Herbed Sea Salt

Have I ever mentioned how much I adore the blog Sunday Suppers? It documents a cooking class held in Brooklyn with the most gorgeous pictures of delicious food, impeccable styling, and thoughtful favors. One of my favorite take-homes was a customized sea salt which I decided to replicate for a few of my friends.  It's so easy.  Just a nice quality sea salt, your favorite fresh herbs or spices, and a cute container to give it in.  I've used my roasted garlic and herb sea salt on roasts and loins. So yummy!

Patterned Paper Place Mats

*Image via Paper Source

If you have a big crowd coming for dinner and don't have enough matching table settings, here's a quick trick that can really pull your look together: scrapbook paper. For less than $1 each you can place a square 12x12 piece of paper under your place setting in any color or pattern you can dream up. It's just paper, but you will be amazed how much spark it adds to your table.

Right Around the Corner

In between making signs and cheering on B this weekend, the kids and I went to the library to stock up on Halloween goodies. You know - library goodies like books, dvds, and cds. Our library has a check out policy of three weeks so going early insured us a nice selection that will last us well into October. Many of our favorite story characters (the Berenstein Bears, Clifford, even Charlie and Lola) have a sweet Halloween story to share. So be sure to add the library to your "to do" list this week in order to not miss out on some spooky bedtime stories that will add to the Halloween spirit at your house this year.

Clean House

I knew I had to insert a brief post on the joys of simple cleaning on this Monday morning...not to mention the inspiration of this catchy review of "Mrs. Meyer's Clean Home" from Nesting:

'Part memoir, part how-to, her eco-friendly cleaning tips (a quarter cup of baking soda in the wash cycle and a tablespoon of white vinegar in the rinse cycle will make your clothes super soft) are sprinkled in with hilarious stories of trying to raise a gaggle of kids. Plus, the retro '50s style design is fantastic. It's the only cleaning book we can imagine reading in bed because it's so fun. Seriously!"

And you may find yourself wondering why I was inspired for such a post? I came home from my vacation not only to find my kids happy and healthy and in denial that Grandma and Grandpa were actually going to leave - but to a clean master bathroom (specifically toilet....T.M.I.?). This same porcelain devil that has refused to be cleaned with C.L.R., Kaboom, or Lime Away was shiny and sparkly due to a white vinegar rinse and a little elbow grease. Mrs. Meyers hasn't got a thing on Mrs. Smiley. And I'm the lucky one who's related to her.

Call Me Sentimental...

I've been cleaning out some drawers in my bedroom and need to find a place to keep my piles and piles of momentos - airline tickets from fabulous trips, cards from my kids or hubby, pictures, brochures I can't part with etc... So here's my question. Are you a sentimental saver? And if so, how do you store it all?

Art in a Recession

I have four different patterns of Martha Stewart wrapping paper framed in the girls' room. It's an inexpensive and visually appealing way to display pattern as art. I'm ready for a change and was thinking of swapping this piece of beautiful collage wrapping paper from Papaya out for one of them. At a whopping $3, don't you think I can justify the change?

For Display Only

I used to have a collection of beautifully deceptive fake limes. They were so very realistic, in fact, that after several months of being on display each and every one was blemished with a bite mark (which then left them very fake looking because the inside styrofoam surfaced). To this day I don't know who the culprit was, but I'm guessing it wasn't the Mister:) Eventually I trashed my collection but every once in a while (when they're on sale of course) I buy some fresh limes in lieu of fresh flowers simply for display. I don't guilt myself into having to use them up. I simply treat them like I would a bouquet of flowers and once they're sufficiently shriveled, I throw them in the bin. Although I miss my look-a-likes a bit, there is truly nothing like fresh citrus or flowers - or really fresh anything to bring a little spring indoors.

Our Crystal Ball...Sort of

We spent our evening writing our list of predictions for 2009. It is one of our favorite holiday traditions that we have done since our very first Christmas as newlyweds. I keep the list tucked away in our Christmas journal and after we've written them, the list is put away with the decorations until we pull it all out the next year. We're always eager to dig them up and see how close we were on our guesses. I have a nice little stack now dating back to 1996 and I love to see how our life decisions and circumstances have changed throughout the years. They started with predictions of what jobs we would have, what college class we would pass/fail that year, if we would move, if we would we have a baby, and on and on...

Now of course the kids have snuck into the process and like to include such things as:

"David Archuletta will come to our church and speak on sharing one's talents and then he will sing for us." (I've tried to explain to the girls the difference between a prediction and a wish but its not sinking in.)

Our predictions are sometimes funny, sometimes personal, sometimes motivating, or sometimes just straight out of left field. If your family hasn't done something like this in the past, I'm here to say, "Go for it...do it." It is time well spent. Next year you'll be glad you did.

A Rock by Any Other Name...

I love this idea for place cards at the Thanksgiving table. I am now on the hunt for beautiful, smooth rocks. Care to share any other interesting feast ideas you've found?

