Guest Post on Centsational Girl!

As you know, one of my very favorite blogs is Centsational Girl, and I'm thrilled that this past holiday weekend, Kate deemed a couple of my projects worthy of being posted on her blog! Please check it out, and leave Kate a little "hello" comment. The full post of my "Centsational" projects will appear here on M*S this week. Enjoy!

Taking Stock of That Turkey

It's Thanksgiving week, which for a lot of people means TURKEY! We made a turkey this past weekend to share with family, and in the end I found myself with a lot of turkey meat and a juicy, oversized carcass. Disgusting, I know. But in the spirit of using every little bit, we divvied up the meat, froze some for later and shared several containers full with family. Then I was just left with a large bird who wasn't quite ready to meet the trash can. In the easiest move ever, I made 2 quarts of gorgeous golden turkey stock. Here's how I did it.

Crock Pot Turkey Stock

leftover turkey carcass

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tbsp turkey pan drippings

2 tbsp dried rosemary

2 tbsp celery seed spice

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp Lawry's Seasoning Salt

water to cover

Place the turkey and seasonings in a 6-qt. crockpot and fill with enough water to cover the bird completely. You may have to hack the bird up a bit to fit. Simmer on low overnight. Strain stock, discarding all solids, and use within a week or freeze for later use.

This stock is going to be perfect with that leftover frozen turkey meat in soups or a delicious turkey pot pie in the coming weeks. So much tastier than canned, and none of that precious turkey went to waste. If you have some fresh carrots, celery and onions laying around, chop up some of those and add that too -- it'll will only enhance the flavors more!

Q&A with Kate: Centsational!

I'm thrilled to be bringing you this week's Q&A -- it's from my very favorite blog Centsational Girl. I've been drooling over Kate's gorgeous home and elegant projects for long time, and I eagerly look forward to each new post. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek into Kate's life, and definitely check out her beautiful blog!

Blog Name: Centsational Girl

Blog URL: www.centsationalgirl.com

Location: Sonoma County, California

How long have you been blogging? Since Feb 2009

How did you get into blogging? I started reading some of the pioneering blogs on home improvement, then thought it would be fun to write my own story of remodeling, renovation and DIY projects.

Something your readers should know: I have a great passion for home decorating, nesting, fixing up and staging homes. I never get tired of working on projects and writing about them. But more than anything, I really love the holidays, and I have a great lineup of crafts and home decorating projects scheduled for the end of November. I'll be doing "Twelve Days of Christmas Decorating" starting the day after Thanksgiving. I hope your readers will follow along and perhaps be inspired!

Five things you love: Great interior design, fabric stores, my tool cabinet, red wine and being a mom.

Biggest pet peeve: Anything that wastes my time unnecessarily for no good reason at all.

How old were you when you started using your skills? I began decorating and home improvement in my mid twenties when my husband and I built our first house. I've been obsessed with it ever since!

How do you accomplish tasks with small children at home? My 5-year-old is in kindergarten, and my 3-year-old is in preschool 4 mornings a week, so that is when I shop for supplies and run errands. In the afternoons, after taking them for some exercise, I try to spend an hour or two working on my project of the day. I blog at night after they go to bed.

Top five must-have tools: Staple gun, power screwdriver, hot glue gun, a level, and a spray paint gun!

Favorite house project: Anything that involves paint or fabric -- my two favorite tools for sprucing up a space.

Most challenging project: Adding on to our home through the cold rainy winter. I don't recommend it!

Any total project disasters? I've worked on over a dozen crafts or projects for hours only to step back and say "That's just not good enough!" So yes, there are plenty of projects I consider "failures."

Got any recommendations for beginners? Find what you love and stick with it. Do you love scrapbooking and cardmaking? Decorative painting? Crochet or quilting? Graphic arts? Fixing up furniture? Flipping homes? My best advice is to ask yourself what you'd really like to do and just go for it without fear of failure. It's only when we challenge ourselves that we really bring our very best creativity. I'm still learning to challenge myself everyday!

My Holiday Shopping Plan

A friend asked me to write this post after hearing how I plan my holiday shopping throughout the year. I'm one of those people -- the ones who shop all year long for Christmas. But I have never lost a package I stashed, forgotten what I got for someone, or gone overbudget. Here's how I do it.

The Christmas Account

About two years ago, I set up a separate checking account that is the designated Christmas account. Every month, a little cash is automatically transfered to the Christmas account, and we never miss it from the main budget. I have a debit card that I carry for that account, so whenever I see a great gift for someone on our list, I can buy it with designated Christmas money instead of worrying about how it fits into our monthly budget. I can buy what I need whenever I find the perfect thing, and often during a great sale. Having the debit card also allows me to shop on the Internet without using a regular credit card, and having all the Christmas gifts paid for from one account (with it's fixed budget) keeps me on target and allows me to see at a glance how much I've spent. But if I'm buying all year long, how do I keep track of what I've bought?

The Christmas Spreadsheet

I'm a nerd who loves a good spreadsheet. Six years ago I set up a simple spreadsheet in Excel listing everyone I'm shopping for, how much I can spend, and then columns for what I've bought and how much I've spent. The spreadsheet totals automatically, so all I have to do is add my purchases in. I carry a printed copy of it in my purse when I'm shopping, so I always know what I've bought, who I'm still shopping for, and where I'm at budget-wise. It's my inventory, so to speak. Each year I just add a new worksheet to the same spreadsheet, which allows me to go back and look at previous years, to check what my budgets were last year and to make sure I don't get someone the same gift two years in a row! Good record-keeping is the key to organized holiday shopping and keeping yourself on track. Now, where do I actually store all the gifts I'm buying months in advance?

