by kathilipp | Apr 30, 2012 | Home, The Get Organized Project |
Yes- I do believe I can help you get organized. (I mean, if I can organize cats, what can’t I tackle?)
I have been one of those women who has lived with the frustration of not knowing where my keys are, not being able to put my hand on important paper, running errands at the last minute for items that I knew I needed weeks ago, all because I’d resigned myself to the fact that I just wasn’t organized.
Have you been there?
If you are like me, then you’ve bought ever orgainzation book on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, or on the screen of Amazon, looking for a solution. But let me tell you why they haven’t worked.
They were written by organized people.
They were not written for you.
An organized person would never tell you how to clean out your purse by dumping it all into a bag but I do, because you, like me, want fast and instant and impressive results.
So if you’re willing to take a chance that I know what I’m talking about (and let me assure you, my stress level has gone down dramatically since I’ve learned the secrets to being organized when you are naturally unorganized) I have an offer for you!
Buy my two latest books THE GET YOURSELF ORGANIZED PROJECT and THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION (because we know the only thing more stressful than not knowing where your keys are is not knowing what’s for dinner…) for the majorly discounted price of $19.99 (plus S&H) and I will include the adorable MY HUSBAND IS A HOTTIE bag for free.
This offer is just to kick off the book release and is good until May 15th.
by kathilipp | Apr 24, 2012 | Home |
In honor of my new book, THE GET YOURSELF ORGANIZED PROJECT, I want to help you get your life together, and I want to start with your handbag…
I’ve always known the truth: the bigger your purse, the smaller your butt looks.
But with a large purse come the ability to fill it to the tippy top with a back breaking amount of “stuff”.
I knew I had issues when I casually mentioned to Roger, “I wish they had purses with wheels on them.” His reply, “They do. They’re called suitcases – and you have a problem.”
I would love for you to have the feeling that wherever you go, you are not weighed down by “stuff”.
Here’s my super-speedy way of cleaning out my bag. I simply take my purse and dump it out into a plastic grocery bag. I sort the dump into Put Away, Put Back, and (in this case) Throw Away.
Put Away
Anything I want to keep that doesn’t belong in my purse gets put away. This is also when I go through receipts I’ve carefully placed in my wallet (or, more likely, the ones I’ve quickly thrown into my purse…) and random notes or other pieces of paper. If you’re away from home while you’re sorting, just put these items into another bag to put away when you get home. And when you get home, put them away in the right spot.
Put Back
If it belongs in your purse, go ahead and put it back into your purse.
Throw Away
Anything that’s left over in your plastic grocery bag (food wrappers, cash receipts you don’t care about, and so on,) is now garbage that gets recycled or thrown away.
The beauty of the grocery-bag organizing system is that you can do it anywhere, anytime. Just grab a grocery bag and start sorting while you’re waiting for your kids to get out of band practice or while you’re on the phone with your mom.
Clean it Up
Give your purse a good shake and get out any stray bits, crumbs etc. I’ve even used a hand held vacuum to really get the bag clean.
Label It and Put It Away
Assign a spot for everything that belongs in your purse, bag, or backpack. I use three zippered pouches. Everything goes into one of those three pouches or into your wallet (or in rare cases, onto your key chain). The fewer items you place in your purse, the easier it is to know what’s in there.
Wallet. I recommend you keep in your wallet only cash, receipts, checkbook, and credit, debit, and gift cards.
Pouch 1: Makeup bag
- Lipstick and gloss
- Eyeliner
- Powder
- Sunscreen stick
- Blush and brush
- Eyeglass cleaner wipes
- Hand sanitizer
Pouch 2: Emergency kit
- Fashion tape
- $20
- Needle and thread
- Nail glue
- Advil
- Couple of adhesive bandages
Pouch 3: Change
Other Things to Keep in Your Bag
- Sunglasses case
- Cell phone
- Keys
Keep It Up
If I sort through the items in my purse once a week, it really is easy to stay on top of it. It takes only a couple of minutes to keep it up.
Do you have to do it exactly like this? No. I just want you to have a clean purse that is functional and doesn’t give you a hernia. So tell me here in the comments that you cleaned out your purse by May 18th (and I’d love to hear what the strangest thing you found in there was!), and here is what you could win: 
One winner will receive this beautiful Vera Bradley tote on the left filled with Kathi’s entire collection of books
And FIVE winners will receive my FAVORITE tote ever: The “My Husband is a Hottie” bad filled with all of my books!
by kathilipp | Apr 23, 2012 | Me |
(Kathi here. This is one of my favorite speakers, Cheri Gregory and I could not be more excited about this project. Join, participate, and, if you’re like me, stop being sarcastic for a while. Really. No, I’m not joking…)
As I thumbed through a copy of A Complaint-Free World five years ago, I considered myself the most optimistic, positive, encouraging (and obviously humble) person I knew.
