How to Make a Small Home Feel Truly Spacious

This has been my personal challenge for most of the last 25 years. Only once did we have what most people would call a 'large' home.  Lots of kitchen cabinets, two spacious living areas...it was a dream.  That dream lasted almost a year.

And then it was back to life as usual. But that's fine with me. I know you can fit into ANY size house if you really want to.  Th e hard part is just letting stuff go--especially furniture. For some reason, I really LOVE my stuff and this is a recipe for disaster.

Using the 80-20 Pareto Principle to Declutter

I love cleaning house. I know...it's a little nerdy, for sure. Ah well.. That's why you read my daily dribbles right? So we can celebrate the mundane..and find joy in a clean drawer or cabinet? I admit that I'm completely happy because my 1-2-3 approach to decluttering is still working like a charm.  Perhaps..that just means  that I'm easily pleased.

Euphoric is the word for it, really.

I've never forgotten how amazing it was to see the inside of my mother-in-law's cabinets (20 yrs. ago). Picture having ONLY what you NEED in a cabinet or drawer and ABSOLUTELY nothing else!  Not one extra bit of fluff...just the essentials.

Homemaking perfection is what I call it. :o) That's been my 'dream' ever since. And I found a principle that makes all the difference in the world. It's called the 80-20 Pareto Principle....

Getting ‘Caught Up’

How do you get ‘caught up’ when you’ve had a busy weekend?  It’s really pretty much the same as any other day of the week…but everything on the list takes a little bit longer than usual if it has piled up.

 

For me, it’s this simple. I get my kids going on school work…take some time for devotions…and then hit ‘the list’.

First –Food! What are we going to eat tonight? Get something out to defrost…or decide to pick up something from the store. Chicken in the crockpot, spaghetti or hot dogs aren’t the fanciest dinners (or necessarily the healthiest..) but for a Monday..they’ll do.

 

Oh..and you might want to feed the pets while you are at it… Tiger gets very grouchy if he doesn’t get fed early..and often! (Photo by Christian)

Second – Dishes….Eewww yukk! Hope you didn’t leave them out last night!? We only had a few from late night snacks. Start them soaking or load the dishwasher..or unload it. You know the drill, girls!

Third- Laundry…sigh…  Ok- Start with hubby’s  ‘whites’..nothing makes a hubby happier than clean socks and underwear. Look at him smile!! LoL!  Of course, the kids will love you for it too. :o)

Fourth – Pick up….socks..toys…books…dishes from last night’s movie night (Wasn’t it great?!! We watched Frequency.  It is SUPERB..about a father’s love for his son… for teens and up only though.)  Run a duster over the living room—very quickly..or hand that job off to the kiddos.  :o)

FOR FASTER RESULTS: If the house is VERY messy and you feel overwhelmed by the sight of all the clutter, try this tip. Go to each room and pile all the ‘stuff’ into one spot like a chair, the sink, or one spot on the desk. Now the whole house ‘looks’ more orderly and you can put away the piles without being stressed by the magnitude of the mess!

Lena’s vacuum sounds real..but sadly…it doesn’t ‘work’. LoL!

Fifth – Floors - Sweep and Vacuum…just the heavy traffic areas. And damp mop the kitchen. Don’t spend all day on this! Just 10 minutes each. Set a timer if you must.

TAKE A BREAK! Time for tea… (You have my ‘official’ permission..so go do it…  :o)…now that the house is in order and the dishwasher and washing machine are humming their happy tunes..you can rest easy..and sit down at your desk. Time to plan…

Now…it’s time for some quiet tasks. What about Finances? Is there money in the bank? Any surprises? Did you over spend the budget. Get your checkbook updated and make sure you’ve dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s. What about registrations for children’s events…car tags..any due dates that have to be met? Library books to return? 

   

Our college age son’s textbook was a rental and was due today..as was his registration for the national speech and debate tournament…and daughter’s defensive driving course.  Failing to meet those deadlines can cost you a lot of money.

On the way to Nationals in San Diego, Ca… ..then boot camp! (Still waiting to hear back about the medical review.)

