GenPink

Yesterday I learned through YumSugar that several big label grocery items are shrinking in quantity yet keeping the same price. This information came from a Time magazine article stating that rising commodity and fuel prices are causing manufacters to either raise the price of food or lower the quantities. Harvard Business School Professor John Gourville explains this change to the fact that,"People are just more sensitive to changes in price than changes in quantity. Most people can tell you how much a box of cereal costs, but they have no clue how much is actually in it."

This month, Kellogg’s started shipping Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks containing an average of 2.4 fewer ounces per box.

The changing product sizes are part of the reason the Bureau of Labor Statistics says groceries cost 5.8% more than the same time last year.

For a girl who loves to eat, this is not happy news

Learning something new every day: I discovered that July is National Blueberry Month. This was established in 1999.

Fun blueberry links:

• 100 Recipes for July National Blueberry Month
• Blueberry Mojito
• The Blueberry Council

I love blueberries so this news/learning makes me happy!

I’d love to hear some of your favorite blueberry links!

Disclaimer: There are no Sex & the City spoilers in this post if you happen to be one of those who haven’t seen the movie yet, it’s safe to keep reading

Last weekend I went with my girls (love them!) to see Sex & the City the movie. At the end of the movie we were all commenting on how much we loved the LOVE picture on the wall of Carrie’s refashioned apartment. It so happens that the 4 of us that saw the movie together are all artists/designers of some nature so we thought if we could just get a better look at that design we might be able to make something similar for ourselves.

It took me some digging around but I did get a hold of it!

The piece is actually a needlepoint wallhanging made of wool and silk (translation — not in Elysa’s budget) designed by Paul Smith called Love Too. I found The Rug Company who carries this beauty through Casa Sugar’s post Get the Look: Carrie’s Redecorated Digs.

I’m most likely moving in August so I do have it on my list to create something similar for my new digs.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine wrote a post on her blog asking if trading recipes made us officially old. I had that exact same thought the other day when some girl friends and I were sharing home organization advice. You know you’re getting old when your topics of conversation involve cooking and/or cleaning. Sorry to break the news.

As dorky as it is I’ve been in-love with The Container Store since I was in sixth grade. As much as I love to buy organizational contraptions I do have a bit of a problem keeping my things organized. This is why I love love love Unclutterer and Real Simple Home & Organizing. I need constant reminders, and it never fails I find something new that I’d never thought of. If you’ve never seen either of these sites you’re either a) living in a shoe box or b) living under a rock. I’m sorry but there really are no other explanations for missing out on such greatness. As if you couldn’t tell by the 3 loves I was elated when Erin, the Erin from Unclutter agreed to write O is for Organization. Now if only Erin would just live in my guest room and keep my house uncluttered.

Erin Doland is Editor-in-Chief of the home and office organization website Unclutterer. You also can find her doling out organization advice twice a week on RealSimple.com.

My sister-in-law is 22 and graduates this May from college. We often talk about her plans after graduation and her anxieties associated with this life-changing event. Her parents, siblings, and friends appear to have a limitless supply of useful career and social advice. I don’t know a great deal about her profession or the city where she is moving, so I’m focusing my advice to her on the topic of organization. Specifically, I’m focusing the majority of that advice on her kitchen, because that is where my heart is.

Here are some of the tips I’ve recently shared with her:

