It's week two of the meal planning challenge, and one issue I had with my meal plan last week was that there were several days where, for one reason or another, I didn't make the dinner meal that was on the schedule. The reason this is a problem, is that with meal planning I am actually prepared ahead of time with things like thawing meat and buying produce from the farmer's market. But then when you don't make the meal, you can ending up wasting that food if you don't use it soon enough. How … [Read more...]
Plan It- Don’t Panic Challenge: Meal Plan Week 1
I was excited when I saw that Stephanie at Keeper of the Home was going to be starting a meal planning challenge: Plan It- Don't Panic. I have been majorly lacking in the meal planning department lately and our budget, and our waistlines, have been hurting because of it. I knew I needed to get back on board with meal planning, but I needed a little kick in the pants to do so. I planned my meals last week, just to get a little head start on the challenge, and things went much more smoothly … [Read more...]
Green Your Weekend – Organized Home Edition
In the spirit of September, and my work to get more organized around the house for the fall and the new school year, I've enjoyed these posts about different areas of organizing and home management. Using a Home Management Notebook: The Ultimate Guide from Mandi at Organizing...Your Way - I made a home management notebook a while ago and it really helped to keep me more organized, but somewhere along the way it got neglected. I want to get it back up to date and usable again. Plan It … [Read more...]
Fighting Stains the Natural and Green Way
I don't know about you, but my kiddos are really hard on their clothing! Between dirt, mud and grass stains, potty training accidents, and every type of food they eat somehow ending up on their clothes, we have more than our share of stains in this house. It's one of the reasons I try to get as much of their clothing second-hand as I can, because then I don't worry so much if something gets ruined. Fighting stains naturally has been, and probably will continue to be, an ongoing battle for me. … [Read more...]
Green and Natural Laundry Detergent Reviews
Clean laundry, ahhhh. It's wonderful, but can sometimes seem so elusive. I have been searching for the perfect natural laundry detergent for almost two years, and it has sometimes been frustrating and annoying when detergents don't work as well as I want or expect them too. I admit that several times over the past two years I have returned to All Free & Clear, which was the detergent that my mom used when I was growing up, and there's something about that comfort of using what your mom … [Read more...]
Simple Steps – Hang Your Laundry Out
Clothes on the line, blowing in the breeze and bright in the sun. It's a picture of days passed, or of driving through Amish country not too far from where I live. Although it seems like fewer and fewer people hang their clothes out to dry these days, I also think that hanging clothes out is making a comeback. It's natural laundry month here at Live Renewed, and I wanted to start with taking the Simple Step of hanging your clothes out to dry. Hanging out your clothes is any important part of … [Read more...]
Declutter 100 Items Challenge Link Up!
Do you feel lighter? 100 items lighter? I do! Although I didn't really get as much decluttering and organizing done in the past month as I had hoped or expected (aren't expectations often loftier than what we can actually accomplish? Or is that just me?), between Project Simplify and the Declutter 100 Items Challenge this month I am really beginning to feel much better about the state of clutter around my home. Now, don't get me wrong, I still have plenty of clutter and "hot spots" … [Read more...]
Simple Steps – Declutter Around Your House
I will be the first to admit that I am not a very organized person. I'm just not naturally gifted that way. I have to work very hard at being a home manager by setting up a routine and schedule, making a meal plan, and cleaning routine, because if I don't.... well let's just say it's not pretty! (And even when I am working hard at it, it's still often not very pretty!) As you know if you've been following along here, I've been working on Project Simplify this past month, and it has felt … [Read more...]
Project Simplify – Organizing Kids Clothing and Toys
Whew! We're over halfway done with Project Simplify and I will be honest that I am ready for it to be over! It has been good to get a handle on some of my spaces that have gotten way out of control and unorganized over the past few months, but it is taking up so much of my time - to the point that other things, like regular cleaning, cooking, and blogging, have suffered. That's why this post is a couple days late. I am thankful for the progress I have made though. I just wasn't prepared … [Read more...]
Project Simplify – Tackling the Paper Clutter
Paper Clutter is a HUGE problem for me. It is something I have struggled with for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, my parents (love you guys!) didn't have a great way of managing paper, and so I learned to live with, and look past, piles and piles of unfiled, unorganized papers. So when Tsh announced that this week's hot spot for Project Simplify was Paper Clutter, my heart sank. This is a big one for me, and although I knew that I needed to start taking care of it, I … [Read more...]
