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We're pretty excited around here. 

Our very own Kara Williams, founder & fearless leader, has been featured on several recent episodes of the Shopkeeper Podcast!  

Check out Episode 88: Direct Mail, the latest episode of 100 Ways To Promote E-Commerce Products video series here.

And if you are an eCommerce seller, or thinking about becoming one, check out Paulina's full video series & check out her tool, Shopkeeper, available for Amazon sellers! 

Now is the Perfect Time to Clean Up and Get Organized

Have you been binging on Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix while you’re stuck at home? Are you ready to organize and clean things that you didn’t even realize needed to be organized and cleaned?

We’re talking deep clean and major organization.

It’s not as hard as it sounds and we’ve got a few tips to make it easy peasy.

• Make a Checklist – It may sound unnecessary, but making a checklist will make the process so much easier. Stroll through your home and make a list of everything that needs to be organized and cleaned. Our journals are perfect to create your list in – both beautiful and functional. Once you have the list, group things together by task. For example, wash the shower curtain, bath mat, and kitchen towels.
• Create a Schedule That Will Work for You – Once you’ve made your list, place them into your schedule – even if that means you will only work on a couple of tasks each day. You don’t have to try to tackle this project in a day or even one weekend.
• Assemble a Cleaning Kit – This also goes along with creating your list. Having a checklist makes it easier to know what supplies you need to get the work done. What types of cleaners do you need? You likely need some paper towels, a mop, vacuum, tools to dust, etc. Go ahead and get these things together so you are ready to go once you get started.
• Consider Renting Equipment – Many home improvement stores and even some grocery stores rent cleaning appliances by the hour. If you need one of these tools, rent a furniture steamer, floor polisher, pressure washer, carpet shampooer or others when elbow grease just isn’t going to cut it.

Time to Tackle the Work

Now that you’ve made your list and assembled the tools, it’s time to get started. Here are a few tips for tackling the list.

• Start With the Laundry – Gather all the dirty clothes, rugs, and towels and take them to the laundry room. Start your first load of laundry, but don’t strip the beds yet.
• Raid the Fridge – It’s likely that you have dirty dishes hiding in your refrigerator. Clean out those dishes as well as anything that is spoiled or past its expiration date. Give the freezer the same treatment. Consider organizing your kitchen using our utensil holder.
• Wash the Dishes and Take Out the Trash – You don’t want that rotten food sitting in the trash or the dirty dishes in the sink. So, take out the trash and wash and put away all the dishes.
• Don’t Forget the Window Treatments – If you have curtains that can be washed, put them in the washer and get those clean. Be sure to wipe down any blinds as well.
• Work on Those Surfaces – Get rid of any clutter from your kitchen, dining room, and living room surfaces. Give your countertops a thorough wipe down and then dust all other flat surfaces. If you need some organization for your countertops or desk, try one of the pieces from our galvanized home collection.
• Now for the Bathroom – Spray down the toilet, sink, and tub. Give them time to soak and then start wiping them down to clean them. This is also a good day to replace the toothbrushes and shower curtain if you haven’t done that in a while.
• Wash the Bed Sheets – Strip all the sheets off the beds and wash and dry them while you tackle the next task.
• Vacuum and Mop – While your bed linens are washing, vacuum and mop all your floors. After that is done, put all the beds back together.

Now it’s time for the best part of cleaning and organizing your home. Sit down with and relax and admire your hard work. Need tips on how to create a deep cleaning schedule?  Check that out here! 

Hip Hip Hooray!  Summer is nearly here! 

It's just about June.  The sun is shining, and so are our free downloadables! 

The start of a new month means it is time for a new wallpaper or calendar. We’ve got you covered! Choose your favorite format below & download it. Calendars in laptop or mobile versions, with both Sunday & Monday start. And of course, there is just the pretty wallpaper if you don’t need the calendar backdrop. Click on the version (or versions) you like below to download!  

Go here  to grab your desktop versions

Go here to grab your mobile versions

Nothing Tastes Better Than Homemade Bread

Right Out of the Oven

Have you ever wanted to make the perfect loaf of homemade bread and just weren’t sure what recipe to use or how to do it? Then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start out with the easiest, most tasty bread recipe that will make you look like a seasoned baker on your first try. Be sure to write this recipe on our recipe cards and store in our wooden recipe box!

Ingredients

2 cups warm water                              ½ cup evaporated milk

2 ½ tsp active dry yeast                      5-7 cups bread flour (white or wheat will also work)

1 ½ tsp sugar                                       1 Tbsp of butter or shortening

1 Tbsp salt                                           1 Tablespoon of butter, melted

¼ cup sugar

Instructions

1. Place the yeast and sugar in a bowl. Pour the warm water (be sure it’s not too hot) over the mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. It should get nice and bubbly.
2. Combine melted butter, sugar, evaporated milk, and salt into a large mixing bowl. After the yeast mixture is ready, add it to the larger bowl mixture and mix together.
3. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook and add in 3 cups of the flour. If not, stir and knead it together. Once this is well incorporated, continue to add one cup of flour at a time. Once you have added 5 cups of flour to the bowl, add in ½ cup of flour at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. Your fingers will no longer stick to the dough either.
4. Get a second large mixing bowl and cover the sides of the bowl and ball of dough with shortening (or butter) and cover the bowl with a warm towel. Allow it to rise so that it is doubled in size (about 1 ½ hours). Punch it down and place on a floured surface.
5. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes on the floured surface.
6. Cut the dough in half and roll them into rectangles (roll the dough and then tuck the ends under). Place the dough into two greased bread pans.
7. Let the bread rise again until it looks like a good loaf of bread. Place in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. When the bread is done, coat the top with butter and remove from the pan to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Tips for Making the Perfect Loaf of Bread

Now that you have the perfect recipe, you may need just a few more tips for getting that loaf of bread just right. Here are a few tips for making homemade bread.

• Give the yeast plenty of time to bubble up.
• Keep adding a little bit of flour at a time until the dough doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl or your hands. It should still be soft.
• When letting the dough rise, cover it with a warm towel and sit by a window in the sunshine. If the dough is still struggling to rise, turn the oven to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and then turn it off. Place the bowl inside the oven and let it rise there.
• Be sure the dough doubles in size before touching it the first time.
• When the dough has doubled, punch it down and then press down to remove any air bubbles.
• When letting the dough rise in the pans, cover them with a sheet of cling wrap that has been buttered or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Storing Your Homemade Bread

The first thing you need to know when it comes to storing homemade bread is that you need to let it cool completely before attempting to store it. To maintain the freshness of a crusty loaf of bread, store them at room temperature unwrapped. After it has been sliced, place the breads in closed paper bags. If your loaf is soft instead of crusty, store it in an airtight plastic bag or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then store at room temperature. For a pretty place to store your bread, give our bread box a try!  If you want more information on the science behind why a bread bin or bread box is a good idea for fresh bread storage, check out this blog post we did a while back! 

Homemade bread doesn’t have preservatives like store-bought bread, so it will only stay fresh for a short period of time. Bread can be placed in the refrigerator to prevent molding, but it usually results in the bread drying out more quickly. If your bread loses its freshness, consider using it for bread pudding, croutons, or bread crumbs.

Bread can also be kept in the freezer. Simply wrap it in plastic wrap and then place in a Ziploc bag. When you are ready to use it, let it thaw at room temperature, partially unwrapped, to allow moisture to escape. Bread should not be glazed or frosted before freezing and should be used within 6 to 8 weeks of being frozen.