Reasonable Minimalism

OK - so I read a few articles on my FB newsfeed about minimalist's. I never thought I would even consider such a life.  But having grown up in a home of (awesome and wonderful) "collectors" (ummm many people say hoarders here) I have been more worried about having too much stuff. Never even gave a minimalist life style more then a nod.

Then a few weeks ago I was at a church funtion for ladies - and it had a bunch of mini classes that you could choose from that would help you make changes in your life that are positive. One of them was cleaning. I figured there wasnt much I could learn, BUT I did want a cleaner house so I figured something might motivate me, so I went.

WOW! great class. The teacher told us something that DID motivate me!!! (Exactly what I wanted)  Her mother had always told her ... "Its easier to clean a clean house, then to clean a dirty house."  And I REALLY thought about that. It IS easier to wipe down a kitchen surface that just had that meals mess on it. And it makes me ANGRY when I have to scrub and use my nails to pick off old dried food off my kitchen counters. And trying to cook in a messy kitchen - makes me anrgy all over again. I was tired of being anrgy all the time and snapping at my kids cause of the mess that bothers me in the house.

SO one morning a few weeks ago - I went through the kitchen, I got rid of a few things in the kitchen that I had held on to for weird and various reasons (so and so gave it to me, we got it at our wedding, I paid $40 and haven't used it yet, etc).  I also cleaned my kitchen from top to bottom.  I am proud to say that I have kept it clean for 4 weeks now!  NEVER has my kitchen looked this good for so long.

And 2 times since I have gone through the drawers and cupboards and added more to the give away box! It feels SOOOO good to watch my kitchen get cleaner and cleaner.  And it is all thanks to reading minimalist blogs and articals.

I will never (nor do I want to be) a true minimalist. A true minimalist will have nothing on all there flat surfaces, a total of 10 outfts, no more then a weeks worth of food in the house, no pictures on the walls, no window treatments.  Yea .... that isn't us. BUT all those articals got me to thinking about what I actually use.  Did I actually need 6 sets of measuring spoons?

NOPE! I kept 3, the really long ones are great for getting into spice jars, and 2 sets that were easy to read  - because in alot of my cooking I am working with wet and dry ingredants. So since I use them its OK to keep them.

This WHOLE box is full of doubles (or triples or MORE!) I really didn't need all that excess. I could give it away and help someone else out. AND have more peace of mind for myself and my family.

All the cooking tools on the counter are extras! How did I get so many? Or they were things I have moved more then once and never used! I had 3 sets of measuring cups! I really don't need that many.

It felt so good to fill up 3 boxes for donating and see my cleaner kitchen.  Everytime I get used to how it looks, I go through a few more things. I figure I will find my happy mendium somewhere closer to minimalist then to hoarder.

However, I will add right here that I BELIEVE in having a 1 year supply of what you family uses (food, water, soap, meds, diapers etc) as you have room to store. We live in troubled times, and must be prepared, but keeping 6 sets of measuring spoons is not going to help me out in that aspect.

Now I did have to make a HUGE change in my thinking. I kept thinking that my family lives here and THEY should clean up what I want them to clean up. Well I had to let that go. If I want a clean kitchen and have it constantly clean ... I am constantly putting something away. I cant wait for my husband to notice the trash is full and needs to be taken out. I do it. When the kids make a mess in there and I walk in I clean it them instead of leaving it for later. Same with the husband.  Yea I am picking up more of there stuff, but I am not as angry as I used to be. And maybe one day - they will learn from my example and my life will get a bit easier. Maybe not. I am not saying I don't ASK for help, if I see the trash needs to be taken out and hubby is home I do ask him. If not I just get it done. If then kids are close by I ask them to do age appropriate things to help out.  So maybe one day .... we will all just work together like clockwork with out me having to ask for it to happen. Maybe. :)

One last thing that has been weighing on my mind for MONTHS now ..... we just moved to our current home in Jan. We moved the big stuff in - and for a few days we didnt have all the excess. We had our couch, a chair, a coffee table ... nothing on anything messing it up. And I even thought about not bring anything down I liked it so much! But that wasn't reasonable. However, the idea and feeling of peace wasn't forgotten. So now I am on a journey to own less stuff, but still have enough to enjoy life with my family.

PS - about a month ago I was at a friends home, her house was clean (not immaculate or anything just nice ... like all the beds were made!!!) I was so impressed ... that I have made my bed every day since then. Maybe soon I will get the kids to make there beds too - but baby steps! :)

Baked Apple Bean Burritos

Ingredients

2 Large Sweet Onions

1 Large Red Bell Pepper finally chopped

8 garlic cloves

1 large apple

4 cups beans total. I like 2 cups Garbanzo, 1 cup Black, 1 cup Red

1 8oz can tomato sauce

¼ c agave (I often leave this out it is sweet enough without it)

1 T Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

1 T Dijon Mustard

1 t Braggs Amino Acid (or soy sauce)

1t smoked paprika

1t ground chipotle pepper

1 pinch applewood smoked pepper.

