Low Cost Organizing Ideas

Okay, I sort of feel like this post is "cheating" a little, since I'm pointing you to someone else's organizing tips :) Real Simple Magazine's June issue arrived yesterday with a terrific cover story called "Easy Organizing: 99 affordable ideas", see link below:

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1738886,00.html

It's a terrific quick-read listing of organizing solutions and products. Some under $2! But I must stress, and can't stress this enough, don't buy the product and THEN organize. You must organize (sort, purge, organize) first and THEN go shopping! Don't eat your dessert before dinner, my friends! It almost never works!

A lot of the things I'd seen before, but some of my favorite products were featured:

1. The Corner Dinnerware Cabinet Organizer, $9, www.organize.com
2. The Rationell Variera Rack, $3, www.ikea.com

Organize.com and the Containerstore.com are excellent sources, once you're ready for solutions.

Enjoy this month's Real Simple's tips and let me know which ones you're going to try!

My "famous" Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I found this pie recipe in Woman's Day Magazine about 4 years ago and it's one of the most-requested recipes I have! Nothing says Spring like rhubarb in New England. When I was a kid, my Peppe (Grandfather) had a beautiful patch of rhubarb in his garden and made strawberry rhubarb jam every summer. It brings me back to a simpler time in life!

Strawberry Rhurbarb Pie
1 refrid. ready-to-use crust

Crumb:
1 c. flour
3/4 c. oats
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Pie:
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
4 2/3 cup 1/2 in pieces rhubarb
24 ou. strawberries, halved
1 T grated orange peel

Heat oven to 400. Fit pie into 9 in deep plate. Flute edges. Line baking sheet with foil.
Topping: mix 1st 4 ingred. in med. bowl. Add butter. Toss with fork to form crumbs.
Mix together sugar and cornstarch in med. saucepan. Stir in rhubarb. Bring to simmer over med. heat and stir often until juices thickened. Add strawberry and orange peel. Toss to coat. Pour into crust. Gather crumbs, handful at a time and gently squeeze into clump. Break in small pieces, sprinkle over pie. Bake 50-60 min. until fruit bubbles at edges and top is golden. Cover with foil if browning too much. Serve with vanilla ice cream!!

Scout Boxes/Totes

This weekend we visited family in Maine for Mother's Day. It's always nice to stop and take a break (on the way up) in my absolute favorite little coastal town, Portsmouth, NH. As I was walking by a Hallmark store, I noticed these fabulous totes in the window. The company is Bungalow (www.bungalowco.com) and they make these cool totes and boxes called "Scout". I love the choice of fabric and am a sucker for anything that has multiple storage capabilities. Check them out!

Great Kid Dessert for Parties!

This is one of my favorite "kid" desserts. I made it today for my son's last day of preschool (!!!). It was an emotional day and the sweets helped all the mothers get through it! I can't believe this chapter of our lives is over!

SAND RECIPE

2 boxes Nilla wafers, ground in food processor to look like sand
1 8 ou. cream cheese, room temp
1 stick butter, room temp
1 cup powdered sugar
3 small boxes French Vanilla instant pudding
3 1/2 cup milk
1 12 ou. Cool Whip
8 inch plastic bucket with shovel

Mix cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Set aside.
Mix pudding and milk. Fold in the Cool Whip and the cream cheese mixture. Mix well.

Butter the sides of the bucket. Alternate layers of pudding mixture and "sand". End with about a one inch layer of sand on the top. I topped the thing off with some chocolate seashells, which really made it special! I had my made just for the occasion from the local chocolate shop, but I believe Lindt sells them by the box.

Refrigerate and enjoy!!

Spring found my new shrub!

You have to picture the scene. I walked out to the front yard Saturday morning to stake the arborvite shrub my husband and I planted (about 2 weeks ago). My plan was to wrap a strong piece of twine around the trunk before tying it to the stake. I reached into the center of the shrub with the twine and almost jumped when I saw a beautifully crafted robin's nest filled with the most beautiful Tiffany box blue eggs! Saturday there were 2 eggs and yesterday there were 3. I told my son about the nest and when we went to take a peek the mother bird was sitting on the eggs! I was so excited. I love the whole cycle of it all. I planted ornamental grass in my perennial garden last fall, they died, and this robin used parts of the dead grass to build her nest. I'm in awe by this little nest! As you can guess by the name of my business, Bird's Nest Interiors, I love nests. I have a couple faux nests in my house tucked away on bookshelves. When I first saw this one, I actually thought my husband took one of my faux nests and put it in the shrub as a joke! Happy Spring! Finally finding it's way to Southern New England!!!

The Latest Yard Sale Piece

Here is a picture of last Saturday's yard sale find: a hutch with bookshelf on top that I somehow fit in my car (in 2 pieces) and painted a high gloss white. I'm crazy about this and it was $5! The guy selling it was thrilled to get it out of his garage and I was thrilled to give it a new life. I've been saying this for years, but yard sales are simply the best way to find furniture you want to experiment with. When I picked it out, I figured it would end up in my daughter's room or somewhere in my living room...but the master closet it where it landed! I love not knowing where, but knowing "Yes!!" And for $5, if it didn't work I knew it wasn't any big loss. Okay, I have to run...it's Saturday morning. Any idea where I'm off to?

New WRAPPING Product from Hallmark

I'm about to jump into my car and go get a roll of some of the new self adhesive wrapping paper from our friends at Hallmark. It's apparently like one huge sticky note: easy to use, easy to make a mistake and reposition....you get the idea. I'm considering using it as a shelf liner for a great new bookcase I bought at at yard sale Saturday and (yes, you guessed it) painted glossy white. It's very cute in my master closet, holding my summer bags and sandals. I'll let you know if I get some of the paper and discover all sorts of wacky ways to use it! Enjoy!