Simple Makes

Simple Hopes

2009-06-08T16:01:00.005+08:00

I'm here again at last. Let me share where I've been and why I don't know whether I'll be back... back here, that is.

Baby Clothes by Joe Shlabotnik on flickr

Since Last I Wrote...

This March, we got the news: I was pregnant! This was exactly what we’d hoped for.

Over the past year, I’ve occasionally wondered whether I spent too much time blogging about simplicity and not enough time living that lifestyle. However, hoping to make a difference in my readers’ lives, I had pressed on.

Within a few weeks, though, the feelings intensified. Exhausted from pregnancy, absorbed in baby blanket projects, and thinking about the future, I wondered... How can I be the Mama I hope to be when my time is split between family and the computer? Unsure what to do, I continued, but with less-frequent posts.

Until April 27th.

I started bleeding.

Though scared at first, I had hope. A disappointing ultrasound came next, but we clung onto the words of hope we were hearing from friends, music, and scripture. During this time of waiting and hoping, nothing mattered to me but relationships: God, family, friends. And we wanted their words of hope to mean that our baby was okay.

But they didn’t.

Two weeks after the ordeal began, I miscarried. After returning from the hospital the next day, I journaled, “We shed no tears - all those throughout the week had been enough... yesterday just gave a sense of finality to it all and reassuring hope that He was in control, since everything happened naturally and no further procedure was needed.”

What Now?

It seems to me I now have two options. I’ve recently realized it’s the same options Jesus’ followers had when they heard Him make the incredible, mathematically inaccurate statement “this poor widow put in more than all the rich people” (Luke 21:3). Option one: assume He’s wrong, or else a (in my case, cruel) liar. Option two: realize that He means something different than I understood.

The disciples had to realize that Jesus’ “more” didn’t mean money amounts. I have to realize that His promises of “hope” didn’t mean “this baby will make it”. The truths Jesus was teaching the disciples, about His value of money, giving, and motives, were far greater than what the disciples’ own eyes saw. I’m waiting... and, yes, hoping... to see what greater good will come out of our experience. I know I might never see it... but I can hope.

Simple Living?

Simple living is still what I do. In fact, my simple living has been refined as I’ve seen the uselessness of things that were clearly unimportant compared to our baby. For the moment, this workaholic-produced blog, SimpleMakes, is one of those unimportant things to me. I’ve decided to begin blogging again, but at a more personal, less time-consuming site. In the next month or two, I plan to begin regular posts there. I hope... there’s that word again... it’ll be an inspiration to readers and to myself.

I still get sad sometimes, I still wish I were pregnant, and yes, I have to fight jealousy when I find out about friends who are. But hey, Abraham “hoped and believed against all hope, and that’s how he became the father of many nations” (Rom 4:18, my paraphrase)... who knows what will happen to me!

Please Answer...

2009-04-18T21:00:00.000+08:00

I'm almost home! Until I am, I'll leave this post live so you can share your thoughts.

question by tj scenes on flickr

Please Answer:

"Why are you reading a blog about simplicity?"

You can take that to mean whatever you want, and I welcome anything from a few words to an essay full of your inner thoughts! :-)

Please also encourage, ask, and discuss amongst yourselves; the IntenseDebate commenting system I use lets you reply to specific comments which will show up threaded... meaning it's easy to see who's responding to whom.

SpringPad-It!

2009-04-11T21:00:00.000+08:00

Notebook by D Sharon Pruitt on flickr

I'm away, but wanted to introduce you all to a website I've been using more and more lately. Check out SpringPad and play with it for the next few weeks; I personally use the Weekly Meal Planner, Date Planner, and several others.

When I come back, I hope to post some ways you can use SpringPad in conjunction with SimpleMakes posts. Think one-click grabbing the content from the Efficient Packing List into a SpringPad list you can customize and use as your own!

Pixe's Treasure Chest Earrings Winner!

2009-04-05T09:00:00.001+08:00

What Earrings?

Thanks to Mich from Pixe's Treasure Chest, March's Simple Makes giveaway is the earrings in the picture above! I support buying handmade, and shops like hers on Etsy are great ways to do that. If you missed the giveaway, you can read about it here.

Who Won!?

Random.org says entry #4, which is Stephanie, for her comment on Sorting Recipes. Congrats, and I'll get in touch so the prize can be sent your way!

How Can I Win?

Every month during 2009, one SimpleMakes reader will win a prize from one of the generous sponsoring shops. All you have to do is comment! (More details in each month's contest announcement post.)

How Can I Sponsor?

If your etsy or other shop would like to offer an item for a giveaway to SimpleMakes readers, contact me with your shop name, proposed giveaway item, and preferred month for giveaway (if any). I'm looking for a shop to give away an item each month in 2009, and will mention your shop's name and link in each post that month.

Sorry for being behind with this. I'm out of the country and taking a rest from blogging. Read more here.

rest

2009-04-02T11:27:00.003+08:00

by maryjuana on flickr

Sometimes I find that simplicity and blogging (even blogging about simplicity) conflict.
Sometimes I need to spend less time on the computer, more with my family and friends.
Sometimes I need to write less about a simple life, and more time living one.

This is one of those times.

March and April are full of travel, visiting friends, several exciting craft projects, more travel, and a bit of unfortunate sickness thrown in here and there to make sure things stay interesting.

Then again, maybe it's not unfortunate... it does make me rest!

Repeat Meal Planning

2009-03-25T16:47:00.003+08:00

Simplify meal planning & grocery shopping by compiling sets of recipes and their ingredients in advance! This is step 7 of 7 in the 2-Week Meal Planning series.

breakfast by eyeliam on flickr

Step #7: Repeat and Enjoy!

I keep my plans in the back of our binder-cookbook. Every night, I decide what I want for breakfast the next day from the choices in the current 2-Week Meal Plan. I love the flexibility; knowing my house is stocked with everything I need for so many recipes, we’re never bored by our options!

...and you?

How do you plan and prepare meals? Having typed it out, my system seems long and complicated, but honestly it’s just a few minutes here and there. What do you think about it?

Comment for a chance to win March's giveaway: gorgeous earrings from Pixe's Treasure Chest!

Pause

2009-03-23T12:32:00.002+08:00

Hi all. I'm still here, just not feeling well, and hope to be back with the next post in the 2-Week Meal Planning series later this week.

by Eran Finkle - ערן פינקל on Flickr

In the meantime, check out the photos I uploaded on flickr or read the links I've posted on Simple Shorts (our tumblr site).

Comment for a chance to win March's giveaway: gorgeous earrings from Pixe's Treasure Chest!

Go Shopping

2009-03-17T21:00:00.000+08:00

Simplify meal planning & grocery shopping by compiling sets of recipes and their ingredients in advance! This is step 6 of 7 in the 2-Week Meal Planning series.

shopping list by Bruce Turner on Flickr

Step #6: Go Shopping

This part you will do more often, but still less than if you were cooking without plans!

All you do is take the step 5 list (which, if you continue with this system, you may have written years beforeheand!) and walk into your kitchen. Obviously, if you have enough, do nothing; if you don’t have any (or enough), write down what you need. I like to add fresh fruit and yogurt to all my lists as a reminder to get enough to healthily snack throughout the day. I also add household supplies as needed.

When you go shopping, buy anything that will last for the next entire two weeks.

For fruits and other perishables (which are most healthy when most fresh, anyway), pick these up as needed as often as you can - twice a week if possible for optimum nutrition, but at least once a week so they won’t go bad.

...and you?

Stephanie asked about meal planning shopping on the Sort Recipes post, and I shared some of my thoughts there. Ask your questions about what I've written so far in the comments!

Comment for a chance to win March's giveaway: gorgeous earrings from Pixe's Treasure Chest!

List Ingredients

2009-03-12T21:00:00.001+08:00

Simplify meal planning & grocery shopping by compiling sets of recipes and their ingredients in advance! This is step 5 of 7 in the 2-Week Meal Planning series.

Step #5: List all ingredients

One point of all this planning is to simplify shopping! Grab a piece of scrap paper and, starting with the first recipe, begin listing the ingredients and amounts. It should look something like this:

flour: 1 cup
oats: 1 cup
bananas: 2
sugar: 1/4 cup
raisins: 1/4 cup

...and so on.

Now, take your second recipe. Where the ingredients overlap, add them together. Where they don’t, start a new line:

flour: 1 cup
oats: 1 cup + 1 cup
bananas: 2
sugar: 1/4 cup
raisins: 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup
apples: 1

Continue with the rest of the recipes. Don’t worry, you won’t do this every other week, just when you start your meal planning.

If you notice an ingredient ‘straggler’ (maybe a few Tbsp of something fresh that’s only sold in larger quantitates), you may switch out a different recipe at this point.

Writing one or two 2-Week Plans for each season means we never get tired of recipes, plus they’re geared to seasonal produce (like fruit) and weather (oatmeal in the winter, granola in the summer).

Once you’ve finished all the recipes, add the lines to find the total for each ingredient. Save this list for step 6, “Go Shopping”.

...and you?

What favorite ingredients are on your list? I'm loving the thought of all the grains and fruits on mine! You can share a photo at our flickr group!

Comment for a chance to win March's giveaway: gorgeous earrings from Pixe's Treasure Chest!

Sort Recipes

2009-03-09T21:00:00.002+08:00

Simplify meal planning & grocery shopping by compiling sets of recipes and their ingredients in advance! This is step 4 of 7 in the 2-Week Meal Planning series.

recipe by bilateral on flickr

Step #4: Sort recipes

Steps 1, 2, & 3 helped you decide on which recipes to use in your 2-Week Meal Plan. What now?

Simply:

* Print out recipes from the computer
* Pull other recipes out of your family cookbook (i.e. 3-ring binder)
* Bookmark recipes in your cookbooks

That’s it.

...and you?

So go spend the time you’d usually spend reading a longer post by doing it yourself! If you haven’t already, find recipes, select recipes, choose recipes, and then follow this easy step to sort recipes.

Stay tuned for the next step where you’ll list ALL the ingredients.

Comment for a chance to win March's giveaway: gorgeous earrings from Pixe's Treasure Chest!

Simple Shorts

2009-03-07T21:00:00.001+08:00

Since I'm not posting weekend link love posts anymore, I'm playing around with Tumblr as a way to share what I'm up to and what's inspiring me.

Bookmark (or subscribe to) SimpleShorts to see the links, videos, images, and more that I enjoy throughout the week.

Have something I might like? Bookmark the link as "for:simplyla" on delicious, or email me!

Comment for a chance to win March's giveaway: gorgeous earrings from Pixe's Treasure Chest!

Choosing Recipes

2009-03-05T21:00:00.000+08:00

Simplify meal planning & grocery shopping by compiling sets of recipes and their ingredients in advance! This is step 3 of 7 in the 2-Week Meal Planning series.

Inside Cover from nate steiner on Flickr

Step #3: Choose recipes

If you completed Step #2, you have a lot of recipes to consider. Now it's time to narrow them down.

It’s hard to choose, so I eliminate instead. Out are recipes that:

* call for out-of-season produce
* call for a small amount of a random ingredient that none of the other recipes call for

I also look at the selection of recipes as a whole. I’m okay with one, but won’t cook two, recipes that are:

* sugary
* mostly white flour (unless I can substitute a whole grain)

I do try to prepare balanced and high-energy breakfasts, which to me means there is something with:

* (preferably whole) grain
* calcium
* fruit
* protein

I also like to try at least one new recipe a week, so two per 2-Week Meal Plan.

I should end up with enough recipes for 20 servings (10 meals for my husband and me; we eat out twice a week), which could be anywhere from 3-10 recipes (but usually 4 or 5... we like leftovers).

...and you?

If you found (or could type) any of the recipes you've chosen, comment here! It'll be fun to see what everyone's cooking.

Comment for a chance to win March's giveaway: gorgeous earrings from Pixe's Treasure Chest!

March Giveaway: Earrings

2009-03-03T21:00:00.003+08:00

Mich from Pixe's Treasure Chest is giving away these Aragonite and Freshwater Pearl Earrings to one lucky Simple Makes reader at the end of March! Find out how to enter all throughout the month.

How to Enter

There are two ways to enter... and you can do so over and over all month long!

1. link to any March Simple Makes post on your blog or in a tweet. In order to count, comment on THIS POST with the link. You can do this as many times as you would like, as long as all the links are different.

2. comment with something relevant on any SimpleMakes post not counting this one the rest of this month (March 2009). So that I can contact the winner, you have to type in your e-mail address when you leave your comment. Don't worry, other readers can't see it.

Show Some Love!

Check out Mich's shop, Pixe's Treasure Chest, to thank her for sponsoring this giveaway! I personally love the calm, natural colors she uses in so much of her jewelry.

Only one person can win the free earrings, but if you fall in love with it or any of her other jewelry, you can order from her shop!

How to Win

At the end of March, I'll use a computer randomizer to pick one comment out of all the qualified ones. The person who left that comment, assuming I can get to a contact e-mail address easily enough, will be messaged for a mailing address. That person'll have 1 week to respond, then we'll mail the prize or choose a new winner.

The Fine Print

Let's not be picky here. We're nice people hosting a fun giveaway. If I say Suzy wins, then Suzy wins. No challenging me, claiming it's not fair, or any other nonsense. It's up to me what is considered a "qualifying" and "relevant" comment.

One thing, though: the earrings will only be shipped to a U.S. address, so if you don't live there, you'd better be entering to send it as a gift to a friend who does.

...and you?

Comment here with the link to a blog entry where you've linked to a March Simple Makes post! It's an extra entry to the giveaway :-)

If your etsy or other shop would like to offer an item for a giveaway to SimpleMakes readers, contact me. I'm looking for a shop to give away an item to a reader each month in 2009, which promotes your shop as I mention the contest in each post that month.

Panda Pillow Winner!

2009-03-02T21:00:00.001+08:00

Panda Pillow?

Thanks to Akiyo from the lovely Etsy shop, "My Dear Darling," I got to be a part of giving away the adorable panda pillow in the picture above! I support buying handmade, and shops like hers on Etsy are great ways to do that. If you missed the giveaway, you can read about it here.

Who Won!?

Random.org says entry #42, which is Carolyn, for her comment on 2-Week Meal Planning. Congrats, Carolyn, and I'll get you in touch with Akiyo so she can send your prize your way!

How Can I Win?

Every month during 2009, one SimpleMakes reader will win a prize from one of the generous sponsoring shops. All you have to do is comment! (More details in each month's contest announcement post.)

Look out for my next post, announcing an exciting giveaway for March!!

How Can I Sponsor?

If your etsy or other shop would like to offer an item for a giveaway to SimpleMakes readers, contact me with your shop name, proposed giveaway item, and preferred month for giveaway (if any). I'm looking for a shop to give away an item each month in 2009, and will mention your shop's name and link in each post that month.

Select Recipes

2009-02-26T21:00:00.002+08:00

Simplify meal planning & grocery shopping by compiling sets of recipes and their ingredients in advance! This is step 2 of 7 in the 2-Week Meal Planning series.

Recipe by Mel B. on Flickr

Step #2: Select recipes

Avoid the 6am "now what am I going to make for breakfast!?" Plan ahead!

Equipped with your cookbooks you gathered in Step 1: Find Recipes, you're ready to select potentials for your meal plan.

Follow along and write selected recipe names on piece of scrap paper. These aren't necessarily final, so choose as many as you'd like.

note: As an example throughout this 2-Week Meal Planning series, I'll plan 2 weeks of healthy breakfasts.

Family Cookbook

I start by scanning recipe titles in relevant sections from my family cookbook. It’s a three-ring binder, so I can pull out recipes or just note the names.

