Making A Home And Family

Since we have moved into a new home (a rental), that is very nice and has awesome energy since it isn’t cluttered and messy, I would love to keep it that way.  In the process, making it a habit to be organized and tidy.  So I have been FLYING.

My major accomplishment thus far has been shining my sink.  Do you know how wonderful it is to wake up in the morning to a clean sink and counter?  It’s like a breath of fresh air.  No task weighing on you the minute you walk into the kitchen to get tea or get the kiddo some breakfast.


You can get emails daily, follow on twitter, or even become a fan on facebook to keep you motivated.  The tasks are usually short and simple, so it’s not overwhelming.


I have just stumbled upon the Baby Steps page so that is my main focus now, and I think this would work great for others since it’s working for me!


For more WFMW, visit We are THAT family.

I have learned that when I’m looking for something, that I should tell people around me that it is on my need/want list.  A few months back, I told my mom that I would really like to make my own bread, but didn’t feel equipped to do it correctly in the oven.  You know what she told me?!  Since she has her Kitchen Aide mixer, she has been making all of her bread in the oven and I was offered her bread machine.  Score!

Then on Monday, while I was shopping at Wal-Mart with my mom and sister, I said to them that I should really buy a juicer.  I am addicted to Naked Juice, and it’s really expensive.  I could make my own and eventually it would be way cheaper to do so that way.  You know what my sister said?  She has one at her house, still in the box, that I can have!  Woohoo!

Now if someone near me were to mention they need a toaster or a microwave, we have nice ones that we no longer use because of our toaster oven discovery.  Sharing and passing along things that we are no longer using totally works for me!

For more WFMW, visit Rocks in my Dryer.

 As I was digging through the cupboard one morning last week, I found 3 cereals that were really low and I was just really sick of eating.  So I took it upon myself to dump all of them into the same bag (which was a nice cereal bag with a plastic closure on it), and I shook it up.  It made for a great new cereal and none is going to go to waste.

I think this would also be a great way to use up snacks that only have a tad left in the bag.

It works for me!

For more WFMW, visit Rocks in my Dryer.

I have been preparing for a baby long before I became pregnant, but the preparing that has gone on during the past 30 weeks has been a busy time.  I can only imagine what the next 10 weeks will be like in preparation for Sprout’s arrival.

Our baby shower surely helped us a lot to get ready for baby.  We were blessed with clothes to 12 months, co-sleeper, pack ‘n play, toy box, jogging stroller, and many things to help with my attachment parenting - slings, cloth diapers, and many things to support breastfeeding.

As the time ticks down, we will start preparing our house for a new little life.  Some things that are on my list:

• This week we will be installing new doors in the family room to better insulate. Then we can finally move our office back out there.  It’s been SO long.
• Once the office is in the family room, DH’s computer won’t be in the living room.  The new rocker/recliner will take it’s place.  After a good thorough cleaning/vacuuming in the living room of course.
• Prep all diapers (40 prefolds, a dozen covers, and a dozen BG 3.0’s)
• Set up pack ‘n play and co-sleeper.
• Thoroughly clean the bedroom (remove everything, vacuum/dust, add things back in and rearrange to accommodate 3 of us :D)
• Pack hospital bag.
• Put carseat into the vehicle.

It doesn’t sound like ALL that much to do in 10 weeks really, but maneuvering around the holiday season with gift buying/giving, decorating, baking, and all those fun things — it really will go by FAST!

Picture courtesy of ~ http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/baby-clipart/baby-clipart-6.htm

I had noticed that I just wasn’t keeping up with my chores lately.  It wasn’t because I was busy or even because I was entering my third trimester of my pregnancy.  It was because I was completely bored with my routine.  I have it written on a dry erase board that is attached to my fridge, and I would read it but ignore it.

So I decided the routine needed a face lift.  I erased my board and started over.  Now it looks like this:

Monday ~ Clean bathrooms (sweep/mop floors, scrub toilets, clean tub and sinks)

Tuesday ~ Clean family room (sweep/swiffer and dust)

Wednesday ~ Turns into a day when DH has his chores (do kitty litter, clean backyard of doggy doodoo, take trash to road)

Thursday ~ Clean basement (sweep, organize laundry area) and vehicles (remove trash and vacuum if needed)

Friday ~  Clean living room (vacuum and dust)

Saturday ~ Clean bedrooms (vacuum, dust, and wash bedding)

Sunday ~  Clean kitchen (sweep/mop floors, water plants, clean fridge)

A new schedule like this makes cleaning a little more exciting and keeps me motivated.  It works for me!  For other WFMW posts, visit Rocks in my Dryer!

I am expecting my first baby in February, but the issue of toys has come up many times during discussions with my DH and I.  As we are trying to live more simply, we want to make wise choices when it comes to the toys Sprout should have.

I was very grateful not to receive a whole lot of toys at my baby shower because first of all she isn’t even here yet, and second of all, I’d really like to be the one to make the toy choices (or at least help by making Christmas/Birthday lists).  I did receive a few teether rings (with the liquid inside) that were made in China, and I am going to be donating them to Goodwill.  I have purchased Sprout a wooden teething ring from a local couple who is living off the grid and homeschooling their children right in my home state.  Baby Sprout was also blessed with a homemade wooden toybox that is painted like a horse and carriage and inside contains alphabet blocks that are also handmade.  Those are the types of toys I’m talking about!

Being a teacher, I am also an advocate of toys that produce creativity and imagination for older kids such as building blocks, legos, magnetix, play scarves, musical instruments, or even just a big old cardboard box or big sheet for a fort.

For other great toy ideas, visit WFMW.

As I move toward a more simple life, my goal is start learning how to make my own things and especially starting in the kitchen.  As I made my grocery list this past week, I knew that others made their own tortillas.  Why can’t (shouldn’t) I do that too?!  I didn’t put tortillas on my list, and I made them two nights ago before I went to bed.  There was enough there for my pinto bean tacos, breakfast burritos for this morning, and pb&j “sandwiches” for lunch.

I used the recipe from Hillbilly Housewife.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups whole wheat flour or half wheat and half white

• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 to 1-1/4 cups water

Directions:

• Combine dry ingredients in a big bowl.
• Cut in shortening with a fork.
• Add water and make dough into a ball.  Knead about 20 times and then let sit for 10 minutes.
• Split dough into 12 equal balls and roll into tortillas.
• Heat skillet or pan - I put mine on medium heat (don’t add oil).
• Put in tortilla and cook about 30 seconds on each side.

For more WFMW posts, visit Rocks in my Dryer.

Since we live in a small town and it’s hard to find organic products (or products for a reasonable price), we travel about 60 miles once a month to go to an employee owned grocery store.  We have a lot of options there, and we find the things that we like (organic foods/produce, organic beauty supplies, fair trade goods..) and we save money.

As per request, I will be sharing my monthly grocery shopping list with you this month.  I do have quite a lot of things in my pantry, and I did just stock up snack foods, cereal, and some fruit a few days ago.  We also buy all of our meat in bulk from my brother who is a local farmer, so those purchases are not included.  The first thing I do is make a list of meals that I will make for dinner, and the I create a list with my stack of recipes.  I separate my list into categories and in the order that I walk through the store.

This is what works for me.  How do you grocery shop?

Organic

• tomato sauce
• 3 cans diced tomatoes
• alfredo sauce
• 2 jars spaghetti
• pinto beans
• 2 cans corn
• 2 cans black beans
• spaghetti noodles
• salsa
• tortillas
• ranch dressing
• pesto
• Blue Sky pops
• frozen spinach
• snacks (granola bars, crackers)

Pets

• Kitty litter
• Canned dog food

Pantry items

• Olive oil
• Ketchup
• Cream of mushroom soup
• Elbow macaroni
• Brown rice
• Dry ranch mix
• Tortellini
• 2 cans pumpkin puree
• Yeast (coupon)
• Bread flour
• Juice (coupon)
• Soups (coupon)
• Spaghetti O’s no meat because I crave it (coupon)

Bakery

• Sliced bread
• French bread
• English muffins
• Bagels

Produce

• Potatoes
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Carrots
• Celery
• Broccoli
• Avacado
• Lime
• Lettuce
• Snow peas
• Basil
• Fruits to snack on

Dairy

• Organic butter
• Milk
• Mozzerella cheese
• 2 dozen eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Plain yogurt

Frozen/In Cases

• Pie crust
•  Pizza dough
• Biscuits (coupon)
• Pizza (coupon)
• Garlic bread (coupon)
• Viola meal (I have a coupon)

For other WFMW posts, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

Do you ever get lost in the hustle and bustle of it all?  You’re stressed, you’re overworked, and all you want is a few minutes to yourself to breathe….

 That was me this morning before I even rolled out of bed.  I had a vivid dream (thanks pregnancy) but a vivid dream that wasn’t filled with rainbows and butterflies.  It was a scary dream.  One where I woke up with real tears streaming down my face and I was gasping for breath between sobs.  So after holding DH for a little while and getting comfort there, I went straight into the library and sat on the floor to meditate.

It only took a few minutes of sitting and breathing and saying “Here and Now” and “I am present” before I was grounded again.  Then I was ready to start my day.

Meditating or praying before starting my day really makes things go much smoother (or at least they appear to because I have a better perspective).

For more WFMW ideas, visit Rocks in my Dryer.

At the end of August, I decided to start decluttering my house.  One place I started was the kitchen.  I had been fighting with my kitchen for awhile trying to keep it clean, and it finally dawned on me that I had too much STUFF!

So here are some things I did to simplify and declutter the kitchen ~

1. I went through all of the cupboards and donated (or gave to family) things I had duplicates of or didn’t use anymore.  Nesting bowls went to my mom since she didn’t have any and I had THREE sets.  See what I mean?  I donated about 4 bags of goodies just from my kitchen alone.
2. I then organized my cupboards in a way that I could see everything that was in each one.  Then when I went looking for something, it wouldn’t be so hard to find.
3. The pantry was reorganized to put like items together (pastas, canned veggies, baking items, spices, etc)
4. I cleaned my table so that it wouldn’t be a catch all anymore.  I decorated it with a few nice things like a tablecloth and it certainly made my kitchen prettier and a lot easier to set the table for dinner.
5. One really tiny piece of advice I have for everyone is simplify everything for cooking you can.  Last night, as I was spraying my muffin tin with non-stick spray I started complaining about putting the lid back on.  It’s so hard to get on and off, and then the lightbulb went off.  Do I need this lid?!  No!  I threw it away, and it sure will simplify the next time I use that spray.

For more WFMW, visit Rocks in my Dryer.