Linda @ Linda’s Lunacy

6 Ways to Make Your House Feel More Like Your Home

July 2, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*6 Ways to Make Your House Feel More Like Your Home is a sponsored post

Did you recently buy a home, or are you doing a big home renovation? If so, you might be wondering how you turn the house into more of a home. A home that you can call yours. A home that you feel safe in. A home that you love to run to at the end of each long day. There are so many steps that you could take to make your feel more inviting and more home-y, but here are just a few of my favorite ways to make your house feel more like your home:

Pictures:

I find that a pretty immediate way to make a house feel more like home is to put up photos. If I am honest, I have a slight obsession with photos and I am not ashamed of it. I love how a photo has the power to bottle up a memory, a certain feeling, and then make it last a lifetime. Looking at a photo can take you back to a certain time or place, while connecting you to those people or things you love. Therefore, find photos that hold a special place in your heart and showcase them in your home. This simple project can change the way you feel in your home, and about your home pretty rapidly.

Candles:

Although there are so many things that can replace candles nowadays, such as wax melts and essential oils, I think that candles are SO worth it when it comes to setting the mood, making your home feel cozier, and making it feel truly inviting + like a home and not just a house. Candles automatically create a feeling of warmth and comfort. A home where you want to cuddle up on the couch, under a fuzzy blanket, with some homemade popcorn and watch a good romantic comedy.

Pillows:

Pillows are a great way to fill and warm up a space, while generating a cozy environment. Pillows are great for decoration as they come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors – stay neutral, or spice things up with a bold color. That means, whatever your style may be, there is a pillow to match it.

Needed (or wanted) renovations:

When you move into your new home, you definitely want to do any needed or wanted inspections, renovations, and other projects to your home. Create your list and get to work, but start with the most important ones. For example, if you have mold issues, that would be my #1 priority. If you have a leak in your roof, get that taken care of ASAP so that you do not have additional on-going issues down the road. Greater American Roofing Louisville can help you with that one, if you’re in the market. They are residential and commercial roofers in Louisville KY and they offer services such as roof inspections, roof repairs, gutters, TPO roofing, and so much more. Their beautifully crafted, professionally installed roofs are second-to-none, and their quality of work is immaculate. Why choose to work with them? There are many reasons like their system warranties, amazing reviews, and personal approach. But also because they specialize in roofs. They say: “There are dozens of roofing contractors to choose from when it comes to a new roof. However, not many SPECIALIZE in the luxury market like we do. We have invested heavily in this market because we understand that YOUR luxury home deserves specialized attention. What sets us apart? Our dedication to providing our customers with professional inspection reports, with assistance working with an insurance claim, professional design consultation, and certified luxury roofing system installation crews that understand that every roof is not the same. At Greater American Roofing & Restoration, we refuse to cut corners, and provide experienced project managers to ensure everything is done with quality that far exceeds the average in the industry.”

A familiar smell:

A familiar smell always transforms a house and makes it into a place that yuou can call home. For a lot of us, that familiar smell might be baked goods. You know – the things that you make for your kids, your spouse, or that your mom used to make for you when you were younger. And honestly, who doesn’t love the smell of fresh baked cookies anyway?! In my opinion, nothing is more welcoming than the scent of something baking in the oven. The smell of something baking is like getting a hug from grandma…and if that doesn’t scream home then I don’t know what does. HGTV even notes that the way to a home-buyer’s heart is to leave out a tray of fresh baked cookies or brownies. So get creative, or stay traditional, and put that oven to use! Before you know it, your house will be filled with the aroma of baked goods, making it feel more and more like home.

The ones you love:

It is hard to make a house a home without filling it with those you love. I strongly believe family is the most important thing we have on earth. Without them there is no home. Therefore, it is important to create an environment full of love, respect, and comfort.

Buying a home can be a daunting experience. Along with a new home may come a variety of additional tasks, including: purchasing additional furniture to fill the space, selecting new paint, updating the appliances, etc. Buying and styling a new home can be enough to send stress levels through the roof. But if you take the time to make your new house feel more like a home, I promise that you will have a really great experience in your new home, for years to come!

*6 Ways to Make Your House Feel More Like Your Home is a sponsored post

Teaching Kids to Call 911

June 25, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This teaching kids to call 911 post contains affiliate links

I learned all about calling 911 with my oldest son. He was around 7 the first time he called 911.

We lived in Ohio at the time, but were visiting my parents in Kentucky. My husband cut his hand with his pocket knife. It wasn’t bad, no stitches required, but I guess it scared our son. He went in the other room and called 911.

I found out when I answered the phone when 911 called back to check to see what was going on. I had to explain the situation, which they accepted, and we avoided anyone coming to the house.

