Janalyn Voigt's Blog, page 13

December Menu for 2014

I’m thrilled, first to have completed the December Menu both for Escape into a Simple Life and for my household. As I anticipated in podcast episode #6, creating this menu turned out to be quite a task. That’s because of the Christmas and New Year’s Eve holidays, and also the special feast days my family will be celebrating.

In the article, In Search of a More Meaningful Christmas, I explain my motivation for introducing new traditions to my family, and they have been receptive. Our celebrating the Feast of Saint Nicholas and Santa Lucia Day last year brought a new depth to our Christmas season. This year, we’ll celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas, finishing up on the Feast of Epiphany in January.

I have the feast foods all figured out, now. It took a little doing, tracking down foods for the lesser-known feast days. For some, I never found a thing, which makes sense. Those feasts were about something greater than food, like the sacrifice of Christ for our sins or peace on Earth. Food just isn’t the point on those days. I decided to follow ethnic cuisine in those cases, and the result is something of a international smorgasbord.

A couple of notes are in order. Since I was making the menu for others besides myself, I added toast, a roll, or a salad at times when I normally would skip them. Also, some of the meals call for more costly items like Cornish game hens, but the recipes can be made from chicken, instead. The menu is highly adaptable in this way.

I mostly left beverages off the menu because tastes vary, but I did include wine a couple of times, where it is a traditional part of a feast, like Bishop’s Wine on Saint Nicholas Eve. If you don’t partake, you might want to substitute a party punch or mulled cider instead. My family’s beverage of choice at meals is usually water.

Because this is a month fraught with opportunities to put on weight, I did my best to include lighter fare such as salad lunches and soups for dinner. For the most part, I went for skinnier recipes and tried especially to balance things out on feast days. However, there is a time to feast and a time to fast, as the Bible informs us. I don’t think we should give up all restraint, but sometimes its important to just enjoy the day.

If you’d like to know more about the feasts of Christmas, I’ll be discussing them on Wednesday, December 3rd, and also in the December 5th podcast about creating a more meaningful Christmas. If you aren’t already a subscriber, consider signing up to receive these posts. There is a weekly digest option, or you can elect to receive posts as they publish (usually three a week). This will ensure you receive articles on doable crafts, easy homemade recipes, the monthly menu, a seasonal shopping guide, a monthly home maintenance schedule, garden calenders, videos and podcast episodes, all completely free. Subscribe me.

Download or Visit the December Menu. 

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

The post December Menu for 2014 appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.

Episode #6: Streamline Your Schedule to Find More Time in the Day

Streamline Your Schedule to Find More Time in the Day

This topic arose out of my own frustration with not being able to compete all the tasks I set for myself in a day. In this episode, I share how I am addressing this problem and explain a unique way I’m managing my time on a larger scale.

Show Notes

I mention that the title of this podcast would seem to be a grandiose claim. However, the method I’ve developed seems to be proving out in my own life.  Your results may vary, but I’m hoping to spark some ideas to help you find more time in your day.

My Progress Toward a Simple Life

Weight loss is at a standstill, but I explain why I’m okay with that. I also mention a reason for overeating you may not have thought of and suggest a solution. My new monthly menu will begin publishing on Monday!
Exercise is an area I’ve seen improvement, and I explain just why that is.
Quiet time has become a habit for me now, with some interesting results.
Christmas prep encompasses the feasts of Christmas and a focus on Advent. Look for a post on the feasts of Christmas the first Wednesday of December. I mention that my December menu will include some of the traditional foods for the feasts of Christmas.
Homesteading is not something I’ve had much time to focus on, but I’m incorporating some activities in my life consistant with this lifestyle.

Main Topic

I explain how the demands of life as an author inspired me to push back and reclaim some of my time. My nature is introverted, and that’s at odds with being the public person life as an author requires. I can’t afford a virtual assistant right now, so I’m looking to automate more of what I do online. If you’re interested in my podcasting on that topic, email to let me know  or leave a comment to that effect.

I talk about how, in the past, my efforts to “solve” my life has led to overwhelm. Since I couldn’t list everything that needs managing in my life in one session, I wound up creating more papers with nothing solved. This time I tried a different tactic. I explain it and go over some ways I’m streamlining my own schedule.

