The meal had been served and my sisters and I jumped up to bus the salad dishes, to remove them from the table and out of the way.

It was a special dinner party for my dad as we tightly packed in 17 people around several tables pushed together to make one.

I rinsed the dishes quickly and put them in the sink, and then sat back down to enjoy the rest of the meal with my guests.

After dinner, we removed the dinner plates and served up birthday cake. But before I sat down, I quickly rinsed those plates and loaded everything into the dishwasher.

Then I hit START.

I know that everyone has their own routine for doing the dishes while entertaining.

A. Let the guests bus the dishes.
B. Only you or your spouse bus the dishes.
C. Load them in the dishwasher as you use them.
D. Only load the dishes after the meal is completely over.
E. Never do any dishes until the last guest has left.
F. Make sure every single dish is washed before you go to bed.
G. Anyone can help with the dishes after the meal.
H. Anyone can help with the dishes at any time during the meal.
I. Only load what fits in the dishwasher, put the food away, and do the rest in the morning.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few scenarios, but here’s what I do:

I bus/load as I go. It just makes it easier. And when the last guest has left, I’ll empty the dishwasher if the cycle is complete, and start one last load, OR, finish it up in the morning. This isn’t so much out of laziness; we’re usually just so tired. We like our guests to stay as late as they want, and by the time everyone has said their good-byes, it’s usually far past our usual bedtime. It’s not a dreaded feeling, but a happy feeling of, “awww, what a great time!”

There will always be more dishes to do, but we don’t always have our friends and family close at hand.

I feel it’s more important to enjoy our guests.

After this particular party, I did 2 final loads the next morning.

I had dishes on the counter that were hand-washed, and the glasses and plates that came out of the dishwasher.

After putting everything away, my counters looked nice and fresh, like this. (That’s my “purdy” lemon tree in the far right corner.)

Do you like getting the dishes done right away, or do you leave them for later? Choosing betweein A – I (above), what is your normal routine when hosting a dinner party?

It was over 7 years ago that we enjoyed a brand new kitchen at our old home that we lived in for 10 years. I remember the freshness of moving in, unpacking from the garage, having brand-new – and feeling on top of the world.

Then life became … reality.

The kitchen, that once was sparkling new, didn’t seem so new any more. The glitter of it all started to fade as I still had to do dishes and other messy work. Just when you think you have the kitchen clean, all the kids come home, food is left out, dishes are left in the sink. Reality meant stacks of “stuff” piled up on the counters, mail to be opened, reminders to be put onto the calendar. The kids make huge messes, the cupboards need wiping down because of the spaghetti sauce that ran over.

My busy life left my new kitchen looking not so pretty anymore. My happiness began to wane.

Those of you who have followed my blog know that we remodeled our kitchen in our present home 2 years ago. It was a long process to get it done, doing much of the work ourselves, working with a tight budget. We had to make decisions to cut things that we wanted, to keep in things that were important to us, to make it a place of comfort, rest, healing, and satisfaction to many bodies who would be congregating there in the years to come. And sure enough, we’ve had many entertaining moments in the last 2 years. More than I can count!

The taste of “newness” and “freshness,” and thinking life will be happier when my new kitchen is done … never really took place, partly because using “if” and “when” thinking never works.

It’s a robber of our time and thought process to “go there” with that kind of thinking.

I want to remember the lesson I learned with my old kitchen. I was just as happy then as I am now. My happiness didn’t lie in perfect or new. Because as perfect and new wears off, and becomes old rather quickly, life just finds its way of settling in again.

It’s then that I’m reminded that I must keep my priorities straight.

As the newness has already faded, I quickly stop and remind myself that it’s what goes on in our kitchen that really matters. It’s about the love that transpires, the bonding with friends and family that is inspired, the nourishment that will be provided and shared together.

It’s sitting back and relaxing; what I call sharing the common life.

Bringing our kids and their friends back into the “center of the home,” for last minute get-togethers, planned holiday events, buffet or sit-down dinners with our friends.

God blesses us all with exactly what we have each day. It’s perfect for the day, whether old or new, and He meets our needs, down to the finest details.

I want to daily create a place of love, in the heart of my home, called “the kitchen”, where food is served, and real sharing takes place.

How have you kept a healthy perspective of your imperfect kitchen?

I live in the Pacific Northwest where we’ve had a record-setting spring and summer so far … very mild with plenty of rain.

Mild is perfect for summer entertaining.

We don’t deal with the heat as much as the mid-west and south, but I will say we do, and eventually will have, 100+ days!

A reader recently wrote:
The thing that stresses me out with summer cooking is the heat! I am always worried about food spoiling!

