Cupcakes Kisses 'n' Crumbs: March 2023

28 March 2023

Back Yard Inspo

We have a clean slate backyard at our new place and I know nothing about Arizona plants or what will hold up in the heat 掠 I threw together some pics together not knowing if some of these will even grow here. Overall going for black, white and wood tones just like our last house. Finding heat tolerant stuff might be a little harder though 﫠

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27 March 2023

Weekly Kitchen Cleaning List

It’s been YEARS since I’ve reevaluated my cleaning routine. Not only has it been years but it’s also been 5 different homes since then 😳. It’s time to update that, I don’t want to miss things and I also feel like I can get through it much faster when I have a list.

~Clean out the fridge and freezer. We always have stuff to go. ~Dishes. I get them all loaded as well as the microwave plate and any stove top grates or oven grates that can use a quick wash. We often just do a quick wash or a no heat dry to speed it up. ~Wipe down upper cabinets, hood and backsplash Nothing outrageous just spot cleaning. ~Wipe out fridge and freezer and outside of fridge ~Clean microwave. Doing it weekly means it never takes much effort. If we go a while and it needs help, a little bowl of water with some lemon or dish soap, run for a couple minutes really helps loosen stuff up. ~Stove front and dishwasher fronts ~Any windows or glass cabinets fronts ~Stove top. Ours always needs attention. ~Clean counters. I take everything off and get all the way to the corners. We don’t keep much on the counters though. ~Then I clean kitchen table and chairs… kids are messy ~Scrub sink ~Shake out rugs ~Vacuum ~Steam mop or spot mop depending on week ~By then the dishwasher is probably about done. Unload that, then do a weekly dishwasher clean and a disposal clean. ~Once the kitchen is clean I stock items we use frequently. Salt, pepper, butter etc. and then make a grocery list and meal plan for the following week. I grocery shop on Fridays usually so I give myself all week to plan and Laing for the following week. *May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

21 March 2023

Sunday Reset - Sunday Prep

I’ve shared my short list below. Those all make sense to me but I wanted to explain a little bit.

Laundry-it’s only if someone NEEDS something for Monday, otherwise we don’t do laundry on weekends. Uniforms, work and teams both get a lot of use on weekends and sometimes they need it Monday too.

Meal Prep-If there is produce to prep, if I can make rice ahead of time, pack some lunches. Really look at the meals for the week and thaw anything that needs thawed. That helps so much in our grocery budget.

Clean Out Cars- Pretty self explanatory but I know after a week of games and weekend fun, it’s gross and needs some work.

Clean Out Bags- backpacks, lunchboxes, purses, game bags, beach bags. They all have snack wrappers and trash in them, and hopefully no banana peels 😜

Tidy Devices- This doesn’t take me long, I don’t even do it all at once, just throughout the day. I delete emails I don’t need, screen shots, photos, items I saved to read later, that TikTok recipe that was a flop. Any digital clutter from the week that I can be done with.

Self Care- I put off managing eye brows, cutting kids nails, deep conditioning, etc. all week because it is TOO much during the week, and I know Sunday is usually slower and I can get it done.

Fill Cars - Gas, I hate getting gas. Usually I can’t make it Sunday to Sunday but if I can, I love that I don’t have to get it. Waiting until Monday is the worst choice I have ever made for myself. It’s always busy.

Fill Supplements- I don’t know about you, but if I have to open 1 thing instead of 5-6 I am way more likely to get them in. It also helps me track stock and remember if I actually took them 😆

So really it’s not CHORES it’s just little things that help my week go smooth(er) not necessarily smooth.

20 March 2023

40 NO Candy Easter Basket Ideas

I am pretty determined to not have junky items we will likely throw away in a couple weeks, or an excessive amount of candy.

Our kids age ranges are 8-18 with a wide variety of interests. I’ve got a pretty random list of some things that might work for you. I’ve linked a few to some that were extra cute or a good deal!

Perfume

Pocket charger

Thumb drive

Dongle

Summer PJs

Pens or markers

Fun drinks in can/jar

Scrunchie

Face mask

Eye mask

Nail polish

Beach towel