Walking in Wonder

"Find a few minutes today to go for a walk. Bring a friend. Enjoy the wonder."

Cindy's DO-Log (Our Daily Adventures of DOing and Finances)

Our Cindy's Porch slogan for 2007 was so successful for our members (and myself) that we have decided to use the same one again for 2008.

DO away with debt in 2008!

Discovering the power of "DO instead of BUY" is going to make the biggest changes in your finances (and lifestyle). We all have so many wonderful things in our homes and lives - this is the year to use them, to enjoy them, to DO them. Think of the sports equipment, the crafting supplies, the games, the cooking tools, the stuff in your closets, the stuff in the garage, the stuff hidden away and stashed out of sight. You have paid for this stuff, you may as well use it!

To have a little fun with this, I have decided to start a 2008 "DO-LOG." I can't promise that I will write in it everyday, but I will keep you updated with some of the DO's our family has been DOing. Along the way, we plan on wiping out more of our debt! Feel free to send us your daily DO's (and don't be surprised if I post some of them on our DO-LOG.

Have a great, DO-ing kind of day!
Cindy

February 29, 2008: Bring on Spring!

We're live and setting up Cindy's Porch for spring! New goals, new colors, new do's, and a ton of new fun. I'll keep you posted on what's happening in on my DO-LOG. Keep checking in during the weekend.

My backyard tulips a couple years ago.
This year's tulips are about two inches tall already!

First update: Snow's gone! And the buds are coming out. A couple days ago I saw my first spring robin and it seemed most appropriate that he get a special place of honor on the porch! (Next, it's time to wipe out February's goals and replace them with the new goals for March.... Don't worry, the previous month's goals will still be available online.) - Cindy

YIKES! It is 10:00pm already, time to pack it in for the night! Goals are posted, but you'll have to wait until later this weekend to get all the links. Have a wonderful Saturday!

Cindy

February 26, 2008: Welcome to Tuesday - With Still Lots to DO!

Yesterday, I needed a bit of fresh air, so Deborah and I headed for a quick stomp in the hills (she knows all these neat trails that I have never been on before). Unfortunately, I am still not up to speed energy-wise so it was a slow-moving stomp. But with the sun shining down on us, it gelt wonderful!! In a month or so, my camera will be searching out the new spring wild-flowers (those little peeps of yellow that make me smile!), however, yesterday it was the dried seed pods set against the remaining snow, and the bright greens of our trees that caught the attention of my camera. This is just one of the photos I took (the rest are in my Walking in Wonder page - YES! I finally updated it!).

I need to continue along the same path as yesterday with a short DO list of Five things to get done in the next few hours (and yes, I did complete yesterday's DO list - come Friday night, Spring is coming to Cindy's Porch!!)

But first, a Cindy Suprise!

Cindy Surprise!! This is the last week of February! And one of our goals was to get our Master Bedroom sparkly shiney! So here's the first surprise of the day.... Have you made your bed yet today? If no, then quick, quick, quick get it done! If it needs clean sheets, strip the bed and make it up fresh and smooth (there is nothing like climbing into a fresh bed with clean sheets - mmmmmmm!). We'll be here when you get back!

My plans for this morning include

1. Tackling a huge pile of papers that has accumulated on my desk (I know there are both bills and checks in the pile - they need to be dealt with!
2. Getting the payroll into the mail.
3. Posting the breakfast recipes! I started them last night - wow wow wow!!
4. Cleaning the master bedroom bathroom (I am only doing one per day - big smile)
5. Doing invoices (if I don't do invoices I don't get paid!)

What's in your five things you want to DO in the next few hours?

Catch you later,
Cindy

February 25, 2008: Last Week of February, And Lots to DO!

Hello everyone, we're back on the DO-Log. I have to admit, I have only been half-DOing much of anything this past month. We've really been socked in by the nastiest cold (perhaps a flu) that our family has every experienced. My energy is about three-quarters what it usually is (which is better than the half levels, and flat on my back levels from earlier this month LOL). The plan is to use up some of this energy and simply catch up. I have a pile of stuff to post on the website during today and tomorrow. Plus I have a pile of stuff to do around the house. I am going to mix the two together and see how it goes!

Cindy Surprise!! Here's the First Cindy Surpise of the day. I need a list. In my office I have a white board. I took a couple minutes and completely erased January and February's notes off the board. I needed a clean slate. If you have a huge list of things that you've been meaning to DO today (or yesterday or last week like me - hee hee), then haul out a clean piece of paper and write down FIVE things you want to DO in the next few hours. Forget about everything else. Here's my list: Payroll (that's due today at 4:00) Clean the upstairs bathroom (I want to soak in a shiney tub tonight!) March's Menu Plan for Cindy's Porch Employee Schedules for March (have to go out with the payroll) Do the artwork for March's Goals on Cindy's Porch (and no - I am not telling yet what they are - hee hee)

Why do we do this to ourselves? I've been watering this skimpy thing for the past two months.... I think it is time for it to meet the compost pile. Sheesk!

Now, I am off to do my payroll - Catch you later! Cindy

Update #1: Payroll Done!!

This morning, my husband and I went for a quick walk - finally - it feels like weeks since we have been walking together! Today happens to be trash and recycle day in our neighborhood. Our community has a fantastic recycle program. We simply put our cardboard, papers, cans, plastics, etc into a clear bag or box and set it out on the curb. While we were walking, I was checking out the recycle. I reallized, by looking at the number of prepackaged food boxes, cans, and other plastic containers that some families are spending a LOT of money on their weekly groceries - probably two or three times as much as our family. The trash tells the tale of your spending habits. Reduce the trash - and keep the cash!!

Hope you are making progress with your list. My payroll is done - now I am off to scrub the upstairs bathroom (I tried to get one of the kids to do it over the weekend, but there were no takers LOL). I'll be back in ten minutes!

