Summer is here – a great time to declutter the kitchen!

Since more of us will be cooking outdoors this time of year – why not take a look inside your kitchen and toss or donate items you no longer use. To get you started, here are some ideas:

TOSS: chipped or broken dishes, glasses or mugs; pots & pans that are burnt or rusty; excess plastic containers missing their tops or bottoms; broken appliances; and stained cutting boards.

DONATE: duplicate sets of items – especially glasses & mugs and don’t forget those ugly souvenirs!; appliances or gadgets you no longer use; pantry items you haven’t used in a year; inherited items you don’t use (if there is a great deal of emotional attachment, store these items far away from the kitchen); threadbare dish towels; and ugly serving pieces taking up valuable real estate in your cupboards.

BUT, don’t give away these items that PHA thinks are essential for every kitchen…..

1. Microplane Zester: great for grating Parmesan cheese, chocolate, ginger and nutmeg
2. A Santoku knife, serrated bread/tomato knife, a good and a paring knife – only four knives I ever use
3. Colored cutting boards – a great kitchen tool – red for meat, yellow for poultry, blue for fish and green for veggies, bread and fruit
4. Immersion Blender – an easy way to make ‘faux’ creamy soups without any cream!
5. A good stove-top grill pan – comes in mighty handy on winter or rainy days!

Happy Summer!

PHA – Affordable, Sophisticated Home Decorating & Staging, Moving & Relocation and  Organizing Services.

Related articles by Zemanta

• 12 Kitchen Must-Haves (lifescript.com)
• A Basic Kitchen Equipment List (simplycooking.wordpress.com)
• Increase Kitchen Efficiency by Learning Basic Knife Handling Skills [Kitchen] (lifehacker.com)
• Michael Ruhlman’s Essential Kitchen Tools [Tools] (lifehacker.com)
• Knives Cooks Love Is a Knife Lover’s Bible [Stuff We Like] (lifehacker.com)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Are you looking for a source for a special plant? Are you looking for an expert gardening Web site for information on growing plants in your area?

Want to learn  more?

Expert Advice

• Plant Finder
• Weed Library
• Gardening Articles
  • Flowers
    • Annuals
    • Bulbs
    • Perennials
    • Roses
  • Edibles
    • Small Fruits & Berries
    • Herbs
    • Fruit & Nut Trees
    • Vegetables
  • Landscaping
    • Container Gardening & Ponds
    • Lawns, Ground Cover, & Wildflowers
    • Yard & Garden Planning
    • Trees, Shrubs, & Vines
  • Garden Care
    • Pests & Problems
    • Soil, Water, & Fertilizer
    • Plant Care Techniques
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Seeds & Propagation

Related articles by Zemanta

• My favorite native plants for the garden (sustainable-gardening.com)
• New garden seeks planting volunteers (bendbulletin.com)
• Growing an online gardening service (telegraph.co.uk)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

by Peggy Hughes

PHA – Affordable, Sophisticated Home Decorating & Staging, Moving & Relocation and
Organizing Services.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Controlling Your Closet (bearathome.com)
• Tackle Organization Overwhelm (youngmoney.com)
• Get Organized! (lifescript.com)
• Organizing Tips for Quick Closet Organizing (home-organization.suite101.com)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Joy of Slow Cooking

I love to cook, but sometimes life just gets in the way.

The solution? A slow cooker! I gather the ingredients, toss them in and forget about it for a few hours. And if you get busy, food doesn’t overcook or burn if left longer than required. My particular model switches to a “keeping it warm” mode until I return.

Liquids do not boil away as in conventional methods of cooking. Meats are marinating in their own natural juices and tend to be “fall of the bone” tender.

Here are some tips for easy use –

After a long day working around the cabin, nothing beats the aroma beef stew or chicken noodle soup simmering in the slow cooker.

Sit back, pour a glass of wine and take things slow. You deserve it!

Related articles by Zemanta

• What Are Some of The Top Rated Slow Cookers (mydecorarticles.com)
• 7 Hearty Stew Recipes (lifescript.com)
• Slow cooker recipes: homemade onion soup mix and a venison shoulder roast (thismamacooks.com)
• Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Alfredo (chubbagurl.blogspot.com)
• The Italian Slow Cooker (online.wsj.com)
• Comfort Food: The Best Crockpot I Own (ohmyachesandpains.info)
• 7 Comforting Crock-Pot Recipes (lifescript.com)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The holidays can be busy and stressful times that can easily overwhelm us all. Here are some tips for coping with stress and depression.

