If you are looking for debt solutions, power saving should come high on your list. With gas and electricity prices rising, none of us can afford to ignore the possibility of making savings in this way. Here are my top ten tips to cut your fuel bills.
1. Turn off all lights when not needed and train the rest of the family to do this too. Don’t leave staircases unlit though if you have small children or elderly people in the house in case of falls.
2. Turn down your central heating …

Lori from Camp Creek Blog has made a cool field bag from an old pair of her son’s trousers. She’s blogged the full instructions for you at Camp Creek Blog too.
It’s nice to have a small field bag for nature walks — to hold your art supplies and also to bring home any treasures you might find.
make a field bag from recycled clothing [Camp Creek Blog]

Photo by vnysia
It’s no laughing matter when your household income halves overnight,

Well, I’ve darned a few socks in my day. The first sock I darned was when I was a Brownie back in the 70’s and the last was a £6 pair of Marks & Sparks cotton tights that I just couldn’t bear to throw away because that were still perfectly good (and warm and cosy) apart from the hole in the toe. If you don’t know how to darn, here’s a little lesson. Remember, changing the world starts with us, the housewives and mothers. Waste not, …

If your mother didn’t pass on the arts of the homemaker to you, never mind. Here are a couple of women who will hold your hand and teach you everything you need to know.
The Homemaker’s Mentor is a membership site offering two monthly lessons on the skills of the housewife. Hone your homemaking skills under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Martha Greene and Mrs. Rebekah Wilson, both housewives and mothers, and experts in their fields.
[via nature moms blog]
Retro clip art courtesy of Retro …

Whether you’re half-asleep or a woman on a mission in the mornings, getting a household up, ready and out the door (where appropriate) is no mean feat. Give yourself a little help with this brilliant idea from LifeClever. Set your alarm for 10pm and then, no matter what you’re doing, get yourself prepared for the morning. Plan breakfast, get tomorrow’s clothes ready, check your calendar and charge your mobile phone. The article is aimed at office workers, but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work equally …

If you need a new look in your living room, or think that a change of scenery in the bedroom could spice things up, no need to start dragging the furniture around just yet. Heck, there’s no need to even go traipsing through aisles of paints and wallpapers, carpets and furniture, trying to decide what will go with what. Just make yourself a cup of tea and settle down in from of your PC for some makeover therapy.
Mydeco is a free, online 3D room planner where you can …

Photograph by Syma Sees
What is a perfect day? That’s different for each of us, but at a guess and based on my experience, a housewife’s perfect day might be one where nobody pees all over the bathroom floor, the cat isn’t sick on the rug in the living room, the housework is done and the children are delightful all day.
Whether or not your days come up to scratch is not always within your control. But there are some things that you can do to give yourself a …

Photo by euart
Soyen Shaku was the Buddhist monk who brought Zen to America, and the rules that he lived by can bring a little Zen into the life of a housewife too.
1. Upon awakening, quit your bed at once, like discarding a useless pair of shoes.
Getting up first in the morning, before your husband and children, gives you a head start so that you’re centred and ready for them when they start asking where their socks are.
2. In the morning, before dressing, light incense and meditate.
If you’re up before …

Photography by shaletann

Housewifery is experiencing a revival, and housewives are once