Update #2: Upstairs Bathroom Done!!

Wahoo - we're on a roll. I've even set up the candles and the bubble bath I plan on using when I enjoy a long relaxing soak in my shiney clean tub!! While in the bathroom, I made the mistake of peeking in the drawers and under the sink! YIKES! Guess what's getting deep cleaned in March?!

Time to put together the menu calendars for March. Catch you later. (PS. How's your list going?)

Cindy

Update #3: March's Menu Calendars are Posted on Cindy's Porch!

There you go - one blank calendar for March! Start planning your meals. There's even room at the bottom to put together your Easter Feast. You can find the full sized calendar in Treasures in the Kitchen (the link is on the home page).

Cindy Surprise!! I am over half done my list! I can't wait to DO the last item (I love creating the pictures I use on our website), but I put a nasty task ahead of it. There is a reason LOL, if I don't do the schedules, they won't get done! BUT FIRST, It is time for a break. My pal Deborah called and we are headed out for a quick stomp. Do you need a break? Take half an hour and DO something fun - preferably outside. Take the kids, take the dog, take the time! Catch you in a couple hours! Cindy

February 14, 2008: Happy Valentine's Day!

I am hopping up and down this morning. I am giving MYSELF a huge Valentine today. For the first time in a MONTH, I am going snowshoeing. I can't wait. Typically I try to go twice a week, but being under the weather completely depleted my energy, and I've been going through "moving" withdrawals LOL. Todays' the day - in 45 minutes we're on the road. I'll bring the camera.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day today. Please DO something special just for you.

Take care,
Cindy

February 13, 2008: Goal #3: Tackling the Master Bedroom

OK, you have me - I am in our master bedroom looking at my mess. YIKES! What happened? Three weeks of a nasty cold that just kept on coming back. I am not going to describe the mess - it is too embarrassing - plus I can pick up faster than I can type - so I am just going to start.

Cindy Surprise!! I love these! If you think you should just be "reading" along - then guess what? We have a surprise for you. Quick, before you read any further, hop up into YOUR Master Bedroom and tackle three of the NOT ME FIVE. Here goes: Dishes: Quickly, pick up all the dishes that don't belong in your bedroom (me - I have several water glasses on the nightstand. Trash: Quickly, pick up all the trash in your bedroom (me - I have several tissues in several spots - ICK!) Laundry: Quickly, gather up all the laundry and put it into the laundry bin. (Me, I am going to strip the bed and put the sheets right into the washing machine - I am going to "pamper" the bed today!

I've loaded up my boombox with Katrina and the Waves, opened up the windows for some "Natural Outdoor Scent" (that doesn't cost a dime LOL) and I am set to go. Let's see how long it takes to DO the first three of the NOT ME FIVE!

Catch you later,
Cindy

Update #1: From the Inbox

First off, I am done! Only took five minutes and already the room looks better (and isn't as stuffy). The sheets and mattress cover are in the washer and I am ready to do the next two NOT ME five!

But first, I promised some of your messages from my inbox. I can't share them all with the group through the email, so I thought I would post a few here. Enjoy!

• I am so proud of myself! Instead of going nuts and spending all of my tax refund this year, I took it and paid off 4 credit cards! It's all because of you, and I just wanted to e-mail you to thank you! We will now be saving $300 per month because we no longer have these cards. I guess you can say that I have gotten mad at the credit cards, and I'm not going to take it anymore! We still have a lot left to pay off, but my goal is to have it paid off in a year. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
  
  
• Dear Cindy, Since I started my food inventory list, stuck to shopping at home first—my January grocery bill is $377.00 (for two of us). Our dining out expenses came to $90.00 for two romantic dates. This is a 50% reduction over last year! Whoo-hoo! Oh. I have become a pretty darn good cook by using my DVR to tape cooking shows, using the internet for free recipe websites and videos. In fact, DH and I almost prefer my own cooking over most restaurants! Love your website, (in Monterey, CA)
  
  
• Hi Cindy, Glad to hear that you are feeling so much better,I sure did miss being on the porch with you.Your like family now,I am always remembering things that you have said when I am out or around the house.hee hee Quick question about the Cash Christmas Piggy which I have started and Mr.Peter Pig is looking really good.Do you only use the cash at December for christmas shopping on presents? I usually shop year round when I see things marked down,but I dont know if with the cash pig if we only wait for December to shop? As I have made a list and I know what I am getting everyone this year. Can you clearify this for me in one of your posts please. Have a relaxing weekend and dont go overdoing things as you are only now starting to feel better. Love Grace,
  
  Cindy Here: We keep most of the money in the pig until January 1st. On the first business day of the year, it is deposited in the bank to make up for the money we spent during December. This year we put over $500 in the bank. Previous years we have had over $700. However, during the month of December I also start to "rob" the pig. When I am shopping for holiday foods, I use pig money. If I know I am going to pick up a gift, I use pig money. I also keep my eyes open during the year for great gift ideas at the right price - NO, you do not have to wait until December to start holiday shopping (in fact that is often the most expensive time to shop). Just leave the money in the pig - keep track of what you've been buying for the holidays. In January, you will know how much money you were able to save in the pig. This will help you budget out next year's Christmas. The hard part about knowing you have a few hundred dollars in your pig is staying out of the pig for NON-holiday things. An emergency pizza on Friday night can easily pull out $30 or $40 at a time. So be strong - the pig is your Christmas Cash Stash - only use it for Christmas purchases (or other holiday purchases if your family does not do Christmas).

