Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Organizing Cookware


I am so lucky that our house has two pantries!  One for food and a smaller one that I use to store all of my cookware (you can see how I organize my food pantry here).  I spent many years battling lower cabinets and trying to fit everything in them just right.  And then when I wanted to get something out, it was a whole new battle!  I am so grateful for this space in my house!

Now I will say that this space is definitely in need of some TLC....I guess the previous owners decided to add the top shelf at a later time and didn't match it up to the other shelves.  There are nail holes, bad dry wall spots, and a whole lot of painting that needs to be done!  I wrestled with whether or not to share this with you before I got all of those things repaired or not, but what the heck, here it goes (just don't look too closely!)

 Here's a look at each shelf:



Right now I have 2 different sets of cookware, and yes, it drives me crazy that they don't all match!  But they have to work for now.  I dream of the day when I will open this pantry and everything will match :)



I must say that two of my favorite organizers ever are in this pantry.  The skillet and lid holders are amazing!!  You NEED them if you don't already have them :)  You can find them almost anywhere and they are usually only a few dollars, but make such a HUGE difference!


Here's another look at the whole thing.  The right side is just where I hang aprons.

So there you have it.  I absolutely love having this pantry and can never have another house without one!  Do you have a good spot to keep all of your cookware, or have you found a good solution for those dreaded lower cabinets?! I would love to see how you keep everything organized! Thanks for stopping by today!
-Emily 


Linking up at:
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
http://saving4six.com/
http://houseofroseblog.com/
http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/
http://organized31.com/
http://www.lambertslately.com/
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
http://craftdictator.com/
http://www.nancherrow.com/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com/
http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
http://cityofcreativedreams.blogspot.com/
http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com/
http://goldenreflectionsblog.com/
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Stand Mixer Milk Shakes

This past weekend I was let in on a little secret that will change my life forever-milk shakes made in the stand mixer!  It might sound crazy, but this is seriously exciting to me!  Making milk shakes for a family of 6 takes a long time when you have to do each one by hand.  We love shakes, so finding out that I can make an entire batch in one swoop is fantastic!  So, thank you to my friend Jana who has introduced me to this life changing process ;)

All you need is ice cream, milk, and whatever you want to add to it (that night we made some with chocolate chip ice cream and melted peanut butter mixed together-YUMMY!!!)

Here's how we made just a basic chocolate shake:

We put a half gallon of vanilla ice cream in the mixer with the wire whip attachment and slowly let that begin to mix.

 Then we added in 2 cups of milk and let it continue mixing.

 We just drizzled in the chocolate until we had it to the flavor (actually went more by the color) that we wanted it.


And that's it! So good and so easy!  I can't wait to make them again and experiment with different flavors!

Enjoy!
-Emily


Linking up at:
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com/
http://www.thesassyslowcooker.com/
http://craftdictator.com/
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
http://saving4six.com/
http://houseofroseblog.com/
http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/
http://organized31.com/
http://www.lambertslately.com/
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
http://craftdictator.com/
http://www.nancherrow.com/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com/
http://cityofcreativedreams.blogspot.com/
http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/
http://kitchendreaming.com/

Monday, April 28, 2014

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays


Happy Tuesday! Thank you for another great party last week! The post with the most views was:

Title
Orange Supermecicle Cookies from Eat, Drink, & be Mary

Some of my favorites were:
Kid's Party Food Ideas Monkey Toast with Gay Lea

caramel fudge cake


Be sure to grab a button from the page at the top of the blog!  Also check out the other hosts' sites to check out their favorites!

Erin at Table For Seven
FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    Instagram


FaceBook     Twitter     Google+     Pinterest




Subscribe now to get notified when the party starts!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays

Hi!  I hope you had a wonderful Easter!!  All of us hosts were blown away by the amazing party this past week!  I told you last week that we broke a record for our biggest party, and then this week you all SMASHED that record and set a new one!  Thank you so much for being a part of it!

Don't forget that each co-host picks their own favorites so be sure to stop by their blogs and see if you have been featured!

FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    Instagram


FaceBook     Twitter     Google+     Pinterest


Rachael at Diamonds in the Rough
Google+    Twitter    Pinterest     Instagram 

The post with the most views was:
Skillet Kielbasa

As I was preparing for Easter, I especially enjoyed these posts this week:

Egg Shell Candles - Easter Centerpiece

Eggs decorated with 3M Magic tape - easy easter egg decorating ideas

Easy Washi Tape Easter Eggs

Be sure to grab a featured button from the page at the top of the blog!

Thanks for joining us!  Have a wonderful week!






Subscribe now to get notified when the party starts!

Monday, April 14, 2014

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays


Welcome!  A huge THANK YOU to everyone who linked up last week, giving us our biggest party EVER!  We are so grateful you are with us and are thrilled that our party is growing each week!  So, thank you for spreading the word and sharing with us!  You can also sign up to receive an email when our party starts by entering your email address in the box right under the link up! 

