my unused bass guitar and thinking about the HOURS I used to spend fiddling on keyboards and drum practice pads. My home is hardly musical anymore, and I’m wondering what place music has in the homes of Homies.

Take the survey and weigh in!

Defend your home with designer objects from American Design Club

This month American Design Club opened a show based on this simple prompt: You’ve just heard something in the other room. What would you want to grab to defend yourself? Perhaps a Molotov Cocktail Lamp? Or perhaps a Bat Rack?