January=Cleaning & Organizing

I still need to put away my Christmas Decor. I know. Sad.

But my excuse is I enjoyed 2 little boys at my house for over a week since Christmas, plus I work on weekends...but now my 7 year is back to school. Sigh. So I guess that means back to work. My 3 year old will be happy to help mommy clean.

One of my Favorite blogs is Clean Mama. She shares excellent tips on how to clean, clean, clean! This month she is featuring daily tips to keep your house in tip, top shape. And I can use all the help I can get!


  

I also have a new favorite blog, A Bowl Full of Lemons.

This month she will be providing 21 days of organization!

Will you join me and others on the cleaning/organization train?

Got any other favorite blogs to share that you like on this subject? I would love to check them out.

Have a beautiful and productive day! I intend to myself.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

I love artichokes. I've always liked them but I developed a serious craving for them when I was pregnant that still hasn't gone away. When I saw the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes I knew I'd love it.





It was easy to make and absolutely delicious. I added 4 large mushrooms, cut into quarters, since SP isn't a big artichoke fan.



Spaghetti with Artichokes Hearts and Tomatoes

Modified from Pioneer Woman



2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

3 cloves Garlic, Minced

1/2 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced

4 large muys

1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained

1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Chicken Broth (More As Needed)

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Salt And Pepper, to taste

1 pound Thin Spaghetti

1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped



Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

New Year Project

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful time ringing in the New Year! Hubby and I took our boys to our first 3D movie and McDonalds. And we were all tucked in our warm beds by 10:30 pm. We're such the party animals.

I started a project a few days ago that I'm happy to share with you today!

It might look small on screen but it was a time consuming project...that I have been puting off for years.

The ugly hallway.

The original part of our house is from the 1960's. Which means no personality what-so-ever.

This hall was dirty, grungy, chippy. A real eye sore. And there was no way to stray my guests from seeing this "mess". This passage way is walked through hundreds of times as it leads to the new addition of our house, the office, the bathroom, the toy room and living room/kitchen.

Yes 5 doorways. So when I thought of even attempting to paint this little hallway, my stomach turned with all the doors and trim screaming out my name.

Most doors were white but new "wood" doors/trim have been added to the new addition end. So that meant priming. Another bummer.

Our thermostat was replaced a couple years ago so it was always fun to see the outline of the old one.

So I sucked it up and planned an attack last month. I was going to face this monster once and for all. Like it or not.

I've been liking the board and batten look for quite sometime. I thought this hallway would be an excellent candidate.

So I went to my local home improvement store and went trim shopping.

I have to be honest, the trim department is intimidating. So many styles and finishes. Very overwhelming but I got the job done and found the pieces I wanted to use.

I bought 1x4 pine boards for the base molding. The hallway still had the original 60's trim and I wanted to kick that to the curb. So if you plan on doing this project, the pine molding is optional.

Then I bought 1 inch wide lattice and 3 1/4 inch wide casing. These pieces are already primed to paint. Bonus!

I bought my molding at Menards which tends to be cheaper than the other BIG name home improvement stores.

Lattice 40 cents/foot

Casing 90 cents/foot

1x4 Pine 40 cents/foot

Before I started adding the molding to the wall, I painted like a mad woman. I painted all the trim and 4 doors. And I could of stopped there because that made such a HUGE difference. Goodbye grunge!

But I didn't. :)

This was the time I added my trim. Note: if you don't want to cut yourself, have the home improvement store do it for FREE.

I first added my base molding. Then one by one I added the lattice. I cut these 4 1/2 feet long.

I don't like to measure and I try to do something the easy way out. So for my "template", I used a ruler and that marked my spot to place the piece of lattice vertically. I did this all the way around the hallway. I had a level just in case but the ruler worked out great!

I used a nail gun to attach my pieces to the wall. You could also use an adhesive like liquid nails if you like.

I then cut my casing trim to length and set it right on top of the lattice molding. This should automatically be level since all your latice pieces are cut the same length.

I then painted the "new trim" and the bottom half of the wall the same color as the doors and existing trim. The color I used was Behr Paint: Swiss Coffee (but I color matched it for Pittsburgh paints)

And for an extra bonus, make sure you have a super cute helper. :)

And here it is today!

I forgot to mention that I painted the top half Behr: Sandstone Cove

And really I psyched myself out. Because really this project wasn't that bad. I wish I would of done this a lot sooner! The trim was the easiest part! My 7 year old and I did it together. :)

Now the hallway flows better to our "new" bathroom.

I can't believe how much a little molding can change the whole look of a room. (including our bathroom)

A look to the living room. Another project waiting for me. LOL For now I'll enjoy this space.

See some missing door knobs and door bell cover. Those are also getting makeovers this week. I'll be sharing those soon.

Not Just a Housewife: Show Me What You Got