Laundry- money and time saving tips!

Well I'll have you know laundry isn't on my list of fun these days; but with that said laundry does tend to get a bad rap at times. 

I sometimes enjoy laundry, and I sometimes loathe laundry.  However I do feel at times that laundry can be grounding.  It can cause you to slow down.  Stay indoors and chill back, and do some mundane tasks.  I know some people who watch movies while they fold and do it all in one day, and others who do one load a day and call it good. 

I can be either or.  Sometimes I do it all in a day and sometimes I do it through out the week.  I think I do prefer to do the majority of it all in one day.  When I focus on one task at a time I can get more into a groove/rhythm.  Mondays seem to be a good day for laundry.  Catching up from the weekend, and trying to figure out how all of these clothes got strung out all over the floor?

Here are a few things we do around our house to cut back on laundry time, no matter how much I might enjoy it ;)

1.  Keep the kids clothes to a minimum-  This is easier said than done.  Kids are constantly changing sizes, and it seems like the weather is so fickle at times you never know what clothes to have around.  Or there is a gift from friends or family that adds to the clothing pile. Being up on my clothing game is hard.  My goal/aim is to have 4-5 outfits for my kids.  2 church outfits and 2 pairs of pajamas.  That is all I feel they need/ all I feel I can handle with laundry.  

2. Having a designated towel-  One thing that has helped cut back on towel laundry is having our own designated color of towel.  My kids know which one is theirs and there is never any fighting over who gets who towels. Or she/he stole my towel.  It is a simple concept and I am glad we took the plunge to do it.  Now only if my husband and I could get on board with that concept!  We will end up washing the towels about 1-2 times per week.

3. I prefer to use a more natural type of detergent.  I will splurge more on a good laundry soap one  like seventh generation and just use less soap when I put it in the washing machine.

Seventh Generation™ Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent - Blue Eucalyptus and Lavender (150 oz)

Seventh Generation

shop all Seventh Generation

 

I am a huge fan of lavender and could smell this scent all day!   

4.  Washing clothing in cold water.  I heard once upon a time that a lot of the electric bill was from the use the hot water heater.  This way I am not using more electricity then I have to.  I am sure my clothes could possibly be a littler cleaner if I would wash them in hot water but unless the load is really soiled, I stick with cold water.  

5.  Short cycle-  Somtimes I will also save time and money by using the 15 minute washing option on my washer.  I love it.  It is fast and I haven't really noticed a difference in cleanliness.  However if the kids have some clothing that is pretty bad you can bet that I will put if for the full cycle!

 

*oH and last tip, I know my mohter will cringe when she reads this....  I would say 80% of the time I don't fold my kids laundry or my laundry.  I will hang the dresses/ nicer items of my kids and then the rest I just put in their drawer unfolded... I do hang a lot of my clothing as well.  I feel like it can be easier/faster to hang then to fold.

 

 

Hope this was helpful for you.  What are some of your laundry saving money and time tips?  Let's hear what ya got for me!

 

Why I Y (YMCA that Is)

Today I want to talk a little bit about my decision to join the YMCA.  It all started when I realized that I needed to work out.  Not really to lose weight, or get a chiseled body, but to really feel healthy, and take care of my body.

I was hesitant at first to join the Y.  I did not want to spend  the $80 dollars a month on something I didn't know if I would use.  But how would I know if I would use it if I didn't give it a chance?  I struggled in the past with working out consistently.  I tried work outs at home and was never really successful at being consistent.  Usually my kids were right there interrupting my flow when I would try and do yoga poses.  It was near impossible for me not to get frustrated, and quit.

I have tried running in the past with no success.  I am not what you would call a morning person.  In order for me to have to run.  It would have had to be in the morning before everyone woke up.  I would run once or twice but could never stick with it.  I have tried a jogging stroller (which I would use occasionally.)

So  one of the draws to the YMCA was they had a day care for the majority part of the day.  This was huge for me.  I could work out, and the kids could play happy while I was away.  Instead of trying to interrupt me from my workout.  This was a game changer for me.

After having read the book Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin I realized somethings about my personality.  She talks about four different types of personalities.  While I won't go into too much detail:  The first is an Upholder, this person will keep commitments they make to themselves and to others.  Then there are Obligers.  I am an obliger.  Obligers will keep commitments mostly if they make it with another person but not typically a commitment they make it to themselves.  For example, If I tell myself I am going to run this morning, and then when the morning comes and I make up a list of excuses why I shouldn't.  However, if I had called up my friend the night before and asked them if they wanted to meet up at the park and then go for a run, I would be way more apt to do this.  It is all about accountability for me.  Next there are the questioners who will question everything and everyone before they will do it.  And then there are rebels who will make up their own rules and get others to follow along with it.  I do think we probably all possess some of these traits at different times in our lives, but probably one is more dominant in our personality.

