10-Hours (or 10-Days) To A Spotless and Organized Kitchen- Sometimes it helps to organize a room all at once. However, for home-business owners, spending another entire day in the house isn't always a desirable thing. What may be more desirable is to spend 60-minutes each day working on a project. The steps below will assist you (as they have me) to reorganize your kitchen.
An Organized Pantry- A happy kitchen includes an organized pantry. Here are a few ideas to get you started on the road to a better system. These tips are simple and use common sense techniques to help you get it together.
Cookware Primer- So you want to invest in cookware -- or perhaps you just want to buy something to get by with for now--but the endless array of choices out there makes it seem like a
daunting task. If cooking is new to you, the following cookware primer should help you navigate the waters of what to put on your stove or in your oven.
Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half: 8 Essential Techniques for Every Shopper- Want to Buy Much More for Less? Imagine filling your cart with your favorite groceries, but only paying a fraction of the total cost. By mastering the eight essential techniques, every shopper who buys groceries can get the most out of their hard-earned money.
Developing a Price Book- A price book is simply a list of the items you use regularly and the best prices they sell for in the stores where you are willing to shop. It is an excellent tool for tracking prices, sales and buying opportunities. Prices in a price book should be listed by cost per unit so you can easily compare different size packages from different stores. When you see a deal in the weekly flyer or in the store, you will know instantly if it is really a good deal and worth your time to go out and purchase. Just because an item is on sale doesn't automatically make it a good buy. The regular price at some stores may be less than the sale price at others. Your price book is an invaluable tool to help you determine if a sale is really a deal.
Fridge Clutter and How to Avoid It- Anyone who spends any time at all in a kitchen quickly learns about refrigerator art: what it is, how it's displayed, and who created it. If your refrigerator is anything like that of other parents, it's plastered with kid art, the family calendar, homework assignments, soccer schedules, doctor's appointment reminders, and.... that's just the front!
Grocery Budgets- I am looking for someone to tell me how to go about making a budget for our family's groceries. I have no idea as to how to even start. Any suggestions?
How to Plan Meals For a Picky Eater- This is such a tough one - how do you please everyone in the family? After struggling with a few 'selective eaters', as I prefer to call them in my house, and then reading, Coping with a Picky Eater by William G. Wilkoff, my conclusion is that you can't-and you can! Sound confusing? Well, never fear, help is on the way!
Is Warehouse Shopping Wearing Out Your Wallet?- After waiting in line and waiting in line and waiting in line you push your agonizingly heavy and overloaded baskets out to the car. Getting everything into the trunk of the car makes putting together a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle a breeze, but finally home you go. After you lug everything into the house, it's time to spend the next few hours repackaging things for the freezer. You double wrap your 20 chickens (they could be in that freezer for quite awhile) and frantically try to find places for everything else in your cupboards and pantry. By the time you are done, you are so exhausted that you couldn't begin to lift a finger to cook, so you all go out to eat.
Organized Dinner Planning & Grocery Shopping- If you are someone who frequently finds yourself deciding
what to make for dinner at 5 o'clock in the evening, this is
for you! Being more prepared in your meal planning and
grocery shopping, not only can save your sanity, but it can
save you money, save you time, and it can help to make
sure that your family is eating better.
Organizing the Pantry & Refrigerator (Video!)- Here at FC, we definitely learned some tips from Susan Stewart of PerfectlyPlaced.org. In fact, we will be taking her advice and organizing our pantry how she did, it will be such a great help! Definitely gleaned a few tips about the fridge too. Watch for yourself!
Organizing Your Cleaning Supplies and Schedules- Do you gather cleaning supplies from various locations around the house to clean the bathroom? How many times during the week do you find yourself dragging out the vacuum cleaner? Are you looking for a way to get your children to help more with chores?
Organizing Your Recipes and Menus- "I know I have a recipe for that casserole somewhere. Where did I put it?"
"Honey, I've invited the Jacksons for supper tonight."
"Mom! What's for supper?"
Quick Tips for Holiday Entertaining- The extra commitments and responsibilities brought on by the winter holidays can make the most organized person frantic. Then, there's what seems like the never-ending expense of holiday giving to add more stress. And add in holiday entertaining to the jam-packed schedule and who wouldn't be ready to skip Christmas. However, mix in a dash of preplanning and a pinch of preparation to create a gathering you can easily host and enjoy, too.
Shopping At Aldi- Aldi is a small discount warehouse store, not an outlet store. They do not sell outdated or rejected products. They offer a double your money back guarantee for all of their products. I spend $250-$300 a month on groceries for my family of five.
Storing (and finding) Plastic Containers- When I open up my cabinet of plastic ware - Tupperware, yogurt
containers, etc., it's worse than Mr. Magoo's closet! What can I
do to keep them straight, to have enough containers yet be able
to find sizes and covers when I need them?
The Advanced Basic Kitchen- The following are items that you and your kitchen might be
able to get by without, but life in the kitchen would be much
easier if you had them. You probably already have many of
the items on this list. As you get more and more into cooking,
you will most likely find yourself adding these items (along
with those from the next list) slowly.
