Cleaning: Eating the Elephant of Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is a daunting task and seems a bit overwhelming when contemplating deep cleaning the entire house.  So don't think of it that way!  Don't stress over "eating the whole elephant", but rather think of it in small, doable parts.  Starting in January, we (and by we, I mean I) like to start our spring cleaning, so that when spring really does come, we aren't trapped inside cleaning.  A room each Saturday is the goal, but with birthdays, basketball games and cold and flu season, it is hard get through every inch of an entire room every Saturday.  So during the week when I have a few minutes here or there, I start to chip away at some parts of the room.  For example: we'll be doing the master bedroom first this year, so this week I've started to attack some "trouble spots" in advance so that after an hour or two of cleaning, my kids can get on with other Saturday activities. 
I went through all my jewelry and repaired broken pieces, and thinned out unused earrings:

A lot to go through.

Using ice cube trays helps keep them organized.

Still ended up with more than I need (a tray for seasonal and kid-made, a tray for colorful and a tray for neutral/metallic)

They stack nicely next to my vintage jewelry boxes on a shelf in my closet.

I also went through some drawers in the master bathroom and did a clean-out/reorganize. 

I use ziploc bags to organize rarely used hair items by type, and then when they look ratty, I just replace them and it's new and tidy again! Also, the tic-tac containers are a great pinterest idea for storing bobby pins.  

That way today when I clean the house, I'll take another few minutes and finish up the walls, cabinets and baseboards and the master bath will be done.  Then tomorrow we'll be ready to attack the master bedroom.  Piece by piece is the way to not only eat an elephant, but in my opinion, the only way to spring clean a house. 

Cooking: Rosettes - The Most Fragile (& Easy) Delicacy

Rosettes are a Scandinavian pastry that I was raised with.  I remember back in the days when you could bring homemade treats to school on your birthday, my mother made enough rosettes for my entire second grade class.  Yes, she was quite the domestic artist.  You can find the recipe either included with your rosette iron or online.  It is a simple recipe that is very similar to crepe batter. 
The key is to keep your oil at 375 degrees F and to get your rosette iron hot before dipping it into the batter.  They cook in a matter of seconds and the whole matter is rather simple.

Dip the hot iron into the batter being sure to not let the batter cover the top side of the iron.

Dip the battered iron into hot oil (375 degrees F)

Keep submerged in the oil for 10 seconds or so until bubbling starts to subside and the rosette is nicely bowned.

Using a fork, gently remove the rosette from the iron and let drain on paper towel.

When cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Just make sure to lean over a napkin as these light, crispy delights shatter easily.  I'm thinking that they would be the perfect treat for a party featuring the movie Frozen.  The rosette irons come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  I actually have one in the shape of a spider - luckily the tastiness overcomes the creepy idea of eating a crispy spider shape.  Rosette irons are found at kitchen stores, online and often at many second-hand stores as well.  Hope you enjoy this exotic and easy treat.