BEDA- #1 2 families in 1 home

Hello everyone- it’s been a long time! I’m not going to discuss details but the last 10 months or so have been a hard, unusual and sad  time for my entire family and that is why I have not read or wrote blogs much. 

The latest change is our daughter and son in law sold their home and have started building a new one.  But, it won’t be finished for maybe 10 months.  Family home rentals are hard to find and they want to save money for new home stuff so………their family of 5 has put much of their stuff in storage and moved in with us.  

Our home has an almost perfect layout for 2 families.  

It has a large master bedroom on one end.  We moved in 2 recliners and the laptop/printer into our master so we can retreat in there if needed (but so far, we are mostly in our room just to sleep. 

We have a big walk-in master closet and lots of extra stuff is stored in there during this process.  

The other 3 bedrooms are on the opposite end of this home.  I spent several weeks downsizing in these rooms- some stuff was donated and a little bit was put in storage.  

Before our daughter’s family moved in, The craft room looked like this……

Most all the sewing and craft things are in this end of the room.  That tall piece on the right is 2 pieces that stacked perfectly! I’m short and can’t see in the top drawer but that’s what stools are for.  

They are vintage Ethan Allen and I’m a big fan of how solid they are and how their finish holds up.  

A slim bed for a slim granddaughter on the other side of this room- 

This closet is still pretty full but 1/4 of it on the bottom right was emptied for  this granddaughter 

The 2 grandsons are sharing this room - there is a small walkin closet and dressers on the other end 

The parents are in the “guest room”

I didn’t change much in the living areas except I added a craft corner to the living room 

Zero changes in the dining room and thankfully our table is plenty big enough for all 7 of us 

In the breakfast room,  I did store away all the decorations on the hutch as I knew they were bringing food and it’s on there now.  They also brought a freezer full of locally grown beef and a full fridge which is in my husband’s shop ( I’ve bought a few groceries since they’ve been here but not nearly as many as you might think) 

And we are all hoping to garden so we have some seeds started (this photo is several weeks old and the plants have grown a good bit) 

So far,  things are going just fine and I think we all are enjoying seeing each other often.  

Yes, I am cooking more but I like cooking.  I’m doing more laundry but I don’t mind that either.  I’m thankful for appliances, utilities and cleaning products which make laundry so easy compared to past generations and many people in other countries.  

Our daughter and son in law both are employed, their children are in school and they are all busy with school, ball, dance, church activities, scouts —- so they live in our home but they are gone more than they are here.  

They also brought their dog, Winnie.  I was most worried about how the 2 dogs would get along but they are doing great! 

They are almost the same age and weight. .  They play hard outside and then mostly sleep when they are inside 

Ducky and Winnie - yes, our grass is brown.  It’s been a cold, dry winter but the grass will start growing soon and should be green then.  

BEDA means blog every day in April.  

I’m going to try! 

❤️ Rhonda 
Thank you for visiting today 

First post for February 2022#7

Hello everyone - I have less free time for blogging right now but I want to check in.

We have had a big snow event that’s lasted several days.  Granddaughter Cora was here today and we made tiny snowmen in the living room.  If you look close,  you’ll see a clear tray full of snow on top of a towel on a coffee table. We made snowmen and had lots of fun.  Cora wanted some tiny hats for the snow people but this was a spur of the moment activity and I didn’t have any tiny hats.  

I wish I had a before photo but Ducky got his first ever grooming, as in a professional haircut and he looks very handsome.  

Our oldest grandchild Gavin turned 13 this week.  His cousin Elizabeth isn’t far behind him  either.  

They spent lots of their early days here but now they are in different schools in 6th and 7th grade.  

I’m still trying to declutter and organize every square foot of our home.  I spent a few minutes cleaning out these 2 upper cabinets in our laundry room.  




These are the BEFORE photos 😱😱😱

I only spent a few minutes working on them but I think it was well worth it.  

I removed the lightbulbs from most of their packaging to save space 

These are the AFTER photos 

All of this came out of the cabinets and went into the trash or recycle bin.  

Our laundry room stays pretty busy as I do our laundry and another family’s laundry so I’m quite happy I squeezed out the time to get this job done.

I also cleaned out our small entry closet but I didn’t take any photos.  I think my husband most appreciates this better space, I found a coat he forgot about pushed to one end so he’s been happily wearing it.  

Lejmom -  yes we still have some pantry items stored in 2 bedroom spaces but not as much and not as spread out as it was in 2020.  

But it’s likely a family will move in with us for several months so I’m trying to figure out how to keep a lot of pantry items and have room for them too.  Haven’t quite figured it all out but I’m planning options in my head and I’ll blog when I figure it out.  

Hope you all are fine 

❤️ Rhonda 

New week and some of last week’s stuff 2022 #6

First is my new to do list.  It includes more cleaning and organizing projects I hope to get done this week but they may carryover into February.


It wasn’t on the list but I decided our food pantry needed some organization and cleaning out as well.

The canned goods were all on the bottom shelf and were hard to keep organized and to see what was in the back so the main change was I moved the canned goods up to the second shelf from the bottom.

I also refilled the clear square canisters. Over the last few months as they were emptied, they were washed and stored away in a lower kitchen cabinet. I got them all out and refilled them with our snacks and crackers and baking items.

I also did a little organizing in the baking cabinet.

The baking ingredient cabinet is right over the counter where the microwave used to be in the corner. Now the mixer is there holding some decorative bowls when it’s not being used. And all of the counter space is wide open so when I do get ready to bake or cook something, there is room to work.

