The Urban Homemaker Blog

Category: General

  • Five Easy Steps to Involve Your Children in Spring Cleaning

    Ed Note: As an older mom, I can tell you it is very wise to involve the little ones in household activities when they are very young and want to help. Here is how one young mom is achieving this goal.

    NORWEX IS NOT ONLY SAFE FOR KIDS, IT GETS KIDS INVOLVED!  By Rebekka Parry

    It has always been one of my goals to get my kids involved with weekly chores around the house. Learning responsibility and the importance of doing a good job are priorities for our family. But how that was going to actually work out practically, I wasn’t sure! Then Marilyn introduced me to Norwex microfiber, and the light bulb came on! Now I could assign small duties to my young kids without worrying about buckets of water and chemicals! The following are some practical ways that Norwex can be a family affair:

    1. The telescopic mop handle adjusts in height! It can adjust small enough for an eight or nine year old to use. You can start teaching the technique of mopping early!

    2. The dry superior mop pads are useful even without the mop! I have my five year old son using them to wipe down my wooden stairs by hand. They also work well on the hardwood that is not covered by my area carpets.  They come in two sizes, I have the smaller one for maneuverability around carpets and hardwood floors.

    3. Kids can learn the consequences of their actions by helping to clean up. When my four year old decided to write with a crayon on my kitchen floor, I had him help me scrub it off with the antibac wet mop pad.  Again this wet mop pad comes in two colors.

    4. The antibac microfiber mitt is a great way to get even the smallest child excited about helping! Just slide that “big blue paw” on, and show them how to wipe down chairs and railings! The best part is—whatever those little fingers touch, they dust!

    5. The antibac enviro cloths come in different colors! You can help your child feel the special part he or she plays by letting them pick their own color. Then work side by side cleaning the bathtub, wiping counters, cleaning the fridge, washing windows, or dusting. Let them “own” the cloth and the responsibility of a job well done!  (You can invest in a four pack or individually.)

    Ed Note: Rebekka Parry is proud momma of 4 children ages 5 and under, three boys and 1 girl, so far and a family friend from when we lived in Pennsylvania.

    Cleaning has never been easier, safer, or faster!

    Purchase all the Spring Cleaning Pack, one Enviro, one dust mitt, and one window cloth

    for just $41.99 (reg. $46.48)

    Use and Care Info:  To care for your cloths, simply wash with a dot of dish soap and rinse very well under running water.  Once a week, or when needed throw into the washer with lint free items.  Be sure to NEVER  use bleach or fabric softener which destroys the fiber properties.   Tumble dry or hang to dry.  Avoid drying with towels or other high lint items.

    Visit my blog for Kitchen Remodeling Updates and Pictures:  www.marilynmoll.com

    Request a Norwex Catalog:  Email me at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com

    Copyright 2010 Marilyn Moll and Laura Coble, All Rights Reserved.

  • Back to Basics

    images-1The simple phrase, “Getting Back to Basics”,  has been going through my head since I have been setting up my camp images-2kitchen with “basics” and while I was concocting the elk stew melange earlier this week.

    Basics, in my mind, are learning basic cooking skills such as sauteing, stock making, baking, yeast bread baking, roasting meat, basically cooking from scratch.  Basics are good to know in an emergency and as part of a family preparedness plan.

    Not surprisingly, basics are often quite economical and budget friendly ingredients and recipes.  Basics are ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, vegetables, fruits, bread, and cheese.

    Basic vegetables in a pantry would include potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage and celery.

    Basic fruits in my house are based on what is in season.  Right now strawberries, pineapple, apples, bananas, and oranges were on sale at my grocery store so that is what I bought.  Here is the complete Master Pantry List that I work from when re-stocking basics.

    images-1If all this back to basics cooking sounds a little too complex and confusing to you I discovered there are numerous websites that enable you to list what items you have on hand and then generate useful recipes to try out.  Check out http://www.recipematcher.com/ which enables you to type in a list of ingredients on hand and then select the type of cuisine you are trying to prepare such as breakfast, American, Mexican, Chinese, side dish, healthy, Vegetarian, Crock Pot or 30 Minute Meal, etc.  Voila, recipe suggestions are listed.  This will definitely be a handy website for my menu planning in the weeks ahead.  A google search will locate other similar sites.

    Now that Spring has officially arrived,  I challenge you to clean out your pantry, fridge, and freezer to make room for putting aside some of the bounty of this coming years harvest.  You might even want to do some pantry planning and overhauling.   Are you Prepared?

  • Moving to the Camp Kitchen

    I spent a large portion of my time last week moving kitchen essentials into my camp kitchen and boxing up the non-essentials from my “old” kitchen.  The picture below shows my kitchen table, working counter top with a hot plate, electric tea kettle,  and storage for silverware, mixing bowls, and pots and pans.