In fact, I joked to my husband that we needed to buy two (maybe three) dozen copies to give the long list of negative people in my life who drag me down with their never-ending complaints, criticism, and gossip.
Than I read a little farther. And the author had the nerve to suggest that of all the negative people in my life, I might be the worst of the worst!
That. Made. Me. Mad.
So I decided to take the author’s Complaint-Free challenge: 21 days with no complaining. Just to prove how wrong he was, I even ordered his silly little purple bracelet.
The instructions were simple: I was to start each day with the bracelet on my left wrist. As soon as I caught myself complaining, criticizing, or gossiping, I was to move the bracelet to the other wrist.
For accountability, I told my students what I was doing.
Big mistake.
Did my students ever warm up to the “challenge.” In the first class, my bracelet switched arms five times in just three minutes!
The shocker was that each time took me totally by surprise. I wasn’t even thinking critical thoughts, when suddenly, “Mrs. G? Is that complaining I hear?”
I soon discovered that my optimistic self-image resembled reality the way a chick flick resembles marriage: hardly at all.
Sound Familiar?
Maybe you’ve experienced some of the same warning signs I have. See if you identify with any of the following statements:
___ “My life would be much easier without the negative people who drag me down.
___ “I speak Sarcasm fluently.”
___ “When I see a type-o on a sign, I have to point it out to someone.”
___ “I’m surrounded by difficult people at work and/or at home.”
___ “It’s not really gossip; everything we say about her is true.”
___ “There’s an impossible person in my life who will never change.”
___ “I struggle with anxiety, fear, and/or depression.”
___ “Negative things people have said keep popping back into my mind.”
If two or more sound familiar, you’re invited to take The PURSE-onality Challenge!
What is The PURSE-onality Challenge?
Quite literally, it’s 31 days of replacing “baditude” with God’s word and gratitude, May 1-31 (with a warm-up week starting April 22.)
I’ve tried the Complaint-Free challenge many times in the last five years. But just trying to stop old bad habits was never enough; I needed to start new ones to replace the old.
So for one month, we’ll be focusing on four positive habits: spotlighting Personality strengths, eliminating complaints, journaling gratitude, and memorizing scripture.
Take The PURSE-onality Challenge if…
…you feel convicted to change your thoughts and words.
…you’re at your wit’s end with a particular relationship.
…you desire more hope, joy, and peace in your life.
Check out our website to sign up!
You’ll also find three free audio messages:
Let’s Get PURSE-onal!
Personality Puzzle for Parents of Preschoolers
and
Healthy Marriages Major in History (NOT Math!)
plus a free e-Book: Top 10 Priceless Gifts that Don’t Cost a Dime for Each PURSE-onality!
Enter to win a free copy of The PURSE-onality Challenge journal and a set of 31 laminated Bible verse cards! Leave a comment telling what changes you’d most want to see in your life from taking The PURSE-onality Challenge!
Cheri Gregory has been married to her pastor/teacher/musician college sweetheart, Daniel, for 23 years. The Gregorys are enjoying their newly “empty nest,” now that Jonathon (19) has joined Annemarie (21) at college. Cheri is a high school English teacher and Christian speaker/author. Connect with her via Facebook, cheri@cherigregory.com, and www.CheriGregory.com.
by kathilipp | Apr 20, 2012 | Uncategorized |
Yesterday, I put this up on my wall (both Facebook and Painted) and it was amazing how my day changed.
Print this out. Put it up.
Today, I am choosing to remember that my Father adores me, and while I don’t always feel it, I’m going to live like I believe it to the very core of my being.
Jer 31:3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
Now tell me – did you live a little differently today by choosing to believe it?
by kathilipp | Apr 17, 2012 | The Husband Project |
How much thought do you put into what you wear or don’t wear to bed? Most probably do not think it matters, you want to be comfy and you will be sleeping anyway. However, there is a time before sleep and a time after sleep before you crawl out of bed that can be a meaningful, beautiful and wonderful way to either end or start your day? Sex!
