Category Archives: Home Projects

This Years Homemade Christmas Gift – Red Onion Marmalade

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I know what you’re thinking… most delicious homemade christmas gift, you were thinking of my fudge recipe were you not? Well, you were close, but this year, I branched out and decided to make something savoury (ish – depending on if adding 1/4 cup of sugar to anything can be considered savoury).

We try in our family, to include the homemade element over Christmas, for personal and somewhat anti-consumerism-Christmassy reasons – so I’m super pumped to have this all made up, in my fridge and ready to throw on a cheese plate.

Red Onion Marmalade. Yum guys. Yum.

This pressie has been made and has been/will be distributed to parents, in-laws and teachers alike. And it’s easy and so very, very delicious.

I tried a few recipes, and this one is by far my best (thanks to All Recipes):

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • salt to taste

Tip: Genius Debbie remembered she had a slicing attachment on her food processor, and so no onion-tears for me. Boom.

Method:

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onions and sugar in hot oil until onions start to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Stir red wine and balsamic vinegar into onion mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes more. Season with salt.

Done-sies.

All you need are some jars (I get mine from Bonpak), and some brown paper (PNA/MerryPak) and some twine/string. I attached a little card with a note and onion marmalade ingredients. How cute, and HOW simple?

What is your fave homemade treat?

Cutting my brain some slack…

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Three kids is so hardcore. Guys – it really is. It’s so wonderful and so beautiful and so ‘whole’ and SO LOUD and messy and chaotic and brain-freezing.

Brain-freezing. My brain has deteriorated a million fold since having these gorgeous terrors. On a day to day basis, I have had to stop in my tracks and roll through the possibilities the day might demand: fitkids t-shirt, fruit for school, some fee I’ve missed, some craft I need, some dress up, sport, show and tell, playdate… it felt like an evil minefield. I need to limit my in-the-moment thinking. And so I got to the point where scrolling through Pinterest looking at ‘life organizers’ became a blissful pleasure. I felt organised just looking at them, a bit like standing in the gym feeling like you’re losing weight. So despite my radical lack of spare time and baby-not-on-me-ness, I thought I’d take up the challenge and get creative. Also, secretly, I wanted selfish, creative alone time – the kind my darling DIY hubby always has when he’s building something.

So I decided to make (a version of) THIS:

So, I popped on over to my in-laws (who have everything you might ever need, ever), and found an old, crusty, dirty, spider-web-covered window frame. I scraped it down, pulled the broken glass from it, chipped off the dried putty, and cleaned it up (rustic-style).

I then went on the hunt for metal sheeting (I wanted to do magnets instead of the chalkboard – my OCD wouldn’t cope with half-clean chalkboard smudges). So I phoned around and got quotes and “SCREEEEEECH”. My DIY project came to a dramatic halt when I was quoted R600 for 10 pieces of the thinnest, cheapest metal I could find.

…

… (bleugh)

The frame sat clean and lonely with all the other DIY leftovers, like those old toys in Toy Story.

Until my darling hubby went on a hunt to find metal and unknowingly help me finish it for my bday. So this bday – I got the heaviest present I’ve ever received. 10 sheets of rustic worn metal, perfectly sized to fit in my neglected yet patient frame. (Along with some other ‘prettier’ pressies, don’t worry).

Together we fitted the metal and mounted it on the wall, and I used old scrabble tile magnets I’d made (which had lost their appeal) and laminated signs and stuck adhesive magnets on the back, and voil la! DONE!

Quite cool huh?

Waste-Free Living 101

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Every Wednesday morning around 7am, we hear the garbage truck drive up the road. My boys jump up, scream for me to open the front door so they can run outside and watch the garbage men grab our bin, toss it into the truck, empty it of all our waste and drive off again with great gusto, all with a smile and a wave and a “good morning!”

And ‘Poof!’ Just like that, our mess, our waste; broken plastic toys, styrofoam trays, plastic bags, food waste, takeaway containers, greasy tin foil, plastic wrap, and and and is taken off into a magical land, never to be seen again. Right? Wrong. Oh so very wrong.

