Fresh Touches for the Home

One of my yahoo group members asked the question to our group:

"How can I make my home feel more like a home? I would like ideas on decorating,
etc."

I think a lot of us strive to make our house a home. In spite of all of the beautiful decorating ideas, I really think we make our house a home when we add the "fresh touches" it needs to acquire that real "at home" feeling.

Here are some "fresh touch ideas" I have found that I think you will enjoy using. I have listed a few.

Scented candles that you light and really use. My all time most favorite is Vanilla/Orange by Trapps.

A pretty container with sharpened pencils, eraser end down.

Fresh flowers.

Clear glass canisters with food open in sight. For example: breakfast cereal, homemade cookies, candy.

Smooth jazz music playing in a freshly cleaned room.

A bowl of fresh fruit on your kitchen counter or a small platter on your coffee table with green apples.

Current magazines on your coffee table or a place near a seating area.

Something cooking or baking that smells wonderful.

Freshly ironed pillow cases.

Freshly made ice tea in the refrigerator with a clear glass bowl of slice lemons beside it. (covered with clear wrap)

Remember that the woman generally sets the tone in the home. If you stay kind to yourself, you will find yourself treating others kindly. Our attitude towards our home and our care for it, will reflect in all the small things we do. Fresh touches are ways we can bring life in our homes. It’s the small things that really make the biggest difference.

Simple Storage Solution 101

Here is just a very simple idea...nothing earth shattering, but one, that you can actually do and I think you will find useful.

For years I tolerated the area under my vanity bathroom sink. It was very cluttered and unorganized. I think for most of us, no matter how organized we think we are, we usually have some area that we tend to ignore.

Here was my solution. It is simple and inexpensive and works great. Clear everything out and sort the items.

Purchase gallon size zipper type zip lock bags. Label each bag with a stick on computer label using your favorite font in a large font size.

Now, label each bag, fill and zip. Place all in 2 or more dish pans standing up so you can see the label that you have place near the top of the bag.

I used new white pails, size 19 - 24 font size in Incised901BT or Arial font. Some of my bags are: Hotel Samples (these are saved for emergencies or later donated to Woman’s Shelters), Cotton Balls & Q Tips, Swimming Stuff (suntan lotions, sunburn care, ear plugs, etc.), Colds & Allergies (medicines that you don’t use everyday), etc.

It is very simple to find things when I need them and super easy to put things back.

Happy Organizing!

Decorating Tip 101 - "Using What You've Got"

Number one, if you are on a limited budget or do not choose to strip a room and start from scratch, here is a suggestion.

When “using what you’ve got”, you can work with focal points. Here is an example: The art piece pictured will be my focal point. I will pull colors from this picture. You could let the picture be your inspiration for your entire room, or if limited, just decorate one area pulling together colors.

If I were to use this as my inspiration, I would hang it over my large wall over my black piano. On top of the piano, I would use my tall gold metal candle holders that would come slightly into the picture area. I would place the tallest candle on the right and beside it, the shorter candle holder on the left. Use dark red colored candles.

If you can pretend that all objects on the piano would form a triangle shape, that will help you design your stuff on the piano. The triangle shape I am using to illustrate is one with the right line being the tallest and going straight up, bottom line, straight left, following the top of the piano, and the angle going from left bottom to top right.

I use books a lot to help pull in colors. You can go to any thrift store and peek behind the paper covers and find wonderful colored fabric hardback books you can purchase for 1 - 2 dollars.

Find three books in colors that you can pull from the picture. For example: deep red or the deep gold in the left bottom corner. Moving to the left of the candle holders, in the center of the piano, stack the books laying down in a neat stack with something black on top, for example a pair of black gloves.

Now go one step lower and to your left place one single object such as a piece of red pottery.

If this were in an office, you could use black pencils in a holder, red binders, etc. Just let your inspiration piece help you pull other colors in your room i.e., rugs, pillows, etc.

Have fun. Let me know if you use this idea and succeed. donna_r_madden@yahoo.com

Enjoy more art inspirations from my sister, Judy on her site: www.judywalston.com

Meat Potato Pie

Back in the 80's I was a Tupperware dealer. My manager introduced this recipe to her distributors and it has been one that I still use to this day.

It is very easy and smells luscious baking.

While living in Marksville, Louisiana, around 1995, I discovered a wonderful sauce served on meat pies at a restaurant in that area. It really puts the cherry on top! Hope you enjoy!

Feel free to email your comments to me. donna_r_madden@yahoo.com

2 pie shells, home made or store bought, I use store bought, thawed slightly, then shape my edges to appear a home-made crust

1 potato, chopped in small pieces, I cut mine in my food processor, but not too fine

1 pound of ground chuck beef

Salt and Pepper to taste

So easy...mix together the meat and potato, put in unbaked pie shell, cover with the other unbaked pie shell, press shells together at the edges. Cut a few holes in top crust or press a cookie cutter shape in the top.

Bake for about 1 hour. The crust will be golden brown and meat should be thoroughly done.

