Tag Archives: homemade

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?

We’re eating Snowballs this Christmas

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It is snowing in Vancouver. Thick, beautiful, soft, quiet snow. And I looooved the snow when we were there so I’m in full on jealous mode.

Our beautiful Vancouver home.

Paging through a recipe book made by one of the communities on campus at Regent I was reminded of this most delicious sugary treat – Snowballs. Perfect for a hot summery Christmas in Cape Town, right?

Ingredients:

  • 1 Pkt digestive biscuits (400g)
  • Bag marshmallows (cut in half, or half again for smaller snowballs)
  • 100g Butter
  • 1 Tin sweetened condensed milk (350g)
  • Coconut to coat

Instructions:

Melt the butter, add the condensed milk and then the crushed digestive biscuits. With wet hands, pack the butter/condensed milk/biscuit mixture around the marshmallow halves (or quarters). Roll the balls through the coconut.




If I was HARDCORE green (like this blog was called ‘our VERY BRIGHT GREEN life’ then I would’ve milked the cow and churned the butter, shredded the coconut myself and made my own healthy homemade marshmallows. But now I have 3 kids, so go easy on me will you.?

And EAT. And Merry Christmas xxx

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…

 

 

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.

Have I introduced you to the Lara Ball?

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If you’re in any Paleo/Whole30/Vegan circles, no doubt you’ve heard about the Lara Ball? And if not, well then, let me enlighten you.

This is quite simply one of my all time fave snacks for when you’re trying to be good (so you’re not spontaneously making fudge, or homemade custard to eat out of a mug, or tackling that tub of Haagen Dazs in your freezer – yup – been there). I hadn’t made them for a while and then when a group of girlfriends were keen on a month of paleo, I remembered my long lost friend and made some last night. And I’ve eaten about 24 in the last 8 hours.

So Lara Balls. So good, so sweet, so healthy, satisfying and ah, they just hit the spot when you need it most.

lara balls 2

WHAT YOU NEED: 

  • 1.5 cups Almonds (I know they’re expensive at the mo, but trust me)
  • 1.5 cups Dates (pitted, always pitted)
  • 3 or 4 tablespoons soft/melted Coconut Oil
  • 2 tablespoons Raw Organic Cacao Powder (optional)
  • However much you feel like adding Chia Seeds (optional)
  • Again, however much you feel like adding fresh Coffee Grounds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Easy as. You throw your almonds into a food processor and switch on FULL BLAST. It’s loud. Really loud. So switch it on and run out the room. Once it calms down and those nuts have been crushed into small cous cous-like prices, add your dates. Then your coconut oil and then the optional extras. And blend blend blend. (My hubby loves the coffee ones, I’m not such a fan, but cacao and chia seeds – YUM!)

Once everything is nicely mixed, grab them in your hand and squish them into balls and pop them in the fridge. If you find they’re too dry then add a touch more coconut oil so they hold firm when you make balls. On the flip side, if they’re too oily, no harm, you can simply use less oil the next time. And when I say ‘next time’, I mean the next day because you’ll probably finish them all today.

Enjoy xxx

Image credit: www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Let’s talk Baby Food: Part 1

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Nope, the baby didn’t come early, I’m still pregnant and not thinking about homemade purees or food mess or starting this little one on solids for a loooong time… but I’ve loved the interest many of you have shown on this pregnancy journey with Pure Beginnings and a number of questions have come up around babies starting solids. So, let’s chat about it!

While I’ve done this twice before (and have my own opinions and thoughts on it), I’m no expert, and back when my kids were 6 months I went with the guidance of my local health nurse, fellow moms’ advice, a couple books and a (little) bit of (sleep deprived) initiative.

So I contacted my friend Deidre Lindeque, who is a Nutripaeds Dietitian and Lactation Consultant, (check them out on Facebook here). I really do trust what Deidre has to say and I must say, I read with glee the info she sent me, as it falls very much in line with what I did with our boys, and what I wholeheartedly agree with. Relief!

baby food green puree

Let’s dive right in:

WHEN TO START FEEDING BUBS SOLIDS:

Deidre agrees that between 4 and 6 months is a good time to start. I started both of my boys at 6 months (or slightly later). I was travelling New Zealand at the time my youngest was 6 months and was not planning to puree home grown organic veggies en route. The boob would suffice. It can be tricky to know when to start if your baby was a preemie for eg, so here are some things to look out for:

  • Baby’s ability to hold up his head,
  • His ability to sit well with support,
  • Seeming dissatisfied after milk feeds,
  • Showing an increased interest in YOUR food at family mealtimes,
  • Absence of the ‘tongue thrust reflex’ – i.e. pushing everything that is put in his mouth back out!
  • (Do bear in mind, though, that some preemies may have developmental delays that mean they may not display ALL these signs).

