Declutter: Sideboard and kitchen towel progress!

I threw away a big bag of garbage...packed up some little baby bottles (I'm not throwing them away...cuz we want more babies! and they cost money).  

Before

After - one plant gone, a bunch of things put away and a place for the papers that need sorting

Before - baby cupboard

After - seriously...the sterilizer was still in there...haven't needed that in months!  This is all we still use! (other than the counter bottle station stuff...but that should go soon-ish too!

Ok...now I don't have a before picture for this...but...the calendar was here... I moved it to the front hallway to start on our "command centre"  and now I have place to hang the towels... seriously...this makes my heart sing!  The towels have been constantly falling on the floor.   Falling, or being pulled down by a little cutie!  So, we constantly have so many towels out, because we never know which one is for hands, which if for counters, which is for dishes, and which ones are filthy from being dropped on the floor and played with!

I know...our towels are dirty looking...well.. they are coffee stained... that's another thing on the list...

Had these command hooks in the junk drawer...sweet!   I love it!  It's making me ridiculously happy!

Opinions NEEDED!!!

Look what I found on Kijiji...for $60...yep..that's right...   $60

Seriously... $60 It's a Sklar Peppler, made in Canada...I don't know what type of wood

Soo...it's in fantastic condition..nearly flawless.   ...remember me saying I wanted a white table for this spot.  When I saw the add on kijiji I thought...perfect...I'll paint it. 
My husband, and his parents think I'd be NUTS to paint this... 


What do you think...   Paint it white?  Or leave it as is?   

Here are a few more pictures of the table in it's new home

It's new home

View from the other direction... looking from the kitchen to the front door

Loaded up...being used sort of how I want it...  one pair of shoes each underneath...one bag each on the shelf, and a container (hopefully prettier) for DH and I on top for keys, pocked emptying etc.

The picture I drew about how I wanted to use this space... 

So...please PLEASE leave a comment letting me know what you think I should do with the table...  and would it help to know that it's a Sklar Peppler?  Hmm...maybe...Ok..I'll go write that at the top too... . I'm not in the know...so I'd never heard of Sklar Peppler before. 

I was trying to find pictures of decorating styles that I love...but..I can't find them... you know...the white wood...with like pretty turquoise and stuff all over...  fresh...clean...fun looking type style...  I'm just not so much into the country wood.... but...this is so light...could it work?

Declutter: Front hallway progress

Before:  This gets regularly cleared and cleaned...but ends up looking like this at some point everyday... I SO want a place for these things to go..and belong!

So..this is actually the first thing I did...but it's not complete...because I think it requires a purchase that we don't have the money for right now...so we're making due...

Plus...if my plan just turns out to be another place for clutter to settle...then I don't want to have spent money on something that makes my problem worse!   So...this area is "on trial".   This lovely artists rendition...is what I imagine it looking like

I figure I can set up the stuff on the wall above the makeshift tv tray console table...and see how it goes...if we have some success...and a little extra cash...then I hope to get a table something like this one from Sears..it doesn't have legs..with space underneath it for summer sandles...but...it's pretty close to what I was looking for...I wish I was handy enough to build :(

Oh...and here's another small victory...The cupboard above the microwave...The cooking oils are up there (because that's one of the only places that is tall enough) and all our reusable water bottles and coffee travel mugs.    It doesn't look that bad in this before picture...but often  the mugs are falling all over the place because they're too packed in to stand up properly... 

Before

After

Declutter!

Under the kitchen sink...

Before:

After:  Ok...I know it still looks cluttered...but ....it's NOT!   I just need some containers to corral the cleaning products into their respective homes....right now having the ones I don't use much along the back, and the ones I use all the time closer to the front is making me pretty happy!

Onward!!!  I can't wait to clear out the whole house!

Wednesday

Wednesday....Homemade Pizza night!

Woo...our meal plan is really working this week!  And wow... it's made things so much easier!

Tuesday

So, I was so looking forward to pizza tonight...and...I forgot! 

You see I didn't write the schedule on the fridge... and all I could remember what the sweet and sour chicken..so..that's what we had...

Tomorrow I will hopefully have enough time to cook the pizza before H goes for his course...otherwise....hungry hubby, but...tee hee....lot's of pizza for me!  :P

Here's our dinner from tonight.

It's more Sandi Richard :)  Pg 54 of Getting ya through the summer

"Sweet and Sour Pork (or Chicken) with Rice and Pineapple"

I know!  Learn to take a picture already!  Sorry...this is me doing my best :)

I make this with chicken, and with 1 cup brown rice (so 1/4c dry measure, per person), and this makes 4 servings for us

1 Serving = 10 Points Plus on Weight Watchers 

Menu Plan Monday!

Meal plan for this week!


Monday - Not So Chili Pasta - Sandi Richard, Dinner Survival, pg 42
Tuesday -  Pizza Night! - I took out my last ball of this pizza dough from the freezer
Wednesday - Hamburgers on BBQ - DH is at a course, so it has to be quick!
Thursday - Sweet and Sour Chicken (Pork, but I sub chicken) - Sandi Richard, Getting you through the summer, pg 54
Friday - Peking Chicken (in Rice Paper) - Sandi Richard, Dinner Survival, pg 66

...alternates:  I have a couple of alternates...due to last weeks meal plan fail :p (that course of DH's was last minute..and the meals I planned weren't quick enough).    My alternates are freezer meals, and I'm happy to have them in the freezer for whenever I need them!  Johnny Marzetti, and Honey Mustard Chicken.

So.... It's MONDAY!

Here's our dinner...I made it as written, except I used whole wheat bow ties...I left out the optional Parmesan cheese and butter...and..ummm....don't tell Sandi....but, Pickle was already in bed....it was just DH and I, and I didn't make the broccoli!

Here's a steamy picture of the whole pan....this is to feed 6...but, umm, with us it's going to feed 4  :D

 Here's DH's portion (I get a smaller portion....but...I did have to go back and nibble some leftovers...yum!)

Weight Watchers Points Plus - as calculated from the nutritional info in the book...
6 servings = 12 points each    6 points each! based on recipe builder
4 servings = 18 points each    10 points each!

Hmmm...I think this is inflated a bit...  I find the WW points plus can be a little wonky if you just use nutrition info rather than putting your individual ingredients in... I will probably use the recipe builder to calculate some time and update this post.

The remainder is packed up for our work lunches tomorrow....I can't wait for lunch tomorrow!   This was seriously EASY!!!   and TASTY!!!

I love you Sandi Richard....  I really love you.....

I just recently bought the two newest books from Sandi,  Dinner Survival and Eating Forward...I can't believe she got a book out, and then another one without me knowing?!?!  Wow...I've been so off the ball the last 2 years!  (still using a bunch of recipes though...just not being a good meal planner.

I have to say it again...  Oh Sandi Richard....why do I ever stray from you?!?.....


I'm linking this up with Menu Plan Monday on the I'm an organization Junkie blog...  same blog that I'm trying to follow the decluttering with...and I just bought the Clutter Rehab book on kindle...   I hope I link it right!