Making A List And Checking It Twice

At the end of a very busy wedding season I started compiling a list of things that needed to be done around the house. 

The crazy thing is, every time I crossed one thing off the list I added two or three more!

Time To Hit REFRESH

You know that feeling, as summer is dwindling, that it's time to do a little more 'nesting?'

It's not quite fall...but the nights are getting cooler, and the leaves are starting to give us a hint of what's to come. 

How I Get Inspired To Get Up And Clean!

Do you ever feel like you need a 'boost' in order to get your energy up to clean the house? 

I do. Especially when it's hot and sticky out, like it is this week. 

Uggghhh. Who wants to run around with the vacuum in 90 degrees?

It's All Worth It At The End of The Day

Dinner parties are wonderful. 

The candles are lit....the music is playing in the background....and the stage is set for another wonderful evening filled with loved ones, laughter, and a fabulous feast.

Dealing with Holiday Stress

My daughter wrote an amazing post that came out today on Be Your Own Muse that talks about mental health. Her post really got me thinking about all the stress we go through during the holidays. 

I shared a little about how I was feeling totally overwhelmed last week here and how I caught up a bit here.  

I know, for me, I start feeling overwhelmed when there are a million things I feel I need to do and not enough hours in the day...or energy....to get them all done. 

I really, really like things very organized and tidy in my house. When they get messy or disorganized that brings on feelings of stress for me, and my heart starts racing a little. I don't know if this happens to other people, but I do know it happens to me. And it makes me cranky. I know this about myself. 

One of the things I try to do to keep that in check is take time each and every morning before work to accomplish at least one chore. By that, I mean one chore in addition to the normal daily morning routine of unloading the dishwasher, showering, making the bed, making my lunch, etc. If I take 15 minutes each morning to accomplish one additional thing it helps keep the chores from piling up and keeps me on track. Less stress = less crankiness. 

Via

I also know that I require quiet time. Regular bouts of quality quiet time. I am not one of those people who can just go, go, go and never take a second to breathe. That would flat out drive me over the edge - you'd find me sitting on the floor in a corner of my walk in closet whimpering and talking to myself. 

I make sure not to take on more than I can handle. If we have too many invites pouring in I do not feel one bit guilty turning some down - I know my own self and there's no way I can be out more than a few nights per week at social engagements. Our social calendar is quite full as it is and sometimes I just have to put the brakes on so I can have a peaceful night at home. There's nothing wrong with that. 

One of my happiest places in my home is my kitchen. I love preparing a nice meal with the music playing in the background and the candles burning while I'm sipping on a glass of wine. That's a good place to be and it tends to calm my soul. Making sure I have a few nights each week just like that keeps me grounded and sane. Relatively speaking, of course!

I also love to read. There's nothing like a good book to take me out of my own mind and shut off all the daily turmoil inside my head. Right now I'm reading a fabulous book by Debbie Macomber called Starry Night. 

I just started it on Sunday and I read over half the book that night - I just couldn't put it down. Don't you just love a great book like that? I've been making a point to read Christmas books all month which helps me keep the holiday spirit alive in my heart. 

One of the other things that really relaxes me is having a nice hot bath with some aromatic bath salts and a couple of candles flickering nearby. I love the mineral bath salts from Aura Cacia - they have wonderful naturally derived fragrances that really release their scent with the steam and the mineral salts help with sore, aching muscles. Win, win!! 

I'm a big fan of aromatherapy and always have been. In addition to the routines I practice to keep my stress in check I will often have a candle burning in the house when I'm puttering around. The scent will change with the seasons or my mood but either way, having something fragrant burning in the house just calms me. If not a candle there may be a stick of incense or some scented oils. 

I also use cleaning products during my daily routines that have wonderful scents like lavender, orange clove, or natural pine - I truly believe it makes the daily chores just a little bit easier when there's a bit of aromatherapy involved. 

Add some peaceful music and the pups dozing by the fire and all's right in my world. 

These are things that help me in my daily world. You have to find your own sweet spot, your own things that help you calm your soul. 

And when you find those things, make sure to take the time daily to give your soul what it needs. 

It's as important as breathing. 

