September Gardening

Wow, long hiatus due to not feeling well and then being in Guatemala for 2 weeks!

We arrived home expecting fall but it has been hot and sunny. The garden is bleached and dry. So it is hard to even think of typical September gardening chores. But I need to move fast in order to get some salad greens, kale, spinach and swiss chard in the ground. Too late for everything else really.

Today I hit the last day of a 50% sale at my local nursery. I love scooping up cheap perennials in the fall. Some will flower in the winter. Some I need to be patient and wait almost a year for. But I have already patiently waited to add things like bergenias and bergonias to my garden so... what's a little longer.

At the start of the month I consult a variety of sources to remind me what needs to happen. These include the monthly Sunset Magazine, Steve Whysall's (of Vancouver Sun fame) book Best Plant Picks, and The Twelve Month Gardener (an obscure but wonderful gardening book some local moms wrote way back when).

So what is there to do in September?

1. Deadhead current blooms to encourage more growth.
2. Divide perennials such as peonies. Plant new ones.
3. Plant perennials.
4. Sow seeds for poppies, cornflowers and sweet peas. (Skipping as this failed last year.)
5. Harvest and enjoy corn, tomatoes, zucchini, basil (did it survive our holiday?!).
6. Clean out summer veg garden.
7. Plant greens such as salad greens, spinach, kale, and swiss chard.
8. Aerate and patch grass (after heat wave ends).

Simple International Travel

My day job is teaching young people about good international community development. And part of that job is organizing overseasexperiences for them. I have a weird hodgepodge of experience that lends very nicely to this role.

(If you are interested- I have studied, lived, worked and travelled... a lot... overseas. I worked in consulting for a major corporate travel management company. I studied education and social justice. And I was a founder of a university international service learning company.)

My goals for the students' travel experience is very similar to what I would

want to do - make sure it is fun and safe, learn as much as possible, support the local economy, and keep the price reasonable.

Here are some brief tips on how to do that. I will be sure to elaborate in future posts.

1. Air Travel- Look into using airmiles first (an upcoming trip to Guatemala is only costing $107 per person in taxes). Second, start with kayak.com to get a sense of prices across the board. Third, double check airline sites to make sure you are getting the best deal, Forth consider a reliable travel agency instead (sometimes the get the better deal, most of the time they have better cancelation policies).
2. Insurance- Hesitate before getting cancelation insurance (many times it takes a very specific situation to activate this type of insurance). But! Make sure you have good extended medical insurance (that covers the whole trip, and will evacuate you in case of most types of emergency). Skip the baggage insurance unless you feel it is necessary (it's what makes the insurance expensive).
3. Travel Doctor- Visit a travel doctor before going anywhere exotic. Make sure you are up to date on shots and have relevant medications. This is usually a bit of an investment the first time you do tropical travel.
4. Pack lightly- Pack what you can literally carry and everything will be easier and safer! (Easier said than done when traveling with babies.)
5. Location- Travel a little bit off the beaten track. For example, Puerto Vallarta is usually big international hotels (money flows out of the local economy), Sayulita has all the amenities on a much smaller scale, whereas San Pancho is quiet but still has nice little, locally owned restaurants.
6. Accommodation- Go for local, small hotels over international chains. And if you are staying anywhere more than a few days consider renting a home at vrbo.com. These are usually owned by foreigners, but you will support the local economy by purchasing food at local stores and owners employ local cleaners and managers.
7. Transportation- Look into shuttle services that frequent tourist areas. Consider a car and driver if you are traveling as a family- it is often cheaper than individual tickets (book from your hotel). Consider the national train and bus service- there is no better way to interact with local people and sometimes it is way nicer than the tourist option (certainly true in Thailand!).
8. Meals- If you are renting a home then enjoy making local recipes (consider bringing some recipes in English from home). Get advice from the people you rent from as to the best places to purchase supplies. This is a huge money saver! But be sure to enjoy some meals out at restaurants. With a small child we like to eat out for breakfast and stay in for lunch and dinner.
9. Sightseeing- Keep your eyes open for local events- we joined in on releasing sea turtles in Mexico. It was a highlight! Book tours with local companies. Research some walking tour maps. Find out what else is offered free (free museum days, walks etc).
10. Souvenirs- Most of the time I prefer to spend my money at the restaurants. If we bring something home it is made locally and so supports the local economy. In San Pancho I went a little crazy at a local craft store and at Entre Amigos - a community center with a social enterprise component.
11. Language- Try to learn some simple phrases before leaving- hello, thank you, excuse me. Even better learn how to ask the price, to comment on the price (too expensive), and learn numbers. This will go far in getting a better deal and developing relationships!
12. Manners- Remember that you are adapting to the local culture and learn some local manners. It will go a long way in building relationships, getting a good deal, and making some friends.
13. Research- Like all good experiences, take the time to research before you travel. Wikitravel is a great site to check out.

A little effort during the planning stage and you can enjoy a simple, unique and fun holiday at a reasonable price.

BTW The photos I have included are from our last family trip to San Pancho, Mexico. We are currently planning our next trip to Guatemala!

Frugal? Simple? Environmental?

I have been thinking a lot about the day to day decisions we are making. As my family makes changes in our behaviour what benefits do we gain? What is worth continuing? What might drive me insane?

Since I started this blog we have instituted many changes for frugality, simplicity, and the environment. In many cases they overlap. In some cases I have had to make a choice.

Coupled with this I have recently been watching a (well to me) fascinating BBC series on youtube called Edwardian Farm. In this reality series 2 archaeologists and an historian try to accurately recreate life on a farm during the Edwardian era (pre WWI) for a year. This time is particularly interesting because it is just at the brink of gas and electricity being introduced. In the country side people still don't have access to either unless they are very rich. As well, middle class people for the very first time ever are able to afford different types of meats and luxuries thanks to lower prices on say for example lamb from New Zealand. Not to mention English farmers are looking at new ways to make money now that they can buy cheap wheat from Canada. Also machines are being introduced to make life (supposedly) easier for the average person's day to day chores. So interesting to compare to modern life!

So here is my question, when do you choose to do something more simple? What takes priority- the environment, money or simplicity? And what is the actual cost and value of changes we have made at home.

Home Made Bread

I just calculated the cost of bread if I buy my flour at Costco (located near work) in 20 kg bags and stick to a relatively simple recipe. It is some where around 25-30c a loaf. Just adding a cup of spelt to the recipe doubles the price. Whole wheat is not so bad. Comparison is minimum $2 for what we like to buy. A home made spelt loaf would be around $2 compared to purchasing at $5.

Simplicity? Effort is minimal to make 4 loaves say about 15-20 minutes actual work. We can fit this easily into our schedule. And it lasts the week. Plus we find it enjoyable and delicious. Way yummier than bought bread.

Environment? Way better- no more bread bags and tags. Only need to shop for supplies in bulk (good to cut down on shopping and packaging). Can recycle the flour bags. Plastic (yuck) bags for sugar etc can be recycled or we can buy in bulk with existing bags (but will cost more money).

Yoghurt

This is where my dilemma set in. If I purchase the most expensive milk in glass jugs then I only need to recycle the plastic lids. But! It costs $3 a litre vs $8 for 4 litres. This is a savings of $1 a litre if we buy plastic, maybe more at Costco. Mind you if we average 2 litres a week that is a savings of $100 or so a year. To me, I would rather focus on the environment than save $100 over the year. Plus, this is still cheaper than the organic yoghurt in the store. How often can I get 3 650 ml organic yoghurts for $6 in Vancouver? Or $2 each? Not very often!

Simplicity? Not too bad. You need to be on hand to watch the temperature. Otherwise it is super easy to do. Again maybe 15 minutes total.

Environment? 2 or 3 less yoghurt containers in the recycling bin a week in our house! That is huge. (By the way, I have kept all yoghurt containers from the past year to store berries in the freezer. I think I have enough now- say 1 or so per week from mid September to May or around 35 containers.)

Square Foot Garden

This is a tough one to calculate. I suppose I spend $20 on seeds a year. But we did buy some seedlings too- for basil, corn (just for fun), dill, rosemary, cilantro and parsley. Each seedling was worth 2 shops for packaged herbs ($24). But we get 5 months at least of meals from them. And we didn't buy lettuce or greens for 3 months. Now we are buying lettuce and still don't need other greens (a little hot to grow lettuce). The other plants are shorter lived and for fun. So that is a savings of say $4 a week for greens over 3-5 months. Let's say the investment was less than 1/2 what we would normally spend. Maybe not huge at this point!

