Household Tip #2: Junk Drawer No More

I am ashamed to say that this was my "junk drawer".  What a mess!  While I perusing the Internet, I came across the statement that you should never have a "junk drawer".  If you want to be and feel truly organized then everything in your house should have a designated spot and not just shoved into a drawer.  I couldn't even begin tell you everything that was in that drawer. 

Seriously?  Why am I keeping a number 6 candle?  Am I really saving it for Princess who won't turn 6 for another year?  Is it really necessary?  Nope!  Out it goes!

So that's where that Valentine card went that I got for the Husband!  Oops!  My bad!  Oh well, he would probably still appreciate a Valentine's card in June, right?

This drawer is really large and it's like a freakin' black hole.  Things just get sucked into it and are never seen again.

I did some serious mucking out and this is what the drawer looks like now!

Oh my gosh!  It is so much better!  I open it up and everything I'm looking for is right where I can see it and within easy reach.  I know we all have our little "Monica Closet's" (from Friends, remember her crazy stuffed disorganized closet that she kept a secret from everybody?) but trust me, if you pick just one disorganized spot in your house and clean it out, you will feel SO much better.  You will love your little area of organization so much, and it will motivate you to tackle another area of chaos in your house.  That's what cleaning out the junk drawer did for me!  After tackling the junk drawer I reorganized the computer/craft/storage room.  What a huge difference!  That post is on it's way so stay tuned!

May Menu

Here's my menu for May.  Every now and then I'll have what I like to call a, "Use What You Have" week  During that week I don't plan any meals and I also don't buy any ingredients for special recipes.  I just "Use What I Have".  I do go out and buy the essentials, like milk, bread, eggs, and produce, but other than that zip, zero, nada.  I use whatever meat I have in the freezer and I raid the pantry.  So, the first week in May ended up being my "Use What You Have" week since we were just returning from out of town and I hadn't planned my menu yet.

May

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Out.  On the way home from California	Use what you have week:  Grilled Chicken with Swiss Chard straight from the garden.  Kids: Chicken Nuggets with watermelon.	Grilled Cod with Swiss Chard and Triple Berry Salad (recipe to come next week).  Kids:  Fish Sticks with salad and Swiss Chard.	Taco Bell.  (No desire to cook!)	Grilled Chicken Sausages Stuffed with Feta and Spinach and Swiss Chard.  Kids: Quesadilla's and Strawberries.	Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes	Out
Mother's Day (Marie's)	Triple Berry Salad w/Grilled Chicken & Veggie Muffins	Egg Salad Sandwiches w/grilled Zucchini	Lemon Splashed Shrimp Salad	Taco Salad	Pizza	Leftover's
Baked Potato Bar and all the Fixin's	Wonton Chicken Salad	Grilled Shrimp Tacos	Artichoke & Pasta Salad	BLT's w/ fresh fruit	Breakfast for dinner	Out
Sunday Roast w/ Potatoes, Carrots, Rolls, & Salad	Cobb Salad	Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad	Mexican Delight	Cereal, fresh fruit, & muffins	Last Day of School!  Kid's Choice	Leftover's
Lemon Chicken w/ Rice, Salad, and Rolls	BBQ

Although I hate summers here in Arizona there are a few things about Summer, in general, that I love.  One of those things I love is the lighter food that is standard summer fare; salads, sandwiches, and barbecues.  I honestly look forward to eating in the summer.

My mother-in-law isn't going to be in town this Memorial Day, so for the first time in....ummm.....9 years we are on our own.  I'm already planning a BBQ with hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and chips, but I need some ideas for other things to have and especially for a yummy dessert to make.  Any suggestions?  Also, any one want to join us for the festivities?

Household Tip #1: Frozen Pizza

Alright ya'll, I don't know about you guys, but my kids LOVE pizza!  They love it so much they could probably eat it every day of the week.  Now, while I don't let them eat it everyday I do try to put it on the menu at least twice a month.  I love take-out pizza but on a tight budget, who can afford that even twice a month so we tend to do more frozen pizza than anything else.  My problem with frozen pizza is that it's hard to buy it ahead of time because those darn boxes don't fit in my freezer.  I have a small freezer and it is usually full to the brim, especially after shopping at Sam's Club or Costco.

My freezer after a shopping trip to Wal-mart and Sam's.

So, I came up with a ingenious solution, or at least I think it's ingenious, to my problem.  Why do we keep the boxes?  We keep them because they have the instructions, cooking temp and time, on the boxes.  Well, here's what I did.  I grabbed a permanent marker, took the pizza's out of the boxes, and wrote the temps and cooking times right on the plastic.

Brilliant right?  Okay, so maybe not brilliant but I was pretty proud of the solution to my problem.  Now, when pizza is on the menu I can actually buy it ahead of time instead of having to make a special trip to Little Cesaers or to the store. 

Here's how it fits into my freezer:

Are you totally laughing at me right now?  That's alright, laugh at me now but you'll be thanking me later!