Here a are a few of the sites featured on my facebook page in the last few weeks.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  If you do, don’t forget to leave comments for these incredibly talented, hard-working bloggers.  We live for comments here in the blogosphere so share the love when you stop by these sites.(Remember to click the blog titles – not the pictures – to follow the link)

Poppies at Play

I had no idea these cool hanging bookshelves were so cheap and easy to make. I’m definitely adding this project to my DIY list.

Pepper Paints

If you’ve got a few newspapers and a stapler you can do amazing things. My engineer-minded son Jack will totally love this idea.

Hulu: Secret Millionaire

Don’t you just love TV that makes you want to be a better person? I just watched this show on Hulu while I cleaned the kitchen. It made me want to find more volunteer opportunities for my family. I’m sure they’re out there…time to get to work.

IHeart Organizing

Need some organizing inspiration? Check out this big collection of fabulous fixes.

Honey We’re Home

We’ve been house hunting for weeks (hence the lack of posting) so I’ve seen more than my fair share of kitchens. If only I could find one that looked like this in my price range. Hey, a girl’s gotta dream, right?

Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line

A soggy spring is right around the corner. My daughter would be thrilled if I tucked one of these charming DIY button umbrellas in her backpack.

I’m a sucker for a great pantry makeover…I’ve been begging my sister to let me rework hers for months.  I see mountains of cans and overloaded shelves and my fingers start to itch for organizing tools.  I’m not sure this exact system would work for me or my sister, but I thought the ideas were inspiring.

You should hop on over to her site (House of Smith’s) to see the full re-do but here are a few of my favorite touches …

I was a big fan of the color choice and the cool, open vinyl pattern.  I never would have thought to do that.  So clever.

store packaging is so ugly and bulky in a pantry.  I love that she ditched the store packaging for more attractive options.  Her use of varying containers to house everyday items made a big difference in the overall look.

I keep all our cereal in Ikea jars (like the ones she uses for her pasta) but I thought her cereal stash basket was another great alternative.

Here’s the link again…there are lots more pictures to enjoy in her post.  Enjoy the organizing eye candy.  Have a great weekend, everyone.

Gross. I hate getting splashed with the dirty dishwater that hangs out in flipped cups. Don’t you? Thankfully, one Cook’s Illustrated (one of my favorite magazines) reader had a great solution. It’s a simple trick that works like a charm.

Next time you have a top rack full of flip-able plasticware just toss a cooling rack on the top. It’s heavy enough to keep the cups and bowls in position yet open enough to let the soap and water work their magic.

It’s an easy trick that will make your next dishwasher unloading a whole lot easier. Just thought I’d pass it on.

It’s Monday again.  Time for a recap of a few fabulous ideas from around the web.  All of these sites were featured on my Facebook fan page last week so, if you haven’t had a chance, you should check them out.  If you liked them as much as I did, take a minute and let the content authors know. Bloggers love comments; so share the love when you stop by their sites.

Remember, if you’d like instant access to the links I love and a few other tips and tricks, you can sign up to be a follower on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the top of the page or by following this link.  Here are the links from last week…

The Little Green Bean

Attention crafty Moms with cluttered craft rooms! Need a cheap and easy way to keep excess fabric organized? Check out this simple trick. Sew very smart.

The Lettered Cottage

Don’t you just love it when you find a post loaded with helpful DIY tips and ideas? If you love before and after photos as much as I do you should take a minute to browse the design solutions offered on this helpful post.

Becky Higgins

Who knew that gorgeous hardwood drawers would be a smart addition to a family pantry? This mega-crafty Mom, that’s who. Check out her cool before and afters here…

The store varieties of poppy seed dressing can pack in as much a 120 calories per tablespoon so I make my own ‘diet’ version.  Trust me when I say that it’s a cinch to whip up and it’s totally delicious.  I generally make a big batch and store it in glass jars in the fridge.  This recipe will fill 2 half-pint jars…

Ingredients

1/2 cup Skim Milk

1/4 cup Distilled White Vinegar

Small splash of Lemon Juice (totally optional but I like it)

1/2 cup Splenda Granulated Sweetener (sugar is delicious too but it adds a few more calories)

1 cup Miracle Whip Light (you could probably use light mayo but I’m a Miracle Whip kind of gal so that’s what I have on hand)

2 tablespoons Poppy Seeds

Instructions

In a bowl mix together milk, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Add Splenda and blend.  Add Miracle Whip about 1/4 cup at a time until smooth.  Blend in poppy seeds.  Pour into jars and hand them to your kids to shake for a few minutes.  Store in the refrigerator until you family devours it all and you have to make another batch.

Note: Sometimes it takes awhile for the Splenda to dissolve so don’t worry if you see tiny white clumps right after you make it.  They’ll break down within a few hours and you won’t notice a difference in flavor.

