Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We had beautiful weather over the weekend.  It was in the lower 80's, but Sunday the wind was pretty nasty.  We took off on the motorcycle to a friend's house, but retreated home after our experience with the wind.  Back at the homestead we got some work done.

I ordered a single rolling pin holder for hanging on the wall, and the Etsy dealer specifically said it was for only Pioneer Woman's rolling pin.  

Well, my husband spent some time sanding it down so it would fit.  I was in no mood to return it, so that has been done and up, to make more space in a cupboard.  I love it on the wall anyway.

I spent time putting shelf paper in the cupboards and re-organized my drawers, so all of my utensils are in drawers and no in a utensil spinner on the counter top.  I am super happy, because I always felt like it was looking sort of chaotic with it on the counter top.

I'm no longer feeling like a "hot mess" and now sort of like a semi-hot mess.  The kitchen is slowly coming together, and the purge continues.  It feels weird, but good to downsize some baking dishes.  The boxes are filling up for the donation station.  I still need to purge tablecloths, but have a few washed, folded and in a box as well.

Our asparagus is starting to come in.  I'm thrilled, but it also puts me in panic mode about all the work we still need to do indoors.

I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather . . .

Rain all day today.  I was hoping to use my clothesline today, but that's not happening.

As I look out the window . . .

It's dreary, cloudy and rainy.  The last hired help we fired, left our front porch a mess. It's on the clean up to-do list.

Right now I am . . .

Making a list, getting ready to pull food from the freezer to make the breakfast, and making a pot of coffee.

Thinking and pondering . . .

The half-bath project is on hold.  I thought about it, and told my husband, that it would be better to start that project after the living room floor was done.  I figure if we have to hire someone, they will use that bathroom, and I do not want it messed up after all that work.

How I am feeling . . .

Tired, but ready to get some order in my kitchen.  

On the breakfast plate . . . 

I'll be back with a photo possibly.

On my reading pile . . .

I'm almost finished with this book.  I've had limited time to read.

On my TV . . .

We are doing an eenie-minee-mo sort of pick.

On the menu . . .

-asparagus/bacon breakfast casserole

-Moroccan Stew

-Chicken crock pot dish

-Leftovers

Looking around the house . . . 

I still have two more kitchen chairs in my living room.  Those will be wiped down and moved back to the kitchen.  Daughter K left boxes of "trash" in the living room.  Those will be removed Tuesday after trash pick-up.

To do list . . .

-bake a breakfast casserole

-laundry

-bedding

-clean master bath

-put dishes back into the kitchen cupboards we took out

-paint areas of kitchen where my hired help didn't paint, and hopefully move my computer and printer back where it was.

-check asparagus

-water plants

-find a new home for a stamp collection (possibly someone in Boy Scouts)

-box up more teacup/saucer sets for donation

-order a decal for my bread box

-start clearing a space upstairs for the treadmill. I feel like we need to order a dumpster, and start tossing stuff out the upper window, she left that much of a mess up there.

From the camera . . .

The ornamental apple trees are in bloom, and the wild violets and dandelions are up now.

Devotional . . .

I can't find my book since I boxed my office area up.  I do not have any special prayers requests at this time.

On a roll....

I started to clean yet another cupboard out, and realized I needed more shelf liner.  I went to the "big city" to get more at Wal-mart, and I'm glad I did.  There was only two rolls left of the color I already bought.

I also thought I better pick up a smaller paint brush to finish the kitchen, and there was only one of those left too.  Crazy!  

While walking down the kitchen bake/cookware aisles (can't remember if I was just window shopping or looking for something ha ha!), my eye caught something.  I'll get a photo for you soon.  It's my new obsession, and an item that I can display in some of my cubbies (and useable).

Back home I got more drawers and a cupboard newly lined with shelf paper, expired medicinal items tossed (left by Daughter K), and yet again filled another box for donation.  Now that we don't have the round, smaller kitchen table, I have no use for the tablecloths for that table.

I'll have the kids look at them first, but plan to donate the smaller or round tablecloths.  I have many more shelves to line, and then it's time to purge baking items.  I have two pans for mini-muffins that I know I will pass on or donate.  I used to bake candy filled cookies in those pans, and haven't used them in years.

