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I struggle with this on a daily basis as I know many of you do too. I have been able to gain a handle on it by using the file folder system. I have a desk area in my kitchen and that is where I have a pretty wicker basket that holds my main file folders. That's where I have the bills and school notes, etc. The desk drawer holds envelopes, stamps, address labels and my checkbook for easy access. Underneath the desk I have another basket that contains file folders with documents that are not needed on a daily basis but that we need access to fairly regularly. If you are looking into starting a file folder system, here are some pointers from Marcia Ramsland: Five File Folders will clean up any mail piles from scattering across your kitchen counterop. A portable file holder is a key ingredient to set up a “Personal Organizing Center” along with a supply drawer. Every home needs one. Each day an average of fifteen pieces of mail arrive in your mailbox. If you flip through and deal ...

I am a pastanatic. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and even as a snack. But, I hear that carbs are the enemy these days so I am always on the lookout for ways to make me feel less guilty about eating them. When I first tried whole wheat pasta some years ago, I literally almost hurled. However, I am happy to admit that they have come a long way. I prefer Barilla whole grain but Ronzoni healthy harvest is good too. This recipe is from Whole Living. Enjoy! ;) Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes, Olives and Tomatoes Ingredients Serves 4 Coarse salt and ground pepper 12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 medium onion , thinly sliced, lengthwise 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced crosswise 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and quartered lengthwise 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes , halved lengthwise 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more serving 1/2 cup fresh basil leave...

If you are as anal as I am and you like lists and charts, here is one to get you started on your new weekly cleaning schedule. Happy cleaning & organizing! http://www.organizingpro.com/downloads/3x5_weekly_chart_colored_%202up.pdf

A neighbor of mine has had one for years. And you know what? Her house always looks FABULOUS! I used to think that I didn't need one but since I've gone back to work, I just can't keep up with it all. I am tired of saving it all for the weekend. And, I am tired of the house looking not so fabulous during the week. I am ready to jump on the bandwagon. So here is a weekly schedule courtesy of Marcia Ramsland. A Weekly Cleaning Schedule is the backbone of staying on top of clutter. It frees up time since regular routines create order. The goal is to stay ahead of the dust and clutter without much effort. Here’s what you want to do in Weekly Cleaning so your house stays clean: l. Empty Wastebaskets. Believe it or not, this is a sign of all clean homes and offices. Get your money’s worth from your weekly garbage and recyle pickup by tossing out everything you can. 2. Change Bed Linens. Instead of tackling the Herculean task of changing all the beds on the same day, try c...

This is thee best stir fry recipe I have ever made. It is quick and easy too making it a perfect busy weeknight meal. It is from the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Everyday Food. I've made it twice already. The whole family loves it. Give it a try and let me know how much you love it. ;) Ingredients: -white rice -1 TBSP cornstarch -1/4 cup sugar -1/4 cup soy sauce (I used reduced sodium) -1/4 white vinegar -1 TBSP vegetable oil -1-1/4 lbs of boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces -2 bell peppers (any color- I used red & yellow) seeded & diced large -1/2 lb green beans, trimmed & halved -5 scallions, thinly sliced -2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & minced -3 garlic cloves, minced -2 TBSP chopped roasted peanuts (I omitted these - I don't like nuts in my food) 1. Cook rice according to package. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce & vinegar. Set aside. 2. In a large wok or skillet, hea...

I have had this ficus tree in my family room since we moved in. Actually, it came with me from the townhouse when we moved. It is older than my kids. But the pot that it was in matched my old decor not my new one. So, for years this poor tree sat in it's ugly old plastic container. But not anymore. After several failed attempts, I finally found the perfect container for it and the tree fits in it perfectly!! It was from TJ Maxx and it was only $12.99. Yay!! That may seem like not such a big thing but let me tell you it is harder to find the right color and size than you think. How do you like?

For every holiday, I change out the decor on my sofa table. I change the runner and candy and mix in some homemade crafts. This is what I did for Valentine's Day. The table runner is from HomeGoods. It was $12.99. A little more than I had wanted to spend but it was the only one I liked. The little heart candles were from Target. They were a gift from a student of mine a few years back. :) The candy dishes were all wedding favors. :O And the love frame (which still needs a photo) is from Kohl's. It was a gift from my friend Irene. :) The cards and frame are the homemade part. TFL! :)

When I started to take out my Valentine's Day decor, I realized that I was seriously lacking in that department. So, when my friend Leslie forwarded this idea from Cozy.Cottage.Cute, I knew I had to do it. I got the frame for $4.99 at The Christmas Tree Shop. The heart punch is Martha Stewart. I got that on super sale for $4.02 and the paper and pop dots I already had in my stash. How's that for a cheap, quick and cute project? Supplies used: Frame - The Christmas Tree Shop Punch - Martha Stewart (Michael's) Dictionary Paper - 7 gypsies Red & Black cardstock - Bazzill Basics Dimensionals - Stampin' Up!

Courtesy of the Incomparable Martha Stewart... Recipe for One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes: Ingredients Makes 18 to 24 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 3/4 cup warm water 3/4 cup buttermilk 3 tablespoons safflower oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Directions 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed. 2.Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Basic Buttercream Recipe: Ingredients Makes about 4 cups 12 oun...

We take a little break from the Valentine's Day crafting and baking to bring you 3 simple organzing tips from Marcia Ramsland. If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to stay oraganized and on top of things. So, when I came across these easy tips from Marcia Ramsland, I'd thought I'd share them with you. They are practical and easy to follow but will make a big impact on our efforts to stay organized. Hope they help! 3 Ways to Get Organized and Stay that Way! 1. Practice the “Two Minute Pickup” All Day. This means before leaving in the morning clean up the kitchen for 2 minutes, before lunch spend 2 minutes clearing out emails, before dinner spend 2 minutes organizing desk papers into a To Do list. You’ll always come back to “order.” 2. Set Up a Weekly Schedule. A simple 3 x 5 card posted near your computer will remind you: Monday-send staff email, Tuesday clean out one file, Wednesday send your Blog post, etc. Or at home post it in the kitchen: Monday wash cl...

