Birthday Picnic – Outdoor Hour Challenge #10

I was looking at the Handbook of Nature Study website, and came across Outdoor Hour Challenge #10 –
Picnic.

Throughout this post, three different typefaces are used:
– Bold – are words from the Handbook of Nature Study website.
– Italics – are words from the book titled Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.
– Regular – are my own words.

The website said, “Picnics don’t need to be fancy. Wrap up a sandwich in a cloth napkin, grab a piece of fruit, and some water and you are set. Venture outside even if it is only to your own yard to sit on a blanket and enjoy your lunch. Afterwards you can make time for a short period of nature study.”

So, that’s what we did today…on my 45th birthday. 

1. The challenge is to have a picnic. No need to go far or to even have a picnic table. Food always tastes better outside and if you don’t want to commit to a whole lunch, why not just a snack?

“…When the weather is warm, why not eat breakfast and lunch outside?

…Besides the benefit of an added hour or two of fresh air,

meals eaten outside are often delightful, and

there’s nothing like happiness to convert food and drink

into healthy blood and bodies.”

~~ Charlotte Mason, Outdoor Life, page 43

We ended up having a light dinner and dessert outside on the little deck.  The girls brought out pillows and blankets to sit on. 

Olivia and Sophia having dinner on the deck.

After dinner, we enjoyed French silk pie.  Sophia wanted to put candles on the pie.  They were lit in the home and mudroom, but slowly went out one by one by the time the pie got to me.  “You can still make a wish, and pretend to blow out the candles!”

Sophia bringing out the French silk pie.

Pretending to blow out the candles I said, “Oh, wow!  Look at that!  I got them all out! The best I’ve ever done!”
After you eat, sit and listen to the sounds of nature.

“Given the power of nature to calm and soothe us in our hurried lives,

it also would be interesting to study how a family’s connection to nature

influences the general quality of family relationships.

Speaking from personal experience,

my own family’s relationships have been nourished over the years

through shared experiences in nature-

from sharing our toddler’s wonder upon turning over a rock and

discovering a magnificent bug the size of a mouse,

to paddling our old canoe down a nearby creek

during the children’s school years,

to hiking the mountains.”

~~Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

We listened to nature before we ate and at times while we were eating.  The birds were singing (especially the wrens who have a nest near the deck), the swallows were flying around the backyard and then under the eaves of the barn, and the wind was blowing lightly.  It was a beautiful night to have a picnic.

The pine tree next to the deck and back of the house.

It is now taller than the house.

We spent some time looking at the vegetable/herb garden, flower garden, strawberries, and clover – all of which are subjects of other nature studies that we have done/are in the process of doing during the upcoming day or so.

The first tiger lily of the season bloomed on the 29th of June…my birthday.

2. After your picnic, spend 10-15 minutes observing your surroundings. Add anything new to your list of items observed in your focus area that you are keeping in your nature journal. Make note of any additional research that needs to be done for things your child is interested in. Make a journal entry if you wish.

We didn’t spend time after the picnic outside because the mosquitos were getting progressively worse.  The girls get rather significant reactions to mosquito bites, so it was better to go inside at that point.

The girls are interested in the tiny toads that they have been finding.  At 1/4″ long, they are very small; in fact, the smallest we’ve ever seen here.

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52 Books in 52 Weeks – Week 26 – All That Matters

For the 26th week of the 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge, I chose All That Matters by Jan Goldstein.  I enjoyed this book; and read it in a couple of days.  Although it was rather predictable, it was a very moving story of the relationship between a granddaughter and grandmother. 

The story centers around a 23 year old suicidal woman (Jennifer) who finds happiness and purpose in life with the help of her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.

At the beginning of the book, Jennifer thinks there is little to live for: her mother is dead, her Hollywood-producer father is busy with his picturesque new family, and her boyfriend has dropped her. She attempts to take her life, but ends up being released into the care of her grandmother, Gittel “Gabby” Zuckerman.

Gabby takes Jennifer back with her to New York with the hope of helping Jennifer.  It is not so much Jennifer’s story that is fascinating, but rather Gabby’s story of surviving the Holocaust that is the most engaging part of the book.

As the author notes at the beginning of the book, “When I was a young boy my father’s first cousin, Fania Ingber, shared with me the story of how she survived the Nazis: hiding in the forest as a young girl and later in the attic of a righteous woman for two years.  Those details help form the character of Gabby.  Through her I humbly pay tribute to all the survivors, the Fanias of the world, each with his or her own indomitable spirit.”

Keeping this in mind, when Gabby finally shares her story with Jennifer during a trip they take to Maine, it is captivating to read – even if it’s fiction.  Gabby said that after witnessing her parents and sister murdered by the Nazis that she didn’t have the will to live.  She was found wandering in the open by a woman who had frequented her father’s shop (he was a tailor). 