And I'm so excited that all of our hosts are back this week, so you will be sharing on SIX different blogs when you link up with us!!!
FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    Instagram


FaceBook     Twitter     Google+     Pinterest


Rachael at Diamonds in the Rough
Google+    Twitter    Pinterest     Instagram 

The post with the most views from last week's party was
Some of my favorites were:
cookietitle

grandma's cowboy cookies

Easter Spring Decor

Grab a featured button from the buttons page at the top of the blog!  And don't forget to stop by the other host' sites to check out their favorites from last week!

Thanks for joining us!





Subscribe now to get notified when the party starts!

Monday, April 7, 2014

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays

Happy Tuesday! I am so glad you are joining us for our party! We have a new co-host this week; please welcome Rachel from Diamonds in the Rough!  Also note that some of our hosts have taken a bit of time off for various reasons, so keep an eye out for their returns soon!  

This week you will be sharing at 4 different blogs!  Each host picks their own favorites each week so be sure to stop by each site to see if you have been featured!

FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    Instagram


Katie at Paradise Praises
FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    LinkedIn


The post with the most views last week was:

Some of my favorites were:

spicytipswords3

Chocolate Salted Caramel Bars

Be sure to grab a featured button from the page at the top of the blog!

Looking forward to seeing what you have for us this week!



Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Liebster Award!

LiebsterAward

Wow!  I was so excited when Ciara at Teaspoon of Life nominated me for a Liebster Award!  Thanks, Ciara!!  The Liebster Award is such a fun way to learn about some new blogs you may never have heard of yet!  Here's how it works: a blogger nominates other bloggers who are either new to blogging or have less than 200, 500 or 1000 followers (apparently there are different rules as to how many followers to have.) After nominated, you answer the questions the blogger who nominated you gives you. Then you nominate other bloggers and ask your own questions.  So fun, right?!  

So here are the questions Ciara asked me:

1. When did you start blogging?
September 2013
2.What do you enjoy most about blogging?
Connecting with readers and other bloggers! 
3. What are your favorite hobbies?
Used to be dancing, but with 4 kiddos I don't get around to it much anymore.  So now, I definitely would say photography (and with 4 kids I sure do get to do it a lot!! Way more than they like ;) )
4. What is your favorite food?
Chocolate for sure!
5. What do you love most about your life?
Who I get to spend it with :)  It may not always be an easy ride, but with my 5 by my side, it will never be more than we can handle. 
6. Who is the most influential person in your life?
I have 4...my kids! They make me work to be a better person and want to be the best I can be for them.  
7.  Describe your perfect vacation.
Warm sand, crystal blue water, waves rolling in, and sun in my eyes...someday I hope to experience it for real :)
8. What is your favorite animal?
Love them all, but ever since I was little I have had a deep love of Koalas.  Holding one is on my Bucket List. 
9. Do you have any pets? If so tell us about them!
Yep!  2 dogs, a cat, and some fish. 
Riley is our Puggle...almost 6 years old and fat and smelly but we love her to pieces! Daisy is our newest baby we rescued about a year and a half ago. She is all puppy!  Never wants to sit still. 


Demi is our kitty cat.  She was BEST friends with our 100lb Weimaraner, Monty, when I first got her, but when he died she was never the same.  They used to curl up and sleep together.  She's not a fan of the new dogs; we think she misses her Monty.  She likes to sit on the couch and watch tv with the kids now.  (I had to go back and find some pictures of the together)
(We actually had to cut a hole in the side of his crate so she could get in and be with him even when we were gone. So sweet!) 



And I will spare you pictures of our fish...actually because we don't have any ;)  
10. Lastly,  what is your favorite part of being a blogger?
Like I said earlier, I love being able to connect with readers and other bloggers.  I am a stay at home mom so sometimes I feel like I go days without talking to another adult (especially because of the strange hours my husband works as a firefighter).  This was a way for me to reach out and have some contact with people who may be in the same boat as I am.  I already feel like I have made some great friends all across the world just by writing this blog! 
So there you go!  That's a little bit about me!  The questions I am asking my nominees are:
1. When did you start blogging?
2. Why did you start blogging?

3. What is your favorite thing about being a blogger?
4. What is your favorite food?
5. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
6. If you could meet one famous person, who would you choose?
7. Describe yourself in 3 words.
8. What is your favorite spot in your house and why?
9. Where do you see your blog in one year?

10. What do you hope readers will take away from your blog?

My nominees are:
Homeschool Epiphany
Rebuilding The Well
Cheng and 3 Kids
Our Secondhand House

Lets's share some love and follow all of the nominees! Can't wait to learn a little more about you all!
-Emily