(I know, I'm soooo clever, right??)
Guess who's doing a little Organizing Seminar at the local "li-berry"???
We'd love to see any of blog readers & friends come on out for an evening chatting about some tips and tricks to gettin' through the to-do lists and the day-to-day demands! Here's the Library promo piece:
Don't just spring-clean. Simplify!
Join us for an interactive session with Cheryl Overton and Dawn Kern of "Life Simplified", Organizing Consultants for Home and Life. These two women are on a mission to find a simpler, easier way to get through the day-to-day duties of family life so that there is more time and energy freed up to to what really matters. In this one hour, interactive session, you'll pick up practical ideas to help you minimize the clutter and chaos so you can maximize the fun this spring. Whether you're a parent of young children, an empty nester ready to downsize or just tired of clutter and chaos, this will be a great evening of ideas and inspiration.
When: Tuesday May 5th, 7pm.
Where: Kelowna Library on Ellis
Food: But of COURSE!!!!
It's gonna be fun... hope to see you there!
P.S. DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO FOLLOW THE BLOG AND HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN SOMETHING LOVELY MADE BY CHERYL OVERTON!! FRIDAY IS DRAW DAY!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Bake-a-polooza
Do you have a favorite muffin/scone/cookie recipe that you make frequently?
Save yourself some time by making a few batches of the really dry stuff (flour, white sugar, baking powder/soda, etc.) in one shot. Just line up a couple of bowls and add those ingredients into each one. Once you have your "base" recipe assembled, empty each bowl into a ziplock bag & clearly label it. Next time you want to whip up a batch of said favorite, you're already half-way there!!
This works awesome for my favorite scone recipe: (thank you ALLRECIPES.COM)
LEMON BLUEBERRY SCONES (easily adapable to other flavors... try apple cinnamon or orange cranberry....and you can put half whole wheat flour in too.)
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup lemon yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries*
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup lemon yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries*
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, egg and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm scones.
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, egg and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm scones.
FOOTNOTE
If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before adding to batter.
If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before adding to batter.
Monday, April 20, 2009
everyone has one...
Some homes house more than one...
It usually lurks in the kitchen...
Martha Stewart's looks like this:
Yup, I'm talking about the junk drawer.
That insidious little spot in your house that seems to breed batteries and paperclips seemingly as quickly and furtively as the dryer eats your one sock.
The nice thing about the junk drawer is that it's usually smallish. Which makes it a great place to spend 10-15 minutes organizing, once a month or so, to give you that small feeling of accomplishment or perhaps a little bit of motivation to get going on a larger part of your house that needs attention.
Here are a few tips to get that mess straightened out:
I like the way they used these little tins in this one:
The next two, while not as pretty as the previous pictures, probably look just a tad more realistic.
It usually lurks in the kitchen...
Martha Stewart's looks like this:
Yup, I'm talking about the junk drawer.
That insidious little spot in your house that seems to breed batteries and paperclips seemingly as quickly and furtively as the dryer eats your one sock.
The nice thing about the junk drawer is that it's usually smallish. Which makes it a great place to spend 10-15 minutes organizing, once a month or so, to give you that small feeling of accomplishment or perhaps a little bit of motivation to get going on a larger part of your house that needs attention.
Here are a few tips to get that mess straightened out:
- first, dump that baby out, when I organize, everything must first come out of the space, which seems like you're just making a mess, but it's the easiest way to make your three piles: give away, throw away and keep
- clean the drawer, I don't understand people (my husband) who organize stuff but don't bother cleaning it, I usually haul out the vacuum to get in all the little grooves of the drawer in addition to wiping it with a cloth
- make sure there is nothing in the drawer that has belongs in a different area of the house (ie. bills, receipts, pennies - all the pennies in my house seem to find their way here - too bad it wasn't all the toonies)
- dividing the drawer into compartments is the most efficient, check out the dollar store for inexpensive little trays/containers ***make sure you measure your drawer before you go shopping to ensure all the containers you find will fit, including the height!***
- ice cube trays are a great inexpensive corral for all those little things that fall to the bottom of the drawer
- group like items together and start putting them in the containers you have
- if you keep an extension cord in your junk drawer, wind it loosely and slide it in an empty paper towel tube
I like the way they used these little tins in this one:
The next two, while not as pretty as the previous pictures, probably look just a tad more realistic.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Follow us and win BIG prizes!
