Spring Cleaning!

It has been a long cold winter here in Wisconsin and unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.  Spring has been teasing us, but doesn't want to seem to stick around.  I had Spring Break from school this past week which as been such a blessing.  I have been able to get caught up on so many things both at home and for school.

One big item that I was able to check off of my to-do-list was my spring cleaning.  Boy did the house need it!  Last year I created a Spring Cleaning List as I completed my cleaning to help me remember everything that I do.  Since that time I changed my weekly/monthly cleaning routines so I was able to take some items off of my spring cleaning list because I was now doing that on a monthly basis.  You can check out my weekly cleaning schedule here.  I do my monthly cleaning on Mondays.  This schedule is as follows:
1st Monday - Appliances (Stove, Refrigerator, Microwave, Washing / Drying Machine); 2nd Monday - Window Blinds; 3rd Monday - Throw Rugs; 4th Monday - Deep Clean Showers.  If there happens to be five Mondays it the month, that means I have a free night :)

Here is my Spring Cleaning Checklist.  I have divided it up by room in my house.  I clean some of the same things in each room, however I find it easiest to completely clean one room before I move on to the next.  I start with the top of the room (the lights and ceiling fans) and work my way to the bottom (the baseboards).  It is not on my list, but I usually also vacuum each room when I am all done to collect anything that may have fallen on the floor in the cleaning process.

I also give the house a good deep clean before I start school in the fall so maybe I should change this to my Fall/Spring Cleaning Checklist.  It feels so good to have the house nice and clean!

Sometimes I Have to Slow Down...

With my Type A personality, I always have a To-Do list.  There is something that I think I should always be doing.  This means that I do not like just sitting down and relaxing.  When I do that, all I can think about is what I could be checking off of my list.

One of my friends shared the poem "Slow Down Mummy" by R. Night on Facebook this week and it brought me to tears.  I really need to just let my To-Do list grow and spend time with my daughter because I am not going to get this time back.  I printed a copy of it and taped it right in my planner so I won't forget it.

Here is this amazing poem. Rebekah Knight has many other great poems on her blog. Enjoy!

Slow Down Mummy

Slow down mummy, there is no need to rush,

slow down mummy, what is all the fuss?

Slow down mummy, make yourself a cup of tea.

Slow down mummy, come and spend some time with me.

Slow down mummy, let's put our boots on and go out for a walk,

let's kick at piles of leaves, and smile and laugh and talk.

Slow down mummy, you look ever so tired,

come sit and snuggle under the duvet and rest with me a while.

Slow down mummy, those dirty dishes can wait,

slow down mummy, lets have some fun, lets bake a cake!

Slow down mummy I know you work a lot,

but sometimes mummy, its nice when you just stop.

Sit with us a minute,

& listen to our day,

spend a cherished moment,

because our childhood is not here to stay! 

Rebekah.Knight (c)2011

Summertime Bucket List

I really miss summer.  It is too cold here in Wisconsin.  Winter seems like it is never going to end.  Everyday it is either snowing or so cold, you do everything you can to stay inside. To try and perk up my mood a little, started to create a list of activities to do with my daughter this summer; a bucket list if you well.  Most of the activities are done outdoors, however it does rain once in a while so I tried to include some that we could do inside on a rainy day.

Summertime Bucket List

1. Run through the sprinkler.
2. Go to the local swimming pool.
3. Roast s'mores.
4. Go to the zoo.
5. Go to the fair.
6. Go to the lake.
7. Paint a picture on the driveway with water.
8. Take a nature walk.
9. Go to the park.
10. Go on a color scavenger hunt.
11. Go to the children's museum.
12. Go on a picnic.
13. Have lunch with dad during during the work week.
14. Have an outside "toy" wash.
15. Grow sunflowers.
16. Build a fort.
17. Have a PJ and movie day with snack necklaces.
18. Have a tea party.
19. Play chalk hop.
20. Make ice cream.
21. Play in the rain.
22. Have a water balloon fight.
23. Pick strawberries.
24. Go to a concert in the park.
25. Have an alphabet treasure hunt.
26. Go to a baseball game.
27. Go to the library.
28. Go to the circus.
29. Paint with ice cubes.
30. Go star gazing. 
31. Go to the Train Museum. 

