Spring Cleaning For Your Fridge

It is time for cookouts, picnics, and food by the pool.   Did you notice it was hard to fit things in the fridge for the first cookout this past weekend?  If you did, it is time to take some time and clean out your fridge.

Cleaning out your fridge can help save space, improve smell, and get rid of any grossness that has built up over the winter.  The Kitchn has some great tips and a guide on how to clean your fridge thoroughly.


How To Clean the Refrigerator
What You Need

A non-abrasive sponge
Multipurpose cleaning spray
Dish soap
Dish towels
Paper towels
An old toothbrush (optional)
Stainless steel cleaner (optional)
Microfiber cloth (optional)
Instructions


Unplug the fridge: If your fridge needs some serious scrubbing power and/or the shelves are not removable, unplug the fridge so you don't waste energy while you clean. If the shelves are removable, and you are conscientious about closing the door between steps, you may leave it plugged in.

Empty the fridge: Take everything out of the fridge and set it on your countertop. Toss, recycle, or compost old and expired food items. Group like items together to make it easier when you put everything away.

Remove the shelves and drawers: Remove any element inside your refrigerator that you can. This usually includes shelves and produce drawers.

Wash them in warm, soapy water: Wash those parts with a sponge or soft cloth in a sink of clean, soapy water. It may be unwieldy to wash the drawers in your sink, so you can do this in the bathtub if you wish. Rinse and set aside to air dry.

Clean the inside of the fridge: Spray every part of the inside of the fridge with a multipurpose cleaner. 

Wipe down. Make sure to wipe down the walls, shelves, shelf seams, and the rubber door seal. Use a non-abrasive sponge to remove sticky, caked-on spills, and an old toothbrush for getting into crevices.

Replace shelves and drawers: Replace all the shelves and drawers you took out.

Wipe down jars and bottles, then replace: Before you put the food back into the refrigerator, wipe down every jar, bottle, and container with a damp cloth. Replace.

Plug the fridge back in: If you unplugged the fridge while you cleaned, don't forget to plug it back in!

Wipe down the exterior: Wipe down the exterior of your fridge with a damp cloth that's been soaked in clean, soapy water. Dry immediately with a paper towel, dish towel, or microfiber cloth. If you have a stainless steel fridge, you may also use a special stainless steel cleaner if you have it. Make sure to dry in the direction of the grain to prevent streaking.

Memorial Drink Recipes

What are you making for Memorial Day?  We have gathered five great recipes that have something in them for everyone.  The list below has some classics along with some new cocktail twists.  We hope these recipes will be a hit at your Memorial Day get together.  You can learn more at LP.

Malibu Bay Breeze

If the brutal winter has left you longing for tropical beaches, then transport yourself to the islands with this simple three ingredient cocktail. Try a Malibu Bay Breeze for your Memorial Day party, with so few ingredients and an easy assembly, this cocktail is perfect to make in a big batch and serve to all your friends. Blend together the three ingredients and serve in a tall glass of ice, you will feel like you just got served at a cabana on the beach after taking your first sip! This recipes makes two drinks so adjust accordingly!

Ingredients
3 cups of Malibu Coconut Rum
4 oz Cranberry Juice
4 oz Pineapple Juice

Sangria

Our next cocktail is also perfect for your Memorial Day Weekend party because it is pitcher friendly and easy to make. Add a little Latin flair to your festivities by serving white wine Sangria. Assemble your Sangria ahead of time, by pouring the white wine in tall pitcher and squeeze the juice from oranges, lemon and lime into white. Mix. Next add shot of Rum, then add in fruit slices and peach slices, add sugar gradually and mix Sangria completely. Chill overnight, add club soda right before serving!

Ingredients
1 chilled bottle of White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Riesling)
2/3 cup of White Sugar
3 Oranges (sliced)
1 Lemon (sliced and seeds removed)
1 Lime (sliced)
1 Peach (sliced and pitted)
4 oz Rum
1/2 liter of Club Soda
Note: If you prefer more alcohol add rum, or brandy as desired. Also if you prefer an even sweeter Sangria substitute Club Soda for Ginger Ale.

