by Alison Moore Smith | Jun 15, 2010 | for Fun, for Love
Every year our insurance agent sends Sam and me a thoughtful birthday gift—a gift card for a free car wash. The only problem is that the designated car wash provider is 23 miles away from our home, in a city we have no other reason to go to. It's convenient to our...
by Alison Moore Smith | Jun 11, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
Who knew choosing a vacuum could be so stressful? With a central vacuum, you're pretty much committing for life, so it carries long-term consequences. When we built our last custom home we found out—the hard way—how painful those consequences can be. We choose a...
by Alison Moore Smith | Jun 10, 2010 | for Mind
16 years ago we started homeschooling on a dare from our oldest daughter, who had just turned seven. Now she and her closest sibling are attending a prestigious private university and their four younger siblings are still homeschooling. I don't hate public schools,...
by Alison Moore Smith | Jun 10, 2010 | for Home
The first home we ever bought, in Boca Raton, Florida, started out as a lease agreement from the owners. We paid a regular monthly rent and a portion was credited to our down payment should we decide to exercise the option to buy the home after one year, which we did....
by Alison Moore Smith | Jun 7, 2010 | for Home
Affordable housing is so important in this economy. Giving your family a place to live is one of the most crucial expenditures—and also one of the biggest drains on family finances. This afternoon I found that good friends of ours are looking at a foreclosed home...