I go on to talk about the way I’m revising my larger schedule to create beginnings and endings. This is something I learned from observing a fellow-vendor at the farmers’ market where I vended last summer, a woodworker who lives as a snowbird, migrating south for the winter. I’ve come to realize what I admire so much about the snowbird way of life. Although I’m place-bound for the time being, I have figured out how to draft something from the migratory way of life into my stationary one. A pretty neat trick, wouldn’t you say?

I close, as ever, with the wish that you will succeed in your escape into a simple life.

Links

Easy System to Simplify Meal Planning
Countdown Timer: Online Stopwatch

Tweetables

Overwhelmed? Streamline your schedule to find more time in your day. Click to Tweet.
Find more time in your day. Click to Tweet.
Having trouble completing your daily schedule? Listen to this podcast. Click to Tweet.

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

The post Episode #6: Streamline Your Schedule to Find More Time in the Day appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.

Pumpkin Pie from Scratch

Nothing beats a homemade pumpkin pie from scratch. Turning fresh-baked pumpkins into puree, forming and rolling out the dough, and fluting the crust satisfies my earth-mother side and ensures that my family will eat pies made from the healthiest ingredients.

I’ll confess to not being the world’s best pastry chef. For the longest time I could not roll out a pie crust without having it tear or stick to the board. I resorted to doubling the normal recipe for a pie crust, and that gave me just the edge I needed (pun intended). ;o) To my surprise, my family loved my thick-crust pumpkin pies. In fact, my pumpkin pies are now a feature of our Thanksgiving celebration.  I love it when solving a problem creates a family tradition.

Pumpkin Pie from Scratch

Be aware that this pumpkin pie is different from ones you may have purchased in the grocery store or even from those made from a recipe for pumpkin pie. The reason is that most commercially sold pumpkin puree is not actually made from sugar pie pumpkin  but from a relative that is more closely related to butternut squash. So, expect the taste to be a little different.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Ingredients for Butterflake Pie Crust

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill). If you don’t have pastry flour, you can substitute whole wheat or unbleached white flour. For nutritional reasons, I recommend using organic flour.
1 cup salted butter
6-8 Tbsp. water (or enough to make a non-sticky ball).

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie Filling

2 cups homemade pumpkin puree. 
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon cloves

Step One: Make Pie Crust

 Put 4 cups pastry flour into a medium bowl.
Grate butter over flour.
Using hands, blend grated butter into flour.
Gather into a non-sticky but pliant ball and turn onto a pastry board.
Using a rolling pin, roll dough to fit your pie pan with some extra to turn under along the top edge and flute. You will note from the picture that my pie crust is not perfect. My family has never had a problem with my efforts, and I like to think they have a certain rustic charm.

Step Two: Make Pumpkin Pie Filling

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a hand beater or whisk.
Beat in the remaining ingredients.
Pour filling into your pastry-lined pie plate.

Step Three: Bake Your Pie

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn the oven to 350 degrees to finish baking.
Bake the pie until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be patient. Getting this step right means not having a soggy pie.

Step Four: Cool and Serve Your Pie

Cool the baked pie on a rack, and then chill it for four hours before serving.
You may want to put whipped cream on top. I suggest whipping fresh cream without sugar. You may be surprised how sweet it is, naturally. This is how they served whipped cream in Australia, where I lived for several years, and I still prefer it that way. Not to get on an anti-sugar hobby horse, but I learned while living abroad that in America we overpower the taste of food with sugar.

Consider Sharing this Recipe.

The only thanks I ask for this recipe is that you share it so others can benefit from it also. Thanks so much.

In the image, below, the picture is my own. You may pin it on Pinterest or share it at social sites with a link back to this recipe.
Tweetables are located below the image.
Or you can use the sharing buttons, below.

Tweetables

Pumpkin pie from scratch just got easier with this recipe tutorial! Click to Tweet.
I just learned how to make pumpkin pie from scratch. Click to Tweet.
Who’s afraid of making homemade pumpkin pie from scratch? Cick to Tweet.

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

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December Garden Calendar

While the garden slumbers, it’s nice to take care of some things you couldn’t get to during busier months. Walk around the garden and jot down anything that needs repairing. It’s a perfect time to plan next year’s garden and landscaping projects. Consider the possibilities and plan ahead. I have used clear days in the winter months to build raised bed planters and to organize the garden shed, things that are hard to dedicate time to at harvest or planting times.

