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Spring Cleaning & Declutter With Clean Mama

You all know I am a big fan of Clean Mama.  The look of her blog makes me very happy, she gives away many free printables, and she’s a midwest girl, like me!!  
She is doing a “Clean Sweep” spring clean + declutter.  
“A month of spring cleaning and decluttering at your own pace“
Last year, she hosted a Spring Zone Cleaning, which was awesome!  This year is going to be a bit more laid back, with just a “couple suggestions to work in at your leisure”–I like the sound of that.  I need laid back this year, and I also need some motivation to focus in on some specific things.  
I am REALLY looking forward to getting something done around here-won’t you join us?  
If interested, just visit Clean Mama to receive the assignment for each week during March. I am excited about this weeks assignment, my closet has been moaning at me for awhile now! I will let you know how I am coming on my progress, and would love to hear from you if you decide to join in.
When you go visit, let her know you came from New Nostalgia and that Amy says “Hi!”

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Drinks/ HOME/ Natural Products/ Simplifying

Paper Towel Alternative

We have had a few spring like days here in Nebraska.  I love it!  It is making me think about spring cleaning!  I will be having radiation the next 6 weeks, so I will have to do mine in baby steps.  I am planning on working in a different “zone” of my home each week, 15 minutes a day.  Hopefully by the time I’m done with radiation my house will be de-cluttered and sparkling clean!!
I was inspired by this post at Clean Momma.  She is someone who knows sparkly clean!  I loved the idea of getting rid of paper products.  It kills me to spend money on paper towels, and we were going through them like crazy!  I do still keep one roll around for those nasty type spills, you know, like when you accidentally drop an egg?  Or when the raw chicken leaks onto the counter?  Yuck!
Both the jar and the cloths are from Target.  If I did it over again, I would get a more quality cloth, like these.  If you are an Amazon shopper, and want to buy the jar, here is a link.
 Clean Momma also got rid of paper napkins and cloths to wash her children’s faces.  She said she is saving at least $20.00 a month by not having to buy paper products!
Even though I am not a fan of bleach, I do occasionally bleach these white cloths.  I also started keeping the jar under my sink, as I wanted a bit more counter space.  If I had more room, I would for sure keep it on the counter, it is handy and I think the jar actually looks pretty!
Are you getting the itch to spring clean?
De-clutter?
**I’m happy to be linking to these parties.
Tip Junkie handmade projects

 

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FAMILY/ HEALTH/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ Natural Products/ RECIPES

Steps To Healthy Living

A few months ago I had the honor of doing a guest post on “The Mother Huddle.”  It was such an honor and I had great fun sharing my thoughts over at Destri’s blog.   Destri is a pretty special lady, one I consider a friend despite the fact that we have never met in person.

The guest post was titled “Steps I Have Taken To Bring A More Healthful Approach Into My Home.”

As the beginning of summer approaches, I am already feeling the pull of unhealthy choices when it comes to food.  BBQ’s, quick dinners at grandpa’s pool, lemonade full of HFCS, the ice cream truck…I don’t know about you, but for us summer brings a bunch more opportunities for healthful eating to go right out the window.  I do and will lighten up a bit during the summer when it comes to eating healthy, but I also want to keep in mind the good habits we have established and continue to pursue them.  Rereading the post I wrote for The Mother Huddle will help me do just that!

Steps I have taken to bring a more wholesome approach into my home:

We Follow These Rules:

  • Try to eat like our grandparents did, before convenience foods came about.
  • No high fructose corn syrup!  Studies show that this stuff causes confusion in the area of the brain that tells your body that you are full. It makes you crave more sweets! This is just one of many reasons to avoid it. Also, we found that it was triggering my youngest daughter’s asthma.  Since changing our eating habits, she is off all inhalers!  Yippee!!
  • No hydrogenated oils/trans fats and use only healthful oils (olive oil, coconut oil)
  • Think brown, not white (whole wheat flour, whole grain pasta, brown rice, 100% whole wheat breads, etc)
  • Stay away from foods if the ingredient list is long and full of words we can’t pronounce.
  • No more buying white sugar! We replaced it with natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, sucanat (rapadura), & stevia.