    IMG_0223.JPGThe right corner of the camp kitchen contains an old computer desk that I used for writing ebooks and newsletters when Duane was still living.  Now I have my bible,  laptop, home telephone and answering machine located here.  To the right of the main eating table (outside the picture) is a very old set of file drawers that are doubling as a counter to house my microwave/convection oven combo, an airpot being used as a faucet for cold drinking water, and my beloved Bosch.

    IMG_0222.JPGAlong the left side of my camp kitchen facing the window is my entire family library with a banquet table set up in front for my cutting board, utensil storage, and dish washing station.  The trash can is in front of the banquet table.

    IMG_0224.JPG

    IMG_0226.JPG

    I now have my dining room, family library, kitchen, and desk area tucked into about a 10 X 12 foot space.  It’s all very cozy but surprisingly functional.

  • Homestead Blessings

    When I was in high school I made a large percentage of my own clothes.  I even started out as a Clothing and Textiles major in college.  I have always been thankful that I had basic cooking and sewing skills so that I could stretch our family budget by cooking from scratch, mending and repairing children’s clothing, making curtains, quilts and baby blankets etc.

    Now that my children are older and a grand baby is on the way I’m ready to sharpen up my homesteading skills and the Franklin Springs Homestead Blessing DVD Collection have been just what I needed to get motivated, inspired, and instructed.  Save $39.75 by investing in the six-pack collection.

    homesteadlogoCLICK HERE for complete detailed information.

  • If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

    cookies

    My daughter had two baby showers this week-end while she is visiting Colorado.  She received two copies of the popular children’s book If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff. It reminded me of this fun little ditty written a few years ago.  Maybe you can identify.  Read on:images-1

    If you give a Homeschooling Mom a Cookie by Sher Birmingham

    If you give a Homeschooling Mom a cookie, she’ll want the recipe.

    She will plan a complete unit study on the History of Cookies.

    The family will take field to a farm and see where we get eggs, milk and grain.

    At home they will make butter out of milk.

    The children will want to start grinding their own grain. Mom will purchase a Bosch Universal Kitchen System.

    She will remember she will need a new list of cookbooks.

    So she will order An Introduction To Whole Grain Baking w/ CD, Desserts, The Cooking With Children CD, and Lunches & Snacks Cookbook by Sue Gregg, also Whole Foods for Kids to Cook.

    Mom orders a 100 lb bag of wheat berries. Now she will grind her own wheat grain into flour. The children remember the farm field trip and knowing they can’t possibly get a cow they beg for a few chickens.

    So on to a trip to the library to research how to build a chicken coop and to how to care for chickens. On the way out the door Mom sees the book, Chicken Tractor, by Andy Lee & Pat Foreman.

    They stop by the Feed and Seed to pick up materials and ask where to purchase the chicks.

    There the clerk tells them about eggs that can be incubated. He sells them a book on hatching eggs, eggs, and incubator.

    At home Mom and the younger children set up the incubator while Dad and the older children build the chicken tractor.

    Back to the library to pick up gardening books and more books on chickens.

    The oldest daughter now starts a business grinding flour for the her friend’s families. While her younger sisters are selling homemade cookies to their neighbors.

    The boys have started building a new chicken tractor because they want more eggs for breakfast.

    That cookie that started all this was the homeschooling mom’s three year old who ate it. http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html

    Photo Courtesy:  http://onebrickchicago.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/cookie-packing-at-the-night-ministry/

  • Help Name the Lamb Babies

    Last week I told you about the CSA, The Living Farm I have joined this year.

    This week they sent us pictures of all the lambs born in the last week on the farm and they are sponsoring a naming contest.  These pictures alone make me want to start raising lambs just so I can hold the babies.

    I thought you might enjoy seeing the brand new lamb baby pictures. All of these lambs are less than a week old.

    lamb 006blamb 008lamb 009lamb 010

    Number 006b                                Number 008                 Number 009                      Number 10

    lamb 005alamb 012lamb007lamb 013

    Number 005                         Number 012                          Number 007                        Number 13

    Number 007 – How cute and cuddly  is this lamb?  My favorite.

    “This past week many lambs were born:   Lamb 005, a boy, was born to Sadie, March 12.

    Lamb 006, 007 and 008 were born to Amazing Grace on March 16 in the horse trailer in the Vet’s driveway. Grace is one of our top milk producers. Lamb 006 was the first to arrive on the scene; she is black with a white nose.  Lamb 007 was next he was a huge white male.  Lamb 008 was a tiny little black and white female. We could tell that 007 was getting all the groceries.  All are safe at home and doing well.

    Lambs 009, 010 and 011 were a big surprise. Luna another one of our top producers of milk also birthed on the
    afternoon of March 16. She had all three girls unassisted in the afternoon.
    Lamb 009 is a beautiful black female.Lamb 010 is a large white female. Lamb 011 is another large white female.