The Gift Closet

I'm very lucky when it comes to storage space. Last year my husband built me a gift closet to store all my loot in, which means I never have to run around looking for a gift I stashed six months ago. I store all my finds in the gift closet -- Christmas and birthday gifts for specific people as well as general gifts for those last-minute birthday parties. The most important part of the gift closet goes back to the spreadsheet though. Nothing goes in that closet without getting listed on the spreadsheet, otherwise the threat of falling into the gifting blackhole is still there. I may have to get a little more James Bond about the whole thing when my oldest figures out what I've got stored in there, but it works great right now. If you don't have closet space for gifts, you can use storage bins under the bed or in the basement or garage.

So there you have it, my holiday shopping arsenal. Planning all year long takes the pressure off the holidays so I can enjoy them, and it becomes more about the hunt for the perfect gift than trying to tackle my whole list in a frenzy on Christmas Eve. Happy Holiday Shopping everyone!

Digital Inspiration

I started my graphic design career as magazine layout designer, and magazines remain one of my very favorite things. I love the smooth glossy paper, the bright colors and the sheer variety of topics magazines cover. You can find a magazine that covers any topic you can imagine. My household subscribes to 15-20 magazines a month at any given time -- I know that's neither green nor simple, but it's one of my indulgences, and as cheap as magazine subscriptions are, it's an indulgence I can afford to actually partake in.

As I flip through my magazines, I'm always finding some bit of inspiration to tear out -- particularly when it comes to photos of gorgeous rooms and interior design or organizing ideas. I just can't help myself. I struggled for years with how to organize all the ripped-out magazine pages I collected. First I taped them all into a big artist's spiral-bound pad. Then I tried a tickler file. Then I tried putting them in sheet protectors in a binder. Nothing suited me. I wanted the pages organized by room, in way that was easy to add new additions to, and preferably in a format that I could carry with me if I was shopping.

Finally I stumbled on an idea that works perfectly for me. I started scanning the pages into the computer as jpgs, and organizing them into a digital "filing cabinet." I have the jpgs organized into folders by room or subject (living room, kitchen, bath, Christmas, kids, etc.) I can easily add new pages without rearranging anything, and the files are easy to back up or share. Once the pages are scanned, they go into the recycle bin, so I don't have any paper to organize or store. And the best part? Since they're jpgs, I can load them into my iPhone as a photo album to carry with me!

Of course, digitizing works for just about anything paper you want to save -- from paper files to your kids' artwork to recipes. Scanners are pretty inexpensive these days. If you don't have one, definitely consider adding one to your holiday wish list.

How Do You Do It???

I've been sick recently with Shingles (ugh!) and haven't had the energy or creativity to come up with a blog post. I didn't want to leave you all hanging, so I asked my friend Tracy from Baby Spit is the New Black to fill in for me while I recover. Thanks so much Tracy!!!

One question I get asked a lot as a mom of 4 kids with a husband who travels is “How do you do it?” The “it” in that sentence can refer to any number of things. They can mean keeping my house clean, or staying organized, or just plain keeping my sanity. Since the overall “theme” of Modern*Simplicity is to help lead a better, more organized life (at least that is what I get from it) I thought I might address a little bit of “how I do it.”

1) Utilize technology: I’ve got a Roomba, a Scooba, a bread maker, a crock pot, a washer, a dryer, a dishwasher, automatic toilet bowl cleaners and probably more that I’m not thinking of. All of these things work without me having to monitor them or do anything past the initial button pushing or installation. It makes it easy to get some things done without having to actually do much of anything. I especially love setting them off at night, so when I get up in the morning, my family room is vacuumed, the kitchen is mopped and the bread is made. Not all of it has to cost as much as a dishwasher or a Roomba...my bread maker was FREE from Freecycle!

2) Schedule, schedule, schedule: I have very specific days that I do things. Every Wednesday, for example, is when I wash the clothes for the 2 oldest kids. Wash, dry, fold, put away. Every Friday I clean the downstairs bathroom. Every Sunday I grocery shop (when Husband is home so I can go kidless. Whee!)

3) Routine, routine, routine: We’re pretty predictable around here and it works to our advantage. Home from school, snack and relax, homework, playing, bath, dinner, goodnight show and bedtime. Bedtime routines are pajamas, brush teeth, stories, songs, interesting facts from the day and lights out. We start early and we don’t hurry. I find that rushing makes the kids dig their heels in in protest. Taking our time leads to smooth sailing.

4) Keep my humor: I try very hard to remember that in 20 years, most of it just won’t matter. Heck, most of it won’t matter next week! If I don’t put the cushions back on the couch, it won’t matter. If I don’t make my son pick up his blocks, or make my oldest daughter put away her Barbies or make my toddler eat her dinner, well, tomorrow is another day. And, like my baby, I try to find the humor and laughter in the small things. Remembering to enjoy my life while I’m living my life makes it me a happier mom/wife/person.

All those things together, while they may not make life easy, they do make it easier. And easier is something we could all use!