Make A Move Monday and Hammock Tracks Interview!

This Monday I want to invite you to join me over at Hammock Tracks. Savannah is a wife, mother of four and blogger who writes about food, homeschooling, and the animals they raise, hunt and track!   I had the honor of being interviewed for the weekly feature "Who Home Schools?"  I was humbled to be asked! 

 
It is also time for Make A Move Monday!  What move are you making toward health in your home? Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link: http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

Make A Move Monday & Remember when...

The other day my neighbor said "Your house looks so clean on your blog pictures."  The part she graciously left out of the conversation was, "And many times when I stop in, it does not look that way!"  :)  I readily admitted that when I take pictures I try to leave out the mess! 

I do not want to paint a picture that things are more put together here than they really are!  That would be easy to do, but not at all fair!  Let's take a look at this weekend for example:

Starting back on Thursday already we were in and out of the house. Enrichment classes, groceries, school, soccer practice, the park, a field trip, small group and then a soccer game.  By the time we got home from the game on Saturday morning the house was a wreck.  The weather had been cool in the morning but warmed up as the day progressed.  For three days kids had shed their socks and sweat shirts all around the house.  The clothes were intermingled with an array of shoes Lego's, dolls, blankets and all other paraphernalia from the toy box.  Right before lunch my youngest spilled the bowl of watermelon onto the kitchen floor, and as I was taking three crying children upstairs for nap time my husband hollered "Um, someone had a problem in the bathroom!"  Oh yes, someone got poop on the floor.  It had been stepped in and tracked down the hall.  This was certainly not a picture moment.

I worked like a crazy woman in the two hours I had before we had to leave again.  I made my husband stop and look at the house before we left.  He said, "Good job, Honey. Lunch was a complete disaster, but you got this place turned around!"  You loose some; you win some!

We all have these moments.  May the insainity humble us and may it give us a great sense of humor!  May the pictures make us laugh some day and "remember when..."


*The picture in this post was not from this weekend, but another time last winter when life and creative play got out of hand.  We do NOT have a Christmas tree up in September!

Feel free to link up now to Make A Move Monday!  Thanks for stopping by.

Make A Move Monday-Crunchy Kids Say

It is Make A Move Monday, and I must say that I loved last weeks links.  Thank you to all who linked up!  This week I thought that I would put together a little list of "Crunchy Kids Say."  You see, since we have started making some of these moves for our health my kids assume that this is the way that everyone operates.  There have been quite a few funny things that come out of their mouths when life does not align with this assumption.  My husband will shoot me a look that says "Oh Tara!  You have ruined them!"  I just smile and nod when they say things like:

• What is Kool-Aid?
• What was the name of this cow-before it was hamburger I mean!
• Mom, why don't you ever make cheese? You should really try it sometime.
• Hey Mom, you forgot to give us our fish oils today.
• My hips are sore.  I think that it is time to go back to the chiropractor.
• No sugar for me today.  I think I am getting a little sick.  Sugar makes you sicker you know.
• I love ghee!
• Can I help you make laundry soap?
• Is this water-water or vinegar-water?
• Can I have this muffin recipe when I go to college?  I am going to make these!

I love my kids.   I love they that they love me even though I do things that are a little off the normal path. 

It is time to link up.  What move are you making toward health in your home.  Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link: http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

Make A Move Monday: In the Spirit of Honesty

Blogging is so permanent.  I can think something, write it and send it out into the abyss of cyberspace…forever.  My thoughts and feelings are not so permanent.  Sometimes I change my mind, and I feel that an update is in order on a few posts!

Apple Cider Vinegar-I still love the stuff and think it is amazingly effective.  I would drink it every day…if I could.  I have low blood pressure and after a few months on ACV I was really struggling with vertigo.  I stopped taking ACV and the vertigo went away.  I went back on it and vertigo was back.  My skin and allergies love apple cider vinegar.  I am working on the balance, lower dosages, every other day, a week on a week off?  I am not sure what is going to work, but I am going to keep trying to find out how much is good for my body!

