Domestic Dabblings

Project 365: Week 52

2011-12-31T18:47:00.000-08:00

Project 365: Week 51

2011-12-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

Project 365: Week 50

2011-12-31T10:31:00.000-08:00

Project 365: Week 49

2011-12-31T10:24:00.000-08:00

Project 365: Week 48

2011-12-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

Project 365: Week 47

2011-11-29T19:22:00.001-08:00

Project 365: Week 46

2011-11-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

Project 365: Week 45

2011-11-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

Project 365: Week 44

2011-11-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

Project 365: Week 43

2011-11-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 42

2011-10-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 41

2011-10-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 40

2011-10-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 39

2011-10-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Goodwill Finds

2011-10-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done a "Goodwill Finds" post, but I had great luck on a GW trip last month and thought I'd share.

Before I share my finds, I just want to exclaim my love for my little town's local GW...

1)The clothing is sorted by sizes. The GW's where I'm from (& my mom, the Goodwill Queen, still lives) is sorted by color, so you get a big group of red tops in all sort of sizes and it's such a pain to look through. Sorted sizes saves me so much time.

2)They accept Debit Cards! I rarely have cash with me, so this is an amazing feature to me!

3) You can make returns! You can return clothing within 7 days of purchase with your receipt - I just love that! Even though I try to do a thorough inspection in the store, occasionally I get home and find a little hole or just change my mind.

So here are my most recent finds!

Lots of great tops!

Even a like-new Nike Dry-Fit shirt

Love both of these bottoms.

I've just been tickled pink because I have received SO many compliments every time I've worn one of these items. If they only knew how little I spent! One of these days I'll actually start taking pictures of myself wearing my thrifting finds...they definitely look better worn & paired with accessories than just on a hanger.

I also lucked up and found these great Carter's fleece PJ's for my little man.

Now I'm inspired to go find more thrifting treasures!

Project 365: Week 38

2011-09-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 37

2011-09-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

Consignment Sale Shopping Prep

2011-09-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've declared my love for Consignment on this blog before, but it has been a while. I still LOVE consignment sales for kids clothes, toys, & gear. Sometimes I can get caught up in all the great deals and over-buy, which really defeats the purpose of saving money by shopping consignment. As my father-in-law says, "You'll go broke buying bargains."

To avoid over-buying, I've started doing a little prep work. I take an inventory of what I already have for Little Man. To make it easier on myself, I group like items (shirts, pants, PJs, seasonal items) and take pictures. Then I print them out on cardstock on our home printer, usually two per side so I can easily see what I have so I can avoid buying duplicates, as well as look for items that can mix & match.

I took these pictures Thursday afternoon in preparation for my first Consignment Sale of the season on Friday morning.

I make a list of what I need on that same sheet of paper (this season's needs: snow coat & bibs, more PJs, brown shoes, etc). I tuck that paper in my oversized tote bag that I always take with me to hold my finds & keep my hands free.

This really only takes a few minutes, but this makes my shopping SO much more efficient. A little prep work can make such a big difference.

Happy Consigning!

Meal Plan Monday

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is over & I guess my blogging drought should be too. I'm easing back into blogging with a meal plan post. Something I did little to none of since May. I did run across an adorable meal planning printable this summer. I'm going to print it off, frame it in the kitchen, and then I'll be able to use it weekly with a dry-erase pen on the glass.

~~Unfortunately, I cannot remember for the life of me where I found this.~~

~~If anyone knows, please leave the info in the comments & I'll be happy to link to the original source.~~ Source Found!

Monday: Pesto Chicken (thank you, Pinterest)
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Wednesday: Lasagna (from the freezer)
Thursday: Pork Chops
Friday: Pizza Night!
Saturday: Chili (if the weather is cool)
Sunday: YoYo (You're On Your Own...usually leftovers/sandwiches)

Linking up with OrgJunkie.

Project 365: Week 36

2011-09-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 35

2011-09-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 34

2011-08-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

In the middle...

2011-08-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

I ran across this blog post recently and boy did it just about knock me down on my bottom. It's lengthy, but definitely worth the read. Towards the end, she writes

The story was still in the middle, but I wanted to flip ahead to the end, past the conflict and struggle and straight to the happy ending.

That line struck me to the core. Brought immediate, unstoppable tears. Reminded me where I was in my story. We have now been in this chapter for over a year with three losses, heartbreak, frustration, and basically no answers. At least no answers here on Earth. But I have hope. God knows what He's doing. He knows my story, even though I don't know it all yet. I'm still in the middle. I can't just jump ahead and read the last chapter of this book. I've got to wait it out, be patient, and know that God is in control. And that He is good.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28

Project 365: Week 33

2011-08-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 32

2011-08-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Trends...love 'em or hate 'em?

2011-08-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

Popping in from my summer hiatus to write down random thoughts...

Do you ever find yourself thinking, "I must be really uncool." I've found myself thinking that lately because I just don't like a lot of the current trends. Here are a few...

the color "Mustard"

Chalkboard anything

cutesy mustaches

all images found via Pinterest

Then I think back about other things I thought would be a trend to quickly fade away. Two come to mind immediately that proved me a complete loser.

Facebook...true story. I totally didn't "get it" when I was introduced to it in college and refused to sign up until 3+ years later. By then, even my parents were on it.

