Category: House and Home

• Quiet Ways to Spend the Holidays

  

  Looking for some peaceful, quiet ways to escape the hustle and bustle this holiday season? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

  aprilbarcalow

  December 5, 2025

  Hobbies and Recreation, House and Home, Livable for Kids, Livable Relationships

  activities, christmas, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, disability, entertaining, family, fatigue, hanukkah, holiday, hosting, ideas, kwanzaa, new year, tips

• April-Proofing a New Home

  

  With a recent move, we had a list of “must-haves” to make sure our new house was livable for future me. Here are some of the things we considered.

  aprilbarcalow

  November 7, 2025

  House and Home, Livable Blog

  accessible, bathroom, bedroom, chronic illness, cleaning, disability, energy saving, fatigue, gardening, guest, home, home buying, home design, house, ideas, lawn care, tips

• Shatter-Proof Entertaining

  

  When you’re entertaining guests (or building your own kitchen), it’s good to consider options that are affordable, lightweight, and hard to break. Here are just a few options to inspire you.

  aprilbarcalow

  August 8, 2025

  House and Home

  accessible, arthritis, chronic fatigue, disability, dishes, entertaining, fatigue, food, guests, ideas, Kitchen, limb difference, pain, parkinson’s, picnic, solutions, tremor, weakness

• Coping with Winter Blues

  

  Dreading the long months of winter ahead? Here are a few of the ways I cope.

  aprilbarcalow

  January 10, 2025

  Hobbies and Recreation, House and Home, Personal Care, Recipes and Meals

  chronic fatigue, chronic illness, chronic pain, cold intolerance, coping skills, Depression, drink recipe, ideas, instant coffee mix, recipe, seasonal affective disorder, tips, tools, winter

• Chronic Illness Gift Guide

  

  Looking for the perfect gift for someone with chronic illness, mental illness, or disability? Here are just a few ideas to get you started!

  aprilbarcalow

  December 13, 2024

  Hobbies and Recreation, House and Home, Livable Relationships, Medical Equipment, Personal Care

  adhd, birthday, brain fog, christmas, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, disability, fatigue, gift guide, gift ideas, gift list, holiday, ideas, memory loss

• Reusable Dish Sponges

  

  Looking for an easy, budget-friendly, environmentally-friendly project? Try these happy little kitchen sponges!

  aprilbarcalow

  November 8, 2024

  Hobbies and Recreation, House and Home

  bridal shower, budget, budget friendly, craft, ecofriendly, environmental, gift idea, green, Kitchen, reusable, sewing project, sponges, stocking stuffer, teacher gift

• Back-to-School Items that Make Spoonie Life Easier

  

  You may think the back to school sales are only for classroom-bound kids, but what if I told you the stores are FULL of really useful items for those of us with chronic illness? Here are some of the things you might want to watch for this time of year!

  aprilbarcalow

  August 15, 2023

  Fashion and Accessories, House and Home, Livable for Kids, Medical Equipment, Personal Care

  bedding, cane, chronic, chronic illness, disability, fatigue, flare day, hacks, ideas, medical, mobility, organization, solutions, spoonie, tips, walker, weakness, wheelchair

• Kitchen Design Ideas to Save Energy

  

  Looking for some smart design ideas to save you energy in the kitchen? Here are some of the solutions we implemented in our own kitchen, and would do again in a heartbeat (plus one thing we would change)!

  aprilbarcalow

  June 20, 2023

  House and Home

  accessible, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, design, disability, energy saving, fatigue, food prep, home, ideas, Kitchen, spoonie, tips

• Accessible Home Design Ideas

  

  Whether you are looking to build or buy an existing home (or taking a hard look at the home you currently own), there are so many adaptations and simple design elements that make a house more usable to those of us with chronic illness or disability. Here are just a few considerations to get you…

  aprilbarcalow

  May 9, 2023

  House and Home

  accessibility, accessible, ADA, architecture, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, disability, home, home building, ideas, solutions, spinal cord injury, tips, universal design, wheelchair accessible, zero entry

• Accessible Bedroom Design Ideas

  

  Looking for a way to make your bedroom more accessible and user-friendly with chronic illness, disability, or mobility issues? Here are some ideas to help you hide the support you need in plain sight in a stylish bedroom!

  aprilbarcalow

  March 28, 2023

  House and Home

  chronic illness, decor, design, disability, fatigue, house, ideas, mobility, solutions, tips, universal design, weakness