April 2016

Daily 1-Hour Zone Cleaning Routine

For me, there are lots of reasons a clean house is important to me. But the biggest reason is the sense of clarity and purpose in my day-to-day life when my house is clean. Over the years tons of people ask how I keep things tidy and organized most of the time in our home. So, at the risk of being labeled a crazy, OCD-prone minimalist I thought I’d share my 1-hour morning cleaning routine.

While 1-hour may seem like an arbitrary number, it’s not. I tend to spend, on average, about an hour each morning making my house sparkle. This means I spend roughly about 5-7 hours a week cleaning, nearly one work shift, per se. And though this is still a significant amount of time, it’s not nearly the 2-3 hours a day I spend as a newlywed and caretaker! However, for me, it’s totally worth spending 5-7 hours a week cleaning in order to have a house that is pretty tidy on any given day. The simplest way to do this? Just staying on top of whatever needs to be cleaned.

You see, I am a list kind-of-gal, so I actually have a daily checklist that I use each day, created before bed, to help me structure my next day. I keep my list in my kitchen and before I start cleaning, I always check my list!

And when it comes to cleaning itself, I always make a point of being prepared. To save time and money (and a trip to the store), I generally make my own cleaners. And before anyone says ain’t nobody got time for that, hear me out. I make cleaners because they are cheaper (literal pennies on the dollar), scents can be customized using essential oils, they help me limit the chemicals I expose my family too, and DIY cleaners are designed for multiple uses (which require me to store far fewer bottles on-hand). In the time it takes to put the family in the car and go to the store I can make a dozen cleaners at home!

With this in mind, a few of the cleaners I make are:

General Outline:

Usually, I start cleaning my Master Bedroom and work my way through my home.
I use a large laundry basket to collect items such as toys or clothing that need to be returned to a different room as I work. After you have finished tidying every room, take 5 minutes to put away the gathered items.
Save sweeping/mopping and vacuuming until the end, making sure to dust (as needed first) and then do it all at once. We have hard surface floors (hardwoods and tile), so I use an industrial dry mop from Sam’s Club to dry mop the hardwoods and a steam mop to clean the tile floors daily. I shake or vacuum floor rugs as needed.
I also perform spot checks on the glass doors, mirrors, chrome, and windows at the end of the hour.
I keep daily shower cleaner in both showers and spray down and squeegee after each use.
I also add bleach to our toilet brush containers; replace the bleach once a week. This allows for easy cleanup, and for tough toilet stains, I use a pumice stone from the Dollar Tree.
I carry a time from room-to-room to keep me on schedule while cleaning.

Laundry:

I put in one load of laundry.
I remove laundry from drying racks or outdoor line and put away.

Bedroom(s):

5-10 minutes are spent cleaning each.
I always make each bed, I’m picky that way.
I then quickly pick up any clothes, toys, or dishes laying about.
I dust off surfaces, including the headboard, footboard, and closet doors.

Bathroom(s):

5 minutes are spent on each.
Squirt toilet bowl cleaner around the rim of each toilet first; let sit.
Disinfectant sinks, tub, and shower with rags and surface cleaner.
Use the toilet brush to quickly scrub toilet, rim, and seat.
Wipe down the toilet seat, space behind the toilet, and surrounding floor.
I change out hand towels, as needed.
Replace and re-stock toilet paper, as needed.

Laundry:

I remove laundry from washer and place in dryer.

Living Room, Dining Room, and Office:

10-15 minutes are spent in each room.
I quickly pick up any shoes, dishes, toys which are put in a basket to be put away later.
Use rags to quickly dust all surfaces.
Quick wipe down on furniture, table(s), and chairs.
Quick tidy on our desk area; all paperwork and mail is filed, if not already done so.
Lysol sitting surfaces.

Kitchen:

10-15 minutes are spent in the kitchen.
I pick up any items that don’t belong in the kitchen and place them in the basket.
Gather any dirty dishes and put them next to sink.
Hand washes dishes and place dishes in the dishwasher, as necessary.
Wipe down all counter tops with disinfectant spray.
Wipe down stove top.
Dry and put away any hand-washed dishes.
Clean out and dry sink; clean dish drains as needed.
I check to make sure everything is in order in my fridge and coolers; I wipe the surface fronts as I go.