A Day of Organizing

In anticipation of the busy holiday season ahead I spent the day today organizing some 'behind the scenes' spaces in my house. 

When I moved in (back in April) there were a few areas that weren't organized properly to start with. The house was under construction for a long, LONG time so as I was unpacking I was sticking things in here and there, wherever they fit. 

Now I've been trying to re-do those spaces. To make them work more efficiently, now that I know the house better. 

However, I was NOT feeling it today. This was a busy, busy week with only 1 day off work and that doesn't sit well with me at all. I really need 2 days off in order to be able to take care of everything I need to do around here. 

I felt a little overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin. I  knew I had to spend some time on my pantry - it had gotten out of control and I needed to take everything out and start from scratch. 

So I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration! 

Via

Isn't it amazing how seeing a beautifully organized space can inspire you to get up off your butt and get busy?

This is a dream pantry. 

Mine is not. However, I'm lucky to have one so I'm not complaining!

Via

I browsed around for a while finding motivation and inspiration and then got up and opened the door to my pantry. 

Sigh. Here we go. 

This is what I started with today. 

And this. 

Pretty, right?

Yup. Real life, right there.

Maybe it's not as bad as some but it was definitely not working for me. 

I am absolutely a bit of a neat-nick as I told you here and here. Oh, and also here.  

I need to be able to open doors and drawers and see things lined up neatly and efficiently....not this jumble of bags and boxes and random stuff. 

I started with an over the door shoe organizer I found downstairs that wasn't being used anywhere else at the moment. 

And then I took just about everything out of the pantry and spread it out on the counters. Anything that was out of date got tossed, and everything else went back in....but better. 

The shoe bag was great for gathering some smaller items together where we can find them easily. 

PS - do you think we really NEED 8 containers of nut butter? 

Hmmmm. 

After about an hour or so I had things under control. 

Those little red bins with the labels were actually already in there...buried behind a pile of other bags and boxes. 

The basket on the left is full of containers that hold puppy treats. Spoiled, much?

The little set of drawers under the basket holds backup puppy treats and k-cups for my Keurig. 

Let's face it...running out of either would be a catastrophe. 

It felt so good to get that done I went on to organize the linen closet and tidy up the fridge. 

Whew! I feel much better now! 

Slip Covered Sofa Review

When I was buying my house I spent ages researching sofas - I had an idea of what I wanted but kept rethinking it and driving myself crazy. 

No surprise there. 

The problem is that the living room is such a weird shape - it's narrow and kind of long with access to the hallway as well as the front door and dining room. Walkways need to be left clear. 

Initially I thought I would get a sectional. But the more I thought about it, the more it bugged me that I felt it wouldn't be flexible enough for the space. I needed to be able to move things around until they felt right. 

The only thing I was very sure about was that I wanted a sofa with a machine washable slip-cover. In a light, neutral color. 

I read every review I could find online. I obsessed over it. I had three sofas to buy for my house (one upstairs and two downstairs) and I knew I was only going to do this once. 

These sofas better last me a long, LONG time. I'm not doing this again. 

Therefore, they needed to be very classic - simple, clean lines. Timeless. Nothing trendy. Neutral color - again, timeless and classic.  

I ended up choosing a sofa from Ethan Allen for the living room - I didn't need a sofa bed in there and I knew that sofa would get the most use - that was always going to be the one I spent the most money on. 

For the lower level I chose two of the same exact slip-covered sofa bed from Klaussner  - they were sold locally and I fell in love with how comfortable they were when I sat in them in the store. 

They look very similar to the Ethan Allen sofa but the price was far less, which was perfect for the lower level. 

It took quite a while for the sofas to arrive and I was so happy when they finally got delivered. I felt like a college kid prior to that - such a mish-mash of furniture stuck here and there!

Fast forward 6 months and I wanted to let you know what I think of having a slip-covered sofa. 

This weekend when I was puttering I decided it was time to wash the cushion covers on the living room sofa. 

I woke up with this thought and straight away I stripped the sofa until my living room looked like this. 

The first cushion was a little tough to strip but once I got the hang of it the rest of them went rather quickly. 

