Category: Patterns of Homemaking

Methods that make life flow smoothly and efficiently.

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Hydrogen Peroxide: My Gentle Disinfectant

I use Hydrogen peroxide to disinfect. It is a gentler disinfectant than bleach, so it takes time to do its work rather than having immediate bacteria killing powers. I do purchase Clorox wipes and bleach on occasion when I know I will need something powerful and quick to nip something. For instance, in the old-farmhouse where we lived, the bathroom had very poor ventilation. So, black mold continually appeared on the walls and ceilings. I purchased bleach to clean it. I found the bleach not only quickly killed the mold, but whitened it so the spores no longer showed. I also used bleach to clean my toilets because we had unfiltered well water which I think promoted growth of a fungus in the toilets. Only the bleach worked to whiten and kill those spores. I also buy Clorox wipes on occasion. For instance, when we moved, we had a lot of cleaning to do, both in the old home and in the new, so I bought Clorox wipes to hasten those wipe-down jobs. Although I prefer a safer, gentler approach to sanitize my home on a regular basis, I have been known to use chemical methods as needed. Chemicals are only used after my gentle, natural methods are proven ineffective.

I get the diluted form of hydrogen peroxide from the first-aid aisle in a pharmacy. It is a 3% H2O2 solution, which from my reading has been proven to be more than enough to destroy harmful microbes. It comes in an opaque bottle because hydrogen peroxide is light sensitive and easily dissipates. As this link states from the CDC hydrogen peroxide turns into water and oxygen– a good thing when it comes to the environment and health safety. There are those who would disagree with me, but I do not believe hydrogen peroxide is safe for internal consumption. It is poorly absorbed by skin and safe to inhale, so I am comfortable using it to clean my home. I usually leave hydrogen peroxide in its original container, and squirt it out as needed. However, it could be used in a dark, opaque, spray bottle as well.

Hydrogen Peroxide is effective at whitening, killing most unfriendly bacteria, and is odorless, which is great for sensitive airways.
How I use Hydrogen Peroxide:

Bathroom Cleaner: I squirt a dry thin rag with hydrogen peroxide until the rag is well soaked. Then I wipe down my counter-tops, sinks, and sometimes even the floors in my bathroom. I squirt a few drops around my toilet rims, and use toilet paper to wipe it around and away. I do not use it in the shower currently, but if one feels the shower is in need of disinfecting, it could be used there after the shower or bath as a daily shower cleaner, or it could be used as a rinse after the soap scum and minerals have been scrubbed away.

General Sanitizing: In the same way a Clorox or Lysol wipe could be used, I use a cloth squirted with hydrogen peroxide to wipe down computer keyboards, remote controls, cell phones, door-knobs, and light switches.

Kitchen Uses: Hydrogen Peroxide can be used to clean up after cutting raw poultry. A small squirt on a counter or cutting board will disinfect. It can also be used to disinfect sinks, floors, counters, cupboard handles, and appliance surfaces. I just use a cloth with a good amount of hydrogen peroxide poured on it.

Fruit and Veggie Wash: Soaking fruits and vegetables in a water and hydrogen solution will help kill harmful bacteria. I use this method to clean my produce, especially, if I am doing bulk, food prep for canning or freezing. It takes about 10-15 minutes to adequately kill bacteria, so I let my veggies and fruit soak in the solution for that time, and sometimes even a bit longer. After a hydrogen peroxide soak, I rinse off the produce and scrub with a brush before preparing the food.

I know there are many more ways to enlist Hydrogen Peroxide in the home, but I tend to stick to what works for me at present. I am happy with its results. I bounce between my used of H2O2 and white vinegar as needed. I do believe vinegar has similar properties and can be used to help sanitize. But I am uncertain that it is quite as effective as hydrogen peroxide. And vinegar does have a potent smell, for those like me who don’t want their house to smell like pickles after they clean.

For more study on the scientific research done with hydrogen peroxide, I have posted helpful article from various state cooperative extensions and the CDC below:

Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities (2008)

Cleaning & Sanitizing the Kitchen
Using inexpensive household food-safe products

Medical Management Guidelines for Hydrogen Peroxide

On-farm Food Safety:
Cleaning and Sanitizing Guide

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The Role of White Vinegar in My Home

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I know I do not use white vinegar to it’s full extent. To be perfectly honest, it isn’t my favorite cleaning agent because I do not like the smell. I know some folks add essential oils and water to their vinegar to change the smell, but oils don’t get rid of the acidic vinegar smell, they only change it slightly. However, I reason that I have used cleaning chemicals in the past that are so strong, I had to hold my breath while I scrubbed; then leave the room periodically to get a gasp of air. White vinegar might stink, but it isn’t doing my body harm, it isn’t going to cause birth defects or hormone disruption, and is so safe, I could drink it. So, I can get past the temporary smell in light of vinegar’s good traits. And since vinegar seems to clean, and deodorize effectively, it is my current choice to do certain jobs.
These are the ways white vinegar comes into play in my home:

Shower, Tubs, and Sinks: I use white vinegar in combination with baking soda to clean areas in my bathroom that get a buildup of soap and minerals. I have dealt with hard water stains, and other than getting a good water softener system, I do not know of a natural method to remove those stains.

  1. Start with a wet surface, either just after the shower has been used, or I spray/wipe down the walls with water to get them wet, this moisture allows the baking soda to adhere.
  2. Dust the shower walls and sinks with baking soda. The soda can be left for a time to absorb any hard stains.
  3. Spray the baking soda dusted shower and sink with vinegar. A slight fizzy action should occur. The reaction between the two agents softens soap scum and breaks down the hard water stains allowing me to gently wipe the walls down with my long handled shower scrubber or a cleaning rag.
  4. Rinse out the shower and sink with hot water.
  5. To disinfect, finish off with a spray of hydrogen peroxide.

