Getting Organized for Fire Prevention & Giveaway

This is a sponsored post on behalf of First Alert. All opinions are my own.

October is "Fire Prevention" month and I have been preparing for disasters now even more because of how many I have been watching all around our country. I have personally had family effected by the natural disasters and it has made me more aware of how lacking our household is in terms of preparation. 

The Organizing Itch

This post was sponsored by Formica Corporation

I've got that organizing itch again and so I've been busy trying to work out a few areas in my home to fine tune and get re-organized. I've noticed, and I'm sure you have to, that many of the areas around my home need an organizing update - kinda like my schedule as the kids get older and more independent. I no longer need the big command center area that I once did, but I still need that entry dresser and I wanted to make the space even more functional for our lives now.

I decided that things weren't looking so well and my friends at Formica Corporation told me about a few amazing new products that they wanted to show you, in a normal, everyday environment like mine! So, I agreed - let's do this!

First, I needed to figure out what was the problem because lately our command center area was piling up with more and more stuff. So, I went through and cleared out the clutter on the top of the dresser and got rid of a lot of unnecessary stuff. 

Second, I went through the dresser and determined that I had too much in there, also - surprise! It didn't take me very long to do this process, maybe 20 minutes.

Third, I decided to make this area function a little differently. Instead of having so much stuff on the wall, I wanted something functional yet pretty! This is where I decided that using the Formica® Writable Surfaces came in! I decided that using these surfaces both on top of the dresser and also writeable panels for the wall treatment would be exactly what would work for this area! Formica® Writable Surfaces come in six colors and designs, giving you the opportunity to make lists, jot down inspirational quotes or even doodle. These surfaces, like all Formica® Brand products, are budget-friendly and durable.

 

Now, I can't wait to show you the surfaces I chose and how the project came together....but, you'll have to wait just a little longer before it's ready!

 

  Want to know where I got that product?

 Go HERE and find it!

**I have a few affiliate links in this post - this does not mean you pay a dime more for the product when you purchase through my link. It just means I made it easier for you to find what you might like, so I make a few cents if you purchase. I SO SO SO appreciate when you support Organizing Made Fun. Thank you!!**  Like what you see here? Consider becoming a follower or subscribe via email! 

Connect with me:

 

Essential Kitchen Cleaning

I LOVE my new kitchen, but I'm going to be completely honest, it's more work to keep this kitchen clean than my old kitchen! I think it's a combo of surfaces that need cleaning, new pots and pans with different care, and the fact that I actually care that it looks spotless most of the time!

Quick Tip: Cleaning Cast Iron and More

One of my recent discoveries in the kitchen has been cast iron. I have found that cast iron is probably the longest lasting and most efficient types of pans to cook with. Cleaning cast iron can be tricky, as you can't just throw it into the dishwasher or let it soak in the sick since it will easily rust. 

Quick Tip: Make Lettuce Last Longer

This is a quick tip I wanted to share with you to keep your lettuce fresh and lasting longer - it's a trick I've learned all on my own. You ready? Here is a photo of my lettuce that was in the back of my fridge for TEN DAYS. I just took it out and cut it up and put it into my salad - honestly, it was forgotten in the veggie drawer! 

So, how to I keep my lettuce SO FRESH for so long - up to two weeks?

OK, here it is - it's super simple. 

1. Wash the lettuce and get it nice and dry.
2. Get a clean, dry terry towel  - I got mine at Costco or here.
3. Wrap dried lettuce tightly in terry towel then put into a gallon-sized ziptop bag. 

That's it! The terry towel keeps the lettuce from getting soggy and still keeps it fresh. So, if you like to make a little salad everyday or don't get to it right away, it keeps it fresh! 

Do you have a great way of keeping vegetables last longer? Please share!

 

  Want to know where I got that product?

 Go HERE and find it!

**I have a few affiliate links in this post - this does not mean you pay a dime more for the product when you purchase through my link. It just means I made it easier for you to find what you might like, so I make a few cents if you purchase. I SO SO SO appreciate when you support Organizing Made Fun. Thank you!!**  Like what you see here? Consider becoming a follower or subscribe via email! 