I put them right in the machine - all the covers fit along with the throw pillow covers, with room to spare. I washed them with Tide Ultra on a regular wash, and dried them on the delicate cycle until they were just slightly damp. 

Back onto the cushions they went - all the reviews I read said to put them back on when they are still slightly damp to  make it a little easier. 

I have to admit I was a little worried they would shrink and wouldn't be easy to put back on. 

But it was so simple - no problem at all, took me less then 10 minutes to do them all!!

They came out lovely and soft, and of course my whole living room smells like fresh laundry now so that's a big plus!

Prior to this washing, I was spot cleaning the cushions as needed. Which worked really well but it was time for a full cleaning. 

Because of this. 

Yup - you got it - these little punks are pretty convinced that they own this house and can hang out anywhere they want to. 

Another reason I chose sofas with slipcovers! I wish the chairs had slipcovers also, believe me!

All of my throw pillows are from Pottery Barn - I buy the inserts and different pillow covers that I can swap out when I get tired of looking at them....or the seasons change....or they need to be washed. Let's face it, pillow covers are a heck of a lot easier to store than a bunch of random throw pillows!

I love that I can change up the look any time I feel like it. I can bring in a ton of color or back it down to neutral again. 

Whatever floats my boat. 

Now that I know how easy it is to wash the covers it's time to tackle the lower level sofas. 

I think I'll have the girls take care of that project. After all, it's their space. 

Mommy has other things to do. 

Like hang curtains in the garden cottage. 

Priorities, right?  

Puttering

It's a damp, cold, miserable kind of a November day in the mountains today....but I don't really mind that much. It's a good excuse to be indoors doing one of the things I love most on my day off - puttering. 

I love when I have a rare day that I don't have to go anywhere. Nowhere. No deadlines, no timetables, no schedule. I can just putter around my house doing bits of this and that. 

At my leisure. In between checking out blogs and rambling around the internet. 

Best kind of day EVER. 

I started my day with a cup of Cappuccino, as I love to do on my day off. Super awesome weekend treat to myself. Perfect way to start my morning. 

After feeding the birds I made a nice weekend breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheddar, a side of crispy bacon, and raspberry white chocolate scones. Decadent! And no, I didn't make the scones - my sister brought them when she came to visit a few weeks back and I froze the leftovers. Yumzers!

After washing up the pans I decided to make Sunny Simple Life's Homemade Bleach Cleaner - it was so easy to make! 

I took everything off my kitchen counters, sprayed them down with the cleaner, let it sit for about 15 minutes while I bounced around blogland, and then wiped them down. They came out great!! And I really feel like they are SUPER CLEAN - I'm always a big fan of using bleach to kill any germs. And I am one of those people who actually likes the smell of bleach so that's a plus. It definitely killed the smell of the bacon in the house which is a big bonus for me!!

That went so well I decided to try out Sunny Simple Life's Super Frugal Easy Way to Stretch Your Laundry Soap. 

Sunny Simple Life

I have to tell you, I'm very impressed! I ordered the Fels - Naptha Laundry Soap on Amazon  since I don't have a dollar store around here but even at the Amazon price this is is most definitely a super frugal easy way to stretch the laundry detergent. I got two bars for under $6 and I think they will easily last me for MONTHS!

I was a little worried about how it would smell since I have never tried this product before...I thought perhaps it would smell like petroleum jelly or similar. Nope! Lovely fresh citrusy smell - I'm lovin' it!!

The stretched laundry detergent is getting the first workout on the fur-babies blankets. Even if I just use this "stretched" detergent for sheets, blankets, comforters, bath rugs, towels....the stuff that doesn't really get stains but just needs freshening - it will still save a ton of $$$ on laundry detergent. Thanks, Sunny Simple Life!!

My next task was to blow off the deck and deck stairs - I have such a great blower that I love - as a matter of fact I bought a bunch of their garden tools when I bought my house. I didn't want to have to mess with gas/oil mixtures, winterizing machines, etc. I read about the WORX brand tools somewhere and had to give them a try. 

Via

I have to say I'm very pleased with my little blower. It's so light and easy to use - even my daughter who is about 90 lbs soaking wet has no problem using it. When I beg her. 

Anyway. 

