Four Spring Adventures to Explore

I received a text from one of my neighbors telling me that another one of our neighbors wanted to have a BBQ for our “sandlot” kids (is what I call them). LOL they are a group of 9 kids (all neighbors) that have grown up together, my two boys included.  So… on Sunday, there they were eating their hot dogs and burgers.  Guess what happened, the adults joined in and it became a full blown party with the Harlem Shake and everything… lol I made a huge baked ziti for the adults, took it outside and we danced, talked and ate until 9:00pm. LOL love my neighbors.

 

My favorite season of the year is spring; it makes me think of newness, freshness, and life.  I get motivated to try new things.   I especially like the long days because of the daylight savings time.  This week I would like to talk about four fun things we can do during this time of the year.   I challenged myself to do something I have never done before. I started with something I’ve been wanting for years.  As some of you may know, I love to cook.  I get lost in my kitchen for hours. The kitchen to me is like a blank canvas to an artist.  I open the fridge and the pantry at the same time and start creating. I never said I was good; I just like to do it. LOL my poor husband, kids and neighbors are my guinea pigs.  

My sisters think I’m crazy, they much rather be shopping. LOL I remember when I was in college, right before studying for a final I would open up a recipe book and cook a gourmet meal.  For some strange reason it would relax me, put me at ease and give me the motivation I needed to study.  That’s been true for many other times as well.  I enjoy the chopping, sauteing, mincing, pureeing, marinating, oh and the aromas send me over the edge.  My hubby is always telling me to turn on the vent when I’m cooking; I say “what?? And get rid of that glorious garlic smell?? Hahaha

This is my herb Garden :) 

Last month I asked my hubby to plant me an herb garden.  He looked at me like “really???  do you not remember the 25 or so plants you have brutally killed of dehydration over the years?” hahahaha after some convincing we did it, I have a tiny herb garden!  I swear I’m the barefoot contessa from the food network now.  I go outside barefooted with my garden scissors and gently cut my fresh herbs.  (Psycho) I know :/   I have basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, and culantro. 

So as my first suggestion for something new to try for spring, I recommend for you to plant something. For me an herb garden was perfect; it doesn’t require much care! Lol For you it might me flowers or veggies. 

Lets plant and see life grow :)

Come visit my house! No. 2 of our Spring challenge

Birds flying high, You know how I feel, Sun in the sky,You know how I feel, Breeze driftin' on by,You know how I feel, It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life, For me, And I'm feeling good, I'm feeling good... Michael Buble.... love this song :) If you are able to, open the link on a separate tab and listen to this song while reading this post ;) That's what I'm doing as I'm writing it.  lol 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ig1gkgoQc

Awesome feedback from yesterday's post, many people are planting away, love it!!! 

Now, to put you in the mood for today's spring challenge, I would like you to try the following while reading the post: think about a sunny day, sitting under a tree by a stream, eyes closed taking in all of your surroundings, birds chirping, water flowing, tree leaves dancing, breathe in all that is pure, fresh, and good. Love your life... it's the only one you'll ever have

For the second thing of “things to try for spring” I would like to invite you to my house.  Let's bring a little bit of spring inside.  I have never been crafty; I just don’t like to mess with flowers, hot glue guns, and décor type of things.  However, when I set my mind to it I get something done; nothing as special as someone that loves to do it, but it’s decent.  I like to change up some things around the house every season.  

Since the formal dining room table is rarely used, it’s what I usually decorate to display the season or holiday theme.  I keep the same things in a bin and just put them up every year.  This year since I wanted to do something new, I changed up my spring décor.  I got some green plates mats, spring colored plates, a tiny flower pot with greenery and three flowers for each pot.  Easy enough, but a little extreme; my table looks like a garden moved in. LOL

In my bedroom, I dressed my bed with a pastel colored, flower print comforter and placed a glass vase with daisies (my fav flower) on my bed side tables.  I like it because although its a small detail, it brings a little bit of spring inside.  If it were up to me, i'd hang ivy leaves on the ceiling, honey combs, butterflies and flowers all around my room.  But surely my husband would not step foot in this room all spring long. lol  



In my kitchen I simply changed up the plates mats for spring colored ones and kitchen towels to match.  And of course, this spring I have the herbs showing outside my window so that surely adds a special touch to the "spring" feel. ;) I leave all of these things up throughout the summer,  I don't change it up until the fall.  


On my front door I keep wreath holders, every season or holiday I put on a relevant wreath type of décor.  This was a onetime investment for me, I rotate the same things over and over every year.  I have Christmas wreaths, Hearts made of silk roses for valentine's day, Fall wreaths with leaves and scarecrows, and these for spring and summer. 

