So, I have been scouring the web for a way to get rid of ants (right outside the back door) without having to go out just to buy that one item. As part of my simplifying this year I am reducing the time spent in the car, fueling up less often and combining errands on one or two days. It is so easy these days to hop in the car to grab something just because - well, because we can. Typically I am already in my car for school 2x's a day, once a week for gymnastics, once for ballet, twice for baseball practices, twice for baseball games, then add to that shopping at the grocery store and Target... I have already racked up enough time in my car to go on a nice little trek down to the ocean so not getting in the car in for one more thing is a good thing in my book.
Well, I figured if I am doing some of the ground work and loving this little list I am saving on my computer - I would share it with you, too!
Uses for Vinegar - here is a whole section of this site dedicated to it. Vinegar
Here was a suggestion area for getting rid of ants. The frugal life, is a great website with lots of different areas to venture in and out of. Check it out here thefrugallife.com .
Here is a whole blog dedicated to this type of thing....householdhints .
And at tipnut this link tell you all about what lemons are good for and this one for homeade cleaners .
I really love that at our fingertips are all these wonderful sources to help simplify life. I would love to have conversations with people who did without so many of our luxuries these days to find out the details of their everyday lives. Just something that fascinates me. It just seems to me that we have complicated our lives by trying to make it easier without the effort. In the process of making things faster, easier we have taken out so much of the joy - and increased how much we spend by such an incredibly unreasonable amount. Life is busy, I can attest to that with 4 little ones about, but I have the good fortune of being an at home mom, working daily in our household to make life better and richer- its an invaluable experience for me and my kids. I love that they will learn to make soap and candles. That they will think, research and come up with solutions to household problems that do not require going to the store to purchase something. And I think I like that they are learning that the easy way - isnt always the best way....
We baked bread today - for mere cents of what a store loaf would have cost, and I got to spend time teaching measuring, kneading, patience, cleaning, temperature and time. I didnt stress if everyones hair was done or clothes were matching (you know how little they are right!), I didnt have to turn off everything, double check the locks, load kids into and out of a hot car, I didnt have to wait through long lines because there are never enough checkers all the while distracting the brood from the marketing mayham that awaits helpless moms who endure grocery check out lines. I didnt have to spend a cent. I just got to simply spend time with my kids and now we will enjoy the fuits of our labor with our meal...simplify - its a very good thing (for us!)
Oh Sarah! You know how much this post means to me? I love that you are simplifying and creating value for your kids through experience, time and understanding! You are a spectacular mom.
I thought too that I'd share a few things we "do without" in our house. It always sends visitors into a bit of a frenzy but we don't even notice not having them (since we've been this way for years!) We use no paper towels, no baby wipes, no paper napkins, no zip lock bags and no paper plates. I use cloth napkins at all meals (which are easily thrown into the wash with other loads. Paper towel moments are tackled with either a dirty bath towel (for the floor kind) or a dish towel for the counter kind. We put things into containers rather than plastic baggies. I love how little trash we produce because of the absense of paper. We don't use trash bags either, but that is another much longer post :)
So proud to call you my friend :)
Posted by: Katrina Kennedy | April 21, 2009 at 09:22 PM