We Make Snacks Count By:

  • Making homemade treats containing ingredients that are beneficial to the body (we loveMudballs)
  • Having veggie fun! I cut up bright colored veggies into bite-sized pieces, fill a 6 cup muffin tin with a different vegetable in each cup, serve with toothpicks.  If I only have 4 types of vegetables, I’ll fill the 2 remaining cups with dip and toothpicks.
  • Eating fruit as our dessert.  I see my 3 girls (age 10, 9 and 7) eye the beautiful bowl of blueberries thawing on the table during dinner, excited to eat ‘em for dessert!  They also love frozen cherries, grapes, peaches, mangoes, melons, and pineapple.  We eat them all just slightly thawed.
  • Making homemade popcorn in the microwave using a brown paper lunch bag. My girls love this and do it themselves.  Big money saver!
  • Adding veggies to our fruit smoothies.  A large handful of fresh spinach disappears when blended into our sweet fruit smoothies.
  • Using leftover smoothies to make popsicles.  These are delish, and yes, they are the same smoothies that have spinach in them!  These type of real fruit/yogurt popsicles are so costly at the store.  Its amazing how inexpensive and easy it is to make your own!  If you don’t have molds, use paper cups and wooden craft sticks.
  • Staying away from empty calories–even treats can be beneficial to the body (dark chocolate, desserts with fruit/oats in them, ice cream topped with fresh fruit, whole wheat brownies)

We Are Going Greener:

  • We got rid of harsh chemical cleaners.  I use a vinegar and water spray for just about everything, and have simple recipes to make my own laundry detergent, dish washing detergent and liquid hand/body soap. (this saves us a TON of money, and I believe some of those chemicals contributed to my daughters past issues with asthma, so we are saving money on medical bills, too!)
  • We drink from reusable water bottles, keeping them in the refrigerator so they are cold and ready to drink.
  • We got rid of most plastic storage containers and use different sized mason jars instead.  I love how they look in my pantry, freezer and refrigerator.  They make it easy to see what is inside, and they look orderly.
  • If it comes in a package, I ask myself “Can I make this homemade?” It is almost always more healthful and saves on the packaging (pancake mix, granola bars)  I buy many ingredients from bulk bins and put them in mason jars when I get home.
Taking steps for more wholesome homes can be overwhelming, so be encouraged that these changes did not come overnight for us, nor do we do it all perfectly. We eat our share of junk food and sugar outside our 4 walls, (and even inside them on the weekends), so it ends up being about 80/20,
which I am comfortable with. It has been a step by step journey,
one I will never regret starting as I see such huge changes in the health of my family.

This post is linked to:
The Finer Things Friday @ The Finer Things
Home And Family Friday @ Home Is Where My Story Begins
Its A Hodgepodge Friday @ Its A Hodgepodge Life
Tips Me Tuesday @ The Tip Junkie
30 Minute Blog Challenge @ Steady Mom
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple

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HOME/ Homemaking/ Natural Products/ Organizing

Organizing And Storing My Spices

I found these little glass containers at a garage sale about a year ago for a couple of bucks.  I pictured them organized, labeled, full of different spices in beautiful earthy colors, all lined up along the top of my stove.  They HAVE been lined up along the top of my stove, but sitting empty, collecting dust, and looking sad.

The last 2 days were spent spring cleaning my kitchen.  IT IS SO CLEAN and I AM SO HAPPY!  My mother- in- law helped finish it up, for which I was so grateful– I’ll have before and after pics coming up soon.

You would not believe the difference in my floor tile grout…I think I forgot the grout is supposed to be cream because it been closer to mocha (can you tell I’m trying to make the color of dirt sound a bit more appealing??:))

Because I was spring cleaning, I knew I had to tackle my spices, and I’m very happy with how they turned out.  I put the spices that I use most often in the jars, the rest of the spices I have on a small, double-decker lazy susan in the cupboard right next to the stove.

I have said this before in another post, but if you can find a store that has bulk bins full of spices, (where you can help yourself to whatever amount you need, and are charged by weight), then, by all means, DO IT!

Most health food stores have this option. I can’t tell you what a difference using fresh spices has made in my cooking and baking.  It is very economical, and I can buy smaller amounts of spices that I do not use very often, so they won’t sit around forever, getting stale.

I don’t know about you, but having a clean kitchen and organized spices makes me wanna bake, so I’m off to search my recipes to see what I can make!