    March 17 brought us another set of triplets. Iris one of our biggest white ewes gave birth to two females and one male
    very early in the morning.     Lamb 012 is a white female. Lamb 013 is a black and white male. Lamb 014 is a black and white female.

    Name the Baby (#5-#14) Deadline Wednesday March 24th, 2010.  (sorry I don’t have all the pics)
    Email entries to thelivingfarm@tds.net

  • Kitchen Remodeling Plans- Part Two

    mollkitpic1The above picture is a rendering of my proposed kitchen remodel floor plan with window seats.

    The most exciting development in the last week is that a Paonia, Colorado customer has asked if she could have my old cabinets and help with the demolition project.  She came over, made measurements, took pictures, went home and called back a little while later saying she thought everything would work in her kitchen and is very excited and so am I.

    I really am old-fashioned at heart, I believe in the old adage of “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

    So why am I no longer making do with these serviceable cabinets, then?

    My kitchen remodeling project has several goals:

    1.  Replace/Update 35 year old appliances that are not repairable.

    2. Re-do the kitchen layout so the kitchen can accommodate more people and add an island to facilitate traffic flow.

    3. Expand the existing small kitchen space into the existing dining space to add a desk and get family paperwork off kitchen counters and move the dining room table into the existing sun room, a large space that is underutilized.

    4.) Most importantly, I intend this “new” kitchen to be my future studio for producing instructional DVD’s.

    In the last week I have been able to reduce the cabinet costs by choosing to use rustic alder (it’s on sale this month) instead of rustic cherry, making minor cabinet modifications that don’t take away from the original design, and identifying other cost saving options.

    mollkitpicMy plan is to order the new cabinets next week, and use the week-end to decide whether to keep the window seat cabinets (lots of extra storage and seating) or eliminate these cabinets from the project to cover other costs.  An elder in our church who I consult when facing big decisions has encouraged me to give myself permission to waffle back and forth in the next few days, – yes, I want the window cabinets, no – I can live without them.  So that is what I’m going to do.

    The above picture shows a representation of the kitchen without the window seat cabinets.  Whether I do with or without the window seat I will be putting a small bistro table in the space in front of the window for eating.  The funny looking beams at the ceiling line represent beams going up to a cathedral ceiling in the new kitchen area.  The existing kitchen area ceiling will have to stay the traditional 8 feet.

    I’d love to hear from you with your thoughts.

  • Grocery Shopping On A Budget eCourse

    shamrockLets face it, with the current economic conditions many of us are having more difficulty making the money we have cover all of our expenses. The good news is that there are hundreds of ways that you can reduce the strain on your budget and save money so you can keep more of that money for the things that are really important to you.

    Living On A Dime’s Grocery shopping e-Course combined with the Dollar Stretcher’s practical tip extravaganza help you save money on your grocery budget and all around the home. In addition to all of the great information to help you save money on groceries, you’ll also learn how to

    • Save making your own products at home
    • Successfully do projects yourself instead of paying huge bills so that other people can do them
    • Save at restaurants
    • energy savings
    • finding extra income
    • homemade baby food
    • cutting car costs
    • …and more!

    …and during this “Savin’ O’ The Green“ sale, we’re bringing it to you at an extra low price to help you start saving today!

    Learn about all the great things that are included in the “Savin’ O’ The Green“ grocery savings package, including:

    * Bonus 1: Eating Healthy On A Budget e-booklet
    Don’t follow the crowd! Eating Healthy On A Budget shares
    thoughts on eating healthy without dumping the contents of
    your purse on the counter at the grocery store.

    * Bonus 2: Is Eating Out Eating You Up? e-book
    Eating Out is one of the biggest reasons for personal debt in
    America. Is Eating Out Eating You Up? looks at the cost of
    eating out and provides great alternatives that cost
    significantly less!

    * Bonus 3: Grocery Savings e-book
    Save over $10,000 in a year – Stop throwing your money down
    the garbage disposal! Grocery Savings includes lots of useful
    tips to help you reduce your grocery bill. Many people see
    dramatic savings after using the tips from this e-book.

    * Bonus 4: Kids’ Recipes e-book
    The Kids Recipes e-book provides you with useful recipes for
    food and craft items to keep your kids busy through the
    summer.

    * Bonus 5: Crock Pot Recipes
    The Crock Pot Recipes ebook contains 470 recipes that you can
    toss into the crock pot for an easy meal that’s ready just
    when you need it!

    * Bonus 6: 224 Meals In A Hurry e-book
    224 Meals In A Hurry gives lots of delicious recipes to get
    you in and out of the kitchen in a hurry so that you’re not
    tempted to eat out… AGAIN!

