This and That

Hello everyone. Hope you are having a great week so far. As you can imagine, mine has been quite busy already. Saturday I drove to the new house to help Mr. S. paint (still a lot to be done); then Sunday I drove up to Phoenix to help my sister move. I ended up cleaning the tile floors in her new condo with my Hoover Floormate (LOVE that thing). She had already scrubbed them 5 times and they still wouldn't come clean... Floormate to the rescue. You wouldn't have believed the gross, dirty water that was left in the tank when I was finished. Whoever lived there before her must have never cleaned the floors; it was disgusting!

Thanks for all your suggestions for my laundry area. I was at Target last week and they have a whole section of Closetmaid storage items back in the Home Storage section. I ended up purchasing 2 small cabinets that I can put next to the washer and dryer, and a five-tier shelf for the area across from it. I decided I needed the storage more than I needed a place to fold clothes. I may change my mind later, but that is the plan for now.

My next decorating dilemma is plant shelves. They are all over the new house. There is one in the foyer, one in every bedroom and one in the family room. The one in our master bedroom spans the length of one entire wall, and it's a long wall:

I don't want to put too much stuff up there and make it look really crowded and junky, but I also don't want to just leave it empty either.  Any suggestions for this area would be much appreciated!

The big move is scheduled for the 28th, but I have another important day coming up next week. Monday the 23rd is the day I turn the big FIVE OH!! That's right, I am turning 50! I can hardly believe it, it just does not seem possible. In honor of that auspicious occasion, I will be doing a giveaway. Stay tuned for details to come.

The rest of this week will be another busy week. I've got more packing to do, and I may drive over to the new house for a couple of days to help Mr. S. with more painting. The poor guy has been at the new house for over a week sleeping on an air mattress, and when he isn't at work, he is painting! He really wants to get it all done before the furniture gets moved in, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that he makes it.

Have a great week everyone.

Help Wanted

I need your help/suggestions with an area in our new home. My laundry room (if you can even call it that) is a very strange area. It is between the kitchen and the garage, and instead of having a long space with shelves above it (what you typically see) it is two small spaces on either side of the door.

Here is what it looks like:

As you come in from the garage, this is the space to your right. Washer and dryer go here (obviously they have to stack on top of one another). To your left is this space:

That's it.. that's all I have! Hence my dilemma. Each space measures 46 1/2 inches in width and has about 30-32 inches in depth.

My new washer/dryer are about 27 inches wide, so I will have some space to the right of them for storage.

I need some help figuring out what to do with this space to make maximum use out of it. I was thinking that next to the washer/dryer Mr. S. could make me some shelves that could go on that side wall so at least I would have a place for laundry soap, etc.

My first thought for the space to the left of the door was to get something like this:

That would give me plenty of storage, but where am I going to fold my clothes at?
Any suggestions or ideas you might have for this space would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much!

Marriage... as Written by Kids

1. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?


You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.

-- Alan, age 10


-No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.

-- Kristen, age 10


2. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.

-- Camille, age 10



3. HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.

-- Derrick, age 8


4. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

Both don't want any more kids.

-- Lori, age 8


5. WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

-Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.

-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)


-On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.

-- Martin, age 10


6. WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

-When they're rich.

-- Pam, age 7

-The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.

- - Curt, age 7


-The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.

- - Howard, age 8


7. IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.

-- Anita, age 9 (bless you child )


8. HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?

-- Kelvin, age 8



And the #1 Favorite is .......



9. HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.

-- Ricky, age 10

An "Amazing" Video

One of the most beautiful versions of this song I have ever heard.

All I Need to Know About Life ....

I learned from the Easter Bunny:



Don't put all of your eggs in one basket

Walk softly and carry a big carrot

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears

There's no such thing as too much candy

All work and no play can make you a basket case

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits

Some body parts should be floppy

Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans

Good things come in small sugarcoated packages

The grass is always greener in someone else's basket

An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare

To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey

Update

Hi all.... just wanted to say hello and give you a house update. So far things are progressing right along with the purchase of our new home. We don't have a firm closing date yet, but have been notified that it will be no later than mid-May. We are dealing with a bank, so it's kind of slow going.

We found a lovely young couple that want to rent our current home, so that is a load off our minds (and checkbook!). 

Here is a picture of the view from the backyard:

Gorgeous isn't it? I will be able to stand at my kitchen sink and see this view outside the window.

One of the best things about this new house is that I will have my very own room (with a door to keep the cats out!) dedicated to crafting and sewing. I will have to store all of my yarn and crochet projects in this room, as well as all of my fabric and other sewing items, so I want to make the best use of the space that I can.  Any tips or hints you can give me about organizing and/or decorating would be greatly appreciated.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I am making this for dinner tonight, so thought I would share the recipe with you. I got it from WW several years ago, but I know it has also been on the side of the refried bean can too! It is easy, quick and delicious.

You will need:

4 cans (10 oz. each) RoTel diced tomatoes with green chiles
4 cans (14.5 oz each) Chicken broth
1 can (30 oz.) Rosarita traditional refried beans
1 cup whole kernel corn (I usually just add in a 15 oz. can, drained)
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
3 ounces of corn tortilla strips
1/4 cup shredded 2% lowfat Monterey Jack cheese (or any kind you like)

Combine tomatoes and chicken broth in large pot. Stir in beans and corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken; heat through. Top with tortilla chips and cheese.

Makes 12 servings. Each serving provides 3 WW points (under the old Points plan) or about 1 1/2 cups.


Hope you try this, it is delicious!