I wanted to get the leaves off the deck so I could put down these mats and stair treads I got from Improvements Catalog. 

Via

I ordered 6 stair treads and 2 mats for the top of the stairs. Let me tell you - those mats are HEAVY!! I had to have my daughter help me carry them up the stairs!

Here's how they look on my stairs - I'm loving them! These old wooden stairs get mighty slippery and I was nervous we were going to tumble down them in the winter. 

My sweetie will have to figure out how to trim that bottom one to fit around the moldings - I don't even know if that's possible - they are so thick and heavy, made from recycled tires. 

I'm really happy with them! And I was just finishing up this little task when a storm blew in with mixed rain and snow....so I ran into the house and put on the kettle for a cup of tea. 

Brrrrrr. 

My next project is going to be in the kitchen - I'm trying out a new recipe that has been up on my fridge for a while - Slow Cooker Gigante Beans with Tomatoes and Pancetta from Alexandra's Kitchen. 

Alexandra's Kitchen

I'm going to start with this recipe but adapt it (as I usually do with recipes) to suit my needs - I am going to use fresh tomatoes to use up some more of the billions of green tomatoes that are ripening slowly in the dining room. 

And bacon instead of Pancetta, since that's what I have. 

Doesn't this look absolutely scrumptious?? I love her blog....you should go check it out!

This will be tomorrow's dinner. From what I read it's even better the second day - and this means no cooking for me tomorrow evening, which frees me up to run to the market after work. 

Perhaps. If I feel like it. 

Depending on how my Monday goes. They aren't always good days. . 

Tonight's dinner will be roasted chicken in my new best friend  - which I absolutely adore, by the way. It's been over a month now since she came to live with me and I tend to reach for her first before any of my other pots. It heats up so evenly, cooks beautifully, and cleanup is an absolute breeze. I'm so thrilled. 

Martha Stewart

So, spiced roast chicken, sweet potatoes, stuffing, carrots from the garden - who's in?

Happy Sunday, Friends!!

Kitchen Clutter Busters

I am a foodie. I don't make any secret of it. I stand up proudly and say "My name is Debbie and I am a foodie!. It's been ZERO days since I've eaten something perhaps I shouldn't have."

I love to cook. I love to eat good food. I wake up thinking of what I'm preparing for dinner that evening. I love to buy good food at farmers markets and gourmet shops.  I can spend an hour in a good kitchen shop with cooking implements. I can spend two hours in a cheese shop. 

All this foodieness means my kitchen has a LOT of stuff to store. 

And I have learned through the years some great tricks to make my kitchen work more efficiently. And since I am, as my sweetie says, a bit ANAL about neatness I have also learned some ways to corral the clutter. 

Just a warning, this is not a "pretty" post. This is most definitely a "practical" post. So if you are only looking for pretty eye candy you may want to look elsewhere! 

And there are a lot of pictures. No surprise, coming from me, right? 

So grab your beverage of choice and settle in for a few minutes. 

Ok here we go! 

Here's what the kitchen looks like....from a distance. 

Nice and tidy, right? Well, there's a lot going on in there to keep it looking that way. 

Let's start with the counters. I have to have clean counters with lots of cleared space for prepping and cooking. But there are also items that I need quick and easy access to. 

Like the house phone. And my car keys. And a pair of eyeglasses. Or 12. Yup, getting old....can't see. Tissues for my allergies. Apparently also part of getting old since I've never had allergies until recently. 

And of course I need 5 boxes of incense on the kitchen counter. And 2 bottles of medicine for my fur babies. And little farm animals with dangly legs. 

In order for all this stuff to be out and accessable but not drive me out of my mind I gather it all on a tray in the corner. Eyeglasses are in the little wooden rooster box. Car keys are in the green pottery bowl. A notepad and pen. And the 5 boxes of incense. Of course. 

Did I mention that despite the fact that I love food and love to cook I absolutely HATE the smell of the kitchen after the meal is over? 

Yup, that's where the incense comes in to play as a necessary item. 

Ok, moving on. 

On the right side of the stove I have my cutting boards in a nice metal rack that I picked up at Home Goods. I also keep my olive oil, pepper and sea salt grinders, and olive oil mister all ready for action in a small basket. 

