A Little Organization...Grocery Shopping

Grocery List 

photo:  oswaldadventures

One of my least favorite things to do as a housewife is the grocery shopping!  I like to make my trips to the grocery store as few as possible in a months period and when I do go I like to be in and out as fast as possible (remember I have 3 kids and I almost always have at least 2 of them with me while grocery shopping).  I was talking to my friend the other day telling her how sometimes I see people looking at my computer typed grocery list and they giggle out loud.  She asked why I type up my list and I told her it was because I like to keep my list in groups: ie. all the fruits together, diary, frozen foods etc.  That way I can go up and down each aisle and not have to make a second trip down an aisle as I get further down my list.  That's when she pulled this out of her purse (she was headed to the store right after we were together).  

(click to enlarge)

Isn't this a great idea?!  Everything is done by categories.  This list consists of things she most often shops for.  You can change it to suit your grocery needs, print off and off you go to the store. 

Click here to download an excel file of the above grocery list.  Enjoy!

A Little Tip... My Favorite Kitchen Gadget

My FAVORITE kitchen gadget has to be the...

Mix and Chop from Pampered Chef. It's good for so many things but most recently I have found it is great for chopping up hard boiled eggs for egg salad sandwiches. I love my chopper!  Usually chopping eggs is so messy.  Not anymore.  This tool is a little great!

A Little Cuisine... Pumpkin!

The weather is finally starting to feel like Fall and with that I start craving pumpkin! Pumpkin rolls, pumpkin pie, pumpkin shakes etc! Here are a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes:

(I've tried to give credit where credit is due!)

PUMPKIN BARS

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe Blog

4 eggs

1 2/3 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

15 oz. can pumpkin

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

ICING

8 oz. cream cheese softened

1/2 cup butter or margarine softened

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

PUMPKIN ROLL

Recipe from the Libby's Pumpkin can

picture from allrecipes.com

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup Libby's 100% pure pumpkin

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

6 TBS. butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15x10 inch jelly roll pan. Line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle dish towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts (if you choose to add them).

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting from narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese, powered sugar, butter and vanilla in a small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

PUMPKIN LAYERED PIE

Recipe from my friend, Kesha

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 TBS. milk

1 TBS. sugar

1 1/2 cups cool whip (will eventually use all of the 8 oz.)

1 graham cracker crust

1 cup cold milk

1 can 16 oz. pumpkin

1 large package vanilla instant pudding

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

Mix cream cheese, milk, and sugar in a bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Fold in 1 1/2 cups cool whip. Spread in crust. In bowl, pour in milk, pumpkin, pudding and spices. Beat with wire whisk until combined. It will be thick! Spread over cream cheese mixture in pie crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Put cool whip on top when ready to serve.

A Little Crafty... DIY Halloween Decor

Here are a few of my favorite DIY Halloween decoration ideas. Hopefully I can get going on them this weekend!

{woman's day}

{thrifty decor chick}

{not so idle hands}

A Little Delicious... One GREAT cookie!

For those of you that are like me I LOVE Girl Scout Cookies. I love purchasing that first box of Samoas... it's never my last box. I was grocery shopping the other day and saw these on the shelf. I thought what the heck I will try them out. ALMOST as good as the real thing!

And for those of you that LOVE Thin Mints try these:

A Little New Baby... Must Haves

Are you (or is someone you love) expecting a baby anytime soon?

Here are a few of my favorite "must haves" when bringing home your new bundle of joy. 

UDDER COVER

I remember trying to figure out nursing a baby with other people around.  It was so difficult to arrange everything while trying to hold blanket over my shoulder.  These covers add a bit of style to nursing and a lot of privacy!  Plus you can see your beautiful baby while he/she nurses.

ADEN + ANAIS SWADDLE BLANKETS

I wish I would have found these blankets sooner.  Although I haven't ever used them with my babies several of my friends love them!  They are thin so you can swaddle your baby and not have them get lost in a big, puffy blanket.