Appliances: Most manufacturers recommend maintaining appliances such as a washer and dryer with regular cleaning cycles. Products can be purchased to do the job, or it can be done by adding two cups of white vinegar or bleach to an empty cleaning cycle (check manufacturing instructions to confirm). My washing machine and my dishwasher both recommend using vinegar, and they both have a self-clean setting which I also engage. I usually clean both my washer and dishwasher at least once a month by adding vinegar to an empty cycle.

Laundry: Vinegar breaks down long set orders in clothing. If a garment is harboring an unwanted odor, even after a regular wash, an overnight soak in white vinegar is the cure. Then I just throw it in a regular load of wash to get rid of the vinegar odor. It comes out fresh.

Wrinkle Removal: While working as a seamstress in a tailoring and alteration shop, I learned that a spray of white vinegar works magic on removing stuborn creases and fold lines left from lengthening garments. So, I spray a little on garments when needed to help remove tough wrinkles or unwanted folds.

Pet Oder Neutralization: This is a role that I recently discovered about vinegar. We have a cat. He spends the night inside a shed and the days outside in the sun. The shed took on a peculiar odor since he moved in there. Even after I cleaned the cat litter, the odor remained. I found by spraying the walls and floors with white vinegar, the odor disappears. I also soak anything with cat odor in vinegar, and find vinegar eliminates the animal smell. So, vinegar is effective at neutralizing pet odors.

I do not use vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner, window cleaner, or disinfectant. I do not find it does those jobs suitably on its own. In my post, “Household Cleaning on the Cheap, Practical, and Natural,” I discuss the various products I use to keep my house clean. Vinegar does have its vital role in my home and I am grateful for it.

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Household Cleaning on the Cheap, Practical, and Natural

There are four reasons I choose to use natural cleaning products:

  1. Financially Prudent-Natural products are cheap. White vinegar is less than three dollars for a hundred and twenty-eight fluid ounces. A box of baking soda is less than fifty cents. And a bottle of hydrogen peroxide runs less than a dollar. I have spent hundreds of dollars on cleaning products in my lifetime, but in reality the same job can be done for a lot less expense.
  2. Simple-I don’t need a closet full of cleaning products to clean every surface in my house. I can have a spotless house by using only a few basic, and appropriate products. The cleaning aisle in a grocery store is potent with commercialism. To just clean a bathroom, I can find: shower cleaners, toilet cleaners, tile cleaners, multi-surface bathroom cleaners, and glass cleaners. That is five products just for one room! My entire cleaning product list for my home is about five items. And I don’t purchase any of those items in the cleaning product aisle.
  3. Versatile- I can use baking soda as a gentle cleaning scrub for my toilets and bathtub, as well as an oven cleaner and sink scrub. Baking soda is multi-tasks in my home as a de-greasing, whitening, and de-scumming agent. Hydrogen peroxide is a great disinfectant, not only for injuries, but for the bathroom and kitchen as well. White vinegar, is cheap and works effectively as a multi-surface cleaner and mild disinfectant. Combined with baking soda, vinegar has an extra power boost to remove scum and grease.
  4. Natural-I believe natural products are better for the environment, of which caring is part of the stewardship the Lord has given humanity. I also believe, or at least hope, that using natural products whenever I can is easier on my family’s hormones and overall health than chemical products.

My Regular Cleaning Products

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White Vinegar: I used to purchase cleaning vinegar. Cleaning vinegar is more concentrated than standard white vinegar and therefore a better disinfectant and cleaner. However, I found it was not necessary. I did not notice a difference in the cleaning capability between the two vinegar products. And although I needed less concentrated vinegar for cleaning than standard white vinegar, I still found myself using the same amount. I also like multi-tasking products. White vinegar can be used in cooking, but not cleaning vinegar. For more details on how I use white vinegar see my blog-post, “The Role of White Vinegar in My Home.”

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Hydrogen Peroxide: I use hydrogen peroxide in my bathroom and kitchen as a disinfectant. It kill harmful bacteria and helps me keep those places in my home adequately sanitized. For more details about how I use Hydrogen Peroxide, check out my blogpost: “Hydrogen Peroxide: My Gentle Disinfectant.”

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Baking Soda: My favorite cleaning product. Baking soda gets a workout in my home. Baking soda does a lot more than make chocolate chip cookies rise! It is my scrubber, whitener, deodorizer, and cuts grease. (TIP: I have found it cheapest at Aldi, but Wal-Mart is not far behind in price).

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Cheap oil: I use coconut oil. I get coconut oil very inexpensively by buying it in bulk and storing it in the freezer, however, olive oil or another inexpensive oil can do the job. A little warm oil rubbed into wood and hard floors does wonders. I sometimes add a drop or two of an essential oil for bug deterrent and scent.

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Hot Water: Boiling water is a great cleaning agent on its own. I use hot water for a variety of cleaning jobs, but often mix it with baking soda, vinegar, or oil, depending on what I am cleaning. I often boil a big pot of water for washing my kitchen and bathroom floors.

My Cleaning Tools

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Microfiber cloths: I was gifted a set of microfiber cleaning cloths from my sister a few years ago and have found the uses of microfiber cloths to be many. I use a dry fine fiber cloth to clean windows…no spray cleaner is needed. I use a courser cloth for basic dusting. It gets the dust off my furniture without the use of any cleaning agent.

