Saturday Meanderings

How can it truly be the last Saturday of April? Happy Saturday and weekend to you. This week seem to move along rather quickly for me and I am ready to slow things down once again. Thanks for joining me today as we chat about all good things this week.

Tackling Another House Project

I truly love my kitchen. It is the hub of our home where everyone gathers, cooks, socializes and is the most used room in the house. As a result, of course, it tends to get a bit messy. Daily cleaning is typical for dishes and counters; weekly the floors and rugs get washed. But when was the last time I cleaned out each and every cupboard? I mean really clean~sorting, tossing what isn’t used, wiping down the shelves, replacing the shelf paper, etc.

This project started this week. So far, I have thoroughly cleaned 16 spaces (cupboards, drawers, shelves) and still have 37 to go. My goal is to complete this project before house guests arrive on May 6th. Naturally it has been all consuming. But there is a slight giddiness when I open a space and see the transformation.

Here is a kitchen drawer before:

And here it is after. All the expired aspirin and vitamins are gone. Similar items are together and organized. It is such a feeling of freedom, right?

A cupboard that holds mostly tea and beverage related items gets a good overhaul. The shelves are scrubbed clean and old labels removed.

Here is the before:

And here is after cleaning and organizing.

Making Focaccia for the First Time

My son, Benjamin, makes focaccia bread all the time. Surprisingly, I have never made it. So this week I decide to try my hand at it, using my sourdough starter, not commercial dry yeast. I add olives, fresh rosemary and a good sprinkling of sea salt. Up to this point, it looks good.

Well, it was a total flop. I think I over proofed it and rushed the process. Other than eating the olives off the top, it was added to the kitchen trash. I will definitely try it again and maybe follow the directions this time?

Have you Ever Made a Hand Knit Blanket?

I finally finish a chunky chenille yarn blanket in a blush pink. It’s a graduation gift for my daughter’s friend, who happens to love the white chunky yarn blanket I made for Elisabeth. Personally, I am an abysmal knitter, but this hand knit blanket is relatively easy and something I can do.

The yarn is from Joann’s Fabric (I order it online) and it comes in 16 colors. It took 6 skeins and the finished size is approximately 3 feet by 5 feet. A fun and doable project~coming from someone that doesn’t have a knitting skill set. There are many tutorials online too.

Flower Botanical Art Work

This week on the blog is an easy DIY Botanical Artwork that you can make with supplies around your house. If you missed it you can see it here. Being curious, I try this same technique but with flowers.

With only enough time to make two of them, what do you think?

Do You Wear Sunscreen?

I try to wear sunscreen on my face and neck all year round. But as the weather gets warmer, especially here in the Valley of the Sun, protecting your skin from the sun is important. Here are two products that I LOVE and use every day.

Colorscience Brush-On Sunscreen Mineral Powder is a substitute for my face powder every day. I also keep one in the car for those long drives where the left side of my face is exposed to the sun. It’s $69.00 and comes in 4 colors. Though a bit pricey, I can honestly say it seems to last forever. You can find it on Amazon here.

I LOVE this product. Again, Colorscience Total Eye 3-in-1 Anti-Aging Renewal Therapy. It immediately brightens and corrects dark circles, while smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. I wear contact lenses and this product does not bother me at all. It has the added benefit of protecting your delicate skin around the eyes with a broad spectrum SPF35. It is a bit pricey at $79.00 but I am still using the tube I bought in June 2022. Comes in 4 colors and you can find it here.

Do you wear sunscreen on your face and neck every day?

New Show We are Watching

We just started watching this yesterday but I am intrigued by the concept of arranged marriages. Though this show is into Season 3, I am just learning about it and starting Season 1. In Indian Matchmaking, Mumbai’s premier matchmaker Sima Taparia, draws from decades of experiences, insights and traditional methods to help single people find their perfect matches. You can find it on Netflix.

Dreaming About an English Cottage?

Nestled in a quiet enclave on the outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire is this charming four-bedroom thatched cottage…..and it is FOR SALE! Check out the gorgeous pictures and dreamy landscape here. I just found this website and it has a plethora of homes, cottages, apartments for sale~lots of eye candy!

Proud Moments

My youngest child, Elisabeth, is getting ready to graduate college shortly. She attends the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University and her undergraduate requirement is to write and present a thesis. This week she presented her defense on Monday to her professors and I had the honor of watching her as it was held virtually. Not only did she pass, but the comments by her professors made all her efforts worthwhile.

Elisabeth is a Criminal Justice major and is currently interning at the County Medical Examiners Office~makes me cringe a bit but she seems to be learning a great deal about dead bodies.

Well, that’s a wrap for the last Saturday Meanderings in April. Have a spectacular weekend! Do you have any fun plans?