• When putting your kitchen together, arrange items in cabinets based on where you use them. Pots, pans, baking sheets, and oven mitts should be next to your stove. Glasses should either be next to your sink (if you’re a tap water drinker) or the refrigerator (if you prefer chilled beverages). Silverware and plates should be relatively close together since you most often use them together. Heavy items should be stored in lower cabinets, and mugs near your coffee pot.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for very specific, practical things for graduation gifts. Receiving a basket of plastic wrap, aluminum foil, zip-top baggies in varying sizes, wax paper, garbage bags, paper towels, and hand towels isn’t the world’s sexiest gift, but you’ll definitely appreciate it when you don’t have to buy these items before getting your first paycheck.
• Consider re-purposing some of your college items for your kitchen needs. An old index card file is great for holding seasoning packets and soup mixes. An over-the-door pocket shoe organizer can hold pouches, cans, and mixes on the back of a pantry door. Milk crates you used as a bookshelf in your dorm room can become bins for recycling. Your shower caddy makes a nice organizer for cleaning supplies under your kitchen sink.
• Have a list of essential kitchen tools and only focus on acquiring those items. You’re likely moving into a small space, and having something you won’t regularly use will only cause clutter. I spent most of my first years after college using nothing but one cast iron skillet for my pan set. It was cheap (under $20), and I could cook almost everything on it.
• Don’t put your trash can under your sink. Get a relatively nice trash can with a lid that opens with a foot press. If the trash can is under your sink then you have to open the door and pull out the trash can every single time you want to throw something away. You won’t forget to take out the garbage if you can see that it needs to be emptied, and the likelihood that you’ll get critters is reduced since you’ll be taking out your garbage more often. Plus, you can move the trash can around the kitchen as you’re working.

kitch·en
–noun
1. a room or place equipped for cooking.
2. a room equipped for preparing meals.

I was reluctant to use the word kitchen to be a defining point for twenty somethings because honestly I am not quite sure how I think of said word (or said room). After much debate I decided that whether I like it or not, the kitchen has some how become more apart of my life as I’ve gotten older. Something about getting my own place gave me a desire to learn to cook. Even if it was only for a little bit. When I first started blogging I found an internet buddy who had many things in common with me, including being a graphic designer. She and I have become internet/email/blogging friends and I am often quite amused at how similar two strangers can be. Michelle has a much similar few of the whole cooking game as I do, so I figured she’d be a good candidate to write about the kitchen. I was hoping maybe Michelle could shed some light on my love/hate relationship with my kitchen.

This guest post was written by Michelle of Michelle & the City, a 25 year old graphic designer living in Ohio.

There is a room in my home that I definitely have mixed feelings about. We were hot and heavy for a while, but then frozen meals came along and we just didn’t spend as much time together anymore. I’m sure he misses me, but sometimes I just can’t find the time in my busy life to spend an entire night with him. I’m pretty sure he wants to break-up with me.

Yes, I’m talking about my kitchen.

As a 25-year old single woman who lives alone, I don’t find the need to cook full meals anymore. To take the time to find recipes, go out and buy the 20 ingredients and spend the next 3 hours in the kitchen. I am content with peanut butter on toast or a bowl of cereal and cold milk most nights.

But you know what? This bothers the hell out of me.

I want to be the next Martha Stewart. Or at least a distant relative. I want to be the mother who makes the best lemon bars on the block, packs the best lunches and hosts Thanksgiving dinner. I want my pasta salad to be requested at potlucks and for my girlfriends to ask for my lemon meringue pie recipe because it’s the best they’ve ever tasted.

It’s not that I can’t cook, although I am more of an amateur. When I had a live-in boyfriend I loved cooking for him. Maybe not every day, but there was something satisfying about having someone to make a home-cooked meal for. But it was nothing fancy. (I do make a mean Tater Tot Casserole however, you should try it!)

But I want to be better.

I want to learn. In fact, the last time I had a get together with my high school girlfriends we decided to exchange recipes over email when we made something we really liked. We laughed about how this made us feel old, but we liked the fact that we can grow up and still have something to share with each other and have in common besides high school crushes.

So what do you guys think? Does this Susie homemaker wannabe feeling happen to every 20-something woman? Does it depend on your marital status? Share your feelings on the kitchen with me. I hope I’m not the only one pining away at all my un-used appliances!

I say that the Susie homemaker wannabe feelings are stronger for me when I have someone to cook for. I found myself cooking more often when I was in a relationship. When it’s just me my love of Macaroni gives me no reason to spend much time playing Martha. What about you guys?