December Garden Calendar
Chores

Save wood ash to use as a soil amendment to sweeten the soil (meaning to raise soil PH and make it more alkaline). Wood ash contains potash, or potassium, which is one of the three main ingredients in fertilizers. Apply 25 lbs. every 1,000 square feet once every 2 or 3 years. Or add wood ash to the compost pile.
Weed until first snowfall.  Now, while weeds are going dormant, is the best time to get the jump on them.
Apply winter mulch after the ground freezes. Use salt marsh hay, oak leaves, pine needles, or straw.
Bring statues, yard ornaments, and unfinished clay pots indoors before the first snow. This will keep them from cracking and breaking. If any of these are too big to bring in, protect them with plastic or a tarp.
Have on hand a snowshovel and kitty litter or sand to use on icy or snowy walkways. Don’t melt ice with salt. It’s too corrosive for the garden. Calcium chloride is a better option.
Charity begins in the garden. Put out food for the birds. Use a good mix containing sunflower seeds and millet. The tallow in suet feeders helps birds stay warm in winter.
Organize your garden storage area.
Repair or replace broken tools.  Clean your tools well, then wipe them with an oily rag to prevent rust from forming during winter storage.

Flowers and Lawns

For continuous indoor winter bloom, start paperwhites every few weeks.
In temperate climates, lawns can be fertilized after the first frost.

Potted Plants

Remember to slow down on watering houseplants and stop feritilizing them.
Place primroses in glazed pots (clay won’t survive winter) outside the front door.
Situate potted plants in the brightest windows in your house to help them get through the winter.
Put houseplants in pots inside pots without holes lined with a shallow layer of rocks or else use pebble trays beneath them. This increases the humidity around them in the dryness of winter.

Trees and Shrubs

Make Christmas wreaths and swags from willow, dogwood, or evergreens.
Water evergreen trees and shrubs well before the ground freezes. They won’t have access to water again until the spring thaw.
Schedule tree pruning in the winter when arborists are less busy and may work for less.
Consider decorating a live tree outdoors.

Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs

Cut fall-bearing raspberries to the ground.
If you haven’t finished cleaning up the remnants of your vegetable garden, do so now.
If you haven’t already done so, put a layer of straw down in bare beds to protect against erosion and prevent weed growth.
Sketch out next year’s garden in your garden notebook and note the seeds and starts you will need.
Go through your seeds and organize them. Then, working from your notes for next year’s garden, list the seeds and starts you’ll need to purchase.

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

The post December Garden Calendar appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.

Words to Live By Video: Beauty for Ashes

About Beauty for Ashes

This video is intensely personal and even brought me to tears while I was reading Scripture at the end. Whether or not you are a Christian, you would probably glean from the life lessons I talk about. This video is meant to encourage the wounded and to inspire thought.

Note: Don’t miss some of the full images I used for these frames below the video frame descriptions. They are simply spectacular. I blame this on my surroundings. In some places, all you have to do is point and shoot to capture a wonderful image.

Video Frame Descriptions

The first image is a truly stunning aerial view of the still-steaming volcano. Notice the flattened trees covering the slopes. Image from Content Provider: CDCSemnoz at fr.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons.
This image shows trees floating on top of Spirit Lake, courtesy of Stephan Schulz [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], via Wikimedia Commons. It shows trees floating on top of Spirit Lake.
The image of a car buried in ash comes from By Danial Dzurisin [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
This image of the eruption of Mount St. Helens is by Donald A. Swanson (USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
This is actually a simulation of the blue moon that shone in the night following the eruption. I would have mentioned it in the video but didn’t find out about it until after I’d recorded the audio portion. Image by BlueHypercane761 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], via Wikimedia Commons.
This is Mount St. Helens from the visitor center to the north. Notice that the mountain blew sideways in a devastating lateral eruption, which is why it leveled so many trees and did so much damage.
Look past the slope to the pumice plain, an area that has been likened to a moonscape.
I took this image from a distance. Night is about to fall, which is why pink bathes the air. Just prior to this, rays of light shot out across the sky from behind clouds, and I managed to gasp out that I needed to take a photograph. By the time we stopped, it was too late, but I’ll never forget how dramatic a sight that was. This shot is pretty special, too.
This is the lower portion of the previous image. I couldn’t fit the whole thing in the video frame, and I wanted to point out the trees, anyway. I’ve included the whole picture, below.
I made this video late at night under time stress, so I have to apologize that I over-sharpened this image, which is drawn in from a nearby peak. I should have left it alone, because the original is much better. I’ve posted it below, as well.
This shot was taken downward from the hill behind the visitor center. The white flowering foliage in the foreground is yarrow.
Don’t miss the bleached trees covering the slopes in the background.
The birds in the sky add a poetic touch to the idea of vigorous growth as nature springs back.
This is the upper portion of the image in #11. I’ve provided the entire picture, below. Notice the new trees growing up around the bones of the dead ones.
This is the lower half of image #10. It came out a little clearer. The sheer scope of the landscape is amazing. You can see the complete photograph, below.
This is the lower portion of image #6. I’ve posted the complete photograph, below.
I haven’t been able to identify this purple, trumpet-shaped wildflower. If you know what it is, please identify it in the comments.

