My guest writer today is Olivia Golding, who is sharing how to better recycle your kitchen waste. We use a compost in our home but there are even more options available to you depending on where you live.  

Reuse your kitchen waste

You’ve probably noticed that environmental issues have crept steadily higher up the news agenda over the last 20 years or so. There are good reasons for this – for one thing, the need to tackle climate change grows more urgent by the year. Of course, the causes of man-made climate change are numerous. For one thing, industrial activity produces massive amounts of greenhouse gases. However, it’s worth remembering that households can and should do their bit. While all of us can look to be less wasteful, we can only make a difference if we work together. It might seem hopeless being more eco-friendly when others aren’t doing likewise, but it is worth the effort.

Here are a few ways you can recycle your kitchen waste:

1)    Your local authority may have given you a kitchen caddy when you can use to collect scraps of food waste. This will be collected and taken to a local facility to be composted. Fruit and vegetable peelings, egg shells, tea bags and filter papers can be composted. However, cooked food, fish, meat and dairy products cannot.

2)    If you don’t have a kitchen caddy, then any container will do. Covered buckets are best, though, as they help to keep the odor from escaping.

3)    You could also choose to install a compost bin in your back garden, which you can then use to make your own compost for your garden. It might seem a little unsightly at first, but there are steps you can take to disguise it and make its appearance a little less out of kilter with the rest of the garden.

4)    You could also recycle kitchen waste by using a wormery. These efficient units house worms which recycle waste into organic compost. They come in a variety of different sizes, and you can find starter kits at garden centers.

Worm compost

Can you spy the worms? Image Credit

5)    Your local council may be able to help you get a composter, often at a discount. Get in touch with them to see whether they can help you with the cost or provide any other useful advice.

6)    You could choose to take your kitchen waste to a composting site. Alternatively, you could allow your local council to do this for you. Again, get in touch with your local authority and ask for any further clarification.

7)    You can also re-use food waste for a variety of purposes. For instance, you could decorate egg shells by painting them, or you could make a wall of egg shells around your plants to help deter slugs and other insects.

8)    Leftover seeds, nuts and breadcrumbs are ideal for feeding birds. This is a great way of making use of some unwanted foods. Naturally, you’ll need to be careful just what you feed them. You can find out more simply by searching online.

9)    There are special composting bins available. A two-chambered bin allows you to start composting on one side, whilst placing fresh waste into the other.

10) Perhaps the most effective way of reducing food waste is being economical about what you buy and when. However, if you have food which is approaching its best-before date, then your best bet may be to donate it to a local food bank or homeless shelter where it will be gratefully received.

About the Author

This post was contributed by Olivia Golding. She’s an aspiring writer and has a keen interest in green living. She loves to cook and so prides herself on being minimal with food wastage, cooking large batches of meals for her grateful flatmates. It’s become such a big part of her life that she’s tried her hand at catering for gatherings in her local area, spreading the word of the benefits of green living (she almost has a cult following!). That’s why she’s always on the lookout for bargain catering equipment and solid recipes to maintain her newest adventure; so watch this space! She hopes you found this post super useful, and will take it on board to live a more sustainable life!

 

Switch from plastic to glass cups for kids

The cabinet full of the plastic kid’s cups is one of my least favorite. Slowly I keep migrating them out of the main glassware cabinet to a lower kid-friendly pull out drawer. We have a wide variety of plastic sippy cups ranging from ones we got when our daughter was born, to newer samples sent to me when our third child arrived. It’s a hodgepodge of clutter and one I’m so ready to move on from.

In addition to dealing with “I want that color” issues with our plastic collection, it may be in everyone’s best health interest to switch to glass. Last year, the rumblings started about BPA-free plastic cups not really being any better than their toxic predecessors. They are still leaching chemicals that can disrupt our children’s endocrine system. Pass please.

