Living Kitchen: Kombucha

I am enjoying a glass of my second successful batch of Kombucha! I was inpired by what I read in Nourishing Traditions. I used a S.C.O.B.Y. that I got from a friend and a really big glass jar I bought from Ikea. I boiled 20 cups of water and poured it into my glass container. Then, I added 6 Tetley tea bags and a cup of sugar and stirred until the sugar dissolved and let it cool to room temperature. When the tea was cool enough, I added the S.C.O.B.Y on top and put a cotton towel on top, secured it with an elastic band, placed it in my brewing cupboard and forgot all about it for a week. When the week was up I tasted it and it was done and it was good! To me it tasted similar to ginger ale. I am not going to comment on any of the benefits to drinking it but if you do a google search there is tons of information out there. I just wanted to post that I made it and it was easy.

Purging

Massive de-cluttering going on over here! It feel amazing! I have purging my mental and my physical space. I have been collecting boxes of clutter in the basement for years. I am finally getting rid of them. It is causing an amazing thing to happen! I am developing this sense of peace within that I hadn't realized was missing before. That clutter was robbing me! I have read FlyLady testimonies before that describe this but I didn't fully grasp what was meant. I am figuring it out now though! removing all this clutter is making room for me to feel peace

Image: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Spring Cleaning!

I have decided that I am going to post about my body and spirit as well as my house and home. I am following a new to me blog called Domestic Witch that is going to help me with this I think. She is running a 12 week series that I am really excited about. Each week has a theme and this week the focus is on our home's exterior and our health. I am bit behind as I just started today but I will be on track in no time. The first task is an excellent one! We are to go to each room of the home and create a list of what repairs and maintenance needs to be done. I plan to take time to do this tomorrow. I will put this list in my Home Journal when I am done.

The second task is to create a similar list only for myself. I will list any health concerns I have and make a plan to address them. I will also write down exercise or other lifestyle goals I have and make a plan to accomplish what I want to in those areas as well.

Anyone wanna join me?

When Life Presents Its Challenges

It is so easy to get hung up on problems and wallow in the bad feelings when life is kicking you in the head. Try to remember to take a break from time to time to enjoy something you love. It is a huge part of self care. When you take time to do this it is amazing how much more manageable problems seem to be and how often we discover solutions after take a break and coming back to it with fresh eyes.

Home Journal Update for 2010: Weekly Schedule

I started this in January (really only three posts back) and now that I am back to post regularly again I feel I would like to continue. I have reviewed my weekly schedule and I have discovered that it still works for me exactly as it is so I am not going to change anything but I am out of practice and I will put this list to use again. Each day is posted on the right but I thought it would be good to post the whole week to show you how it looks. Reminder: These are guideline and not carved into stone. If I don't follow it perfectly I do not beat myself up. They are meant to help not not make me feel worse!

Sunday: Renew Your Spirit Day!

Monday: Menu and Mop Day

Work on menus and grocery list for next week>

Feed sourdough and make buttermilk

Make sure refrigerator is clean

Dust and Mop all floors

Work on project

Wash my clothes

Tuesday: Grocery/Errand and Surface Clean Day

Double check list and put in purse

Clean inside windows, mirrors, tv/monitor screens

Get Groceries

Go to Post Office

Go to Library

Wednesday: Kitchen and Bath Clean and Partial Desk Time

Clean all toilets

Clean bath tub

Clean bathroom sinks

Shine kitchen sink

Do children's laundry

Make Bread

Cut Children's nails

Work on project

Work on Budget

Write thank-you notes

Thursday: Free Day

Water plants

Gather all Garbage to put out

Do Something nice for me

Friday-Paperwork and Large Appliance Clean

Be Romantic today!

Do bedroom laundry

Pay and file bills

Clean large appliances

Clean laundry room

Inventory laundry supplies

Clean out purse

Saturday: Family Fun Day!

Do some reading

Do yard work

What is in your Purse?

Today is the day I clean out my purse. It has occurred to me that what is in my purse is a strong reflection of what stage I am in life. Currently I have a wallet, a change purse, my planner with Dr. appointments, parent council activities and various activities of children, a few diapers, a package of baby wipes, hand cream, a camera a bottle of water, a package of crackers and sugarless gum. Clearly a mom's purse right? I remember a time when my purse was a lot different lol I have had a teen's purse - gaudy make-up, hairspray, a hair brush, notes from class I am hiding from my parents, concert stubs. Career Girl - wallet with a lot more disposable income lol and condoms! Planner with appointments to the salon, dates with friends/hot random guys (Ok, maybe not)

I have also noticed that what I carry my purse items in has changed often over the years as well. I have used a disco purse-barley large enough to hold keys and money, a fashionable backpack-perfect for holding personal items along with school books, a diaper bags way back when I was a new mom and had to bring half the house along with me just in case baby needed something, a quilted bag for outings that required me to bring a selection of entertainment and nourishment for toddlers and now my current handbag that my mother got me for Christmas because she wanted me to have something nice. I am sure at some point I will probably change to something else again to suit my current needs.

Today I shined my sink...again.

A few personal trials have taken my attention away from this blog...yet again but the good thing about that is that it is still here when I return.

So I am back to basics again. Routines, Thank Maud for routines! I just open my Home Journal and there they are! This week my focus is on Recovery. This is what I do when I fall off the Home Management bandwagon. This could happen for many reasons - illness, family tragedy, whatever! All it means is that for the next few weeks I will do an intensive "Getting Things Back in Order Protocol". Here is what it looks like:


Step 1: Re-instate Routines

This is simple usually because they are already written down for me in my Home Journal. Sometime an adjustment needs to be made due to whatever kept me from doing them in the first place but for the most part I just have to jump in where I left off.

Step 2: Declutter (While continuing with routines)

This step is often the begest. I start at the the top of the house and with three boxes and a timer I enter a room and file all the clutter that doesn't belong in that room. The three files are "Put Away", "Give away", and "Throw Away". I set the timer for 15 minutes and start at the doorway and work my way around the room for 15 minutes at a time. When the timer goes off I file the items in the boxes.

Step 3: Re-instate Projects (while continuing with missions)

Which really means a return to normal


When I follow this plan it usually doesn't take me more than 3 weeks to get back into my groove and return my serenity!