Food, Cooking, and Holidays:
Cooking with a Little This and That
10 Ways to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Your Last Minute Stop for Halloween Ideas
17 Halloween Cupcake Ideas
20 Pumpkin Inspired Recipes
Tips for Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner
30 Fall Inspired Desserts and Treats

Organization and Declutering:
Do You Have an All or Nothing Attitude
Tips to Get Your Organization Started
Simplify Your Life:  Do Not Call Registry

Homemaking and Housekeeping:
Ideas for Repurposing Old Dresser Drawers
Tips for Completing Dreaded Chores
10 Ways to Save on Your Winter Energy Bill
How to Keep Your Carpet Smelling Fresh
Recycling Containers for Your Home
10 Easy Ways to Save Water
What’s in Your Washing Machine?
An Exploration of Laundry Myths
Lenox Bloom Dinnerware Review

Other:
A Farewell
Wordy Wednesday: My Trip to New York
Links I’m Enjoying
5 Tips for Grocery Store Baggers
 I’m Headed to New York City!

As I mentioned earlier, this will be my last post at Keeping the Castle. It’s been a pleasure.  You can continue to find me at Thrifty Mommy and on Twitter. 

image used with permission of Linette G

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Then Wednesday I made a sausage and spinach quiche.  Wouldn’t you know it, someone asked me what was in it.  I think I said something like, “Uhhhhh, some sausage, eggs, spinach, cheese, uhhhh.  Hmmm. Let me think.”  Honestly, I have no clue the amounts of each thing in the quiche.  I just kept adding more eggs, milk, seasonings, until I thought it looked right.  Recently, I’ve been experimenting with making my own caramel macchiatos.  I have it just about right.  They are so good.  Now my friends are asking me for the recipe.  Once again, I am not sure of the amounts.    I realize I am becoming one of those frustrating people that can’t tell you a recipe.

Are you a no recipe kind of cook?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Keeping the Castle

I have been writing for Keeping the Castle since December 2008. During this time, I have had a great time sharing recipes, homemaking and housekeeping tips, organization troubles and solutions, holiday ideas, ways to save money, and so much more. This blog has allowed me to dig deep to remember homemaking tips that were taught and modeled to me by my mother. Sometimes we just find ourselves going through the motions and not realizing or remembering why we do the things that we do. Many posts at Keeping the Castle were inspired by fond memories and several times I was able to call my mom and say, “You remember when . . . ” or “I’m writing about . . .”.

It’s sad to tell you all “goodbye” but it does come easier knowing that I can still be reached. You can still find me at another b5 site, Thrifty Mommy.  I’ve been writing money saving tips there for over three years.  You can also find me on twitter; I’m @thriftymommy.  I hope to find more time now to spend on my preschool/kindergarten site, Little Fun; Little Learning (which desperately needs a makeover).

Stay tuned.  I still have two posts left before the end of the month!

image from clix at sxc.hu

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1.  Commit to 15 minutes. Set the timer for 15 minutes and commit to work for that amount of time.  Give yourself permission to stop working when the timer buzzes.  This will help get you started and the time you’re working doesn’t seem so overwhelming.  This way you can conquer the clutter one small pile at a time.  And it’s amazing the amount of work that you can get done when you diligently work with no distractions.

2.  Make a compromise. Set realistic expectations for how you want your house to look.  For me, I try to keep the common areas fairly clean.  Each day I *try* to put away the things in the main areas of the house.  It makes me feel like things are under control, even though there’s five loads of laundry waiting.

3.  Get the whole family involved. Set the timer and have everyone work together for 10-15 minutes.  Encourage teamwork, working as a family, responsibility, and end results.

What tips do you have for getting organized?

image (c) Karen Weideman

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Bridget at Bake at 350 gives step-by-step instructions for making these cute spiderweb cookies.  You’ll also want to know how to make her perfectly black icing for the spiderweb cookies and other Halloween treats.

Thrifty Mommy is always interested in saving money.  Check out 33 do-it-yourself costume ideas, ways to save money on Halloween candy, tips for taking Halloween photos, 10 ways to save on Halloween part 1, part 2, and part 3.  Also, don’t forget to take advantage of after-Halloween sales on candy and costumes.

If you’re concerned about handing out so much candy this you might want to check out these Halloween candy alternatives from Boston Mamas.

Linette at Play Library has some great Halloween ideas.  I’m glad she posted these 10 easy homemade costume ideas.  My son was wanting to be a ninja but I was determined not to pay $20 for a costume.  There is an idea for a homemade ninja costume that uses everyday items.  You should also check out 5 favorite Halloween books for young kids,  treat ideas for the school Halloween party,  10 fun Halloween papercraft ideas for kids, and Kids Halloween – Painting Pumpkins.

Kids Birthday Fun has a round-up of cute ideas for a ghostly Halloween party.

Little Fun; Little Learning has an easy pumpkin song you can teach your kids.  You can also let your child fingerpaint or easel paint a pumpkin  or make a Christian pumpkin carving.  There are also several fall-themed ideas.

And from your very own Keeping the Castle – 17 Halloween cupcake ideas, 20 pumpkin inspired recipes, the coolest pumpkin carving designs on the web, pumpkin-carving ideas from Martha Stewart, and pumpkin faces.

Katelyn Thomas has haunted house tips, Halloween decoration ideas, and tips for making a Halloween emergency kit. 

Noreen at Hankering for Yarn shows us some gorgeous masks created with yarn and an upcycled mask trimmed with spool knitting.  Also, how to make a pumpkin pincushion and Halloween dolls to weave on a potholder loom.