So the whole point I am writing this is because I feel like there are some women out there who would be exercising if they found what works for them.  Not everyone needs to join a gym to exercise.  But for some like me it is a good kick starter.  If finding the motivation on your own isn't quite there yet.

I also felt that working out at the Y would give me some needed mental clarity that I just couldn't get at home with all the distraction of home and family.  And always something to clean up;)

You can join the YMCA for a year at a time, or a month at at time, if you are not sure you want to take the big commitment right at first.  Also they have an income based payment option if you are concerned about the cost.

So if you are thinking about joining the Y, I say Just Do It!

What has worked for you to motivate you to work out?  What helps you to be consistent?

How to get rid of the postpartum blues before they begin.

What every Momma should know before they have a baby!

1.  If you start feeling down or don't feel quite like yourself tell someone!  Just the act of telling someone is healing and therapeutic.  This way you are not carrying the burden alone.  Negative thoughts breed negative thoughts, nip those thoughts in the bud at the beginning.  Don't let them stay for too long.  With that said it's OK to have a cruddy day or to feel down sometimes, but don't let it get the best of you.

2.  Get out of the house.  I remember my midwife telling me that you need to get out of the house. This is important when having a new child.  Get out of the house?  But where do I go?  Join a moms group!  This sounded daunting to me.  A moms group was something I had to commit to on a weekly basis.  This was not me at the time.  I didn't want to commit to something.  However looking back I wish I would have. I didn't have to go every single week if I didn't want to.  But what if I didn't like the other moms?  Find a new group.  There is no harm in that.  With that said I did make lots of play dates with other moms.  This was so fun for me.  I loved every minute of spending time with other moms and learning from them.  So whether you decide to join a moms group or make up your own.  Just do something.


3.  Don't take life too seriously.  My friend who had two children at the time said some words that stuck with me.  Judge Away!  While this is very hard for me as I tend to care too much about what people think of me; I think this will go along way when raising children.  Judge Away.  If your child doesn't have socks on at the grocery store, and everyone at the grocery store decides to tell you, you are an awful parent;  Let the the words come to mind JUDGE AWAY!  I mean life is not wrapped up in a pretty little package as some like to think. Sometimes just getting out of the house with a baby is a feat all on it's own.  You made it to the store to buy groceries, you deserve a gold medal.  And instead of patting you on the back for that you get criticized for not putting socks on your child, that will come off in ten seconds flat. So repeat in your mind, Judge Away and smile while doing so!


4. Make time for you.  You will hear this over and over and over.  It will probably begin to sound like a broken record.  I didn't do this much with my first child because I didn't really feel the need to as much.  However, I did schedule a massage for myself the second week after giving birth while, my mom was in town.  So that was nice! It can make a huge difference.  You might think you have to be selfless now that you are a mother.  That you have to give everything you have and are to this new baby.  Yes, be a good mother to your child, be a great mother to your child.  Be such a great mother to your child that you show him/her by your example that it is ok to take care of yourself.  Take a shower, work out to some yoga tapes.  Your child will learn from you how to take care of themselves one day.  No pressure, right!  Also a hot shower/bath at the end of the day goes a long way!  Another secret tip I learned from a mom friend!

5. Accept help and hire out help if you can afford it.  Support, support, support, whether you need to buy a ton of freezer meals the first few weeks  postpartum, do it.  Need to hire a cleaning lady to help out.  Do it!  You need all the support you can get.  If  Someone asks to come over and watch your child while you go take a shower LET THEM.  Someone did that for me and I will never forget it.  I'm so glad she didn't feel awkward asking me that, and I'm so glad that I had the courage to say Yes.  It feels so good relying on others for help. If people offer to bring you meals.  Let them.  Accept help. Pretty Please:)

*Please note that postpartum depression is a real thing.  If you are experiencing any signs of depression, sadness that won't go away, please tell your Dr. or Midwife and seek professional help.  You don't have to do it alone.  There is help available.

Meal Planning Strategy

When it comes to meal planning knowing yourself is half the battle.  If you are like me, you like to put off meal planning as long as possible.  Why?  Because it seems so daunting.  At least for me it is.  I am working on simplifying my meals. Which will then hopefully lead to less items in my cart, and less time writing items down, and less time searching the grocery store.

Knowing yourself.  I used to think that I had to think of 7 meals all at once. This can deterred me from making a weekly meal plan.  I have a hard time of coming up with 7 different meals that I know I am going to want to eat.  Unfortunately for me if I am not in the mood for a certain food even if I love it.  I just can't eat it.  Does anyone else have this dilemma?  This is why when I go to meal plan for the week, I only make myself come up with four meals, or three if that is all I can come up with.  But there are seven days in a week you ask? Yes there are seven days in a week.  But usually we will make something with the ingredients we already have, or have left overs. Which happens every once in a while.  Frozen pizza usually saves us about once a week and we typically go over to families on Sunday.  We will usually run to the store to fetch things here or there to come up with another meal.  We typically like to dine out as a family once a week as well. 

