19 minute read
Organizing with Cloud Nine Organizing
SHOW YOUR Pantry Some Love
by Crystal Nerpel, Owner of Cloud Nine Organizing
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Sitting around the kitchen table with my family is something I absolutely love. It’s a chance to reconnect and destress. No matter what we’re eating I call it soul food; being together during mealtimes feeds the soul.
Being an organizing expert means I start thinking about the meal way before it gets put on the table. For me, all meals that feed the soul start with an organized pantry - showing your pantry a little love will only make those family meals that much sweeter.
MAKE SPACE FOR EXTRA INGREDIENTS:
This time of year you may be baking and cooking more often for loved ones. That means you’ll have additional baking and cooking ingredients on hand. Keep all those extra ingredients organized with these 4 pantry organizing tips:
Move packaged dry goods into clear, airtight, rectangular containers. In addition to saving space, containers keep the mess under control and keep food fresh longer.
Remove packaged snacks (i.e, granola bars and fruit snacks) from boxes and put them inside small bins. In addition to saving space, you’ll be able to see how much you have before heading to the grocery store.
Store round bottles and jars on lazy susan turntables. You’ll be surprised by how much easier it is to grab what you need when you use a turntable.
Start buying fresh or frozen vegetables. Canned foods are sometimes the biggest culprit of pantry clutter, and have less nutritional value than the alternatives.
SAVE TIME BY QUICKLY FINDING WHAT YOU NEED:
Cluttered pantries cause frustration, and frustration can snowball into other negative effects; like an otherwise easy dinner prep turning into an annoying ordeal. When you can find your ingredients quickly, you may have just saved yourself a 20 minute trip to the grocery store. Family dinnertime should be the part of the day you look forward to the most, not the part of the day you dread because it’s just another chore.
SAVE MONEY BY SHOPPING YOUR PANTRY:
This is something many people do not do: Look at what you actually have on hand before you make a grocery list and head to the store. Buying extra food doesn’t sound like a big deal, unless it becomes a habit and you start accumulating food-clutter.
An overstuffed pantry makes it difficult to see what you really have on hand. Eventually, when you do find the hidden cans, bags or boxes of food you may have to throw them out because they have expired.
MAKE IT A WEEKLY HABIT.
Friday evening, the pantry will look different than it did Monday morning. This is an area of the home that is constantly changing because we are always eating our food and buying new food.
Make it a habit to pay attention to your current stockpile and straighten up the pantry on a weekly basis. Taking a few minutes to straighten and rearrange will only make life more pleasant as you are baking those holiday cookies or simply planning the next day’s family meal.
CLOUDNINEORGANIZING.COM
by Denton County Commissioner Precinct 3 Bobbie Mitchell photo courtesy by Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell12Gratitude OFDAYS With the holiday season upon us, it is a time of reflection as well as a time for gratitude and giving thanks to God for His grace and mercy. In celebration of the Christmas season, we decided to change up the 12 days of Christmas a On the ninth day of Gratitude, we are thankful to United Way of Denton County and our many non-profits who have little this year: worked together to help our residents, using more than $1.6 million in grants 12 DAYS OF GRATITUDE tests they have provided, the contract from Denton County CARES.
On the first day of Gratitude, we are thankful for the support our Denton County residents as we all work together to help each other through the COVID-19 pandemic. tracing they continue to do, and the 30,500 call center calls they have taken. We are also thankful for the nurses, medical technicians, physicians, and other medical professionals for the many hours, days, weeks, and months they have been On the tenth day of Gratitude, we are thankful for all of the many volunteers who have helped pass out much-needed food and clothing or assisted someone in staying in their homes.