Digital Cameras...I refused to meet with wedding photographers who shot digitally because I thought it would never last & I would somehow lose my pictures. A also turned down taking my parents digital camera to Europe my senior year of college because I didn't think it would be "good enough". Joke's on me!

Oh well! Can't win them all. And I'm getting better at laughing at myself all the time...

Project 365: Week 31

2011-08-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 30

2011-08-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 29

2011-07-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

The ABCs of Me!

2011-07-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Saw this the other day & thought it would be a little fun since I've severely neglected the blog this summer.

A. Age: 28
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore you hate: Cleaning bathrooms (especially the showers!)
D. Dogs: Baxter (Australian Shepherd-Chow Mutt)
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee with sugar & flavored creamer

F. Favorite color: Pink
G. Gold or silver: Usually silver, but gold is growing on me
H. Height: 5’11
I. Instruments you play: none
J. Job title: Stay-at-Home Mom (former Middle School Math Teacher)

K. Kids: Jeremiah, terribly close to 3 years old
L. Live: North Carolina
M. Mom’s name: Linda
N. Nicknames: Beck, Bex (only my husband puts an "x" on the end)
O. Overnight hospital stays: Only when Little Man was born

P. Pet peeve: People who don’t know when to stop talking!
Q. Quote from a movie: “I carried a watermelon.”
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: two younger brothers
T. Time you wake up: around 7-7:30 unless Little Man wakes earlier
U. Underwear: yes, I wear them.

V. Vegetables you dislike: corn (because I’m severely allergic!)
W. What makes you run late: toddler independence
X. X-rays you’ve had: Dental (can’t think of any other times)
Y. Yummy food you make: hard to choose…love to cook!
Z. Zoo – favorite animal: dog, but donkeys are really growing on me

Project 365: Week 28

2011-07-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 27

2011-07-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 26

2011-07-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 25

2011-06-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Project 365: Week 24

2011-06-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Landing Zone

2011-06-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

When we come home, we park in the basement garage and then immediately trek upstairs. The first thing you encounter when you open the main floor door is the kitchen table, so that's where we usually dump all of our stuff. So this is what our kitchen table usually looks like.

Not optimal for eating. Obviously we needed a landing zone - a place to drop our bags, keys, and anything else we bring in. Somewhere not on the kitchen table. I was perusing a new-to-me blog this week (great blog - go check it out!), I ran across this post & picture.

Source: Maillardville Manor

I immediately pinned it and an idea started to form. You see, we have a similar black cabinet, right beside the kitchen, that we use as a home office space. Unfortunately, ours was a MESS!

Although thanks to the doors it was mostly concealed.

It had been on my "To Do" list for weeks to clean it up, so I jumped in to organize, purge, and clean. It was really dusty.

Now it's SO much better! I even moved Little Man's coloring supplies so he could easily access them.

Now it was time to add a bit more organization to transform it into a "Landing Zone". The wood is too thin to use screws, so I bought these command products on a lovely solo-trip to Target.

Key Hooks on the inside of the door to help organize the miscellaneous bowl of keys we previously had.

Plus a few large metal hooks...

complete the transformation!

The top basket is for my husband to drop his wallet, keys, & phone. The middle hook is for my purse. The bottom hook is just the right height for Little Man to hang up his little backpack.

These hooks are supposed to hold up to 5lbs. I thought that would be strong enough to hold my purse, but it did fall the other day. Oops! Maybe it's time to clean out my purse.

Now my kitchen table is actually ready to be used for eating!

Project 365: Week 23

2011-06-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

Flip Flop Woes & Wins

2011-06-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

Last year I saw an adorable Interchangeable Flip Flop tutorial on Make It & Love It (one of my most favorite crafty blogs!). Her's looked so cute, but my version just didn't cut it.

I never really wore them and now, a year later, the adhesive isn't working anymore.

Bummer. They were in my Goodwill ~~pile~~ room (yes, after the garage cleanout a few weeks ago, I have a room FULL ready for a garage sale or Goodwill, currently Goodwill is winning out).

Fast forward to today...I ran across this tutorial on Ucreate from The Mother Huddle.

Once I saw that, I knew the failed flops had to be rescued from the Goodwill room. A little cutting and knotting later, and voila! My own adorable pair!

I like this messy look, but the next pair I'm going to sew together first for less mess & threads. The anal retentiveness gets to me sometimes.

They look really cute on, but I'm going to spare you the pictures with my feet. You're welcome.

Project 365: Week 22

2011-06-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Recipe Review: Chicken Pizza

2011-06-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

I had a few pieces of grilled chicken leftover from the Memorial Day cookout that needed to be eaten. Combine that with a few packets of pizza dough yeast that needed to be used and I came up with an easy, delicious supper, mostly adapted from here.

Here are the basics:
1. Make your pizza dough (or use the kind from a can) & bake for 5-7 minutes.
2. Brush with ranch dressing, then layer mozzarella cheese, shredded chicken, diced tomatoes & red peppers (had both on hand that needed to be used), then top with cheddar cheese.
3. Bake until it's done (about 13 more minutes in our case).

This was SO yummy and SO easy! Love that it used up lots of stuff in the fridge that needed to go.

Hello Summer.

2011-05-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

I guess summer is officially here.

I can hear the AC groan just looking at those temps and it's not even June!

Hope this isn't an indication of how hot the rest of summer is going to be...