Grouping like ingredients when writing out your list of ingredients
I know this one sounds a bit obvious.  But for me I had to make myself do it.  Take the time to make a category for Produce, Breads/cereals, Meats/fish, Nuts, Dairy/cheese, Canned goods, Baking items, and Miscellaneous items.  I love the the Misc. category because nothing will get lost. And everything has a place.  If you  tend to buy a lot of spices then I might add a spice column.  Before you go grocery shopping it's good to scan your spice drawer and cabinets to see what needs to be restocked and what things you already have.  This way you are not doubling up on things, like produce.

Pick a day of the week to go grocery shopping and do it! 
I picked Monday as my day to go shopping.  I was good for two weeks and then fell off the wagon the third week.  So I need to get back on.  I noticed that some of the items at the grocery store needed to be restocked. I think it was due to the weekend and everyone doing their shopping and depleting all the food.  But the nice thing about Monday morning shopping is that it's pretty quiet and your children feel comfortable enough running throughout the store:)
  
 Keep recipes and recipe books all in one location
If you want to start meal planning it's nice not to have to round up different cook books and recipes all throughout the house.  I will print out a recipe and then I will jump right into making it.  This leads to getting the recipes all splattered. I need to remember to put them in my hand dandy binder.  If you haven't started a binder with sheet protectors then, now would be a good time to do that.  This way you can keep track of all your recipes and keep them in tip top shape for years to come.

I am still working on meal planning and grocery shopping.  Tell me what have you done to make it more enjoyable and more efficient.  Is writing out meal plans totally out of style for you?  Have your found some amazing app on your phone/I- pad that is amazing?  Do tell!

3 Quick Dinner Ideas

Crust Less Quiche-this is simple and you do not need a recipe-  I use about 5-6 eggs, 1/4 cup of milk and then I throw in whatever we have.  Last time I used, a yellow pepper chopped, potatoes chopped, green onion chopped, and 1/2 a cup of shredded cheese.  I mix, it all up and put it in a 9 inch pie pan.  Cook it in the oven for approximately 30-35 minutes on 350 degrees.   And then you have a simple and easy dinner.  Severs approximately 4 people.

Breakfast Burritos or Dinner Burritos-I could go on and on about how satisfying breakfast burritos are but I am not going to.  I use bacon, I am a dear fan of bacon.  Scrambled eggs, black beans, salsa, and avocados are a perk as well.  I try to use Avocados whenever I can.  They are just too good not to put in every recipe imaginable.  Wrap in a whole wheat tortilla.  Add some fresh spinach just for kicks and  try not to snarf it down:)

6 layer Bean Dip-  I love to use Amy's brand of  black beans, ( that are mashed) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, diced avocados, and diced black olives.  I like to eat them with Garden of Eating Blue Chips.  Sliced,  green, red and yellow peppers would be great for dipping as well!  And you could always do a mixture of both, peppers and blue chips.

Tell me about how you make these dishes you own, and keep them nutritious and satisfying!

Chocolate Shake

No photos today but I'm hoping soon!  I am all about chocolate and I found a chocolate shake recipe on A Blog About Love that she got from another blog called The Spunky Coconut.  Mine is a lot different but it is where I got my inspiration.  So here is what I did.

2 Tablespoons of raw cocoa powder. (I like my chocolate)
1 banana (preferably frozen) but it doesn't have to be
1/2 of an avocado
3/4 cup of almond milk (use milk if you like)
2 Tablespoons of chia seeds or flax seeds
1 Tablespoon of maple syrup optional but I highly recommended it
1-2 handfuls of ice

Put in a blender and mix for 30 seconds to a minute and there you have it!  It is mighty delicious! 

chicken, salsa, avocado

I am learning the older I get that recipes do not need to be lavish all the time.  They can be simple and quick and that is ok.

Grilled chicken- I cooked the chicken on the cast iron skillet.  Roughly about 5 minutes on each side. I flipped it regularly as to not brown the sides.  I ended up putting a lid over it to keep in the moisture and hopefully make the chicken more moist at the same time.  I didn't use any oil or water.

Salsa-  I used the organic Kirkland brand from Costco.  It does not disappoint if you are looking for a good store bought salsa.

Avocado-the pretty much speaks for it's self but I like to cut it in half, take out the pit and then continue slicing the avocado into horizontal perpendicular rows.  And then spoon it out or you could use a fork instead.

Simple and easy.