Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 99

Join Me at the #1MillionMeals Twitter Party to Help Fight Child Hunger!

Did you know that during the school year, more than 21 million kids in our country rely on free and reduced-price school lunches to keep their tummies full?

The thought of a child going without food breaks my heart, and while we often focus on the problem of hunger internationally, it’s easy to ignore the statistics here in the United States. While school programs ensure that kids are getting at least one filling meal per day during the school year, during the summer only a fraction of those families take advantage of the programs available.

Things like not knowing where to find summer meals sites or not being able to get to them due to transportation issues mean that many kids are going hungry and many budgets are stretched beyond even further.

No Kid Hungry

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is focused on connecting kids with free lunch programs during the summer months. The No Kid Hungry campaign raises awareness to ensure parents and kids know about the program through texting campaigns, launch events, neighborhood canvassing, social media and PSAs. They also work on the state and local level to recruit new sites, offer small grants to cover start-up costs and outreach staff to help them get up and running. Much of this work is done through public/private partnerships, the USDA, governors’ offices and No Kid Hungry partners on the state and local level.

Kmart and Shop Your Way (not associated with Life Your Way, but great name, don’t you think?!) are proud to support Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign with two new opportunities this summer:

Visit the Shop Your Way New Charity Gift Registry. Purchase any item in the registry and the product will be donated directly to kids in need as part of the No Kid Hungry campaign. To celebrate the launch of this registry, through the end of August for every dollar spent, Kmart will match your contribution up to $50,000. You can also make a donation directly to the cause through the registry and Kmart will match that as well.

Join the Shop Your Way Birthday Club. When you sign up, your child will receive $5 birthday bucks on his or her birthday. Kmart will donate $1 for each sign-up to the No Kid Hungry campaign up to $50,000.

Kmart is making a guaranteed donation of $100,000 to Share Our Strength regardless of the total value of purchase transactions through the Shop You Way Charity Gift Registry and the number of new Kmart Birthday Club registrations that take place through August 31, 2013. Share Our Strength is a non-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3). For more information on Share Our Strength, visit www.nokidhungry.com.

This amount was determined on the basis that $1 can help connect a child with up to 10 nutritious meals, which is, in turn, based on the individual experiences of Share Our Strength’s grant recipients. It is provided to illustrate how community investments can be used to help end childhood hunger. Each contribution made to Share Our Strength represents a contribution to its original mission. Donations will be used to reach the highest number of children facing hunger in America. Share Our Strength is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Kmart #1MillionMeals Twitter Party

In addition, join us on Thursday to help support No Kid Hungry (plus a chance to win prizes!):

Date: Thursday, August 8th

Time: 1 p.m. EST

Hashtag: #1MillionMeals

Hosts: @Kmart, @TapInfluence, @ shopyourway, @bakesale4NKH, @typennington, @grillhappiness

Cohosts: @blueviolet, @FaithfulProv, @modpodgerocks, @ahelicoptermom, @life_yourway, @BonBonRoseGirls, @TonyaStaab, @forthemommas, @ParentPalace, @30daysblog, @SimpleStephD, @TheVspotBlog, @SimplyRealMoms, @cindyhopper, @taradaramadeit, @TaraZiegmont, @CelebrateAtHome, @according2kelly, @AFewShortcuts, @bargainbriana

Prizes: (6) $25 Kmart gift cards

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kmart. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kmart. The opinions and text are all mine.

Join Me at the #1MillionMeals Twitter Party to Help Fight Child Hunger!

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

How to Freeze Food in Glass Jars

The following post is from Katie of Kitchen Stewardship:

source: Katie Kimball

There are some great posts in the archives that don’t get much attention anymore, so I’m reposting my favorites here and there. We’ve been using Katie’s tips for freezing food in glass jars for more than two years now, and they work great!

It seems that every day a new report comes out on the dangers of something or other toxin in various materials, doesn’t it? Bisphenol-A in plastics is one of the more recent villains that’s really stuck around, even in mainstream media and conversation.

Although plastic number 5 (PP, or polypropylene) does not contain BPA, some folks have become nervous about using plastics for food storage, period. What will be the next new evil to come knocking?

