Did you guys catch this comment from Danielle yesterday?
“In our last apartment our sneaky cat opened the bathroom cupboards under the sink, finding a small hole that led from our apartment to the neighbors. Imagine our neighbors surprise when he got out of the shower that morning only to find a strange cat on his counter! Long story short, he ended up setting our cat free outside but we tracked him down eventually thank goodness!”
I just love that story. Cats are crazy!!
Today, I have more progress pictures for you and a delicious 60-second recipe to finish it off! I’m getting creative this week with quick and easy recipes since I’m not in the kitchen much.
Here are more “progress” pictures (and I use that term loosely) of the living/dining room:
I think the saying, it has to get worse before it gets better, applies here.
Can you handle that progress?
Our living/dining area is on pause right now as we wait for furniture to arrive. Friday can’t come soon enough, I tell ya! We ordered a small dining table & chairs, a TV cabinet, a side table, and a wine cabinet from our favourite furniture place in Burlington. I can’t wait to get it all set up so I can unpack the boxes and we can put up the art work & décor. We’re going to see some major progress this weekend, mark my words!
I spent all day yesterday at the old house. One thing I’ve learned from this move is to never underestimate how long it takes to remove every single item from a house. I cleaned out every single drawer, cupboard, nook, and cranny and I still have to wash the floors and vacuum tonight. It’s hard to unpack in a new place when you’re still taking care of the old one.
Here’s one pile of the Goodwill donation:
Eric and I also worked on wood boards that we’re antiquing for my food photography.
I hope to do a how-to post on it at some point…it’s a really easy DIY project! So far, we’ve made three different boards. The first one was a huge fail until we figured out the proper technique to use. Once we figured it out, it’s simple to do.
Once we were back in the new place, I got to work yet again. I think skipping my workouts this past week has given me more energy for moving tasks…I was on fire yesterday and worked straight until 10pm.
One thing I love about this new place is that it has central vac. I’m finding it so handy. We had a central vac in the old house, but I found that I never used it because it was stored in the basement.
I pulled out the fridge and stove and vacuumed/cleaned behind them…it wasn’t pretty!
As you may have noticed, the kitchen has a mirror backsplash. I can see how this will be a challenge to keep clean once I’m making recipes again! I tend to splish and splash everywhere…
I also washed the kitchen floor with my homemade water & vinegar mix. The other floors will have to wait until the furniture is set up.
I put up a towel hanger on the back of the bathroom door that I picked up from Canadian Tire:
I also put up a hook on the inside cabinet for my oven mitts:
I added a utensil holder (to save drawer space) and kettle on the countertop:
As for the kitchen storage, it’s an absolute wreck right now. I’ve taken a bunch of pictures and hope to get your input at some point. I really don’t know how to maximize the space! There are a few super deep cupboards that make it hard to reach things stored in the back.
Here’s a teaser pic:
I ended the day with another homemade sorbet creation. This one was super thick and had a consistency of sorbet. Hit. the. spot.
60 Second Homemade Berry Sorbet
Yield
1/2 to 3/4 cup
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Thick, delicious, and healthy homemade sorbet in just 1 minute flat
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup frozen mixed berries (I used dark sweet cherries, blackberries, and blueberries)
- Just enough almond milk to make it come together (I used 6 tbsp)
- 1/2 scoop Vega chocolate performance protein powder (optional)
- a few frozen banana chunks, for sweetness
Directions
- In a blender (or a food processor may work too), process all ingredients until thick and creamy. Add the almond milk a little bit at a time, as needed. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)Nutritional info:
(entire serving, with protein powder): 130 kcals, 1 gram fat, 13 grams carbs, 5 grams fibre, 8 grams sugar, 14 grams protein.
(entire serving, without protein powder): 70 kcals, 1 gram fat, 9 grams carbs, 8 grams sugar, 1 gram protein.
Now that’s a great way to end a day!
Wow, you are one dedicated mover! I cannot believe how quick things get cleaned up, (semi-)decorated and what more!
Keep it up and I hope you will have a completely (re)furnished, cleaned and what-not house ASAP :)
Also: the sorbet recipe looks delicious – and the timing is just perfect too! It is quite sunny here today and even the chilly wind has decided to play elsewhere.
I just might hop on my bike and get the groceries to make the sorbet so that I can surprise my poor working hubby later today!
Thanks Eva, I hope so too. Enjoy the sorbet!
this might be a random comment, but how do you get your hair so pretty and shiny?? It looks gorgeous even in a ponytail! :)
Thank you, you have beautiful hair yourself!
