Menu Plan Monday!

We are once again linking up with Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday- pop over to check out literally hundreds of amazingly creative menu plans!!!

Monday- Enchiladas (already made and frozen), cucumber/tomato/feta/cilantro salad

Tuesday- Lemon/rosemary roasted chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, peas


Wednesday- Indian spiced lentil stew, chana masala and naan bread


Thursday- Baked pasta with spicy sausage (already made and frozen!), green salad


Friday- Buffalo chicken pizza, green salad


Saturday- Soy-ginger chicken, brown rice, ginger carrots


What about you? What are you cooking this week? Leave us some ideas in the comments!!!

Rainy Day Sights

It is a blustery, rainy day here at TWS Headquarters. I'm recovering from a busy week, so today is going to be an easy day. As I was going through some blog photos this morning, I found a bunch that represent what we've been up to this week. Here is a look behind the scenes: 

 I got a new bike this week! Isn't she cute??

Mike got me these flowers for Valentine's Day. Pretty!

This is 95% of Grayfeet's day. Jealous!

I made two loaves of AMAZING whole-wheat bread. Which lead to quite a bit of...

Mmmm. The best breakfast. Add some chai to that teacup and I'm a happy girl.

This is my favorite snack- half a bagel, some cream cheese and pickled jalapenos. Mmmm.

Another favorite snack. Mmmm. Ever notice how all of my "not food" posts turn into food posts?

I finally framed this print that I gave to Mike for our first wedding anniversary. So cute, right?

Lots of stuff ready to be donated. We've been doing TONS of purging this week! 

That's a little peek into our world. Did you have a great week? 

Signs of Spring

Hello friends! We took a little trip to our favorite thrifty resource, Dollar Tree, and found tons of great supplies for some frugal spring decorating! I wanted to make a new spring wreath, find something to fill the hurricanes we had on our "mantel" from Valentine's Day and add some springy pops of color to our living room. Here's how we did:

These pretty eggs were $1 for a bag of 15 or 18 (I can't remember) and the ribbon (which we also used on our wreath) was $1. We already had the flameless candle, hurricane and epsom salt (the in bottom).

Here's our bookshelf- we were inspired by Tatertots and Jello to make a tiered tray. I'll throw together a tutorial for it, but in the meantime check out hers- I looove the bunting and chevron pattern!!!


More eggs (I'm going to get something to put underneath them- any ideas?) and some straw balls from Dollar Tree (two packages= $2). So far, this bookshelf cost us $6! Not too bad for lots of color and texture.

Here's our sweet wreath that is on our front door! We just wrapped some of the sheer ribbon from our hurricane ($1) on a braided straw wreath ($1) and then hot glued on some moss from our terrariums. We then nestled in some of the pastel eggs and added a little bow! Super simple, but very cute. For two dollars, you can't beat it!


So, for a grand total of $10, we have some signs of spring popping up at Tiny Wallet Headquarters!


ETA: Linking up today with Tatertots & Jello's Weekend Wrapup! Go check out all of the awesome projects that they have going on and tell 'em Tiny Wallet Style sent ya! 

52 Weeks of Organization- The Pots, Pans and Storage

We're linking up with Blue Cricket Design's "Show and Tell Wednesdays"!!! Go check out all of the awesome projects over there! 

Back atcha to show you our latest organizational accomplishment: tackling the heap of pots, pans and storage containers that threated to avalanche out of our poor cabinets at any moment. Eesh. It actually made us not want to cook when faced with that crazy chaos lurking behind closed doors. 


Before:

For this project, I knew we needed something to help us corral all of the unruly lids and smaller bakeware so we took a trip to the Dollar Tree to pick up some baskets. We spent $5 total on 5 small, plastic baskets which can be re-purposed later on. 


We also got rid of a ton of stuff- storage containers with no lids, a few doubles that we didn't realize that we had (who needs 3 tart pans??!) and pans that are past their prime. 


Here are the results:

So much better. Downsizing the sheer amount of stuff we have has really helped us in this organizing process. We're realizing just how little we actually NEED versus all the stuff we think we need. 


Oh and we're really thankful for the help we received during this process: 

So handsome. Even when he's trouble-making. 

52 Weeks of Organization- The Pantry

We spend nearly all of our home time in the kitchen. Cooking, baking, working at the kitchen table, doing laundry. It all happens in the kitchen. Part of the reason behind this is psychological- it has the most windows and is the brightest. The other part is necessity. 


Lately, we've found ourselves getting really discouraged at just how much stuff can accumulate in our few kitchen cabinets. Our "system" was not working anymore and Orgjunkie's 52 Weeks of Organization plan lit the fire under our proverbial tushies! 

Princess agrees that we need some help.

In just a few hours, our kitchen cabinets went from jumbled, disorganized and frustrating to organized. Not perfect, not magazine-worthy, but good enough for us. We wanted to avoid investing in tons of organizational bins and baskets and just work with what we have. And what we have is TONS of Tupperware. A whole, entire cabinet devoted to plastic storage containers of all shapes and sizes. Which just happened to be perfectly suited to giving our jumbled cabinets a little order. 


