Fun Tub Idea!

If you want to thrill your child, place a small action figure in a plastic bowl, fill the bowl with water, and freeze it! The next night, place the frozen figure in the tub and play with it until it melts. Fantastic!

Great Organizing Website

I'm a big fan of success by baby steps. When I'm working with clients, we usually start small (one drawer, one section of a closet, etc.) Once you see you CAN do something small, and stick to it (!!) it's a lot more rewarding.

I want to challenge my readers to finally organize that underwear or sock drawer. A terrific product (that I use, one for my socks, one for my underwear) can be found at:

http://www.stacksandstacks.com/html/44103_drawer-organizer-cubicles.htm

Stacks and Stacks is a site that offers storage and organization for just about any challenge. Poke around their site, you'll have fun. But be sure you don't just buy a bunch of stuff with developing a PLAN!

Ladies, you've heard it many times, but most of us are wearing the wrong size bra. Do yourself a favor and take a trip to Victoria's Secret, where they will not only measure you, but will give you a box that has a trial of every bra they sell in your size. Then, you're free to shop easily.

Happy spring cleaning! Email me your challenges and success! And p.s. don't forget to measure your drawer before your buy the sock organizer!!

Nutrition Time!

I think of myself as a relatively smart woman when it comes to nutrition. I've been a vegetarian and regular exerciser for years. I walk, I run, I practice yoga, blah, blah, blah. But it wasn't until I saw Dr. Oz recently on Oprah that I realized I was missing the boat in the vitamin department. Since I take a multivitamin for women, I assumed I was getting what I needed. Not so! Here is what we all need, simply put:

• 1200 mg. calcium
  
• 600 mg. magnesium (to make the calcium work, who new?)
• a good all-around womens multi vitamin
• fish oil (I take 3 a day, with each meal)

The best way to stay on top of this is to get one of those weekly pill dispensers (get one large enough!) and keep it near your toothbrush. That way you'll remember to space things out throughout the day. As a woman in my mid 30's, I realize NOW is the time to really take care of my bones through vitamins and strength training.

One more bit: only 25% of Americans get enough fiber, which is 25 grams a day. Want to knock this out in one meal? 1 cup of FIBER ONE cereal gives you 24 grams! One bowl! I eat one daily with fruit. It's so much better than the bran and fiber cereals of the past. Give it a try!

If you're reading this, you're someone I care about, so start taking the best care of yourself today!

Clothes, clothes, clothes....

As an organizer, one of my favorite challenges are master closets. Here are a couple tips I give clients to "rethink" the amount of clothes they keep. Of course I could write a book about this, but I'll just touch upon some of my favorite things....

• Did you know most of us wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time?
  (TIP: once you wear something, turn the hanger around. After a few months, you'll notice which things never get worn. Donate those things)
• Wooden hangers make clothes look SO much neater and make you appreciate what you have. Invest in a pack of 20 from a place like Bed Bath and Beyond for as little as $10.
  
• I encourage people to only keep their current season in their closet. Getting dressed is easier and transitioning from one season to the next gives you an opportunity to re-evaluate what you're holding on to. Store off-season clothes in clear lidded bins. If you can't, you have too many clothes. Also keep off-season bags and shoes in a separate space.
  
• Do you have business attire you're no longer using? You can donate it to DRESS FOR SUCCESS (www.dressforsuccess.org). They distribute career clothes to economically disadvantaged women looking for jobs. Who wouldn't feel good about that?

That's all for you. Please email me and ask me your specific closet organizing questions and I'll post them on the blog. Happy Donating!

Chocolate Chip Cookies, analyzed!

Many of you know that one of my favorite rainy/snowy day activities is baking. This year, I got tired of mediocre homemade chocolate chip cookies (does such a thing exist?) and decided to make it my mission to figure out what separates a good cookie from a GREAT cookie. After several batches (and I mean, several....)

Here is what I found:

• Best taste? Butter flavored Crisco (it's sort of gross, but tastes the best!)
• Eggs must be at room temperature (who knew?)
  
• Get the good chips! My favorite are Guittard (I always use Semi or Bittersweet chips (b.s. are darker and deeper in flavor)
• I always bake on a Silpat or parchment paper
• I like to add a little pinch of cinnamon (it adds a little coconut taste - weird, huh?)
  
• Chill your dough for at least 30 min.
• Put the scoops of batter onto a room temp cookie sheet (You can run cold water onto a used sheet)
  

My recipe!
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t soda
1 t salt (I use kosher)
1/4 t cinnamon
1 c. butter flavored Crisco
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar (packed)
2 large eggs (room temp)
1 1/2 t vanilla (I use more than most people)
12 ou. good quality chips
1 c. walnuts

Mix flour, soda, salt and cinnamon in bowl. In separate bowl, cream Crisco, sugars and then eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the dry to the wet and then add your nuts and chips. Mix until well combined, but don't over beat things. I like to do it all by hand. I like to scoop batter balls with an ice cream scoop that has the handle that pushes the scoop out. Make sure to allow room for them to spread!

Bake for about 8-10 min in a 375 oven. You'll want to move your oven rack to the center.
Cool on the sheet for about 2 minutes and then let them totally cool on wire racks. Enjoy!