• Hi Cindy, I've been a subscriber for a while now and my mom joined also! Today we decided to challenge each other on your shop at home first for groceries! I printed out all the inventory lists and the meal planner calendar and realized I was in trouble!! I have so much food here at home but I am very cooking challenged so I went on a mission. I found a website that might help any other cooking challenged subscribers out there. It is recipematcher.com You can enter the ingredients you have on hand and it will give you recipes that match!! What a great idea and a wonderful way to stick with my goal of cleaning out my pantry! I plan to put the money I would have spent on groceries into my Christmas cash stash!! Thanks so much for your great ideas and emails! Sarah
  
  
• Hi Cindy, Thanks for helping me with my dinner! Instead of doing my Swiss Steak on the stovetop, I reached for that Slow Cooker and my dinner is cooking away. Now all I have to do tonight is cook and mash the potatoes. Yum! My slow cooker is actually a "Versatility Pot" which is also a roasting or stovetop pan, and a griddle. That got me thinking about the small appliances I've just finished putting in pride of place on my counter in my January reorganization. I figure I have at least 9 appliances in 3: my versatility pot is 2, my George Forman G5 is 5 (I found the omelet plates 60% off when I wasn't even looking for them, and had a 20% off coupon!) My little Cuisinart is a blender and a food processor (another 2). My husband hates to buy anything unless it's on sale. I hate to buy anything that is only for one very limited purpose. Guess who trumps who? (LOL) Deb in Maryland
  
  
• Thank you so much for your emails and your site! I'm signed up for a few and yours is my favorite! Please keep doing what your doing. I really appreciate it! You've helped me save a lot of money just by not buying things that I don't really need because I've changed my attitude. And I feel so much gratitude every day for the PLENTY that I have. I have a warm house, hot water for a nice relaxing bath, lots of food to eat and clothes to wear and a family to enjoy! I have plenty to be grateful for, including you; thank you!!
  
  Cindy Here: WOW! And thank-you. Your emails and comments keep me going! Thank-you for sending them in.

Update #2: Time to Continue

I refuse to get distracted today - back to the bedroom!

Cindy Surprise!! The last two of the NOT ME FIVE!! Papers: Quickly, pick up all the papers, magazines, books, etc. that don't belong in your bedroom (me - I've been reading while tucked in bed, so I have a pretty large stash to clear out!) Things that don't belong: Quickly, pick up all the things that don't belong in your bedroom (This is a biggie! We all use our bedrooms as the last place to dump stuff. My husband has been setting up an office in the basement - why are there boxes of stationary and office supplies next to the bed? SHeesk! As well, there's the clean clothes on the dresser, the humififier, and a few other odd's and ends that have creeped up into my relaxing, sleeping room. Out they go! Go GO GO!!) Let me know when your NOT - ME FIVE have been banished from your master bedroom! (and no, we are not going INTO closets, dressers, etc. This is a surface clean only. Enjoy! And catch you later! - Cindy

Update #3: We're On a Roll!

It never fails to amaze me how little time it actually takes to conquer what feels like a huge mess! I spent more time "wishing" the mess away than I did "clearing" the mess away. Yup, it only took another five minutes to put away the clean clothes, clean off the tops of the nightstands and dresser, pick up the magazines off the floor, put away the vaporizer, and gosh - what were those M 'n M's doing there? (I quickly polished those off LOL). All I need to do is dust and vacuum and that will be it until the sheets are are dry and I can remake the bed. How are you DOing? Is it also going faster than you thought?

Cindy Surprise!! So have you been reading along and skipping the Cindy Surprises? LOL. If your Bedroom is already neat, then no problem. But if you have been planning on tackling this room, this is a great chance to move from planning to DOing! I promise, it going faster than you think. Just DO one step at a time (and leave the closet alone for now!) I am ready to dust and vacuum. How fast can you dust your bedroom? I know this will take me less than ten minutes. Catch you later!

Update #4: Last One!

Wahoo! It's done. Dust bunnies were flying all over the place. But now that the vacuuming is done, my room doesn't feel sick anymore - I am going to leave the windows open for the rest of the day! Even the plants are happy - they actually got watered this month. Once the sheets are out of the dryer, I'll make the bed. I am even washing the blankets and duvet cover. It is going to be a NEW room and it didn't cost me a dime. I love the things we have that belong in our bedroom. It's when I let the clutter in that doesn't belong that the room starts to look icky! There is nothing I need to BUY for this room! Keeping it the way I love it just takes a few minutes and doesn't cost a dime.

Enjoy your Master Bedroom this week. Remember, you are building a place where you can relax, rebuild, rejuvinate, and simply sleep. Tomorrow, I am going into my nightstand and dresser. It's been a couple years since these have been decluttered - I can only imagine what is hiding in there LOL.

And now, I am going to put on my missing slippers (that I found hiding in the corner), and finish reading the book I discovered under my covers (what was it doing there?). Then I have the rest of the afternoon to actually work - if I don't DO my company invoices, I don't get paid LOL. The last bonus - I found our glass candlesticks, complete with two red candles - they are going on the table tomorrow for Valentine's Day supper.

Catch you tomorrow,
Cindy

From the Inbox:

Dear Cindy, Thank-you for the not me 5. What a brilliant system. I have never cleaned up my bedroom so fast. By simply concentrating on just one thing at a time I was able to finish in less than half an hour. Thank you, thank you! I can't wait for my husband to get home from work. He is going to be shocked. And thank-you for the reminder to shop at home first. I found the most beautiful breadspread in my linen closet. It was a wedding gift and I have never used it. It is the perfect finishing touch for my perfect bedroom. I can't wait for tomorrow's challenge. G in Kentucky.

February 11, 2008: We're Live on the Porch Today!

Over the next couple of hours, I'll be adding a bunch of new content to Cindy's Porch. I'll let you know what's new right here.