Flipping past the breakfast tab, I find pancakes, oatmeals, and other warm dishes. They worked great during the winter, but I'm ready for something different.

I pull the whole wheat carrot cake muffins and zucchini-carrot muffins from the next tab, and grab the banana bread from the bread section.

Real Cookbooks

I know them well, so I don't actually look through them, but I write down "beignets," an Artisan Bread in Five recipe which will probably be our non-healthy, sweet treat for the two weeks (I generally allow one per plan).

Delicious Cookbook

I go to my Delicious Cookbook’s breakfast section and click on the “healthy” tag to only see those bookmarks. I open recipes that sound promising in new tabs. Though at this stage I’m mostly browsing, I do avoid those tagged with fruits that are now out of season. Fresh ingredient overlap is also nice, and I try to maintain a little variety.

We eat out two breakfasts a week (strange, I know, since we don’t eat any other meals out, but South Chinese rice noodles on market days are too good to miss!), so I’m looking for at least 10 recipes.

...and you?

Keep your list of recipes you might like to try for Step #3 - Choose Recipes. Keep the healthy breakfast ideas coming... I'm loving all the ideas so far.

Finding Recipes

2009-02-24T21:00:00.002+08:00

Simplify meal planning & grocery shopping by compiling sets of recipes and their ingredients in advance! This is step 1 in the 2-Week Meal Planning series.

mao's secret recipes by Aschaf on flickr... funny, of course, since I live in China!

Step #1: Find recipes

Good recipes aren't hard to find... as long as you start looking before it's time to start cooking!

I have three "cookbooks" I go to:

1) our family cookbook
2) our five published cookbooks
3) my delicious cookbook

In step 2 I'll tell you how I decide which recipes to even consider, but for now, I want to share where my recipes come from.

Family Cookbook

Handwritten recipes and those I print that we like are filed in a three-ring binder under handmade tabs:

breakfast * muffins * bread * drinks * soup & slow cooker * stir-fry * poultry * meat * other main * veggies & sides * sweets

Your categories may be different based on what you cook more and less, but organizing your recipes in a similar style should help you find them easily.

Real Cookbooks

You can read more about our five cookbooks in a previous post. Obviously, you'll just want to pull out whatever cookbooks you have.

Delicious Cookbook

I tag links to all the recipes I find online in delicious. Make sure your tags are useful! I tag by:

* meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner
* part: side, main, drink
* type: muffin, pancake, granola
* nutrition: grain, veggie, dairy
* ingredient: banana, carrot, butter
* trait: sweet, healthy, quick

...and you?

I need a little help. Can you share a healthy breakfast recipe? Link to or write it in the comments! You can also tag it "for:simplyla" on delicious, which will make sure it gets into my delicious cookbook.

Comment for a chance to win February's giveaway: an adorable panda pillow from My Dear Darling!

2-Week Meal Planning

2009-02-19T21:00:00.002+08:00

Simplify meal planning & grocery shopping by compiling sets of recipes and their ingredients in advance! Follow this series to learn how.

Strawberry Pie Recipe by deb roby on Flickr

With spring and warmer days coming, I’m scouring my delicious bookmarks for more weather-appropriate breakfast recipes. Though I haven’t yet figured out “OAMC” (once a month cooking), I do like to plan 2 weeks at a time to simplify grocery shopping.

For the rest of February, I’ll post on the steps I go through in my 2-Week Meal Planning. Here’s an outline; if you bookmark this page, you can come back to it and I’ll link the text in each step to its how-to post.

1. Find recipes
2. Select recipes
3. Choose recipes
4. Sort recipes
5. List ingredients
6. Go shopping
7. Repeat & enjoy

...and you?

* Bookmark this post and/or subscribe to SimpleMakes to stay updated with the series. I'll link each step in the list above once its post is live!

* Help me find a recipe! I'm looking for healthy recipes for breakfast that are simple to prepare. Have a good candidate? Write or link in the comments, tag for:simplyla on delicious, or email me here. Thanks!

Comment for a chance to win February's giveaway: an adorable panda pillow from My Dear Darling!

(Another) Change of Pace

2009-02-17T21:00:00.001+08:00

Happy Spring!!

my photo, on flickr

Actually, most of you are probably still shivering through winter (or am I wrong? I hope?) Here, however, spring came early, or at least its warm temperatures and sunny days!

These past weeks I've been struggling with how to keep a new year's resolution to spend more time with my family and less on the computer. I think you'll like what I've decided as much as I do!

Past

I started SimpleMakes in mid-September 2008. At first, I overwhelmed myself with four posts a week. I scaled back to three, but my content still wasn't as high-quality as I would like because I was trying to write so much!

Getting into photography with my new dSLR camera, I began my other blog last month and continued Tuesday/Thursday posting here, Saturdays there. It made sense, but the rhythm wasn't working for me, plus my posts were getting little too long-winded for my own taste!

Future

I have a new rhythm for SimpleMakes. It'll keep me focused, keep individual posts shorter & simpler, and hopefully keep you interested, too!

Starting now, I'm going to pick a theme for each month(ish). I'm going to finish February with a series on meal planning, including healthy breakfast recipes as examples! I'm really excited.

I think spreading one topic out over multiple short, bite-sized posts will be simpler to write and simpler to read!

...and you?

Comment to let me know how you feel about this new idea, and if you have any topic suggestions. Ask your questions about simple, green, crafty, frugal, family, and home living in the comments here... you may inspire a whole month of writing!

Also, I'd like to survey SimpleMakes readers as to how frequent they like new posts to appear. Do you like reading one new post a week? Two? Three? (I think four's too much for me, sorry!) Comment with your advice.

Oh, and thank you. Thank you, all my readers, for being patient with me. "Learning to blog" takes a lot of work, and though I don't want to put in less time than it needs, I don't want blogging to be my only work, either! My husband appreciates your understanding. :-)

Comment for a chance to win February's giveaway: an adorable panda pillow from My Dear Darling!

Valentine's Day Fun & Food

2009-02-12T21:00:00.003+08:00

Enjoy Valentine's Day with your tastebuds and your crafty hands! Here are some treats & meal ideas from the kitchen, plus craft ideas to share.

String of hearts by aussiegall on Flickr

Snacks: Sweet Snack Mix from scrumdilly-do

Drink: Healthy Strawberry-Banana Smoothie from SimpleMakes (er, me!)

Dinner: Candlelight on a Budget from MyRecipes

Dessert: Valentine's Day Treat Hit List from TipNut

Handmade Valentine: Little Acorn Valentine from Little Acorn

Crafty Gift: Valentine's Treasures from Schlosser Designs

Decor: Origami Cherry Blossoms from The Flirty Guide

Comment for a chance to win February's giveaway: an adorable panda pillow from My Dear Darling!

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

2009-02-10T21:00:00.001+08:00

A healthy & simple sweet treat, this smoothie has no added sugar and looks great for Valentine's Day with a sliced strawberry on top!

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

ingredients:

6 large strawberries (or 18 small strawberries)
3 small bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
4/5 to 1 cup (200 ml) plain yogurt
2 cups (500 ml) ice*

1) Peel bananas, wash strawberries and remove stems.

2) Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

3) Pour into two glasses and enjoy!

* ice tip: Freeze water in small ice cube trays just 3 or so hours until not entirely frozen; you'll still see some water in the middle of the cubes. This makes for easier-to-blend ice and a smoother smoothie!

...and you?

Surprise your sweetie (or kids, or friend, or whomever!) with this treat and let me know how it goes. Stay tuned for Thursday's post, a complete menu for Valentine's day including this smoothie and more!

Comment for a chance to win February's giveaway: an adorable panda pillow from My Dear Darling!

Whole Wheat Rolls!

2009-02-05T21:00:00.002+08:00

I've been making dozens of these wheat rolls every month lately (a batch a week). Healthy, easy, and yummy. Nice!

my photo on flickr

The Recipe

I use an adapted dough from Artisan Bread in Five. Their 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread dough, adjusted for my high but humid home, makes a nice loaf or free-form bread. I found out after baking it a few times that it also works great to make these adorable, high-fiber rolls!

I don't want to steal their recipe by posting it here, but you can find it in the "Peasant Loaves" section of Artisan Bread in Five. To make rolls of your own, start with a whole wheat bread dough or use the main "Master Recipe" from Artisan Bread in Five, a white flour dough, maybe substituting whole wheat flour.

The Technique

Unlike some recipes, the Artisan Bread in Five technique doesn't require extra time for a knead - rest - rise cycle. Instead, it rises slowly in the refrigerator overnight. Regardless of what you use, flour your hands, the risen dough, and the table.

Since I like to eat these rolls for health reasons, I weigh out the dough so each roll is an equal 1 oz roll. That way, I know how much whole grain I'm getting. If it doesn't matter for you, just do this by sight.

First, cut the dough in half using a floured or oiled serrated knife. Then, do this again. Next, do it again. You get the point. Keep cutting in half until the rolls are around 1 oz. I use a pound of dough and end up with 16 rolls.

Now, shape each chunk of dough into a ball using the technique in step 3 at the Artisan Bread in Five Master Recipe.

At this point, you can leave the dough to rise for larger, fluffier rolls, or bake them right away for a more dense, chewy dough. I bake mine on 200C (that's about 400F; try 350F if you're not at a high altitude). Use this Artisan Bread in Five technique: preheat the oven with a baking stone and a broiler tray or other pan. When the oven's heated, place the rolls on the stone and pour a cup of water into the broiler tray. The steam creates moisture for a soft inside and crisp crust!

These usually take about 3/4ths as long as the recipe says, since you're baking small rolls, not one large loaf.

The Verdict?

These have come out wonderfully for me every time. They're quick to make and are also healthy, tasty, and versatile! (Try poking a hole in a roll with your finger and sticking a cheddar cheese cube in there. Microwave 5 minutes. Delicious!)

Cleanup is easy; with Artisan Bread in Five dough, all you have to wash is a bowl, a measuring cup, and a spoon. Rolling the dough on the table, I just use a plastic rice paddle (what comes with rice cookers) to scrape it off, maybe wiping it off with a bit of vinegar, and it's clean. And the baking stone doesn't need much washing; the bread should come off of it cleanly since it's so hot.

...and you?

I'd recommend getting a copy of the book I use (yes, I get a commission if you buy it through these links, but I honestly do think it's a good buy for simple families everywhere!), but if you don't have it, try the bread-dough-as-rolls technique on other favorite recipes, and comment here with how they turn out (and links to recipes, if you have 'em!)

Comment for a chance to win February's giveaway: an adorable panda pillow from My Dear Darling!

February Giveaway: Panda Pillow

2009-02-03T09:00:00.002+08:00

Akiyo from My Dear Darling is giving away this adorable panda pillow to one lucky Simple Makes reader at the end of February! Find out how to enter all throughout the month.

How to Enter

There are two ways to enter... and you can do so over and over all month long!

The first way to enter is to link to any February Simple Makes post on your blog or in a tweet. In order to count, comment on THIS POST with the link. You can do this as many times as you would like, as long as all the links are different.

The second way to enter is to comment with something relevant on any SimpleMakes post not counting this one the rest of this month (February 2009). If you comment twice on one post, you only get one entry. But, if you comment on five posts, that's five entries!! So that I can contact the winner, you have to type in your e-mail address when you leave your comment. Don't worry, only I can see it.

Show Some Love!

Check out Akiyo's shop, My Dear Darling, to thank her for sponsoring this giveaway! Her handmade gifts are all as adorable as the one in the giveaway.

Only one person can win the free LOVE Panda Pillow, but if you can't help but fall in love with it (how could you!?) and want to give it to someone special for Valentine's Day, you can order your own from Akiyo's shop. She has several other designs, and takes custom orders, too!

How to Win

At the end of February, I'll use a computer randomizer to pick one comment out of all the qualified ones. The person who left that comment, assuming I can get to a contact e-mail address easily enough, will be messaged for a mailing address. That person'll have 1 week to respond, then we'll mail the prize or choose a new winner.

The Fine Print

Let's not be picky here. We're nice people trying to host a give-away, which is fun for me and fun for you. If I say Suzy wins, then Suzy wins. No challenging me, calling me a liar, screaming that it's not fair, or any other nonsense. It's up to me what is considered a "qualifying" and "relevant" comment.

One thing, though: the giveaway's pillow can only be shipped to a U.S. or Canada address, so if you don't live there, you'd better be entering to send it as a gift to a friend who does.

...and you?

Comment here with the link to a blog entry where you've linked to a January Simple Makes post! It's an extra entry to the giveaway :-)

If your etsy or other shop would like to offer an item for a giveaway to SimpleMakes readers, contact me. I'm looking for a shop to give away an item to a reader each month in 2009, which will get your shop's name and link out as I mention the contest in each post that month.

Layla Legs Winner!

2009-02-01T21:00:00.004+08:00

Layla Legs?

Visit Kim's Layla Legs Shop on Etsy to thank her for sponsoring January's giveaway. If you missed the whole thing, see the original post here.

Who Won!?

Random.org says entry #13, which is Andrea, for her comment on Quick Oatmeal. Congrats, Andrea, and I'll get you in touch with Kim so she can send some adorable Layla Legs your way!

How Can I Win?

Every month during 2009, one SimpleMakes reader will win a prize from one of the generous sponsoring shops. All you have to do is comment! (More details in each month's contest announcement post.)

Look out for my next post early next week, announcing an exciting giveaway for February!!

How Can I Sponsor?

If your etsy or other shop would like to offer an item for a giveaway to SimpleMakes readers, contact me with your shop name, proposed giveaway item, and preferred month for giveaway (if any). I'm looking for a shop to give away an item each month in 2009, and will mention your shop's name and link in each post that month.

Chinese New Year

2009-01-28T18:30:00.003+08:00

Chun Jie Kuai Le! I live in China, so figured I should share something of Chinese New Year with the rest of the world. Crafts, recipes, and characters... oh my!

Chinese New Year Dinner 2009 by chanchan222 on Flickr

When is it?

Chinese New Year, or "Spring Festival" (Chun Jie) is celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar, so it began on January 26th this year, 2009. However, in many parts of China including my own, the holiday is celebrated all the way through the Lantern Festival 15 days later... so you still have time to have some Chinese New Year fun!

What do you do?

Everyone who possibly can returns home to spend the holiday with their family. On any given day during the Spring Festival weeks, but especially on New Year's Eve and New Year's day, kids and adults set off firecrackers just before they eat their dinner meal. Kids get cash in red envelopes, red being the color symbolizing happiness. Families prepare and eat large meals together on New Year's Eve and day, plus any other days they're off work (some do get the full 15 days off!).

How to Celebrate?

What about some crafts? Kids Craft Weekly put out a tutorial series with four craft tutorials for the Chinese New Year: a Shiny Lantern, Lucky Garland, Paper Plate Ox, and Red Packet Lantern. Check them out here.

What to Eat?

You probably have heard about foods that are eaten for symbolic reasons: whole fish for success and family togetherness, oranges for wealth, uncut noodles for longevity, eggs for fertility. To celebrate at home, try a noodle dish, serve some oranges, have eggs in your fried rice, and if you want to be really authentic, have a JiaoZi (Chinese dumpling) making party! They're shaped like the old form of Chinese gold, so they symbolize fortune in the new year.

...and you?

Take pictures of your family's Chinese New Year celebration and add them to our flickr group!

Comment for a chance to win January's giveaway: Layla Legs!

Don't forget to check out Mary's Jewelry shop on Etsy and use the 10% discount code for this month.

Family Qlubb

2009-01-27T21:00:00.002+08:00

Organizing family events always seems to be a hassle... can the new Qlubb.com help? My answer: Yes... but only if you can convince your family.