Thank goodness, I planned ahead and had son return the book before our company arrived and did the registration late into the night on Thursday. Today..I think I’m oK! :o)

Finally…Errands and Emails.. Check them..but don’t dawdle! Birthdays? I’ve got a package to ship for a grandson’s birthday..and six graduation cards to fill out. Print letters for military son. Shop for his next box. (Make a list!)

After school, I’ll hit the road with a list, and my cards and packages ready to go. 

Really, the rest of my week will go pretty smoothly once I get through this routine. I’m sure there will be interruptions..but I’ll go right back to my list until I’m done. 

I hope this little post helps you. It seems so ‘intuitive’ to me, but a friend emailed me asking how I ‘get it all done’ so I thought my approach might help you. 

You Gotta Love Mondays! :o)

How do you ‘recoup’ from a busy weekend?

Linking with Raising Homemakers'  Homemaking Link Up

 

(PS. We had a WONDERFUL weekend with our kids and grandkids!  Expecting grandbaby number 3 for A & E this fall! That will make six grandchildren for us! :o)

Update on Matthew: I talked to my son Matthew via satellite phone. His latest ‘adventure’ went very well. The place they were headed was amazingly abandoned! Miracles never cease. He’s in very rough conditions…but at least we can still talk. Thank you Lord for satellite phones!  Thanks!

WIP’s Graduation Photos, New Throw Pillow Covers, Antique Quilt, A ‘Bomb’ Cake, Dinner for 40, and a Pantry Re-Do

Is this face destined for greatness?? 

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Time will tell! LoL!  Can you guess what Jacob wants to be when he grows up?  Hmm…Green Beret…policeman..secret service…lawyer…preacher? 

These are photos that will be in Jacob’s senior collage which I ordered on line today. And I've just finished his diploma. It's ready to print on nice paper and sign. (It wasn't the actual diploma..but just a template. A reader pointed out that I had mispelled the word principal..as principal. Those typos do get me when I'm in a hurry. LoL!)   The graduation party festivities and planning are in full swing! 

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Getting the house ready…is part of what I’m busy with today…   I was really on a roll with the re-covering of my couch cushions. I’m trying to make them match this antique quilt of Tim’s grandmother’s. She gave it to us as a wedding gift and I think it will be perfect for the living room and our style of decor. 

It’s been waiting for the right time…since Christmas. With 40 guests coming, I decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and go ahead and repair the quilt. It’s not as hard as I thought it would be though finding the fabric was a chore. I’ll be sharing a tutorial next week. :o)

I’m also having a real fun time designing a ‘Yellow-cake Uranium Bomb Cake’ per request of my weapon crazy son. No..I didn’t have a pan in the shape of a bomb…or did I? 

 

Ah! What about the deep dish oval Corning-ware casserole…and the lid! It worked perfectly. Now…for the army green icing.

 

We’re using red and black twizzlers to stick in the middle where we will cut out a slice of cake to reveal the cut wires inside of the bomb. We wouldn’t want anyone to think it was about to ‘go off’. LoL!

photos by Christian..

I took several photos of our Sago Palms which we trimmed to the stubs a couple of weeks ago. They are growing beautifully as are the magnolia blossoms.  Christian took fabulous photos of them! I’ll be doing that post tomorrow. 

 

And I sure had to do some cleaning. I’m still washing dishes by hand…but the control panel has been ordered. In the meanwhile, I wash the dishes and load them in the drainer to air dry. It’s been working fine for four weeks now!

The fridge is sparkling and the pantry is finally re-organized. Rebekah and I have been wanting to do this forever and were really inspired at the IKEA pantry demo. But no way were we going to pay for their ‘units’. Ha!  Good ole’ Wal-mart to the rescue! 

At the moment though..I’m just cooking..and cooking and cooking!! Three giant pots of potatoes for potato salad (I used two crockpots) and three giant briskets which I managed to SQUEEEeeeeze in to the oven by cutting one in half and putting it into two smaller pans.

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Oh yeah…and I had to cook supper too. Can’t let the troops starve can I?

I haven't forgotten you! :o)   I was able to visit the first couple of days this week..but I may not be able to drop by until the dust settles for returning comments. However, be assured that I so appreciate your comments and read everyone…usually when I can’t stand up any more. Ha! 