The woman (Mrs. Pulaski) screamed at her, “‘Foolish girl, don’t you see it is not for you to throw away what your family was so desperate to have? You must choose life. You must live for those who had no choice.”

She described how she hid in Mrs. Pulaski’s attic: “During the day I would cling to the slanted walls.  This way my feet would not touch down on the floorboard.” (This was important because Mrs. Pulaski was a seamstress who had customers who came to her home and any noise from the attic might alert others that she was hiding someone…a crime punishable by death.)

Gabby continued, “Hanging on, I would feel my knuckles turn white with pain. Many times they became so numb I could not feel them again for several hours.”  She lived this way for a very long time as a teenager, and eventually broke down crying one night as Mrs. Pulaski comforted her. 

Mrs. Pulaski said, “There are times when it seems everything good in life has been taken from us…Now is such a time.  But I promise you, little one, if you open your eyes, your heart, you will find there are still gifts waiting for you each day.”

She encouraged Gabby to try to find at least one good thing each day – a dream, a bright yellow butterfly sunning itself, a glimpse of sunlight through the crack in the roof, a memory of her mother’s cooking, the sound of rain, and so forth.

After sharing her story with Jennifer, Gabby told her, “There is a gift waiting for you each day…If you’re willing to see it, hear it, even feel it, it’s there.” 

It was on the trip to Maine that this story was shared.  In addition, Gabby and Jennifer visited several places that sounded interesting including the Norman Rockwell Museum. 

There were paintings there that were based on a speech given by President Franklin Roosevelt outlining the Four Freedoms to which every human being was entitled:
-> Freedom from want
-> Freedom of worship
-> Freedom of speech and expression
-> Freedom from fear

As I read (and re-read) these Four Freedoms, I thought of the last book I read (Another Place at the Table) which focused on the United States’ foster care system, and the challenges that the children in it have faced in their young lives.  I thought that some of these core freedoms – freedom from fear, wants, speech/expression – were violated in many of the cases shared in that book. 

All That Matters is also the second book that I’ve recently read that encouraged one of the main characters to keep a journal.  Gabby gave Jennifer a journal and said, “The pages are empty. They wait for you to fill them, to tell about the gifts you will find each day….

“Maybe, when you are going through a difficult time – and such days are part of the challenge we get to face in living – you will take out this book and read what you have already written.  It will remind you that while there is darkness, you also have good, beauty, light, and rich memories to cling to.”

Gabby writes a message to Jennifer in her journal: “To my greatest gift, my granddaughter – Listen for me in your heart, that is where I choose now to live…for that is my heaven. Love, Nana.”

All That Matters is a story about the will to survive – on several different levels and with different characters.  It is a good reminder that each person has their own challenges…and, sometimes, the difficulties we face are small compared to ones others have had to deal with in their lives. 

The book also serves to underscore the importance of looking for at least one thing each day that is a gift…something positive that helps you get through the day.

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Homemade Herbal Shampoo – Tutorial

The girls are getting ready for showing projects and doing a demonstration at the County Fair this year.  Sophia’s demonstration is about different ways that herbs can be used.  She will show that one of the ways herbs are used is with personal care products. 

In preparation for her demonstration, we made homemade herbal shampoo using herbs from our garden as well as dried herbs and flowers from the co-op.  All the herbs and flowers are organically grown. 

STEP ONE – GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES

You’ll need:

• Basic plain shampoo or castile soap (we used Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby Soap – liquid form)
• Glycerin
• Your favorite herbs (fresh or dried)
• An empty bottle (about 20 ounces – we used 16 ounces and had some extra shampoo leftover)

For the herbs, you will need either:
1/4-1/2 cup of dried herbs
1/2-2/3 cup fresh herbs

You can also add a few tablespoons of dried citrus zest to the mixture as well.

The amount you use depends on how strong you like your herbal shampoo to smell. Some herbs have a stronger smell than others do, so you might need just a small amount of one herb while needing a larger amount of another.

Sophia measuring fresh rosemary.

Note:  For one batch of shampoo, we used 1/4 cup dried lavender and 1/4 cup dried rose buds.  For the other shampoo, we used 1/3 cup fresh rosemary and 1/3 cup fresh mint. 

STEP TWO – STEEP HERBS

Mix the herbs with 2 cups of water in a pot on the stove and heat without boiling for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let the herbs steep for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stirring lavender and rose buds.

STEP THREE – STRAIN THE HERBS

You can either strain the herbs from the water, and move on to the next step, or you can put the water and herb mixture in a blender to reduce the size of the chunks of herbs and leave them in your shampoo. It is all a matter of preference. (I strained the herbs and flowers from the water.  A few pieces snuck into the water, but not many.)

Straining the water from the rosemary and mint

after steeping the herbs for 30 minutes.

STEP FOUR – ADD CASTILE SOAP TO SCENTED WATER

Add 1 cup of basic unscented shampoo or castile soap to the scented water and stir or whisk gently.

