- Happy New Year!
- Did You Know?
- New Year's Resolutions
- Free Christmas Tree Recycling
- Cleaning Ideas
- Recipe of the Month
- Real Estate News
- Pantone of the Year
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Happy New Year! As I look back on 2017, I can't believe how many hours I clocked at work, school events, games, grocery shopping and finishing the remodel of course ;) The time went by so fast. Even though I feel like I spent most of the year running around like a crazy person, I am so grateful for every single minute I get to live this life. Although my life may seem like Groundhog Day at times, I am lucky enough to share it with the most kind, thoughtful and supportive family and friends. Cheers to a wonderful 2018!
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"Only
8 percent of people actually keep their New Year's resolutions, according to one commonly cited statistic."
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I am horrible at keeping New Year's Resolutions. I have the best intentions, but I just can't make them stick. When I sat back and thought about my plan for 2018, I realized I may have been setting too many goals and making them a little bit unattainable. I decided to embrace the chaos, enjoy the family time when I can and try to be more present (when I am not running around). I started with NYE. We decided to have a nice, quiet family night at home. It was a great way to start the new year. This is a resolution I can keep!
I hope all of you are in the 8% that keeps resolutions or have a great time breaking them!
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Free Christmas Tree Recycling
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Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery
There are 2 ways to recycle your Christmas tree:
At the Curb: Place your Christmas tree at the curb on your regular pick-up day and it will be picked up at no additional charge.If your tree is larger than 5ft or taller, please cut it into lengths no longer than 3ft. The trucks cannot pick-up anything longer than 3 feet in length
Take it to Contact Costa Waste Services: 1300 Loveridge Rd in Pittsburg. Open daily 7am-6pm. Christmas trees will be taken at no charge (limit one tree per vehicle).
Please remember to remove all tinsel, flocking, ornaments and tree stand
Credit: Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery Newsletter
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I think there is a switch that turns on in my brain every January that makes me want to clean everything. (I know many of you understand)
BHG came out with a list of 20 great cleaning ideas. You can read the full article in the link below, but here are some of my favorites!
Clean your cabinets with your vacuum: Use the brush attachment to pick up dust and crumbs inside. Outside, concentrate on the area around the hardware using a damp cloth covered with warm water and Murphy oil soap.
Spot Clean Fabrics with baby wipes: They are very effective with spot cleaning because they have gentle cleaning agents and dry quickly.
Use your dishwasher to clean light fixtures: Run removable glass pieces, such as domes, through the dishwasher. Run a drying cycle, too, to reduce spotting.
Secret Weapons you'll definitely want to add to your shopping list.
ZEP Heavy-Duty Citrus Degreaser
Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser
I Can See Clearly, Wow! Natural Glass Cleaner
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When it's cold out, all I want to eat is comfort food. Meat and potatoes is always one of the first dishes to come to mind. With very little time to get dinner ready, using the slow cooker is an amazing option. I can throw in the ingredients in the morning and it's ready when I come home! Thank you magic machine!
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Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 11 hrs to 12 hrs (Low) or 5.5 hrs to 6 hrs (High)
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 5 pounds beef short ribs
- 1 14 ounce can beef broth
- 1 12 ounce can dark beer
- 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
- 1 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Mashed potatoes or hot buttered noodles (optional)
- Fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Directions
- Place ribs in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add broth, beer, onion, molasses, vinegar, thyme, hot pepper sauce, and salt.
- Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 11 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5-1/2 to 6 hours.
- Using a slottled spoon, transfer ribs to platter; cover to keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. If desired, serve with mashed potatoes and garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Pair this slow cooker Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs recipe on top of a scoop of mashed potatoes or a slice of toast to soak up all of the amazing savory sauce.
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It's a new year and there are many new home decorating trends to go along with it. Warm colors are coming back, you'll see velvet fabrics and mixed metals used around the home.
One of the trends I would like to use in my home is Patterned Plants! We don't have a lot of plants in our house, but I have been thinking that a nice house plant in the foyer would be a great addition. According to Refinery 29, "Pinterest" saves for Patterned Plants has increased by 533%. Prayer plants and snake plants are a great way to add more lush texture to your home"
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I am going to look around at Sloat, Home Depot and Lowe's to see what I can find. I am going to start with just one to make sure we are taking care of it before I by more (I did mention our crazy schedules, right ;) )
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The offical pantone of 2018 is Ulta Violet 18-3838.
I read a very interesting article on Elle.com about why they think purple was chosen as pantone of the year. Check it out:
What are the inspirations behind this year's color pick?
Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the
Pantone Color Institute, tells ELLEDecor.com, that purple has rich, transcendent associations, noting," It's often associated with mindfulness practices, so it has that spiritual or mystical quality that's attached — a little bit of magic that's inferred in the color."
What do we expect from this color in 2018?
Its worth noting that purple has a tendency to come into vogue at important turning points in history, and that turbulent times are often, in their turn, crucibles for artistic expression. Purple was a favorite color of the Fauvists in the revolutionary first decade of the twentieth century, and had a heyday with musical artists like Jimi Hendrix in the late 60s and early 70s, at the apex of the Countercultural movement.
Could the rise of Ultra Violet in 2018 by a sign of a cultural renaissance to come? It's too early to say, but we have high hopes for this complicated, contemplative shade of purple. - Elle.com
There will be accent walls of purple in some homes and purple furniture of course. However, It is hard for most of us to embrace these trends entirely since they go out of style so quickly. However, an ultra-violet throw or some fun purple accents in the ktichen, bathroom, etc. is a way to have fun with this color without breaking the bank.
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