I first heard of Lauren Singer’s Blog, Trash is for Tossers in 2014 and was completely inspired by her approach to producing no trash/garbage/rubbish. This is the amount of trash she has collected over the years.

This was made even more real for me after spending some time on Galiano Island off the west coast of Vancouver. A fully functioning island (with views you could stare at for years), but a warning: that you take back to the mainland (Vancouver) what cannot be recycled, composted or is biodegradable. So, you literally pack your garbage in your boot for the ferry trip home. Reality check.

There are two sides to this way of thinking: by reconsidering ease and convenience, and being more proactive in caring for our ever-faithful environment.

What’s clear from the ever-increasing solid waste in the world, and the phenomenal and escalating expense of dealing with it, that while important, the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) are not enough. This is the driving force behind the emerging trend towards waste-free living. But looking at how much waste Lauren Singer has accumulated, how do we do it? 

The key to waste-free living is to prevent waste coming into your home in the first place. Here are 5 easy ways to move towards waste-free living:

  • Stop buying, using and discarding single use items.  Believe or not, there are easy alternatives to paper towels and tissues, plastic bags and wrap, aluminium foil and baking paper, even dental floss, plasters and ear buds. In this stage of my life, many of my reusables involve breast pads and cloth nappies.
  • Eliminate all the disposable items you bring into your home, and replace them with reusables. A simple example of this for women waste warriors is to replace tampons and sanitary pads with the increasingly popular menstrual cup.  When you consider that each woman over her lifetime may dispose of as many as 12 000 tampons, changing this monthly habit can greatly reduce your waste.
  • Buy without packaging by shopping for second hand goods and clothes rather than new; and buying bulk food items using your own glass containers and reusable bags. This is a new way of thinking for us here in SA, but it common practice in most awesome first world countries. 
  • Stop accepting freebies. YES! For real! We’re often on autopilot when someone hands us something, and most often out of politeness accept things we then want to get rid of. By being conscious about what you agree to accept from others you can prevent taking into your home what are essentially unwanted and unnecessary items. You can say ‘no thank you’…
  • Add another R for ‘Rot’.  Your green food waste is nutrient dense and can sweeten the place where you live if you compost instead of throw away. If you don’t garden at home, find a community garden or school food garden in your neighbourhood and contribute your kitchen waste to their composting efforts – or build a worm farm.
  • Ensure you have reusables ‘on the go’.  Go out and about in the world with the reusables you need on hand.  Always have reusable shopping bags with you.  If you can’t live without your favourite takeaway coffee, get a travel mug. Carry your own reusable water bottle or flask, and bring along a reusable straw. If you regularly eat takeaways make sure you have your own reusable plate and cutlery. If you are not sure how to get this together, see this Waste-Free-Living starter kit from Faithful to Nature which provides you with a glass water bottle, stainless steel straw, bamboo coffee cup and two mesh Fresh Bags for your groceries.

While these five steps might seem small, they go a long way towards waste-free living. Four of the biggest polluters of our environment are plastic bottles, bags and straws, and disposable coffee cups. These items used just once, but so frequently and by so many, result in phenomenal accumulations of completely unnecessary solid waste.  

Essentially, waste-free living doesn’t have to mean doing without. It’s most often about working out what is really important to you, and then switching to the waste-free alternatives. The pioneers of waste-free living often attest to a life greatly enriched by the simplicity and peace of mind that they experience through their commitment to embracing the eco-friendly options.

YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN one of these very cool Waste-Free-Living starter kits of your very own from Faithful to Nature.

All you need to do is comment below/on the Facebook comments thread and mention what reusables you love using in your home using the hashtag #wastefreeliving. Tag a friend on the facebook post for an extra entry…

Thanks for entering. Good Luck!

Contact Faithful to Nature
(t) (021) 785 3268
Web: www.faithful-to-nature.co.za

Terms and Conditions

The competition runs from Tuesday 18 April – Tuesday 25 April 2017.
This competition is open to South African residents only.
The winner will be chosen randomly and contacted via email.
Winner will be announced on the Our Greenish Life website and social media channels on Tuesday 25 April.

Visit www.faithful-to-nature.co.za to find more solutions that will help you on your green journey.