Finishing Up:

Finishing up takes 15-20 minutes.
Next, starting in the back of the house to the front, I dry mop all my hard floors.
I steam mop my tile floors, as needed.
I shake my kitchen rugs and front door mats.
I shake my dry mop heads out and sweep my front porch.
I clean glass surfaces and mirrors, as needed with a lint-free rag.
I pull laundry from dryer, fold, and put away. Making sure to unplug my washer and dryer.
I place all cleaning rags in my cleaning rag hamper for once-a-week cleaning on Friday’s.
I put all my cleaning tools and cleaners away.
I then put away items collected in baskets while cleaning.
Lastly, I take out my kitchen trash and check my recycling bins.

So, that’s it, folks. That’s my morning cleaning routine.

Now, this list works for me because my home doesn’t need a truly deep, deep cleaning. If this isn’t the case in your home, no worries! Just start out a 1-hour cleaning routine after you have finished Spring Cleaning your home.

While it may take a little getting used to, once you are in the habit of a 1-hour routine each morning, you will be done in no time and freedom to enjoy the rest of each day! And if you have any suggestions on how you clean your home in a better way, I’d love to hear about it below!

DIY Natural Orange Cleaner!

Hello, everyone! With so many currently in the throes of Spring Cleaning, today I wanted to share with you my recipe for DIY, Organic Orange Cleaner. I love this cleaner because it is organic, non-toxic, child and pet-safe, and acts as both a surface disinfectant and an all-purpose cleaner. The best part? You can make a years worth of cleaner for under $5.00! And with the average cost of store-bought orange cleaner often in upwards of 3.89 a bottle, that’s a savings of $48.68 a year!

Here’s how to make this!

[yumprint-recipe id=’70’] And if you’d like to see this cleaner made, I’ve included the live Periscope demo that my husband and I put together from our Katch.me account.

Overall, this is an awesome cleaner. I enjoy it’s simple, organic, I know exactly what’s in it makeup, and it’s affordability is amazing as well. It’s something that has really worked well in my home. I hope you will enjoy it too!

Here’s to greener, more affordable living!

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Spring Deep Cleaning Guide

If you are anything like me, few events are more personally gratifying than my annual Spring Deep Cleaning! It’s an opportunity to throw open the windows, let fresh air in, and make our homes clean, safer, and more joyous spaces. For many people, however, the pleasure comes only after the work is finished. While your spring cleaning may never become effortless, you can make the project more manageable – and even enjoyable. So, let’s jump in!

Here is my timeline leading up to Spring Cleaning and Allergy-Proofing my home each year.

Three weeks before cleaning, I request Thredup bags to donate unneeded clothing.

Two weeks before cleaning, I create my seasonal Capsule Wardrobe and utilize my Thredup collection bags.

A week before I start Spring Cleaning, I prepare my cleaners. A tip: to avoid hauling a caddie around my home during Spring Cleaning. Here’s my list of all-natural, diy cleaners I make:

The night before I start cleaning:

I place the cleaners I will be using in the rooms they will be utilized the next day. Along with cleaners, I place any towels, rags, or sponges I will also be using. I do this because as soon as I finish cleaning each room, the cleaners make their way back to my storage closet. When all the cleaners are put away I know my work is done!
Then I create a donation station. Three reusable bags are set up in my dining room. One to hold donation items to go to our local women’s shelter, a second bag for items at the thrift shop, and a miscellaneous bag for items that can go local animal shelter. To keep clutter to a minimum in our minimalist home, my husband takes all donations to charity the same day I clean. Also, I also pull in extra recycling bins too.
I also prep my clipboard. I use a clipboard to cross off completed tasks, take notes on the condition of my house, to remind myself of items I need to bring to my husband’s attention and to keep up to date with our seasonal inventory and shopping lists.

At this point, I’m ready to prepare myself to clean!