Amazon Links:
Lazy Susan
Empty Glass Spice Jars
My Favorite Label Maker

T

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HOME/ Natural Products/ Organizing/ Simplifying

Spring Cleaning #2-Sunroom

Spring cleaning–its a love hate thing for me.  Don’t like doing it, but LOVE the results.  So far, I have finished my Living Room and my Sunroom.  The Living Room took me 4 hours (one hour of that was fixing my vacuum, grr) and the Sunroom took about 2 1/2.  Not a fast process.  2 rooms down, 10 to go!!

I bought the ebook, “Spring Cleaning For Normal People” at Simple Mom, for $7.00.  One tip in the book that has been super helpful is her suggestion of taking everything out of the room (not heavy furniture), and putting it in a central location before you start cleaning.  Not only does this get it all out of the way for deep cleaning, but as you put each piece back, you have a minute to think about whether it is something that is useful or beautiful, and if you want to keep it or not.   Thanks to this tip, I have eliminated a ton of stuff!  It also gives you a chance to focus in on each object to deep clean it, too, before putting it back in its place.

{great tip– pile stuff in a central location}
{eww.  nasty, dirty window sill}
{this window marker has been there since my husbands birthday…his birthday was in February!}

This is how I cleaned my sunroom: 
~piled everything in the center
~used broom to reach high for cobwebs in corners and windows
~used broom to brush off loose dirt on window sills
~filled bucket with water/vinegar (1/2 & 1/2)
~wiped down doors
~wiped down window sills/frames
~wiped down all walls
~wiped down floor trim
~used a Mr. Clean eraser to get rid of scuff marks on doors and trim
~cleaned windows inside
~cleaned windows outside
~got frustrated because I couldn’t reach 3 windows on the outside without a ladder
~marveled at how bright the room looked with clean windows
~put back decor that didn’t touch the floor, cleaning them and eliminating as I went
~moved objects that did touch the floor from the middle of the room so I could…
~…sweep!
~mopped (twice…it was nasty)
~sat in the swing, sighed and smiled

{ahhh, much better!}

{what my kids like to do in the sunroom}
{my youngest walked in and said, “Wow, mom, you painted??”:}
This is the type of hook I used to hang the scooters.  2 per scooter.  The ones I used are rubber coated and white.  They have worked well.

This post is linked to:
Saturday Night Specials @ Funky Junk Interiors
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch
It’s So Very Creative @ It’s So Very Cheri
The DIY Showoff Parade @ The DIY Showoff
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple
Making The World Cuter Mondays @ Making The World Cuter 
Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo’s Sweet Stuff
Bragfest Boardwalk @ Bobbypins Boardwalk
Works For Me Wednesdays @ We Are That Family
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Tackle It Tuesday @ 5 Minute Mom
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FAMILY/ HOME/ Natural Products/ Organizing

Spring Cleaning #1

Well, I have given up the idea of someone else spring cleaning my home, (I offered on facebook to trade hair/nail/waxing services in exchange for a spring clean, and it was met with little interest-I guess no one else wants to spring clean, either!!:))  Kathy, my mother-in-law, encouraged me to do a little at a time and enjoy the good feeling it will bring as I get it done.  I like that advice and I’m going to take it!  For some reason when it comes to spring cleaning, I want it all done at once, which paralyzes me!!  I have a pretty clear calendar this week, so I will do a bit at a time and let you know how it goes!

I found this awesome ebook “Spring Cleaning for Normal People“ at Simple Mom, and bought it for $7.00.  It was worth every penny!  She has a way of breaking spring cleaning down into manageable steps, and gives great tips which makes it much less overwhelming.  Last week she had a spring cleaning series on her blog that was very inspirational, you can click here to check it out.

1st Step: Decluttering

From Tsh @ Simple Mom:
Does every item in your home make your family happy?  Does the item add to your home, your life, your family?  Of if you were truly honest, would you say it’s more of a burden?
If it’s a burden in any way, get rid of it.  It’s not worth the valuable real estate between your four walls.

“Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”-19th century architect William Morris 

This is what I will do today. I will start this spring cleaning week by going from room to room and getting rid of anything that does not fit in the above quote. (and sneaking it to the Goodwill before my girls get home!!:))
I plan on using my mornings this week to spring clean, then in the afternoons, do something I enjoy (gardening, cooking, reading). If I set aside a full days to clean, I will get bored, burn out, and give up.  I can handle the mornings knowing I will get to do something more enjoyable in the afternoon!  Here goes..wish me luck!
*do you spring clean each year?  is motivation as hard for you as it is for me?  do you have a system?  got any tips for me??