Image credit: crushmag, Galiano Inn & Spa.

DIY Dummy Clips

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I have recently become good friends with someone who is a kindred spirit in every sense of the word. We are so like minded it’s creepy. When copy each other’s baking ideas, pinterested pins, home DIY and kids crafts. We also both also find it thrilling to score a good deal and stock up on our kids’ clothes a season in advance. The what’s apps fly between us, with quick online sales, ideas for Christmas crafts, the best place to get this or that, and a mutually shared celebration of a deal scored.


So this is the latest. Dummy Clips. I remember buying a certain brand named baby clip for my first born, and it was about R80 and I lost it a week later. Fail.

Not even being sure if my third would take a dummy (our second vehemently rebelled and re-fused) I wasn’t going to risk buying a dummy clip at that price.

My kindred spirit buddy showed me what she had done – made dummy clips for under R10. So I asked her to show me her ways… and here’s how we (she) did it!

What you need to buy: 

– Silver clip (R6.00)

– 20cm of fabric ribbon (R1.00)

– That plastic platted ‘rope’ (R0.30)


What you need at home: 

– Matches, scissors, needle, thread.

How to: 

Cut the ribbon to the length you want it and singe the ends with the matches. Hand stitch (or sew) the one end of the ribbon around the silver clip loop, and the other end around your rope…

Melt the ‘plastic rope’ together to form a loop. Hide the melted part of the rope where the ribbon has been stitched.

Attach it like follows and you’re done!



My Obsession with Breast Pads

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Whenever I shrug off the need to have a breast pad nearby, I am left sorely humbled. So often I’m caught off guard by that let down reflex and my eyes dart around the room in a panic, desperately searching for a pad in sight.

I’ve been one of the extremely lucky ones who has an over abundance of breast milk, (and good latching kids) with all three littlies. I am very aware of what a gift this is considering so many of my friends have struggled with nursing and/or a limited milk supply, and so I don’t dare to boast, but man alive, I need something to stop my boobs from (literally) soaking my top every.single.time.

Milk on my clothes. Milk on my baby. Milk on my duvet. Milk on my sheet. Milk, milk everywhere.

So when my second child was born, my mom and I (while changing a cloth nappy) had the bright idea to take what is found in a cloth nappy and make reusable breast pads. Not only does this save me money (and desperate trips to the store for more breast pads), but it saves the environment, and I prefer wearing the reusable ones – they’re softer, more comfortable, don’t crinkle and are just better overall.

Here’s what we did: 

reusable-breast-pads

Cut circles of different layers of fabric. Depending on the size of your milk-makers, you can cut the circle to fit. We put towelling on the top that touches the skin, and two layers of microfibre (as used in most cloth nappies as your most absorbent layer) on the inside, with a waterproof sheeting on the back (the side that touches your nursing bra). We sewed/overlocked them all together and voia-la!

Do what works for you! Play around with different fabrics and see what you like. I’d suggest not using any bold colours/designs and not making them so thick you can see them through your top… But otherwise get creative.

Good Luck – and let me know how you go.

xxx

…Next on the DIY list – reusable cotton pads (make up remover type) and fabric ‘paper’ towels. Yeeeee. The ideas are endless…

 

 

Instantly gratifying DIY – Magnetic Letters

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So… nursing, changing, bouncing, rocking, and cuddling a newborn is great, but it’s also tiring. And peppered in between is the never ending list of washing, desperately searching for breast pads, rushed toilet breaks, reheating coffee, handing baby to hubby so you can give your other kids some attention, trying to sneak in a quick shower, Disney Junior (DSTV channel 309), and throwing a real quick 5-food group/eat-your-rainbow dinner together.

After actually birthing, one needs some other instant gratification in this new life of blurry nights and debating with hubby who was up longer the night before.

A while back I found this OLD box of Scrabble. In my true minimalist style I almost threw it straight in the ‘donate’ pile (we have another, much newer Scrabble set) until my light bulb moment. Two birds, one stone: a holiday activity with my 4year old and a way to learn letters and words.