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Rags: I like washable rags. I do not buy paper towels. I re-purpose cloth baby diapers, old hand towels, old dish-cloths, and old T-shirts as cleaning rags. I use rags for all sorts of things. Primarily, rags are used for cleaning my floors since I don’t use a wet mop. I can see the floor a lot better if I am close to it. I can also get every corner with a rag. I feel a mop misses a lot of cleaning potential. I know the day will come when scrubbing floors on my knees will be too physically taxing to do, but until then, I will boil water and scrub my floors by hand.

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Bucket: any large mop bucket will do. I find them useful as “sick” buckets, or “laundry soaking” buckets as well. Honestly, there is no end to the use of a cheap plastic mop bucket. I have a couple.

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Broom and Dustpan: A broom and dustpan is used several times a day in my house…generally in my kitchen and generally after each meal. I like a simple grass broom and plastic dustpan. Nothing says a house is clean as well as a clean floor.

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Vacuum: I believe every household should have a really good vacuum, it is worth the investment. My husband bought me a Dyson years ago, and it cleans better than any vacuum I have ever owned. I would empty a regular vacuum bag every month, but the Dyson is full after one cleaning. So, I believe the Dyson gets a lot more dirt out of my floors than a cheaper vacuum. After switching from carpet to wood flooring, I find the Dyson works just as effectively on the wood floors as it did the carpet. A lot of vacuums are less effective or require adjustments between various surfaces.

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Dust-mop: This is a recent purchase now that our house has wood floors. I like the quiet, cleaning power of a dust-mop on my wood floors. I choose to buy an inexpensive mop with a washable mop-head. I do not want to be out money on a regular basis for products like Swiffer cloths for my mop.

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Scrub brush: Usually, I use the brush for carpets, but it has worked on some tough surface stains as well.

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Rubber Gloves: I often protect my hands while cleaning. I get dry skin pretty easily, especially in winter months, or if I am pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, when I use hot water, it is usually at a temperature too hot to touch, but the gloves make it tolerable. I also find that I am willing to get into crevasses and nasty places if my hands are protected.

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Long handled Shower Scrubber: This is a tool I would have never thought to purchase on my own. But my husband, who has done a lot of cleaning in his lifetime, found it to be a very useful tool. So he bought me the shower scrubber. Since I am petite, I have found the long handled scrubber to be a valuable addition to my cleaning tools. I am able to clean the bathtub walls and ceiling with ease. The scrubber is a triangle shape, so it gets corners and edges suitably as well.

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Toilet brush-Nothing special. This is the tool I use for cleaning toilets. I clean with baking soda and white vinegar, and scrub with a regular old toilet brush.

Occasional Uses

Peppermint, cinnamon, and lavender oil: Both Peppermint and Cinnamon are insect and spider deterrents, so I often use them in warmer months on the floor baseboard to keep insects at bay. I use a mixture of lavender oil with a sprinkling of baking soda on my carpets to help deodorized them on occasion.

Murphy’s Oil: A natural classic-my grandmother has used it, my mother has used it, and I still do use it. Murphy’s Oil is a MOSTLY natural cleaning product. I use it to clean all my floors and wash down wood walls and surfaces as well. I reserve it for a periodic thorough cleaning. It is not a part of my regular routine. Murphy’s Oil brightens floors and surfaces better than the natural products I use, yet is a product I am comfortable using.

Natural Dish Soap: My favorite dish soap is a Canadian Brand called Attitude. I find Attitude dish soap to be affordable if bought in bulk online. And it works just as effectively as Dawn, which is unusual for a natural product. Attitude dish soap is also thick, unlike many watered down natural dish-washing soaps.

Magic Erasers: These are an essential item in my household. I do not know how my mother cleaned without them. They are great to remove finger smudges from the walls, brighten the chrome on faucets, clean stainless steel, and they have never failed to get paint and marker stains out of my counter tops. I keep Magic Erasers on hand for the times nothing else will work.

OxiClean powder: This is a product I have used for more than clothing stains. A mixture of OxiClean and hot water remove most carpet stains. I have used OxiClean to spot clean my carpets for several years.

Up to this point in life, I have used a large variety of store bought, commercially made cleaning products. There was even a time I made my own cleaning solutions by mixing various natural ingredients. And I also have spent extra money to purchase naturally based cleaners. Natural-store bought products are pricey and often a disappointment. The chemically based products often work great, but also cost money and are questionable in their safety for humans and environment. Home-made products can work, but take time. I also found a lot of ingredients aren’t necessary to clean effectively. So, I don’t create mixtures or buy specialized products anymore. I fill a spray bottle with white vinegar, poke a few holes in a box of baking soda, and that is about it. I will discuss in more detail through separate posts as to how I clean and use each product.

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Smart Phone: Friend or Foe?

I got my first cell-phone when I was dating my husband in 2007. It has been a little over ten years since I have owned a cell. It has become so much a part of my life, I cannot remember how I managed without it. A smart phone, is truly more than a phone, it is my brain. But as I have trended through the years with a cell-phone, I have realized that it can be a useful tool in my hands, or a tool that is destructive. Like everything in my life, I weigh it in the balance of value.

My perspective on my phone is that it is a tool. It is a tool for my housekeeping, children’s education, Spiritual growth, necessary calls, and building relationships. I have rules as to how I use my phone. And I ALWAYS stick to them.

