A recent incident while driving my car gave me the idea for this list. Last week I was driving the glaring sun made it challenging to see out my windshield. So I squirted the windshield wiper fluid and just a little came out, has that ever happened to you?

Now I had streaks on my windshield which made it impossible to see so I had to pull over. Luckily I had a can of windshield cleaner and microfiber cloth in my trunk, I wiped the windshield and was on my way.

I realized we focus so much attention on Spring Cleaning inside our homes we often overlook our car. Here is a list of the 25 things that you should carry in your car, after you give the car a thorough cleaning out.

1. Roadside ER kit (the kit should include a can of fix-a-flat)
2. Paper towels and/or microfiber cloths
3. A spare umbrella
4. A change of clothes for each person including comfortable shoes in case you need to walk for help
5. A cell phone charger cord and possible a one time use ER battery
6. Canvas shopping bags
7. A dog leash and treats and maybe a can of cat food (as an animal lover I’ve fed kittens & picked up a lost dog)
8. Snacks with a long shelf life
9. Money(emergency money and toll change)
10. Windshield cleaner
11. Tire pressure gauge
12. Blankets
13. Windshield wiper fluid
14. A pen & paper
15. A flashlight (I invert the batteries so in case the button is pushed by accident the batteries are not drained)
16. A hidden key
17. Handy wipes
18. A first aid kit
19. Wd-40(I just used this to loosen nuts on the license plate)
20. A disposable camera(to document an accident or in case of a great nature shot while driving)
21. A map (GPS is only great when it is charged or can be plugged in)
22. Two gallons water
23. A jumper box or cables
24. A fire extinguisher (having this lowered my insurance premium)
25. Extra sunglasses (I cracked mine on a sunny day now I keep a spare pair)

Insider tips:
1. Keep your car clean by dumping the trash when you get gas
2. Mark calendar as a reminder to check fluids – like wiper fluid and the pressure on your spare tire
3. Mark your calendar as a reminder to update paperwork like the car registration and inspection

This past weekend I had the urge to purge. Maybe it was the warm weather or maybe it was the stuff threatening to topple from the top shelf in the hall closet, whatever it was I was r-e-a-d-y READY!

All the projects I could dive into came to mind, I’d wanted to reorganize the closet, but I’d also wanted to get under the kitchen sink, oh but the garage needed a little organizing. Then just as quickly as that urge had come it was gone.

Just thinking about all those overwhelming tasks zapped my energy and the urge was lost (hopefully not forever.)

That’s when I realized if I’d simply taken on a small, bite-sized task I would have been successful and even more energized.

So I came up with a mini list of just three bite size tasks, any one of them can be done quickly and without getting overwhelmed. Here’s my list:

1. Toss the Textbooks. This is a big one for me, my textbooks cost a *lot* of money and I always thought I might go back and re-read them (who was I kidding?) Turns out Books For Africa accepts:

• 15 years old or newer popular fiction and nonfiction reading books (soft and hard cover)
• 1995 or newer publish date primary, secondary, and college textbooks (soft and hard cover)
• 1995 or newer reference books such as encyclopedias and dictionaries
• 1995 or newer publish date medical, nursing, IT, and law books

2. Banish the Vases. I’d have so much more space under my kitchen sink if I let go of a bunch of random vases that have made their way into my home over the years. I’ll keep 3 favorites and bring the rest to a local nursing home, many Moms and Grandmas will be getting flowers next month and I know they’ll be looking for a vase.

3. Let go of Linens. Like you I have threadbare, mismatched linens I’d be too embarrassed to show guests, that’s my rule of thumb. But do you know who doesn’t care if the sheets match? The dogs and cats stuck living in the local pet shelter. I’ll bring a bag of linens to there to share.

Have you ever left the house only to realize you forget to brush your teeth or apply mascara?

 

Morning routines are difficult enough; add to that a disorganized medicine cabinet and that spells disaster!

 

This week I’d like us all to make our morning routines a little easier by organizing what we need so we can find it and remember to use it.

 

Ready?

 

Set a timer for 20 minutes; grab a bag for garbage and a pen and paper to make notes then and head into the bathroom.
Open the medicine cabinet and pull everything out, as you do be sure it is a keeper. Rusty, practically empty, broken, toss it (or recycle it.)

 

Wipe the shelves down and replace the items, grouping like items together. All the medications together, all the nighttime face products together and so on.

 

Most importantly leave a shelf to put all the items for your morning routine. Place them on the shelf in the order you use them. Toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, mascara, face cream etc.

 

If it is not an everyday item do not place it with your morning routine items.

 

Try gluing a magnet inside the cabinet to keep little items like eyelash curler and tweezers at hand.

 

 

 

Sit, savor and share! That’s what National Eat Together Week is all about.

as the designated birthday cake maker in our family I whipped up a batch at my sister’s request for her party on Saturday.

As our family sat around eating possibly the best cake ever we had wonderful conversations. We talked about jobs, hobbies, dreams, family, memories of growing up and so much more.

I learned new things, for example I learned one of my sisters can spin on a real spinning wheel. I learned my niece absolutely loves school, wears a dress every day and her favorite color is pink.

I also learned there is no substitute for face to face conversation. Texting, email, voice mail and phone conversations can’t replace the ability to look at someone as they speak.

Some days we have so much going on we can miss out sitting around a table and sharing a meal with family and friends. Which is why I really like National Eat Together Week, this well-timed holiday is a perfect reminder to sit, share and savor.