Brace yourselves: this one is a doozy. Are you ready? MAGNETIC SCRABBLE LETTERS. Have I blown your mind? I thought so.

Here’s what you need: 


  • Old scrabble tiles.
  • A4 adhesive magnetic sheet (found at PNA for R39 – maternity leave budget friendly).
  • Scissors.
  • Your handy helper.

Method: Again, brace yourselves, it’s complicated. Cut the adhesive magnet sheet into squares and stick them onto the back of the scrabble tiles. Did you get that or should I explain it again? Not to worry – I’ve got step-by-step pictures for you all…





Is that not the easiest, simplest and quite profoundly gratifying DIY project, with years of benefit (as long as you don’t lose all the vowels?)

Ta daaaaa.

Why not try Spring Clean differently this Year?

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Try explain to a 4 year old what chemicals are. It’s tough. “Buddy, don’t touch that, or lick that, or put your hands on that – it is full.of.chemicals“.

I never cared too much about this kinda thing, so have been wracking my brain as to when I made the switch. Maybe it was when I baby-proofed our house when my eldest became more mobile and thought (as I looked at the emergency number for Poison Control on the fridge), ‘hmmm, a vinegar, lemon, bicarb combo seems like a pretty good idea round about now’…

Either way, it has become a bigger and bigger issue to me. I remember my company back in Vancouver wanting to send me home from work one day (when I was pregnant) because the offices next door were being painted and they didn’t want me breathing in the fumes. First world. But something to think about. As we have been renovating recently, I haven’t done a stitch of painting – personal conviction, but still, rather safe than sorry (in my mind anyways).

Let this kick you in the stomach: Did you know that your home may be the most toxic place you encounter each day?

vintage spring clean

Here’s the problem… (source)

Since the 1950s over 72,000 synthetic chemicals have entered our food supply and homes, and the vast majority of them have never been tested for human safety.

The average person comes in contact with over 6,000 of these chemicals on a regular basis and babies are now born with hundreds of them already in their system (and we wonder why we are seeing such high rates of chronic disease!)

The EPA reported that indoor air can be up to 70 Times MORE toxic than outdoor air. These chemicals are more likely to cause cancer than synthetic chemicals found outdoors.

Cancer rates have doubled in the last half century, but due to chemical exposure, moms who work at home are 54% more likely to get cancer than those who aren’t at home all day.

You would think that following the warning labels on household chemicals would be enough to protect your family, but unfortunately, this is not the case! Many of these chemicals can enter the air of your home, even if they are in tightly sealed containers. On top of that, the Poison Control Center reported that as much as 85% of warning labels on household products did NOT adequately identify the dangers of the products or list proper first aid instructions.

Some of the most common chemicals like formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, toluene, xylene have been found to cause cancer and are often found in indoor air. Other problems like fibromyalgia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and hormone imbalance are also linked to chemical exposure.

Since children consume more water, breathe more air and eat more food proportionate to their body weight than adults, they are MORE at risk from these chemicals.

(Preach over)

kitchen sink

So WHAT do we do about this?

Should you find the time, inclination and inspiration, you can (dare I say) make your own cleaning products. I’ve played around with a few, but honestly, life has taken over recently and I’ve found it easier to buy them. Here are some homemade options I’ve tried and written about: Fruit and Veggie Wash & Laundry Powder.

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There are a gazillion natural cleaning product recipes out there and I do encourage you to find them and try them out – some people swear by them and others are left disappointed, but go for it, and have fun. Unfortunately in South Africa, we do not have access to a wide range of the raw materials often needed to make effective cleaners, and sourcing from overseas can be expensive, but you can keep it as simple as vinegar, lemon and bicarb. Voia la.

I’ve blogged a bit about a couple of my fave natural cleaning product brands, such as nu eco, Better Earth, and Earthsap, and I’ve also written a comparison on natural Dishwashing Liquids here. There are a GOOD number of affordable natural products out there – you just need to find them. And please, please, pleeeeeease read the ingredient labels. I hate to bad-mouth Pick ‘n Pay and Woolies, but their ‘green’ ranges are not nearly as green as you’d like to believe they are. Do your research, and read the labels.

