Spring Cleaning Success: Tackle 1 Junk Drawer
I am simultaneously a nester and an organizer, which leaves my home in various states of lived-in chaos and cleanliness, all at once. I can never quite tackle my to-do list, and I quickly add new projects to it before I can finish my first ones!
Progress can seem slow-going. I prefer to see quick results, but I DO have an ultimate vision of organized, uncluttered loveliness that I hope my home will transform into over the next few months of hard work.
While I totally believe this is possible, it is all starting with carving out my list into small, manageable projects. One baby step at a time. Little by little changes add up to a noticeable difference.
Tonight, although I’m fighting off some nasty cold and should have been working on homework, I got a burst of inspiration to tackle a problem area in my home- my junk drawer.
I actually hate junk drawers. I hate them, they are sort of disgusting at all times and home things that really don’t belong. But at the same time, it is sort of necessary to have some catch-all devoted small spaces so that it doesn’t turn into a catch-all room of the house- which is our dining room, right now, :(.
In my head I had really deluded myself into thinking that my junk drawer was not as bad as I thought. Oh man, it had gotten so out of control. (So bad I could not even stand to take photos of it.) I guess I never noticed that this specific drawer has a lot of extra space above it in the countertop underneath the built in cutting board so things kept piling and piling inside. There was so much stuff in there, you wouldn’t believe it. Once I started pulling it all out, there was no turning back.
I slowly went through the entire crazy mess, separated it all out, put things that have a home where they are supposed to go, and then threw a lot of crap away. I cleaned the drawer itself and then select items went carefully back into place.
It felt so good.
So I’m encouraging you- go do it today. Find your junk drawer, and clean it out.
One small project can create such a feeling of relief.
Happy Spring Cleaning, everyone!
DefenderPad Laptop Radiation Shield Review
*This is a sponsored post for DefenderPad.*
I have a love-hate relationship with technology.
I love that it is so easy to connect with people, and gather information and new ideas, but I also worry about the effect technology has on our family’s health.
Although there is a balance to be achieved from being online and being unplugged, there are also some ways to make the time you spend on your tech devices safer. This is especially important to me because Elodie will sometimes use my laptop with me and I want it to be a safe for her, too!
I am so pleased to have the DefenderPad Laptop Radiation Shield because it makes it much more comfortable to sit and work with my laptop in my lap. This sleek little device serves as a radiation and heat barrier for your laptop. I don’t know about yours, but my laptop gets very hot while I am using it. I usually just ended up shifting it from leg to leg but now that I have this amazing and simple solution, I feel so silly for having done that!
The DefenderPad Laptop Radiation Shield is a few inches wider and longer than my computer (macbook) so it should work for almost any laptop size out there. It is quite thin which makes it easy to store and lightweight. I don’t mind the extra space on the sides either, because it creates a little workspace for me to jot down post it notes or a place to store my phone nearby.
If you’re interested in purchasing a DefenderPad, be sure to use this special discount code “spring13” for 10% off!
About Defenderpad:
“DefenderPad is a unique and pioneering solution that provides ultimate safety while using today’s modern mobile technology. Incredibly sleek and functional by design, it offers a comfortable and convenient workspace. More importantly, the FCC certified lab tested DefenderPad™ blocks nearly 100% of all potentially harmful Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) and greatly reduces heat emitted by laptops, tablets and other modern devices. So drop those lap desks, lap trays and cooling pads. You can feel secure knowing you are protected anywhere, anytime with the all-in-one DefenderPad™ laptop radiation shield.”
Enter to win your very own! There will be 5 lucky winners!
Disclaimer: I received a sample for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Oat Balls
*Post sponsored by PB Crave*
Every mama needs to have some quick and easy snacks up her sleeve to satisfy her growing tots. There are some staple foods that we eat all the time, like peanut butter, that can be used in so many different ways- so it never gets old.
If you have ever had peanut butter oatmeal cookies or granola bars before, you will love these easy to whip up cookie-like balls, and the recipe couldn’t be easier. Since PB Crave’s flavor “Cookie Nookie” contains honey and chocolate chips, you get a lot of flavor in each bite.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup whole grain oats
-1/2 cup PB Crave Cookie Nookie
-About 2 splashes of milk, give or take a little (approx 1/5 cup)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together.
Roll into bite size balls.
Serve room temperature or refrigerate for later!
This recipe is very, very flexible. Though it is great as is- feel free to make it your own! Add toasted coconut, chopped nuts or a swirl of maple syrup or honey for added sweetness. Any of the PB Crave flavors would work great in this application as they all contain a taste of wild honey.
I could personally eat Cookie Nookie with a spoon. (Okay, I have.) And Choco-Choco is reminiscent of Nutella and would work great in a brownie application, and makes a decadent morning treat on toast! I personally like to stir a little spoonful in my morning oatmeal.
The Razzle Dazzle and Coco Bananas both have strong fruit flavors. While Razzle Dazzle tastes like a PB+J in one, I could see it making an excellent chocolate truffle filling, and the Coco Bananas would make a killer ice cream flavor!
We are in peanut butter heaven with so many delicious options to choose from. If you love peanut butter, you’re going to have to try these or you won’t know what you’re missing!
Disclaimer: I received PB Crave for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Morning Magic
Elodie comes tip-toeing up to me with her tiny finger to her mouth, whispering “shhh….”
Her downy baby duck is wrapped in a crocheted blanket snoozing away and she is spoon-feeding her little teddy. A sip of porridge for you, little bear, and then a sip of porridge for me.
The day is still early, with light breaking through the thick layer of fog, starting the day off crisp, cool and bright.
Elodie is dressed in her miniature UV protective swim suit and skirt, hair still unbrushed, but eager to go explore the bay’s edge, dig in the wet sand, to squish it between her tiny fingers and flick it into the rhythmic lapping of the bay’s waves.
For now, I stay perched in my armchair, my oversized sherpa blanket wrapped from shoulder to shoulder with my gleaming cup of sweet coffee- still hot- in my hand.
Elodie is filling the morning with her giggles, her sweet sing-songy voice singing along with our cheery kid’s pandora station, and gathering an assortment of pinecones, toys and snacks on her table top.
And I am just trying to soak in every minute of this perfect morning magic, savoring the small moments that are so precious and so sweet.
Hard to imagine life gets better than this.