My biggest “trick” is that I don’t wash it everyday. My hair gets really dried out when I wash it every day, so I wash it 3-4 times per week usually. As for the days in between, I use dry shampoo if it needs a freshening up.
Aside from that, I occasionally use an apple cider vinegar as a rinse after shampooing and sometimes olive oil as a moisturizer 30 mins before getting in the shower.
My hair tends to get really dried out, too, but I had never considered that it might be from over washing. Silly me, I actually thought it needed yet another rinse in my “moisturizing” shampoo. I’m going to pick up some dry shampoo and try washing it only 3-4 times next week to see if that helps. This just might do the trick!
that’s packed with protein for such a lil treat…gotta get me some Vega…
Wow, that sorbet looks delicious and MUCH more complicated than a 60-second recipe! I’m impressed you’re experimenting in the kitchen at all with everything you have to do for the move. It really does look like you’re making great progress, though. That central vac looks pretty cool! I’ve never used one before. What a funny story about that cat!! I can’t even imagine finding a strange cat in my bathroom, hahaha.
I know, wouldn’t you just die? I think I’d feel like I had gone crazy or was seeing things…
It would be a shock however do you not think you would ask your neighbours if it was their cat, not just put it out in the hall?
Looks like excellent progress Ange! I can’t wait to hear about the antiquing tutorial because I’ve been wanting to do that for ages! On a very random note – you and I are kettle twins! I bought mine about 3 months ago but for some reason it’s leaking out the bottom and boils itself dry because it won’t switch off, even after it clicks. Any chance yours does the same?! I need to find my receipt so I can return it!
Yikes! That’s not good…I’ve had kettles do that in the past before. This is a new kettle, so nothing has gone wonky yet. I’ll have to keep an eye on it. I hope they refund your money no questions asked if that is happening.
Holy crap, if I stepped out of the shower and there was a CAT sitting there, I would lose it. That story is hilarious!
I love the sorbet recipe! I’m trying really hard to avoid naughty deserts during the week, this would definitely be a great alternative!
Thank God I wasn’t drinking something when I saw Sketchie or I would’ve shot it out my nose. That was HILARIOUS!
Is your cape at the cleaners because you are Super Mover!
Have you heard of Norwex? They have cloths (2) that are for cleaning mirrors/windows and they are incredible. Takes you 1/4 the time and they’re just cloths with silver lining, so no chemicals whatsoever. Just a quick wipe with the wet one, another quick wipe with the dry one and voila – zero streaks! If you get the chance to host a party, you get awesome benefits with many free products. Just a thought, I’m sure they would be perfect for your backsplash!
(and no, I have nothing to do with this company, I just use their products and find them amazing :O))
No I haven’t, but thanks for the tip. I will have to check it out.
I also have the norwex cloths, and yes….they are great for mirrors and windows!
Angela, can you please remove my comment for this post? I did not want to promote my business on your blog. Thanks :)
The inside cabinet for oven mitts is such a great idea. That could give me an entire drawer back!
I’ve had a mirror backsplash before. It gets dirty every time you cook, but I just made it a habit to wipe that down with the counter tops and it wasn’t a big deal.
Funny, you mention Heritage Furniture as I love that store and it is 5 min from my work. I have bought gorgeous bar stools for the island, a leather ottoman that serves as a coffee table and 2 customer order recliner chairs. Quality furniture and they often have great sales! Maybe I’ll bump into you there one day.
We love it too…and that it’s a family owned business! I think one of the sons (who is now in his 40’s) said that he started working there when he was 8 yrs old or around that young age.
looks great so far I cant wait to see how you organize everything!
It’s coming along! I love the sorbet without added sugar!
It’s coming along! I love the sorbet without added sugar!
Check out pinterest under organization and you may find some great cupboard organization ideas!! I used a lot of tips from there when I moved into a house with much less space. Hope you get this sorted out sooner than later. Nothing feels better than being settled!
great idea :)
Wow,
everything looks yummy! Just a note be careful of the water and vinegar mix. The vinegar is an acid and will strip away the finish on the floors. I have had personal experience with this and my floors are now dull and damaged and nothing will bring them back! I just use plain ol’ water and soap now.
Thanks Paula, I’ve been using it for a long time, but I guess I will have to read up on it a bit more!
Could you tell me the mix for the vinegar and water and how do you get no streaks on your wood floor? I’ve been having difficulty with the streaks! Made the sorbet for my son this am he liked it but, my fruit was a little too frozen. He loves the voats the best though!
