Jan 16 2014

Game On! Organizing the Games.

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Today has been Organizing the Games day at my house.

Do you ever have one of those days where you start cleaning one area and putting things away leads you to another area that consumes at least an hour of your time?  That is what happened to me today.  I started clearing off the dining table and ended up completely reorganizing the games.  It wasn’t on my list, but I just had to finish it.
I decided to add it to my list just so I could cross it off :) .

Our family enjoys playing board games.  Every Christmas we get one or two new ones.  Dominion and Tsuro are new to us this year.  While it is great to have so many to choose from, organizing and storing them all is a bit of a challenge.

I had them all organized when I made this Game Organizing post.  We’ve added a few since then, and I decided I would rather store them out of view.

Board games are a great way to spend time together with family and friends but organizing and storing them can be a challenge. Here are a few ideas!

Organizing Board Games

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Jan 13 2014

Savory Orzo

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Savory Orzo

Savory Orzo

Greetings from the long lost blogger :)

It has been REALLY cold here in Michigan.  Last week we were down to -25 with the wind chill.  It’s been a really strange Fall and Winter so far.  We had a wind storm that whipped through the area leaving hundreds of downed trees and power lines.  We lost power for 3 days, but thankfully didn’t have any structural damage.  We’ve had a LOT of snow and ice.  The kids have had school cancelled more times than has been allotted for the whole year.
Today, however it is a balmy 33 degrees!

We’ve eaten a lot of our favorite recipes lately without much experimenting with new ones.  The one I have to share with you today has become an instant favorite with the whole family.  It is easy to make and uses ingredients I always have on hand.  Give it a try and come back to let me know what you think!

I love the little orzo pasta.  In this recipe it makes a delicious side dish.  It can also be used in soups, casseroles, etc.  It cooks up fast and is a great alternative to rice.
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Sep 20 2013

Check it out – A Family Library Organizing System

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I LOVE to read…

When I was a kid, I hated reading.  It is possible I was a little obstinate.
I didn’t want to read what someone told me I had to read, so I just didn’t read anything unless forced.

After college, I developed a love of reading.  I read what I want to read.  I usually read for entertainment and as an anxiety coping tool.  I enjoy many different genres, but I have my favorites.  I especially love going into the children’s section and reading from the middle school level of books.  As a general rule, I know I can pick up almost anything there and be assured there is nothing objectionable.  I want my kids to be able to pick up any book on my shelf and read it themselves.
I can disappear inside a book and emerge hours later :)

My Bookshelf

My Bookshelf

This is my bookshelf.  It is in my favorite room of the house and I love it immensely.  Not everything will fit on these shelves, but my favorites are there.

I wanted to inspire a love of reading in my children.  It doesn’t have to be boring!  So I have purchased books, new and used, for years.  I love to re-read books, and I love to share them.

I am more than willing to loan out my books to friends and their kids, if I know they will take care of them AND return them.  So I have a system…
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Sep 19 2013

Garage Makeover – Part 1

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I have a dream….

One day it would be really nice to fit both cars in our 2 car garage.  It has never happened in our 21 years of marriage. 

Every couple of months my husband and sons clean out and organize the garage.  It never stays that way for long.  A few years ago we built wood shelves at the front of the garage to help with storage.  They are very nice, but have not been used to their potential.  We also took most of the camping equipment and seasonal decor down to the basement.
This is a picture of the garage after we had already started sorting and getting rid of things.

BeforeThe bottom shelf is always a disaster.  Every one of us is guilty of dumping things onto it.  We can never find what we are looking for either.  Also, it is just too convenient to walk out the door from the house and toss things onto that shelf.

This time we decided to spend the time needed to get it really organized.  This process has taken my husband and I two weekends, but it is so worth it!
Garage Organization

  Here are the steps we took:
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Sep 18 2013

Laundry Room Makeover

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Today you get a two for one post!  I am going to show you my laundry room makeover and a laundry sink skirt tutorial.  My laundry room is located on the main floor of my house and has an entrance from the redundant hall,  and an entrance from the mudroom.  I like the convenience of it’s location, but it is very visible from my dining area, which leads to our family room, and no one seems to be able to remember to close the door to it.  So whenever friends come to visit, they see the mess.  I decided to see what I could come up with to make it look better and stay clean and organized.

I’m afraid I did not get a before picture, but imagine sticky laundry soap residue on the top of the washer, dish towels and other misc. stacked on the dryer, wire shelves full of mismatched items and containers, and ugly rug on the floor and a very ugly laundry sink with paint stains inside it.

Take a look at how it looks now!

Laundry Room Makeover

Laundry Room Makeover

Here is what I did:
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Sep 16 2013

Creating Calm from the Chaos – Organizing 101

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It’s feels like Fall around here.  The kids are back in school and I am in a de-clutter and organize kind of mood.

I hereby declare ORGANIZING WEEK at Cooking up a Project!

I will be posting everyday this week with organizing projects I have going on at my house.

There are a lot of different ways to approach getting organized.  I like the idea of simplifying.  What makes my life easier and how can I organize areas that fit into my, and my families, already existing habits?

Sometimes this means I have  a system that works really well for a while, but then needs changed because our schedules or needs have changed.  For me that is what it is all about.  Organizing to make my life simpler.

I will not use a “system” if it complicates my life or is difficult to keep up.  Oh I will try for a while, but then feel like a failure because I can’t maintain it.  Have you ever felt this way?

There are 4 basic rules I use when organizing.  If I stick to them, I am happy with the results.

Tanya's Organizing Rules

Tanya’s Organizing Rules

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Sep 5 2013

Kitchen Organization – Part 1

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Kitchen Organization - Part 1

Have you ever read the book…If you give a mouse a cookie?  The story goes from the mouse wanting a cookie, which will make him want a glass of milk, which will make him want something else, and on and on.  That’s how I felt as I started the project to get my spices organized.
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Aug 15 2013

Guacamole

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Somehow I always think that Summer will bring me more time to catch up on things and relax a little.  I am finding however, that every summer my life seems to get busier.
So now I am telling myself that when school starts and we are on a schedule, I will have more time.
I’m in denial, I know :)

Now onto a new recipe!!!!

Guacamole

Guacamole

I really, really LOVE Guacamole.  I order a side of it whenever we go out for Mexican food.  There are a ton of different variations to be found.  I looked at several recipes online and began adding ingredients I thought my family would like.  We were headed to an impromptu potluck with friends and this was my offering.  It was a HIT and soon the bowl was completely empty!  I am very happy with how it turned out.
I have halved this recipe for my boys and I.  Believe me…I could eat the whole batch all by myself, but I am trying to be good :)
Avocados are good for you, right?!
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