Thankfully, there are so many great options for kids to transition to glass cups earlier than ever before. With easy to grip silicone sleeves, durable glass and small sizes, here’s a few of my favorite ones we use in our house.

Cute Silikids glass cups

Silikids Siliskin Glass Cups

These are cute and the easiest for the kids to handle. They have an easy to grip outside made with silicone that is dishwasher safe. Although silicone is a plastic, it’s considered one of the safest on the market as it’s the slowest to leech chemicals into your water, food, etc.

While these are my kids favorite ones to fight over, they are breakable if they are not careful. Our 20 month old also wants a “big kid” cup and grabbed this one off the table. When he was done swiping someone’s juice, he dropped it and it cracked inside the sleeve. Good news is that there was no mess. Bad news is that glass is still not gravity’s friend.

This cup comes in a 6 ounce size which is just right for children transitioning from sippy cups to big-kid cups. We have the Tart (orange) color but I think the Sea color is my personal favorite.

Mason Jars

We stock our glassware cabinet full of different size mason jars as drinking glasses and a quick place to grab large ones for our homemade yogurt. For the kids, we are often using the half pint size jars. I got so tired of them spilling their milk when they use the lightweight plastic cups. I can’t say the spills have magically stopped, but the sturdy mason jars have held up really well. Try mason jars as kids cups

Duralex Glasses

One other option I have recommended to friends are the Duralex cups. I got our daughter a set when she turned three and all three pieces are still in tact three years later. No small feat considering how often they have fallen off the table or dropped into the kitchen sink. Since our first purchase, we have added the small bowls and plates to our collection. The 4.5 ounce size is great for kids transitioning from sippy cups to cover-free cups. Big enough to use long term, but small enough to fit in preschool hands comfortably.

 

Have your own glass cups on hand and want to give them a try? Silikids also has these fun silicone covers that can be used with a straw. This is great if you want to use what you already have. I haven’t tried them out but I love the fun colors they are available in.

What are the kids using in your house? 

Note: I received Silikids cups and adorable placement to facilitate this story. All opinions shared here are my own. Amazon affiliate links are also included which means you help support this site at no cost to you if you make a purchase. Thanks! 

organizing solutions book

The new year always brings about an organizing fever to many homes, mine included. Over the past few years, we have tackled small organizing projects, which often included buying new storage units for all of our stuff. This year I read the book, Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD. It was life changing and maybe it can be for you too.

Letting Go of Stuff

First off, I don’t have ADHD. However, I do suffer from owning too much stuff and blessed with three kids 5 and under who also have a lot of stuff. We try to take good care of our belongings (and toys) so everything is always in “good” shape. Reading this book taught me that being in good, or even perfect, condition doesn’t give an item permission to stay in our home. If it doesn’t have a purpose, it’s just more stuff.

As I keep my Word of the Year in mind, clearing out the clutter allows me to focus on the task at hand. Instead of struggling to put clean dishes away in an overstuffed cabinet, I took some time to pare down our collection of pots and pans. Some were donated and others that are used infrequently were moved to an accessible area in the basement.

The Organizing Solutions book addresses the challenge of dealing with sentimental items, like gifts. Some may not be your style, or the gifts are no longer IN style. Somehow after reading about how to reevaluate gifts made it okay for me to say goodbye to certain items. I’ll always appreciate the sentiment, but now my home can really show our favorite items and those that mean something to each of us.

The book is not just for people with ADHD, the author notes early on how distracted busy mothers can benefit from her methodology. In any give day (hour) a mother has to wear many hats. Following the same approach to make clean up easy, clearing the clutter in every room is the first step.

Chapter by chapter I got a few new ideas to bring order and calmness to my space. My office desk has a space for a couple of beautiful things and my new 2015 Emily Ley planner (yes, I am a paper and pencil girl!) Papers have a home and I’ve learned a few tricks on how to be a bit more ruthless with all the paper that does come into the house on a daily basis.