Have a great week! What are your works in progress? It’s always fun to see what everyone is up to, I think. :o)

Tea Chat No.25 Laundry Room Solutions, Tea on the Go, Passover Seder, Grillin’ Good Recipes, Names of God Worship Banners

Happy Easter....  From Fourteen Years Ago....

Good morning friends! I hope you had a wonderful Easter. I know we did though we celebrated it much differently than when the kiddos were young.  I've so missed everyone, but with hubby's boss here all week, I've been running quite a bit. I also drove son to college every day since hubby was working with his boss here at home. I'm afraid I had my 'tea time' on the road more than I had it at home. LoL!
 
What a week!  I did manage to get some more organizational projects done, learned some new recipes, and attended my first ever Passover Seder. Join me and see if you find some fun things to read. I'll be visiting you soon too to catch up on your adventures. :o)  

Monday ~ How to Streamline a Laundry Room that’s WAY Too Small

I really am amazed at how little room is allotted for laundry in the average home. In a mobile home or apartment it’s far worse!

Our floorplan leaves exactly 10” of space between the wall and the dryer door when open.  We can just barely walk between the washer and air handler on one side of the room and the wall. Talk about a tight squeeze!

How I wanted to at least turn the dryer so that it’s door opened out into the  walk space. (Too much re-wiring.)

Or perhaps we could move the washer and dryer so they were both facing the floor instead of the wall. Huge headache and too much plumbing work. Not good.
 

Tim suggested a stackable washer and dryer. This would be fine except that they cost a fortune—about $900 to $1200.00.  Average cost on Craigslist--$400.00. Condition -- VERY iffy. No thanks!

I pondered and pondered—sigh.. another sleepless night-LoL!

Then it hit me! I just needed to keep the laundry on ‘short accounts’. In other words, if we gathered the whole family’s laundry and washed it EVERY DAY, it wouldn’t take up much room at all. Duhh… Wherever were my brains?

How much space does a load of laundry actually take up? Answer: Not much at all.

Linking with BTNOP Monday Metamophasis

Click here to read how I did this... step by step... 

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To facilitate sorting the day’s laundry, working with what I already had at hand, I decided to remove the ‘miscellaneous’ collection on the overhead shelf and put three baskets up there instead.

Here’s how I ‘re-did’ our itty bitty laundry room....

• De-clutter and clear off the shelf or cabinets over the washer/dryer. All you really need is soap, bleach, water softener (in our area)  fabric softener sheets, and stain remover. (OK- the can of starch and a dryer rack for shoes or delicate items can stay too--but that’s it!  :o)
• Put a very narrow hamper in the hallway for everyone’s clothes. Collect clothes DAILY.
• Sort the day’s collection into three small baskets for lights, whites, and darks.
• Wash at least one basketful daily—more if needed. Use small washer loads if necessary.
• Put it away—Now :o)

I finally had to admit that there’s no room in our laundry room for baskets and piles of clothes. None at all.  

That was all I really needed know to solve this problem. A little bit of laundry never hurt anyone..but a lot will BURY you!

 
Tuesday Tea  - Tea Time … On the Go…

Like Amy of a Tea Girl in a Coffee World, sometimes we have to take our tea where we can get it.  Her last ‘tea time’ was on an airplane!  (Any scones on that tray, Miss?) Her pictures of her daughter’s experience of flying were so full of warmth. :o)

Note: The cup above says coffee...but I assure you that  it had TAZO tea in it. :o). That's how the girls serve it at the college.

 
It got me to thinking….  If you only knew where I  blog from sometimes..you’d be surprised! It’s often far from home….

At my son’s junior college… I bring strong tea from home, usually in my Starbucks cup. It’s mostly like to be Irish Breakfast tea or Earl Grey…two bags please! It’s 7:00 am!

I know..that’s coke..but I’d already finished my tea..LoL!

  This is such a lovely place to work. Very quiet. It’s a new campus and the locals haven’t discovered it yet. Perfect place to blog. Airy… and bright… no distractions. Think I’ll have another sip…

Click here to see beautiful college grounds and flowers... 
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In the Library….  My favorite tea? Easy…TAZO AWAKE … because that’s usually exactly what I need—To wake up.  

My 16 yr. old comes with me and studies while his brother is in class. Christian likes to work ‘by himself’. I think he wants everyone to think he ‘belongs’ there.  I indulge him. :o)

 

While I’m on campus, I usually take a walk and I love getting photos of their beautiful grounds in Magnolia.

