Tuesday, January 24, 2012

January is KITCHEN

Here is WEEK ONE.


Countertops.

Oh my. 

I like mine to be COVERED so you can't see the pink-ness. 

Actually I'm pretty good about clearing the counters..... for the most part.

The table is cleared off.  The little odd desk thing is mostly clear... although it often collects things that are "outgoing" in our house.  Right now it has some movies to be returned and a bill to be mailed.

The main countertop is cleared. 

The coffee pot is always out.

The utinsel bin, knife block & smelly-melter all live on the window ledge.  So does a glass trivet and my drinking glass.  I won't lie.... I hate the knife block.  Opinions on magnetic wall ones?

We moved the countertop microwave to the corner.  Better.  The cherry tomatoes live on top of the microwave.  Is that odd?  Where do you keep tomatoes?

We can't leave out paper towels anymore.... damn cats.

I have a little green spoon rest on the stove top. 

That's about it.

What's on your countertops?

What needs to change in your kitchen?

My kitchen needs big changes structurally but in the short term I am considering a wall mount magnet knife holder & a new hand soap dispenser.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Organizing in January


Home Storage Solutions 101 has a 52 week challenge up right now.  Are you ready?

Go.

http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/organized-home.html

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Random Responses

In response to this post from Elle.

1.  Bandaids and such.  You can condense all those boxes of 25 down into about 4 boxes if you don't mind mix-n-match bandaid grabs.  That's my only tip.  Oh.  And it makes me think how EXPENSIVE hoarding must be....  If $1722 fits in a mid-sized box.... how much money is in a hoarded house?  Hmmm.

2.  We aren't in the Survivor habit because we didn't have that channel for several years.  Now we have the channel but hardly ever watch it.  Something else must be on in that time slot that we watch... I wonder what it is.

3.  The Bachelor makes my teeth hurt.

4.  2011 wasn't the greatest year around here.  Maybe a nice review would help.

5.  I did some goals.  I enjoy hearing your health goals, triumphs and setbacks. 

6.  Yes, more organizing please.  I'm in the throes right now.... as usual.

7.  I reinvent and rededicate myself to the meal planning goal on a weekly basis.  Sigh.

8.  I figure if I let it be in their closet then they have the right to wear it.  On that note... several pairs of ratty leggings went OUT of Bugsy's drawer this weekend.  Tuff likes to wear yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt under a cute graphic t-shirt with knee high socks.  That's her mo.  Sometimes jeans.  And we cut her hair off so she can wear it up or down now.... no more ratty stocking cap pony tails.
 
9.  I haven't gotten my rewards certificate.  I hope I didn't toss it.  I'm on budget for groceries so far this month. 

10.  I'm looking to replace our impossible-to-clean George with a more all purpose thing with removable plates..... My cousin has one she got at Costco but it must be seasonal.... she even had a coupon for it.  So I'm watching...  My mom has a panini press and it is AWESOME.  Grab some bread, slice up some nice veggies, toss on some cheese and squeeze away.  Yum.  The way I do it now involves an electric frying pan (because our stove top cooks too hot) and a cast iron skillet to press it.  Not so easy or pretty and time consuming when the 7-year-old eats the sammies faster than I can cook them and need at least 3.

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Dinner this Week

Meals this week....

Monday:  We were on the way home so we had lunch at The Prospector and pasta for dinner.
Tuesday:  I made the Panera Bread Brocolli Soup recipe.  First time.  It was good but my cooktop simmers at a boil so making creamy soups can be a challenge.  We had delicious olive oil-rosemary bread from Costco and green salad.
Wednesday:  Chicken bones.  I made (the last of the bag) of chicken wings.  Baked with garlic salt.  Brown rice & the end of a part of a bag of perogi with fried onions and parmesan. 
Thursday:  The plan is to have roll ups with turkey, cheese, tomato, lettuce & ranch.
Friday:  We have a package of delicious Rocky Mountain Hot Dogs... if I remember to get buns.
Saturday:  Chicken pot pie.  Special request.
Sunday:  Elk steaks & baked potatoes if Hot is home.

Wildland Fire Number 3, Week 1, 2012

First was a fire at Dearborn due to a welder spark. 

Then a transient campfire out-of-control on Mount Helena.  (There were actually several fire calls but only one graduated from city fire to wild land.)

That was yesterday.  Hot got home late and we had dinner.  Then he got called again to go to Browning for the series of fires there.  WTF?  It rain/slushed on them this morning so maybe he will come home tonight. 

Nothing like packing long johns to go fight fire.

Ok Mother Nature.  Enough.  Seriously.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Because it IS January... GOALS.

I'm still hoping to do a goal-a-month.  So far my January goal is reading.  20 pages a night of something non-magazine.  And, preferably, non-work and non-web-based.  A book.  And more books for my kids.  My 7-year-old is an Anamorphs maniac.  And now he's reading Tom Sawyer.  And the dinosaur encyclopedia.

I haven't thought of anything for February.... but other 2012 goals include:

Hot's Eyes.  Boy needs lasik.  One eye (the cataract eye) is good.  The other one is a big exercise in compensating.  Need to get that fixed.

Budget.  We have one.  Now to track it.  I already kinda hate it.  And so far in 2012 I've spent $160 in Costco groceries and $11 at the dollar store (new toothbrushes, organizer drawer baskets & 2 frames for a project...)

Travel.  We don't plan to go far but we do plan to plan.  Last year we made a goal of taking 2-3 yearly mini trips.  In 2011 we did the rodeo finals in Great Falls in January, the state fair in the summer and Fairmont Hot Springs in the fall.  We are doing the finals again this month.  We go up on Sunday, do the rodeo at 2, go out to dinner with family, stay in a hotel and watch trashy tv, swim & eat breakfast.  Then a bit of shopping and a nice lunch on Monday and home.

Money.  We are cooking up a rather major money thing right now.  Paying off our mortgage.  Go ahead.  Laugh out loud.  But our investments sucked in 2011 and the outlook for 2012 is baseline... so we are thinking of yanking a big chunk of change out and paying off the mortgage.... well... most of the mortgage.... ok, part of the mortgage.  Ok... a little bit of the mortgage.  But it is a goal.

Seasonal Fun.  Doing things with the seasons.  Sledding, skiing, swimming, watersliding, picnicking, fishing, hunting, shooting, biking, baking, cooking, canning, gardening....

Organizing.  Less planning, more doing.  I'm seriously considering boxing half of the toys in my house and storing them in the shed and rotating every 3-6 months.  Not every category but maybe books, puzzles, games & stuffed animals.  The play kitchen/food/pollies/barbies and lego/dinosaur/transformer/fantasy stuff can stay year-round.  I'm trying to accept the challenges of a small house with a poor floor plan and make peace.

Remodeling.... or buying a new 4-wheeler.  It's a toss up.  We have plans for new flooring but not any time soon.  Carpet for the living room, stairs & upstairs bedrooms.  Something laminate for the dining room, kitchen, laundry room & bathroom.  When the stove dies we may do a bit of work in the kitchen... moving a few things around and getting new countertops.... but that might be a 2013 goal. 

Work.  Work is a hard one for me to talk about.  You see..... Hot's position is temporary.  He's in fairly solid shape until fall... although he may not have benefits after April..... but then what?  With a little creativity and our carefully molded 2012 budget we will be ok for a while.  But he needs joyful and meaningful work.