Cindy

Update #1: You know, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but my nose is definately regretting it now. Yesterday my husband and I were shopping for groceries - mostly green food - our home was seriously empty of healthy veggies and fruit. We went to a new fresh food store which just opened in our area. They had a large selection of organic dried spices - CHA CHING CHA CHING! We've always planted fresh herbs in our garden to enjoy during the summer, but it wasn't until a couple years ago when I bought a dehydrator at a garage sale (for $7.00) that we started harvesting our herbs for the winter as well. Ever since, we've been enjoying dried dill, oregano, sage, and thyme. I noticed the garden store had dried garlic. I suggested to my husband that we should try that as well. I should have known better. Later that day, he had my youngest peeling garlic and setting up the dehydrator! This wouldn't have been a problem if my cold had kept my nose plugged. But it cleared over night. YIKES! My house stinks. There is a myth that garlic wards off evil - perhaps it wards off colds! Hopefully by tonight the cloves will be dry and we can air out the house LOL.

And I have a new page for you: Twenty Ways to Save Twenty Dollars (and we are looking for Twenty More!)

Catch you later,
Cindy

Update #2: Today was recycle day! I just hauled out 30 pounds of flyers to the curb. HALF of these were flyers hawking Valentine's Day Clutter. I noticed yesterday that the stores are starting to load up on Easter Clutter already - that will be next! This continuous BUYing of stuff is scary. Most of the stuff isn't even nice stuff - it is clutter. It eventually finds its way into garage sales, donation piles, or that great mound in the ground - the dump! YIKES! Leave the clutter in the store. There are so many better ways to DO Valentines than there is to BUY Valentines! (hint hint - blush blush!).

I just posted a new page for you: Valentine's Day DO's instead of BUYs (Thank-you to all our members who sent in their tips and ideas!)

Be back later,
Cindy

February 4, 2008: I Love Turkey!

It is not a good idea to put the aluminum turkey pan on the top of the stairs to the basement. One's oldest daughter will step into the pan and "ski" down the entire stairwell. Her three point landing only bruised her ego (and made the tiniest dint in the wall). The sad thing, we didn't even use the aluminum turkey pan, it was too flimsy for yesterday's bird. I had to whip over to my parent's place and borrow theirs.

Turkey is one of those fantastic family meals. Just before Christmas they were marked down to $12 - $13 per bird. I bought three (one for Christmas and two for the freezer). Unbeknownst to me, my husband also bought two (YIKES!). Fortunately we were able to invite my parents over for Sunday supper to help share in the meal. It was probably the best turkey we have ever eaten. And I had no part (except for veggie chopping) in making it.

My 12 year asked those famous words, "Can I cook?" I never say no to that! So she cooked the bird. Since it wasn't Christmas or Thanksgiving, I told her she could use whatever recipe she wanted (so long as it wasn't deep fried - we've done that before - SCARY - the poor hockey stick and coat hanger will never be the same again - and so long as we had all the ingredients.)

She went to work and hunted down this recipe from the internet:

Recipe Zaar - The Best Turkey Ever

I was a little suspicious when I saw the list of ingredients - and soaking a bird in brine seemed odd to me, but hey - if someone else is willing to DO the cooking, who am I to stop them LOL.

Look at all the delicious veggies ready to stuff inside the bird!

Voila, just before we put it in the oven - and YES that pan was heavy!

One finished turkey - golden brown and juicy. The flavor was amazing!

So not only did we have a wonderful supper (on a white tablecloth no less, my little one went all out with this meal), but I don't have to cook again tonight - it is hot turkey sandwiches for supper. As well, there was enough left over to send a meal home with my parents, and freeze four meal portions for later this month. Not bad for $12.00!

And the turkey is not done yet. All those veggies, plus the bones, a couple extra onions and celery, are simmering away on our stove. There will be enough stock to put into the freezer to make the best soups during the next few weeks. Any time a recipe calls for stock, we just thaw out a container of the home made stock and we are set to go - doesn't cost a dime! (And I noticed that store bought chicken stock was $4.99 a container CHA CHING CHA CHING!).

What else was for supper? I finally cooked that red cabbage that has been sitting in our cold garage since Christmas (don't worry, these cabbages stay fresh for a long time). Actually, the truth is, I brought it over to my mom's place and SHE cooked it for me. I took pictures and wrote down how she does it - the best red cabbage I have ever tasted mmmmmm!. My daughter also cooked up some breaded stuffing - which she cooked in the slow cooker since the bird was stuffed with other stuff, cucumber salad, mashed potatoes, pickles (still left over from the holidays - sheesk!), and gravy made from that delicious sauce the turkey was cooked in (by the way, we didn't have the right kind of beer as called for in the recipe, so we just used what was on hand. We also didn't have apple cider, so we subsituted apple juice. And one more note about the liquid part of the recipe - we halved the amount of apple juice, cider and stock - and still had plenty!)

Also, the recipe called for the turkey to be cooked to 160 degrees. That seemed a little low to me - so we opted for 185 (the setting on our temperature probe). It was perfect for us - and still very juicy!)

And for desert, she cooked up a rhubarb torte - made with the last of the frozen rhubarb from our garden and whipping cream. It is going to take a while to walk off this cake LOL).

I am always so amazed by what my kids are able to create in the kitchen. To this day, I am still NOT as adventurous as they are. But I figure I have to close my mouth, and let them go. Kids who know how to cook (boys and girls) will become adults who know how to shop in grocery stores and feed their families (Without resorting to those pre-packaged, over-priced meals).

Take care of you,
Cindy

PS: It was a good thing I invited my parents over. They discovered the most gorgeous spring flower collection on my front porch. It is filled with dafodils, tulips, hyacinsts, primulas, and crocuses - all my favorite flowers of spring. I also discovered when I called my friend to thank her for her gift that she had dropped them off on Friday! YIKES! And they actually have survived the cold weather. Thanks Deborah - I love them!

February 1, 2008: We're Gearing Up for February!