Before:

So there you go. Those are our "pantry" cabinets where we store all of our dry food and baking supplies. Here is how it looked after we cleaned everything out:

We completely emptied and cleaned out each cabinet, sorted all of the food into categories (canned and jarred, pasta/grains, rice and dry beans, flours and sugars, etc.). We tossed anything expired and donated whatever we weren't using to the food pantry. 

Yay! Here is the bottom cabinet, where we keep most of our "daily use" food items. We already owned those tiered can holders and we were using the Clementine boxes in other parts of the house. In the back are extras/things we don't frequently use like a big box of salt that we use to refill our smaller salt shaker.

Here is the top-left cabinet where we keep baking supplies and coffee/tea. We decided to move the coffee cups over here to make our morning routine more streamlined. The coffee maker lives on the counter under this cabinet, so it makes sense.


We transferred contents of opened boxes into Tupperware to keep them fresh. We also sorted baking supplies and boxed them up to make it easier to find what we need. Decorating supplies are all in one box now, baking ingredients in another and there is one whole box for chocolate chips. Woohoo!

In the top-right cabinet, we keep cereals and boxed foods like cake mix and crackers. We didn't take a photo because it's kind of boring. 


So there you have it! How we organized our pantry without spending a dime! Are you doing any organizing projects this week?? 

Linked to Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage! Check it out: 

Coming Out of the Laundry Closet- Part Two

Hello friends. We have been hard at work doing a whole lot of organizing/purging/donating around these parts. The first thing we've finished is the laundry closet. I put finished in quotation marks because I still have some decorating projects to add, but I thought I'd share the steps we have taken so far. 

A refresher of the "before": 

Oh boy. So before you start screaming, here is our lovely laundry closet after a thorough cleaning, sorting and purging. 

And inside: 

And up top: 

We even snuck in a little extra storage for some folding chairs and our little Dustbuster:

and

So there you have it! All prettied up and made much more functional! We plan to hang that flower picture up on the wall and add some decoration to the cork board which will cover all of the outlets. Yay! 


Onto the kitchen cabinets- stay tuned! 

Coming Out of the Laundry Closet

Guys. Remember that organizing conversation that we had the other day? In a typically overambitious move, yours truly decided to start our first organizing project at 8pm- tackling the laundry closet of horrors. Such a rookie move. 

Quickie Dinner: Hearty Sausage Lentil Soup

This recipe has been in my go-to bag for several years, and for good reason. It's got everything I want in a soup- hearty and substantial courtesy of the lentils and brown rice, spicy and meaty thanks to some Italian sausage and a good dose of greens thanks to some spinach. Give it a try the next time it's blustery and cold- the recipe makes a HUGE pot, so you'll be eating well for days. 

52 Weeks of Organization

Time to keep it real- we really are struggling with maintaining a balance between order and chaos over here at Tiny Wallet Headquarters. I'm juggling a full time job and this wonderful blog (which is like a full time job most days), and Mike is trying to acclimate to his new work schedule. Toss in a few jam-packed weekends and you, my friends, have a recipe for disaster.

Part of this chaos is the gradual and sneaky build up of...stuff. Mail that gets heaped in a pile. Projects that languish half-done on the kitchen table. Mostly empty bottles of products that stack up in the bathroom. Files that don't get filed. Things that we buy with the best intentions that get kicked under the bed or stuffed in a closet.

I'm done with all of the STUFF. I'm done with late night cleaning binges. I'm done with frantically shoving things into closets and drawers when someone drops by for a visit.

Phew. That felt good.

We need a clutter intervention, and luckily for us, Orgjunkie.com is doing an amazing program called "52 Weeks of Organization". The goal is to do one manageable project per week in an effort to curb the clutter and organize what you do have.

So here's our plan to tackle the chaos monster lurking at the edges of Tiny Wallet Headquarters:

1) Participate in Orgjunkie.com's 52 Weeks of Oganization project.

We're going to try and catch up, since they're already on week 6!! I think having one project/concept per week will be valuable to us since we won't try to tackle everything all at once and get overwhelmed.

2) Commit to paper. We'll go around the house and write down ALL of the problem spots and things that need attention. Then, in addition to the 52 weeks projects, we're going to tackle a few major cleaning/repairing projects per month (cleaning the cabinets, remove everything from bookshelves and clean, etc.). We'll pick 4 projects per month and try to tackle one a week.

3) Get rid of stuff in a major way. We're planning to move at some point in the spring, and we have A LOT of stuff to move. We're going to start reevaluating all of our things and getting rid of/donating/selling what we don't need. I've asked Mike to hold me accountable for doing this, since I'm a sucker and hold on to things that I have sentimental attachments to.

How about you? Do you have a way to deal with clutter and disorganization that might be helpful for us?

