THE PASSING OF A FINE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN

Last night I received sad news that a previous neighbor had died.  Our family lived next to them for about 20 years.  Although we haven't seen each other in several years, we have lots of fond memories of their family and our interactions together.  You couldn't have found a nicer man - a true gentleman in my opinion.  He was always willing to provide a helping hand and always had some interesting tidbits of information to add to our chats.  He lived a good life and God will greet him with open arms and a loving heart.  Rest in peace Harry - we will all miss you.   

ETSYKIDS NATURE THEME CHALLENGE WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS to the winner of this month's EtsyKids' nature-inspired theme challenge. The winning entry was Build a Tree Decal Kit - Kids Decal by Trendy Peas!  Click here to see her entry:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42049539

Trendy Peas offers beautiful and affordable wall art for a modern nursery as well as very cute invitations and so much more. Their amazing wall decals are made of fabric and unlike vinyl, they are easily removable and reusable. Trendy Peas lovely and colorful images will surely brighten up your tot's room.  Check out other unique wall art at Trendy Peas at http://www.trendypeas.etsy.com/

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND

This should be a great weekend - grandkids are on the road to being healthy and the weather should be great (I hope - you never know in Texas).  Tonight our neighbors are having Happy Hour.  Saturday I have plans to see my best friend (that I haven't seen in soooooooo long) for shopping and lunch.  If the weather stays nice, I need to tidy up at least one flower bed.  Looking forward to good times! 

Everyone enjoy your weekend!

STREP THROAT

What a week this has been so far!  I took the granddaughters to their pediatrician today.  What we thought were allergies or colds ended up being strep throat.  So antibiotics and lots of TLC for everyone. 

What is strep throat?  The doctor's handout simply says it is a sore throat caused by bacteria.  With antibiotics, the fever and sore throat are gone in about 24 hours.  Also, you need to treat the fever, keep hydrated, and eat soft foods (especially if the throat is very irritated).  Humidifiers are great to use if the air in your home is dry.    Hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of strep throat.  If symptoms persist or worsen, you must call the doctor ASAP.

Below is a detailed medical link explaining the aspects of strep throat:

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Strep+throat

Remember the key to preventing alot of infections is to simply WASH YOUR HANDS!

Etsy Project Using Alexander Henry's Kleo Cotton Print

This has been a productive weekend for sewing.  I made a few things with an Alexander Henry cotton print called Kelo.  I will post them on etsy soon. 

A large baby blanket.

A lovey or security blanket.

A set of 4 washcloths.

SNOW IN TEXAS - AGAIN!

I can't believe it!  We woke up this morning to a dusting of snow-covered roofs and yards.  Where did the nice sunny days go?  I want them back.

SPRING CLEANING - PART 2 - BATHROOMS

The pantry is clean and reorganized. 

My daughter was surprised with how neat it looked she recently cleaned her own pantry!

Now for the bathrooms........

• FIRST STEP - Organize Cleaning Supplies For Bathrooms

cleaning bucket (I store most of my cleaning products in it)
disposable gloves
paper towels, sponges, squeegee
scrubbing brush, old toothbrush, dusting wand
non-abrasive porcelain sink and tub cleaner
glass cleaner
ceramic tile cleaner
toliet bowl brush
toliet bowl cleaner
broom and dust pan
scrub mop

•  SECOND STEP - Cleaning Bathrooms

Everyone has their own favorite cleaning products and specific methods of cleaning.  Below are a few video links for cleaning specific areas in the bathroom. 

This is a video link by Ann Myrick on cleaning faucets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eImCP6ql6xg

This is a video link by Ann Myrick on cleaning porcelain sinks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV8putYbiCU

 This is a video link by Ann Myrick on cleaning a jetted bath tub and shower:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnm9JCdTofo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns_B1B_nj-o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twcwMxsRkUs

This is a video link by Ann Myrick on cleaning toliet bowls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CanYlZX_uyE

This is a video link by Ann Myrick on cleaning ceramic tile grout:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByceBXzOIUU

This is a video link by Ann Myrick on cleaning bath mats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5C1EKh7cFU

"TOP OF THE MORNING TO YOU"

Enjoy your day with great food and friends!

