Hello Everyone!

Since I haven't been able to do much outside besides weeding, I have been trying to get some other things done. One of those things has been fixing some backend issues on this website. Very few of these things may affect, except that the page might load faster, but they were necessary for Google and other sites to use my articles in their search results.

I spent most of one day learning about robots.txt and fixing it on the website. Thank goodness for YouTube videos and online tutorials! (Who says you can't learn new things?) I am still working on fixing articles and broken links. That will be a project for a few months yet.

I have also been working on my paper and digital clutter. I save and write down a lot of things to keep for later. I also jot down article and video ideas for later use. The problem with all of this is that it becomes clutter on my desk and in my computer. I have been intentionally combining this information in two places so I can easily access and use it. If it is a list or an idea, it's going into Google Keep. If it is information, it's going into Evernote (free edition). There were other systems that I wanted to use, but I don't want to spend the money right now!

In other news, I hope to have a free download for you next week! You know I like lists, and I bet you do too, so stay tuned!

Also, maybe, just maybe, I will have the rest of my garden planted by next week. The frost advisories and warnings have scared me into waiting to plant. I also abide by the don't plant anything before Mother's Day rule if it isn't cold-tolerant. I should be safe to plant now!

Some interesting articles for you to check out this week at Living Life in Rural Iowa!
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​The Decluttering Decision Tree: A Way For You To Conquer The Clutter​
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​Why and How You Should Clean Out (And Organize) Your Food Storage​
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​Is Your Home Ready For An Emergency? Four Things You Need To Do Now To Be Ready!
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​Ten Prepping Habits You Should Be Working On​

YouTube: Do those daily chores so you don't have to worry about them when something happens.​

Since we are all about saving money here at Living Life in Rural Iowa, I like to take advantage of good deals when I can find them. One of those ways is through Amazon Haul. I tend to look at what they have before looking through the regular Amazon website. I have found that many people do not know about Amazon Haul, so I thought I would tell you all so you can save money, too. I live in a rural area, and getting to a big department store requires a 45-60-minute drive, so I use Amazon to get items I cannot find locally and save money on gas. I have a list in my Amazon storefront with some of my favorite items! (These are affiliate links.)

You can also find me on:

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Please feel free to share this newsletter and posts with anyone you may think will benefit!

Thanks,
Erica