Stirring castile soap into the scented water.

STEP FIVE – ADD GLYCERIN

Add 1 cup of glycerin to the mixture and stir or whisk well.

Pouring glycerine into shampoo.

STEP SIX – PUT INTO A BOTTLE

Pour your homemade herbal shampoo into a bottle and enjoy!

Sophia pouring shampoo into a bottle

while I hold the funnel.

The lavender-rose shampoo turned out much darker than the rosemary-mint shampoo.  Both smell equally strong, so there doesn’t seem to be a difference whether we used dry or fresh herbs. 

However, there is something to be said for being able to go to your garden and pick what you want your shampoo to smell like…without all the chemicals that store-bought shampoos have in them.

The girls worked together to

fill Olivia’s bottle of shampoo.

The girls are so excited to use the shampoo, and each likes the scent of shampoo that they made.

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Frugal Homemade Cleaners for the Home

In the September 15, 2009, issue of Woman’s Day, there were some ideas for cleaning for less money.  Some of the ideas included:

Air Freshener:  Put some drops of essential oil in a saucepan of water.  Just boil a little and then let simmer for a bit.  The aroma will go through the house.

Pan of water and three essential oils.

I combined ten drops each of three essential oils:  mandarin, ravensara, and bergamot.  After bringing the water to almost a boil, I simmered for about a half an hour.  The house smelled wonderful.  What I liked about this is that there were no chemicals or artifical smells…only water and essential oils.

Water with essential oils simmering on the stove.

Window and Glass Cleaner:  Put 1 part ammonia, 3 parts water, and a dot of dishwashing soap in a spray bottle.

Although this may be a frugal household cleaner, the ammonia (even in its 1:3 ratio) is not something I want to use in my home. 

According to New York’s Department of Health, “Ammonia is irritating and corrosive….Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.  Children exposed to the same concentrations of ammonia vapor as adults may receive a larger dose because they have greater lung surface area-to-body weight ratios and increased minute volumes-to-weight ratios.

“In addition, they may be exposed to higher concentrations than adults in the same location because of their shorter height and the higher concentrations of ammonia vapor initially found near the ground.

“Exposure to low concentrations of ammonia in air or solution may produce rapid skin or eye irritation.”

So, I looked for an alternative natural window and mirror cleaner, and found several that use vinegar as a base instead. 

Ingredients for Homemade Window Cleaner:

Vinegar, Essential Oils, Water, and Empty Spray Bottle.

Combining these recipes, I came up with my own for cleaning windows and mirrors:

1/2 cup of vinegar
12 drops rosemary essential oil
12 drops peppermint essential oil

Pour 1/2 cup of vinegar into a spray bottle and fill it within a couple of inches from the top with water. Add the essential oils.  Place the top on the bottle and gently shake it. 

To use, spray it on the surface (window or mirror). Rub it with a lint-free rag.  (Note: Test a small area of your mirror or window before cleaning the entire surface.)

Initially, I didn’t shake the essential oils to distribute them throughout the bottle, so the only thing that was spraying onto the windows was vinegar.  Needless to say, it wasn’t a pleasant smell. 

I shook the bottle a bit, and then sprayed it on a window.  What a difference!  The smell of peppermint and rosemary filled the area I was working in.  It was such a refreshing change from the lavender-scented window cleaner I’ve been using. Even though it’s an all-natural cleaner, it is nice to have a different scent that I like when I clean the home.

Clean windows…without any chemicals!

The last product I made wasn’t in Woman’s Day, it was one that I saw on the internet that I wanted to try.  It’s for homemade laundry detergent. 

Ingredients for homemade laundry soap.

1 bar of Fels Naptha Soap
1 cup Washing Soda (this is not baking soda…washing soda is found in the laundry aisle)
1 cup Borax

Finely grate the bar of Fels Naptha Soap so that you have two cups total. 

Grating Fels Naptha Sopa.

Mix the ingredients well and store in an airtight plastic container.  Use two tablespoons per full load.

Homemade laundry soap.

There’s another homemade laundry detergent that I’m going to make that doesn’t use Fels Naptha Soap, that is more eco-friendly.  This recipe comes from HERE; and makes approximately five cups: 

2 cups (finely) grated castile soap (e.g., Dr. Bronner’s lavender)
1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda
10 drops lavender essential oil (or blend of essential oils of your choice)

Mix all the ingredients together. Store in airtight container like a mason jar or glass canister. Start with about 1/8 a cup per load and go from there. You may need to give the jar a shake or a stir once in a while to prevent the soap flakes from settling to the bottom. Recipe doubles well.

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52 Books in 52 Weeks —– Week 21 —– The Art of Simplicity

This week I chose The Art of Simplicity by Candy Paull for my 21st book to read in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge. 

I ordered this book from the library after seeing it on a recommended reading list that was distributed at a homeschool conference workshop about simplifying one’s life.  In addition to The Art of Simplicity, I ordered several other books that have the same overall theme. 