This beautiful family photo by Emma & Michael's Excellent Adventures on Flickr

I signed up on TwitterMoms a few months back to review Qlubb.com, but then life happened (travel, class, readjusting schedules) and I never blogged about it. I did, however, start a Qlubb for the only group I could think of: my family.

We live in 2 countries, 3 states, and 5 cities. We have birthdays that are hard to remember. We plan trips that are hard to coordinate. We host Christmas exchanges that have to be planned. Most of those activities seemed to require a half-dozen emails or phone calls, so I was excited to have an online club ("Qlubb") to keep it all in one place.

I set a password (it gives the same one for every member) and began playing with the features. The birthdays I remembered, I added to the calendar. The ones I didn't, I posted a request under the "Blurbs" (kind of like an ongoing chat) feature for other people to post.

I explained how family members (especially those with cute kiddos) could upload their photos. I used the "files" section to post our 2009 Christmas gift exchange list, generated at Random.org.

And, of course, since this is a group, not a personal message center, I sent invitations to my family members.

All the above-mentioned features work great, and unlike a previous site where we hosted a family group, it actually LOOKS great, too! Stylish and clean-cut, I like being able to see everything at one glance, though there are some limitations (I can't find any way to delete things like calendars that aren't relevant for a group I run, and everyone has equal editing permissions, so I don't feel safe inviting people I don't know to a group).

The problem isn't Qlubb's layout or features, it's what happens after the invitations go out. I reworded the default invitation so it wouldn't sound spammy, and sent them out on Nov. 30, 2008. Last week, I was chatting online with one sister, resent the link to her, and she finally joined. Member number two. I've resent all the invitations, texted them, and mentioned it. No more members.

I'm not sure whether this is a Qlubb.com problem or a problem with online groups in general (though our previous Yahoo! group saw everyone join the week invitations went out). If most people are like me, I'm pretty member account-ed out from everything online these days that requires a sign-in.

I used to stick with major accounts, like one on Yahoo, that let me get into multiple features (chats, games, website, groups, email, etc.). Nowadays, it doesn't seem to be realistic (partly because the big guys seem to me to spread themselves too thin and are no longer good at all of what they do), so I have accounts all over: google, flickr, twitter, ravelry, tons of single-topic forums, bookcrossing, several social networking sites, wordpress, Amazon and multiple other online stores, several bookmarking networks... you get the picture.

But is adding yet another place to sign in too much?

...and you?

Start your own Qlubb (for a book club, a Bible study, a coffee group, or your family!), and let me know how it goes. Do people join?

Even if you don't want or need a Qlubb, what do you think about the way the internet is going? My simple life sometimes seems overburned by so much to keep track of. What about you?

Comment to enter January's giveaway: Layla Legs!

Don't forget to check out Mary's Jewelry shop on Etsy and use the 10% discount code for this month.

Ingredient Substitutions

2009-01-22T21:00:00.001+08:00

Whether you're out, it's not available, or it's not healthy, sometimes what you need for a recipe is... something else! Read on for ingredient substitutions.

photo by Hanataro on flickr

I began looking into ingredient substitutions when we moved to China and experienced, in a significant way for the first time, ingredient unavailability. Besides flour, baking ingredients were basically out. Anything that you might buy prepackaged in the U.S., like canned "cream-of-" soups, aren't affordable here since they're only sold at import stores (of which my town doesn't have any).

I've used over 10 websites to find ingredient substitutions, but I think these two are the best:

What do I Substitute for... from Barry Farm Foods
The Cook's Thesaurus from FoodSubs

While looking for substitutions over the last few months, I've found that they're not all about replacing forgotten or unavailable ingredients. Substituting applesauce or mushed bananas for part of the fat in a recipe is one my favorite healthy substitions. Find even more at these sites:

Light Substitutions from AllRecipes
Healthy Substitutions from MayoClinic

...and you?

What are your favorite ingredient substitutions? Do you do 'em to be frugal, healthy, or something else?

Comment to enter January's giveaway: Layla Legs!

Don't forget to check out Mary's Jewelry shop on Etsy and use the 10% discount code for this month.

Traveling with Family

2009-01-20T12:37:00.000+08:00

Plans to travel with your family? Not traveling with your family, because of the hassle you fear it'll cause? Try these tips for simple, memorable, and enjoyable family travel.

Boarding by tienvijftien on Flickr

1. Read up on your destination - We always use Lonely Planet (usually in print format), but I've heard We Just Got Back has good destination guides specifically for families.

2. Prepare ahead - I like this recent article guest-posted by Emma on Simple Mom. She both argues for family trips, even with a baby, and shares tips to prepare a good one.

3. Pack well - I'm of course biased towards my post on simple travel via packing light. I refer to it myself all the time!

4. Help the kids - Directed towards holiday travel, this Simple Mom post has great ideas for enjoying travel with kids.

... and you?

What tips would you add for families taking trips? What do you like to do to ensure smooth travels for your family?

Comment to enter January's giveaway: Layla Legs!

Don't forget to check out Mary's Jewelry shop on Etsy and use the 10% discount code for this month.

Clean Crafting

2009-01-15T21:00:00.001+08:00

A few links for crafters to keep their supplies & products in great shape!

Old Singer Sewing Machine by cesarastudillo on Flickr

Sewing Machine

If you use a sewing machine to make your life simpler - making your own clothing instead of worrying about how you look in this season's styles, making your own anything that doesn't happen to be sold in stores but that you would like to own - you know just how nice it is to you, working hard without complaint.

Well, most of the time. Until fabric gets snagged, or won't feed, or any number of other sewing machine problems.

Here's a top reason your sewing machine stops being nice to you, though: you aren't being nice to it! Like other household appliances, this one needs a little TLC to keep it running smoothly. I have been a bit guilty (well, more than a bit) of not doing much (or any) upkeep on my sewing machine, but then growling when it stops doing what I want.

I think I previously figured that maintenance on my machine would be a job requiring a trained professional, or supplies I didn't have, or I would do something wrong, or at the very least, it would take a lot of time.

No longer!

This simple post by Mary Ray on CraftyStylish not only reminds all us crafters that we should take care of our machines, it gives some simple how-to steps for cleaning it.

Embroidery

And what about those beautiful fabrics you've just embroidered? I fall guilty in this department when I don't wash my hands between snacking & crafting, which always results in little smudges on those lovely fabrics.

I won't reinvent the wheel here either: Tipnut has a wonderful post on everything you could want to know about cleaning needlework. Check it out!

Everything Else?

Well, I don't know. I'm never sure what to do with completed knit hats (it looks so great now; I don't want to ruin it by trying to wash it!), sewed projects (I once had a total washing machine disaster on a basket cover I'd just washed, though the rest of the basket covers turned out fine!), and I have no idea whether maintainence is necessary for hand-crafted tools: needles, scissors, etc.

Help me out: comment with your crafty cleaning tips here, or send me links to other blog posts on the topic either in the comments or by tagging it as "for:simplyla" on delicious.

Updates

* Mary's Jewelry shop on Etsy is offering the 10% discount through the end of January...

* You can still comment on this or other January posts for a chance to win a pair of Layla Legs...

* I've just begun my new blog, Simply Lori Ann, and would love some initial comments. I'll be blogging there Saturdays and sticking to twice a week here at SimpleMakes.

the Knitty Gritty

2009-01-13T21:00:00.001+08:00

Remember the Knit & Help post back in September? I finally finished my hat, and as I did so, I found some useful tips to share with fellow newbies to pattern-knitting.

my photo on flickr

My September post linked to Save the Children's Knit Kit, an illustrated guide to basic knitting that also includes a hat pattern. However, after my enthusiastic post I wrote while excited about going out to buy the materials, I realized the kit didn't include everything I needed. It shows how to cast on, knit, and bind off, which I know how to do from previous projects (taught by friends & good books), but not how to purl or do ribbing or a stockinette stitch.

No fear, though, because the world wide web of information provides everything I could look for. Armed with the knit kit, book Knitting with Balls, Ravelry, Expert Village, and a few other sites, I was able to successfully complete my first using-a-pattern knitting project.

If you'd like to knit a hat for a baby you know, or for any other pattern that uses purl, ribbing, and/or stockinette stitch, here's what you need.

Step 1: The pattern - Find patterns at Ravelry.com, by searching online, or in great knitting books like these which I recommend. Also see these great patterns by fellow bloggers. (They're not all hats).

Step 2: Cast on - I learned this from a book, too, but really like this Expert Village video which uses the same method I do.

Step 3: Knitting - The Knit Kit explains and illustrates this very well. I knit Continental, which I learned from a DK Craft book (no longer in print). Knitting with Balls explains the technique for Continental and English knitting.

Step 4: Purling - I learned to purl from this Expert Village video. I find it a difficult stitch to learn from illustrations, though they are included in Knitting with Balls for both Continental and English knitting.

Step 5: Ribbing - Ribbing was explained, but not illustrated, in the Knit Kit, and I was confused as to whether or not I needed to alternate which rows began with knit and which rows began with purl (answer: no; for an even number of stitches, beginning every row with knit, following the K1, P1 pattern, results in ribbing). See this video.

Step 6: Stockinette Stitch - Same as ribbing (explained/not illustrated in Knit Kit) but much easier to understand, I recommend this short description or this video if you need some help.

Step 7: Binding Off - This is the last step, well illustrated in both the Knit Kit and my favorite knitting book, Knitting with Balls (yes, it's for guys, but the knitting principles are the same). Also see this helpful video.

Step 8: Weaving in the Ends/Sewing the Seam - The clearest explanation I've read for weaving in the ends is in Knitting with Balls. Try also this article. As for sewing the seam (as in the Knit Kit pattern), I just kind of went for it and hoped for the best, but probably should have tried the instructions in this video.

Step 9: Give it away! - I was glad to learn that Save the Children collected so many hats, but disappointed that I finished mine too late. Please comment to let me know if you hear of any other organizations accepting hats! It's a teensy size, for preemie babies, but it is mighty cute!

Don't forget to comment to enter January's giveaway: Layla Legs!

Family Printables

2009-01-10T09:00:00.001+08:00

I remember anticipating Winter Break with so much excitement every year! Before long, though, I was bored and ready to go back to school with all my friends. Here are some free printable activities I've found lately; ideas for keeping kids (or yourself!) occupied these last days. Try them out with your kids and let me know what you think!

Cutting paper snowflakes tutorial by Jelene on Flickr

Holiday Village from Claudine Hellmuth
Craft Calendar from Canon
Pop-Up Cards from RobertSabuda.com
Victorian Nursery Craft from Victorian Magazine
Paper House from Whispering Wind
Gingerbread Baby Board Game from Jan Brett
"Believe" Stitchery Pattern from You Can Make This

...and you?

What is your family doing to enjoy the winter holidays? Share your favorite activities (and links, too!) in the comments, or tag on delicious for:simplyla.

Don't forget to comment to enter January's comment giveaway: Layla Legs!

Quick Oatmeal

2009-01-08T21:00:00.002+08:00

A recipe to make your own 'instant oatmeal' packets.

This recipe makes 10 servings of oatmeal. I usually make 2 plain, 2 apple, 3 raisin, and 3 brown sugar. Let me know if you've made other variations -- I'd love to try 'em out!

Basic mix:

3 1/3 cup (800 ml) old-fashioned rolled oats, pulsed in a food processor 4 times
2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon
1-2 tsp (5-10 ml) salt, or to taste

After mixing the ingredients above in a large bowl, remove the amount you want to use for bowls of plain oatmeal and of apple oatmeal. One serving is 1/3 cup (80 ml). I place mine in individual-serve plastic baggies which I reuse for this purpose every week.

The plain oatmeal baggies are done. For the apple oatmeal baggies, spoon 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the oat mixture plus 1 Tbsp (15 ml) sugar and ~3 Tbsp (~40 ml) dried apples into each.

The remaining bowl will be divided into brown sugar and raisin oatmeal packets. Multiply the number of brown sugar and raisin oatmeal packets you want by 15ml (1 Tbsp). Mix this much brown sugar into the main bowl. Spoon 1/3 cup (80 ml) into each brown sugar baggie.

The remaining mix in the bowl is for your raisin oatmeal packets. Add ~3 Tbsp (~40 ml) raisins per raisin packet you want to make. Divide the mix evenly between the raisin oatmeal baggies, beginning with 1/3 cup (80 ml) per bag and using a spoon to roughly distribute leftovers.

Your packets are ready!

To use:

1. I've never measured how much liquid I add, and I everyone I know uses a different amount. What I do is pour one or two packets into a bowl. I then pour milk (I like a creamier oatmeal; my husband uses water) into the bowl until the oats are covered.

2. Microwave for 2 minutes, check and stir. Depending on how thin or thick you like your oatmeal, you can continue to microwave for additional 30 seconds until you like the consistency. I prefer to add more liquid in the first step and microwave longer in this step because it makes the oats very soft. For crisper oats, you can add less liquid in step 1 and microwave just 2 minutes in step 2. I think this option makes crusty goo. My husband likes it.

After a time or two of making these for breakfast, you'll figure out how much liquid you like and how long you should microwave it for your preferred consistency. Enjoy your quick, warm breakfast!!

...and you?

Variations? Questions? Preferences? Suggestions? What are your instant-oatmeal ideas? I'd also love to see other quick breakfast ideas, questions about how this idea works, and anything else.

Don't forget to comment to enter January's giveaway: Layla Legs!

edit: Mary's Discount

2009-01-07T12:23:00.002+08:00

Thanks to Karen for pointing out that I left out a vital bit of information in the post about the discount for Mary's Beads and Accessories. I forgot to say how much the discount is!

All of January, you can get 10% off any item in Mary's shop just by typing in "simplemakes" in the 'notes to seller' section. Read the rest of the details in the original, now-edited post.

Sorry for the omission!

Lori Ann

Giveaway: Laylegs

2009-01-06T21:00:00.000+08:00

Kim from Layla Legs and I are giving away Layla Legs (adorable handmade leg-warmer type clothing) to one lucky Simple Makes reader at the end of January! Find out how to enter now!

How to Enter

You can enter without even realizing it! Just comment with something relevant on any SimpleMakes post not counting this one during the month of January. One comment per e-mail address per post counts as one entry in the contest. In other words, if you comment twice on one post, you only get one entry. But, if you comment on five posts, that's five entries!! That also means you have to type in your e-mail address when you leave your comment. Don't worry, only I can see it.

You can also enter by linking to a contest-qualified (i.e. during-January) post. Just comment on THIS post with the link to your blog entry that links back to Simple Makes. You can do this lots of times, so long as all the comments are for separate posts on your blog.

How to Win

At the end of January, I'll use a computer randomizer to pick one comment out of all the qualified ones. The person who left that comment, assuming I can get to a contact e-mail address easily enough, will be messaged for a mailing address. That person'll have 1 week to respond, then we'll mail the prize or choose a new winner.

The Fine Print

Let's not be picky here. I'm a nice person trying to host a give-away, which is fun for me and fun for you. If I say Suzy wins, then Suzy wins. No challenging me, calling me a liar, screaming that it's not fair, or any other nonsense. It's up to me what is considered a "qualifying" and "relevant" comment.

One thing, though: Layla Legs can only be shipped to U.S. addresses, so if you don't live there, you'd better be entering to send 'em as a gift to a friend who does.

...and you?

Comment here with the link to a blog entry where you've linked to a January Simple Makes post! It's an extra entry to the giveaway :-)

If your etsy or other shop would like to offer an item for a giveaway to SimpleMakes readers, contact me. I'm looking for a shop to give away an item to a reader each month in 2009, which will get your shop's name and link out as I mention the contest in each post that month.

