Article: 34 Ingenius Ways to De-Clutter Your Life

I found a great article via Facebook today called 34 Ways to De-Clutter Your Life, and it has some amazing tips for cleaning out, keeping up & organizing your life, beyond the home and even online. I have gotten MUCH better about not hoarding, donating clothes and goods, selling some of my vintage collection on eBay, etc., but I always need more suggestions!

Here are some of my favorites:

I don't have kids yet, but this is a GREAT idea even for the two of us!

And my absolute favorite, the one I have needed most often...

Happy Organizing!

Emily

Movie Suggestion: "Texas Chainsaw," another installment in the Leatherface horror saga, is about a long-lost relative of Leatherface's family who is left a family mansion in Texas and goes there to see her inheritance, and finds much more :) I really liked that this movie had a lot more storyline than previous TCM films, and although it has plenty of sexed-up twentysomething murders, it gives Leatherface new substance and I enjoyed it.

Kitchen Chemist - Crock Pot Chicken & Rice Soup

With all of the snow we've been getting, homey foods are a must. I made a variation of this Crock Pot Chicken & Rice Soup the other night and it was wonderful! Of course, I *tweaked it a bit...

From the website:

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Total Time: 7 hours, 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
• 3 (14 oz.) cans ready to serve chicken broth *I used one 32 oz. carton
• 1 (14 oz. ) can ready to serve vegetable broth *I used one 32 oz. carton
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, sliced *didn't have any carrots
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 8 oz. pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup long grain rice *I used instant brown rice
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• *added 1 18.5 oz can Progresso Cream of Mushroom Soup about 3 hours in (whisked in) to thicken consistency
• *added 4 large mushrooms, cubed, in place of carrots

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in 4-5 quart crockpot. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables and rice are tender. I didn't start this until the afternoon of the day I planned to serve it, so I cooked it for 4 hours on high heat and it came out great!

Topped with shredded mozzarella cheese & chives, and served with large crescent rolls, brushed with melted butter & sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Happy Cooking!

Emily

Music Suggestion: If you like jazz, check out The Jazz Professors, a sextet of American jazz musicians who are all both working music professionals in their own right and faculty members of the Jazz Studies program at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. They came up on Sunday on my Music Choice station on my TV, and I've heard them a few others times & they are wonderful! During my time at WMU I got to hear the faculty jazz ensemble several times, and those who teach and perform for the love of the music are great to listen to.

Movie Suggestion: "Blackfish" (2013) directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, an incredibly powerful documentary about orcas in captivity, specifically those who lash out at their trainers. It tells about the stark differences between orca life in the wild vs. captivity, the lies and cover-ups by SeaWorld over the years, and is full of interviews with former SeaWorld trainers who give incredible testimonials to the good, bad & ugly of the animals' lives. It centers around one orca, Tilikum, a male orca who has been in captivity since he was captured off the east coast of Iceland at age 2 in 1983. He has killed 3 people in captivity, the most famous being Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer at SeaWorld whom the other trainers described as being "everything it meant to be a SeaWorld trainer" and "the most experienced trainer" at the park. It is a really staggering film, including interviews with scientists, biologists, witnesses to orca attacks in captivity, and trainers who give great information about orca culture, biology, experiences in captivity and behavior.

Coming to a close.

Well, the holidays are almost over and we had a nice time. We had Christmas Eve in Rockford at my aunt and uncle's house with my side of the family, my favorite day of the year. For a few hours, the world slips away and everything is just perfect. It's really tough for me sometimes not living near my family - we are about 3 hours away - so Christmas Eve is even more important to me now that we live in Pontiac.

Christmas Day was spent with Mark's parents and a few of her siblings. We had a great dinner, and just relaxed for the most part in front of the fireplace.

I am excited for Mark's present to me... He is going to take me out to a fancy dinner & an activity (ice skating or something cool), an entire date day! Things have been so tight we haven't been able to do much this year, so I am really looking forward to being treated by my husband. :)

This Saturday is another holiday party with my family in Ann Arbor, at my great aunt & uncle's house. Looking forward to more food and family, especially seeing some of my out-of-staters!