Simple rules for toy storage

 

In the playroom, I finally realized why my very pretty Ikea storage unit still didn’t help with clean up time. The book explains the difference between “pretty” storage and “efficient” storage. I think there is a happy medium but I would much rather make clean up as easy as possible for me AND the kids.

I created a downloadable printable of the SIMPLE RULES FOR TOY STORAGE that I hope can help you bring some peace and calmness to your toy mismanagement. Sign up in the box below to have it sent to you. Print it out and keep it handy to refer back to when the toy room starts to overflow again.

If you get on an organizing kick, my other favorite reads are One Bite at a Time and The Nesting Place. It’s easier to keep reading about organizing, but the reality is you have to start taking action. Good luck and happy sorting.

photo credit: Wendy Copley via photopin cc

The magic of the holiday season can get lost when we stress about buying gifts. As we get caught up in the frenzy of generosity, it can be a challenge to slow down and find meaningful gifts. This week I had the opportunity to stroll through the variety of shops in Wellesley’s Linden Square. What a delight it was to talk to shop owners, get some personal attention and NOT fight for parking. Plus there is even a holiday gift guide to help figure out those holes on your list.

I had shopped Linden Square before, but usually it was due to a trip to Roche Brothers or The Cottage Restaurant. (best birthday brunch ever there!) On the shopping stroll, I got to check out a bunch of stores I had never been into, plus some old favorites.

Roosters: Upscale men’s grooming center. I could see my husband visiting here and really appreciate that Roosters is open on Sundays. For the holidays, check out their father and son package. They are also located in MA on Tremont Street in Boston and also in Lynnfield.

Shop Linden Square

Salon Maleah: a salon that focuses on hair only, with some excellent colorists. I loved getting my hair done into the “holiday twist.” The stylist taught us the bobby pins should be positioned so the bumpy side is against the scalp. Turns out I’ve been using them wrong my whole life! Salon Maleah is offering a holiday blow dry bundle special for the holidays!
Magic Beans shopping Linen Square
Magic Beans: toy store and so much more. I used to shop Magic Beans when I was first having babies and relied on some of their stroller experts to help me find the right ones. I really thought of it as a store for infants and toddler needs. I was happy to discover Magic Beans has a huge assortment of games for kids up to age 14!  They have GoldieBlox for ages 4-12, depending on the kit. Board games, building sets, arts and crafts and classic Brio trains. I got a crash course on the holiday hot list and hope to share some ideas if you are still in shopping mode! Don’t forget they offer gift wrap year round too.
 Shop Linden Square Shop Linden Square
Kenzie: the place to shop when your daughter doesn’t want to shop a “kids” store. They offer a tween line, but now added a women’s line due to popular demand. What started as baby and kids clothing 28 yrs ago in Coolidge Corner has turned into a focused assortment for girls ages 7-14. I really enjoyed this store and look forward to bringing Madison there when she is a little older. The holiday dress assortment was just lovely, and the sportswear was full of pop colors and fun silhouettes. (p.s. Kenzie is carrying the skiwear line Bogner if you are in the market!)
Shop Linden Square
Step to the next store over and you will find yourself in Tiny Hanger. Clothes, adorable shoes (oh, the shoes) and select toys for kids, infant through 6x. For the special little ones on your holiday shopping list, you can find some unique gift items that both mom and kids will enjoy.
Shop Linden Square
Sara Campbell: my surprise favorite shop. I always love a good assortment of cashmere for the holidays in a rainbow of colors and Sara Campbell delivered. From their versatile ruanas, to a beautiful pullover, there are plenty of gift options for that wow factor under the tree. Aside from the cashmere, my favorite item there was the charcoal grey scarf trimmed with rabbit fur. Just gorgeous.
Shop Linden Square at Bonsoir
Bonsoir: time to make your home shine for the holidays. There was a lot of beautiful, and delicate items in the store. Thankfully the staff at Bonsoir showed me some kid-proof ideas for holiday decorating. Two new fabrics for dressing the table are coated cloth and the French Green Sweet. Spilled drinks will be your enemy no more. Dress it up with a rhinestone runner and your table is good to go.
Bella Sante: Lovely spa for all your relaxation needs. Need to give your husband a gift idea? Try the 5 Elements Treatment. Two hours of bliss. Sign me up. Plus you can get $25 spa dollars to spend on products for every $200 gift card.
Shop Linden Square
Tobey Grey: 13 denim lines for your shopping pleasure. They even have denim for your guy! Tobey Grey had some fun holiday tops too if you haven’t picked on out for parties this month.
Have you shopped Wellesley’s Linden Square? Happy holiday shopping!
Disclosure: I attended a media shopping event to help facilitate this story. All opinions shared here are my own. 

