Hot Spot- Clutter Catcher

Happy New Year to you all! 

I hope you have made some new year's resolutions??? Well, people are now calling them goals. I guess is a little easier to take if you just don't make your goal rather than not being able to keep a resolution. Funny how we can trick ourself isn't it?

Most of us want to start the new year with a clean slate. We have all the stores advertising the containers for organizing your stuff. The magazines are touting three easy ways to declutter and how to store your things efficiently. So I thought I would add an idea to the mix.

Do you have a hot spot? I'm not talking about a place that is especially warm in your house. LOL. But a place where everything seems to land and pile up. Here's a picture of the hot spot at our house. It's suppose to be my command center but it doesn't look very impressive in this photo. 

At our house this is how a hot spot occurs: 

1. It is the first flat spot when you come in from the garage.

2. It is normally where important things are placed that need attention from 

    Thrifty Honey or myself.

3. Things land there because nobody knows what to do with them.

4. The biggest reason hot spots happen is because we get busy and things

    don't get put away where they belong.             

Now this hot spot is not too bad but believe me if it is left alone for a day or so it would be overflowing. The absolute worst resident of a hot spot is the mail. Oh my word!!! I just can not believe all the advertisements and junk mail that creeps into our house. Normally when I bring it in I go through it right way and shred or recycle the papers, but if I miss a day or two it becomes a real mess. 

So what's a girl to do about the inevitable hot spot? Since we know they are going to happen we just have to clear them out every night before we go to bed. So even it one does occur for a little while it will not be allowed to continue for too long. Yes, that sounds a lot like discipline to me but let's just call it "practice" to make it easier to get started.

It's that old saying: "Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place." Just doing this one little thing will solve a multitude of organizational problems. Plus you don't have to organize or declutter the entire house in one swoop. You can take baby steps to get started and be kind to yourself when you forget to practice. 

When you keep your hot spot cleared off there is a lot less chance of it eating your keys, cell phone and your bills which need to be paid. I read a story about someone who finally cleaned off their desk which was their hot spot. This person found a $50.00 check and a several gifts cards mixed in with all the paper clutter. They also found the scotch tape and scissors which had been lost for a long time. 

I hope this will inspire you to put out your hot spot before it sets the house on fire. Have a wonderful week and remember to stay "thrifty."

   

Recipe For Leftovers

Since the Christmas feast has ended the only question that remains is what to do with all the left overs. By now we are all turkey-ed and ham-ed out but we may still have a bunch of it left.

You may have already made ham salad or turkey salad. You have probably had ham for breakfast on biscuits or a sandwich for lunch. Well enough said about stuff we have done. Let's get to the recipe.

Ham Croissant Casserole

Ingredients
3 Large Croissants (5 inch size)
8 oz. cooked ham
1 1/4 cups swiss cheese
6 eggs
1 cup half and half
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

• 1. Spray 10-inch glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Cut croissants in half lengthwise; cut each half into 5 pieces. Place pieces in pie plate. Sprinkle with ham and cheese.
• 2. In large bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg with whisk.
• 3. Pour egg mixture over ingredients in pie plate; press croissant pieces into egg mixture to moisten completely. Cover tightly with foil; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• 4. Heat oven to 325°F. Bake casserole covered 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I found this recipe in an old Southern Living Christmas magazine. It has become one of my favorite drinks to have for breakfast instead of the usual orange juice. It's called Brunch Punch, doesn't it sound fun and happy, plus it is really good?

Brunch Punch

1- 46 oz. can pineapple juice, chilled
3 cups orange juice, chilled
2 cups cranberry juice, chilled
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup lime juice

Stir everything together and serve immediately, or cover and chill 2-24 hours. Be sure and give it another stir before serving because the powdered sugar will settle to the bottom.

Now all you have to do is add some hash browns, maybe some fresh fruit and "ta-da" breakfast or Sunday brunch is served.

Here's hoping you will enjoy adding a couple of new recipes to your folder. May your New Year be bright and prosperous. Plus remember to stay "Thrifty" in all your resolutions.

Last Minute Decorating!

Christmas is just a very few days away and it might be time to take a deep breath in order to remember "It's a wonderful life." Many of us will watch this Christmas classic again this year so we can see exactly what it is like to forget the really important things we have right in front of us.

That being said I wanted to share one last minute decoration. This could be a gift for that someone who just loves Christmas. I saw this on Pinterest, my go to place for good ideas. Then just last week while visiting Joann, I saw this cutie hanging on their wall for $39.99. Oh dear, time to get busy being a Thrifty Sissy.

Here's Joann's cutie!

So off to gather the supplies to make this cutie. One very gold frame missing the back from the Goodwill Outlet. Cost $.50. One roll of ribbon from Joann's after Christmas sale last year. Cost $.50. One set of bells we have been using as an ornament on the tree for the past few years. Cost zero. Then there is that Christmas pick which came from Hobby Lobby's 50% off sale last year $.89. Oh, I almost forget the pipe cleaner to gather all of the things together and attach them to the frame. Cost zero. Total cost of this Joann imitator $1.89.

Now for the unveiling of the imitator!!!! Ta Dah!!!

Just remember it's never too late to pull a "thrifty cutie" together with things you have on hand. This looks really good on the door to garage which was bare of anything "Christmasie." Enjoy your wonderful life this week and look around at all the people who are gifts to you straight from the heart of God.

Merry Christmas to Y'all!!