What does one do with the countless catalogs and magazines that flood our mailboxes, especially in the back-to-school season and the even bigger Christmas season that soon follows.
I know...I know... we're told countless times to just throw away those catalogs without even opening them. And I do.... for the most part ;) But there are some that I can't bear to throw away without a peek inside (followed by intense coveting... I want this... and I want this... and this... But that's another subject).
Eventually, you know what happens to those magazines and catalogs that we intend to read when we have free time. That stack just keeps growing and growing either on our kitchen table or on the countertop.
I have discovered the BEST place to keep this "clutter" - my car!
Any catalog or magazine that I want to read gets put into my car now. So many times I have been caught waiting around for one child or another while sitting in my vehicle... so handy to have something right there at my fingertips to occupy myself while waiting. I can even get through 2-3 pages of a catalog while sitting at a red light.
And in case you're wondering..... No, I do not read while driving! :)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Crockpot is your Summertime Friend!
Summertime is made for days spent on the beach or a lake or at a park - anywhere outdoors and away from the house! Next time you pack it up for the day, make sure you start dinner in the crockpot before you head out. Nothing like returning home at the end of the day, worn out from the day's excitement, to find dinner already done for you!
Here's a SUPER simple recipe for your next day away from home.
Pulled Pork
Salt and pepper a pork shoulder (or use a b'que spice rub, but that's too complicated most days for me)
Throw it in the crock pot in the morning with setting on low. Let simmer for 8 hours or more.
When you arrive home, carefully scoop it out and place into a large bowl. With 2 forks, gently pull the meat apart (discarding any fat).
Add your favorite b'que sauce and mix well.
Serve with extra sauce, rolls, and a salad and/or cole slaw.
Super easy and super good!
Here's a SUPER simple recipe for your next day away from home.
Pulled Pork
Salt and pepper a pork shoulder (or use a b'que spice rub, but that's too complicated most days for me)
Throw it in the crock pot in the morning with setting on low. Let simmer for 8 hours or more.
When you arrive home, carefully scoop it out and place into a large bowl. With 2 forks, gently pull the meat apart (discarding any fat).
Add your favorite b'que sauce and mix well.
Serve with extra sauce, rolls, and a salad and/or cole slaw.
Super easy and super good!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Bathroom Talk
OK, this is probably too much information, but.... I make it a point to clean something in my downstairs bathroom each and every time I use it, whether it be giving the toilet a quick swipe, or the sink, or the floor, wiping the mirror, etc. It really takes less than a minute of my time before exiting the bathroom.
Based on this practice, if you drink the amount of water in a day that you're supposed to drink, you'd have a sparkling clean bathroom every single day! How cool is that?
When my bathroom begins to look a little less than spectacular, I know it's time to up that water intake! ;)
Based on this practice, if you drink the amount of water in a day that you're supposed to drink, you'd have a sparkling clean bathroom every single day! How cool is that?
When my bathroom begins to look a little less than spectacular, I know it's time to up that water intake! ;)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
A Work of Art - My Sink
Many of you, I'm sure, have heard of FlyLady by now. I used to be a regular visitor to her site... get all the emails, etc. Now I've basically settled on a few of her principles and have worked out my own system for doing things.
One thing of hers that I still do regularly is keep my kitchen sink sparkling. There really is something magical about having a shiny sink. I've made a very simple observation in my home: If my sink is dirty, it will accumulate dishes as the day goes on until there's a mountain of them growing in there. (Oh gosh, remember the maintenance principle?) If it's clean, I can't stand to have a single glass or dish in my nice shiny sink and will promptly remove it and place it in the dishwasher where it belongs. Why oh why I can't get my family members to learn this principle is beyond me. They are all males and don't care one whit about a perfectly shiny sink...
To get your stainless steel sink to sparkle, fill it with hot water and some bleach. Let it soak for about an hour or so. Drain. It SHINES! Trust me, you won't want one dirty dish in there marring the perfection. It's a work of art.