Summer School SummerFun-While we did well with our reading goals this summer, we did not follow our science and math plans.  One day in the beginning of July my son said to me, “I am tired of playing math games.  Can I just do worksheets instead?”  Something tells me that this is not typical, but I will take it.  His reaction to our summer of plant experiments was less than enthusiastic.  “I was really hoping we would just do experiments where we made things explode.”  While we didn’t do the plant experiments I had planned we did grow a garden, and my older three children assisted in weeding and watering.  They helped dig potatoes which to their surprise grew underground, and the older two helped freeze corn.  They helped pick it, husk it and wash it.  Grandpa cut it; I cooked it.   Then they labeled it for the freezer and a year of eating freezer corn.  Even without our experiments they learned how plants grow and where their food comes from.

Deodorant-I am having deodorant woes.  First, when I added the beeswax to my recipe it did stay solid in the heat, but it also left residue on my shirts.  Then I started dealing with an unexplained skin irritation on my arms, and I didn’t know what that was from but ended up switching back to store bought deodorant.  My skin appears to have cleared up now so I plan on trying rubbing alcohol as a spray deodorant to see if I can get this thing figured out!

I feel much better now that the truth is out there.  It is always good to come clean!

Anyone else with an update?  It is time for Make A Move Monday!   Please let us know what simple move you are making toward healthy living in your home. Link up your blog post, or just leave a comment. Then take time to be inspired from other's link ups and comments. Last week there were some great ones!

Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link: http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

I couldn't have said it better myself (so I didn't)

I think it is fitting to end a series of real food posts with a reality check.  I think that real food is important, but I know that it can get out of hand.  These blog posts already say what I feel in my heart.  I hope that if you need encouragement keeping real food in balance with the rest of life that you will find some in these posts!

The Terrible Tragedy of the Healthy Eater - A crude but humorus look at the slippery slope of healthy eating!

 Food is Not Your God - Stacy is tired of the debates and feeling like she doesn't measure up (but she still eats whole foods!) 

Food Choices Are Not a Moral Issue - An encouragment to put relationships above food choices.

OK, it is time for a link up! Please let us know what simple move you are making toward healthy living in your home. Link up your blog post, or just leave a comment. Then take time to be inspired from other's link ups and comments.  Last week there were some great ones!

Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link: http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

Rethinking Food: It's Snack Time!

What to feed the kids for snacks….it is a real food dilemma for sure.  Fruit snacks, Little Debbie snack cakes, and most chips, crackers and pretzels do not make the cut if you read the ingredients.   I love a good Wheat Thin, sweet and salty at the same time.  I used to eat A LOT of Wheat Thins.  I was a little sad when I decided that they finally had to go.  Snacks were the “Last Frontier” of real food for our family.  The great thing is that once we did switched from packaged food to real food our snacks went from empty foods that robbed our health to full foods that added nutrients to our bodies.  Here is a peak at what we munch on now. 

·       Fruit-There almost doesn’t even need to be a comment here.  I think that our favorite would have to be apples and peanut butter.

·       Veggies-My kids are absolute bears before supper.  If things get really out of hand I let them snack on veggies and dip or plan old frozen peas (still cold, straight from the freezer.)

·       Popcorn-I make popcorn either on the stove top or with our air popper.  We love popcorn!

·        Smoothies-Smoothies are a little pricier of a snack.  We put greens in our fruit smoothies so we get fruit and veggies all at once. If you have never added greens to your smoothies start with a few spinach leaves and gradually increase them.  Yogurt is another great food to add.  We love frozen bananas in our smoothies so that they are really thick, almost like a shake!  I freeze the leftover smoothies into freezer pops.  Banana pops are good too.

·       PBJ Tortilla-This is also lunch for us sometimes.  Whatever works!

·       Bread and Butter-Bread is the best when it is fresh from the oven.  It is hard for our family not to eat a whole loaf!

