Wednesday, January 14, 2015

SOME ORGANIZING & THE THINGS WE EAT








Today I caved and went downstairs to my storage room, which is starting to look like a garage sale in the making.  I found a cloche and some pinecones for my coffee table and added some of my decorating books.




I found these S & P shakers at Terrain a few years ago.  If you look closely, they are mini Mason jars.




I've been back on my low carb/no carb diet since January 1 and so far, so good.  Abby on the other hand decided to go with whole foods and little dairy or excess fat.  She has been making smoothies with our new Magic Bullet (a Christmas grab bag gift).  I can't have fruit but I've tasted a few.  The strawberry/pineapple/banana/Greek yogurt is a winner.  Anyway, she wanted to go to a restaurant we've recently discovered called The Harvest Room.  The food is farm to table, organic or organically raised.  They make their own biscuits, jam, syrups, soups and pastries.  The menu was incredibly interesting...if you are curious and want to scratch your head in confusion a lot as I did, here is their website.  

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So who eats tuna salad simply because they love it?  Crave it?  If you crave more it can only be because you are still ravenous.  Still, here is my tuna salad recipe.

1 pouch of tuna in water (one serving size)
2 T mayonnaise 
1/2 stalk of celery sliced thin
1 green onion, sliced
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t Mrs. Dash
A pinch of parsley flakes

Mix all and chill one hour (preferably...I never plan ahead and usually devour it as is).  Serve on a few iceberg lettuce leaves.



January means organizing and goals to eat better and be more active for so many of us.  Dr. Oz, whose new magazine is just terrific, wrote in the January issue, "So many New Year goals fail because we expect immediate results.  When that doesn't happen we throw in the towel."  I agree that we have to be in it for the long haul.  Be patient no matter what your plan is. 

I was going to go back to the gym this week.  I found that I just needed more space between the chaos of the past few weeks and a true commitment.  It's pretty easy to have that goal shimmering in front of me full of promise.  Then there is the harsh reality of completing that first run around the track and remembering how much I hate to exercise!

Off I go to work on that closet.  Maybe I'll burn a few calories while I'm doing it.

Jane x

46 comments:

20 North Ora said...

I thought closets were suppose to look like that!! LOL

Judy

Unknown said...

I've been on an organizing kick the last week or so. I've got the closets pretty well straight, except for one that I really dread starting on!! I've organized "MANY" junk drawers too! We have about 5 of those! I've got to start a garage sale box soon. Need to get rid of a lot of junk!! Since I'm "buying" again!!! Lord help me!! I am such a sucker for inexpensive decor! It's an illness, I tell you! Love your shelves, and I think they look great!

susan said...

I have no idea what an 'English' sphere pea is.....and I'm English. Is there anyone from the UK who can enlighten me?
I am desperate to organise my cupboards etc but there are too many people at home driving me nuts (aka the husband who hasn't gone back to work yet).
The satisfaction of a de-clutter is priceless.

Maggie said...

Tell me how you got hold of a photo of my airing cupboard? Forget about folding fitted sheets, it just can't be done.
I love tuna prepared that way, really do but usually eat it between two slices of wholemeal bread! The hummus looked tasty, too.
P.S. the shelves look really good.

Poppy said...

Hi Jane,

Wow! So many wonderful things in this post! Good for you for being such a conscious eater and getting back to the gym. I want to slim down as much as I can before my next trip to Canada, (since I know that I will be very tempted with all my favourite treats there!). I also need to start walking again, daily, for the fresh air and calming effect it has on me, too.

Your shelves and cloche vignettes are very pretty, kudos for your craftiness! 'Close'ts...no wonder there are doors to them, which should be closed at all times!

La Loren is still lovely, most likely because she knew how punishing more than a palmful of pasta could be!;))

Great catching up with you, my friend. Have a wonderful week!

xx
Poppy

Stacey said...

Jane, you just make so much sense to me. Needing space between the chaos and a new goal completely makes sense. I bet it will really help too!

I'm a completely organized, neat and tidy girl on the outside. On the inside of all of my cabinets, they look just like your linen cabinet. I'm not ashamed. :)

Kathleen Grace said...