Connect with me:

3 Ingredient Baked Egg Casserole

Weekday mornings can be crazy and I'm always trying to make thing easy for breakfast, but I don't want store made or processed food for our family. So, I've found something easy that my teenaged son, who has to leave at 6:30 each morning for school, can make himself and I know he gets a good breakfast.

This is an Easy Bake Egg Casserole and you only need THREE ingredients!

Making the Most of "Leftovers"

Do you like leftovers?  If not then you probably haven't made the most of them!  I used to think that the best way to handle leftovers is to pack them up and send them to work with my hubby, but now I've actually started cooking extra on purpose so that I can use the leftovers for another meal all together.  

Christmas in the New Kitchen

Now that we've got a new kitchen, I figured it would be important for me to get some new decor in there for Christmas, of course! I wanted to share how I decorated in there and maybe give you some ideas for your own home, too!

The Best Thing About Reusable Bags + Giveaway

I have been given compensation from Full Circle Home to express my 

opinions on their product and share with you. All opinions are my own. 

Over the years I have become more and more of a conscious Mama, who is focused on a natural, organic lifestyle, the more I learn about the things that are in our food, our health, and environment. So, to say that I want to have environmentally conscious products, describes me completely! One of my newest favorite companies is Full Circle Home - a company dedicated to earth friendly, non-toxic products. This is something I can get on board with! 

Today I wanted to share a new product that I've been using and offer it as a giveaway to you - reusable bags. It's one of the products I've been searching for a long time to find that really works, can be washed in the dishwasher, and is truly leak proof. I found it - AND I get to give them away to one of my readers! Please read on to find out more...

How to Make 10 (Pressure Cooker) Freezer Meals In A Day

So you've seen those pressure cookers and instant pot recipes and heard all the hype but you're not sure if you're ready to take the plunge.  After all, you're just a "normal Mom,"  do you really have time to cook for hours, bag and then freeze it all just to save a little time?  Are you longing for an honest opinion about just how doable this "power cooking" actually its?  I was wondering the exact same thing so I tried it, and I'm going to share the whole truth with you today.  

How to Organize Kitchen Cupboards

If you want to get some more great ideas with organizing your kitchen, I've got them! Last week I shared my new kitchen and how I organized all the drawers in there! Today I'm sharing the rest of the cupboards in the kitchen! There's so many great ideas I'm going to give you about organizing them, so be sure to share this and pin all your favorites!

Where to Get Those Kitchen Products and Appliances

With all that has gone on in the past months with our kitchen, I wanted to share some of the amazing products that I used and recommend for you to use also, should you decide to re-do a kitchen, update a bath, or just pin a few of your favorites. 

I work with a lot of great companies and I was able to reach out to a few of them that I have worked with in the past to provide me with a few things for my kitchen. Other things are just fun finds that I found on my own and want to share my opinion about how it works and whether or not it was worth the money to purchase that products. So, I'm going to go through everything and hopefully answer all your questions about them.

The New Kitchen: Organizing the Drawers

This new kitchen is truly AMAZING! Having someone take what was in my head and design it on paper, then to have it actually in my home, is just an amazing feeling! I can't wait to show you all the organization that I've done in the new kitchen, so today I'm going to share all the organizing in the drawers! There is so much organizing that it's going to take multiple posts to share it all - there is just THAT much awesomeness! Are you ready to PIN some great organizing ideas? 

To begin with, my dream was to have as many drawers as possible in the new kitchen. I wish I could have had many more than I have - I would have liked two big drawers under my cooktop but I had to sacrifice those drawers in order to have the downdraft exhaust fan - since that exhaust fan takes up a big chunk of space under the cooktop, so no room for drawers. I also would have loved it under the sink, but being that I wanted to have actual plumbing it's nearly impossible to have drawers there, also! I have drawers all over the place, though!  In my opinion, drawers are much better for organizing things than a big, open space. So, I'm going to start with my coffee/wine bar drawers in the dining area of the kitchen, because I just want to start over there and bring you around the kitchen.

