Good Clean Fun - Pt. 2

Remembering to put things away, close cabinet doors (and drawers), and screw lids on are a few of my many weaknesses. Being the day dreamer that I am, my thoughts often wander to all of the fun I could be having if I did not have to clean. Over the last couple of years I have found a system that works for me, so things are definitely improving, but I am not naturally a tidy person. A couple weeks I gave some practical ideas about how to get your house in order, and now I hope to share how to make it fun (or at least enjoyable).

1. Play Upbeat Music

Put on music you know motivates and will make you move! Do not be afraid to be ridiculous. Your kids will have so much fun with you as you sing into the broom, tap on the counters, bang pots and pans, and belt out "Respect" by Aretha Franklin.....

2. Make it into a Game

- Have a race to see who can get their tasks done the fastest.
- Turn matching socks into “Go Fish” Have one person hold up a sock they have and see who has the most. The person with the most pairs at the end wins.
- Take note of the most often left out items around your house. Make a scavenger item list, and cross out items as they are found AND put away. Person with the most amount of items crossed out at the end wins.
- “Skate” (in socks) for dust bunnies.

3. Listen to an Audio Book

Cleaning doesn’t take a whole lot of thought, and something I have done in the past to make the time more productive is listen to an audio book. Christian Audio has a different free download each month, and Amazon has many audio books available.

4. Develop Spiritual Disciplines

Another option is to use the time of cleaning for spiritual disciplines. If you struggle with making time to pray or meditate, cleaning could give you a perfect opportunity. A while ago my pastor shared the story of Brother Lawrence’s assignment to kitchen duty, which he, like most of us, had an aversion to. However, Brother Lawrence was determined “ to do everything there for the love of GOD, and with prayer, upon all occasions, for His grace to do his work well, he had found everything easy, during the fifteen years that he had been employed there.” He prayed for the people who ate off the dishes he had to wash, and counted it his joy. Since hearing this story I have written things to pray for on the top of my rubber gloves, and hung quotes and scriptures on the insides of my cabinets so I can read them as I get my tasks done.

5. Catch-Up With a Friend

Call a friend, and talk as you clean. I find I get so much done as I am chatting on the phone!

6. Use Some Smell Good

Light a candle or use essential oils. As a scent fills up my home, it makes me want to straighten and clean. My favorite motivating oils right now are Lemongrass, Orange and Clove.

7. Make it a Learning Experience

Sorting spices, silverware, toys, laundry, and other household items can be a great way to learn colors, counting, and fine motor skills.

8. Have Rewards - for You and Your Children

We haven't started giving an allowance to our kids yet, but we have found rewarding them with computer time is a great way to get them excited to help. I have also known parents to hide small treats (snacks, stickers, etc) in places they know their kids will find them while cleaning. Collect any change you may find to put towards a pedicure fund for yourself, or at least a new nail polish.

9. Focus on the Benefits

Have a hard time convincing yourself to actually start cleaning? Think about all of the fun you could be having if you did not have a messy house looming over your head! When my house gets out-of-control (and it does happen ever couple of weeks), it feels like such a burden and drags me down which is no fun at all. Once the cleaning is done, the big benefit is being able to enjoy the clean, fresh smelling house.

10. Whistle While You Work

If you can't whistle, smile. Sometimes I just have to tell myself that cleaning does not have to be miserable. Choosing to have a good attitude can make all the difference.

Besides a visit from your mother-in-law, what things have you found to motivate you to clean?

Good Clean Fun

Growing up, I didn’t see my Nana often, but there was always something intriguing about my grandma. Her wrinkles, her small frame, and the way she still painted her lips, were beautiful in my young eyes. Nana was sassy, full of life, and she was a meticulous housekeeper. There are a couple things that I remember vividly in her house. One was the Bible she received after she accepted Jesus as her Savior at an elderly age, and the other was a plaque she had on her wall that said the following:

I hope my children will look back on today

And see a mother who had time to play.

