I have recently gotten back into using many fresh herbs in my cooking. I generally only do this in the summer since it's cheaper to buy a plant then to buy fresh herbs at the grocery store weekly. Most herbs tend to die in the fall.
I have all the seeds to start herb plants at my house and I have decided it's time to put them to use. I bought one of the cheap plastic greenhouses at Walmart. My house doesn't have great light for growing plants and I'm thinking this may help. I am really excited to get the seeds started and have fresh herbs. I will be growing rosemary, basil, oregano, sage, dill, and cilantro to start.
Cooking with herbs and spices is a great way to add flavor to your meals without adding lots of fat and sodium, both of which are not good for your health. Herbs and spices also allow you to add variety to your diet.
Growing fresh herbs has inspired me to grow some flowers in time for Mother day. We generally buy flowers for everyone, but this year we can grow and pot them ourselves. Not only will it be much cheaper, but we will have put our time in it. That always makes a gift better.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Goal met!
One of the first posts I did on this blog was about setting a goal of only producing one bag of garbage a week as a pose to the three we have been. I am proud to report that for a week and a half we only produced one bag of garbage!!
My new problem is that in a week my recycle bins are over flowing. It looks like I need more recycle bins, or some plastic recycling bags. I was amazed at the things that are able to be recycled now.
I can't believe what a difference our family is going to be able to make by recycling. We will be putting out around 104 less bags of garbage a year! What an environmentally friendly impact!
My new problem is that in a week my recycle bins are over flowing. It looks like I need more recycle bins, or some plastic recycling bags. I was amazed at the things that are able to be recycled now.
I can't believe what a difference our family is going to be able to make by recycling. We will be putting out around 104 less bags of garbage a year! What an environmentally friendly impact!
Friday, January 8, 2010
100% free, 100% FUN!
Trev and I are always trying to come up with great activities we can do together and with the kids at little to no expense. Tonight the boys (Trev and Jake) are having a very special camp-out....in the middle of our kitchen!
When Trev suggested it Jacob went crazy! He was so excited. I'm pretty sure no toy could beat the fun he is having right now. He got to help pitch the tent, set up a bed of blankets and he has even taken snacks in there.
Even Lucy seems to have picked up on the fun. You KNOW it must be fun if a two month old is catching on! She has been in there with them for the last hour just smiling and looking around. She is currently having a little cat nap while Jake and trev are eating their cheddar popcorn.
I'm off to get back to the fun! I just wanted to post this to remind everyone that often times the things in life that are the most fun, and will stay with us the longest, are 100% free!
When Trev suggested it Jacob went crazy! He was so excited. I'm pretty sure no toy could beat the fun he is having right now. He got to help pitch the tent, set up a bed of blankets and he has even taken snacks in there.
Even Lucy seems to have picked up on the fun. You KNOW it must be fun if a two month old is catching on! She has been in there with them for the last hour just smiling and looking around. She is currently having a little cat nap while Jake and trev are eating their cheddar popcorn.
I'm off to get back to the fun! I just wanted to post this to remind everyone that often times the things in life that are the most fun, and will stay with us the longest, are 100% free!
Yummy salad!
Since it's the middle of the winter and we are all probably feeling a little bluh I thought I would share with you all a very yummy salad I assembled this week. It screams summer and is packed full of healthy Omega's, vitamins and other awesome nutrients.
Leaf lettuce
Tomato
Avocado
Walnut pieces
Grapes
A sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese..
and top with spring herb Italian dressing.
Enjoy!
Leaf lettuce
Tomato
Avocado
Walnut pieces
Grapes
A sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese..
and top with spring herb Italian dressing.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Good old fashion allowance!
I mentioned in a previous post that our three year old has recently gotten a bad case of the give me's and I wants. Trev and I really want to break him of this habit and teach him the value of money. We don't want him to become materialistic.
