When my grandmother passed away two years ago, she left behind many treasures. There were antiques, items purchased on her trips around the world, old photos, and art work. Many are beautiful and I know they all had meaning to her. The problem is, those of us who inherited her treasures don’t know what all of the meanings were. We’ve been able to guess at some things and piece things together from the stories she told us. The carved elephants are from Africa. The straw purse came from the Bahamas. I can figure out some of the people in some photos. The green glass sugar and creamer were a wedding shower gift, she told me once. But other things have now lost their meaning. That makes me sad.

So I’ve embarked upon a labeling project of my own items, mostly things I’ve bought on trips. Someday (hopefully in the far distant future) when someone inherits them, I want them to know where it was from and why it mattered to me. Last weekend I went around the house with some stickers and wrote the origin of every print, painting, and photo that hangs on our walls, and stuck it on the back of each item. My next project is to take photos of the other things I consider my treasures (from trips and things I inherited from my grandmothers) and create a word document with the photo and a description of each piece.

I noticed my mom has suddenly caught this bug too, even though we haven’t discussed it. When she buys a piece of art, pottery, basket, etc. she tapes the business card of the artist on the back. If there is no card or known artist, she tapes a handwritten description of what the item is and where it came from on the back.

What have you done to preserve the memories associated with things that are important to you?

When my grandmother passed away two years ago, she left behind many treasures. There were antiques, items purchased on her trips around the world, old photos, and art work. Many are beautiful and I know they all had meaning to her. The problem is, those of us who inherited her treasures don’t know what all … Read more →

I’m tied up with a new project I should be able to tell you all about very soon, but it means my Martha cooking time is limited. So I thought I would take a moment and reflect upon a growing problem in my kitchen. I am overrun with jellies/jams and mustards.

Here is the current list:

Jelly/Jam

strawberry jam

wild blueberry jam

apricot jam

orange marmalade

lingonberry jam

grape jelly

fireweed jelly

strawberry rhubarb jam

salmonberry jelly

apple pie jam

strawberry vanilla jam

passion fruit jelly

guava strawberry jelly

peach jam

damson plum jelly

rhubarb jam

blackberry jelly

Mustards

store brand yellow

Grey Pouopn country style Dijon

honey mustard

sharp hot

sharp and creamy

sweet hot

Rayes (a Martha’s Pick I haven’t used up)

Weber’s (a  local horseradish mustard)

Gulden’s brown

stone ground

sweet apple mustard

Clearly this is out of control, but the thing is we do use all of it.  Admittedly, I have a problem because I like to buy jelly on trips (damson plum from Cape Cod, guava, passion fruit from Hawaii) but people also give me inordinate amounts. Everyone in this house has an individual mustard preference, some requiring different mustards for different things, but I also tend to end up receiving a lot of mustards in gift baskets. And I just can’t bring myself to throw any out.

What is your kitchen overrun with?

I’m tied up with a new project I should be able to tell you all about very soon, but it means my Martha cooking time is limited. So I thought I would take a moment and reflect upon a growing problem in my kitchen. I am overrun with jellies/jams and mustards. Here is the current … Read more →

Martha has inspired me to do some kitchen organization, with the post on her blog showing her neatly organized kitchen. The absolute worst spot in my kitchen was my baking cupboard. As you can see, it was a total disaster. What really made me get going was one day my good cobalt blue ceramic pie pan fell out and broke. It was time to take action.

At Lowe’s we found this great two drawer system you can install in a kitchen cabinet. It was about $82, but as you can see, it made a huge difference. Now things don’t fall out and I can actually get to them.

I’m going to be totally upfront and honest with you here though. You know how you always see those HGTV shows where they do projects like this and you scratch your head wondering how they fit the same amount of junk into the same space? Well, they don’t. I purged this cupboard and threw some things out and sent some seasonal

things (such as a heart shaped cake pan) to the basement. I also purged some other areas of the kitchen so I could move items over there.