    WHEW! That’s a lot of goodies… and you get it all FREE when you
    try the entire Savin’ O’ The Green e-book Special for 70% off.
    That works out to just 74 cents per e-book!

    Go here right now and claim your copy TODAY!

    P.S. This special ends at midnight on March 23rd.  If you’d like to get the Grocery Shopping e-course and Dollar Stretcher extravaganza so many readers are raving about… and save 70%, then go here now:
    Don’t Miss this Once a Year Opportunity to Learn More Right Here

  • Spring is in the Air, Time to Remodel my Kitchen

    When we were in the market for a new house seven and a half years ago, there were two things we were looking for:  a shop to conduct The Urban Homemaker Business in and a great kitchen.  Here is a picture of my existing kitchen:

    KitchenBeforePics

    We got the great shop to run The Urban Homemaker in, separate from our house, but as you can see, I had to settle for a tiny, 10 X 10, badly outdated, boxy, dark, and ugly kitchen.

    It could be worse, the kitchen actually has some counter space and a wonderful downdraft Jenn-Air cook top, opens into the rest of the house and there is a place to store my beloved Bosch on the counter.  That is the end of the main advantages.FaceSink#2

    Obviously, I have wanted to remodel and update this kitchen space since moving in, especially the appliances.  They are the original 1975 models and the dishwasher hasn’t worked for about 18 months.

    However, financially it was never feasible, not even on the radar screen for a fleeting moment, until some changes happened in the last year that made  kitchen remodeling, no longer a dream, but an inevitability, a probability, and  a reality to this family cook.

    It’s just a matter of designing the space, gathering the estimates, choosing materials, talking to contractors, and going back to the drawing board to make the plans fit the funds allocated to the project.  That discussion will be the topic of a new blog update coming very soon.  Here are a few more “before” pictures, so you can see why I am anxious to get started!

    FacingKitchenfromStairs

    Yes, I am embarrassed to show you my before kitchen pictures, but I decided part of homemaking is planning and implementing a kitchen remodel and cooking with an indoor, improvised kitchen.

    That means I will be talking about and showing the good, the bad, and the ugly of this process.

    Mary and I will be “camping” downstairs while the upstairs in torn up.  Our  make shift “camp kitchen” will consist of a crock pot, hot pot, microwave, and hot plate.

    Our only water source will be the bathroom at the other end of the camping space. The refrigerator will be in the laundry room.

    I hope you will join me for updates, and share your kitchen remodel stories, your tips, your recipes for living without a regular kitchen, and more.

    Post your comments, recipes, tips and suggestions below and be sure to subscribe so you will receive regular updates!

  • Are You Prepared for an Emergency?

    EmergencyPreparednessKitAre you prepared for an emergency? After the East Coast was blasted with back to back snow storms/blizzards last month, many people were caught unprepared.  Grocery stores emptied out of bottled water and other essentials quickly.

    Or consider the recent earthquake in Chili.  Newspaper headlines pointed out the stores were looted and water was the first thing to vanish from store shelves.

    Natural disasters: earthquakes, floods, tornados, and more have been in the headlines.  Are you prepared for an emergency?

    The Urban Homemaker believes it is very important that every family be prepared for an emergency. Multipure not only offers the lowest cost most effective solid carbon block water filters, but they also offer a unique emergency kit including the Multipure Emergency Filter to ensure that your family has quality drinking water in an emergencyThis comprehensive Emergency Preparedness Kit will provide you and your family with some of the essentials you need in an emergency.

    These important items are contained in a sturdy and portable back pack.

    A few of the items included in this kit are:

    – Flash light/radio/phone charger          –  Multipurpose tool

    – Emergency water filter                       –  Flares; matches

    – First aid kit and booklet                      – Emergency tape/rope

    – Rain poncho, blanket and 8 foot tube tent

    – Much more…

    While supplies last, I am making this kit available to you for the special low price of $99.95. This Emergency Preparedness Kit is valued at $175 so it is a limited time offer.  Order now and receive a $75 savings.

    While you and your family are evaluating your emergency preparedness, I would like to suggest that you consider the following other Preparedness tips:

    • Keep Emergency Supplies in one Place so they are easily found.
    • Keep some cash with these supplies.
    • Keep some water storage with Emergency Supplies
    • Make sure your Family Preparedness Plan includes alternative heating/cooking fuels.
    • Consider investing in cast iron cookware for cooking over fires or charcoal.
    • Keep canned goods on hand that only require heating.  In an emergency heating fuels may need to be conserved.
    • Store nutrient dense dry snacks such as nuts, seeds, energy bars, jerky, and dried fruit.


    I recommend one Emergency Preparedness Kit per member of your family, as well as one in each car.  You never know when disaster will strike.

    Don’t wait.  Act now!  Protect your family today!

    Call (800) 552-7232 to place your order.?