Posts Tagged ‘Free Stuff’

Entryways

Posted on: October 16th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy MendlerIt’s finally starting to feel like fall. Our weather the past few weeks has been more like the summer we were hoping to have. Make some time to get out and see the fall colours.

With Canadian Thanksgiving already behind us, it’s almost time for ghosts and goblins to start knocking on our doors for Hallowe’en treats.

One day last week, Ayr (a 30-minute drive from here) had SNOW! It turns out that it was fake snow, as crews are filming a new TV show.

Back to reality! Last  month we talk about Mud Rooms. As promised, this month’s topic is Entryways.

ENTRYWAYS

The main entrance to your home can be very different if you have a mud room. If you don’t have the luxury of both, your entrance needs to perform both duties.

Most people want their main entrance to look like a page from a decorating magazine. Really think about this for a moment. Decide whether that’s realistic for your home.

Planning storage for your entryway requires making a list of everything that you would like to store there.

Do you have a closet to store outerwear and footwear?

Do you need to:

  • add hooks to hang backpacks?
  • hang a family calendar or checklist in your entry?
  • have room for shelves?
  • have a rack for shoes and/or a boot tray?
  • have room for a chest of drawers?
  • hang a mirror or artwork?
  • have a table for mail and keys?
  • have a bench or stool to sit on–where people can put on shoes and boots?
  • have the budget for built-in cabinets?

Don’t forget to make use of vertical space for added storage. Baskets can conceal loose items and help keep your space tidy.

Take the time to plan your space. Remember, it has to be functional!

If your question hasn’t been answered here (or in the Mud Room article), please send me an email. I’ll do my best to help you solve your entryway and mud room challenges.

In case you missed last month’s topic, here’s the link to Mud Rooms.

Let’s get started and turn over another leaf!

Until next month,

Cathy Mendler



Lemon Zucchini Bread and other September Recipes

Posted on: October 5th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Who doesn’t like quick and easy recipes? I can’t wait to try a few of these.

BBQ Chicken & Sweet Potato Sheet-Pan Dish

50 Make-Ahead Breakfasts for Busy Back-to-School Mornings

Lemon Zucchini Bread

LEMON ZUCCHINI BREAD – Cathy Trochelman

Prep Time – 10 minutes
Cook Time – 50 minutes
TOTAL TIME – 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 c. sugar
  • 1 c. finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
  • 1/4 c. cooking oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel

Glaze

  • 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest

*Glaze can be doubled if desired.

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a medium mixing dish combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  2. In a separate mixing dish combine sugar, zucchini, cooking oil, egg, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Stir to combine.
  3. Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture; stir just until combined.
  4. Spoon batter into greased bread pan.
  5. Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and set.
  6. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.
  7. Once cool, combine ingredients for glaze and drizzle over bread.
It’s never too late to make healthier choices!

 



Check out THESE Checklists!

Posted on: September 28th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

Get Checking...Check out these useful ideas!

10 Inspiring Tips for Staying Organized with Kids Going Back to School

Safety comes first! How to use backpacks safely

If you have teenagers in school, check out Christine Elgersma’s Hack the School Year. These ideas are also useful for adults too!



What habits can you improve?

Posted on: September 22nd, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...

Start fresh now that it’s September! What habits can you improve? 

Belle B. Cooper of RescueTime shares her Tips for organizing your calendar.

Check out Tom Popomaronis’ 4 Toxic Habits That Are Poisoning Your Productivity (And How to Break Them).

 

Ask yourself, “How can I be more productive?”

 



A Quote from Marian Wright Edelman

Posted on: September 19th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments



Mud Rooms

Posted on: September 13th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy MendlerIt’s September already!

As I’m putting together this edition, it is 23C (73F) and I’m out on my deck–even though we’ve already had frost a number of times. If you’re one of those people who doesn’t want summer to end, make sure you get outside and enjoy everything that fall has to offer.

I’m excited that I have become a grandmother! Congratulations to Jason and Amber on the birth of Nash Carter Blaxall on the morning of August 20. He’s adorable! Spending time with Nash has definitely been added to my list of priorities. I just wish they lived closer!

MUD ROOMS 

Let’s talk about mud rooms. This topic piggybacks nicely on last month’s topic of laundry areas. While writing this article, I realized a separate discussion about front/main entryways is needed. Stay tuned!

When I Googled “mud room”, I found over 21,000,000 results–just a few more than expected!

Perhaps you’re one of the many people who wants a “to die for” mud room you’ve seen on Pinterest. Unless you’re building a new home or renovating, it may not be realistic. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find some great ideas and inspiration which can be adapted to your home.

While a mud room isn’t usually the main entrance to your home, it’s likely a very high traffic area. If you have a garage, often the door from the garage into the house leads to a mud room.

If you’re thinking about renovating to add/create a mud room, there are many things to consider. What are your expectations?

Take the time to plan your space. Make it as functional as possible. Yes, you want it to look nice, but it needs to function on a day-to-day basis. Nowadays, a main floor laundry is often located in this area. I frequently see clients who find it’s difficult to do laundry in a mud room when there is nowhere to store 15 pairs of shoes. Piles of dirty laundry on the floor often make the entrance impassable.

Unless you’re a designer, consulting a professional for his/her expert advice will be worth the investment.

Make a list of everything you would like to store in your mud room.

  • Outerwear – Sweaters, coats, hats, scarves, mittens/gloves
  • Footwear – Shoes, boots, sandals, flip flops
  • Sports Equipment
  • Backpacks
  • Laundry Supplies – Detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, hamper, laundry basket(s), hangers – (if your laundry is located there)
  • Pet Supplies – Food, water dish, leashes

Unless you have a large room, you will need to limit the number of items that can be stored there. Otherwise, disorganization can still occur.

REMEMBER – No amount of storage space will satisfy you if the people using the space don’t put things away. Designate homes–with LABELS–for everything! If your children don’t hang coats or jackets on hangers, consider adding some hooks. Hooks generally work better for young children. Just remember to hang them at a height they can reach!

Until next month,


Cathy Mendler



Some of MY favourites!

Posted on: September 8th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

If you’re like me, I like to try new recipes. Whether you’re looking for a new salad, side dish, meat and potatoes or dessert, we’ve covered them all. I can’t wait to try these!

Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dresssing

Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

Garlic Steak and Potato Foil Packs

Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach

Watermelon Paletas

It’s never too late to make healthier choices!



A Happy Client in Belwood!

Posted on: September 4th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

“Thank you so much for your help, Cathy, both with furniture placement and with finding a new home for my treasures.”
~Wendy Nicholls, Belwood

Thanks for reading…
Cathy Mendler

P.S. To read more testimonials, please Click Here



Is someone heading to College or University?

Posted on: August 29th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Checking...


Do you have a child heading off to college or university this fall? Here are links to Bed Bath & Beyond’s Campus Checklist and Apartment Checklist.

 



6 Summer Productivity Tips!

Posted on: August 21st, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...


Ste
phanie Vozza of Fast Company shares some great ideas in Six Productivity Experts Share How To Actually Get Work Done During The Summer.

Check out this summer reading list from 40+ TED speakers.

 

Ask yourself, “How can I be more productive?”