One thing I thought of that I am SO proud of myself for is the new organizational system for all of our plastic bags, plastic wrap, parchment paper, foil, etc. This was in the drawer above this kitchen cupboard and somehow the drawer is just a tiny bit not tall enough, because the boxes the bags were in always caught when you opened the drawer. They would rip and bags would spill out everywhere. It was a disaster. Well, in trying to reorganize the pantry, it occurred to me that the entire

back of the door had nothing on it. So we installed some shelves and all of the bags are now kept there. This then freed up the drawer which has become my baking drawer – rolling pin, measuring cups and spoons, etc. Also on the door, I have placed some of the things I use the most from the pantry and which I can never find – baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon and syrup.

I just love the feeling of getting a big mess like this cleaned up! It makes me feel so productive!

Martha has inspired me to do some kitchen organization, with the post on her blog showing her neatly organized kitchen. The absolute worst spot in my kitchen was my baking cupboard. As you can see, it was a total disaster. What really made me get going was one day my good cobalt blue ceramic pie … Read more →

There’s a two page spread in Feb Martha Stewart Living about how to save money in the kitchen. I read it eagerly hoping for some good tips.

– The first tip is to freeze leftover and overripe fruit for smoothies. This is a good idea, although the only time I seem to make smoothies is when we are in Florida and I’m in a tropical mood.

– The next tip is to save carrot peelings,  onion layers, bones, etc to use in making stock. I never throw out chicken bones and do usually use those. I also save leftover piece of steak and beef and use those to make a stroganoff. I don’t save the onion peels and carrots ends though. I will start a bag of these the in freezer. What I have been saving for years is leftover vegetables. Whenever I have leftover veggies from dinner, I dump them in a plastic container in the freezer, then I use it in soups.

– Another tip is a cast iron skillet. I don’t have one of these, but I remember my grandmother did. I don’t really like them and don’t see it as much of a money saver since I have other pans to use.

– Martha says to save leftover gravy, pesto, stock, etc and freeze it in ice cube trays. I really almost never have any of these leftover and I don’t have an ice cube tray, so I’m not sure this tip would work for me.

– Freezing foods in smaller portions is a great idea. My MIL told me once she freezes bacon in small packages.

– Buying olive oil in bulk is another suggestions. I do this. I have a big plastic bottle in the pantry and a small glass olive oil container by the stove that  I refill.

– She suggests having paper in the kitchen to make shopping lists. I have a magnetic notepad on the side of the fridge where I make my lists. And to be truly Martha-ish, I have different notepads for different seasons and holidays.

– Making your own nut butter is another tip. The only nut butter used in this house is peanut butter and I buy the organic store brand. I’m not wild about the idea of making my own since it’s not something used very often.

– I like the idea of making more of what you’re cooking. I do this a lot so that I can freeze half and have another meal. It’s not really a money saving tip though.

There’s a two page spread in Feb Martha Stewart Living about how to save money in the kitchen. I read it eagerly hoping for some good tips. – The first tip is to freeze leftover and overripe fruit for smoothies. This is a good idea, although the only time I seem to make smoothies is … Read more →

I love to read Martha’s organizing ideas, so I have carefully read the Organizing Principles on page 80-81 of  February Martha Stewart Living.

– Martha suggests storing food in glass jars. This is something I do want to do. I currently store some things in plastic, but I have to say I am becoming paranoid about plastic. The recent news about BPA makes me question the safety of all plastic, so I would love to make the switch to glass. It’s an expensive proposition though to buy all the right sizes and shapes. I’m not wild about freezing in glass jars though.

– I used to have the worst time finding my keys and cell phone in my purse. Martha suggests using a shower curtain ring to attach your keys to your purse handle. That doesn’t strike me as very attractive! My solution has been to only buy purses that have a cell phone pocket and a pocket for keys.  She also says to use a mini file folder in your purse for receipts.  I usually stuff receipts in and remove them when I get home. I do have  a separate little zippy wallet thing to keep coupons, reward certificates and punch cards in. I keep all of my store reward cards on a ring. Mr. MarthaAndMe punched a hole in each one and they are now on there in alphabetical order so I can find them!

– Martha suggests keeping a dish next to the sink to put your scrub brush on. We have a tip out little compartment on the front of our sink that I keep ours in. Out of sight, out of mind. I would rather not see my scrub brush.