My phone never comes between me and real people. I purpose to ignore it, even silence it, when we have family or friends visiting, we are spending time together as a family, or I am on a date with my husband. I don’t look at it during a conversation unless I tell the person I am with what I am doing and it pertains to our conversation. I do not answer a call or text when I am with someone, with the exception of my husband or babysitter if I am not with him at the time.

I do not use my phone for entertainment. I do not have games, movies, or apps on my phone. I don’t use it to kill time. I don’t have time to kill time. If I am sitting still with my phone, I am texting a friend, working on a grocery list, or shopping online for something we need…like recently house-hunting. Soon…Christmas gift shopping. But I spend time on my phone only when I purposed to do so. Generally Sunday mornings are very calm in our homes and I have an hour of quiet before we go to church. Saturday’s are also a little different from weekdays and I may spend time working on something on my phone. So, I do use my phone, but it is purposed. Last night, I was finalizing my grocery list, which I had been working on little by little throughout the day. I didn’t get it done until my husband and I sat down together after the children were in bed.

If an app is becoming a time sponge, I delete it from my phone. As I try to keep eternity in perspective, random phone browsing becomes a frivolous task. There are loads of great ideas out there, but if I am not purposeful in my pursuit of knowledge, it becomes useless noise in my life. I have found a lot of apps were more of a distraction to my home than a blessing. How silly to tell my child, “I am trying to find some great ideas about how to home-school,” instead of taking that time to read her a book? She doesn’t need a lot of eye-candy to learn, just love and MY TIME. I have simplified my pursuit of information by choosing only to look up something if there is a need. And even then, I try to go to books before the internet. I find books to be a more reliable source of information and less consuming than a phone. I have deleted great apps like Pinterest, Facebook, and Zulily. Because they are simply taking too much of my precious time from the eternal pursuits that are most precious.

I don’t look up health information on my phone. This rule is one I had to adopt a few years ago as I realized how often I had misdiagnosed myself or the children through Web MD. Put in a list of symptoms and one can diagnose themselves with anything from terminal cancer to a bug bite. The loads of information on health bred a heart of fear in me. It does me no good to know too much about what I don’t know for certain. I rely on articles, books, and real people for my medical information. That includes my knowledge on health and nutrition. I don’t read posts from Dr. Axe anymore. But I will check out stacks of books at our local library and have read some fantastic and very helpful books.

My phone is not attached to my body. I usually put it on the kitchen counter, and it stays there pretty much all day. I don’t carry it around the house with me, unless, I am going to be spending time pressing Jim’s shirts. Then, I will listen to podcasts or something to fill my head with good thoughts.

How I use my phone:

I use my phone to aid in my housekeeping. I create my grocery lists on my phone as I discussed in my post: My Modern Shopping Techniques. I also use my phone to purchase a lot online. I find I can score great deals and have it shipped to my door for less than I can drive and purchase an item locally. I also buy used clothes on E-Bay and Poshmark for myself and family. I use a note app to make to-do lists and plan menus. I also make a list of errands in order for shopping day.

I purpose my phone to be used for my Spiritual edification. I listen to several preaching podcasts daily. I also keep the ESV Bible app on my phone.

Of course I use my phone for necessary calls. Setting up appointments, ordering a birthday cake, calling for information about insurance…. We all have those business, un-fun calls to make. And that is certainly a necessary use of my phone.

My phone is also for building relationships. Other than texting my husband daily, I text or call family members and friends. I make a point to keep up with people by using my phone. I text pictures of my children to their grandparents. When someone asks me to pray for them, or I volunteer to pray for a concern someone has, I like to touch base on occasion and see what God is doing in their lives. I also text to simply see how an old friend is doing. I also try to judge why I am texting. Very often, a phone call is more personal and clear than a text, so I try to be cautious about over-texting and making sure I am calling people as needed. I had a friend from church who is praying for me randomly call me last week to see how I was doing. It was refreshing to get a personal call. It meant more to me to hear her voice and we got a lot of conversation in five minutes that could have never fit in five minutes of texting so beautifully. Honestly, an old-fashioned phone call is lovely. I have discovered that although texting might seem convenient and un-intrusive, most people want their lives to be intruded upon.

So my phone is a wonderful tool for many things of eternal value. But it’s use does have its place. I don’t want to miss out on creating or savoring a moment with my loved ones in the room because I am on my phone. Very often, my phone can wait. And I have never regretted putting it down to pull build railroads on the floor with my children.

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My Modern Shopping Techniques

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My mother created a grocery spreadsheet on her computer. She spent time every other week going through her list on the computer and marking down everything we needed to buy. She wrote items in short hand to save space and time. She did not coupon or shop sales. She loves getting everything in one store and getting it done efficiently. My mother is a goal oriented shopper.

Then I come along, and I am a little of both mother and grandmother. My shopping methods have changed throughout the years. I am certain most woman find that to be the case. When it was just me and my husband, we often got groceries together and there was not the concern for budget and time or even nutrition that children bring into the picture. Now that I have four children, time, budget, and nutrition have become the basis of my meal planning, grocery lists, and shopping trips. I also consider the stress factor. Taking four children in and out of a car, missing nap times, or being gone during lunch, all play a role. So I try to keep life simple, and as stress free as possible. I keep our errands down to one or two stops, and no more. I often plan to buy or bring a snack for the children to eat in the car as we journey. (Note: I plan the treats, we don’t get to the store and beg for this and that. We either already have something in the car, or I told them they could pick out a pretzel at Lidl or get a box of goldfish crackers at Aldi). I also combine shopping trips on days we are already doing something like a doctor’s appointment. That saves us the hassle of going out more than once a week. We don’t get fast-food lunches while out. That is costly. If I know we are not going to make it home by lunch, I pack them something. They love it, and so do I.