Two little things to note: you can make your cookie dough into a log (like Tollhouse slice and bake) and then wrap it in Saran and Tinfoil and freeze the batter. You may also freeze baked cookies. When it's time to eat, just zap in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Heaven!

Wrap-N-Mat, the greatest thing!

I don't remember where I first read about this, but one of my favorite things is a re-usable sandwich wrap and place mat in one called the Wrap-N-Mat. It's made of cute, wipe-able material (many different fabric choices, from sports to holidays). It's 13x13 when it's opened and closes with a piece of Velcro. It's definately one of those things I saw and thought, "now, why didn't I invent that!!!". They start at $4.99 each. I'm definately getting one for each kid when they're in full time school. You can visit the site at www.wrapnmat.com. Let me know if you've ever seen these.

Irish Soda Bread

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, my friends! You'd never know it looking at me, but I am 1/4 Irish, so I try to honor ye ol' heritage with some traditional Irish baking. Here's the best soda bread recipe I've found!

1/2 c. white sugar
4 c. flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 cups raisins
1 T caraway seed (optional, I love it)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 c. buttermilk (don't substitute)
1 c. sour cream

350 oven. Grease 9 inch round cake pan. Mix flour, sugar, powder, soda, salt, raisins and caraway. In small bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, sour cream. Stir liquid into the flour until moist. Knead dough about 12 strokes in bowl. Will be very sticky! Place in the pan and pat it. Cut a 4 in deed slip into the top (I do an "x"). Dust the top with a little flour. Bake 65-75 minutes. Cool and turn it into a wire rack.

Splurge and pat with delicious whipped butter!

Decorating End Tables

One of the questions I get a lot from clients is "how do I decorate an end table". Most of us put a lamp and maybe a framed picture, but what comes next? Here is a general formula I've noticed in most of my decorating books and magazines. Once I tell you about it, you'll notice it everywhere!

First, you have a lamp (reading if you're in a den or something softer in the bedroom). Then, the trick is usually grouping the following: lamp, framed picture, books, vase of flowers and some interesting object. By interesting object, I mean something like a cool little wooden box, statue, an interesting small bowl, etc. Go on, flip through some magazines and you'll see it!

If you have a decorating dilemma, please email me at partridgeathome@yahoo.com and I will post your question on the site and do my best to give you some ideas!

Organizing Tip! KIDS ART

I think most moms will say 2 things about their kid's art: they love it, and there is TOO MUCH OF IT! Here is something I've done to manage the paper-flow a little. I save only the most special things (not including all the flimsy-papered math sheets!), about 10 favorite pieces per kid/per year. Then, go to your postoffice/Target, etc. and buy a $3 white mailing tube. Write your child's name and school year on the side, roll up the art and you're done! You can collect many years upright in a closet, attic, etc. Simple and affordable!

POPCORN!

I decided to go retro last night and make hot aired popcorn. With everything I've read about the evils of microwave corn, I figured it was worth giving air popped corn another chance. As a kid, we had one of those hideous looking yellow plug-in kinds (remember them? the gross little butter melter tray? they turn up at yard sales all the time!).

My latest trick? Put 1/4 cup of kernels in a brown paper lunch bag, fold the bag over 3 times and pop it for about 2 1/2 minutes in the microwave! The result? Fluffy, white, super low-cal, whole grain treat...in it's own cute bag :) The kids loved it.

Wash those Windows!

We all hate to clean, right? But since it's a necessary evil, why not make the most of it by buying/making yourself the best (environmentally safe) cleaning products. I know, I know, you're rolling your eyes by the idea of making your own cleaning products. I promise it's painless! And it's much better on the environment and your wallet!

Here is the best window-washing formula I've found:

1/2 cup ammonia
1 pint 70% rubbing alcohol
1 tsp. dishwashing liquid (I used lavendar)

Combine in a bucket and add enough hot water to make a gallon of washing liquid. I filled a 99 cent spray bottle from Target and used a squeggee to wipe the window and a microfiber cloth to wipe up excess spots.

I just learned about the massive power of the microfiber cloth! Did you know you can wet it, ring it out and wipe down all your stainless steel to make it shine? No nasty cleaning product necessary. I bought a pack of 6 and rotate them in and out of the wash. It's a great way to save on paper towel expense and waste! They are also great for dusting tv and computer screens, ceiling fans, lampshades....

Chocolate Birds Nest, an Easter delight!

2 cups butterscotch chips
2 cups chocolate chips
3 cups chow-mein noodles
M&M speckled eggs (I use the robin's egg blue ones in the package)

Melt chips in microwave about 2 minutes and mix until melted and smooth. Stir in noodles. Drop little balls of the mix on wax paper and make a space in the middle to place the eggs (about 2). Chill in fridge about half and hour. Crazy good!

Welcome to Bird's Nest Interiors!

Hello Friends! I've been wanting to do a blog to support Bird's Nest Interiors (my decorating and organizing business) for some time now. You can visit here to get great lifestyle ideas: decorating, organizing, baking, health & wellness and gardening. Please check back frequently, as I hope to post on a regular basis. And please leave comments to let me know what I should be doing more (or less!) of. Thank you and have fun with it!