Thursday, September 02, 2010 0 Comments
Category: Home, Ribbon, Home Improvement, Neighbors

Posted by Jennifer Iracki 

I remember when I first laid eyes on my home about 10 years ago. I recall seeing the open house ad, finding the address, pulling up out front, and thinking, well, I suppose I might as well take a look at the inside. In short, I was not blown away by the street presence of the house, but the inside was ... well, homey and just my style. And the rest is history.

However, over the last couple of years, I've really become embarrased by the outward appearance of my home. It is still aluminum sided - a remnant from the '50s construction, but with the previous owner's peeling layer of taupe-y brown paint. The roof shingles had faded and become crumbly. A lot of expensive updates needed! 

But, this is the year of the outside remodel! I've finally raised the money and enough helping hands to change out both the roof and the siding.

Over the last week, we've peeled off two layers of old shingles and re-roofed both the house and the garage. Actually, I should say my finace and his friend did the re-roofing. But I was stuck with the cleanup. Did I mention there were two layers of stripped shingles? My whole body hurts! Bend down, pick up, throw in wheelbarrow, wheel to driveway, toss in dumpster ... in 90-degree weather. Yuck! But I must admit, now that everything is cleaned up, the guys really did a great job and we're forever in debt to my fiance's friend for helping out. I think he and his wife will be getting a nice Ribbon Omaha Steaks® Gift Collection from us!

I love the new roof, and the funny thing is so do my neighbors. I can't believe how many have come out of the woodwork to tell me how nice it looks. This leads me to believe that I was not the only one embarrassed by the way my house looked. Eek! The neighbors were too. Now I'm even more embarrassed! But hey, when the siding goes on, they'll all be green with envy!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 0 Comments
Category: Vegetables

If you’re like me, you nearly despair when you read all the health guidelines calling for 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Now, I like fruits and vegetables, that's not the problem. Rather, the issue is squeezing them in on busy days and ensuring I am getting a good variety and mix.

Fruits are usually easy since they don't require cooking. A banana at breakfast, an orange for a snack, some grapes later, and you are on your way to good nutrition. Vegetables are a little more difficult. Many have to be cooked - or at least taste better that way.

One way to add more veggies to your weekly diet is to stir fry. Just a little healthy oil, some seasoning, and its easy to make a healthy meal featuring multiple vegetables in one meal. Snow peas, broccoli, carrots, peppers, onions - all taste great prepared this way. And I love the way veggies stay crisp and absorb the flavors when stir fried. Also, it’s easy to toss in some diced chicken or some meat.

And now for some good news! iCook Cookware is offering a stainless steel wok for a limited time. Its durable, should last for years, and would make a fantastic addition to anyone's iCook set or just used on its own. The wok is perfect for stir frying.

Check it out. It’s a great piece of cookware and a great way to add more veggies to your diet.

--Gregory Gronbacher

Friday, July 30, 2010 1 Comments
Category: Home, Blog Names

I'm so excited about our blog's new name, look, and direction! I supposed we've long been leaning toward discussing all things home here, but now it's official. And, I want to welcome you to our new comfy home in the Opportunity Zone. 

I enjoy writing about home because it's such a broad and universal topic. Home is the one place we can call our own. Whether we rent, lease, own, share, or what have you - it's our space to live, laugh, and love. Not to mention, it's our space to cook, clean, organize, repair, decorate, entertain, work, play, and sometimes even relax if we're lucky. These are all just some of the things my co-blogger, Gregory, and I invite you to discuss here, At Home.

The door's open - come on in!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 1 Comments
Category: New Look

Welcome to "At Home", the blog that was formerly known as Rocktucky Living.

The blog was overdue for an update, so we decided to broaden our horizons and rename it according to what we focus on - all things home. In the days and weeks ahead, we hope you join us as we explore food, recipes, cleaning, decorating, holidays, entertaining, laundry - all the things that comprise life at home.

As an Amway blog, we have many reasons to focus on home. Most IBOs run their business from their home. And Amway offers great products for the home, such as Legacy of Clean, iCook, Atmosphere, and more!

