I received this lovely Apple computer from my family for my 30th birthday almost a year ago, but I’ve had very little time to spend learning how to use it. Well, I FINALLY figured out how to organize my photos with iPhoto and I’m very excited. During naptimes and evenings this week I’ve sorted all of our digital photos.

Here’s how I sort mine so they’re easy to locate for gifts, scrapbooks and albums.

• I have a folder for each year (2008, 2009, 2010…)
• Once the photos are uploaded, I create albums to contain different events (i.e. Strawberry Picking, Italy, Baby’s First Month…you get the idea).

Another way to sort photos within albums is by month. This way you have a chronological account. I find that I can’t keep track of when certain events happen and end up looking through several months to find the photos I’m looking for, which is why I sort by event.

• Once I sort them, THEN I edit photos and delete those I don’t want. I find it easier to see which photos are worth keeping once I upload them.
• I’m still figuring out how often to print digital photos. For me, I know that over time I probably don’t need EVERY photo I’ve taken on a vacation to be in hard copy, but if I wait for too long they may never be printed. I’m leaning towards printing out photos annually to add to my own albums, with a handful of extras for our “travel” scrapbooks.
• Lastly, thanks to a great idea from a fave blog, Young House Love, I’m going to create CD’s of our photos annually to store in a fireproof safe. Plus, we have additional back-up by uploading many of our favorites to Flickr and our family blog.

Now, my next project is to sort through all my photo albums and get them down to a manageable number.

How do you store your photos digital and otherwise? Do you print out your digital photos? Do all of your photo albums match or is your collection more of an “acquired over time” look?

I must have an obsession with cupcakes. I mean, they are the trendy treat-of-choice right now, with cupcake shops popping up everywhere. Cupcakes were my major craving while pregnant.

Aren’t these tea towel cupcakes from Yoonie at Home adorable? I think they would make great wedding shower favors.

I just came across this tutorial at Tried and True for handmade market totes using mesh laundry bags. Super easy and practical - use them at the farmer’s market and even the regular grocery store for your produce!

I’ve been wondering about whether I could make something similar using some of the mesh bags that oranges or avocados in bulk come in - taking this project one step further by recycling. I’ve read that such bags are good for making a toy caddy for bath, too. So creative.

I never would have predicted that having a baby would bring out the cook in me. Granted, my hubby and I have long loved trying new flavors, cooking together, testing new recipes. But the fact that I’m doing most of the cooking now as a stay-at-home mom, our smaller budget since becoming a one-income family, and my recent commitment to buy local whenever possible, I’ve gone gang-buster for making-from-scratch foods I would have typically bought at the grocery store.

I’m using Super Baby Food as one of my resources as I plan to make as much of my son’s food as possible. And because the hubby and I eat so much yogurt, I thought I’d try that well in advance of when baby is eating yogurt, so I can get the hang of it.

In the last week we’ve made 6 quart-size batches of yogurt - 3 have failed (although we’ve used that tangy milk for smoothies), but we’ve been enjoying our 3 successful quarts.

The How…

(there are many recipes online)

• First, we scalded the milk to 185 degrees Farenheit
• Then, we let the milk cool to approximately 115 degrees Farenheit (the milk needs to remain between 90-120 degrees in order for the yogurt cultures to survive)
• Once cooled, we mixed in 2 Tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures (using plain Stoneyfield Farm yogurt for the first batch - no we can use the yogurt we made as a “starter”)
• After covering the jars, we’ve tried a few different methods for incubating the yogurt, which takes many hours. The option that has worked for us is keeping the jars of yogurt-in-the-making in a water bath on the stove on the lowest temperature. Every hour or so we’ll move the yogurt off the heat so the temperature doesn’t rise too much.
• After 4-14 hours (the longer you incubate, the tangier the yogurt), refrigerate to thicken the yogurt further and voila! Homemade Yogurt!

Afterthoughts…

This (and many others from our perspective) method does require some baby-sitting, so it’s best to do when you plan to be home most of the day. If we find we are making alot of yogurt I may invest in a yogurt-maker.

For us, whole milk came out the thickest and creamiest not surprisingly, but we also had a batch of 2% milk work. To make the resulting yogurt thicker, we strained the whey out through cheesecloth to achieve the desired texture.

The cost breakdown…

I generally buy either individual servings of organic Stonyfield Farm yogurt for $.99 a pop, or the quart size occasionally for $3.99.

Our yogurt (using organic milk for $3.69/half gallon) costs about $1.50/quart. Definitely a cost savings that’s worth it!

Making food for me has become a new creative outlet. Once someone who hated spending time in the kitchen, I now relish trying new recipes, making food on a budget, planning meals around some random item that’s already in the cabinet (for example a jar of roasted red peppers will be perfect for weeknight paninis), and trying to make food from scratch.

We recently made jam, and tried our hand at yogurt (post coming soon). But I’m also interested in making several other items to see if it’s worth my time to make more from scratch, like:

• Hummus (excited to try this recipe courtesy of Food in Jars)
• Crackers
• Pizza Dough
• Pie Crusts

I think I’ll make one of my summer goals to try at least a couple new “from scratch” recipes a month. I’ll keep you posted!

