AB Home Interiors

How quantity over quality can sacrifice your style

In the last fifteen years there has been a slow yet rapid shift in the quality of products sold in the US. Everything from our clothes, furniture and even food has seen a decline. Furniture and accessories are all being sent over to China for production where every corner is cut to keep costs low. [...]

How to create an office that makes you more money

Imagine going into your office and sitting with a client dressed in your pajamas. How would you feel? It’s likely that you wouldn’t feel professional, and lets face it your game would be off. You wouldn’t be able to put your best foot forward, and really sell your offerings with confidence. (not with felt scooby [...]

Toxic food-The secret behind eating raw produce

About four years ago I started making small steps to eat more organic food, especially produce. Prior to this I was assuming that all produce was the same produce and no reason to spend more, right? Wrong. Organic food is more expensive yes, but are you willing to risk your health for an item that [...]

Beyond the plastic yard flamingo- 4 new ways to rethink pink

Its no surprise, I love pink. Always have. In fact it has been the core color of my wardrobe for over 10 years. Early on my mother told me I would tire of it, or rather grow out of it….but I still love pink. The value or intensity does change over the years, but the [...]

Homemade Potato Soup-Amanda Style

Last year I discovered a great Potato Soup recipe from Mama loves food, that is really good and fairly simple. But being a vegetarian and having limited utensils in the AB HOME kitchen it was my goal to take an already simple recipe and dumb it down even further…aka, doin’ it Amanda style. Heres what [...]

Gardening 101-Skipping the basics and going downright easy

It’s official, I am a gardener….or at least that is what I am telling people because it makes me sound like I a am apart of some elite group of cool kids. For years I have been going on and on about having a garden. Obsessing over them, designing them, even pretending to have chickens [...]

The unhealthy truth about commercial air fresheners

In the past twenty years consumers have been inundated from shiny, media-driven ad campaigns, to FEAR odors. I guarantee if you sit down and watch 30 minutes of TV, you will see everything from odor controlling garbage bags, aerosol room sprays, to contraptions that emit froo froo smells every time it senses movement. The ads [...]

Impulse shopping-Is it smart to spend when trying to save?

For the past three years I have seen a growing trend of homeowners throwing away tons of money on purchases that don’t make sense, simply becasue the items were on “sale”. Most Sales, especially 50% off or more are final. Everyone’s hurting, including the big guys so in an effort to get your hard earned [...]

Huevos Rancheros made easy

I have to say I am not much of a breakfast eater. However, if you are going to do it you might as well do it right. One of my favorite breakfast items is Huevos Rancheros. Many of the recipes online are fairly easy, but many chefs like to get all fancy and complicate things [...]

DIY drain cleaner

One of my biggest pet peeves is a clogged drain. I can’t decide if it’s because the Loch ness monster lives there, or the fact that I have to fix it and I forget like a cagillian times to do it. You know what I am talking about. You use the shower treading in 3″ [...]

Sloe Gin

My dear friend Ritchie got me the greatest gift of all for Christmas: Booze, and a lot of it! He may or may not of given me the mountain stuff….but if he did, I’d deny it (at least until I licked the mason jar clean.) With all this booze in the house I feel like [...]

Stemware-The do’s, don’ts and how to’s

There is no other time of year when the stemware in your cupboard gets used more than the holiday season. The holidays put us all in a good mood, but if we are going to be stuck inside, well, we can’t be jolly without booze. Some enthusiasts have special glasses for every type of Spirit [...]

How to plan the perfect party

Planning a party can be stressful. Many hosts take it upon themselves to over do it, (shooting for Martha Stewart perfection) that results in unnecessary stress and three days worth of recovery. Parties are meant to be festive and FUN! Instead of wearing yourself out and eyeballing the chaise lounge, put together a loose plan [...]

How to Decorate a Porch After the Holidays

Todays post is brought to you by Jessica Phan from Balsam Hill, a high-end manufacturer of Christmas trees. Jessica is out of San Francisco and just before the holidays got into high gear I had one question for her: What do we do with all these beautiful porches come January? I mean let’s face it, [...]

Top ten eating tips to survive the holidays

So it is finally the holidays, the one time of year when the festivities outweigh logic and you can allow yourself to live in the moment of gluttonous magic. Champagne, cookies, and the almighty: “a little is good…but MORE is better. Here are the top ten holiday eating tips to get you through the holidays [...]