Home Is My Happy Spot

Drying Corn Stalks Is Easier Than You Might Think Last year, I spied corn stalks for sale at our local Home Depot and Lowes stores and wanted to buy some for our Fall decorating, but sticker shock deterred me.  Each small bundle cost nearly $25!   Amazon, which typically offers better pricing, is selling bundles of 12 this year for $52.99.  Considering these bundles will either be composted or sent to the landfill at the end of the season, only people with money to burn would consider investing in such pricey lawn décor. The best solution is to dry your own corn stalks.  If you grew corn in your garden over the summer, it won't cost you a dime, and you'll be harvesting every bit of your crop. We tied our dried corn stalks to tomato stakes to help them stand in our display. Step One:  Harvest the Corn & Cut Each Stalk Once you have picked all the corn your garden has produced, waiting for stalks to dry out on their own will take too long.    You will need a tool to make a c

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Shouldn't be Stressful! The Christmas season is the coziest and most magical time of the year.  Lights are twinkling, merry melodies are playing, cookies are baking, and our homes smell like cinnamon, peppermint, and pine.  Hearts are lighter, generosity abounds, and we set aside extra time to spend with the ones we love.  If you live in a colder climate, you might even wake up to a white Christmas--the best kind! For some, Christmas can be a time of undue stress.  Since many prefer holding back the holiday cheer until after Thanksgiving, pulling everything together in a month's time can be challenging.  Organization is the key to accomplishing your goals while still maintaining your peace of heart and mind and finding time to bask in all the warmth, beauty, and majesty the season has to offer. You can be a jolly Santa this season even without the help of elves! Here are several simple ways you can reduce your holiday stress and still have ti