Our man was first attracted to our appearance. That was a motivating factor to get him to strike up a conversation with us. After a few years of marriage, some kids we may not be what we once were or we have gotten to comfortable with our hubbie we are not trying to impress him much anymore. But think about those dates you go on, maybe it is only on your anniversary you go somewhere nice or over the holidays. You take the time and energy to dress up and primp to look your best for the event so why not do so for your man?
Remember the movie, Pretty Woman? One of the best scenes is after her day of shopping and she is waiting for him in the bar of the hotel in her lacy, sexy, black cocktail dress. You can feel the emotions of nerves and excitement for both of them. Have you done something like that since you married? I have a girlfriend whose husband took her to Paris for their anniversary a few years ago. Before leaving she shopped for a sexy, black cocktail dress and new heels. She knew her hubbie had made reservations for them at one of Paris’ top 5 star restaurants. The night of their dinner she did not get dressed until after her hubbie left the room. She instructed him to wait for her in the bar. She slipped on her dress (he had not seen it at all yet) put on her heels and primped her hair and make up before walking down to the bar to meet her man. He had no idea what to expect. They had a great evening and months later child #4 arrived, a baby girl named Mercie, they refer to her as their french baby.
OK, so our bedrooms are our private intimate place we share with our husband. Why not make the time we are together in the bedroom as meaningful and prepare for that time? It’s time to ditch the sweat pants, or old baggy tees. Clean out the pantie drawer and get rid of anything that may resemble what your granny would wear. Buy a matching bra and pantie combo, find more flattering pj’s and yes make sure you have a piece of lingerie or two. One way to shop for it is to think of what would look great on the floor? A pile of baggy shirts and sweat pants looks like dirty laundry and is so boring, but a small piece of lace, something silky or stringy looks sexy and fun.
You don’t have to wear lingerie to bed every night, it does not have to be silky. You can find cotton pieces that are flattering, a cami and matching panties. Heck, you don’t need anything at all either. I am sure most of us would pleasantly shock our hubbies if we showed up to bed completely naked.
Here are the basics that every woman needs to own and love:
- Silky pajamas – No, they don’t show a lot of skin, but each piece can be worn separately (the bottoms with a silky camisole, the top all by itself). Plus, you have something cute and fun that keeps you covered when your in-laws come to visit.
- Silky camisole and boy shorts – These can be mixed and matched with the above items, or worn together when a more bare-bones approach is appropriate.
- A Kimono – This style of robe looks great on everyone, covers enough to run outside and get the paper, while still looking cool and sexy.
- A Lacy Bra and Matching Underwear – Sure to be a crowd-of-one pleaser. Your choice on the style of underwear (thong, brief or full coverage).
Consider these optional items to make things a little more fun:
- Some Fabulous Heels – Heels have the magical ability to make your legs look longer and give definition to your rear end. The nice thing is that it doesn’t matter if they’re not the most comfortable shoes in the world – you probably won’t be wearing them for very long.
- A Teddy – Hides tummy issues and looks great on every figure.
- A Boa – I will leave that to your imagination.
Wear something sexy to sleep in. It doesn’t need to be one ofVictoria’s sweet nothings. Perhaps just a silky nightshirt or a lacy camisole; the goal is to dump the Nike t-shirt that you normally sport.
Also, it’s your job to make sure that sleep is not all that happens in your pretty new nighty.
by kathilipp | Apr 16, 2012 | Uncategorized |
Now if you are not excited or motivated quite yet about growing a garden maybe these recipes will get your mouth watering.
Roger’s Salsa: Roger Lipp
Ingredients:
12 tomatoes (or two large cans of crushed tomatoes)
1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 bunch cilantro, chopped coarse down to the stemmy part
2 stems green onion, chopped medium
1 red onion, chopped medium (I use two slices from the center portion)
2 jalapenos, chopped fine (leave seeds in) — if you want mild salsa substitute Anaheim peppers; if
you want hot salsa substitute 4 habaneras.
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped fine
Directions:
Combine these ingredients in large glass bowl.
If tomatoes were room temp to start with, I add two ice cubes and mix in. The following seasonings are very approximate… I don’t measure.
Add the following seasonings to taste (measurements given are approximately what I use… ish)
2 T fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 T cumin powder
1 T coarse ground black pepper
1 T fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp marjoram
I have to admit I was pretty jealous of Roger and his world-famous (OK maybe more friend and family famous) salsa, but now I have bragging rights of my own – Bruschetta.
I spent weeks working on a recipe – finding what other people were doing – tweeking and tweeking until I got something that I loved. Now when I’m asked to bring something to a party, I make the bruschetta several hours ahead and let it set in the fridge and let all the flavors meld.