WHAT TO START WITH: (ahhhh… this is a controversial one)

‘Scientists tell us that genetic programming and nutritional habits are formed within the first 1000 days of life. That is from conception until two years of age. This period of life lays down many foundations and most importantly the blue print and map for your health. As parents there is so much we can do to assist our children in laying down a positive health blue print. One aspect is monitoring the amount of sugars that go into our children’s diet. We can do this from before birth, and definitely when we wean onto a solid diet. Breastmilk is always the gold standard so if we just take a moment to look at breastmilk and what is actually in breastmilk. Mature milk is mostly water with fats (55%), carbohydrates (37%), proteins (8%), and various elements such as minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. So if this is the case why do we wean babies onto 78% carbohydrates and 12% fat and 10% protein – which is a make up of most BABY CEREALS. We totally switch the body’s source of energy’. (Nutripaeds) AMEN! I’ve ALWAYS been anti baby cereals. I’m crying with happiness here.

*Disclaimer: While breast is best, I know of many moms personally who have had a very tough time breastfeeding and have had no other choice but to switch to formula. If this is you, please please please don’t feel judged. Every mom has her own experience and her own story. We love you.*

Deidre suggests weaning onto less processed man made foods like vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats. Combos such as avocado with mashed paw paw, or gem squash and blended olives. Maybe some sweet potato and macadamia nut butter. All these options present a nutritional profile more similar to breastmilk than a traditional weaning cereal. (I’ve always stuck to less sugary veggies and introduced fruits later as once those virgin taste buds know the taste of a grape or an orange, it’s hard to convince them marrow and asparagus is the flavour of the day.)

baby food 3

‘Healthy unprocessed grains like millet, spelt, oats, rice and quinoa can definitely be included in your baby’s diet down the line but no need to rush these introductions in the first few weeks of weaning’.

‘Thanks to the latest allergy research, feeding protein foods or high risk allergen foods early on into solid introduction is not only safe but may also be protective against the child developing an allergy to a specific protein food. Protein foods include fish, egg, nut butters, chicken, fish, beef and lamb’. 

So, I know you’re itching to know exactly WHAT foods are recommended: Here’s what Nutripaeds suggest:

  • Steamed (or lightly broiled) whole vegetables such as green beans, baby sweetcorn, mange-tout/ sugar-snap peas)
  • Steamed or lightly broiled florets of broccoli or cauliflower
  • Steamed, roasted or stir fried vegetable sticks such as carrot, pumpkin, butternut, potato, aubergine, sweet potato, parsnip, baby marrows,
  • Raw sticks of cucumber (great when straight from fridge to ease the gums of teething babies)
  • Thick slices of avocado (not over-ripe and they become very soft and squishy)
  • Fruit such as pear, apple, banana, peach, nectarine, halved grapes, pawpaw, mango – either whole or as sticks
  • Cheese – sticks of firm cheese e.g. Cheddar or gouda and well as cubes/triangles of full fat cream cheese
  • Dried fruits such as mango strips. Baby sweet corn and fingers of peeled cucumber and avocado are all yummy and easy finger foods.
  • Starchy foods are nice ways to incorporate energy especially into fussy eaters, some fun finger starchy include: balls made of cooked rice or quinoa and small pieces of toast fingers ,
  • Rice cakes, rusks and dry breakfast cereals such as all bran flakes and multigrain oatees.
  • Mini brown bread sandwiches cut into triangles, fingers or squares – Suitable fillings include mashed banana, hummus, grated cheese, cream cheese, mashed avocado, nut butters.
  • Falafels, Lentil balls and Mini meatballs – beef, chicken, ostrich and lamb mince variants – one can also cook it as a meatloaf and cut it into strips.
  • Cubes of firm cooked fish, fish balls made with minced fish.
  • Cubes of tofu, slices or quarters of hard boiled eggs or strips of well cooked omelette.
  • Fishcakes or fish fingers (not processed variants)

Yeeeeowzers. Too much info coming your way? Well, Nutripaeds have been ever so kind, to share with us a brief overview of a Step-by-Step (and week-by-week) Weaning Guide which you can download here: Nutripaeds Weaning Guide.

baby food puree

We have so much deeply valuable information for you – I’ve split this blog post into 2 parts – because, I’m not sure about you but my brain-of-mush cannot take much more. In the next blog post (Let’s talk Baby Food: Part 2) we’re going to talk about The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen, and Baby Led Weaning compared to Normal Weaning. 