Better-Earth

So I’ve delved quite considerably into this, and I’m becoming more and more convinced that this is something we neeeeeed to re-think. And since most of us outsource our home cleaning anyway, we think about it even less. With a baby on the way, I’ve stocked the cupboard (really, with 5L’s and all – nesting!) of natural products so I know our vulnerable, straight from the womb newborn won’t be smacked in the face with no good nonsense.

Please don’t let this overwhelm you. Be inspired by nature, and what it has provided for us. You don’t need to chuck out every scary-looking cleaning product in your laundry cupboard and get on your hands and knees with vinegar and salt. Start with one change. All purpose cleaner? Bathroom cleaner? Laundry powder? …And go from there.

Do you have a favourite natural cleaning brand or homemade recipe? If so, please share! And be INSPIRED!

Image credit: www.ohlief.com, www.greengoods.co.za, www.brayandscarff.com.

How to Remain Minimalist when all you want to do is buy more Scatter Cushions

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So, almost 10 years after getting married, while pregnant with our third child and 1.5yrs after returning from overseas, we fiiiiiiiiiiinally have our own real grown up home (thanks hubby). And being pregnant, I’m in overdrive on the nesting and wanting to make our home, a HOME. Unpacking boxes from a) our childhoods, b) Durban living and c) Vancouver, we are surrounded by awesome stuff (and some not so awesome) and all I can think about is un-stippling the walls and buying scatter cushions.


This is our baby’s room. And that’s me 3rd trimester pregnant, not panicking at all. 

Hubby is a DIY one. Thank you God. Really. I’d happily choose DIY man over chef man. He is so handy I have lists FOR HIM, and sometimes get a little panicky if I imagine him dying… random but true. Because, well, he does a LOT. (Here is what is running through my head on an average day nowadays)…

  • We need a king size bed before baby arrives, which means we need the base from our 4 year olds’ room, which means we need bunks for the boys (hubby to make) so baby can have our toddlers cot. Reshuffling the whole family. No biggie.
  • We need to un-stipple the walls, pronto.
  • We need a headboard (hubby to make), with matchy matchy bedside tables (hubby to make as well).
  • Did I mention un-stippling the walls?
  • We need frames around all the mirrors in the house (hubby to make).
  • A complete re-haul of the kitchen (oh you know, as you do).
  • I need scatter cushions.
  • I’m desperate for a frame jewelry display (hubby to make).
  • Replace all lights switches and redo lighting throughout the house.
  • and and and and aaaaaaaaaaaand.

And allllll I can think about is how tiny our pillows look on our new king bed (which we now have – YAY) and how I need scatter cushions to make it look better. Never-mind the built in desk and shelves which have been ripped from the boys’ room, and the half un-stippled walls in the baby’s room and the double bed sitting in the family room waiting for it to be made into a murphy bed in the guest room (which is not yet fully unpacked) and and and aaaaaaaaaand. (Sounding familiar?) So often I just flop on the couch and watch Wimbledon with a bowl of pre-made cake icing and a spoon.

And while there are HUGE house projects on the go – I’m having a split personality moment between not buying unnecessary nonsense and ‘stuff’, and wanting to remain SO minimalist the rooms echo, and spending my retirement annuity on frames, new towels, pot plants, mason jars, fancy light fittings and the latest Breville coffee machine. So while I convince myself daily to NOT buy scatter cushions (and rugs and a new fireplace which is becoming more and more urgent), I’m enforcing – military style – many of fellow blogger Joshua Becker‘s thoughts surrounding keeping the home clutter and stress free. Think Zen.

So here they are. I feel like we’ve been given a clean slate with our new house so minimalist already, that building great habits (maintaining minimalism) can only better things. Even when I DO find the perfect scatter cushions.

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15 Clutter Busting Routines for any Family: (Joshua Becker)

Disclaimer: for us non North ‘Mericans (not facing the most un-believ-able political circus), don’t be put off by words like junk-mail, garbage, coat closet and trash. You know what they mean.

1. Place junk mail immediately into a recycling bin. Take note of the natural flow of mail into your home. Placing a recycling container prior to your “mail drop-off zone” can catch most of that junk mail before it even reaches your counter. And as an added bonus, you’ll begin to look through less of it too (think advertisements).