I have been working at Target over the holidays, and the hours have been all over the place - both in the amount of hours and the times I'm scheduled - and I am very happy to say I will be starting in a new position with the American Cancer Society in January! I will be a Relay for Life Specialist for Eastern Macomb County; my job is essentially to support, encourage, recruit and supervise the volunteer teams for Harrison Township, Clinton Township and New Baltimore, and then to attend and support the actual events. My college and career experiences working with volunteer organizations and teams has prepared me well for this position, and I am beyond excited to be doing such fulfilling work which helps save and improve lives every day.  Mark & I have a lot of changes coming up in the new year, and we are so excited to see where this year takes us!

In other news, my Etsy shop hasn't been super lucrative, but my ledger is still in the green and I've had a few orders per month since I re-launched my shop September 16th. My shop facebook page has 188 likes, and I'm hoping to break 200 in the next few weeks! I'm currently running a 25% off after-Christmas clearance sale (with coupon code CHRISTMASCLEARANCE) so I'm hoping I can clear out a little inventory, make a few sales to tie me over until I start the new job, and make some new customers. :) I just love sharing my work with the world!

Also, my Drake will be 7 next month! He is starting to have a few old dog tendencies, but is still very energetic and ridiculous. Love my big baby boy.

Baby Drakers, the day I brought him home (he is 3 months old here), 5-4-07

Spring 2009 at WMU, age 2

Summer 2011, age 4

His birthday, 1-7-13

So that's what's going on right now. I'm very hopeful, especially with this new career path, that this year will be our best year yet.... once we get through this tough after-Christmas expense time first.

Love to you & yours, & happy holidays!

Emily

Movie suggestion: The Wolverine; great movie for fans of the comics and pop culture of the X-Men alike. This film explores Logan's time in Japan after the loss of Jean Grey and Professor X. Very good! And of course, Hugh Jackman looks amazing.

The Hitching Post

Here's my wedding post! First, I had two amazing bridal showers, one thrown by my mom and some of her army of female friends, and another thrown by my second family The Hachigians & some of my MIL's closest friends.

Cinco de Mayo Holland Shower Pics:

Cutting the cake!

Mommy and Me

Rachel and I Tulip-Timing

Mom and Dad

My girls! Blondie, Stephie, Alyssa, Me, Rach, Katie, Alex, Maddy and Liz :D

My seeesters XOXO

Tulips!

'50s Themed West Bloomfield Shower Pics:

Bride and Groom to be!

The Cake and the '50s Decor

Rachel, Me and Katie

ALL the Hachigian Girls! :) Me, Alex, Mom, Kahlan, Rach and Katie #armobyassociation

The Westacres Women! Susan, Jacqueline, Geneva (MIL), Selma, Me,  Marie, and Maggie

My Armenian Mom and my Real Mom...

...and my Mom in Law!

Opening presents.

Mom and Dad.

And on to the wedding!

Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013

Time: 2pm-ish

Ceremony performed by: Alan Terlep, cousin of the bride

Attendants: Madelon Mokma, cousin of the bride, and Jacob Love, friend of the groom

Readers: Liz Schaefer, cousin of the bride; Katie Mokma, cousin of the bride; Sarah Avery, friend of the couple; Stephanie Archer, friend of the couple

Food: Steak, chicken and shrimp kabobs with fresh vegetables from the Holland Farmer's Market, and lots of amazing sides!

Pre-Wedding

Rehearsal Dinner

Rehearsal Drinks

Rehearsal Drinks

The Ceremony

We did it!

Maddy, Me, Alan, Mark & Jake

Family...

Cousins Liz & Jacob

Cousins Liz, Maddy & Katie

The Kleinjans

The Mokmas

The Apple Kids

My Parents

My brothers Michael & Ferman

Mark's Parents

...Friends...

... and Us!

Cutting the Cake

After-Party

Wedding crasher from the neighbor's yard!

Brunch and Presents

It was an amazing weekend!

Emily

Music suggestion: "ABC" by the Jackson Five - it's "our song" and was our first (and only) dance at our wedding!

Movie suggestion: This video from the wedding of Mark losing his composure during our vows. :) Click this link: Wedding Vows