– My spice collection is on a group of little wire shelves on the side of the pantry. Martha suggests a lazy Susan. I hate those things! Things always fall off behind them. They seem like such a 70’s thing to me. It doesn’t strike me as a new solution.

– We keep our appliance manuals in a big box, alphabetized. Martha suggests keeping the ones you need for the tv, etc in that room. That’s a good idea. Or it would be if Mr. MarthaAndMe would ever consent to actually read an instruction book!

– Martha has a tip for storing your ironing board. Mine’s even easier. Don’t have one. Seriously. I do not iron. I know that is so not Martha, but I really have nothing that requires ironing. Mr. MarthaandMe’s dress shirts go to the cleaners.

– I do not keep magazine stacks around the house. I cut out recipes I want and toss the rest. This dovetails nicely with Martha’s advice, so I’m already on the bandwagon there. She says to cut them out and keep them in binders. I have 5 three ring binders that I keep all my recipes in, divided by category. I actually learned to do that from my mom, who has always kept hers that way.

– Martha says to have a laundry caddy for stain removal. I just keep all my stain removers above the washer. No caddy necessary. I don’t quite know why you would need a caddy for this – don’t you just work on stains in the laundry area?

– The bathroom makeover tips are interesting – I’ll be posting more about that in coming weeks. We are redoing a bathroom right now (a nightmare of workmen and dust).

– I generally write on leftover containers of food with a Sharpie. Martha says to use masking tape. I find that by the time I’ve written on the container and crossed it off and written on it several more times, it is ready to be thrown out anyhow.

– I had to laugh at the suggestion that we screw the lids of small glass jars to the undersides of cabinets, so you can just screw the jar of bolts or whatever right onto the lid. My father did this in the basement workshop area when I was a kid. He used baby food jars. I remember how impossible it was to screw the jar onto the lid – much harder than just putting a lid on a jar!

I love to read Martha’s organizing ideas, so I have carefully read the Organizing Principles on page 80-81 of  February Martha Stewart Living. – Martha suggests storing food in glass jars. This is something I do want to do. I currently store some things in plastic, but I have to say I am becoming paranoid … Read more →

One of my brilliant Martha-esque ideas for Christmas was to make Mr. MarthaAndMe a framed map with thumbtacks in it to show all the places we’ve visited. I saw one in a catalog for about $180. I ordered a map of the US for $10 including shipping, then I bought a frame for 40% off at Michael’s for about $20 and a bottle of spray adhesive for $3. Then I bought a big piece of foamboard for $14. I was so proud of my thriftiness. Then I went to assemble it. The map was not the size promised! It was off by about an inch and didn’t fill the frame side to side.

I also was making one for my parents, but with a world map. That map perfectly fit the frame. I searched and searched for another US map the same size, but apparently there is only one company that makes a US map that is 24×36. I ended up giving it to Mr. MarthaAndMe in its slightly imperfect state. We decided to order a new map (the same one) and this time center it on a piece of foamboard that would fit the frame.

That was this morning’s project. Apparently this manufacturer has a little trouble making maps to size. Today’s map is about an inch off, but the other way – up and down! We made it work and had fun putting in all the thumbtacks. We decided to put them only where we have stayed overnight (even though we usually stay in one place and then drive all over hell in the area around it). It turned out pretty nicely and we’re both looking forward to adding more thumbtacks! We hung it over Mr. MarthaAndMe’s desk to inspire him while he is working.

One of my brilliant Martha-esque ideas for Christmas was to make Mr. MarthaAndMe a framed map with thumbtacks in it to show all the places we’ve visited. I saw one in a catalog for about $180. I ordered a map of the US for $10 including shipping, then I bought a frame for 40% off … Read more →

In my quest to do things the Martha way, I am taking to heart the suggestions in the December issue of Living.

On page 4, Martha provides what she calls “gentle reminders”. I’ve read her tipping guide. I don’t have that many people to tip, although I do have to buy gifts for teachers, tutors, and a house cleaner. Usually I do gift cards for these people and I’m going to do that again this year. However, I may be cutting back on the amounts (isn’t everyone cutting back?) and giving some candy (Martha’s recipes) in addition to the gift card.

Next, Martha suggest we create handcrafted gift card holders. I am going to give this a try for some gift cards I am giving to relatives.

