Productive Weekend

This past weekend was a long weekend for most of us and for me I decided it would be the time for me to continue making some headway on my New Years resolutions.

When my husband cleaned out his closet one thing he decided to let go of was a pair of pajamas that he never wore...I decided to re purpose them.

They were a nice cotton pair with a pleasing blue striped pattern that I thought would make:

A cool reusable straw holder (from one of the sleeves)

A bunch of two ply handkerchiefs which I sewed by hand (it was a nice relaxing activity)

I love having these two things.  Now I can bring my straw(s) with me (the bag is big enough that it can hold several) and my nose is so much happier to have this soft cloth instead of the rough paper tissues.

The fun didn't stop there...oh no the party kept going...AND

I made a years worth of laundry soap and about 6 months worth of deodorant for us for a fraction of the cost of conventional chemical laden brands from the store.

For our deodorant I used:

• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

I made two containers and the cost was $1.59 worth of ingredients

For the detergent you need:

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
• 1 bar of Fels Naptha (or other solid soap bar
• 4 1/2 gallons hot water

The laundry soap makes a 5 gallon buckets worth and cost a mere $2.14 in ingredients

The time it takes to make both of these products is not long, and in fact making the laundry soap is a bit of a work out since you have to grate the laundry soap bar.  For me seeing that it costs me $2 to do laundry for the year for a family of 5 just blows my  mind.  I can't fathom why anyone would want to pay so much for ready made heavily perfumed soap.

I do these things for the family not to save money, although that is a nice benefit, but really I do it to keep track of the ingredients that we put on our skin.

Do you do anything similar in your own household?  If so please share your recipes.

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Positive out of a Negative

This past Sunday we had an ice storm and it knocked out the power, but luckily for us, only for the day.

The sadder part is that the internet was also knocked out.

We are now into day 4 of no internet.

At first you might think no big deal...but once it is gone you realize how much you depend on that connectivity.

My kids and husband were bummed because they couldn't use their devices and watch shows on Netflix.  It also meant that many of the video games we have, which require an on-line connection, couldn't be played either.

This perhaps drums up imagines of Lord of the Flies and that my house has gone completely crazy.

Actually I am pleasantly surprised to report that just the opposite has happened.

Instead both of our boys have decluttered and minimized their possessions.  They took the Marie Kondo approach and emptied out their clothes, the desk drawers, assorted electronics and went through their komono...and in the end have traded rooms.

My oldest, who is 16, decided he wanted a smaller bedroom so that he could be mindful of the number of possessions he has.

Our middle child, who is 11, was overjoyed to get his older bother's room and for both of them there is a fresh sense of joy that they have for their respective spaces.

When you look in their drawers the clothes are folded neatly and in rectangles and they radically minimized the number of clothes that they have.  Once you pull that stuff all out you realize that there are a bunch of clothes that you don't really wear or like...and that when you are forced to fold them up again...you don't want to and that there is no joy/happiness in that item.

When we haven't been decluttering we've been enjoying time together as a family and watching regular tv (via antenna).  Last night they discovered the fun of Jeopardy.  What is mind blowing to them is when my husband and I say this is how we used to watch tv...you don't get to just pick on demand what you want to see.

It's come with a learning curve but it has been it nice to hang out together at night...so for me, I might not mind if the internet is out a little longer.

What are some fun activities that you like to do with the power, or internet, are out?  

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We All Make Mistakes

So one of my resolutions this year was to use no plastic straws.

Seems easy enough? 

Just don't use them.

Yeah well today, 9 days into my list of resolutions and I've made a mistake...I used a straw.

I had a gift card to Starbucks so I decided to get a coffee (didn't break my resolution for this part) but then without thinking grabbed the straw on my way out.

As soon as I popped it into the drink I realized what I had done...now the quandary was what to do about it?

I couldn't put it back in the paper and return it to the shop...so I decided instead to make a $5 donation for each straw I take.

I don't mean this to be a way for me to keep using straws and then paying off my debt with a donation...but I thought I should have a stiff reminder.