On the second day of Gratitude, we are caring for us. On the eleventh day of Gratitude, we are thankful for the $147 million Denton County CARES Act funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury, which helped us assist many Denton County residents. On the seventh day of Gratitude, we are thankful for our Emergency Services first responders who have provided more than 1.27 million thankful for the collaboration among all of our federal, state, counties, municipalities, school districts, colleges, and universities to ensure we could
On the third day of Gratitude, we are masks, hand sanitizers, It is a time of continue to serve thankful that we have been able to help gloves, gowns, face the public. more than 3,500 households from being shields, and cleaning reflection as well as On the twelfth day of homeless during the pandemic. On the fourth day of Gratitude, we are kits to county offices, area first responders, a time for gratitude Gratitude, we are thankful for who we are, what we thankful for being in Denton County, where we continue to see record-breaking growth with companies bringing more job opportunities. communities, and long-term care facilities. We are also thankful for first responders who have and giving thanks to God for His grace and mercy. have, and for our family and friends. Denton County office closures in December
On the fifth day of Gratitude, we are been on the front lines Denton County offices thankful we could help more than 1,600 throughout this year. will be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 24, businesses across the county with $35.7 million in grants to help them recover losses. On the eighth day of Gratitude, we are thankful that we could provide more than 20,000 25-lb. boxes of fruits and for Christmas Eve and Wednesday, Dec. 25, for Christmas Day as well as Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2021, for New Year’s
On the sixth day of Gratitude, we are vegetables as well as 12,000 turkeys and Day. Please feel free to visit our website at thankful for our Denton County Public hams as part of $2.6 million in food we’ve dentoncounty.gov for information, send
Health team for the 10,100 free COVID-19 given to families in need. us an email or give us a call.
INSIDE COMMUNITY
LIVING CHRISTMAS CARD VICTORIAN CAROLERS
Mon.’s-Sat.’s 5-8pm | Sun.’s 3-6pm | The Shops at Highland Village
1701 Shoal Crk, Highland Village, TX 75077
What a fun way to enjoy Christmas than visiting the Living Christmas Card Quartet! Dressed in beautiful Victorian costumes, the quartet will be singing holiday classics, creating a fun and nostalgic holiday experience. The last day is Wed., Dec. 23, come before it’s too late! This is a free event, no registration needed.
SUBSTITUTES NEEDED
Guyer High School and Denton ISD needs YOU! If you ever wanted to sub, now is your chance. DISD is hiring substitutes for positions including teachers, paraprofessionals, and RN nurses. To apply, visit www.ESS.com. To learn more, contact Courtney Gee at
INSIDE EDUCATION
BOB’S HOUSE OF HOPE
Bob Williams, founder of Ranch Hands Rescue Counseling Center and Animal Sanctuary has added another piece to the recovery puzzle by opening the first long-term safe house in the country exclusively catering to male abuse victims. Bob’s House of Hope will be open in early 2021. To help, Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree presented the organization with a $25,000 check from his drug prevention program. To learn more about the program or to become a partner, visit www.RanchHandsRescue.com.
photo courtesy of Bob Williams 940.369.0568 or CGee@ESS.com.
DYLAN DORRELL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Hosted by the Denton Public School Foundation, the Dylan Dorrell Memorial Scholarship is set up to celebrate those like Dylan; kind, creative, and unique. To help honor Dylan’s legacy of positivity and the want to make the world a better place, you can contribute to the fund at
www.DentonISD.org/foundation.
photo courtesy of the Dorrell family
NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK HOLIDAY DONATIONS
The North Texas Food Bank is in need of donations for the holidays. To help supply residents with meals for Christmas items including canned fruit in juice, peanut butter, cereal bars, and canned tuna are needed. Resident Patricia Ann Young is graciously hosting her home as a drop off location. Please take items to 1010 Sheldon Road in Magnolia and she will get everything to the food bank.
DENIM AND RHINESTONES
Sat., Feb. 27 | 6pm | Liberty Christian School | 1301 S US Hwy. 377 • Argyle, TX 76226 The Liberty Christian School annual fundraiser is here! Come join the community for fellowship and to support the Liberty mission. All proceeds from the auction will benefit The Warrior Difference Annual Fund and Teacher Sustainability. To learn more about the auction, follow Liberty on Facebook @LibertyChristianSchool or visit
UPLIFT
Sat., Jan 2, 2021 | 10am-Noon Lantana Community Church
2200 E. Jeter Rd. • Bartonville, TX 76226
Hosted monthly by the Lantana Community Church, free food and diapers are distributed on the first Saturday of each month for families in need. If you know anyone in need, send them to UPLIFT to get their fresh produce and diapers. Essentials are passed out
until the church runs out. www.LibertyChristian.com/auction. photo courtesy of Amy Mauldin
TAPPS 6A STATE CHAMPS
The Varsity Lady Warriors’ hard work has paid off. Bringing home the state championship title in their first state tournament appearance since 2007. The Warriors beat defending state champs Houston St. Agnes in a five-set showdown Sat., November 21 in New Braunfels, TX. photo courtesy of Amy Mauldin
by Dr. Sanderson | photos courtesy of Dr. Sanderson
At Flower Mound Plastic Surgery and Live Young Wellness Spa, we truly have the best clients and patients. To show their appreciation for us, often times our clients kindly bring us treats like bundt cakes or warm chocolate chip cookies.