It's a new month already. Cindy's Porch is ready with FOUR new goals for the month. I am DOing these right along with you. In an hour, my walking buddy is coming over with her dog. She wants me to take some pictures of her dog for her. When I get home, I'll post a couple here.

In our part of the world, the weather has been so nasty that getting outside hasn't been much fun. And my body is starting to feel it. I'm feeling shlumpy and bumpy LOL! This month, I have a personal goal which involves DOing something I have never done before. I have joined a gym! Look out bumps. YIKES! I haven't quite built up the courage to tackle this, but next week we're headed in. I'll tell you more after I finally start. The point is, if you have been putting off DOing something important, then this is the month to start. It is "Heart Month" - and I plan on DOing good things for my heart!

Catch you in a bit
Cindy

January 24, 2008: Home-WIDE Clearance Event - The Kitchen!

Your kitchen has the ability to save you HUGE amounts of dollars. Having said that, if a person isn't careful, a kitchen can also COST you a huge amount of dollars. The "desire" to cook at home is BIG business. Recipe books, fancy dishes, "time-saving" appliances, easy-to-use gidgets and gadgets, coffee mugs, serving trays, second and third sets of dishes, enough cooking pots to cook for a school camp! And if you allow your cupboards to get soooo full, that opening them requires a hard hat for safety reasons, then something has to change. What's the point of having dozens of cookbooks if you never use them (and looking at the pictures doesn't count - hee hee)? What do you have lurking in your cabinets?

One of our goals for January is to rediscover a kitchen we love. I have to admit - I already love our kitchen. My husband and I have done a lot of work in this kitchen to make it work for us and our family. We also do our best to ensure we don't over-clutter it so no one wants to use it (and trust me, I am cooking-challenged, so I encourage EVERYONE in the family to use the kitchen. "Mom, can I cook?" is magic to my ears LOL).

There are two things that are important to me in our kitchen. The first one comes directly from my mom. She cooks like me - BIG! And we both need space to cook. That means countertops need to be as clear of clutter as possible. The only things on our counter are things that are used regularly (and the kids better start using the blender more - or it may find its way off the counter - hint hint!) I grew up in a home where there were few things out in the open in the kitchen. I can't imagine having my cooking space filled with doo-dads and other gidgets and gadgets that I don't use.

The other important thing in our kitchen is that we can actually find the tools and food we need. Everything has a space in our home. Having said that, not everything finds its way into its proper space. Our kids are great - they pitch in and help with clean up at nearly every meal. But being kids, their brains are not always in sync with their actions - so the dish that goes in the cupboard beside the stove, may find its way into the drawer UNDER the stove. We're not sure which one of our children is so memory challenged that they can't remember where stuff goes, but I think his or her name is "NOT ME." I am not complaining. Their help is truly appreciated. It does mean that I have to go into the cupboards every once in awhile and put things where they really belong.

So here goes. (I can't believe I am letting you into my cupboards!). This is one side of our kitchen. These cupboards are home to our cutlery, pots and pans, recipe books (above the stove), spices (it is not easy sorting out the spices when the head can't remember the alphabet!), and baking stuff (bowls, measuring cups, etc). My goal was to get all the cupboards in this photo. With the exception of the one in the corner - my poor head doesn't feel like bending down so low. I am going to wait until someone shorter than me - my youngest - gets home from school so she can empty it out), the entire cleanout only took 35 minutes (this writeup is taking longer LOL).

Voila - the cutlery drawer - this has been driving me nuts for weeks - and only took three minutes to clear out and put away. The canning jar lids go in the basement, the commercial jar lids go in the trash (what were they doing there?), the lids for the drink containers go in a different drawer (to be tackled at a later date LOL), and the plastic utensils go with the picnic supplies. There isn't much left when just the stuff that belongs is in the drawer!

Next, our pots and pans. I have to apologize, I was on a roll and forgot to take the "before" picture". With the exception of our frying pans and a dutch oven, these are our only pots and pans. They were wedding gifts 21 years ago. They're in the cupboard right beside the stove so I don't have to reach to get at them. I know I won't BUY any more pots and pans, because I hate stacking them and there isn't any room for new ones. They will have to last for at least another 21 years! I have to admit, on the top of this cupboard I found TWO bottles of out of date vitamins - out they went!

This cupboard behind the glass door has been shown on Cindy's Porch before. It's a tough one to keep neat. Because it holds the large and bulky bowls, the colanders, the measuring cups, the graters, the ramkins, my grandmother's gravy pot, my flower vases, straws (huh?), and other things, it can get messy quite quickly. In fact, by bedtime this evening, it will look closer to the before picture than the after. Not a problem. I took this opportunity to get rid of a few things we never use in this cupboard so there is more room than before (my husband is going to have to figure out what's missing - hee hee).

And that's it for now. The brain is still foggy with my cold, so I know the words are not coming out as clear as I would like. However, I'm thrilled that this part of our goal is on its way to being DONE! (I think I am going to find some kid-sized helpers for the rest of the kitchen!)

Take care of you,
Cindy

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January 22, 2008: Even the Eyeballs Hurt!

This is for all of you who are a little under the weather. You are NOT alone!

I have a shopping cart cold. Everyone else around me is healthy, so the only place I could have picked this up is someplace outside the home. A doorknob, a shopping cart, a hand shake, a recent sneeze. And it isn't fair. I managed to avoid the cold that all the kids brought home from school in November. I skipped by my husband's annual Christmas cold and now - half way through January, when I have so much I plan on DOing, my body has decided to force "rest and plenty of fluids on me."

It has been many, many years since I slept a day away, but that's exactly what I did yesterday. After two nights fighting a huge earache and headache, I finally slept yesterday until 2:30 in the afternoon - YIKES!