I looked around and decided the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center would be my charity of choice.  They do some wonderful work to help out the local population of sea turtles in South Carolina (turtles can have some very sad injuries from straws).

I am going to keep a tally on my resolution spreadsheet so that at the end of the year I know how much to donate (I am hoping that it is only $5).

So this is the first expansion to my resolution list but it is also a reminder that I need to stay on top of my selections for this year.  One item I was going to take care of was to sew a pouch to carry my stainless steel straws...looks like I need to get on that tonight.

What have been your remedies for not keeping a resolution?  Do you give up?  Or do you find a way to work with the error?

Hopefully you aren't too harsh and show yourself some grace.

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Weekend Decluttering

I mentioned in my last post that my family, and I, were watching the Marie Kondo series on Netflix "Tidying up with Marie Kondo."

Watching the variety of families transform their spaces into neat and tidy places that feel like home really inspired us.  So on Saturday we embarked on a mission to tidy up our family room space (still lots of work to be done there...but we started) and my husband's closet.

My husband would often tell me, when I would mention decluttering his closet, that he:

"didn't have that many clothes"

"had space so why clean things out"

"not sure if he will need some of the items later"

Well to work on the project together I told him I would help and pull everything out for him...man oh man was he surprised when he saw the amount of clothing he had tucked away.

This is about half of what I pulled out

He quickly went through the process of seeing which clothes sparked joy and amazingly he only kept about a quarter of his items.  I helped him refold everything and now his drawers are nice and neat (I should have taken a picture but I forgot).  

He mentioned that his closet feels lighter now that he removed the items that no longer serve a purpose for him.  He can see the things that he enjoys and wants to wear and can select them with ease.

The second decluttering task I took on this weekend was to sort through a box of pictures that I had (probably 1000 pictures were in this box):

I had pictures that spanned over a 25 year period, from high school trips to Europe, my wedding, snow days, to birthday parties for my kids.  It was wonderful to go through these and keep the ones that brought us joy and then as a bonus those pictures that I thought my friends and family might like I pulled out and mailed them off to them.

So be on the lookout my friends for a card coming your way!

It was fun to think back to all of the good times and to look at how people have changed over the years.  I thought this might be really tough, and that I might not want to let many pictures go, but I realized that keeping the ones I enjoyed the  most and store them in a picture book would allow me to enjoy them more often.

Do you have any areas in your home that you could go through and declutter?  What spot do you think needs it the most?

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KonMari Craze is BACK

Yesterday I shared a snapshot of some of the resolutions I wanted to work on this year...one of those items was to minimize my possessions, and if my family cooperates, hopefully many of their possessions as well.

Just when I wasn't sure how to get my family on board enter Netflix and the Marie Kondo 8 episode series titled "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo."

Years ago I read the book "Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Ms. Kondo and was very inspired to go through my house using her techniques and also sharing it enthusiastically with anyone who would listen.  I think in the end I was probably a little bit of a pain to people ("Sorry Mom"), but that's what happens (at least to me) when I am so excited about something and think people will benefit from the knowledge I've gleaned.

Netflix has harnessed the book and brought it to life.  You see people who have varying degrees of clutter that need to be addressed and you get to observe as they apply KonMari methods.  The series does a great job of getting a variety of situations and people so as to show that the methods can be utilized in so many different ways and that they can be adapted to work for everyone.

My husband watched two episodes with me and we kept pausing the show to reflect on our own house and things we wanted to accomplish this weekend, this year, etc.  

I think the series could really provide something for everyone and so to that end I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone.

If you don't have a Netflix account...perhaps snag a free month and then binge on the episodes.  I know January can be a month where many embark on "no spend" challenges.

If you've watched the show, or read the book, what were some takeaways for you?

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Happy New Year...Bah Hum Bug

The new year is upon is...we will be writing 2018 on paperwork for a couple of days at least...AND it is the time of year where people make resolutions to a fitter/better version of themselves.

My husband and I were walking on the beach yesterday and he asked "What is your new year's resolution?"

My flippant answer was "Nothing...these are just promises you make that you know you are going to break."

