Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Lessons learned

It took me 60 years but I'm realizing the key to a simple life.  I can now share with others so maybe they can have an easier time.

1.  Get rid of the junk.   Really, if you can't eat it, wear it or play with it, get rid of it.  Your past life, go through take pictures and limit it to one small box or a scrapbook.   Same with the stuff you collect from your kids.  At the end of each year go through and limit it to one or two special items or take pictures so they can have memories.  Trust me, they will thank you!  One of my kids had trouble turning loss of old T-Shirts so I took them and am turning them into a quilt.  Get rid of the stuff!  I stand all amazed at folks who continue to rent storage facilities to store all this stuff they can't turn lose of.

2.  Do regular simple upkeep.  Hate to clean the toilet?  One quick squish each day will keep it clean.  Hate doing dishes?  Empty and rinse and clean up will go much faster when you get to it.  Get rid of as much as you can.  Keeping your house clean and organized will work when you get rid of the over flow stuff.  Bless your local thrift store with stuff they no longer fits.  You will be blessed for it!

3.  We are all traveling in different circumstances.  Don't do more than you can handle.  Limit kids to 1 or 2 activities.  Don't take on extra activities that you don't have time to do.

4. Stay physically active.  Walking will help you clear your head.  Can't walk, I got a list of exercises you can do sitting down.  Really! 
Chair Stretches and Excersises

  1. Stretches for neck: side to side, rotating to each side then back, forward and back.

  1. Shoulders : roll shoulders forward and then back.
  2. Ankle rolls and toe raises and heel raises.

Warm ups: reach each foot forward and tap the floor, alternating.
(at the same time)
Arms: reach each arm forward, alternating
high reach
criss cross arms up then down
swimming strokes
punches
upper cuts
forearm block

  1. sit on edge of chair, legs straight, knees over ankles, hands on knees, roll your back toward the chair back, then arch your back in, then back to straight.

  1. hands by ears, lean forward then lean around to the side, in circular motions.
  1. sit tall & square, thighten stomach and pull it in and hold then release, repeat

  1. sit tall & square, put hands on chair sides, lift each knee, using your stomach and not bending your back. Excel on lift, enhale on release. (harder put hands by ears, harder on tip toes)
  1. repeat leg lifts, putting hands by your ears and twist at waist to the side of the leg that is lifting, alternating.



  1. hands by ears and tip shoulder toward the hip, alternating (side crunches)
  2. Arms outstretched to the sides, hips never move, reach fingertips moving at the sides of waist, alternating.

  1. Sit up straight and tall on the edge of the chair, with a straight back lean towards back of the chair, then sit up, repeat. Enhale back, exhale up.

  1. Twist at waist looking as far back as possilble, hold, return to forward, repeat to the opposite side.



5.  Learn something new every day.  My Mom always told us if you are not learning something new each day, you might as well be dead.  I look at it this way.  What do we take with us when we die?  Our minds- fill it with knowledge!

6.  Keep your diet simple.  We don't need a lot of meat or sugar.  We don't need dessert every day.  Eat real food and keep it simple and you will feel better. 

7.  Your family is the most important thing you have.  Take care of it and protect it.  Spend as much time as you can with your family.  It is much more important than any paid job you will ever have.

 8. Put enough by to help you survive anything that happens.  Loss of job, severe ice storm of blizzard, extended power outage.  Having enough food, and ways to stay warm can make a big difference. 

9.  Relax and enjoy life.  Life is full of challenges and hard times. Enjoy the good times as you have them. 

I guess you can tell from my list that the main idea is to keep it simple and don't take on to much. 

Blessings,
Cherlynn







Tuesday, April 22, 2014

7 Day plan to a clean organized kitchen!

7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Kitchen

I just found this wonderful on a web site and thought you might enjoy it too!  If you can't find it go to this link: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25184065/list/7-Day-Plan--Get-a-Spotless--Beautifully-Organized-Kitchen

Cherlynn

Friday, April 11, 2014

Awesome Powdered Laundry Soap recipe that will last a family of 4 a full year

I know I've posted before about making your own laundry soap. We've used it for years and if we had stained items we'd shove them into the liquid laundry soap container and let them soak before washing. It would remove those terrible stains like the dark cuffs of jackets or stuff spilled on your tops. But this week I got a new recipe that I'm dying to try! I have been listening to the Mom's Conference online this week and its a recipe they shared. Now for those of you who know me already know we are now empty nesters. We're retired and kids are grown up but I have learned so much valued info in this weeks conference sessions! You can go here to hear the rest of them: http://conferenceformoms.com/

I've made this up and forgot to mention one thing she said in her video!  When you run the Fels Napha soap chunks through the blender, mix some of the borax with it to help it turn to powder not a big globby mess.   I had the big globby mess working when I remember her saying to add borox in as you do it.  Anyway I ran a hand full of soap chunks with 1 cup of borax and it worked good.  We've used our new laudry soap all weekend and everyone is loving it.  Not using fabric softener and clothes still come out smelling so wonderful!

Any way here is the recipe for the awesome powdered laundry soap recipe they gave:

This is suppose to last a family of 4 a full year.

Run 3 bars of Fels Napha soap through a blender or food processor. You will find Fels Napha in the laundry section at the grocery store. I know in my area Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee both carry it. You will end up with a powder instead of grated like we did for the Liquid laundry soap.

Take 2 white garbage bags and put them inside each other and put the soap powder in the bags.

Next add 1 full box of Borax and 1 full box of Washing Soda. Both of these ar also found in the laundry section. Make sure you use Washing soda and NOT baking soda!

Now you will add 2 cups of Baking Soda. This will help remove odors.

Next you will add two 3 pound boxes of Oxy Clean or other Oxy Bleach product.

This part is optional: Add 1 or 2 laundry crystals for scent if desired.

Mix by rolling the bag back and forth several times.

Pour into container and use 2 Tablespoons per load. She suggested buying the clear glass cookie jar type container that Wal_mart carries for $9.98 but any container will work.

Blessings!
Cherlynn