As summer vacation beckons, it’s a time for kids to let loose and just play. It’s also a good time to let them read books of their own choosing to foster their interests. In our family, we often plan a visit to a new library when we have a rainy summer day. We read as many books there as we can, then put them away and say goodbye till next time. Having a “new” place to read can help keep the fun in an educational activity, for both little kids and big kids.

Pottery Barn Kids partnered with PBS Kids to promote the Summer Reading Challenge. Read any 8 titles from their recommended list and receive a free book! PB Kids stores also have weekly story times where kids can help reach their goal. The challenge runs through July 17th.

Creating a summer reading nook is another way to encourage reading during the quiet times of the day. On a recent visit to Pottery Barn Kids, they shared their ideas for a successful reading nook.

create a reading nook

There are also some fun book plate DIY projects to make with the kids for their favorite books. I tried making a couple at the Pottery Barn Kids store and will do it again with my kids. The downloadable templates for the project is found on the Building Blocks blog, a fun collection of ideas from Pottery Barn Kids.

  DIY book plate

Here is the list of books included in the challenge:

·         Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

·         Big Brothers Don’t Take Naps by Louise Borden

·         Corduroy by Don Freeman

·         Curious Baby Counting by H.A. Rey

·         Good Night, Good Night Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld

·         Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise

·         Heads by Matthew Van Fleet

·         How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? By Mark Teague

·         How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?  by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

·         Ladybug Girl by David Samon and Jacky Davis

·         Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney

·         Madeline and the Old House in Paris by John Bemelmans Marciano

·         Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too by Anna Dewdney

·         Olivia by Ian Falconer

·         Paddington Bear by Michael Bond and R.W. Alley

·         Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin

·         Sniff by Matthew Van Fleet

·         Tallulah’s Toe Shoes by Marilyn Singer and Alexandra Boiger

·         The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

·         What Sisters Do Best/What Brothers Do Best by Laura Numeroff and Lynn Munsinger

 

Ready to create a new summer reading nook for your kids? To kick things off, Pottery Barn Kids is offering a $25 gift card to one lucky winner. Please leave a comment below naming your favorite childhood book. Contest is open until Saturday June 7th. Winner will be notified via email.

It’s the last week of Project Simplify and the task was to finish a “Put Off Project.” Hmmm…where to start? As we prepare for the new baby’s arrival in the coming month(?) we have been frantically purging the house of unused items, extra furniture and dealing with issues that come from having siblings move in together. The biggest task of all is to organize the kids playroom area. They have a great selection of toys, games, crafts and activities, but not a great place to store them. First part of Operation Playroom was to clean out an overcrowded closet and make it a cozy play closet for the kids.

This truly is a “closet under the stairs” play area. The before picture shows how crazy crowded the closet was with bedding, baby toys in storage, gift wrap and my wedding dress. (See how I organized my gift wrap stash in a previous post.) Some of the bedding was donated, the baby toys were paired down and stored in the nursery and my wedding dress actually still needs a new home. It is amazing to me how much dead space there was in the closet once I saw it in the photo. If the kids outgrow this space, I’ll add in some vertical shelving.