Project 365: Week 21

2011-05-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Yardsticks & Summer Slow Downs

2011-05-28T04:57:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, our MOPS Mentor Mom reminds us of how very precious and fleeting the time we have at home with our little ones truly is. Here's a brief breakdown of her illustration...

She takes a yardstick in her hand and tells us it represents a lifespan. The average lifespan is about 72years (it's actually a bit higher than that now, but we'll stick with it for these purposes), the stick is 36inches long, which means each year is represented with half an inch.

First, she breaks the yardstick leaving only 9-10inches (yellow portion below) because that's when most children leave home for good, whether for college or a job. So you only have your kids in your home for 25% of their life - the other 75% they are out from under your protective wing and on their own in the world. Gulp...

Then, the kicker is when she breaks the yardstick again so there are only 2.5-3inches left (pink portion below). This symbolizes when your kids head off to school at 5-6years old. Such a small amount of time to have these sweet little ones at home with us, while we are truly Mothers of Preschoolers.

Her illustration always brings loads of tears and really drives home how

"the days are long, but the years are short."

Keeping this in mind, I see a major slow down coming to this blog and my online time in general over the summer. I'm going to take time to play under the fitted sheet while I strip the beds with Little Man because he thinks it's hilarious. Swimming at the pool. Playing & picnics at the park. Time in the garden with Little Man beside me putting food into buckets (hopefully not licking each item like he did with the broccoli). Making homemade ice cream. Family time. Vacations. Just fun summer stuff!

Goodwill Finds

2011-05-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went Goodwill shopping with the Goodwill Queen, also known as my mother. The Queen's top two savvy tips: shop in good neighborhoods (for the best merchandise options) & shop often!

Those tips must really work for her because the lady has amazing luck at Goodwill. It doesn't hurt that's she's about 5'7 and a size 6/8 - plenty of clothes options in that size. I, on the other hand, am 5'11 and a size 12L-O-N-G. Not as many second-hand options for me and unless I have plenty of extra time, I usually don't even waste my time looking at pants.

My mom did find a few cute things this weekend, including an outfit consisting of seersucker capris & a perfectly matching cardigan (see - so lucky!). However, I am the one who hit the jackpot! Here are my finds (straight out of the bag before the wash, so don't mind the wrinkles)...

Nike Dry Fit Top (still had the tags on it!)

Fun Summery Sleeveless Top

AnnTaylorLOFT Black Ruffle Top

such cute ruffle detail!

Navy Tunic/Dress from Target (still had the tags on it!)

JCrew Slim Fit Striped Blouse

Pink Belted Sweater

Orange Sweater

REI Half-Zip Pullover w/ iPod pocket (no tags but looked like it had never been washed/worn)

Cute Belt

Now they're all washed and ready to go! I'll have to wait another season for a few of those items, but sometimes you get the best stuff when you shop out of season.

Project 365: Week 20

2011-05-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!

2011-05-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

Today, my hubby and I celebrate 6 years of marriage. What a ride this has been so far filled with many highs and a few lows too.

Winter Formal 2001 - my Senior Year of High School

Our Wedding Day - May 21, 2005

I love that we have so much fun together, even if we're not doing much of anything. We enjoy getting out for date nights once in a while, but are just as happy to order pizza and snuggle on the couch with a movie. I have a feeling we'll be flirting in the kitchen even when we're old & wrinkly.

June 2008 - Exactly 1 month before our Little Man was born

Easter 2011

I'm so thankful that he's the one holding my hand as we walk through life together.

Happy Anniversary!!

"She smiles at the future"

- Proverbs 31:25b

Home Sweet Home

2011-05-20T04:47:00.000-07:00

Ran across this quote recently and thought it was 100% accurate.

Even through the temper tantrums & attitudes (and I'm probably just as guilty as my toddler), I'm still so thankful for a home that I adore filled with a family I love.

Kids Gardening

2011-05-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Walmart, I found these cute Miracle-Gro Kids Mini Greenhouse Kits. They were only $1 a piece, so I picked up two thinking it would be a fun rainy day activity sometime soon. Well, we've had plenty of rain recently so I pulled the kits out. They turned out to be SO neat! I enjoyed them as much as Little Man.

As always, be sure to read the directions first ;)

I was a bit concerned when I bought them because I knew there wasn't enough dirt in there, but here's the really cool part: they have special dirt that expands when you add water. The dirt on the left is before we added water, the dirt on the right is mixed with 1/4 cup of water and it EXPANDED when we stirred it. It was crazy to watch it grow.

Then we added a few little seeds: Sweet Bell Peppers & Zinnias.

Now we wait for them to sprout and we'll transplant them to keep here. I think Little Man will really enjoy watching them grow from start to finish. Let's hope it ends well!

A quick & easy project with a little learning thrown in - love it!

White Bedroom Insanity

2011-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

It has been said that the definition of INSANITY is doing the same thing over & over and expecting different results. I think an addendum is needed: putting a white duvet on your bed year after year with a black dog & toddler living in the house. Evidently last year's white duvet fail just wasn't enough for me. I had to try again this year. Let's rewind so I can tell you the whole story...

I love our bedroom. The wall color is a strange green that changes in the light, but it's warm, comforting, and beautiful. I love the deep reds and greens. The plaid curtains salvaged from our old duvet. The quilt. I just love it.