These snow days are wreaking havoc on my diet! :O The brownies were made with my perfect brownie maker which I love! Look how perfectly they turned out? And the cute little powdered hearts were made possible by a template that comes with the perfect brownie maker. The cake is an egg white cake so it is nice and light. I used a big heart shaped cookie cutter to make a stencil on the top and I filled it with pink sanding sugar. Pretty and delicious! :) Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with sweet treats! :)

We have been snowed and iced in here in NY so I have been crafting away. Yesterday I made some Valentine's Day cards that were quick & easy. I went old school with these cards. I had a plastic template with stars, circles and heart shapes on it. So I traced the hearts onto cardstock and then cut them out. The small heart is a Martha Stewart punch. The rub ons are Making memories and the cardstock is a mix of Stampin' Up! and Bazzill. Hope you like! :)

from The Idea Room.... I guess I will be adding pink felt to my Joann's list as well. ;) I am going to use a terra cotta pot as my base tho. I have tons of them lying around in my garage. :) I cannot wait to get started!

I love Valentine's Day. It is one of my favorite days. I love to decorate for it and bake for it and shop for it. But what I love most is to find great crafts to make for it. I am running to Joann's on Saturday to get all the supplies to make one of these!!!! How FABULOUS is it!? I think it is pretty FABULOUS!!! And how cute would it be to get one of these on Valentine's Day? All you have to do is wrap your sweetie's favorite candy bar in cute V-Day paper and voila ... instant gift. I hope to share lots more V-Day ideas with you!

The great thing about making a wreath is that you can make it as large or as small as you like. Just remember to have plenty of Jelly Belly® jelly beans on hand! Ingredients: 9 cupcakes, your favorite flavor, baked in green paper liners and cooled 1 1/2 cups canned vanilla frosting, divided Red and green food coloring 1/2 cup each, Kiwi, Margarita and Green Apple Jelly Belly® jelly beans 13 red Cherry Sours by Jelly Belly® 2 whole graham crackers 4 thin pretzel sticks 1/2 cup Very Cherry or Cinnamon red Jelly Belly® jelly beans Coconut Jelly Belly jelly beans Instructions: 1. Tint 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting red with the food coloring and spoon frosting into a small resealable bag; set aside. Tint the remaining 1 cup of vanilla frosting green with the food coloring. 2. Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the green frosting. Arrange a line of Green Apple Jelly Belly jelly beans, end to end across the top of all but 1 cupcake. Arrange the Kiwi and Margarita Jelly Belly jelly beans o...

Look at this adorableness from The Purl Bee!!! I may just make a few they are so cute! :) Here's how to make them yourself! Materials Needed: To make 16 (or more) Christmas Tree Pins: ■One Holiday Felt Bundle ■Valdani embroidery thread in reds, greens, and whites ■Stuffing ■A piece of scrap paper (a brown paper bag works great) Special equiptment: ■Pinking Shears Making the Templates: To make your tree template cut a triangle with a 1½-inch base and 2-inch sides out of the scrap paper. For the stump template cut a rectangle that is ½ wide by ¾-inch tall. Cut two 2-inch by 2 ½-inch pieces from a non-brown piece of felt and place them on top of one another. Trace the tree template on the top piece. Using your pinking shears cut neatly around the traced tree shape through both layers of felt. You will now have two identical tree shapes. Flip them over so the pencil makings are on the back. Also cut out one stump from the brown felt using your stump template. Sewing and Stuffing: P...

over at http://www.eighteen25.blogspot.com Filled with tons of fabulous ideas for Halloween and Fall. Go check it out! You won't be disappointed. I promise. :)

a la the fabulously talented Becky Higgins. This is my take on Becky Higgins' contribution to the fun month of Halloween crafts over at www.eighteen25.blogspot.com. I love that I can keep it up until December. :) Supplies: Frame - Re from Target Paper - Basic Grey Pumpkins - The Chrsitmas Tree Shop Letter Stickers - Making Memories And one more look of where it sits on my kitchen counter for now at least. TFL!

A new blanket for me to knit. I have only ever knit a baby blanket so this will be new things for me. I am so excited! I think it will look lovely in my family room. I'm sure the kids are going to fight over it. LOL! Pattern courtesy of The Pearl Bee. ■7 skeins of Knit Collage's Pixie Dust, a blend of Wool, Mohair and Pixie Sparkles. This color is "Lemon Meringue". ■A US #36, 32 or 40 inch circular needle. The Pattern Gauge 1 stitch = approximately 1 inch in 1 x 1 rib Finished Size Approximately 26 inches wide by 56 inches long Begin Cast on 27 stitches. Row 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1. Row 2: *P1, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, p1. Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you have used all 7 skeins minus about 4 yards (or until piece measures 56 inches). Bind off in pattern and weave in the ends. (Little Tip: Rather than wresting this yarn through the eye of a tapestry needle, just use your hands to weave in the ends.) Doesn't it look comfy? I can...

I've been itching to get crafty lately and there is no better place to get the juices flowing, at least for me, than to make a few cards with supplies I had on hand. I used mostly Anna Griffin supplies leftover from classes I used to teach at my now defunct lss. The flowers are Prima, stamp is Stampin' Up!, the brads are Junkitz and the photo corner is good ol' Heidi Swapp. TFL!