Just~One~Donna

Have you ever wondered how a single Ficus benjamina tree could become a beloved part of your home for decades, thriving and growing alongside your family?  If you haven’t yet, you might consider the addition of this living, air-purifying companion in your home that not only beautifies your space but also stands the test of time.  You may know this tree as either a Ficus benjamina or a weeping fig.   I have loved growing a ficus tree in my home for 36 years. It’s remarkable that I've had this tree for so long.   How to Grow A Ficus Tree Inside for Decades This post includes affiliate links. I may receive compensation when you use these links. When thinking about how I managed to keep this indoor ficus tree happy, healthy, and growing strong all these years it boiled down to five key Ficus benjamina plant care tips. Follow these tips and you can have a happy, healthy ficus tree in your home for many years, too.

Using area rugs throughout your house help to make your home feel warm and inviting.  Area rugs help absorb noise and add pops of color to complement your decor.  How do you keep rugs clean and smelling fresh? It can be a challenge. While regular vacuuming is important, you'll want to deep clean your rugs periodically, especially if you own pets. Here's a cheap and effective rug-cleaning method I use. How to Clean Your Area Rugs (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience ) Cheap and Effective Rug Cleaning This cleaning method works well for me with both wool rugs and polypropylene rugs. I've cleaned polypropylene rugs like I have in my front entry hall and large, 8 x 10-foot wool rugs like I have throughout the rooms in my house.

Do you have a ficus tree in your home? I've had a ficus tree, also known as a weeping fig, in my home for 35 years.  It's thriving. It's not too big and it makes just the impact that I'm looking for in a room with very high ceilings. If you have a space that you need to fill think about getting yourself a ficus tree.  It will give you many years of beauty and joy. How to Grow and Care for a Ficus Tree in Your Home It really doesn't take a whole lot of care to keep a ficus tree living for 35 years.  To keep it green and pretty and a living and breathing part of your home and decor for all that time takes minimal time and effort. Watch My Ficus Care Video Click Here to Subscribe to My YouTube Channel Key Elements of Ficus Tree Care Be Sure You Have the Right Light My ficus tree is in a room that is south-facing.  West light comes in through a window on the side of the tree. My tree loves it in its southwest position....

Fruit flies can be a huge annoyance at certain times of the year. What can you do to kill fruit flies? We've all been there wondering how to get rid of fruit flies.  Fruit flies in the kitchen.  Fruit flies in the bathroom.  Fruit flies buzzing around everywhere in your home.   It's a frustrating problem that happens to everyone at one time or another.  If you are a fresh fruit and produce lover you certainly know what I mean. How to Kill Fruit Flies with Two Ingredients Those pesky little buggers can often be brought into your home on the vegetables and fruit you buy. You don't have to tolerate the annoyance.  This homemade fruit fly trap is one I have been using for many years and it works every time. 

Is decluttering on your list of things to accomplish in the new year? Think about starting with something easy, like your kitchen junk drawer. The time is now.  January is a great month for decluttering. We all have them.  Yes, I'm talking about that unsightly junk drawer.  Have you looked in your kitchen junk drawer lately?  How do you feel every time you open that drawer?  Does it frustrate you?  Can you find what you are looking for?  If you are ready to tackle your kitchen junk drawer I can help. How to Declutter Your Kitchen Junk Drawer (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  Purchases made through these links help support this blog.) My Organized Kitchen Junk Drawer This is a tip I use whenever I am decluttering. It is very useful for drawers and closets in your home that seem to accumulate all matter of stuff.  I'm talking about those black holes where stuff goes and never seems to come out again. ...

This week the organizing bug got hold of me. Specifically, my laundry room was in dire need of drastic reorganization. It was a chore I had put off far too long.  Friends, I had been procrastinating for three years in tackling this project. Well, it's done and I am happy as can be.  This is not a pretty reorganization.  The pictures of this reorganization will not be Pinterest worthy. This laundry space is pretty much my space these days and I wanted to reorganize it for me. I don't love doing laundry and wanted to think through how I could make this a more productive space for me. This reorganization emphasizes practical solutions and reflects what I need. If you love practicality, too, stick with me. If not, do you. Three Steps and Three Days to Organize a Laundry Room This post contains affiliate links.  If you shop using these links we receive a small compensation.  Small Laundry Room Before Let's step back for a minute and talk about my laund...

Are you familiar with the term "hygge"?  It's a Danish term that has caught on in the U.S. because it speaks to the feelings of coziness and relaxation we seek during the winter months.  It emphasizes the simple things in life and the feelings of a life well-lived.   One of the ways I create hygge this time of year is by making sure my collection of African violets and orchids is happy and healthy, How to Care for African Violets and Orchids During Winter This post contains affiliate links.  We receive a small compensation when you shop with these links. Your houseplants are most likely crying out for some attention right now.  If you are like me, you ignored them a bit during the busy holidays.  After all the festive decorations are put away, it's time to give your plants a lovely spa treatment.  Read on for tips on how to care for orchid plants and African violets in winter.