Simplicity? It is relatively easy to maintain. A few bursts of energy. But the satisfaction and improved taste is immense!!

Environment? Huge- minimal packaging, 0 mile eating.

Results

All three seem to be worth the effort. We also make pizzas at home, make sprouts, and some time make pasta. We eat little take out. And we like to make most things from scratch (sauces, salad dressing, cookies etc.).

We have made other changes- buying in bulk, avoiding major packaging, minimal paper use, using the farmers market, trying to bike more, etc. I am still tormented by small bits of plastic, general recycling (but it is much lower), and meat packaging. We are far from perfect.

But! This week there were 2 small bags in the garbage (maybe 1 from our tenant), and the paper and container recycling was much lower. That is a huge improvement. I can recall some weeks when we had a full (if relatively small) garbage bin.

Final Thoughts

I am sure I could find ways to be frugal simple, and environmental while still purchasing at stores. So anything I put extra effort into- such as baking, making yoghurt, and gardening as to bring pleasure as well as practical benefits. Ultimately I imagine this is where the sticking power will come from!

Bread Experimentation #2

Okay, so I am going to try another very similar recipe today. And decided to do it using an instruction page for a hook. So I will knead it even though it is no knead! Why can't I do the no knead?

In this case the key is to add the flour slowly at the lowest speed to thoroughly mix in. I helped it along using a spatula to pull the flour in from the side. I decided to stop at 6 cups of flour rather than 6.5. It seemed like enough (fingers crossed).

Once the dough is lumpy but the flour has been added you can increase to the second lowest speed and let it run for 5 minutes. You need to keep checking that it is basically pulling the mixture away from the sides and bottom. If there is a puddle at the bottom you should add more flour.

At the end of 5 minutes the side and bottom should be essentially all clean and the dough should be wrapped around the hook. When you pull the dough off the hook it should come off easily. Then place it to the side and quickly butter the bowl. Put the dough back in, cover with a damp cloth or saran wrap (I don't use this). And let it rise.

Recipe is:

1. 3 cups warm water (100 degrees)
2. 1.5 tbsp yeast, 1.5 tbsp salt. I added 1 tsp sugar.
3. Did not say to let sit at all.
4. Form dough etc.

I then form 4 oval loaves and put on my silpat. Sprinkle with flour, slash each 3 times with serrated knife.

Then let rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 with a pan at the bottom and preheat the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Place silpat on the baking sheet.

Slide loaves in oven. Using an oven mit add 1 cup of water to the pan and shut quickly.

Bake for 30 minutes. I pulled out at 25 minutes and you can see from above it was a nice colour. Seemed nicely cooked too.

Update: Big thumbs up on this one in the family. Good fresh and good as toast. I put 2 in the freezer since they don't keep well- very similar to french bread. But still good as toast on the 3rd day.

Bread Experimentation #1

So we have had a few failed attempts at bread making and I have offered to take up the reins in our house and continue the experimentation.

I was planning to use a lovely recipe from the Frugal Girl (she does beautiful baking) but her sandwich recipe calls for milk. Being somewhat lactose intolerant in our house we don't often have milk on hand. As a result, I did a combination of her french bread recipe and my friend Sarah's no knead recipe.

I have a Kitchenaid mixer that I love very much (it was my granny's). But I didn't quite understand how to use it. So I started mixing in the cuisinart, then ended up doing it by hand and wooden spoon, ending up with the kneading process.

The final product was very delicious but I panicked about how long to bake for and pulled it out after 20 minutes. I think a carefully watched additional 5 minutes would be ideal.

1) Heat 3 cups of water to 120 degrees

2) Add 1.5 tbsp yeast, 1.5 tbsp sea salt, 1/2 tbsp sugar

3) leave to get very foamy (1 hour or so)

4) mix in 6.5 cups of flour till just mixed in (did 1/3 whole wheat, 2/3 unbleached white)

(This is where I veered off course)

5) Sarah says don't knead. I decided to knead for 3-5 minutes as the Frugal Girl does.

By the way, the dough was not too dry when I started to knead, then became smooth and elastic.

6) I left to rise for 1 hour or so with a damp cloth over top of the bowl.

7) I punched it, divided it into 2. Then I gently rolled it into a rectangular shape.

8) I folded it into a bread shape to fit into 2 bread pans.

9) I left it to double in size again in the bread pans covered with a damp cloth.

10) I preheated the oven to 400 degrees with a pan on the lower rack.

11) I put the bread in to the oven. Then with oven mitts on I threw a cup of water into the lower pan and quickly shut the oven.

12) I pulled it out at 20 minutes but it was a touch under cooked in the middle. Would recommend 5 more minutes.

No pics with this experimentation- we gobbled it up fast.

July Gardening

Oh my goodness, this has been such a pathetic summer so far. We have not had a single hot day at an outdoor pool. We have had a few mid week hot days... that's it!

I was out staring at my garden today. Our corn is growing, the flowers have come out on the runner bean plants. There are signs of life. Some baby lettuces may do just fine in the weather so I pulled out the lettuce that has bolted to give the babies room. And I picked some peas and strawberries.

So I am wondering what I can plant in a few bare spots. It looks like in Vancouver we can still do a lot! But I am not happy with my carrots and beets- too wimpy. So I think I will stick to greens which I know we will consume regularly. So in these not so dog days of summer I am going to sew new kale, lettuce and swiss chard. I will hold off on spinach and arugula till August.

Someone please remind me to feed the plants too

Meal Planning July 9

Meal planning can go a long way to cut down on waste- food, packaging and money. I am horrified at some of the food that we throw out so here is our plan for the week:

Breakfasts: home made bread with honey, smoothies (with swiss chard from garden, sprouts we grow, yoghurt and fruit), steel cut oatmeal, pancakes on Saturday, eggs on Sunday, coffee

Lunches: leftovers, barley with greens and eggs.

Desserts (mainly for Caia): yoghurt, berries.

Saturday- We are having friends over for bbq pizza, salad, and pork tenderloin tacos. (Lunch was simple pb&j buns on a train tour.)

Sunday- We need to pick up fish to go with the baby potatoes and fresh peas (was planned for Friday). Lunch will be tuna sandwiches with celery.

Monday- pasta with home made tomato sauce

Tuesday- lentils and rice with plain yoghurt

Wednesday- BBQ burgers with cucumber/ tomato salad (burgers in freezer). May visit farmers market for fruit and veg for Friday. Add quesadilla for Caia.

Thursday- Frittata with leftover veg, chevre, pancetta and home made bread (in freezer). Caia will eat.

Friday- don't know yet!

Meal planning on Thursday night for Friday/ Saturday shop at farmer's market/ Main Street bike ride/ Costco (following week if necessary). Need to plan Saturday/ Sunday lunch too.

Shopping list:

• buns
• fruit
• mushrooms
• fish
• tomatoes
• cheese
• coffee
• almond milk? soy milk
• milk and yoghurt starter!

Putting Beauty Recipes into Action

So I have spent a bit of money on various oils for at home skin care recipes. It is messing with my head a bit. Part of me wonders if it is just an excuse to spend money. Part of me is shocked at the cost of each oil. Then part of me realizes that it is still way cheaper than buying individual products.

Here are the recipes I have done so far today. I will try recipes as I need them. My exfoliator just ran out and my hubby is horrified by what is in his dandruff shampoo (coal byproduct).

Exfoliator to add to every day cleanser: I did a very simple blend of equal park oats and brown sugar (the source is Frugal Babe). I put them them through a clean coffee grinder (hand held). And all I need to do is add them to my regular cleanser! I am storing it in a little jam jar for now. But I don't think that is the ideal option.

Tea Tree Oil Dandruff Treatment: I combined 60ml of sweet almond oil with 15 drops of tea tree oil. The source recommends using this once a week. I am going to ask my hubby to try a smaller amount rubbed in at night but more frequently to see what happens. Seems more realistic.

Supplies: I have purchased skin care lines of most oils except for an extra virgin pressed coconut oil that is also for food preparation. But all are good quality.