Here are the steps I take to prepare myself to start cleaning:

Scheduling. I try to schedule grooming appointments and play dates around my cleaning schedule. This frees up to time to devote fully to my endeavors and to keep little hands and little paws away from cleaners too!
Getting Dressed. While Spring Cleaning, I dress for the occasion. For me, this means wearing all white. Cotton shorts and a tee. This outfit is conducive for cleaning, as I am sure to become soiled, splashed by cleaners, or sweaty while sprucing. This also prevents my clothing to become a visual distracting while cleaning room-to-room. You see, white is pure, clean light. It has clean energy. It allows you to focus on your space and not yourself while cleaning. In fact, Marie Kondo, famed decluttering consultant, wears only white while cleaning, consulting, or engaging at speaking events!
Vacuum. I start with light vacuuming around my whole home before even gathering my cleaning supplies. I do this because I remove my socks and shoes while cleaning. I want to be aware of how my floors feel. If there are any splinters or squeaks that need addressing I can attend to them immediately. And if your floors are clean enough to walk barefoot on, then they are clean enough for little hands and paws, too!
Music. I am known to put awesome music on for encouragement while Spring Cleaning. Sometimes I even create a playlist for the occasion.
Light. I open windows, light a candle, and diffuse while cleaning. This is simply to keep me happy!
Meals. I know I will be too tired to cook after cleaning so I generally prep crockpot meals before I start projects so I have hot, healthy meals ready for my family when the day’s work is done.

Zone 1. My Food Stockpile and Basement

Pantry and Stockpile:

Canned goods: I dust cans, rotate by expiration date, and donate anything that will expire in your current month you don’t plan to consume.
Soft Drinks, Cooking Oils, and Cleaners: Again, I dust containers, rotate by expiration date, donate anything that will expire in your current month you don’t plan to consume, and place all oils in the fridge for summer, especially coconut oil.
Dried Foods: I inventory my stock and rotate jars accordingly.
Room: As my storage room is in my sunroom, I sweep the walls down, dust the room’s trim, clean the windows, clean the ceiling fan, clean my glass doors, and mop my way out of the room.

Basements:

Clean electronic air cleaner elements monthly for most efficient operation; replace filters as needed.
Clean humidifier elements before the next season begin.
Schedule furnace inspections; many areas offer free, or reduced fee inspections. Schedule appointments now!
Buy a 3-month supply of furnace filters.
Drain sediment from hot water heaters.
Clean windows.
Vacuum baseboards, floors, vents, and tools.
Re-evaluate your holiday, seasonal goods. Declutter, re-sort and purge as needed.

Zone 2. Inside the home:

I work from the farthest rooms in my home and work my way towards my front door. I start in my master bedroom, then onto my family bedrooms, guest room, den, living room, office, bathrooms, closets, kitchen, and end with my dining room. Here’s what I do in each area:

In my bedroom I attend to:

Turn mattresses front-to-back and end-to-end to equalize wear.
Launder or clean all bedding: mattress pads, pillows, duvets, blankets, comforters.
Change or scale-back linens as needed.
Vacuum drapes and window treatments.
Clean window sills and windows.
Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Clean out and vacuum vents.
Vacuum upholstered furniture.
Wash interior windows.
I have my eyeglasses professionally cleaned in Spring.

Kitchen and Dining Room:

Prepare the kitchen for holiday cooking; organize kitchen cabinets, paying particular attention to baking supplies, pans, and equipment.
Clear kitchen counters of all appliances not used within the last week.
Pull refrigerator away from the wall, and vacuum the condenser coils.
Declutter your cabinets. Clear out your cupboards of anything that you don’t use on a regular basis. Make room in your dining room, basement, or stockpile area for seasonal items, such as punch bowls and holiday dishes. Purge, recycle, sell, or donate items that have not been used in a year.
Zone your cabinets. I have a zone for coffee, baking, and pets; keep like items together. Creating zones in your kitchen helps to keep your cabinets organized, helps you to know where to store things, and helps you work more efficiently in the day-to-day running of your home.
Random clutter. Anything random left over, and not able to be placed into cabinets, think of creative, upcycled ways to display and store these items.
Wash light-diffusing bowls from light fixtures.
Vacuum drapes and window treatments.
Clean window sills and windows.
Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Clean out and vacuum vents.
Re-season pots and pans, as needed.

Coat Closets:

I steam clean coats, blazers, and jackets.
All winter gear is laundered and then stored in baskets in the top of the closet.
Add cedar and tea bags to all closets to prevent mildew and bugs over the Summer months.
I dust upper closet shelves.
I vacuum and steam mop closet floors. I then allow floors to dry for 1 hour before replacing items.