Jennifer (my co-blogger) and I, look forward to our ongoing conversations with you. We invite you to email us, leave comments, and engage us and the other Amway bloggers.

In the meantime, pull up a chair, take off your shoes, and make yourself At Home!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010 0 Comments
Category: summer

Summer has finally arrived in full force here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This morning, as I blog, the temperature is already climbing into the 80s and the humidity is creating that familiar summer haze.

This sort of weather always brings me back to my childhood, evoking memories of playing in the yard, swimming in the pool, BBQs, and outings with family and friends. Summers in New York City were fun, hot, and surprisingly "kid-friendly" with lots to do.

What surprises me now, as an adult living in West Michigan, is how the activities of summer have changed. Most people, when they think of summer, think of things like the beach, BBQs, and hot weather. As a kid, those were the defining aspects for me as well. However, as an adult, this is not the case.

First, I don't own a BBQ. Granted, I do have a decent patio and enjoy having meals outside. Second, although I live only 30 minutes from gorgeous Lake Michigan, I haven't been swimming in the Lake in over two years. At least the hot weather is still a defining trait of summer.

So, what are my summer activities? Walks. I walk most evenings in my neighborhood. Gardening. I weed, water, fertilize, trim, and care for my flowers and green things. Outside Entertaining. I use the patio, serve meals outdoors, and basically spend large chunks of the summer treating my patio as a second living room.

What activities say "summer" for you?

Monday, May 24, 2010 0 Comments
Category: Home, Identity, Theft

Posted by Jennifer Iracki

Lately, I've been leading a bipolar life, it seems. I've had some wonderful ups, like my recent vacation to Las Vegas, where my boyfriend proposed to me at the top of the Stratosphere tower. (No, we didn't get married too. Everyone asks that!) But, afterward, I experienced a pretty big down -- my purse was stolen at a local restaurant only a few days after I'd returned. So, while I'm excited to look forward to a starting a new life, I wasn't really planning on having to rebuild my life first. Not to mention that I feel completely violated. Suffice it to say that a thief ended up with nearly all the contents of my purse, including my brand-new digital camera with my vacation pictures (not even uploaded to my computer yet!) on it.

I won't go into the details of all the events, even though they are rather interesting, as they unfold more and more day by day. Instead, I'd like to share some suggestions I have for lessening the devastating effects of a situation like mine. These may seem obvious, but they could definitely help. 

Know what's in your purse/bag/briefcase/wallet. I was lucky enough to have cleaned out my purse prior to my vacation and I knew almost exactly the contents of my purse. If I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have known what was in there!

Carry only the items you need. Leave stuff you won't need at home each time you leave the house. If, for example, your spouse is driving and has house keys, considering leaving your keys at home. This is the reason I had to change all the locks on my house and car. It's also the reason I lost my camera and priceless engagement/vacation photos.

Don't carry your checkbook. How often do you really need a checkbook when you're out and about these days? If you don't have a debit card, you may need your check. In my case, I barely ever write checks anymore. I shouldn't have had mine with me.

Don't carry large amounts of cash if you can help it. One of the smart things I did was take all my vacation money (remember, I just got back from Vegas) out of my wallet when I got home. My thief walked away with a whopping $4 in cash. 

Never carry your Social Security card or number. They tell you this when you first get your card and it's very good advice. I have never kept mine in my purse or wallet.

Never carry PINs or access ID codes with your credit/debit cards. Another thing I've never done. Not smart! 

If you have a locator service from your cell phone provider, make sure your phone is added. I use my service to keep tabs on my daughter, but I had luckily added my phone too. (I pay a single fee and can add any phone from my account.) I led the police right to my phone the same evening of the theft. The good news is I got my phone back. The bad news is it was inside my otherwise empty purse and found in a Dumpster.  

Keep your purse/bag in sight at all times. I will never turn my back on my purse in public again. (Maybe I should write that over and over 500 times, like we had to do in school!)  

