I am trying to organize my house before the cool weather and fall arrive. I have decided I have to have a place for all of my jewelry making and craft magazines/catalogs. Since this beautiful basket goes on sale on Weds., I am adding this beauty to my collection. I think it will fit the bill exactly right. It will work for these uses too:

*Holds blanket by the chair or firewood on the hearth,

* Paper recycling center,

* Toy basket or shoe catchall,

* Potatoes on one side of the protector divider and onions on the other,

* Hold file folders next to the desk in the office or cookbooks in the kitchen,

* Hold my 12 " scrapbook and 12 X 12 papers for upcoming pages.

One basket and so many uses!

Affirmation Day

Photo by: wvs.topleftpixel.com

Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

-Nathaniel Hawthorne

Green Beans and Basil

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FYI: This summer was not a good summer for my vegetable garden. The Midwest has had a cool summer, and that translates to a "lean" garden harvest. In fact, my garden this summer has only produced 2 ripe tomatoes to date! Beleive it or not, the green beans have just started coming in! The Basil too, since it was planted on the south side of my garage, is doing fairly well. So the question is...what can I make with green beans and basil? About.com has a recipe that sounded great! Even my hubbie thought it was good! I added parmesan cheese... just because. Give it a try.

Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed (about 3 cups trimmed)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chopped leaf basil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:Cut green beans in halves. Heat oil and butter in a skillet; sauté onion and garlic until softened. Remove garlic from the skillet. Add green beans, salt, basil, sugar, pepper, and boiling water. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Add a little more water, if necessary. Finish with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese. Green bean recipe serves 4.

School Checklist

Today was the first day of school for my kids. This school year, as always, I pledge to be more organized. Really I do! I came across this great idea at Family Fun Magazine online and thought I would share. Even though my children are older, this fantastic idea could be tailored for almost any age…I think I want to make one for myself! Table your constant stream of morning reminders with this clever place mat, which allows kids to take responsibility for their own must-dos.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Decorative paper
Scissors
Glue stick
18- by 12-inch sheet of poster board
Markers
Clear Con-Tact paper (or have it laminated at a copy shop)
Nontoxic dry-erase marker
Adhesive-backed Velcro dot

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Cut three 6- by 12-inch rectangles from decorative paper. Use a glue stick to affix them side by side onto the poster board.

2. Write a "Do at Home" checklist on the left rectangle and a "Take to School" checklist on the right one (leave a few blank spaces at the bottom of each list for write-in reminders).

3. Have the place mat laminated at a copy shop or cover it with clear Con-Tact paper. Your child can use a nontoxic dry-erase marker to check off items or write additional reminders. Affix an adhesive-backed Velcro dot to keep the marker in a handy spot on the mat.

Happy school year!

Budget Friendly Labor Day

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I came across some last minute tips to save on food and drink at your barbecues, picnics, and other gatherings this holiday weekend. An example… go for store brands.

1. Bring Your Own Meat

This is probably one of the best ways to have a great BBQ, just ask your guests to bring the meat. This has several benefits. First of all, it saves you money. Second, you do not have to worry about who likes what. As some people are from various backgrounds, some eat beef, some only chicken, others do not eat pork, etc. By asking them to bring their own meat, everyone is happy.

2. Stock up on Charcoal

If you are planning on hosting a BBQ, stock up on charcoal when it is on sale. It lasts forever!

3. Bring Your Own Drinks

If you provide the meat, then ask your guests to bring the drinks. Everyone may have different preferences, this way you will be sure that there is something to drink for everyone.

4. Forget Paper Plates

Paper plates may seem like a good idea, and although they are easy to clean, don't do it. They are not the cheapest way to go. If you have regular BBQs, then I suggest you use reusable dishes. This will not only save you money in the long run, but will also save the environment.

5. Buy in Off Season

This tip can apply to many things in life; make your equipment purchases during the off season. Between November- April is a good time to purchase BBQ equipment it will save you some money.

6. Have Ice-Cream for the kids

If you going to a park for your BBQ, make sure you have some ice-cream for the kids. No matter how much you feed kids they always want ice cream, so having some with you will ensure you do not have to purchase from the ice cream truck for triple the price.

7. Purchase Bone-In Cuts of Meat

When looking for money saving ideas that let you do more with your budget, purchase bone-in cuts of meat. Bone-in meat will not only save you money but the bones help keep the meat from drying out on the grill and add additional flavor.

Bonus Tips
*Labor Day decorations are very easy and can be inexpensive to arrange. Draping large flags over trees, tables and chairs will do the job. Using anything you already have in the red white and blue theme works great!

* Hold your own mini parade. Have the neighborhood kids decorate their bikes with Cree paper and have them lead a procession around the block. Labor Day party favors or prizes for the kids can be anything that they can play with outdoors like bouncy balls or beach balls for the pool, all of which are on sale at this time of the year or can be found at your local Dollar Store. Kids ideas

* Great Bargain Wines and Beers, all $10 or less.

* How to feed a group on location—say, at a beach house or cabin—without spending a fortune or making three dozen trips to the supermarket.

* Marine Corps Railroad-Style Barbecue Sauce, a simple, inexpensive recipe made for spicing up (salvaging?) just about any piece of cheap meat, from The Dollar Stretcher.com.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. Have fun and be safe!

No sniffles this year!

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This school year I will be ready! As the kids head off to school and come into contact with all the germs of the world, I have an insurance policy against sickness. I have ordered 2 Longaberger Woven Traditions Pump Dispensers and a Wrought Iron Salt and Pepper holder. I plan on putting this beautiful set on the back of the kitchen sink with hand sanitizer in one dispenser and lotion to fight dry skin in the other. Now, when the kids come in from school, they can easily sanitize away all those germs from the outside world. Get your own set here.

Chicago Tailgate

This evening I went to a fun event put on by the Longaberger Co. The President of the Longaberger Co, Tami Longaberger, along with former Cleveland Browns Quarterback, Bernie Kozar were promoting the Companies newest Team Spirit Baskets in Oakbrook, IL. I would guess several hundred Longaberger and football fans showed up to show their support of this newest venture. LB. company representative Tina Smithe drew names every half hour for lucky attendees to win Orange and Black (Chicago Bears colors) Medium Market Baskets.

This event gave loyal fans the opportunity to purchase many others teams colored baskets as well. Northwestern, Ohio State, Chicago Bears, Greenbay Packers and several other teams were represented. You can get your team spirit baskets here.