For the sake of space, I do often freeze foods in plastic zipper bags (no. 4 plastic, no BPA), but I try to put as much as I can in glass jars. It can be a bit of an art form, so I’ll share the vastness of my frozen jar knowledge here today.

Where to Find Jars

In my opinion, free is the best price going. I tend to save nearly every glass jar that comes into my home, especially these helpful sizes:

spaghetti sauce (3 cups)


mayonnaise (nearly 4 cups)


peanut butter (1.5 cups)


salsa and pizza sauce (often 1.5-2 cups)


½ gallons from honey


purchased quart-sized canning jars are also handy, especially because of the wide mouth


pickles

NOTE: It usually works to remove the pickle smell by filling the jar with hot broth; the broth’s flavor doesn’t suffer, and the jar is “cured” of its pickle-ness after that. Attempt at your own risk!

Our 5-year-old neighbor gazed at my pantry shelves the other day in awe, saying, “Your pantry is way different than ours. We don’t have that many glass jars…”

What to Freeze in Glass Jars

The world is yours, of course – anything you can freeze can go in a glass jar – but my most common choices, made for nutrition, frugality, and convenience, include:

cooked dry beans


homemade chicken stock


homemade pizza sauce


homemade refried beans


leftover soups and side dishes


homemade cream of chicken soup


cooked and pureed squash or pumpkin, or leftover pumpkin from a can


summer fruits like strawberries and peaches, sliced and sweetened

Most of these items help the environment, too, because I’m not having to ship, purchase and recycle so many cans of food.

How to Choose the Right Jar

Since your frozen goodies have to be thawed before adding to recipes, it’s nice to know how much you need to pull from the freezer the night before (and even nicer if you don’t have to measure before adding to a recipe).

I always try to freeze appropriate and varied sizes from the beginning.

For “one can” of beans or broth, freeze in approximately two cups, like salsa or peanut butter jars. Sometimes I like the tall salsa jars because they fill the space on the bottom shelf of my fridge-top freezer just right.

A confession: I often freeze beans in plastic cottage cheese and sour cream containers, just because it’s so easy to slide them out still frozen. (Those containers are generally number 5, and I don’t put anything in when it’s hot.)

Many soup recipes call for 4-6 cups broth, so I like to freeze broth in 3 c. spaghetti sauce jars, 4 c. quart jars, and even ½ gallon jars. The great thing about broth and soup is that you can eye things up and estimate.


Pizza sauce is perfect in old pizza sauce jars or salsa jars (about 2 cups)


Leftover soups are great in any size jar. I’ve found for a family of four, you’ll usually need two 3 or 4-cup jars for leftovers night if the soup is the main course.


Pureed veggies should be in one-cup portions, so think small jars like olives and relish.

The Importance of Headroom

When freezing in glass jars, the most important step is to make sure you leave enough headroom to prevent broken jars.

For a quart jar of liquid, leave at least an inch empty at the top. I like to leave a little extra; better safe than sorry! I freeze cooked beans without the liquid so I don’t have to drain them later, so they can go right to the top. Treat pizza sauce and refried beans like a liquid, with plenty of headroom.

How to Thaw Food in Glass Jars

Putting the jars in the refrigerator for two days is the easiest but takes pre-planning. Most of the time if I’m in a hurry or only have overnight, I’ll leave the jar on the counter for at least a few hours to get things started.

If you need something right away, the microwave will do fine on medium to low power (without the metal lid, of course!), but if you choose not to use a microwave, you can set a jar or two in a pot of water and bring it to a gentle boil, then a simmer, to thaw the contents of the jar. I recommend a washcloth on the bottom of the pot to prevent rattling.

Regardless of the thawing method, if you’re using a wide-mouthed jar and get the outside inch thawed, you can usually slide the contents out into the pot and heat five extra minutes to thaw out the soup/beans/sauce.

Labels and a List

You save yourself very little if you can’t remember what’s in your freezer and end up wasting it because it sits there for two years. It’s a vital and simple step stay organized by:

1. Labeling everything you freeze

2. Maintaining a list of what’s in your freezer

On glass jars, you’ll find that permanent marker on the jar comes off too quickly to be of any help. I recommend writing the date and contents on the lid of the jar and simply crossing off the old and writing in the new when you reuse the jar.