The conversation moved on, but I kept thinking about his question.  Perhaps I should be so crass with my answer and perhaps there are things I could do all year long to enhance the person that I am.  Perhaps I don't need one singular resolution perhaps I need a list of ideals that I could complete monthly (cum Gretchen Rubin) or perhaps I just make a list and take the year to make my way through it.

So I sat down and started to think of things and included a few doodles along with it because that made it a little more visually interesting to look at (I mean after all I am going to have to keep referring back to this to make sure I get everything in).

My illustrations are not spectacular but I think it helped my creative ideas flow and helped me make a list longer than I originally anticipated.

One of the resolutions I selected was to spend one month doing Kindness Tasks (a separate list was made for those).  I am most excited about this one and foresee it being an all year long list that gets added to as new things come my way (i.e. ideas from my kids who I want to incorporate in some of these activities) instead of just concentrating on it for one month.

My daughter read over my list and was excited to do a volunteer activity together at a local animal sanctuary but was shocked that I want to give up Starbucks for a year...she begged that that one only be a month.  I do love take away coffee, but I feel like I need this time to be more intentional with my purchases and what I consume (both food and products).

To that end to be more conscientious about my purchases I plan to purchase no new clothing, only second hand items this year.  I have whittled down and made a very minimalist wardrobe for myself but I can anticipate that I may possibly need to have a new to me item sometime this year.

As a family we will continue to minimize our possessions and work to have a home that we love and enjoy...not one that we dread having to take care of all of the items.  

So what are you doing this year?  Did you decide to make a resolution or two?  I would love to hear the things you are doing and if you have any suggestions for "Kindness Tasks" I would love to hear them as well (as I said I hope that list grows throughout the year).

I will continue to make posts and updates and let you know how various tasks and ideas are going.  

Until then Happy New Year my friends!

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Book Review: Tomorrow Will Be Different

This weekend I read Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride (that is a link to Amazon but it is not an affiliate link).

This was one of the most amazing books I have ever read.  I picked it up on Saturday and I could not put it down until I finished it on Sunday.

Tomorrow Will Be Different is about Sarah's transition as a transgender female from Delaware.  You will be completely wrapped up in her story and that of her husband, Andy.  From her coming out to her using her voice, and her story, as an advocate for others in the LGBTQ community.

She provides vivid accounts of her time in the White House as an intern, advocating for equal rights and equal protection in the Delaware State Senate, and on the death of her husband (this one brought me to tears).

She is a warm and loving person and to read her words is almost as if you are sitting down with a friend and having a conversation.  She is someone that I would love to have coffee with and want to educate me on the LGBTQ issues (there is a lot to learn here).

The book is eye opening and I don't think you can read and not realize that there are changes that are needed in this country.  Protections for those who are transgender are slim and don't provide them with nearly enough protection and dignity...may those necessary changes happen swiftly (they shouldn't have to wait).

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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Book Review: Roadfood

So are you thinking about a road trip in the United States?

Have you wondered what in the world am I going to eat?

Have no fear Roadfood is here

This is the 10th edition of this book and it is fabulously written and organized.

The book is grouped by region of the country and then a directory of good eats is provided for each state.

What makes the book useful beyond just naming the restaurants is that they give a paragraph, or more, description as well as all pertinent information (address, phone number, and web page).

The books is a fun time to read even if you aren't planning a trip...myself I love learning about different places to eat.

So be sure to pick up a copy of peruse all of the options out there.

The link above the book does take you to Amazon...BUT it is not an affiliate link and I will receive no compensation should you purchase through it.

I do want to disclose that I was provided a copy of this book for review through Blogging for Books.

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Book Review: Danielle Walker's Against All Grain Celebrations

Let me start by saying that I don't have any issues with grains...they get along just fine with my digestion system.

HOWEVER I have a number of friends and family members who are not so friendly terms with grains and so I selected Against All Grain Celebrations by Danielle Walker to review for you all.

                                      

Like all good cookbooks there are beautiful pictures, and that is the first thing I look for.  I want to know what the author expected some of these recipes to look like (then next I scan ingredient lists to make sure there aren't too many OUT there ingredients).