Even there the drought has taken it’s toll though. The fountain looks so refreshing in these rainless days!

The gardenias and roses have just barely survived.  I know Tracie will like to have these for her Cottage Flora Thursday’s garden party…If you love flowers, be sure to link up with her. She’s an excellent gardener and her flowers are exquisite!

Do say a prayer for rain in our area if you think of it. We are drying up something awful! Especially in West Texas.  Our farmers and firefighters thank you!

On the Deck…My favorite place to have tea is..right on the back deck swinging in my porch swing… listening to the birds chatter..feeling the gentle breezes.. So refreshing!   Or I take it along for my morning walk along with a camera of course. When you have visitors, a break is sometimes ‘in order’. This is my ‘escape’. Short..maybe just 15 minutes..but very sweet!

 

I love having tea in a pretty cup and saucer while I nibble on dainties, but some days are just too busy.  Still… I’m never too busy for tea… 

Do you find ways to have tea ‘on the go’? I’d love for you to join me. Coffee or Tea-- I’m not particular. The important thing is that we take the time for that comforting ritual..wherever and whenever we can. :o)

Do join me for tea--we'd love to see your beautiful tea cups and settings! What are you drinking today?

 I'm linking with these lovely ladies for tea time..... 

Thanks so much for joining me! 

Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday

The Plumed Pen's  Tea for Two

Rose Chintz Tea Time Tuesday

Martha's Favorite Teacup Tuesday 
Wanda Lee's Teapot And Tea Things Tuesday 
Pam's Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

A Delightsome Life: A Return to Loveliness

 Wednesday~Twelve Colorful Names of God Worship Banners 

For the seamstresses among you, I thought I’d share the banners I sewed for our church (in a school building), Grace Community. I’ve mentioned these before but never taken good photos until this week.  We wanted to make the school feel more ‘worshipful’ by hanging these each Sunday.

 

 

The theme of these banners are the 12 names of God as described in various parts of the Old Testament. Hubby and I researched the names and their meanings. I wrote little phrases at the bottom of each banner to summarize the meanings. Then we chose the 12 colors from the colors of the stones used in ‘the New Jerusalem’ as described in the bible in Revelation 21:19-20.

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My friend, Shannon Mucha, designed the graphics to symbolize the meanings of the ‘names of God’. She is not only a great photographer but also a superb graphic artist.

She drew each of these symbols (clip art size) and I made transparencies from them and ‘blew them up’ with my projector to about 2’ by 2’ or so.   A thin line at 4 x  5” is almost an inch wide or more when blown up.

I used Windsor Satin. It’s fairly sturdy (much better than cheaper satins), doesn’t pull as easily, and comes in about 17 different colors!  I do wish I had lined the banners with drapery fabric. Over the last few years of being packed away and pulled out each week, they’ve begun to stretch a bit.

If you want to do this, be sure to PRACTICE first. I did a whole ‘man bowing’  picture for practice before I actually did one on a banner. Do not try this without a practice piece first!

These were the basic steps:

• Iron stitch witchery onto gold lame and then gold lame onto thin batting.
• Tape the ‘gold lame’ batting on the wall and trace the designs backwards on the back side. (Batting side.)  Cut out. (I cut at an angle to ‘bevel’ the batting to the inside. Leaves Less ‘white’ showing around the edges.
• Seal the edges using fray check. Gold lame is very delicate!
• Arrange the pieces to ‘re-create’ the picture. (Need a fairly artistic eye for this part.)
• Glue all of the pieces onto the satin with fabric glue to hold in place. (Rather than pinning.)
• If your fabric is delicate, you might want to iron interfacing on the back (about the size of your picture) to stabilize the work.
• Applique each piece on to the banner with gold thread using a wide zig zag stitch. The gold thread is tricky, but it can be done!
• 

It was exacting work. I feel like I’m the queen of machine applique now. I got lots of practice!  Email me if you have any questions. :o)

I must say, I felt like one of the men working on the tabernacle when I was doing this year long project. I had banners hanging all around our sewing room/office. I sometimes felt like crying—happy tears of course—or shouting praise to God being surrounded by these banners. :o)

It sure helped to make our church ‘in a school’ seem more worshipful, which is what my friend, Mike, wanted. :o)  The church service was had to ‘install’ the banners was unforgettable!

