Words to live by....

"You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities." ~ Gordon B. Hinckley...LOVE

Happy Tuesday!!!!!

Hello everyone!  If you are following my When to do what??? cleaning schedule then you will know that today is FLOORS!!!!  Sweep and mop those floors and you will feel better about everything. 

I have never been a big fan of Tuesdays.  I'm not even half-way yet.  But, today is sunny and beautiful and I am going to have a better attitude.  (Do you hear the pep-talk voice I am giving myself right now?)  :)

I am also starting to get ready for Easter.  I am really excited to start.  I found some ideasand thought I would show you my favorites.

Jelly Bean Easter Bark.  Doesn't that look amazing!  I love the colors.  You can find the recipe here:  http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/144801/Jelly-Bean-Easter-Bark/detail.aspx

This is a free Easter Printable.  I just love it!  I thought this would look spectacular printed in vinyl and put onto a mirror. 
http://craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com/2012/03/free-spring-easter-printable.html

My trees are suddenly in need of some trimming.  :)  I love this tablescape. 
http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/04/blues-and-branches-a-spring-tablescape/









Here are a few others to check out:

http://www.craftyendeavor.com/2012/03/08/easter-egg-garland/

http://www.parenthacks.com/2011/04/muffin-tin-as-easter-egg-dye-container.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+parenthacks+%28Parent+Hacks%29

http://itsallfiddlefart.blogspot.com/2010/02/bunny-tails.html

Keeping your front-loading washer clean and fresh....

I read a great article the other day in Real Simple magazine.  A reader asked the question, "Why does my front-loading washing machine smell like mildew?

We recently purchased a new washer for that very reason.  It smelled bad and I couldn't figure out why or how to fix it.  Our solution was to buy a new one.  I wish I would have known how to prevent this problem and then how to fix it if it did happen.

Here are the tips that were suggested in the magazine:

1-Don't use too much soap!  Front loaders use 1/3 of the amount of water of a regular washer.  If you put in too much soap, there won't be enough water to wash it away.  The residue left by the soap can result in mildew.  Make sure you use HE detergent and then only the recommended amount.  Less is actually more in this case.

2-Check to make sure your front-loader is level.  If the machine is not perfectly level, it could not be draining properly.  If you find this is the problem, then call a service man to adjust it.

3-Re-think using liquid fabric softener.  It has a waxy bas which sticks to the tub of the machine giving mildew a place to grow.  If you do choose to use it, use a VERY small amount. 

HOW TO FIX IT.....
Quotes from Real Simple Magazine, "To get rid of the mildew odor, run an empty machine on the hottest setting with bleach or Affresh ($8, homedepot.com), a cleaner that deodorizes a washer's interior.  And after each load of laundry, leave the door ajar to allow the interior to dry." 

Many newer front loaders have a cleaning cycle also.

Good luck and I hope this helps. :)

Busy with this....

You probably  have noticed a definite lack of posts lately.  The reason is wedding cakes.  I am a cake baker and I had a big wedding last weekend.  I thought I would post it for fun.  Wedding cakes are expensive for a reason - they take a loooooong time to make.  :)  Anyway, here it is.  Enjoy!

Chair rail.....

I have been itching to add chair rail somewhere in my house and I have been re-decorating my dining room lately so it was a perfect fit.  I don't have the "after" photos yet because I am still working on it but here's the chair rail photos.  This was actually a really easy project - definitely do-able during nap time.  :)  Give it a try!

First, measure and then measure again.  Start from a corner.  Cut your pieces and then tape them to the wall to make sure everything is fitting as it should. 






There are two trains of thought when it comes to placement of the chair rail on the wall.  The first is to place it 1/3 of the way up the wall.  The other is to place it at "chair height" thus the name "chair rail".  I went slightly above 1/3 of the wall - more in line with my chairs.  It is completely up to you though.  Tape it up and look at it for a while.  Nail the rail on with locking finish nails that are made for trim work.




 
 Here is the rail all cut and nailed up.  I wish I had a nail gun but I don't.  It would have been much faster that way.  Make sure you nail into the thickest part of the rail.  After it is up, go back and sink your nails in slightly. 
 
 







The next step is to fill the nail holes with caulk.  Then run a small bead of caulk along the top and bottom of the chair rail to make it seamless.  I like to go back with a damp cloth and wipe along the rail to take off the excess caulk. 





After the caulk is dry, tape off both sides of the rail and paint it. 










Don't leave the tape on very long.  As soon as you have it painted, pull it off.


 
There you have it.  The finished project.  As soon as I finish decorating the dining room, I will post pictures of that.  Chair rail is simple, easy and relatively inexpensive.  You can do it!

Healthy lasagna....

We had this lasagna for dinner last night and it was a big hit!

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 green pepper (chopped)
1 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp oregano
salt & pepper - dash
1 jar of your favorite red pasta sauce
1 egg
1 15 oz carton of low-fat ricotta cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp parsley (I used dried but fresh works great too)
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice - mozzarella, cheddar, provolone, whatever - I use a blend.
           (1 cup will go in the with the ricotta mixture and the rest will go on top.)

Cooking Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a 9x12 baking dish - spray evenly with non-stick spray
Put 1/4 cup of red pasta sauce in the bottom of the dish and spread over the bottom of the dish.

Boil pasta noodles at a rolling boil for 10 minutes.  (I know most noodles boil for 12 but I like lasagna noodles a little firmer because you don't want them falling apart when you stack them.)

In a medium size bowl, combine: ricotta, egg, parsley, and 1 cup shredded cheese.

Cook the sweet Italian sausage until it is crumbled and no longer pink.  Add the chopped green pepper and spices.  Continue to cook until the green pepper is tender.

Layering the lasagna:
Place a layer of noodles over the 1/4 cup of sauce in the pan.  If the noodles don't completely cover the bottom of the pan - it's okay.  It's better to not come all the way to the edge than to have noodles pushing against the edge - that's how they get dry.
Crumble a thin layer of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then add a thin layer of the sausage over that.  Now, use a spoon to pour a VERY thin layer of sauce over the meat.  Don't do too much sauce of the lasagna will be soupy.  Then place a layer of noodles over the sauce.
Keep repeating this pattern until all of the ingredients have been used. 
Sprinkle extra cheese on top.

Cover the dish with tin foil and seal it up as best you can. 
Bake for 40 minutes.
Uncover the dish and bake for 10 minutes more.

Serve and enjoy!!!

This lasagna doesn't get too soupy so it doesn't need to rest before you serve it like traditional lasagnas.