(You can find her site at flylady.net)
One thing of hers that I still do regularly is keep my kitchen sink sparkling. There really is something magical about having a shiny sink. I've made a very simple observation in my home: If my sink is dirty, it will accumulate dishes as the day goes on until there's a mountain of them growing in there. (Oh gosh, remember the maintenance principle?) If it's clean, I can't stand to have a single glass or dish in my nice shiny sink and will promptly remove it and place it in the dishwasher where it belongs. Why oh why I can't get my family members to learn this principle is beyond me. They are all males and don't care one whit about a perfectly shiny sink...
To get your stainless steel sink to sparkle, fill it with hot water and some bleach. Let it soak for about an hour or so. Drain. It SHINES! Trust me, you won't want one dirty dish in there marring the perfection. It's a work of art.
(You can find her site at flylady.net)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Thou Shalt Maintain Thy Home
I've said it before and I'll say it again... :) The key to time management in the home is maintenance, not cleaning. Don't think of it as cleaning your house, but maintaining it with a routine in place. Some things can be done on a weekly basis in order to maintain, others on a daily basis.
You're probably heard the saying, "Don't clean something if it's not dirty." Well, that makes sense in a way, but think about this... which takes longer to clean - something dirty or something relatively clean. I take the complete opposite approach. I say, don't wait to clean something until it's dirty! If you've waited until it's dirty to clean, you've waited too long.
For example, it can take up to two hours a week (at least) scrubbing bathrooms, depending on how many you have. To me, it makes better sense to spend 5 minutes each and every morning wiping down my shower (while I'm still in it) and countertops, giving the toilet a quick 5-second scrub, and a quick sweep of the floor (curse that long hair of mine...) than spend half of my Saturday morning "cleaning" all 3 bathrooms. Hence, my bathrooms never have the chance to get dirty because I am regularly maintaining them.
Same thing goes with dusting. If you've waited until you can actually SEE the dust, you've waited too long. Much much easier to clean something relatively free of dust (quick swipe of a feather duster does it) than having to spend more of my time doing a more thorough job with cloths...
I know it's easier when you're in a rush to open up a closet door and just fling your shoes in, for example. Pretty soon, what happens? Your entire closet is a disaster, and it's going to take HOURS to clean and reorganize. Isn't it so much easier to just take the 5 seconds needed NOW to place your shoes neatly on the floor (or shoe holder) than wait until the closet is an absolute mess and you can't stand it any longer?
This principle of maintaining can be applied to many areas of your home. These are just a few examples.
Remember, you want to maintain your home as best as possible on a regular basis, not spend hours cleaning it!
It's summer! Grab a book and go read instead! ;)
You're probably heard the saying, "Don't clean something if it's not dirty." Well, that makes sense in a way, but think about this... which takes longer to clean - something dirty or something relatively clean. I take the complete opposite approach. I say, don't wait to clean something until it's dirty! If you've waited until it's dirty to clean, you've waited too long.
For example, it can take up to two hours a week (at least) scrubbing bathrooms, depending on how many you have. To me, it makes better sense to spend 5 minutes each and every morning wiping down my shower (while I'm still in it) and countertops, giving the toilet a quick 5-second scrub, and a quick sweep of the floor (curse that long hair of mine...) than spend half of my Saturday morning "cleaning" all 3 bathrooms. Hence, my bathrooms never have the chance to get dirty because I am regularly maintaining them.
Same thing goes with dusting. If you've waited until you can actually SEE the dust, you've waited too long. Much much easier to clean something relatively free of dust (quick swipe of a feather duster does it) than having to spend more of my time doing a more thorough job with cloths...
I know it's easier when you're in a rush to open up a closet door and just fling your shoes in, for example. Pretty soon, what happens? Your entire closet is a disaster, and it's going to take HOURS to clean and reorganize. Isn't it so much easier to just take the 5 seconds needed NOW to place your shoes neatly on the floor (or shoe holder) than wait until the closet is an absolute mess and you can't stand it any longer?
This principle of maintaining can be applied to many areas of your home. These are just a few examples.
Remember, you want to maintain your home as best as possible on a regular basis, not spend hours cleaning it!
It's summer! Grab a book and go read instead! ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