It sure feels good to get things back in order.  Not to mention back to cooking again.  I'm going to get my husband on board to start looking at front room flooring.  However, I think we'll need to start pulling carpet up to see what type of flooring we'll have to be buying.  We may have to go with the glue down type again, or go with carpet.

I called our green house yesterday, because some of my vegetable plants didn't survive my trip away, despite Daughter K watering them.  They won't even be opening for another week, which is odd.  They are typically open in March.

I have a long weekend to-do list.  May your weekend be blessed with goodness.

How to get rid of tiny ants!

 Okay....for the first time ever, we had an ant issue by the dishwasher and sink.  I've never seen this happen, so I did some research. 

First, I sprayed down the areas with vinegar/water solution. It killed the ones on the counter, but more would show up.  I noticed they were coming in by the dishwasher area, so I did more research.

I made a solution of:

1/2 sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. Borax
1 cup warm water

I then soaked cotton balls in the solution and put them all over the counter tops near the sink/dishwasher.  I left them there for 24 hours.  

The next morning, I did not see one live ant.  The sugar draws them to eat the solution, and the borax kills them.  Problem solved, but you have to be patient and let those cotton balls sit for at least 24 hours.

Toss those cotton balls and sanitize you counter tops.  Of course if you have little kids or pets, be sure than cannot access those cotton balls while they are sitting on the counter.

Rainy Day Baking and Cleaning ~ Homegrown Asparagus

 I told my husband that I am, despite the work, having fun getting the house the way we want it (and stay that way for once).

I was sort of just going around getting side tracked, but things are going forward.  As I opened a cupboard, I just decided to empty them both and re-organize.  It's been sort of like a "sigh" moment along the way.

Our friend who repairs cars, came over and did an oil change on the truck for us.  We are thankful for that.  You never now how long you have to wait in town for one anymore.  We buy the supplies and he charges way less than in the "big city."

The chickens are laying great right now, so I baked us an angel food cake.  I haven't baked one of these in many years.  We just eat it plain for a snack, and sometimes add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

It's raining again today, but warmer than yesterday.  I checked on the asparagus and I have a few shoots up about halfway. It won't be long now, after this rain, to harvest some.

Doing odd jobs while in stuck mode

 

While we wait on a day when the bathroom can be gutted and drywall repaired (cheap shower they installed leaked and ruined the drywall), I'm doing odd cleaning/purging jobs around the house.  My upper cupboards have these cubbies.  Only 3 baskets remain.  I have 30 cubbies in the just the upper cabinets.  I do not like them.  They are a waste of space.  With all the other repairs needed this year, we cannot replace all of the cabinets, so I came up with an idea.

I'm cleaning them out, dusting them and putting these cuties in every other one on one side of the kitchen.  They however, are wrapped up and put away for now.  I don't want to display them until the bathroom and living room repairs are done. They are the mini hen in a nest glass dishes.

The waiting part is the most difficult now.  I have the pie safe, armoire and hutch up for sale, and need to leave the house to start ripping out living room carpet.  

In the meantime, I have much I can do in the way of purging, re-organizing and cleaning.  I have yet to get paint swatches for the living room, but I am also playing the waiting game on the guy we hired to come out and do an oil change on the truck.

Daughter K left the upstairs a complete mess, so I also have that to deal with while I wait for the big projects. It's been pretty cold here, but we are warming up this weekend.  I should wander out and check on the asparagus in the garden.

Spring Blooms ~ The Great Purge

 

The daffodils are in bloom right now.  I decided not to can wild violet jelly this year, and concentrate on low sugar jams.  Our biker friend we hire now to mow, has already mowed anyway (and then there was snow).  I brought the daffodils in just before the snow arrived.

I decided, as I was cleaning out my hutch, that it was time to pass on the Wilton cake decorating books and cake pans.  An old neighbor, who used to babysit for us way back in the day (another town) is now considering buying them.  All the kids are moved out and the pans are for kids birthday cakes.  Oh, and this person actually decorates cakes and sells them from her home, so it will go to a good home and to good use.

Funny story, while in High School, I used one of the pans to bake a cake for Biology class.  It was a bacteria cell!  Ha ha!  My husband got a laugh out of that.  I'm sure I have a picture of it in one of my photo albums (somewhere).