These plaques I leave on the left side of the front door.  I love to see the guest, pizza delivery boys and UPS workers smile when they read them.  I make them wait a little bit on purpose so they can read them. LOL  

I will end by encouraging you today, to choose, joy, love, peace and happiness.... whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Phil 4:8

Lets Bring ROMANCE back 3rd spring challenge

After almost 20 years of marriage and two kids, it takes a little more effort and creativity to keep the romance alive.  I tell you what, thinking about the fact that this is the person that you will be spending the rest of your life with, gives you the motivation you need to put in the effort.  Don’t wait for the other person to take the initiative, you do it; the quality of your life depends on it.  It’s worth stepping out of our comfort zone, putting ourselves out there, and doing something spontaneous.  We need to make our dreams come true, instead of living in waiting for years for someone else to make them come true for us.  The saying “the grass is greener where you water it” its probably one of the most powerful sayings I have ever read when it comes to relationships.  The grass is never greener on the other side, it only appears that way.  When you actually get to the other side you notice that it’s the same exact grass everywhere.  Let’s water ours and watch it get greener and greener as the years pass. 

That said, let’s get to our third Spring challenge; “Let’s bring romance back” let’s give it a fresh make over.  Spring is about all things fresh and new, why not carry that over to our love life.  If you have noticed, there is a reoccurring theme throughout my posts; Joy and Happiness are choices we make daily, in spite of our circumstances.  I believe this strongly.  Something challenging, scary, dangerous, intimidating, happens all around us daily.  If we sit around waiting for a good day to feel joy and happiness, it’s going to be a long time before we feel it.  A better choice is to choose it as difficult as this may be at times.  As I write this, I’m encouraging myself as well.  I have many days when I struggle to find it but I’m determined to not give up.  I remind myself that it’s in the little things; my boy’s voices, their little hands, their footsteps running up the stairs.  Not far away at all, right in front of us there is something to be joyful and happy about.  Now, let’s freshen up that love life! 

I've done my share of spontaneous (crazy) things. Lol Last year for our 19^th anniversary, hubby asked me what I wanted to do.  It was a school week for our kids so we couldn't go away.  I told him I wanted to have a picnic on the beach while watching the sun set over the water.  Off we went; I made a summer pasta salad and packed some fruit.  It was probably one of the most memorable anniversaries we've had.  It practically took no effort, not much expense and not much planning.  Yet, it was magical and romantic.  We drove close to 2 hrs to Clearwater beach with nothing but a blanket and a couple things to eat.  We stayed until almost midnight, sharing our dreams, reminiscing, playing, laughing and yes even crying (me) lol.

We shouldn't underestimate the value of the little things.  Sometimes we get caught up in planning huge things when there is pleasure in little things.  Whatever you decide to do for your spring challenge do it with love and it's results will be rewarding. Even it its a picnic and it rains.... you will dance in the rain. Enjoy!  thanks for reading 

Lets get organized

Lets get organized with Jen Lewis! Happy to say that using Jen's steps I was able to put my pantry in order.  See the pictures below. DON'T JUDGE! hahaha 

The other day I get a call from my dear friend Millie who also happens to be the author of one of my favorite blogs “Four Girls and a Lady.” She asked me to share with her readers’ organization ideas. Anyone who knows me knows that is one of the areas of my life that I take very seriously. We often joke about how OCD I am.  Well about six and a half years ago my husband and I found the perfect house.  We searched and searched.  We went to about 30 houses until we found the house we now call home.  At that time you fall in love with all the things the house has that were on your list.  One thing I totally over looked at the time was there was NO Pantry in the kitchen and/or mud room.  When you have two little ones that love their snacks, juices and other non-perishable items you need a place to store of these items.  Well desperate times call for desperate measures.   I assessed the need and came up with a solution.  I went to Home Depot and purchased shelves that I could use as my pantry in my garage.  Not what I would have wanted but it has worked out and kept me organized and also given me the ability to bulk shop.  This has allowed me to keep the kids snacks, our k-cups and all the non-perishables in an accessible and organized location. 

1.       Empty out your pantry and get rid of all out of date items and items you know you will not use. 

2.      The top shelf I keep all of the boxed items like cereals, crackers, pop tarts and of course the girl scout cookies I have stocked up on and hid behind all the other boxes so the kids cannot see them. LOL! I also put other products like: paper plates, cups, napkins and plastic utensils there in a basket so when we have company I can easily grab it and go.  This also helps when you are in a rush and doing ten things at one time

3.      For the middle shelf I purchased plastic containers to put the kid’s snacks, the k-cups, oatmeal and baking products in.  This way when I need something I can just grab the container and take the whole thing in the kitchen if necessary or just grab what I need out of it. Behind the containers I put bottles and jars lined up neatly with the labels facing out so that I can easily grab what I need.  I also put them group them together by what they are.  For example marinades go with marinades, dressings with dressings and so one.  This makes it easier to find what you need when you need it.  No more searching and pulling out jar after jar or container after container.

4.      The third shelf is an over flow of the snacks, sauces and canned items. Normally I try to organize the snack containers by what they are.  For example all gummies, foot by the foot and other snacks like that in one bin. In another container will be the cheezits, pretzels and chips.  I am sure you get the idea, one day I will get a label gun and label to make it easier especially for the kiddos.

