Mom is the last to get it.

Yesterday's beauty......

Today...Ugh!

Last week my dear husband came home with the "creeping crud" as we like to call a stomach virus' at our house. True to form, middle daughter was feeling poorly within 48 hours, youngest daughter to follow this past weekend. Mom (that would be me!) stays well till everyone is over it and then.....Hello!

Awoke this morning feeling not so great, as the morning progresses I don't feel better as I hoped...I feel worse. It is now 8:00 am and the day looms long ahead of me. I am thinking curl up on the sofa with Ms. Kitty and Gibby Kitty and try to sleep it off.

Yesterday there was beautiful snow falling, with the promise of a fun filled snow play afternoon, but by 3:00 pm, most all the snow was gone and in it's place is freezing cold, muddy, mess. This isn't a week to remember so far.

My how gloomy you can be when you don't feel well. I can only be glad about one thing right this minute, I know from the past weeks experience, it only seems to last about 1 day. So with that in mind beloved reader, I will sign off until this to shall pass.

Now where did I put that bottle of pink stuff?

Kitchen cure 2010!

It all began with a sort of a challenge. I was directed to a website by a friend that was promoting a kitchen cure organization and asking for photos to go along with our posts to show our progress. I loved it! So, I'm taking the challenge.

It begins with the pantry. As you see in my "Before" photo, mine was a mess. No one in my household ever puts anything back into the pantry where it goes, usually it is tossed onto the middle shelf, if put back at all.

It took all afternoon, but you see my results in the "After" photo. I'm pleased and everyone in the house has noticed and has so far been very good about keeping it in the shape you see here. Of course it could have something to do with the threats of bodily harm........

Here's what I did:

1. I removed everything from the top shelf. Took out the boards and wiped them down. Then I only put one board back because using two boards made the shelf to deep and things got lost up there. I found items that were five years old and should have long ago been disposed of up there! I put the kitchen tools I use least often on the top. I can reach it easily with my little stool and am loving the counter space with nothing on it!

2. Then I moved to the second shelf. Here again removing everything, removing the board and wiping it down. After I put only one board back, I gave all the dessert items and fruits a home in the left corner, and the "dry items" the rest of the shelf.

3. Doing the same with the shelf at the third level, it became home to the canned goods. Now, here I'm going to interject something of note. Go to www.droz.com and research the dangers of plastic in canned goods. I will be using MUCH less of canned goods, going instead to frozen and fresh only.

4. Shelf number four became home for extras, condiments and home canned items.

5. Shelf number five now houses my microwave! Loving the counter space here again! On either side of the microwave I put juices and paper products.

6. In the baskets on the floor, potatoes, onions and sweet potatoes.

When I finished it, I stood back to enjoy the beauty of it, wondering just how long it would stay that way. But, it's days later and it still looks great!

Maybe my family is getting on board, ya think?

Blessings~
Kat