What I Was Looking For (2006)

I wrote this little blurb a couple of years ago, but it is still relevant to my life today.

"I took my mom’s advice today. While I was vacuuming the kitchen floor, I couldn’t find the brush attachment. Making effort not to get frustrated, I did what she always recommends. “If you can’t find something, just start picking up and you’ll eventually run into what you’re looking for.”

For starters, I shook an afghan outside, sending my four-year-old’s snack size twix wrapper floating down into the flowerbed. Oh well, I’ll get it later when I do yard work.

Then I put the afghan back on the couch and scooped up a few toys returning them to the living room basket supply. While I was in the living room, I grabbed my sandals off the floor and went to toss them into my bedroom closet. There it was behind the closet door: the vacuum brush head. Lying next to a toy light saber and a little bulldozer, I knew my son had obviously stashed the items in a perfect hiding place. What a precious stockpile to remind me of my treasured little one! Who cares about a silly vacuum attachment? What I viewed as a distraction soon proved to remind me of the true joys of my life. I love my children!

Mom was right. In less than 2 minutes flat, I found what I was looking for- and a little extra. The good “finds” in life are not retrieved items, but truth revealed in everyday life."

Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today, for it may interfere with the opportunities of tomorrow. (My grandpa expounded on Thomas Jefferson )

Yesterday was one of those days that nothing got done during daylight. I know I did things, because when my kids went to bed, they had all eaten three meals, changed their clothes several times, and had various art projects displayed on every surface. But my home looked like a tornado came for a week long stay. Mondays are supposed to be laundry day. But here it was, Tuesday, and the mound of clean clothes was beginning to eat my bedroom floor.

I love a clean house, but I hate cleaning all the time. Ok, so maybe hate is a strong word. It's just that I don't want all of my spare time being devoted to the upkeep of my home. Actually, I even enjoy cleaning if it is more of a choice and less of a chore.

Thus, the quote. When I need motivation, the quote at the top of this entry is my mantra. My grandfather was a wise man. He accomplished a lot in his lifetime, and he died with a heritage left behind. This quote has kept my attitude in check many a long, dirty day in my home.

Another motivating thought is something my grandmother once said to me. We were washing dishes when I was twelve years old. I said something about how frustrating it was that dishes had to be done all the time and never stay done. She replied, "If you have a sink full of dirty dishes to wash, you can be grateful because it means you had food to eat."

So last night, after my three little piggies were all in bed, I rolled up my sleeves. I had a sink full of gratefulness, and then I conquered the pile of laundry that is no longer hindering my opportunities of today!  And what have been my opportunities of today? Attending the grand opening of a brand new Walmart and another batch of kids crafts to mess up my clean house!

The Great Pumpkin Reincarnated

When it came to carving our pumpkin for Halloween, I thought, "Waste not, want not."
I've always felt a little sad about throwing those pumpkin guts in the trash when we made our annual jack-o-lantern. So, after the kids hollowed out the pumpkin, I carefully sorted out the seeds from the strings. Then I plopped the goo into a covered casserole to bake. I normally cut a pumpkin in half to bake upside down, so I figured this should be similar. After it baked, I pureed it in my food processor, and voila! Pumpkin for baking! It's just as good as the rest of the pumpkin, to me.

Today, we made my gluten free pumpkin bread recipe. My quick breads formerly contained wheat flour, so I know this will work if you are not a gluten free baker. My family is in the midst of devouring it as I speak, so I will post quickly so I can have another slice.

Julia's Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Cream together: 1/2 cup room temperature butter, 1 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 large eggs
Add and mix: 1 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I have my own recipe, but it's a secret.), 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt
Add and mix: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1 cup pumpkin puree, and 1/2 cup applesauce

Pour into a greased 9x 5 loaf pan. Optional: sprinkle the top with raw cane sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan, slice, and share!

And so, this year we have a happy ending. A beautiful family treat with a sweet smiling jack-o-lantern on our porch. We need not sacrifice our decoration for our tastebuds.

Just Ask

So much about life is just asking. My tip for today is to just ask. If you are at a store and you want a discount, just ask. So often I have received a manager's discount or an unadvertised special simply because I requested a deal. Even the biggest chains can often give ten percent off if packaging is damaged.

If you are shopping online, do a search for online discounts for that store. You may find a code for shipping or percentage off. Takes a few seconds, and saves a few dollars.

Just ask. What's the worst thing that can happen? They can say no. You haven't lost anything.