Here’s what I learned to do years ago, on this very hot holiday when we entertained …

How to beat the heat and not let the food spoil:

1. BUFFET STYLE: Clear a bar, sideboard, or dining table INSIDE the house on which to serve your 4th of July feast.
BENEFIT: No bugs and you don’t have to worry about the food spoiling.

2. TABLES: Use Dollar Store tablecloths on tables and mix-match chairs in your back yard, patio, or front porch area.
BENEFIT: Use what you have without stressing over everything having to be perfect.

3. DRINKS: Fill an old cooler with ice and store drinks in a covered area.
BENEFIT: Keeps the company outside and not having to keep running inside for drinks.

4. FOOD: After the company is served, even if food was served inside, cover all and put away.
BENEFIT: No spoilage. For a long event, any leftovers could be gotten out again later.

My friend had a great idea to appoint a friend or child or relative to help you be mindful of the food (and bugs, spoilage, etc). I like that – a food watcher! (I’d be snitching constantly).

And for the warmer climates (than Oregon) I’d say avoid foods that spoil easily and stick with frozen desserts that are perfect for summer!!!

If you happen to make my homemade ice cream (recipe in my book!) make sure and remove the paddle right away, and then you can let the ice cream sit on the ice until it’s time to serve!

Homemade ice cream is so perfect for the 4th of July!

How do you deal with the heat and food being left out too long for holiday celebrations?

Happy July everyone! I want to thank my top 3 referral friends who sent their readers over to RE in June:
Bakerella
The Nester
Kimba

Here are some great 4th of July recipes ideas that many of my friends have posted on their blogs. Amy lists them, HERE.

I have a little list of chores in my mind that I like to accomplish before my guests arrive, and one thing I like to check off is to sweep and Swiffer my wood floors.

BUT … honestly, it doesn’t always get done, especially with spur-of-the-moment guests or when I’m pressed for time.

I’ve had to learn to just let it go, to not be stressed over the animal hair and dust, and to just not look down at the floors.

I don’t know what kind of floors you have in your home, by mine sure get dirty … fast!

Here’s my cleaning schedule/pick up schedule for when company’s coming under these time constraints:

30 minute warning guests are coming:
Set the table
Wipe off the kitchen counters & spruce up kitchen
Make sure ONE bathroom is clean

1-4 hour warning guests are coming:
Above 3 chores + …
Pick up the house
Sweep and Swiffer the floors
Sometimes vacuum

The beauty of it all is that even if none of this gets done, it’s still okay.

It’s been said many times here on RE: People are coming to see us, not coming to inspect our house or our floors.

I’d love to hear your quick methods for cleaning up, and also if you have wood floors, how do you clean those?

Don’t forget you can buy “31 Days to Clean” by Sarah Mae, now on Amazon for only $4.99!

(This post was not sponsored by Swiffer today, but I do use their products.)

When we left town a few weeks back for Spring Vacation, I had several goals in mind.

- One was to empty out as much as I could from our stand-up freezer in the garage, and to SHUT IT OFF.

-The second was to clean out as much as I could from the fridge in the house – and cook with it while we were away.

-And then I always try to clean and tidy up before I leave, so I come home to a clean house.

Mission accomplished!

First of all, my husband’s been asking me for months to thin out the large freezer. Our idea of eating it down, using up what we had (and buying less at the store), PLUS saving electricity – were good goals to have. Our plan by the end of summer is to harvest our garden, and then turn the freezer back on, because we’ll have berries, jam, green beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, etc. to freeze.

The fridge was emptied and freezer turned off to defrost. IT FEELS GOOD TO SAVE MONEY.

Then when we got home 5 days later, my lovely daughter scrubbed them both out. (Garage freezer before and after.)

There’s something about spring being in the air that makes me want to spring clean everything – including the larger appliances.

Next on my list are cleaning my back patio and my pantry, and certain areas of the garage.

I want to share with you my friend Sarah Mae’s new eBook that’s available for purchase: 31 Days to Clean, Having a Martha House the Mary Way! She did a fabulous job … I know, because I read it over the weekend.

Here are some of the chapters: Why Clean? Overcoming the Curse, Confronting Laziness, The Secret to Having Energy, Your Cleaning Style, Finding Joy, Dealing with Distractions.

The heart of our homes is not in the ability to keep it perfect at all costs; the heart of a home is love. We live in a thing, a non-eternal structure that needs to be maintained. The thing is worthless without the life we bring to it and through it. This book is about bringing life to the mundane in order to love well. – Sarah Mae

Head to Sarah Mae’s Facebook page if you want to check it out! And thank you, Sarah Mae, for allowing me to have a teeny part of your brilliance.

What are 3 things that are on your “spring cleaning” list?

Did you know that yesterday was National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day? I had no idea, hence this post should have been posted yesterday.