Linen Closets:

Bundle like sets of sheets together.
Keep necessity items in small baskets, labeled, and clustered on a single taller shelf together.
Corral cosmetics on servings trays for easy removal.
Any mismatched items should be donated.
Any fraying towels should be donated; animal shelters are a great place to send unneeded linens.
Prevent dust from covering linen sets, by placing them inside their coordinating pillowcases
Antique linens are best to hang; install two hooks and a dowel rod in the bottom of a closet for hanging linens.
Store throw pillows and guest pillows in a top shelf basket.
Store towel sets in stacks for easy removal.
Store like items on like shelves; linens with linens, towels with towels, and the like.

A few tips for Spring Cleaning your bathrooms:

All cosmetics older than one year, should be purged.
All cosmetic sharpeners, brushes, or curlers two-years or older, should be purged.
All hair coloring products or kits, two years or older, should be purged.
All vitamins or supplement older than one year, should be purged.
All flu, cold, sinus, or allergy products older than two years, should be purged.
All essential oils three years or older, should be purged.
All first aid items, older than three years, should be purged and replaced.
All digestive aids, older than three years, should be purged.
Any fiber-based supplement, older than a year, should be purged.
Any nail lacquers that have been to separate should be purged.
All manicure and pedicure supplies not utilized within the last six months should be purged.
All paper or cotton products should be visible, organized, and easily accessible.
Purge your oldest towel set; towel, hand towel, and wash cloth.
Take inventory and re-stock medicine cabinets.
Clean contact lense cases.
Replace toothbrushes and floss.
Clean window sills and windows.
Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Clean out and vacuum vents.

Living Room and Den:

Vacuum drapes and window treatments.
Clean window sills and windows.
Vacuum baseboards and corners well.
Wash down walls with a mild astringent or cleaner, and dry with a dust mop.
Clean out and vacuum vents.
Vacuum upholstered furniture.

Zone 3. Outside The House:

Clean and store patio furniture, umbrellas, kid’s summer toys.
Touch up paint on trim, railings and decks.
Check for breaks in exterior caulk lines around windows and doors.
Inspect external doors and garage doors.
Wash exterior windows.
Drain and store garden hoses.
Install insulating covers on exterior spigots.
Check gutters, rain barrels, and downspout openings.
Have chimneys and flues inspected and cleaned, if necessary.

Zone 4. Greenery:

Bring flower pots out of storage; plastic pots will need to be cleaned, emptied, bleached, and air-dried.
Terracotta pots should be sun-sanitized, stacked, and stored on their sides.
Sew grass seeds, as needed.
Purchase bird seed, and keep feeders stocked for the winter.
Prep/service your lawn mower, riding mower, edger, and tiller for warm weather.
Pull back winter mulch, replace as needed.
Clean out flower beds, plant annuals as needed by May 15th each year.
Edge lawns and sidewalks.
Clean and disinfect your outdoor mailboxes.
Service outdoor fountains, solar panels, decorative installations.
Maintain your indoor and outdoor compost bins.

Zone 5. Allergy-Proofing: Now that you’ve deep cleaned your home for Spring, I advise Allergy-proofing your home for Spring too! Here are a few of my favorite tips:

Clean blades of ceiling fans.
Sort and clean any extra zones such as linen closets, utility closets and office spaces; even the best kept linen closets trap dust, which can be inadvertently transferred to bedrooms and common areas.
Check for mold. Bathrooms, basements and areas that are tiled can be especially prone to mold. The key to reducing mold is moisture control. Be sure to use bathroom fans and clean up any standing water immediately. Scrub any visible mold from surfaces with detergent and water, and completely dry. You can also help ward off mold by keeping home humidity levels at or around 60 percent and cleaning gutters regularly helps too!
Check the fur-babies! Remove pet allergens by vacuuming frequently and washing upholstery, including your pet s bed.
Diffuse! Using a diffuser daily can not only help to make our home healthier, by allowing ourselves to breathe in health, natural elements, but we can also help to make out homes smell as inviting by diffusing essential citrus, cinnamon, sage as well.
When mowing and gardening, be sure to wear gloves and a N95 particulate pollen mask (Centers for Disease Control (CDC) NIOSH rated), and to avoid touching your eyes, and be sure to wash your hands, hair and clothing once you go back indoors.

Keep in mind, deep cleaning and allergy-proofing your home from top to bottom will essentially take several days. Do not attempt to clean your entire home in a day, or a weekend for that matter. Take a week, break off chores into chunks, utilize your family for aid and resource, and give yourself the grace of time and consideration of your everyday life when completing this expansive list. Also, you can get a head start by changing your air filters every three months and using filters with a MERV rating of 11 or 12.