In our era of technology, shopping itself is undergoing a transition from my mother and grandmother’s generations. Online shopping and smartphones both play a huge role in my shopping lists and purchases. I find I can easily check out deals from various stores with the store apps. I also can see if an online order would be advantageous.

In our current location, I have found Aldi generally has the best quality for the best prices ON FOOD. I also like the fact that the store is small, and I can get through it quickly with my cart loaded with children. We also have Lidl and Walmart where I seek out deals. Target and CVS also come into play and I typically get PAPER GOOD, DIAPERS, and WASHING SUPPLIES from those two stores.

How I make a Grocery List

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I use the Walmart grocery pick-up app. Many Walmart stores offer free pick-up. By using the grocery app, I can create a list and use it to quickly compare prices at other stores.

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A day or two before we get groceries, I browse ads from local grocery stores, in particular, Aldi and Lidl. Aldi and Lidl have comparable prices, but Aldi is far superior in quality. Lidl however does come up with some surprisingly good produce and meat deals. So I watch them both. I will plan my shopping trip by going to the store that has the best deals for the weekend. On a rare occasion that may include a couple of stores, usually one to get the majority of groceries and another to run in and stock up on a Coupons? particular deal.

Using my Walmart list, I shop through Aldi. Since the Walmart app lists a price for each item, I can see my shopping total and easily compare between Walmart and any other store. For instance, I can see that a gallon of whole milk is $3.29 at Walmart, while I am at Aldi, they are selling a gallon of milk for $2.98. So, I pick up the milk at Aldi for $2.98, and delete it from my Walmart list. Sometimes an item is cheaper at Walmart than Aldi. For instance, a pound of butter is about $2.50 at Aldi, however, if I purchase the two pack at Walmart the butter is only $1.99 a pound. So I leave that on my list and will get it at Walmart. Whatever is left at the end of my trip to Aldi, I get at Walmart. I will either send my order to our Wal-Mart pick-up store and go pick it up at a later date, or run by a store and get those items that day. It depends on the day.

Coupons? I don’t clip coupons anymore. I used to be an avid coupon shopper, but coupons seem to continually decrease in value. I also kept finding that I would get the paper only to clip out one coupon. I simply don’t most items promoted on coupons. I don’t purchase many cleaning products, I don’t buy a lot of prepared food, and name brands are still more costly than generic even with a coupon added. Besides, Aldi doesn’t accept coupons, and I like the simplicity of that. I do use coupon on apps like Target and Lidl. This past week Lidl had a coupon for a pound of pure maple syrup at 50% off. Target has a cartwheel feature on their store app, they also have coupons that can be printed. CVS and Walgreens also have apps with coupons. CVS allows me to send coupons to my store card.

My shopping rules:

  1. Don’t by name brand items-generally I have found various store brands to be equal in quality and much more reasonable in price than a name brand. The white kitchen trash bags in Target’s Up and Up brand are superior in quality to the similar versions in Glad or Hefty. Most of the food we eat is created from a staple product in my kitchen. It is economical and healthy.
  2. Stick to Staples. Like my mini wardrobe, staple items in the kitchen are the building blocks for any meal. I can create a lot more variety with a box of macaroni or a package of jasmine rice than I can with a box of mac’n cheese and seasoned rice. I can do anything with a whole chicken, Asian, Mexican, Roasting, Soup, Strogenoff, Thai, African, Sweet and Sour…but a pre-seasoned or rotisserie chicken is what is it…nothing more.
  3. If something is added to the list, take something off the list. I have a budget for the month for groceries. I divide that amount up per week, and stick to it. Generally, my goal is to even purchase items below my weekly allotment, because I know there will always be an item I run out of before expected to purchase it. Like milk, tissues, diapers, or dish soap. In an effort to keep myself under the grocery bill allotment for the week, I do not buy items that are not on my list. This works great if my children ask me if they can pick up a box of cereal or something else that catches their eye. I just tell them “it is not on the list.” For some reason, that works. If it is not on the list, we don’t buy it. I do give myself room for a few exceptions though. If there is an item I choose to purchase that is not on my list, I substitute it for an item on my list. For instance, if I get to the store and find the peaches are at an amazing price and they look fabulous, I will pick up peaches, and remove the apples from my list. It doesn’t always work out that the items are of equal value, but I do my best to keep my budget balance, by allowing little room for a drastic price change.
  4. Remove any non-essentials from the list before going shopping. I often create a list of all the items we need on my Wal-Mart list. Then as I shop, I ask myself if it is something we can live without for another week, or it is something we need now? It is amazing how many items are either luxury items and can wait…especially if it is the end of the month when my grocery well is about dry. I will even pass up sales of items I do not truly need. It is cheaper not to buy at all than to buy an item on sale.
  5. Don’t habitually make-unplanned shopping trips. Those spur of the moment trips to the store, even to grab one needed item. They not only take valuable time, but always cost more than a planned trip. For instance, if I need a gallon of milk, and I run into a store, I am often going to choose a store that is an easy in and out, and will pay more for that gallon of milk than is reasonable. I inevitably will be lured into purchasing a couple other items on my way through the store. Even if those extra items are on sale, that trip still cost me more than it should have. So, planning is essential to avoid spur of the moment excursions to the store. I need to know how much milk we go through in a week so I can get it at once and not have to run out before my scheduled shopping trip to get more. Menu planning, grocery planning, and a little time spent in knowing where the best prices can be found are essential to a good grocery trip. Yesterday was Wednesday, I usually get groceries toward the end of each week, but we had simply run out of milk. I either purchased too little or we used more than expected, so I needed to get more milk. Instead of just running out to get milk, I planned my entire shopping trip early. We got everything we would need for the next week and a half.
  6. Know prices. I pay attention to prices. I know the prices of staples our family uses. When we moved from the mid-west to the east, I immediately knew my groceries would cost more here, because the milk at Aldi cost more in The South than in the Mid-West. It is hard to know a good deal on apples if I don’t even know the regular price per pound. So, I have a mental idea of prices and can spot a good deal when I see one, not just because a grocery store tells me it is a good deal either. What might be a good deal at one store, might be the regular price at another store.
  7. Easy on the meat. Meat and cheese are generally some of the most expensive grocery items. I generally purchase meat that is under a dollar a pound. To do that, I wait for sales, and usually only buy certain cuts or uncut meat like whole birds. Whole Chickens are .89 a pound at our Aldi. And who says turkey has to wait until Thanksgiving? A turkey can be priced below a dollar a pound and be a great poultry buy. Often there are sales on chicken breasts, legs, and thighs and when they dip below a dollar a pound, I stock up. I do splurge on beef and buy organic ground beef from Aldi (I have my reasons). I try to make the ground beef last a month or more and use ground turkey for most of our ground meat needs. I generally save the beef for company.
  8. I do the Prep myself. I do not buy foods that have been cut, shredded, or prepared for me. Not only do I find those items to be low quality, but more expensive as well. For instance, pre-shredded cheese might be convenient, but it lacks the creaminess of the cheese I shred myself. I find it to be dry, and it is coated with cornstarch to prevent it sticking in the bag. It doesn’t cook up or melt the same as the cheese I shred myself. I can buy a 32 ounce block of cheese for $7 and shred it my food processor when we get home. It is far cheaper and tastier than the pre-shredded cheese. The same thought goes for produce and meat. Produce looses nutrients when it is cut as well, so I am doing my family a favor by cutting it as we need it. I do not buy the little carrots pre-cut. Not only are they serious choking hazards, but far more expensive than a pound of organic carrots for .99. I can cut them into sticks myself.