Mount St Helens in September 2014 via @JanalynVoigt.Read about this picture in the description for frames 6 and 16 in the video.

Mount St Helens Near Sunset via @JanalynVoigt. Read about this picture in the description for frames 8 and 9 in the video.Scars and new growth at Mount St Helens via @JanalynVoigt. Read about this picture in the description for frames 10 and 16 in the video.

[image error]Mount St Helens Recovery Area via @JanalynVoigt. Read about this picture in the description for frames 11 and 14 in the video.

©Janalyn Voigt

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The post Words to Live By Video: Beauty for Ashes appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.

Words to Live By: Beauty for Ashes

About Words to Live By: Beauty for Ashes

This video is intensely personal and even brought me to tears while I was reading Scripture at the end. Whether or not you are a Christian, you would probably glean from the life lessons I talk about. This video is meant to encourage the wounded and to inspire thought.

Note: Don’t miss some of the full images I used for these frames below the video frame descriptions. They are simply spectacular. I blame this on my surroundings. In some places, all you have to do is point and shoot to capture a wonderful image.

Video Frame Descriptions

The first image is a truly stunning aerial view of the still-steaming volcano. Notice the flattened trees covering the slopes. Image from Content Provider: CDCSemnoz at fr.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons.
This image shows trees floating on top of Spirit Lake, courtesy of Stephan Schulz [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], via Wikimedia Commons. It shows trees floating on top of Spirit Lake.
The image of a car buried in ash comes from By Danial Dzurisin [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
This image of the eruption of Mount St. Helens is by Donald A. Swanson (USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
This is actually a simulation of the blue moon that shone in the night following the eruption. I would have mentioned it in the video but didn’t find out about it until after I’d recorded the audio portion. Image by BlueHypercane761 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], via Wikimedia Commons.
This is Mount St. Helens from the visitor center to the north. Notice that the mountain blew sideways in a devastating lateral eruption, which is why it leveled so many trees and did so much damage.
Look past the slope to the pumice plain, an area that has been likened to a moonscape.
I took this image from a distance. Night is about to fall, which is why pink bathes the air. Just prior to this, rays of light shot out across the sky from behind clouds, and I managed to gasp out that I needed to take a photograph. By the time we stopped, it was too late, but I’ll never forget how dramatic a sight that was. This shot is pretty special, too.
This is the lower portion of the previous image. I couldn’t fit the whole thing in the video frame, and I wanted to point out the trees, anyway. I’ve included the whole picture, below.
I made this video late at night under time stress, so I have to apologize that I over-sharpened this image, which is drawn in from a nearby peak. I should have left it alone, because the original is much better. I’ve posted it below, as well.
This shot was taken downward from the hill behind the visitor center. The white flowering foliage in the foreground is yarrow.
Don’t miss the bleached trees covering the slopes in the background.
The birds in the sky add a poetic touch to the idea of vigorous growth as nature springs back.
This is the upper portion of the image in #11. I’ve provided the entire picture, below. Notice the new trees growing up around the bones of the dead ones.
This is the lower half of image #10. It came out a little clearer. The sheer scope of the landscape is amazing. You can see the complete photograph, below.
This is the lower portion of image #6. I’ve posted the complete photograph, below.
I haven’t been able to identify this purple, trumpet-shaped wildflower. If you know what it is, please identify it in the comments.

Mount St Helens in September 2014 via @JanalynVoigt.Read about this picture in the description for frames 6 and 16 in the video.

Mount St Helens Near Sunset via @JanalynVoigt. Read about this picture in the description for frames 8 and 9 in the video.Scars and new growth at Mount St Helens via @JanalynVoigt. Read about this picture in the description for frames 10 and 16 in the video.