I'm starting to feel a little bit more alive today, but like I said above, even the eyeballs hurt, so staring at my computer monitor is a little hard on the head right now. OK - my whining is done LOL - I'm off for a few more fluids and more rest. We'll catch you later.

Take care of you,
Cindy

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January 15, 2008: A Clearance Event that Doesn't Cost a Dime!

We're half way through the month! January's first goal to set up a piggy bank (or box, bag, etc) to collect your spare change over the year for a 2008 Cash Christmas was a HUGE success! Thousands of you are on your way to peace of mind knowing that you have taken a small, but very positive step towards controlling your finances during one of the most stressful times of the year. Congratulations!

Now, it is time to focus on the next two goals! First off, Meal Planning! There are only two weeks left in January. Do you know what you are going to eat for the next two weeks? Are there nights where it is going to be hard to plan those meals - kids at basketball tournements, dentist appointments, and a parent's meeting at the school - ALL on the same night (sigh - yes, that's what our January has been like so far LOL). That's when you need to DO a little more planning. Instead of reaching for those golden arches in the sky - go SHOPPING at home FIRST - and reach for that Slow Cooker you received as a wedding gift 21 years ago (you know it's an oldie when you see your EXACT CrockPot(TM) sitting on the counter of an episode of Matlock). Set it up in the morning and let it cook all day. When you roll in after the last basketball game, supper is waiting for you on the stove!

OH! I just thought of this - right now, there is a company advertising their "new" line of slow cooker meals available in the freezer section of the grocery store. You stick the frozen thing in your slow cooker and supper is ready before you can get your daughter off the phone in the evening. Yesterday I priced these "new" meals out at our local grocey store - CHA CHING CHA CHING! For much less than that I can create my own slow-cooker beef or chicken stew with fresh veggies and potatoes. SHOP at home FIRST when planning your meals. Dig out the slowcooker, the bread maker, and other gidgets and gadgets you have bought over the years. You have paid for this stuff, you may as well invest in it and use them!

Second - Our First-Ever HOME-WIDE Clearance Event! I have to admit - this one has me worried LOL. After the holidays, the company, and the kids being home for two weeks, my kitchen has been totally rearranged. Often, I have no idea where people put anything! I do know that the little silicon brush thing for oiling my pancake cooker is hiding under the candles beside the popcorn popper (how it got there, only "NOT ME" knows!). So I need to go through EACH cupboard and find out what is hiding where, what I don't want anymore (gidget and gadget breed and multiply - so do cookbooks!) and rediscover a kitchen I can cook fast and fun in!

On Sunday, we started with the stove. You KNOW it is time to clean the oven, when you see flames erupt while pre-heating the oven to bake some banana-cranberry muffins. My husband got the bright idea to cook an entire pork leg last week. Little did I know that the thing overflowed huge amounts of grease onto the bottom of the oven. So, on Sunday, we shovelled out the excess bacon and started the self-clean. The smoke has incredible. Fortunately, my oldest daughter got the great idea to direct the smoke up into our exhaust system so we wouldn't set off any more smoke detectors in the home (picture below). None-the-less, I now can SHOP at home FIRST using our oven again! It shines.

I counted - I have 14 cupboards and drawers in my kitchen. Each day for the rest of January, I am going to DO one! That means hauling everything out, washing the shelves and ONLY putting back the things I love and use. By the end of January, Goal #3 will be DONE!!! Have fun with this, it only takes a few minutes per day (and if you happen to find that stash of chocolate you hid away from the kids, celebrate with it!

A tent built over the oven door vent to direct the self-cleaning oven fumes up into our exhaust fan. Don't worry, we kept checking, it was not hot enough to melt the plastic. Next time, I am hoping my husband keeps the pork leg in the store - we are currently dealing with 20 pounds of leftover jerk-pork (a Jamaican dish - delicious!) in our freezer LOL! Fortunately it makes great sandwiches!

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January 11, 2008: It's a full-contact day!

Welcome to Friday. My husband comes home tomorrow from his business trip and I can't wait. You see, I've picked the colors out for painting the front entrance way and stairwell. He is going to be so thrilled! (Huge amounts of sarcasm LOL). Nonetheless, I have piles of stuff I want to DO today to get ready for the weekend. A load of laundry is already on the go (please tell me how ONE teenage girl can have as much laundry as the rest of the family???!), the house is picked up (but needs to be vacuumed - I swear Charlie is going to be bald if he keeps shedding this much!), and now I have to DO invoices (sigh - not one of my favorite things to DO, but if I don't DO invoices I don't get paid!).

Now for the fun stuff - to keep me going, I am going to alternate laundry with invoices, invoices with housekeeping, and housekeeping with updating Cindy's Porch! Wahoo - I saw something SOOOOO neat in a store, I am going to put it on the Porch! And it didn't cost a dime. More on this later (probably later this evening). I have to run - I am going to load up a quiet CD (I received the new Josh Groban one - "AWAKE" for Christmas and absolutely love it). While the CD is playing, I am going to DO as many invoices as I can. When it's done - I get a break!

If you have a full contact day like me, feel free to send in your accomplishments - we'll keep each other going!

Take care of you,
Cindy

Here's a little peek at a "DO" my photographing friend and I plan on DOing a little later this summer - we are heading into the hills to DO some wildflower photography. We'll camp to keep the costs down and bring all our own food from home. I can't wait!! I took this shot a couple years ago. These lupins were simply growing along the hillside.

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January 8, 2008: It's a snow day!

I knew I should not have washed the van yesterday. Last night (and all day today so far) it snowed! And snowed! Not a good day to travel, so I cancelled my appointments and have hunkered in at home. After all the sunshine we've had during the past few days, today's grey weather just isn't hitting the spot LOL.

However, we are one day closer to spring! Wahoo! So I thought I would post a picture of what is waiting for me in a couple months in my back garden....

