Declaring Order in a Storage Room - The Gift That Keeps on Giving

With the fast and furious
dump/recycle complete...
(please refer to blog archives) 

What is "left" in the leftovers?

Photo 1 - Colorful Donations for Goodwill

Photo 2 - School Papers for Recycling

Photo 3 - A Gift Certificate for a Beloved Teacher?!?

Expires 6/2011

...OOPS!

Brought it to school and gave it to her.
Seven months late!  She was tickled :)

Declaring Order in a Storage Room - Praying for Daylight

Always smart to start a large project 

the day before garbage pick-up day :)   

One day, three garbage cans, 

and four recycle bins later...

Patches of empty carpet emerge in the holding area!

Let there be light!

Scattered furniture returns to storage room.

Chairs reunite!

Nerf Gun ammunition commandeers an empty shelf?

That industrious kid again...
May have to negotiate :)

Next up...the leftovers. 

"Leftovers in their less visible form are called 

memories. Stored in the refrigerator of the mind 

and the cupboard of the heart." ~ Thomas Fuller

Declaring Order in a Storage Room. Easy as 1, 2,...hey?

1.  Holding area.  Prepped.

ONE HOUR LATER...

2.  Holding area.  Bursting!

MEANWHILE...

Inspiration...

Industrious kid commandeers newly cleaned shelves for Nerf Gun Storage...Hey!

More tomorrow.  Time for a COKE.

"A conclusion is the place where you get tired of thinking." ~ Arthur McBride Bloch

Declaring Order in a Storage Room - The First Bite

There's nothing like biting off more than you can chew, 

and then chewing anyway.  ~Mark Burnett

 

One hour later...

Stay tuned :)

Eat Simple

"Food should be a source of nourishment for children, not entitlement, entertainment, or empowerment." ~ Simplicity Parenting

Gathering for dinner is challenging in this age of quick and easy convenience options, demanding schedules, and food restrictions.  It requires planning and routine.  If mealtimes have become overwhelming and you don't have time to re-invent the pasta wheel -  simplify.

One step.  Keep one food group the same and vary what you serve with it!

1.  Establish a weekly menu routine for one part of your nightly meal.  If this is new for your kids, have them assist with creating choices for the one food group.   Give everyone input and do what works for your family.  The key is to assign certain foods for certain days of the week for as long it takes (or until you are bored and need a change!).  It works because it establishes a routine in the midst of what can be a chaotic time of day.

This example is built around the STARCH . 

Sunday - pasta

Monday - rice

Tuesday - tortilla

Wednesday - couscous

Thursday - potato

Friday - EAT OUT

Saturday - EAT OUT

Young children can cut pictures from magazines to represent the various options.  You can write the word below the picture to help teach reading!  Tweens can be responsible for preparing the starch, as able.  DO what works for you.

Great for working within the boundaries of a food allergy, or a simplified schedule used by a family member with special needs!

(This week's posts are dedicated to a friend who finds it impossible to find time to make dinner.  She works full-time and has several kids.  “Impossible only means that you haven't found the solution yet.”)

Freeze Ahead Lunch?

     One common time-saving strategy for preparing healthy dinners is the "Make and Freeze."  Organized, busy families might spend Sunday afternoon cooking and baking in order to freeze ahead meals for a later date.  Others double, or triple!, a recipe during the week and freeze the extras.  You can find helpful tips at Busycooks.about.com, or check-out the summary below for more info:

Freeze Ahead Dinners

1.  Wrap food in microwave-safe plastic wrap to freeze.  Thaw in the microwave!

2.  Freeze in small, thin portions.  Food thaws faster!

3.  No time to premake the casserole?
     Freeze ingredients in individual packets - chicken, vegetables, cheese, - with instructions!

4.  Line casserole dishes with heavy duty foil before assembling.
     Fill casserole dishes.  Freeze.
     Remove foil wrapped frozen food and seal in ziplock heavy duty freezer bag.
     Place back into original container to thaw and bake.

5.  Freeze only top quality foods.  Once a lousy meal = twice a lousy meal.

Freeze Ahead Lunches!

     A creative lunch twist on the "Make and Freeze" dinner solution is to - FREEZE SANDWICHES!  It is important to note that this doesn't work for ALL sandwiches, but the TOP FIVE FREEZABLE SANDWICHES, according to busycooks.about.com are:
1.  Chicken Pesto,
2.  Peanut Butter Granola,
3.  Ham Salad Wraps,
4.  Freeze Ahead Tuna, and
5.  Tex Mex Pita.

