Getting Organized for Spring

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rubbermaid® All AccessTM Organizers for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Every year when the seasons change, I make my "I'm-going-to-be-even-more-organized-this-time" vows.  As I put away the last season's clothes and accessories and bring out the new stuff,  I keep trying to refine my system and try a few new things.  With Spring (hopefully) right around the corner, I'll be doing the big winter to spring switch in these next few weeks.   Gone will be the snow boots, scarves, and out will come the spring jackets, outdoor toys and sports equipment.

My current system utilizes tons of those plastic storage bins.  I pack up all the stuff we're going to put away till next year, label the bin and put it up in the attic.  Then I take down the bins I'd stored away last year and pull out all the spring and summer items we'll be needing.  Overall, it's been pretty effective but there's always room for improvement.

This year, I'm going to be adding a new variation to some of my storage bins.  Check out these new Rubbermaid® All AccessTM storage containers .

 

So smart, don't you think?  It's a plastic storage container just like the ones I've been using, but it has a clear drop down door on the side for easy access to the contents.  There's a variety of colors and sizes, so I plan to pick up a few of them so we're even more organized and efficient.  I'm thinking I'll get a couple to store all of our boots, gloves, hats and other winter accessories in.  I'll still be able to put them up in the attic for the spring and summer months, but next fall I can just take down the whole container and put it right on the shelf in our hall closet.  We'll be able to just pull open the drop down door and get the things we need ~ it totally eliminates the whole step of emptying out the bin and putting it in another container for easy access.

I'm thinking these would be perfect for the kids' sports' stuff too.  Right now, I really don't have a good storage solution for their soccer balls, shin guards, basketballs, baseball gloves, cleats and all the other athletic paraphernalia.  If I get a few more of these containers, I can stack them in the closet in my son's room during the sports' season, and move the whole bin up to the attic if we need more space during the off-season.

You can find these clever new storage containers at Walmart stores throughout the county ( and in my newly organized closets in the next few weeks! )

Make-Your-Own Mini Pies (for Pi Day or any day)

Yesterday was Pi Day ~ an unofficial "holiday" celebrating the mathematical expression of pi ( the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter and approximately equal to 3.14)  Get it?  March 14th is 3.14.  Now my kids aren't so far along in their math studies that they've actually worked with pi, but they eagerly accepted any excuse for a fun little dessert.

Check out these fun, individual-sized pies...

I made it super easy for us and just got some premade pie crusts and three different kinds of fillings ~ apple, blueberry, and cherry.

 

Making the pies was really simple and the kids liked choosing their fillings and adding some little designs to the tops of their pies.

 

It's really pretty self-explanatory, but this is how we made our mini pies...

1.  Preheat oven to 425*.  I also used some parchment paper to cover my cookie sheets.
2.  Using a small bowl or cup, cut circles out of your premade pie crust.  (Ours were about 5" or so).
3.  Spoon some filling into the center of your crust circle.
4.  Make an egg wash by putting just an egg white into a bowl and whisking it slightly.  Then brush the wash around the edges of your circle. (It'll help to act as a "glue" to seal the top and bottom crusts). Put on the top circle of dough and gently push together the edges to seal.  Then use a fork to help further seal the edges.
5.  Using the extra scraps of crust, cut little shapes or letters out of the dough (we had initials, footballs, cherries and more).  Brush some of the egg wash over the whole top of your pie, put on your shapes, then brush a little more egg wash on.
6.  Bake until the pies are golden brown.  Our pies took about 12-13 minutes.
7.  Allow to cool a bit and serve with ice cream!

Yummy!

I was a little more literal in my interpretation and made my pie with the pi symbol!

As I mentioned, my kids haven't had to actually calculate the area of a circle or do any other problems with pi, but they are familiar with the term from one of their favorite movies ~ Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian.  We love watching it before we head down to DC to visit the Smithsonian Museums.  In the movie, Ben Stiller's character has to crack a code and gets the answer from the Einstein bobble-heads in the gift shop at the Air and Space Museum.

As we were eating our pies last night, my kids kept shaking their heads as they tried to say all the numbers from the movie (3.14159265)  Here's a little clip.

Sharing our fun desserts at:

Fort McHenry (Baltimore, MD)

Yesterday was a beautiful early Spring day here in Baltimore so I took my girls to spend an afternoon at Fort McHenry.  If you're ever in Baltimore, Fort McHenry is just a short drive from the Inner Harbor, Maryland Science Center, and American Visionary Art Museum.  It's the perfect place to learn a little history and get out a little bit of extra energy outdoors.

Check out our visit...

As a little history refresher, Fort McHenry is best known for its role in successfully defending the city of Baltimore during the War of 1812.   It was the morning after the British attack in September 1814, when Francis Scott Key saw the U.S. flag being raised above the fort, that the Star Spangled Banner was written.

My girls enjoyed our afternoon...

  Fort McHenry is part of the National Park Service and has its own Junior Ranger Program.  If you're ever at the fort, or any of the other NPS sites that have this program, definitely let your kids participate.   (check their website for a list of participating sites) 

The girls got a list of questions about the fort and the War of 1812.  All the answers could be found in the Visitor Center and on the grounds.  It was almost like a scavenger hunt for them,  as they ran from exhibit to exhibit reading signs to find information.  (Pretty fun way to sneak in lots of learning, don't you think?)

After all the questions were answered, they took their completed papers back to the ranger station to be checked.  The ranger determined that everything looked good and they were sworn in as Junior Park Rangers.  They got certificates and fun little badges.

As I mentioned, Fort McHenry is just a short drive from Baltimore's Inner Harbor and it's just off of I-95.  There's also a water taxi service that can take you from the Inner Harbor to the the Fort (which is a fun boat ride for the kids).  I'd definitely recommend it as part of your Baltimore visit and it's would be a good side trip from a visit to Washington DC.  Kids can learn some history and just run around on the grounds ~ there's a great path all along the water around the fort.  It's a great spot for a picnic lunch as you watch the boats go in and out of the Harbor.