Just a few of the crocus hiding under the snow - I've also planted nearly 500 tulips (a great garage sale find a few years back where someone was selling a paper bag filled with tulip bulbs he had thinned out of his garden for $4.00!).

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January 7, 2008: We're Going Live While Tackling the NOT-ME FIVE!

Happy puppy dance, the kids have all gone back to school this morning!

Now, as I look throughout the house, I see the remnants of a wonderful two week holiday at home! YIKES! So today, along with the fridge, I am tackling the NOT-ME FIVE in our home. And I am going to DO this as fast as possible. If you are interested in joining along, feel free to send in your updates (I might even post some of them here along with mine). To check out what the NOT-ME FIVE are all about, go to: NOT ME FIVE.

Here's the plan - I always start at the front door, work my way in the living room, then the office (actually our dining room - but we use it as our office), then the kitchen, the family room, the main floor bathroom, and the laundry room. I do the "NOT ME FIVE" in each room before moving on. Once the main floor is straighten out, it only takes a few minutes to dust and vacuum. Then I'll decide if I want to go upstairs LOL.

OK - I am off - I am going to need some "good" music for this challenge - maybe some "Walking in Sunshine" to get me moving!

Our email is cindy@cindysporch.net.

Catch you later!

Update #1 - 18 minutes later

OK, the shoes are put away from the front entrance, the paint trays are back in the basement (we are painting our stairwell - what a mess!), the phone charger is back in my desk, and I even swept the floor (it's amazing how much sand and gravel gets tracked on our shoes and boots this time of year!). The living room is picked up including the dishes by the front window, the newpaper on the footstool, the coats hanging on the sofa, the extra stuff on the piano, and my car keys hiding along the wall (YIKES!). My "office" is also ready for today's action - all the papers are filed, the dishes are put away (yes I know I shouldn't eat and drink my the computer....), and the tissues are in the trash (blech!). Someone can ring the doorbell and all looks well from the front door (except for the dog hair on my red carpet - white and red do not make pink LOL). We're off into the kitchen and family room!

Side note: Why the fuss about "picking the house up?" Because when you love the home you live in, you are much less likely to BUY clutter to try and make it look better. The stores are packed with "organizing" clutter right now - everything from bins, to hangers, to shelving, to cleaning products, etc. We all have enough stuff - we just need to "SHOP at home FIRST" for it.

Catch you in another few minutes....

Cindy

Update #2 - 25 minutes later

The kitchen and family room took a little longer than I would have hoped (plus there were a few phone calls). If you have kids, here are a couple things we DO in our home to get the breakfast dishes cleared away a little faster.

1. In the morning, each kid has to put away one part of the clean dishes in the dishwasher - bottom, top, and cutlery (I try to make this happen before they eat breakfast, but it usually doesn't work out that way - big sigh).
   
   
2. Then once breakfast is done, they each have to load up their own breakfast dishes plus five extra things. By the time I get into the kitchen, there is usually only a couple dishes to handwash and the countertops and table to wipe down. Usually fast - but this morning, there were a bunch of extra things to haul around - like the turkey pan that needed to back into the basement, a pair of socks?, my daughter's teeth (retainers - she forget them this morning), a pair of sunglasses, a bunch of papers to recycle, a bucket of water hiding behind the kitchen table leftover from washing the high window in our entranceway on Saturday - who put that there?! and a few other things.

The Family Room is where we spent most of our holidays - so it was extra "busy" this morning - all the NOT ME Five left their stuff our in here - laundry, dishes, trash, papers, and YIKES - the other stuff! Games we played, movies that need to go back (oh oh), my poinsetta with just one red leaf still hanging on it (I can never keep those things alive!), a few candles, a wine glass, and dog toys. I left the puzzle in progress on the floor however.

Last, but not least is the main floor bath, and the laundry - this shouldn't take too long.... Go Go Go!

Catch you later

Cindy

Update #3: OK - We are getting pooped now LOL!

Bathroom and laundry room both shine. Our laundry room has the notable disadvantage of being located in the hall on the way to the garage. Everything that doesn't quite make it in the garage gets dumped onto the dryer. So today, the recycle was moved two feet into the garage, the paint drop sheet was moved five feet into the garage, and the laundry was put into the wash machine. I can actually see the tops of both machines again! A little window cleaner and they sparkle (at least until the kids get home LOL).

Speaking of kids, my little one will be home for lunch in about 15 minutes I have to run - it is time to dust and vacuum!

Catch you later.

Cindy

January 4, 2007: The Milk Diet Continues...

The kids think we have "nothing to eat," but I know better.

We are still on the milk-diet. Yes with all the foods we didn’t use over the holidays, my fridge, freezer, pantry, cold room, and garage (sigh….) are so full of food, that all I need to BUY this week at the grocery store are a couple gallons of milk!

My poor fridge. It is packed with food, dishes, condiments, pickled stuff (cucumbers, onions, carrots, beets), and other leftovers. There’s too much in there to think about cleaning it out yet (I’d just have to stash it all back again), and there’s still too much too tackle in one meal. So our family has been smorgasborging our way through the dishes. Every meal, a platter with a little bit of this and a little bit of that gets set on the table. Anyone with the munchies in between meals is encouraged to snack on a carrot (“We’re not rabbits mom!” my oldest announced LOL.)

Nonetheless, I am determined NOT to go shopping for more food until we have a handle on what we’ve already paid for. The ham bone, the dried peas, the green cabbage, and the red cabbage are up for cooking next. I am going to have to go to my mom’s house and watch how she cooks the red cabbage. It only takes her about 20 minutes with a pressure cooker and the cabbage is simply delicious (even the kids love it). I have never been able to duplicate this. Perhaps later today, I’ll head over to my parents’ house, cabbage in one hand, camera in the other and ask my mom to show me exactly how she cooks it (maybe she’ll even let me post the pictures here…..)

