Home. The word itself stirs up memories and reflection for me: feelings of joy, comfort, and so much more. Home is our “nest”, where we escape the rigors of the day, to relax and rejuvenate.

I remember well the days I wished for my own home, and it seemed like forever to me before it happened. Trying to save money, hoping, praying and then it happened. My first home was not a large home, but older and quaint. I remember scrubbing, painting, and tearing out carpet in the bedrooms. The old waffle padding was under a nice quality carpet that was the ugliest color I’d ever seen! I noticed the waffle padding was damp from having been shampooed earlier, probably before the house was put on the market. I spent a day with a dear friend ripping up the carpet and padding to find beautiful hardwood floors underneath, just like the floors in the rest of the house. There were lots of huffing and puffing as we dragged it all to the curb for trash pickup. Then came the removing of long narrow nails all around the edges of the rooms that once held the carpet and padding in place. There’s nothing like crawling around trying to pull nails from hardwood: not only a humbling experience but a hard job! The kitchen had the original knotty pine cabinets like the ones in my parents’ home. The previous owner had applied enough polyurethane on them until they were almost indestructible. They also had years of grease buildup. Afte weeks and weeks of work, the house was transformed into my home. These are just a few of my memories of owning my first home. I remember the feeling; it was the best!

Hello! I’m Pat, a Home Economist and educator. I enjoy sharing practical information and solutions, along with experiences and personal opinions about all things home. Through the years, I have heard many stories, some hilarious and some heart rendering about events and situations that have affected living spaces. I plan to share many of them with you. There are lessons to be learned in the stories for me and others. On my worst day, these stories help put things in perspective.

Our home, for most of us, will be our largest investment of money and time. I hope to share practical tips along with DIYS for maintaining your home, along with ideas for decorating your living space to reflect your own style and function, while saving you money. I hope to post food preparation ideas and economical ways to feed yourself and your family, and not spend hours in the kitchen. While I enjoy seeing new trends each season and sometimes enjoy in cooperating them into my living space, I want my home to be a reflection of me and the things I have collected over the years.

I have discovered a new hobby. Thrifting. For years, friends and colleagues have talked about their thrifting finds while the idea of “used stuff” did not appeal to me. Well, those days have passed. Vintage china, crystal, along with vintage linens and more, have found their way into my home. I have found many things in thrift shops that I have restored, repurposed, recycled or reused. I hope to share ideas with you in my posts. I only wish I had stories behind my purchases, where they were used and by whom. I hope you will join me on my blogging journey and will enjoy my posts. I also hope you will leave comments and share your experiences of topics of the day so that we can create a learning community.