Using Command Hooks to Organize

Command hook

Instruction to hooks

Command hooks are my friends.  They help me stay organized.  They help house my objects.  Things that we need at our fingertips are readily available to us.  Whether we hide our items behind closed doors or leave them out in the open, we know where each of these important items are.

Clipboard hangs

Chore charts hang

Above, in the left picture, my clipboard hangs on the door of my office cabinet.  To the right is a photo of my daughters' room, where their chore charts dangle on the wall.

Wall is utilized for space

The picture to the right illustrates how I've employed Command hooks in the kitchen.  I wanted to free up some slots for more cooking utensils.  I applied hooks under a shelf and moved the measuring cups to the left of my stove.  I hung strainers and funnels.

Light-weight cleaners hanging

The picture to the left shows how I've hung light-weight cleaning helpers.  They are off the floor and hanging on the inside of a door.  There is no space taken over.  As soon as one opens the door, one can pull them off and use them right away.

Old dress holding plastic bags

Finally, this picture shows an old dress that holds plastic reusable bags.  Long ago, I sewed the bottom of the dress shut.  That allowed a bounty of space to fill it up with the bags.  The small metal part of the hanger hung securely on the hook.

Command hooks in different sizes

There are countless ways to use Command hooks.  There are other rooms where the hooks can be of great value.  For the bathroom, I have hung my exfoliating sponge.  In the classroom, it could hold interchangeable small posters.  No matter what the project, Command hooks are removable and reusable.

Well, thanks for reading this entry about how I've used Command hooks in my house.
If you enjoyed this entry, please share it with others.
I would appreciate that very much.

How about it, my readers?  Have you organized anything in your house lately?  Would you consider using Command hooks?  How would you use Command hooks?  Right now is the perfect opportunity to do your fall cleaning.  I hope you will find time to change things up for the fall season. 

May God bless you all with His wisdom and peace.

This entry is part of the Family Fun Fridays series.

Updates and a Wishlist

These are bell pepper cut up.

Today, I am mixing it up with updates and a wishlist.  I am wanting to record our progress as a family, within several areas.  

Updates:

First of all, I think the weight has stayed level.  It's kind of hard to tell at times because I weigh myself at different times of the day.  I do think that I have stayed at a good number.  I think as long as I stay away from potato chips and soda, I will not gain extra weight.

Second, my sanity hasn't left me.  Our chores are coming along.  We are on our second week.  I must admit that I didn't keep up with signing them everyday like I wanted.  Still, the kids did most of their chores.

Third, we had takeout only once last week.  It was hubby's birthday.  I was exhausted.  Hubby didn't want leftovers.  Let's just say I didn't enjoy our pizza.

Fourth, I cut up some veggies for the coming weeks.  I cut up some bell peppers of all colors and stored them in the freezer.  Wow!  They were so pretty.  I went ahead and cut carrots, zucchini, and cucumber, too.

Here's my wishlist for the coming weeks:

1. Get more sleep.  Quit seeing Netflix at night.  That makes the hours pass by so quickly that I forget to go to sleep.  Must change that!

2. Prepare for school.  Getting the chores going is likely to help transition into schooling.  A sort of schedule is already emerging.  This past weekend, we bought some material for my eleven year-old's sixth grade.  We also bought a student planner for my high schooler.

3. Research cooking methods.  I want to find ways to cook safely.  There are always alternatives.  Perhaps I should cook with better pots and pans.  Boiling and steaming over grilling is healthier.  Information like that is what I want to compile for a possible ebook.

4. While on the subject of compiling, yes, I want to compile lists like for our food pantry and/or household cleaners; we already have some running lists.  I need to get uber-organized.  I never know what's up ahead.  I'm thinking of writing a romance novel in November.  Hopefully, my organization will help me squeeze some time for that.

Well, thanks for reading our updates and my wishlist about things I would like to accomplish.  I appreciate it very much.

How about you, my readers?  How are you all doing?  Have you struggled with organizing yourselves?  Or are you comfortable with your household management?  I encourage you to consider bite-size changes in your life, gradually accumulating the better habits in your life.  If you need to improve your health, in any form, please ask God to help you.  Surely, He will, if you pray for His guidance.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Five Things I Need to Cook Successfully

My kitchen is small but functional.

Throughout the years as a mother, I have cooked many a meal for my family.  Yes, I'm not perfect.  I don't cook everyday.  I try to make the best of my situation with my ongoing illness and energy levels.  Having the right cooking tools to help my health quest is important.

Now, I know what you're thinking?  What does having an ideal kitchen have to do with a health quest?  Well, I'll tell you.  Like the saying goes, "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

Having the tools I need is very important to me.  I get very upset if I can't find my tools to cook.  Take, for example, my garlic press.  I used that thing until it broke.  If you don't believe me, ask my hubby who had to fish out some metal pieces out of a batch of Fideo I recently made.

What are some of the tools I need to cook successfully and happily? 

I need water all the time.