There you have it.  A delicious and easy recipe that will make almost any plate of lettuce a little more enticing.  Plus, at less than 20 calories per tablespoon, you can feel free to drizzle it on to your heart’s content.  It’s tough to beat that.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

I am out of room for all the stuff that has to be in the meds cupboard, we purge the contents of the bins as the needs change, but it still leaves me with a mess.  Now I have 4 bins above my microwave, one for my meds and medical needs, one for the kid’s things, one for pain relievers (Tylenol, Tums, Motrin etc…) and one for the misc. things- band-aids, Benadryl, disposable thermometer covers, motion sickness bands, ear plugs, Nyquil, etc… I straighten them quite regularly but as soon as someone has a need for something out of that cupboard, we close our eyes as we open it and hope nothing falls from above and bonks us on the head!

Thanks for the questions, Amy.  I’ve got a house full of sickness this week so it’s a great time to share a few of my favorite tips for controlling my medicine mess.

Step 1: Divide and Conquer

We’re all organizers at heart so we tend to put like things together.  Unfortunately sometimes keeping everything in one place contributes to the problem.  So my first recommendation is to divide up your medical supplies into two groups – the stuff you use on a regular basis and the stuff that you need on random occasions.  Keep the most-used supplies in your kitchen and shift the less-used and bulk items to another spot (like the top of a linen closet or cleaning cupboard).  *While you’re sorting, be sure to check expiration dates and purge any old stuff.  I found some allergy medicine from 2006 when I was prepping to take pictures for this post.

Step 2: Ged Rid of the Excess

One of the things I hate about medicine storage is the packaging.  No two bottles/boxes are the same size so they’re impossible to store neatly.  I solve this problem by ditching the original bottles of our frequently used meds and adding the pills to spice containers instead.  The spice containers store neatly in my kitchen cupboard and have a clear front so I can see when I’m running low.  I bought my set of 6 at WalMart for $6.  If I need to make notes about the dosage, I just write it with a sharpie on the bottom of the bottle.  The same concept would also work with small Gladware containers.  I only use this trick for our frequently-used meds.  The less-used meds have more specific dosing info and are more likely to expire before we use the whole package so I keep them in their original containers.*If you have little kids, be sure to put your containers in a safe place because these containers aren’t child-proof.

Step 3: Keep It Contained

When it comes to organizing our less-used medicines I have a simple 3-box strategy – Kid Meds, Adult Meds, and First Aid.  Each is stored in a small plastic bin in the linen closet of our master bath; bigger things like heating pads and humidifiers are tucked behind the bins on the same shelf.  I prefer these cheap, hinge-lid bins because they’re big enough to hold the basics and small enough to store side-by-side on the shelf.  Again, I try to get rid of excess packaging (like the band-aid boxes) but hang on to any packages that give me important dosage information.

Amy also asked about where to store daily pill boxes so they’re not in plain view of visitors but also not ‘out of sight-out of mind’.  The solution to this problem is easier than you think, Amy.  Just find another location in the kitchen that is used everyday – like the cupboard where you keep your glassware.  Add a few velcro strips to the back of the pill box and the inside of the cupboard door (I like 3M Command Adhesive Strips).  That way your medicine sorter is in plain sight to those who need it but out of sight to visitors.  If the cupboard isn’t an option, try adding magnetic tape to the back of your sorter and popping it on the side of the fridge.

Thanks for the all the great questions, Amy.  I hope these simple tips will help you and everyone else out there get your ‘medical messes’ organized and under control.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

• Painter’s Tape ($2, WalMart)
  
  Ok, I know this low-tack tape probably doesn’t qualify as a kitchen gadget to most people, but I use it in my kitchen all the time.  I’ve even got a special hook inside my cupboard door to keep my roll of tape handy (and keep it out of the hands of my tape-loving kids).  I use it for all kinds of things like making a reusable seal on bags of snacks or to close up bags of frozen goods before they get tossed back into the freezer.  I’ve even been known to make a tape line across my kitchen floor when I’m prepping a big dinner.  When my kids see the blue line on the floor they know Mom is stressed out and they’re not allowed to cross…unless someone’s bleeding…a lot.  Sorry, but sometimes we Moms just need our space.  Please tell me I’m not alone on this one.

• Fruit Spray ($1, WalMart)
  
  We’re big on fresh fruit at our house.  I probably buy at least 10 pounds a week because Sam’s Club has such a great selection and because I hate the look and texture of the canned stuff.  One tool that comes in really handy is this little spray bottle of lemon water I keep in the fridge.  It’s just a simple travel-size bottle of water mixed with a few tablespoons of lemon juice.  When I’m chopping the kids a snack for school or making a fruit salad for dinner I just grab my bottle and give the fruit a quick spray.  It keeps the fruit from browning (even several hours in advance) and gives everything a nice bright flavor.

• Pineapple Cutter ($7, Bed Bath & Beyond)
  
  One of the fruits that never seemed to make it to my Sam’s Club cart was fresh pineapple.  As much as I loved to eat it, chopping it was a sticky, tedious mess.  That is until I found this handy gadget a few months ago.  It’s a really simple device that cores a pineapple and produces a long, neat spiral of fruit in about 10 seconds.  In fact, if you’re feeling fancy you can even use the hollowed pineapple base as a serving bowl (my kids were very impressed by this).  It’s machine washable and made entirely of plastic so it’s very kid-friendly.  Needless to say, fresh pineapple is now a staple on my Sam’s Club list.