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Frugal/ HEALTH/ HOME/ Natural Products

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have been using Homemade Laundry Detergent for at least 6 months now, and I LOVE IT!  It is easy, inexpensive, green, and it works!  When I tell people I do this, I often get “I just don’t have time to do that.”  I thought that, too, until I put it into perspective–it is like making a very inexpensive, 3 ingredient recipe that makes a huge batch, and lasts for months because you only use 2 Tbls/load!

I have tried 2 recipes, both are quite popular on the web.  This is the first one I used and it is the one I will stick with. It is easy to make (no measuring), uses a true soap with no fillers, makes a lot, and does not have an off- putting scent.

It uses:
1 box Borax (76oz)
1 box Washing Soda (55oz)
1 bar Kirks Castile Soap

If you click on this link, it will take you to a picture tutorial on Instructables of how to make it.  Be sure to read the comment section while you are there, the author answers many questions which I found very helpful.

{when I made it, I used my food processor to break up the soap, 
 in the link above, she uses a micro-plane to grate it, which would make it more fine}

The second one was a bit more pricey, used a soap that had ingredients that were not as pure, and I really didn’t see much difference.  Fels Naptha soap is pretty scented, which I didn’t care for.   I know people who really like this recipe, and it is very popular on the web, so I thought I would share it even though it is not my first pick.

It uses:
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Fels Naptha Soap, grated

~~~

If you have ever seen the TV show “18 Kids And Counting,” you will know that the Duggar family work hard at being frugal.  They use a Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent which I have never tried, I like how my powder soap looks in my big jar, and I think powder is less messy.  The Duggar recipe needs some cooking and stirring, but if it works for 18 kids and is still being used even despite fame and fortune, it must work well!!

{my laundry room will be pretty like this someday…its on the doozy list. 
 I DO have that pretty jar, which makes me happy!}

~~~

*TipNut has an amazing resource for Homemade Laundry Detergent FAQ’s.

~~~

The first recipe is supposed to be GREAT as a toilet, bathtub and grout cleaner when made into a paste with some water.  I’m excited to try this, as I have been buying “Method” brand toilet cleaner from Target, which costs more than I would like to spend.

My husband and I went on a mission a few months ago, to STOP all unnecessary spending.  The first couple months we called “No Spend” months, and we really buckled down and tried our best to only spend when absolutely necessary!  We have been a bit more relaxed lately, but we are still very frugal.  We have been able to save a few thousand dollars by doing this, which is pretty amazing, as we were not big spenders in the first place.  It has been super fun…yup, I said FUN!  It really is all in the attitude.  We have so much to be thankful for, so I looked at this as a fun challenge, eager to see just how much we could save buy being purposeful about every cent.  We both have been surprised at how much we we’ve saved, and feel super blessed that we have been able to pay off debt.  I have learned that spending even a dollar here or a dollar there adds up fast!  When you make a bunch of little changes to save a bit here and a bit there, that also adds up fast!  Check this:

First Recipe Above costs about $10.00 for 137 Loads—that is only .07 cents a load!

The following are various commercial detergents in typical sizes and pricing. The numbers of loads are as per the manufacturers’ instructions.
– Seventh Generation’s Free and Clear Natural Laundry Detergent 2x Ultra: $11.99 for 50 loads. ($0.239 per load)
-BioKleen Liquid Laundry Detergent: $14.39 for 64 loads. ($0.224 per load)
– All’s Small and Mighty 3x Concentrate for HE washers: $8.49 for 32 loads. ($0.265 per load)
– ECOS Laundry Detergent, Ultra Concentrated with Soy Fabric Softener: $9.49 for 26 loads ($0.367 per load)
– Tide’s 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent: $14.99 for 32 loads ($0.468 per load!)
– Dreft’s 2x Concentrated Baby Laundry Detergent: $31.99 for 110 loads ($0.290 per load)

Making our own detergent is a great example of how we have been able to save in small ways that add up.  Making my own cleaners, laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent has saved us A LOT of money, and I love that our home contains fewer harsh chemicals.

Off to go do a load of laundry!

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