:) Jenn
I generally think it’s easier to move from smaller to larger, than vice versa — so hang in there and you’ll make it.
I agree..we had a much easier time moving from the condo to the house…although we also had many empty rooms and no furniture. lol.
I can’t wait for your antiquing tutorial! I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.
The whole moving process is so time-consuming. In the last two years, I moved from Boston to SF, and in SF from a 1 month rental to an apartment for 6 months, then back to Boston, where I lasted 8 months in that apartment before moving back to my original Boston building (yes, the one I lived in before I moved across the country!). I truly came full circle and can’t wait to stay put for a while! I’m exhausted just typing that.
As for the cat story. . . I think I’d have kind of liked finding a cat on my counter, even if it gave me a turn. And I would have kept it/put up a “found” sign around the area. . . I must be a little odd.
I think I would have too :)
I have similar cupboards in our condo and got ‘lazy susan’s’ for each shelf so i can maximize my space and still see all my stuff…it’s really helped. i actually need to get some more :) good luck with the rest of your un-packing!
Eric suggested that too…do you think they would fit? For some reason I picture lazy susan’s being really wide, but I guess they prob make them smaller too. Where did you get yours?
I second the lazy susan idea. My friend’s parents redid their kitchen a couple of years back and had lazy susans permanently installed as shelving instead of regular static shelves. They’re totally awesome and I’m so jealous of their new kitchen.
My parents have central vac and I remember when I was living there what a pain in the arse it was to carry the hose from the downstairs to the upstairs. We did have an extra one but it seemed like more effort to put one away and get the other instead of hauling it up the stairs. But now that I think about it…
We have central vac in our current house and I’m not sure I could ever, ever go back to not having it. Although I said the same thing about a garbage disposal which we don’t have in this house and I’ve survived.
Definitely do a recap of the wood photography boards, I literally just asked my husband this past weekend how hard he thought it would be to tackle that for me. He didn’t seem too enthused so I’d love a tutorial!
I would love to know how you optimize the cupboard space. The kitchen storage in my condo is awkward and there is not not very much of it. I worked with it the best I could by adding plastic shelves but I ended up putting a lot of pantry items that I don’t use every day in the TV stand. I also end up re-organizing the cupboards every few month because it gets out of hand.
haha I’ve been threatening Eric that I’m going to take over his TV stand…
The wood idea is really cool! Is that what you took the photos of the sorbet on?
Nope that one was on another board. I’ll have to show that soon too
The board looks really good as a backdrop!
Sorbet looks yummy and perfect for this “hot” spring day! :)
Agreed the deep cupboards are hard to work with for storage space. I have a couple like that and I find some of that space at the back gets wasted because things are out of reach. May be good for storing items/mini appliances that only get mildly exercised.
Hey Preena! I know isn’t the weather gorgeous?
Random question- Do you know if you will be working at the Oakville market this summer? If you are, I’ll definitely be popping by!
Hey Angela,
Yes, getting used to the early arrival of summer!
Did you know the market is moving to the parking lot of Oakville Whole Foods Market? All the more incentive to make it out! Arvinda’s is sold in the store so we won’t be regular market vendors, but rather just sample, maybe on opening day.
I hope to see you then!
aw no I hadnt heard that…I wish it wasn’t because I’d love to be able to walk to it but I can see how that might be a better location than before.
Let me know if you will be coming to Oakville, I’d love to see you!
Yes, I think from a foot traffic perspective the new location should be better. I do agree, the walking factor makes for such an amazing and inspiring market visit. I wish the vendors luck and hope it works out for them!
Will let you know if I’m there, would love to see you too. Now I’m craving summer!
I’ve seen quite a few board-making tutorials and I’m curious how your version is going to come out and what your tips and thoughts are on that little DIY project. I can’t believe that mid-move, unpacking, and chaos…you’re making boards! My hat goes off to you!
It’s all coming together! I love making this sorbet. It’s so quick and easy. I don’t always see the mixed berries with cherries at my store but need to stock up next time I see it – it’s my favourite blend too.
That sorbet looks delicious! With the warm weather (and the new blender my parents brought me!) I’ve been making smoothie/frozen snacks all the time.
You like your central vacuum? In our old house I thought that huge pipe was a major pain to move around–I prefer a small one I can move around.
And on a side note, I agree with the commenter above. Your hair does look so healthy and shiny!
Thank you :) Yes, it is annoying to move the cord around for sure. I like it for tight spaces though!
That sorbet looks delicious! perfect for all the nice weather we’ve been having! The new place is definitely coming along! Can’t wait to see the finished product!