We have decided to institute a chore list which will be rewarded with an allowance. Jake is already really good about helping us out around the house. He loves to help with chores of any kind. We have decided if we encourage him helping out we stand a better chance at his eagerness to help remaining long term.
Most children today lack an understanding of the value of money. We believe this is a very important lesson to learn. We feel the younger we start teaching our son this lesson the better.
Jake's chore will include picking up his toys, feeding our cat, helping out with dishes, helping with laundry and shoveling in the winter. The last two are obviously not things he can do well but they are his favorite two. He loves to throw the clothes in the washer and dryer and "fold them" (Although I always have to refold) and I have to say since he was about a year and a half our deck has always been free from snow. He keeps Trev on his toes about shoveling!
I am very excited to watch Jacob learn about money. I'm sure his allowance will be spent promptly on cars the first few weeks, but we are eager to teach him the importance of saving and smart spending.
We have decided to institute a chore list which will be rewarded with an allowance. Jake is already really good about helping us out around the house. He loves to help with chores of any kind. We have decided if we encourage him helping out we stand a better chance at his eagerness to help remaining long term.
Most children today lack an understanding of the value of money. We believe this is a very important lesson to learn. We feel the younger we start teaching our son this lesson the better.
Jake's chore will include picking up his toys, feeding our cat, helping out with dishes, helping with laundry and shoveling in the winter. The last two are obviously not things he can do well but they are his favorite two. He loves to throw the clothes in the washer and dryer and "fold them" (Although I always have to refold) and I have to say since he was about a year and a half our deck has always been free from snow. He keeps Trev on his toes about shoveling!
I am very excited to watch Jacob learn about money. I'm sure his allowance will be spent promptly on cars the first few weeks, but we are eager to teach him the importance of saving and smart spending.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Baby basics
I know there are a lot of new moms on my friends list, so I thought I would share with you what started my whole journey into a simpler and more Eco friendly lifestyle.
When we found out we were expecting our second child Trev and I both knew we wanted me to be able to stay home even after my maternity leave is up. We also knew to achieve this goal we were going to have to make some big changes. I started researching some small changes we could make in how we would care for the new baby that would make a big difference.
I calculated the cost of diapers for a year and realized we were going to be spending about 1300.00-1500.00 dollars a year for as long as we needed diapers. That is buying the "cheaper" brands too. I then priced cloth diapers. I could buy cloth diapers and everything I needed to get started (wet bags etc) for about 400.00dollars.
I chose to purchase the more expensive kind that would grow with Lucy from 7-35 pounds, which meant only purchasing them once instead of 3 times as she grew. So the more expensive diaper ended up saving us even more money. Instead of spending 1300.00-1500.00 dollars for two or three years we spent 400.00 dollars once. What an incredible savings.
I have to say I generally hate laundry but I do not find it hard to stay on top of washing the diapers and I love love LOVE them. Lucy has not had ONE single diaper rash. I can double stuff a pocket diaper before bedtime and not have to worry about a leaky diaper because it is so absorbent.
Next came food. Formula is around 1500.00 dollars a year. Breast milk is free! breastfeeding also has so many health benefits for both mom and baby. with our son I only breastfed a couple weeks, this time it's been two months and I don't plan on stopping until at least a year. Not only is it saving us a lot of money, providing Lucy and I With great health benefits and great bonding, it's also so incredibly convenient. When I leave the house I only need a change of clothes and a couple diapers. Breastfeeding is Eco friendly, financially beneficial AND it's making my life simpler.
Lastly I have started baby wearing. With Jake I started this late and he didn't always love being cooped up in a sling or carrier. This time instead of pulling out the bouncy seat and everything else that takes up so much space I bought a wrap. I am in love. When she gets fussy I just put on my wrap and pick how I want to put her in. She will sleep for hours and my arms are free to clean, play with Jake or cook.