My biggest tip? Be sure to vacuum regularly to get rid of dust mites. Use a cyclonic vacuum, which spins dust and dirt away from the floor, or a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. And as always, be sure to wash bedding and stuffed animals weekly.

Moreover, consider this when devising a fall cleaning schedule:

Are you the kind of person who wants to do a little every day?
Would you rather tackle it all at once so that you don’t have to think about it for the rest of the week?
Do you work full-time or are you home during the day?
Do you have young children at home whose chores can be incorporated into this system?

As there is no one “right way” to keep house, and so no universal cleaning schedule that will fit every household’s needs. Just sit down, take an hour, and create a system that will work best for you. Being prepared for the cooped-up winter months ahead is the long-term goals, so by adding a few small, obtainable cleaning goals a day is the way to go! This is a challenge to make your home as healthy as it is steadfast this coming season.

Also, don’t be daunted by the size of this list, many of the jobs are small ones that will go by quickly, and you’ll be so glad you took the time to do them! And if you are looking to see how I organize my year round cleaning schedule, you can also take a look at my general year-round printable list, too!

After you read through the zone lists, be sure to tailor the list to your home and yard. I encourage you to create a realistic Spring Cleaning schedule, keeping in mind that a single weekend won’t suffice, as you’ll need several days for more involved projects, such as shampooing carpets and organizing closets. Pick a plan. Create a stop and start point, whether it’s starting from the attic to the basement, outdoors to inside, or just focusing on one task at a time. Just have a plan. And be sure to enlist the help of family members.

So, folks do you have any tried and true methods for cleaning around your home this time of year. I’d love to hear about them below.

100 Things I No Longer Own

In 2013, Dave Bruno, figurehead of the modern minimalist movement, created a new social call-to-action to help offset the effects of American-style consumerism, the 100 Things Challenge, or 100TC.

The movement’s premise: that by simplifying and pairing down all of your processions to 100 items, one could live a life of simplicity, characterized by joyousness, thoughtfulness, and unimpaired spacial awareness. The 100TC movement spread like wildfire in minimalist, non-consumerist communities across the nation, and people from all walks of life took up deowning crusade. The 100TC was heralded as the best means for creating lasting interpersonal relationships through the formative power of simplicity. Once a celebration of modern liberation, the 100TC quickly devolved into a sect of participants known as the 100’s, those who took to social to shame others not living with far less than 100 personal belongings.

While the goal of the 100TC was to break free from the confining habits of excessive consumerism, this movement curiosly never answered one central question for me, what did they give up?

I’m a visual person. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve always liked Rainbow Bright or become squirrely in the late hours of the afternoon. Perhaps it’s because I’m addicted to knowing how things work and enjoy watching endless how-to tutorials online. Needless to say, I like a good visual. I also love a good, sound, reasoned explanation. And for me the 100TC challenge was a pudding with very few plums. I just didn’t see the true reflection of responsible, reasonable minimalism in the 100TC movement.

You see, my end goal for becoming a minimalist was not simply to disinfect my home of affluenza. I didn’t adopt a decreased lifestyle to have my news feed bombarded with self-indulging, anti-conspicuous consumption tags. I’m not down with the vegan, techie, relatively-a-deprivationist hipster, documenting their knapsack lifestyle on Instagram kind of gal. I would have continued to be a consumerist if I truly wanted to hear herd-behaviorist rants.

So having become disillusioned with the 100’s, I did what any millennial would do, I created my own Joie de vivre challenge. As so many in the minimalist community were counting the 100 things they own, I thought I’d go the contrarian route and list the first 100 things I no longer own.

My objective: to list each Tuesday in April, 100 common household items my family happily lives without. This post isn’t simply a list of things that I have gotten rid of because I wanted to immolate the life of anyone else, but a chronicle of the things I parted with in life to help me keep down from the Joneses.

As you look ahead at this list I want you to remember three things:

As a family, we always donate first. Knowing that I’m allowing someone else the opportunity to enjoy my things makes it easier for me to let them go. I do not feel guilty letting items go.
I kept things in our home that we truly loved. And the reverse was also true, if an item didn’t make us happy or provide us with an important utilitarian need, it was donated. I only want to surround myself and my family with things we enjoy.
I make no apologies for my decision to part with any item(s) listed in the post.