Are you asking yourself what a lemon chiffon cake is? Well then, you’re in for an educational lesson on deliciousness. Chiffon cakes are typically flavored with fruit, and in the case of today’s national holiday, that would be lemon, but strawberries or other presentable fruits like blueberries or even sliced kiwi could be great combinations. Harry Baker (yes, Baker) invented this cake back in 1927. The funniest part about the creation of the chiffon cake is that he was an insurance salesman, who turned into a caterer … [resource, here.]

But my story today about our lemon chiffon cake goes like this. Our friends were coming over for a yummy salmon dinner last weekend, and my daughter Abby agreed to make my friend Jenny a surprise birthday cake.

I’m such a lucky mom, to have a daughter who loves to bake.

One conclusion that I’ve come up with about “bakers” is that they are very patient people. My friend, Pam, also loves to bake, and she’s one of the most patient and beautiful people I know. Abby is similar. (Recent picture of Abby taken by her Daddy.)

Two ingredients were missing from my kitchen last Friday, and I did not want to go back to the store.

Missing ingredients: Cake flour and cocoa.

Don’t you hate it when you go to make a recipe and you’re missing an ingredient?

Abby changed recipes (another sign of a good baker!) to make a delicious lemon chiffon cake (instead of a beloved-chocolatey-some-kind-of-wonderful), and we ended up googling how to make our own cake flour.

How to make cake flour:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch

- To make two cups of cake flour, combine 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch.

- Put 2 tbsp of cornstarch in the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill the cup as usual with all-purpose flour and level top. Repeat process to get your two cups.

It’s really that easy!

We enjoyed this lovely cake (made with fresh Meyer Lemons) and we were honored to be able to help Jenny celebrate another year.

When you run out of ingredients, do you first try to create on your own, or do you run to the store?

Have you ever made your own cake flour?

Want to try some YUMMY lemon cake recipes from my friends?

Recipe Girl makes Lemon Truffle Cake
She Wears Many Hats makes Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Two Peas and Their Pod makes Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake
Healthy Green Kitchen makes Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for fresh, new kitchen towels. You can buy them at TG Maxx or Ross or even Target for such little money, and they’re so cute! So classy!

When I was a young girl, I don’t remember my mom having “cute” kitchen towels. Do you?

Lately as my kids have been doing the dishes, I’ve been trying to teach them to “finish the job!” As in, do “all” of the dishes, including the pots and pans. (Grab a towel, wash the dishes and let them dry on the counter!)

I laughed as I looked on the oven doors today to see the array of towels hanging and I figured out what’s been happening. When it’s my son’s “day” to do dishes, he grabs 2 clean towels to “finish up the job.” And then they get hung on the doors … night after night. Quite the assortment of green, I’d say.

In the bottom of my towel drawer I usually keep fresh, brand new towels for entertaining purposes.

1. To pull out for a dinner party – fresh and starched for the counter.

2. To use in the bread basket.

3. To line a tray for the glasses – to add color and pizazz.

I’ve decided to save my favorites, hide them from my kids, but use them for something functional at the same time.

Do you have a stash of “new” kitchen towels, and what do you use them for?

The winner to THIS awesome giveaway is Kristin from Loving Life. Kristin told me she has commented on RE for years to win a Hip Hostess apron, and FINALLY it happened! You’re going to LOVE your gifts, Kristin, so ENJOY!

I cannot wait to clean out my pantry later this month (with a friend). It’s one of the chores that is on my to-do list. Seems like I’m constantly pulling out food, checking dates, and tossing if it’s old …

That’s one benefit of yearly (or bi-yearly) sorting through the pantry. You can check for old food items.

Which brings me to this question. What is the guideline to use when tossing old food? What if the date is right on the edge of being “old?”

And what about refrigerated items?

To be honest, sometimes I just can’t toss things. So I fudge a little and use them anyway …

Especially items like yogurt or sour cream or even whipping cream. I always use my “nose” and smell it first.

As Grace, over at A Southern Grace says, “… tossing food causes me great pain because in many cases, the food in question is perfectly fine and just as delicious and usable as the day it was made.” (You can join in on the conversation and read all of her comments, too.)

I also like what the Gourmet Sleuth has to say.

Can I Eat Food Past The Expiration Date?
You can certainly eat most foods beyond any “convenience date.” If the date is explicitly an “expiration date” then proceed with caution. For an example, a steak a few days past a sell by date is probably not going to hurt you. A box of crackers 2 months past a best by or use by date are typically just fine. Smell the food, does it smell OK? If it smells spoiled or rancid, toss it out.

Here are some other sites/guidelines to read:

USDA – US Food Labeling guidelines fact sheet

SFGate – The Dating Game, Freshness labels are a manufacturers’ free-for-all.

Do you fudge a little regarding dates on food, or are you rigid and you toss no matter what?