I also used the same cake pan to make and decorate it for one of my sister's birthdays.  It was decorated like a pack of gum.  Yeah, I did a lot of cake decorating over the years.  I taught the kids the talent as well, but they have zero room to store it all.

I didn't finish cleaning out the pie safe, so today is the day.  I also need to clean two more kitchen chairs and put them back in the kitchen.

Daughter K visited and packed up her car.  I gave her one of my 3 crock pots.  Yes, that is right, I had 3 of them.  We used to entertain for my husband's side of the family, but now that his family is growing and buying houses, they started offering gatherings at their places.  It was time to let go of one.  

It will be a while before we have people over.  We still have a lot to do at the homestead.

It's another chilly day here today, but I'll be staying warm with all this work to do, ha ha!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 I hope your Easter was a nice day with friends and family, or just a nice weekend.   I was whisked away last minute, by my husband.  We went to our favorite Amish area almost 3 hours away.  I wasn't really looking for anything while we perused the antique stores, but I found a chicken cookie jar for $8.00!  What a find.  I have that wrapped up safe until the half bath and living room work is done.  I will share a photo when it's out of it's packaging.

I'm glad we did.  We were recharged, and arriving home on Easter Sunday, we got right back to work and hooked the kitchen heater back up, cleaned more floor glue (urgh) off the floor, moved the hutch, kitchen table and most of the chairs back into the kitchen.

My husband pre-ordered a take out meal (smart thinking), and we went to pick that up.  Daughter E was the only kiddo that could come over and we met her new boyfriend (very nice kid, has a nice truck and works and went to the same school with her).

While chatting out in the driveway, I mentioned the truck bed cover that has been sitting there for 2 years.  I talked my husband into giving it to daughter's boyfriend.  Wha-la!  One more thing out of the house we are not using.

They left, and we went into the "big city" to pick up supplies to change the oil in the truck, see if the feed store was open (was closed), and to pick up supplies at Home Depot.

It will be a real treat to cook in my own kitchen again, but we are considering sanding down and staining our table, and painting parts of it, and the chairs white.  We actually got information for a guy in the Amish area that does it, but I'm sure the cost will be high going that route.  We were very impressed with his work however.

Today I am back to joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  I guess now you could call me a Homemaker.

The Weather . . .

Snow!  Can you believe that?  1 inch or less, and then they are predicting 82°F next Sunday.  Crazy!

As I look out my window . . .

Spring flowers are blooming, birds are singing despite snow in the forecast.

Right now I am . . .

Getting ready to make a breakfast casserole.

Thinking and pondering . . .

I have a few boxes to donate yet, but thankful that Daughter E took those two orange/brown afghans.  I have much to do, but it's a bit too chilly yet to do any painting, so I haven't gotten a plan for the day/week yet.  We will start tearing out living room carpet this week (after I figure a way to get the treadmill moved upstairs).

-I need to get to town to get paint swatches for the living room 

-considering painting the kitchen hutch as well as the table

-considering adding valances to living room windows after the floor issues are repaired and re-floored

-emptying the pie safe to downsize/purge and selling the pie safe

How I am feeling . . .

Rejuvenated from a weekend away from our "hot mess."  I'm also happy that Daughter K will be here again to load up more of her stuff.  She still has boxes in my living room.  We are happy to also have someone willing to help gut the bathroom, but he will be having a hernia surgery later this week, so it may be me doing it, or delayed (or finding other help).

On the breakfast plate . . .

I need to make a casserole.

On my reading pile . . .

I actually got some of this read on the drive to our weekend getaway.

On my TV this week . . .

CSI

On the menu . . .

-leftovers

-roast, and veggies

-lasagna stuffed chicken (new recipe to try)

On the to do list . . .

-purge cookbooks

-laundry

-purge cake decorating books/supplies

-clean out pie safe

-clean TV armoire and put it up for sale

-purge tablecloths

Looking around the house . . .

It's still a hot mess, but the kitchen is looking much better, as we put it back together.

From the camera . . .

Had to take a photo of this and chuckle!  My husband said we need to do this at our house ha ha!  Feed the chickens via a vending machine for a quarter!.  Cute set up for the chickens at a handmade leather goods store.

After so many trips to Amish country, we finally toured the Victorian home in one town.

Prayers . . .

Us - to find someone reasonable to do the most difficult joist/sub floor/under layment work for the living room.  It's still in the works.