     Kathy Peel, author of, Busy Mom's Guide to a Happy Organized Home advises freezing meat sandwiches and writes "If you are really rushed most mornings, make sandwiches for school lunches on Sunday.  Label and freeze each one in a zipper bag.  Kids can choose a sandwich each morning, then add fruit, chips, or vegetable sticks.  An ice pack or frozen box of juice keeps the sandwich cold until noon." 

Now, if we could just freeze TIME in a bottle :) 


(This week's posts are dedicated to a friend who finds it impossible to find time to make dinner.  She works full-time and has several kids.  “Impossible only means that you haven't found the solution yet.”)

Quickfire Challenge

     Creating dinner in a flash can be stressful.  On those nights when speed is a necessity, insert a little levity into the process.  Or just DO it for fun!

Quickfire Dinner

  
     Bravo's hit reality competition show, "Top Chef" has a segment entitled, "Quickfire."  Contestants are challenged to prepare a dish and serve it up to be judged in a short amount of time.  In the past, some of the Quickfires have required contestants to "create a sushi dish," "create an original ice cream flavor," and "create a two-egg breakfast dish in 10 minutes, using only one hand."

     Have fun fixing dinner courtesy of the Top Chef folks at BRAVO and their "Quickfire" idea!  Create a family challenge, or make it up as you go along.  Amazing what you can get accomplished when the clock is ticking.  Work as fast as you can and enjoy the ride!

TRY THIS ONE!  

Milk-free, Egg-free, Nut-free

Prepare 4 toasted BLT sandwiches 
served with sliced apple 
and 4 mugs of tomato soup.  

Don't forget drinks and condiments!

"You have 15 minutes.  Your time starts...NOW!"

Possible Strategy
1.  Pre-heat oven to toast bread on cookie sheets
2.  Pre-heat pan for bacon
3.  Start heating soup
4.  Butter 8 slices of bread
5.  Place bread slices on cookie sheets and put in the oven.
6.  Place bacon strips in pan
7.  Rinse and slice tomato
8.  Rinse and tear lettuce
9.  Stir soup
10.Flip bacon

Check your time!  Ahhhh!!!

11.  Set out plates and mugs

12.  Set out condiments

13.  Place tomato slices and lettuce on plates

14.  Stir soup

15.  Turn off heat under bacon (if haven't already!!!) and blot, as needed

16.  Pour drinks

17.  Distribute toast on plates

18.  Assemble BLTs

19.  Remember apple!

20. Hurry to cut apple

Check your time...

21.  Pour soup into mugs.
DONE!  Did you make it?

(This week's posts are dedicated to a friend who finds it impossible to find time to make dinner.  She works full-time and has several kids.  “Impossible only means that you haven't found the solution yet.”)

Colorful Beef

Where's The Beef?
5 MINUTE PREP  
(45 minutes to bake)
Milk-free, Egg-free, Nut-free, Wheat-free

Items Needed:
casserole dish with lid
olive oil
fresh or frozen vegetable - broccoli, mushroom, diced tomato
pasta sauce - preferably something organic with personAlity
lean ground beef - uncooked
salt
helpful tween

Helpful tween in the kitchen:
1.  Pre-heats oven to 350.
2.  Drizzles olive oil in bottom of casserole dish.
3.  Drops a couple of handfuls of vegetables on the bottom.
4.  Distributes uncooked lean ground beef on top of the vegetables.
5.  Plops contents of pasta sauce jar on top of beef.
6.  Sprinkles in salt, stirs gently, and puts on the lid.
7.  Places in oven (careful, it's heavy!) to bake (45 minutes).

MAKE IT A MEAL:

No time?  French bread dunkers.  Cut loaf and serve on a plate in the center of the table.

No time?  Breadstick dippers!  Place on a plate in the center of the table.

Pasta time?  Make and serve over pasta.

Garnish time?  Riff off one of the ingredients listed on sauce (ex. mushroom, tomato, onion...). Or sprinkle with cheese, as able.

COLORFUL CHARACTER LINKS

commercial flashbacks    

Life cereal: Mikey likes it!