(My friend Barb feeds hers to the dogs and chickens, which, btw …. we are thinking about getting chickens. Do you have chickens?) Happy Weekend, friends!

My daughter is the baker in our home, so we get to reap the benefits of tasting everything she makes. So delicious.

Last week she made a *Brooklyn Blackout Cake 2003. It was so late when she finished it, we had already gone to bed.

The next morning we all had a “sliver” and then froze the rest.

Cut into thirds.

Wrapped in plastic wrap.

And then popped it in the freezer … for a rainy day or to give away!

Do you freeze desserts for last-minute company or to give away?

*Delicious cake recipes from The Cake Book, by Tish Boyle!

As summer is winding down, it really does make sense to consider why we started calling these days the “Lazy Days of Summer.”

I find that my kids are getting bored. That they’re actually ready to start back to school. To be honest, I don’t want summer to end. I love the long, hot days. Late family dinners and not having a tight schedule. It’s actually sad to me when summer ends.

But, on a more domestic note, I am finding jobs for my kids. Outside chores are essential (water the plants, clean the pool, mow the lawns, weed the beds). But inside jobs, other than Kitchen Duty, bathrooms and picking up their rooms, I have to think up ideas for them.

One job for my daughter is to iron my cloth dinner napkins! Easy and quick.

The other thing is for them to help me out by making jam. The recipe that I posted here is a cinch! Even kids can make it!

I ask my kids to pick the berries, wash and stem them, and then follow through with the recipe.

To make it easier, I’ve taped this Kraft Foods recipe inside my kitchen cupboard door. Easy access!

One job that I really dislike, and I agreed to pay $5 for, was to clean the fridge in the garage. Sparkling clean! I remember in past years paying a teen friend of ours to help with chores (like the fridge). Now my kids have grown into my helpers!

Are your kids getting bored with summer and ready for school? What jobs are on your list?

(Yes, we still have a bumper crop of strawberries, which came on very late this year! My hands are dirty and wet as I type … just picking a beautiful bowl of berries.)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, friends! Tomorrow I will be sharing what this button is all about, so make sure and come back!

During our kitchen remodel last summer, I actually got sentimental as Paul and the boys took the “old green wall” down between the kitchen and the dining room.

(1/2 of it’s down!)

We talked about it as a family – what were the conversations this wall had heard?

Do you know how many dinner parties we’ve had next to this wall?

(Carrying out the wall!)

Good conversation is essential to a successful dinner party. Some may say the food is the most important to “wow” your guests, or some may say the atmosphere or ambience is the key, but I say that actually bad conversation can ruin the time spent together!

(Before)

We surround ourselves with good company. And hopefully we inspire and spur each other on to a better life.

(After)

If your walls could talk, what would they say about past dinners held around your table?

And are you having a special St. Patrick’s Day dinner tonight with your family?

(Don’t forget the generous Bush’s Beans GIVEAWAY going on right now. Enter to win as I’ll be announcing the winner on Friday! And next week I’ll be giving away 5 copies of my husband’s new book, 5 Secrets Great Dads Know – yes, 5 copies! And read about last year’s St. Paddy’s Connection, here.

When my decorating friend The Nester put out this cry on her blog:

Teach me oh wise decoratory friends, show me the folly of my naked top of cabinet ways. How do you decorate above your cabinets?

I jumped in and said white dishes and platters! Because they’re classy and handy!

Also, a girl can never have too many white dishes!

We were on a tight budget when we remodeled our kitchen a while back. So when Home Depot asked if we wanted our cabinets to the ceiling, or with space above, we had to save every penny and went with a “space.”

I really didn’t have a “plan” for the space until I got the actual cabinets put in, and then I knew. It was perfect for my white platters and bowls.

When my sisters and I cooked this meal, I reached for a few platters and bowls.

And recently I added some fresh daffodils from the yard!

So what to do with the space above the cabinets? Use white dishes and platters for a classy look and for simple, handy efficiency!

If you have the space between the cabinets and the ceiling or soffit, what do you fill it with?

(Speaking of springy flowers, don’t forget to ENTER the Kelly Anderson Art GIVEAWAY- winner will be announced on Monday! This beautiful print is in my living room and I’m sad I have to give it away!)

I’m also happy to announce, and honored, that Reluctant Entertainer made the Top 100 2009 Internet Cafe Devotions Blessed Aroma Awards!

Thank you RE readers for your support.

Blessed Aroma showcases favorite blogs that have encouraged with written words and examples of faith in 2008. The list consists of some of the most encouraging and inspiring blogs with 10 categories, and listed below are 10 blogs that made “The Classics” (along with RE!)