So, be brave. Be bold. Bargain!

“Less is more” Robert Browning

I love Fall! I love the less of it all. The trees letting go of their leaves, the air losing it's heat, and and my schedule becoming less intense as school is well underway. For the first time in months, life has a rhythm that lends itself to the occasional nap or spontaneous picnic.

It's the perfect time of year for getting to those unfinished projects around the house. Amongst those projects, my children take on the task of purging the clutter in their rooms. We do this before summer birthdays as well, but now is the time to think of gifting other children with their bounty. Instead of focusing on "what I want," we will focus on "what I can give."

So, how do I go about heading up a monumental task such as this? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here are some tips:

1. Prepare your kids by talking to them about less fortunate children that would be grateful for their generosity.
2. Take the children to the shelter or mission or drop off point to show them where their gifts will go.
   
3. Live by example, showing them how adults can give to others in need with clothing, food, and finances.
4. When you start, give them each a plastic or paper bag from the grocery store. Ask them to put 10 things in the bag they would like to give to other children.
   
5. Sit with each child as they take a turn "shopping" from what they have to gift others.
6. If there is an item that is an heirloom or intended to hand-down to a sibling, put that to the side and say, "I'm glad you are ready to pass that on, can we give it to _____?" or "May I keep this, it's really special to me."
7. Now is not the time to argue about how much something is worth. Whether it's value is penny or a fortune, remember you don't want to discourage them. Children do not have the same value system when it comes to worth. Keep a maybe pile if an item is hard for you to see go. You may be surprised at your heart change if you are given time to think about how much you could bless another family.
8. Our one rule for our children is: Do not get rid of anything you want to keep. You don't want your child to feel that you have forced them to lose something they treasure. It should be their choice to let go.
9. Take the children with you when you donate their gifts.
   

"I'll sit in that pumpkin patch until the Great Pumpkin appears." - Linus

Family activities don't have to cost much. Most of the time, ours cost nothing. Now is the time of year for families to head to a pumpkin patch or apple barn. A couple of weekends ago, my little family went to a local farm that benefits rescued farm animals. We had no idea it existed until I searched pumpkinpatchesandmore.org. It's a great resource for finding local produce, farm tours, corn mazes, and even Christmas tree farms.

Of course, I had to snap the obligatory harvest picture that my kids all enjoy. After twenty-five takes, we may actually have one to give the grandparents. At least one day I hope they'll appreciate that I try to make matching outfits from their plethora of hand-me-downs. I think it's cute, so they must tolerate it year after year.

Pumpkin patches really are a great family outing. The visit can be as short or as long as you want. And a big pumpkin is a souvenir I would purchase for my home anyway. In our case, this year we also supported a good cause for rescued animals, so warm fuzzies all around.

By the way, we also bought a cool blueish gray pumpkin for the center of our table. It's called a jarradale pumpkin (from what I can tell by researching online.) For some reason, my son keeps calling it a moon pumpkin. We'll see how pumpkin bread turns out with that beauty! Maybe I'll call it moon bread.

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brownie Muffins!

Gluten intolerance brings fun challenges in both the culinary and financial realms of my home. I have been gf (gluten free) since December 2006. During my third pregnancy, my body started having big problems. It became obvious that the celiac disease that plagued other members of my family was going to cause problems for me too.

Ok, so it's really not as bad as I make that sound. It's totally treatable by diet. (And I can still have chocolate and coffee!) I have been so grateful for a solution to my digestive problems. If you are interested in more information here is a great website.

There are so many resources out there. I truly feel blessed to live in the age of the internet and health food stores! I have learned to LOVE cooking gluten free. I have accepted the challenge of solving the mysteries of cooking without wheat, rye, barley, and unspecified oats. It's so fun to feel great and eat amazing food! It does cost more to cook gf (because of all the special ingredients), but eating at home is still cheaper than going out to eat.

This morning I wanted to serve my family chocolate muffins. A fall morning is so fun with fresh baked goodies. They turned out to be wonderful.

So, drumroll please...Today I present:

Julia's Simple Gluten Free Brownie Mix Muffins
1 Bag Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1 c milk
1 T gf sour cream
1/4 c butter
2 T oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 c gf chocolate chips

Dump and mix all ingredients. Pour batter into muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Enjoy!

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." L.Reid (and often quoted by my great grandmother)

In my home, frugality goes hand in hand with simple living. If I am at the end of the month, and we run out of paper towels, oh well! And if there are no paper napkins, then of course, cloth napkins will suffice until next pay day. Besides, cloth napkins are prettier.