There are many ways to keep your freezer contents list organized. Personally, I’ve found that I like categories which help me figure out what I need to use in my meal planning.

Mine include:

meats


leftovers/meals for later


beans


broth


cheese


breads/dough


veggies/fruits


baked goods/desserts

And Sometimes…The Jars Still Break

It’s a big bummer. I know the secret of headroom, but every so often the freezer fairy decides to throw me a challenge with a cracked jar. (I’ve only broken one jar of not-yet-frozen food…turkey broth ran all down inside my chest freezer! Tip: let it freeze, then chip ice off with a plastic scraper or spoon.)

Make sure that you follow whatever the FDA recommends about broken glass and food products if this tragedy ever happens to you. Don’t ever, ever do what I do. I’m a trained professional (talker) and not always wise! It is certainly not safe to consume food from broken glass jars.

That said, I will tell you my personal experience with broken jars.

Refried beans and thick soups are common culprits, and I’ve accidentally left homemade yogurt in the freezer longer than the two hours I planned and broken some jars. If I can pull the jar into large pieces once the lid is off, I’ll do so. Left with a cylinder of frozen food, I admit I have been known to rinse it well, carefully inspect and feel the outside for glass, thaw in a bowl and serve to my family. Clearly, you should never follow my lead. Clearly.

In spite of the physical hazards, I choose glass jars because they are non-reactive and often free.

Other resources:

Baby Steps to Switching from Plastic to Glass – glass can be expensive at first; here are some tips for changing your habits and using what you have to begin to avoid plastic food containers


10 Easy Prep Foods You’ll Always Find in my Freezer – make cooking faster and still from scratch by storing your own ingredients and convenience foods; tips on how to freeze vegetables


13 Reasons I Love Glass Food Storage Containers – it’s not all about being green; storing in glass can be more convenient, too!


Little glass jars are awesome for homemade dressings, easy-to-grab nut snacks, and single serve yogurts or applesauce

What’s your favorite way to save food for later? What tips do you have for freezing in glass?

Katie Kimball is a mom of two who spends a ton of time in the kitchen making real food with whole ingredients and then blogs about her successes and failures at Kitchen Stewardship. She believes everything in life is a gift from God and should be taken care of wisely.

How to Freeze Food in Glass Jars

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

7 Ideas for Your Back-to-School Photos

The following post is from Krystal of Krystal Griffin Photography:

source: Krystal Griffin

A new school year is almost here, and I can’t decide how I feel about it! I adore summer and hate to see it wind down, but after planning all summer, I’m always eager to dig into our new books, supplies and plans. No matter how you feel about the new school year, it’s big enough to be documented and photographed each year. I’m going to offer you seven ways to go about taking those back-to-school photos; use just one or as many as you like.

Before I dig in, let me just give you a few guidelines to remember: A photo with a happy child and good lighting is where you want to start. Moms and dads, if that is as far as you get, it’s ok. Don’t drive your kids or yourself crazy, biting off more than you can chew. Find some good light and have fun with your kids.

1. Growth Markers

The year-to-year comparison is a big part of back-to-school photos and a growth marker will greatly enhance that comparison. By a marker, I just mean some physical object or location that will be consistent from year to year. Some ideas for growth markers are: hand rails, chair rails, chairs, stair steps, a door, a stool, the bus, a bench, a fence, and a tree.

If your family moves often, a piece of furniture that you take with you might work, and doors are often a standard size.

source: Krystal Griffin

source: Krysta Griffin

2. Documentation in the Photo

Photos of our kids holding a sign on the first day of school isn’t a new idea, but there is a reason it’s so popular – it’s a good idea!

There are so many ways for you to make this one your own, from the information you put on to the format of your sign. We have a great printable that can be found here if you want to keep it simple. Some other ideas might include any place you can apply chalk: a small board to hold, a large board to stand next to, sidewalks, driveways, and exterior walls. Again, the information you choose to include is your chance to make this all your own. I would certainly start with the grade they are going into but some other ideas are: age, name, school year, teacher’s name, and school name.