The Art of Freezing Food- Freezing is a quick, easy way to store food for future use. By using the proper methods to prepare your food for the cold temperatures, you will ensure the highest quality in the finished product. This can make a big difference between dry unappetizing dishes and those that are as good as freshly made.
The Basic Kitchen- So you want to start cooking but you're not sure where to begin? Before you boil your first egg, let along turn out a spectacular meal, you have to have the right equipment. These lists pertain strictly to cooking equipment, we are not talking dishes to serve the food on, tableware, etc. It is also assumed that you have a stove and oven.
The Basic Pantry- The following is a list of ingredients that will make up a basic well stocked pantry. These are suggestions. Don't run out and buy everything on the list. Not all ingredients will appeal to all people. However, most of the items listed here are basic ingredients that will go into the making of a wide variety of recipes.
The Deluxe Kitchen- The following items are not essential to your kitchen, but they sure are nice to have. You can actually find many of these items extremely inexpensively at thrift stores or garage sales.
The Fine Art of Grocery Shopping- Grocery shopping is one of the first places you can learn how to be frugal. I am amazed when I go to the grocery store how many times people are spending so much more money than myself and getting half the amount of stuff I have within my cart. Here are just a few ways you can learn to cut back on your grocery bill.
The Gadget and Appliance Trap- I was not always happy with my kitchen, and it took some major cleaning to find my true self amongst the gadgets and appliances.
The Hub of the Home- Because my kitchen is such a busy place, it helps to keep it organized.
(Some days the clutter gets out of hand, but that's another article!) I've
learned that I'm not the only person who feels this way. Back in April I
received a wonderful letter on kitchen organization from my friend, Briva.
With her permission, I'm sharing her tips, and sprinkling in some of my own.
What's Hiding in Your Refrigerator?- You've seen the commercial: Tommy LaSorta has a bag of moldy tomatoes because he used the wrong storage bag to store them in for 28 days. I realize the company is trying to make a point, but I also know you just don't keep tomatoes around for 28 days! Then I started thinking about storing various foods in the refrigerator and freezer - where should they be placed and what should they be stored in?
When Grocery Coupons Won't Work- I always read about people who have many options in saving money. My husband and I have 3 children plus child support for his two. I work part time at various jobs. Our combined net income is $2500 per month after his child support. I am currently working on a degree in secondary education with two years left. We do not live in a town that offers double coupons or co-ops for food. There are only 2 grocery stores. The price of gas lately doesn't even make it efficient for us to go to Costco 180 miles away. Please offer some insight for people who have situations similar to this.
Fourth of July!
July 4th is almost here. Celebrate Independence Day this year with crafts, recipes and plenty of other ideas. Here are a few examples to get you started...
Fun Picture Riddles Help with Letter Recognition: Scholastic has done it again, releasing yet another fabulous book in its popular I Spy series. This time Jean Marzollo's witty riddles married with Walter Wick's vibrant photographs make for a fun and engaging read for children of all ages. Through the seemingly magical power of rhyme and repetition, children will obtain several early reading skills without even trying!
Family Matters Radio
FMR is a nationally syndicated radio program developed to help you live your best life, hosted by Caroline & Jacquie. No rants and raves - you get enough of that from your kids. Choose a segment below to begin listening!
This is such a tough one - how do you please everyone in the family? After struggling with a few 'selective eaters', as I prefer to call them in my house, and then reading, Coping with a Picky Eater by William G. Wilkoff, my conclusion is that you can't-and you can! Sound confusing? Well, never fear, help is on the way!
The extra commitments and responsibilities brought on by the winter holidays can make the most organized person frantic. Then, there's what seems like the never-ending expense of holiday giving to add more stress. And add in holiday entertaining to the jam-packed schedule and who wouldn't be ready to skip Christmas. However, mix in a dash of preplanning and a pinch of preparation to create a gathering you can easily host and enjoy, too.
Aldi is a small discount warehouse store, not an outlet store. They do not sell outdated or rejected products. They offer a double your money back guarantee for all of their products. I spend $250-$300 a month on groceries for my family of five.
Grocery shopping is one of the first places you can learn how to be frugal. I am amazed when I go to the grocery store how many times people are spending so much more money than myself and getting half the amount of stuff I have within my cart. Here are just a few ways you can learn to cut back on your grocery bill.
I always read about people who have many options in saving money. My husband and I have 3 children plus child support for his two. I work part time at various jobs. Our combined net income is $2500 per month after his child support. I am currently working on a degree in secondary education with two years left. We do not live in a town that offers double coupons or co-ops for food. There are only 2 grocery stores. The price of gas lately doesn't even make it efficient for us to go to Costco 180 miles away. Please offer some insight for people who have situations similar to this.
Fun Picture Riddles Help with Letter Recognition
Win Fun Stuff!
Missed the last couple of newsletters? Haven't visited for a while? This section highlights articles and crafts that have recently been added to FC...