My team members rarely hesitate to take a quick break from their laser work or injecting to enjoy one of those delicious desserts. Recently, we had a new staff member who is very health focused join our team. One day when we were gifted with some treats, she expressed concern about her diet and did not want to partake in the high-calorie dessert sitting on the table. One of the more experienced team members at the office smirked and said, “Don’t worry about it. Eat all you want, Sanderson can suck it out.” She was jokingly (at least I think) referring to liposuction. I thought this Dining and Entertainment issue was a perfect time to dispel some of the myths surrounding all of the modalities for removing unwanted fat.
First, we will address the modality of liposuction. When non-medical professionals watch a liposuction procedure, it is usually met with mixed emotions. Disgust is usually the first emotion as they see the liposuction cannula moving rapidly back and forth under the skin, but then intrigue sets in when they see the yellow, greasy fat moving out of the body into a sterile canister, and that area of the body begins to slowly deflate. I often get questions like, “Does it hurt?” or “Does the fat grow somewhere else after it is removed there?” First, let me say, excluding diet and exercise, liposuction is still the gold standard for localized fat reduction. It is not a good diet plan, but it works perfectly on stubborn areas of fat that will not seem to go away regardless of the amount of exercise. The pain is minimal to moderate, and I think this is somewhat surgeon specific. It is not uncommon for my patients to go back to work on Monday after having a liposuction on the previous Thursday — requiring only one or two days off of work. I remind everyone that you
BEFORE AFTER
can still gain weight or get heavier, but the area we treat will always be smaller than what it would have been if we had not treated it. Liposuction can be done under local or general anesthesia. We can only do one area at a time under local simply due to the amount of the numbing medicine required. One area includes both sides of the body. For example, both love-handles are considered one area. I am a huge fan of doing liposuction under local anesthesia for those who are candidates. It is cheaper and more convenient. The average amount of pain during or after the procedure is 3/10.
Next, there are several fat freezing modalities on the market now; I would happily purchase one of these devices if I felt like they were effective enough to justify the cost to my patients. I ask all of my clients who have had the fat freezing procedures what their experience was, and only one in 20 or so say they felt like it was worth the money spent. Furthermore, a small percentage of people will actually get paradoxical adipose hyperplasia. Paradoxical adipose hyperplasia is a fancy way of saying the fat increases in size and amount after attempting to freeze it and make it go away. I have seen a few clients in my clinic seeking liposuction after this unwanted effect. This is a really rare, but well described event.
Finally, the best fat reduction modality is diet and exercise. Nothing works better than the difficult, but effective, method that your mom and dad encouraged. We offer nutrition and hormone services if the more natural route is preferred. We have also teamed up with some great local gyms and fitness places. After getting to know you, we can easily refer you to an exercise location where you will feel welcome and at home.
Either way, if you find yourself enjoying a little too much apple pie this holiday season and need help getting back on track, give our team at Flower Mound Plastic Surgery and Live Young Wellness Spa a call.
Buttermilk SKY PIE SHOP
by Jay Marks | photos courtesy of Foodie Friday DFW
It all started with Amy Doyle’s own “pie in the sky” dream of earning her culinary degree so she could open up a business making food she loves for people in her community. Amy (an avid Key Lime Pie lover) attended a baby shower a couple years ago where she had the best Key Lime Pie she’s ever tasted, from a small pie shop in
Colleyville called Buttermilk Sky already! While we were there, we Pie Shop. It was then that witnessed a constant stream she realized she could make her dream a reality ...EVERYONE CAN of customers coming in buying both large pies by opening her own TASTE (AND SMELL) and their smaller 4” location right here in Flower Mound. The Flower Mound THE CARE AND LOVE BAKED INTO EACH ONE pies by the tower! Why have so many fallen in love with this pie shop location of Buttermilk OF THEIR SCRATCH- already? Well, there are Sky opened in early October and boy has it MADE PIES. lots of reasons - between Amy and her staff’s warm drawn a crowd of loyal fans greetings and the adorable decor
stock photo courtesy of 123rf.com - but it’s most likely because everyone can taste (and smell) the care and love baked into each one of their scratch-made pies.