3. Illustrating Preference and Personality

Our kids change so much, not just in physical growth but personality and preferences as well. Back-to-school may be a good time to illustrate where the child is at in their personality development.

A few years ago I asked my kids what their favorite subject was, and they held the corresponding book while I took their photo. Others may want to record what their favorite food, toys, activities, etc. are, or what they want to be when they grow up. Whatever you want to remember and record- write it down, add it to your sign or illustrate it in the photo.

4. Prop Possibilities

Ah, props! Don’t we all love some fun props!? Now, remember the part from the top where I said you shouldn’t drive yourself crazy? This is where I want to remind you of that but still provide some fun ideas if you are up for it. Last year was my first year adding props, and I kept it simple with: pencils, a few books and a nectarine on a school desk that we already owned. Yes, you read that right. It does say nectarine, not apple, in that last sentence. What can I say? We didn’t have any apples in the house.

Pretty much anything that adds some color and looks “schoolish” will do the trick. Some other items to consider using for props are: chalk board backdrop, maps, a globe, apples, desks, chairs and books. Also, school supplies that might include: pencils, paper, flash cards, letter magnets, glue sticks, crayons, paints, brushes, colored pencils and other art supplies.

5. Journaling the Day

For those of you who are feeling more ambitious you might consider journaling the whole day. From the getting ready for school, to the after school routine, you could record all the details. Once again, this is where I remind you of the advice I gave you above, but this time I am referring to the part about not driving your kids crazy. Do not get up in their face all day asking them to look at you and say cheese. Rather, be sneaky and think “photojournalistic”, and your kids either won’t know any better or won’t even care.

If getting this all in one day is too much, just try to catch a few items a day until you have a typical day pieced together. Some details you might want to include are: getting ready, breakfast, waiting for the bus, the walk in, getting to their desk or classroom, with the teacher and/or fellow students, break time and lunch if they are homeschooled, getting off the bus, afternoon routine, all the new gear (shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, new outfit, etc.) and as many details as you spot.

6. Documenting the Traditions

If journaling the whole day in photos is exhausting just to think about, but you want to do more than just one photo, you might consider documenting the traditions that are really important to your family. Some of these can be taken in the days ahead of school starting and won’t take the same amount of energy as a detailed record of the whole day. Because our family homeschools, we don’t need backpacks and lots of school clothes. However, we all love the newness of fresh school supplies, brand new texts and the fun gifts they receive on the first day of school. Common traditions that you might want to photograph are: school shopping, all the new supplies, special breakfast, the new gear (see above), and whatever traditions your family has adopted.

source: Krystal Griffin

7. Photograph Year Round

School is happening all year not just in autumn. Don’t forget the rest of the year and all the hard work your kids are putting in throughout the fall, winter and spring (and summer if you school year round like Mandi). Some of my favorite photos of my own children are the projects they work on. I can only take so many pictures of them at their desk, but their two-week-long creation of a medieval castle out of cardboard and 5 rolls of tape (ok, it was only 2) is the stuff that makes my heart burst. And I think that we can all agree on how satisfying it is to look at a photo of our children enjoying a book–

Here are a few things you may want to remember throughout the school year: homework, projects, snow days, sick days, reading, school friends, field trips, school parties, last day of school.

What is your favorite way to document back-to-school for your kids? And what back-to-school traditions do your family love?

Krystal is a stay-at-home mom of four children, ages 4-9, whom she homeschools. She is acutely aware of how fast her children are changing and is passionate about keeping family memories alive through photographs. Now and then she gets to help other families’ bottle up their own memories at Krystal Griffin Photography.

7 Ideas for Your Back-to-School Photos

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Get Organized for Back-to-School with This Week’s eBook Bundle {BundleoftheWeek.com}

It’s back-to-school time, and this week’s bundle is designed to help you simplify your routine, get organized, and juggle all of your various responsibilities during the school year. With your purchase, you’ll get a complete back-to-school guide, printable planners, tips for simplifying your chore routines (for the adults and the children!) and ideas for simple outdoor fun in the midst of your busy schedule.

