I went with my sister to have coffee yesterday and when I came back home, my daughter and her hubby were on a cleaning binge. Oh why didn’t I stay at my sister’s house longer? I came home and got sucked into cleaning. I just couldn’t sit back and watch them or go lock myself in my room. They were cleaning the upstairs where I live so I felt obligated to help. My daughter wants the house all spiffy for Christmas.
We got a lot done. There was a lot of clutter and vacuuming to do.
The best thing I did was clean out the junk drawer and turn it into my new spice drawer.
My spices were on three small shelves next to the window over the sink and I could never find what I was looking for. And yes, I use them all. I also cleaned out the refrigerator.
We have to make room for all the food we will be making for the holidays. I am going grocery shopping today with my brother and it is pouring out. Yuck!!
Sunday, my daughter and I spent the day shopping and we had lunch at Red Robin. I had a chicken wrap and only ate half. That’s a first. I had the rest for supper and I was actually full.
We went to BJ’s, a discount food store, where you buy everything in bulk, don’t get bags, and everything is way cheaper, so we stocked up. We now have enough toilet paper to last for months. They also sell lots of other stuff beside food. We had to join. It’s like a club thing but we saved so much money. I will be going back for sure.
I will be posting a list of things to be thankful for but I am not doing it until Friday. There is a good reason why but you will have to wait to find out.
I was sincerely sad to see Red’s blog, “Dr. Pepper Is Good For The Soul” gone. I must have missed her goodbye post because I had no idea. I do understand why people stop blogging, though. It can be very time consuming. I will really miss her. She had an awesome sense of humor and was a great blogger.
I may not post again until Friday because I am very busy with making crafts, cooking, baking, shopping and evidently there is more cleaning. UHG!
Damon is traveling down the coast looking for jobs as he goes. No luck yet. He is still in North Carolina couchsurfing.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
That scarecrow keeps showing up on my blog!!
Whatever I think 
Nov 25, 2008 @ 15:27:22
OMG, you Domestic Goddess you, Joan 😉
I bet you feel great after that.
Love cleaning out my junk drawer every so often. It’s amazing the things that are in there, often forgotten and a great surprise.
Have a great day 🙂
Ha! Ha! Domestic Goddess!! Goddess, yes but I don’t know about Domestic. It does feel better to have everything clean!!
Nov 25, 2008 @ 15:43:19
That last cartoon was a great. 😛 Coming home after all the cleaning was done would have been a great addition to a list of things to be thankful for. Oh well. 😉 I read up on the couchsurfing. That’s some pretty cool stuff. I hope Damon finds a job soon. I know how hard it is to find one right now. Happy Thanksgiving, Joan. 😀
I hope both Damon and you find a job. It’s so tough in this economy. I had to put up that cartoon because of your scarecrow comment. Damon has met some really nice people couchsurfing. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Nov 25, 2008 @ 15:56:46
Happy Thanksgiving Joan! I’m thankful for YOU. 🙂
I’m thankful for you too!! I hope we can get together again after the holidays. Happy Thanksgiving, CuriousC.
Nov 25, 2008 @ 16:21:55
“Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?”
Heehee. That’s what I thought of when I saw your refrigerator. It seems to have been a very successful cleaning binge. Happy Thanksgiving!
Maybe Red’s blog is protected temporarily while she sorts out some things. You should email her and ask her if she’s okay.
I hope things go well for Damon.
Ha! Ha! I have lots of Grey Poupon!!! I did E-mail Red but haven’t heard back. I just hope she’s OK. Damon needs to get a job. I hope he can find one quick. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Nov 25, 2008 @ 17:35:26
Oooh – did you alphabetize your spices? I tried that once and it stayed for a while because I forced myself to put things back where they were but now they are kind of messed up again. Nuts.
I was sad to see Red go too. I hope she is well. I think she may be down in the dumps. It’s not easy working night shift. But what do I know? I did try emailing her but have gotten no response. I guess it is a good sign that she didn’t delete the blog altogether. I know she had some great posts. She is missed.
My spices are in alphabetical order for now. I e-mailed her too. I hope she is OK. I think everyone misses her.