2. Store kitchen appliances out of sight. Toasters, can openers, coffee makers… they all take up space. And while it may not seem like much space by looking at them, the first time you prepare dinner on a counter without them present, you’ll quickly notice the difference. If you think it’s going to be a hassle putting them away every morning, don’t. It takes less than 6 seconds to put each appliance away… once you’ve found a home for it that is.

3. Remove 10 articles of clothing from your closet today. Go ahead. If you are typical, it’ll take you roughly 5 minutes to grab 10 articles of clothing that you no longer wear and throw them in a box. Your remaining clothes will fit better in your closet. Your closet will be able to breathe again. And if you write “Goodwill” on the box when you are done, you’ll feel better about yourself as soon as you drop it off. Most likely, you’ll find yourself inspired to do it again.

4. Fold clean clothes / Remove dirty clothes immediately. The way I handle clothes these days is one of the biggest clutter changes I have made in my life. Unfortunately, I used to be a “throw-them-on-the-floor” guy. But now I handle each one right when I take it off. Dirty clothes down the clothes chute. Clean clothes back to the hanger or drawer. That’s it. It’s really that simple. How do the dirty ones magically appear clean and folded in my closet you ask… I’m not sure. You’ll need to ask my wife.

5. Kids’ bedroom toys live in the closet. Not on the floor. Not on the dresser. But in the closet. And when the closet gets too full of toys, it’s time to make some room. Hint, it’s usually safe to remove the toys at the bottom of the pile.

6. Kids pick up their toys each evening. This has countless benefits: 1) It teaches responsibility. 2) It helps kids realize that more isn’t always better. 3) The home is clean for mom and dad when the kids are in bed. 4) It’s a clear indication that the day has come to an end. Gosh, you’d think with all these benefits it would be easier for us to get the kids to do it…

(I have to butt in here. Growing up, my hubby had what his family called ‘Tidy Up Time’ at 5pm every night. He was 1 of 4 so you can imagine the mess. This is one of his most scarring memories as a child and he HATED it. Now that we have noise-making mud balls of children ourselves, and we’re moving from big block Duplo to small block Lego, he is ready to reinforce it. Too funny.)

7. Fill your containers for the garbage man. Use every trash pick-up day as an excuse to fill your recycling containers and/or garbage cans. Grab a box of old junk from the attic… old toys from the toy room… old food from the pantry… old paperwork from the office. If once a week is too often, do this exercise every other week. You’ll get the hang of it. And may even begin to enjoy trash morning… okay, I won’t go that far.

8. Halve decorations. No seriously, I mean it. Grab a box and walk through your living room. Remove decorations from shelves, tables, and walls that aren’t absolutely beautiful or meaningful. You may like it better than you think. If not, you can always put them back. But I’d bet my wife’s old high school yearbooks that you won’t return all of them.

9. Wash dishes right away. Hand washing some dishes takes less time than putting them in the dishwasher. This applies to cups, breakfast bowls, dinner plates, and silverware. If hand washed right after eating, it takes hardly any time at all. If however, hand washing is just not an option for you, be sure to put used dishes in the dishwasher right away. Nobody likes walking into a kitchen with dishes piled up in the sink or on the counter… and it’s even less fun eating in there.

10. Unmix and match cups, bowls, plates, and silverware. Uniformity makes for better stacking, storing, and accessing. If there is a souvenir cup or mug that is so important to you that you can’t live without it, that’s perfectly fine. Just don’t keep 5 of them. Mom, any chance you are reading this?

11. Keep your desk clear and clean. Drawers can adequately house most of the things needed to keep your desk functional. And a simple filing system should keep it clear of paper clutter. The next person who sits down to use the desk will thank you.

12. Store your media out of sight. Make a home for dvd’s, cd’s, video games, and remote controls. They don’t need to be in eyesight, you use them less than you think. And if you remove them from your eyesight… maybe you’ll use them even less.