Here are the first 100 items we no longer own:

External Laptop USB DVD player- we digitized our movie collection and no longer need this to view movies.
DVD player – We download movies and watch them on a laptop via Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
Stereo system – Our travel-size iPod speakers have been working well for us.
Record player-we digitized our collection of vinyl.
Entertainment center we sold our Pottery Barn unit when we KM’ed last Autumn.
Formal Living Room Sofa: Sold when we KM’ed last Autumn.
Ottoman – we donated this piece as it took up a lot of space.
End table – from our formal living room set, was donated last Autumn.
Bookshelves – we sold our four book shelves from my formal office space.
Magazine rack – Donated. We don’t subscribe to any physical magazines.
Dining room table – We dine in our den.
Dining chairs – See above.
Buffet – We KM’ed all of our formal dining paraphernalia (china, linens, serving platters) and didn’t need it.
Sideboard – We sold our formal flatware, Christmas and Easter platters. We no longer needed this piece.
Area rug – We like bare floors!
Clocks – We use our phones to tell time.
Throw pillows – We don’t like moving pillows out-of-the-way to sit down.
Microwave – We prefer non-radiated food!
Wooden Salad bowl set – We use a mixing bowl to serve salad.
Photo albums – We digitized all our photos.
Candles – We use a diffuser and essential oils.
Box Spring – We opted for a metal platform frame.
Dresser – Our clothes are stored built-in drawers and closets.
Nightstand – Unneeded. We store our glasses and phones on our built-ins.
Hamper – Our plastic hampers from college were donated to a local women’s shelter .
Sconces- Donated to our local Habitat for Humanity store.
Desk – Donated to make room for a upcycled an l-shaped door work station.
Office chair – No need for it without a formal desk.
Stapler – I use binder clips, if needed.
File cabinet – We digitize everything.
Calendar – I use Google Calendar.
Printer stand – Donated when we KM’ed. My printer sits on my new desk.
Desktop computer speakers – Unused. Donated.
PC Monitor – My husband uses his Smart TV to view his desktop computer for work and gaming.
Fax machine – We send faxes online.
Highlighter – Haven’t used one since starting to work-from-home.
Elmer’s Glue – Haven’t had need for it.
Pencil sharpener – I use mechanical pencils.
Ruler – I can eyeball feet generally.
Dictionary – I use an online version.
Phone book – Google anyone?
Coffee maker – We upgraded to a Keurig, and use reusable pod filters daily.
Butter dish – Our Kerry Gold butter comes in its own dish.
Gravy boat – We don’t regularly serve gravy.
Sugar bowl – We drink our coffee black.
Salt and pepper shakers – We use spices straight from the containers.
Creamer bowl – I serve creamer from the carton.
Champagne glasses – We wake up daily. We’re already celebrating.
Apron – I’m not that messy in the kitchen.
Tablecloth – Donated when we sold our sideboard and dining set.
Popcorn maker – We rarely make popcorn.
Serving platters – We prepare smaller meals when entertaining.
Personal Blender – I no longer used it.
Mixer – We use my husband’s grandmother’s manual hand mixer.
Food processor – Donated.
Garlic presses – Donated.
Coffee grinder – We buy pre-ground coffee. Donated.
Espresso maker – We prefer to use our Keurig.
Ice cream maker – We make diy frozen yogurt.
Fondue set – Purchased for our first anniversary dinner. Used once. Donated.
Smore Maker – We use our patio fire pit instead. Donated.
Garlic Roaster – Donated.
Potato and Onion Bins – Donated.
Grill Dehydrator Sheets – Donated.
Margarita Glasses – Donated all 12.
Margaritaville Concoction Maker – Sold last Autumn when we KM’ed.
Self-Blending Gym Shake Makers – Haven’t had need of one. Donated a pair.
Sherry Glasses – Donated.
Whiskey Glasses – Donated.
Whiskey Stones – Donated.
Stationary Exercise bike – Sold last Autumn.
Rowing Machine – Sold last Autumn.
Gazelle Workout Machine – Sold last Autumn.
Wine Rack – We’re not into storing large amounts of wine. Sold last Autumn.
Deck of cards – I play spades online.
Baker’s Rack – Sold last Autumn.
CDs – All of our music is digital. Donated 400+ discs last month.
Hairdryer – Letting my hair air-dry keeps it in better condition.
Hairdryer diffuser – Went with the hairdryer!
Christmas trees- We prefer to display a select few ornaments and use vintage glass trees.
Habachi Grill- We have a full-size gas grill.
Patio furniture- We plan to upcycle an outdoor palette couch this coming Summer.
Sprinklers- We are investing in drought-savvy succulents this year.
84. Tiller- We are using potted vegetable varities this year. Sold last Autumn.
85. Electric Chain Saw- We use our gas-powered model for possible needs after storms and hurricanes.
86. Anti-gravity lawn chairs- Never used. Donated.
Housier- Wasn’t needed in kitchen. Sold last Autumn.
88. Valances- Collected dust. Donated 10 sets.
Curtains- Donated 10 sets.
90. Sheers- Donated 10 sets.
Rotary phones- We use a cell phone. Donated.
92. Phone cables and cords- Wasn’t needed.
Label Maker- We use re-usable chalkboard labels instead.
Hat Boxes- Donated hats, didn’t need boxes. Donated 12.
Toolboxes Donated my 6 boxes used for crafting.
Foot Stool- Kept Metal step-ladder. Donated plastic foot stool.
Refridgerator- Died. Donated for parts. We use an under-cabinet fridge instead.
98. Dishwasher -Died. Donated for parts last Autumn. We hand wash instead.
99. Range- Died. Replaced with Convection Cooktop.
Quesadilla Maker- Was never used. Sold last Autumn.

