Citrus, Neat Messes & A DIY Farmhouse Inspiration

 Is that time of year again here in Arizona...CITRUS SEASON....which means grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, kumquats,...

Most of our community here in Sun City, have some kind of citrus tree(s) in their yard...which means a lot of neighbors have boxes/bags full of citrus by their curb for the taking!

I am so thankful for their generosity and take advantage of it.  There is nothing better than freshly squeezed juice for drinking, cocktails, and more.

One of my pet peeves of having to juice citrus is the wet mess all over the kitchen counter though.  I have found a better way to deal with this mess, and it was a cinch to clean up!

Actually I copied the idea from my friend Gin who did share her tip with me.

Use a tray and then set a cutting board atop of it and cut citrus away.  The running juices are collected by the tray.  When all is done or as needed, all I did was rinse the tray and wipe the counter cleaned.

This tip will work great for cutting tomatoes, watermelons, and much more.

I juiced enough juice for the week or as needed for my AZ Citrus Season favorite cocktail: Vodka Greyhound

 Now for the farmhouse style decor inspiration...

 I wrapped both of the handles on this wire basket with jute twine.

I found the wire basket at a rummage sale for $1!!!

I had been wanting one to keep our fruit, vegetables, or other supplies in our kitchen or pantry.

I just love it when I stumble across items that I have been looking for or needed at great prices!