Oscar Mayer: My bologna

Where's The Beef? Clara Peller

(This week's posts are dedicated to a friend who finds it impossible to find time to make dinner.  She works full-time and has several kids.  “Impossible only means that you haven't found the solution yet.”)

Colorful Chicken

Chicken & Salsa
5 MINUTE PREP  
(45 minutes to bake)
Milk-free, Egg-free, Nut-free, Wheat-free

Items Needed:
casserole dish with lid
olive oil
frozen vegetables - corn or multi-colored peppers
chicken breasts
salsa - preferably something organic with personAlity
helpful tween

Helpful tween in the kitchen:
1.  Pre-heats oven to 350.
2.  Drizzles olive oil in bottom of casserole dish.
3.  Drops a handful of frozen vegetables on the bottom.
4.  Places chicken breasts on the vegetables.
5.  Plops contents of salsa jar on top of chicken.
6.  Sloshes around and puts on the lid.
7.  Places in oven (careful, it's heavy!) to bake (45 minutes).

Life is good.

Smile :)

MAKE IT A MEAL:

No time?  Open whatever corn chip is your pleasure and serve from a bowl in the center of the table.

No time?  Toss some tortillas (corn, or wheat - as able) on a plate in the center of the table. 

Rice time?  Make and serve with rice.

Garnish time?  Riff off one of the ingredients listed on salsa (ex. pineapple, tomato, onion...).  Or a dollop of guacamole, or sour cream - as able.


(This week's posts are dedicated to a friend who finds it impossible to find time to make dinner.  She works full-time and has several kids.  “Impossible only means that you haven't found the solution yet.”)

Getting Personal

Lacking motivation?

     January is a time for resolutions.  Perhaps you've gathered your ideas, but haven't found the time to begin.  The problem is, "even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." ~ Will Rogers 

     How about hiring an engineer for your train?  Sure, you can manage your time, de-clutter, or re-organize on your own, but isn't it nice to know you could hire an experienced professional?  A professional organizer can personalize a plan to get you started, motivate you to maintain, or help you over the hump! 

     What a personal trainer can do for your body, a professional organizer can do for your life! 

     Think about it.  You could work-out on your own, but hiring an experienced trainer to tailor a plan to meet your needs will yield faster, more efficient results.  How many push-ups did YOU do today?...Yeah, I thought so...Drop and give me 20!

I'll be over here de-cluttering your hall closet :)  No sweat.

Book Whisperer

 

"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way." ~ Hemingway

Not sold on the e-book trend.  Real books wilt in the attic.  Live in stacks.  They eat, pray, and leave (perhaps in a tote bag at a book club, or a seat on the train).  Occasionally they meander back.  Or they don't - making room for more!

Books comfort.  Enrich.  Beg to be handled.  Removed.  "Take me with you!"  Then, "Pass me along..."

Make a home library if you must - sorted by subject and/or size.  Author, color, or treasure factor.  Keep track of them when they go.  Fret until they return.  But cherish.


The Book Whisperer 

Tiptoe

    In last week's "Pencil Giving Needs" post, I described the contents of a much-used Birthday Box.  One of the list items included "slightly loved" birthday candles.  Another candle tip follows below, but...it's been a hectic day...let's take a moment to imagine the shimmer of a candle...reflecting on the water...How about a little musical interlude?... (click now to listen)...breathe in...breathe out...breathe in...breathe out...;)

YouTube - Candle on the Water by Helen Reddy

"Let this candle guide you..."

     Ahh...much better...So, the problem with using candles for entertaining is - wax runs like water.  Your tapers runneth over.  To slow the burn, place tapers in the freezer for 24 hours.  Remove.  Warm to room temperature and forget about them.  Whatever your future taper needs, there will be far less wax dribble.  And your candles will last for years.  And you won't waste your time googling, "How to remove red wax from carpet fibers?"

     It works for pillars too.  But sometimes they crack.  So tiptoe around them. Shhh...

Do or do not...there is no try

"Do or do not...there is no try."  ~  Yoda

Warning:  The following is a clothing experiment that requires more than an, "I'll try."

The only way to fully grasp the freedom of the "Six Items or Less" challenge is to DO it.

Or do not.

From the website, "Six Items or Less"
http://sixitemsorless.com/the-experiment/: 

"What do our clothes say about us? 
Why do spend so much time on what we wear? 
What happens when we don’t?

 

Six Items or Less began as a small experiment between friends and quickly grew to become a global movement questioning the power of what we don’t wear.