Top with the sauce. A Louisiana resturant's secret recipe:

Jezebel Sauce

Equal amounts of apple jelly and pineapple preserves
Add horseradish to the desired “bite”.

For a simple family meal, serve with a veggie. I serve with fresh corn and garnish with a few slices of fruit.

Give Your Room a Lift

Just as our body must have a cleansing, so it is with our homes. Over time, we bring in more and more stuff. If we do 
not take the time to take some things out occasionally, things begin to pile up. Sometimes we just get used to 

looking at something and ignore that it is even there.

When I begin to decorate a room using what I have, I begin by working with one area at a time. Here are some steps I use when I want to give a room a lift:

Detox...Get rid of all the clutter. Go through every drawer, corner, and shelf, and get rid of things that you do not need. Every item should be either beautiful or useful.

Rearrange...Move everything from it’s original place. You will never be able to really clean the room if everything 
forever stays in it’s original place. You will want to keep moving things around until you get the arrangement that you 
like. In the living room, your room needs to be in cozy conversational areas. My philosophy is, nothing is permanent. If I move it and it does not look good, it can be moved back or explore a new idea. Trust me, your couch can be rearranged
in many ways. You can make new arrangements work.

Cleanse...Clean the room from top to bottom. Starting with each area, clean windows, baseboards, curtains, blinds, 

accessories, everything in each area. Your room will get a fresh lift just from being totally cleaned.

Use balance...Don’t line up all the furniture against the walls. Generally, you will work with several key pieces of 
furniture. Balance them in the room, then add small tables, etc. to complete the arrangement.

Pull together focal points by using a strong color scheme in each area. You may use a framed art picture as your 
inspiration and pull colors from there. Display things that you love. Accessories should always be personal. Even if they are store bought, they can reflect your personal taste.

Tips:

One way to give a room a new look is to drastically reduce it’s contents.

Honor favorite photos with good quality frames.

Go easy on symmetry - more than three matched pairs in a single room is too much.

Five minutes before guest arrive, spray your favorite perfume in the foyer.

Sweep all small decorating items in a drawer and take one out at a time. It’s

like discovering that object all over again.

Use baskets lined with fabric to gather up key, change, wallet, etc.

I encourage you to take a small step and try one of my "give your room a lift" ideas.  Even if you take a small area at at 
time, inch by inch anything is a cinch! You will be amazed how much your home will give you a lift just by taking small steps over a period of time.

Sleep

Sleep.....

“The best bridge between hope and despair is often a good night’s sleep.”

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the
bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:2

“How can my people expect healing, when they are violating the laws of diet and rest?”

When we are sleep deprived, life loses its luster and can leave us feeling exhausted. Our body needs good solid sleep every night. When we are unable to get the kind of sleep we need, this deprivation accumulates and can begin to create havoc in our daily lives. For example, a lack of sleep may leave you:

• unable to focus during the day
• tired and exhausted all the time
• irritable and short-tempered
• depressed or anxious
• more susceptible to colds, headaches, or allergies
• feeling vulnerable and less confident

Tips to get you a good night’s sleep:

1. Make your bedroom a sanctuary. Check for clutter, air quality, comfortable bed, sheets, comforter, noise level & cleanliness.

2. Drink milk before bedtime...it contains calming calcium, magnesium, and tryptophan.

3. A warm relaxing bath or shower.

4. Soothing herb tea.

5. No caffeine late in the day.

6. Don’t go to bed too early.

7. Exercise regularly, but not close to bedtime.

8. Don’t go to bed angry.

9. Learn to fall asleep without the radio or TV on. Research has shown a radio or TV running while we are asleep will cause us to be more wakeful.

10. Using the stress management exercise is wonderful. Start with your feet, point, hold, relax, then pull your feet up, hold, then relax. Do this going up your body stretching, holding, then relaxing each muscle as you go up. Usually, by the time you are to your shoulders and neck, you are already asleep.

Good night. Hope you have a good night’s sleep.

Gaining Power Over The Things We Can Change

"Living beautifully with ourselves and others requires gaining the power over the things we can change, maximizing the positive things, appreciating without guilt all the good, and minimizing the negatives."

Alexandra Stoddard, Living Beautifully Together

Most of us at sometime or another are faced with situations that we cannot change. Pressures of life find us paralyzed and unable to function at our best. It could be having to deal with a sick child, financial reverses, living in an unpleasant situation, or coping with a physical handicap.

When I have felt myself backed up against a wall, yes, there are times that I really would like to just crawl in bed and hope to never wake up until the situation is resolved, but there is a better solution.

When life has you down, you feel you have no power and no control. I think most of us like to feel like we are in control. Look around. Right now, look around and see what it is you can control. Get into motion and begin to do something.

Success breeds success.

When you get to moving, your situation begins to change. It may be clearing off your desk, filing, cleaning your mirrors, exercising or any number of things.

Each day make a list of things you need to accomplish in that day and you will feel more in control.

Focus on what is good rather than what is bad. When you do, you will begin to feel more in control because actually, now, you are. Your situation may not ever change, but, be encouraged that you do have the power to change the things you can change.

Think about it.