Let's start 2018 with some ideas for being more efficient in the kitchen.  I don't know about you, but I am always grateful for any suggestions that will save me time, money, or both in my kitchen. Twenty Five Kitchen Hacks to Save You Time and Money I've been gathering these kitchen tips over the years and use them all in my own kitchen.  How many do you use, too?

Have you noticed how it is getting dark earlier at night these days?  The thing I like least about fall and winter is how early the sun goes down.   Today I'm sharing a simple, pretty solution to the dark hours ahead of us.  Read on for a DIY fall decoration that will light up your life. A Lighted Fall Pine Cone Basket  This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  The compensation I receive when you shop with these links helps to support the costs of publishing this blog. A Lighted Basket of Pine Cones There are two solutions I gravitate to to solve my dislike of the dark nights of fall and winter. Sure, you can turn on the lights, but I prefer little pockets of light to brighten the dark corners of my rooms. For that, I'll use either flameless candles or strings of mini LED lights. Flameless candles with automatic timers are my first love.  You'll find them all over my house.  They are easily tucked into shelves ...

I don't know what I would do without my pantry.  It is because of my pantry that I can whip up meals for my family relatively quickly any day of the week.   Regular followers of Just One Donna  know that my recipes are straightforward, flavorful, and simple to prepare.  Good food, prepared simply is my goal day in and day out.   A well-stocked pantry will help you to do the same.  September is a perfect time to update your pantry in preparation for end-of-year holidays and family gatherings. A Guide to a Well-Stocked Pantry (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  Purchases made through these links will help support this blog.) What is a Pantry? For me, the term pantry refers to the places in your kitchen where essential meal-planning ingredients and tools are stored.  When I use the term pantry I am talking about the ingredient cabinets and refrigerator space in my kitchen. The most important space I have dedic...

This post contains affiliate links.  I thank you for making a purchase through one of these links.  The few pennies I will receive will help to maintain this blog Today I am taking a break from the kitchen to update a post I wrote four years ago about two magazine racks I purchased for my bathrooms.  Sometimes the fact that I am the only female living in a male dominated home reveals itself in mundane ways.  One of those ways is the stack of reading materials that grows and grows in the bathrooms. Do you know what I am talking about?  There are magazines on the back of the toilet.  There are magazines on the floor.  There are magazines on the vanity.  I'm forever picking up, stacking and culling magazines in the bathroom.  That was until I purchased wall-mounted magazine racks.  Finally, an answer to the disorganization caused by reading materials in the bathroom. . I wanted to provide an update to my original post because I reali...

What is a non-toxic way to control ants in your home? Today I'm sharing an easy way to get ahead of ants invading your home. An Effective, Homemade Ant Bait Do you have to do battle with ants in your home?  Do you feel as frustrated as I do when facing this yearly ritual?  The ants are back.   Yes, I'm very unhappy to report that the annual ant battle is underway in my home.   I have ants coming out of the woodwork. Literally, ants are coming out of the woodwork!  I saw a few little ants gathering around a speck on the floor.  When there is one, there are many.  Oh no! Ant Sighting! Let the battle begin!  What concerns me most about the battle of the ants is the questionable safety of the arsenal of weapons we have at our disposal.  I've used ant sprays, ant traps, and exterminators.  None of them have been particularly successful.  I am also uncomfortable with frequent applications of insecticides and any...

Don't shy away from bringing orchids into your home. Orchids are easy to grow and simple to care for.  Just follow these tips for beautiful orchids that will bloom time and again. Seven Tips for How to Care for Orchids in Your Home A Reblooming Orchid In my opinion, orchids are one of the best values available in flowers and household plants.  You can buy a beautiful orchid full of buds and blooms for less than $20 at grocery stores and garden centers across the United States.  Those flowers will last for about three months of colorful beauty in your home and require minimal care. My Reblooming White Orchid When purchasing your orchid, choose a plant with just a couple of open blooms  and many closed buds. This orchid will give you many months of lovely flowers.  Pass up any orchid that has wilting blossoms or signs that flowers have dropped off the plant. When the blooms fade, don't throw your orchid plant out.  Save th...

One of the things I like least about this time of year is the pests.  I'm talking about the insects and critters that wreak havoc with my home and garden. The pest of the month is the carpenter bee.  Last month the battle was with ants and in April, we were fighting the annual infestation of winter moth caterpillars that are trying to kill my beautiful weeping cherry tree.  Those battles seem to be behind me and for now, the focus is on the pesky carpenter bees. You might be wondering what the heck a carpenter bee is.  I never even knew they existed until a couple of years ago.  You can see the backside of one in the picture below.  They might be mistaken for a big bumblebee, but their abdomen is shiny black in comparison to the fuzzy abdomen of the bumblebee.  You'll often see them hovering in the air around the roofline of your home.  If you see them, you'll want to pay attention.  They may take up residence in your home. Th...