How to Organize Cords Easily

Living in the 21st century means we have cords, lots and lots of cords. Cords are messy, very messy! You know there are cords by the couch, next to the bed, in the kitchen, in the office, behind the TV - you know, everywhere! So, I consider myself somewhat of an expert in this area now, especially having a husband in the IT field - yes, cords and more cords. My husband also runs the sound system at our church and he's become quite meticulous about how to keep cords out of the way and from view, so I've learned things from him too. I'm going to give you my solutions and some of the basic things you need to keep around your house to keep up with the web of cords - cause I like them hidden!

The Kitchen is Done - the BIG Reveal!!!!

I have been given the opportunity, from MasterBrand Cabinets, 

to join with them in our kitchen renovation, which includes the donations of 

these unbelievable, quality cabinets. 

I can't believe it, but the kitchen is DONE!! It is unbelievably beautiful. We've increased our counter space by three fold! It's truly the most functional kitchen I've ever had! Are you ready to see it? I hope so, because I'm going to flood you with beautiful photos!

Let me start with where our kitchen began, and you can go back to the beginning of our design process and demo process to see. We moved into our home in 2006, and this is what our kitchen looked like ten years ago, above left. Six years later, I have improved it as much as it could possibly be improved by painting the cabinets and putting new flooring in. But, it still lacked counter space, so I was using a hodge podge of things to add more counter space. The kitchen also felt very cramped! And now...

12 Ways to Organize with Command Hooks

There are some things in life that are just begging for me to share - those fun little "guess what I did with this?" kind of things. That's how I feel about command hooks - they have so many fun uses. I wanted to share 15 ways to organize with command hooks, so the next time you're looking for an easy and cheap organizing solution, you can pin these and save for later when you're trying to find new ideas!

How to Meal Plan with My Favorite Paleo Dinners

If you like meal planning and are looking for healthy dinners, my favorite Paleo dinners will be great for you whether you like to eat Paleo or not. What is Paleo, you ask? Well, it's a way of eating and I basically tell people that there are basic rules about eating like the ancestors did WAY back when, but that's not why I eat like that. You see, I was ADDICTED to sugar and breads and wanted to get unaddicted. I have been dairy-free for 20+ years because I'm lactose intolerant, so I looked for a way of eating that was unprocessed, no-calorie counting, and going to get me off sugar and breads. So, Paleo was the answer for me. Paleo basically is:

1. No grains
2. No dairy
3. No legumes
4. No sugar

It's sounds terribly restrictive but it's not that bad and you just have to change your way of setting up your pantry and learn to substitute certain ingredients and you can make most any meal "Paleo". I haven't had sugar or bread in nearly TEN months and that's saying a lot. 

Kitchen Renovation Almost Done!

Being totally honest here, and I'm SURE I have many readers who've been through this, but renovation isn't for the faint of heart! This organized, clutter-free girl is knee deep in renovations and can't wait for it to be over! And, this is ONLY our kitchen, not a whole house reno! So, I'm going to share my journey today of how I've been dealing with living in a mess and keeping my sanity - well, most of the time.

If you're following me on Instagram, I've been using the hashtag #OMFnewkitchen with all kinds of up to date photos of what's going on. I wanted to give you an update on the midway through renovating

Organizing an Upright Freezer {Garage Freezer}

Right as we were getting into our kitchen renovation, while my husband was away on a business trip for a week, our downstairs fridge/freezer died! We have a lot of people over and feed a lot of people, plus I like to buy in bulk, so our downstairs freezer is vitally important. I knew it could go anytime, as we had problems with it. It was "only" 15 years old but we loved it as it had a TOP fridge and BOTTOM freezer and they don't make those anymore, sadly. So, we had to explore some new options, and fast. 

3 Tips to Get Kids to Do the Dishes

This post contains sponsored links from Full Circle. 

All opinions are my own and the tips are yours to keep!

Is it me or are dishes one of those things that you just either love to do or hate? Sometimes it's pretty much hate! But, my kids have to do their share of dishes! How do I get them to do it? Well, I've got three tips that help kids get the dishes done - hopefully, without complaint!