Nolet’s Silver Peach Lemonade Punch

Nothing says party, like punch. But instead of your classic sickly sweet punch bowl offering, take punch to the next level by making it with NOLET’S Silver Dry Gin. The citrus infusion and fruit creates the perfect refreshing and tasty Memorial Day drink, that everyone will love. Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and stir. Serve over ice in a tall glass and garnish with a peach slice or raspberry skewer.

Ingredients
1 bottle (750 ml) NOLET’S Silver Dry Gin
2.25 L Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
375 ml Elderflower Liqueur
2 Bags Frozen Peaches

For the last two cocktails we are taking our hosting skills to the top notch. As opposed to our early drink recipes, the last two combo both patriotism and a little bartending skill. Now of course they are still easy to make, but these are not make a head drinks and due to their stacked red, white and blue coloring will be made to serve. Not the best idea if you are hosting a large get together, but if you are having a more intimate gathering then these beautifully crafted cocktails are perfect to serve.

Fire Cracker

The aptly named Firecracker is a super fun cocktail, that tastes as good as it looks. Using a tall glass, pour grenadine into the bottom, add ice, and then gently pour curacao over grenadine. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup. (To make simple syrup, mix equal parts hot water and sugar until sugar is dissolved.) Pour curacao mixture from shaker and watch the colors of the American flag come to life.

Ingredients
1¼ oz. vodka
1 oz. lemon juice
1 ¼ oz. blue curaçao
¾ oz. grenadine
Splash of simple syrup

Stars and Stripes

Obviously another patriotic drink, is the Stars and Stripes cocktail. This cocktail is best assembled in a shaker, first muddle the blueberries then add vodka, absinthe, simple syrup and lemon juice, fill the remaining space with ice. Shake, and pour (unstrained) into a highball glass. Drizzle with brandy and top with ginger beer.

Ingredients
5 to 7 Fresh blueberries
1 oz Stoli Blueberry Vodka
.25 oz Lucid Absinthe
.25 oz Simple syrup
Splash of lemon juice
G.E. Massenez Framboise Sauvage Raspberry Brandy
Ginger beer

Your 4-Step Guide To Fresh Design

(Image courtesy of Wicker Paradise)

Cabin fever strikes at the most inconvenient times - even at the beginning of spring! If you’re tired of looking at the same furniture in the same spots, simply going outside may not be enough to make you feel better. There are plenty of simple solutions to keep your living space feeling fresh, even without an expensive trip to the furniture store to buy a new couch.

Simple changes in a limited space can make a BIG difference when it comes to home decor. If you’ve got some spare time, and are willing to put in a little bit of elbow grease, you’re living room (or bedroom, or kitchen, etc.) can feel brand new in no time. Follow these simple tips from renters.apartments.com to see what we mean!

Keeping a fresh perspective is key.

Have you ever noticed how different a room looks when you stand in a new corner, sit in a new chair or stand on a table to replace a light bulb? If your living room has been arranged the same way for multiple weeks, months or even years, it can almost be shocking to catch a view you haven’t seen before. It lends to the refreshing feeling of new and exciting, and it’s good to keep the room juices flowing for this reason- especially if no plans for moving are in your future.

Planning ahead isn’t necessary.

Rearranging on an impulse can be extremely therapeutic. The idea here is to think less, do more. The freedom derived from an act as simple as rearranging whenever you feel like it can take form in other parts of life as well. If we’re open to change with our things, perhaps we’ll also be more open to encouraging change within ourselves. So next time you come home to the same annoying couch/bike/TV combo, crank up some music and slide some things around.

Start with removing tables, chairs and lights.

Keeping these items in the other room will allow you to focus on larger placements such as couches, bookshelves and entertainment systems. The right setup for now will present itself much easier when the room is emptier- think about how fun arranging stuff in a brand new, empty apartment can be. Add the little things later, keeping light placement in mind throughout the entire process.

Use the process to downsize on stuff.