Beauty Regimen

I picked up the May 2011 Natural Health Magazine from the library and enjoyed their skin care advice:

AM- Use only a very mild soap in the shower. Use an eye cream with caffeine to reduce puffiness and darkness. Use your ring finger to apply. Look for a moisturizer that includes SPF and vitamin C & E to fight free radicals.

Midday- Drink lots of water. Use blotting paper if your skin gets oily.

Night- Use an oil based makeup remover. Then use a heavy duty cleanser. Follow with an exfoliant. If you use retinols wait till 20 minutes after cleansing (when skin is dry). Start using slowly by combining with a regular moisturizer. Exfoliate your body with a loofah and moisturize. Apply a scalp oil before bed.

Simple Finances

When it comes to finances you can most likely divide your spending into 3 areas:

1. day to day spending (your budget)
2. paying down debt (good and bad, short and long term)
3. savings (emergency, RRSP- retirement, RESP- education, travel, taxes)

So how do you tackle all of these areas?

Budget

First, you need to determine your day to day budget. If you are spending without any guidelines chances are you are going way over budget. I recently calculated how much we actually spend on groceries and it was 50% more than budgeted! This is because we would pick up things as we needed them and we bought lots at full price for this reason.

A budget for food and spending allows you to carefully choose how you spend your money. And a meal plan helps with this. Meal planning will help you avoid food waste (and therefore $ waste), will help you use what is already in your pantry, will help you plan a few frugal meals, and will help you avoid last minute take out).

The most simple step is to make a reasonable budget. And every week or two weeks you visit the bank to withdraw for food, spending, restaurants, activities, wine, transportation... whatever is in your budget that you need to purchase regularly. If you don't trust yourself then use a cash system like this and fill envelopes with the money. Take only what you need that day and leave the rest at home.

If you have leftovers then you can either keep squirrelling it away in the envelope to treat yourself. Or you can take out less the next week and put the surplus towards debt or savings.

Once you have this under control, the next step is debt repayment.

Paying Down Debt

Just for sanity's sake at the same time you may want to build an emergency savings fund (see below).

Years ago my friend told me he had $10,000 in savings. Then almost in the same breath he admitted he had $10,000 in credit card debt. Hmmm, talk about a psychological trick you can play on yourself. There is little chance his savings earned more interest than his debt charged. So he was losing money as he went along.

You need to pay off your debt before you can save or you will still be spending needlessly on interest.

How do you do this? Well there are different techniques. And sometimes a psychological benefit can outweigh the cost. But I find the most simple is to start with highest interest rate first and go from there. And start with bad debt and go from there too.

By the way bad debt is for something that depreciates in value. So certainly credit card purchases like clothing would fit here. And also realistically a car loan would too. But if your car loan is only 1% interest you may leave this till the very end.

But! If you have some small credit card balances that can be paid off quite easily, then definitely do those first. As soon as the balance is paid off you will stop paying interest. So that is a simple solution. And when those little cards are paid off then cut them up and close the account. In the end you should only need 1 credit card.

Logically you would pay off debt in this order: high interest small credit card bills, high interest big credit card bills, overdraft, line of credit, student loan, car loan (if very low interest), mortgage.

Other debt to consider would be a family loan- use your discretion and talk to the family member to come up with a plan you can both agree on. And perhaps investment loans- this is probably best left to the advice of your accountant.

So when does it make sense to pay off the mortgage fast? I think this is a personal decision. You can blaze along and pay off asap. Or it may make more sense to use your RRSP (retirement savings) contribution first. Other options include using your tax return to make an extra payment, doing the allowed extra payments (some are limited to 1-2 per year or up to 20%), or changing to bi-weekly rather than monthly. All these options can take tens of thousands of dollars off the total interest payment over a 25 year amortization.

Savings

This section is a balance of personal goals, practical decision making and pychological satisfaction.

The first step is to build an emergency savings fund. Realistically a line of credit is for emergencies. But having been through the process of using my line of credit when starting a business I can tell you this can be a huge psychological burden. An emergency savings fund can be used for unexpected house and car costs or for day to day costs if you lose your job. Ideally you would build to 6 months of day to day spending (including bills and your mortgage etc.). But baby steps are fine. Start with $100, then $500. Then build from there. A little bit every month.

Then you may want to consider savings for taxes if you are self employed. You don't need to go crazy, but if you have a sense of how much you will owe then start to put it aside every month.

Next may be RRSPs (retirement). But likely only if your income is in a high bracket and it will make a big difference. If you are still not making tons of money then consider saving your limit for when you are making more money.

If you have children consider RESP's. In Canada the government will give you 20% more in grants to a maximum of $500. So planning for $2500 per child per year is ideal. The government grant maxes out at $7200 (some time in your child's teens if you start early). This is a great way to start to prepare for your children's education. Better yet, convince grandparents to contribute too. You can get one year behind- so if things are tight at first then you can play catch up. And please, don't feel pressure to contribute if you are in debt. Pay yourself first!

Also keep in mind savings for other important areas. If you are travellers then decide what your travel plans are and set a monthly savings amount. If you know you want to buy a car then do a monthly savings amount. Or best of all if you want to take a leave of absence from work, save for this too!

Last but not least, how do you save?

The first step would be to choose accounts where you can automatically debit when your pay comes in and transfer the $ into savings accounts. Better yet would be savings accounts with no service fees and where you can divide into different folders (tax, travel etc).

In Canada you can also put up to $5000 a year in a TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account). It works for many types of investments. It is the best option for long term non-RRSP savings. This is not a good option for your emergency savings. And like other investments watch the fees!

Another option is to automatically move long term savings into investment options. One of the most simple options is the Couch Potato investment plan. The concept is very simple. The idea is that the market does better than most any other investment strategy in the long run. So choose low cost investment options that mimic the market. Read more about it here.

I currently use mutual funds that are very low in management fees. Eventually when I have more money to invest I will move to self directed brokerage investments. But my savings are so low right now it doesn't justify the $50 a year brokerage charge.

Does it work? We got our RRSPs and RESPs 6 months after the market crashed. And the value of both has gone up at a very impressive rate. But you need to be patient and use this method for long term investment. Don't check it obsessively. And follow the plan!

BBQ Pizza/ Summer is Finally Here

Finally it is sunny in Vancouver. Last night I went out to water the plants after dark and saw pea pods. They are so late this year. But a few days of sun and heat and out they came.

We had pizza on the menu plan for Monday night. And I really did not want to turn on the oven. We don't have air conditioning (it's pretty rare in Vancouver). But there is a small part of the year where old houses can get very hot. So we keep the curtains closed when the sun is trying to beam inside. On all but the hottest days this really helps. It is considerably cooler in our home. (We also updated our attic insulation and some windows in the sunroom/ dining room a few years back and that helps too.)

In order to keep the heat out we decided to bbq the pizza. And it was amazing! I had a recipe from June's Canadian Family magazine (older post here). But I really like the recipes on Frugal Girl. So I decided to take her advice for the grilling portion. It tasted exactly like wood oven pizza. So good...

It is quite simple:

1) Make your favorite pizza dough recipe. Prepare toppings.

2) Preheat the grill.

3) Roll out the dough, spray or spread oil on the bottom, and place on a cookie sheet.

4) Spray or oil grill. And slide pizza dough on to grill.

5) Cook for 3 minutes (watch bottom does not burn).

6) Slide back onto cookie sheet. Flip so baked side is up.

7) Add toppings.

8) Put back on grill. Close lid and bake for around 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

9) You may need a second person to help you take it off the grill.

10) Chow down.

You may notice from the photo that the pizzas are slightly different than the plan. We were supposed to make the pizzas last week but it didn't happen. By last night the ham was slimy. So we made pepperoni and pineapple. And then we used whatever veg we could find in the garden and in the fridge to make #2. It has pine nuts, basil from the garden, red peppers, and mushrooms. Next time we will add olives to give it a little saltiness. It was just a little bland.