In comparison to the other books, The Art of Simplicity has a wealth of quotes from a variety of individuals.  There is limited writing by the author, though what is written is interesting and insightful. 

The author invites the reader to “…come explore the potential and magnificent power that has been buried beneath the clutter and confusion for so long.  Enter into the freedom of simplicity.”

I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life

which are the real ones after all.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

She encourages the reader to shift one’s focus:  “When you are tempted to focus too much attention on what you don’t have, a make a conscious decision to shift your focus to what you already have, and decide to appreciate it and enjoy it more fully and completely.”

The Art of Simplicity provides a thoughtful and, perhaps, different definition of simplicity than what other books about the same topic suggest.  “Simplicity is found in the common objects and objectives of each day.  It is in the choices to create inner stillness through meditation and prayer, clearing clutter in both inner and outer life, choosing positive rather than negative thoughts, handling money and resources wisely, and making that which is most meaningful to you a priority.”

The author continues to describe what simplicity is: “Whether it is in clothing that expresses your styles and values, or a home that provides a nurturing atmosphere, or meaningful work that satisfies your creative soul and helps others, or loving relationships that balance giving and receiving, or creating a more sustainable and just society, true simplicity integrates our gifts, talents, and choices with the deep needs of the world.”

Since The Art of Simplicity has so many quotes that I want to share with my daughters (who may not fully appreciate them now when they are in elementary school, but certainly could when they are older). I thought it would make a good starting point for copywork, transcription, and dictation lessons during the upcoming homeschooling year. (The website Simply Charlotte Mason has some guidelines for each grade with regard to this subject.)

What I like about this book is that it gives the motivation to simplify one’s life not with a list of “To Do” items, but rather with quotes that are inspiring and create the desire to change.  As the author concludes in the last chapter of The Art of Simplicity, “…the choices and attitudes that make life simpler and easier are ones of character and integrity. 

“Because you choose to cultivate character, honor your responsibilities, and believe in your own potential for good, you become a blessing to everyone around you.  You become a channel for good in the world, fulfilling your potential and your calling in ways that expand ever outward.”

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52 Books in 52 Weeks —– Week 17 —– Give It Up!

For the 17th book in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge, I chose Give It Up! My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less by Mary Carlomagno.  As I was looking for books on simplifying one’s life on the library’s catalog system, I came across this one.  It sounded intriguing, so I thought it would make for an interesting read.

Give it Up! is one woman’s quest to rid herself of material excess whereby she also sheds light on some of the emotional excess she carries. The twelve things she gives up include:  alcohol, shopping, elevators, newspapers, cell phones, dining out, television, taxis, coffee, cursing, chocolate, and multi-tasking.

Many of the items she writes about have absolutely no relevance to my life. (Giving up cursing…really!? This is a sacrifice?  It wouldn’t be any sacrifice on my part since my language and writing isn’t peppered with swear words.)  Other items simply reflect the excess and privilege in our society. 

I was hoping that for at least one or more of these things (like alcohol or excessive shopping), that the author wouldn’t be so eager to resume activities that weren’t of any benefit to her life.  For example, she reschedules get-to-gethers and activities with her friends in subsequent months so she can go back to drinking and purchasing clothing she doesn’t need. (She said many of her clothes still had the tags on them which implies over-consumption and waste.)

However, it seemed as if – for many of these items she was giving up – that she was counting down the days when she could resume her previous behavior with very little insight into why she needed to continue using that item or behaving in such a manner.  Her eagerness to return to her vices each subsequent month made the book rather disappointing.

The chapter on elevators yielded an interesting awareness by the author, though.  After climbing and descending ten flights of stairs daily to go to her job in New York, she was in good shape and comfortable using the stairs when the events on September 11th happened.  “My preparedness and awareness were a source of some confidence for me on that fateful day.”

The author continued, “…I learned…to be aware of your surroundings and that, unfortunately, an emergency plan is a necessary part of everyday life.”

Under the cursing chapter, she mentioned a website called Wordsmith.  As she explains, “Each day wordsmith would send a new unfamiliar word to round out my vocabulary that I immediately applied, to the annoyance of those around me.”  By clicking on the link above, you can add yourself to the free mailing list. 

One thing that stood out in the chapter about multi-tasking was the statement, “Time is a luxury and doing one thing at a time does not keep pace with our busy lifestyles, which demand doing more.  But if we do more, more inefficiently, what has been really accomplished?” 

This is a good reminder no matter what stage of life or where you’re multi-tasking – whether in the office or an at-home business; your personal life (listening to someone talk while doing something else); while you’re volunteering; trying to juggle homeschooling while raising a family; or even crafting and trying to do another task.  Something is going to suffer…or not be done as best it can.  Someone won’t receive the attention they deserve. 