Cook in large frying pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat pan over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté until its soft. Add bell pepper and minced garlic and sauté another 3 mins or so.  Stirring occasionally.  Add the apple and cook for another min. Add beans and turn off heat. Poor can of tomato sauce over the mixture. Add the rest of the ingredient’s on top of onion/bean mixture. Stir in.

Spray a  glass baking dish, add the mixture and cover dish. Bake covered at 350 for 30 mins. Un-cover and bake another 30 mins.

Take out of oven and let cool. You CAN eat it right now with say corn bread. And do the rest with leftovers.  But we skip right to the burrito cause we can.

Lay out a tortilla, add the bean mixture, some corn top with sliced avocado, wrap and enjoy!

Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Salad:
4 corn tortillas
1 bunch chopped Romain lettuce
1 chopped cucumber
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cup beans (garbanzo) - use what ever you want. 
2 cups beans (white) - use what ever you want.
1-2 cups corn

Dressing:
2 c white beans
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch parsley
1/4 c tahini
1 7 oz can diced green chiles
1 T Braggs Amio Acids (or low sodium Soy Sauce)
1/2 t cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic crushed
Zest and juice of 2 limes

To make the salad:
cut tortillas into thin slices, place on cookie tray and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 mins.
place lettuce on bottom of the bowl layer cucumber, tomatoes, beans, corn, and tortilla strips.

For the dressing:
Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

10 things not to skimp on, no matter your tax bracket

1 – A Bed. Normally a person sleeps 8 hours a day. That is 1/3  of your day, every day of your life. That means you spend 1/3 of your life in bed! Your back will thank you. And you will be a happier person too. How many times have you thought about getting a new bed and just put it off because you think it’s too much and yours works well enough. I buy the best I can with the pocket book I have (which mind you, isn’t top of the line – YET, someday we will get that expensive bed that lasts for years and sleeps like a cloud!)

2 – A Car. No I am not saying buy the most expensive car right off the lot. I am saying do your research! Find the car that fits your needs. (Mine is fitting grocery’s and my family) And then look up safety ratings, read reviews about how long it lasts and gas mileage and know how much your insurance will cost you. Then go buy a good used one. Cars lose most of their value in the first 2 years. So buy a car that has the highest safety ratings, last the longest, check to make sure it hasn’t been in any accidents and that it isn’t newer then 2 years. Or at least the safest one you can afford. (Cause for us right now ….. 10 year old cars are expensive!) But this is the most dangerous item in your lives; don’t you want the safest thing to drive around in?

3 – Car parts and repair.  In my family we fix cars, not upgrade every few years to avoid working on them. So when you change your oil …. Don’t add the cheap stuff! We buy the synthetic oil, last longer and can handle more stress. It cost more up front but saves you in the long run. So we had all good stuff on my minivan, and people laughed at us because they are only used to putting good parts in there “expensive cars”. (Fluids, filters, brakes (who would ever skimp on breaks?!?!) and replacement parts)

4 – Gas for your car. I found a car gas that has a cleaning additive in it. I buy there cheap stuff and my car runs MUCH better. But read what your car’s engine was designed to run on – because it will run best on what it’s made for! Better running car … saves you money!

5 – Hair Care products. (This one is a favorite of mine). I had a haircut and they put salon/expensive shampoo and conditioner on my hair and tried to sell it to me. Of course I said no it was too expensive. But my hair stayed cleaner longer and nice and light and fluffy. So I went back later and bought some. It was great! I used about half of what I used in my grocery store bought stuff. So get a good shampoo and conditioner (shop around for the best price) and you may find it lasts longer and cost less than what you were paying for the cheap stuff un the long run!

6 – Underwear. Should be enough said .. but I will explain. What is the one thing you wear every day, all day (or most of it – I hope!) Underwear. Now I am not saying you need $20 pairs of undies. What I am saying is replace it! OFTEN! Having had a private discussion with someone who wears the same undies for years long past its first whole or rip. I got to thinking … why? So I regularly replace my undies (TMI?) But I am WORTH fresh, clean, un-ripped, no whole having undies! So when they start to get dingy and worn out. It’s time they too through them out.

7 – Socks …. Read above!

8 – Shoes –And my feet, legs and back thanks me for it! I used to wear payless shoes all the time. But boy did they hurt. I still buy them when I need a special pair of shoes for an outfit and can’t afford anything else. But I buy it knowing it’s NOT my everyday all day shoes. But the shoes I wear all the time cost a bit more. (On sale of course!)

9 – Education – Yours or your children’s or whomever you are paying for! They are worth. Am I talking Ivy League for everyone? No!  Just don’t settle for less. If there is a better program, do it! Some nursing schools are better than others. Some schools Do MBA’s. Trade schools for those who want to work on cars. But don’t settle. Do what you love. You will have a better life doing what you want to do. You will have a better career going to the best school for what you want to do. People hire out of the best, you will have a better chance at a job after school. So give it all you have!

10 - Daycare (possibly the most important of all) - This is people in charge of your children. There are too many people who don’t care and shouldn’t be in the business of caring for other people children. (I am not saying everyone) but do your research and pay for the best you can afford, scrimp and save if necessary. And in all honestly that is why I am a stay at home mom. No one can raise my kids like me.