Simple Car Ownership

I can be neglectful with my car- mainly because I don't know what I need to do regularly for upkeep. I take it to a minute lube place quarterly. But I still get stressed out. So here are some simple tips for upkeep (via Money Sense- paper version):

1. check tires once a month and especially in the fall when the temperature drops
2. wash your car once a week in the winter if salt is used where you live
3. wax your car once a year
4. rust proof it once a year
5. Fix dents and scratches right away to avoid rust corrosion
6. Follow the maintenance schedule in the manual
7. Replace rubber seals around doors and windshields when needed, and use rubber floor mats
8. Keep in an unheated garage where possible. Leave outside if the garage is heated.
9. Find a reliable mechanic and stick with him (would love a suggestion for Vancouver)
10. At 7 years you will likely need extra servicing for the steering, exhaust system, transmission and battery but after this the car should run for years
11. You can wait till 16,000 km to replace the oil and filter (maybe even 24,000 if synthetic). But remember to top up!
12. Flush the transmission fluids every 100,000 km
13. Rotate tires every year or 10,000 km
14. Replace spark plugs as recommended (usually 40-100,000 km)
15. Replace the battery as recommended
16. Follow manual for timing belt (usually every 160,000 but in Canada severe temperatures can stress the belt)
17. Check the flush and engine coolant (antifreeze) more often in cold areas. This will be every 2 to 3 years (regular v long life).
18. Steering fluid flush every 2 years- not necessary- but fill it every time you feel resistance in the steering column
19. Break pads and fluids- when you hear the screech

I love this advice for buying new:

1. Start by sending emails to dealers first. Tell them the price you will pay and see who goes for it.
2. By at the end of the month.
3. Ask about discounts (for loyal customers, students etc).
4. Say no to extended warranties, rustproofing, fabric protection etc. Scotchguard yourself. Rust proof for cheaper elsewhere.
5. Negotiate the price first. Then bring up your trade in. Keep it out of the bargaining.
6. Women tend to think with their head when it comes to cars and salesmen are intimidated by informed, smart female shoppers.
7. Hire a car buyer for $65. Check out Car Help Canada or CarSmart.

Meal Planning

Meal planning can go a long way to cut down on waste- food, packaging and money. I am horrified at some of the food that we throw out so here is our plan for the week:

Breakfasts: home made bread with honey, smoothies (with swiss chard from garden, yoghurt and fruit), steel cut oatmeal, pancakes on Saturday, eggs on Sunday, coffee

Lunches: leftovers, barley with greens and eggs.

Desserts (mainly for Caia): yoghurt, berries, pineapple, watermelon.

Monday- pizza (we have chorizo, pineapple, ham, mushroom and pine nuts waiting), salad (cucumber, tomato, carrots, lettuce). Caia will eat.

Tuesday- leftover bean dip, pitas, tomato and olive salad (with red peppers), with chicken skewers (in freezer). Caia will eat.

Wednesday- BBQ burgers with cucumber/ tomato salad (burgers and buns in freezer). May visit farmers market for fruit and veg for Friday. Add quesadilla for Caia.

Thursday- Frittata with mushrooms, red pepper, chevre, pancetta and home made bread (in freezer). Caia will eat.

Friday- fish with potatoes and veg (need to buy fish and veg with next food purchase). Caia will eat.

Meal planning on Thursday night for Friday/ Saturday shop at farmer's market/ Main Street bike ride/ Costco (following week if necessary). Need to plan Saturday/ Sunday lunch too.

Going Paperless

So my daughter is finally potty trained! Woot! And to celebrate I am continuing to cut back on waste by going paperless. Not entirely possible for annoying reasons.

Here was what I noted a while back I needed to still do (and here too):

Papers- I need to go through old paperwork and shred, I need to scan relevant documents, I need to organize work documents. I need to cull all but my favorite stored magazines (Dwell, Sunset and Domino). I need to go paperless with all bills. I need to re-request the local free newspaper not be delivered. I need to get on no junk mail lists. I need to cancel my Canadian Family magazine subscription at the year end.

And here is what I have managed to do:

1. Using ePost to go paperless on my CIBC bill payment site: successful for FIDO, Shaw, Rogers, Fortis, and BC Hydro.
2. Using CIBC's services: successful for my VISA and my chequing/ savings accounts.
3. Not successful for: national and provincial student loans but only quarterly (so far), CIBC Securities but only quarterly (apparently it is a government regulation), CIBC Line of Credit (they say it is not available yet).
4. Local free paper- rerequested they stop delivering.
5. Using the Red Dot Campaign I got off some junk mail lists but the phone list site is being redone.
6. Canadian Family does not expire for a while.
7. I've taped the little sign from Red Dot Campaign (the image for this post) on my mail slot. Apparently the Canada Post should respect it. Let's see what happens.
8. Gulp- I have decided to get rid of my beloved and cancelled Domino magazines- I only have a few left anyway. Will do Money Sense and parenting magazines today as well (not so hard). Next will be to get rid of the Dwell collection. That means I will only have some holiday and Sunset magazines I want to hold on to.

Other updates:

• Bread making is going well. We had some funny looking but yummy loaves come out of the oven. And Kevin made pitas to go with a delicious meal on the weekend. Kevin made pizza dough this morning. So bread dough is almost a constant thing in our house. This means we have moved all bread making supplies under the kitchen island to simplify the process a bit.
• The home phone and cable are being cancelled as of the end of July. Our tenant is moving out and we have taken this opportunity to simplify what we don't need.
• It is finally hot and sunny here. So I am celebrating that with hang drying my colours and whites. Towels, rags etc go into the dryer because I don't have enough line space and I like fluffy towels so they were prioritized. Plus, clothes last longer when not put in the dryer.

Waste Update

Here is a list of typical garbage in our house:

1. food waste (that cannot be composted)- a fair bit with a toddler
2. diapers
3. meat wrapping
4. random food plastic- extra protection for salad green box, yoghurt plastic cover, little plastic bits in almond milk, bread bag plastic bits, some plastic bags to wrap stinky/ wet stuff
5. some nonrecyclable, nonreusable food bags

Here's a list of typical recycling in our house:

1. wine bottles
2. cans
3. pellegrino bottles
4. almond/ soy milk tetra packs
5. fruit/ vegetable packaging
6. toiletries and cleaning product plastics
7. random papers from the mail
8. local free newspaper
9. paper covering from shopping- such as laundry detergent boxes
10. paper scraps from random notes
11. food composting- some of which is wasted fruit/ veg (went bad)

Both lists are important because while recycling is not as bad as garbage, it is still problematic. So here are some ideas to cut back.

1. food waste (that cannot be composted)- Be very careful with food planning, eat all leftovers, look forward to city program implementation.
2. diapers- Continue to work on potty training. Hope baby #2 is not allergic to own urine.
3. meat wrapping- Cut back on meat eating, purchase from butchers that use paper, bring storage container to butchers.
4. random food plastic- extra protection for salad green box, yoghurt plastic cover, little plastic bits in almond milk, bread bag plastic bits, some plastic bags to wrap stinky/ wet stuff- Make own bread, almond milk, yoghurt, cut back on food waste.
5. some nonrecyclable, nonreusable food bags- Make bulk bags from fabric, reuse bulk bags, buy bulk more often, freeze in season berries, learn how to make gnocchi etc.
6. wine bottles- Exercise some self control.
7. cans- Learn how to use dried beans, menu planning, can own tomatoes.
8. pellegrino bottles- Get soda maker, have lemons and lime in tap water instead.
9. almond/ soy milk tetra packs- Learn how to make almond milk, try soy recipe adaptations.
10. fruit/ vegetable packaging, stickers- Buy at the farmers market, bring own containers.
11. toiletries and cleaning product plastics- Simplify what I use.
12. random papers from the mail- Get off junk mail list, get paper free bills.
13. local free newspaper- Call again to recancel.
14. paper covering from shopping- such as laundry detergent boxes- Continue to look for bulk detergent etc.
15. paper scraps from random notes- Be strict about using ipad etc and reuse backs of bills.
16. food composting- some of which is wasted fruit/ veg (went bad)- Better menu and meal planning, keep fridge organized.

Paper Cull and Declutter Update

I have to confess the decluttering makes me feel overwhelmed at times. The kitchen and wardrobe declutter went smoothly. I didn't sell anything. But I did donate to a program I know first sells to a local charity shop and which then sells to international used clothing sellers (Big Brothers). I do this because it then becomes part of the local economy which is better than donated items overseas (which flood but don't contribute to the local economy). More on this another time!

The paper recycling has gone well too. I got rid of all but my favorite magazines in storage. You may think... big deal... but magazines are my weakness. So I actually got rid of years of saved articles or full magazines.