There will be years for cleaning and cooking

But children grow up while we're not looking.

Dusting and scrubbing can wait 'till tomorrow

For babies grow fast we learn to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep

(adapted from “Song for a Fifth Child”

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton)

Nana went to be with Jesus years ago, and now as I raise my own children I think of the wisdom she had hanging on her wall. Trying to find the balance between keeping a home, being a wife and mother, and pursuing interests outside of the home is difficult. Trying to not be discouraged by the endless messes of a busy life, a rambunctious toddler, or an over-committed schedule is something most of us can relate to; however, most of us also have a desire for order.

How to Get Your House in Order - While Still Having Time To Play

1. Have a Plan

Sound familiar? Having a cleaning schedule can tremendously reduce your stress level. Each day of the week tackle one area of your house. I have a daily and a weekly schedule. There are certain small chores I do everyday. In addition, I tackle one big cleaning project on each day of the week. Mondays it is the bathrooms, Tuesdays I deep clean the kitchen, Wednesdays I scrub the floors, and the list goes on. By having a plan I know that it will take me about forty-five minutes each day to keep my house presentable. Notice I didn’t say perfect.

2. Rethink Perfect

No ones house is perfect all of the time. What can you live with? For me, I like my counters to be cleared and clean. So I clean my counters several times a day, but there may be shoes piled up under the kitchen island. I must let go of this idea of perfection

3. Check Your Heart

Trying to obtain an ideally perfect home can keep someone so busy that there is no time for anything else. Aside from the busyness, it also affects quality of life. For a person obsessed with a clean house, expectations are normally high for others to do the same. I say this from experience. When expectations are not met it usually leads to resentment, and that resentment can come out sideways leading to anger and conflict within the home.


4. Ask For Help

I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to ask for help. Asking for help means admitting I can’t do and be it all. It means I may not always be on top of my game, and have it all figured out.

Enlist your children in daily chores. Hand your toddlers a non-toxic wipe, and have them wipe tables, chairs, door handles, sinks, and so on. Don’t be afraid to call on a friend to take your children for an hour or two so you can get ahead. Swapping play-date times with a friend each week could be a great way for you to have time to dance around your living room - or clean.

For a long time as a stay-at-home mom I had a hard time asking my husband for help. Eventually I would exhaust myself, and my frustration would come out on him. My husband is gracious, and he would often ask me why I didn’t just ask for help. The answer was simple: I thought I was superwoman.

5. Make Cleaning Convenient

Each one of my bathrooms has it’s own set of wipes, sprays and toilet brushes. I can easily clear my counter and wipe my sink each morning as I brush my teeth. Cleaning my toilet only takes an additional 30 seconds. My kitchen has its own set of wipes and supplies. By having easy access to cleaning products and supplies, I don’t spend time hauling things from room-to-room.

6. Clear Clutter

Make a time each week to de-clutter an area of your home, and set a goal for yourself to get rid of a set number of items. Start off with a small goal, like cleaning out one kitchen drawer a week, and as the weeks go on set bigger goals. The less stuff you have the less you have to worry about finding a home for, and then you are not trying to clean around clutter.

7. Know When to Throw in the Towel

Listen for ques from your family. Does your husband get nagged for his lack of meeting your expectations? Do your children talk about how much mommy cleans, become whiny/clingy when you are tackling one of your lists, or are your kids acting out from lack of attention. These may all be signs that the cleaning needs to be set aside for a while to enjoy the people you know you are working for.


I feel like most of us could admit that we find ourselves weak in some of these areas at times. There are many times (in a day) that my house is out-of-order, but I have to prioritize my time. My prayer is that we are gracious with ourselves and others in our efforts to work, serve, love and play.

Non-Toxic Homemade Cleaning Wipes

When I cleared our house of toxic cleaning products five-years-ago, I thought the conveniences I had grown accustomed to were forever gone. We used to go through 2-3 rolls of paper towels a week, countless napkins, and I never thought twice about using Clorox wipes.