Because I know you’re busy I thought you might enjoy these three quick tips for simple meal planning and prepping:

1. Theme Meals

Who knows what you’ll have a taste for three Mondays from today. Some meal plans want you to write out exact meals for the month. I don’t find that works out very well.

What does work is to plan themes. For example, Monday is pasta, Tuesday is tacos, and Wednesday is chicken and so on. Knowing the main ingredient in advance makes planning much easier.

2. Kitchen Zones

You already know grouping like with like is a basic organizing rule. But have you thought about applying that rule to your kitchen? Store all the baking supplies in one spot, all the food prep utensils in one place, and all the food storage containers in another area.

3. Leftover Shelf

You can even take the idea of zones one step further and create a leftover zone in your fridge. One shelf as the single place to store leftovers so you remember to eat them before they turn fuzzy.

Butterbeer Cupcakes Recipe

Cake
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¾ cup butter (room temperature)
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
1  egg2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup  buttermilk

½ cup cream soda

Ganache

1 cup heavy cream
1 (11 oz.) bag butterscotch morsels

Frosting

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bake

Step 1 Preheat oven to 350F

Step 2 Line cupcake pans with 18 liners

Step 3 Combine flour, baking powder, & salt in a bowl then set aside.

Step 4 Beat butter, white & dark brown sugars until creamy. Add egg & vanilla extract. Add buttermilk and blend. Combine in half of the flour mixture, add the cream soda and blend. Then add in the rest of the flour mixture.

Step 5 Fill liners 2/3 full with batter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out clean. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. The liner may fall away from the cake, you can remove the liners if you wish.

Step 6 Once cooled pipe butterscotch ganache into the center of the cupcakes.

Ganache is made by blending one 11oz. bag of butterscotch morsels (found with the chocolate chips in the grocery store) with one cup of heavy cream. In a pot over a  low heat stir constantly until completely melted.

This will be SUPER hot, once a little cool pour half into a zip top baggie. Cut a small hole in one corner. Poke a hole in the center of the cake and fill the hole with ganache. Reserve a small amount of ganache to drizzle over the cakes once frosted.

If you prefer you can spoon the ganache into the cake.

Step 7 Frost with caramel butterscotch frosting

Icing is made by melting the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add in and stir constantly to melt brown sugar until bubbling slightly. Add in 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Remove from heat and beat in the divided half of butterscotch ganache followed by the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract.

Frost cupcakes with a knife or spoon frosting in a decorator’s bag and with a star tip make swirls and stars. Add a drizzle of ganache and serve.

NOTE: since the icing has cream it is best to refrigerate these and set out at room temp about 30 minutes before serving.

I can now say I have undeniable proof that it does take about twenty-one days to make or break a habit.

How do I know this is true? Because when we lost power (thanks to Hurricane Irene) I still found myself flipping the light switch and I continued to be surprised when the light didn’t turn on.

It was simply out of habit that I’d flip the switch and even though we were without power for almost a full week I continued to do it.

Which got me to thinking that along with all the other lessons from the hurricane (see the video for those) I realized it does take time and patience to make or break a habit.

So when you are trying to get in a new habit of being more organized by putting something away in a new place as soon as you are finished using it give yourself a break if you don’t get it right each and every time.

 

Make your mornings easier starting today with a few clever ideas:

1. Hang a master checklist to be sure you and everyone in the home have everything you need before you leave the house.

2. Preset the table for breakfast. For a quick and easy cleanup on rushed days use paper products.

3. Be sure backpacks are packed before bedtime.

4. Pack lunches or hand out lunch tickets the night before.

5. Give yourself enough time to wake up and get ready before the children get up.

6. Stagger the wake up times of the children so you can devote attention to one child at a time.

7. Make it a family rule that there is no television unless there is extra time once everyone is ready to walk out the door.

8. Hang an extra mirror outside the bathroom- competition for the bathroom is mostly for using the mirror.

9.Choose clothing AND accessories the night before.

10.Keep your keys on a stretch cord to slip on your wrist keeping your hands free.

And did you know you are 75% less likely to walk out of the house without everything you need if you have a designated “take me with you” spot.

The very best time to host a swap is between seasons? That’s when we’re getting ready to put the items away which makes it the perfect time to choose what to keep and what to swap. It is also the time when we take note of what we’re missing or want to replace and chances are your swap buddy has what you need.

Here’s how it works:

Choose a theme (accessories, clothing, coats, kids toys, books, kitchenware etc.)

Make a list of invitees (if you are doing a kid’s clothing swap be sure you invite Moms with children around the same age)

Pick the date and time (plan for after a meal so you only have to serve finger foods or opt for pot luck)

Send invites (evites work well)

Remind everyone to bring a specific number of items and bags to carry their stuff home

The day of set up shop: move your stuff out of the way so it is not confused with swap items

Then enjoy good times and getting new (and useful) stuff! Happy swapping!

How will you be able to tell the value of an item if you don’t have plans to be on the next episode of Antiques Roadshow? Turn to Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2011: America’s Most Authoritative Antiques Annual! (Kovels’ Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide) this easy to reference guide is all you need!

To avoid becoming overwhelmed by research try this: choose one item to appraise. Yes, just one. I know there may be more but you can’t look them all up at the same time, so just choose one.

Once you track down the value for that one more onto the next, working in bite sizes is your recipe for success! And don’t forget to leave a note so we know what you found out.