Crowded Closet Before

Next up was to add some light to the closet since there are no overhead fixtures. I found one nightlight that goes on the wall that the kids can turn on and it automatically shuts off. I plan to add another one for a little more light in case the kids want to read in the nook at the back.

Play Nook for Kids

There are two main activities in the cozy nook, dress-up and baby dolls. Both of these activities tend to sprawl when the kids get into them with their friends. My hope it to potentially contain some of the craziness behind closed doors. I used the removable Command Hooks to hang up the dress up items and the accessories are stored in two baskets below. A princess needs her shoes, bag, gloves and tiaras close at hand.

Dress Up Zone for Kids

Madison’s favorite part was actually the bedding at the back that we saved for guests. I may expand this space a little more so it’s truly a cozy spot for the kids. I’ll also be on the lookout for two additional dress up items when I shop the Parent Talk Sale this weekend. We have a large assortment of tutu’s, but not a lot of gender neutral options.

Wish Love Dream art

The other addition to the room is this sweet wall art I found and printed out myself. I may add in a few more frames of quotes in the realm of the importance of pretend play. I started saving a number of them, and other playroom ideas, on my Pinterest boards.

For more organizing ideas, head over to the collection of posts on Simple Mom’s week four round up of “put off” projects.  You can see all of my other Project Simplify posts here. Thanks for everyone’s comments on the past few Project Simplify projects. I hope to have more updates for Operation Playroom once our new storage unit arrives from Ikea!

I’m sharing this over at OrgJunkie too!

When I first saw this collection of ebooks I was pretty excited. I already have some of them so was familiar with the authors. This ebook library is pretty big, and each book isn’t for everyone. However, there probably is at least 4-5 books that you can learn from making the price of the package worthwhile. It’s a homemaking theme, so it covers food, budgeting, parenting, schooling, marriage, health, blogging, holidays and more. It’s not just for my eco-friendly readers, but for any mom, sister, grandparent, newlywed or blogger that is interested in building up her home-keeping resources. (I should say dad, brother or grandfather too, right.)

Why am I buying the ebook bundle?

I am already a fan of ebooks. They are with me on the go in my iPhone or iPad, plus I have others organized on my laptop. When I download a bundle, I have everything go to my laptop. Then I pick and choose as needed and email it to myself to open in either my Kindle app or iBooks app so I have it when I’m waiting at a doctor’s office or traveling.

The reason I’m buying my own bundle is because I wanted these specific books for myself. I’ve seen them advertised and now is the right time to purchase them, plus the balance of the library.

The cost of these four books alone is $34.91 so the low bundle price of $29.97 already gives me a deal, plus I’ll get all the free products too. Keep reading to the end of the post (sorry it’s really long!) and the freebies are noted at the end.

Some of my favorite ebooks I have already read and would recommend:

The Details

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection  you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae @ SarahMae.com ($4.99)
Getting it Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System that Works by Kayse @ kayse pratt ($3.99)
Pulling Yourself Together: Implementing a Cleaning Routine that Sticks by Becky @ Clean Mama ($10.00)
Simple Living by Lorilee @ Loving Simple Living ($2.99)
NOT a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)
One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)
28 Days to Hope for your Home by Dana @ A Slob Comes Clean ($5.00)
Organizing Life as Mom by Jessica @ Life as Mom ($9.00)
Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed by Jenni @ Live Called ($4.99)
10 Steps to Organized Paper by Lisa @ Lisa Woodruff.net($5.00)
Handmade Walls by Jamin and Ashley @ the handmade home ($9.95)
Easy Peasy Chores: An Easy-to-Use Chore System That Brings JOY Back Into Family Chores by Alina Joy @ The Good Old Days Farm ($17.99)