 GAP BUNDLER NIGHTGOWNS (boy or girl)

I think these are the only outfits my babies used for the first few months.  I had winter babies so we didn't leave the house much.  No snaps not a lot of hassle.  Simply open the bottom and change their little bottoms.  

LANSINOH 

I had a very bad first time experience nursing.  It hurt and hurt and hurt some more.  I don't think anything helped.  Then once my baby was 6 weeks old it simply went away.  However, the second time around I grew to love Lansinoh.  I put a little dab on after each feeding and I found out nursing wasn't so bad after all!

BREASTPUMP

I love my Medela breastpump.  I used it quite a bit with my first baby because I went back to work.  However, it still came in handy with my other kids.  I was able to pump (quickly) and leave a bottle or pump to relieve my engorged breasts.  It's an investment.  A little spendy but if you are going to use it for more than one child it's well worth the money.

CORNSTARCH

I know some of you are asking yourself, "cornstarch...why do you love cornstarch"?  Well my husband's grandma introduced me to the great healing power of cornstarch.  My oldest has very sensitive skin and his diaper rash was like none I have ever seen before.  My doctor told me to wash the wipes I used with water we tried that, didn't work.  We tried desitin, baby powder, anti-fungal cream, butt paste.  We were even give a prescription cream.  Nothing worked.  That's when GG (grandma great to my kids) told me to sprinkle on a little cornstarch.  It was like a miracle worker.  The next morning the rash was almost gone.  I dumped out all of my baby powder containers and filled them with cornstarch.  It's wonderful!

A Little Project... Furniture Redo

I've been wanting a new look for my master bedroom for quite some time.  I've also been a blog stalker of furniture redo blogs for quite some time.  I finally decided I could do it on my own.  I started with my night stands.  Below are my before and after photo.  Pretty simple.  Here are the steps I took:

1.  I didn't want to sand them (to messy and takes too much time) so I used Kilz Spray Primer.  Let my 2 coats of primer dry.

2.  I used a small roller and a small foam craft brush (for detailed areas) and painted 2 coats of my paint color of choice.  Dry.

3.  Glazed with a dark chocolate brown and wiped with WET rag so that the glaze remained only in the details.

4.  Finished with Mixwax Paste Finishing Wax.   

5.  Stepped backed and loved the finished product.

A Little Party Idea... Pom Pom Centerpieces

I'm hosting a Mexican themed dinner at my house soon and I wanted a fun centerpiece.  I've seen these tissue paper pom poms at several parties.  Well good old Martha Stewart shows you exactly how to make them. Simply follow these directions. Instead of hanging mine I decided to put them in different vases and use them on the table.

A Little Summer Style... Baby Girl Swimsuits

Favorite little girl swim suits!  Is there anything cuter?

I have 1 little girl who is 2 years old.  Last year I bought her a few swimming suits but she didn't wear them all that often.  I have a feeling she is going to love the water much more this summer.  Here a few of my favorite suits I've seen.

Old Navy

Baby Gap 

Janie and Jack

Target 

Gap Kids

Enjoy summer!

 

A Little Cleaning... Granite Cleaner

I was at my friends house the other day and I noticed how sparkly her granite counter tops looked.  She introduced me to the Method Granite cleaner (sold at Target).  

I ran out and bought my self a bottle of it and love it.  No matter what I cleaned my counter tops I always had a little film on top.  Not anymore!  When I picked up the granite cleaner I went ahead and grabbed some tub cleaner.  Fabulous!

A Little Cleaning... Shutters and Windows

After posting my long list of Spring cleaning someone asked, "How do you clean wood blinds"?  

Well I have wood shutters throughout my house.  I try to keep them dusted on a regular basis.  So every week when I do my overhaul cleaning of my entire house I use a little duster and just quickly dust all my shutters.  But for spring cleaning something else needs to be done.