Lil' Sister Love!

2009-01-03T09:00:00.005+08:00

Aren't siblings amazing? I'm so proud of my little sister. Read below for the story, plus a great deal for Simple Makes readers!

My younger sister, Mary (who's not so little anymore!), has been making jewelry since she could crawl, and has been refining her skills ever since. Around 10 years old, Mary opened a tiny 'shop' in our house: "Mary's Beads and Accessories." She sold bracelets, necklaces, and other cute items she'd made from wire and beads. I remember the Christmas gifts we got for her each year: beads, bead organizers, bead supplies. Mary just couldn't get enough of beads :-)

Since the time I went off to college, Mary's gotten even better at beading! Now, she uses more advanced tools: pliers, wire cutters, and little parts I don't know what they are :-) Beginning the freshman year of college herself, Mary's caught the entrepreneurial bug and opened her very own etsy shop!! I love that she named it Mary's Beads and Accessories; the same name she had for her shop as a kid.

Though Mary's been selling her jewelry to our family and friends for years, she's new to Etsy, so I wanted to share about her new shop here on my blog to help get her name out. When I suggested the idea to her (via skype, since we live across the world from each other), she offered a discount to all Simple Makes readers for the whole month of January! You can get 10% off anything in her shop. Here's how it works:

1. First add an item(s) from her shop to your cart and start the check-out process.
2. Enter the code "simplemakes" in the 'notes to seller' and the email address where the revised invoice should be sent.
3. Complete the order but do NOT go to Paypal to pay.
4. You will receive a revised invoice, and a link to complete payment, via email reflecting the discount.

That's it! I hope you can treat yourself to a post-holiday gift, or just bookmark the shop for a future purchase. Enjoy!

...and you?

Post in the comments what you think of her stuff, like those gorgeous earrings in the photo above (almost enough to make me get my ears pierced... but just almost).

If you have an etsy store you'd like featured on SimpleMakes, contact me. I'm looking for a shop to give away an item to a reader each month in 2009, which would get your shop's name and link out as I mentioned the contest in each post that month.

Holiday Moments

2008-12-31T15:40:00.000+08:00

Simple moments of joy, from my family to yours.

me, baking honey wheat rolls, adapted from Artisan Bread in 5

a Chinese Christmas dinner (meat, meat, and more meat)

fruit, a traditional gift from friends

no tree this year, but a nativity scene!

fresh... bought the veggies from the farmers that morning!

(please share yours, too!)

Anniversary

2008-12-23T09:00:00.000+08:00

It's our anniversary...

I'm away.

I know there's no need to post, but I wanted to say:

Enjoy your family!

Don't stress, just have fun!

Your memories will be family moments;

don't let tasks make you miss one.

Merry Christmas!! I'll be back at the end of the week.

*Ahem, please excuse the corny poetry, above. Sometimes I just get the sudden urge to write some, and I figured I could be brave enough to publish it publically since I won't be back for a week to hear the critiques :-)

Last-Minute Links: Holiday Gifts & Foods

2008-12-20T22:00:00.001+08:00

Time's running low if you're still preparing for Christmas day! (as for my family, we'll do gift-giving for Three Kings Day / Epiphany instead of December 25th; not just because it reduces the stress and flurry around Christmas day, but it helps!!)

opening gift by platinumblondelife on flickr

Here are the links for the best and fastest projects I've found this week. All are great for last-minute cooking, making, and/or giving! The recipes are more of something special to give as a gift or cook as a special treat for family or friends in lieu of a gift (i.e. not so much "Big Christmas Eve Dinner Meal Ideas").

Crafts for Last-Minute Gifts

1. No-Sew Scarves from Little Birdie Secrets
2. Picture Perfect Rubik's Cube from Diary of a Crafty Chica
3. Fridge Magnet Tutorial from Our Daily Chocolate (though Whitney taught me these in college!)
4. Record Baby Sounds from Rookie Moms
5. Quick Quick Mittens from Just Tutes

Alternative Gifts (also take little- to no- time to prep)

1. Alternative Charities from Deliberate Life
2. Give the Gift of "Experience" from Rookie Moms
3. Gift Catalog from Heifer International
4. Alternatives from Buy Nothing Christmas
5. Most Popular Gift Ideas from Rethinking Christmas

Foods for Last-Minute Meals

1. Fluffy (chocolate chip! & plain) Pancakes from Joyful Abode
2. Homemade Cracker Jax from Frugal Village
3. CrockPot Toasted & Spiced Nuts from A Year of CrockPotting
4. Milk Chocolate Fudge from Our Red House
5. Masala Chai of Gratitude (vegan) from Cheap Healthy Good

...and you?

What do you have to add to the list? What are you fervently crafting or baking before the big day arrives? I'd love links to patterns, pictures, and other ideas! Comment here or tag on delicious as for:simplyla.

Hobby Basket

2008-12-19T09:00:00.005+08:00

A home organization tip that'll make it easier to find that certain scrap of fabric, how-to instructions, or matching button next time you're ready to craft!

my Hobby Basket on Flickr

I started an embroidered fabric case for my husband approximately forever ago, but today finally got ready to finish it. The embroidery done, I needed to sew the lining into the case, presenting just one problem: where was everything?

Thankfully, one look in my Hobby Basket answered it all. The pre-cut lining, matching the other piece? In the Hobby Basket. The thread I picked out with the right color? In the Hobby Basket. The book with the instructions on how to sew it up? In the Hobby Basket. The scanned & printed image I used as inspiration for the embroidered picture? Okay, so I don't actually need that one anymore, but it's in the Hobby Basket, too.

I originally got the Hobby Basket idea from The Creative Family, reading that Amanda Soule keeps baskets around her house with various knitting projects at various stages. A Thanksgiving trip to a city big enough to host Ikea (my first visit to one, ever!) saw us return home with two beautifully simple (and quite affordable!) wicker baskets. Stacked on top of one another, my Hobby Basket was formed.

The top, shallow basket holds frequently-accessed supplies plus current projects. That's why it was so easy to find everything I needed, though it's been over a month since I've touched this project. The bottom, deeper basket not only brings the other up to seat-level, so I see it and am inspired to craft when I sit down, but also holds general craft supplies and projects for the future or books for crafts currently on the back-burner.

This storage solution has made my crafting less stressful, more enjoyable, and has added a homespun functional decor item to my home at the same time. Thanks for the idea, Amanda!

...and you?

Where do you keep your current projects? Do you have any storage units in your home that double as decor? Let me know I'm not talking to myself - share in the comments!

Winter Family Activities

2008-12-17T12:05:00.005+08:00

With cold temperatures outside, we're not as active as we were during the past few months. Here's what we're doing instead.

Where my home is... by lepiaf.geo on flickr

If you were to ask me to name my favorite season, I'd almost always tell you whichever one it currently is! Oh sure, there are summer activities (like my favorite, picnics!) that would be nice to share now, but they'll be just as nice in about 6 months. For now, I enjoy our simple and peaceful winter activities.

Lately, our evenings have looked like:

1. Spooning dinner out of the rice cooker/crockpot and eating & chatting together
2. Soaking the dishes in the sink and leaving them til morning (and deciding this is okay)
3. Playing a few games of Uno
4. Me knitting while he reads the news
5. Curling up a bit early in bed with a good but sleep-inducing book

...and you?

Share in the comments some of your winter family activities. I'm always looking for more ideas!

For more specific family activity ideas (general; not just for winter), read these posts.

Weekend Snapshot #4: WIP Edition

2008-12-13T21:59:00.002+08:00

my Loopy Scarf on flickr

Motivated by Old fashioned mama's challenge on HomesteadGarden, I'm trying my hardest to finish up my WIPs (works in progress). For me, that means working on:

* knit teddy bear - he just needs a scarf
* embroidered ipod case - after she posted the challenge this week, I finished & gifted this one! the chef (i.e. my husband) loves it!
* crocheted dog - this little guy still needs 3 more legs, ears, and a tail
* knit baby hat - the material is bought, the pattern printed
* knit scarf - i have about 6" knit (it's hiding under my robe in my lap right now, ready to knit a few rows whenever the chef's not looking)
* embroidered wallet for mom - material cut, no stitches yet (this one's not "due" til her birthday later next year)

...and you?

Are you crafting this weekend? Share your pictures in our flickr group and link to them in the comments here!

Is your weekend otherwise occupied? Tell the tale (via a picture or word story) in the comments. I love that Whitney's been uploading her beautiful weekend snapshot photos to the flickr group so I get to see what her weekends look like! Follow her lead and then comment here with the link so we get to see.

Bread for Later

2008-12-11T21:13:00.000+08:00

Whether a recipe made too much or just took a lot of work, storing more for later is always a great way to simplify your baking routine. Use my "Bread for Later" guide to make sure it still tastes great!

Great Harvest Company Baking Class by africankelli on Flickr

Step 1: Make Bread (or buy it - try a bakery thrift store)

All these tasty, simple recipes produce breads that freeze well.

My favorite bread book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, teaches a technique that allows you to make bread dough, in as large a batch as you'd like, and store the dough in the refrigerator to quickly make whenever you want fresh, warm bread.

Step 2: DON'T refrigerate it

Refrigerated bread goes stale more quickly. Really. Don't refrigerate it. The common myth that "refrigerated bread lasts longer" continues because refrigerated bread DOES mold slower, but if you follow these instructions, you won't have stale OR molded bread.

Don't believe me? Read here, here, here, and here.

note: if you have a custard or meat-filled bread, you can't leave it out at room temperature. freeze it (step 3 "for later") or refrigerate it for as short a time as possible.

Step 3: Separate "for now" from "for later"

Keep out however much bread you'll be able to eat in the next two to three days, or however long it will last before going stale or molding.

Freeze the "for later" bread. Wrap it in an airtight container (even a plastic ziptop freezer bag will work; we keep one bag for muffins and reuse it over and over). If it's a loaf, you might want to slice it first because it will be hard once frozen. If you'll remove the entire loaf, thaw, and gift, then it doesn't matter. You can keep bread frozen for three or more months.

Take a look at your "for now" bread. Does it have a crusty outside, or is it soft all over? Crusty breads should be stored in a paper bag, not an airtight container. Sometimes I just cover mine with a kitchen towel. Soft breads, like sandwich bread, are best kept in plastic, either the plastic bag it came in or a plastic container. I've been told that ceramic bread boxes are really the best solution for any type of bread, but I've never had one myself so I can't be sure. (Anyone have experiences to share?) If you just baked your bread, wait til it's room temperature before you store it in anything.

Step 4: Warm it

Thaw frozen bread at room temperature. This means you need to plan ahead. If you need a few slices immediately, you can eat them as toast. Use a toaster or oven for a few minutes, watching til it looks crisp.

Room temperature bread (whether stored "for now" bread or frozen "for later" bread that has thawed) can be warmed in the microwave as long as you add moisture to keep it from getting tough. Here are ways I reheat slices of bread:

* Place the bread on a wet paper towel. Microwave, checking every 30 seconds.
* Toast in the oven.
* Microwave in a bowl with butter on top of the bread, checking every 30 seconds.
* Microwave on a small plate, checking every 30 seconds. Put a glass of water in the microwave. The steam will keep the bread moist.

Step 5: Repurpose It

Try as you might, sometimes you'll miss and your bread will go stale.

Thankfully, Italian food, restaurants, and smart bloggers all use stale bread. Give their ideas a try!

...and you?

How do you store your bread? Any more ideas for repurposing stale bread? Share your ideas in the comments! Links to posts you've written are welcome!

Family First Aid

2008-12-10T13:34:00.000+08:00

I like to be prepared with a fully-stocked first aid kit in our home at all times. It sure beats running to a medical clinic when minor accidents happen!

First aid kit by Marcin Wichary on Flickr

I'm not a medical professional, so I can't guarantee that this is the best list you could find, but here's what we keep in our home. I recommend finding two small containers (we use a travel toiletries bag for the "big kit" and a tiny plastic case for the "little kit") and making sure you have everything in one place.

Our "Big Kit":

tools -
digital thermometer
tweezers
eyedropper
small scissors

supplies -
adhesive bandages (various sizes)
sterile gauze pads, sealed in a plastic ziptop bag
medical tape
safety pins
cotton balls
q-tips

topical treatments -
Doctor Burt's Res-q Ointment
antibiotic ointment
hydrogen peroxide
rubbing alcohol
aloe vera gel (for sunburn)
anti-itch stick
Absorbine Jr
Johnson's Baby Oil

pills -
antidiarrheal medicine
allergy medicine
headache medicine
pain medicine

Our "Little Kit":

antiseptic wipe packets
hydrocortisone ointment packets
pills, in sample packs or tiny jewelry ziptop bags
sterile gauze pad
adhesive bandages
safety pins
cough drops
headache medicine
stomachache medicine

...and you?

What'd I miss? What's in your first-aid kit? Any other fans of Doctor Burt's Res-Q Ointment? (I've had the tiny tin for 5+ years, use it all the time, and yet somehow have not run out yet! It was the "special cream" to help any and every 'owie' when I was a summer camp counselor... and my husband and I run to it for small cuts, too!)

Best Advent Links: Preparing for Christmas

2008-12-06T21:02:00.000+08:00

I love seasons... both for the way they attune us to life's rhythms and for how they refresh us with change. November 30th began the season of Advent (from Latin for "coming," as in, preparing for Jesus' coming). This week's link love focuses on simple ideas to help you prepare for the coming of Christmas!

Advent wreath by mawel on flickr

Here are the best Advent activities I found this week. Because it's important to me, these all focus on holidays that are handmade, meaningful, peaceful, or all three. What links would you add?

Feeling Crafty?

How to Make a Bunting from Joyful Abode
Christmas Tree Card Pattern from Makes and Takes
Holidays by Hand from Simple Mom

Ready to Read?

25 Storybook Surprises from Makes and Takes
Advent & Christmas Read-Aloud Book List from Teaching Mom
Advent Poems from John Piper

Late start on the Advent Calendar?

Our Advent Calendar from A Little Wonky
Countdown Calendar (Christmas, Hanukkah, or Winter Solstice) from maya*made
Advent Calendar from Wood Between the Worlds

Tried a Jesse Tree?

The Jesse Tree from Simple Mom
Make a Jesse Tree from Rocks in my Dryer
Jesse Tree Readings from CRI

And for the little ones?

A Different Kind of Advent from scrumdilly-do
Christmas Activity Garland from Problem Solvin' Mom
Make-your-own Nativity Stable from Disney Family

Tired of 'Buy, buy, buy'?

Advent Conspiracy
Rethinking Christmas
Buy Nothing Christmas
Buy Handmade

Enjoy!

...and you?

Have a link I might consider for a future top 10? Comment here or tag it for:simplyla to my delicious network with "top10".

What are you doing to prepare for this season (Christmas, winter, or whatever it is for you)?

Microwave Applesauce

2008-12-04T09:58:00.000+08:00

I finally remembered the apples I've had hidden in the freezer... the bruised ones were on sale for the equivalent of 6¢ a pound last week, and while everyone else passed them by, I thought: "applesauce!" Here's my recipe.

Green Apple by Y on flickr

Microwaved?

I've been making applesauce for months since we moved here (it's not in stores), but always end up with burnt gook on the bottom of the pot that I have to scrub out. One day I wondered, "can I make this in the microwave?," started clicking around online, and found several ideas. However, I like mine low- or no-sugar, so I've adjusted a combination of several recipes I found to result in this one.