Don't always follow Mom's "no staring" advice. Remember when you were a kid and Mom told you not to stare at people? I suppose that's just being polite. Well, my "good manners" got the best of me when I made the decision to turn away from someone acting a little odd, so to speak. I will definitely get a good look at everyone who comes anywhere near me now. 

If the theft was made at a specific establishment, notify their management as well as the police. You should always file a police report. Even if no arrest or conviction comes of it, you'll have the incident on record. Restaurants, shops, etc. have lots of cameras and they know regulars. Staff also has eyes everywhere ... and everyone loves to be a junior detective! I've received lots of info from employees that I believe could really help locate my thief. Of course, I've turned it all over to the detective working the case. Don't ever go after someone on your own!  

After a theft, make contacts methodically. Think about what missing information and items could cause you the most damage and start there. The first thing I did was call a locksmith, then my bank, and so on. Your list may begin a bit differently. It depends on your personal situation.

Contact insurance companies. Your auto insurance provider would rather pay for new door and ignition locks now, than pay for a stolen vehicle later. (My full coverage policy paid for this stuff -- minus the deductible.) Also, check on your homeowner's insurance. If what was stolen is more valuable than your deductible, you may want to consider filing a claim. Unfortunately, the monetary value of my stuff was about equal to my deductible, so not worth the claim.

Think about out-of-the-ordinary things that could have been compromised. Consider: video rental cards, library cards, gym membership cards, etc. Get them changed! You never know what people could do. Also, think about receipts and notes that may be in your checkbook or on carbon duplicate check copies. You may want to get copies of checks you wrote. Did you put any account numbers or names on your check memo lines?  

Contact the credit bureaus. Give them the accounts that may have been compromised. They may have you jump through a few hoops, but it's better to be sure everything has been reported to them. 

I'm sure there are other things you could do to mitigate the risk of having your identity stolen, but these are my top items. Have you ever been a victim of theft? What suggestions do you have for keeping your home and life protected?

Friday, May 07, 2010 10 Comments
Category: Prewash

Wednesday, May 05, 2010 1 Comments
Category: Flowers, Perennials, Garden, Plants

Posted by Jennifer Iracki

Like Gregory, I've been a little frustrated with the spring season this year. Just when I think it's warm enought to plant some annuals, it gets cold again. I don't know a lot about gardening, but I can tell you that cold isn't good for plants. And, happy Mother's Day to me ... we're expecting a low of 37 degrees on Sunday.

Luckily, I have my hearty perennials to add some life to my garden. They've flourished year-in, year-out since I've planted them, regardless of the weather. (I think this is where I knock on wood.) Some of the favorites I have in my garden are:

Bleeding Hearts - These shrub-like plants are always the first to arrive with blooms in the spring. I have split these and transplanted them and they always come back. Plus, they have beautiful and unique blooms my daughter loves. There's a sorty of fairytale about them too, but I can't remember it. Does anyone know what it is? 

Daylilies - Lush green plants pop up in the spring and soon produce stalks with one or more blooms branching from the ends. They'll flower profusely all summer if you continuously remove the dead blooms. They come in a zillion different shapes, sizes, and colors. Their almost grass-like leaves provide a shady spot underneath for my cats to lie down and they are super hearty. They even survive being choked by my neighbor's vine that comes over (and under) the back fence every year.  

Hostas - awesome shade plants with light green, dark green, or variegated leaves. There are smaller types, ones referred to as "giant hostas," and every size in between. the wide leaves are beautiful and just scream, "lush botanical garden" to me. Most people love them for their leaves, but the variety I have will actually bloom in late summer, producing pretty little white or purple-hued blossoms.  

Another favorite of mine when I lived in Florida was the Hibiscus, with its gorgeous, huge, tropical blooms. They're available in a host of colors and can be a woody plant or big and bushy. You can prune them in a variety of ways. I had two of the same plant, one was trimmed into a bush on my walkway and one grew with a bloom on a stalk taller than me. Both had bright, beautiful yellow flowers as big as my head. In Florida, I couldn't kill these plants. They were durable to say the least. Although, in my Michigan climate to the north, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't last.

 What are your garden favorites?