Updated Blog Template.....

Spent last evening updating my blog since it was in the black generic template and hard to read.  It was fun checking out the internet for free wallpaper, blinkies, gadgets..... a bit addictive!

If you have time, please give me a critique.  I would appreciate your input or suggestions on improving it.  I would like to add categories you could click on to go to sections: (i.e.  family, recipes, etsy projects, etc.).

Member of EtsyKids - Neat Artists

Recently, I joined a team on Etsy called EtsyKids. It is a group of artists who make unique handcrafted items especially for babies, toddler, and children. You can find almost anything you can imagine in these shops!

This weekend I made a few burp cloths and wash cloths using a designer print of colorful, uniquely decorated cupcakes on a pink polka dot background with pink striped chenille. I found a few "cupcake" themed items in the following EtsyKids shops that I thought were delightful.

Please click the items below for a CUPCAKE sampling!

A burp cloth with uniquely decorated cupcakes by SnazzySnugglies

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42736694

A birthday cupcake wall art print by babychickdesigns

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25566798

An adorable cupcake outfit by winklepots

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8540292

Happy First Birthday

We celebrated our grandson's

first birthday yesterday.

What a wonderful little man!

FAMILY GATHERING

This weekend my husband's brothers and their wives visited. We all had a great time and helped celebrate our favorite aunt's 90th birthday.

SPRING CLEANING - PART 1 - HOW TO REORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN PANTRY

It's that time of the year and I've gotten the urge to do some spring cleaning. The question is where do I start and what should I do first? I usually start off gung-ho and then get tired and let it fall to the wayside. This year I decided I would blog about the process, and hopefully; do a fantastic job and not waste alot of time and energy. I made a Spring Cleaning To-Do-List with the kitchen pantry as the first area to clean.

Everyone knows I like organization and my kitchen pantry was in chaos, so last night I took the time to reorganize it. I couldn't believe how many items were beyond their expiration dates! Here are a few tips on reorganizing a pantry with a video link shown below.

STEP 1 - REMOVAL OF ITEMS
You can do this shelf by shelf or if your pantry is totally out of control - remove everything. If you do the shelf by shelf method; work from top to bottom.

STEP 2 - CLEAN THE SHELVING

STEP 3 - ORGANIZE AND RESTOCK ITEMS

Check each item's expiration date and throw away what is no longer good or needed. Make a shopping list of items you need to restock. (If you no longer want an item that is still good, donate it to a food drive.)

STEP 4 - REPLACE ITEMS ON SHELVES IN CATEGORIES

As you return items to the pantry, take time to organize. This step will be different for everyone based on your personal preferences. I categorized my pantry into sections based on my goods.

On the top shelf I placed liquor and small appliances. On other shelves I have sections for boxed and dry goods, cooking oils, nonrefrigerated condiments, canned goods, baking goods, breakfast item, snacks, and an area for paper and plastic items. Interspersed I have metal roll out containers, baskets, small bins, or turn tables for various items. On the back of the pantry door I have a 3-shelf pantry spice rack. On the floor of the pantry, I placed the recycle bin, trash bin, large size kitchen appliances that are used infrequently, broom & dustpan, and a 2-step foldable ladder. I was surprised at how much room I had available once I reorganized everything!

Now it should be easier for everyone to find items in the pantry. I was so pleased with the outcome, I had my husband see what I accomplished. I think he was impressed! This morning he suggested I reorganize our bathroom closet.

Below is a video link that I found on the internet.

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4549207?FORM=VIRE4

Spring Time

I can't wait for spring time to arrive.  It's a dreary, rainy day in Texas.