[image error]Mount St Helens Recovery Area via @JanalynVoigt. Read about this picture in the description for frames 11 and 14 in the video.

The post Words to Live By: Beauty for Ashes appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.

Christmas Craft: Make Gift Boxes from Christmas Cards

Throwing out old Christmas cards is hard to do, but this Christmas craft tutorial tells you how to upcycle them into cute gift boxes. These little beauties are just the right size to fill with something sweet and slip into a stocking. Or maybe it’s a cute decoration, gift card holder or jewelry box you need. These cheery little boxes work well to contain bulk candy, trinkets, jewelry, gift cards–anything small you want to deck out in style.

Better yet, they cost next to nothing and are made from supplies you may already have on hand. I’ve forgotten who showed me this craft when I was a teenager, so I can’t credit them, but I am grateful.

If you know you won’t have time to make these but want them, you can always purchase them in sets of five from my new Etsy shop.

Hot Glue Gun Safety

Please be careful when working with a hot glue gun. If you don’t already have a low-temperature glue gun, I recommend you purchase one. You can find one for under $10, and that’s a small price to pay to avoid doctor’s bills. A high-temperature hot glue gun can give you some serious burns. It’s so easy to forget for a second and touch the tip to your hand. When I did this, I wound up with a blister in a matter of seconds. While doing this project, you need to press the box edges together to seal them, so it’s possible to burn yourself if you use a high-temperature hot glue gun. Please don’t risk it.

At all times while using scissors, pointed objects, and a glue gun,  use your best judgment to protect your safety.

Christmas Craft: Make Gift Boxes from Christmas Cards
Step One: Cut the card in half at the fold.

This seems pretty intuitive to me, but let’s not take any chances. Here’s a picture to illustrate how the two sections of the card should look when you are finished cutting them.

Step Two: Find the center of each half.

Turn the half of the card that contains the illustration face down and measure diagonally across the back. Make a small dot in the center.  For example, this card was 8 inches when measured diagonally, so I put a tiny dot at 4 inches. If you use pencil, you can erase the dots later, if you want to. Turn the greeting face up and mark that half of the card in the same way.

Step Three: Fold the four sides of each card half to meet in the center.

Now fold the card edges inward. Having them meet at the middle dot ensures your box won’t be lopsided! However, fold the top a little shy of the center and the bottom snugly. Making sure the top is a little bigger than the bottom means the two halves of your completed box will fit together right.



Note: I use a ruler to flatten the creases. This saves my fingers while making a nice, crisp edge.

 Step Four: Make Four Cuts.

Cut the cards lengthwise just to the crosswise fold, as illustrated.

The card half should look like the picture, below, when you are finished. Do you see the box taking shape?

Step Five: Glue the inside flaps together.


Step Five: Bring the ends up and fold over to cover the box edges.

Glue the ends beneath the fold and press into place. It should adhere quickly. Note: this is one reason you need a low-temperature hot glue gun for this project. Otherwise, the glue may burn your fingers.

Step Six: Repeat steps 1-5 with bottom half of box.
Step Seven: Fit the top over the bottom of the box.
Step Eight: Admire your handiwork!



Pay it Forward

If you enjoyed this tutorial, the best thanks you can give me is to share it with others! The above image can be shared on Pinterest or other social sites. All I ask is that you link back to this post. You can find Tweetables and sharing buttons, below. Thanks so much.

Tweetables

Make cute gift boxes from Christmas greeting cards! Click to Tweet.
Christmas craft: upcycle stocking stuffer boxes from Christmas cards. Click to Tweet.
Upcycled Christmas greeting cards make adorable gift boxes. Click to Tweet.

Previous Craft Article: Make a Culinary Herb Wreath in Minutes

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

The post Christmas Craft: Make Gift Boxes from Christmas Cards appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.

November-December Home Maintenance Checklist

In every neighborhood, there’s that family. You know, the one with a roof upon which moss never seems to grow.  Washed and waxed cars stand in a pristine driveway before their spotless house. Their yard never seems to grow a weed, and each Saturday a lawn mower drones from their yard like clockwork. On weekends in summer, they can be found lounging on their decks with time to spare. They put up Christmas lights before December arrives, stuff their mailbox with cards the day after Thanksgiving, and are the first to put up a tree.

In case you wondered, mine is not this family. Since you are reading this article, I suspect yours isn’t either. Perhaps like me, you have moments of organized bliss, but then the sheer number of tasks to be done around the house overwhelms your good intentions.