13. Always leave room in your coat closet. There are two reasons why coats, shoes, and outerwear keep ending up scattered throughout your home rather than in your closet. The first reason is because your coat closet is so full, it’s a hassle to put things away and retrieve them quickly. Leave room on the floor, on the hangers, and on the shelves for used items to be quickly put away and retrieved. The second reason is because you have kids… but you’re on your own with that one.

14. Keep flat surfaces clear. Kitchen counters, bathroom counters, bedroom dressers, tabletops… After you clear them the first time, keeping them clean takes daily effort. Receipts, coins, and paper clutter just keep coming and coming… it’s just easier the second time around.

15. Finish a magazine or newspaper. Process or recycle immediately. If you’ve finished the paper product, process it and rid yourself of its clutter immediately. Good recipe in there? Put it in your recipe box and recycle the rest. Good article that your husband will enjoy? Clip it and recycle.  Article that your friend will enjoy? Clip it, mail it, and recycle (or better yet, search for it online and send it that way). Coupon too good to pass up? Cut it out and recycle. Stacks of magazines and newspapers serve little purpose in life but to clutter a room.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh – are you feeling all light and breezy like me?

Featured Image credit: www.thedormyhouse.com

Epsom Salt – and why it’s awesome

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I first heard about epsom salt way back in 2008 when I used to work at a Health and Wellness clinic. Primarily it was used to pop in a warm bath and increase magnesium absorption (which is good for you obviously). It’s a pretty cheap product to buy so I used to get some from time to time, and even used to make my own magnesium scrubs with epsom salt and essential oils (you know, before kids).

A friend had a truck load she was trying to get rid of and so I bought 6kg. Usually my go to – is to run a nice hot epsom salt bath, but there are MANY other uses for this little whiteish rock type stuff and knowing it was great to use during pregnancy, I thought I’d remind myself of its uses and benefits.

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Thanks to Wellness Mama, here is a super comprehensive list of ways and means to use it. Hold your breath – its coming up…

First off, epsom salt is a really good source of magnesium. Magnesium is necessary for hundreds of functions within the body, but is especially important for:

  • Gives rigidity AND flexibility to your bones (more important than Calcium in many cases)
  • Increases bioavailability of calcium
  • Regulates and normalizes blood pressure
  • Prevents and reverses kidney stone formation
  • Promotes restful sleep
  • Helps prevent congestive heart failure
  • Eases muscle cramps and spasms
  • Lowers serum cholesterol levels and triglycerides
  • Decreases insulin resistance
  • Can prevent atherosclerosis and stroke
  • End cluster and migraine headaches
  • Enhances circulation
  • Relieves fibromyalgia and chronic pain
  • Treats asthma and emphysema
  • Helps make proteins
  • Encourages proper elimination
  • Prevents osteoporosis
  • Proper Vitamin D absorption
  • Protection from radiation
  • To aid weight loss
  • Lessen or remove ADD or ADHD in children
  • in proper digestion of carbohydrates
  • emerging evidence is showing a preventative role in many cancers
  • (source)

… all I can think about now is how I can persuade my hubby to buy me a huge free standing bath, equipped with candles, surround sound of All Sons & Daughters (what the heck, just make it sound proof), with Lindt dark choc balls on request. Surely that’s not too hard.

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Here is the list of ways in which you can easily use epsom salt. I’ve bolded my fave.