Educational Children’s Resources

Princess Training by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($3.99)
The Armor of God by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($2.50)
My Bedtime Learning Book by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($1.00)
Think Outside the Classroom by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($6.97)
Raising Rock Stars — Kindergarten Bundle by Carissa @ 1plus1plus1equals1 ($10.00)
The ABC’s For Godly Boys Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)
The ABC’s For Godly Girls Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)
K4 Curriculum by Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler ($15.00)
Write Through the Bible (print) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)
Write Through the Bible (cursive) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)
Balcony Girls (books 1 & 2) by Sandy @ Reluctant Entertainer ($19.90)
The Dig for Kids: Luke (Volumes 1 and 2) by Patrick, husband of Ruth @ The Better Mom ($5.98)
Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life by Ryan @ Resound School of Music ($6.99)

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ From Debtor to Better ($10.00)
Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($2.99)
The Homemakers Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule by Amy @ Raising Arrows ($4.99)
Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by Anne @ Authentic Simplicity ($7.99)
Finding Financial Freedom by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($5.97)
Become a Frugalista in 30 Days by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($3.99)

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

Crock On by Stacy @ Stacy Makes Cents ($5.00)
Real Food, Real Easy by various bloggers @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)
Wholesome Mixes by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)
20-Minute Meals by Leigh Ann @ Intentional by Grace ($4.99)
Restocking the Pantry by Kresha @ Nourishing Joy ($9.99)
Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking by Crystal @ Money Saving Mom ($3.99)
Simply Summer by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($7.95)
Do the Funky Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($4.95)
Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS and Jami @ Eat Nourishing ($20.00)
Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget: A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours by Diana @ My Humble Kitchen ($4.99)
Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn @ Just Making Noise ($12.00)
The Curative Kitchen by Susan @ Handy Pantry ($20.00)

Pregnancy & Baby Care

First Bites by Hilary @ Accidentally Green ($9.99)
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)
Stress-Free Baby Shower by Sara @ Your Thriving Family ($4.00)
Unbound Birth by Jenny @ The Southern Institute ($2.99)
My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy @ Simply Designs ($9.99)
My Buttered Life Baby Edition by Renee @ Made On Hard Lotion ($5.00)
The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($5.00)
Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide by Angie @ Redeeming Childbirth ($3.99)

Holidays & Special Events

Festive Traditions by Jill @ Modern Alternative Kitchen ($7.95)
Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)
Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)
Family Camping Handbook by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($6.95)
Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Oh, Amanda! ($7.99)
Plan a Fabulous Party by Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect ($4.99)
iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)

Spiritual Growth

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99)
The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00)
God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)
Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99)
Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($2.99)

Marriage & Romance

Rekindling Romance by Jason & Jami @ A Biblical Marriage ($4.99)
Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene @ Time-Warp Wife ($2.99)
31 Days to Build a Better Spouse by Ashley @ Ashley Pichea ($4.99)
31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99)
Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair by Amy @ Amy J. Bennett ($4.99)

Motherhood

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors @ The Heart of Simplicity ($9.99)
True Christian Motherhood by June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home ($7.00)
Hula Hoop Girl by September @ One September Day ($4.99)
When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($4.97)
Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99)
From Cube to Farm by Heather @ From Cube to Farm ($2.99)
4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by various authors @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book ($7.99)
That Works for Me! by Kristen @ We are THAT Family ($8.00)

Health & Fitness

100-pound Loser by Jessica @ Muthering Heights ($4.99)
Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Danielle @ Domestic Serenity ($2.99)
42 Days to Fit by Brandy @ The Marathon Mom, Emma @ Real Fit Moms and Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($4.99)
Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)
Personal ePlanner by Jennifer @ ListPlanIt ($5.00)

Beauty

Frumps to Pumps by Sarah Mae @ SaraMae.com ($4.99)
The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)
Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)
The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley @ The No Brainer Wardrobe ($7.99)
Embracing Beauty by Trina @ Trina Holden ($9.00)
Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose by Kristen @ The Frugal Girl ($3.99)