So that’s my own twist on the 100 Thing Challenge. Of course, this is just the begging of my list. The more I started documenting my progress, first with Kon’Maring and then delving further and further into minimalism, my lists expanded. So, be sure to check back next Tuesday for the next 100 things we reduced in our April month of minimalism.

Friends, I hope this post illustrates my minimalist perspective. That my home has become more luxurious by purging, rather than placing items within its walls. For me, living with less isn’t about the number of things you get rid of it’s about living with enough to be content. And the rest? That’s just unnecessary, energy-draining clutter.

So, tell me: what common things do you live without?

Here’s to living with less,

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Why we’re switching to a Minimalist Meal Plan

Happy Meal Plan Monday! This week’s menu is well, different. Knowing that Meal Plan Monday was looming just around the corner, I spent a great deal of time this past weekend thinking about how I can reflect my personal journey into minimalism into my weekly meal plan posts.

So, here are the four categories I took into consideration when setting up this month’s minimalist meal plan:

Consistency: First, it’s time for a little confession. While I’ve posted weekly meal plans for the past year, and each and every plan required a myriad of conscientiousness, creativity, and care, not every plan has been as streamlined as they perhaps could have been. I want to plan, prepare, and present my family with consistent meals each day this month.

Cost: Generally, posted meal plans are based on seasonal sales cycles with attention paid to frugality rather than simple, minimalist efficiency. And yes, in recent months there have been weeks where I’d inadvertently abandoned my meal planning while I took a blogging break over this past holiday season, and due to personal crisis eating out and last-minute meals started to become second nature in my home. And you know you’re in trouble when frozen pizza become your new normal. So to say my meal planning skills have been all over the place would be the understatement of the year. While I want meal plans that focus on maintaining my monthly family food budget of $160.00 for a family of three, creating food that is healthy is just as important too. This weeks menu reflects this budget.

Power Consumption: Still another meal planning dilemma, unregulated meal prep energy consumption. I wanted to plan meals that do not require vast amounts of energy zapping stove-top and range preparation. A little food for thought: did you know that it costs an average of 18-24 cents an hour to run a gas range, 24-30 cents an hour for an electric range, 16-20 cents an hour for a microwave oven, a mere 3-5 cents an hour to run a toaster oven or convection top. With this in mind, I will be gearing this month’s meal planning to encompass dishes that utilize minimalist power consumption standards. Meals this month will utilize my toaster oven and convection stove top for all my baking and needs.

Streamlining: I was a little apprehensive about whether or not my family will be turned off of the idea of food simplicity. I quickly realized that my family love whatever I cook them, and with this in mind extreme food plan simplicity will give me an extra hour each day to devote to spending time with my family and not in my kitchen. In order to streamline my meal plans, to have a true minimalist food strategy I am going to assign each day of the week with a single meal. While I really love to cook, my foodie heart will be all the better for having invested an extra seven hours each week spending quality one-on-one time with my family.