There has also been a significant amount of research done to suggest baby wearing has some undeniable benefits. In many cultures worldwide baby wearing is regarded as the norm. It provides baby with the comfort, bonding and security they need and mom with the freedom she needs to execute her daily tasks.
Dr Sears a highly regarded pediatrician has even suggested that baby wearing increases baby's intelligence. babies who are worn in a sling or wrap etc. are always around eye level and experience interactions between those around them more thoroughly then babies who are not carried. They have more chance to learn as a result.
Through these changes in parenting my life has become simpler and my bank account has not been dented in the least since having Lucy. We will save around 3000.00 dollars in the first year and around 1500.00 dollars for a year or two after. That is money that we would have had to spend on baby supplies. I never have to mess with bottle washing and prep, I'm not clogging land fills with thousands of disposable diapers and my three year old can still have my time since my hands are not always full.
I am a lot calmer parent and feel a lot less stressed. I figure if these three small changes can eliminate some stress, simplify my life, help my bank account and the environment, then imagine what a few more could do?
*For more information on cloth diapering you can go to www.littletreehugger.ca They have two locations in Canada and will ship throughout the country. They can also answer all your questions.
**For more information on breastfeeding I strongly suggest googling Dr Sears and/or Dr Jack Newman.
When we found out we were expecting our second child Trev and I both knew we wanted me to be able to stay home even after my maternity leave is up. We also knew to achieve this goal we were going to have to make some big changes. I started researching some small changes we could make in how we would care for the new baby that would make a big difference.
I calculated the cost of diapers for a year and realized we were going to be spending about 1300.00-1500.00 dollars a year for as long as we needed diapers. That is buying the "cheaper" brands too. I then priced cloth diapers. I could buy cloth diapers and everything I needed to get started (wet bags etc) for about 400.00dollars.
I chose to purchase the more expensive kind that would grow with Lucy from 7-35 pounds, which meant only purchasing them once instead of 3 times as she grew. So the more expensive diaper ended up saving us even more money. Instead of spending 1300.00-1500.00 dollars for two or three years we spent 400.00 dollars once. What an incredible savings.
I have to say I generally hate laundry but I do not find it hard to stay on top of washing the diapers and I love love LOVE them. Lucy has not had ONE single diaper rash. I can double stuff a pocket diaper before bedtime and not have to worry about a leaky diaper because it is so absorbent.
Next came food. Formula is around 1500.00 dollars a year. Breast milk is free! breastfeeding also has so many health benefits for both mom and baby. with our son I only breastfed a couple weeks, this time it's been two months and I don't plan on stopping until at least a year. Not only is it saving us a lot of money, providing Lucy and I With great health benefits and great bonding, it's also so incredibly convenient. When I leave the house I only need a change of clothes and a couple diapers. Breastfeeding is Eco friendly, financially beneficial AND it's making my life simpler.
Lastly I have started baby wearing. With Jake I started this late and he didn't always love being cooped up in a sling or carrier. This time instead of pulling out the bouncy seat and everything else that takes up so much space I bought a wrap. I am in love. When she gets fussy I just put on my wrap and pick how I want to put her in. She will sleep for hours and my arms are free to clean, play with Jake or cook.
There has also been a significant amount of research done to suggest baby wearing has some undeniable benefits. In many cultures worldwide baby wearing is regarded as the norm. It provides baby with the comfort, bonding and security they need and mom with the freedom she needs to execute her daily tasks.
Dr Sears a highly regarded pediatrician has even suggested that baby wearing increases baby's intelligence. babies who are worn in a sling or wrap etc. are always around eye level and experience interactions between those around them more thoroughly then babies who are not carried. They have more chance to learn as a result.
Through these changes in parenting my life has become simpler and my bank account has not been dented in the least since having Lucy. We will save around 3000.00 dollars in the first year and around 1500.00 dollars for a year or two after. That is money that we would have had to spend on baby supplies. I never have to mess with bottle washing and prep, I'm not clogging land fills with thousands of disposable diapers and my three year old can still have my time since my hands are not always full.
