{ A little organizing and such }

Had a busy Saturday, some errands to run, a quick bite to eat, a quick stop at Walmart and then back home.

And after relaxing for a few minutes, I was suddenly bit by the organizing bug and it was directed at my refrigerator.

I have said so many times that I have a small fridge and can't fit anything in there and yadda yadda yadda, but today I was proven wrong and boy was that a lesson.  My only thought right now is "why on earth didn't I think of this earlier?".  

The answer is simple, I didn't discover the joys of Pinterest until very recently.  Oh this place has totally fueled my creativity, has gotten the brain juices flowing and has provided me with idea after idea after idea for my home.

I wish I could take credit for this because it's so easy to do and so simple, yet it makes such a difference.

Anyway, let me show you what I'm talking about.

Here's my fridge before:

It looks cluttered and full doesn't it? I'm not ashamed at all to show you this picture, it clearly needed some help and some cleaning.

So I got to work, first thing I did was remove everything shelf by shelf, ditch what I no longer want which is usually shoved to the back while it grows and develops into something that can attack you when you reach for it. Thankfully, I don't have much of that going on anymore, over the years I've learned to be good about keeping the fridge clear of weird looking stuff. LOL

Next thing, I gave it a really good wipe down and then I pulled out my $1 see through Walmart containers, which reminds me, I am getting more next time I am at the store.

And here is the after:

It looks SO much better.  I even put a little tray in the drawer, in there I have the kid's snacks

Veggies

My breads

My dairy, sour creams, cream cheese, yogurt etc

Other cooking stuff

My baking container...a girl can't ever have enough butter right?

This is hubby's container, these are all the jarred meals for his week lunches, fruits and desserts on the right....salads etc on the left.

No more crowded, messy refrigerator and I'm shocked at how much room I have in there, plus it's so much easier to find what I need.

Another plus, if something starts leaking, guess where it will leak into?  That's right, all I will have to do is rinse out the container, no more nasty sticky, wet spots on the shelves.

So, there you have it, super easy project for a weekend and the results will make you smile.  It got a huge thumbs up from the family.

I guess organizing the fridge got me in the mood for making things....I've been meaning to make another one of those mason jar potpourri lights, so I quickly got one done for the kitchen.   I have more lights just need to pick up more potpourri so I can make two more, I want them for the bathrooms, I love having them in there lit at night, it helps the kids when they have to go the bathroom in the middle of the night....it's also great if you have guests staying over :)

I think these would make really cute Christmas gifts, don't you?

Well, that's a little of what I got done today to beautify my home. I'm always working on little things here and there, I feel like it's my contribution to the home :)

But now, I'm going to go climb into bed with my new Mollie Makes which just came in the mail this afternoon, I literally skipped all the way from the post box to the house.

By the way, my house is permeating with the scent of cinnamon, pumpkin pie and other fallish stuff.

Nicholas says it's starting to smell like Christmas, I have to agree ♥ ♥ ♥

{ Just living }

 

♥  Watching movies with the family while working on my Beast

♥ Smiling as I watch it grow, row by row

♥  Hearing the giggles from the living room as these two play together....father and son, laughing, playing, imagining

♥  Fixing yummy lunches for my kiddos and watching their faces light up, who knew pigs in a blanket could make them so happy?

♥  Reveling in the beautiful sunsets that this time of year brings around

♥  Making use of old things to beautify others, like my Basil which is still going strong

♥  Watching the new Jane Eyre and loving it just as much as the previous version

♥  Reading beautiful books that make me smile, like Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management


Just Living....soaking in every moment of every day and leaving nothing unsaid, nothing undone!

{ New Template }

You know me already, I can't keep one thing for too long, so I've finally decided to ditch the old template I had from Our Blogger Templates and switch to a simpler one from Blogger.  I think it's easier for me to mess around with and add or remove what I need :)

Sorry for the change up but I do hope you enjoy this one, it's simpler but then again it perfectly matches who I am :)

Dewey's Nine Lives now available in Paperback

 
DEWEY’S NINE LIVES: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter

The author (and caregiver) of Dewey, the Library Cat has compiled another book of nine stories. Two are new Dewey stories and the other seven are from other people about their cats.

I loved Dewey and so was excited to read this. Having read the previous hardcover edition, I will tell you that I didn't read the whole book again because that's just a personal preference, there are very few books I've ever read more than once LOL

But I was thrilled to see two new stories about Dewey and what sweet stories they were.  As usual, my daughter Jasmine who adores cats, wanted to get in on the action too so she asked if she could read them and she ended up re-reading the whole book and enjoying it just as much as the first time.

Do you remember when I reviewed this adorable book last year?  If you don't, you can go back and read a little more about Dewey, who he is and what he does and how he got to be so popular. 

With Christmas just around the corner, I think books are one of the best gifts anyone can receive, and I think this one would make a Cat Lover pretty happy :)

Where to buy

About the author

Dewey Stuff (puzzles, pictures, posters, t-shirts)

Thank you to Jessica and Penguin Books for providing me a copy of the book for review.  

{ Slow Cooking Thursday }

I'm having major issues with blogger this morning, been trying to get this post up for two hours now.  I apologize for the delay.

Fingers crossed it goes through.

I've got this one going in my slow cooker right now, smells pretty good :)

Slow Cooked Sirloin

Credit: Taste of Home

1 beef top sirloin steak (1-1/2 pounds)
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown beef on both sides. Place onion and green pepper in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Top with beef. Combine the broth, Worcestershire sauce, dill, thyme, pepper and pepper flakes; pour over beef. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness and vegetables are crisp-tender.
Remove beef and keep warm. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Cover and cook about 30 minutes longer or until slightly thickened. Return beef to the slow cooker; heat through. Yield: 6 servings.



Nutritional Analysis: 1 serving equals 199 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 305 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 26 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 vegetable.