Danielle's recipes are easy to follow and put together and contain items you can find in just about any grocery store.

She's got you covered for all the celebrations you could possibly want to host, or attend.

You can stylishly present gluten-free and dairy-free dishes that happen to be paleo too (it checks off so many boxes).

Your mouth will water when you see the photos but when you taste it...OH so delicious!

I do want to disclose that I was provided a copy of this book for review through Blogging for Books.

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Book Review: The Full Catastrophe Travels Among the New Greek Ruins

                                           

James Angelos has crafted a witty and eye opening account of the Greek economic crisis.  He doesn't hold back with his opinions and was able to get many of the Greek citizens to share with him some of their "tricks" for not paying taxes.

It astounded me that amount of corruption and cheating that took/takes place.  The mindset of the people is that the government should give to them not them to the government...but they seem to miss the point...how does the government get money if not from the people?

You can't afford social programs, health care, education, etc without the support of taxes from the people.

The amount of ruin that the Greeks suffered is really mind blowing.

James does a great job of explaining everything and not bogging you down in numbers...it is written easily enough for anyone to read and enjoy.

Prior to this book I didn't understand at all why the Greek government was in such a terrible state and why the government was collapsing.

This isn't a book you take to the beach but it is a great book to during the cold winter while cuddled up under a blanket with some hot chocolate/tea/coffee/golden milk (whatever your preference is).

I do need to mention that I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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The Year to Forty

On October 3rd of this year I will be entering the last year of my 30's...I'll be

                                           

The number doesn't scare me in the least but it did make me reflect on some things that I might like to do that would make me a healthier and more well rounded person.

I had a fleeting thought that I would like to spend the year doing 30 day challenges...so 12 challenges over the course of the year.  But then I was immediately stymied by wondering what to do for each month.

I knew a few things I wanted to do such as meditate for 10 minutes everyday and run a 5k everyday for a month...but then the ideas dried up.

So I turned to the almighty Pinterest.

Most of the challenge ideas they had were exercise related...and whereas I would like to get into better shape again...I didn't want to spend the entire year working out.

I was able to find these two blog posts with 100 ideas each and from there I narrowed it down to the 12 I wanted to complete.

Post #1


Post #2


The twelve I decided on, and in order that I will be completing them are:

October 2016: Sell/donate 1 item everyday
November 2016: 100 push-ups, 100 crunches, and 100 squats
December 2016: Take a photo a day of something that makes me happy
January 2017: Send a card a day to a friend
February 2017: Play a game with the family everyday
March 2017: Do an act of kindness everyday
April 2017:Spend the month learning Italian
May 2017: Average a 5k everyday
June 2017: Go Vegan
July 2017: Meditate 10 minutes everyday
August 2017: Drink fresh juice every morning
September 2017: Make a new recipe everyday

I've also decided to start a new blog to chronicle the months...so come join me at The Challenge to Forty.

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Book Review: Braving It

Recently I finished the book Braving It by James Campbell.

I selected this awesome tale of a father and daughter and their adventures in the Alaskan wild.  

It is a beautiful story of a father getting to go on an adventure with his 15 year old daughter and to the awakening that travel and the outdoors brings to his daughter.

The feeling of depression that his daughter, Aidan, feels upon returning from her first trip and the yearning to go back (as soon as possible) is a feeling we can all relate to.  We don't have to go to Alaska to appreciate nature and the healing it can do for us.

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone I know as it really does stir the wanderlust (even if you are only going as far as your local park).

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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Book Review "Something to Food About"

I saw the cover of this book and was instantly intrigued by it...aren't you?

I love the veggie art

I read this synopsis and couldn't wait to start in on the book:

Questlove is a drummer, producer, musical director, culinary entrepreneur, and New York Times best-selling author. What unites all of his work is a profound interest in creativity. In somethingtofoodabout, Questlove applies his boundless curiosity to the world of food. In conversations with ten innovative chefs in America, he explores what makes their creativity tick, how they see the world through their cooking and how their cooking teaches them to see the world. The conversations begin with food but they end wherever food takes them. Food is fuel. Food is culture. Food is history. And food is food for thought. 