·       Nuts and raisins-Our family loves almonds, cashews, pistachios, macadamia nuts and peanuts.  I know that walnuts are supposed to be a super food, but our tastes are just not there yet!  We buy nuts in bulk at Costco.

·       Granola Bars or Protein Bars- I am currently out of honey this week, and my son keeps asking for granola bars.  I agree with him.  We need to get honey and make a double batch this week!

·       Quick Bread or Muffins-I usually make enough muffins or bread for breakfast and freeze some for another breakfast.  If I know that we don’t have snacks for the day/week I will serve them as a snack too.

·       Hard Boiled Eggs-Slightly off topic, but hard boiled eggs remind me of the Ramona books.  Have you seen the movie Ramona and Beezus that came out a couple years ago?  It is a great movie for family movie night.  Back to eggs...I have to limit my kids on the number of hard boiled eggs that they can eat in a sitting because they love them so much!

·       Cheese Sticks or Yogurt

·       Crackers and cheese-Wait, didn’t I just bash crackers in the first paragraph of this post?  We do still buy Triscuits.  The ingredients are very simple so I feel fine purchasing them for my family.

·       Herbal tea-OK so not a great 10 am snack for the kids, but a great “snack” at 9:30 p.m. when I really am really not hungry physically but just need a little something.  I go ahead and add a little honey, because I figure what are a few calories from honey in comparison to a bowl of ice cream? 

What great snacks did I forget?  I am sure that there are plenty that I didn’t mention.  What does your family eat?

Rethinking Food: Supper Substitutes

For me real food for supper has been the easiest change to make.  When I was first adjusting our meals I simply cooked a meat and veggie and added fruit and called it supper.  Unlike breakfast I was already accustomed to cooking at this time of day and meal planning so I just had to adjust my planning goals and recipes.  Families and tastes are different.  Some families resist any change to their favorite foods; they need all new meals.  Others have success making slight alterations to a family recipes and keeping food familiar.  If you are looking for all new recipes 100 Days of Real Food, Once a Month Mom or Heavenly Homemakers meal plans are great places to start.  If you are looking to alter your own recipes I have a few ideas.

1.       Pasta-What mother doesn’t love the easy of boiling noodles at 5:30 when life has fallen apart?  We all have heard that we should be eating whole wheat pasta, but admittedly the texture is a little different.  Experiment with different noodles. My family loves angel hair pasta.  (I use a kitchen scissors to cut it up into almost rice size pieces so my littles can scoop it with a spoon instead of twisting with a fork!) Find a good red sauce without MSG or high fructose corn syrup.  It really isn’t hard; I have even found low sugar ones that do not use artificial sweeteners. Win!   I am looking forward to attempting to make my own once the tomatoes in my garden ripen!

2.       Rice-Another mantra we have all heard is “Switch out the white rice.”   My husband is not a big fan of brown rice.  I have gotten creative.  We like Basmati rice, and to my surprise quinoa is a family favorite.  I make both rice and quinoa with homemade broth to increase the nutrition of our meal.  I use rice to turn leftovers into a second meal.  Add veggies and rice to leftover grilled chicken, roast or taco meat and you’ve got a very inexpensive, quick and healthy meal.

3.       The grill-Marinades are easy to make and both healthier and cheaper than the ones you can buy in a bottle.  I try to double and freeze marinades that our family likes and freeze them.  I am not a “grill master” so I have found it handy to think “low and slow” on the heat and keep a meat thermometer with me.  Grilled veggies are so tasty.  We toss ours in olive oil and add salt, pepper and garlic.  (Grilling is seasonal for us, but in the cooler months the crock pot is my friend.)