Thank you! I thought I was the only person alive who, even with Martha Stewart's help, can't figure out how anyone gets a neat square out of a folded fitted sheet. My dirty little secret is the basement. I have already hauled about 8 boxes to Salvation Army and 5 large bags of trash to the curb. I'm still working on it. Did you know that berries are low carb? You can have them on a low carb diet!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

It sounds like you are doing very well, Jane! I have been trying to be good and find the toughest part about going to the gym is getting myself there! : ) Once I am there, I feel great and wonder why I always procrastinate about going. Yesterday I did the treadmill and today I will probably switch up and do the bike for a half hour. Still need to find a good time for me to go. I found that yesterday at about 5 was a bit too busy for my liking.

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Hi Jane,
I love your post today and your honesty. Mr. Sissie is a creature of habit and refuses to try any new recipes....he likes boring, boring. So whenever I get a chance to go to lunch with girfriends I try to eat something different.
Also, I've been cleaning out and organizing the closets too. Of course, like you said, whenever I pull out anything from the bottom the whole closet goes crazy again!
I have plans to get back on my diet but it's been hard. The Nutri System plan works as LONG AS YOU STAY ON IT! The minute you start eating regular foods the pounds start coming back on. I have gained back 15 pounds and I'm really mad at myself. I am thinking about joining a Zumba class. I hope to get my butt in gear before I'm back up to my pre diet weight.

hugs,
Sissie

Julie Marie said...

Hello dear Jane... and first off, thank you so much for your visit and your sweet comment to me... sorry I have not visited sooner, but have not done much at all since I fell... love that you showed your linen closet "before"!... and yes, I have "secret spaces"... once my "Christmas closet" door is shut after I put all of my Christmas things in it, no one is allowed to open it again till next year!... it's really a disaster, but it's so hard to store everything Christmas that I have... your new shelves look beautiful!... and your tuna salad sounds delish!... I could eat tuna salad every day... as far as dieting, I think everyone needs to do what works for THEM, not what anyone else tells them to do... I think the big secret is really moderation... for me anyway... loved your post about the shower. The stork scales is so adorable, I'll bet MC just loved it!... the tables of food looked so pretty and the whole shower sounds like so much fun!... please email me your IG name so I can follow you there too, much love, xoxo... Julie Marie

Linda said...

I have a linen closet like that!
Well.....not quite THAT bad! Hahaha!
And what is that smell?
I find 2or 3 times a year, I have to wash all my pillowcases!
Would love to see your after ,Jane!
Best of luck with the "diet"..... Me too!
Cheers!
Linda :o)

ps....the shelves came out great!

Rita C at Panoply said...

Oh my - your closet, lol! THat reminds me of the way my mom used to keep closets, and I laughed out loud.

Yesterday I claimed I was bored. I don't want to organize right now, even though it's a great time to do it. So my sister & I rearrange at our booth spaces - that qualifies, right? I bought a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts after restyling our booths on Tuesday and ate 5 of them within 24 hrs (plus a couple slices of banana bread, and 1 white fudge oreo - my diet staple is dessert after every meal. Yea, the KK were a splurge).

Oh dear, is January over yet? I so dislike this month.....

Maria Elena said...

Jane, I love your new shelves! They are so pretty with all your decorations on them. I have been trying to organized our home for the last two weeks. Your linen closet is nothing compared to what my storage closet looks like. Seven bags of trash later and we can finally walk in. :) All the food looks delicious. Good for you! I have no willpower when it comes to food. My sweet tooth gets me every time. And yes! I do have a junk drawer in the kitchen, well, actually two. :)

Theresa said...

I love the shelves! Great job with the color and I don't think they are cluttered at all! I also have not one but TWO linen closets that look like that:) You inspire me to do something about them! SO many things in there that I will NEVER use, at least not in their current state! Enjoy your day, and YES I want to see the AFTER pic! HUGS!

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

The shelves look great Jane! I am eating healthier too. I wish the weather was warmer so I could go walking.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Ok, I am ashamed. I need to get back to the gym too. Good for you, you are amazing. All of my closets look like that, so I need to tackle those too. Great post

Primitive Stars said...

Morning Jane, love those wee Mason jar Salt and Peppers, so cute. I also thought closets were used for that kinda stuff. I am trying to do the same but just move things here and there and then they end up back to the same spot, sigh. Blessings Francine.

Deserae said...

Your shelves look great....and now everything including the shelves will stay put! LOL....I have a armoire I use as a linen closet and it looks just like yours. I really need to tackle that sometime soon.
~Des

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

Oh I love your shelves!!
And, by the way, how did you get a picture of my linen closet!!
I'm trying to do the no carb thing as well...just taking it day by day!

TexWisGirl said...

good luck with the diet. i had great success on low carb/high protein but always gained the weight back and then some. :)

laughed at monica's closet. :)

Julia said...