And that is pretty much my philosophy and methods of getting food and essentials for our home. I imagine it will change through time. And I also don’t believe it is the best method for everyone. My grandmother would find my method of shopping very unsuitable for one person. And larger family may find buying bulk foods from Costco or Sams to be the most effective method of getting groceries. I do hold to the fact that planning is essential for any effective shopping trip and I also believe, no matter the size of the grocery budget, we are to be wise stewards. A large or non-existent grocery budget does not permit us Christians the freedom to spend carelessly. We are also held accountable for our time. I don’t believe we should over-obsess in the process of getting groceries. It can become materialism if we are obsessed with the best deals and always printing coupons. So, again, moderation is essential to biblical living.

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My Recipe Book

Shortly after I got married, I began collecting recipes. I had two recipe files for a long time. One was full of recipes with pictures that I had cut from magazines. The other file was family recipes from both my family and my husband’s family. It did not take long for me to realize the card system was ineffective for me. 1) I would pull a recipe out to use and it. But the recipes never seemed to get back in their alphabetical order. So I wasted my time organizing and putting recipes back in order. Or spent unnecessary time looking for specific recipes that were not in order. 2) I found a recipe card file uninspiring. When I planned meals, I had to go through various files and categories to figure out what meals to plan. It was an ordeal. 3) I was not constantly aware of the recipes I had. I forgot good recipes, made bad ones again, and simply spent a lot of time feeling lost in my recipe box. I found books to be a favorite source of recipes. I used Good Housekeeping and the red checkered cookbook for my staple recipes. I also depended on the internet for recipes. The problem with the internet was that I often lost or forgot about good recipes. And I spent a lot of time simply looking. Although I still have a couple of online resources I refer to on occasion: The Pioneer Woman and Smitten Kitchen. I don’t use the internet as heavily as I once did. As I set up house my first year of marriage, there was a lot of experimentation as I learned to cook regularly for two. As I cooked, I began developing my own cookbook for home use. I typed out my favorite recipes, added a picture, a space for notes, and sent it to an office store for printing. Since I created my first personal cookbook, I have created a half-dozen more for friends and family. It is an invaluable method to store recipes. I love my own cookbook because: 1) It is never out-of-order. I don’t have to straighten up my recipe box or find list recipes. It saves a lot of time sorting. 2) Everything is categorized in easy sections with a picture, so I can easily look up the recipe on my mind or flip through the notebook for an idea. 3) I can easily update the book by printing off recipes and slipping them into a plastic sheet protector in the book. I can also remove unused recipes and trash them as needed. So I am never inundated with recipes I don’t use. 4) I can read the typing easier than handwritten recipes. So there are no mistakes due to mis-reading Grandma’s shaky scribbles. Typing is also fast compared to writing out a recipe. 5) I have a place to add notes about changes I might have made to the recipe. Unlike recipe cards that have little room for notes. (I can insert my children’s artwork as well). 6) I cover the pages in plastic sheet protectors so if there is any spill or splatter, my recipe isn’t ruined. I just wipe and move on. 7) I don’t have to worry about sizes. Sometimes recipe boxes can be full of 3×5 cards, 4×8 cards, folded cards, papers, newspaper clippings, and recipes cut from magazines. Those boxes are not without their charm, but they are not efficient and practical for my life. 8) I have all the recipes I use in one place. I now rarely use cookbooks or internet for my everyday basic cooking. If there is a recipe in a certain cookbook that I use frequently, I simply put that recipe in my own book. 9) Recipes people give me, or I discover throughout the year can go directly into my book or I slip them in a pocket in the front cover and update the book at one time. I have used this notebook method to store my recipes going on ten years now. I have no desire to go back to the cards, although I hang onto Grandma’s torn, yellowed, scribbling about of how to make tamales, but strictly for sentimental reasons. 20180824_150848.jpg Continue reading “My Recipe Book”