I am a lot calmer parent and feel a lot less stressed. I figure if these three small changes can eliminate some stress, simplify my life, help my bank account and the environment, then imagine what a few more could do?
*For more information on cloth diapering you can go to www.littletreehugger.ca They have two locations in Canada and will ship throughout the country. They can also answer all your questions.
**For more information on breastfeeding I strongly suggest googling Dr Sears and/or Dr Jack Newman.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Who knew?
Since we are trying to have a simpler AND more Eco friendly lifestyle I am trying to find other uses for things I might give away or dispose of otherwise. Instead of buying something new to fill a purpose I have I am discovering I can reuse other items sometimes.
For example, I needed a compost container to keep in the house so instead of buying one which I normally would have done I am using a plastic container that cream puffs we bought for Christmas came in. It has a lid and is medium size, perfect for what I need!
I have also found from past experience that when decorating you can be really creative with items found at second hand stores. I have purchased several items for a dollar or less and turned them into great decorating props such as candle holders, that I get compliments on quite frequently. Things like fancy dessert plates made great candle holders for large candles.
De-cluttering is giving me a great chance to check out all the "junk" I have in my house and look at it with fresh eyes. I'm so excited to see what else I can find new uses for. I'll never dispose of things so quickly again. Who knew that your trash could turn out to be YOUR treasure and not just someone else's like the saying goes?!?!
For example, I needed a compost container to keep in the house so instead of buying one which I normally would have done I am using a plastic container that cream puffs we bought for Christmas came in. It has a lid and is medium size, perfect for what I need!
I have also found from past experience that when decorating you can be really creative with items found at second hand stores. I have purchased several items for a dollar or less and turned them into great decorating props such as candle holders, that I get compliments on quite frequently. Things like fancy dessert plates made great candle holders for large candles.
De-cluttering is giving me a great chance to check out all the "junk" I have in my house and look at it with fresh eyes. I'm so excited to see what else I can find new uses for. I'll never dispose of things so quickly again. Who knew that your trash could turn out to be YOUR treasure and not just someone else's like the saying goes?!?!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Too much STUFF!
I'm not sure about those of you reading this, but I know my house is over run with "stuff". Random things. Way too much of it. Are we all just slaves to this "stuff"? I know sometimes I feel that way!
There is a gadget out there to preform just about any and every task. Most of it has only one use and it all takes up space. We live in a mini home, so we really notice just how much space things take up. It also tends to take away a lot of our time and can raise our stress level when we can't find the gadget we want or when it doesn't work properly.
Let me better explain what I mean. There is my bread maker that I love. It is one of the larger kitchen appliances (aside from the fridge and stove etc), and has only one use. So the rest of the time it just sits there, taking up space on my counter.
We have Television's, but now most people want either HD cable or satellite, both require an extra box to sit near the Television. Then we have DVD players, and then we need a VCR to play all those VHS types we required BEFORE we got DVD players. All these things then need a stand or entertainment unit to hold them.
Then there are children's items. For babies there are exersaucers, bouncy seats, jumpers, floor mats, swings and much more which all take space, space and more space. Not that many years ago all these things did not exists, and yet some how all our brains developed perfectly fine and our parents managed to raise us without all this extra stuff.
Older children who live in this time are Lucky, their parents however are not so much! There is every toy imaginable available to these children. Anything you could thing of and then some. Not only are there a billion different toys, but there are at least 5-10 models of the same toy. Children tend to think they need all 10 models of all billion toys. Children today are much more tuned in to the differences between every toy and model of toy as well as the marketing for them then I ever remember being. My three year old has recently gotten a very bad case of the give-Me's. Not something I want to foster.