Give It Up! is not the best literary work I’ve read.  However, there were some interesting points made in the book.  Perhaps Give It Up! would be a more relevant and meaningful book if someone were having some challenges with the same issues or items.

If the majority of the items that the author wrote about don’t have personal relevance, I would skip the book.  There are other books about voluntary simplicity and/or modifying one’s life to be stronger and more effective that are a better use of one’s time.

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30 Days to a Simpler Life – Week #5 – Final Week!

This week I continued working on the 30 Days to Simpler Life Project. Each day, Fairy Tale Mama at Enchanted Schoolhouse posts an activity from the book 30 Days to a Simpler Life.

The projects so far have been ones I’ve wanted to do, but haven’t made the time for…or ones that weren’t on my list of things to do, but have been good to do in an effort to de-clutter and simplify my life. I have completed Weeks 1-3 (Days 1-21), but am working on Week 4 (Days 22-28) since I was in Duluth (Minnesota) for several days during this time period.

Here are the actions for the past week…and the final two days of the project:

Day #29 – Find Out What Works – Today fill out the checklist below. Decide if you’re okay or need help in the following areas. It will help you see at a glance what works and what doesn’t in your life. Make a copy of this list and keep it in a place where you will refer to it again (your bulletin board or date book). Add additional categories as they occur to you. (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 180-182)

My answers to the questions are in bold typeface to the right.

Closet

Love and wear clothes exclusively Help (would be nice to have a couple of new items for spring and summer and one dress or dress-up outfit since I don’t have one)
Closet organized OK
Accessories managed OK
Stockings/socks OK
Belts OK
Scarves OK
Shoes OK
Jewelry Help (would like to have a way to hang up my earrings, bracelets, and necklaces so I can see them)

Clothing Systems

Dry-cleaning system OK (rarely need to get anything dry-cleaned)
Laundry system Help (need a new washer and dryer since the current one is about 15 years old and on its last leg)
Out of season system Help (organizing winter coats, boots, accessories)
Recycling System OK
Linen closet Help (would like to go through blankets and pillows once more)

Kitchen

Counters cleared Help (Would like more counter space and am debating about keeping the terrariums which take up too much space; and re-locating the cacti and aloe vera plants)
Storage organized Help (still need to go through some cupboards)
Love and Use items exclusively Help (could donate some dishes and other kitchen items)
Meal Planning System OK
Grocery Shopping System Help (want to do a master grocery list that I can check off for the grocery store I go to the most)
Entertaining Menus and Setup OK (I never “entertain” or host parties on a regular basis)

Home Office

Mail Handling OK
Desktop Papers OK
Office Supplies OK
Bill-Paying System OK (but would love to have no bills to pay!)
Filing System OK
  Current (Personal and Homeschool) OK
  Important Documents Help (am working on putting all current statements for bank accounts, insurance, etc. in a 3-ring binder so it’s easy to find)
  Estate planning OK (in safe deposit box and my desk)
  Tax records Help (all are done; just need to put everything together in one spot)
  Home improvement records OK
  Insurances OK
  Archives OK
Stationery and stamps OK
Gift wrapping Help (am trying to get away from gift wrap and use fabric bags and ribbons instead; need to better organize this)
Photos Help (still removing pictures from old non-archival quality albums and putting them in boxes)
Subscriptions OK
Travel files and planning OK (though I wish I was traveling more)

Kids

Kids’ rooms
  Closet Help (still working on both of the girls’ closets – want to make a lower bar to hang Olivia’s clothes on so she can reach them; get rid of a lot of items I don’t need in Olivia’s closet; and finish cleaning Sophia’s closet which also has spare bedding, photo albums, and children’s games)
  Desk OK (helped the girls go through their desks in the fall/winter)
  Storage OK (though it would be nice if Olivia had a bit more storage in her room)
Kids’ papers and mementos OK
Babysitter information current Help (am almost done with this)

House Maintenance

Supplies organized Help (there are some areas in the home that I still want to organize)
Daily Routine Help (if more hours were added to the day I could get everything done)
Weekly Routine Help (if I can’t have more hours…maybe an extra person or two to help)
Seasonal Routine Help (would like to have the proper tools and equipment…and perhaps the extra person and time…to do seasonal jobs and upkeep)

Garage Help (the hobby shed and barn both could use more cleaning – though a major de-cluttering/purging was done in August 2010 and the first week of September 2010)

General

House sitter information current Help (I need to write instructions for the dogs, cats, and horses as well as what needs to be done with the house if I’m gone)

Recycling system for useless stuff OK (have been donating bags of items that are no longer needed and are still in good condition to the local thrift shop.  Whatever isn’t in good condition is either recycled or thrown away.)

Day #30 – Your task for today is to call three friends and ask, “What are some ways you have simplified your life?” (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 183)

I asked this question on Facebook and received the following answers:

The best thing I ever did was let go of being right. (Rod B.)

