New! Request a Post Page

I love writing this blog and I am always, always looking for ways to make it better! One if my favorite things about Organized Charm (and something that I think makes it pretty unique) is that so much of the content comes from y'all! Every day, I get comments, emails, messages, and tweets that inspire new posts! 

My main reason for starting OC in the first place was to help others... and running on requested posts is one of the best ways to do that! In order to take all of those requests into account and to publish as many requested posts as possible, I needed to create a better system for... Well, ORGANIZING them, of course! 

So, I am super excited to introduce Organized Charm's new Request a Post page!

This is something that I've been wanting to do for a while now... But I just wasn't sure how to go about it. Then, a few weeks ago, I heard from a company named JotForm. JotForm is a website (free, btw) that lets you create forms! (be still, my heart.) I created a quick and easy one for y'all to fill out anytime you think of a post you'd love to read!

That's right! Just answer 3 short questions, then hit SUBMIT! Your answers come straight to my email, where I can organize them on-the-go! This will help me keep track of post requests and make sure that they are published in a more effective and timely manner!

This was my "test" form. Maybe I should have filled it out AFTER breakfast...

This form also gives y'all more control over the topics that are published on OC, making sure that it's always relevant to you! And it helps me know where you most frequently watch for new posts so I can be sure to publish new posts on those social media outlets! 

So, next time you're thinking "I wish there was an Organized Charm post on...", just fill out the form and let me know! I am so, SO excited about this new organizational system! YAY!

Thanks for reading OC! You really are the best! :)

What do you think of the new request page? Have you been wanting to request a particular post/topic? Can you think of any categories/questions I should add to the form? 

More about → New! Request a Post Page

Chicken Parm Paninis - total time 45 minutes

If you live in Ohio, you have probably heard of Melt Bar & Grilled. Even if you don't live in Ohio, you may have heard about these huge gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches on shows like Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The first one opened in Columbus last winter (original is based in Cleveland) and I had a Parma, Italy which is chicken parmesan between two slices of Texas toast with a side of fries. While it was really, really good... I kind of feel like I might have a heart attack afterward! So I have been wanting to make a healthier version ever since.

So when Food Network teamed up with Sargento to do the Chopped at Home challenge, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to recreate this sandwich. I buy a lot of local cheeses, but I also love Sargento and their artisanal cheese wedges. I also like their commercials about how they are "real cheese people"... that cheese slices shouldn't come wrapped in plastic and I couldn't agree more!

Shredded cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich can get a little messy, but it's the best way to get all of those Italian flavors without tons and tons of cheese. Some other big differences between my sandwich and Melt's is that the chicken just has a light breading instead of being fried and the sauce is for dipping (kind of like tomato soup) because I hate, hate, hate soggy bread (can't have condiments of any sort actually touching the bread, ew). With the garlic butter, the bread ends up becoming garlic bread, so this really is a complete Italian meal without the pasta. Buon Appetito!

Read more �

More about → Chicken Parm Paninis - total time 45 minutes

Creamy Pork with Mushrooms

A delicious pork dish that your entire family will surely adore. 

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork
1/4 kilo mushrooms (sliced) you can use canned mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
2 cups water
1/2 cup All purpose cream ( Nestle, Alaska or any brand)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the pork and simmer until pinkish color is gone.
2. Add the water and simmer until the meat is tender, then add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the all purpose cream simmer for a minute or until done.
4. Serve and enjoy. :-)



Note: If you want it to have more gravy just add the water and the all purpose cream.

More about → Creamy Pork with Mushrooms

Saint Lucia Getaway

 No meal planning post this week, because we just got back from vacationing in Saint Lucia!  ... and now I don't want to cook... haha.  Actually, I have been so busy catching up on things, I haven't had a chance to meal plan yet, so it is great that I had put together several meals in the freezer earlier this month that just needed to be heated in the oven!  I'll post about that soon.  :)

Back to Saint Lucia... chances are you are tired of winter and cold weather.  I'm definitely in that boat with ya!  Odd thing is, we always plan our beach vacations during the summer when it is warm in Columbus...  If you have kids, it makes sense because they are out of school, but they are out for Spring Break too.  So my husband and I are convinced that beach vacations are now mandatory every February to get away from the cold and break our cabin fever!  

Maybe it is time for you to go on a little vacay of your own!

We stayed at Sandals Grand Saint Lucian, which, as you probably know, is an all-inclusive couples-only resort.  The photo at the top of the post is of the resort after we hiked up a little mountain.  That's the Atlantic Ocean to the left and Caribbean Sea to the right.  After looking at several all-inclusives throughout the Caribbean, Sandals has the most included and is always running sales so you can get some good deals.  We have stayed at three Sandals resorts now and have loved all three!

Saint Lucia is about 85 degrees year round.  The southern part of the island is mostly rainforest and the northern part is much drier (aka sunnier).  Rainy season is also hurricane season which can start in May and last through October, so the "tourism season" is November to April. The international airport is on the southeast side of the island and most of the resorts are on the northwest side, making for an interesting ride across the 27 mile long island.  The British and French fought hard over this little island 14 times, so there are influences of both cultures like driving on the left side of the road and their secondary language is a version of French.

Tourism is Saint Lucia's main source of income followed by bananas (tons of plantations), cocoa, and rum.  Their most famous landmark are the Pitons, two inactive volcanoes at the southeast end of the island.  We hiked up one of them (my legs are still tired) and at 3000 feet above sea level you can see for miles.

 

 

Since we have been inside most of this winter, we wanted to break our cabin fever and did as many excursions and water sports as possible!  We went horseback riding on the beach and in the ocean, which ended up being a little scary because my horse was a little out of control in the water (both the horse and I had a little freak out moment).  And then Sandals offers a number of included water sports including snorkeling, paddleboarding, kayaking, wind surfing, hobby cats, and water skiing all on the calm Caribbean Sea side.  You can also get certified to scuba while you're at the resort!

 

Of course the food is included with Sandals and you typically have three courses.  Most of the serving sizes are on the small side (afterall, you're pretty much living in your swimsuit the whole time you're there), which gives you opportunity to try new foods.  All Sandals resorts have have a Caribbean themed restaurant so you can try their take on local foods.  Also included is usually an Italian place, French, and seafood along with a quick lunch place (like pizza) and a breakfast/dessert place that you can stop at any time to get a latte and a sweet bite.

      

We had so much fun in Saint Lucia that I just had to share some pictures!  It was a great break from winter, which let us stretch our legs and remember what it feels like to be outside and warm again.  I'll leave you with some sunset photos... it was so beautiful every night!

 

More about → Saint Lucia Getaway

Fried Salmon

Cooked simply but served in a very special way that  I can for a very good friend. We enjoyed our lunch of fried salmon  with a good chat :-).

Ingredients for 2 servings:
300 grams salmon fillet ( slice to your desired size)
1 tablespoon lemon or calamansi juice
salt and pepper to taste


Procedure:
1. Sprinkle the salmon with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil then fry the salmon until done, remove from oil and put in a paper towel to remove excess oil.
3. Serve with love and a big smile :-). 

More about → Fried Salmon

Suam Mais (Corn Soup)

Suam Mais is a corn soup dish from Pampanga, Philippines. Delicious and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
4 pieces young white malagkit corn
1/4 kilo pork
3 cups water (add if needed)
2 cups camote tops ( talbos ng camote)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the pork, stir until it is brownish,  add the corn and simmer for a minute.
2. Add the water, salt and pepper, simmer until the corn is tender.
3. Add the  camote tops and simmer until done and turn off the heat.
4. Serve it hot.

More about → Suam Mais (Corn Soup)

PROJECT: Get Your Time Back

So, I received this e-mail from the sweetest girl the other day:

I am a Junior in college and I have been feeling so discouraged when it comes to studying, this semester just started but I feel as if my study techniques are not efficient.

I have always been a flashcard, color coding girl, but lately that technique is not working for me. It doesn't help that I had 3 exams all in one week. I was just wondering if I could get advice from you on how to manage my time better! I work two jobs and go to school full time.

Sound familiar to anyone else? 

I totally identified with this immediately. Junior year of undergrad was a really hard year for me, too! I also worked 2 jobs... One of which involved traveling and went to school full time. And I was completely overwhelmed (and broke) all of the time. 

First of all, if you're also in this boat right now, remember that things WILL calm down and get better! I promise! 