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Elracodeldetall.blogspot.com

Lisa @ Texas Decor said...

I totally understand about your closet situation. Most of my cabinets and drawers are fairly organized, but...my master bedroom closet...oh my, let's just say it will NEVER make it onto the blog. Lol! It's the "catch all" for everything. I tried to totally organize my pantry once. I bought all matching bins and baskets, filled them up with like items and...hated it! Ha! We're just not the type of family that is willing to sort through a bunch of bins to find the one food item we're looking for, so the bins went back to the store. :)

Annelies said...

Thank you for the lovely visit to my blog and directing me to yours!!! I think we are kindred spirits. After over a year in WW I am actually LOVING a healthy eating style...and you shared some yummy dishes. Happy new year to you and may we BOTH continue eating healthily in the months to come. XXXX

Heaven's Walk said...

Oh my gosh...that food looks soooo good, Jane! So interesting...and healthy! Those peas ~~ how funny! lol I feel your pain with the closet issue. I hate walking into my walk-in closet (which is actually a tiny bedroom). It's a disaster. Definitely time for me to declutter and donate. You've inspired me, Jane. Time for me to get moving! lol

xoxo laurie

Doreen@foxdenrd said...

Ok my friend, you weren't kidding about that linen closet! Lol What am I going to do with you??! I know. Send me a plane ticket and we'll whip that space into shape in no time ;)

The food looks amazing, and so healthy too. I have a feeling this is going to be a great year for you and you will reach your fitness goals. You heard it here first!

XXX

Carla from The River said...

Hi Jane,
LOL ~ your closet made me laugh.
Fun post. :-)
Have a great weekend.
Carla

Elaine said...

You are so good. Tackling the closet and dieting.

I suspect I will diet after Valentine's Day. Too many chocolate festivals in my future.

Junkchiccottage said...

Hi Jane,
Glad you are tackling the good eating again. It is never easy but I know you will be soooooo good with this.
Ha ha I just cleaned out my linen cabinet too and wow mine was worse than yours!!!! Yep "Miss you can eat off my floors" has a secret behind close doors too!!! It felt good to clean it all out. I had three large trash bags full of stuff for Good will. You go girl with your organizing.
Kris

An Oasis in the Desert said...

Oh, yes! My guest room closet is looking pretty cluttered.

We've been trying to eat healthy food and be more conscious of what goes into our mouths. Most experts say that you have to keep a log of everything you eat in order to lose weight effectively, so we each started using MyFitnessPal, a free app for smart phones. I also started using a FitBit to record my steps. It felt really good to not have that "lose weight and get fit" be my No.1 New Year's resolution this year. Even traveling for 3 weeks and having a few goodies here and there, I actually lost weight. That has never happened before! So best wishes to you, Jane, for getting back on track!

Linda said...

I loved you before - but after seeing your linen closet - I love you MORE!!!!
A gal after my own heart!!! WHO in their right mind takes the time to FOLD fitted sheets????? My closet looks just.like.yours.

Pondside said...

Jane, when did you sneak in and take a photo of my old linen closet!!??
I say 'old linen closet' because we somehow managed to buy a house with NO linen closet. Sheets and towels are in piles and baskets while we try to decide which IKEA system we're going to buy.

deb @ frugal little bungalow said...

Speaking of tuna, I mix some in cold macaroni salad. Made some the other day and the grandson loved it and requested seconds. That surprised me :)

Unknown said...

Jane, this was such a delightful post. From seeing your gorgeous living room with you lovely new shelves, to giggling with you as I share the same food struggles. I think I'll get that book. Your linen closet looks like mine back in Massachusetts. Mainly because it seems to hold so many more things than just linens. Why do they make them so small? I still can't fold a bottom sheet properly, so I find myself stuffing it in a ball shaped mess on the shelf.

I love what you quoted from Dr. Oz. It is so true, we fail at our resolutions because we expect immediate results.

Have a wonderful day.

Karen

Kelly said...

Oh my, that food from the new restaurant y'all went to sounds so strange to me. Of course, I live a sheltered life in the south, so I've never eaten some of those things they served you. Those peas were huge!! I have been cleaning out linen closets lately too. I made a trip to Goodwill with a lot of blankets, towels etc. It always feels good to purge. I still need to purge more things from my basement storage room. I'm guilty of hanging on to things in the "just in case" mindset. You are not alone in your diet changes. I think everyone is trying to watch what they eat and exercise more. I love the shelves y'all made! I like the grey stain color too.