Another area that has been bugging me was this narrow freezer space of our refrigerator. I’ve been trying to plan meals around the food that was in this freezer to make some more space in it. And then this weekend I pulled everything out and put it back in in a more organized way. On the top shelf in the red basket are nuts. On the next shelf are Popsicles where the children can easily get out the one they want. On the next shelf in that clear shoebox container are meets. And then in the bottom are things like frozen vegetables and fruits in bags.



I also cleaned out the cold side of the refrigerator but there are no before or after pictures. You all have seen messy refrigerators and straightened up refrigerators.

Oven was needing cleaned. So I ran the self cleaning cycle on both ovens yesterday. For the oven racks, I put them in a bathtub and sprayed them down with Dawn power wash several times. The Dawn did a really good job on them. They don’t look brand new but a whole Lotta stuff washed off of them and they look good enough to me. I wiped out the oven this morning when they were cool. The only problem area is a little tiny grease splatters burned onto the window glass. In the past I tried the vinegar and baking soda method  that so many people recommend but that didn’t do the job. So I’m planning on getting some spray on oven cleaner just for that glass and see if that works. I saw other people recommended it so I’ll let you know. 

Below is the link for the door rack we bought.  So far, we like it just fine  There are many door racks for sale on Amazon and Walmart and eBay.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0924GX2ZQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

I’m hoping we all have productive weeks. But so far it’s 10 o’clock and all I’ve done is start laundry and put the oven back together so………..

I think I’ll publish this post and put this iPad down and get busy doing more things around my home. Hope you all have a great day 

❤️ Rhonda 

Junk pantry clean out 2022 #5

It was a big and messy project but the it’s finished and the junk pantry is now the microwave closet.  

 It’s hard to photograph as it has a narrow door and the shelves extend more than a foot on each side of the door.  

Right side 

Left side 

The process ——

The pantry had to be emptied and it was all spread out on the kitchen counters and the dining table  😱 what a mess process!

My husband added boards to make the 3 lower shelves 4 inches wider- that made the microwave shelf wide enough to hold the whole oven and it increased the storage space on all 3 shelves a lot. 

He was cutting the wood outside on a very cold day and then coming in and out of the house so  that’s why he is wearing the very warm hat 

He also removed an obsolete home security box from this pantry and that added some storage space. 

Because that previous system was electric, there was already an electric receptacle where the microwave could be plugged and get power.  

I added new shelf paper and cut it on the breakfast room table.  

Its plain white Duck brand, made in the USA and bought at Lowes.  I’ve put shelf paper on every shelf in our house and Duck brand holds up the very best.  



The new rack on the door is from Amazon.  It adds more storage and is narrow enough that it does not hit the pantry shelves when the door closed. 

Side by side 

  
before                                                                                        After 

If you’re wondering about the pink roses,  I redid this pantry back in 2010, when sponge painting roses was a shabby chic thing 

http://ifyoudostuff.blogspot.com/2010/03/pantry-re-dos-projects-that-i-thought.html

❤️ Rhonda 

New weeks to do list, a few doings and a free bread cookbook - 2022 #4

I don’t know how much of this I’ll accomplish but I made a new list for the week- at least I have a plan 

One of the big tasks I want to do is move our microwave to the junk pantry, which at the moment, has way more unorganized junk in it than it should. 

This photo is at the beginning - it’s hard to photograph this little closet as it has a narrow door, no light and the shelves extend past the door on both sides.  

But it does have an electric plug where the microwave can be plugged in.

It will be a big project so I decided to try to clean off 1 shelf at a time (and after I took the photo, I cleaned off the top shelf) 

😱😱😱😱 why do I have 3 open bottles of Febreeze and I think those flyswatters can be put away until spring 

It will be better when I show it again.   

I saw some oranges and grapefruit that needed used so peeled them and also made some sugar free pudding and jello cups for easy snacks.  

A local friend of mine that raises and milks dairy cows with her husband shared this Oklahoma bread cookbook on Facebook.  I thought  many of the recipes sounded really good.  The link is below the photo.  

https://online.fliphtml5.com/fngai/pgjw/?fbclid=IwAR17vzYmdLv7Dj5z8ZZkb_EMo5At1zR6-C6x9WAFkeXPH-ixukMg0gszlvg#p=1

❤️ Rhonda 

Last week’s list is still this weeks list 2022 #3

Hello everyone, 

I had big homemaking plans when the new year started but not much of it has happened yet.  

I thought I was over than awful cold from December but had a set back for a few more days in January 

and some things away from our home keep me busy some days.  

So,  I didn’t make a new list for this week, I’m still working on the list I made last week.  

     

The things listed under January are not things I thought I would accomplish that first week anyway, just things I hope to do this month.  

If they get done, great! And if not,  I’ll try to do them in February.  

I’m home all day yesterday and today so I got a big grocery order yesterday and today I made a salad and sandwich box that we like so much



And I baked a pan of bars.  

https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/almond-bars/

they are good, not the best thing I’ve ever baked but still good.  

My husband and I are reading the Bible through this year with these and we really like the commentary added to each section 

They were purchased from 

https://www.shopguideposts.org/

I’m working on plastic canvas and have cut out lots of small things to stitch.  

Snow winter decorations - you may think snowmen are just for Christmas decorating but I like them for winter.  
This little table is by our fireplace. 

Hope you all are fine, staying warm and avoiding the plague.  

❤️ Rhonda