There is a documentatory that just came out.  I don’t watch Oprah, but she was on when I turned on the t.v. yesterday. She was interviewing a man who is a famous movie director (some of Jim Carey’s films, etc.).  This film is called “I AM.”  He downsized and simplified; and he tells of the happiness he has found. Quoted St. Augustine: “Take what God has given you….take what you need …the rest is for others.”  Love this because materialism is the is at the root of many of our problems today!! (Dorothy P.)

I don’t fold socks. What a waste of time. Some evenings when I know I will be working late, I’ll throw a roast in the crock pot in the morning. Other nights, we will have cereal. Why beat myself up over not spending hours in the kitchen cooking after coming home tired. I also label my bathroom closet shelves. Toothpaste/toothbrushes, Soaps, Lotions, Medical, Cottonballs/Q-Tips, Beauty supplies, Nail polish, Extra makeup, etc… (Brenda M.)

I made a “template” of the grocery store I most often visit, listing items available in each aisle (essentially the same as the signs above each aisle) including specific things I usually buy. I made copies of this and keep it… magneted to the side of my fridge so that making grocery lists is quicker and my shopping trip times have been cut in half, I can zip through the store super fast and don’t get distracted by extraneous items. It also makes using coupons easier.  (Kathrine N.)

“I have done laundry, instead of every day, three days a week. I do not like socks either [in reference to Brenda M.’s comment above].” (Annette J-G.) 

What wonderful advice!  I’m so happy that I did this via Facebook versus calling people because the responses are ones that are all things that I need to hear and apply to my life.

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30 Days to a Simpler Life – Week #4

This week I continued working on the 30 Days to Simpler Life project. Each day, Fairy Tale Mama at Enchanted Schoolhouse posts an activity from the book 30 Days to a Simpler Life.  

The projects so far have been ones I’ve wanted to do, but haven’t made the time for…or ones that weren’t on my list of things to do, but have been good to do in an effort to de-clutter and simplify my life. 

Some of the actions for Week #4 are ones that I need more time to do and will do them once homeschooling is done for the school year.  These are all the activities for Week #4 and what I accomplished:

Day #22 – Keep Track of Your Valuables – Today, create a Valuables Binder for art, jewelry, silverware, and collections of anything you value and worry about losing to fire and theft. Detailed instructions follow. (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 143)


Here are some of the suggestions (in short) that the authors make for keeping track of your valuables:


1. List them and put the list in a binder.
2. Photograph or videotape your valuables. Date the video.
3. Include the receipts.
4. Put any appraisals or authentication documents in your binder.
5. Store your valuables binder in a safe place.

This is a project that I’m going to have to come back to at a later date.  This involves more work than one day.  I’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time now.  Once I wrap up homeschooling for this school year and have a short break, that will be the time I can tackle this project.

Day #23 – Give Vanishing Gifts – Today, tackle your wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags, and gift tags/cards. Save a few of your favorite rolls of paper, some matching ribbon, and some gift enclosure cards. Give away your extraneous wrapping supplies (give a few rolls to the kids). If you cannot bear to give away beautiful wrapping paper, store the excess out of sight. Simplicity is about using up what you have — and keeping things flowing through your life. (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 147)

Over the past couple of years, I have slowly used up wrapping paper and ribbons; and I have very few bows left.  For each birthday and holiday, I’ve been making re-usable gift bags from fabric.  The first year when I make the  bags, it’s a bit labor-intensive.  However, with each subsequent year of use, it’s been a wonderful time saver.

Fabric bags I made for Sophia’s birthday.

Her favorite colors are pink and purple.

I also have made hand-embroidered bags from wool felt and beads.  These are a bit time-consuming to make, but they will last many years.  If they take care of the bags, they will have them when they leave home and start their own families.  Perhaps they can be passed onto their children.

Hand-embroidered and beaded bags I made

for Valentine’s Day for the girls.

Day #24 – Create Hassle-Free Holidays – Make a list of the holidays you celebrate annually. Besides each entry, write down what each holiday means to you. For example, Thanksgiving may mean organizing a big potluck dinner for friends who don’t have anyplace else to go.
 
Next, make another list of holidays with columns entitled “Joyful Activities” and “Stressful Activities.” Fill in the blanks. For example, a joyful Christmas activity might be “Sending cards,” whereas a stressful activity might be “Finding perfect gifts for household help.” Once the list is made, vow to maximize joy and minimize stress. (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 152)

Many of the joyful activities for the holidays centers around food and making food that ties in with the holidays. 

Homemade candy hearts.

St. Lucia dinner.  The girls and I made St. Lucia buns and Swedish meatballs. 

The buns are ones that we have been making for many years now. 

The Swedish meatball recipe was a new one we tried in 2010.

I also find joy in helping the girls with their costumes for Halloween.  Often they want their hair done, so they have their hair up in curlers (the kind they have to wear overnight) or hot rollers; and get the final touch with the curling iron. 

