Something New for the Kitchen

Just call me Bob the Builder ... I put it together All By Myself!!!

I love having my melamine mixing bowls and vintage Pyrex out where I can see them everyday.  =)

School Papers

My dining room table looked like this Wednesday night: 

Binders, notebooks, papers, workbooks -- all sent home in a Big Bag for Mommy to sort through and organize.  I refused to go to bed until it was done otherwise it just might get Piled until next September.  =)

Yellow - Preschool, Purple - Kindergarten, Light Blue - First Grade

My simple method of keeping the School Paper Monster under control is an accordion file.  I prefer the poly variety as they come in bright, cheerful colors ... Imagine that.  =)

As worksheets, art work, teacher notes, and the like come home from school, I file away a few in the accordion file and recycle the rest.  I also include Sunday School papers and Art Work done at home.

The file is very Bulgy by the end of the year, so I have to thin it out a bit to handle that End of School Paper Barrage.  That is what I did Wednesday night.  =)

When Love Bug finishes 12th Grade, she will have a neatly organized chronology of her Educational Journey. 

Love,

Erin

DGD's Favorite Storage Containers

I love, love, love GLASS CANNING JARS and find they work so well in my pantry. I've purchased them all at thrift stores so I didn't spend a lot of money switching from plastic containers to glass jars.

My all-time favorite size is the 1/2 gallon canning jar. I can fit 2 deep in my upper cabinets so they don't waste any space. I store flour, sugar, rice, pasta, bread crumbs and oatmeal in this size jar.

Quart canning jars are the perfect size for chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, dried coconut, dry milk etc.

Half pint canning jars are the perfect size for cocoa, baking soda, wheat gluten, salt, etc.

Quilted Jelly jars are the perfect size for spices and it's an added bonus that they come with decorative labels.

God Bless,

ERIN =)

DGD's Goals for Summer 2008

Summer is just around the corner so I need to start planning! I started out by pulling out my bin of warm-weather clothing and tried everything on. I was pleasantly surprised that only 2 pairs of shorts and jumper need to go to Goodwill. I'm almost 30 and I don't feel the need to wear such short things anymore. I need to wash everything because it acquired a boxed-up, musty smell. =( For the first time since Abigail was born, I don't have any clothing to pull out of my reserves. We used to get lovely hand-me-downs from my friend Suzie at church but Abigail has outgrown her oldest. LOL. I'm going to see how long the 5 or 6 short sleeved play dresses will last before purchasing anything else. =) Next week, I'll pull out Mr. K's warm-weather clothing and start swapping out his closet. I'm estimating that our down comforters will need to be packed away within in the next 4-5 weeks.

Last summer was NOT a pretty sight. I was pretty much an drifting boat without a sail. Four out of five weeknights, Mr. K would come home from work to Abigail and I having horrible fights. This summer I'm making a few concrete goals so that everyone in the Kortering family will have a pleasant summer.

1. Television free from June 1 to August 31. I don't want to have the temptation to use the "electronic" babysitter so I'm going to move the tube to the basement. We can watch occasional DVDs on the laptop.
2. Host a weekly playdate with our friends from church. This will be a blessing for the kids, the moms, and will help me be diligent in my house cleaning tasks. I've already sent out the invitations for this.
3. Read! Read! Read! Abigail is finally old enough to enjoy chapter books. =) Just think of it ... Little House on the Prairie; Betsy, Tacy, & Tib series, The Boxcar Children, and so many more!
   
4. Pick strawberries and blueberries at local farms. This was something I enjoyed doing when I was a child.
5. Spend one morning baking something that will be a blessing for an elderly person at our church. Abigail can draw a picture and we will deliver it together in the afternoon.
6. Pack a picnic and go sailing. Mr. K bought a small sailboat this winter and we are looking forward to spending many lazy hours on the Chesapeake Bay.
7. De clutter the house from top to bottom. This is actually something that Abigail can help me with now and it is a wonderful opportunity to teach her to be generous to others.

Do you have any plans or goals for this summer? If you do, please share them!

God Bless,

ERIN