Here is how I would suggest getting your time back:

In addition to your planner, get a small notebook to carry around. This is what I've done in the past when finals week seemed unbearable or I was way too stressed out (plus, it's a great excuse to buy a cute notebook)! Then just "download" all of the crazy things swirling around in your head into it. Specifically, the things that make you want to sit in the floor and cry because it seems like it's just too much to do in the amount of time you have.

This saves you time because you immediately start working on what needs to be done. 

Dedicate 1 page to each day. Write out the times on the left side and what you HOPE to do during those times. This keeps you focused *only* on what needs to be done today. If you're already feeling super overwhelmed by what to do today, worrying about some new thing from next week is not going to make you feel better. By all means, stay aware of upcoming projects, but prioritize by due date. Get through this then you can get through that.

This saves you time because you are working high-priority to low-priority. 

Make this your new mantra: "One thing at a time. One day at a time." Post it on your wall. Repeat it in your head. Say it out loud. Write it down. Remember that, despite what all you have to do, at the end of the day, this is really all you can do. Focus on this thing. On this day. In this moment. Then the next thing. Then the next thing. You will get it done. Anxiety comes from anticipating things that aren't even here yet. Don't let yourself fall into that trap! 

This saves you time because you skip the part where you stress over any and everything. 

As you go through your day, use a different color pen/pencil/marker to write notes about what you *actually* accomplished out to the right side. For me, when I write out what I DO instead of what I NEED to do, it calms me down and shows me I am progressing. It also helps you see where you could replace less important activities with important ones and it also helps you see that you're accomplishing more than you feel like you're accomplishing.

This saves you time because you hold yourself accountable; and you want to succeed. 

I once read that we can balance about 5 different things really well. After that, we get stressed out and start to do a poorer job. College is super demanding because we are expected to do a TON of things all at once! If you've got too many things going on (work, school, barre, more work, planning parties, sorority commitments, a boyfriend, volunteering, church, an internship, a study group) don't be afraid to politely step out of an activity or two. People will understand.

This saves you time because you are working on a manageable amount of tasks at a time. 

Finally (and this is the hardest one for me), let go of perfection. Every class doesn't have to end in an A. There is nothing wrong with a B or a C! Your future employer will care IF you graduated, not how quickly you finished or what your GPA was. Set a time limit for doing projects. Set a time limit for editing/proofreading/revising projects. Then turn them in and move on to the next thing! No one else's paper is perfect either!

This saves you time because perfectionism is the sneaky enemy of productivity! 

You're always doing better than you think you are. :) 

Are you in a similar situation? Do you have any advice to add to this? Is there a time management tip that you can add to this list? 

More about → PROJECT: Get Your Time Back

Try the World Review

I don't know if Try the World has been blowing up your Facebook newsfeed with their sponsored posts, but they sure have been on mine!  The posts keep featuring Paris, which brings back lovely memories of buttery croissants and decadent french cooking.  So after reading some reviews, I decided to give in and try a three box package which came with a free sampler box too!

It took a couple weeks to get the first box and the free sampler box came within a few days of the Paris box... so back-to-back surprises.  :)  The box is in my favorite color... but it is what's inside that is important.  The sampler box came with a thank you note and a sampling of several future cuisines we'll get to try including French, Belgian, Japanese, and English.

 

The second box was the Paris box which had a card with descriptions of the contents, a little book about Paris (including some music, movies, and poetry to really get you in the French mindset), and several more items than the sampler box.  It included caramels, dark chocolate, whole grain mustard, fruit jellies, fig jam, cookies, and this thing called chestnut spread.  Oh man, this chestnut spread was delicious!  Coincidentally, we had some croissants from Pistacia Vera, so I put some of the chestnut spread on the croissant (with my homemade espresso) and it was just like being in Paris!  It reminded me of the almond pastry filling and a little bit of Nutella without the cocoa.  Mmm!  I remembered seeing horse chestnut trees (which look like buckeye trees) all over Paris, so I can totally see how this is a French favorite.  :)

 

We have to wait two months for the next box, which is probably either Italy, Turkey, or Japan based on the previews and reviews I've read.  At $35 a box which includes the shipping, it's a little expensive, but so far, definitely worth it!  :)

(This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are both honest and my own.)

More about → Try the World Review