I revisited my recent list of to do's for the paper plans to figure out what I could do next. Today I went through important papers and bills. Things that I mainly needed to shred. Here is the result:

1. almost 3 bags of shredded paper
2. some nonshreaded
3. a small pile of files dated 2001 to 2008 for important documents (see below)
4. an empty box
5. a small pile of garbage including lots of staples (officially hate staples)
6. a messy room I had to sweep up- it is a messy job!
7. a discovery I really really can't stand day time tv (found a news channel to keep me sane)

What did I keep?

• anything I felt was still relevant this includes,
• all tax returns with corresponding papers
• major purchase documents
• transcripts, diplomas etc
• old passports
• bills from last 2 years

These will go into the filing cabinet and I will revisit them every year to decide what to shred!

What's left with papers?

1. Convert to paperless bills.
2. End magazine subscriptions at relevant time.
3. Make a decision about magazines I kept.
4. Call local free newspaper to rerequest they stop delivering.
5. Get off junk mail list.
6. Make friendly/ cool looking "no junk mail" sign.

What are some other recent changes?

• We have started making bread! (Super yummy and simple spelt/ unbleached flour blend- will post recipe soon. Still trying to decide if I can get away with a little wheat.)
• We fixed the stove top espresso machine. And hope this will cut back on the amount of coffee we use. Also the large coffee maker will go into storage and will only be used for when we have brunch guests.
• Toiletries- I am using up bits and bobs that have leftovers in them- including shampoo, conditioner, moisturizers, and hair products.
• Caia is almost potty trained (which has drastically cut down on diapers used).

Farm dreams

Do you ever think about where you want to be in 5 or 10 years? I think about it a little too much. So I figure if I am going to think about it, I might as well write it down. Then the next step is to look at what I can do in the meantime to prepare.

Here is my wish list:

2-5 acres
Mountain view
Existing fruit orchard hopefully with apples, pears, peaches, plums, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, figs, grapes, blackberries
Min 4 bedrooms, ideally 3 up and a 3 on lower floor for offices/ guests
3 rooms and rec room on lower floor for guests and every day use
Barn for 2 horses, sheep, goats
Chicken coop
Pond for ducks
Pasture
Greenhouse
Kitchen garden
Canning workshop and storage, cheese making space
Workshop for Kevin
Wood stove for some house heating and bread making (Vermont is one brand) in eating area of kitchen
radiant heat on main floor
Near Courtenay, BC

Okay, the next step is to look at components of the plan and see how I can prepare now. More to come!

Moving Forward

Three years ago give or take a few weeks I was 7 months pregnant and got laid off from a university program I helped create. My daughter was born and sometime later we had that nasty economic downturn. I resurfaced a year later and jobs were scarce so I had an idea of how to expand what I was already doing to a secondary school. I was trained as a secondary teacher so it was a very good fit.

I signed up for a wonderful self employment program that taught valuable small business skills but encouraged rather unrealistic profit goals. Maybe it was a good thing, because if you had told me I would work for 1.5 years essentially for free and plunge my family into debt like we have never experienced before, I am quite sure I would have never made the plunge.

Here I am after a number of set backs finally taking in deposits and starting to move forward. Personally I have 2 credit cards (1 business related), one family line of credit, a smaller business line of credit, and a small, old student loan. Up until this venture we had a credit card we always paid off and a line of credit we dipped into. Once or twice we fell further into the line of credit and used bonuses, small inheritances, or tax returns to pull ourselves back out. So this debt is very new to me.

Funnily the fact I am finally making $ is inspiring me to cut back. I really want to pay off the debt ASAP. My technique is generally the domino debt relief technique with some modifications.

1) create a small buffer of $500 in savings per month (at $200 this month).
2) pay minimum plus a little more on larger credit card.
3) pay off smaller credit card this month.
4) pay larger credit card next finishing in September.
5) pay line of credit off in early October.
6) pay student loan off in October.
7) save work line of credit for next year.
8) save holiday money in November.
9) start emergency savings, rrsp, travel, tax savings in November.

Here is what I am doing and need to still improve on top cut back:

1) cancelled cleaner for savings of $2400 a year
2) cancelled home phone for savings of $40 a month
3) daycare drop on price because daughter in 3-5 program savings $350 per month
4) menu planning for week savings yet unknown
5) Costco shopping for coffee,staples, milk, almond milk, cheese
6) stopped ordering pizza and make at home
7) start homemade yoghurt, soy milk, almond milk (or at least try)
8) repair and better maintain clothes (so far jeans and shoes)
9) limit clothes shopping to a few tops (purchased good quality sunglasses) because don't need anything else
10) stop buying cleaning products except dish detergent and laundry detergent. Did buy a few staples like vinegar, baking soda, oxy bleach, hydrogen peroxide, essential oils and glycerin.
11) stop buying creams and makeup unless needed (mascara soon), simplify routine.
12) use simple inexpensive environmental shampoo. And only every other day. Using corn starch as dry shampoo.
13) collecting yoghurt containers to freeze berries (need to buy deep freeze)
14) cutting back on meat in meals
15) using whole grains more
16) growing vegetables we eat regularly
17) starting to make home made bread (very easy with adapted pizza dough recipe!)
18) limiting magazine purchase to current subscriptions (2) and Sunset
19) cancelled newspaper (reading online)
20) got a bike trailer to use for gym, pool trips, and getting around locally on weekends

Still lots more we can do but this is a good start.

Simple Children's Gifts and Birthday Planning

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of kids to buy gifts for. And some of my friends are amazingly generous. Thankfully so far my daughter does not have too many toys (by that I mean I don't yet feel overwhelmed by them). And I think this is a combination of being lucky with relatives primarily and exercising some self control with birthdays and holidays.

Caia's grandparents keep pretty cool about birthdays and Christmas. They are very generous but they tend to focus on one special gift and some books and clothes. For example, a special gift she received in the past was a lovely little buggy for Caia's dolls. It is not terribly plasticy and not super cheap so we can take it outside for little walks, it is pretty, and we hope it will last as long as Caia wants it and then some.

We try to maintain this same philosophy for Caia's gifts and what we give her friends. My new favorite store to buy children's gifts is Dilly Dally. I can pop in with Caia and they have some fun things for Caia to play with while I look around. I can make a decision without feeling stressed to leave or to buy Caia anything. But I do let her choose a 25c sticker set.

Their general philosophy makes sense for me too. They mostly have wooden and fabric toys but if the toy is more functional and durable as plastic then they stock in plastic. A good example are bigger toy trucks. They just function better as plastic. They also keep track of where toys are made, what paint is used and so on. It is not a cheap store, but there are many reasonably priced items. And it is local (not a big chain). So it fits with my philosophy too.

I try to have a little theme for a children's gift and if possible stick to around $25-30 plus a nice little card. When Caia is older we will start making more cards. But until then I am coughing up the dough!

As for wrapping paper, I will use what the store provides free or pull from gift bags and tissue I have saved. Sometimes I buy inexpensive coloured tissue paper. I have not bought a gift bag in years because I have saved all of the ones Caia receives and then I reuse them.

Part of the reason Caia doesn't have too many toys so far is that she has never really had a birthday party. At 1 and 2 years old she was more than content to celebrate with family. We also travel when its her birthday (August) so it hasn't been too much pressure in the past. But she is turning 3 this year so she is quite aware of the whole party thing. This year will be her first official birthday party.

However... we plan to keep it quite small. Just close friends of Caia and us, and perhaps a few buddies from daycare (maybe only one). It will be in our house and backyard. And we will serve veggie dogs, home made macaroni, and home made pizza. Plus home made cupcakes (her absolute favorite). I will plan one special craft but let the kids play outside. Hopefully it is sunny so we will have water and sandbox play!

What about random gifts at other times of the year or other holidays? Well, Caia got chocolates, a bunny, a few Beatrix Potter table pieces, and a little tea set for Easter this year. I can't exactly call that minimal, but other than the little bunny and chocolates I think they were gifts that will stand the test of time and will get a lot of use. I kind of have a thing for Easter. Many other holidays come and go without gifts. And very very rarely I will give her a little random gift- say a hair clip if I think she needs it. But it is so rare she has yet to expect it.

I would rather buy one decent quality toy that will grow with Caia rather than a bunch of cheap plastic toys. Toys that grow with her- like puppets, doll related toys, books, sand toys and so on. So far so good. But maybe check in with me in another year or two and we will see where we are at!