Monday, April 26, 2010 0 Comments
Category: Flowers

Over the past few years I've experimented with ways to simplify my gardening and outdoor entertaining habits. Planting more perennials certainly saves time. The last few years I've bought only two or three flats of annuals to plant. I put the annuals in flower pots that I then scatter around the patio and walk ways, adding color to the duller spots. 

Here in West Michigan, we've been pretty much snow-free since early March, allowing me ample time to rake, mulch, clean, and set-up the flower pots. Unfortunately, they've been sitting empty for the past week and half.

Even though the weather has been pleasant, it’s still cold at night. On a few recent nights, the temperature has dipped below the freezing mark and there has been occasional frost on the lawn and rooftops as well. These dips in temperature don't bother the perennials at all, but they'd easily wilt and kill most annuals.

The good news is that the long range forecast indicates that I'll only have to wait a few more days. I should be able to get the flowers in the pots by the end of week.

Thursday, April 08, 2010 0 Comments
Category: Change

Spring is the season of renewed life and energy. The increasing day light, the return of green grass, buds on the trees, and flowers getting ready to bloom. There's change in the air this time of year.

And this springtime will also be a time of change for this blog. We've just started working on redesigning - and renaming - this blog. We'll be employing a new look, new colors, and some new graphics in the weeks to come.

Some things won't change. Jen and I will continue to blog here, sharing our thoughts and observations with you when the mood strikes. And the focus will remain "all things home", including cooking, cleaning, entertaining, holidays, decorating, and so on.

If you have any ideas on what you'd like to see here - design ideas, topics to blog about, whatever - send us a comment or email.

In the meantime, watch for the coming changes in the weeks ahead. And enjoy the season of change happening outside right this very minute.

Monday, April 05, 2010 0 Comments
Category: Food, Holiday, Entertaining, Easter

Originally, my home was going to be very empty for Easter this year. My boyfriend is currently working 1,000 miles away in Alabama and my daughter was going to be with her dad for the day. So, I had no mealtime plans, until ... my dad decided to take me up on my invitation for dinner and my daughter decided to come home at 4:00 on Sunday.

The closest thing to a holiday entrée I had in the house was a partially defrosted bottom round roast that I was planning to cut up and use for a few meals during the upcoming week. But, how do you make that a meal in about an hour? Impossible, right? That's what I thought at first too, but then I remembered that I am the proud owner of a kitchen tool that I've always been too scared to use -- a pressure cooker.

My boyfriend loves the pressure cooker and uses it all the time when he cooks for me. But I'm afraid of it. Did you ever see that "House of Tomorrow" cartoon, where the pressure cooker blows up toward the end? "You get the meat, the veggies, yadda, yadda, yadda ... and the Mrs.," who is shown flying into the air in tattered clothing along with her meal. Ahh, the effect of cartoons on impressionable youth.

Anyhow, I called my boyfriend to give me the step-by-step instructions: Sprinkle a little tenderizer on the roast and put it in the pot (even partially defrosted). Add carrots and onions. (I would've put potatoes in there too, but my cooker's not large enough.) Dissolve a couple of beef bouillon cubes in about two cups of water and pour over the top. Lock the lid down tightly and cook on medium heat for about 45-50 minutes. Let the pot cool for a bit and remove the lid. Voilà -- we had a really tender, delicious Easter pot roast!

Some things to remember about pressure cooking:

