July 6, 2017 Affiliate link included. Do you have a gift for Organization? It’s not a natural God-given gift of mine. For me to have things organized takes serious and thoughtful planning, strenuous execution, and diligence to keep up the process. Because of my many chronic illnesses, we moved into our one-story town home over two years ago. Within two days of moving, my hysterectomy took place. This kept me from ever getting a good plan for organizing my home. So, now I’ve decided to tackle some of the things that are messy, ugly, and driving me nuts. The worst offenders in my home are the closets! There is so much clutter and wasted space. When you have downsized, wasted space is a terrible no-no. Organization means that you need to utilize every inch of that space for good! This is my purpose in this project. Because of my pain and lack of energy, I’m doing 15 minute work projects. This post today is showing two weeks of work. Some of the lifting and carrying has been done by Hubby, as I’m not allowed to lift anything over 20 pounds ( I had repairs done in my surgery). Let’s start with the before and after photos. This scary mess is our walk-in closet. Underneath the hanging clothes are piles of shoes and purses. The laundry hamper is over-flowing, too. What a night-mare, and no way to vacuum! I began by removing everything that was on the floor. Since I knew the shoe boxes needed to go in the other closet on a shelf, I had to clean off a shelf. So, next, I’ll show you the closet across from the walk-in. I took everything off the bottom shelf, which was out-of-season clothes. Most of them were too small for me. As I placed them on the bed, I divided them into stacks. The stacks were: 1. Keep- but Store 2. Sell- Or Giveaway 3. Throw Away 4. Hang up in the closet The storable clothing and blankets were placed in space bags and stored under the guest bed. This took a lot of the clothes out of our room and emptied up so much space! I went through all the shoes and placed them in the right boxes. Then I labeled them and placed them on the now empty shelf in the linen closet. Now, they could be easily found. This also made it possible to vacuum the walk-in closet and keep away dust. This is so important to a family with allergies and asthma. I noticed my scarves. They were a huge mess, hanging across three coat hangers. I couldn’t see most of them. I decided to try something I had seen on tv sometime ago. I sat on the bed and laid them out. I took one coat hanger and a plastic set of shower curtain hooks that we had from and old house. We had purchased these at the dollar store and they were just the cheap, clear plastic type. I laid them across the hanger and hung a scarf on each one. When I was done the scarves were beautiful, accessible, and so organized! This looks better and takes up so much less room in the closet! Here’s the finished look for the walk in closet. Now, we can actually find the clothes that we wear, and the clothes that don’t fit us are gone. This makes more sense, doesn’t it? I continued to work on the linen closet, by taking things out and re-working them. By adding some dividers that I already owned the spaces were more defined. When I had many small items that were to be saved together (gift items) I placed them in baskets. This saved so much space on the shelves. In the end, the shelves look better and I was able to put many more things in this closet. I’m very happy with the results. Do you have some great tips for organizing your closets? @2017, copyright Lisa Ehrman
Red, White, And Blue Dessert
July 2, 2017 4th of July Picnics are all about the Red, White, and Blue. The food is easy on the eyes, tastes great, but much of the menu is not too healthy. Why not add a choice that is delicious, cold, refreshing, and nutritious? This easy and frugal dessert will cool you down on a hot summer day and bring out your patriotic spirit, too! With the beautiful colors of our nation’s flag found in blueberries, strawberries, and coconut topping, fruit is always a hit! You may grow your own strawberries or blueberries, so you could have fresh ones to use. Your local farmer’s market could also have them on hand. In my recipe, I used frozen fruit, because frozen fruit makes the dessert turn into an ice-cream type texture. With frozen fruit on hand, I’m always prepared for making a healthy snack, without ever wasting any. The only ingredients are frozen berries and almond milk. I’m sure you can use regular milk, coconut milk etc. I’m dairy-free, so I prefer almond milk, and used unsweetened. Using a food processor or strong blender, process the strawberries first, then add almond milk ( a little at a time) until the texture is creamy, like ice-cream. Then, place the bowl in the freezer. Rinse out the food processor and utensils. Then, add the blueberries. Process the blueberries and add a little almond milk. The blueberries will need only a small amount of almond milk. Then, add the blueberry mixture to the freezer. Leave both berry mixture bowls in the freezer for about one hour. When frozen, scoop out blueberries, then strawberries, into serving dish. Top with coconut (or whipped cream if desired). If you like sweetener, you can add it into the food processor. I try to eat the food fresh, but sometimes it can be a little tart. Enjoy sharing your Red, White, and Blue Dessert with those you love on this 4th of July holiday! @2017, copyright Lisa Ehrman
Tangy BBQ Sauce Recipe
July 2, 2017 Would you like to have a BBQ Sauce Recipe that you can count on to please everyone at the picnic? I’m always happy to serve BBQ Chicken with this recipe, because I know that all the ingredients are real food. The ingredients are easy to find, and I keep them on hand on a regular basis: 1 Cup Ketchup 1/4 Cup water 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 3 Tablespoons Oil 2 Tablespoons Paprika 1 Tablespoons Chili Powder 2 Cloves Garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder ( I use the powder) 1 teaspoon Cayenne (Or use less, if you don’t want so much heat) I use 1/4 teaspoon Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and you will have a thick sauce. I pour this over 6 chicken breasts or 2 pounds of tenders. Cook in a 350 degree oven for one hour. After the chicken is tender, shred the meat and the sauce is the right amount to serve on buns. For an easy, frugal picnic meal, try these yummy sides: Corn on the cob and zucchini grilled and a salad, fresh from the garden! Have a wonderful picnic! I hope you’ll try my BBQ Sauce Recipe. @2017, copyright Lisa Ehrman
Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
Do you love recipes that are easy, cheap, and healthy? This muffin recipe is frugal, sugar-free, and dairy-free. It’s also delicious! My entire family loves them and I make them year round. The ingredients for the muffins are staples that I almost always have on hand: 1 1/2 whole grain pastry flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 Cup almond milk 1 egg 3 Tablespoons honey 2 Tablespoons Dairy-free butter 2 Tablespoons applesauce 1/2 Cup pumpkin Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I coat my muffin tins with coconut oil. In large pan, stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In small bowl, stir together milk, egg, honey, butter, applesauce, and pumpkin. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour into muffin cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean. I hope you love these muffins as much as we do! Feel free to substitute the pumpkin with bananas! It works just as well. @2017, copyright Lisa Ehrman
Frugal Summer Fun
How are your summer vacation plans coming? If you’re like me, you haven’t made them because of financial reasons. We had thoughts of a beach trip, but hotels on the beach are so pricey! This type of trip would need to be in the off-season to be affordable for our family. What are some good ways to have summer fun without spending much money? Here are a few ideas that I have found: *Check your local Park & Recreation Dept: Classes in almost anything that you could think of, many are free or cheap *Public libraries offer free programs: book clubs, music programs, volunteering, and more *National Parks: Free days are sometimes available, cheap fun, lakes, camping, picnics, etc *Day trips: check with your local tourism board or online, explore your area for museums, parks, arts, sports, tours, concerts, and outdoor movies *Whatever interests you or your family can be fun. If you love baseball, look for a local game. Even if it’s just a free kid’s game, it can be exciting to go cheer on the children. Finding a picturesque park and taking a picnic can make a beautiful memory! It doesn’t take a lot of money to enjoy your summer. Don’t fret over not being able to make huge vacation plans. The best vacations are the ones where you smile, relax, and don’t have credit card debt. @2017, copyright Lisa Ehrman