What are The Classics?
Upon reviewing the nominations, several blogs received many nominations in several different categories. It was decided these favorites needed their own category. In no particular order, the most nominations were:

Muthering Heights
Lysa TerKeurst
Money Saving Mom
Like a Warm Cup of Coffee
A Familiar Path
The Bowyers
Big Mama
Other Such Happenings
Heart of a Pastor’s Wife
Reluctant Entertainer

If you have the time, head over and check out the entire list of 100 blogs. You will be uplifted and inspired!

Yesterday I cleaned our kitchen. Tidied up, scrubbed the floors, got it sparkling!

And today it is a mess … again.

When I get an “attitude” about all the hard work I put into cleaning something, and then hours later it’s lived in, unorganized, cluttery and not very “pretty” anymore, I have to remind myself of this:

A lived in house means LIFE.

We have a very active family. Three teens coming and going, not to mention my husband and me. A dog and 2 cats. Friends and a very busy social life.

Do I really need a house that stays perfectly clean, untouched, and unlived in?

No. I’d rather have people around me, living life to the fullest, happiness, laughter. Like this party. And this party.

Even though we got the dishwasher going after my Dad’s birthday dinner, and several of us were hand-washing dishes, I still woke up to this.

And this.

Partly because I was pooped when the night was over and I said, “in the morning!”

I think the key to no mess is staying on top of it all. I usually don’t go to bed until I get 90% of the mess cleaned up. (Below: Clean dishes that we did hand-wash!)

What is your routine for keeping things tidy in your kitchen? Especially when you entertain?

After dropping my daughter off at church a few weeks ago, for a long ski weekend, I stopped off at the grocery store. For $4 I was able to buy a small daffodil plant (just starting to bloom).

I took the bulbs and repotted them into my $2 celery glass vase (yard sale find last summer).

I also took these beauties and tied a ribbon around the stems, (inside of the vase).

Together these flowers really freshened up my kitchen window with liveliness and color (in January I’ll take all the liveliness that I can get!)

Whether in the kitchen window or on the counter top, I really enjoy moving flowers around to different areas of the house.

They’ve lasted for several weeks now!

Don’t forget you can repot flower bulbs from the grocery store right into your own glassware!

So when you don’t have the time to start your own bulbs, cheat and hit the grocery store!

Are you enjoying fresh flowers in your house right now?

(It looks like Richella wanted to brighten up her home a bit, with her grocery store find!)

Thank you for sharing my Kitchen Journey with me! If you missed Part I or Part II, you might want to take a peek before you continue with this post.

Have I told you how much we appreciate Home Depot? And did I tell you how much we are thankful for my Dad? A retired builder, my Dad designed our kitchen, guided us along (we’d send pix through email when he was out of town), built our pantry, and put up all of our trim, pantry doors, and hung all of our doors. And then there’s my husband, who is MY hero. Who’s learned so much and can do so much. Who loved me enough (and recognized my passions) to sacrifice and give me this incredible kitchen!

I was thrilled when we bought our American Woodmark cabinets through Home Depot, by an August date, because the dark glaze on the cabinets came FREE. It added a touch to our kitchen that went with the design of our 1978 house, built by our friend Fred, with big, dark beams throughout. You could say it’s got a “northwest” feel to the home.

I was also ready (and dreading the cost, if you know how quickly those knobs and pulls add up!) to pay for the stainless, brushed-nickel pulls on the cabinets, when Kandace, from Home Depot, told me they came FREE with the cabinets!

And then the countertop we chose, Staron, had 3 choices of colors 1/2 OFF (another summer promotion). The counter color we chose (Sanded Mocha) went perfectly with our colors. And I love the way the counters shine and how they wipe off! (You’ll notice on HD’s page a button that says “This Week’s Specials”)

My husband found our pendant lights on sale for $25 a piece. What a bargain!

We decided to use our current dining light and spray paint it black.

I LOVE black spray paint!

We bought a USED, new to us refrigerator. And we used our existing stove top and dishwasher (all 3 of these appliances were black, but we couldn’t afford stainless brand new ones!). We decided the combination of black and stainless went well together.

We bought our Glidden paint from Home Depot, too. Couldn’t have been more happy with the product. Love how the colors change in the kitchen, according to the light and the time of day. Even though the paint was not discounted, we had heard really good things about the product.

Even though our kitchen was a huge project, we were able to keep this remodel modest, in our price-range. We were constantly thinking of ways to make it affordable and not over-the-top. We borrowed a ton of tools from my Dad, and did most of the work during weekends, early morning, or late evenings. It was a sacrifice, I’d say. We worked with Home Depot, and they worked with us by letting us know about the incredible promotions available. I can see why Home Depot is the world’s largest retailer!

Now’s the time to remodel because there are some great deals out there!