Martha suggests we organize all of our paperwork from the holidays – receipts and warranties. I’m ahead of the game on that. I have a manila folder in my desk I put every receipt in. What I really need to learn to do, however, is to write on each receipt what it is for and what item it is. In the spirit of Martha, I’m going to add that to my to-do list.

Protecting our pets is the next tip. I actually have a funny story about this one. I have a gumdrop tree. It’s a metal tree that you stick gumdrops on. My kids love it. It usually sits on an end table in the family room. Last year one of our dogs disappeared while we were eating dinner at some point in December. He returned licking his lips which is a bad sign. It turns out he completely denuded the gumdrop tree! This year, we put it out again and I forgot about that, so he promptly helped himself again. We’ve now moved it to the top shelf of a bookcase in the family room. He occasionally walks over there and lifts his nose in the air and sniffs to let us know he would really like some.

Because we have big dogs with big tails, I don’t do candles, except for one Yankee candy that sits on a high table. I don’t have anything else that is dangerous for our dogs, so I think they are safe for the holidays.

Page 134 has tips for simplifying the season.  Martha suggests keeping a master calendar. I already do that. Next she says to remember to unwind. I do need to remind myself of that. Yesterday I ordered a holiday mystery for myself from Amazon and I am going to make time to sit down and enjoy it.

Another tip is to update your address book. When we got out the Christmas decorations, I found the cards we received last year in the basket I keep them in. I went through them to see if I could make any into gift labels and came upon a note from friends with a new address. I’ve got to add that into my address book (which I now keep in pencil so it is easy to make changes!).

Last year I cut back my Christmas card list and stopped sending them to people we don’t really know. I’m continuing with that this year. I bought one box of cards and that’s going to be it. If I need more, I have lots of leftover ones from years past.

Martha recommends postponing some holiday festivities. This is good advice. My dad’s family does not celebrate together until Jan 2 this year and we usually see my in-laws a few days after Christmas. It eases the craziness and gives you something to look forward to after the big day.

Another suggestion is to reevaluate gift exchanges. Oh, wouldn’t I love to do this! We buy gifts for some people that we barely know and I would love to put an end to that. It’s easier said than done though and negotiating something like in my family is nearly impossible.

Our decorations are completely up (I’ll post some photos soon) and my shopping is just about done. Next I’ve got to get serious about wrapping and baking.

In my quest to do things the Martha way, I am taking to heart the suggestions in the December issue of Living. On page 4, Martha provides what she calls “gentle reminders”. I’ve read her tipping guide. I don’t have that many people to tip, although I do have to buy gifts for teachers, tutors, … Read more →

Martha sent me an organizing tip of day about first aid kits. We have a first aid kit and I can’t tell you how many times it has saved the day. Not only do we have one in the bathroom, but I also keep a small one in each car. When we travel, I take along another small one. I find that Band-aids at least are an essential when traveling and I like to be prepared for other emergencies. When you stay in a hotel, it’s not as big a concern, but we often rent condos and there is no one to help you nearby, so you’d better be prepared.

Our first aid kit is kept in a plastic box with a handle (being able to grab it and go has really made things easy when it is needed). Here are the items I include (my list is more extensive than Martha’s- who would have thought I could be more anal than Martha!):

– band-aids

– Band-Aid brand hurt free antiseptic wash

– gauze

– tape

– triple antibiotic cream

– Neosporin

– bee sting remedy

– temporary dental filling kit

– eye wash

– special burn bandages (these are gel bandages that cover a burn and hydrate it – they are excellent!)

– insect bite remedy

– tweezers

– alcohol wipes

Now, when I read this email from Martha I thought “HA! I’m all set on this one” Think again. When I went to get the kit out, it was a total mess.  I felt totally like a bad mother (an occurrence I experience at least once a week I’d say!). The lid was off, things were out of their boxes and some things were on the shelf next to it. If someone was hurt, I would have had to scramble around to get out what I needed. Martha’s email resulted in me cleaning the mess up, getting it organized, and tossing out some out of date items. Martha would probably have on her calendar to restock this every few months (since I do not have a calendar of when household tasks should be done  – who does other than Martha?). As for me, I’m going to make an effort to keep it together and organized from now on. This was a useful tip from Martha. Knowing this kit is my cupboard, ready to go, gives me a safe feeling. Even a small task like this is definitely a way to bring a tiny bit of improvement to your life.

