Day 3: It Can Be Done!

I am not a homemaker type.  It was never my dream to make a career out of taking care of family, house, and home.  In fact, I found out early on that I am a much better mother when I work - just a little - outside the home.  I never considered myself to have extraordinary talent in the cooking, sewing, or housekeeping departments.  I like to organize…that's about it.  So imagine my surprise one day when I realized that I make things.  Home made food, DIY household projects, cleaners.  Deodorant.  Face wash.  With no special skills.

Here's my advice to anyone considering a journey down this path:  start small.  Make one change today.  The internet is a very valuable resource.  I hope, also, that this blog will be another great resource in the days to come.

Make a list of what is important to you:  do you want to get rid of disposables in your house?  Do you want to eliminate harmful chemicals from your cleaning closet? Do you want to be able to pronounce the ingredients in your food?  Do you want to spend less?  We'll cover all of those.  And more.

Home made is a way of thinking, and making things is the way to get there.  Start by asking yourself what is important to you, right now:

-healthier eating?  home made food is surely the way to go
-fewer chemicals in your house?  home made cleaners work just as well
-frugal lifestyle?  Convenience costs more; home made is always better for the budget
-more time to spend with family?  making food, cleaners, etc, is a perfect family activity


My first goal was to stop having to lock myself in the bathroom (with all the fumes) when I cleaned so my kiddos wouldn't inhale all the toxicity.  My lungs for theirs, I guess.  And so I spent an hour researching natural alternatives to chemical cleaners, and I discovered how incredibly easy it is to clean your entire house with just a few household staples.  You don't even need to "make" anything.  Just grab some baking soda to scrub sinks and tubs, vinegar for pretty much everything else, and some essential oil or lemon juice to make it smell pretty.  See here and here  for more details.

Talk about eye opening.  My next order of business was to eliminate as much sugar and high fructose corn syrup as possible.  This is hard and expensive to do, believe it or not.  Everything, from jars of fruit to cereals to prepared sauces to yogurt have added sweeteners of some kind.  And so, I started making my own, using internet recipes.  And I found out how incredibly easy it is to make marinara sauce.  Imagine that.

In fact, when we lived here,

and I didn't have a full kitchen, I bought spaghetti sauce as an easy dinner.  My kids tasted it and immediately said it was too sweet.  I told them why, and they informed me that they only wanted my sauce from now on.

The journey continues, but it's more of the same.  To quote one of my favorite movies (The Princess Bride):  "Let me explain.  No, there is no time.  Let me sum up."  This journey began only a short time ago, and it didn't involve huge amounts of education or throwing out all of our food and starting over.  Just small changes, here and there, spread over time, can make an enormous difference.  Consider your priorities, and consider making one step toward accomplishing those goals.  You won't be disappointed.