So here’s a big CHEER to all the great workers involved in our kitchen. Doug & Randy (plumbers), Duane (cabinet installer), Cory (dry-waller), Kandace (Home Depot), Keith, Victor (Precision Door), Steve (Precision Countertops), Ginny (my Dad’s helper and wife), my kids who gave up a part of their summer (Elliot, Garrett, Abby), and again, the BEST husband in the world who has gotten so good at remodel projects. He can basically do anything now. My Dad has been a great teacher for Paul, and Paul really enjoys working alongside my Dad (learning all of his little shortcuts and secrets).

The process was an awesome experience – but one I don’t want to revisit any time soon! (Anyone who’s done any remodeling in their home must know what I mean! Last house we lived in, we gutted and redesigned the whole kitchen!)

Here’s one last thought I want to share. I told myself from the beginning that I was not interested in a new kitchen that was flashy or showy. My desire was to share it with others, to let hospitality flow in my home, and to use it for the right reasons. I know of many beautiful kitchens that just sit there. And what a shame that the meaning and purpose of those kitchens can’t be shared with the world.

When my friend, Faye recently visited with me, we talked about how we just couldn’t afford granite countertops. Then she made a very good point.

It’s not about the counters, Sandy. Many homes with beautiful granite may entertain 1-2 times a year. And you’re entertaining every weekend!

Her point was made. Our kitchen is all about the people. Period.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on if you wished you entertained more in your home? And does your kitchen get used a lot?

Also feel free to ask any questions and I will use them for future posts. One question already asked was why I chose one deep bowl instead of 2, for my main sink … so fire away! And I will put a pix up from the other side of the room.

This post is linked to Traci’s (Beneath my Heart) DIY Project Day!

If you didn’t read my post from yesterday, Kitchen Journey Part I: Philosophy, you might want to before you continue with this post.

For my new kitchen, on a budget, there were some features that I felt were essential. And working with Home Depot was very helpful. But when you’re trying to get the best deal for your money, you sometimes have to pinch! And pinch we did. (Thank you, Home Depot!)

But these are some things that we did NOT pinch on.

1. I love my double oven. Love, love, love it (Jenn-Air, convention/convection)

2. One-bowl, deep Sterling stainless sink (very top photo: black basket in the sink from IKEA)

3. Recycle drawer (I’m way more organized now with my recycling)

4. Open shelf for my everyday dishes, right above the dishwasher (easy for kids & quick put-away)

5. Vegetable sink (plumbing already in place from previous utility sink)

6. New front-door opening, easier for kid access (which will be a new courtyard)

7. And an open shelf area for their shoes

8. Instant hot water dispenser (our family decided this is our NEW favorite feature)

9. Walk-in pantry (special design by my Dad!) with swinging “saloon” doors (the doggie/cat door is in the pantry, so we had to give them access to the house)

10. Decided on wood cabinets, to not go with painted black or white (American Woodmark)

11. Microwave low-profile, installed under the counter in the center island (out of the way, easy for kid-use)

12. Wood floors: Dasso Flooring (Manchurian Walnut)

13. Large space above ovens for cookware and platters

14. Brushed-nickel faucets (Delta)

15. Open shelves for practical display

16. A baking center (baking supplies and Kitchen Aid in one place)

17. Organized drawer space (so much better than what I had before)

18. Knife drawer by the vegetable sink

Cabinet philosophy
As much as I do like the look of black and white cabinets, I decided to not go with the trend, but to stay with a classic wood. Modern and simple. I’ve had white before and I didn’t want it again (but it is beautiful!). Also, wood just goes better with the style of our home.

And speaking of cabinets that are similar to mine, I’d like for you to meet my American friend Katie, living in Berlin, Germany! Check out her kitchen remodel, here. I was so impressed — because Katie lives in 480 square feet, her kitchen being 36 of it! Also, Katie (Making this Home) will be speaking along with me and Meredith at the A Woman Inspired conference coming up next week! If you haven’t purchased a ticket, register today!

My friend, Emily from Chatting at the Sky, shares about how she painted her kitchen cabinets BLACK! So classy and beautifully done! If you haven’t heard the great news about Emily, she is on her way to becoming an author as she just signed a 2-book contract! I’m so excited for my friend!

Back to the kitchen. It’s interesting how “splurging” and “budgeting” are an oxymoron. We all have areas where we hold back, and then that gives us more room to splurge on what’s really important to us, right?

If you could splurge on one item in your kitchen, what would it be?

Come back tomorrow for Kitchen Journey Part III – Free and Discounted!

I know I’m way past due on revealing my kitchen. With book edits and soccer season and a few unfinished jobs around here, it sort of got put on the back burner, although we’ve been enjoying it. Yes! really enjoying it!