In my ongoing quest to define and live a simple life, I know that a home maintenance system is an absolute must for me. With it, I may not attain the sigh-worthy heights of that family, but my mind will be relieved of all the little tasks I try with hit-and-miss success to keep track of.

I started by listing everything I could think of that needs to be done around my house, including home maintenance tasks, cleaning chores, car care, and holiday chores. After assigning a frequency to each task that is comfortable for me, either yearly, bi-yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily, it was only a matter of breaking the tasks down into months.

Feel free to use my home maintenance checklist and adapt it to your own preferences and needs. I’ll post for the next month on the second Monday of each month, well in advance, so you’ll have plenty of time to pick up any needed tools or supplies. To get us started right away, I’ve combined the checklists for November — December, but after that they will cover a month at a time.

I’ve omitted garden tasks because my gardening schedule will be coming out on the third Monday of each month. I’ll post a menu on the fourth Mondays, and of course, the seasonal foods calendar appears on the first Mondays.

The home maintenance list is sectioned by frequency, with annual chores coming first and daily ones last. Should you miss an annual chore, you’d be skipping it for a year, so bear that in mind. Skipping a daily task usually has less consequences, so the daily list comes at the end of the checklist.

Best wishes to you in your pursuit of a simple life.

 Home Maintenance Checklist
November – December Tasks

Clean gutters and downspouts.
Clean outdoor furniture. Repair or replace items as needed.
Cover or store outdoor furniture.
Declutter and organize recipes.
Wash or dry clean curtains, drapes, and summer comforters.
Store summer bedding and bring out winter comforters.
Prepare guest room for company.
Declutter and organize Family Room and Living Room.
Declutter and organize other areas of my home guests will see.
Put up Thanksgiving decorations.
Clean and tighten cupboard, cabinet, drawer, and door knobs, handles, and hinges.
Shampoo carpets.
Clean shampooer.
Clean vaccuum cleaner.
Clean oven.
Clean coffee maker.
Polish silver, as needed.

Christmas Tasks

Plan events you will attend.
Purchase tickets to events, as needed.
Review clothing and determine if any purchases need to be made.
Gift Shop for Christmas.
Wrap Christmas gifts.
Mail Christmas gifts to long-distance recipients.
Have photographs made for inclusion with Christmas cards.
Purchase Christmas stamps.
Put up Christmas lights after Thanksgiving.
Update Christmas card list and address envelopes.
Write holiday letter and/or include a personal message in cards.
Add holiday letters or photographs to Christmas cards.
Purchase Christmas tree.
Put  up Christmas tree and add lights.
Decorate Christmas tree.
Put up exterior decorations.
Put up interior decorations.
Invite guests to parties and events.
Purchase new cards, wraps, ribbons, and bows, as needed, in after-Christmas sales.

Monthly Chores

Clean grease filter above stove.
Clean inside dishwasher door.
Clean and polish cupboard and cabinet doors and drawer fronts.
Plan next month’s menu.
Grocery shop.
Rotate car tires.
Vaccuum, wash and wax car, as needed.
Top off car fluid levels.
Check car blinkers and lights.

Weekly Chores

Replace light bulbs, as needed.
Wipe out microwave, if you use one.
Clean refrigerator, inside and out.
Water houseplants.
Clean glass, mirrors, walls, windows, and glass shower doors as needed.
Clean toilets, sinks, tubs, showers, counters, and appliance exteriors.
Polish furniture.
Vaccuum floors.
Dust lamps, shades, and light fixtures.
Remove any cobwebs you see.
Sweep and mop floors.
Mend clothing, if any.
Iron clothing, if any.

Daily Chores

Start a load of laundry.
Take out trash, recycling, and compost.
Load dishwasher and run when full.
Do handwash dishes.
Put away dishes.
Move laundry to dryer.
Fold and put away laundry.
Make dinner.
Clean up after dinner.

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

The post November-December Home Maintenance Checklist appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.

Episode #5: What Does Living a Simple Life Mean?

What Does Living a Simple Life Mean?
Summary

We take a look at what it means to live a simple life and how that can be different for each of us. I give my six main ideas for what living a simple life means to me. Episode includes an update on my own progress and a surprising discovery I made.