All dressed up in 2007 for Halloween. 

Olivia was a fairy and Sophia was a princess.

I’m not one who enjoys huge crowds.  However, the girls had an opportunity to ride horses on the Fourth of July in a small town parade.  Since they were in the parade prep area, there were quieter places to sit which was nice.  There weren’t the crowds in that area…and the view was unobstructed.

Sophia riding in the 4th of July parade in 2010.

One of the ways we celebrate New Year’s Day is by going to a Chinese restaurant.  This tradition was started in the early 1990s in San Francisco where there seemed to be a huge number of Chinese restaurants.  It is continued to this day, and enjoyed by us all. 

The girls dressed up in their Chinese dresses in 2008.  These were purchased in China (where they were adopted from) in 2001 and 2003.  I brought back a variety of dresses in increasingly larger sizes so they could have special dresses to wear each year.

Sophia and Olivia with Casey before we headed out to a Chinese restaurant

for the annual New Year’s Day dinner.

As I looked the holidays for the year, I realized that for several of them, we don’t do anything special to celebrate them (e.g., Memorial Day, Labor Day).  It might be nice to find a free activity in the community and do that, or have a picnic or go on a short day-trip to a place that we haven’t gone before. 

For me, things that are stressful center around large crowds and public chaos – big events, parades, and even children’s services at the church where the girls sing.  Maybe I’m just getting old, but I seem to prefer quiet, peaceful gatherings…or ones that I can go to early to avoid crowds. 

At least I know what I find stressful and can try to avoid activities that I know will be too loud or where there are too many people crammed in too tight of an area.

Day #25 – Enjoy Your Photos and Mementos – Today, round up all of your photos and put them in one place. That’s all you have to do. Make a commitment to buy some photo boxes in the near future. With these boxes, you will be able to sort your photos. (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 156)

I have started to remove photographs from old photo albums (the kind that are pre-archival quality) and place the photographs in achival-quality boxes. I’ve been working on and off on this project for a couple of months now since I have quite a few albums to go through.

I use to operate a children’s camp and found that I had taken a tremendous amount of photographs of the program.  Some of the photographs were sent to funders, but I kept many of them and put them in albums.  I kept some of the photos that had pictures of the girls, farm animals (sheep, chickens, horses), or were personally meaningful to me. 

As I’m going through the photographs, I’m not keeping all of them.  For some photos, I’m sending them to people (friends and family) who I think may enjoy them.  For example, if their child participated in the camp program, they might enjoy seeing a photo of their child at camp when they were much younger.
 
Day #26 – Pare Down Your Garage – A garage is not a junk bin. It’s an important base of operations, like your kitchen and home office. Today, sort your garage items into categories—tools, paint, gardening, recreational, barbecue, and so on. As you sort, ask yourself:

1. Do I use it—or think I should? If not, toss it.


2. When I want to do a project, is this item ready to use? Am I willing to keep it cleaned and repaired? If not, toss it.


3. Do I have enough space for this and is it well located? If not, toss it or move it.


After you have sorted and tossed, make a list of organizers that will streamline your garage. (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 164)

I don’t have a garage, so the closest thing that’s like garage that’s here is the hobby shed and barn.

Outside of the hobby shed.

Back in late-August and early-September 2010, I spent a lot of time cleaning out the shed and getting rid of a lot of items that were no longer good, usuable, or had been damaged by being in a non-temperature-controlled building.

I had been storing clothing for the girls that they could grow into as well as holiday items in the hobby shed.  Unfortunately, some of the things that had been in there for multiple seasons (mostly clothing, some blankets, and pillows) now smelled like mildew which wasn’t good.  Because the smell was so strong, the items now were garbage. 

As the dumpster was slowly filling, it was a very sick feeling to see not only items that were once good that were ruined because of inadequate storage space, but I thought about the money that was wasted that I would never get back.  It was a financial loss…and not a positive impact on the environment by any stretch of the imagination.

When it gets warmer, I plan to re-visit organizing and further de-cluttering the hobby shed.  It is more than a day’s work; and more appropriate to do later in the spring or summer.  At the same time, I will clean out the barn and shed again.  After this round, things should be much better.

Day #27 – Make Landscaping Easier – A successful landscape is one that you thoroughly enjoy and is easy to maintain.  Use plants that require little maintenance.  Ask the nursery for three of the most successful plants in your region.  Make these plants the mainstay of your garden.  (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 169)

Peony.

I’ve been gradually adding more perennials and wildflowers over the years.  Some have done well, while others haven’t and were a waste of money. 

Bleeding hearts.

The ones that seem to do the best here are hostas, ferns, siberian irises, lupines, peonies, hydrageneas, bleeding hearts, lilies, and some roses.

Lilies.