For one thing, I need water.  It's not only for cooking some meals; I'm always thirsty.  It could be my health that requires it.  It could be that the heat makes me dehydrated.  I just know that I get thirsty when I cook.

Pots hang in my kitchen.

Second, I need my pots, pans, and their lids.  The right pan can make a difference.  I have a wok for stir fry foods.  I have pots to boil water for tea and soups.  I have flat pans for my pastas like rice and Fideo.

This is my recently organized food pantry.

Third, I need my food ingredients.  I think you must understand that having the food to cook is necessary.  What is equally important is having it organized.  It doesn't matter if it is spices, canned goods or frozen foods.  We need to know what we have before even starting to cook a meal; there is nothing more disheartening than to find out that something is missing when some of the ingredients are already mixed.

Specific cooking utensils are important to me.

Fourth, I need the right cooking utensils.  Sometimes, I need to cut things.  Sometimes, I need to spoon things around.  Sometimes, I need to transfer food from one pot to another.  Sometimes, I need to measure liquid or powdered items.

Music puts me in the mood to cook.

Finally, I need my music.  Music gets me going.  Have I ever mentioned that I hate the idea of stopping what I'm doing to cook?  Well, when the music is switched on, I get going.  Once I hear my favorite music, I dance while I cook; I get in the mood to cook.

Well, thanks for reading this entry.  I appreciate it.  I had fun putting it together.  I hope my kids enjoy reading it because I made it for them.  After all, who bothers to tell children what makes a cook happy in their kitchen?  I hope my kids enjoy cooking in my kitchen, too.

How about you, my readers?  What do you absolutely need in your kitchen?  What tools do you need to cook?  Do you have any quirky needs to be able to cook?  I encourage you to consider what you need to make cooking a pleasant experience.  You just might find out a way to truly enjoy cooking.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

D is for Using a Digital Camera as a Tool to Teach

 

I'm currently participating in an ABC's for homeschooling challenge.  

Since it falls on Tuesdays, I am adding a technological slant to the challenge.  

I hope you stay tuned and enjoy my entries.

I started out my blog for various reasons.  The most important reason is that I wanted to record life lessons for my children.  I have found, through blogging, that pictures can carry the messages a long way.  Visual cues provide visual learners a way to relate to the information with a much more keen interest in the content.  I, myself, am a visual person so I understand this concept.

Digital cameras can be wonderful teaching tools.

In my blog reading, I have sought out blogs that provide rich images of how mothers organize their own homes.  I am loving this springtime cleaning season.  Many mom bloggers are taking before and after pictures of their decluttering and reorganization of specific rooms.  I love seeing their ideas come to fruition.  The explanations provided entice me to try out some of their ideas, often with my own tweaking.

You might think that I am only referring to myself and my enjoyment of taking photographs.  I have been fortunate enough to have taken some lessons in photography in my junior high and high school years.  They have shaped the way I take photographs.  I don't claim to be an expert.  I just know what I want to convey through my pictures.

Picture-taking is essential for me for several reasons.  Yes, I capture memories.  Yes, I love to record vacations and milestones.  Who doesn't?  I, more importantly, want to teach with my photographs.

Picture of organization of a bedroom, essential to homemaking

For example, to teach homemaking to my children, I am taking before and after pictures of my decluttering efforts in my own home.  I want to show my children about the importance of organization for a home to run efficiently.  It is important that they learn the skill of organization for when they have their own homes.  I am taking the time to jot down notes and adding before and after pictures to my blog entries about organization; I want to provide my children with examples of cleanliness in a home.  It might give them inspiration to reorganize their own bedrooms after seeing what I can do.

Picture of a cooked meal is a wonderful teaching tool.

Another way I use photography to teach my children is in the area of cooking.  I am enjoying blogging and taking pictures of meals (and their ingredients) that my children can make for themselves.  I have blogged about making soups, salads, and tacos.  I have made a point about making meals that are colorful for the eyes, too.  A melody of colors in a meal can lure people into eating your delicious, healthy meals.

Pictures of gardening help teach about science.

Of course, I must mention gardening.  My children should know about plants for science.  Is there a better way to learn about plants than to plant seeds and watch them grow?  I love the fact that out of seeds something big, juicy, and delicious grows out of the earth to eat.  My children have gardened for several years, but with pictures, those memories have been recorded for later viewing.

Well, thanks for reading this entry.  I hope I have provided some advice on how to use a digital camera to teach in your homeschool.  Even if you don't homeschool, all adults and children can use digital cameras to capture memories to teach others on any given subject, including family history, for example.  I hope you will give it a try, if you haven't already.  Photography can provide a different dimension to learning for your children.

 

How about you, my readers?  Do you own a digital camera?  Do you let your children use it?  I encourage you to use a digital camera to create opportunities to provide visual aids in your teaching.  Photography, in itself, can be quite fun, too!

I pray that God gives you all, my beloveds, His wisdom and peace.

This has been an entry for the Technology Tuesdays series.