Until then,

xxx

Image credit: www.babycentre.com, www.pitterpatter.com, www.thevintagemixer.com

Banana Chips, and how they can save your Life.

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My sister-in-law totally shows me up. She is like the most intentional mom I know, and I know a lot of them. She is so down to earth (so you can’t hate her) makes EVERYTHING from scratch, is like super creative with her kids, all the while being a patient wife (me, not so much) and super calm mother (again, I don’t make that list). She’s constantly calm. How? I don’t know.

And while being awesome, her and my hubby’s brother bought my husband a biltong maker one Christmas. Because, of course, it makes so much more than just biltong. It dehydrates just about anything and so your options are endless. As I type this, I can hear it humming next to me dehydrating slices of banana.

We got through 6 weeks traveling from Vancouver, to New Zealand, to Australia and then finally Cape Town thanks to BANANA CHIPS. Banana chips saved our lives. Banana chips were the then-toddlers premium choice of snack and would do anything for them. You know how you’re all like “hubby, have you packed the dummy?” before you leave the house with a baby? Replace ‘dummy’ with ‘banana chips’ and that was us.

All hail the Banana Chip. It saved us. It saved us on airplanes (that alone means it should receive some kind of Nobel Peace Prize), and in people-movers traveling across the south island of New Zealand. It saved us in supermarkets, on boat trips, during half marathons and when mom and dad just needed.a.break. That crispy little yellow (gold) ray of light was our go to.

And I know what you might be thinking… banana chips… gross. And maybe (if you’re grabbing them from the bulk bin at your local grocery store). But not if you make them yourselves. Ohhhhh no. Delicious, and (somewhat) healthy, and cheap, and e-a-s-y, and don’t forget – top quality bribery tool.

HERE’S THE HOW TO:

Homemade-Banana-Chips-on-parchment-paper-682x1024

What you need: bananas. (No additives!)

IF you have a food dehydrator:

Slice the bananas and place them on the dehydrators shelves/wracks. Pop them in and turn your dehydrator on. Leave them around 12 hours, and when you have a moment, take them out, flip them over and put them back in for another 6-8-ish hrs (all depends on how thick you cut your banana). Be careful when flipping them as they can still be soft underneath and can break.

IF YOU DON’T have a food dehydrator:

Pre-heat your oven to 120C and line your slices of banana on parchment paper. Pop them in the oven for 30min. Take them out and flip them over. They can be a little tricky to flip, but you can do it. Use a thin blade to get under them if need be.

Once they are all tuned over pop them back into the oven and allow them to dry for another 30 minutes. When the time is up, take them out of the oven and set aside to cool. Your chips will still be drying out slightly when you take them out from the oven.

After 10 or 15 minutes you are ready to have a taste. I usually store mine in an air tight mason jar in the grocery cupboard. Done.

Now go for it and throw yourself this lifeline.

Picture credits: www.thecarameljar.com, www.recipeshubs.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.

joshuabeckerquote

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

Carrot, Ginger and Orange Juice

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Both my kids are snotty. It’s that horrible fine (blurry) line between sending them to school with a bit of snot and the occasional cough (and pleading ignorance – come on parents, you all know what I’m talking about) and keeping them home (read: ex-haus-ting) and rearranging my work schedule.  Arghhhh…

I’m not a regular pill popper when it comes to my kids, but I’m also not Georg Von Trapp and do offer them meds should they need them. But my first port of call is always going natural. So yesterday we had a juice-making-marathon making carrot, ginger and orange juice. It is very cute when I add too much ginger and my 2 year old calls it ‘th-py-thy’ (spicy).

Recipe: Not a tough one guys – carrots, ginger and orange (skin peeled off!).

orange, ginger and carrot juice 2

Yesterday I also added some left over papaya and a tiny knob of pineapple (it was about to be tossed – one the best thing about a juicer is that you can use almost-off stuff and not be grossed out). If you need to sweeten it (reduce the th-py-thy-ness), apples can be added, and I had some half cut lemons that I tossed in too. I poured it in a mason jar and kept it in the fridge and the whole family had a health boost.

Take those remains and toss them in your compost or use them to make bokashi bran.

I also popped some of the juice into my Zoku-maker and made ‘ice creams’ for the kids. What a win. They are such innocent little beings, and so stoked to have ice creams as part of their dinner. Shame.

Keep warm, healthy and safe this winter.

Picture credit: www.createnourishlove.com