Meal Planning for the Non-Committal
As you know, I’ve been trying to do more of the cooking in our house. I started this little cooking experiment back in October and there have been some ups and downs. Some weeks I do really well while others I totally don’t pull my weight. But I think I’ve figured out what the problem is.

Meal planning stresses me out because I leave it to the last minute. I need a plan of action because without one I fall apart in the kitchen. I would often stress about what to cook that day, and then I would either give up and not cook anything or decide on something only to find out that I don’t have all the ingredients in the house.

People had suggested meal planning to me before but I’m just too lazy (yep I admit it) to sit down and plan every day’s dinner two weeks in advance. Plus what if I don’t feel like making that recipe that day?

Well I’ve got it all figured out people. Actually somebody else figured it out and was kind enough to tell me about it (thank you Kimberly!). I like to call it meal planning for the non-committal. It goes a little something like this:

The day before you normally do your grocery shopping sit down and pick out a dozen recipes that you’d like to try over the next two weeks. Then check your fridge, freezer, cupboards for the ingredients you’ll need. If you don’t have them add them to your shopping list. I like to pull my recipes of choice out and pin them on the fridge. Once the shopping is done I know I’ve got everything I need in the house to make those recipes. I can choose anyone of them on any given day to make.

After three successful weeks of this new plan of action I am here to tell you I LOVE IT! It has completely taken all the stress out of cooking for me. I’ve totally impressed my husband and myself and ended up with some really good meals.

Give it a try or let me know what works for you.

Labels: Cooking, family friendly meals, meal plans, time

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Making My Career Work for My Family
The decision to give up looking for work and day care seemed like the easiest decision of my life. I knew from day one I only wanted a part-time gig that would allow me to relieve some of the financial burden placed on my husband’s shoulders. I also knew it would be temporary, only long enough to allow me time to get pregnant again and collect maternity leave this time around.  My husband and I both knew once the second baby comes along the chances of me working are slim to none. Unless of course I could find a job that would work for me (by furthering my career in something I love) and the family (by not requiring us to pay for childcare).

I tried to find it, this dream job, but then a wise friend said to me “why don’t you just make work for yourself?”  At first I didn’t know what she meant. I had never thought about starting my own business but I got pretty excited about the possibility. At the end of that conversation I figured out that I could further my career and make it work for my family. 

Here’s what I decided was important:
- To do something I am passionate about
- To do it during times when I would have family members available to provide childcare
- To do something that would allow me to transfer those skills (get a job when the time comes)

In order to make my career work for my family I’ve started a parenting support service called Prenatal to Parenting. I offer prenatal classes, doula services, and parent education and support services. I love pregnancy, birth and parenting. I have a Bachelor of Social Work and have been providing parent education and support services for the past year at a local organization so it feels like a natural step forward to develop new skills, to continue my previous work and to expand my scope. By starting my own business, I am able to pick and chose my hours, which works perfectly for my family.

Instead of this feeling like a temporary gig to get us through until the maternity leave kicks in, it feels like something I could do for a very long time. I’m excited. I’m passionate. I’m loving my training, building my website, talking to people about my services, and providing the services. I am also really enjoying spending time with my son Parker. I am not bringing in tons of money but that was never the point. I’m making enough to help (a bit) and am able to stay home with Parker while his dad’s at work. All in all it’s also one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

~Sarah

Labels: career, doula, parenting support, working mom, working parents

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10 Easy Tips to Lead a Greener Life Today!

Here are a bunch of little changes I have made in the last 4 years that I think don’t take much, if any, extra effort and can make a difference in my effect on the environment.