1. Pace yourself – The holidays can be busy and stressful times that can easily overwhelm us all. Setting realistic expectations about how much you can accomplish, how many gifts you can prepare, and how much time you can spend with friends or family can help you keep a sense of balance and control over your life. This is a time to celebrate with loved ones, not a marathon in search of “Tickle Me Elmo.”

2. Pass on the Fruitcake – During the holidays we are surrounded by high fat, high sugar and simple carbohydrate foods and alcohol. Excessive sugar, alcohol and carbohydrates can exacerbate depression and cause blood sugar swings that can cause feelings of anxiety and depression. Make sure you eat regular healthy meals rich in vegetables, healthy sources of protein such as fish and eggs, and whole grains, which will decrease your cravings for sweets and fats and make it less likely for you to overindulge.

3. Give Visa a break – It’s common for people to overspend during the holidays creating significant stress when the bills come in. Set a realistic budget for your gifts to decrease your financial burden. Remember, it’s the thought that counts and thoughtful inexpensive gifts can be well received and appreciated. If the budget is tight, consider gifts from the heart – for example, a certificate for a foot rub or a home cooked meal.

4. Go for a walk – Regular activity helps us manage our blood sugar more effectively, improves energy levels, gives us a sense of well-being and relieves feelings of depression. If you can get some exercise outdoors, such as a brisk walk or a hike, exposure to the sunlight during this dark time of year can be very effective in curing the winter blues.

5. Hydrate – Drink at least eight 8oz. glasses daily. Water reduces our tendency to overeat and over-drink and increases our sense of well-being. Studies have shown that people who drink adequate water report fewer aches and pains, better energy levels, and improved mental function. Alcohol, on the other hand, is a known aggravator of depression. If you tend to overindulge in alcohol, try drinking a glass of water when you first arrive at a party and have another glass of water between each drink of alcohol through the course of the event.

6. It’s about friends and family – Emotional support from friends and loved ones is a known critical factor in preventing suicide in people with severe depression. Connecting with other people is always important for all of us and especially for people with depressive tendencies. And when all that family time gets to be too much remember the immortal words of Ethel Watts Mumford – “God gaves us our relatives; thank God we choose our friends.”

7. Do something nice for yourself – Get a massage or accupuncture treatment. Both of these therapies have been shown to help relieve stress and tension while improving moods. Acupuncture is especially useful for helping people manage mild to moderate depression. It has been shown to stimulate endorphins to improve moods and mental function and create a sense of well-being through its balancing effects. Only 20% of women with depression will receive adequate treatment, and since their role is often the social organizer around holidays, they often need extra counseling, acupuncture or nutritional support.

We hope you and your family take some time during the holidays to relax and look forward to the new year with a renewed sense of spirit. Happy Holidays.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Stress is a burden for many seniors (heraldnet.com)
• 12 Depression Myths – Debunked! (lifescript.com)
• How Food Affects Your Mood (lifescript.com)
• Top 10 Tips to Fight Depression (lifescript.com)
• Overcoming Depression: Hope for the Holidays (lifescript.com)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Many of us may be changing our decor, updating our color schemes and changing our light fixtures.

Here is a useful lighting tip:

In the dining room, use your room height to determine where to position the fixture above your dining table – For an 8-foot ceiling, the bottom of your fixture should be 27-30″ from the table. For higher ceilings, add three inches for each additional foot of height.

And, the width of your fixture should be no wider than the width of your table minus 12 inches!

For those of us of a “certain age” – regular incandescent bulbs greatly reduce our visual acuity. Using cooler type light sources, such as halogens and fluorescents can be a big help. Increasing the number of light fixtures in the room is really beneficial.

Happy Lighting!

PHA – Affordable, Sophisticated Home Decorating & Staging, Moving & Relocation and  Organizing Services.

Related articles by Zemanta

• A Chandelier Is Still A Chandelier (mydecorarticles.com)
• Efficient Solar Lights add style while saving you money (thehomeadventure.com)
• Chandeliers Lighting a Room: Grace and Elegance (thehomeadventure.com)

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.