Then I cracked open the book and was instantly disappointed.  Perhaps as the numerous Amazon reviews have stated "I don't get it."

I wanted a history of food but really it was just heavy and too verbose to my liking.

I am sure this book is for someone...but that someone is not me.

I received a copy of this book for review from Blogging for Books.  However the opinions expressed are my own.

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Book Review: Home Cooked

I love cookbooks and typing that doesn't really relay how much I enjoy perusing the pages of recipes and pouring over pictures of delectable food.

I have a fairly large collection of them ranging from strictly vegan to a book that teaches you how to cook everything and everything in between.

I have reviewed a few cookbooks in the past and have always been excited to try a couple of recipes and see how they turned out (we all want them to look as good as they do in the book), but this time I have to say I was not so excited.

I received a copy of Home Cooked by Anya Fernald

The book is lovely.  It is a fantastic hardbound book with a linen cover.  You hold the book and expect very rich and delicious food to be made from these words.

I looked through the recipes and couldn't find one that I wanted to make and was particularly turned off by one recipe, tallow fries.

I am sure that there is a market for the recipes that Ms. Fernald has published but I am not in that market.

I received this book for review from Blogging for Books.

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Book Review: Growing Up Social...but not like you would think!

Gary Chapman (of Five Love Languages fame) and Arlene Pellicane have written Growing Up Social: Raising Relational Kids in a Screen Driven World.

I was very excited to crack open this book.  As a mother to three children, who all love screens of various types (iPods, tv, video games, etc), I was curious to see what Gary would have to say about this.

I was not disappointed in the least as Gary and Arlene present research as well as events from their lives and struggles with screens (Arlene is a mother with young children).  The research will scare you just a little bit, which is probably a good thing because screen exposure for everyone (not just kids) seems to be out of hand for the majority of people.

The effects on kids brains are almost immediate with screens and can take a very long time to correct. Things such as a lack of attention or anger/rage by playing violent video games.  Have no fear though Gary and Arlene present a list of their 5 A+ skills for each child to master, they are:

• Replace mindless screen time with meaningful family time
• Establish simple boundaries that make a huge difference
• Discover what's working for families that have become screen savvy
• Equip your child to be relationally rich in a digital world
• Learn healthy ways to occupy your child while you get things done

The book is eye opening and will make you think twice about turning a screen on...you may find you would rather spend your evening reading a book and letting your mind relax or go enjoy some outdoor time and allow your mind to absorb the sounds of birds instead of the sounds of the Real Housewives.

I was given a copy of this book to review by Moody Publishers.  The opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Book Review: The More of Less by Joshua Becker

I have just finished the book The More of Less by Joshua Becker.

I have been following Joshua Becker for about a year now and am familiar with his minimalist journey, he writes a blog on the topic, Becoming Minimalist.  

I was filled with joy to read his book "The More of Less" and read about other peoples journeys to owning less.  The most eye opening comment came early on in the book when a neighbor revealed to Joshua that "You don't have to own all of that stuff."  

What a revelation that you don't have to be a slave to your items and that indeed you can just enjoy the few things (and few is a relative for each person) that bring you happiness and joy to each day.

I would recommend this book to anyone as it doesn't talk about needing to get rid of everything in your house.  Joshua doesn't preach to you it is merely a conversation to get your mind thinking about how much you need to own and why do you own some of the things that are in your house.

Developing a more minimalist approach to life is an on going process...I'm not sure it is something that you are ever fully "done" with.  

I was given an advanced copy of this book to review from Blogging for Books.

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Book Review: Better Than Before...but is it?

I went into this book with an open mind, I previously read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and found her voice in the book to be pretentious.

It did not take more than a page or two before the author sounded completely arrogant.  She makes it out to seem as if she is the only one who has thought of her "fantastic" idea.

She just made me filled with anger when I read her work and also wishing that she had a thesaurus so that she wouldn't have to say the word habit every sentence.