He is three years old and has 4 large toy boxes holding more cars then any one child needs and no two are the same. This always amazes me because we have not spoiled him. However by the time you receive gifts at Christmas and birthdays for 4 years from a large family on one side and a Nana who loves to spoil her grandchildren on the other, you would be amazed at what one can accumulate. Unfortunately my son has every toy cataloged in his brain, which makes de-cluttering very hard.
Most days I feel like a slave to all this stuff. Constantly picking it up, rearranging it, cleaning it and maintaining it. These things that are suppose to improve our life and make it easier/better are actually creating more work and less family time and relaxation.
When was the last time you sat in a room with your family with no television on, no computer, to video games and no distractions? When was the last time you were all focused on the same thing and not all off doing your own activities? Even when we "relax" we are not giving our brains a chance to relax. We wonder why we all have sleep problems and are stressed, our minds can't relax because they are so overstimulated with technology.
We have come to the point where we are ready to de-clutter our lives and get back to the basics. Less television, more family time. Less toys, more imagination. Less stuff and more space. Less stress and more fun.
Instead of buying baked goods I'm going to bake them myself. Less money spent and more time with my son who loves to cook with me. Instead of having an overflowing closet I'm going to have a few great pieces I can mix and match and more money to spend on other things. Instead of spending the evening sitting on the couch vegging out on television, the computer and video games I'm going to spend my time doing constructive things. Relaxing will be a good book, a walk or running around playing with my kids.
The basics. What we all need to get back too. A simpler time when we all had less but were all much happier. We had more time and space. We were more family centered and there were less divorces, and less troubled children and more good people filled with good values and work ethic.
Don't get me wrong, I think technology has a place and can be very useful, as can a lot of my "stuff". I just don't want to be consumed by it all and over run with it. I want a simpler and less cluttered life. So let the de-cluttering begin!
There is a gadget out there to preform just about any and every task. Most of it has only one use and it all takes up space. We live in a mini home, so we really notice just how much space things take up. It also tends to take away a lot of our time and can raise our stress level when we can't find the gadget we want or when it doesn't work properly.
Let me better explain what I mean. There is my bread maker that I love. It is one of the larger kitchen appliances (aside from the fridge and stove etc), and has only one use. So the rest of the time it just sits there, taking up space on my counter.
We have Television's, but now most people want either HD cable or satellite, both require an extra box to sit near the Television. Then we have DVD players, and then we need a VCR to play all those VHS types we required BEFORE we got DVD players. All these things then need a stand or entertainment unit to hold them.
Then there are children's items. For babies there are exersaucers, bouncy seats, jumpers, floor mats, swings and much more which all take space, space and more space. Not that many years ago all these things did not exists, and yet some how all our brains developed perfectly fine and our parents managed to raise us without all this extra stuff.
Older children who live in this time are Lucky, their parents however are not so much! There is every toy imaginable available to these children. Anything you could thing of and then some. Not only are there a billion different toys, but there are at least 5-10 models of the same toy. Children tend to think they need all 10 models of all billion toys. Children today are much more tuned in to the differences between every toy and model of toy as well as the marketing for them then I ever remember being. My three year old has recently gotten a very bad case of the give-Me's. Not something I want to foster.
He is three years old and has 4 large toy boxes holding more cars then any one child needs and no two are the same. This always amazes me because we have not spoiled him. However by the time you receive gifts at Christmas and birthdays for 4 years from a large family on one side and a Nana who loves to spoil her grandchildren on the other, you would be amazed at what one can accumulate. Unfortunately my son has every toy cataloged in his brain, which makes de-cluttering very hard.
Most days I feel like a slave to all this stuff. Constantly picking it up, rearranging it, cleaning it and maintaining it. These things that are suppose to improve our life and make it easier/better are actually creating more work and less family time and relaxation.
When was the last time you sat in a room with your family with no television on, no computer, to video games and no distractions? When was the last time you were all focused on the same thing and not all off doing your own activities? Even when we "relax" we are not giving our brains a chance to relax. We wonder why we all have sleep problems and are stressed, our minds can't relax because they are so overstimulated with technology.