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Maintaining a Tidy Home with children

Chaos is the opposite of order, and as a homemaker, I choose order. Why is neatness important? My biblical responsibilities to keep home run deeper than keeping up with the laundry, cleaning house, and making food. How I manage my household, devopes the atmosphere of my home. If my home is in chaos, cluttered, and dirty, it portrays a restlessness. It gives a sense of mismanagement on my part, which can cause my family and guests to feel unwelcome, uneasy, and stressed. I believe an ordered home is a peaceful home. I am best able to create an atmosphere of peace for my family and guests, if my home is run with methods and purpose to those methods.

Keeping the house tidy with four little people is no small task. But I rest on a few guidline that are very helpful in keeping our home in a state of order. I did not say completely pristine, but in order.
My methods for keeping an ordered home are as follows:

  1. Every item we own belongs somewhere. It is difficult to put something away, if there is no “away” for that item. So, there needs to be a designated home for each toy, book, paintbrush, and Lego.
  2. Every object in the home must serve a purpose. I purge our home constantly. The children’s things go through regular cleansing. After each birthday, after Christmas, and during seasons of growth, I move out unused, broken, or outgrown clothes and toys. Removing items that are no longer serving purpose makes room for new toys and items that are being used. I do the same in my kitchen.
  3. No one get’s out a new project or toy until the current project is put away. Chaos is created when my children are allowed to go from making one mess in one room to making another mess in another room. Before I know it, every room in the house has been destroyed. So, the policy is that each item must be picked up completely before moving on to the next thing.
  4. There is no rest until we pick up the mess. Before naps and before bed at night, ALL the rooms in the house must be straightened up. I do not let the children leave things out to play with after naps. I have come to realize that my children never want to go back to that same item after sleeping. Besides, getting up to and then having to pick up right away is drudgery. So, if everything is neat before the children rest, it is a joy for us all to start into something fresh or simply play outside. The same policy extends for bedtime. Before bed all toys games, books, clothes, and such must be put away. I do not let them go to sleep until their room is neat.
  5. A general pick up before Daddy comes home. I am all about creating an atmosphere of peace and joy in our home. Stuff all over the house does not bring a peace of mind to anyone. Stuff is distracting from conversation and rest. So, when it is close to when my husband comes home from a long day at work, we do a general straighten up with the children. So, my husband is not faced with chaos upon arriving home. My husband has no idea how messy our house might have looked all afternoon. A pick-up in the early evening, also makes the before bedtime pick-up tear-free, because all that needs to be put away are the items they used after dinner.
  6. Make messes! But Clean them Up. I greatly encourage my children to be creative, and getting messy is part of creativity. But I do not embrace the messy part of creative minds as right. Creative people can learn to be neat and orderly too. Right now, I have a kitchen counter full of finger-paint drawings, the living room has yards of wooden train tracks, and a sofa full of books. Three messes made by three different children. We might have a house that is a bit messy right now, but there is a little girl currently playing in each mess. That little girl will pick up her own mess when she is done. The key is that when we make a mess, we don’t leave it. We ALWAYS pick it up. And my children are ingrained with that concept. Learning to pick up one’s own mess is a good life skill. Because even as an adult, I make messes. I need to take responsibility for the mess I make, and clean it up.
  7. If mommy’s help is required to clean up a mess, those toys or projects can only be used with permission. There are messes that require adult help in putting away correctly. Sleeping bags somehow never make it back correctly in their sacks, cushions never get straight back on the sofa, play-dough will need to be swept, finger paint leaves brushes and counters to be washed. So my rule is that I must be asked before those types of play are used. I know what I have to do each day, and if I can incorporate picking up certain things into my day.

Putting into practice these seven steps has helped me immensely to keep our house neat on a regular basis. I am able to keep up, because regular messes are tended to as they are made. Messing and picking-up are one item-not separate ententes in our home. I am able to cultivate an orderly home that is not burdened with stress and chaos. Through having order an atmosphere of peace can be created.

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My Mini Wardrobe

After I had my fourth baby a year ago, I quickly realized that I had a closet full of nothing to wear. I had outfits that suited me in my twenties, but I had physically changed and those clothes no longer fit nor complimented me at my age. I owned an eclectic assortment of clothing some bohemian, some trendy, some classic, some…who knows…. Putting a decent outfit together with what I had in my closet was a constant challenge. I had a closet bursting with clothes and nothing to wear. I felt it was time for change. I needed to adopt a style that would keep me looking classy the rest of my life.

So I began reading. The classic French women struck me. French women effortlessly keep up with fashion yet, always looks timeless. Through my reading on French culture, I came across an amazing concept from the book, Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Parisby Jennifer L.Scott. Jennifer discussed the idea of a wardrobe that consisted of about ten items. Her idea was that a wardrobe does not need to have a lot of clothes to serve its purpose. She proposed that the items in a wardrobe be as high quality as a person’s budget allows. Also, each of those items in the wardrobe should fit well and flatter the wearer. I also read up on popular capsule wardrobe. I combined Jennifer’s ten item concept, with my version of capsule wardrobe so all my items work together. And I am completely thrilled with the outcome.