4.       Cream of Soup and Broth-If these are a staple to your cooking (i.e. if most of your meals come from a church cook book, or Campbells.com) take the time to make the soup or broth yourself.  Yes, I admit it will take time, but if you want a healthy trade to the meals that you already make this is the way to go.  Save your glass jars (salsa or pizza sauce jars are a great size) take an evening or a Saturday and make up enough to use in several meals and freeze.  You will have to remember to take the soup or broth out of the freezer when you get your meat out of the freezer.  Write it on the meat package if you need a reminder!  Here are some of the things that you will not be eating: Monosodium glutamate, modified food starch, soy protein isolate, partially hydrogenated oil.  Bone broth is one of the healthiest things to feed a family when it is homemade.  It is a process, but my husband can taste the difference.

5.       Boxed Food: Hamburger Helper, chicken nuggets, frozen pizza, Hot Pockets…they are not a temptation to make for supper if they never make it in the door.  They will not make it through the door if they never get put into the cart.  A mealplan and self restraint goes a long way!  I have found that I am more resourceful than I thought.  The meals may not be gourmet and it may not look traditional, but we have never gone hungry.  Find the real food equivalent, double and freeze it.  Here are a few of our favorites…

§  Pop Corn Chicken  (Freezes so well for a quick meal!)

§  Corn Muffins (I have done these d-free too, and they work!)

§  French Fries (I have not tried to freeze these, but when I make these my husband says “Oh good!”  He has never said this about Ore Ida!)

§  Ranch dip (Make up a batch or two and keep in a sealed container. Add it to sour cream for veggie dip.  Sprinkle on cubed potatoes and oven roast!)

§  Mashed Potatoes

§  Pizza Dough

§  Cheese Beef Pasta Skillet (I just freeze the beef not the whole meal.)

Start slow; when you are making a meal read the ingredients.  If they are real…smile, if they are full of preservatives and artificial products look for a replacement at the store or make one yourself.  Relax, experiment, have fun.

Any real food recipes to link up today?  It is time to link up any changes you are making at your home.  I love reading the comments so be sure to leave one!

This post is linked up at Raising Arrows, Tammy’s Recipes, HomesteadRevival and Food Renegade. 

Make a move Monday: Rethinking Breakfast

Last week’s Rethinking Food laid out “why” and “what” of real food. Now it is time to look more at “how,” specifically breakfast. Changing breakfast is hard because breakfast from a box is so easy, and this is coming from someone who admittedly has an advantage to a real food breakfast. I like to cook. I like mornings. I love breakfast food, and I don’t have to have everyone out the door by 7:30. But when the opposite is true, then what?

There we were, back at the doctor with my son after adding fiber to his diet was not doing enough for his stomach.  The doctor was very frank in his discussion with me.  He made me stop and look at each meal, and I remember feeling completely overwhelmed.  He asked “What do you eat for breakfast?”  With great pride in my simple answer I said “Honey Nut Cheerios or Frosted Mini Wheats.”  He replied with an annoying buzzing sound and a “Wrong answer!”  I was deflated. 

We can all envision the breakfast table full of fluffy pancakes, bacon and eggs or crispy hash browns and omelets, but that isn’t the reality for most of us each morning.  (It also does NOT need to be the goal, I might add.)  There are two real food options that can serve the business of our days: Grab and Go and Make Ahead.

Grab and Go

My goal here was real food that takes the same time and effort as a pop tart.  I have heard of some who do not particularly like breakfast foods and grab last night’s supper out of the fridge and that works too!

Cheese and fruit-Cheese sticks give a portable protein (choose full fat for better digestion and white to avoid artificial coloring.  Did you know that cheese is never naturally orange?  It is added!)  Fruit is always a winner…berries, oranges, apples, bananas, pears, grapes.

Nuts and dried fruit-This has the same idea as above, starting the day off with protein and fiber it always a good choice.

Larabars-These are not the most budget friendly option out there, but once in a while health and convenience trumps the extra cost. J

 

Yogurt-If you read the label and find a low sugar, full fat yogurt without artificial coloring and flavoring, that’s great.  This maybe harder than it sounds!  You will also pay a lot more for this kind of yogurt.  Often it can be found plain and you ccan add honey or a little jam and sweeten it on your own, but then if feels less “grab and go.”