Hi There Hair!

I'm not exaggerating when I say we ADORE hair accessories. With four girls living under one roof you can imagine the baskets, bags, and caddies of ribbons and headbands that are stashed under our bathroom sinks. Sadly, I would say we average losing about one per week which is why I'm always on the lookout for new and most importantly INEXPENSIVE replacements. This lovely blossom clip is only $2.80 from Forever 21. In fact, I was quite impressed with their assortment of hair goods. Who would have thought? Just thought I'd pass it along...

-amr

Right Around the Corner

Three weeks from today to be exact. (Not that I'm counting or anything:) All three little Roberts who attend school are actually getting quite excited. You remember how it is...back to school shopping, pencil cases, new shoes, glue sticks... During some of our back to school preparations, I came across this great article in my file folder on volunteering. It's such a great resource full of tips from successful classroom parents and volunteers.

-amr

p.s. I'll add one more tip of my own. I took loads of pictures at school last year with my iPhone which has a really decent little camera. When I found out who was on the yearbook committee, I began e-mailing them to her as soon as the event was over straight from my phone - wa la! I was done before the call even came out for photo contributions.

Tip of the Day

I am always so impressed with Real Simple's organizing tips and ideas. For instance, in this article on a media center makeover, they showcased a tool I've never heard of called discsox. This flip file with 50 plastic sleeves allows you to toss the bulky DVD cases in order to organize your discs neatly on a shelf in your entertainment center. Now, isn't that NEAT?

-amr

Tip of the Day

Don't forget to sign the kids up for the local library's summer reading program. Our public library has two fun options this summer. The first is "Catch the Reading Bug" and the second is "Read down your Fines". The library is such a great resource for motivation to keep the kids reading all summer long. We're hoping to log hundreds of pages over the next couple of months.

-amr

More Spring Cleaning

I am excited. (No, not excited - that makes me sound really pathetic.) Let's try again - I am curious to try this sole plate cleaner for my iron. Supposedly it restores an iron coated with goo, to a shiny, goo-free, good as new iron. It can be purchased here.

-amr

Cleaning and Organizing

I was asked to give 5 tips for spring cleaning and decluttering for an organizational handout that was being compiled. Here is what I contributed:

1. With small children, I find it easier to do a lot of the decluttering of smaller items while they are at school or at a play date. They never seem to miss what I get rid of. I do have them help me with some bigger items and older toys and clothes because it is a good chance to teach them not to be attached to things.

2. I try use the 3 pile rule when I'm cleaning out a room or closet: 1. Throw away 2. Donate 3. Keep If it is something that I am on the fence about I try to do 2 things. First, I move the location of the item (for example, from a closet to a cupboard or somewhere else where it is more accessible to see if I will actually use it more) and second, I date the package or box it is in. Then, the next time I go through the stuff I can get rid of it if I still haven't used within 6 months to a year.

3. Another motivator I have used to help me dejunk is donating to a garage sale for a cause. For example, for the last few summers my nephew has been raising money for a choir trip back east and they have had a garage sale to help raise some money. Sometimes I have an easier time getting rid of stuff if I know it is going to help someone for a good cause.

4. During the spring, I try and take one room a week so I can get on with life and still get some of that cleaning accomplished without feeling overwhelmed. I do a lot of the decluttering myself and then have my kids come in and help with the actual cleaning of their rooms. Washing windows, baseboards, vacuuming - you name it. I even get Bryce involved! I can't move those beds to vacuum under and behind by myself!

5. Most importantly, I am trying my best to BUY LESS - really evaluating if what I'm purchasing will become that "junk" I'm going to want to get rid of in 6 months.

-amr

The Best Stainless Steel Cleaner is...

How much do we love Martha? She answered that ever puzzling question - what is the best product to clean stainless steel? She said don't spend the money on stainless steel cleaners because they're too oily. Just use good old Windex original - start from the top to the bottom going sideways - then top to bottom vertically. Martha solves another one!

-amr

I Heard it Through the Grapevine

shhhhh...Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. starts a puddle jumpers warehouse sale...the usual location. These babies, in all shapes, sizes, and colors, are known to be as low as $5.

-amr

Tip of the Day

Thought I would pass along some words of wisdom from the wisest woman I know: "You only have 10 days to buy 41 cent stamps, so stop and buy 100 forever stamps and that will save you a penny or two." - Shirley Smiley

-amr

Tip of the Day

* Image via Martha

Bryce has the chance to eat with a lot of foodies in his travels, so he's learned a bit about reading menus and ordering the best options. One tip that he lives by is to never order fish (or sushi) on Monday. Especially if you live inland like we do. Fish obviously has to be shipped into a place like Utah and is rarely shipped in fresh on Mondays because of the preceding weekend; therefore, the fish you're getting is most likely either frozen or leftover from last week's supplies. Seems logical doesn't it? Just thought I'd share...

-amr