Linen closet - re purposed! ......

Yes, this is the year.  It is the year I finally, positively, absolutely commit to finding a place for everything, and everything in it's place.  Okay, a gal can dream, can't she?  Seriously though, I am making an incredible amount of progress in getting things organized, but most importantly, getting rid of things I no longer need.  


I was inspired by the HGTV special "Neat Freaks".  It showed some very organized families and how they live, plan, shop, decorate on a budget, and even one person that was in an incredibly organized living space of only 300 square feet.  I would encourage you to go to HGTV.com, and as of yesterday, they were still showing the full episode, and I think you'll love it.  Some of the bloggers we love to read and follow on Pinterest and Facebook are on the show as well.


I decided to store all bath towels in the bathrooms, and all sheet sets in the bedrooms.  I limited myself to only 3 sets of sheets per bed, but 2 would work just as well.  The system I am using for the linen closet frees up the cabinet in the bathrooms to make room for the towel storage.

These are the center 3 shelves, but I have the top shelf busy and the floor working as well.

Another view.  I love it!  Good inspiration to put things back, and one of my favorite clear boxes is "Travel Size", because we like to be on the go, and yes, I keep those little lotions and shampoos I get at a hotel, don't you?

Close up view.  Now, I'm sure your next question will be, where did you get those awesome labels?  I got them from Alejandra at Color-Coded.net.  She was on the HGTV special, but I had discovered her months before, and loved her organizational style so much, I bought the filing system she recommends (future post) and now these awesome storage labels.  Please follow her videos any chance you get, you'll be inspired!  The clear boxes are from the The Container Store.  They used to hold my shoes (yep, I bought the box of 20 last year actually) but my new closet system has racks, so I re purposed the shoe boxes.


There you have it, the reason I haven't posted all week until now.  I was cleaning out things I had been putting off doing.  Oh, and another reason.....I couldn't remember where I put my digital camera!  So much for a place for everything.....but what the hey, I am sure trying.


Have a wonderful weekend!


Nancy :)

Cranberry sauce can be used anytime of year......

not just the holidays!  This easy recipe from what is still becoming one of my favorite cookbooks, Robin Takes 5 by Robin Miller proves it.  It was so good, I will try it with turkey or chicken next time, not just pork tenderloin.  

Cranberry Barbecued Pork Tenderloin

My husband and I both loved this recipe, and would also consider it a company friendly meal as well.  You can put the potatoes in the oven with the pork, then make your vegetables or salad while the pork is "resting".  Therefore, along with just 5 ingredients, you also have a relax while it cooks meal too.

Cranberry Barbecued Pork Tenderloin

print recipe

1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin (1 large or 2 small)

1 (15oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 cup scallions (white & green parts)

Preheat the oven the 400 degrees F.  Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

Season the pork all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper and placed in the prepared pan.  Combine the cranberry sauce, mustard and liquid smoke and mix well.  Spoon the mixture all over the pork.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees F (the temperature will continue to rise by another 5 degrees once the pork is removed from the oven).  Let the pork stand for 5 minutes before slicing crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices.  Top the pork slices with the scallions just before serving.

Recipe Source: Robin Takes 5, Robin Miller

It doesn't get any easier than this.  Give this one a try, and I hope it becomes a part of your meal plan too.  Easy enough for a busy weeknight.

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy :)

Inexpensive jewelry holder......

Another Pinterest idea for organization.  Don't you just love it?  My daughter did this yesterday and emailed the picture to me.

This is in the inside of her closet.  It is one Bygel rod from Ikea, with plastic S-hooks (the metal ones move around too much).  The plastic hooks and cup are from Ikea too, and you can find them right by the rods.

No more tangled necklaces and all are out to see.  A great timesaver for getting ready, and it looks pretty too!

Have a great weekend!

Nancy :)

Gift Wrapping Hutch..........

Okay, this item has been on my wish list for a long time now, and now I am happy to say that it's the newest addition to my craft room.  This is the Martha Stewart Gift Wrap Hutch.  I also purchased the eight drawer flat file cabinet to go below it.