And my little ceramic pig with the chipped ears. Just because. 

Above the cutting boards I keep my potholders, oven mitts, and tea cozy - they hang on this wonderful magnetic hook. I love my magnetic hooks!

On the counter between the kitchen and dining room is my produce rack. Well, it's actually a plant rack  and I bought it a few years back from Sierra Trading Post for about $20, but they have been sold out for ages. It works great for keeping onions and potatoes separated so they last longer and gives me a tier for fruit as well. 

The counter by the sink has my draining rack and also a few cleaning products in a metal holder for quick access - my Mrs Meyers Lavender Counter Spray, my Caldrea Lavender Pine Dish Soap, and a hand lotion from Williams Sonoma.  I don't remember which one.....since I never remember to use it. No wonder my hands feel like sand paper! 

Under the sink I keep some of my often used and favorite cleaners organized in an old office caddy. It works great for keeping the bottles upright and easy to grab. 

I also have some items in an over door basket so they don't get lost under the sink - an old dish sponge for dirty jobs, a brush and old toothbrush, and a spare dish sponge. 

The current dish sponge gets stored in this little basket that sticks to the side of the sink using suction cups. This lets the sponge dry out between uses and inhibits the growth of bacteria. I also throw it into the dishwasher regularly. 

To the left of the sink is this little storage drawer unit for K Cups. Which gives me a handy place to have a little lamp next to the kitchen sink, which I love for cozy evenings. 

To the left of the K Cup storage is another basket, right next to the back door. Miscellaneious items end up in this basket....things that need to go out to the garage, or to the garden shed, or home with my sweetie. It's just a catch-all to keep the daily clutter contained. And it's a great spot for my garage door opener!

At the base of the center island is one of my all time favorite handy-dandy organizers - I bought this a few years back when I was living in a super cute apartment with a teeny tiny kitchen. This little rolling organizer was an absolute life saver in that apartment - it cleared out an entire cabinet and slid right in between the fridge and the stove. I got so used to keeping my cooking oils, vinegars, etc on this unit that even though I probably could store this stuff in my pantry in my new home I continue to use this baby. Love it. 

In the cabinets I use these cabinet shelves  that come in different sizes to expand my storage space. 

I also use these little clear bins to corral packets and such. 

And of course baskets from the dollar store always come in handy!!

When I moved into this house I ordered this extra deep cutlery organizer which made a huge difference in keeping this drawer organized. The organizer I had previously was too shallow and things were always spilling out of the sections. 

That old shallow organizer was re-purposed in the kitchen gadget drawer, and it works perfectly to keep all those items organized. 

Another extra deep drawer organizer went into the "junk drawer" which my sweetie calls the "tool drawer." And while you're browsing around in there please take note of the package of firecrackers in the very front right of the drawer for easy access.....for when the bear comes back. Yup, just a part of mountain living. 

In the fridge I use more of those clear bins that I can easily pull out to see what's in the back. On the top shelf I use a lazy susan  that also makes it easier to see what I have and get to it without moving a bunch of stuff around. 

My fridge needs a good clean-out at this point....don't look too closely please...what can I say, I've been BUSY!

On the right side of the fridge is another magnetic hook where I keep my aprons as well as my fine mesh sieves. There's also a magnetic organizer where I keep take-out menus, pens, note pads, etc. I don't know where I got that one, I've had it so long, but here's one like it that I actually like better!

Across from that is the railing for the stairway to the lower level. 

I keep this metal basket from Decor Steals on the ledge for any items that need to be brought downstairs. You notice it's empty now....that's because I emptied it and carried everything downstairs. No fear my daughter would bring anything down on her 40 trips per day down to her room. 

Ahem. 

Also by the top of the stairs is a this great wall file, also from Decor Steals - that place is awesome, don't you think? This is a great spot to put all the papers that need to go downstairs to my office. 

And the sage I'm drying for my other daughter so she can smudge her apartment. 

That's it, the whole shebang!  Well, except for the pantry....but that will be a whole other day....when I get around to giving it a bit of a tidy up. 

What are your favorite kitchen organizing tricks and tips?