So what's my philosophy? Good quality, stands the test of time, adaptable to different ages if possible, local where possible, minimal plastic, reasonably priced.

Declutter and Simplifying Update

It is certainly a bit of a process to declutter and simplify. I can quite honestly say I have been slowly accumulating things since we returned from Japan in 2000. In fact, we brought a little clutter back with us!

Here are some things I have done so far

1. Japan clutter and other travel clutter- We came home with lovely trinkets including kimonos and knick knacks. I have only kept my favorite 2 kimonos and a few hankies (very popular in Japan and I can certainly put to use). I donated travel gifts I never use or display.
2. Books- I have quite ruthlessly gotten rid of any book I am quite sure I will not read again. Some are boxed for a charity. And some are bagged to see if I can resell them.
3. Caia's art- My daughter is not even 3 and I have accumulated so much art. So for each year I will allocate one folder. I will have to get even more ruthless over the years.
4. Sports equipment- I have donated old snowboard boots, tennis balls, and my rollerblade equipment. I simplified my ski outfit and got rid of a jacket.
5. Electronics- I took all cds, most dvds, computer hardware, and cables to Free Geek to recycle. I was careful to tape manuals and cords to functioning equipment. Note: we have digitized our music and most movies.
6. Papers- I recycled tons of magazine tear outs and irrelevant old notes. I cancelled my newspaper subscription and now use the ipad. I stopped buying all but my favorite magazines- Sunset, Living etc, and Bazaar (subscription).
7. Clothing- I have gone through all clothing in storage and in the closet and donated or turned into rags all clothes that did not fit well, were damaged and not repairable, were stained and not repairable, were out of fashion and I no longer wear.
8. Kitchen- I stored china from my grandparents I don't use regularly but are sentimental. I stored extra cutlery and a few items I am not ready to get rid of. I donated tons of items I don't use. I thoroughly cleaned the dishwasher (by unscrewing the components to clean the filter) and the back coils of the fridge. I got rid of expired sauces etc and any items we just don't eat. I moved bulks into jars and stopped buying highly packaged goods. I recycled and donated most plastic storage containers and replaced with existing jars and jars from a thrift shop.
9. Cleaning products- I stopped buying various cleaning products. But did buy oxygen bleach, hydrogen peroxide, a few essential oils. I gave a few non-environmental cleaners to my mom (so she can use up). I am slowly using up bought environmental cleaners and replacing with home made ones. I choose paper containers for laundry and dishwasher powders since many bloggers have yet to be satisfied with home made.
10. Waste- I never double bag garbage (ie bread bag goes into garbage bag). I always reuse any plastic bag for diapers or other necessary garbage (we still don't have full food compost collection here so sometimes have wet food waste). I am trying out soy and almond milk recipes. I make home made macaroni and cheese etc. I buy bulk.
11. Toiletries- I started to use all natural shampoo and only shampoo every two days. I use cornstarch as dry shampoo. I only buy MAC makeup which has a recycling program. I stored all makeup I don't use regularly. I am working on finishing all creams and trying not to buy any (but will need to buy sensitive face cream soon).

Some things I can still do:

1. Japan and travel clutter- I need to seriously revisit and decide what I truly want to keep.
2. Books- I need to convince Kevin to be a little more ruthless. And I need to do one more cull and get rid of books that I can easily get from my mom's or from the library. I will keep my favorites. And there are quite a few.
3. Caia's art. Choose my favorite to frame and decorate the craft area (planned project for the unfinished basement). Planned for Fall.
4. Sports equipment- Sell my snowboard, sell my skis (but keep bindings) and upgrade, donate my slightly bent poles and replace. Planned for early Fall ski swap.
5. Electronics- Kevin panicked and snagged a binder of cds. I will need to get these next time. We have an old titanium mac to strip and get rid of. We have an iMac to strip and repurpose as a psuedo TV. We have a failed hard drive to return to a manufacturer. I need to recycle the DVR and home phones that don't work. I need to return the home phone box and just use mobile phones. I need to freecycle the old tv and dvd player.
6. Papers- I need to go through old paperwork and shred, I need to scan relevant documents, I need to organize work documents. I need to cull all but my favorite stored magazines (Dwell, Sunset and Domino). I need to go paperless with all bills. I need to re-request the local free newspaper not be delivered. I need to get on no junk mail lists. I need to cancel my Canadian Family magazine subscription at the year end.
7. Clothing- I need to sell my fancy shoes I never wear. I need to get winter pants and coats dry cleaned and store with cedar. I need to finish washing winter sweaters and store with cedar.
8. Kitchen- I need to replace chipped day to day plates and bowls. I need to replace all of Caia's plastics. I need to fix the stove top espresso maker.
9. Cleaning products- I need to track down stainless steel spray bottles. I need to finish off purchased products and start making my own (should take a while). I need to replace broken swiffer and get rid of remaining sheets.
10. Waste- Caia is still not potty trained (and is very allergic to her own urine so cannot use cloth) but I am trying!! I have yet to resolve nondairy drinks (allergic) but do recycle. The city still does not collect all food waste. I need to start making bread and cut out bread bags or buy direct from bakery (but avoiding wheat makes it difficult- I have a wheat insensitivity).
11. Toiletries- I need to figure out which items I never use and find a way to get rid of them by giving away or recycling.
12. Photos- this is linked to Japan. I need to scan all predigital photos, get rid of duplicates and bad ones, and maybe make a few little albums.
13. I need to tackle the garage.

What's the general philosophy here? Baby steps. If you have a family and a job it will not happen over night, likely not even over a month. So just do it step by step and keep moving in the same direction. In the meantime limit what new stuff you bring in!

Natural Beauty Recipes

Here are some lovely recipes from Easy Green Living. Please note I am currently posting for future use and will update the post once tried. I do this because a) the supplies may not be ready- like rose petals from the garden or b) I still have a bought version I want to finish first.

Homemade Rose Water

• use as a facial spray or apply with cotton ball
• place petals of 2 or 4 fresh organic roses in glass jar (need to add 2 cups of water)
• boil 2 cups of water and pour over petals
• seal tightly with a lid, shake gently, and let stand overnight
• Strain rose water and squeeze as much liquid from petals as possible
• Store in tightly sealed jar or bottle in fridge

Honey Face Treatment

• Cleanse your face
• Boil water and hold face over steaming pot for 2 to 5 minutes (or use steaming hot facecloth of face for 2 minutes- but make sure comfortable to touch)
• Spread 1 1/2 tbsp of raw honey on face (avoid eyes)
• Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water
• Use toner or face spray and moisturize

Sea Salt-Peppermint Foot Scrub

• Mix 1 cup salt, 1/3 cup olive oil or almond oil, tbsp castile soap, 5 drops essential oil of peppermint
• Soak feet first with hot water and 1/4 cup epsom or table salt for 15 minutes
• Scrub with the mixture and rinse off

Rejuvenating Face Serum

• 2/3 cup pure aloe vera
• 2 tbsp pure vegetable glycerin
• 3 drops essential oil of rose or lavender
• combine all three in jar and shake it well, and then put in a small clean glass pump dispenser
• spread over clean skin and sleep with it on
• store in fridge and it keeps indefinitely
• Plain aloe vera gel works too
• Be careful- some people are allergic so test in a small area of the skin first

Sugared Vanilla-Coconut Salt Body Scrub

• mix 1/2 cup each of sea salt, organic sugar, coconut oil with
• 1 tsp jojoba oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (0r 6 drops of your choice of essential oil)
• rub over skin in circular motion
• Keep in sealed container (fridge not needed) but stir before using

Here is one more from Home Enlightenment.

Basic Body Butter

• Blend 1/2 cup coconut oil with 1/4 cup coconut butter and soften in double boiler over medium heat.
• Add a few drops essential oil (if you desire) and stir to blend

Yum, can't wait to try!!

Simple Fixes/ Seasonal Chores

My copy of Easy Green Living is due back at the library. So here are some additional tips from it. And then from Martha Stewart starting at #5.