The Ingredients

This is a per-apple recipe, so it's simple to multiply it times the number of apples you have:

* 1 medium apple
* 1 Tbsp water
* ½ tsp brown sugar (optional)
* ½ tsp butter
* ½ tsp cinnamon

The How-to

1 - Peel, chop, and core the apple
2 - Combine everything in a glass, microwave-safe bowl
3 - Microwave for 5 minutes, stir, and repeat til liquid's absorbed (about 10 minutes for the first 2 apples)

If you like it chunky, you're done! If you'd prefer smooth:

4 - Blend in a food processor until your preferred consistency

Uses?

I usually bake with applesauce replacing half the fats/oils in the recipe. Today I'm baking Apple-Raisin muffins. Of course, applesauce is a healthy snack too: one cup of homemade applesauce counts as a one-cup serving of fruit!

Your turn!

Try microwave applesauce, adjusted as needed (I've found applesauce in general to be very picky about humidity), and share what you think.

OR, share your favorite uses of applesauce: links to your blog posts or photos are welcome!

Tummy Tea

2008-12-02T10:12:00.001+08:00

Achy tummy days? My family's had several of those since we moved overseas at the beginning of this year. What do you do?

Peppermint Tea? by simply la (that's me!) on flickr

My husband's had a stomach ache, but we don't have any peppermint leaves to make him that soothing tea. So, this morning, I took some local Yunnan tea (Pu Er, it's actually getting quite famous) and steeped it with a soft peppermint, one of the few candies we still have left from the States. It actually turned out quite tasty, and with a gorgeous rosy color, though I'm not sure whether it had any of the medicinal qualities of a true Peppermint tea.

...and you?

What do YOU drink, eat, or do to soothe an aching tummy?

Weekend Snapshot #3

2008-11-29T22:48:00.000+08:00

This week, I've been reading, crafting, shopping, watching, learning, bookmarking, and printing. Here's the highlights I'd like to share: videos, sales, downloads, and tutorials from around the blogosphere and the wider world wide web.

♥ Is Beautiful, Hey! by Carbon NYC on flickr

Family

* Babywearing is the norm among the minority people where I live in rural China, so I loved the BabyCenter video!

* As the temps drop outside and in, I'm excited that it's time to bundle up in comfy winter wear. For some clothes-shopping deals, check out Amazon's $20 off Outerwear sale.

Home

* I like Almost Frugal's posts on taking care of your clothes and your appliances so they'll last longer.

* Check out Amazon's Holiday Sales for Kitchen & Home ... a lot of it is random, but they do have good deals on a George Foreman Removable-Plate Grill (great for quick, healthy meal prep), a 2 1/2 quart crockpot, and a money-saving yogurt maker.

Green

* From the online buzz, I can tell I'm not the only one fascinated by what I've read about "freeganism." What do you think?

* Reading Lighter Footstep's post on kitchen appliances reminded me of my post on implementing sustainable living. I wrote it before the actual launch of SimpleMakes, so it's one of those archived, comment-less posts. Why don't you check it out and give it a comment? :-)

Crafty

* As my husband and I finalized Thanksgiving travel plans, it was good to stop and enjoy some new crafty, meaningful holiday traditions.

* Bookmarking UK lass in US's "lazy" crayon roll tutorial, to try later for colored pencils.

That's it for this week! If you have a link I might like to feature in the future, tag it for:simplyla on delicious. If you're delicious-less, try email: send your idea to me here.

Multitasking

2008-11-27T09:30:00.000+08:00

As a home manager, we're all really good at... well, almost everything! Do our homes benefit when we do it all at once, though, or is there a better way?

Multitasking in the Park by CarbonNYC on Flickr

I've decided to nix multitasking from my life... mostly.

Let me be clear: I've always thought of myself as really, really good at multitasking. 10+ tabs open in Firefox, bread rising in the kitchen, laundry in the washer, embroidery in my hands, and a list of Chinese vocabulary I'm studying next to the keyboard. Oh, and the phone cradled between my shoulder and ear until I get a sore neck and tell my husband I'll call him back later. Efficient, right? Oh, the things I can check off my to-do list in an hour!

Strangely, though, I've become more and more aware in the past few months of the need to live in the moment. To listen to my husband, and only listen to my husband, when he's talking to me. To work on my latest embroidery project curled up on a comfy chair in the living room... no computer, 'background noise,' or even music. Just my hands, the fabric and thread, and a mind clear of distractions to focus on thinking about the recipient of the gift, praying for him or her, and putting love and thought into each detail of the current project.

Oh, and you know what the strange thing is? Ever since I've decided to try out one-at-a-time tasking, I've actually begun to check EVERYthing off my to-do list, almost EVERY day. Who would've thought!?

It's not just me!

Lest I imply anti-multitasking is a "Me-Original," check out these links which also promote NOT multitasking:

* Time Magazine on The Multitasking Generation
* NPR with Think you're Multitasking? Think Again
* Zen Habits' 7 Habits Essential for Tackling the Multitasking Virus

...and you?

What do you think of doing one thing at a time, rather than everything at once? What would happen to your home and your life if you slowed down and focused on a single task at hand? Let's chat: share thoughts (whether you agree or think it's impossible) in the comments.

Winter Health for Families

2008-11-25T09:29:00.000+08:00

I've heard the wive's tales, the doctors' research, and the modern-day talk about cold weather. It's hard to sort fact from fiction in what others say, but it's clear to me what's true in my life: I get really tired during the winter!

Hey Winter!... by HAMED MASOUMI on flickr

Question

As the temperatures began dropping in our town here in rural China, my husband and I started noticing the same thing: we wanted to sleep all the time. 10:30pm as a bedtime suddenly seemed unnecessarily late. Getting out of bed in the morning got a lot harder. We felt kind of lazy, and I wondered what was up: were we just losing our usual motivation because it was so cold both inside and out, or do we humans actually need more sleep in the winter?

Answers

My online findings were mixed, but two apparently reliable sources came to the same conclusion: though we don't hibernate like some mammals, our bodies have an internal clock based on the sun's presence and absence. When the sun goes down sooner, our nights last longer, so it's natural for us to sleep more. The Total Wellbeing Blog says "don't be too hard on yourself when you can't drag yourself out of bed as quick on those colder, darker mornings," and the UK's NHS suggests using winter as a time to improve your health by finally getting the sleep you actually need all year round.

What to do?

Since we still have jobs, families, and other committments, we can't simply sleep the days away just because it feels good. Here are some of my family's tricks to keep warm and active during these cold days. Share your own in the comments!

* DO sleep! - Getting enough sleep, even if we don't during the rest of the year, seems to help us stay active during the hours we should.

* Hot water - When I'm cold, my tendency is to snack on something carb-y, which just keeps me going for a little while and then drains me of energy soon after that. I've found that drinking hot water - the temperature you would use to make tea or coffee - is actually a sweet and pleasant treat that makes me feel warm all over.

* Heating pads - In a place like we live where homes don't have heating, all the stores are selling heating pads to keep your hands warm. I like to put mine on my feet while I type. Make your own with TipNut's instructions.

* Walking - My husband and I always love after-dinner walks, but during this time of the year we like morning walks, afternoon walks, and pre-dinner walks, too! Getting moving gets our bodies warm, and, if the sun's out, our apartment's probably colder, anyway!

* Layer clothing - You've heard this one a million times, so I'll just share one tip: knee-highs under regular socks are GREAT in the winter because you can pull them up to your knee while you're outside, and, if you are blessed with a warm indoors, just push them down to your ankles. Easier than taking off heavy socks that make your feet sweat inside.

* Electric blanket - We're forming a habit of turning the electric blanket on 30 minutes before we want to go to bed (and of course we turn it off before getting in). This way, we don't go to bed too soon, because we want it to be warm when we get in! Electric blankets are also more energy-efficient than heating the whole room, so they're better on the environment and your pocketbook.

* Warm breakfast - It's a lot easier for me to get out of bed in the morning if I know warm food is just minutes away. I've been making my own "instant oatmeal" packets and keeping plenty so I can eat it with breakfast every day.

...and you?

What are your winter tips? Share 'em in the comments so we can all benefit!

Focusing Simple Makes

2008-11-22T09:46:00.002+08:00

Suddenly things seem crystal clear to me... by annia316 on flickr

Since I launched Simple Makes on September 14, 2008, I've played around with different post formats, page layouts, topics, post frequency, and content. I've blogged recipes, book reviews, printable how-to guides, links to craft tutorials, photos from my home, and thoughts on simplicity.

As I write and look at the response (both mine and that I see in visits & comments), I've finally settled on what you can expect when you come to Simple Makes:

Tuesdays, I will blog about simple & green living for families, based on what my family's been doing together. Posts on family activities, travel, and crafts for kids fit in this category.

Posts I've written that would fit into this category include:
* Puzzle People Game
* Enjoy your Family... without Spending a Cent!
* Packing Light Tips

Thursdays, I will blog about simple & green living for homes, based on what we've been doing in our home. Cleaning tips, composting, and recipes fit in this category.

Posts I've written that would fit into this category include:
* Energy & Air Leaks
* Shower Supply Simplification
* Apartment Composting

Saturdays, I will blog short posts on any simple or green living topic, mostly using photos & links. Weekend snapshots, announcements of giveaways or special deals, and link love-type posts fit in this category. I'll also reserve posts like "On Simplicity" for Saturdays.

Posts I've written that would fit into this category include:
* Weekend Snapshots #1, 2
* Top 10 Craft Tutorials
* Simple Living or Giving Up?

Tuesday & Thursday posts are my content, based on what my life's been like, written in a way that you can use what I've done and learned, too!

For Saturday posts, I need your help. What'd you blog about this week? What's your Etsy store got on sale? What nifty link did you run across this week that I'd love, too? The best way to get my attention is to tag it for:simplyla on delicious. If you're delicious-less, try email: send your idea to me here.

Hope you're enjoying the way Simple Makes is going; comment to share your thoughts & ideas!

Simple Cooking: Top 5 Cookbooks

2008-11-20T21:15:00.000+08:00

Thanks to some talented and creative chefs, my husband's desire for great taste and mine for simple prep & clean-up don't have to clash when we go to our cookbooks. Check out our "top 5" and share your own recommendations.

The first Loaves! by Patchwork Pottery on Flickr

Our Cooking Story

My husband loves to cook: he grows herbs and knows the difference between various seasonings and spices; he scours Allrecipes.com, Recipezaar, and subscribes to Taste of Home in his reader. Whatever it is, he's willing to cook it so long as it produces delicious results.

As for me, I stick to baking, which I find relaxing; homemade rice-a-roni-like mixes, which are ready in just minutes; and recipes which call for dumping a few ingredients in the crockpot and eating it several hours later.

Here are the only 5 cookbooks we have; our "must-haves" when it comes to simple ingredients, simple prep, and even simple clean-up! Though we have delicious cookbooks, we reference these paper copies constantly and highly recommend at least the first 4 on the list for every simple chef (don't worry, the resulting dishes & flavors are anything but simple). Share your favorite cookbooks in the comments.

Note: Unlike some lists I write, these ARE ranked in order of how useful they are / how often I reference them. My husband would rank # 5 as # 1, but I don't consider it truly simple or worth buying unless you know (or are!) a serious chef.

1. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day - I could write a whole post on this one, but let me just say this: a) I love baking, b) I even love kneading, but c) I don't have a lot of time for doing so. Enter Artisan Bread in 5, flour, yeast, water, and salt, and I get to give my husband the french, wheat, and even flatbreads he misses from back home without having to wash anything but a glass measuring cup, a plastic bowl, and a spoon. And it really does take just minutes. Simple.

2. The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook - As the book's subtitle says, it's not just white, brown, and wild rices; pilafs, risottos, polenta, chilis, soups, porridges, puddings, and more all come from simple recipes in this great buy. Of course, you'll need a rice cooker for this one, but if you use it for this book's recipes plus those you can find online, a rice cooker's really a bargain home appliance.

3. Top Secret Recipes books - We have the out-of-print "Classics," but I hear the others are just as good. Often called "copycat" recipes, we're often looking these up online: how do I make french fries like my favorite fast food chain? How about "The Soup Nazi"'s famous soups? Todd Wilbur, who authors the Top Secret Recipes books, puts out very complete collections of well-done imitation recipes, many of which allow us to make our favorites with 'normal' ingredients we can get here.

4. George Foreman Grill recipes - I haven't actually bought the cookbook, but the paper booklet that came with our grill has several tasty, simple, healthy recipes I cook again and again. We have the smaller grill, though with the popular removable plate grill currently $50 off on amazon (comes with a grill, griddle, waffle iron, sandwich maker, and baking plate), I'd sure like to upgrade!

5. On Cooking - Literally a textbook. 1440 pages. On sale for $80. It's linked if you're interested, but truly, this is the cookbook for the serious chef hobbyist. Nonetheless, my husband uses the book all the time, so I couldn't leave it out (plus, who's ever heard of a "top 4" list?). It is simple in its own way - diagrams and tutorials carefully explain how to use each cut of meat, herb, and piece of produce, so you won't be stuck with a "1 can of this, 2 packages of that" type recipe. If you want to understand the significance of each item you put in a dish and make recipes of your own, this may be your book. I have to admit to having read the baking chapter to get a better grasp on what goes on with the yeasts and leavenings and to troubleshoot some problems I had at our new high-altitude home. But let me repeat again... you'd better be serious about cooking for this one to be a good investment!

6, 7, 8, 9, 10? Your Turn!

What "simple" (in whatever way you define that word) cookbook do you reference all the time? Don't keep the secrets to yourself; let us know what we may be missing out on! Links to reviews of cookbooks on your blog are welcome as well. Just please, share!

Playing Green: Sustainability Education Game

2008-11-17T09:49:00.003+08:00

How fun can sustainability be? ElectroCity brings decisions about green living into a simulator webgame that, while slow at first, teaches realistic lessons while you have fun in the city you get to run.

"Easy to play, hard to master"

Those weighty words jump out at me from the instruction page for a stimulating simulator webgame, ElectroCity. Why?

Though the game is targeted to school students, the idea behind it plus the fact that real-world sustainable living, too, is "easy to play, hard to master," stirred my interest enough to send me reading through the how-to and starting my own town, Coziville.

What's the big idea?

“We recognise the importance of sustainable energy generation, energy efficiency and environmental management. We want to help people think about these subjects laterally, and what better way than to experience them first-hand and see the impacts of your decisions,” says Genesis Energy Chief Executive Murray Jackson, whose company funds ElectroCity.

That is a big idea!

My Review

While definitely not the fast-paced game play you'd expect if you're a veteran of popular city simulator games (partly because, realistically, you start with little money so it's a bit hard to get going), this game does a lot for critical thinking and helping players think about the result of their choices. From the how-to: "You need to balance your city’s growth with its environmental impact. Your citizens need electricity and jobs, but they also love their clean green image. So you get to decide whether that forest should be made into a national park or logged and turned into an aluminum smelter." Sound realistic? It is.

To play

Visit their site and, after reading the instructions, click "Start a new game," name your town, and start making decisions! Most relate to the balance between bringing in money and maintaining a pleasant (and sustainable) environment. All make me chuckle. (You can ban TV or set the town curfew at 8pm in order to save electricity... if you don't mind what your citizens think!)
If you're short on time, don't worry; you don't have to register or give an e-mail address, but when you want to save, you'll be given a code to enter when you get back.

... and you?

Your turn! Start your town and comment here what you think about it. Genesis Energy is considering funding a version 2 if there's enough interest, and they'll take into account user suggestions for an improved ElectroCity. And if you make it to the scoreboard, share your town name so we can go check it out!

If you know of another resource for teaching kids (and us not-so-kid-like people) about energy and sustainability, share it here. I'd love to check it out!