 Thursday ~ A Passover Seder—from a Christian Perspective 

We celebrated a Passover Seder with my pastor friend, Lee Rushing at the Bentwater Yacht Club. It was a GORGEOUS setting!  The dinner we had  before the ‘symbolic’ dinner was delicious!

The Seder dinner was—well..not meant to be delicious but rather..meaningful. Salt water symbolized tears, bitter herbs like parsley- represent the trials of the Jewish people in slavery. And there are many more..

 

Lee showed us beautiful things like seder plates, a special three layer napkin to hold pieces of matzo bread, menorahs and a shofar. He taught the history of this special Jewish dinner from a Christian Seder Haggada . 

Click here for links, more plates and photo of the kids....
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You might enjoy reading the true history  of the Jewish Passover Seder or the original Passover Haggada  which is the written transcript for the service. I know some of my readers may be Jewish and felt it only right to include the links for what truly is their celebration. We feel privileged to learn more about their beautiful traditions. :o)

When Lee explained the ‘Christian’ perspective on much of the symbolism, we were blessed beyond words! Weekly communion will never be the same thanks to Lee’s teaching.

I went home much better prepared to contemplate the true meaning of Easter, I must say!

 

Funny..they are standing youngest to oldest here in front of the yacht club…which is also tallest to shortest. LoL! Don’t know why they wanted to stand in a line. :o)

The kids now want to have a Passover Seder at home each year. This link gives you all the recipes and ingredients you need to do this for yourself.  What a wonderful Easter tradition to pass on to our families! :o)

I hope you have a fun and worshipful Easter this Sunday! :o)  How do you celebrate Easter?

Do you have any special family traditions? 

  Friday ~Two Easy ‘Company’ Dinners and One Scrumptious Dinner Omelet!

Got company calling but can’t spend all day cooking?  I know just how you feel! I had to cook four ‘company quality’ dinners in a row. Hubby’s boss, Dan, doesn’t like ‘casseroles’ either.  What to do?

 

Dinner #1- Grilled Italian Sausage, Homemade Alfredo, and Steamed Broccoli with Melted Cheese  The beauty of this dinner is that it’s quick and easy.

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Homemade Alfredo  Stir together…

• a pound of cooked egg noodles or linguini
• about a half a stick or more of melted butter
• a cup or more of sour cream (to taste)
• a few good shakes of powdered garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• We add about a tablespoon of parmesan cheese after we are all done. (It tends to clump if you add it too early.)

  Dinner #2 - Grilled Chicken with Chili Powder Rub, Classic Baked Potatoes, and Roasted Greenbeans   

I pop the side dishes in oven to cook while I’m grilling. This way I could pay attention to the grilling and not worry about the rest of the cooking.

I  rubbed my chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili powder. The color was great and the chili flavor was not ‘Mexican’ at all—just a bit more ‘spicy’.

Dinner #3 Leftover Cheddar and Sausage Omelet with fresh fruit  (Super fast and uses leftovers!) 

I had lots of leftover Italian sausage. Oops! Dan suggested an omelet.

Italian Sausage and Cheese Omelet

1. Stir eggs and salt until uniform color and texture.
2. Start some onions  sautéing in small pan on the side and chop left over sausage. Set aside.
3. Pour eggs in pan rubbed with olive oil on med. Cook omelet on BOTH sides.
4. Pile sausage, onions, and grated cheese on one side and fold over the other half of the omelet. Let set a little while on the plate and the cheese will melt a bit.

WOW- The taste of the rich sausage and grilled onions makes this omelet POP!  Hubby’s boss said they love it for dinner too.

I do hope you enjoyed this week’s newsy letter.  I thought I’d end on a funny note. You never know what a bored teenager will do.  You’ve gotta watch them all the time!:o)

Linking with these Wonderful Parties!!!

Tracie’s Cottage Flora Thursday

Cindy’s Friday Show and Tell at My Romantic Home

Melissa’s My Crafty Weekend

Raising Homemakers’ Wednesday Link Up  Deb's Fantastic Friday