Get all five of these ebooks for 70% off this week only!

This collection includes:

Back 2 School Survival Guide by Susan Heid
KidVentures by Jen Murray
Quick and Easy Breakfasts from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures
Clean Enough by Jenni Mullinix
The Chore Jar by Kristy Howard & Monica Cooper

Get yours today!

Even if you’re not interested in this week’s bundle, be sure to sign up for the BundleoftheWeek.com weekly newsletter so you can be the first to know about the newest bundle:

Get Organized for Back-to-School with This Week’s eBook Bundle {BundleoftheWeek.com}

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Giveaway: Sonic’s Summer of Shakes Prize Pack

source: Mandi Ehman

Our family loves a good sweet treat, and I was shocked when our almost-4-year-old asked me, “What’s a shake, Mommy?” as we loaded up to try out SONIC’s Summer of Shakes. Poor deprived child!

Yep, that’s right — this summer, SONIC is helping you stay cool all summer long with 25 unique shake flavors made with real ice cream.

You may have heard of some of these wacky shake combinations – Peanut Butter & Bacon? OREO Cheesecake? Don’t knock ‘em ‘til you try ‘em. If that makes you a little nervous, classic flavors with a twist like Chocolate-Covered Strawberry and Banana Cream Pie are sure to satisfy any summertime craving.

You may not be able to try all 25 like this guy did, but if you can, more power to you. And remember, SONIC shakes are half price after 8 p.m. all summer long!

source: Mandi Ehman

I’d say she enjoyed her first shake!

Enter to Win

This week, Sonic is giving one lucky Life Your Way reader a SONIC Summertime Essentials Prize Pack, including a $15 SONIC gift card, a beach tote, beach ball, sunglasses and a beach towel.

To enter, fill out the form below:

This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, 8/8. The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email, and this post will be updated with their name as well. Open to U.S. residents 18 years old and above.

Giveaway: Sonic’s Summer of Shakes Prize Pack

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Weekend Reading: August 3, 2013

source: Mandi Ehman

We have had the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises for the past couple of weeks, and I’m afraid my Instagram feed has been equal parts landscape photos and gratuitous kid photos recently!

I’m also having the almost daily (if not hourly!) realization that this baby is coming soon!! What felt so far away for so long now feels like it will be here at any moment. In reality, we have about 10-11 weeks if all goes according to plan, but at the rate each week is flying by, that still feels like tomorrow.

Honestly, I was feeling a little silly about the growing pile of baby stuff we’re accumulating — clothes and nursery bedding and baby carriers — but really, it is time to start preparing, which just blows my mind!

Here are some of my favorite posts from this week. As always, check out what I’m reading and what I’m pinning to see the other posts that make me stop and think (or, you know, drool…). You’ll find new posts all week long!

Family {Practical Tips for Parents}

Screen Rules | In the Heart of my Home


A Time to Create | (in)Courage


What Every Son Needs to Hear | We are THAT Family

Life {Be Intentional and Simplify}

Declutter Your Life | ZenHabits


Make More Time by Dropping Tasks | Andrea Dekker


10 Excuses People Make | Big Is The New Small

Food {Summer Side Dishes}

Parmesan Zucchini Wedges | My Blessed Life


Braised Green Beans & Summer Vegetables | Recipe.com


Tangy Vinegar Coleslaw Salad | Food for My Family

Have a great weekend!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Weekend Reading: August 3, 2013

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

   

A Simple Rule That Makes All of the Difference

source: Mandi Ehman

I recently heard yet another tragic story about a small child who was hit by a car in her driveway. It’s a story we hear all too often, and it breaks my heart every time because I know it could happen to anyone.

While stories like this are always accompanied by comments in public forums about the negligence of the parents (probably because we like to lay blame somewhere to make us feel better), the truth is that it happens in the blink of an eye to good parents all the time. It’s not about parenting; most often it’s about a small child making an impulsive decision to run towards a car simply because they’re excited.

I try very hard not to be a paranoid parent: We let our kids climb high, use glass containers and use public restrooms by themselves. We’ve never had the “stranger danger” talk (although we do have a rule that no one should touch the parts of your body that are covered by your bathing suit), and we actually encourage our kids to talk to strangers.