Switching to non-toxic products made me think outside of the box, and I began to look for inexpensive and environmentally responsible ways to keep my house clean. A friend introduced me to flour sack towels, and I more recently switched many of my cleaning towels over to microfiber cloths.

Microfiber cloths are amazing! They are lint free (so they are great for mirrors), absorb a lot of water, and 36 of them are $16 at Costco. I cut half of the towels into quarters, put them in containers and poured in my own wipe solution. The end result is inexpensive, convenient, and non-toxic wipes that you are not concerned about your children touching.

What you will need:

- 12” Microfiber square towels before cutting, or 6” square wipe after
- A pair of sharp scissors

- Containers with lids (Old wipe containers work great)

- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Rubbing Alcohol

- Essential Oils (tea tree, orange, lemon, clove, lavender, etc)
- A large mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons and cups

Basic Preparation of Wipe Holder (if You’re Not Going to Add Solution)

1. Gather microfiber cloths.	2. Lay cloth flat. (Mine had a line right down the center to make it easy on me)	3. Cut cloth in half.	4. Cut cloths in half again. (I then washed and dried to get the fuzzies off of the cloths)
5. Get an old container with a lid (I used an old wipe container)	6. Break off the dispenser tabs in the lid.	7. Stuff cloths to see how many fit (I fit 18 into mine)	8. Put lid the lid on.

Cleaning Solutions

Homemade Disinfectant Wipe Recipe:

1.5 cups of vinegar
1.5 cups of water

2 T baking soda
2 T Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap

20-30 drops of essential oils

Homemade Window & Mirror Recipe
(this is an excellent streak-free recipe!)

1 cup of vinegar
1 cup of rubbing alcohol
1 water

Directions for Making Non-Toxic Cleaning Wipes

1. Get (or Empty) Containers	2. Gather Ingredients	3. Put Cloths in Bowl
4. In separate mixing bowl, mix ingredients together. It will foam when you add the baking soda. Stir well & quickly pour into the cloth bowl.	5. Squeeze the cloths with your hands until all of the cloths are slightly damp, but that cannot be wrung out.	6. Put the cloths into designated containers.

I have a bucket for used cloths next to my washer. Once the containers are empty I wash the cloths with ½ cup washing soda, 1/2 cup borax, and 10 drops of tea tree oil.

Cost:

Towels: $16 (will last a very long time)

Disinfectant Solution (per container):
Vinegar: $.25
Dr. Bronner’s: $.15 (best guess)
Essential Oils: $.25 (again, best guess)
Total: $.65

Window & Mirror Solution (per container):
Vinegar: $.25
Alcohol: $.25
Total: $.50

Initial Cost (per container)
18 Cloths: $1.80
Solution: $.65
Total: $2.45 (about $1 less than store bought wipes - the first time. After the initial towel investment, it will cost $.50-$.65/container!)

A Well Stocked Fridge & What to Do With It

A kitchen filled with fresh, unprocessed foods tends to look a bit different. Unless a whole foods cook stocks up with a lot of dried goods or cans their food, usually their pantries look pretty bare. The day-or-two leading up to grocery shopping can also leave their fridge stark. I had grown used to the emptiness that happens by the end of the week, but then this last Tuesday a friend came over and asked to see how we eat. As I poked around my cabinets, and fridge I realized that it looked like we don't eat. So, I thought I would share my before and after pictures on the blog.

Fridge: Before and After

Drawers were not this empty, but I wanted to share a great tip. Line your produce drawers with half of a paper bag to absorb moisture and smells. This also makes for very easy clean-up.

Drawers well stocked for the week.

Pantry Spaces

There's nothing that really stands out, right? A majority of our food is in the produce drawers, and then we obviously have our meat in the freezer and fridge. Knowing what to do with the produce, meat and other dried foods is challenge. While I am working on getting recipes up as fast as I can, here our some other great blogs with recipes with fresh foods:

Clean Eating Magazine

Everyday Paleo

Health Food Lover

Nourished Kitchen

(a favorite of mine)

Nourishing Meals

Sprouted Kitchen

Whole Food Cooking

Whole Food Mommies

Organic Savings

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I thought I would gather coupon sites, money saving blogs, and manufacturers that offer coupons into one place. They are listed alphabetically, and I will add more as I find them!

Websites with coupons:

Coupons.com

Health E Savers

Mambo Sprouts (the will also mail you a coupon book 4/year)

Smartsource

Surviving the Stores (price matches ads and coupons for many natural grocers)

Vitacost (my go to website for supplements, hygiene and home care. If you register through this link you get an instant $10 coupon to use, and they frequently have coupons and deals happening.)

Blogs that feature organic coupons and deals:

Couponing 101

Money Saving Mom

The Thrifty Mama (wonderful section dedicated to natural & organic products)

Your Green Helper (excellent blog focusing on saving money while being green)

Manufacturers websites with coupons (for many you have to sign up for the newsletter):

7th Generation

Alexia Foods

Amy’s Kitchen

Annies Homemade

Annies Naturals

Applgate Farms

Barbara’s

Blue Diamond

Brown Cow

Coleman Natural ($5 coupon for taking a survey)

Costco (have to be a member & then mailed)

Dreamfields

Earthbound Farm

Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food

Enjoy Life Foods

Horizen Organic

Ians

Kashi

Knudsen Juices

Laura’s Beef

Morningstar Farms

Naked Juice

Newman’s Own

Organic Prairie

Organic Valley

Rice Dream

Rice Select

Santa Cruz

Seventh Generation

Stonyfield Farms

Do you have any other online sources you turn to save money on organic and natural products?

Making a List, Checking it Twice

With the announcement of me posting my menu and spending each week, I knew that I had to finally take an inventory of what is in my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. I thought about what it would look like to make up my own system, called on my creative husband to help me brainstorm something that would work for me, and then he suggested I just look up an inventory list online. Brilliant. So I turned to Google, and she of course was faithful.

I had never made an inventory of my kitchen before, but I'm bringing you all along on my journey. Before I started my commitment to the menu , I wanted to know what I have stockpiled. These are the lists that I found on Google and went with:

(Links: Pantry Inventory, Larder (Refrigerator) Inventory, and Freezer Inventory)

My inventories are now done, and in my kitchen binder (contains grocery ads, old Menu plans, our favorite recipes, and our bi-monthly Costco trip list). My plan is to follow the instructions at the bottom of the list by using a slash mark for each item in the pantry, freezer or fridge, and then each Monday when I clean my kitchen to cross out each item that was used over the week. As I try out this new system I will be sure to let you all know how it goes.

I tried to get this post out early enough so that you all can have a chance, if you want it, to make an inventory in the next couple of days. While I am making the menu tomorrow to share with you all, maybe you could make it a goal of yours to see what you already have on hand? This would also be a great time to gather the foods you know you're not going to eat, or are trying to work out of your diet, and donate them to a local food bank!

Announcement!

There are a few things in life that scare me. Frogs terrify me. If I see a frog you better believe I will be high-kneeing it until I feel I am at a safe distance away. The dark is still scary to me, and my quirkiest, once all-consuming, fear is of my teeth falling out. Strange, I know.

There is one other thing that I should mention that scares me: commitment. My fear of commitment points to my wrestle with selfishness. I struggle with thinking that I may not have the time, energy, resources, and patience to serve and give freely. The second (and third) reasons I fear committing to things is that I don't want to fail and I don't want to let people down. So now that I have exposed a bit of my inward workings, I have good news. I am committing!

Starting Tuesday, November 1st I will be posting my weekly menus on Tuesday nights. The menu will have a link to all of the recipes that I will be making that week. If you live in the Dallas area, this will be great for you because you will be able to use my menu and list as a plan. You will also be able to shop the sales at Sprouts on "Double Ad Wednesdays" (this week and last weeks sale prices are good on Wednesdays). Even if you aren't in the Dallas Metroplex you should still be able to find equivalent deals, because most produce goes on sale when it is in season. Better news, for many of you, is that I will be posting how much money I spent each week and where I shopped. Hopefully this will be an encouraging step towards health.

Our budget is $600 month for food and household items such as garbage bags, toilet paper, laundry and cleaning supplies. If we eat out, it comes out of this $600. If we think we need a coffee on the way to church, it comes out of the food envelope. We do a cash system, and twice a month I get $300 for food. We have found that it works better for us to do two weeks at a time, because one week I may spend $90 and the next $150. Sales, using up what I have stock-piled, and household supplies can tip my budget one week but not usually for two weeks in a row. So, I will be spending, on average, around $135/week on food for a family of 5 (husband, myself, two school-aged boys, and a toddler girl).

I hope my budget is a good reflection of my readers, or gives them a goal to aim for, but if your family is on an even tighter budget please leave me a comment. Two-years-ago, we were a family of 5, but I was still nursing my daughter, and I was feeding our family a whole foods diet (little-no processed foods) for $75 week. We weren't eating as many organic foods as we eat now, but it was still much healthier than eating sugar and preservative laden food. I was able to spend a lot more time in the kitchen, because we had not started homeschooling yet. So while it was more time consuming, I quickly learned that where there is a will there is a way.

This should be fun! Thank you for the feedback I have been receiving about what you guys would like to read and learn about. My hope is that this is a place where we can learn how to nourish ourselves and our families together!

10 Things I Do to Help Our Grocery Budget

As weeks go on, and I post recipes, many will question how I consider our diet "frugal." What many don't know is that part of our "wellness" is cutting back in other areas to make sure we are nourishing our bodies the best we can. Where there is a strong desire to do something people will usually find a way.

1. I shop wholesale (Costco)

I buy a lot of our organic produce at Costco, and because of our family size we definitely use it! 1 lb organic spinach in large container ($4), 5 lbs of organic baby carrots ($5), 5 lbs frozen organic broccoli ($6), Large container of pesticide-free cherry tomatoes ($6), 2 lbs 4oz bag of asparagus ($6), 3 lb bag of fresh broccoli florets($4), 2 lb bag of fresh sweet peas ($5), 2 lb bag of organic cilantro ($3) and organic red delicious apples for $.89/lb)

We also regularly buy 2 dozen organic eggs for $6, 26 oz jar of almond butter ($8), (2) 28 oz jars of organic peanut butter ($8), 2 lb bag organic coffee ($13), and 3 lbs raw almonds ($10).

Costco also has a decent sized selection of gluten-free foods, such as very large bag of Food Should Taste Good Multi-grain Chips for right around $7, a 3 lb bag of organic quinoa for $10, Mrs. May's Nut Clusters 32 oz/$9, and one of my favorites is (6!!!!!) boxes of Pacific Coast Organic Red Pepper soup for $10.

The toilet paper savings alone might be worth it in our house. :)

2. I shop what is on sale.

What I don't buy at Costco I buy at my new favorite butcher's, farmer's markets, Sprouts, or Whole Foods; however, I buy what's on sale and plan menus around that. Our meat budget stretches when I buy what is on sale, and the farmer's markets help to support local farmers while we eat local in-season produce.

3. I shop online.

I order many vitamins/supplements, hygiene, coconut oil and grocery items from Vitacost. We can get whole food supplements, and non-toxic home and body care products cheaper on Vitacost than I can many conventional things in Target or Walmart. It takes some planning to know what I need, but with $5 flat-rate shipping it's worth it.