5.      The bottom shelf is a catch all shelf.  I store drink containers, thermos’, laundry detergent container and even my reusable shopping bags there.  I also took our old container for the laundry detergent and re purposed it.   We use it as a plastic bag holder for all the store bags so that when I need a bag I can just reach in and grab one.  

For those of you that have a pantry and if  it has a lot of space between the bottom shelf and floor you can always buy the drawer bins on wheels and use them to hold towels, paper products, foil, baggies or whatever else you might need to store.  Just label the outside of the drawer with what is in there.  So it is easy enough for anyone to grab what they need.  Another idea is that you can make one drawer a snack drawer and label it with the child’s name especially if you have more than one.  That way their favorite snacks are right there for them. Once you organize you will never go back, the time that it saves you and how nice it looks pays off in the end.  So do some spring cleaning in your pantry and cabinets, see what being organized can do for you.

•  Also a quick tip non pantry related…Take your sheets (fitted, top and other pillow case) and put them in the other pillowcase and stack in your linen closet. NO more looking around for a set its already together and ready to go.  

Hope my tips have helped you and you are on your way to reorganizing more than your pantry.  You might have to go out and buy some plastic bins and/or containers but in the end it will be money worth spent

Share the joy ...Final Spring challenge

As you know there can't be talk of spring and leave out "spring cleaning" my least favorite.  I didn't include it in my four fun things to do because for me, its anything but fun. lol That said, I called in reinforcements; my friend Jen Lewis.  She is the only person I know that has a perfectly organized house, makes home made meals, takes great care of her hubby and two kids and still manages to look stunning. So she is the perfect pick for tomorrow's post.  She will teach us how to organize our food pantries; I will be the first to try her advise to organize mine.  I haven't decided whether or not I should post before and after pictures, mine looks like a tornado lives in it.  hahaha

For today's fourth and final suggestion of things to do during spring; I would like to challenge you to host a spring gathering.  It could be with your neighbors friends or family members.  I will provide you with ideas for everything from decor to menu.  How about it? I love hosting theme parties, everyone gets so excited about looking for the perfect things to go with the theme.  I would love to host a "spring hats" party lol.  Let's see if I find anyone brave enough to attend wearing a hat.

Setting: Weather permitting outside would be the ideal place to host it.  But, inside could be just as fun.  I have a canopy that I could place in my backyard to create a more intimate space. 

Decorations: simply decorate the table you will be eating at, not the entire house.  Most of the things I bought are from Dollar Tree.  I spent $10 in decor; yellow table cloth, three glass bowls for candles, and flowered paper plates.  I didn't have to buy center pieces because I could use the same ones I made for my formal dinning room table.

Menu: For starters, lemon (or any flavor) sorbet, if you have an ice cream scooper you can make cute round scoops and put them inside glass bowls.

* You can prepare this entire dish the day before.
Main dish, Thai lettuce wraps with stir-fry vegetable rice.  NOT FAST AND EASY (sorry) but so worth it!! The most difficult part of this dish is the sauce. If you take the time to make it you will not regret it.  It's like nothing I've ever had, so I cant substitute it for anything easy. Except for maybe sweet and sour sauce mixed with a little soy sauce (not the same at all) lol

Ingredients:
1 pkg of Butter lettuce leaves (walmart)
2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast
Shredded carrots
1 pkg of bean sprouts
4 green onions tops finely chopped
2 lg cucumbers
Thai coconut noddles (I use the oriental pk of noodle soup, cooked and drained)
cilantro
Rice vinegar
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
Veggie stir-fry rice - Your nearest Chinese delivery take out... that's what I do :/ lol

Ok first thing; marinate the chicken in whatever teriyaki marinate you find.  Refrigerate for 30 min or more in while you prep everything else.
Peel and slice cucumbers thinly. Make marinade;
Add 1/3 cup of rice vinegar
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 of water
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper.
pour over cucumbers (AMAZING!) lol

• Cook the Oriental pk of noodle soup, drain and refrigerate
• Saute bean sprouts, green onions and garlic in olive oil until tender

Sweet chili sauce
1 green onion
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbs sugar
1 lime
1 tsp garlic (minced)
1 tsp red chili paste

Grill chicken and cut into strips, separate lettuce leaves, place carrots, cucumbers (drained), noodles, bean sprouts and cilantro into separate bowls for self serve.  You can create a buffet type of table with all of the ingredients if that's easier. 

For eating, the idea is to make something that looks like a lettuce taco.  Everyone can choose what they would like inside their taco.  The sauce is spicy so you might want to have a non-spicy alternative like; the same sauce without the red chili paste or sweet and sour sauce or even duck sauce would probably work.

Drink: Raspberry ice tea would be my choice but you can make your favorite drink.

I know this was not a simple challenge but think about it, it could be fun. lol feel free to inbox me with any questions of comment below. If all else fails you can always go to The Cheese Cake factory and try their lettuce wraps.... simply the best!

                                                         
                                                                  HAPPY HOSTING!