What I Wore Wednesday

A couple of the blogs that I follow have been participating in What I Wore Wednesday for a while now.  I enjoy seeing all sorts of different outfits and thought that I would join in and share what's in my closet.

February Recipes

Cheesy Wild Rice Soup
My mother gave me a recipe for a cheesy rice soup and this is the closest thing I could find online.  There are only 5 ingredients so it is super simple!  When I made it, I used milk instead of the half and half and brown rice instead of the wild rice. The next time I make it, I may try it using this version of the recipe to see what one I like better.

Taco Cups
This recipe has been on one of my Pinterest boards for a long time.  I finally made them to snack on as we watch the Super Bowl.  They were very simple and very good.  They are the perfect finger snack.  (To see the recipe, you will need to hover your mouse over the picture.)

Creamy Peanut Butter Dip
This is a very healthy dip for any type of fruit.  It is also a good source of protein because of the Greek yogurt.  I love honey, so instead of using maple syrup to sweeten it, I used honey.  I have been taking this in my lunch just about everyday since I have made it :)

Streusel-Topped Banana Bread
I have a ton of frozen bananas.  Instead of using the all for smoothies, I thawed some and made some banana bread.  I found this recipe and the streusel top intrigued me.  It was delicious!  My husband would have eaten the entire loaf in one sitting if I would have let him :)

I try very hard to not cook the same things over and over.  Of course we have our family favorites, but I also enjoy cooking new things.  I try to cook something new each week.  In the past, I have subscribed to many cooking magazines to get new ideas.  I would tear out recipes that interested me.  Just recently I create a new organized way to store and save these recipes.  You can read about that here - Recipe Binder.  Now I have Pinterest :) The nice thing about Pinterest is I don't have to print off the recipes.  I can pin them to my boards and quickly access them on my iPad when I am meal planning and cooking.  Here are my recipe boards if you want to take a look:
Yummy Snacks                       
Slow Cooker
Delicious Desserts                     
Soups
Drinks                                       
Daily Dinners

Good Morning Breakfast             
Lunches

What I Wore Wednesday

A couple of the blogs that I follow have been participating in What I Wore Wednesday for a while now.  I enjoy seeing all sorts of different outfits and thought that I would join in and share what's in my closet.

Organizing the Spice Cabinet

My spice cabinet has always been very cluttered.  Awhile ago I bought some baskets and a tiered rack hoping that those items would help clean up the cabinet a bit.  It helped more in grouping the clutter then organizing it.

What I needed to do was really look at what was in this cabinet.  Basically, I need to get rid of some stuff.  First I took everything out.  I grouped the items into three categories - 1.  Baking  2.  Cooking  3.  Oils.  Then I really looked at the items in each category.  If I haven't used it within 6 months I got rid of it.  I have heard that spices should be replaced every year.  Some of mine I have had since I got married - much longer than a year ago :)  

I then started putting what was left back into the cabinet.  The top shelf I designated for my baking items.  I don't back a lot so this is a good spot for them.  I put all of them in a white basket and was able to place my containers of powdered sugar, white flour, and wheat flour.  

The bottom two shelves are for all my cooking spices and oils.  I placed all the oils behind a white basket that houses the back-up spices that I use to fill the spice rack that is on my counter.  Next to that basket I placed larger boxes and spice containers that didn't fit in the basket. On the bottom shelf, I placed the tiered rack with all of my WildTree spices on them.  Next to that I placed the salt and pepper.  On the cabinet door I have a hook where I hang my monthly meal plan and any recipes I will need for the week.

Here is the finished look:

It doesn't look like a huge change, but I can already see that this is going to be easier for me to find something when I need it.  I now know exactly what spices I have so I wan't be purchasing doubles anymore.