Nov 25, 2008 @ 17:37:56
Happy Thanksgiving Joan. Your fridge and drawer look wonderful. I like the idea of spices like that. It’s so nice to have everything ship shape. I’m lucky, one of my daughter in laws is doing turkey day this year. Yippeee…..I get the day off. I’ll be doing the cleaning like this in a moth.
I’m wishing the best for Damon and looking forward to your post on Friday.
I don’t have to cook this year. We are spending Thanksgiving with Sarah’s hubby’s family. Damon sounds good. He calls me at least 4 times a day. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Nov 25, 2008 @ 18:55:05
I love that first image. I want to print it out and hang it in my kitchen!
I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving. Holy spices, Joan! I thought I had a lot.
Take care.
I think I might print out that first image. I actually use all those spices. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Nov 25, 2008 @ 19:35:56
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Joan! We don’t celebrate it here in NZ although I wish we did (but perhaps in winter, not end-of-spring). It’s a lovely concept.
Your spice drawer looks amazing! And your fridge is so neat & tidy. I hope your trip to the grocery store wasn’t too much of a drag … at least now you can concentrate on the fun part, cooking!
I actually don’t have to cook this year. We are going to Sarah’s hubby’s family for dinner. We are starting to clean early for Christmas. Sarah doesn’t like to procrastinate, unlike her mother. 😉 Let’s see how long I can keep the spice drawer and fridge clean.
Nov 25, 2008 @ 19:56:41
Well, what can I say, I have been cleaning our room for a week now and it looks as if a storm has come up, I need more time for that, really…
Sometimes when you clean things get worse before they get better. I always end up with a bunch of stuff I don’t know where to put. Sarah usually just gets rid of it when I am not looking. I am a pack rat and she’s not, thank goodness or things would be piled up everywhere.
Nov 25, 2008 @ 20:08:55
I can’t ever not jump in when someone else is cleaning either. Doesn’t it feel good to be so organized now though? Great idea on the spice drawer. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
I got the idea for the spice drawer from my niece. It’s working out great too. I feel too guilty watching people clean around me. There are a lot of things I can’t do but if I can sit and do something I will. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Nov 25, 2008 @ 22:35:50
Its 10:30 p.m. and I just got through baking Wendy’s recipe for Pumkin Cheesecake – phew ! It is excellent ! Now I have to control myself from having a slice between now and Thursday ! !##!! How the hell am I gonna do THAT ??!
I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving…we all have so much to be thankful for don’t we
Pumpkin Cheesecake, OMG, that sounds good. Probably not weight watcher approved, though. KEEP AWAY FROM THE CHEESECAKE!!!!! Do you know that I forgot that I met you a few years back at Bobby Byrnes Pub for lunch with Wendy and my sister? My sister had to remind me. My memory sucks big time. Yes, we do have a lot to be thankful for. I will have a list of things that I am thankful for on my blog Friday. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Nov 25, 2008 @ 23:19:28
can you send your daughter and her hubby my way? I’ll cook for them and everything. I so seriously am hiring somebody to unclutter this joint next spring. I have a wall to wall closet with clothes I NEVER wear in there putting strain on the wall I’m sure. If I stand in there and try to pick stuff out for goodwill I take maybe 2 things out at a time (only to replace them by a shopping trip to goodwill)…I need somebody to go in there with my kids and have them say..”do you ever want to see your mother in this again?” and then they can either let me keep it or bag it. What’s gonna happen is that one of both of them are going to say..” I knew she freaking had that shirt”! WHOOPS!
I’ve got like 20 junk drawers! It makes me want to hyperventilate even thinking about where to start in the cleaning. I need to go lay down cuz this whole post wore me the hell out! Too much work!
🙂 love ya!
When I owned my business I did pay someone to clean my house. I had it done every other week. It was always my son’s girlfriends or my daughter’s girlfriends that I hired. $60 every two weeks was worth it. Now I am the house cleaner. I have to have Sarah help me on some stuff though, like the big cleanings. My daughter is a neat freak and I am a, well, let’s just say I’m not.
You are too funny. I hope you didn’t need a paper bag because you were hyperventilating. I must have told you that when the kids moved in with me they filled 5 of the largest dumpsters they make with crap from my house. I am such a pack rat.
