by Alison Moore Smith | Mar 1, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
The aerated concrete panels we are using to build our home are not a common system, so few crews are familiar with the materials and method. Aaron Eames, the manufacturer, has spend the past month working on the first two levels and training Brad and his crew in the...
by Alison Moore Smith | Feb 23, 2010 | for Money
You've probably heard about some of the Housing Stimulus that has been created in recent months. The proper role of government in such efforts is worthy of discussion. But in this post I'd like to outline the specifics of the tax credits so you can figure out if they...
by Alison Moore Smith | Feb 22, 2010 | for Home
Disclaimer: there is no such thing. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me share my satellite/cable experience of the past few years. The major contenders in my area are DIRECT TV and Dish Network (both satellite providers), Utopia (fiber optic broadband),...
by Chrysula Winegar | Feb 19, 2010 | for Mind, for Money
Do you know a mother who doesn't work? I mean, really? I am wondering when we drew this horrible line in the sand between those of us who make sacrifices to provide/supplement our families and those of us who make sacrifices to stay home? I am a stay at home mother...
by Michelle DeGraw | Feb 18, 2010 | for Mind
This has been a really hard month for my extended family. [Deja vu. Haven't I said that recently?] Yesterday morning I had some insight into why I personally am struggling so much with the unexpected health crises of my family members. (You know, beyond the normal...
by Alison Moore Smith | Feb 17, 2010 | for Fun
Over the past many months I've share with you our all-time favorite toys. These aren't sales pitches, they are (as always) my absolutely from-the-heart, honest opinions after 22+ years of mothering and 22+ years of buying toys — some that were hits and some that...
by Alison Moore Smith | Feb 15, 2010 | for Fun, for Mind
We love board and card games. Unlike most video games, they provide a great venue to interact with your children (and other adults) and many of them are truly educational. They may teach vocabulary, math, geography, music, and lots of critical thinking. We have...
by Janiel Miller | Feb 15, 2010 | for Spirit
I've decided to take a leaf out of Maxwell Smart's book. You remember him? Guy with the shoe phone? Always gets his nose shut in the sliding door at CONTROL headquarters? And in the latest iteration, has to kiss Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock)? (Who, speaking of...
by Alison Moore Smith | Feb 12, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home
With the walls five block high, yesterday the crew poured cement into the hollow spaces in the aerated concrete panels. The result will be cement pillars surrounded by fibrous, insulated forms. There were two known blowouts (one pictured below) and the system used for...
by Alison Moore Smith | Feb 11, 2010 | Design Your Own House, for Home, for Money
The man from Questar dropped by and consulted with us about line and meter location. We'll be placing it in between the laundry room wall and the hall wall in the basement. The listed appliances with accompanying BTUs: 1 boiler: 178,000 1 barbecue: 20,000 1 dryer:...