1. Vacuum the fridge and freezer coils at the back of the fridge every 4-6 months. Yikes!
2. Take out dishwasher filter and thoroughly clean. Reinstall. Add 2 cups of vinegar in bowl placed upright in bottom rack. Run dishwasher.
3. Sprinkle baking soda in oven. Spray till wet with water. Leave 12 hours. Scrape and scoop off. Wipe with damp cloth.
4. Combine 2 tbsp cream of tartar, 2 tbsp baking soda, 2 tablespoons 3% hydrogen peroxide. Massage with damp cloth on stainless steel. Let dry completely and then wipe with damp cloth.
5. Scrub cast iron pots with coarse salt and a soft sponge. This will help maintain the seasoning (never use soap, put in dish washer etc).
6. Natural Whitener for linens- place in pot with several slices of lemon, bring to boil, turn off, let sit for an hour and then launder as usual.
7. Use baking soda on an old toothbrush to whiten grout.
8. Put a denture tablet in ceramic cups with coffee stains and add water. Empty when it stops fizzing. Do again if there is still a stain.

More Household Tips: Dust Mites!

Dust mites creep me out. They are so common, they feed on our shed skin (we apparently shed 10 pounds of skin a year), and they cause irritations that lead to allergies and asthma.

I have home enlightenment by Annie Bond home from the library. It is seriously the bible for a healthy, simple home. I will need to take it out again and again to get through it all. But here are some of my favorite bits so far on dust mites:

1. Damp Dust Mop (to combat dust mites and allergens)- can use to wipe down floors, woodwork, walls and ceilings. Combine 1 part vegetable glycerin, 1 part vinegar and use on a soft dust-free cloth. I would imagine you should wash at a very high temperature after use to further eliminate dust mites (she recommends discarding).
2. Other ways to combat dust mites: direct sunlight, dehumidifier (below 40-50%), steam clean carpets, vapour steam clean bedding (and mattresses, couches, carpets, curtains, upholstery).
3. It recommends replacing pillows every 6 months. This seems unrealistic. So other options I would consider are to tightly seal in plastic bag and freeze. Then vigorously shake outside (this works for stuffed animals). Or buy wool filled pillows and other bedding. Dust mites don't like the lanolin.
4. Use a HEPA vacuum and/ or air filter.
5. Add 1/8 cup of castile soap to laundry- the fatty acids help kill bugs including bed bugs.

SImple Style

I think you can be fashionable and simple at the same time. But hopefully when you get to a certain age you prefer quality over quantity and you stop buying cheap junk. Fashion should be an expression of your personality and should make you look and feel good. Fashion should also match the occasion.

Choosing wisely and cautiously can be good for the wallet, good for the environment, and socially responsible too.

And please please stay away from silly campaigns where you buy something and it pays for a kid to go to school in Africa. Stop trying to alleviate your shopping guilt. Buy something because you love it or need it. And donate cash to charities that do good work. More on this in another post.

I love classics revisited. In fact my husband wears my father's old 60's Gloverall duffel coat. It is a bit worn but talk about standing the test of time.

I have no intention to convince you to appreciate a certain style. I have no intention to convince you to even care about style. But I have a few tips if you care to hear them.

1) When possible choose quality- I bought a pair of Fendi sunglasses at an outlet store in Italy 5 years ago. I throw them in my bag over and over and they have never scratched. I buy a pair of $30 fashion glasses and they barely last the week.

2) Repair what you love. I regularly get jeans and favorite shoes fixed. It is much cheaper than buying new and I cherish them for way longer.

3) Maintain what you own. Polish shoes, get soles and heals replaced early. Or even better get soles put on leather shoes before they wear (go to a cobbler you trust). Hang dry as much as possible. Stay away from bleach. Use eco-friendly dry cleaners.

4) Go through your closet regularly. Get rid of what doesn't fit (donate, but be careful about where). Get rid of clothes that are not flattering or you never wear. Turn worn, stained items into rags. Repair what is damaged.

5) Choose clothes that suit your needs and lifestyle. If you are running around all the time then buy flats. If you only need suits for occasional business meetings then buy one or two nice suits that you can adapt to a number of situations.

6) Store properly. Sweaters should be folded not hung. Use good wooden hangers. And store winter woolens with cedar and/ or lavender but make sure they are clean first!

7) Don't be a fashion victim. I regret mentioning outlet malls because the image of people swarming them horrifies me. Don't buy a purse because it has a brand on it. Buy it because it is pretty and functional.

8) Assess before you buy. Do you need it? Do you have it already? Will it fit with your wardrobe? Does it fit? Does it suit you?

9) Try to buy on sale. With a little foresight and planning you can avoid buying most things, especially clothes, at full price.

10) If you have the stomach for it try to buy thrift. I am not so good at this. But there are many fashionable people that are.

11) Think before you buy. Where else might you rather be spending this money? A vacation, a fabulous meal out, savings?

12) Don't make shopping a family outing. Get your shopping done and then got on with the things in life that truly make you happy.

Whether you care about fashion or not, I have a feeling these tips will help you go from impulse shopper, to savvy simplist.

Three Slightly Different R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse

Over recent years most people have done a good job of adopting one of the three typical R's- recycle. But if we were being completely honest with ourselves we had to do very little to adopt this step. And if we were being exceptionally honest with ourselves we would recognize that the process of producing and then recycling these items uses a lot of energy.

People in general do not want to change their habits and behaviours and recycling gives them the freedom to stay pretty much the same.

There has also been a lot of talk of simplifying possessions. Some people have decided that if one new thing comes into their life, then something has to be removed. This may be great for their home and their life. But have you ever thought about what happens to that item?

One option is that the packaging is possibly recycled into a new product. Another option is to donate this item to a charity. This seems like a perfect solution- give it to someone in need. But let's be perfectly honest. Who needs your old t-shirt? Who needs your Van Halen CD? Who even needs your old shoes?

The most likely situation is that your item will join many many other tonnes of clothes and get sent to be sold in the second hand clothing market overseas. This at least will support the local economy (because chances are the second hand clothing market destroyed the local tailoring industry years ago). And at least the merchants will make money selling it. Worse would be that it arrives and is donated- which brings no money into the local economy and in fact is detrimental to existing merchants.

So is there a solution? Sure. Think very carefully before you add or remove anything from your home. Go ahead and reduce because if you are anything like me your home is probably filled with a little too much stuff. But first consider how you might reuse the item. Second, try to sell it to someone locally to use. Third, consider getting rid of it on freecycle to a person. If these fail, then donate it to a charity.

But trust me it is preferable to give that piece of used clothing to a charity that will sell it overseas rather than hand it out. Why? Because free stuff does little to stimulate the overseas market economy. At least with the second hand clothing industry money starts to flow into and through the local economy.

If you want to donate overseas, then donate your money to purchase local goods. Once again, this means that money starts to move through the local economy supporting local merchants and eventually the benefit gets passed on to other community members.

But as you clear out your clutter, promise that you will start to refuse. Consider the one item in, one item out as a last resort. Don't let people in developing countries pay for your behaviour.

The Path to Authentic Living

I have been on a journey these past years. I can't recall exactly when it started but I think it was around the time my child was born. In fact, I would say the chaos that ensued in the early days of parenting propelled me forward.

First, I wanted to find a way to make everything easier. So that meant making decisions that would alleviate some stress in my life. For the mother of a baby that always wanted to be held having help with cleaning was worth every penny. The thought of trying to clean the toilet drove me insane.

I know you are probably wondering where my husband was in this factor. Well he is our day to day cook and so I graciously take care of cleaning as a balance to his work in the kitchen. I still continued to do day to day cleaning, laundry, bills etc. But every two weeks I paid someone to really scrub the bathroom, floors and kitchen.

I wanted to make sure that C (my daughter) ate healthy and that I walked lightly on this world. So we started to grow some food in our yard. And we tried to be conscious of garbage. I also learned that making my own baby food was relatively easy and inexpensive and something I could handle. So I started to make choices about what I could do to cut back on waste and spending.

My full year of maternity leave allowed me lots of time with C. But to be totally honest with you I dreaded having to make plans all the time. Both of us became wiggy staying at home. And the responsibility of planning activities every day was a little tiresome. I always envisioned going back to work.

I had been laid off while very pregnant and as the mat year came to an end C got a space in a coveted downtown daycare and I was still jobless. I could not pass up the space for her. So she went into daycare and I took the plunge into self employment.

Starting a business is incredible rewarding, inspiring, draining, stressful, and costly. And it takes way way longer than expected to become profitable. So here I am almost 2 years after the start of my business and I am finally feeling like I am on an upswing.

But the stress of how much I have spent to start this company, the doubt as to whether it was the right decision, and the fairly constant guilt of putting my daughter in daycare has taken its toll.

