It's Nearly April and It's Snowing

I feel like hiding until the snow disappears, too!

The title of this post is, regrettably, not a metaphor. This spring time snow must be payback for having such a mild January. We were lucky to barely experience freezing temperatures in January. At the time, I thought it was great. However, usually St. Patrick's Day is my marker for finally being able to relax, to take a sigh of relief, knowing that the snow is melting and all is right with the world. I have been fooled, many times, in my lifetime, when it comes to spring. Spring time in Maine is never terribly predictable. Sometimes, we have an early thaw, but having late snow isn't at all unheard of. I do remember seeing snow covered tulips when I was a little girl. This too shall pass...

While I sit and wait for spring flowers, I can't help but lose myself in the splendour of Pinterest. An innocent search into purple perennials, turns into a full hour of flower pinning, soil and herb searches and plotting out the perfect summer garden. I already have my seeds and bulbs ready to go!
I'm also looking forward to tackling the garage. It hasn't been the same, since we moved into our new home. I still need to have my kitchen floor finished before I can move on to working on the dining room. Just when I think I'm close to having the floor put it, something happens to change the plans. I know that it will be done within the month, at least. In the meantime, I plan on doing some paint
touch-ups and some cleaning and organizing until then. Of course, I also have my list of craft projects that I wish to tackle. So, it is clear to me that I have plenty to keep me busy into the blooming season.

In other news, I got a new camera. So, the quality of my posts should see some improvement....I'm very excited. Finally, if you haven't noticed, I am slowly phasing out my original screen name. Originally, I presented myself as "Lady Toesocks." This was appropriate, because I had an extensive toe sock collection. However, I don't really wear toe socks anymore. Also, on my Facebook page, I began noticing some traffic from people who may have misunderstood exactly what kind of blog I write. So, I removed the images of my toe socks and I'm switching out the name. This is tricky to do all in one swoop, but will be permanent, soon. I figured the name "Caffeinated Housewife" was far more appropriate and it sums me up much better than my previous name. I hope you understand and I thank you for being so very patient. Hopefully, my next post will show you something crafty, but who knows what might inspire me between now and then? Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Early Spring Cleaning

After the holiday season had finally calmed down, we still had numerous birthdays, Valentines Day and the Superbowl to experience. It seemed as though I was spending a great deal of time either planning special dinners, baking desserts, planning parties or cleaning up after parties. When everything finally calmed to a slow crawl, I realized that I couldn't wait for Spring to finally get here. Even though Punxsutawney Phil declared that winter was still here, I was ready to see it go. Then, we had a blizzard... I mean, really?  In an effort to fool myself into thinking that Spring was here, I decided to get a jump start on my Spring cleaning. That way, once the season does actually change, I can focus my energy on other projects. I have been organizing my kitchen. When we moved into the house, we were focusing more on moving in and less on making things perfect. Now that we have everything here and (mostly) unpacked, I can move things into proper order.

 I really wanted to get my kitchen in order, since I spend so much of my time in that room. I wanted to make it more organized so that I would have an easier time when I am baking and cooking. In a cupboard next to the stove, I keep my spices, herbs and baking supplies. The contents of the cupboard were sort of organized, but not in a way that I felt was tidy enough. I went to the Dollar Tree and purchased small bins and I used those to hold loose items and to wrangle my herbs and spices. Now, the middle shelf it dedicated to cooking items, while the bottom shelf is reserved for baking articles. Everything it easily within reach and much easier to find.

Inspired by a Pinterest pin, I organized my measuring spoons. I always had a difficult time finding the size that I needed. I have several collections of measuring spoons and they were all thrown into a drawer. I attached mountable hooks that I found at Walmart onto the inside of the cupboard door and organized all my spoons by size. Now, when I need a 1/2 teaspoon, it is so much easier finding one. I also added a list of substitutions that I had printed, out long ago. This way, if I ever discover that I am missing an ingredient, I can quickly look up a substitute. It is very handy having everything within an arms reach. 

Now that my cupboards are tidy, and I've moved my measuring spoons, my kitchen drawers are far less of a mess. We will be putting the new flooring in the kitchen soon, too. This will make the kitchen renovation nearly complete. Hopefully, by the time Spring actually does get here, I will be able to share before and after pictures of my kitchen. It certainly has come a long way! I look forward to sharing it with you. Until next time~ Toodahloo!