Show Notes
My Progress

How I more or less accidentally sabotaged my weight loss goals, and although I didn’t actually gain weight, I still don’t give myself a pass.
I give an account of how my husband and I have handled our finances while under time constraints.
My decluttering efforts in advance of the holidays receive an update.
I announce a new feature at http://JanalynVoigt.com that may benefit you.

Main Topic

Simple living can be code for minimalist living or homesteading. I define what I think it means and how that pertains to you.
I then outline and discuss six things that simple living means to me.

Less stuff
More time
Better eating
A simplified online prescence
Surroundings that nurture my soul


We conclude with a personal revelation about the direction of my own simple life that surprised me.

Links I Mentioned

How to Organize Your Kitchen Storage
Relaxation Videos
Compline: A Brush with the Sublime
Literary Wayfarer

Previous Podcast:  Declutter Your Home So You’ll Want to Live There

Thanks for listening. I hope you’ll join me for episode 6, where I’ll go into a new and unique way of scheduling that I’m applying to my activities. I anticipate that it may spark ideas to help you.

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

The post Episode #5: What Does Living a Simple Life Mean? appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.

Seasonal Foods for November

There’s nothing quite like a bracing mug of pumpkin spice coffee on a crisp autumn day or a hearty stew made with root vegetables at mid-winter. Mineral-rich greens make a perfect tonic to revitalize the system in the springtime, and the heat of summer calls for moist foods like lettuce and watermelon. Eating seasonally is one of the kindest things you can do for your body. Foods are at their nourishing best while at the peak of their season.

For me, the benefits of eating seasonal foods go beyond the physical, teaching me to grasp fleeting pleasures but also to let go of them. In this hurry-too-fast world crammed to the max with choices, my soul cries out for a sane progression of beginnings and endings. In my quest to be more fully in the moment, I’m working to incorporate seasonality in all areas of my life.

Happily, eating seasonally is also lighter on the budget. With grocery prices climbing, this consideration provides reason enough to eat seasonally. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t store seasonal foods for later use. That’s a wise practice that saves money while ensuring there are adequate supplies in the refrigerator, freezer, or pantry for lean months.

There’s a lot to love about purchasing seasonal foods locally. You receive the health benefits of eating fresh foods and the satisfaction of helping local farmers. In my book, that counts for a lot. Find local farmers in your area.

By compiling this  list, I hope to make shopping for seasonal foods easier for both of us. I’ll definitely be referring to it while planning my November menu.

Seasonal Foods for November

Notes: This list is based on food harvest dates in North America. Seasonal dates vary, so you may need to adapt this list to your location. Watching the abundance of foods in establishments where they are sold can help you identify harvest times for particular foods. I include garden items in this list because when you grow your  own food, money spent on gardening supplies becomes s food-related expense.

Fruit

Apples
Asian Pears
Clementines
Cranberries
Dates
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes
Guava
Kiwi
Lemons
Oranges, Valencia
Passion Fruit
Peaches
Pears
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Raspberries
Tangerines

Vegetables

Artichokes
Beets
Black-eyed Peas
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Celery
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Eggplant
Endive
Garlic
Green Beans
Green Onions
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onions
Parsnips
Persimmons
Peppers
Pineapples
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Radishes
Rutabaga
Peas (Snap and Snow)
Spinach
Squash (Winter)
Sweet Potato
Tomatillos
Turnips
Watercress
Yams

Herbs

Arugula
Swiss Chard
Cilantro
Dill
Parsley

Meats and Seafoods

Duck
Grass-fed Beef
Halibut
Goose
Pork
Shrimp
Turkey

Nuts and Legumes

Almonds
Chestnuts
Pecans
Walnuts

Pantry Items

Aluminum Foil
Broth
Butter
Candy
Cheese
Chocolate, Bakers and Chips
Cookware
Dried Fruits
Flour
Kitchen Accessories
Marshmallow
Oatmeal
Oil
Plastic Wrap
Soups
Spices
Sugar
Yeast

Garden Items

Bulbs
Plants
Seeds
Tools

Sources: 

http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/fullyear.asp?state=6, http://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/plantharvestguide20081.pdf
 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/seasons-for-nuts-and-seeds/#axzz3I8Ndrf6P
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/bargainshopping/tp/Best_Time_To_Buy_Everything.htm

Share Your Knowledge

This list is fairly comprehensive, but I’ve probably missed some items. Please let me know anything I’ve overlooked.

©2014 by Janalyn Voigt

The post Seasonal Foods for November appeared first on Janalyn Voigt.