So what does this leave me with? My new monthly minimalist meal plan will consist of default meals streamlined around items already on-hand that require less than a half hour to prepare, and cost under $5.00 per meal to create.

To create your own minimalist meal plan, think about which dinners are your family’s favorites that don’t take too much effort to prepare.
Consider which do you prefer to cook?
Think comfort meals. Think simple and keep it basic.
When creating your meal calendar this week assign one meal to each day of the week, taking into account school, work, and activity schedules. Leave your least busy days for meals that take the most amount of time to prepare.
Leave one day open each week for creativity in the kitchen, for ethnic, slow-cooked, heavy on the ingredient, new to you from Pinterest meals for weekends or Tuesday and Thursdays when poser usage rates nationally tend to be 20-30% lower on average. Focus on energy, your own and your household power usage as well!
Themes can be your best friend in minimalist cooking plans. Think Meatless Monday’s, Meatball Monday’s, Taco Tuesdays, Tofu Tuesday’s, Stirfry Wednesday’s, and Slow-Cooker Sunday’s!
Adjusting two meals a week to meatless options can help lower your grocery budgets by a quarter each month. This month we will be trying to expand Meatless Monday’s to also be Meatless Thursday’s as well.
This month breakfast, snacks, and lunches will be standardized. We will be having sandwiches for lunch, cereal and smoothies for breakfast. And yes you could do without snacks and increase lunch and breakfast portions, but I find smaller meals several times a day work better for my health, and so that’s how we will be rolling.

Monday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Three bean vegetarian chili, steamed corn, and corn bread.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Taco Tuesday.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Chicken, carrot, broccoli quinoa bake, with Crystal Light lemonade.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Bakes Zucchini, Greek yogurt, and quinoa gyros, with Crystal light lemonade.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.

Friday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Meatball hoagies, side salad with Greek Yogurt dressing, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.

Saturday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snacks: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Chicken mole, served with steamed rice, corn, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.

Sunday
Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk and strawberries.
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sliders, with Crystal light lemonade.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Crockpot cheddar, chicken, and broccoli rice, with green beans and Crystal Light lemonade.
Dessert: Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberries.

This weeks meal plan cost: $26.45

I’m hoping that this streamlined plan will leave me feeling anything but restricted. With my family eating well and meal planning becoming more automated, I’m thinking of bringing back Family Game Nights! Incorporating minimalism into my weekly meal planning will help me be a few steps closer to realizing my minimalist dream. That said, if this streamlined plan doesn’t work for my family this month I can always change my plan again!

I’m ready to take back an extra hour from my day, each and every day this month. I’m ready to devote more time on creative endeavors, taking advantage of work opportunities, spending time with my family, and not slaving over a hot stove.

So, that’s what we will be having this week. I’d love to hear what’s on your menu as well!

Here’s to Monday meal plans,

DIY Organic Honey Eucalyptus Body Butter!

Good morning, savvy savers! For this weeks Relaxation & Rejuvenation series post, I wanted to share with you my recipe for Homemade Warm Honey Eucalyptus Whipped Body Butter. I make this body butter, using olive and coconut oils from Sam’s club, and cocoa butter purchased for free from Amazon.com using earned gift cards from survey sites, and store the butter in jars from the Dollar Tree! I find that this mixture is better than any body butter I’ve ever purchased in stores, and makes for a refreshing gift basket filler, gift closet staple, and as a simple thinking-of-you gift for family and friends! What’s really awesome is that an entire jar costs on $0.50 to create!

Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients:

1 cup of cocoa butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 half cup honey
12 drops eucalyptus oil

Instructions:

Using a double boiler, or glass bowl in a pot of water double boiler method, slowly and gradually melt both the cocoa butter and coconut oil until completely liquid.
Remove the mixture from heat, and fold in the olive oil and honey.
Refrigerate the mixture for three hours.
Using a mixer or hand mixer, add the eucalyptus oil to the mixture, then whip until white peaks form; the mixture should look like creamed butter.
Put the mixture into a glass jar, sealed, and refrigerate for one hour.
When ready to use, place the desired amount in a small bowl, and microwave for 3-5 second, until warm, and apply directly to skin, as needed.
Store any unused portions in the refrigerator; this mixture will last up to a year.
Enjoy!

So be sure to spend a little time today, enjoying all that is great about you!

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