But it's sort of heavy in color, which I love in the fall and winter. However it left me wanting something a bit brighter and lighter for the spring and summer. Combine these feelings with two recent posts from the Nester (found here & here) and I was ready for a change. But it needed to be cheap. Like the FREE kind of cheap.

So I started by removing every possible from the room: the quilt & pillow shams, the lamp shades, the curtains, all pictures, every other little accessories. I was left with a very empty space. I guess the room was breathing (or whatever).

Obviously I couldn't leave the room like that, so I shopped the house. Here are the items that were brought back to the room: white sheets & duvet, white lamp shades, two white candles. Hmmm...that's a LOT of white.

I knew all that white wouldn't last long, so I didn't even bother to iron the duvet. A mere FIVE days later I was proven right. There are muddy dog prints on the duvet, black fur that is desperately awaiting an upcoming grooming appointment, and so many more wrinkles from a certain little person who loves to "mess pillows" at least 3 times a day.

The room is still bare, bordering on stark, and now a bit dirty, but it has given me a blank canvas. A place to think and get out of my dark red & green box that's been there for the last 4+ years. I would love to find an inexpensive quilt to use in the spring & summer. I think it would be fun & refreshing to have seasonal bedding. We'll just have to wait and see...and bargain shop :)

Meal Plan Monday: Clear the Freezer

2011-05-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

This past week and weekend was FULL of purging & organizing, which I just LOVED! We did a MAJOR clean-out of our garage (more details to come), leaving us enough space for both cars and enough extra room to relocate the chest freezer from the basement to the garage. I created an inventory for the chest freezer last week, which really motivated me to finish up some of the semi-prepped foods & freezer meals in our regular freezer, so that's how I chose our meal plan this week.

Monday: Taco Bake (taco meat prepped in the freezer)
Tuesday: Stuffed Shells & Salad (Stuffed Shells from the freezer)
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (Pre-cooked & shredded chicken in the freezer)
Thursday: Turkey Tettrazini (Pre-cooked & shredded turkey in the freezer)
Friday: Pizza Night
Saturday: Anniversary Dinner Date
Sunday: Hamburgers on the Grill

I also have some pre-cooked & diced ham in the freezer that I'm going to use to make a quiche so we can eat off that for breakfast this week. All that should mostly clear out our regular freezer, so we'll be ready to dive into the deep freezer!

Explore other meal plans at OrgJunkie.

Project 365: Week 19

2011-05-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Great Garage Clean-Out

2011-05-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

I have declared today "The Great Garage Clean-Out of 2011". Our garage is out of control with stuff. Some stuff that needs to go, some that needs to stay, as well as dead leaves, spider webs, and some other gross stuff.

Even though I would have liked to go at this alone, my husband fears my purging skills and wants to participate. So I'm looking on the bright side: our little one is away at his grandparents house so we can have some uninterrupted time together. Plus he's great at heavy lifting. :)

I've been excited about this garage clean-out because I, honestly, just enjoy organizing and ridding our life of unused and unnecessary clutter. I'm not a stuff person. Just not my personality. But this morning, as I sip my coffee in a quiet house and catch up on a few blogs, I came across this post on material things. These two passages really hit home in a new and fresh way.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens...a time to keep and a time to throw away.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 6

This is the perfect mediator verse for my husband and I today. It reminds me that it's not always time to get rid of something and I need to be more sensitive to my husband's needs of wanting to keep his stuff, even if I deem it unnecessary. I'm hoping it will remind him to know when it is time to part with some things.

Do not store up your treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will also be your heart.

Matthew 6:19-21

This verse stepped on my toes big time. Although my purging actions may have good intentions & consequences, my motives aren't exactly focused where they need to be. My focus should be eternal, storing my true treasures in the Lord and His heavenly kingdom. While I do think this in my mind, my actions do not always show such focus. I've spent more time with my sewing machine this week than with my Bible or in prayer combined. I've been reading a new library book each evening, but haven't cracked open my Bible for a morning quiet time in a while. Let's not even think about the time I spent reading blogs... So, I have to ask myself, where is my heart & my true treasure?

I do think it's necessary that I add a little disclaimer. The items in our possession are not necessarily bad things. In fact, I would say they are often very good things, things we are meant to enjoy. However, as our pastor likes to remind us, man tends to take good things and make them ultimate things. We cross the line when we find our identity in how big a certain collection is, the latest electronics filling our house, the neighborhood we live in, the kind of cars we drive, career success, or even how spectacular our children are, instead of finding our identity as a follower of Christ. Take a moment to think about your life and what it is filled with. How do you define yourself? Do your actions and motives reflect that self-definition? Don't let those be rhetorical questions.

Sometimes I find the Lord's whispers a bit hard to discern, so I'm truly thankful when He speaks so loud & clear in such a simple, yet profound way.

I caved...

2011-05-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

I caved and gave in to Pinterest. I asked for an invite from a friend yesterday and now I'm in love!

So many great ideas, just pinned away for me to get inspired. It's sort of like bookmarking something, but SO much better! You organize your pins on different boards based on topic. Organization & inspiration - so fun!

Here are a few other bloggers who wrote about Pinterest with much more informative posts.

Endless Jubilee

IHeart Organizing

Young House Love

In case you are really curious, you can see my pins here. I'm still figuring it all out, but so far it's great!