Kids & Pigs: Book Review

2008-11-13T16:22:00.001+08:00

Oscar the Pig goes to China! Ooops, that's not right, but since I live in China, I do love that part... before I give away the rest of the book, here's my review.

Last week, I got to read Megan Calhoun's new book, Oscar the Pig: Mommy Goes to Work. It's the first in an upcoming series and is full of cute piggy illustrations like the one above.

Who's it For?

Megan wrote Oscar the Pig for both kids and parents. Kids whose Moms are returning to work will identify with Oscar, and kids and parents alike will giggle at the cute artwork, including "piggy kisses" shared by Oscar and his Mommy pig. It's also good for people like me who love China, thanks to a special visit and introduction to a Chinese Panda whom Oscar befriends (I'm only partly joking)!

What's it Teach?

Oscar's panda friend, Chow Chow, reminds Oscar and your kids that even though Mommy's gone at work, she'll always come home and always loves her little piggy (or, kiddie :-D). Megan also wants the book to give moms practical techniques to help ease the transition, but I think a supplemental page in the book or online would better help us make the jump from 'what Oscar's mom did in the book' to 'what I should do every day.'

Is it Simple?

I love to see kids' books that are just that: kids'. Oscar the Pig teaches and comforts kids without any jargon (well, except one humorous reference for the parents about "bringing home the bacon"). The illustrations, apparently pencil and watercolor, are colorful but simple, the kind of art you could use to inspire your child to get creative: suggesting, "draw for me what fun things you will do while I'm gone!," could result in a beautiful, magical scene like Oscar experiences with his caretaker.

That said, and though I realize that books take a lot of work to produce and materials to prepare for publishing, I feel that this, like most new children's books, carries a bit of a high price tag for a 32-page story. It's still a great idea for families who are about to go through Oscar's situation, but I personally (who am not in that situation) would wait to buy it until some more books come out in the series; as a set, Oscar could become a child's favorite character.

Mom's Perspective

Pamela Kramer, whose little one is struggling with separation anxiety right now, wrote about the book on BabyCenter and shared that it's exactly what her family needed. Read her review here and draw your own conclusions!

...and you?

A few questions:
1) what's your favorite educational childrens' book?
2) what topic do you wish you could find a book on to help your kids?
3) is it just me, or are children's books really expensive!?

If you do purchase Oscar the Pig: Mommy Goes to Work, buy from Amazon through one of my links, and you'll be helping support Simple Makes while you're at it!

Simple Living or Giving Up?

2008-11-10T21:48:00.002+08:00

best of friends.. by Sir Mervs on flickr

I found this forum thread on WiseBread.com forums several months ago and have followed it ever since. Go check it out and join the discussion: do people live simply because they enjoy the simple life, or because they 'can't any do better'?

...and you?

I'd love to see a lively debate in the comments section right here, as well, so comment away!

Efficient Packing List

2008-11-06T10:33:00.001+08:00

Suitcases by malias on Flickr

As I said in the first part of this packing light series, the key to packing light is a personalized, ever-evolving packing list. Yours won't look just like what I use, but here's mine as a guide to writing your own. Use the links to springpad-it and make it your own!

My Packing List

bag must be: less than 20 lbs/9kg
even better (my goal): less than 10 lbs/4.5 kg

to wear:
* comfy pants
* layered shirts (tie warmer layer around waist if it's not cold yet)
* 4 elastic hair bands around wrist (for braids or repairs later)
* watch with alarm
* pantyliner (if it'll be awhile before I can change, i.e. international flights)

clothes:
* 1 pair sleep shorts OR pants
* shirts (1 for every other day)
* pants (wear 1, pack 1)
* underclothing
* socks (only if bringing sneakers)

toiletries:
* travel-size toothpaste, baby powder, shampoo
* toothbrush, small comb
* husband's earplugs, my eyeglasses (only if destination involves reading, i.e. conferences)
* napkins
* diva cup (only if... well, you know)

first-aid kit:
* bandaids
* allergy medicine
* tummy medicine
* head medicine
* cough drops
* antiseptic towelettes
* small squares of clean gauze
* safety pins

entertainment/electronics:
* journal, Bible, pencil
* 1 book OR 1 craft
* (for longish flights) ds OR iPod
* camera, cell phone

snacks (only enough for the first flight):
* granola
* granola bars
* dried fruits
* crackers
* refillable water bottle - emptied before flight security

etc.:
* money
* ID
* paperwork (official, as needed, plus directions to destinations, letterboxes, books, etc.)
* empty tote back (only if planning purchases)
* charger to electronics
* electronics’ accessories (memory card, ds games)

... and you?

What did I leave out? Comment with your mini-list or modifications to mine. I'd especially like tips from light travelers with kids!

October Simplicity

2008-11-01T21:30:00.000+08:00

October in Review

Fall Sampler by *Micky on Flickr

Even though I was away during October, you guys sure weren't!

Most people came for...
1. craft tutorials
2. apartment composting how-to's
3. knitting
4. recycling
5. asking me questions!

Most of you were referred by...
1. Craftster
2. Simple Mom
3. Lighter Footstep on Twitter
4. Lovely Duckling
5. Rob's World

...though even more people came directly to www.SimpleMakes.com!

Upcoming November

I have two series in the works: one on packing light (as we begin traveling for holidays!) and one on letterboxing, a favorite family activity.

...and you?

What do you come to Simple Makes to read? What isn't here, that you wish was? And, most immediately, what green or crafty series would you like in November? I'd really like to knit socks for this winter, so I'm in search of an online tutorial (comment links here and/or tag for:simplyla on delicious), plus I'm looking for a few more ideas!

Packing Light Tips

2008-10-30T10:19:00.005+08:00

So, you're taking a trip? Here's how to not stress by packing light & packing efficiently.

Flo getting ready for Japan by Henrik Moltke on flickr

Tip # 1: Start Now with a Packing List

I never write a packing list before a trip... because I have one from years ago that I use every time!

Using a packing list is my number 1 efficient- and light- packing tip. It saves you from all the heavy, last-minute, unnecessary items you throw in "just in case."

How do you make a packing list? Pay attention to what you use. For your very first packing list, keep a piece of paper and pencil handy with you for one week. Write down everything you use that you would use away from home, too (toiletries? yes. Kitchen appliances? No.)

At the end of this week, review. Categorize the items on your list as you go through it, with some common sense in tow, too: you don't really need 5 forms of entertainment on the plane, even if you engaged in that many over the past week (see tip # 8).

This packing list grows and evolves as you travel. I'm usually crossing items off when I return from a trip with, for example, unused binoculars or extra clothing I could have done without.

Tip # 2: Avoid checked bags

I personally recommend only packing a carry-on for trips; checked bags are for moving to a new home or transporting cargo (like a suitcase full of gifts you’re delivering while on a trip). Carry-on-only packing lets you keep everything with you and reduces waiting time.... and it encourages you to pack light!

Tip # 3: Good Luggage

I always use a sturdy daypack. Some people prefer a small, carry-on size suitcase with wheels, but I find that since sidewalks aren’t perfectly even, ramps aren’t always available, and people tend to trip over rolling suitcases, a backpack works much better. Plus, I can always dump out the contents during the day and carry the pack on a shopping or hiking trip!

Tip # 4: Don't Double-Pack

Any shopping plans during your trip? Don't waste space by packing something you'll buy there, just to need that much space again for the new purchase. If you plan to buy a souvenir shirt, pack one less shirt, and wear the new purchase during your trip. If you know and like the local snacks (or are adventurous!), only pack enough to get you through the first flight.

Tip # 5: Limit Clothing

I used to come home from each trip with at least one shirt I never wore. As you're moving around, you quickly realize you can wear your clothes longer than you might at home. You're traveling, so only people with you (hopefully people who love you!) will see what you wear each and every day.

For weekend trips up to 10 days, I generally take the number of mornings I’ll be getting dressed away from home, divide it by two if it’ll be hot (i.e. I'll be sweating more) or four of it’ll be cold, and bring that number of shirts, including the one I wear the morning I leave. I never pack an extra pair of shoes, and if weather permits, I wear sandals to double as shower flip-flops and to avoid the need for socks.

If you’re willing to wash your clothes in the sink or shower some nights, you can even get by with just two of everything: one to wear while the other’s drying. Of course, consider special circumstances (business meetings or events where you have to dress up) when you pack for your trip.

Tip # 6: Think about Materials

Denim is not a traveler’s friend. It gets uncomfortable on planes and trains, takes forever to dry if you get stuck in a rainstorm, and uses a lot of room in your bag. Try light cotton (layered with long underwear for colder climates) clothing instead.

Tip # 7: Wear it, Don't Pack It

Several things you might want to pack could be more efficiently brought on your body. I usually bring just one long-sleeve shirt, which I can tie around my waist until I arrive at the cool-climate destination. I also wear a watch (yes, it's for kids) with an alarm rather than packing a separate alarm.

Tip # 8: Enjoy the People & Places (not your suitcase's contents!)

Remember the packing list from tip # 1? During your week-long list-writing, it’s likely you read a book, watched a movie on your laptop, knitted a scarf, looked through a magazine, listened to music, and drew a picture... but assuming you’re not traveling somewhere to sit idle in an empty room, you probably need only enough entertainment to keep the family happy on the plane ride. I like bringing one book to read and one activity to share, like a notebook with colored pencils or, our family favorite, the Settlers of Catan: Travel Edition. Even the book can be left behind if I look up some Bookcrossing spots ahead of time.

Tip # 9: Tiny Toiletries

A lot of pro-Green folks discourage using those tiny plastic toiletry bottles, but to be honest, you probably already have them. Little toothpaste tubes show up as free samples in the mail, you or your friends probably have hotel shampoo and body wash bottles, etc. Almost all of these are refillable (I try to NOT use the single-use, throw-away plastic shampoo envelopes from hotels), so you can use them again and again. I find that the airline's liquid regulations are sufficient for enough toiletries to last 2 weeks, and if you're traveling longer than that, you should probably just borrow or buy more while you're out, anyway.

Tip # 10: Ummm...

I haven't decided yet! Comment with your favorite travel tip, and I'll post the one I like best.

Inspiration from Others

One Bag
Simple Mom on Packing Light with Kids
ohdeedoh on Traveling with Children
Transitions Abroad

"To know what to leave out and what to put in; just where and just how, ah, that is to have been educated in the knowledge of simplicity."

-Frank Lloyd Wright

Creative Family + Doodle Stitching

2008-10-28T21:26:00.005+08:00

Reading, doodling, embroidering, and sewing. It's been a crafty, inspired, month!

Just before I left, I finished reading The Creative Family (SUPER book, even for no-kids-yet families like mine!), and completed my first project by hanging the Inspiration Line above. I hope it becomes more "inspiring" as time goes on!

This blue fabric from the left side of the inspiration line is now an almost-complete cell phone holder: I used the pattern from Doodle Stitching (which is FULL of cute patterns and ideas, most of which I actually want to make!) and plan to modify it (different design) for an iPod case to make my husband next week.

This brights-on-muslin embroidery from the right side of the inspiration line is my new sampler: I tried out sorts of stitches taught in Doodle Stitching, some of them which I already knew but also lots that were new to me. The book is FULL of beautifully illustrated photographs to teach a great assortment of stitches, both decorative and practical.

...and you?

What's your crafty side been up to this last month? Any Christmas-gift projects you're beginning? Share about 'em here, and post photos in our flickr group!

Travel & Tumble

2008-10-15T11:25:00.002+08:00

I'm back! Only until Sunday, though, so keep asking questions (about ANYthing!) for me to answer when I return.

Simple Pleasures

We saw the sites, ate the food, spent the money. My favorite moment, though, was a simple one... on a letterboxing hike, we found this beach and were the only ones there. We played in the sand, sorted through the seashells, climbed the rocks, and got our toes wet. Check out my flickr account for more trip highlights.

Coming Soon

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on packing efficiently (packing light!), in answer to Whitney's comment on the "Ask me!" post.

I'm also researching for a good cartooning how-to resource. I'd like to answer 's question, plus, inspired by reading The Creative Family, I might like to learn this creative art form myself!

Since I mentioned letterboxing, I'll go ahead and let you know that a series of posts is in the works and will be featured this November.

Other News

I checked my site stats this morning and was excited to see I'd been featured at ecoTumble, the Tumblr site from Lighter Footstep, a blog I subscribe to. (To quote: We think there’s a strong connection between “green” and simple living. So we love Lori Ann’s Simple Makes blog...) Thank you so much!

Ask me!

2008-10-10T07:27:00.002+08:00

Questioned Proposal by Eleaf on Flickr

I'll be away traveling for a week, so I'd like to ask you to do something: ask me a question!

Ask about anything: how to do a project, a home repair, how to make your home more green, what my favorite crafting book is, etc. I'd like to come back with comments that generate ideas for new posts as I answer each and every question!

Thanks to all, and enjoy the week!

Weekend Snapshot #2

2008-10-08T07:00:00.004+08:00

This weekend, my father-in-law came to visit for my husband's birthday. He brought in several books, plus 100 Organ needles, which I've ordered over the past months!

Each of the books was recommended to me, so I'm super excited about them. I've broken all but one needle on my sewing machine since we've moved here, and I can only find industrial needles to buy, so I ordered a bulk package online. (Of course, 100 needles still doesn't take up very much room!)

The items include:

Devotional Classics

Treasuring God in Our Traditions

Doodle Stitching

Organ Needles

The Creative Family

*I'm an Amazon affiliate, so I get a small commission if you buy anything on Amazon after clicking one of those links. If you're in the market for an Amazon order, please help me out by going through my links! Check out the new Amazon Green program for sustainable products.

...and you?

What was your weekend snapshot? Share photos at our flickr group and comment here with the story!

Also, if you have any book recommendations for a future Amazon purchase, let me know... the best books always seem to come from referrals, and we don't have much in the way of English-language books here!

Recycling Everything Else

2008-10-02T07:43:00.000+08:00

Okay, so you already know how to recycle. If you're living in a city with a recycling program, you put your paper in a bin, and your glass in one, and aluminum... but what about the CDs, broken electronics, and keys?

Make Play Day by Peter Kaminski on Flickr

My dad told me that our hometown hosted an "E-waste" drive last month. How exciting! Residents usually have to drive their electronics outside of town and pay to have them properly disposed of. For one day, though, citizens could bring their old electronics to the fairgrounds for free, where volunteers helped unload it all. Last January's drive, our newspaper reports, 92,000 pounds of electronics were collected, thus saved from the landfill!

Recycle It!

For everywhere else, everything else, and all the other times of the year, we still get stuck with unusable items we don't want ending up in landfills. Here's a list of items you can recycle, each linked to a site where you can send it. I tried to only include free programs (some even pay you or donate to charity!), though I can't guarantee they won't change.

batteries, rechargeable
bikes
books
CDs
cell phones
CFL lightbulbs
classroom supplies
computers/monitors
digitial cameras
DVDs *
eyeglasses
hearing aids
keys
laptops & other computers by mail
laptops & other computers nationwide drop-off
pagers *
pda's *
printer cartridges (inket & laser)
TVs
wheelchairs

(*'s mean it's the same link as a previously listed one, so if you're clicking 'em all instead of just searching for the items you have to recycle, you don't get a bunch of duplicates)

Even More

For local drop-off locations for the above items and others, run a search on Earth 911. It'll tell you the nearest spot that accepts an item for recycling!

Many manufacturers have their own programs for the electronics they produce. Find those here.

As of March 17th, 2008, the US Postal Service is piloting a program that lets you drop e-waste into a free envelope which is sent (also for free) to be recycled. See if you're in one of the pilot areas.