I’d say that progress is pretty darn good if you ask me!! And I love how THICK that sorbet is!
Fast , Easy and Healthy…win win win
I need a towel hanger like that for our bathroom! I miss Canadian Tire, so useful for those types of things! Love the sorbet recipe! I make protein shakes with Vega all the time, it is just so tasty! Now, I will have to try to sorbet for sure!!!
Yum :) This looks fantastic – and so easy! Good luck with the rest of the unpacking!
Odd, but I have the same toilet bowl cleaner ;) haha
I think you’ve done more cleaning in the past few days that I’ve done in a LONG time! I’m really scared to pull my stove out. Maybe since the husband has the ‘strength’ to actually pull it out, he’ll clean behind it too :)
CATS<3 i want a kitty, however i don't think that would work in a dorm.
Mmmmmm Im going to try that berry sorbet with some vanilla sun warrior. :)
Lazy susans are great for deep cupboards. You can utilize all of the space, but with a flick of the wrist have access to things in the deep recesses of the cupboard.
Love the picture of your cat :) My neighbor uses one of her rooms as a guesthouse and my cat loves going in there. She usually sees him but one time he snuck in. Imagine the guests’ surprise when they went up to their room and found a cat sleeping on the bed ;)
I am impressed- and I think your progress looks great! I would love to hang oven mits/dishtowels/etc., but can’t because of my dogs- they will rip them right off.
I have never seen a central vac in my life- but I LOVE the idea!! I bet that it super handy (especially when you need to vacuum several times each week, like me!)
I’m slightly obsessed with all things Vega, and haven’t used it for sorbet yet (which will now change!)
That’s so funny. My husband makes fun of me for saying “It has to get worse before it gets better.” He doesn’t understand cleaning up by pulling everything out of drawers or closets and piling it up first. How else can you do it? ;)
haha ;) That is always the way with cleaning!
Love this!! Now I need to buy some frozen fruit!
Moving is one of those things that seems like it should take awhile, but not nearly as long as it actually takes. Man, it takes forever! That sorbet seems like the perfect way to end to curl up after a hard day!
hi Angela! i have been fan of your blog ever since i became vegan, and now that i’m more acquainted with veganism, i’m planning to try out some of your recipes! they all look delicious!
i’m pressed that you were able to make something so healthy and delicious with all the moving and packing going around!
Thanks Jung! I hope you enjoy the recipes :)
Just did the sorbet (without vega) after my 40km bike ride. Mmmmmm!
Glad you enjoyed it & way to go on that bike ride!!
It looks like your house is coming along! I love the sorbet recipe — so perfect for warmer temperatures– plus its easy to make!
Such Progress already! you are making me look really bad. hehe. I am a slow mover for the most part, it is so stressful too. How are you holding up? from what I can see…perfectly!
Now that is how you make a smoothie…done and done!
Pretty good, thank you for asking! I’ve been a bit sad over leaving the old house, but for the most part, I’m just really excited to live in a new area that is close to so many things. The country was great, but it was a bit isolating for our taste.
I’ve been so busy the past couple weeks, I totally missed that you were moving! I feel so out of the loop! I must catch up on all my missed reading. :)
I could see how this post would come as a bit of a surprise ;)
Wow, that sorbet looks so yummy! I’ll have to try making that for sure!
Your place looks like it is coming along nicely. I’m right up there with the umpteen moves and part of me is kind of liking living vicariously through your photo updates…seeing how everything is finding its place.
The berry sorbet is so easy, I can’t believe I never tried this before…perfect for a warm spring day! And a healthy treat for kids who keep begging for ice cream.
Haha-that is exactly what I put in my morning smoothie, right down to the vega protein powder! Just with more almond milk. It’s delicious, quick and easy :)
Kitties are crazy, but that’s why I love them. :)
I like homemade sorbet, but I never order it out. When I’m out having dessert, it’s gelato or ice cream for me!
my favorite way to make a quick and healthy no-bake dessert! :) good luck with the rest of the move, and btw those boards look awesome!!!
Thanks Michelle, I’m not sure how they will look in a photo, but hopefully decent!
That sorbet looks so yummy! I just may have to whip some up for dessert! All of your running posts have inspired me to get back into it, but I wasn’t sure how to fit that in, because most of my exercise has been taking my kids for walks, because I know that they need the exercise too. Well, I have figured out the solution. The last few days, I have put my 6 year old on her bike, and now I have to chase after her! LOL! Great exercise for the whole family!!