Little Man's Closet Clean-Up

2011-05-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last month, iHeart Organizing challenged her readers to Project: Purge. I jumped in and got started on my kitchen, but sort of lost some steam after vacation & a little medical situation arose.

Well, good thing for me, this month's challenge is Project: Projects! It's time to just get some projects checked off the list. First I made a list of projects to get done around the house going room-by-room. Wow...that list is overwhelming. Time to jump in!

An easy project to start with...clean out Little Man's closet. My general method of sorting his outgrown clothing, artwork to keep and important papers is to throw it in the closet. I have piles and piles and piles. It was time to address those.

I began by sorting everything I encountered into four categories:

(1)Trash (2)Donate/sell (3)Keep & store in attic (4)Stays in closet

Here are some before & afters

Here's everything that needed to be moved into the attic...no wonder it was overflowing in there!

While I was in Little Man's room, he was in mine. I thought he was watching some TV and playing with his baskets of toys I keep under our TV.

Here's what he was really up to...

Traded one organized space for another unorganized space. Thankfully our room cleaned up quickly.

I foresee a yard sale in our future with all of this purging...especially after we tackle our garage this weekend!

Canning Box

2011-05-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

During my recent Kitchen Purge, I discovered a lot of stuff in my kitchen that I didn't need at all, as well as items I only need occasionally. A big chunk of the "occasional" items were related to canning, thus my "Canning Box" was born.

I already keep my extra jars and water bath canner in the garage, but I needed a place for all the extras that go along with canning that were taking up valuable space in my kitchen.

Here is what went into the Canning Box: Ball Utensil Sets, Cherry Pitter, bottle brush (great for cleaning jars), Food Saver & plastic rolls, mandolin, new jar lids, extra canning spices, and old dish rags & towels. I think I might stow our Apple Peeler-Corer-Slicer in this box too.

Now I can bring up the box up when I'm canning and easily stash it all away in one place. I rarely need most of these when I'm not canning, but if I do they are still easily accessible in the garage.

Project 365: Week 18

2011-05-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

Our good camera was occupied by my husband for a good part of the week, so there are multiple iPhone Pictures this week.

iPhone Pic

Meal Plan Monday

2011-05-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! I was a bit tired...my 2.5 year old had a 14-hour day Saturday with no nap + a family reunion. He was way overtired and up almost every hour ALL.NIGHT.LONG! Such is the "joy" of motherhood - ha! He made up for it when he kissed me goodnight and said "Happy Mudders Day". Just too sweet!

Speaking of moms...please watch this HILARIOUS video of "In the Muthahood"

Now that you've had a good laugh, here's what I'm serving up this week in my "Muthahood"

Monday: Lasagna (from the freezer) & Salad

Tuesday: Cookout for my Brother-in-Law's Birthday
Wednesday: Chicken, Broccoli, & Rice Casserole
Thursday: Taco Salad
Friday: Pizza Night!
Saturday: Hot Dogs on the Grill
Sunday: YoYo (You're On Your Own...leftovers, sandwiches, whatever you can scrounge up!)

Check out other weekly Meal Plans at OrgJunkie

Garden Goodness: Freezing Broccoli

2011-05-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

This has been an AMAZING year for the broccoli in our garden. Usually we barely have enough to eat, certainly not enough to freeze. However, these year the heads are huge and abundant! This is a picture of the bounty from our first cutting (minus the head and a half my mother-in-law saved for them to eat fresh).

Doesn't that just look so good? I wish we had smell-o-vision on here because it smells just divine. Yum!

Anyway, on to freezing. I've never frozen broccoli myself, but I always buy the bags of frozen broccoli florets. They work best for how I typically cook, so I knew I wanted to freeze in a similar fashion. I consulted the Ball Blue Book (my personal preserving Bible) for instructions. This was super easy and I was done in under an hour (including the first 30 minutes of soaking in brine & final dish clean-up!).

First, you chop off all the leaves and woody stems. Cut into manageable pieces that you want to cook with later. Soak in a brine solution for 30 minutes. Rinse.

Blanch.

Ice Bath.

Spread on cookie sheets (I had enough for 2 cookie sheets!) and freeze. I prefer this method because they are more easily separated than when first put in a bag and then frozen.

Later I'll vacuum seal them using the Food Saver (or you could put them in a freezer Ziploc bag) and they'll be waiting to be transformed into a delicious side dish!

Entertaining Your Kids: Travel Box

2011-05-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation season is fast approaching - hooray! Although it's fun to get away, I sometimes struggle with what toys to take with us to entertain the Little Man (when we're not enjoying the sand & water). I want to take toys that he doesn't get to play with all the time in hopes he won't get bored. I don't want to take big toys for obvious space & packing reasons. So, I tried out a "Travel Box" while we vacationed over Spring Break.

Any books & toys going with us had to fit in this box (obviously, since the lid is broken I found this around the house, but at least I'm not worried about it breaking in the car with all the luggage). This box gets stored away in the back with all the luggage and can't be opened until we get to our vacation destination. We have the DVD Player and the Toddler Car Bag to entertain us on the road. And snacks...lots of snacks!

So, what's in the box?

I had to pack his favorite book - the "Jesus Book" that we read at nap/bedtime.

I removed the take-along-car mat from the car bag and put it along with Mack in the box. Lots of fun with the Radiator Springs crew!