So we had a big discussion with him about how 911 was for emergencies only. To which he replied it was because dad was bleeding. So we continued that discussion. We thought we had finally gotten through to him.

Teaching Kids to Call 911 My Story Part 2

Until a couple of days later…..

We were back home in Ohio. And as moms do, I went to the bathroom. Since kids can come up with all kinds of trouble while mom is in the bathroom….

My son called 911 again. So much for our conversation.

So I’m in the bathroom when I hear the answering machine in the other room. “We received a call from this number. We are checking to see if everyone is ok”

Oh my! Guess who flew out of the bathroom?

I ran out to the phone and replayed the message. Yep, I had heard it right. So now I’m freaking out! What do I do? Call 911 back? That didn’t seem right. I didn’t want to tie up the line. So while I’m standing there trying to figure out what to do, I hear a knock at the door.

2 policemen. “ we got a call from here so we’re checking to see if everything is ok”

So yes, I had to stand there and tell the police that my son must have called while I was in the bathroom and that I heard the callback but couldn’t get to the phone in time. Because I was in the bathroom. Lol They believed me lol and I didn’t get arrested for making false 911 calls.

So we had another discussion. Apparently this one sunk I because he never called 911 again.

Teaching Kids to Call 911

Before you start, you need to make sure that your child has memorized their full name and address. Even a 2 year old can learn that pretty quickly. A land line call can be traced to your address, but cell phones will take a long time to trace, if it is even possible with your phone/ where you live.

After learning those, the first step in teaching kids to call 911 is to teach them WHEN and WHY to call 911. This can be in general terms, or in more specific terms if someone in the family has a health condition. I’ve linked some resources below to help you.

Once they know the when and why for calling 911, it’s time to teach them how to use the phone to call.

If you have a landline phone, teaching kids to call 911 is easy. Just make sure the phone is hung up when dialing!

Teaching kids to call 911 on a cell phone is a little more complicated. You need to check out the phone that they would most likely have access to in an emergency. Cell phones have a way to access the phone to call 911 without having to put in the phones password.

On my phone, when the home button is pressed, the keypad comes on the screen to put in the password, but at the bottom it says EMERGENCY. When that is touched , the phones number pad comes on the screen. I think on some phones it’s a swipe. So check out your phone so you can teach the kids the correct procedure to use to make the call. Go over that procedure often so they remember. When you get a new phone, remember to check it out to see if it works differently so you can show them that way.

What to Do When You Accidentally Call 911

While you are teaching your kids how to call 911, they, (or you!) may accidentally make the call for real.

When that happens, it is recommend to stay on the call, don’t hang up! Then tell the dispatcher you were teaching your kids, and the call was an accident. As I learned they will make a call back if you hang up that takes extra time for them.

It’s helpful to look up the non-emergency number for dispatch. So if your kid calls 911, you don’t have to freak out like I did and not know what to do. Call the non-emergency number and tell them what happened if you miss the call back, like I did.

Teaching your kids to call 911, the correct way!, isn’t difficult, but might be tricky depending on your kid, (or mine, sheesh, lol) and your phone.

Here’s a book, A Childs Guide to Calling 911, that will help reinforce what you have taught them.

Check out this website and resources that will help you.

Visit 911 for Kids for lots of helpful information for teaching your kids about 911.

They have a 911 Lesson Plan, that I wish I had had! lol

And a pdf for teaching kids about emergencies that looks amazing.

If you are having to teach your children how to call 911 because of health issues in your family, you may find my Homeschooling in a Crisis post helpful. If your kids are still having virtual school, you may find it helpful, also.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Give the Gift of Wellness This Mother’s Day

April 29, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This post contains affiliate links

Mother’s Day is almost here. Give your mother the gift of wellness this year!

Here are a few of my favorite wellness products that I use and love. These would make great gifts for anyone, anytime of the year! If you have any questions, just ask!

The Breast Chek Kit is something that I think all women should have. It’s a tool to help with breast self exams. It makes it easier to feel any little lumps. I have one, and it really helps.

Joyome is a skin care line that works to balance your skins microbiome to keep it healthy. This isn’t make up, it’s skin care. We start losing collagen at age 25, so we all need this!

I have used Triplex for about 6 years now. Gut health is so important to our overall health. Gut health seems to be a buzz word that everyone is using now. But Triplex really works! I love it, and hope to never be without it, because it has really helped me.

Sometimes wellness refers to our mental and emotional health, too. Mom’s need time to relax, and do things that they find fun, and that are important to them. With Cratejoy, you can have a box sent to mom that she will thoroughly enjoy. There are many boxes to choose from, so you’re sure to find something your your mom loves. You can have a box sent one time, or pick a subscription.

