What I Love Wednesday {No.56}

i am love, love, loving organization...

my mind is completely obsessed with every possible way to store, organize, 

file, and compartmentalize my life at the moment.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

font is snell roundhand

next week i will share a special treat on WILW on the one thing that keeps me super organized, so be sure to check it out!

did you know we had exactly 55 linkies last week for what i love wednesday #55?!! yay!
let see if we can get 56 linkies today!

xoxo,

krystina

<a href="http://www.lollipopscards.com/search/label/what%20i%20love%20wednesdays" target="_blank"><img alt="lollipops" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTG_XTPXLbYqpB_0UNLEN75kyCTV-JgVvf3b2hWVbpHKnEus6_-ABVAsC6FAlz7AyZTAk3L8COF-5oOtGtz2w8G0xyERyJWFUelM-mhRN8_Diqz9LIc4vydvy4rQIPKpGFrhB7emq-_J95/s200/wilovew%252520button%252520.jpg" /> </a>

How to use Cozi Online Calendar for Meal Planning

my new years resolution for 2012 is to simplify.
in every sense of the word.
i am focused on getting rid of clutter.
streamlining tasks is another way of removing clutter and simplifying.
i recently found Cozi, an online family calendar.

• you can coordinate and share the calendar with all the members of the household.
• get email reminders sent to specified family members.
• use the iPhone app for Cozi on the go.

however, my favorite Cozi feature is their menu planner!

once you sign up for Cozi all you have to do is add the "add meals" button to your browser toolbar.
then when you are on pinterest, martha stewart, simply recipes; etc all you have to do is click the "add meals" button and that recipe will be added to your "recipe box" on Cozi.

simply drag meals to your calendar to plan the week or month.

as you can see above the blue ones are links to recipes and the black ones i typed in - i can type in "pizza" - no need for a recipe, but this way i can still plan my week :)


click "add ingredients to Cozi shopping list" and the ingredients for the recipe are now added on your Cozi shopping list! (which btw can be accessed from your iPhone at the grocery store because it's always automatically synchronized!!!)

i open the recipe before dinner to look through the directions and either print it out or email it to my iPhone to bring to the kitchen for cooking :)

you can write notes on each recipe in your recipe box to classify it as a family favorite or add tags to make it easy to organize and look up quickly. i added about 30 yummy recipes to Cozi in about 20 minutes of surfing recipes online.

see? simplify. more time for the things in life that are important to me.

what do you think?

what do you currently use?

xoxo,

Tuesday Tutorial {Menu Display}

yesterday i told you how i plan my menus and a couple of ways to organize them.

here's one more that was inspired by the clay family blog (discovered via pinterest) 

so here's mine along with a tutorial to help you get started

i used a creative memories 'everyday display'

you can also use a frame + string or a ribbon

choose some "delicious paper"

adhere it to your board or frame

make a pocket - use a library book pocket 

or make one out of a clasp envelope like i did

print out your dinners that you typed like i described in my post yesterday

cut them out in strips

i chose cream for dinners that include a meat, 

and a green paper for vegetarian dinners.

use rub-ons, stamps, or print on vellum the days of the week

and adhere to mini clothes pins, measure twice :)

use a wall or door to display your menus, calendar, chores, and invitations/flyers all together

to create a mini "command center"

look at your calendar to help choose what goes onto the menu

ie; busy days make something quick and simple

at the bottom we have our summer to do list and summer chores

do you have one?

i would love to see yours.

how do you answer the question, "what's for dinner?"

happy crafting & cooking!

xoxo,

krystina

menu planning on a whim

tattered and torn are the pages of my most beloved cook books. gone are the days of burning toast and over cooking the pasta. surfer guy is italian, pasta is required to be Al dente. i remember when i was told i could and would cook, yet, i had no idea how to. he took me to barnes and noble and we picked out a few cookbooks together. into the kitchen i went with a teaspoonful of spite and bushels of optimism - i read the recipes and directions and, wow, it worked. not only was the surfer guy right, he was also lucky :)

i have never been an expert and cooking wasn't a big deal on my side of the family. however, i like to eat, to experiment, and to be creative so it's usually to my family's benefit. they have their favorites that mom makes that's for sure. and now my little Francesca loves to cook. just last week she made herb bread, pizza, biscuts, and blueberry muffins.

the problem is that she is good, who can resist that yummy just baked smell? ahh.