The scope of the Six Items project expanded rapidly around the world, exposing individuals and even entire families to explore a life with less. The community now acts as a participant-driven platform that features discussions on everything from fashion to financials to personal feelings and development.

The experiment is simple: each participant gets to choose six (and only six) items of clothing and pledge to wear only these six items of clothing for a month.

Logistically, there are exceptions that don’t count towards the six: undergarments, swim wear, work-out clothes, work uniforms, outer wear (rain slicker, outdoor jacket), shoes and accessories. You can get multiples of the same item for laundry purposes, but different colors count as separate items.

Most people have asked about the reasoning behind the experiment and most also assume it’s a grand statement about consumerism. In reality, there is no dictated driving thought–it’s for you to decide its meaning and relativity in your world. It’s about putting a challenge out there and seeing what people bring to it, do with it and talk about." 

Six items for 30 days.  
It will change the way you think about your clothes.    

Just Do It.  

There is no, "try."

Not-So Smart Balance

Last week I wrote about my practical stack of Smart Balance containers.  Today's post is...well...NOT so smart.

Define, "balance."  

an amount in excess especially on the credit side of an account 

     Did you ever lose a gift card?  With a really high balance?  Perhaps you thought you were soooo clever because you made a file folder marked, "Gift Cards," so you wouldn't worry about it falling out of your wallet.  But you forgot.  And it was two years before it tumbled on the floor while you were purging your files rearranging your home office.  $100 in little green plastic.  Has that ever happened to you?  Yeah...me neither.

p.s. Lettuce Entertain You honors old gift cards.  Just thought you'd like to know.

Spongebob Squarepants

Buddy from Cake Boss,  
NFL Football Players, 
Project Runway's Tim Gunn, 

Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick,  
Wii Miis,  
Facebook Friends...

Colorful characters enter our lives via screens.  But how to manage them all?

     One solution is to give these entertaining folks a designated time to come in!  Provide a boundary.  Make them less available ALL THE TIME.

     Think about it this way...The newspaper is on the driveway in the morning.  School buses arrive and depart at designated times before and after school.  Motivated people work-out early before work.

     We anticipate these events and plan around them.
 

     Controlling the quantity of screen time needs to be a conscious choice.  The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting children's total screen time to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality screen time per day.  One solution for keeping this trifecta of tv, video games, and computers being used for entertainment purposes under control is to schedule it in at designated times.

Screen Time Management Schedule:

7:00 - 8:00 am

4:00 - 5:00 pm

8:00 - 9:00 pm

This schedule includes weekends!  Perhaps the 8:00 - 9:00 pm time would only be allowed if homework is finished, dinner is eaten, and hygiene is in check.  My own son rarely wakes in time on school days to make the 7:00 - 8:00am slot and no longer begs for "just 15 minutes."  If the time is past, the time is past.  Some days the kids watch three hours and some days just one.  It all evens out nicely :)

     We do make allowances, as needed - when the Chicago Bears are playing, or for a movie night.  And, obviously, TiVo makes recording shows a snap.  The weekend rule at our house was amended to "You can watch/play for one hour after you wake up," to meet our family's needs.  We did not want to encourage the kids to wake up early on Saturday just to watch tv!

     Organizing screen time in this manner has become a habit.  The middle of the day is for school or play.  Screen time is not filler time - it is a conscious part of the daily routine. 

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Tween in the kitchen.
Tween living with severe food allergies.
Tween living with severe food allergies is ready to cook and bake in the kitchen.
Hmm...How to keep tween safe?

Red!

Tween living with severe food allergies - cooking and baking in the kitchen.

Tween uses own Red! set of measuring cups, measuring spoons, peeler, pan, and cutting boards. 

Mother never uses the Red! kitchen items.  

The bright Red! color alerts Mother to slice her cheese somewhere else.

 IKEA!

Boys 8-10

Mission: Establish A Nerf Bunker

Objective: Control Nerf Gun Clutter

Method:
1.  Gather Nerf weaponry.

2.  Gather Nerf ammunition.

3.  Measure weaponry and ammunition.  Calculate storage needs.

4.  Locate and repurpose laundry baskets, cardboard boxes, and plastic storage bins for storage.
(Ended up purchasing a 44 gal artificial xmas tree bin at the Container Store ).