  • As a relaxing Magnesium Bath Soak – Add at least 1 cup of epsom salt to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes.
  • Splinter Removal – soak in concentrated epsom salt water to pull out a splinter.
  • Magnesium Foot Scrub – make a homemade magnesium scrub (recipe here) for a boost of magnesium and super soft skin.
  • Better Vegetables – add a tablespoon of epsom salt to the soil below a tomato plant to boost growth. (Your veggies need magnesium too!)
  • Facial Wash – add a pinch of epsom salt to your usual face cleaner for a skin exfoliating magnesium boost.
  • Tile/Grout Cleaner – mix equal parts of liquid dish soap and epsom salts and use to scrub tile and grout. Rinse well for a streak free shine.
  • Body Aches – add 2 cups of epsom salt to a warm bath and soak for at least 20 minutes to help relieve muscle sprains and for a transdermal magnesium boost.
  • Homemade Sea Salt Spray – make your own sea salt spray to add texture and volume to hair- recipe here.
  • Water House Plants – help house plants grow by adding a couple tablespoons of epsom salt to the water when you water them.
  • Volumeizing Hair Mask – combine equal parts of conditioner and epsom salt and leave on hair for 20 minutes. Rinse well and let air dry for thicker hair.
  • Foot Soak – for a concentrated magnesium boost, add 1 cup of epsom salt to a hot foot soak and soak for 20 minutes.
  • Get rid of slugs – have slugs in your garden or on your patio? Sprinkle epsom salt to deter them. (I’ve heard you can do this with moles too!)
  • Making Magnesium Lotion – using magnesium flakes is a better option, but in a pinch, you can use epsom salt to make homemade magnesium oil (recipe here).
  • Laxative – for occasional constipation, a teaspoon of epsom salt dissolved in water can help. Check with a doctor first.
  • Beautiful Roses – add a tablespoon a week to the soil around rose bushes before watering for faster growth.
  • Soil Prep – before planting, we add a few bags of epsom salt to the soil in the garden and water in to help replenish soil magnesium levels.
  • Headache relief – there is evidence that soaking in a soothing epsom salt bath may help relieve headache.
  • Smooth skin – mix 1/2 cup epsom salt with 1/4 cup olive oil and scrub skin in the shower for healthy and smooth skin.
  • Itchy Skin or Bug Bites – dissolve a tablespoon of epsom salt in to 1/2 cup of water and cool. Spritz on itchy skin or apply a wet compress to help relieve itching.
  • Minor Sunburn Relief – use the same ratio in the itchy skin relief above and spritz on to minor sunburns to help soothe them.
  • Help Kids Sleep Better – add a cup to kids’ bath water before bed to help them sleep peacefully… (I’ve definitely done this on a number of occasions).

 
That’s enough to keep us going for a while. If you’re interested to read more about magnesium, check out this link.

Now, go and run that bath already.

Image credit: www.doctoroz.com and www.livestrong.com

Oh good, more chocolate

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Right, so we all know I’m (somewhat) addicted to sugar and I’ve done my UTMOST to hide this from my children. But it’s Easter, and we all know what that means. Clay can sure recite the story of Jesus and ‘Judith’ to whoever wishes to listen but as soon as those flashy, crinkly, bright foil covered chocolate anythings come near his body, it’s tickets.

If only I had enough energy to make time in my quiet, calm, relaxing afternoons with my boys to collectively and joyfully make our own homemade chocolate in moulds with no spilling, no screaming and no one burning each other. But alas, we don’t, so, having bought possibly the most winning present EVER for the kids for Christmas last year (our ZOKU instant pop maker), I thought I would try my hand at some healthy quick pops this year for Easter and try avoid the chocolate as much as possible. My kids can sense sugar a mile away so I certainly wont be winning entirely.

I found this awesome recipe for Healthy Easter Egg Breakfast Popsicles. Check them out!

Popsicles 1
So, here’s what you need:

Ingredients:

  • 500g yoghurt*
  • handful granola/muesli
  • handful blueberries
  • handful raspberries (… any berries really…)
    (*you can use different types of store bought yoghurt (flavoured/plain/greek), or make your own homemade yoghurt using your Wonderbag).

Equipment:

  • Egg shaped silicone mould or muffin cups (I’ll use my quick pop maker I think, although these egg shaped silicone moulds are too cute!)
  • lollipop or cake pop sticks

Method:

Place a small dollop of yoghurt into each egg in your silicone mould/quick pop maker, filling each egg to about a third.  Push chunks of granola into the yoghurt, then add a few raspberries and blueberries to each egg too.

Place a lolly stick into each compartment, laying it down as flat as possible.

Fill each egg to the top with yoghurt, making sure it covers all of the fruit and the lolly stick.

Popsicles 2

Place mould in the freezer and freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight, until the eggs are frozen through and solid.  Once frozen, pop out of the moulds, leave the popsicles on a plate at room temperature for a couple of minutes to soften a little then serve immediately.

Yeeeuuuum. Healthy Easter 101.