To be clear, it’s not that I don’t see the dangers in each of those situations; it’s that I work hard to be mindful of the dangers without letting them be so consuming that we stifle our kids development. (On an unrelated note, I’ve talked about our approach to free-range parenting in bits and pieces in recent posts, and I think it may be time for a full post on the subject!)

However, there is one area where I am absolutely, unashamedly paranoid, and that’s the danger of cars and kids, especially in your own driveway.

Because of this paranoia, we’ve always had a very simple, strictly enforced rule:

1. When there is a car coming down the road, you immediately come to the front porch or “bridge” (a wooden walkway at the top of 6 steps leading up from our driveway due to some crazy grading when our house was built).

2. If there’s a running car in the driveway, you park your feet on the bridge. Your feet are not to leave the bridge until the car is turned off and the person is out of their car (if they’re coming) or the car has left the driveway (if they’re going).

3. It does not matter if it’s Mommy, Daddy, a grandparent, an aunt or a friend. That is where you stay. No exceptions.

The rule is so strictly enforced from the time they are little that we don’t have to worry about cars coming up the driveway when we’re not outside with the kids (although we know about the car before they do 99% of the time because of the way our house is laid out, with a view of the road, and because we keep the windows open when they’re outside). And because the importance of this rule has been drilled for as long as we’ve lived here, our older girls make sure their younger siblings obey (and yell for us when they don’t).

Honestly, it’s actually pretty funny to watch them go scurrying when a car is coming!

There are two benefits to this, really: One, if their feet are on the bridge, they can’t be hit by a car. As long as they obey the rule, they’re safe. More importantly, if the driver is a family member or friend (as it is 90% of the time), that person can see and count the girls on the bridge to know that everybody is where they should be. While we still go slowly on the driveway, being able to see and count the girls while you’re driving removes that element of surprise if one of them dares to move from that spot.

If fact, this works so well for us that I actually prefer the girls to be outside when I’m leaving because I can see them on the bridge as I back away from them down the driveway. When they’re inside, we often have them sit at the window and wave (which also makes it easy to count them and know where they are), and we always make sure that the parent who is staying home knows where all of the girls are before the other person leaves.

Other versions of this rule include touching a certain tree or standing in front of the door. The key is having a single landmark where kids are taught to stand every time. And enforcing that rule even when it seems silly (“But you had stopped the car already, Mom!”) so that it becomes second nature.

As important as this rule is to us, nothing replaces the knowledge that there could be a kid in the driveway unexpectedly. It’s something you should be aware of each and every time you’re driving your car in your driveway or someone else’s because it only takes a split second for a child to make that impulsive decision that results in tragedy.

Does your family have a rule about cars in your driveway? Is this something you’re paranoid about?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

A Simple Rule That Makes All of the Difference

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

7 Organizing Myths Debunked

source: Mandi Ehman

I first shared this post at Simple Mom almost four years ago, and every bit of it still rings true today. Getting organized can be overwhelming and feel unattainable, but it’s really a lot simpler than it seems!

When it comes to organizing, there are many different reasons people say it’s just not for them. However, most of these stem from misconceptions about what it means to be organized.

Let’s take a look at the seven most common organizing myths and the truth behind them:

1. Organizing is only for type-a people.

One of the most common misconceptions about organizing is that it’s something only high-strung, type-a people do.

While it’s true that it might come more naturally, or even be fun, for those of us who fit that description, getting organized is a valuable tool for anyone. Not only does it allow you to be more efficient and more productive, but it also saves you time and money.

2. Organizing takes too much time.

Of course, some of you might be wondering how an activity that takes so much time can actually save you time.

In reality, getting – and staying – organized doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Of course, depending on the current state of your home, it can be overwhelming to figure out where you should even start. The answer is to start with one small room or area at a time.

Investing an hour to organize your pantry, or an afternoon to sort through your kids’ toys, pays off when you don’t waste minutes every day looking for certain ingredients or a half-hour trying to find the pieces to a specific game your children want to play.

3. Getting organized is frustrating.

Getting organized can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be.