Here are a few easy ways I have found to extend the life of disposable goods in my home:

1. Use a serrated knife to cut paper towel rolls in half before using them. Often a half sheet is plenty.
2. Buy nice toilet paper. You really use less when it is better.
3. Cut dryer sheets in half before using them. When they come through the wash, use it as a dusting cloth before disposing. (Or stop using dryer sheets all together.)
4. Use socks that are missing their match as disposable cleaning rags before throwing them away. (Turn it inside out as you are cleaning to get twice the use.)
5. Take leftover napkins from eating out to use at home.
6. Try using half the recommended detergent in clothes washer/ dishwasher. Usually, that is plenty.
7. Run a dishwasher cycle with baking soda once in a while.
8. Water down the dish soap you use in the kitchen sink.
   
9. Cut/rip baby wipes in half.
   
10. If you use disposable face cloths, cut them in halves or quarters.
11. Buy generic shampoo. If you don't like it, you didn't waste much money.
    

“The best things in life aren’t things.” Mary Engelbreit

Yesterday, my whole family was in the backyard while dinner was cooking in the oven. We love our backyard. My hubby and I have not always been "yard people." We thought we were buying a small piece of property only to find that it was several times larger! But, three kids later, the outside has become a huge part of our life. We are thankful for that unexpected space.

I looked around at my little people. My toddler was trying to eat one of the jalapenos growing in our meager garden. My daughter was flipping a walking stone over to find animals (worms and bugs.) And my oldest son, the down-scaled version of Bear Grylls from Man Vs. Wild, was catching and emancipating the tiniest of lizards. "I'm releasing it back to its natural habitat."

Those lizards, worms, and jalapenos bring so much joy to my children. And my children bring me so much joy!

De-cluttering Part 2

While sorting, ask yourself the following questions:

1. If there was a fire, what handfuls of items would I grab to save in this room?

2. When I die, what would I hate for someone else to have to discard for me simply because I “never got around to it?” Why should I burden them with that responsibility if I didn’t even make it a priority?

3. Do I have duplicate items? Which one is of better use/ more beautiful?

4. Does it require more maintenance than I am willing to give?

5. What does this item portray to those that see it in this space?

6. Is this item outdated? Worn-out? Broken? Need to be replaced?

7. Am I holding on to the past by holding on to this item? (Is living in the past where I should be?)

8. Do I have several items to represent the same memory/ feeling/ relationship? Can I choose 1 or 2 of the most important pieces?

9. Is my collection one that I have gathered anything related to, simply because of theme? Can I honor it more by whittling it down to fewer, more meaningful pieces to properly display?

10. My space is valuable. Is this item worth my storage/ square footage cost?

REMEMBER: Just because an item has a use doesn’t mean it is most valuable in your hands.

De-cluttering Part 1

Part of having a simpliful life, is removing all the clutter. Clutter keeps you harried. Who has time to seize a day when you’re so busy cramming stuff into it? Besides, it’s too heavy to seize with all that junk in it!
After reading around twenty books on de-cluttering and organizing, I have some tips for you.

Steps for Easier De-cluttering

1. Read Clutter’s Last Stand by Don Aslett (as low as .37 cents at Amazon).

2. Start with a non-emotional area or room (for example: bathroom.)

3. You will need trash bags, a laundry basket (for misplaced items,) paper towels, all purpose cleaner, a vacuum, bags or boxes labeled “charity,” “garage sale,” and “give away” (for friends and family.)

4. Clear a place to start and vacuum.

5. Go through one isolated area at a time: not everything at once.

6. Give yourself a time limit.

7. Get rid of the items you are letting go of immediately. Get them out of your space so your clutter is not just migrating.

8. Reward yourself with something relaxing to celebrate your success and enjoy your new found freedom from stuff.

It's a simpliful life!

I live a simpliful life. For me, beauty is often found in the simplest subjects: beautiful simplicity. I love taking a task that seems complicated and finding a way to do it simply. Life is too short to bog down with the unnecessary and too precious to waste.

So here we are. I knew a blog was in my brain, but I just wanted to ignore it. By nature, I am an "all or nothing" person. The fear of doing something poorly keeps me from accomplishing. Really, it keeps me from even trying. But, sometimes, good enough is good enough. My blog will be an outpouring of my outlook. My hope is that it will be simpliful.