Give It a Clean Sweep

About a year ago, I realized I was spending my entire day straightening the house. As soon as one mess was cleaned up, there was another one that needed my attention. As any mother of young children knows, you can easily clean up the same toys over and over all day long. Well, I decided I wanted to spend more time playing and less time cleaning so I instituted the 10 Minute Clean Sweep. At the end of the day, I set the timer for ten minutes and turn on some upbeat music. Then my little one (or little ones, depending on the day) and I spend ten minutes putting toys away like crazy. If anyone stops cleaning during that time, another minute is added to the time. It seems to work well so far and I am amazed how much we can get done in just ten minutes!

Flip Pans to Avoid Puddles

I picked up this tip on one of those rare occasions that I watched Martha Stewart and I have been doing it ever since: If you are using a non-stick cooking spray or oil, turn your pan upside-down on a towel for a few seconds before you put in your batter. This keeps the spray from puddling in the bottom of the pan and protects your baked goody from getting mushy.

List the Laundry Guidelines

I tend to be a very process-oriented person...and probably slightly OCD in that area as well. As my teen-age daughter began doing her own laundry (and sometimes my husband), I felt like I was spending a lot of time explaining the laundry process. I thought posting a list of guidelines would help. So, I came up with a list, printed them out and posted them right above the washer and dryer. Now, even if the guidelines aren't always followed, at least no one can say they didn't know.

Ready to Use Bread Crumbs

I have always avoided store bought packages of bread crumbs because they all seem to contain trans fats. However, I really like the idea of having ready to use bread crumbs in my pantry. A few months ago I started noticing that the ends (heels) of our bread loaves stayed in the bread wrapper long after the rest of the loaf had been eaten. One day a light bulb went off in my head. I gathered all of those rejected ends, dried them in the oven and pounded them into crumbs. (By the way, this process also works wonders on releasing pent up tension from a crazy week)

I store the crumbs in an old glass peanut butter jar and they are always ready to use. This option is healthier, less expensive and relieves stress...does it get much better?