Resolutions for 2012

As the new year approaches, I'm sure everyone has resolutions on the brain. I've listed my resolutions below and hope they inspire you to come up with some of your own! Happy New Year!!

Favorite Productivity Apps

I probably have a unhealthy relationship with my iPhone. I use it to connect with loved ones, to document special moments, to stay connected with the outside world and to stay organized and on task in my day to day life. I have listed my five favorite iPhone apps below. I hope you find them as helpful as I do!

1. Shopping List Free by Hensoft- I've used this free app to organize my shopping list for the past few years. It's incredibly efficient because my list is always accessible. It also saves me from rummaging through my purse in search of the scrap of paper I jotted my list on. It's also incredibly user friendly. After you've made an entry, the app will remember the item, so the next time you need that item you only have to type in the first few letters and the app will remember it. And I love that you can check off items as you put them in your cart. Try it out. I promise you will never return to written grocery lists again.

2. Remember the Milk - This is the mother of all To-Do List apps and is free for the first 15 days, then $25 a year (although it's priceless as far as I'm concerned). You can easily sort tasks into categories that you specify (my categories include Errands, Phone Calls, Blog and Home). It allows you to enter reoccurring tasks, which is a huge time saver. You can also delegate tasks to other RTM users and syncs with Remember the Milk online so you can access it via your iphone or computer.

3. White Pages - This free app allows you to look up both residential and business contacts and saves  the complete contact information in your address book, preventing you from having to look up the contact ever again.

4. Amazon.com Mobile App- I am a huge fan of Amazon's mobile app. Here's an example of how it saved me time last week: I realized on Thursday that the dog was almost out of food. Our dog eats an obscure brand of dog food that's only available at Petsmart. It would have taken me an hour to drive out to Petsmart (with baby in tow), purchase the dog food and drive home. Instead, I ordered it through the Amazon app on my phone. It literally took me thirty seconds to order and it showed up at my door two days later. The price is comparable to the Petsmart price and I get free two day shipping with my Amazon Prime membership. It's a no-brainer for busy moms and best of all, you can quickly check items off the to-do list.

5. Diapers.com - I have used diapers.com to purchase diapers, formula, wipes and other baby supplies since our baby was born last September. I downloaded the free app a few months ago and have found it very helpful because you can order your diapers from anywhere. All orders over $49 are eligible for free two-day shipping and most importantly, this means that you don't ever have to set foot in Babys R Us ever again!

Chic Storage Boxes

I am always on the lookout for storage solutions that are functional and beautiful. I think the items below fit the bill for both criteria!

Green boxes by Semikolon

I love these nesting boxes by Semikolon. They are functional, chic and affordable and come in a wide variety of colors.

Who doesn't love an orange box? They're so cheerful.

I found these Hermes-ish boxes at Gramercy and Co.

1 - Canadian House and Home, 2 - Amazon.com, 3 - Domino Magazine, 4 - Gramercyandco.com

It's Easy Being Green

Having a child has turned me into a major tree hugger. I am embarrassed to admit that the necessity of eating organic foods or using eco-friendly cleaning products never really entered into my sphere of reality in my twenties. Ever since my son was born last September I have become increasingly aware of the potentially harmful chemicals in our home and have tried to take small steps toward greener living. Finding healthy, safe alternatives to harsh cleaning products became essential when my little boy became mobile because he was putting EVERYTHING in his mouth!  I’ve shared below some of my favorite green cleaning products that are both user-friendly and pretty affordable.

Seventh Generation Disenfecting Wipes. They claim to kill 99.99% of household germs and are great for kitchen counters and the highchair.

Method Le Scrub Natural Abrasive Cleaner.  I love the way this stuff smells.

Lil' Bowl Blu by Method. This is a great alternative to harsh toilette cleaners.

Method Wood For Good



Method Wood Floor Cleaner. It smells great and gets the hardwood floors clean without leaving residue.



Method Play Clean - Great for the playroom.

This all purpose cleaner by Trader Joes is THE BEST!

I keep one of these in the bottom of the baby's diaper pail. It works great!



I'm also a fan of Trader Joes lavendar dryer sachets. Each bag is good for about four uses. I sprinkle the lavendar from old bags on my rugs and vacuum. It makes my living room smell like the South of France.



Parenting Inspiration

Here's some parenting wisdom that I picked up from thehouseofbelonging.com. I'm going to print it out and put it on my dressing table because I think I need to hear it everyday -- especially the "Be Still" part! I hope it inspires you, too!

Holiday Baking

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday. The Albans and I are having a low key weekend and doing a little Christmas baking (to clarify, I'm baking and they're tasting). Below is my favorite Christmas cookie recipe. I hope you enjoy them!

Christmas Cookies

1 Cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

1 cup salad oil

1 cup rolled oats (regular)

1 cup crushed cornflakes

½ cup chopped pecans

3 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour

1 tsp. Soda

½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar until light.  Add egg and mix well.  Add salad oil, vanilla, and mix well.  Stir in flour, soda, salt, cornflakes, nuts and oats.  Form into balls the size of a small walnut and place on cookie sheet.  Flatted with a fork dipped in water.  Bake for 12-14 minutes.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing.



Isn't this tag adorable? I found it on etsy!



Recipe Organization

How do you organize your recipes? If you are anything like me, you're constantly ripping recipes out of magazines and printing them online. There are many efficient ways to organize recipes and cut down on paper clutter. I use a three ring binder with plastic dividers and plastic sheet protectors. The tabs in my binder include: appetizers, soups, breads, cheese, salads, meats, eggs, side dishes, desserts and beverages. When it's time to make a recipe, I simply go to my binder, find the recipe under the cooresponding tab and remove it from the binder. The plastic sheet protectors keep the recipes clean as I cook so all I have to do when I'm finished is wipe it down and return it to the binder.

Here are some additional ideas for recipe organization:

Recipe Binder

Use Photo Inserts to Organize Recipe Cards in Binder

Binder Tabs

Acrylic Recipe Box

Recipe Box

Letterpress Recipe Cards

Personalized Recipe Cards

**Recipes courtesy of Organization Magazine, Marthastewart.com, Pinterest and Etsy.

Stylish and Efficient Entryways





Photos courtesy of BHG.com, Better Homes and Gardens, Apartment Therapy,

Greige Design, Splendid Sass, Simply Seleta and HGTV.com.

Quick Quiche Recipe

This quiche freezes well and is a favorite go-to for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner...And the best part is that it's incredibly easy to make. We are going to have it for breakfast on Saturday morning with Trader Joe's Spiced Cider. Enjoy!

Quick Quiche Recipe:
4 Eggs
1 Cup Half and Half
1/2 Cup Real Mayo
2 T Flour
1/3 Cup Grated Onion
Salt and Garlic Powder
8 Ounces Shredded Swiss and Gruyere (I get it from Trader Joes)
Diced Pancetta (I get it from Trader Joes)
1 Package Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed and drained)
1 9 Inch Pie Shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Hand whip the eggs, half and half, mayo and flour in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9 inch deep pie crust. Bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.