Granola-Grandola is another healthy food that takes a careful, label reading eye.  Often times there is a lot of extra surgar. 

Make Ahead

This takes a little work one morning of the week (or on a Saturday if the weekday mornings are too crazy!) but makes the difference between real food and compromise the rest of the week.  These meals are often more cost effective than boxed cereals too.

Frozen waffles or pancakes-I lived off frozen Eggo waffles during my third pregnancy!  I make them myself now; it’s cheaper and healthier.

Muffins and quick breads-I normally make pumpkin or zucchini so that we are getting moreveggies.

Hard boiled eggs-My kids love these.  It takes very little prep time to make enough to last a week.

Homemade granola bars-Best chewy granola bar recipe ever, I always double this recipe but only use a total of 8 Tbs of honey.

Breakfast cookies-This makes a huge batch!  Try them as bars if cookie making is too tedious!

Breakfast Burritos-This is my oldest son’s favorite.  He likes egg, sausage and cheese, maybe someday I can squeeze in pepper, onion and/or mushrooms!  (Confession: I haven’t gotten the hang of making my own whole wheat tortillas.  I compromise with the Costco pre-rolled ones that I cook myself.  They are made out of while flour, but the ingredients are very simple.)  Soft tortilla shells and the fillings of your choice can be easily wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.

Homemade Granola-This is the best answer for replacing boxed cereal.  I have no one recipe that we like.  The other day I choose a crunchy granola bar recipe that I found on Pinterest and broke it up as cereal.  That was probably everyone’s favorite.  I am curious to try this crock pot recipe.

Homemade Yogurt-Admittedly I have tried making crock pot yogurt, but have ended up with runny yogurt that I turn into smoothies and freezer pops.  My friend says that this recipe is the way to go.  I have tasted hers , and it is good!

While they doesn’t fall into either category there are a couple of breakfast foods that should be mentioned. 

Oatmeal: The most cost effective breakfast for sure is oatmeal.  (Sorry, instant and quick oats are processed; use rolled oats.  The texture is better anyway!)  I have found that I can make a double batch of oatmeal and once the leftovers have cooled I add an egg, mix well and spread out into a container to put in the fridge.  The next day I cut out a “bar” of oatmeal and fry it as oatmeal pancakes. 

Eggs: Scrambled or fried these are a great start to the morning.  My mom used to always feed me scrambled eggs on ITBS mornings as brain food-smart mom!

Toast-Bread is tricky for the real food diet.  Have you read the ingredients of even “healthy” whole wheat bread?  It is disappointing.  Homemade bread is amazing, but I don’t have time to do that as regularly as I would like.  Ezekiel bread is a great option, but not budget friendly and my kids don’t particularly like it.  They will eat it as toast so we have had it in the freezer for some of “those” mornings.

It is your turn in the conversation.  What real foods do you eat for breakfast?  What standard breakfast foods are hard to give up?  Link up real food ideas and healthy recipes!  I love seeing what healthy moves you are making in your home! 

This post is linked up at http://www.raisingarrows.net/  http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/

Make a Move Monday: Rethinking Food

Three out of our four kids have special dietary needs.  My oldest son is very sensitive to refined sugar and processed food.  (As hard as I tried, our recent vacation to the Ozarks did not go without incident.)  My younger son and daughter both have dairy intolerances.  We eat differently than most of our friends.  I do hope that someday our home is rid of the diary issues.  It would be nice to mix up one bowl of pancake batter in the morning or put cheese back into our family meals.  Surprising to some however, I do not wish to return to the mornings of brown sugar Pop Tarts or Diet Pepsi and Nacho Cheese Doritos at lunch. 