Then Christmas came. And a reader wrote to me and she encouraged me to share the details. More people are doing work on their homes themselves, partly because of the economy, and also spurred on by DIY television shows and blogs. So, yes, it only seemed appropriate.

What I especially think is nice about your blog is the patience that came through…perhaps that’s not what you felt…but that is what came through to me. That serves as inspiration to others. We live in a world where people want the beautiful remodels that they see on TV and they want it now.

Ha! Want it now? It only took us 6 months to complete our kitchen, but that’s okay. The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we all hang out, get fed, talk, catch up, and solve life’s problems. I believe that this can be accomplished in any kitchen, because this last summer while our kitchen was gutted, we set up a camp kitchen in the garage. It wasn’t perfect, of course, in fact by the end of 4 months we were sick of it! But we still whipped up our meals, talked, worked together, and did the dishes by hand.

Our kitchen being discombobulated did not take away from the fact that we were still a FAMILY!

(Soccer team coming for dinner – before the floors went in!)

Why we remodeled
When we bought this house, we found out later that many other people we knew had looked at it, loved the house, property, etc. but couldn’t wrap their mind around what to do with the kitchen. It was small, didn’t flow well, and just needed updating after 30 years (kitchens were built smaller back then). The wonderful people we bought it from even had kitchen plans drawn up – so they were on the same page as us. And for resale down the road, it was a smart move, especially since we did so much of it ourselves (and we had the GIFT of my Dad)!

We had a tiny center island, old vinyl flooring, and laminate counters.

Recessed ceiling with florescent lights.

Tiny kitchen window.

Anyone who had been in our house would tell you this: Only a few people could comfortably fit and move through our kitchen at the same time! We had to be creative in how we entertained, or set up a buffet, or weigh how many people could be in the kitchen. When my sisters came to cook dinner with me, you can see here the small area that we had to work with.

And the original stove (don’t ya love those burners?)

New plans – big space
Finally the time came when my dad drew up NEW plans and got us going on the project (he’s a retired contractor and very good with design). We took down 2 walls to make one big open space. We moved the utilities out to the garage. We did it during the summertime when the kids could help and be a part of the project.

Home Depot – they worked with us
I can’t say enough good things about Home Depot. Kandace helped design the space and followed us through the project, getting us the best buys. I worked with them, they worked with us. Let me explain.

1. After the kitchen was designed, we took our plans into Home Depot, but the bids came in too high for what we could afford. I knew I had to do my part to get this kitchen within our budget. I went from one cabinet design to a lower-priced brand. We decided on Corian versus granite. We decided not to get all new appliances, but to use what we could salvage from our old kitchen. We had a set of cabinets (desk/book shelves) taken off of the bid because we decided to put something else in that place. (To the right, where a desk is currently sitting.)

2. We made many cuts to get this kitchen in our price-range. Then we went back to Home Depot and asked what they could do for us, showing them what we were willing to do. Our goal was not to have the most expensive. Our goal was to rebuild a functioning kitchen that was efficient and that had a good flow to it, within our price range.

3. I will say this: Home Depot gave us great discounts on our whole kitchen. We were thankful and impressed not only by how they worked with us, but how personable they were, and always available!

So what’s my philosophy? You may not have a perfect or beautiful kitchen, but don’t let it stop you from opening up your home to others. If you have a family, don’t rob them of the blessings of inviting and connecting with other people! Yes, I am blessed with a new kitchen. But I look back to the past 5 years in this home, and how lonely our family would have been if we hadn’t reached out. Small space and all.

Come back tomorrow for Part II as I’ll be sharing about the things I just knew I had to have – the things I didn’t pinch on!

In the meantime, I’d love to hear if you have a “good flow” through your kitchen area, or would you design it differently?

Oh, and by the way, we did NOT keep this beauty. We took out the intercom system … Thank you all who commented and gave me great advice!

(What’s the recipe we’re making above? The same thing that we’ll be making our Dad for his birthday this Saturday. I may just have to post about this German dish!) And I’m linking up to Kimba’s DIY Day with this post!

This is a repeat post from last year that got so much attention, I just had to share it again for those who never saw it. And also to inspire those who may have a New Year’s goal of keeping your kid’s stuff organized this year!

For many people, part of their reluctance to invite others into their home is because of their disorganization. And I know first hand with 3 kids how the paperwork piles up! It can really get discouraging.

I’ve shared this easy system with many of my friends. Years ago my friend Anne got me started with this simple organizational system for saving my kids’ memories over the years, by filing them into a binder.

I do not have time to scrapbook so this method gets the job done!

Now my kids spend hours looking through their books! It’s worth the extra effort to be organized! I’d rather my kids’ thumb through their books than watch a mindless T.V. show!