Not everything you're done with is useless. Read about it at Share the Technology, which is full or links to places you can donate those electronics you can't use anymore.

...and you?

Do you know of other free recycling resources? Comment with the url and I'll add it to this list!

Weekend Snapshot #1

2008-09-30T14:30:00.004+08:00

Weekend snapshots: My life, one weekend photo at a time, 'cause life is beautiful and so is sharing.

Preparing the table for lunch as my husband cooked this weekend, I decided it would be much more fun if I was conscious about how I set the table: angling the chopsticks, alternating the spoons, putting the pear slices in a crystal (well, pretend crystal) bowl, and lining the bread basket with a pretty towel. It made lunch more fun!

I'm still new to blogging but would sure love some comments. Please go ahead! Log-in not required.

Share your weekend snapshots in words (via the comments) or photos (via the flickr group). Enjoy!

Puzzle People

2008-09-26T07:49:00.001+08:00

It was my turn to plan family night, and I had a craving for arts & crafts, while I knew my husband would be in the mood for games and competition. Thankfully, I found a great combo in the Puzzle People Game!

I got the idea for Puzzle People from Scrumdilly-do's Boredom Busters: Crazy Creatures post. You can follow her thorough & colorful how-to there; basically, you want to:

1. Line up index cards (we did 3) and draw one character across the three: head, body, and legs/feet. It's okay if it's not humanoid, so long as it can fit across the cards.
2. We then wrote "head" "body" and "feet" on the back sides, but won't do this next time - see below.
3. Mix up the cards.
4. Make up games to play with them! Use your imagination, use her ideas, or try mine, below.
5. Keep 'em for more fun later - we used a simple plastic zip-top bag.

Our Games

Game #1. Story Telling:
After separately drawing our characters, we introduced each with a little (funny) story. The body (middle card) in the photo above, for example, is a young chef who loves cooking, mixing, and his fun checkered pants.

Game #2. Crazy People:
We mixed up the heads in one stack, bodies in one stack, and feet in one stack, all upsidedown. Because we could tell by handwriting what was what, we dealt them out rather than choosing cards (next time we'll leave off the backs). We each had one minute to come up with a name for the newly-created person, along with a story about why they look the way they do.

Game #3. Build-a-Person: We shuffled all the cards together and dealt 5 to each player. The goal was to get a complete, matching, head-body-feet character.
We held our cards so only we could see them and, in "Go Fish" fashion, asked, "Do you have a _____?" Since we not kids, asking "Do you have a bee," "Do you have a car," etc. would be too easy, so we could only ask for body parts.
"Do you have a head? Body? Feet?" If the player had any, they had to pick one and give it to you. If they didn't have one, you drew one from the top of the card pile. Either way, you always ended your turn by discarding one card to the bottom of the draw pile so that your hand ended back up with 5 cards.
The winner, of course, is whoever first puts together a complete, matching person!
This was a fun, silly, game since you didn't have a lot of control over what you got, and you had crazy looking people in your hand the whole game.

...and you?

Share links or ideas in the comments section with other games you get to make & then play. You can also upload Puzzle People photos to the flickr group!

Energy & Air Leaks

2008-09-25T08:52:00.003+08:00

Remember last winter's cold, drafty nights? What about the electricity bills as you tried to force out the low temperatures? Getting rid of air leaks is a first step to raise the inside temp while lowering energy use!

creepy house in kansas by venturist on flickr

Air Leaks?

Locating and sealing your home's air leaks is green, because you're using less energy. It's also frugal, because less energy means lower energy bills. Thankfully, it's simple, too, because the air that makes your house cool is air that's easy to identify!

I was glad this week to find the link (in a 5 minutes for going green article) to a DIY guide for conducting a home energy audit. Because I live in an apartment and don't have a heater, not all the tips are relevant to me (though check it out if you own a home and can add insulation or replace outdated heating systems).

What I can do, though, is seal up air leaks. Here's how.

What to Do

1) Find air leaks
2) Caulk & seal air leak sources

To find air leaks, the how-to guide suggests a pressurization test, which you can read about in the article. Basically, you close off everything (door, windows, etc.) and then feel for spots where air is still moving (a wet hand will feel cold). Make sure to read the directions first for a few tips and warnings.

The guide then explains which types of cracks should be caulked and which should be sealed. Because it is dangerous for combustion appliances to not have enough air, you need to read the details in the article to make sure you're not sealing necessary vents.

Anything else?

As an added bonus, If you're like me and battle insects inside (which take advantage of some of those leaks, like windowsill cracks) during other seasons of the year, you'll take care of that problem at the same time, too!

...and you?

Share your links or tips for other ways to reduce energy use during the cold months. I'll meet you in the comments section!

Shower Supply Simplification

2008-09-23T07:33:00.002+08:00

Swimming in unused beauty products that cost too much? Spending your shower time digging through bottles of products, many of which seem to do the same thing? Decide what you really need, and next time you’re shopping, keep your list short!

Grocery shopping by ralphbijker on flickr

Beauty product aisles baffle me. I turn one way to a wall of liquids that will make my hair shine; behind me are shelves of scented lotions. If I pause for a moment’s thought, a helpful salesclerk is at my side, praising the advantages of the more expensive brand.

Fellow advocates of sustainable living often recommend choosing personal care products with a simpler ingredient list. Many companies offer “natural” products. I could give you dozens of recipes to make your own shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and lotions.

At the end of the day, though, whether filled with name-brand, all-natural, or homemade products, a cluttered shower is neither visually appealing nor very efficient.

I asked other simple living and green living bloggers, “If you could have just 3 beauty or health products in your shower, what would remain?”, and compiled the overall results:

1. shampoo
2. soap
3. nothing!

I was surprised, but most people either already use only soap and shampoo (forgoing conditioner and shaving with either the soap or shampoo), or decided that once they got rid of a bunch of stuff, they really didn't need a 3rd item. I'll share about my own shower in a future post.

Popular brands include Korres, Burt's Bees, and your local Farmer's Market sellers!

...and you?

What about all the other stuff? Cremes, conditioners, gels, butters, salts, cleansers, and so on? Why do we have them; are they necessary? What are your 3-to-keep's?

Knit -n- Help

2008-09-19T07:08:00.003+08:00

Teach yourself to knit with the best beginner’s guide I’ve ever seen - and help some beautiful babies while you’re at it!

Baby in a cute yellow knitted hat by soylentgreen23 on flickr

I can knit, as the result of a fun craft book + a super friend... but I’m no expert. Thanks to the UK’s charity organization Save the Children, my lack of skill and, if it’s the case, yours, is no excuse not to use knitting to protect newborn babies around the world!

Save the Children’s Knit Kit gives you everything to get started in 5 free, full-color, printable, PDF pages: simplified knitting terms, a beginner’s guide with clear photographs for every step of knitting, and a pattern for your first project. Besides learning a new craft, the pattern is for a hat which, as explained in the Knit Kit, can save a newborn from dying of pneumonia.

...and you?

I’m heading to my local yarn store to find some nice wool. Want to join in? Post pictures of your hat-in-progress at our the Simple Makes flickr group. I’d like to feature some fellow hat-knitters in a future article; if you’re interested, post the photos with Creative Commons licensing and comment on this post with a link. Knitting questions & tips welcome in the comment section too. Enjoy!

Subscribing: Really Simple!

2008-09-18T09:07:00.005+08:00

I was never particularly interested in subscribing to blogs until I read that RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication." It had me at the word simple. Here's the how to & the why to for using RSS readers.

Laptop Keyboard by DeclanTM on Flickr

How To

1. Choose & sign up for a reader: Downloadable software is available but I prefer keeping online things online. Try Bloglines, Google Reader (just use your Google account name), or My Yahoo. I'm currently moving over from Bloglines to Google Reader.

2. Add blogs: See the orange logo on the top right-hand corner of this page? Clicking that logo anywhere on the web will allow you to subscribe to the website where you found it. You might sometimes see text instead: look for "subscribe to feed," "xml," "rss," "atom," or "subscribe with (name of reader)," and click there. Do this on all the sites you frequent - hopefully including Simple Makes!

If you can't find that logo on the website itself, Firefox users can use the find the RSS logo (blue instead of orange in the current version of Firefox) to the right of the address bar url.

3. Organize blogs: If this is going to be a time-saving tool, you don't want a long unmanageable list of website titles. In bloglines, I use the folders (create 'em on the left toolbar). I have a folder per blog topic I like to read: one for home, family, green, craft, and web2.0. I also have a personal category for my friends' blogs. Every day I limit myself to opening and reading only one folder. I subscribe to a LOT of blogs, but this way I can read every blog I like at least once a week. Also, I can weigh whether to keep subscribing to a particular blog; if it hasn't had any content I'm interested in during the whole week, I may unsubscribe.

SimpleMom also has an excellent (and more visual) post on rss readers: read hers here.

Why To

What used to take hours, pre-RSS readers, now takes no time at all. You'll save precious time:
* typing in one website (your reader) instead of the url for every single blog you like
* never gingo to a blog that hasn't been updated since when you last checked
* never rereading a post with realizing it
* never digging through your history to find that url you can never remember
* seeing all the blogs displayed at once, making it easier to scan through them all to find just posts you're interested in reading
* by clicking "keep" or "save" instead of bookmarking every single post you want to reread later

Simple Makes Feed

What a convenient time to say, I’d love to have you subscribe to the Simple Makes RSS feed! Just click that link or the big orange button at the top-right of every page.

...and you?

I’m just getting started with Google Reader and haven’t tried the others. Share your thoughts on the pro’s and con’s of each tool and method of reading RSS feeds in the comments here. Or, if you’re not keen on the idea of using subscriptions to read blogs, let me know why! I'll also try to answer your questions and help with any trouble you run into while trying to subscribe.

Pomegranate Energy Snack

2008-09-16T16:18:00.006+08:00

Hungry as I walked home tonight, I resisted the temptation to pick up convenience (i.e., junk) food and decided to mix up something healthy that would give me the calcium, fruit, and whole grains that I hadn’t had all day... and satisfy my sweet tooth, too!

Pomegranate by Swami Stream on Flickr

The Recipe

• 80 ml (1/3 c.) rolled oats, toasted
• 40 ml (3 Tbsp) pomegranate seeds
• 75 ml (5 Tbsp) yogurt, plain
• 5 ml (1 tsp) honey
• opt. dried or fresh chopped fruit

Put it all in a small bowl. Stir. Eat! Makes enough for one not-too-hungry person (so you might want to double it, or more).

Download It

If you'd like to print a recipe page, I've uploaded a free printable PDF at Scribd. Enjoy!

...and you?

Try it out! What other grains or fruits (fresh or dry) would sub well in this one?

If you make this delicious snack, you’re welcome to add a photo to our flickr group!

Enjoy your Family... without Spending a Cent!

2008-09-16T07:35:00.003+08:00

How do you plan memorable family time without adding a huge budget item - “Movies, the Zoo, and Amusement Parks”? Read my favorite ideas and comment with your own.

Munchkin by macinate on flickr

* Read Together - I don’t even have kids, but my husband and I like to read to one another! Funny stories, folktales, all the DK educational books, and anything else you can borrow or pull off your bookshelf makes for a great time, whether just before bed or any other time. I have great memories of my dad reading a chapter of Alice in Wonderland to my sister and me every night for weeks.

* Take a Walk - My husband and I try to do this every night after dinner, and usually have our best conversation of the day!

* Watch the sun rise or set - Try this out from different spots: a nice window in your house, the apartment roof, a park. Talk, or enjoy the contemplative silence. Kids can tell stories about the shapes in the clouds as they change colors.

* Window shop - When living in the States, we liked to walk the sidewalks of our downtown, looking at the window displays. This is especially fun around holiday seasons!

* Browse - Stores with seating and/or kids’ play areas make great spots for spending time “just looking.” Our chain book store back home had squishy mats all around the kids’ books and a complementary coffee stand with comfy chairs right by the joke books. For a relaxed date setting, our local independent book store had rocking chairs around their fireplace in the classics section.

* Get Natural - Living in the “Natural State” for 10+ years probably biases me, but I think State Parks are one of the best ideas America ever had! These not only have hiking trails, camping sites, and picnic areas, but most also offer free events and kids’ programs, especially when the weather’s nice.

* Stargaze - All you really need is a blanket to lay on so you won’t get a neckache, but if you want to learn what you’re staring in awe at, search for a local Astronomy Club. Ours offered monthly Star Parties where all the amateur hobbyists brought out their telescopes and aimed them at the really cool stuff - Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s moons, and so on. They also ran interactive fun kids’ activities and visually wowing slideshows or movies inside. If you don’t have one nearby, you can still use Star Guides to find out about sky events like meteor showers you can see!

* Use your local Library - Libraries have always been a favorite spot of mine. You know what you can do there: read newspapers, books, play educational games on computers, surf the internet, get help from the ever-wise Librarians. Most libraries offer events and workshops, especially for kids and especially during the summer. My home library hosted concerts for local schools’ music students, craft workshops, book readings, and much more.

* Sing! You don’t even need a sing-a-long DVD. In fact, you don’t even need to know the words to any songs! If you have kids, their creative minds should be sufficient to fuel a family sing-a-long that may involve more giggles than music skills, but that will be a time to remember.

* Volunteer - Look in your local newspaper, keep your eyes open for posts on bulletin boards, and ask around. Washing dogs for an animal shelter, sorting items for a charity rummage sale, visiting lonely people in hospitals or nursing homes, or hosting a knit-athon with neighborhood families provides memorable time together, thought-provoking moments, and a feel-good satisfaction.

* Tell and Write Stories - Storytime doesn’t always have to come from a book! Tell stories you’ve heard, and let everyone practice making up stories. Use history, parables, folktales, your childhood, and the day’s events for inspiration.

* Play Handgames - I plan on writing a post about this sometime soon, so please recommend your favorites in the comments. Patty-Cake, Crocodile, and so on.

“Learn to enjoy things without owning them.” -Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

...and you?

What are your favorite no-cost family activities? Share ‘em in the comments - I’d love to try them out myself!

Welcome!

2008-09-14T07:58:00.004+08:00

Simple Makes is here at last!

I've spent the past month learning how to set up www.SimpleMakes.com, and am finally done. As I worked, I wrote but saved instead of published posts until I was ready with a uniform theme for the site. It's all ready now!

All the posts to this point are available as backdated entries. So they don't get lost in the archives, here's a quick index to what we have so far:

On Simplicity
Sept 8, 2008

Green posts:
Start Living Sustainably
Sept 12, 2008
Apartment Composting Series
Sept 4, 2008

Craft Posts:
Mugful of Craft Tools
Sept 5, 2008
Crafting How-to Books
August 29, 2008

Home Posts:

Desk Drawer De-clutter
Sept 9, 2008
Home Design: Flickr & Color
Sept 2, 2008
Simple Candle Wax Fix
August 26, 2008

...and you?

Stay tuned for more posts: simplicity, green, craft, home, and family. Please comment to let me know what you'd like to see!

Start Living Sustainably - Today!

2008-09-12T22:56:00.002+08:00

Want to lessen your impact on the environment (and, likely, your utility bills), but not sure where to begin? Try these tips to start living more sustainably - today.