Why do I wish away one diet but not the other?  It is certainly not because dairy free eating takes more work than eliminating processed foods from our diets.  I do not want to return to our old eating habits because my whole thought process about food has been changed.  The more that I learn about food and our bodies, the more that I am convinced that real food must be the foundation for any diet.  (Allergies and intolerances will alter the diet from there.) 

Answering the question “Why eat real food?” in a paragraph is quite a daunting task, but here I go:  I believe that if we want our bodies to perform properly for as long as possible we need to fuel it correctly.  It makes sense to me that God has created food to naturally have the nutrients we need.  We cannot (and should not) try to outdo His genius.  Egg Beaters should not replace eggs.  “Made with fruit juice” fruit snacks are not equal to a serving of fruit (even if it says so on the package), and margarine cannot replace good, old butter.   At their core high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, hydrogenated oils, and many of the additives and artificial preservatives we manufacture are trying to outdo nature.  They are a contortion of real food made to fit our current food trends (low-fat, low-carb, low-cal, low cost, etc) rather than our nutritional need. 

The human body has responded to all of this relatively new food (in the history of the human race Red 40, MSG and high fructose corn syrup are "new") in some major ways.  We are very addicted to an unnaturally sugared diet.  As our country’s sugar consumption has increased so has our weight.  Many diseases are linked to the obesity epidemic in the US.  Good, healthy foods are in competition with their deceptively colored and flavored counterparts that are void of health benefits.  People become nutritionally starved choosing the brightly colored fake stuff over the good food, and immune systems suffer.  Processed foods do not contain the benefits once put there by the Creator.

Ironically, we are more obsessed with food than ever.  Diets and super foods grace the cover of magazines and are the topic of countless news stories.  We are obsessed with food not in a “give us this day our daily bread” kind of way but in a strange “I can tell you the fat grams, carbs and calories in my hot pocket but otherwise have no idea what ingredients I am actually eating” kind of way.  If you step back and look at it, it is very odd.

 “Rethinking Food” will be a series of discussions reconsidering the food we eat at each meal asking is this “Real Food?”.  What exactly is “Real Food?”  Google gave me this definition: “Those that nature gives us, plants, roots, fruits, nuts, seeds, meats, eggs, milk and those made from it. Fake foods are those that human beings create trying to imitate the natural food.”  http://www.thepalettefund.org/nutrition_resources/more/glossary

I really do want this to be a discussion.   What do you think about real verses processed foods?  What hang ups does your family have with a real food diet?  What does your family eat?  What are the ingredients in those foods?   A dialog is so much more fun than a monolog so I hope that you comment here or on Facebook!  Next week we will be specifically looking at breakfast foods. Please join us!

NOTE:  I hope that as a reader you never hear a judgmental tone at Simply Made Home.  We are not perfect, nor (in light of this post) do we eat perfectly.   My goal is to relay information and in this series in particular encourage others to evaluate food choices and maybe look at nutrition in a different light.  I truly believe that food is an area of stewardship that balances health, money and time in a way that may look different for each family.  I never intend to leave others with a feeling of discouragement because they don't do it "right," but to encourage changes that might need to be made. 

OK, it is time for a link up!  Please let us know what simple move you are making toward healthy living in your home. Link up your blog post, or just leave a comment. Then take time to be inspired from other's link ups and comments.

Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link: http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

This post is linked up at http://www.raisingarrows.net/ http://www.workingkansashomemaker.com/

 http://www.growinghomeblog.com/ http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/ 

Make a Move Monday:Contagious Decluttering

With the excitement of the Jenuinely Pure giveaway last week I forgot all about Make A Move Monday.  (My apologies if you were hoping to link up!) 

I was supposed to share about my progress simplifying my kitchen.  We have been in the process of eating down our pantry, using up some of what we have before getting more.  I bought a little produce this week, but otherwise we stuck with what we had.  My husband has been amazed.  "It looks like we have no food but you keep feeding us!"  As long as he isn't hungry he has no complaints.  This has been a real budget saver for the month of July for us.  It is the last week of the month, and I am going to take advantage of a chicken sale and still make my budget goal!