Love you too!!!!
Nov 26, 2008 @ 08:49:29
I loved that cartoon, Joan! Ask Birdpress to send over the Big Bird Thanksgiving cartoon she sent out last year. Hoot!!
Nice drawers! I have three spice drawers! It’s a sickness of mine. I started that when we moved in 27 years ago because heat and light affect spices. PLUS this way they’re always visible when you want to find something.
Happy Turkey Day, my friend, to you and your lovely family!
I saw that Big Bird cartoon on someone’s blog. Of course, now, I can’t remember whose blog. It was hilarious. 3 spice drawers? I thought I was bad. I do like them better in the drawer. They are so easy to find now. Happy Thanksgiving to you and D-Bear.
Nov 26, 2008 @ 10:13:33
I have a spice cabinet. My hubby insists that I clean it out and he would love to see it alphabetized. That ain’t happening. I’m the cook, I like my spice cupboard. (I think I have every spice available, LOL.) It makes me feel very chef-like. He cleaned out the frig though, which is now filled to the brim with Thanksgiving goodies. The scarecrow cartoon was so funny! 😀
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I used to have a nice wooden spice cabinet that hung on the wall. It sort of broke but Sarah kept it because it was so old. She finally threw it away when we cleaned. She hated to but it was really messed up. Your hubby cleans? That’s cool!!! You have a great Thanksgiving too!!!!
Nov 26, 2008 @ 11:54:50
I have a spice cabinet which is not organized at all but I know where everything is. My kitchen, my way!
If you guys have any energy left after cleaning your own shin-dig feel free to wander on down here to Texas. I will be glad to give you directions to my place! 🙂
As long as you know where everything is, that’s all that counts. I have to share the kitchen with the kids even though I do 98% of the cooking. I wouldn’t mind visiting Texas. I’d even cook for you.
Nov 26, 2008 @ 12:08:47
your one busy momma. Enjoy the crafting and yeah I know you wont post the photos because relatives might see it hahaha.
and those spices are too many. Great you now have a great storage for them, so you wont have a hard time looking for what you need.
Happy Thanksgiving joan and family 🙂
Jeanny, I’ll e-mail you some photos when we actually get anything made. I love using herbs and spices. Have a great day!!
Nov 26, 2008 @ 13:49:11
That is one sexy spice drawer. I have a friend whose fridge is a disaster and whenever I come over I organize it for her!
I am sad to hear about Red, too. She needs to come back, she is so funny. Perhaps we can all bond together and pick a day to all blog for her to come back.
You can come to my house anytime and help organize. That is one of many things I am not good at. I miss Red too. I hope she is OK. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Nov 26, 2008 @ 15:45:03
Happy Thanksgiving! I would have turned around and left when I walked in on the cleaning 😉 Sometimes you’re in the mood… sometimes you’re not!
I LOVE Red Robin. I have a hard time not finishing my plate there. Good for you!
Welcome and thanks for stopping by.
I should have turned around and left but I was too shocked to think of that. I’m never in the mood for cleaning. Cooking, YES!! It was my first time at Red Robin. The food was great.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Nov 27, 2008 @ 01:02:44
Joan, you are one of the few people I can think of who would put up a picture of the inside of the fridge! Too fantastic. Do you really use all those spices? You are much spicier than I am, obviously.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your wonderful family, and we’ll all spare a thought for Damon, too.
You wouldn’t have gotten a photo if I hadn’t cleaned it first. Ha! ha! I do use all the spices. i don’t use any salt in anything but I love to play around with flavors using herbs and spices.
Nov 27, 2008 @ 10:52:42
I went on a massive cleaning binge last Thursday–and while I hated doing it at the time, I SOOOOOO love the end result. Now if only we can keep it that way…
I always say I’m going to keep it clean but slowly the clutter starts to creep in and then before I know it it’s cleaning time again. It does feel good, though, right after you clean.
Nov 28, 2008 @ 11:01:12
Happy Thanksgiving to you too. You’re appearing to becoming to organzied.
Let’s put it this way. I am being forced to be organized by certain household members but I am getting a little better at it.