I have four basic tops, two pair of jeans-white and navy, a short classic khaki skirt, and four dresses in neutral solids and one floral dress. To layer my clothes, I have two sweaters and a light poplin blazer. Everything in my closet is my favorite. The colors in my wardrobe are neutral, mostly revolving around navy. The color navy is a tip I latched onto from Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange. Ines felt that navy was just as classy a color as black. But navy is more friendly and less stoic than black. I believe she is correct, and also capitalize on navy, but also include bits of red and white, and other neutral shades like khaki, grey, and black. My color pops are my accessories like shoes, my handbag, and multicolored scarves. This fall, I will rotate out my current items for warm weather to my warmer set of items for colder months.

I have noticed, my perspective on shopping has changed. I don’t just pick up any item. Every piece of clothing has to go with what I already own. The item has to be good quality. And every garment has to fit my body perfectly, or at least be something I can alter. I do not go shopping unless I need something, and even then it is to the internet for used items. I generally buy my clothing used, not new. I can afford better quality if I purchase items second-hand.

After a year of adopting my mini wardrobe, I have discovered that it works very well for me. I never stand in front of my closet in the morning wondering what to wear. I don’t get dressed, look in the mirror and change my mind because my outfit looks bad. I can combine my classic items into amazing outfits easily because all the items work together. I save time tending to clothes. I don’t waste money on bad purchases. My morning is far better spent with other things besides deciding what to wear. I have yet to miss having a wardrobe full of clothes. I delight in putting on anything in my closet. I enjoy creating outfits from the items I own. I LOVE my mini wardrobe.

Perspective: It is easy to get caught up in trends of our day. Minimalism is certainly popular. So it is important to consider the motivation behind something that seems as novel as a small wardrobe. For me, it came down to money and time. I try to use both wisley. The mini wardrobe is simply prudent for my life right now.

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Weekly Laundry Patterns

Laundry is a never-ending task. I always have a load to wash. If my patterns in life change, my loads pile up quickly.
Like my dinner menu guide, I developed a system that works for me, even when I miss a day. I can pick up where I left off and keep on track.

Monday-Weekend Laundry
This is my biggest laundry day of the week. Because I rest from laundry on Sunday, there is an extra day of clothing to wash. I do not schedule sheets, towels, or any extras on Monday. It is strictly to get the laundry from the hampers washed, dried, pressed if needed, and put away. I also try to stay home on Mondays. If I fall behind in Monday’s laundry, the week gets off-balance.

Tuesday-Towels
I still empty the hampers in the house and do the regular clothing laundry, but I add bath towels in a load as well.

Wednesday-Slow Day
This is the day that I have the least laundry all week. Usually only one or two loads is all I need wash.

Thursday-Master Bedroom
I wash the clothes from the hamper in the master bedroom as well as the sheets. I do not do the children’s laundry.

Friday-Children’s Laundry
I wash the sheets and dirty bedding from the children’s room. And I wash all the laundry from the children’s baskets on Fridays.

Saturday-Extra Laundry Day
Fridays are often busy with laundry and errands. So if I am unable to get the children’s sheets washed on Friday, that is what I do on Saturday. I will also throw in the hamper clothes from the Master bedroom. My goal is to have all the laundry baskets empty, and all the dirty laundry washed, dried, pressed, and in its place when Saturday draws to an end. On the occasions I don’t meet my goal, the laundry waits until Monday.

Sunday-I don’t do laundry. I rest from that daily task, unless of course there is an urgent need to wash something.

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Laundry on the Line

I absolutely love hanging my laundry to dry on a line outside. The advantages of line dried laundry are enormous. I dry everything on our laundry line, with except towels. I got too many complaints… and references to sandpaper.

These are some reasons I have fallen in live with line drying my laundry:

1) Line dried laundry requires less ironing than laundry dried in a machine. I am able to hand press twill and jeans while they are wet, and the breeze does the rest.

2) Line drying laundry saves money. Say my dryer costs about .50 an hour to run. For our family, I average 15 loads of laundry a week and my dryer runs about an hour per load. So weekly, my dryer bill would be 7.50. That is not terrible. But 7.50 a week times 52 weeks in a year is $390. Add in a few more loads for swimming, illness and spring cleaning for another $100 or so. And we have spent about $500 a year on drying clothes.

3) Nothing compares to the smell of outdoor fresh. It lingers on sheets and clothing for several days. Outdoor air naturally removes orders and freshening clothes.

4) Line drying is a very gentle method of drying clothes. If I miss treating a stain in the first wash and drying, line dried items are far more forgiving that those baked in a hot dryer. Line drying does not use heat as much as air for drying. So, clothes do not shrink. Clothes are not tumbled around a small barrel for hours, but pinned up and dried in a gentle breeze. Breeze drying does not stretch and pull the fibers of garments, and extends their life and color.

5) Line drying brightens clothes and bleaches out stains naturally. I learned early on in motherhood that milk and baby poop stains on clothing are impossible to remove without the aid of sunshine. How often I have put a stained baby dress in the sun to dry, and the stain disappeared. The sun has removed or faded a lot of stains from my laundry pile.

6) Line drying is therapeutic. Busy days of motherhood need their reprieves. It helps clear my mind to step outside for a few minutes to hang up laundry.

7) Line drying is quiet. When I am not using the laundry line, there is a steady hum and knocking throughout the day as my dryer tumbles clothes. It is not a bad sound, but the silence in the laundry room without a loud machine, is also sweet.