So here I am with a daughter about to turn 3, a business about to turn 2, and a husband who has been incredibly supportive and patient so far.

I am tired of the stress, doubt and guilt. And I have started to make changes to alleviate all of them. I am simplifying my life. I am eliminating unnecessary spending and waste. I am paying off our debts and starting to save again. And in the process I tend to free up time and energy to focus on what I love to do and what makes me happy. This blog chronicles that journey.

Eliminating Plastics

I would love to go plastic free in our house. Is that realistic? Maybe not. But at least I will start by eliminating the worst of the worst, avoiding bringing more into the house, and will practice good behaviour with what I own.

I visited a great toy store a while back and asked them about their philosophy with plastic. They said that wherever possible they avoid plastic. However, if it is a toy that functions best made with plastic (like larger truck toys), then plastic it is. But they try to get hardy, recycled plastic.

So here goes...

1) Get rid of the worst of the worst:

• 1 is okay, and generally recyclable (shampoo, peanut butter etc)
• 2 is okay, and generally recyclable (milk jugs, plastic bags, cleaning products)
• 4 and 5 are okay but not easily recycled (plastic wrap, bags, food containers)
• 7 is biodegradable and okay
• GET RID OF 3, 6, 7 (especially 3 and 6)

2) Avoid bringing home

• laundry and dishwasher detergent in cardboard
• make own dish soap and cleaning products with castile, baking soda etc
• keep beauty products simple and buy in bulk (shampoo, conditioner, soap, moisturizer)
• make some beauty products
• buy MAC makeup and use recycle system
• make own yoghurt
• make own bread
• make soy/ almond milk (avoid tetras)

3) Practice good behaviour

• never heat food or put hot food in plastic
• reuse when possible but only for freezing (ie berries)
• get rid of scratched, damaged plastic
• try to hand wash, avoid dishwasher
• buy silicone for baking supplies
• go for glass containers where possible
• avoid cling wrap and plastic bags where possible
• use refillable water bottle
• buy in bulk to minimize packaging and for reuseable bags
• make note of excessive packaging (ie from tea bag to loose tea)
• reuse any plastic bag from bulk purchases, to pasta bags (garbage etc)
• don't double bag garbage
• use paper or biodegradable garbage bags
• if you choose something plastic make sure it is tough plastic (ie cleaning buckets etc)
• ask bakeries for food safe plastic buckets to store pantry items in

Sprouts

I love to travel out to Westham Island with my family. It is an easy 15-20 minute drive from our home. We travel over a beautiful little bridge past u-pick farms to Reifel Bird Sanctuary near the ocean. It is a great area for buying local produce, seafood, eggs and so on.

The added bonus for me is I get to visit West Coast Seeds- one of my meccas. This time I picked up a packet of sprout seeds for just under $7. And a mesh cover for a mason jar. I may buy more in bulk in the future. But already I can make a large jar of sprouts for less than a dollar (that would cost $4-5 at Whole Foods or the farmer's market). It is quite fun to make too.

1) Scoop a few tablespoons into the jar and screw on mesh.
2) Fill with 1/2 cup of water and rinse.
3) Refill with about 1/2 cup of water and let sit 4-8 hours.
4) Drain and lie on side.
5) Twice (to 4 times) a day rinse with water and drain.
6) Put in sun for a day to increase chorophyl, otherwise grew in a cupboard (3-4 days).
7) When desired size put on proper jar lid and refrigerate.

Update June 2012: Sprouts are going very well. We use them in smoothies and on sandwiches. And go through a fairly large Mason jar a week. However, the next purchase of bulk will be from Whole Foods. Looks like their unsprouted seeds are half the price of what I originally purchased and in the bulk section too (less packaging and reuseable).

Bathroom Scrubs and Other Cleaning Recipes

I have taken easy green living by Renee Loux out of the library. I plan to post many of her simple cleaning recipes over the coming days. Today is bathroom scrubs. I don't know about you but I have been disappointed by natural tub scrubs in the past. But I am determined to eliminate toxic cleaners and have a clean bathroom at the same time.

I was lucky to find an old sugar shaker in my mom's basement. It is in great shape and I will simply put baking soda in it and use as a scouring powder.

Antibacterial Soft Scrub "Frosting"
-1/2 cup baking soda
-2 to 3 tbsp Castile soap
-12-20 drops essential oil (lavender, lemon, orange, rosemary, thyme or tea tree)
-mix to consistency like frosting (adjust proportions) - add essential oil at end

Porcelain Stain Scrub
-2 tbsp cream of tartar
-1-2 tsp of 3% hydrogen peroxide
- mix into frothy paste
-if stubborn stain let sit for 15 min
-note: 1 time use only (will become inactive w/in 2 hours)

Disinfectant Spray (can be used for cleaning cutting boards)

-1/4 cup vodka

-1/2 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide

-1 cup water

-5-10 drops essential oil with disinfectant qualities

-combine in sprayer and shake, will keep indefinitely

Citrus Spray Cleaner (Kitchen and Bathroom)

-1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

-1 tbsp Citra-Solv Cleaner

-1/2 tsp Castile soap

-1 1/2 cup warm water

-1/2 tsp essential oil

Just the tip of the ice berg from this lovely book. I highly recommend you check it out too.

Simple Upgrades

I enjoyed a Natural Health article on simple upgrades from Easy Green Living by Renee Loux (July/August 2010). Can't seem to find an easy link though. So here are my favorites:

Food: buy organic for the dirty dozen - peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots and pests (seems different than my other list!)... Don't worry about these ones - onions, avocados, corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, peas, kiwis, cabbage, eggplants, papayas, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes, sweet potatoes
-another food tip - eat whole grains and delete wheat or cut down a lot!

Kitchen: use stainless steel - if you have aluminum for baking use a silpat liner, avoid teflon, avoid plastic especially with 3 and 7 recycle codes, if you use plastic keep it and contents cool.

Shower: before getting in warms tablespoon of sesame oil in your hands and give yourself a massage- circular on joints and up and down on trunk and arms, add a few drops of esential oils to facecloth and drop on floor to diffuse (cardamom calms and eases muscles, eucalyptus stimulates and clears sinuses, grapefruit to rid body of toxins), use cleansers with NO parabens and phthalates.

Air quality: houseplants including aloe Vera, spider plants, peace lilies, dwarf date palms... Green your cleaners.... Go low VOC

When to Buy Organic

In an ideal world I would probably buy only organic. But sometimes organic is obscenely expensive and sometimes I would much prefer to buy local (usually this is the case). So this means I need to try to memorize the dirty dozen list.

These are the dirty dozen fruits (must buy organic):

• apples
• cherries
• grapes
• nectarines
• peaches
• pears
• raspberries
• strawberries

These are the dirty dozen vegetables:

• bell peppers
• celery
• potatoes
• spinach

Also try to get only organic meats and dairy. Plus ocean wise fish.

These are okay in nonorganic form:

• avocado
• banana
• kiwi
• mango
• papaya
• pineapple
• asparagus
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• corn
• onions
• peas

Venturing into the Land of Thrift

Okay, I am doing what I never ever do and I am going to attempt to buy from thrift stores more often. I am not the type to browse. So I likely will stick to the big bang for your buck places like Value Village. But I do have some things I want to buy such as clothes for Caia and canning jars.

Since I have no clue where to go I have grabbed some tips from an old article on Tyee.

After the experience...

My first attempt at Value Village was a massive failure. I walked out with an okay tshirt for Caia at $4 and a french style jar for $2. Not a good deal at all. What's up with that. Plus it is close, but not that close.

My second attempt at the local thrift store on our walk to the library was much more successful. I got a number of mason jars for $4 total. And I didn't have to purchase any of the rusty lids. The clothing for Caia was minimal and so so. I am guessing people around here are more focused on clothes.

Thoughts on the experience?

I will pop into thrift stores when passing by and stick to a list of needs (canning supplies and clothing for Caia). But for now I will not go out of my way.

I think I will prioritize efficiency over total thrift until I find a good thrift store that is more reliable. But commend people that have the patience and time to dedicate.

I will continue to use Craigslist and Freecycle to find things I need. I recently scored a new looking double bike trailer for 50% of the purchase price. And it has been a blast to include in our day to day living. Next on the list, a deep freeze!!