See? I told you they were cheap.  For under $10 you can run to the store and get all three of these handy kitchen tools and start making your life a little easier too.  They’ve worked great for me.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

Do you have a cheap kitchen tool you can’t live without?  Share it with the rest of us in the comments area below.

Honestly, I don’t see a big problem with this.  The fact of the matter is that I rarely use most of the items that are back there – like the fragile glass salad bowl we got for our wedding or the trio of cheesecake pans I purchased years ago.  In my opinion, you should focus your organizing efforts on areas that get the most use and not stress over the spots that are rarely seen.  That being said, it is important to make things accessible.  After all, every now and then we have company over and I have to pull out the glass salad bowl for Sunday dinner.

One way I’ve found to simplify this process is to add inexpensive tap lights to the insides of my lower cupboards.  It’s amazing how much easier it is to find what I’m looking for when there’s a little light to guide my way.  Just being able to see the back of my cupboard without pulling everything out helps a ton.  For one thing, it helps me remember what I have – so when I’m trying to think of what to make for Sunday dessert I can check the pans cupboard and remember how many different dessert options I have.  Secondly, it helps me actually use what I have – because when the belgian waffle maker is easy to spot and easy to put away I’m much more likely to pull it out and whip up some scrumptious waffles for breakfast.  Finally, it keeps me from over-spending – because when I actually can see how stocked my cupboards are I’m far less tempted to buy the latest kitchen gadget.

I found my cheap tap lights at Wal-Mart.  I bought a pack of 4 for around $2.  I used 3M command adhesive strips to attach them to the ‘ceiling’ of the cupboard.  After using them for a few weeks, I ended up moving them down to the upper wall of the cupboard so I could see and tap them a little easier.  I’ve also upgraded to the LED-style tap lights (available at WalMart, Target or the dollar store).  They’re a little more expensive but they take far less battery power so you end up saving money in the long run; especially when you’re toddler discovers how fun tap lights are to play with.

Remember, the benefits of instant lighting aren’t limited to the kitchen.  They’re great for all your dark organizing trouble spots – like in the bathroom cabinets, under the backseat of your car, or under your kids beds.  I’ve got them stashed all over the place.  They’re simply a great way to keep things organized and under control.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

My family was thrilled with the change but there was a small problem.  Each Monday I’d make four perfectly puffy loaves of whole wheat bread only to watch them be hacked to pieces throughout the week by my family.  It didn’t seem to matter what type of knife we used, we could never get smooth, even slices and my counters suffered from the constant crumbly mess.  I looked on Amazon for bread slicing tools and found several clunky contraptions.  However, none of them had good feedback ratings and they generally had a price tag of $25 or more.

Then, while I was perusing the “as seen on TV” area at WalMart, I came across this handy tool.  It’s a battery operated, twin-blade electric knife and it works like a charm on my bread.  The sharp blades slice without any added pressure so your bread never gets mashed or mangled in the cutting process.  The blades pop out with a push of a button and fit easily in the utensil basket of my dishwasher.  Plus, it’s cordless so it’s easy to use at the kitchen table and stores neatly in my cupboard.  Whether I need to carve up a roast or slice a birthday cake this handly tool is a must in my kitchen.  It’s called the OneTouch Cordless Knife.  I bought mine for $12 because it was marked down at WalMart.  You can also find it on Amazon by following this link.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

Are you craving a big batch of Honey Wheat Bread too?  I’ll be posting my scrumptious recipe tomorrow so be sure to check back soon.

I hate that feeling so I use a very simple trick to combat key loss.  When I come in from the garage, the first thing I do is flip on the light in the kitchen.  It’s also the last thing I do before I head to the car.  So, naturally, the light switch seemed like a great place to store my keys.  I placed a few peel n’ stick hooks on the switch plate of the light switch by the kitchen door and a few more on the plate near the front door.  Now no matter which door I enter, there’s always a spot to stash my keys.

I added a few more hooks to the inside of a cabinet near the back door as well.  I store all my spare keys there…just in case my regular keys have wandered off the hook.  (I learned this one from my brilliant Mom who managed to get all 10 kids out the door on a regular basis – I love you, Mom!)

As a side note, I also use a similar trick for my purse and mail.  I bought a heavy duty removable hook and used a left over plastic inbox from my Family Big Board project and mounted both on the back of the kitchen door.  When I come in from the garage, I add my keys to the switch plate, toss my bag on the hook, and throw the mail in the bin.  Within 3 seconds I have my hands free and nothing gets dumped on the counter.  Plus, when it’s time to head out again, everything I need is right there waiting for me.  It’s a really simple strategy that saves me tons of time.  Just thought I’d pass it on.