If you find that every time you rearrange, the same light gifted to you last Christmas gets put in the corner on a table and never used, give it away. If you love that trio of comfy recliners but one always seems to get in the way of your morning stretches, give one the boot and chances are you won’t miss it. Care for your things but don’t be tricked into relying on them. As our lives and needs change, so should the things we keep inside of our homes.

Do you have a favorite tip to freshen up your apartment that we missed? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Is Your Digital Life Unorganized?

(Image courtesy of Prof EuLOGist)

Let’s face it - us and technology are inseparable. No matter where we go, we all typically are carrying phones, ipads, smart watches and, no matter what, most of us are always within five minutes of a computer. With all this tech floating around, it’s easy to start hoarding digital documents.

Though they don’t take up physical space, digital files can quickly bog down your gadgets and slow down your systems. And if you don’t have an adequate system for organizing your files, your productivity can suffer! If you need help decluttering your tech-side check out these easy tips, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, will have you clearing megabytes in no time! Keep reading to learn more.

1. Delete Unused Apps: It's ridiculously easy to figure out what applications you're not using on your computer. On a Mac, simply organize Applications by date last opened and whatever is on the bottom is used the least. On a PC, simply check the application info to see when you last used the application, if at all.

2. Outlook's Email Sweep: It's easy to get lost in a pile of old emails. Between social networking alerts and daily newsletters, your inbox is probably cluttered. For Outlook users, Sweep makes it possible to delete these emails automatically by setting timers. For example, you can set a rule to delete all Groupon emails after they haven't been opened for 10 days. You'll also notice you can choose to delete ALL emails from a sender when you delete one.

3. Use Finder to Delete Drafts: If you're on a Mac, Finder's search feature is handy for finding files across your hard drive quickly and simply. Every few months, I search for the word "DRAFT" and delete any drafts that are older than a year. Ultimately, I've decided the final version of a file is what I will need to reference in the long term. Try to come up with a timeline that makes sense for you.

How do you keep your digital life decluttered?

7 Tips To Reach Your Goals

(Image courtesy of Sean MacEntee)

Let's face it - distractions happen. But you don't have to let them deter you from the goals that you've set for yourself!

If you're finding yourself getting pulled off track by day-to-day occurrences, you don't need to give up! Just follow these tips, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, to reach your goals in record time!

1. Focus on what you really want — and why

What is it you're trying to accomplish? Get very, very clear about exactly what it is you want to do. But then consider why you want to do it. If it's maintain a cleaner house, think about how that's because a cleaner house is healthier to live in. If it's to finally tackle a renovation, remind yourself that it's because those are changes that will help your life run smoother.

2. Clear out distractions

Be truthful about what the unhealthy distractions are contributing to you not achieving your home goals. Is it vegging out in front of the TV after work? Getting pulled into Pinterest when you should be mopping? Get strict about putting reasonable limitations on the things in your home that are distracting you from the things you really want to be accomplishing.

3. Break it down and organize

After identifying the goals you want to accomplish, why you want to do them and what distractions might be getting in the way, make a specific, mapped out plan. Write down each element to your goal and what you need to do to accomplish it (get detailed).

4. Start small / don't do it all at once

Take your list and tackle it one thing at a time. Some folks after getting to this point feel so revved up they try to tackle it all at once. But that's a sure-fire way to burn out.

5. Ask for help if you need

For many, it's not a distraction that's getting in the way of not accomplishing things, it's fear or ignorance on where to start. So if you need help, ask for it! Look online for the answers to whatever home project dilemma is plaguing you. Ask a trusted friend if they will wade in with you.

6. Tell everyone about it

Be accountable for the goals you're setting. State a goal on Facebook. Write your reasons for wanting to accomplish it on the message board in your entryway.

7. Reward, not punish

Perhaps the most important element on this list. Be KIND to yourself. Be understanding when you fall back into old habits. Don't punish yourself if you get distracted or miss a milestone task, but reward yourself (any way that you'd like) when you do get back on track to accomplishing your home goals.