so for the planning most of the time i stand in trader joe's and list dinner ideas through my head and grab and go. this is stressful with a toddler and one or two begging tweenagers at my sides. my ideal menu planning consists of a few simple steps.

flipping through my cook books or the internet and writing down favorites and new dinners i would like to make, then typing them into the computer. from here i can copy and paste them into ical, and even set up email reminders from ical telling me what is for dinner each day.

or i can hang them...(i will have a super cute tutorial for you tomorrow!!!!) then from there make my grocery list on my iPhone, b/c i will inevitably lose or forget that list, but i won't forget my phone :)

do you like to cook?
how do you plan meals?
how do you involve the kiddos?

happy monday!

xoxo,

what's in the bag...

i have been asked what bag i use for my nikon D7000 and all my carry alongs. 

i don't like having to carry multiple bags everywhere. one should do the job.

for six months i have been using this kelly moore camera bag for my camera, diapers, etc -my carry all.

so, what does it hold you ask?

(taken with camera)

(taken with iPhone)

everything fits nice and neatly inside!

 i love it!

where to buy:
kelly moore bag
the pleated poppy (my receipt and coupon clutch)
bibeez baby (diaper clutch)
sheyb (camera strap)

happy day!

xoxo,

The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker book GIVEAWAY!!!

Creating Keepsakes is proud to announce they have brought back The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker into print! a much coveted craft publication by Wendy Smedley and Aby Garvey - you can get it again here: {buy here} check out this preview: {book preview here}

and one of my lovely lucky readers will win a copy of this book this friday!

this book includes self-discovery quizzes to help you on your way to organize your space.

full of inspiration and creative projects. you get expert advice from two leading scrap organizational gurus and you'll have the fortune of seeing the craft space of 7 different experts! {LOVE}

i am so excited to preview a copy of this book! big thanks to CK! 

The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker is going to to be a huge help for my new craft space 

- The Creative Arcade! YAY!!!

all my lovely readers get a 25% discount when purchasing this book until February 11! 

use coupon code DS25DT.

to enter the giveaway tweet, facebook, and comment! you get an entry for already or newly following me on my blog, on facebook (lollipops) and on twitter (@KrystinaM) (commenting each time you're a follower). you get added entries each time you tweet and facebook about this giveaway with the link (comment each time so i count those entries) and comment about this book!! thanks for entering! winner will be announced this friday!!!

enjoy & good luck lovelies!!

Craft Room Giveaway

since my girls and i are still putting together our new craft room
we thought we would give you one more week
to help us name it!

we have had some very good names!
please add yours if you haven't already.
and if you have you can add more, enter as many times as you like!

i will be working in there all the time and

blogging the new name by {?} all along ;)

enter your comments by clicking here.

thank you for helping us!
and don't forget about all the sweet prizes!

happy weekend lovelies ;)

xoxo

the new craft room + {contest}!!

i have been dreaming about a real workspace for years.

maybe when the kids move out i always thought.

it isn't really nice to be in a hurry for your 

ten year old to grow up and move out!

i decided to re-organize our storage/guest room/garage
and create my very own studio!
eek!

i have been ever so slowly adding goodies to my craft room.



now your job is to name it!!
i scrapbook, but mostly i create my {lollipops} cards.
i'm definitely a paper junky.
my 10 &amp; 11 yo daughters will also be crafting with me!
Francesca likes beading and Soleil loves to draw.

maybe it will just be called the craft room?
or the studio?
or our workspace?
but i think you guys are more creative in this department
and can come up with a really fun name for us.

my girls and i will pick our favorite
and that lucky namer will win a set of
lovely lollipops {i heart you cards}!

love notes in a tin!
high quality card stock
6 cards 3 red 3 white
cards measure 2.20 X 4.12
"i heart you" printed on front, blank inside
front has heart punched corners
includes envelopes
comes in a sweet tin!
we really need your help!
leave your ideas in the comments.
enter as many times as you like!
the new name will be chosen and announced friday january 7th!
thank you!
xoxo
krystina

updated:1/4 - the winner will also receive Scrapbooking Everyday Memories and 

Scrapbooking Tips &amp; Tricks: Stamps &amp; Ink from Creating Keepsakes 

- i blogged about them here. 

leave your idea for a craft room name and the lucky winner wins all of the above!!!

update 1/7 - giveaway ends friday January 14th at noon PST
-this will be the very last last day to enter!!!