Supplies
2” white binders from Costco (4 in a pack)
Scrapbook paper (or plain colored paper)
1 box sheet protectors

Starting with Pre-K, I have saved art, special memories, class pictures, sports awards, first book report, every report card, articles their dad has written – you name it, and have filed these papers into these books.

Thank you notes from special people

Our beloved dog went missing

A letter to a teacher

What to wear on a field trip

Moving up to high school

Congrats on driver’s license

10-day backpack trip

Abby’s fist time away to camp

Sports pictures

Accomplishments

Special school speeches

Annual family Christmas letters

Abby’s first post right here on RE

You get the idea …

How to make the book:
• Have a place where you dump the memories (on top of my fridge!)
• When you’re ready to organize, make separate piles (3 kids in my case)

• Start with younger years and move forward (Pre-K is when I started)
• Create a binder for every 2 years (depending on how much you need to file)
• Slip memories into sheet protectors, sometimes folding in ½ or however you can preserve it

• Slip artwork into the front cover, or use a fun piece of scrapbook paper
• Make a side label with child’s name and year(s)

When my kids get old enough, these books will become their memories to keep!

For now, they are mine, and I find myself occasionally thumbing through them too. Of course I get a bit sentimental!

What’s the secret to this easy system? Have your books ready, so when the stuff comes home you can slip it right into the book!

Do you have an organized system for keeping your kids’ memories? Or, if you saw this post last year and implemented it, I’d love to hear how it’s working for you?

A few years ago my family and I came up with a great solution to “whose turn is it for dishes?”

We write on our calendar the kids’ names (initials), rotating them throughout the week. Simple. Effective. It has worked!

But lately, maybe it’s because I have a new kitchen and I want it to sparkle, I am not happy with the results when I go to bed! I’m finding I want …

- A kitchen clean so when I wake up for coffee, it feels good!
- Counters wiped off, thoroughly!
- Pans in the sink to be scrubbed and up on a towel to dry.
- Sink scrubbed out.

I am not a perfectionist. Rarely do things have to be perfect in my mind for me to be happy. But there is something about waking up in the morning to a kitchen that is a dirty disaster that just puts me in a bad mood.

So we came up with a simple solution. (By the way, I found this SIMPLIFY sign in the craft store. A reminder to me, this year, to do what the sign says!)

At the end of each night now, our 3 teenage kids are going to get our “approval” (counters, pots and pans washed, etc.) and we’ll check them off. In other words, just tossing the dishes in the dishwasher ain’t enough!

I’m just a hardworking mom who wants a clean kitchen!

Who does kitchen duty in your home? And how does it affect your mood when you wake up to a dirty kitchen?

One thing about our kitchen remodel that has freed me from the idea that “we can’t have people over,” is that things will never be perfect!

If I would have let “perfect” stand in the way, our lives, individually and as a family, would not have grown in the way they have, when it comes to relationships. Because from Day #1 of living in our house, we’ve always had a project going on. You could always look around and see something “unfinished.”

Last week I’m happy to announce that my Dad and his wife, Ginny, completed our pantry. Yes, the two of them made a great team (I helped a little here and there), and what really took the time was installing the animal-door. And now getting our animals to use it is another story!

My friend, Deb, shared with me from this post, these 2 tips about the pantry:

1. Shallow shelves. No deeper than a dinner plate, at minimum for the shelves at shoulder level and higher. Items tend to be forgotten when you can’t see them.

2. Write expiration month/year in big black sharpie on items. Doesn’t look much like a Williams-Sonoma catalog that way, but works!

Great tips, Deb!

As we were semi-cleaning up, I got my favorite cleaner out, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day (basil scent), and wiped down the shelves. (I gave a bottle away in my 3-year Anniversary box!)

As boxes and tools line the dining room, we’re still waiting for another cabinet, and the wood floors aren’t down yet (won’t happen for some time, since we are doing it ourselves), but we still gathered around the bar that night, and we ate yummy homemade spaghetti …

Delicious cake – my FIRST CAKE baked in my oven …

As we held hands and prayed and blessed the kitchen, I prayed for the many lives that would be coming and going, eating and laughing, sharing and investing in each other in the way that God created us to be.

So here’s to a NEW pantry!

And here’s to honesty: My pantry will be unorganized and messy, probably in about 3 months!

I’m trying to keep “order” in mind as I put stuff away. What do I really need in the house, and what can stay out in my garage pantry. I’ll be showing you in future posts how I organized it (I’d better show you while it’s neat and tidy, uh?), using what I had. My budget was small, so I only bought a few new baskets, learning to make use of other boxes and organizers.

It might not all match and be perfectly pretty, but function is what I’m looking for!

What is your pantry looking like these days? Is it organized or does it need a bit of help?

(Check out Melissa’s inspiring pantry pictures over at The Inspired Room!)