Bruschetta: Kathi Lipp
Ingredients:
1/3 c. olive oil
3Tp. balsamic vinegar
1/8 c. chopped fresh basil or 1/2 tsp. dried
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
4-5 medium, ripe tomatoes, (I prefer Roma, but any firm tomato will do) seeded and chopped. Drain in a strainer for 15 minutes. (You can use a paper or cloth towel to very gently press out the extra moisture)
2 baguettes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 cloves garlic, sliced in half
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Combine oil, vinegar, basil and pepper in a large bowl and whisk together. Add drained tomatoes to oil and vinegar and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, and up to 4 hours.
Toast bread slices on one side, flip and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on the other. Once toasted, rub the cut side of the garlic on the top of each slice.
Top each slice with the tomato mixture.
Serves 8 as an appetizer
Nothing makes me feel more “gardeny” than to go out to our back patio and harvest dinner. This is a pretty simple dish, but nothing will highlight your gardening prowess better than the recipe below.
Garden Pasta
8 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ c. butter, melted
¼ c. chopped fresh basil, or 1 T, dried
8 ounce dried angel hair pasta, cooked
Parmesan Cheese, grated
Combine tomatoes and garlic in a saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes then set aside.
Toss pasta with butter and basil.
Stir in tomatoes and serve with Parmesan cheese grated on top.
Serves 6
If I could only have one item growing in my garden, it would be tomatoes. If I could only have two, the next item would be bushels and bushels of basil. Make this pesto one time and you will want to install an indoor hot house to grow basil year-round.
Garden Pesto
2 c. fresh basil leaves
4 tsp minced garlic
2 T pine nuts, roasted
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 T fresh-grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chop the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Blend in the cheese, salt and pepper.
Do you have a favorite garden recipe? Mind sharing with us?
by kathilipp | Apr 15, 2012 | The "What's for dinner?" Project |
What do you do when you do not have a freezer meal thawing, nothing in the crock pot, it is 5 pm and the kiddos are getting restless? If you are like most you probably have a well stocked pantry. So you plan a meal on the fly with just your pantry items. A tasty and quick meal to prepare is chili. Grab a salad, corn chips or veggies for side dishes and shred some cheeses for a garnish.
Kathi’s Chili
A less-spicy version that even kids will like. Most of the ingredients are straight from the pantry. Plus, if you already have some fried ground beef with onions and garlic stashed in the freezer (one of the staples of our deep freeze) the meal practically makes itself.
3/4 lb Ground turkey or beef
1 c. Chopped onions
1 clove Garlic, minced
1-16 oz can Stewed tomatoes
1-16 oz can Kidney beans, drained
1-16 oz can Tomato sauce
3 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Basil
1-6 oz can Tomato paste
In a large saucepan, cook ground turkey, onions, and garlic until the onions are translucent and the meat is brown. Drain. Stir in un-drained tomatoes, drained kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Servings: 4
by kathilipp | Apr 10, 2012 | The Husband Project, Uncategorized |
Make your husband something special in the kitchen (reservations don’t count).
It’s an unfair fact of life – men like a woman who can cook.
Most of us didn’t grow up with a mom who passed down an exceptional culinary legacy. Many of our mothers were out there bringing home the bacon and frying it up in a pan (or nuking it in the microwave before she had to get a bunch of kidlets off to soccer practice).
My mom worked outside the home, and is a great cook. But, like her sewing skills, natural cooking abilities skipped a generation.
In my first tiny apartment living alone, I survived for a year on takeout food and ham sandwiches. I was deathly afraid of cooking anything as complicated as chicken, fearing that I would certainly poison any partakers with a lethal case of salmonella.
When I got married, however, I quickly realized that perhaps my groom would not be quite so satisfied with a steady diet of take-out sushi, yogurt smoothies and Diet Coke. It was time for me to spend some quality time with my soon-to-be new best friend, Betty Crocker.
I decided to dedicate myself to the task at hand and learn to cook. Diving into the culinary deep end, I tackled teriyaki chicken. While the first Your Results were a bit dry, they were not lethal. This gave me a great deal of confidence to try and jump a few more epicurean hurdles.
If you’re not a cook, but you know that your husband would like for you to be, here is a fail-safe recipe that I know you can do, and that your husband will love. How can I be sure? Both our teenage boys cook and eat this recipe. If they can cook it, you can cook it. If they will eat it, your husband will eat it.
