Organizing Favorite Family Recipes

In the bottom of my pantry lays a pile of cookbooks, sheets torn out of magazines, computer print-outs and other recipe or food-related information.  I don't use the cookbooks that much, but I am a magazine tear sheet junkie!  I see something I like in a magazine, and I tear it out - recipes, design ideas, things to buy, even the color of a wall in an ad.

So I decided to start organizing these sheets.  I started with the recipes.  We are creatures of habit at our house.  We tend to eat the meals we really like over and over again.  So for the recipes I don't have memorized, I have to dig through the pile and find the magazine sheet/computer paper/scrap it's on.  So I bought a binder and took all of the recipes that we like the most and eat the most, punched holes in them and put them in the binder.

I tabbed them out according to what they are - breakfast, lunch/dinner and dessert.  I will get more detailed the more recipes I collect such as breads, soups and side dishes.  But for now, this works.  In the front pocket I stashed other info I need - quick kids' lunch ideas, my handy "What to buy organic" list, my superfoods list and my basic shopping list of things that never change week to week.

After taking a break from organizing I couldn't resist taking a peak into the new Better Homes & Gardens magazine that came in the mail the other day.  And look what I saw!  Good to know there are other like-minded binder lovers out there!!

My next binder project will be my design binder that has fabric samples of our furniture and curtains, paint chips from every room and wood/metal finishes that we have.  This will be a much smaller binder I can fit into my bag when I shop.  It will also have a list of must-have items for the house and the dimensions I have to work with.  I'm still on the hunt for the perfect cabinet to replace the ugly wire shoe rack we're using!!

Let's Order Take-Out!

I have to admit we like to go out to eat, a lot!  So we have a few menus lying around.  It was time to get organized!  I bought a brown craft box at Hobby Lobby.

I painted the box and let it dry.

Then I found some cute clip art on the computer and put this sign together.  I used Mod Podge to decoupage the paper on the side of the box. I recommend using a heavier stock paper.  I used regular computer paper and it tends to ripple with the Mod Podge.  I didn't use the box lid.  I'll think of something else to use it for.

This project we so easy!  Now we can keep our menus, and restaurant coupons, organized and easily found.  I think I'll make one for the bills, too.  Although that one won't be nearly as fun!!

Return to Sender? No Way!

I'm a collector. I love all kinds of collections and when I was a kid, I had A LOT! Seashells, rocks, books, fossils, butterflies, and stamps. I'm sure there were others that I can't think of right now. I loved the hunt and learning everything I could about what I had found.

Recently I found my old stamp collection in a shoe box. I think it was from when I was around 10 years old. I was so organized with my collections. The stamps were separated into envelopes that had the country of origin written in my best 10-year old handwriting on the front.

The stamps themselves are so beautiful, like mini-masterpieces. The colors, designs, meanings, symbolism, the emotions they evoke and the representation of an era frozen in time - just like great works of art.

So I decided to show off my collection. I found boxes at The Container Store just perfect for displaying any collection. They have a glass lid and padding on the inside that keeps whatever is inside it stationary, pressed against the glass.

I have no idea what any of the stamps or the collection itself is worth. I picked the stamps that went into the boxes strictly on aesthetics. If they looked cool or pretty, they were going to be displayed. And as you can see in the picture, some of my best shells are out on display too.

What collections do you have? Send me some pics. henriettas.house5@gmail.com

Do you have them displayed or are they hidden away in shoeboxes like my poor stamps were?

School's Out!

My daughter came home from school last week with an overflowing backpack. "We cleaned out our lockers today!" she said. Here is what came out of the backpack:

While I love seeing all of the projects, worksheets and doodles she brings home throughout the school year, I was at a loss for what to do with it all. For awhile the "keepers" were tossed into a dresser drawer.  The criteria for "keepers" is this:

• Uses imagination
• Colorful
• Original art projects
• Something with a writing sample to see how she has progressed (plus kids' writing is so sweet!)
• Anything that is a self portrait

Luckily she knows that we can't keep it all. I would have to rent a storage unit!

So back to the pile on my living room floor. I divided it into three groups: trash (Try to recycle as much as you can. Most of the worksheets can be recycled with office paper.), "keepers," and supplies we can use next year or play "school" with.

A couple months ago I found these really pretty storage boxes at Target. I LOVE their Liberty of London collection. I couldn't decide what pattern I liked the best so I bought all three of the contenders. I cleaned out the dresser drawer and put it all in one of the boxes. At least I made sure I wrote the date on the back of each paper before it got tossed into the drawer. Now I just date the new "keepers" as they come home and toss them into the box. One box has been big enough for three grades worth of papers and projects.

Maybe this summer will be paper-free! But with my craft-loving girl, I doubt it!! :-)