Working from Home & Blogging

Your Blogging Business: Tax, Talk and Tips by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)
The Bootstrap VA by Lisa @ The Home Life {and Me} ($12.99)
How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home by Jacinda @ Growing Home ($4.99)
How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)
Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging by Rachel @ Small Notebook ($8.00)

Ecourses

Learning in Love: The Preschool Years by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)
Homeschooling from the Heart by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)
Grocery University by Carrie @ Colorado Bargains ($24.95)
Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms by Lisa @ Well-Grounded Life ($59)
You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.00)

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio (for new members) or $20 off a Yearly Membership (for current members), where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28’s original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

  • Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
  • For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
  • All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
  • All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

  • It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
  • Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

Call it Project Simplify. Call it nesting. What I really call it is getting rid of the junk. This week’s Project Simplify focus is on “piles.” Pretty vague, but I know we all have them. Some of those piles had been there for just too long, so this week I tackled, sorted, purged and organized them. The hot spots getting organized were my gift wrap stash, the nursery desk, and the closet under the stairs.

Organizing the Gift Wrap

This turned into a fun project for me. While not all of our gift wrap is green, I do try to reuse a lot of the gift wrap that comes through our house. The biggest collection of gift wrap are the gift bags, both large and small. I found the perfect 3-Drawer organizer that could organize the gift wrap and tissue paper.

Organize Your Gift WrapI cleared out our gift wrap stash a few months ago, but after the holidays and the kids birthdays I needed to sort through it all again. I was left with good quality tissue paper, small and large gift bags, ribbons and bows. Going forward, I like the eco-friendly gift wrap line from Jillson Roberts.

Organized Gift wrap RandomRecycling.com

The Closet Under the Stairs

Feels very Harry Potter doesn’t it? This little room under the stairs is in our basement. We had it build in when we redid the basement a few years ago. It became a bit of a catch all: gift wrap, baby stuff when not in use, extra bedding for guests, and my wedding dress. (Still don’t know where to keep that huge box!) Everything got cleaned out and I have a new plan for the space. Look for the big reveal next week!

Under the Stairs Closet Project

For Part 2 of Project Simplify this week, check out the post where I create a Quiet Kids Activity Desk.

For more organizing ideas, head over to the collection of posts on Simple Mom’s week three round up of “pile” projects.  You can see all of my other Project Simplify posts here. Up next week~ the put off project! You know you have one…

Disclosure: Some affiliate links are included in this post. I’m sharing this over at TidyMom and at OrgJunkie too!

Today’s Project Simplify post is sponsored by Listia, a new online site where you can give away the items you no longer need or want. When someone chooses your item, you earn credits that can be used to buy something you can actually use.

It’s the second week of Project Simplify and the target area are closets. Organizing closets seems to be a bit challenging lately as we are still in limbo between the winter and spring season. I decided to focus on the other closets that needed attention, the laundry closet, pantry, and linen closet.

As the nesting phase begins before the new baby arrives, I find myself in purge mode. If I haven’t used it in the past year, or with the last baby, then it’s time to donate it. Once you get into this mindset, it’s so easy to keep going and clear through the clutter from room to room. I finally finished reading Organized Simplicity and it has helped me focus on what I really want to keep and what is just “noise.” Space is going to get a little tight in our house so I want to make sure what we hold on to really is usable and special.

The Laundry Closet

Laundry Closet RandomRecycling.com

I used my favorite chalkboard contact paper and my craft punch to label the first row. The shelves went in last year but I never really set-up a good system to keep things organized. It’s all fine and good to clean up a space, but unless you create a process that you can maintain, it’s not going to stay clutter free.

Laundry Organization RandomRecycling.com

 

The Pantry Closet

Pantry Before RandomRecycling.com

 

I purchased the elfa closet door organizer from Container Store for this project. I love that I could install it in 5 minutes and didn’t need to drill into the door. I think I have room for one more wide bin shelf to give me even more storage space.

