Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. When we think about a household task, I feel most people see it like this: Chore needs doing → chore gets done In my experience though, the process of a household task is performed is more like this: Notice → plan → supplies →…
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Sustainable Homemaking
How to Build a Zero-Battery Homemaking System
A practical plan for keeping your home safe and functional on the days you have almost nothing left to give. On low-energy days, I don’t ask, “How can I keep the house clean?” I ask, “What does my household need to stay safe and functional today?“ My answer is a zero-battery system: a deliberately lower standard of homemaking that I use when I don’t have the energy to run my…
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Why you need a Homemaker’s Observation Journal
A Golden Rule of Nursing (and surprisingly, Homemaking) In my former life, I was a nurse. There was a golden rule we had about note-taking: ‘write it down, or it didn’t happen’. Surprisingly, I’ve found it has become a maxim for me as a homemaker too. Because it appears that until I started making a record of everything that was getting done around the house, I simply didn’t realize all…
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How to make a customizable all purpose cleaning spray
Maybe my mind repressed this memory, but toddlerhood is so messy. Fun, absolutely. But oh my Goddess, my house sometimes looks like a !@#$%^ crime scene. While I’m all for kids making “memories,” mine are going to learn that they can also make Mama happy by learning to clean up after themselves. I’ll occasionally use commercial cleaning products, but for the most part, I prefer to make my own. Here’s…
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Your Home Already Has a Rhythm. Here’s How to Read It.
If you struggle to stick to a cleaning schedule, or find that somehow, your cleaning routine falls apart the moment you have a real life problem, I want to assure you, it is not you. I’m willing to bet that whatever resource you are using, it isn’t designed around the way you think, your preferences, your life. I’m willing to make that bet solely on my personal experience. I have…
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Gamifying the Chores – A Cozy Magic Home Experiment
For the next 30 days, The Cozy Magic HQ will be conducting an experiment. My family and I have agreed to hold a housework competition. Our goal is to see if gamifying chores will: Disclosure: This post/page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you What makes me think it might? Going on a slight tangent,…
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A Quick Guide to Installing a Rain Barrel
Guide for Installing a Rain Barrel Did you know plants need water? And while I love Illinois and it is well and truly home now, something I do not like is the doolally weather, and the stonking hot summers. Also, the price of everything is dumb right now, including basic utilities. So, in an attempt to be a little greener for my raised beds, I started looking into installing a…
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Vertical Pumpkin Gardening – Practical, Not Pretty (yet)
You’ve seen what I’m growing in my raised beds this year, but I wanted to try my hand at growing some pumpkins too. And aside from the starter plants, I’m proud to say that I didn’t buy anything new for this project! I’m most proud of trying to use up the wood pile in our back yard. A couple of years ago, the ash tree in our backyard was struck…
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How to Revive a Neglected Compost Tumbler: 5 Simple Steps to Garden Gold
When I bought this Compost Tumbler around three years ago (I think), I remember thinking that THIS was the product that would change me into the eco-homemaker I’ve always wanted to be. Between health issues, babies, and life in general, this compost bin has been neglected for at least 2 years. If I am completely honest, when I realized I need to start composting again, I almost got rid of…
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The Alchemy of Scraps – Reusing Food Waste
I wish my concentrated efforts were eliminating food waste in my home, but it’s a work in progress. We are doing baby-led feeding with my little one, so a lot of meal times look like this: But progress is being made. While my fridge contained a lot of food waste, my freezer has been my hero. So much so, I’m seriously considering investing in a larger freezer (not a chest…
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