Photo: realsimple.com

1.  I DON'T use water because it can lead to warping.  

2.  I get my vacuum out and attach the soft brush head.  I tilt the shutters up and vacuum, tilt them down and vacuum.  This will remove most of the dust.

3.  I get a dust glove.  I do one more sweep over each shutter to get an remaining dust mites off.  

4.  On a few rare occasions I might have a spot (mostly on my kitchen shutters above the sink) so I use a LITTLE wood furniture polish (sprayed onto the dust glove not the shutters directly).

5.  I haven't tried this one out but someone once told me to take a fabric softener drier sheet to your shutters every once in awhile.  This will remove static and keep dust from settling.

The question was also asked, "How do you clean your second story windows"?  I don't have second story windows but unfortunately there is a trade off.  I have basement windows that you have to get to from the window wells.  I also have a beast of a window that's 5 ft X 8 ft and my best advice is use a ladder.

I took the easy way out last year after trying to wash my windows with a vinegar, ammonia, water solution and only getting streaks. I hired the professionals.  This spring I've tried a new approach.

1.  Mix a little dish soap (whatever you have on hand.  Joy, dawn etc.) into a pail of water.  

2.  Use a sponge to wash window down with soapy water

3.  Use a squeegee to remove water and suds.  

4.  You will need a clean dry towel to wipe and excess water off squeegee.  

No streaks!  So far the inside looks good.  Too bad it's still way to cold to clean the outside of my windows.  The water would probably freeze making an even bigger mess.  Lucky me, I get to put that project off for a few more weeks.

 {Read all posts by Candace}

A Little Cleaning... For Spring

I live in Idaho and even though the weather outside is still resembling winter it is spring.  Which means SPRING CLEANING!

I've created my own to do list and the cleaning better start soon or I will have to change the title to summer cleaning:

Photo: marthastewart.com

INSIDE:

*Dust shutters

*Wash inside  and out of windows and window sills

*Wipe down baseboards and walls

*Organize closets: out with winter clothes in with spring and summer

*Remove all flannel sheets and flip mattresses

*Dust all light fixtures

*Get carpets cleaned

*Replace batteries in all smoke detectors

OUTSIDE:

*Sweep & pressure wash garages

*Organize garage-put away snow shovels and slow blower.  Break out the lawn mower.

*Sweep and pressure wash patio and front porch

*Clean out window wells

For a more complete check list for spring cleaning see here.

Happy Cleaning!

 {Read all posts by Candace}

A Little Parenting... Educational Toys for your Little Ones

I was recently looking into a new preschool for my son and the teacher was showing me some of the toys she lets the kids play with.  They are fun to play with and great learning tools too!  Learning Resource toys.  Check them out!

Here are a few I have on my list:

The cupcakes come apart and the cupcake have different shapes on the bottom of them.  You have to match the right icing to the cupcake and then the pan has the shapes as well so you have to put the cupcake in the right hole.

The cookie jar is fun too.  Each cookie has a number on the back side and then on the other side there are that many m&m treats on the cookie.

The ice cream is my favorite.  Each scoop of ice cream has the color printed on the inside of it.  You can count out the scoops of ice cream and make it as big as you want!

{Read all posts by Candace}

A Little Cleaning... Removing Stubborn Stains

by Candace

OXICLEAN stain remover!  I love this stuff and I am convinced it can remove any stain.  A few months ago my daughter got a bloody nose in her crib.  I soaked the sheet in spray n wash with cold water, washed and dried the sheet and there was a huge stain.  I bought a bottle of OXICLEAN for $2.50 at Walmart sprayed a little on the stain, let it sit for 5 minutes and washed it in hot water.  The stain disappeared.  I've since used it several times and am impressed every time.  It's great to have on hand!