The major kitchen change (ok major may be an exaggeration) was the decluttering of the top of the fridge.  This was actually all my husband's doing.  (I guess decluttering is contagious!)  We kept our sound system on top of the fridge (away from little hands) so we ended up with a pile of CDs on top of the fridge.  We also kept the camera up there because with everything else, why not?  It was a flat surface and becoming quite the catch-all.  With some of the extra space from decluttering we put all the electronics, cords and paraphernalia in the pantry!  It looks so nice now!

It is time to share what you have been working on over the past couple of weeks! I am looking forward to this! Please let us know what simple move you are making toward healthy living in your home. Link up your blog post, or just leave a comment. Then take time to be inspired from other's link ups and comments.
Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link: http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

Simply 10-What to do with all those toys!

After year one of home schooling we concluded that it was working for us.  We decided we would continue down this path for the next few years we arranged our home to suit our schooling needs.  We turned the dining room into the home school room and the adjoining formal living room into a toy room.  I love it! 

Decluttering our toy room and home school room was easy for me.  I have tried to keep these rooms organized in a way that the kids can pick it up without me at the end of the day.  (Any advice you have on Legos  is appreciated.  I had a system for Legos, but our collection seems to breed like rabbits.  We have out grown it.)

I tossed all the “dollar bin” like toys that have accumulated over the past few months.  Broken crayons and full coloring books also found the trash can.  I thinned out some of our favorite toys just because it is summer and we aren’t playing inside as much.  We can get them out again when we need them. 

Those decisions weren’t hard for me at all, but I love puzzles, books and games.  I try to assure myself that Goodwill will find a good home for them.  They are good but just haven’t won their way into the hearts of my children.  I see the money that was spent by me or others who love my kids, and it is hard not to feel like that money was wasted.  I don’t like waste.  I constantly have to remind myself that while these things are good they were intended to bless us.  If they aren’t blessing my family they need to go.

The other pill have to swallow is my pride.  I have limitations on how much stuff (both physical and mental) I can manage.  I see it as a juggling act.  If God gave me the ability to juggle 5 balls at a time it does me and my family no good to try to juggle 6.  I want to do it all, and instead I end up doing many things poorly.  I am I work in progress.

Where to go from here…I think that the kitchen is next on my list.  I am not looking forward to that one!  I know that there is a lot of work to be done.  It will feel good when I am done, right?

It is time to share what you have been working on this week!  I look forward to this every week!  Please let us know what simple move your are making toward healthy living in your home. Link up your blog post, or just leave a comment. Then take time to be inspired from other's link ups and comments.
Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link: http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html



This post is linked at http://www.raisingarrows.net/ and http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/

Simply 10: The Bathrooms on Make a Move Monday

This week for my Simply 10 goal I was decluttering the bathrooms.  There didn't seem to be a lot of simplifying that I needed to do to my routines with the bathrooms.  I clean them once a week and the kids wipe them down as part of their chore rotation.  (Little boys=constant wiping)

© Photographer Supertrooper | Agency: Dreamstime.com



I did my half-bath first.  It was a piece of cake, proving that small spaces are easier to manage.  They simply hold less! 
The kids' bathroom was easy to work through as well.  Knowing that as my girls get older they will require more space in the bathroom I have left empty drawers and shelves so that I don't have to loose the space later on down the road!  We had a collection of towels that I quickly cut down by 1/3.  The towels that were formerly in our master bath I kept for guests and/or swimming towels.  The large hooded towels also got to stay for the kid's baths and showers.  The small hooded towels were put into the Goodwill pile.  (Even as I write this, however, I think "That's a lot of towels!  Are they all necessary?")  For some reason we had a pile of toothbrushes (Yuck!), and I ditched all the bath toys.  The kids were just playing with empty soap bottles anyway.  I grabbed some old baby toy buckets that have holes in the bottom.  I like the bath toys to have drainage so that they dry quickly. 
The master bath reminded me that clutter usually means a waste of money.  I went to Target earlier in the week and bought 3 things that I later found in our bathroom. Grrr!  I gave my mom 2 bottles of toner.  It was really good stuff so I was glad to find a home for it.  Since I use the oil cleansing method I don't need a lot of products for my face.  Yay!
Next week I am on the the toy room/home school room.  It is going to be great!
What did everyone else work on this week?  It is time to link up!  Please let us know what simple move your are making toward healthy living in your home. Link up your blog post, or just leave a comment. Then take time to be inspired from other's link ups and comments.
Please read through the rules for those participating, and thanks for your participation.