I found this little felt barn and a pack of animals at the Target Dollar Spot (love that place!) a while ago. I threw in "Baby Tractor" because he was small and fit with the theme.

Take-n-Play Thomas & Dash with the Tidmouth Tunnel.

Squishy Crocodile - Little man's current favorite animal. He loves to eat toes!

Of course, we vacationed with grandparents, so a few things were added to the box during the week...

Like this green motorcycle

Dinosaurs

Play-Doh & a dino sandwich cutter (found in the grocery store) that worked great in lieu of cookie cutters

And a tube of aquarium animals after our trip on a rainy day.

Even with the additions, it all fit for the ride home.

I'd definitely recommend only bringing out one or two sets of toys per day to keep things fresh and entertaining throughout the week (lesson learned...).

I returned the "Jesus Book" to Little Man's room and "Mack" was needed to haul a few Matchbox cars around, but everything else stayed in the box and is waiting for our next out of town trip.

Recipe Review: Strawberry Fruit Leather

2011-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

We recently visited to our local Strawberry Farm for our annual strawberry picking. Well, it turns out we were there on BARGAIN DAY - yay!!! They picked too many strawberries the day before, so all the day-old pre-picked berries were half-price. They still looked good, so that's what we chose to buy.

After making 19 half-pints of jam, we still had plenty more berries to use. I didn't want to freeze them, so I looked into making Fruit Leather. I've never done that before, but I was intrigued. Typically it's made in a food dehydrator, but I don't have one so I looked into doing it in the oven. I combined several variations of instructions I ran across here, here, and here, so I'm including what I did below.

Fruit Leather Recipe

Ingredients

Strawberries
Water
Lemon Juice
Sugar (optional)

Directions

Rinse the berries, cap and quarter them.
Place berries in a large covered sauce pot on medium heat. Add half-cup of water for every 4 cups of fruit. Bring the berries to a simmer and let them cook down for 10-15 minutes.
Either mash in pot or pour into blender/food processor and work until smooth.
If you or your kids are particularly sensitive to seeds, strain through a cheesecloth to remove. I didn't worry about this.
At this time, preheat your oven to 120degrees (note: my oven wouldn't go below 170, so that's what I used).
Add sugar to taste. I found that 1/4cup of sugar for every 4 cups of berries worked well for us.
Add lemon juice. I just did a hefty splash.
Simmer fruit until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thickened. About 5-10 minutes.
Line baking sheet with butter parchment paper. Pour the fruit mixture onto the parchment paper to 1/8inch thickness. (Typically, about 4 cups of cut fruit will fill one baking sheet).
Bake for a LONG time. I saw times ranging from 10-12 hours. Since my temperature was a bit higher, mine didn't take quite that long - probably closer to 6-7 hours.
You'll know it's ready when it's dry. Sometimes the edges were ready before the middle, so I just cut it and let the wetter parts in there so the edges didn't overcook.
Cool and peel off parchment paper. I used kitchen shears to cut into ~6inch long x 1in wide strips, then stored 5-6 strips in FoodSaver bags. Others rolled theirs up in plastic wrap - whatever you feel comfortable with. I'm hoping mine won't be stuck together when I take them out of the freezer, but that may backfire - we'll see.

From what I read, it's OK to keep them at room temperature for 30days in an air tight container. If you made a large batch and want to store them for longer (like I did), then they need to be frozen.

Strawberry Puree before it's dehydrated

Dehydrated and Cooling

Pulls off parchment paper in one big sheet

Then cut into small strips

The fruit leather turned out AMAZING! They taste just like a fruit roll-up (according to my husband). Thankfully this chewy candy is full of fruit and not yucky stuff like high-fructose corn syrup.

Sealed in FoodSaver Bags

Here is a chart of various fruits and how well suited they are to make fruit leather.

Fruit	Suitability for Fruit Leather
Apples	Excellent
Apricots	Excellent
Avocados	Not recommended
Bananas	Fair to good
Berries with seeds	Excellent
Blueberries	Only in combination
Cherries	Excellent
Citrus fruits	Only in combination
Citrus peel	Only in combination
Crabapples	Only in combination
Cranberries	Only in combination
Grapes	Fair to good
Guavas	Only in combination
Melons	Not recommended
Nectarines	Excellent
Peaches	Excellent
Pears	Excellent
Pineapples	Excellent
Plums	Good
Strawberries	Excellent

Source

We'll definitely be trying out some other flavors of fruit leather as the season continues!

Corn Allergy Explained

2011-05-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that I'm allergic to CORN and all corn products.

I would like for you to let that settle in for a moment.

---

Think about all the foods that contain the obvious corn ingredients like Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, Corn Meal, Corn Oil, etc. There are other corn-derived ingredients, like Xanthan Gum, that I also have to avoid.

I live in the South, where corn reigns supreme in the form of grits, corn bread, and hush puppies.

I can't eat any of them.

My allergy goes beyond just eating corn.

The smell of popcorn bothers me immensely (sort of like someone wearing a really strong perfume that gives you an immediate headache and makes you feel sick), so I hold my breath as I speed walk through the lobby of the movie theatre and politely ask others not to pop it when I'm around.

I wear closed shoes to the State Fair and dodge all those huge roasted ears of corn that people walk around with and often drop in hopes that I won't get touched by them.

