Backyard Bird Count

Happy New Year everyone! First things first... here's what I am excited about today. I am taking part and encouraging you to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count! The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are asking people to keep their eye out for birds and keep a count of how many you see from February 12, 2010 through February 15, 2010. You don't have to watch out for birds the whole time. If you have a feeder in your yard you can just write down what you see on which day and log on to http://www.birdcount.org/ to report what you have seen.

I am so tickled about this. I am an avid bird watcher. I have always loved to see different species and especially since moving to the country last year. I have enjoyed seeing different birds, some that I haven't seen in a long time and some that I have never seen.

In December I recommended a bird book http://peppysis.blogspot.com/2009/12/good-guide.html called Birds of Tennessee - Field Guide. It has great pictures and descriptions to help you identify what you've seen. You can purchase it on Amazon's used books for five or six dollars plus shipping. Or hey... you can just ask me and I'll look it up for you!

Back to the Great Bird Count. I was just fishing around on the sight and I found it very interesting. They have what has been reported in your area over the last several years. As for me I plan on being outside at least on February 13th and 14th no matter how cold it is! Heck I was out bird watching yesterday and the temperature didn't get over 27 here. I do recommend proper bundling if you plan on bird watching from anywhere other than your windows!

If you want to set out feeders to attract birds to your yard here's my tip. I feed birds in my yard black oil sunflower seeds and also have homemade suet out for them which I thoroughly enjoy making. http://peppysis.blogspot.com/2009/11/feedin-birdies.html Since that post I have tried the recipe using leftover bacon grease and grease from meat that I have cooked and it also works well.

Please ask me any questions about the bird count and I'll try to help.

**Hey just to let you know... there are no reports from anyone in White House, TN** I found that interesting. So to my readers in White House it's your time to stand out!! I hope you enjoy your hunt!

Organizing Can Be Fun... Yes It Can!

Howdy Doo everyone! In yet another attempt at organizing an area of my home I found that I needed something. If you are at all like me then sometimes you find yourself searching online for recipes and new twists on old recipes. When I find what I need I'll print it out and take it home with me to try out. If it's a keeper it gets put into the stack of eight and a half by eleven sheets of paper all containing tried out recipes in my cookbook pantry.

I have known for quite a while that something needed to be done. So I found an old three ring binder at work that I knew was not likely to be used again mostly because I have worked here for over three years and haven't touched it because it had printing on it. So with permission I brought it home and decided to paste pictures of food, tips and recipes from a food magazine that I had lying around. On Sunday I had the ole migraine trying to set in so I got out my project, sat at the table and put it all together.

Modge Podge is a wonderful product that I have always had a lot of fun with. At my table I cut out beautiful pictures and using a paint brush, pasted them all over my new kitchen cookbook. I sprayed a slight layer of finishing glossy spray all over the notebook. This keeps anything from thinking about being sticky from the glue. Now all I have to do is punch holes in my papers containing fabulous recipes and presto... my cookbook pantry is organized! Needless to say it was already in order except for all the stray paper stacked and stuffed in there!


Did I mention a glass of wine goes well with this project?

Now That That's Over

Happy Monday-After-Christmas to you all! If you're like me, you are back at work... thankfully and happily. Saturday evening my thinking cap was seriously screwed on tight and I got to thinking about New Year's stuff. I get a little antsy when a new year is almost here. I like for things to be cleaned out, put away and freshly organized before a new year begins. I feel as if it's bad luck to drag unnecessary things like clutter , dust and dirt into a new year.

Yesterday I found myself cleaning out an re-organizing things like my pantry and spice rack and it all led me to come up with ten things to help you get organized and ready for a new year. Even if you get one of them done I promise you'll feel much better. Don't be afraid to throw away, recycle and/or donate un-needed items. Try and make your New Year as easy as possible.

10 Easy Things To Organize For The New Year

1. Your Tupperware cabinet. If you haven't stored anything in it at some point during the last year... recycle it. Arrange lids in a bin or basket from smallest to largest.