My desire for this item naturally occurred after Pottery Barn discontinued their wall-mounted gift wrap station (a big mistake on their part), and of course watching Candy Spelling have to let go of her 3 large gift wrapping rooms in her mansion. (HGTV special a while back) I like to make and give gifts too Candy, but for many years the dining room table and living room floor were just fine for this gal.  Now this gal doesn't get up so easy from the floor anymore.....  (Getting older sucks, just sayin')


This product will come in 4 very large and heavy boxes, so you must hydrate the UPS guy after delivery, then be prepared to wait on your husband hand and foot as he spreads the parts all around the living room to assemble your new must have piece of furniture.  Expect many expletive comments to come from your assembler, aka DH, so in addition to all the beverage deliveries, prepare his favorite meal.  Many hours later, you will both ooooh and ahhhhh over how nice it looks, how well it is built, then bond at Home Depot or Lowe's over different hardware, because the drawer pulls that come with it don't do it justice.

Here is what it looks like now, as a new home to my cricut and other stamping/paper supplies. Now, if I only had more gift wrap........


Have a wonderful day!


Nancy :)

Take a moment to relax while this one cooks.....

Doesn't that sound wonderful?  When I was a young mother back in the early eighties, there was a magazine called "Working Mother", and for a long time it had a section called "Relax While it Cooks".  I tried many of the recipes and loved the concept, especially since I had a job that kept me on my feet the entire shift.  The idea that dinner could be in the oven or sauteing on the stove became as appealing as any crock pot ideas I could come up with.  It meant sitting down and coloring with my daughter and listening to her about her day, versus that mad rush to get dinner to the table.  It's amazing what you can do with 40-50 minutes "free" time while dinner is preparing itself.


This dinner isn't from that series, but it made me think of it, and if you like this idea, I will come up with more.  I got this recipe from a coworker in Spokane, WA many years ago.  She called it "King's Ranch Chicken".

King's Ranch Chicken

print recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 6 or more boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 cup water
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 7-8 oz pkg pepperidge farm herb stuffing

METHOD

Place chicken breasts in 9x12 baking dish. Lightly season both sides with salt and pepper. Mix 1 can of undiluted cream of chicken soup with 1 can cream of celery soup. Stir in 1 cup (or can) of water. Pour over chicken, cover with 1 small package of Pepperidge Farm herb stufffing/dressing. (I like the crunch the cubes give, and had to use 1/2 of a 12 oz. package.) Drizzle 1 stick of melted butter or margarine over all. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, uncovered. (internal chicken temperature > 165 degrees.) I was able to relax for 40 minutes, then got up and made the rice with chicken broth.  20 more minutes of relaxing, and while the chicken and rice were cooling down, I made the salad.  Clean-up took hardly any time as well because only 2 pans and one bowl was used.  Nice! Give it a try, it's even good enough for unexpected company, like I had last night. :) Have a wonderful weekend! Nancy :)

Finally, a "pretty" laundry room.......

Hello everyone.  I am so sorry I have been gone so long, but now I am finally getting settled into our Florida home and will be able to get myself back on task with blogging.  


I have been following "Pinterest" for the past 2 months every spare moment I could sneak away from unpacking and trips to Home Depot or Lowe's.  I sort of became obsessed with laundry rooms and made it my own personal mission to have a "pretty" laundry room.  Laundry is not a pretty job.  In fact, I do not like doing laundry one bit.  Washing and drying clothes is not so bad, but sorting, folding and putting them away is an entirely different story.  I asked myself if I would enjoy the process more if the room was a pleasure to walk into instead of a hamper nightmare, and I have psyched myself out to believe that the answer to that question is yes.  

The paint color is "Swan Sea" by Behr.  It has a bit more aqua to it than this picture shows, bur I absolutely love it.  It is very calming.  That last little jar top right is for loose change. :)

I put my powdered products (Clorox 2, Gain detergent, Borax) in glass jars, and separated my bleach, stain remover and fabric softener into bins that I found at Target.  I then printed the labels and ran them through the laminator.

I found this label template at Better Homes and Garden.  

I found the shelves at Lowe's, including this one with 3 hooks, so I can hang things up as I go.  Fortunately, I don't need a huge hanging area in my space.

Okay, so do I enjoy laundry now?  Not really, I still think it's one of those thankless jobs, but I do have a smile on my face every time I walk through this room from the garage, or from the family room.  My desire to keep it neat and tidy is there always, because let's face it, I now have a "pretty" laundry room.

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy :)