Thursday, April 29

Home is Where the Heart is...

Today was a windy windy day! We've recently had a cold spell set in and when the temperature jumped again, the result was very vicious wind! I had today off so I took the opportunity to go shopping with my mother. I got a few things for the house, including a longed for lamp to put in my living room. One thing I cannot stand is improper lighting, especially in rooms that are so lived in. The perfect lighting sets the perfect mood and I find that harsh, bright, direct lighting really puts me on edge. So I was delighted with my new lamp. Now, instead of bright light beaming down from directly above, my living room washed in soft, ambient lighting, adequate enough to see but not so harsh that it is offensive.

I also got some new candles today. I love scented candles, especially when the seasons change. Instead of my warm, cozy vanilla and chocolate scented candles, I opted for a refreshing line of scents in keeping with the warmer weather ahead. With a quick change of napkin holder and my new pineapple and orange scented candles, the house seems fresher! What did you do to make your home just a little bit more perfect today?

To-Do List
Today I took the time to reorganise my pantry and clean out my refrigerator. It wasn't much, but every little thing helps! The pantry and refrigerator both are problem spots in my home, quickly becoming disheveled in the haste of finding and using ingredients while cooking. Every so often it helps to give these areas a once over. Check for outdated products, groceries that have passed their peak and damaged containers. And while your at it, this is the perfect time to start a shopping list if you find that you have to replace old products or were running low on commonly used meal items.

Daily Project
Today's project was to sit down and check the calendar for the upcoming month. I love to sit down before the beginning of the month and get an idea of what events might be coming up. I also like to see if there are any opportunities in the next few weeks to set aside some time to invite friends or family over for dinner! Cinco de Mayo is coming up soon, as well as Mother's Day! Have you made time in your calendar for either of these events?

Weekly Project
This week's project for me is organisation! I and my husband are notorious clutter-bugs! It's a goal of mine to get our life perfectly organised and this week I have worked on catching up on overdue tasks as well as oiling some gears to get things working more efficiently around the home. Today I tackled two small organisational tasks, and dip a clean sweep of trash throughout my house. Packaging and unnecessary things that accumulated over the past week all went out, clearing the way to better efficiency. I also have a number of different daily tasks planned to organise other areas of my home. Any trouble spots in your home that could use some sprucing up?

A Helping Hand
I read an interesting article in a home and living magazine a few days ago that had a really neat tip in it! I have never been a fan of the disinfecting wipes, but after reading the article, I decided to give them a shot. If you get a container of the wipes to keep handy for giving a quick wipe over any surfaces used daily before leaving the house, it helps immensely toward the heavy duty maintenance cleaning of the home. After organising the refrigerator today, I wiped down the bottom shelf before finishing up. The bottom always seems to get the dirtiest so wiping it down every so often in between heavy cleanings helps toward reducing the mess. I also use the wipes to quickly pass over bathroom surfaces. After everyone is done, quickly wipe down the vanity, faucet, toilet seat and toilet rim and you'll find that things are less dusty and grimy when it comes time to thoroughly clean the bathroom. Plus, everyone loves to come home at the end of the day to a fresh home, so wiping down the table and counter tops will give you something to smile at when you go into the kitchen for a cup of tea after work!

Thirsty Thursdays
After going through the upcoming calendar of events I realised Cinco de Mayo is coming up very soon! So I thought the perfect topic would be margaritas!

First comes the prep. If you are entertaining, consider freezing ice cube trays with lime juice or slices of lime to add a bit of flair and prevent the melting ice from affecting the taste of the drink. You can chill your glasses ahead of time in the freezer for hot summer days, and storing liquor in the freezer and mixers in the refrigerator helps avoid too much melting ice and makes the margarita extra refreshing! Make sure you have coarse ground salt on hand! Dip the rim of the glass in a saucer of lime juice or run a slice of fresh lime around the rim of the glass before coating it in the sea salt. Garnish the glass with your lime ice cubes and a slice of fresh lime, and if you are feeling particularly festive, consider cocktail umbrellas or even sparklers!

Next comes the perfect recipe. I found this Applebee's copy-cat recipe on CDKitchen posted by user copycatrecipearchive. You'll need 1 1/2 ounces Cuervo or 1800 gold tequila, 3/4 ounce Cointreau, 3/4 ounce Grand Marnier, 1/2 ounce lime juice, 2 ounces sour mix. Now for a tip to make mixing the quintessential margarita quick and easy; have a basic shot glass handy. A typical shot glass holds one fluid ounce of liquid, so you can easily pour the proper proportions of each ingredient to get the perfect taste.

Dear Diary...
Today was a nice day. I got to spend time with my mother shopping, which is always something I enjoy. After I got home and did a few little things around the house, my husband came home from work and we took a drive around the countryside in the late afternoon sun. I love that time of the day and it is nice to get out of the house and explore back roads around your town, city or neighborhood that you normally don't see. And it was great to connect with my husband during our explorations.

Parting Thoughts
Make a point to appreciate something beautiful everyday. It will brighten your outlook. Take a moment to admire a flower, make a note of a recent home improvement a neighbor made. Read through some decorating magazines or home improvement blogs and print out or tear out images of projects you'd like to try or pretty inspirational photos.

Jenny