2. Clean out your medicine cabinet. Get rid of old prescriptions and expired cough syrup. Keeping things "just in case" you need them can hurt you if they are old and maybe not even serve their intended purpose anymore. Rubber band band-aids together and seriously.. do you need all those medicine measuring cups?

3. Clean out your area that houses half-used lotions and shampoos that you didn't like. Pour them out and recycle the bottles. No one truly wants to smell like leaves and peppermint. If you're going to use that self-tanner you bought two springs ago I want to see the results!

4. De-clutter your house. Find five items in your home that you really don't need that are just sitting around. Seriously.. do you need those figurines? Donate the items or box them up to sell.

5. Books - look over your already read books and get rid of the ones that you didn't like or are most likely to never read again. Donate the books or find a bookstore that will buy them or take them in on trade for books that you haven't read. Used book stores are wonderful! We have a new one here on the hill if you haven't already been there.

6. Plan now for a spring or summer yard sale. Dedicate an area or box in your storage space or attic and label it "garage sale" or "to donate". Add to this box or area as you de-clutter.

7. Re-arrange your linen closet. This can be as easy as refolding the items there. If not choose towels and sheets that you no longer use and take them out for more space. Place all like items folded neatly together. Donate unwanted towels, sheets and blankets to a local humane shelter. They will be happy to have them.

8. Invest in new bed pillows. I really don't want to get into what can collect in pillows but they can be replaced now a days pretty cheap.

9. Clean out from under the bed. Personally I believe that a good night's sleep comes when there's nothing stored under the bed. If you have to use this space you can get thin boxes to keep your items in.

10. Replace make-up brushes and applicators. You can get a decent new blush brush from Wal-Mart for around $5. Keep in mind that it is recommended (somewhere) that you need to change your mascara every six weeks to prevent eye irritation.

If you have more ideas please feel free to leave a comment. I have only lived in my new home since last March. It is amazing how fast clutter and just stuff can build up. You can outgrow a home pretty fast especially if you don't stay on top of things. Going in to a new year gives me inspiration to not take excess baggage with me. In my world there is no excuse for excessive clutter. Now... go organize! :)

Don't Forget The Kippies

Howdy Doo Everybody! I truly hope that Christmas is all a'glow in every one's hearts and in the hearts of those around you. I sure could see it in my hubby this morning when he saw the gifts I stayed up wrapping last night tucked under the tree. His first words were "Dang.. somebody's been to the Wal-Mart!" I then proceeded to have the twelve days of Christmas by Jeff Foxworthy stuck in my head for the next hour. It beats "Walkin round in women's underwear" tho.. thanks Katety. That one is stuck a lot. My blog today is going to be a double whammy. One recipe and one Christmas craft. Let's do the recipe first.

It comes from my Grandmother's recipe book that my sister Mary Evelyn and I put together for our family members last Christmas. Boy that was a chore!

Butterscotch Haystacks

1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup salted peanuts
2 cups chow mien noodles

Microwave butterscotch chips and peanut butter together on 50% power for 3-5 minutes - until stirs together nice and smooth. Add peanuts and chow mien noodles and blend to coat nicely. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper and allow to cool.
*Note: I make this recipe twice (not doubled). It takes a long time to harden - works best if you put it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

And please don't forget the Kippies.. meaning your pets! My pups usually get smoked pig ears and tennis balls for Christmas and for Tommy I make cat nip pillows and he might get a treaty too if he's been good :). Here's how I make the cat nip pillows.

Sew together 2 - 4 inch squares of material like a normal pillow, leaving an opening for stuffing. Insert regular stuffing and add a teaspoon of cat nip that can be homegrown and dried or bought at a pet store for around two bucks. Stitch the opening together and try to get them to the stocking without being followed. My Tommy knew what I was doing when I sat down!


Even if you don't have presents for your pups please remember them over the cold winter days and nights. Make sure to have hay or something warm for them to bed down on while the temperatures are low. If you don't have any straw call me.. I'll find you some and get it to you. Maybe you can even sneak a piece of Christmas ham out to them. Somehow I think my dogs have always known when Christmas was here. Maybe they actually remember me telling them about Jesus when they were little. Merry Christmas!