Day #28 – Get Physical – Make an appointment on your calendar to exercise three to four times a week for an hour, or daily for 30 minutes. This is a manageable amount of time for most people. With a simple routine, you won’t have to think about when to exercise—it’s prescheduled! (30 Days to a Simpler Life, p. 175)

Now that the weather is better, we can begin riding our bikes again which is fun.  Olivia is still learning how to ride a bike, so I have a modified bike hooked up to mine until she can ride on her own and keep up with Sophia and me. 

Olivia and me riding our bikes.

Sophia riding her bike.

I also typed a physical education chart in which each of us can mark off when we do some form of exercise for the day.  It can be bike riding, working with the horses, taking the dogs for a walk, going on a nature walk, or playing in the backyard.  The key for us is variety and fun more so than an extreme workout.

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Project Simplify – Hot Spot #5 – Homeschool Curricula and Books

For Project Simplify’s Hot Spot #5, participants could select a project or area in their home on which they wanted to focus their energy.  For this final challenge, I wanted to go through 3 1/2 shelves on my office bookshelf as well as two shelves in my office closet that had books and curricula that I have used or anticipated using in the future.

Before:  Books and curricula for homeschooling

on my office bookshelf.  They are not organized by subject

on these shelves which makes it challenging to find anything.

I began sorting through the books in my office closet because I had already done some grouping by subject before this school year began.  The top shelf (at my eye level) is history (from ancient civilizations to modern times). 

On the next shelf down, I began putting reading, writing, and poetry on the left side; and science and nature study on the right side. 

The lowest level had physical education, social studies, geography (world and U.S.), character education, sign language, government, art, music, handwriting/penmanship, and math.

Three shelves in my office closet that I was

starting to remove items from and

then group according to subject.

I removed all the books and curricula from the wooden bookshelf and integrated them with the resources on the closet shelving.  Now, the science shelf (for example) has books arranged alphabetically by topic (e.g., bats, birds, frogs, nature journaling).

It was a pleasant surprise to find curricula that I purchased in past years at homeschooling conferences that the girls weren’t quite ready to use yet.  This upcoming year, there are some excellent resources that I can use.

After:  Cookbooks are now on the top two shelves

(depending on the book size).  Also on the second shelf

are books with topics I need/want to reference during the upcoming year.

The third shelf is all related to reading, literature, poetry, and writing.

Conversely, I realized that even though I have the Five in a Row curriculum series, I am missing some of the children’s books that are needed to do the series.  I wrote a list of books I’ll need to purchase, and now can look for them at the used book section of the homeschooling conference.  I have not used the series, but it seems like an excellent fit with Olivia’s learning style and interests. 

Also, I am happy to have the KONOS trio of books together now so I can use them again during the upcoming year.

After – Closet shelves.  Top shelf:  All history.

Middle Shelf: All science.

Third Shelf:  Geography (world and U.S.), social studies,

character education, critical thinking, and math.

Bottom Shelf:  A variety of other subjects

in addition to art and music.

I have never taken as much time as I have this year to prepare for a homeschool conference.  Knowing what resources I have on hand will greatly reduce the amount of money that I spend at this year’s conference.  My goal is to use what I have on hand for the majority of next year’s school year; and only get the curricula needed for the level/grade that Sophia and Olivia are at with each subject.      

Not only am I more organized and know what resources I have available, but I have three grocery bags of books and curricula that I can sell at an upcoming curriculum fair in May, one bag of garbage, and one bag of recycling that are now out of my office. 

After I was done, there was an entire empty shelf on the bookshelf, so I transferred all my cookbooks from the kitchen into my office.  In this way, I gained a shelf in the kitchen where I can transfer food from another cupboard (where the dishes are) to one that is only for food.  Things are starting to come together better now which is so nice!

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52 Weeks of Giving – Week 14 – Help in a Variety of Ways

The girls continued with the 52 Weeks of Giving challenge by volunteering and doing a variety of different activities. 

First, they brought the newspapers they cut for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.  The WRC will use the newspapers that are cut to a specific size to line the cages for the orphaned and injured animals that they will start receiving in April.

Sophia and Olivia outside the Wildlife Resource Center with

two bags of cut newspapers.

The girls and one of the WRC staff inside the building.

The walls had interesting pictures of the WRC’s work

with helping animals.

On Sunday, Olivia sang in the children’s choir at church.  Sophia was not feeling well (after being sick for many days), so she was unable to sing at the service.

Olivia in the front row singing (she’s the one to the far right).

Another way the girls helped was at home when the new refrigerator was delivered.  Since the items in the refrigerator could not be unloaded until the last minute, they helped unload all the food as well as clean off the sides and front of the refrigerator that had their artwork and magnets.

Refrigerator before the girls unloaded it.

It was nice to go through each of the items on the counter and only put the food back that we would eat and that was good for us. This effort was part of Project Simplify which was a five-week project that tackled some of the more challenging areas of one’s home.

The new refrigerator in much better shape!

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