To reduce the jars of pickles – everyone is getting one or two along with their lunch – pickles, not jars.

Oh – and the garage – YIKES! It’s been cold enough that we have been stashing some of the food in our garage – another bag of carrots, and celery, and yellow peppers, and mushrooms! (Looks like a veggie platter with dip for supper). Also discovered a bag of grapefruit and three oranges. Sigh. Guess what’s for breakfast tomorrow? LOL.

The thing is, I KNOW that no one is going to starve in our home. Our suppers may not “look” like the perfect meals (a little of this and a little of that), but we’re still eating healthy and we should be through the holiday food stash in another week.

If only I could figure out what to DO with that huge block of cream cheese (the stores were out of the half-pound blocks, so my husband bought a FOUR pound block – yikes – my poor tummy stash!). I wonder if it can be frozen?

Me, I’ll keep working on the Christmas chocolates – they’re almost gone now. Big smile!

Take care of you,
Cindy

Grrrr – My husband just reminded me that there is some leftover frozen corn soup from our New Year’s Eve feast hiding under the fresh snow on the picnic table in the backyard!

My husband's jar of "pickle" that he put away last summer - fortunately it has already been consumed!

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January 3, 2007: Pickles from India?

How on earth did I end up with a no-name jar of pickles in my fridge from India? I have nothing against India, but I certainly don’t need to BUY pickles made there! Yes, I (me, myself, and I) bought them – without looking at the label carefully. I saw the generic brand of my favorite gherkin pickles and simply put the jar in the cart.

That had me wondering where else in the world was my food coming from? I headed into my pantry and picked up a can of peaches. South Africa? South Africa? YIKES! This is especially sad because we have a huge peach tree beside our garage at home! And in the basement, we have several jars of home-canned peaches. Big sigh.

I wonder how much it costs to load up the jar of pickles and can of peaches on a boat and ship it here?

Time to start looking at those labels more carefully – there is no reason why our pickles and peaches (and a whole lot of our other foods) can’t come from a little closer to home. Sheesk!

Our peach tree - when we harvested the peaches at the end of summer, there were over 180 pounds of fruit on it! Delicious. I think I am going stash the South African can of peaches far back in the pantry to use in case of emergency (and NEVER pay a dime for again) and haul out a jar of our home-canned peaches to enjoy today! Cindy

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January 2, 2008: Thank-You Gus!

Happy New Year everyone!

How can it possibly be 2008 already?

As you can see, we made a few changes to Cindy’s Porch over the past few days (and there are a few more coming). I have been thinking about resolutions, pre-resolutions, change, choice, and “If I had to DO it all over again, what would I change?”

Last summer, a friend passed away. He was one of my clients – and was so excited about a move into his new home, only to discover days before his move that he had terminal cancer. He called me up and asked me to come over (he wanted to get all his bills and paperwork taken care of). As he showed me around his home, he talked about some of the things he had done during his life (WOW!). And then he said, “If I had to DO it all over again, I am proud to say I made all the right big decisions, but some of those little ones….” And then he sighed.

Now I am not a “huggy person,” but he got a great big one from me. I told him he was a “good man” and he started to cry (gosh, so did I). “A good man?” He was shocked – no one had ever told him that before. But one only needed to see that he was surrounded by children, family, friends, and even those he had touched just briefly to know he was a good man. His friendly, personable, positive attitude was so infectious – and his smile was amazing.

I read his obituary in the newspaper one week later.

I have never written about Gus before, but his words have been lingering in my mind for several months now. And his words are the driving force behind some of the changes we are going to make on Cindy’s Porch during the next few months.

“If I had to DO it all over again, I am proud to say I made all the right big decisions, but some of those little ones….”

I too wouldn’t change any of the BIG decisions I have made in my life – my choice for husband (my bestest friend), the decision to go to college, where I worked, the kids we have, when I decided to leave work, what I have done since, and the business I now own have all been the right decisions and I would not change a single one of them.

But….. some of those little ones, the ones we make on a daily basis….EEKS!

The power of these little decisions is HUGE! We make hundreds of them everyday.

• The time we wake up in the morning.
• What we wear.
• What we eat for breakfast.
• How well we brush our teeth.
• What we DO in the morning.
• What we eat for lunch.
• What we DO in the afternoon.
• What we eat for supper.
• What we DO after supper.
• When we go to bed.
• And on, and on…..

Add to that how we spend our money.

• What we bought for $5.00.
• What we bought for $10.00.
• What we bought for $500.00.
• When we paid cash, credit, debit or signed up for the BUY now, pay MUCH MORE later plans.

Add to that the things we DO.

Thanks to Gus, I want to DO even more in 2008! I want to look at 2009 and be able to say, “I did it in 2008!”

So each month, on Cindy’s Porch, we are going to put together FOUR simple goals to help us move towards loving our homes a little bit more (so we spend less on “decorating clutter”), watching the money that we eat (there are HUGE savings to be discovered here), getting rid of that albatross that keeps us living in the past – DEBT, and move towards a lifestyle that lets us DO more in the present and start saving for the future.

Please don’t be overwhelmed by these goals. They are posted on the home page and we have an ENTIRE month to DO them. Our emails are going to help you. And this DO-log is going to help keep me on track.

Gus’s new home has already been sold and another family is living in it. But his memories still live on. This year is dedicated to you.

Remember, memories are made of the things you DO, not the things you BUY.

DO something wonderful today (I am going to play a new board game with my little ones.)

Take care of you and again, Happy New Year!!!
Cindy

PS: My daughter caught this fellow on her camera while we were walking in wonder along our winter beach! Both of us were snapping pictures as fast as possible - but hers turned out better. - Cindy

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