Pantry Closet After RandomRecycling.com

The Linen Closet

I was amazed at how much stuff has accumulated in our linen closet. There were things in there we haven’t used in four years. Time to let go.  My motto was not to move, but to remove. Out went the extra sheet sets we no longer needed and the extra blankets we no longer used. Our local Community Council got a big donation of bedding, towels and curtains today. A few other things will go on Listia. The linen closet is not super pretty yet, but there is space.

Linen Closet Organization RandomRecycling.com

For more organizing ideas, head over to the collection of posts on Simple Mom’s week two post for Project Simplify. You can see all of my other Project Simplify posts here. Up next week~ piles! You know you have one…

On Listia, you can give away useable stuff you don’t want or need.When someone “buys” your items, you earn credits, which you can redeem for goods offered by other users.  Or, if you are trying to live simply and give back to the world, you can donate your credits to charity. I like that you can search by what’s local, which makes it more like a Craig’s List or Ebay service. As you participate in Project Simplify this month, you can list the items you no longer need, earn credits, then pick out something you can actually use. All opinions shared here are my own.

Also sharing this with OrgJunkie.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the events at the Boston Marathon yesterday. I’m so thankful today all of our family and friends are safe, but my heart goes out to those who have a difficult road ahead. Please keep those families in your prayers today.

We are in bedding shopping mode as we rearrange the kid’s sleeping set up to make way for baby in June. I have been reading through information about crib mattresses and crib bedding again to see who makes non-toxic options. Sheets touch your body so much I just feel better knowing they don’t contain pesticides and other toxic materials.

Ettitude Bamboo Bassinet Sheets

These bamboo bassinet sheets are on my wish list for new baby.

Creating a safe sleeping environment for the family can be a challenge today with toxins in nearly all mattresses and bedding. One material that is a great choice for your bedroom is bamboo, it is grown without pesticides and is a rapidly renewable resource. It’s the perfect solution for adults and kids with sensitive skin as it is naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic. Bamboo is basically “naturally organic” as it doesn’t need any pesticides for growing it quickly.
In addition to bamboo sheet sets, Ettitude has a vast selection of bamboo comforters, duvet covers, crib sheets, pillows, mattress protectors, and towels to name a few. Ettitude was founded on the simple idea that all home and family essentials should not only be practical but also be unquestionably safe, Eco friendly, beautiful, and convenient.

 

Our Favorite Features of the Ettitude Organic Pure Bamboo Sheet Sets
  • Available in six beautiful colors (white, sand, coffee, gray, aubergine, blue nights)
  • Equivalent to around 1000 thread count in cotton, luxuriously soft and silky!
  • Naturally antibacterial, great for sensitive skin and allergies
  • Wicks sweat away from body, cool in the summer, warm in the winter
  • Made from bamboo, a pesticide free, sustainable, and rapidly renewable resource
  • 100% biodegradable
  • Oeko-Tex Standard 100
  • Easy care – cool wash, line dry
  • Even the packaging is eco-friendly: recycled, recyclable, and non-toxic.
Purchase: You can purchase Ettitude Organic Bamboo sheet sets directly on their website

Win It! Ettitude is generously blessing one winner with an Organic Pure Bamboo sheet set in your choice of size (twin, full, queen, king, or California king)!

 

Special thanks to AnaB Social for hosting this giveaway. Huge thanks to Ettitude and all the fabulous participating bloggers as well! Giveaway ends May 14th at 11:59 pm, open to residents WORLDWIDE, ages 18+. See detailed terms and conditions on entry form. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below (see directions on how to enter here). Thank you!
Disclaimer: Random Recycling and all participating event bloggers are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. I did not receive anything for this giveaway but wanted to share the product with my readers. I think it would be a great prize for someone looking to make the switch to less toxic bedding.