While it’s probably too late to order a costume, maybe these Halloween tutu ideas will give you ideas for making your own or using one that you already have.

Are there any holidays that you don’t celebrate?  Mary Emma offers some tips for parents.

Which links did you enjoy?

image from Kids Birthday Fun

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The all or nothing attitude results in piles of clutter throughout the home. The clutter and disorganization leads to feeling overwhelmed and trapped, which is definitely not good for your health. Rather than looking at organization as an all or nothing thing where you see failure try working on a compromise. 

While I like a clean home, I realize that since having kids my house is never totally clean.  No matter how much I clean, I constantly find socks, clothes, or something out of place.  Someone didn’t do their chore or they left trash on the counter.  Rather than throwing up my hands, I keep chugging along.  Some days are really frustrating, but I can’t let it go.  Letting it go for too long leaves me with a suffocating feeling.

Stay tuned for more tips soon on organization.

Do you have an all or nothing attitude?

image sxc.hu

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Here is a list of ideas to include more fruits and vegetables into our diets.  I hope this helps inspire you.

1)  Try cooked pumpkin or winter squash for dinner.

2)  Make a quiche and include chopped bell peppers, onions, and spinach.

3)  Try applesauce on pancakes instead of syrup.

4)  Add lettuce and tomato to a sandwich.

5)  Add chopped apple, mashed banana, or berries to pancakes.

6)  Use fruit when making sweets.  Instead of making chocolate chip cookies or a chocolate peanut butter pie, make an apple pie, pumpkin pie, banana bread, strawberry muffins, or blueberry pie.  Mmmm!

7) Make smoothies.  This is one of my favorite ways to get my fruit.  Strawberries, bananas, pineapple, oranges, and more.  Yummy!

8)  Bake sweet potatoes for dinner.

9)  Make fruit salad.  I always add pineapple to mine. I like the taste of the pineapple mixed with the other fruits.

10)  Enjoy a hot bowl of vegetable soup.

What ways do you add more fruits and vegetables to your family’s meals?

image sxc.hu

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This time, I included a short description of the things needed for each of these cupcake ideas. Perhaps that will help you save some time as you scan through the list. If you’re like me, you’d rather choose a project that you already have the supplies for, rather than making another trip to the store.  Each cupcake requires icing, so I did not include it in the list.

• Peeking Monster – sour candy corn, Necco wafers, blue mini M&Ms
• Spider Crawler Cupcake – chocolate truffles, melted chocolate, mini red M&Ms, pretzel sticks
• Howling Werewolf – shredded wheat, red mini M&Ms, candy corn, black licorice, sunflower kernels
• Witch Legs – black marzipan, yellow mini M&Ms, peppermint sticks, dyed green coconut
• Frankenstein – chocolate graham crackers, miniature marshmallows
• Funny Frog – Hostess Ho Hos or Swiss Cake Rolls, melted chocolate, blue mini M&Ms, green mini M&Ms, red fruit roll-ups
• Green Goblin – sour gummy straws, sour gummy rings, white jelly beans, mini chocolate chips, green jelly beans
• Little Witch – sugar cones, chocolate cookies, melted chocolate, mini M&Ms, dyed coconut
• Gone Batty – chocolate cookie wafers, chocolate M&Ms
• Spooky Eyes – candy coated almonds, Cocoa Puffs, icing
• Who’s There? Owls – fruit flavored candy circles, oval chocolate cookies, frosting, cashews, shaved coconut, pretzel rods
• Googly-Eyed – dark chocolate-covered almonds
• Peek-A-Boo Ghosts – sugar, marshmallows, small mint candies, M&Ms
• Bare Bones skeletons – large candy mints, licorice pastels, small mint candies (Tic-Tacs), white sprinkles
• Under Wraps Mummies – M&Ms, chocolate chips
• Ghoulish Delight ghosts – white fondant
• Madcap Monster – silicone cupcake baking cups with feet,  lollipop sticks, cornstarch, black licorice, white disk shape candies, chocolate pieces, gel frosting

Which cupcakes do you think you’d like to make?

image sxc.hu

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For the first time in years, I have a home landline.  Several years ago, I decided that at that time in our lives, we did not need a landline.  We rarely used the landline, we had our cell phones, and our children were too young to use the phone anyway.  Fast forward a few years and we decided it was time to get a line for our home.  Our kids are getting older and we liked the idea of having a home phone that they could use, just in case.

Now that I have a home phone again, I’m beginning to realize a benefit of not having one.  As soon as I got my landline, I began receiving multiple calls each day from telemarketers.  In fact, I’m sure that the majority of my calls (probably 85% or more) have come from telemarketers.

It might have been an easy choice to have my landline turned off, but instead I have decided to register at the National Do Not Call Registry.  It is easy and free to sign up and should stop most, if not all, telemarketing calls.  It usually takes about a month to have your name removed from the calling lists.  If you continue to receive calls, you can file a complaint.  Just know that some charities and political organizations may not be affected from this registry.

Have you registered your phone numbers?

image by hisks sxc.hu

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Seeing these dresser drawer planters has stirred a curiosity for other things you can do with dresser drawers.  Rather than tossing your old drawers to the curb, consider one of these ideas:

• Underbed storage – Better Homes & Gardens suggests putting casters on drawer bottoms to use them as under the bed storage.
• Bookcase – Country Living shows us how to build an adaptable modular storage system.  (Cool idea, btw!)
• Shelving – Mount an old drawer to the wall and use it for storage or knicknacks and decorations.  If your wall is made of drywall, be sure to drill into studs or use anchors.  This will help to hold the weight of the shelf.

What ways could you repurpose dresser drawers?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Keeping the Castle