Row homes and Cobblestones said...

Jane,
Your shelf story is funny, hope the new owners of the ones banished to the curb have good luck with them. That was my favorite eposide of Friends! I am a perfectionist (Virgo)
I allow myself one packed prop closet in our home. But Jane unlike brave you I will not be photographing that mess! Yup laundered sheets need rotation ... Martha shared that "good thing" tip years ago.
Hubbies meal of Chicken and Waffles is yumminess on a plate. Sans the bacon though for me but oh my what a special high caloric treat!
Love the photo of you and your husband on the shelf, Happy Friday sweet friend.
xoxo,
Vera


Susie Q said...

Aren't all closets like this?? :)
Good luck with the new diet too...even if I think you are perfect just the way you are!
Love all your sweet decor touches for Winter!
Love,
Sue

Marigene said...

My closet is for hiding all kinds of things!
Before I retired my lunch every day was tuna salad (albacore packed in water) on romaine leaves and grapes...once in awhile I would deviate and have something different, but not often.
Have a great week, Jane.

chateau chic said...

Hi Jane,
First off...the shelves you made look so much better than the ones that fell off. Those foodie pictures look delish and are making me hungry as I write. I bet you know where everything is in your linen closet. :-)
Mary Alice

Sarah said...

Jane, we are in the midst of a big clean out and get organized project around here. Just have too much stuff in this house! I can so relate to your linen closet. My "secret" closet doesn't have linens, but it is stacked full of things. I clean it out, get it all organized, then somehow it begins to fill up again. Maybe this time I can keep it in ship shape. '-)

Mary@mydogsmygardenandmary said...

Well I must say that my linen closet looks almost like yours. I have been on a cleaning binge getting rid of so much stuff. I have silverware stashed in the linen closet, candles, dishes, etc. They are beginning to look really good.
I started the Atkins diet the last week in November and I am doing great! You would have been so proud of my during the holidays, I really stayed on it. No, fudge, cookies or sweets. The only thing I did have was some mashed potatoes with gravy with the Prime Rib that my son cooked. I still lost.
Your shelves look great - hubby did a good job putting them up.
Have a wonderful weekend, Jane.
Mary

podso said...

Hi Jane,

I always enjoy reading about your week. And now I want to get right up and tackle a closet--must be yours twin.

Sherry @ Thrift My House said...

Jane, our linen closet looks very similar to yours. Out of sight out of mind they say... The new shelves look so good and wow, that food looks delicious! I'm on day 17 of the whole30 diet.. so far so good. I need to start walking. The weather has been so bad here but it's looking better this coming week. Hope you're having a good weekend.

sweetbriardreams said...

An English sphere pea? Well I'm English and I have never seen let alone heard of one. Very interesting. I love your Monica reference - I am her!!! I am such a clean freak and everything is so organised but DON'T open any cupboards or drawers... scary very scary.

Has anyone taken the shelves yet? :-)

Have a wonderful Sunday xx

Stonecropsister said...

Hi Jane,
I love your comment on the cucumber snack. It goes without saying that there is much to love in this post, but as I am like a bloody yo-yo with my weight and ability to stick to a plan, this is what I latched onto today. Glad to hear someone else is less than thrilled with cucumbers and hummus. xx Nancy

Bluebird49 said...

Oh, my! I'm so behind, dear friend! Can't seem to think what I've been doing to actually a post--and then find a new one!

Thanks for the before and after linen closet! See? I told you--we're all humans with so much "alike-ness"!

Mr. Blondie did great w/the shelves, but honestly--I know you could learn to use a level and drill if you determined to do it. I did, years ago..Mr. Bluebird could never find time, and he hates stuff like that, anyway. You can do anything you put your mind to---I'm convinced you really can. Look back at your changes over the past few years via your blog posts!

Tuna--I love, and keep several of those packets in the fridge. Good chilled tuna, ready to eat via sandwich, or to make a quick salad. By the way--English WHAT peas? I thought at first, "Are they mini green tomatoes, and if so, why?" lol

What another good post--and I love to read all the comments, don't you? Hummus and cucumbers? No thanks! :) Gotta read your new post now!
xxxTrudy

Traci said...

Friends is my all time favorite show! I do remember that episode. That would be our office/LSU room. Anything that doesn't have a place or I may need to be donated or I just don't feel like dealing with at the moment goes in that room behind a closed door. That would also be why it's so daunting to think of the room makeover I want to do.