A Little Organization... A Taste of your own Medicine

by Candace

A few years ago I came across a great way to organize your medicine in your linen closet.  I always tossed the medicine in a storage bin or lined them up on the shelf but then I couldn't ever find what I was looking for without digging! Using a double-decker Lazy Susan, often used to store spices, makes for easy access.  No more digging.  Just spin and locate what you need.  This particular Lazy Susan was found at Bed Bath and Beyond. 

You probably noticed my totes.  I love totes.  There is no easier way to clean something up then by sorting and labeling.  I have 2 shelves in my linen closet lined with labeled totes!

A Little Organization... Necklace Rack

by Candace
It is Love Week and you may be lucky enough to add to your jewelry collection (thanks Honey) or maybe you will win one of our fabulous giveaways.  Either way, here's a great idea from Real Simple that I love.

 

 I have the perfect spot in my closet behind my door to hang a coat rack and use it for my necklaces!  I might have to try this out this week.

A Little Organization... Baby Clothes

by Candace Call

Photo: Potato Patch

When you get the news that you are expecting you start to collect clothes here and there but by the end of your 9 month pregnancy you have quite a collection of clothing. The problem is the clothes aren't all one size. They might range from 0-3 months all the way to 2T. The closet always looks so nice and organized and then the baby arrives and you start pulling clothes off the rack (sometimes 2-3 outfits a day) and you start doing laundry. Have you noticed your once organized clothes are are a mess and all the sizes are mixed together? These closet dividers are a great way to help keep the closet organized!

A Little Organization... How to Keep Your House Clean

By Candace

I have three kids. A 6-year-old, 3-year-old and 20-month-old. I often get asked, “How do you keep your house so clean?”
The answer: I do all of my deep cleaning on Monday and Tuesdays.

MONDAY: Bathroom day! I clean all of them in one day from top to bottom.
TUESDAY: Dust, mop and vacuum. When do I clean the kitchen? All week, everyday, after every meal. I do have to vacuum the family room a couple other days of the week but that takes 10 minutes. Not a big deal.

Here are a couple tips...

A Little Organization... Laundry

By Candace

Photo: Live, Laugh, Love

Laundry is something you can quickly drown in if you aren’t careful and stay on top of it. I’ve tried doing my laundry once a week but I get too overwhelmed and just give up. Two days a week works best for me. Not just any two days it’s every TUESDAY and FRIDAY. On those mornings I empty all the hampers and start the wash. I generally throw a load in, leave and run some errands, come home through another load in, eat lunch etc. I don’t just sit at home these days in front of my washer and dryer. After all of loads are done I generally stick the hampers of clean clothes in the family room in front of the TV (since this is where I usually am at 9 p.m.). If the laundry is staring me in the face I’m going to fold it just so I don’t have to look at it anymore! I fold and watch my TV programs! I’m never overwhelmed with laundry if I stick to my days. Now coming home from a vacation is a whole new post!

A Little Organization... Your Child's Artwork

By Candace
If one of your New Year's Resolutions is to get more organized, well, here's an idea.
If there is one thing I’m not it’s a pack rat. I see no point on holding onto everything and the few things I hold onto always have a place! That’s how I felt until my oldest started school. It started in preschool last year. Project after project would come home in his backpack. I couldn’t just turn around and toss it in the garbage. Believe me I tried once and it broke his little heart when he opened the door and saw his hard work sitting on top of the garbage can.

I hold onto all of his arts and crafts and handwriting practice sheets for ONE month. He has a file in the filing cabinet to keep papers and one cabinet (above his locker) to keep art projects. At then end of the month I lay it all out on the counter and let him pick his favorites or the ones he has done the best work on. Then….I TAKE A PICTURE! Pictures are so much easier to store than all that paper!

Here is one picture I took of his animals from preschool.
They did zoo phonics in so every week he came home with a new animal. Ally the Alligator, Bubba the bear, Catina the Cat (don’t know what happened to her!), Dee Dee the dear, Ellie the Elephant. Another other projects that I just can’t part with I put in a Sterilite storage bin in our storage room.