4. We rarely eat processed foods.

Which means I cook. A lot. It's not that I love to cook, but rather I love knowing that the sacrifice means my family eats well. This doesn't mean I spend all day in the kitchen though. While our family was still eating plenty of grains I would make a VERY large batch of steel cut oats, and an "egg bake" on the weekends. Every couple of weeks I would also make a large batch of pancakes, cook them, and then freeze them. When the time came to use them I popped them in the toaster - just like Eggos. Now things have changed a bit. I still make an "egg bake" nearly every weekend, and now make breakfast meatballs/patties, Paleo-style granola, and hard boil at least 18 eggs. Lunches are simple. We eat homemade (walnut or bean) hummus, fruit, veggie sticks, homemade yogurt or raw milk, or left overs. Then dinner which is where most of my daily cooking is done.

By not eating processed foods we save a ton of money, and end up eating much healthier. Snacks are nuts, fruit, veggies, yogurt or "treat" I make. The exception to this is the Food Should Taste So Good chips for the kids and husband - they enjoy them and a bag lasts a long while.

5. I plan.

I plan my menus each week so no food goes to waste. One of the worst feelings I get are the times when I'm cleaning out my produce drawers and have to throw things away. There isn't a time I do it where I do not feel like I just took for granted the blessing of abundance we have compared to many people with hungry bellies around the world. Not only that, the reality of how hard my husband works to make money, and how hard I work to shop for good deals, and then prepare food, makes me despise throwing away leftovers or other food. So, I create a menu plan that lists all of the ingredients out that I have in my fridge, and what I need to do each night in preparation for the next day.

6. I get creative.

I am learning to stretch meals. Recently, I discovered by adding a few handfuls of finely diced carrots to ground beef tacos not only gives us more veggies, but gives us plenty of meat for lunches the next day. Carrots are obviously far cheaper than beef. Our kids now think it's fun to eat "sandwiches" and tacos in romaine lettuce wraps. A huge bag of organic romaine lettuce costs a little over $3 at Costco, and can be used to make salads. Lunch doesn't have to look "normal" either. I have lunch ideas under tip #4, but my kids also love smoothies, and smoothies are great to hide things in - like spinach (a.k.a. Super Hero Juice around here). Hard boiled eggs, almond butter, carrot sticks and yogurt or milk have plenty of protein, good fats, and are fun for kids to eat.

7. We rarely eat out.

We usually only eat out when we are meeting up with friends, and try not to let it be because I failed to do #5. There aren't too many places that we really desire to go at this point, because we know we can make a healthier version at home.

8. I sweat.

Well, in the Texas heat I sweat, but most days I just glow. ;) On days that the weather permits I hang dry our clothes. I have a strange dish-washing technique to save water while washing dishes so I don't have to run my dishwasher all the time. We wash our cars in our drive-way. We scrub our own bathrooms. We don't have cable. What am I trying to get at? We find other ways to save money to give a little wiggle room in our grocery budget, and we move our bodies a little more doing these things.

9. I am getting over what people think.

Whether it's turning someone down for a meal out we can't afford, or being the "weird" family at the gathering eating hard boiled eggs and homemade granola, I am making the decision I think is best for our family. At one point, not only did I care of what people thought of us, but I also cared how I made them feel. I still want to guard myself against self-righteousness, but I can't hide the decisions we have made out of fear of making someone feel bad. If people are curious, I figure they will ask, and if not I understand. This journey has been a long and HARD process for me, one I thought I didn't have time nor money for, and I pray that I stay humble enough to remember how overwhelming this alternative lifestyle seemed.

10. I breathe.

If I try to be perfect in every area I fail. Miserably. Realistically I cannot keep my home perfect, cook three meals-a-day, homeschool, be involved with our church, have friends, and lovingly engage my husband and children beyond my "tasks." So I have had to learn that some days the laundry doesn't get put away, my house is a disaster, sometimes dinner is thrown together, some days we ditch bookwork to study nature on a long walk, and I must be okay with it. If not I get overwhelmed (easily), and I find myself slipping back into old patterns.