I avoid shaking hands with people who have been eating corn chips or popcorn (lesson learned the hard way when I met our State Governor at a basketball game in college).

It affects my friends and family.

We don't grow corn in our garden, even though everyone else in the family loves it.

No kisses for my hubby if he's eaten a corn product.

When we have Bunco and other events I'm attending, the hostess tries to plan a corn-free meal (which can be quite challenging and sometimes stressful to the cook).

I have to have my own bowl of salsa (that I eat with potato chips) so that nobody dips their corn chip in it.

---

You may find yourself thinking, "Poor thing!" or "Gosh - what CAN she eat?". At least that's what I hear most often when people find out about my allergy.

Honestly, to me it's not really a big deal. There are no pity parties around here where corn is concerned.

We've known about this allergy since I was about 2 years old and I've dealt with it. I know what foods to avoid and instinctively do so. It's second nature to me, just like buying Size 10 shoes.

I usually don't feel deprived of anything because there are plenty of corn-free foods to eat in this world.

Like chocolate :)

However, one thing that I have a weakness for is fruity candies. They are FULL of corn products which obviously puts them out of my diet. That is sometimes frustrating for me.

But my frustrations are OVER!!! This weekend I made Strawberry Fruit Leather for the first time.

DELICIOUS!!!

I'll be back tomorrow with the recipe...

Meal Plan Monday

2011-05-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is sort of a hodge-podge week for us with dinner meetings, unusual plans, family visits, Mother's Day and so forth, but here's our "expected" Meal Plan for the week.

Monday: Baked Rigatoni (thank you freezer meal!)

Tuesday: YoYo (You're On Your Own - Hubby has a dinner meeting, so Little Man & I will wing it)

Wednesday: Pizza (we missed our usual pizza night)

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner (Hubby doesn't like this, but he has plans so Little Man & I can enjoy!)

Of course we still have tons of lettuce coming in from the garden, as well as broccoli, radishes, and spinach so I'm sure all of those things will be making appearances on our plates this week.

And just for grins & giggles...these two girls are always nearby while we're in the garden. I just think they are adorable! Maybe I have a warped sense of cuteness, but they are miniatures and really are very cute in person. They are so sweet and love for Little Man (and anyone else) to feed them cookies. Ginger Snaps in case you're curious :)

Don't forget to stop by OrgJunkie for lots of other meal plans.

Project 365: Week 17

2011-05-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

Recipe Review: Taco Salad

2011-04-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

In this weeks MPM post, I mentioned a couple of salads were gracing our table since we are currently overrun with lettuce from the garden. Much to my surprise, I received a few inquiries about these salads, so I figured I'd post the recipes (well, they're more like non-recipes, but whatever). Here's the first...

Note 1: I like to serve buffet style because it puts up easier this way if there are any leftovers. Eating cold taco meat on leftover salad is just gross, so this way you can easily reheat the meat.

Note 2: I'm allergic to corn & corn products, so this is a completely corn-free taco salad (I thought you may find that odd if you didn't know the back story).

Ingredients:
Lettuce
Diced Veggies: Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Red Bell Peppers, (any additional veggies you want)
Taco Meat - We love McCormick's Cheesy Taco Seasoning. (We usually only eat about half, so I freeze the other half for another taco night.)
Shredded Cheese - I used Monterey Jack & Sharp Cheddar (for the love of all delicious queso, please shred your own!)
Ranch Dressing (we make our own from the dry ranch seasoning - it's so yummy!)

Directions:
1. Put lettuce in bottom of your bowl/plate.
2. Add taco meat & veggies.
3. Top with shredded cheese.
4. Put a smidge of ranch dressing on top - really brightens up the flavor!
5. Mix up & enjoy!

I think the Texas Toast Tortilla Strips or a few tortilla chips would add a yummy, salty crunch to this salad (although I'm just guessing since I can't eat those products).

This also serves up great on wraps if you're looking for a leftovers use for lunch the next day.

Spring Cleaning: Bathroom Cleaning Caddy RAVE!

2011-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you're probably getting tired of these cleaning posts, so I promise this is my last cleaning post for the week.

We have 2.5 bathrooms in our house - two upstairs and a powder room downstairs. Until now, I've been making multiple trips back & forth between the bathrooms to haul around these cleaners. It's always been a pain, but for whatever reason I never thought to do anything differently. Well, it hit me last weekend - CLEANING CADDY! Not sure why it took me that long to come up with such a simple solution...oh well!

One family trip to Target later, I found this awesome caddy...handle, plenty of space for cleaning products, and a separate place for paper towels. Perfect!

In case you're wondering, this is the company that makes it.

All the cleaning products fit perfectly with room to spare!

A top view (in case you're really curious).

Fits perfectly under the guest bathroom cabinet with the toilet brush & plunger.

Not glamorous, but that's life!

Spring Cleaning: Under the Kitchen Sink

2011-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Have you taken a peak under your kitchen sink lately? If you're like me, it could be a bit scary! I decided it was time to clean out & organize underneath there. I started by taking everything out and what was left was pretty gross.

I vacuumed all the dust & debris (leftover from our kitchen renovation), wiped it down with a bucket of Lysol solution, and used the handy magic eraser on the tough spots.