Well, maybe not "BIG" literally...
and not even figuratively, though I just spent about 3 1/2 minutes trying to figure out a way for it to be "BIG" figuratively (that was definitely time misspent)....
The corporate fat cats at Life Simplified have decided to make giveaways a monthly part of our blog. And as corporate fat cats will do, they have also decided to make you work for it, but only just a little.
Look over at the right sidebar of this page...
Do you see a little box that says "Follow" on it?
If you click on that and sign up to follow our blog not only do you get notified when the blog gets updated, but we will enter you in a draw for a handy dandy little organizer similar to the one shown in this post:
Handy Dandy Organizer
I can't count the number of times that I have told my youngest son that "the sheep get in as much trouble as the shepherd" (ie. my clever little way of saying stop being a follower!) but I think in this case following is an entirely good thing.
We will do the draw at the end of this month! Good luck!
signed,
the Secretary to LS Corporate Fat Cats
and not even figuratively, though I just spent about 3 1/2 minutes trying to figure out a way for it to be "BIG" figuratively (that was definitely time misspent)....
The corporate fat cats at Life Simplified have decided to make giveaways a monthly part of our blog. And as corporate fat cats will do, they have also decided to make you work for it, but only just a little.
Look over at the right sidebar of this page...
Do you see a little box that says "Follow" on it?
If you click on that and sign up to follow our blog not only do you get notified when the blog gets updated, but we will enter you in a draw for a handy dandy little organizer similar to the one shown in this post:
Handy Dandy Organizer
I can't count the number of times that I have told my youngest son that "the sheep get in as much trouble as the shepherd" (ie. my clever little way of saying stop being a follower!) but I think in this case following is an entirely good thing.
We will do the draw at the end of this month! Good luck!
signed,
the Secretary to LS Corporate Fat Cats
Friday, April 10, 2009
Easter Tip
Eat turkey.
With gravy.
Repeat.
HAPPY EASTER FROM DAWN AND CHERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With gravy.
Repeat.
HAPPY EASTER FROM DAWN AND CHERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Giving Back
OK, this post is not as noble as the title.
I am one of those people who is very happy to lend anything I have to whoever needs/likes/wants/could use it.
I also don't mind borrowing stuff.
Where it all falls apart is that I'm not always the most ... emm emm, PROMPT at returning things.
So, if you're like me, here's a little challenge for you.
Grab a bin, (if you don't have one, just ask your neighbor :-), and go through your house finding anything that belongs to someone else, and make it your mission to get it back to them in the next week. At least put the bin in your car so you can return things as you see people.
I just did this last week and, as embarassing as it was, it was good to get that monkey off the back. I hereby offer a public apology to all my friends who have been without their books, exersize equipment and assorted material goods for the last months... or years as the case may be.
Good luck!
I am one of those people who is very happy to lend anything I have to whoever needs/likes/wants/could use it.
I also don't mind borrowing stuff.
Where it all falls apart is that I'm not always the most ... emm emm, PROMPT at returning things.
So, if you're like me, here's a little challenge for you.
Grab a bin, (if you don't have one, just ask your neighbor :-), and go through your house finding anything that belongs to someone else, and make it your mission to get it back to them in the next week. At least put the bin in your car so you can return things as you see people.
I just did this last week and, as embarassing as it was, it was good to get that monkey off the back. I hereby offer a public apology to all my friends who have been without their books, exersize equipment and assorted material goods for the last months... or years as the case may be.
Good luck!
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