I recommend a three-step method to organizing that starts with pulling everything out of the room or area you’re tackling. Next, sort everything into three piles – keep, throw away and give away. Then, start putting things away that you’re going to keep, thinking about what you need to be able to access, what you use most often, and what will work best for you.

Start with a small area so you don’t become overwhelmed, and put as much in the throw away or give away piles as you can. The less stuff you have, the less frustrating it will be.

4. Organizing has to be expensive.

I’ll admit I sometimes drool over all of the home organizing accessories and doodads that are available these days, all to make organizing easier and prettier.

But the truth is there are plenty of ways to organize that don’t cost anything, and if you’ve got a creative streak, you can still make them just as pretty. Be creative and think outside of the box about things you can repurpose or recycle in your quest to get organized.

source: Mandi Ehman

5. Once you organize your home, it just stays that way.

In many ways, this myth can be the most discouraging of them all.

If you’ve ever spent a weekend organizing, only to look back three months later and find everything in shambles once again, you know what I mean. For other people, the idea of having to organize again and again in order to keep your home in order just takes you back to myths number one and two and reinforces that organizing isn’t for you.

I’m not saying you have to invest hours upon hours each week to keep your home organized, though. Once you have a system in place, take just a couple of minutes each day to either put things away, throw them away or give them away so that you’re system isn’t overwhelmed by stuff.

6. A good organizing system will work for anyone.

Systems like FlyLady and The Clutter Diet have motivated a lot of people to get on top of their household duties and get organized.

However, the reality is that most people who follow these systems end up tweaking them to work best for their own life, and if you don’t realize that in advance, you can easily become discouraged by your inability to follow the system down to the tiniest detail. We all have different priorities, responsibilities and lifestyles, and if your organizational systems doesn’t reflect these differences, chances are that they won’t last.

7. There is a right way and a wrong way to organize.

The thing I stress most often to people is that there is no right and wrong way to organize. The right way to organize for your family is the way that works for you.

Dorothy at Urban Servant, who is the mother of 11 beautiful children, shared her laundry method a few years ago, and I think of it often because it perfectly illustrates this principle.

“I don’t fold anyone’s laundry but daddy’s. We have shelving with 12 laundry baskets in three rows, and I can toss clean items into anyone’s bin without too much effort. I sort a large load in about 3 minutes and move on to the next thing. Of course that means we don’t own anything that wrinkles or needs much special care, but I don’t miss them.”

This is a perfect example and one that I’ve used in the past myself. You should not feel guilty if the way you do laundry is to simply sort the clean clothes into separate baskets and call it a day. I’m a little too type-a for that system, and because it would drive me nuts, it’s not the right system for me. But if it’s the system that works for you, then stop feeling guilty about it and consider yourself organized.

What obstacles keep you from getting organized?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

7 Organizing Myths Debunked

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Dear Readers… + Desktop Calendar {August 2013}

To download the image above to use as your desktop wallpaper, simply click the image (or this link: August 2013 Desktop Calendar) and choose Save Link As… Then, open the picture, right click and choose Set as desktop background.

Dear Readers…

The past month has been a busy one as I work on several projects for the upcoming months behind the scenes, and I’m excited to tell you about a few of those today!

Before we get to those, though, I just have to share this with you. Earlier this week I opened up a new Start, Stop, Continue survey to see what you as readers would like to see us start doing, stop doing and continue doing as we move forward. I anticipated that the answers would vary, but I couldn’t help but laugh at some of the complete contradictions in them:

“More homeschooling posts!” versus “Less homeschooling posts!”
“More parenting tips!” and then… “Less parenting tips!”
“More DIY projects!” followed by “Fewer DIY projects!”

In fact, there was not a single suggestion that was not contradicted by someone else’s feedback, which means, unfortunately, that we’re simply not going to be able to give everybody exactly what they want. (I should have known that, huh?)

I can tell you that we’ll continue to be sharing real-life parenting stories, and I’m trying my best to begin offering new home management printables more regularly again since I know that is something that many, many people are hoping for. I appreciate everybody who took the time to offer honest feedback (and you can still share your thoughts for a chance to win an Amazon.com gift card!), and I am carefully reading through and considering all of the responses!