• Don't ever leave a pressure cooker unattended. You need to be around to make sure it's functioning correctly. There should always be steam rattling out the top while cooking. If not, remove the lid and add more water. When cooking a roast, you can cover it entirely in bouillon for more flavor. Just don't ever fill the pot past the line on the inside.
• I used a partially frozen, 3.69-lb. roast and it came out a bit medium to medium-rare at the thickest part of the roast. Your cooking time may vary depending size and whether or not the meat is frozen. I've heard some people say that pressure cooking large pieces of frozen meat ruins the flavor, but everything I've ever had from the pressure cooker has been flavorful and tender -- maybe because we add tenderizer and immerse large beef cuts in bouillon.
• Always make sure that your pressure cooker is in good working order before each use. Make sure the steam vent is clean and clear of any food particles, etc. And, the gasket (that rubbery ring thing on the lid) should be intact, with no cracks or breaks. If you see any, don't use the cooker until you get a new gasket. You can buy replacement ones online and sometimes in cookware shops for as little as $3 for some models.
• Always lock a pressure cooker's lid securely into place while cooking. If it won't lock, get it fixed or buy a new one. And, never force a pressure cooker's lid off. If you can't get it off fairly easily, let the pressure decrease by allowing the cooker to cool a little. Some cookers have a pressure release feature that will help. You can also run a stovetop variety pressure cooker's lid under cool water to help relieve the pressure. If you still can't get the lid off, which is rare, you will have to wait and let the pot cool down nearly completely on it's own.
• You can use a pressure cooker for a variety of meals -- not just pot roast. Check your pressure cooker's manual or online for recipes and cooking times. I'm sure you'll find any information you're looking for.
• My pressure cooker is of the bargain variety -- about $25. Other cookers are available in various sizes with special features like dual pressure modes and lots of other fancy stuff. Some are even electric. They don't require the stove at all and often have a safety shut-off. Shop around for the best deal to suit your needs.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 0 Comments
Category: decorating, kids

Posted by Jennifer Iracki

My daughter is growing up. I suppose I have to face that fact. She wants to spend more time with her friends than with me. She likes to talk about boys. And, she wants to wear skinny jeans with holes in them all the time. While I don't want her to grow up, I can understand. I must admit there was a time in my life when I thought it was "totally awesome" to razor slice holes in my Guess jeans and draw smiley faces on my knees. But I digress.

What I really want to talk about is my daughter's room decor. It seems like only yesterday that she loved monkeys. I designed her whole room around it. I called it the Jungle Room, after the rumpus room at Graceland. Although I didn't quite go to the same extremes Elvis did with carpeting on the ceiling, etc., I really outdid myself. I started with cute monkey-themed aqua blue bed linens and matching aqua blue painted walls. I created window treatments out of curtain rods, bamboo room dividers, and green silk leis. I fashioned a wall decoration from fans made of some kind of dried leafy weave. And my bargain of the century was a copper colored ceiling light fixture with monkeys and palm trees embossed on the rim -- a steal on clearance at Home Depot for $9.99.

And now, my daughter wants none of it. So, piece by piece the Jungle Room is being dismantled. Monkey linens have been replaced by a bedspread in shades of aqua and teal with rich purple-colored sheets. And the purple throw pillows have taken the place of the Build-a-Bears on the bed. I have to admit, it looks nice (and I don't have to repaint the aqua blue walls -- a plus!), but I'm still a little sad to say goodbye to the monkeys. All that's left now are the bamboo curtains, which are still "pretty dope, Mom." (Yep, "dope" has made its way back into the vocabulary of pre-teens.) I'm just hoping that she doesn't want to paint her room black or something next week.

In my day as a kid, you had one twin bed with flowered sheets and chenille bedspread with fringe at the bottom. Maybe some lace curtains and either pink paint or flowered wallpaper on the walls. Yes, you covered them with posters, but that was as far as your design input was allowed to go. Your room stayed that way until you left the house and sometimes even beyond that. What's with kids who want to change everything?

Do you indulge your kids in planning their room decor as they grow or are you more old school -- keeping the pink flowers for girls and blue airplanes for boys until age 18? What do your kids think?

Friday, March 12, 2010 0 Comments
Category: dining tables

A few weeks ago I got a new dining room table. Well, the table was new for me.

Friend's of mine had two dining room tables that I had long admired. These are wood based, stainless steel topped tables and I thought they were really cool. Further, I thought one of them would look really swell in my place, given that my decor style is modern and minimalist.

My friend's used the tables in tandem, sometimes putting them together for larger groups, sometimes setting one for dining and the other for serving, and so on. Whenever I had the pleasure of dining at my friend's home, I always reminded her and her husband that if they ever thought about getting rid of one of the tables, to let me know.

Well, they let me know. And now, I am the proud owner of a stainless steel dining table. How's it look? I think it looks great. It seats 6 nicely, and I can squeeze 7 in if necessary.

My previous table was glass topped. What do you dine on? What would you like to be dining on?

Monday, March 08, 2010 0 Comments
Category: Cleaning, LOC, Home Cleaning, Legacy of Clean, Kitchen Tasks

Posted by Jennifer Iracki

First, let me extend a big, "Welcome back!" to Gregory. While he's enjoying his spring cleaning, I'm not quite there yet. I'm still cleaning salt marks and boot sludge off my kitchen floor everyday. So, my post today features a task from my day-to-day routine: doing dishes. I know -- exciting, right?

For a long time, I resisted trying Dish Drops dishwasher detergent, simply because it was a powder. I never liked the powders because they always seemed to clump, scratch my cookware, and make my glasses cloudy. And, I practically had to wash the dishes myself before loading them into the dishwasher!

So several years ago, I switched to a very popular brand-name, store-bought gel variety and I was happier with the performance over powder. At that time, I figured what was the point in trying Dish Drops - it was only available in a powder.

When I learned that Dish Drops was going to a phosphate-free formula due to pending environmental regulations in many states, I got concerned. My favorite gel contained phosphates, but I still hated powders. So, as the new Dish Drops formula wasn't out yet, I purchased a phosphate-free gel from my local grocery store. I can sum up its effectiveness in one word: terrible! It simply didn't clean my dishes at all. Frustrated, I returned to using my gel.

But, once I was over my scarring phosphate-free episode, I decided to give the new Legacy of Clean Dishwasher Detergent a shot. I wasn't expecting much. After all, it combined two of my least favorite qualities in a dishwasher detergent: 1. It's a powder. 2. It's phosphate free. But, it worked! Really well! I was completely surprised. This stuff was every bit as good as my gel, if not better. And, I only have to fill the dispenser cups half full!

The reason I'm telling you this story now is that I ran out of my LOC Dishwasher Detergent one day last week. And my boyfriend decided to do me a favor by picking up some big-name powder (the same brand as my old gel!) at the grocery store. I used it once. Yuck! It just did not rinse clean and it reminded me of why I never liked powders in the first place.

Needless to say, I am back to using my LOC Dishwasher Detergent and I'm happy, happy, happy! And while we're at it, I think this story might be a great argument for using Ditto, too!

What's your take on dishwasher detergent?

Tuesday, March 02, 2010 2 Comments
Category: Springng Cleaning

March has arrived, the weather is turning warmer, and the sun is even shining here in West Michigan! All this means that spring cleaning can't be too far behind.

Do you engage in this seasonal ritual? My informal attempts at a survey indicate that most people do some sort of spring cleaning. I do, and while I know if makes me sound like a total nerd, I like doing it. Well, maybe not so much the actual cleaning part, but I do like the results.

What are we talking about with spring cleaning? It varies for people, but my routine usually follows this rough outline:

1. DECLUTTER - purge unwanted items, go through drawers, closets, storage areas and give away what I no longer use to Goodwill or charity and toss out what's no longer working or worth keeping or donating.

2. CLEAN OUTSIDE THE ROUTINE - by this I mean cleaning those things I don't usually clean on a regular (weekly) basis. This includes washing all the windows, washing down the patio (weather permitting), laundering the mattress cover, washing the floor under the furniture, and so on.

3. CLEAN THOROUGHLY - the final step in my somewhat obsessive routine is to go room by room and do a thorough cleaning. This means high dusting, cleaning light fixtures, washing down shelves, vacuuming, and washing the floors.

Most people likely get stuck on the first item in my list. Its not easy to declutter and its the most time consuming part of the whole process. But I also find it the most rewarding and the effort that shows the most positive results. Its so easy to accumulate "stuff" in our day and age. And not all our "stuff" serves a useful purpose after a while.

So, now with March here, you'll find me engaging in the above activities a few nights a week until the whole condo is clean and ready for the new season.

How do you spring clean? Do you have a different routine than mine? Any aspects that you really like or dislike? Share your thoughts!