I wanted to make some sort of official announcement to let you all know that I will be moving my website over to a different hosting account within the next day or so. Therefore, if you happen to stop by and can’t find the site – not to worry it will be back up in all it’s glory within a couple of hours!

Stay tuned…

• Subscribe to my RSS feed – that won’t change
• Follow me on Twitter – @LaurenH08

So, over the next couple of days, don’t panic if things look a little wonky around here. I’ll have them up and running and back in order before you know it.

Thanks for your patience in advance.

by Shelly Hill

One of the appliances that gets the most use in your home happens to be the refrigerator. Every day our family members get in and out of the refrigerator to grab what they need and off they go. Rarely do they take the time out to clean up any messes that occur. As the week goes on, these refrigerator messes get out of control pretty quickly.

If this sounds like your refrigerator you are not alone! Personally, I used to dislike cleaning out my refrigerator because it was so time consuming. Over the years I have learned a few tricks on how to clean it properly and how to organize my items to help prevent accidental messes.

The first thing that you want to do is to remove everything from inside your refrigerator. Fill up your sink with warm soapy water and grab a new clean sponge. Take your shelves and racks over to the sink and scrub them down with the soapy water. When you are finished scrubbing them, rinse clean with cool water and towel dry. Fill up a bucket with warm soapy water and take it over to the refrigerator so that you can wipe down the inside walls, drawers, shelves and doors that are not removable. Rinse with clean water and towel dry.

Before you place everything back inside your refrigerator, check all of the expiration dates. Anything that has expired gets immediately tossed. Use a clean damp sponge to clean any gook off of your condiment bottles and containers before placing them back inside.

If organization is a problem for you, I suggest you invest in some clear containers that are stackable. I purchased 1 cup, 2 cup, 3 cup, 4 cup and 8 cup containers that are specifically made for the refrigerator and they stack on top of each other to save on space. I went with clear ones so that we can easily see the inside contents without having to label them. I also purchased slim oval shaped plastic beverage containers that take up less space than round ones and use those for all of our beverages. I decided to go with clear and opaque beverage containers so we can easily see the inside contents. Finally, I purchased some really neat slim design condiment containers at our local kitchen supply store. These containers are fantastic for holding all of your messy condiments and I find they fit inside my refrigerator door a lot easier than the regular containers that condiments come in.

Keeping your refrigerator clean and organized doesn’t have to be a nightmare. I suggest giving it a good overall cleaning once a month and to invest in some great slim design containers that are specifically made for refrigerator use. When you notice spills and drips, clean them up right away instead of letting them accumulate for another day.

Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother living in Pennsylvania who enjoys cooking, baking and canning. You can visit Shelly’s online foodie blog called Shakin ‘N Bakin in the Kitchen at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for free foodie articles, cooking tips and for free recipes.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

When the time comes to clean out and reorganize the house, there are always items you find that you just don’t use anymore. Some things may even be gifts that you have never even taken out of the original package. As long as the items are still in good shape, there are many ways they can find a new home. Many people do not want to bother with a yard sale, so they prefer to donate the items to a charity.

Many items can be donated to area thrift or Salvation Army stores. Quite often they will give you a receipt that will allow you to take it as a tax write-off. It is probably best to call and check with them as to their drop-off policies. Some places only take donations on certain days or hours.

Another option is to donate carefully used toys, books and clothes to women’s shelters. Many times the families staying there have had to leave their homes with just what they were wearing. A few things for them to have while they are there can be a great comfort.

There are other charities that also take clothes and household goods. Some, including veterans’ organizations like Purple Heart and Vietnam Vets, and other groups like Easter Seals, will actually pick up your donations at your home. If you call them, they have set pickup schedules for the neighborhoods in your area. They have a set procedure.

Some hospitals collect books, sometimes specifically for the children’s wing. When your children outgrow their books, considering giving them away to a hospital or other charities for children.

Once you’ve donated things, you can reorganize what you have left and maximize your storage space. This is something to consider doing every few months, because things tend to accumulate. If you’re unsure about donating some things, put them away, and if you haven’t used them after a given time then you can probably go ahead and donate them.

Whether you have a new puppy or an old dog, it makes good sense to invest a little time training them. And while there is an abundance of information available about how to train your dog, you can’t go wrong with these expert dog training tips.

1. Positive reinforcement is essential. While there are many theories on how to train your dog, most dog training experts agree that positive reinforcement works best. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding your dog with verbal praise “good dog”, physical praise like a pat on the head and food rewards. It doesn’t involve yelling at your dog, hitting or punishing them.

2. Consistency is essential. If you’re working with your dog on a specific skill or trick then try to train them at the same time every day. This helps your dog know what to expect. Most dogs thrive on structure and will perform and learn much faster when they know what’s expected. If you’re training using food rewards, try to train your dog before mealtime so they’re a little bit hungry and motivated.

3. Be patient. Dogs tend to learn in waves. Sometimes they pick things up quickly and then the next day it seems like you have to start over from the very beginning. Be patient. Start each new trick with very small steps and be clear about what you expect. Even with the smallest tricks like “sit” you will want to break it down into smaller steps.

4. Use hand cues in addition to verbal cues. Some dogs have an easier time understanding and remembering hand signals than they do with verbal cues. Assign a hand signal to each trick or behavior you are training.

5. Train in small increments. Dogs have short attention spans. Trying to train them for twenty or thirty minutes isn’t going to work. They’re going to get frustrated and lose focus. Instead, keep training sessions to no more than five minutes.

6. Always end on a positive note. Learning a new trick is hard work. End each training session, no matter how frustrating, on a positive note. Always give your dog a trick or behavior to perform that they know how to perform and end with a food reward and plenty of praise.

7. Keep your dog healthy. Finally, one of the most important dog training tips from the experts recommends feeding your dog a quality dog food, giving them plenty of fresh water and making sure they get enough sleep. A healthy dog is a happier dog and will learn desired behaviors much more quickly.

In the beginning, you may want to train for only a minute or two until your dog learns to look forward to training. Dogs can learn to dislike training. Keeping the training sessions short, consistent and positive not only will help you both learn to enjoy the process, but it will also build a bond of trust between you and your dog.

well…maybe.

Mainly this is to let you know that things may not look right if you happen to be visiting while things are being moved around. Plans are in the works…but for now, please excuse our mess.

Oh, and be sure to check back to see how things are progressing.