Martha sent me an organizing tip of day about first aid kits. We have a first aid kit and I can’t tell you how many times it has saved the day. Not only do we have one in the bathroom, but I also keep a small one in each car. When we travel, I take … Read more →

 

Martha decided it was time to organize my linen closet. She was right. As you can see below, it was pretty messy. I sat down and read all her advice about linen closets on the web site. Some was simply not practical. If I had as much money as Martha does, I could probably install drawers in my linen closet (I am totally serious – that is her ultimate solution), but since I wasn’t up for breaking the bank I went for a simple reorganization. Martha’s other organizational solution is to buy shelf brackets and install them on the top of the shelf upside down and use them as dividers (follow the link above and you’ll see how she does it). This is an inexpensive solution, sort of. They aren’t that expensive, but it feels like too much of a commitment to me to nail those in. I’m stuck with those sizes and shapes on the shelves then. Not to mention – you can’t just nail them in – you would have to paint them and wait for the paint to dry. Ugh. Not happening. This was to be a one afternoon project.

Martha also recommends you label the shelves – “full sheets” or “bath towels”, etc. That seems a little nutty to me. I know what’s what and I don’t need to label it.

The Depths of the Closet

This closet holds linens for the kids’ beds (as well as some for twin beds which we no longer have!) as well as towels (many of which are old and yucky) and supplies for their bathroom. The top shelf is filled with odds and ends (including my Brownie uniform!). The floor of the closet holds our collection of tote and duffel bags, an air mattress and a pile of those plastic zip bags that sheets and blankets come in when you buy them. Our closet has sliding doors that never open and shut properly because something is always getting stuck. In short, it really needed help.

We Began
Mr. MarthaandMe assisted me with this project and we started by taking everything out. Eek. There sure was a lot in there. Then we started with the sheets. We read how Martha recommends you fold a fitted sheet. We even left the instructions up on my monitor while we tried to do it and it never really worked. It always ended up somewhat bumpy and uneven. Have you tried this? If you can make it work, please let me know! There was a lot of under the breath cursing during this phase of the project, I must admit!

Martha did have one idea that I really liked. She suggested taking a set of sheets and stacking them, then wrapping one of the pillow cases around them all. This really did manage to create a cute little package, although I recommend you put the crease side, where the ends of the pillow case meet, down, facing the shelf so it stays together better.

Moving Along
Next we took sheets that we don’t use and put them in some of those plastic zip bags I had. Onward to the towels. I went through them and pulled out some that are now going to be rags. Then we folded them all neatly. Our linen closet shelves are not very deep and the bath towels always catch on the doors. Mr. MarthaandMe suggested folding the bath towels in thirds. He’s a genius! They fit on the shelves then and look very neat. Now he’s channeling Martha!

Our last step was to buy some boxes for the bottom of the closet. This required a trip to my favorite store – Target! I threw out a bunch of duffel bags with broken zippers (some from Mr. MarthaandMe’s elementary school days!) and some ancient stained tote bags. The rest I put in a cute pink canvas box. The air mattress fit into a plastic box with a lid. The plastic zippy bags fit into another canvas box. Voila!

Results

I have to say, I was rolling my eyes at the thought of this project going in, but now I love how the closet looks. There’s so much more space! The problem is going to be keeping it that way. Martha doesn’t have a teenager and a 10 year old stuffing things in her closets and knocking over her nicely folded piles. I’m going to try to keep it this way though because it’s easier to find things and put them away. It just feels much more luxurious to have it looking so pretty. This project took us about an hour. It was all the refolding of the darn sheets that took so much time.

So the bottom line was that I’m glad we did this. I have to admit I even went and opened the closet later in the day just to see how cute it all looked. Martha – I’m with you on this. It’s a good thing.

  Martha decided it was time to organize my linen closet. She was right. As you can see below, it was pretty messy. I sat down and read all her advice about linen closets on the web site. Some was simply not practical. If I had as much money as Martha does, I could probably … Read more →