A pretend picnic

Today I was cleaning and organizing the kitchen and the kids were playing around me and going out to the back to play - they took their blankets and some favorite toys and dolls and had themselves a little picnic/nap time (play) outside - it was so darling!!

Organizing the Kitchen....

From morning until this evening I've been working all day to get my kitchen in better order. It's vastly improved but I think there are definitely improvements to be made still. I think all the cereals and bags on top of the fridge look cluttered but that is where they are out of reach from the kids and there's just no more cabinet space left for them.

In the "pantry" - the tallest cabinet - I've organized it so that gluten-free pasta items and some cans are on the bottom shelf, the next shelf up is baking pans and some large pans that I can't fit anywhere else. The next shelf is food that is OK for Nathanael to eat (no cane sugar, no wheat, no preservatives, etc..). The top shelf is foods that are NOT OK for Nathanael to have.

A table is currently serving as sort of an "island" - with fruit juices (I can't put in the fridge yet) and TJ bags (they are usually in the car) under it and fruits and disposable supplies on top. It also gives a little more "counter space" for me when I'm cooking and baking.

I moved the toaster oven to the back behind the sink on the counter - because we won't be using it hardly at all ('til I learn some more things besides toast to put in it) - since we aren't using bread lately. Instead I placed Scott's new coffee maker and made him a sort of little "station". I hope he likes and USES it!!! (Save $$$ from Starbucks)

I totally re-organized the OTC drug and supplement cabinet. Threw out some expired items, things we aren't using, etc. I also took out the little basket I had in there for mixing up cloth wipes formula and washing formula for lanolinizing wool covers and put those instead in the laundry room.

I think we may own too many sippy cups and mugs - I threw out a few that weren't functional but it still seems like that cabinet is stuffed with sippy cups and mugs!

Cleaning supplies and that sort of stuff is still under the sink (oh and I moved the waffle iron there too for now). All our bottom cabinets are tot-locked for safety and sanity.

As you can see in one of the last pictures - Arielle likes to open the few drawers we have and pull out everything so I don't put much in the three bottom ones - maybe a few TOYS - he, he.

I already don't like how the table is blocking the straight "path" to the back door but it's necessary for now. I can't wait to replace the lights in the kitchen - we have them - just have to do it. So many projects and so much organizing to do - but this was soooo worth the work I did today!!!

I'm baking SO much more from scratch because of the lack of pre-made foods that dont' have things in them that Nathanael is sensitive to. It's a whole other world for me and it's going to be great to have a more functional kitchen (I hope). Maybe I'll have less wasted food and an easier time finding things and cleaning up.

Piggy Tails

More Easter Pics - from Easter Sunday 2010

It started with a shared basket of (healthy) "goodies" including vegan (no wheat or cane sugar) cookies and natural fruit leathers, two bouncy light-up balls (curtuosy of daddy) as well as little "happy face" eggs full of wheat-free, low sugar cereal balls, which Arielle immediately asked for (hungry girl in the morning). Then they each opened one box (toy). Nathanael got a toy "Firetruck Mater" and Arielle got a little tea set. Later on three of their cousins came over with Uncle Randy and "Mimi" for a short while before we went to church. The kids did a little egg hunt in the back yard.

Easter on Saturday

Saturday the third some of our family got together to celebrate Easter together. Here are some pictures mostly of the kids, a couple of Scott. It was a nice day and we had fun. Arielle loves her "baby" and carried it around much of the day. Nathanael got to eat some gluten-free and sugar-free (honey sweetened) cupcakes (picture shown with him holding one). At the bottom are some pictures of Arielle and my cousin Cara's little boy Joseph. There was an egg hunt and Nathanael found 4 eggs, Arielle was too little to understand quick enough before they were all gone. Nathanael ate (we estimate) 6 eggs!!! What an egg boy! By the end of the party we were all tired and I snapped a picture of Arielle with her new blankie that her Aunt Janice made for her.