Next, I needed to tackle all the junk I pulled out of there. I threw away some things (old sponges, cleaners we don't use anymore, etc) and lined up everything else that needed to be sorted. Here's what didn't get thrown out...

There was obviously WAY too much stuff underneath the sink! I sorted these into two groups: items to stay under the sink and items to go somewhere else.

After the cleaning and organizing, here's what's left. I just love the sparseness!

Our hand & dish soaps are by the sink, I only need easy access under the sink to the dishwasher detergent and the cleaner for our appliances.

I did keep a few other things underneath, but they are tucked away in a corner because they aren't needed very often.

Of course, I still had all these products to deal with...

they scattered about the house into my canning box (a bottled brush helps clean a yucky canning jar so easily!), paint supplies, and the big cleaning product basket on the top shelf of the laundry room.

Spring Cleaning: Kitchen Purge

2011-04-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've recently discovered a blog that is right up my alley - it's called I Heart Organizing! From what I've gathered she posts a new project to work on each month and shows you how to follow along with her. April is all about "Project Purge" - something I seem to constantly be doing anyway, so I thought I'd follow along at my own pace. First up - the kitchen! I've needed to clean out the drawers and cabinets ever since our kitchen renovation (there was lots of dust & debris still hanging out).

Of course, my little helper was around to "help", which usually translated to playing with my purged kitchen items. He was so helpful - ha!

Before I go on to show my pictures, it's important to note that I use my kitchen a LOT! I cook everyday, usually 3 meals/day since Little Man & I are home during the day. So, I do have quite a bit of kitchen gadgets, utensils, etc and the important thing is I use almost all of them on a daily-weekly basis. I also do a fair of amount of canning/freezing in the summer, so I have an entirely different set of gadget needs for those projects. Basically, don't be surprised if I still have a lot in my cabinets.

So here are a few of my before & afters...

And here are just some after collages (didn't want to bore you too much with so many pictures)...

Here is the pile of purged objects...some will be donated to Goodwill, others will be stored (like the knife block) until I'm really ready to part with it.

Due to time constraints, I skipped my spice cabinet & pantry. So, I will probably have even more to add to the pile! And now I'm feeling a bit guilty over the excess...

I'm also linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick's Before & After Party!

Meal Plan Monday

2011-04-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our spring crops are ready and the garden is overflowing with LETTUCE! We also have plenty of radishes, spinach, and broccoli. Looks like from here on out, our meal plans will be reflecting garden life...yum!

Monday: Taco Salad
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Salad
Wednesday: Lasagna & Salad
Thursday: Grilled Chicken, Ranch Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, & Roasted Carrots
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Hamburgers & Hot Dogs on the grill
Sunday: MOPS Family Potluck

Hop over to OrgJunkie for plenty of other meal plans.

Project 365: Week 16

2011-04-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

iPhone Photo

We were on vacation last week, so there are several iPhone photos. Sometimes it's just better to capture the moment rather than focus on getting the "perfect photo" and missing a memory.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

-1 Peter 1:3

This moment.

2011-04-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

One day recently, I had been busy around the house while my Little Man happily played by himself (but near wherever I was working). Well, after several hours of paying only brief attention to him, it became clear that he needed me to spend some good quality time with him. He kept asking for play-doh, which is my least favorite thing to play, but sometimes it's good to be a "Yes-Mom".

I'm so glad I said "yes" that day. We had so much fun together, even if my OCD was in overdrive while he happily mixed play-doh colors. It was well worth it!

Such great advice...

2011-04-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've had this little sign for a while (picked it up at Ross or TJ Maxx, no sure which). I recently moved it in front of my (corner) kitchen sink simply because the colors go well in there. However, it struck me that it's pretty great advice for people (including myself) to remember to leave the kitchen sink & dishes a little better than they found it.

So, now I wonder if our dishes will end up in the dishwasher or hand-washed a little quicker than before?

Project 365: Week 15

2011-04-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Friday Night Lights - Final Season

2011-04-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I shared last summer how much I loved the show Friday Night Lights. Over the summer, I watched all the seasons on Netflix and any newer episodes on TV. Well, tonight begins the final season and I've got my DVR ready!

source

I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy this season since my favorite character of the show is now on another NBC show, Off the Map (which I also really like). Guess we'll see!

Toy Storage Labels

2011-04-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

When I was in college getting my degree to become a teacher, we were taught to "Beg, Borrow, & Steal" any good ideas we came across and use them in our classrooms. Well, I'm constantly using that same principal as I run across great ideas on other blogs.

Last year I fell in love with Make It & Love It's toy storage labeling. It was adorable and so practical. I knew we needed that in this house! Fast forward to present day, we have the Ikea storage units loaded up with Little Man's toys and a Silhouette to make the vinyl labels. Employing on the "Beg, Borrow, & Steal" principal I learned in college, I pretty much copied her project exactly. No need to reinvent the wheel!

Before

During...

After - LOVE IT!

Close-up of the labels

Little Man can easily identify which toys go in each bin by the picture, so clean-up is easy-peasy!

Aside from the cuteness, this is such a perfectly practical set-up for us! The unit is in our basement, so any mess can be contained down there out of sight. However, if we're on the main level we can easily choose one set of toys to bring upstairs. The bin slides right out and we can dump & play in the family room. Then pick it up and return it downstairs, which helps maintain a bit more order in our main living spaces.

I love when function & form can work together!