We have come to the point where we are ready to de-clutter our lives and get back to the basics. Less television, more family time. Less toys, more imagination. Less stuff and more space. Less stress and more fun.
Instead of buying baked goods I'm going to bake them myself. Less money spent and more time with my son who loves to cook with me. Instead of having an overflowing closet I'm going to have a few great pieces I can mix and match and more money to spend on other things. Instead of spending the evening sitting on the couch vegging out on television, the computer and video games I'm going to spend my time doing constructive things. Relaxing will be a good book, a walk or running around playing with my kids.
The basics. What we all need to get back too. A simpler time when we all had less but were all much happier. We had more time and space. We were more family centered and there were less divorces, and less troubled children and more good people filled with good values and work ethic.
Don't get me wrong, I think technology has a place and can be very useful, as can a lot of my "stuff". I just don't want to be consumed by it all and over run with it. I want a simpler and less cluttered life. So let the de-cluttering begin!
Friday, January 1, 2010
No unnecassary shopping.
This should be easy right? The biggest thing that I buy (and I'm the one who buys the most in the house since I'm a woman!) that is unnecessary is probably clothing. Since having Lucy I haven't been in town much, which helps this.
We have decided to sort through our clothing and clean out the things we never wear and donate them to Charity. I have noticed in doing this that I tend to lean toward classic, simple fashion. I like a touch of sophisticated when I'm going out, but still classically so.
This should make the clothing thing simple. I have figured out what my wardrobe needs and am working on filling it with Christmas money and gift cards. I'm keeping in mind the fact that I don't want to date myself with outrageous fashionable pieces that will be outdated in a few weeks.
Lucy is set for clothes until she is 16...ok well maybe not that long! She does have a lot of clothes though, which is great because we don't have to buy any until she is probably a year. Jake also has a lot of clothing, but grows like a weed. I am resigned to shopping second hand or sales for the kids since they are in and out of clothes so much. Something I learned from parenthood the first time around.
Trevor is a true man, give him a few pieces and he is good to go! He does love to shop for jeans though. He never wears them very long and they end up as work pants...we will have to work on that!
I am sure that as we go on there will be more things we learn to cut, but for now my goal is to go all year without shopping for clothes (for me) unless it is something that is really truly needed. I also plan on only buying what is needed for the kids. I have a feeling this will really save us a lot.
This will also mean closets that are not overstuffed, which means a neater house! I'm actually getting excited about this because it will be a true challenge. Just how little money can I get by on spending on clothes? I guess we will find out!
We have decided to sort through our clothing and clean out the things we never wear and donate them to Charity. I have noticed in doing this that I tend to lean toward classic, simple fashion. I like a touch of sophisticated when I'm going out, but still classically so.
This should make the clothing thing simple. I have figured out what my wardrobe needs and am working on filling it with Christmas money and gift cards. I'm keeping in mind the fact that I don't want to date myself with outrageous fashionable pieces that will be outdated in a few weeks.
Lucy is set for clothes until she is 16...ok well maybe not that long! She does have a lot of clothes though, which is great because we don't have to buy any until she is probably a year. Jake also has a lot of clothing, but grows like a weed. I am resigned to shopping second hand or sales for the kids since they are in and out of clothes so much. Something I learned from parenthood the first time around.
Trevor is a true man, give him a few pieces and he is good to go! He does love to shop for jeans though. He never wears them very long and they end up as work pants...we will have to work on that!
I am sure that as we go on there will be more things we learn to cut, but for now my goal is to go all year without shopping for clothes (for me) unless it is something that is really truly needed. I also plan on only buying what is needed for the kids. I have a feeling this will really save us a lot.
This will also mean closets that are not overstuffed, which means a neater house! I'm actually getting excited about this because it will be a true challenge. Just how little money can I get by on spending on clothes? I guess we will find out!
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