1.    Use bar soap instead of pump soap
One day it hit me how much waste I was creating by using soap in pump containers. Even though I used the large refill bottles I was still wasting an incredible amount per year.  So I switched back to bar soap which usually comes in cardboard boxes that can be recycled.
2.    Wrap presents in brown paper
Brown paper can be recycled but regular wrapping paper can’t.  Buy bright ribbons and bows that you can re-use to liven up the packaging.
3.  Environmentally friendly cleaning products
Use vinegar & water instead of windex, hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach and baking soda as an abrasive for tougher jobs. Of course there are tons of products available to purchase as well but these are some green & cheap options.
4.    Dry clothes on clothesline
If you are able this a great way to really reduce your footprint in the warmer months.  Bonus:  the clothes smell amazing!
5.    Avoid all one-use products
My pet peeve is all of the horrible one-use items out there.  Everything from swiffer wipes/mops to one-time facial cleansing pads to those awful toilet bowl cleaner things that your flush down after one use.
6.    Hankies instead of tissues
This is kind of related to one-use items.  I recently brought back the hankie and I am loving it.  I have crazy allergies and I always feel a bit bad about throwing away all those tissues.  Now I just have a bunch of hankies that I cycle through and after a couple washes they become soooo soft on the nose.
7.    Sharing magazines with friends
Instead of buying a bunch of magazines each why don’t you co-ordinate with friends who buy magazines as well.  You each agree to purchase one and then share. Better for the wallet and the environment!   
8.    Bring tupperware containers for take-out
Okay not everyone will be into this one but I swear I feel so much better getting take out when I bring it home in my own packaging and avoid all that unnecessary waste.  Just be sure to let the place you are going to know that you after a while it becomes normal.
9.    Tupperware for sandwiches/lunch stuff instead of plastic bags
Nothing much to say here. The benefit is quite obvious I think.
10.     Rags instead of paper towels
I bought a huge box of rags for cleaning and wiping up spills so I never run out and it saves money and waste from the millions and millions of paper towels I would be throwing out if I didn’t have them.

~Laura

Labels: environmentally friendly, environmentally responsible, green, Reduce carbon footprint, tips

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Inspirational Traveling Families
In case anyone else is worried that their travel days are either numbered or has been seriously hindered I thought I’d share a few of my inspirational “traveling family” stories that contradict a number of commonly held beliefs.

Commonly held belief #1: You can’t travel with a newborn

We met a young couple in Argentina who was on their third month of traveling with their first baby.  He was 1 month old when they first left Canada.  They'd backpacked around Spain and Italy and then flew to Argentina where they had rented a car and were camping their way across the country.

They were so happy and relaxed and their baby was a very content little guy who was clearly used to being around lots of different types of people.  They said that traveling with a baby opened so many doors, especially in the family-oriented countries that had visited.  They also mentioned how special it was to be able to spend that time together as a family. Their tips to me were:

- Take trains not buses when you can because it’s easier to walk around with if the baby gets fidgety.
- Family-run guest houses not hostels or hotels
- Pack very, very light.  One HUGE backpack for them and one regular sized on for the baby.

Commonly held belief #2:  You can’t do any extended trips if you have children

We met a German family in Chile where they had just arrived after traveling for almost a year throughout South-East Asia. Their 3 kids, one of which was only about 1 year old, were having a blast and seemed very self-sufficient.  They were continuing the older kids' schooling themselves to make sure they didn’t fall behind.

Commonly held belief #3: You can’t take your children places where they will be exposed to certain types of disease/infection.

We encountered two families on remote “Little Corn Island” in Nicaragua. One couple was working at a local guest house and had their 1-2 month old with them.  The other couple had a child that I would say was about 4 yrs old.

All traveling families have to weigh the risks for themselves and, for some, an island with minimal medical facilities and exposure to certain tropical diseases is off limits. For those who feel the risks are really not that extreme, such as these two families, the island was a great family adventure.

Whether or not I would be comfortable doing any of these things I don’t know but I was happy to see people who were going on these types of adventures as a family and loving every minute of it.

~Laura

Labels: backpacking, kids, newborn, travelling, trips, vacation

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Recipe Swap
I recently held a recipe swap with nine other moms from a group I facilitate. It was so much fun. We each brought in a recipe or two to share with the group. Our focus was fast, easy, kid friendly meals or treats. We then decorated the recipe page we brought in with stickers, stamps, famous quotes, etc. Once they were all decorated we photo copied them and each person walked away with a new cookbook.

I encourage you to do something similar with your mommy groups or groups of friends. It is a great way to share your favorite recipe and to get some new tried and true new favorites.

Since it can take a bit of work to organize a recipe swap I thought I’d open up the comments section below for our own on-line recipe swap. So please post your families favorite recipe below!

Here is one of the new recipes I got from my recipe swap. I made a few adjustments to it to make it a bit healthier.

Strawberry Bread

2 cups white flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup apple sauce *unsweetened
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 cups strawberries, sliced (fresh or thawed from frozen)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & sugar. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, applesauce, oil & strawberries. Combine both bowls and stir until moistened. Grease loaf pans or muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 1 hour & 10 minutes for loafs, 35-45 minutes for muffins. This recipe makes two loafs. If using frozen berries, save the strawberry juice and mix with cream cheese, butter or icing as a spread for strawberry loaf or icing for muffins. Yummy!

Enjoy,
Sarah

Labels: family friendly meals, kid friendly meals, recipe swap, recipes, Sarah, strawberry bread

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