Ok, this next gift might be a little tricky. You can’t just give your mom a scale and insinuate that she needs to lose weight. But…..if she has expressed an interest in all the things that todays scales can do, this is a great one. I bought this one for myself. It syncs with an app on your phone to tell you not only weight, but body composition. The app saves your data, and you can set goals, and see your progress. I love being able to track my progress with building muscle.

I discovered Thrive Market a few months ago. I live in a rural area, and would have to drive a hour and a half to two hours to get to a store that carries the same products. Now I can have them delivered right to my door. Here’s a picture of my last delivery.

From meat and other items needed for dinners, to snacks, supplements, personal care, and household items. They really have just about everything that you need. And it’s all high quality, sustainable products. I love that you can search for a specific diet need, keto, vegetarian, gluten free, and more. It will pull up all the gluten free, for example, items for you to look at.

Give your mother a membership and she will thank you! Send her her first order, and she will THANK YOU! lol You can send a gift card to cover the membership & add some extra for their first order. Go HERE to get 25% of your first order, and get a free gift, too!

Those are a few wellness items that I use and love.

And that I would love to receive as a gift, too!

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

VOOKS Storybooks Brought to Life Review & Giveaway

April 28, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This post contains affiliate links

I was recently able to check out VOOKS, storybooks brought to life to review. VOOKS is a really cool streaming library of kid-safe animated storybooks. Be sure to check out the giveaway below!

VOOKS is trusted by teachers, and loved by kids around the world. It encourages independent learning, and a love of reading.

VOOKS Review & Giveaway

Once you get a subscription to VOOKS, you can make profiles for your kids. This is easy, and only takes a few seconds. You put in their name – first or a chosen screen name, age, and their preferred language. You can pick from several options for a profile picture. All the options are similar in style to those you can see in the picture below. I actually like that they don’t give you the option of uploading the child’s picture.

Switching between profiles is very quick as well. The kids can do that themselves.

Once you are signed in to VOOKS, you will see a large selection of books, in different categories to choose from. The pic below is how it looks on the computer screen.

Below is a picture from my phone. When you click on a title, you can see how long the book is, what category it is in, and the age group it is best for. You can click the heart to save it for later in favorites.

Not only can they save the books that they want to read, this is useful for you to “assign” books for your child to read.

VOOKS even has lesson plans, offering discussion topics and engaging activities. They are fun, free, and printable. So whether you are a teacher, homeschool teacher, or parent looking to supplement your child’s learning, you will find them very useful. You can see some of the categories in the picture below.

If the child has to stop reading before they finish it, the next time they sign in it will tell them how much time they have remaining in the book. Then they can click on the resume button when they are ready to finish the book.

The words are displayed on the screen, with the words highlighted as the story is being read. This helps kids that are learning how to read, and also helps their vocabulary and spelling.

I have thoroughly enjoyed using VOOKS. The children in your life will enjoy it, too! It’s 100% kid-friendly and parent-approved!

Try Vooks free for 30 days! Go to VOOKS to sign up!

VOOKS Giveaway!

Enter below to win a one year subscription to VOOKS! Be sure to read the terms & conditions on the form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#VooksMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork #vooks #betterscreentime #vookspartner

Disclosure: Many thanks to Vooks for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

The Rank Game Review & Giveaway

March 16, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

*This post contains an affiliate link

I recently received The Rank Game from Storyastic to play with my family. It’s not a board game. It’s not a card game. It’s a game about you and your family. Your likes & dislikes. This is not like any game you’ve played before!

The Rank Game Review & Giveaway

We played The Rank Game all crowded on and around the living room couch. You just need to bring something to write with, everything else is in the box.

To play, choose someone to go first. They pick a card out of the card pack you have chosen to play with. They put the 4 answers on the card in the order that they prefer. At the same time, everyone else playing puts the answers in the order that they think the 1st player, the ranker, will.

Then the ranker reads the answers in the order that they placed them. Everyone gets points for the answers they had in the same place as the ranker.

My son found a unique way to display the cards when it was his turn to be the ranker. lol

Each game consists of ten turns, how many turns every one gets depends on the number of people playing. We had 4 people playing, so we all didn’t get the same amount of turns, but it doesn’t matter in this game. Because you get points for every card, no matter whose turn it is.

If you want to spend time with your family relaxing on your comfy furniture and play a game, then The Rank Game is for you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” My opinions are my own.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

March 1, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I haven’t shared what I’ve been up to in the kitchen in quite a while. But I’m still here. In the kitchen. Making dinner. lol I still make a weekly menu. It’s a sanity saver, for sure. If you don’t make a dinner menu, I encourage you to try it. It saves me from the what’s for dinner stress.

On Friday, we were given a lot of broccoli and cucumbers. And when I say a lot, I mean a LOT.

That’s like only half of what we had. I blanched and froze all of it. So expect to see broccoli on my dinner menu a lot. lol

I love how bright the green is after blanching.

Now that’s a LOT of broccoli! I forgot to count the packages before I put them in the freezer. I did some bags sized for a side dish, and some bags sized for casseroles, or when I will be serving more people.

I vacuumed seal most of the bags. I ran out, so had to finish 4 or 5 bags in regular freezer bags. I need a new vacuum sealer, I’ve worn mine out. It didn’t do as good a job vacuuming on some of the bags. Let me know what your favorite vacuum sealer is in the comments so I can start shopping.

We had 6 bags of cucumbers. We can eat a lot of cucumbers, since we like them for snacks, too, but can’t eat that many! So I started researching if I could freeze cucumbers. I found out you can! I made a batch of frozen cucumber salad to try. It tasted good before it went in the freezer, so we’ll see if we like it later this week. If so, I’ll make more!

I saw that you can freeze plain sliced cucumbers for putting in drinks, and for making dips. So I flash froze a large tray. Then repackaged in a bag when frozen. I froze the cucumber salad in bags, too, as they take up less room in the freezer than containers.

I read that the best way to store cucumbers is to wrap them in paper towels, and place them in the fridge in bags. so my husband helped me roll the cucumbers in paper towels and bag them. I left one bag alone, so I can compare them to see if the paper towel covered ones really last longer.

What have you been up to in the kitchen?

In The Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

Monday – chicken or turkey – Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with meat sauce, zucchini

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison – not sure if it will be tacos yet though lol

Thursday – pork or chicken – Baked chicken, rice, beets

Friday – Quick & Easy – Venison roast in slow cooker, with potatoes, carrots, and onions

Saturday – Quick & Easy or Husbands Choice – Cheeseburgers on the grill with all the fixin’s, frozen cucumber salad, onion rings

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Potato soup with cheese and bacon, garlic bread

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

Ice Storm aka Ice Age 2021

February 22, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy

I disappeared last week. Not of my own choosing, though. We had an ice storm, then snow on top of that. Twice. Yes, ice, snow, then a day or so later, more ice and more snow.

The first round was about a half an inch of ice, followed by about 4 inches of snow. Then about a quarter of an inch of ice, followed by an inch or two of snow. I did not go outside and measure, lol, I looked out the window. But my husband went out. The outside pictures below are ones that he took, except for one that I took hanging out the door. lol

We used a lot of humor to keep us entertained. lol We starting calling it the ice age while were were without electric. That’s what it felt like to us, surrounded by ice!

Ice Storm aka Ice Age 2021

Our electric went out on Monday night at 9:30. Tuesday morning, the electric company said that it would be an extended outage. I had my son, who has a Jeep, take my mother out to stay at a family members house that still had electric.

I am so thankful that I did! Our electric didn’t come back on until Saturday night at 5. Almost 5 full days without electric! That’s the longest we have ever gone. And the temperatures were colder this time. Down to 11 one night. Our pastor loaned us a heater that attached to the propane tank from our grill. We were thankful for that.

**This heater is NOT recommended to use indoors. So DON’T do it! We took a chance….. I do NOT recommend doing that!! Be Safe!**

The heater kept the living area in the mid 50’s tolerable with wearing layers, and using lots of blankets and hats. My 84 year old mother wouldn’t have tolerated it, though. As the week went on, I was so glad I got her out!

Candles add extra heat, as well as giving us enough light to eat, and play games by. Putting the mirror under the candles magnified the light.

We were able to cook a little, and boil water for hot chocolate, on the heater. Canned ravioli, hash, leftover pizza lol. My husband took some of his frozen breakfast sandwiches, wrapped them in foil and heated them. He even made toast on it one day. Our son, with the Jeep, picked up pizza for us one night, as our road was still solid ice and we couldn’t get our cars out. It was a nice change from sandwiches and canned food!

The pic I took of the pine tree while hanging out the door lol

Pic at the neighbors that my husband took.

At the time of this writing, a week after the storm, there are still almost 600 households without electric. This was a very severe storm in Kentucky. Workers came from several different states to help with the clean up and power restoration. As if losing power isn’t bad enough, a good portion of our county lost water too, as pumping stations lost electric. It was very bad in our part of the state. We are not alone, though, I know that others around the country suffered greatly from ice storms as well.

I have already ordered an indoor safe propane heater and a portable butane burner so we are better prepared if this happens again. We had plenty of food, and flashlights, but were not as prepared for a heat source as we thought we were. That won’t happen again! Oh, and cooking outside on the grill in cold weather is fine. When you choose to, And when you can go inside and get warm. Cooking outside in the cold, then going in to a cold house, is not fun! Hence buying a portable burner!

We were so thankful when our electric came back on.

My thoughts and prayers are with those still suffering from ice storm damage.

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