To the author: Gretchen I realize you want to be some life changing author but maybe you should go back to your 40 ways to look at someone shtick.

My advice to anyone is to avoid this book and avoid this author.

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for writing an honest review.

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Book Review "Confections of a Closet Master Baker"

Confections of a Closet Master Baker: One Woman's Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up as a recommendation from Goodreads...I had no idea it was written by Sandra Bullock's younger sister. That isn't terribly important to this story as it is a fascinating read about the author Gesine (Geh-See-Neh) and her desire to move from the fast paced Hollywood life to rural Vermont.
Gesine does a fantastic job of spinning her tale and providing some very delicious recipes to go along with the book (I am a big fan of getting recipes when I am reading a food book).
I was disappointed though to learn that she's sold her bakery and is now in front of the camera...which is completely opposite to her viewpoint in the book (she talks about being an introvert and being almost a misanthrope).
That disappointment aside the book was a wonderful read, and it is a quick read so a great book to bring along when travelling.

View all my reviews

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20 Days and Counting

Well whether we are ready for it or not Christmas will be here in 20 days, for those who celebrate Hanukkah you only have 11 days.

Not that I am trying to induce any stress.

This year we've taken a pretty laid back approach to Christmas and the shopping that goes with it.  Having three kids we decided there are a plethora of toys in our house already so we should come up with about 3 meaningful gifts for each of them and then focus the remainder of the day on hanging out with family and enjoying a meal together...OF course there will be focus on food (I love the stuff).

So let me share with you a delicious treat and something that might distract you from any stress you might be under.

• 1 1/2 C all purpose unbleached flour
• 1 C spelt flour
• 1 1/3 C sugar
• 3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 Earth Balance, melted
• 3 ener-G egg replacers
• 3 Tbsp almond milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• Place flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together with a fork and set aside.
• In a separate bowl mix together your Earth Balance, vanilla, almond milk, and egg replacers.
• Gradually add in your dry mixture and beat until fully incorporated.
• With damp hands form two loaves (12" x 3") from the dough and place on a greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Allow the loaves to cool for 10-15 minutes on the baking sheet.
• Remove from the sheet and slice the loaves (you should get at least 12 slices from each loaf).
• Place the sliced cookies back on the baking sheet, cut side up, and bake at 325 degrees for an additional 20 minutes.
• Allow them to cool before dipping (or eat them as is...I promise they are delicious just like this).

These might not make you all zen

But hopefully they will give you a nice little break.  Pair these (yes you should have at least two) with a cup of hot tea, chocolate, or coffee (whatever your please is).

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Alternative Giving

This time of year at my church stewardship campaigns are ramped up full speed.

Everyone wants to get their budgets in line and know what we have to work with for next year.

But should this be a topic that we discuss just one month of the year?

Or instead should it be a topic that we constantly have in the back of our minds.

I was recently part of a discussion in which we discussed ways to give and the people in the discussion were mainly focused on money...but there are so many other great ways to give.

Volunteer

This is a really broad topic but narrow it down to something that interests you

1. Boys and Girls Club
2. Serving food at a soup kitchen
3. Delivering meals for Meals on Wheels
4. Mow your neighbors lawn
5. Lead a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop
6. Drive cancer patients to their treatments
7. Clean up a local park or streets
8. Check out local opportunities on Volunteer Match

Donate Yourself

1. Donate blood to the local Red Cross
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love

Alternatives to Money

1. Link your grocery card buyers card to a local school so that they receive a portion of the sale
2. Give away excess from your home through places such Freecycle or Goodwill or Salvation Army
3. Handmade items that can be donated (such as blankets for premature babies)
4. Old athletic shoes that can be made into playground surfaces
5. Donate old blankets and towels to your local humane society

As you can see these things just barely scratch the surface...BUT there are numerous ways to give you just have to look around, see what talents you have or take inventory of the items in your house.

Not only will you be helping someone out there are studies that show helping makes us happier and healthier people.  

What suggestions or ideas do you have for other ways to give?  I know there are so many out there :)

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