Weekly Reads


One change we will be making is moving back to a monthly format for the “on my bookshelf” posts rather than the Weekly Reads series. While that format worked really well during the first part of the year where I was actually reading a fair amount, it’s been somewhat of a guilt-inducer for me recently because I feel silly posting when I haven’t read anything, and I don’t want to waste your time as readers. So look for that new format next week!

Baby Week


Mark your calendar for the week of 9/9 because we’ll be hosting Baby Week, with an amazing roundup of giveaways. Seriously, I could not be more excited about the sponsors who are participating, and my hope is that it will be a fun week whether you’re expecting/hoping for a baby or not because every one of the giveaways will make a great gift as well. In addition, I’ll be sharing my birth stories (something I’ve never done here on the blog before) and hosting a link up so you can share your stories as well. All in all, it should be a fun week!

{And for those of you who are really just not interested, we’ve condensed all those posts into five days on purpose, and I hope you’ll stick around until it’s done!}

101 Days of Christmas


As crazy as it sounds, we’re also working hard on the annual 101 Days of Christmas series. We’ll kick that off on Monday, 9/16 with an updated planner, and I’m already working on quite a few projects (yes, in the middle of summer…) that I’m excited to share with you!

Easy Homemade {For Kids}


Finally, as we count down the weeks until baby Jackson’s arrival, I’ve had to make some hard decisions about what I can realistically accomplish before his birth, and I’ve decided to hold off on finishing Easy Homemade {For Kids} until early 2014 so that I can make sure it’s not just thrown together but something I’m actually proud to publish. That was a hard decision because I’m really excited about how it’s coming together so far, but I think it’s for the best!

As always, thank you for being part of the Life Your Way community and for taking the time to comment on posts, send me emails and share the site with your friends and family!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Dear Readers… + Desktop Calendar {August 2013}

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

     
CommentsYour drive is inspiring, Mandi! I'm 33 weeks pregnant with ... by Lisa Morosky

Where is Going Green on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

source: themissiah

There are some great posts in the archives that don’t get much attention anymore, so I’m reposting my favorites here and there. As we approach our babymoon and the days of having a newborn in the house one more time, I’m sure I’ll be scaling back to survival mode and just focusing on our basic needs once again!

There’s a theory in psychology known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which says that a person’s physiological and safety needs must be met before they can focus on love & belonging, esteem and eventually self-actualization, which includes morality, creativity, spontaneity, etc.

I’ve often thought about this theory in regards to making changes such as going green (not the fun, trendy stuff, but the harder things that involve research and hard work, such as learning about natural, herbal remedies or reducing the amount of trash we produce) and improving our diets (things such as understanding supplements, cooking from scratch, replacing familiar ingredients with unfamiliar ones).

Until recently, I knew about the dangers of certain ingredients in processed foods and the benefits of cooking from scratch (both from a health perspective and for the wallet), but I was focused on work – out of necessity – and I simply didn’t have the energy or motivation to investigate, learn more and make drastic changes.

I probably could have found a spare hour in the day to devote to learning more and making changes, but – as demonstrated by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – because my focus was on the basics, I wasn’t ready to move on to the next level.

I think this is true even for families who do eat whole foods diets or live sustainably – when a busy time or crisis affects their family, they sometimes have to take their focus off the things they know are best for the long term and scale back to focus their energy and resources on the immediate needs.

And you know what I’ve realized? It’s okay.

It’s okay if you don’t have the motivation to overhaul your entire diet right now, even if you’re convinced you should do it.

It’s okay if you have to make some compromises for the sake of your sanity and relationships.

It’s okay to read and learn and discover more ways to live sustainably, even if you’re not ready to invest a lot of time into making the changes.

And if you’re eating a whole foods diet and living sustainably yourself, it’s important not to judge people who aren’t doing those things. It may be that they’re simply not important to them, but it may also be that they’re overwhelmed by the basics of life and not ready to move to the next level. Instead of judging, answer questions when they ask, share the things you’re doing in your own family and be supportive of them wherever they are on their journey!

Have you seen this principle at work in your own life?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Where is Going Green on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved