Weekly library trips are fun. Brown-bag lunches are the norm. And eating at home is routine. Is there anything else you can do to see more money in your wallet this new year? Absolutely!

Dave's active Facebook fans suggested some off-the-beaten-path ways to save some cash and have fun at the same time.

Family Fun in the Kitchen

Got kids (or a spouse) who beg for McDonald's when you say "leftovers"? Take Heather Houze's advice: "I always make extra servings [of food] and one night we have 'second-chance buffet.' No one ate leftovers till I renamed the meal!"

Vernon Jones' tip will make this "buffet" disappear even faster than you expect. During his family night, he lets the kids find recipes online and then help shop for the most…

 10 Ways to Make a Small Room Look Larger

Most people have one: that room in the house that they wish was just a little larger. What many don't realize is that with a little work and some TLC, they could have exactly what they're looking for.

Here, Lowe's offers 10 designer tricks to help you make any room look larger:

1. For the illusion of a larger room, use a color scheme that is light rather than bright or dark. Pastels, neutrals and white are all color possibilities.
2. Use a monochromatic color scheme on the furniture, rugs and walls. Select different shades and textures of your single color.
3. Lighting is a key element in opening up a space. Recessed spot lighting is visually appealing and is perfect for a small space. A torchiere light…

1. Make sure to hold the mail and newspaper. If you can't have someone pick it up every day, it's a sure giveaway that nobody's home and can be a green light for burglars.
2. If possible, leave a key with someone you trust, preferably a neighbor and have them keep an eye on your home while you're gone. Make sure to offer returning the favor and thank them with a gift when you return.
3. Unplug all electronics that don't need to used like the television, coffee maker, and home computers.
4. Lower the temperature on your water heater.
5. If you can, leave a car in the…

By: Jan Soults Walker 

Unless you do your laundry in the buff, it’s one chore that’s never really done. Follow these laundry room storage ideas, however, and you can breeze through your dirty duds in no time.

1. Make space for your washer and dryer

Put your laundry room or area near bedrooms where you generate the most laundry so you can minimize steps and clothes clutter. To carve out space for a laundry station inside a bathroom or hall closet, you’ll need:

• Electric outlets. Electric dryers require a 220-volt dedicated outlet. Cost: $300 to $1,000, professionally installed.

• Plumbing. The washer needs hot and cold water connections as well as a drain or a hose fed into a standpipe. All dryers require a vent to the outside…

Are you focusing in the right direction?

The world outside the church has a pretty dismal view of things. These doom-and-gloomerstake their cues from the headlines, but we can't really blame the media. The reporters are just doing their jobs, reporting the facts and current events through their own perspectives. Of course, the TV talking heads do try to stir things up a bit at times. After all, people need some reason to watch the news, and "if it bleeds, it leads," right? That being said, we need to take the world's outlook on the economy and strain it through the Word of God.

      
The…

Hey guys - can you this pass along to all horsie peops!  These sessions will be conducted at our new facility in Louisa (Green Springs) VA - 275 acres, swimming pond, covered arena, 12-stall barn...  Would love to see everybody!  3 miles from Zion Crossroads on Poindexter Road - 2452 Poindexter Rd, Louisa, VA 23093. 

By request - I have been asked to re-start my Rider's Support Group the first Saturday of each month beginning in September (10am-12noon) - $30/session or $250/year - must pre-register - limited slots.   This is a workshop setting where riders from all disciplines
come together to work on individual needs to improve communication between horse and rider.  We will always end on confidence-building games/activities. Christina and I…

Check out the Driftwood Ranch in Frisco, North Carolina's Outer Banks!  It offers a place to board your horse and trail RIDE on the beach at Hatteras.  Or you could plan your dream beach wedding on horse back....