1) No linking to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. Give aways and promos are great, but they expire. I will delete giveaway links or promotional links.
2) Keep things simple and healthy. Avoid recipes with "cream of x soup," processed cheese or corn syrup. Crafts are cool, but unless they help organize or simplify please don't link them.
3) Link back to SimplyMadeHome.This is common blog party courtesy. It also helps build the community of encouragement. Check out other’s posts and leave a comment! It is fun to hear from others.
How to link up to your post? Read below.
Using the Mr. Linky, link back to your specific post, not just your blog.
Example of Format
Your Name: Tara @ SimplyMadeHome (Simple Vinegar Switches)
Your Link: http://simplymadehome.blogspot.com/2012/03/simple-vinegar-switches.html

Make a Move Monday-Simply 10 (The kids' rooms)

Make a Move Monday is here as well as Memorial Day here in the U.S.  For many of us this is the official kick off to summer.  We started off with a 3 day camping trip and the goal of unplugging and enjoying time together.  I am pleased to say that for the most part we accomplished our goals.  (We still had our phones, but no TV or Internet, and we enjoyed the time together as much as we could with an 18 month old!)

I am not a natural born camper, but it is all about attitude.  I enjoy the time without the distractions of TV and Internet.  I appreciate the time that the kids get to catch butterflies, look for deer tracks and read Henry Huggins around a fire.  When packing up to go camping I tried to take only the necessities.  What do we truly need, and what are just extras? It was timely as I am not only asking this for our weekend getaway but also in our daily lives. 

This week my goal was to spend 10 minutes a day decluttering the kids’ rooms and thinking through our current routines that involve those rooms.  The first day I logged in a big, fat 6 minutes.  Day 2 went the wrong direction, and I spent no time in their rooms.  Day 3 surprised me, and I got 20 minutes in before the next thing was bidding for my attention.  Day 4 was a huge step forward, and 45 minutes later I discovered that our youngest has carpet on the floor in her room.  I knew that we would be camping days 5-7 so I gave myself the extra time that day.  The goal was 70 minutes in a week, and I logged 71-a whole extra minute!

I decided not to beat myself up about the giant pile of clothes that I took out of their rooms.  We live with four season climate so we switch clothing needs as well as sizes all the time.  The clothes shuffle is constant, and there is nothing that I can do about it.  I did organize my daughter’s closet into two sides: a “staying home” side and a “going away” side.  This made my husband laugh, but every morning we go around and around about what she can pick out to wear.  Now she can pick out anything on the appropriate side, and I don’t override her choice.  It has been wonderful.   The kids have a small checklist of things that they are supposed to be responsible for doing after breakfast.  I have been lax at enforcing this lately.  This week I gave them a reminder after breakfast, and I had them check each other each morning-so far so good.  They are often harder on each other than I am! 

Simply 10 week one-Success!  The kids’ rooms are much less overwhelming to me, and their routines seem to be running more smoothly.  What a nice way to kick off summer!  Next up on my Simply 10 list: Bathrooms.  I really don’t think that I will need 70 minutes for bathrooms, but I have a lot of camping paraphernalia to put away so I am giving myself an easy one. 

What did everyone else do for Make a Move Monday this week?  Time to link up!  Thanks for stopping by!