I’m always looking for ways to declutter items that are not used, take up too much space or do not multi-task. I wish I had realized before registering for so many items 5 years ago how certain gadgets just clutter up your kitchen more than they “save time”. For one thing, I’d rather chop my garlic or use a microplane than use a garlic press, which I found difficult to clean.

Making this Home recently made me consider whether the space hog Salad Spinner was a necessity. I gave their suggestion - using a dish towel to dry lettuce - a try, and it worked just as well. I’m saying farewell to the salad spinner and hello to freed up shelf space in my cabinet. Hooray!

It’s outdoor season with windows (and sometimes doors) flung open to let in the fresh air. Here is a non-toxic way to repel insects where they tend do show up most often - on the picnic table, porch, or even inside in the kitchen (or if you’re like us, the bathroom), just in time for your holiday weekend gatherings.

• Mix equal amounts water and vinegar in spray bottle.
• Spritz in water resistant areas where ants are common.

You’re done!

Most importantly, though, is to remember those that have lost their lives in service to America, and to thank those who have and are serving now.

Continued by guest writer: Kelly Feeney

Next, the instructions say: Blend the vegetable in the food mill. Now, I’m warning you – go dig out the directions for how to use this thing - getting all the appropriate parts out of the box was the hard part.

Then, take whatever reserve liquid is in the pot and add it to the food you are about to pulverize.

Here’s a bit of advice…GO SLOWLY when “milling” the food.Better yet, hold the mill OVER THE SINK. It was like “Old Faithful” exploded in my kitchen. I’m beginning to look like my son during feeding time. There’s more food on my hands and torso than in the mill!! Funny thing is… the outside of the packaging says that you can “Take the mill into restaurants and mill whatever you are eating for baby.” ARE THEY KIDDING?! This thing is MESSY. Plus, there won’t be any reason to take my son out to eat with us because he has enough sweet potatoes now to last him for MONTHS! I determine that, in the future, one spud will do.

Luckily, I have the trusty covered ice cube tray in which to preserve my nutritious, homemade baby food product. I mark on the lid with a dry erase marker: November 17, 2009. Phew, it says in the book that this stuff is good for at least 2 months from this date. I guess I will take their word for it and be sure to use it since I see as I am placing it into the freezer that there are bags of frozen corn in there from the days of the Reagan administration.

Hmmm…the book doesn’t tell you how best to warm the frozen concoction for making it palatable for baby.

I guess the microwave will do…

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, spring birthdays, Mother’s Day, or a little girl’s birthday party, I loved this idea by maya*made to create flowers from upcycled paper (particularly, old sewing patterns or maps).

As we continue to make changes to many of our habits - recycling and composting more, eliminating paper products like coffee filters and paper napkins, and just being more thoughtful before we buy - there is always more to learn. We consider it a fun challenge.

We’ve been slowly shifting to a more “green” cleaning routine, and to follow-up on our speed-clean checklist from yesterday, a breakdown of the products we use seemed timely, in addition to shifts we’re making to make our routine more eco-friendly.

• All-purpose Cleaner: We like Method’s Pink Grapefruit all-purpose cleaner, but have begun shifting to a 1 part vinegar to 1 part water solution for surfaces in the Kitchen and Bathroom. From time to time we will sprinkle the counter with baking soda and then scrub with half a lemon. Wipe down with a damp cloth and your kitchen smells refreshingly clean!
• Furniture Cleaner: We like Method’s Wood for Good Surface Cleaner, but use it sparingly. Whenever possible we dust with a microfiber cloth that we then throw in the wash.
• Laundry Detergent: Arm & Hammer Liquid Laundry Detergent, Perfume & Dye Free (so it’s safe for baby, too!) Arm & Hammer’s website has a fun tool to learn how to use baking soda for cleaning around your home.
• Dryer Sheets: None! These are not safe to use on infant clothing, and they leave a chemical residue behind in your clothing.
• Dishes: 7th Generation dishwasher and dish soap; Additionally, we’ll run an empty dishwasher with a bowl of vinegar every once in awhile to disinfect.
• Glass Cleaner: Mrs. Meyer’s Window Spray (for mirrors and windows)
• Toilet: 7th Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner; I also use straight vinegar occasionally
• Tub: Vinegar does wonders. Wipe down the grout and tub, let it sit for several minutes and then rinse.
• Mop: Cassabella mop uses washable microfiber mop refills.
• Garbage Disposal: When we use lemons in cooking, we’ll run a small piece of it through the disposal, which smells great. Baking soda is also a great way to clear out the gunk.

We’re stocking up more on vinegar, baking soda, and lemons for our cleaning needs, in addition to dishrags instead of sponges and microfiber cloths in place of paper towels. The most important point in all of this is that we are still learning and trying new things. As we learn more about a company or product, we may use up we what we have and try something new.

Thoughts? Ideas? Questions?