They currently have 6 flavors on the menu - Key Lime, Southern Custard, Pecan, Chewy Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin, and Buttermilk Sky’s signature flavor - the I-40, which is essentially a pecan pie with chocolate chips and coconut. And we believe they also recently added an Apple Pie to the menu for the holidays!
Their pumpkin pie reminds me of my own grandmother’s special recipe. And that key lime... we understand how it could have inspired a dream!
Whether you need a gift, a dessert for a party or shower, or you just need a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth, head to Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop right here in Flower Mound to get what you need!
972.724.2540 | JayMarksRealEstate.com
jay@jaymarksrealestate.com 1013 Long Prairie Rd., Ste. 102 | Flower Mound, TX 75022
SHAPING A Bright FUTURE
by Jean Eisenmann left photo by Nicole Youngblood Photography & right photo courtesy of Vivian Nichols
Take one look at Madison O’Rourke, and your first thoughts would likely be that she’s a lovely young woman who is intelligent, vibrant, healthy, and has likely never faced any obstacles or challenges. Not all of those thoughts are what they seem.
Nearly 11 years ago, when she was in first grade, Madison was diagnosed with scoliosis. To compound the shock of hearing that she has this progressive and disabling condition, Madison learned that in order to correct the curvature and prevent future surgery, she must wear a custommade back brace. The braces are made of lightweight but rigid plastic and fit jacket-style under clothing to cover the torso from hips to armpits. The orthotists at Scottish Rite for Children in Dallas fitted Madison with a brace which, at first, she had to wear for most of the day. Such “armor” can be devastating for a child, and that fitting was the beginning of a journey that would challenge her both physically and emotionally.
I WANT TO PAY IT FORWARD AND HELP OTHERS
Ironically, it served to shape Madison into the person she is today.
She became known at school as the “quiet kid,” but what her classmates didn’t know was that her shyness was actually embarrassment, thinking she was “different” from the other kids for wearing a brace. “Looking back on those days,” Madison reflects, “I probably withdrew because I was afraid of judgment. I have since learned that people aren’t going to judge me for being different. It’s a unique aspect about myself that I should be proud of and embrace.” However, that wasn’t a lesson Madison learned until later.
Throughout the next seven years of wearing the brace and coping with the stages of her scoliosis journey, Madison faced many challenges. She only had one or two friends at a time and told no one but them about her condition. To disguise the bulge, she wore loose sweatshirts — even in 90-degree weather. That piece of clothing became her comfort and protection.
Other dimensions of Madison’s struggle were the ongoing back pain and resulting sleepless nights. As she grew (to nearly 5’10”), it became necessary to alter and adjust her brace. All the while Madison dreamed of participating in sports and found her passion in the high jump. By then, she was wearing the brace for reduced hours, and that fueled her determination to increase her back strength and flexibility. Madison began to realize that she could accomplish her goals if she put her mind to it and work hard. That was the turning point when she started challenging herself both athletically and academically. “Not only did the brace shape my back, but it also developed my mindset,” Madison reflected.
In eighth grade, Madison made yet another trip to Scottish Rite Hospital thinking it was for her regular checkup. But that day, the pendulum of her life swung once again. She no longer needed to wear her brace. “I was ecstatic,” Madison exclaimed. “It was one of the best days of my life!”
Today, Madison is a senior at Liberty Christian School in Argyle and ranked in the top 3% of her class. In addition, she went on to compete at state for track and has been a volleyball district champ for two years.
In June, Madison started a Shaping a Better Future fundraiser in honor of Scottish Rite Dallas and to help underwrite the cost of care for children with scoliosis. “I want to pay it forward and help others experience the incredible care that Scottish Rite offers,” Madison acknowledged, “It is truly a special place.” She goes on to credit them, saying, “The support and love that I received from the hospital is something I will be forever grateful for, and it will always hold an important place in my life.”
Consistent with her striving for excellence in everything she does, Madison raised $50,000 for the hospital. This was
MADISON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SCOLIOSIS MADISON RAISED $50,000 FOR THE HOSPITAL
accomplished in three months, and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After graduation this spring, Madison will attend college and already has been accepted to three of them, though she has not yet made her final choice.
Scoliosis and the ensuing journey had such a profound impact on Madison’s life, but she ultimately turned something so negative into a life-altering positive. Since then, she unfailingly and tirelessly works hard to accomplish her goals and pushes herself beyond her limits.
“I now take pride in my scoliosis journey,” Madison reflected. “I want to use my voice in various ways to serve as encouragement to others that they can accomplish what they perceive to be impossible.”
