Making Room

While I was searching the net to try and find new ways to store items. I came across this site. They are tiny houses! A tiny house is basically a living space with less than 700 sq. ft. Most of these tiny houses are ran by solar energy. Everything about these houses screams green! Plus almost all of them are built to be portable.
Do I want to live in one of these houses? Maybe one day..but for now it has been an inspiration for me. It just proves that it is not what you have but what you do with it. Which in turn has inspired me to find more ways to organize and store things in my own house.
If a family of 3 can comfortably live in 320 sq feet, then this family of 5 can live in 1600 sq ft. The issue with our house is that it was not necessarily planned with a lot of storage in mind. When we built this house we weren't planning on having more than maybe two children so we weren't concerned about it. In fact it didn't even cross our minds. Now that we have 3 children(with the prospect of more), are homeschooling and running a business out of our home, it is becoming a little more challenging.

So I am on a mission to tame the clutter and get every inch of this house organized. I have plans in the near future to make some big changes around here. hoping to instill a family closet and also expanding our pantry storage areas. Plus reorganizing our school areas. So stay tuned for more posts in the future. I have already started making small changes to our lives over the summer.Small things can make a big difference. They save, time, space, energy, and money.
I also found this blog while doing some more searching..it is awonderful family of 11 is living in 1100 sq ft. This mothers organizational skills are just amazing. I hope to acquire just a small amount of her skill in my adventure to maximize the space in my own home.
But first I have a question.. how do you save space in your home?


Blessing!
Homestead Mommy

4 Layer Pumpkin Cake Recipe

It has been a while since I have gotten to do very much baking. I enjoy all forms of cooking and baking..and I now have little helpers that are actually old enough to help! YAY!
Sis loves to help me in the kitchen. She loves to bake. Bub likes to help cook more than bake, but always helps me bake apple pies. I love that my kiddo's are old enough to start helping out in the kitchen.

I have been wanting to break out my cake pans and try some new recipes. There is something about Fall that makes me want to bake! It also makes me want to quilt and make apple butter!
Sis and I decided to kick our Fall baking off with something festive..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 Layer Pumpkin Cake

You will need

1 pkg (2 layer size) yellow cake
1 can (15oz) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub cool whip topping, thawed
1/4 cup caramel topping
1/4 cup pecans.

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup of pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs a,d 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 28-30 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and remaining pumpkin pie spice, mix well. Stir in the whipped topping.

Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife. Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the filling between the layers. (Do not frost top of cake) Drizzle with caramel topping and pecans.
Store leftover cake in fridge.
Serves 16

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




I forgot the cool whip at the store and had to leave it out. I did not add the nuts, so Little Bit could have some too.I also did ice the top of the cake so the pumpkins and corn would stick to it. This was my first 4 layer cake, so it is leaning to the side just a little :o)
I let Sis do the decorating, she likes pumpkins!
It tastes amazing and a millions times better than it looks. haha
Everyone in the family gave it a big thumbs up. I will most definetly be making it again soon!

Fall is such a fun time of year! Later this week Bub will be helping me make an apple pie!

Happy Fall!

Homestead Mommy