Teriyaki Chicken
I make this marinade again and again – it is much better than any prepared marinade you can find in the store.
4 each Chicken legs and thighs (or use six chicken breasts)
½ cup Soy sauce
3 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp Grated, fresh ginger
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 Green onions, thinly sliced
1. Prepare: Place the chicken in a gallon plastic bag. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken; fully coating each piece. Seal the bag.
2. Freeze: Place your bag in another gallon bag and lay flat in the freezer.
3. Serve: Defrost the chicken. Pour off marinade and bake chicken in a pan at 350° for 30- 40 minutes (or until no longer pink in the center).
Servings: 4
by kathilipp | Apr 8, 2012 | The "What's for dinner?" Project |
I love when I find other food nerds out there. It is a title I use – and embrace – lovingly. It’s very different than food snobs who want to tell you that you are using the wrong knife or look down their nose at you if your cheese isn’t aged properly. Food snobs can get away with cooking once a week and call themselves a gourmet, but a food nerd is always looking for new ways to make food better and easier – we are the ones who trade recipes at MOPS meetings and steal (with permission) each other’s freezer tips for getting dinner on the table.
Let me introduce you to fellow food nerd Kelly Rankin. Kelly and I met at an event I was speaking at, and we became friends through my blog. Kelly has taken the concept of freezer meals and slow cooking and done a mash up – freezer/slow cooking.
I am also a freezer/slow cooker, but Kelly’s ingenuity of stretching her meals and leaving no leftover left behind is admirable. I asked Kelley to share her plan for using her freezer and slow cooker for maximum savings of time, energy and stress:
Some of her favorite slow cooker to freezer recipes are things like soups, stews, and chili. You can double or – in a 6-quart slow cooker – triple a soup-like recipe and, after it cools, bag it up into gallon bags to be re-heated another time.
Here is a great recipe to make in the slow cooker and the store in the freezer for a busy night of running kids around. It makes a great dish for a potluck or to have for a family picnic while enjoying the great weather.
“Slow cooker Smoked Pulled Pork BBQ”
By Kelly Rakin
4 Simple ingredients and a day of slow cooking lead to an amazingly simple, economical, and delicious pork BBQ. No smoker needed, and the leftovers freeze beautifully for a later meal. The liquid smoke and beef bouillon are the essential keys to this simple recipe, giving the pork a great flavor with minimal BBQ sauce. Perfect for a large gathering!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7-9 hours
Yields: 10 servings
INGREDIENTS:
5 lb Pork Sirloin Tip Roast
2 Ts Liquid Smoke (Typically found with condiments)
2 Ts Beef Bouillon (NOT Broth)
1/3 C. Water
Serve with your favorite BBQ Sauce, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Place pork roast in a large slow cooker. Pour water, liquid smoke, and bouillon on top of pork roast. Cook on High for 7-9 hours, flipping roasts once during cooking, if possible, to allow the juices to simmer all sides of the meat. Meat is finished cooking when it easily pulls apart with a fork. Remove roasts from slow cooker and pull pork apart. Return pork to slow cooker and add BBQ sauce to taste, or serve BBQ sauce on the side. Great on sandwiches or by itself.
To freeze: Place cooked BBQ in 1 quart freezer bags, removing air. Thaw, re-warm, and serve. Keeps in freezer up to 6 months.
by kathilipp | Apr 3, 2012 | Home |
I’ve heard it several times on cooking shows: “The true test of a chef is this: How well can you roast a chicken?”
Well move over Thomas Kellar.
I have been tinkering with my roast chicken recipe and I have one that makes Roger weep with joy when he walks through the front door (OK – joy, or possibly the eight cloves of garlic I use..)
To make your house smell as great as mine, follow these simple instructions.
(And be sure to go to my Facebook Author Page t get the Ultimate Guide to Leftover Chicken so you don’t have to cook the next night!)
Roasted Garlic-y Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed, rinsed
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Put salt and pepper, half the butter, and the eight cloves (cut in half) in the cavity of the chicken.
Place chicken in a roasting pan that has been sprayed with olive oil.
Cut up the rest of the butter and place it on top on the chicken, and put salt and pepper on the skin of the chicken to taste.
Bake uncovered for 75 minutes in the preheated oven to an internal temperature of 180. Remove from over and paste with the drippings. Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with mashed golden potatoes and a spinach salad.
Beyond Yummy…
Yes- I do believe I can help you get organized. (I mean, if I can organize cats, what can’t I tackle?)
