Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Quick Clean-Out

Just dropping by to share a quick clean-out project from last night!  It seems like I have great plans to go home after work and clean-out different areas that have gotten out of hand but then when I actually make it home cleaning out is the last thing I want to do!  I'm planning to have a yard sale in two weeks so I'm trying to slowly make my way through the areas of our house!  Last night I tackled 3 areas - coat closet, cabinets in the keeping room and under my bathroom sink.  

Here's the awful/messy before:

 And the after! 


That whole top shelf on the right is hair products that have been accumulating!  Anyone else have one of those baskets?!  The space in front of the hair products holds a basket with all my "daily" items (deodorant, make up remover, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc) and I pop it back in after I get done using it each day.  The bottom drawer has clear containers that hold nail polishes, extra make-up remover products and travel size removers and in the front are all the samples I get from Sephora, etc.  I LOVE clear containers.  I'm on a mission to slowly replace all my baskets and bins with the clear ones from Bed Bath and Beyond and the Container Store. 

Hope you're all having a great week!


My little organizing buddy is always a huge help!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

March Progress Toward Goals

How can it possibly be April already?!  I blinked and the first 3 months of 2014 are gone!  I do love April though, it's my favorite month.  Such a pleasant time of year - things are blooming, the smell of fresh grass and my birthday!  What's not to love?!

I'm still trekking right along on my personal goal challenge from New Years! 


 
 
 
1.  Only buy the absolute necessary toiletries/cosmetics/etc
Didn't use up quite as many products in March but alas, there were a few.  
  1. TreSemme Conditioner - good riddance!  Bought this huge bottle at Sam's eons ago and am so glad to have this out of the shower and out of my way!
  2. Bath & Body Works Brown Sugar & Fig Body Scrub - love this!  You can only get this scent at fall and this year I could only find it online - stores weren't carrying it.  I have noticed that the scent changes the longer you have the bottle, def. smells more plastic like the older it is.  
  3. A new favorite lip product!  I will probably purchase lots more of the Tarte Lip Surgence products once I make a dent in the collection at my house.  This was the color "glitzy" and it was amazing!  So smooth, long lasting, not sticky, perfection!
 
2.  No more magazine subscriptions (unless they are free).  My goal is to finish reading the backlog  of magazines in the living room and then start on my actual book collection!  My goal is 1-2 books per month.  
Still loving the Mary Higgins Clark books! They have so many twists and turns.  I read "Deck the Halls" and "On the Street Where you Live" by her as well as "Summer Light" by Luanne Rice.  All 3 were good books that I would recommend.  I also caught up on 4 weeks of People.  Slowly making my way through the stack! 

 3.  At least one blog entry a week.  
Yeah.. didn't too hot on this one again for March.  We've just had so much company + my giant organization project that I still need to share!
4.  Use the elliptical that's literally just  accumulating spider webs in the basement -- get in 20-30 minutes a day on the elliptical and walk Henderson 1-2 times  a week.
January - 56.53 miles 
February - 64.57 miles 
March - 62.27 miles
 
I can't believe I didn't beat my February goal in March!  I've even been walking several days a week at work during lunch!   

5.  Less eating out at work.  My goal is to only eat out 2-3 times a week.  
  I am doing a lot better with this - I do eat out maybe once a week but smaller portions at least.  I've been planning my lunches ahead of time too so that helps with having something ready to go in the morning.  Loving walking during lunch on days when it's not too cold/too hot! 
 
 6.  Since I beat my scrapbook page goal for 2013, I think I am going to go with ... 300 pages for 2014. 
I completed 64 pages in March!  I'm all the way to September 2010.  This weekend I'll be working on the Labor Day Cruise Adam and I took. 

How are your New Year Resolutions/Goals going?!

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Recipe Share - Crock Pot Beef Tips

My obsession with our Crock Pot continues!  Where has this been all my life?!  I swear I should have kept all THREE that we received as wedding gifts!  We have been sticking with just chicken but the last few weeks we ventured out and tried ham, pork and now beef tips.  I looked at about 50 different beef tip recipes and then sent Adam to the store.  He came home with 2-3 options, per ingredient.  So, we picked out a few, threw them in the Crock Pot and 8.5 hour later, dinner was served!


We will definitely be having this again.. and again!  Here's all you do:

  • 2 lbs Beef Tips (we actually used beef "chunks" because that's all Publix had)
  • 1 Can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 3/4 can water (only use 1/2 can of water if you want less gravy)
  • 1 packet Lipton Dry Beef Onion Soup Mix

Throw in crockpot.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.  Enjoy!