5.  Designate an out-of-the-way corner or empty portion of a closet as A Nerf Bunker.  Space should be large enough to store the storage - with room for two 8-10 year old boys to manipulate and load Nerf guns.  (Ended up dismantling daughter's seldom-used dress-up room under the basement stairs!)

6.  Dig around for accessories - clipboard, old grey fleece vest with zipper pockets, net from a previous Pirate themed party, protective eyewear, flashlight, handcuffs, ammo belts, etc...   

7.  SPLURGE item - a camouflage patterned Snuggie cammo Snuggie - for sniper cover.

Shredder War

     January 2011.  Stacks of paper replete with personal and confidential information are gathering for a proper recycle.  While mechanized shredding can be a precise method of reusing or reducing these stacks, I prefer to RIP 'em to shreds.

Case and Point

In this corner -
10 pieces of paper and a standard light duty shredder
Ready...steady...go!

5 minutes and 42 seconds later...
Paper jam.  Give up.

            SHREDDER       

In that corner -

10 pieces of paper and a standard light duty pair of hands

Ready...steady...go! 

1 minute and 31 seconds later... 

Done.  Ripped up to three pieces at one time!

 

RIPPED 'EM            

    

     One hundred sheets ripped by hand takes 15 minutes and provides a free forearm workout.  With all hands on deck, it might be possible to knock off 100 in less than 5 minutes!  Hands win.  Hands down.  Shredder, may you R.I.P.

p.s. Shredder Wars TMNT Shredder Wars

  

Pencil Giving Needs

     Recently saw an ad for teachers addressing "pencil giving needs."  Throughout my stint as a classroom teacher, I stocked a container in the classroom for birthdays.  It held crown-making materials, a big birthday badge, and an assortment of colorful gift pencils.  When a student celebrated a birthday, the anticipation of access to this all important box, and subsequent pencil selection, was cause for a little extra celebration.
     These days, my "pencil giving needs" involve keeping sharp pencils on hand for homework.  I do, however, keep a designated Birthday Box in a back cupboard of the kitchen.  The current contents?...

Two gaudy polyester Happy Birthday hats,

one Happy Birthday banner - 4' long,

20 "Boy Assorted" balloons
(leftover from a package of 72?),

a baggie of new and slightly loved birthday candles,

a colorful assortment of really cheap!
leftover plastic leis, 

AND...

a half-empty roll of yellow crepe paper!

     You say it's your birthday?  Give me a minute...I'll stick a few candles in a brick of cheese, throw on a plastic lei, and festive up the place!   Who knows, I might even give you a freshly sharpened pencil :)

Good Will Hunting

     Shopping for clothing at Goodwill - when it is not an economic necessity - is not universally appealing.  I get that.  I also get a Liz Claiborne shawl collar cardigan for $4.99!  I recommend inspecting every inch of the garment, shopping on half-off certain colored tag days, and always, always trying pieces on.

     If you are not inclined to poke around Goodwill, here is a colorful tip about Lands End Inlet.  I was in search of a robe to replace my ratty maroon old-timer with the broken zipper.  I learned I could get an additional 20% off the already discounted price if I selected an item that had been monogrammed.  Monogrammed?  Always intrigued by unique ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, I kept an open mind and found my new best friend, "Patricia."  

     "Patricia," as she proclaims from below my left shoulder, is my red fleece hoodie robe.  She falls about mid-calf and zips up the front.  My family teased me at first, but have come to accept Patricia as an honorary member of the family.

my good will ambassador :)

Smart Balance

     While raising a child with severe food allergies, our family has developed intense brand loyalty.  One staple in our fridge is a dairy-free butter substitute called, Smart Balance.  We knife our way through about two containers of the stuff per week.
     Somewhere along the way, we began to keep and reuse the containers.  They hold up nicely in the top rack of the dishwasher and the petite size comes in handy for a variety of mini storage needs.  Our tween draws the line at using them in her school lunch, but they are our "go to" containers for snacks on the run.

Life is a balance.  Stack smart.

     The lids deserve a mention as they are secure, yet easy enough for little hands to manipulate.  Lids for traditional small-sized plastic containers can be cumbersome to remove, resulting in orange Cheddar Bunnies explosions.  Yikes!
     When the color on the Smart Balance containers begin to fade, they are used for non-food purposes.  Most recently, we used them during Junior Great Books to hold crayons.  Eventually, they find their way to the recycle bin.