Quickie Dinner (or Breakfast): Sweet Potato Hash

So for our weekly brunch, I had every intention of making Smitten Kitchen's homemade pop tarts. After a night out and a late wake up on Sunday morning, those intentions changed. I needed to throw something together that was quick, easy and delicious. Sadly for me, I neglected the grocery shopping this week so I had few options. No eggs, so fritatta is out. No bread, so french toast is a no-go. 


Then I saw a big old bag of sweet potatoes and my wheels got to turning. I've made a sweet potato hash before, but the last time I didn't add much spice to it. Just traditional onion, garlic and some salt. This time, I was craving heat so we pumped up the flavor with some curry power, chili powder, cumin and paprika. 


These would be amazing topped with a poached egg and alongside a nice green salad with a simple vinaigrette for dinner (or brunch!)


(Alas, no photos- we were in a rush! Sorry)


Curried Sweet Potato Hash


1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tbsp. curry powder (we used muchi curry, but feel free to experiment)
5 oz. baby bella mushrooms, washed and chopped (use any mushroom you have)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
2 tsp. cumin 


Set a pot of water to boil. Add in sweet potatoes and cook until JUST soft (do not overcook them or they'll turn to mush). In another pan, melt 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and garlic, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and saute for another few minutes.  Add in spices. Drain the potatoes and toss them into the pan. Stir to combine, adding a little water from the potato pan if it's too dry. 

Menu Plan Monday!

Hey all! Sorry for the radio silence in the last few days. We've had a friend in from out of town, coupled with a super busy weekend so we've let the blogging lapse. 

Fear not, loyal Tiny Wallet Stylers- for we're back in action with a brand spanking new Menu Plan Monday!!! As usual, we've linked up with Orgjunkie.com, so go check out their hundreds of amazing menu plans to get some inspiration!

Last night, we made an amazing sausage, lentil and brown rice soup that we'll blog about later! It was soooo yummy and really satisfying.


Our special Valentine's dinner will be:


Marinated steaks with caramelized onions and mushrooms, goat cheese polenta, roasted asparagus and some homemade chocolate-heath bar ice cream (recipe to follow). Mmmm. 


Happy Valentine's Day, y'all! 
  

Quickie Dinner- Winter Veggie Enchiladas

This time of year, we crave something rich and warm and satisfying for dinner. Make-ahead, freezable and able to go from fridge to oven is a bonus! These versatile and yummy enchiladas fit the bill on all counts and are a thrifty and delicious staple to add to your meal plan!

Frugal Food: Lunch Ideas

So with Mike back to work, we're back to making bagged lunches for two. When it was just me, I'd throw together a bunch of random things and call it a day. Mike is a bit pickier and likes to eat "traditional" lunch items. So aside from the sandwiches and leftovers, I've been sneaking in some unconventional but healthy and filling lunches into his bag. Here's a few cheap and easy ideas:

Tiny Loving: Winter Blahs Edition

Hi y'all. Coming at you today with a list of things that are getting me through the winter doldrums. How about you? Have you found anything that makes a dreary day a little brighter?

Menu Plan Monday

Monday Monday.  It's most people's most-hated day o'the week, but for us Tiny Wallet people, it's the day we look forward to! Why? Because it's Menu Plan Monday- the day when we share our thrifty meal plan for the week. Once again, we're linking up with I'm An Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!! Click on the banner to check out all of the awesome menu plans!

Mike and Ally Sitting in a Tree...

S-A-V-I-N-G! I know, I know we're the worst. Grayfeet does not approve.

Tiny Peek: This (New) Old House

(We linked up to The Nesting Place's Paint Colors Linky!! Check it out here- they have a ton of amazing color inspiration!)

Terrari-yum

We're linking up to: 

Back to our title-Will you forgive me? It's rough to think up funny post titles, so I usually end up erring on the side of "no she didn't". Sorry.


Anyway- we made these cute faux terrariums this weekend to give our place a little dose of springtime amid all of the snow and cold. We've been inspired by all of the plant-based decorating that we're spying around the blog world. Check out these lovlies from Pottery Barn:


At $250 smackers, I think we can take a pass on these particular ones! But...we still craved a hit of nature in our otherwise drab living room, so we decided to make our own!!! In fact, while browsing around the interwebs, I found this project over at the AMAZING Dollar Store Crafts and decided to change it a little to make it our own. It was super easy, here's how:





Step 1- fluff your moss a little bit and fire up your glue gun. You can also use regular glue, but it takes longer to dry.


Step 2- Hot glue your candlestick to the bottom of the hurricane. You can score both of these things easily at your local thrift store, if you would like to do some recycling.





Step 3- Glue the moss around the base of your faux plant (found at the Dollar store or tuck some craft store greenery into a small styrofoam block). Make sure to cover up all of the foam.


Step 4- Stuff it into the bottom of your hurricane and you're done!


Easy as pie! If you wanted to make it look authentic, you could also fashion a top to your terrarium out of a small bowl, etc. Here's the cost breakdown:


$3.50! Not too shabby!