Green "Peace" by bartolo100 under CC license by-nd

How can you start living more sustainably - today? I’ve brainstormed and listed my top 5 simple ideas... and I’m not the only one! If you want to make some simple changes today that make an impact on tomorrow, read on:

My Top Five
1. Be more active! Playing badminton, going for walks, and other outdoor activities require energy from you, not your powerlines! Replace TV and video game time with a walk after dinner tonight.
2. Unplug phantom energy sources - Many appliances, including computers and television sets, use electricity even if you aren't using them. Unplug them to ensure you aren’t using unnecessary power.
3. Use both sides of paper - A no-brainer? When writing on a full page of paper, I only like to use one side, so I used to throw it away half-unused. Now, however, I’ve found I can maintain the neat appearance when initially using the page, and make use of the other side later.
4. Turn off water - You’ve been told since you were a kid, but it’s still a good reminder: don’t leave water running when you’re brushing your teeth or doing other things that don’t need the water that moment.
5. Hang a clothesline - Even if you’re not ready to go 100% dryer-free, you can start by hanging towels, linens, cleaning cloths, etc. Or find a clothes-rack and an empty space in your apartment - you can air-dry indoors, too (I do it every day)!

Other Top Lists As I worked on my list, I realized bloggers and sites all over were posting lists to help you start living sustainably! Here are the lists I liked best.
1. Blissfully Domestic
2. Lighter Footstep
3. Life Less Plastic
4. Tree Hugger
5. 50 Ways to Help

...and you?

What’s your sustainability top 5? What do you think of these lists? Criticisms accepted :-), as well as stories of newly-found sustainable lifestyles, which may be featured in later posts.

As always, relevant photos (with a link to this post in the photo description or as a comment) welcome at our flickr group... photos with Creative Commons licensing may be featured in future articles with a link to any of your websites you’d like to promote!

Desk Drawer De-clutter

2008-09-09T21:44:00.006+08:00

Busy people + the need for storage can all too easily equal clutter. Here's the good, the bad, and the how-to make it better from my own desk drawer experience.

The Story

Home from vacation, it didn’t take too long to discover the dreaded desk drawer that’d become a cluttered toss-all pile weeks before we left. Looks like a home organization job to me!

I took the picture above for memory's sake before digging in.

Though not as visually frightening as some, it wasn’t working out; we spent too much time with a hand in that drawer.

The good:

Organizers (the little boxes) within organizers (the drawer) work well. Most notecards are neatly stacked. Money is either in envelopes, or paper-clipped with labels.

The bad:
Some items (stapler) are on top of unrelated items (envelopes). Loose items (paper clips) have no home. A pile of used paper meant for reuse keeps growing under the envelopes because it’s easier to get to the (store-bought, i.e. not free) notecards. The larger box is made of newspaper, so its sides don’t hold up very well.

The desk-drawer clutter $0.00 solution:

What changed? Not much. Everything’s there... plus some extras!

The how-to:

First, I made some decisions: “Will I really ever use this?” Though I may, someday, want a 6.75x4” piece of paper, I’ll likely be fine with just one size. I took the largest paper and divided it in 4. Just fold and tear - no need for smooth, perfectly straight edges. I took all the other paper and tore them to the same size. Smaller scraps will become recycled paper later. I clipped the new notes together and decided not to keep more than will fit in the clip - excess will be recycled too. We won’t need to buy notecards anymore, either (frugal bonus!)

Second, I got rid of loose items. I put some paperclips and staples in the smaller box. Large items go in the new, sturdier large paper box.

Third, I combined rarely-used items out of the way. See the white box in the corner? The lid was always cumbersome when I just wanted to grab or put away something, so I tucked it and the flaps inside the box. Since I have staples and paper clips out (second step), I won’t often need their boxes, so they’re tucked away back there, too. Several cards that previously floated around the room are now stuck upright in that box.

Fourth, I oriented items so nothing important overlaps. It turns out the envelopes fit better longways, for example.

Fifth and lastly, I did a visual check. Because the colorful collections of items were all on the right side of the drawer, I switched the new notepad paper with the newspaper box. Not a big deal, but it looks a little better this way.

That’s it!

...and you?

What’s your $0 organization solution that saves you bits of your precious time here and there, time that adds up? Comment for a chance to have your tip featured here on Simple Makes! Or, reorganize your desk drawer and post the before-and-after at our flickr group.

On Simplicity

2008-09-08T15:42:00.002+08:00

What is Simplicity?

Simplicity is the opposite of confused, complicated, and cluttered. Simple instructions are easy to understand. Simple families enjoy one another, not the number of activities they can crowd into their schedule. Simple homes have what they need to function peacefully, without all sorts of extra (unnecessary) products.

From the archives by Marcusrg on flickr

What does it mean to Live Simply?

For me, to live simply is to orient my life on what matters: relationships with God, family, and community. The opposite is a life oriented on possessions. You can recognize a simple life not by who owns the least, but by joy, freedom, and generosity that come from not relying on material things for status, security, and satisfaction.

Simple Makes & Simplicity

Here at Simple Makes, I share tips every week to simplify your life. Remember, though, that tips are not laws. Using simple beauty products, for example, does not mean you are free from slavery to stuff if you still blow up and yell at your toddler when she spills your homemade body wash!

Simple Words

I try to reflect simplicity in my writing. I want to provide honest and straightforward content, so I avoid jargon and long-winded sentences that make me sound good but communicate nothing. If you catch me falling into self-promoting blabber, tell me so I can get back on track!

Why Simplicity?

Why Simplicity? Because the things I own aren’t really mine; they’re gifts to share. Because no matter how much I have, mere stuff can never satisfy me. Because trusting God to give me what I need today frees me from the anxiety that I won’t have enough tomorrow. Because I like spending my time enjoying life instead of worrying!

“Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?”
Or that I not be in want and steal,
And profane the name of my God.”
-Proverbs 30:8-9

References

Where do my ideas come from? If you’re interested in reading more, try:

* Leviticus 27:24, Psalm 24:1, Matthew 6:33 in the Bible

* Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline chapter, "Simplicity"
(read his 10 guidelines for simplicity)

Mugful of Craft Tools

2008-09-05T12:47:00.002+08:00

Most crafters agree they have too much craft stuff lying around, but share an organizational problem: what to do with it all? A challenge & poll led to netizen crafters' brainstorming & creativity, plus some interesting stats!

The Mugful Story

I recently began using mugs to store smaller, more frequently-accessed craft tools. This puts everything in one place while allowing me to add a fun, but functional, decor item to the room.

As I enjoyed my new crafting organization, I wondered: if all I kept to craft with had to fit in this mug, what would stay? What would go? The mug no longer just said "storage solution" to me, but also "simplify."

I asked online crafters how they would simplify their craftroom (or corner of the living room, or wherever) if they could only keep one mugful of craft tools. By “tools,” I excluded supplies (such as bolts of fabric) as well as equipment (like sewing machines).

Some crafters posted a photo of their mugful:

l-r photos by mimibuggy, earmarkinvitations, habibekindheart

Poll Results

Crafters at etsy.com, several flickr.com groups, and right here at www.SimpleMakes.com voted on the top 3 tools they’d have to keep.

The Top 3's Top 3:

Scissors (over half the crafters would include scissors), knife or other cutter, and, to my complete surprise (since I never use them in crafting), pliers!

Complete results (by % of crafters who'd include each in their top 3):

58% scissors
39% knife or cutter
32% pliers
25% writing utensil (pen, pencil, chalk)
25% ruler
21% knitting needles
18% tape measure
18% sewing or embroidery needles
14% seam ripper
14% paint brush
11% crochet hook
11% pincushion
7% small torch
4% hammer
4% chopstick
4% glue
4% stitch markers
Of course, responses were biased based on particular trades... I wouldn't suggest building a craft supply emporium based on these numbers! Do enjoy the stats, though; it's fun!

...and you?

Whether you do this as a mental exercise or actually pull out a mug, go through your stash, and try to stock it with just the essentials, it is a helpful activity that aids in simplification priority-making. Do you really need to keep all three size H crochet hooks?

Using the options in the poll results above, comment on this post with your top 3. If you take a photo, post it on our flickr group.

Enjoy!

Apartment Composting

2008-09-04T20:04:00.003+08:00

Note: Welcome visitors from SimpleMom.net, which just so happens to be my favorite blog to read myself! Check out this list of some top Simple Makes posts in several categories, and subscribe to the RSS feed so you can get upcoming posts like this on composting and green living, plus simple living in home, family, and crafting!

Interested in composting, but stuck with small quarters and no yard? These how-to guides walk you through each step which I myself use for my windowsill compost pile. Start composting now, and share your success!

by Tracy Ducasse on flickr

This is the index to my 5-part series, “Start Apartment Composting.” You can find reasons to compost and technical why-it-works at other sites; I wrote these to share a straightforward how-to guide so you can start composting now. Don’t miss #5 in the series, featuring a PDF printable guide which contains the highlights from all the posts, great for hanging on near your pile!

Basic Steps in Composting
Click each link below to read that step’s how-to guide.

1. Make a container to hold your compost pile.
2. Layer your container with brown and green materials.
3. Maintain your compost pile weekly.
4. Use your compost.
5. Remind yourself of what to do with my downloadable Composting Guide.

Also see...
If you’re not convinced that you should be composting, check out livingsoil.co.uk
If you want to know all the science-y reasons why this works, see this article

...and you?

If you compost already, what do you think of these steps? What steps do you take in composting?

If you haven’t composted before (or lately), will you start now? Does it sound easy enough? If you’re not interested, what’s keeping you from doing it?

Comments and praise, doubts and criticism all accepted :-)

Your photos of compost piles, compost-happy plants, and composting families in action (with a link to this post in the photo description or as a comment) are all welcome at our flickr group... photos with Creative Commons licensing may be featured in future articles with a link to any of your websites you’d like to promote!

Home Design: Flickr & Color

2008-09-02T19:56:00.004+08:00

Looking for photos to spice up your space, whether online or in your office or home? I’m a huge flickr fan, but sometimes I’m more interested in how the picture looks than what keywords were used to tag it. Thanks to several online search tools/web apps, you can search flickr photos... by color! I’ve given a brief review of 4 popular sites, below. Try them out and comment to let me know what you think!

Multicolr Search Lab - Idée Labs
(+) Lets you put in up to 10 colors, even choosing which colors to receive more weight. You can even tweak it so as to choose any colors you want.
(-) Only 120 colors show up to choose from (but see tweak above). Search results included “all r ights reserved” photos.
My finds: Using this site, I entered Simple Makes' theme colors and found Graduation(angle), top, and Graduation(fan), left, both by tanakawho

C olor Fields Colr Pickr
(+) Neat groups you can click on (scroll down on page) to search photos of just that set: the “Macro” and “Doors and Windows” Colr Pickrs are especially fun. Lots of colors to choose from.
(-) Only based on one color, brought up “all rights reserved” as well as private photos you can’t actually click on.
I found: In my 5 minutes of play, none of the photos I liked were Creative Commons Licensed.

Flickr Color Selector
(+) Color code options (so you can literally pick any color).
(-) Only allows you to select one color, brought up “all rights reserved” and “photo not available” photos.
I found: Nothing Creative Commons Licensed.

Retrievr
(+) Definitely the most fun app I found. You get to sketch a drawing, and it matches it with flickr photos!
(-) Sometimes (not always) I couldn’t tell what the results had in common with my sketch. Brings up a set number of images, with no apparent option to see more. Doesn’t allow for very precise color selection. Results included “all rights reserved” and “private” images.
I found: soloist, left, by emdot

What I’d still like to see:
Idée Labs’ Multicolr Search Lab is my definite favorite. Building on its functionality that allows me to enter in my color scheme (i.e. multiple colors) and find photos with those colors, I would add:
* a checkbox to limit my search to only Creative Commons Licensed work
* a searchbox to search only within my terms (for this post, I might want a picture of a computer with flickr on the screen... so I’d like to type in “flickr computer” and just find relevant photos
* a searchbox where I can enter my username and only search MY photos

Lastly, an unimportant note for flickr tool designers:
* it’s really unnecessary to leave out vowels in the name of your webapp just because Flickr does so... just my opinion... :-)

...and you?
Are these tools practical, or just for fun? How can or do you use them to simplify home, or blog, design?

Crafting How-to Books

2008-08-29T19:40:00.009+08:00

What craft books are the best to keep around? When do you know you have enough? A confession, a solution, and some recommendations to help you simplify your selection of crafting how-to books.

this beautiful bookshelf photo taken by Elise Ramsey, & hosted on flickr

A Confession

Books are my non-minimalist weakness. In every other category of possessions, I try to own as few as possible. When it comes to books, though, I suddenly see such potential - what great value for the amount of enjoyment they bring! Books with beautifully photographed directions to help me sew a skirt, embroider a bag, or knit a blanket are my favorite. I think it makes "simple" sense for the kindle or my pda to serve as a substitute for the bound-paper type in some categories of books, but my craft books take a lot of abuse and I need to be able to mark on them, dog-ear pages, and otherwise touch the pages of them as real, physical books.

A Solution

Here are a few useful tips I’ve found to keep my book pile under control.

1. Keep the best, and only the best - I keep comprehensive books that I refer to often instead of those which just have one pattern I like. The same “if you haven’t enjoyed it in the past year, let someone else enjoy it” rule applies here.
2. Don’t keep more than you can store - If your books no longer fit on their designated shelf, you may need to get rid of excess books, not buy more shelving!
3. Borrow & share - Use libraries, your friends, and online organizations like Bookcrossing. This way, you rotate fresh ideas in and out of your library, keeping only the most useful and passing along those that someone else can better use.

Recommendations

As promised, I’d like to share recommendations from my bookshelf and other crafters'. With just these few, I (or whomever) have all the information I need for almost every project I encounter:

#1 for hand embroidery: Complete Guide to Embroidery Stitches
#1 for sewing: Sew Everything Workshop
#1 for knitting: Vogue Knitting
#1 for jewelry: All Wired Up
#1 for soapmaking: The Everything Soapmaking Book

...and you?

What craft book could you not do without? Comment with the type of craft and your book recommendation. You can also take a picture of your craft books, organized or chaotic, and post them on the Simple Makes flickr group!

Printable Composting Guide

2008-08-28T16:46:00.004+08:00

As much as I'd love for you to visit Simple Makes daily, I can't really imagine you running with a handful of vegetable peels from the kitchen to the computer to make sure you're putting it in the right layer!

No worries. Enter my Composting Guide, a free printable how-to! I've compiled the important highlights from all the Start Apartment Composting articles into a one-page chart. Here you'll find reminders on what to do each week as well as lists of what's okay and what's a composting no-no. Print it out (in grayscale, for the color ink cartridge conscious) and tape it up near your pile. Simple!

And, since I've used the same Creative Commons license for the PDF that all www.SimpleMakes.com text is under, you can share it as much as you like, so long as you attribute it to "Lori Ann Gregory of www.SimpleMakes.com"!

Simple Candle Wax Fix

2008-08-26T21:44:00.003+08:00

Candle wax stuck to their glass holders? Here’s an easy fix - and a solution to prevent it from happening again!

Candles in the Dark by Peter Becker on Flickr

The Fix

1. Stick the glass in the freezer. Wait.

2. After an hour (or two, or three, if you want to be sure or if it doesn’t seem to budge at first), take the glass out.

3. Using something that’ll reach into the glass without scratching it up, like a dull butter knife or a spoon, push at the wax. It might take just a minute (not long, and not lots of scratching at it), but then should come off, leaving hardly anything.

4. Stick the glass in the sink to wash any remaining reside with soapy water.

5. Use the glass again... but read the "prevention" tips first!

Prevention

Next time, do one of two things first. Either put a little bit of water or a little bit of dishsoap in the bottom of the glass before the candles. It’ll keep the wax from sticking. Simple!

...and you?

Try it out, and let me know: did it work? It did for me - and I was using drinking glasses (hey, there was a power outage; I didn’t have time to go buy candlesticks)!!

What other simple household cleaning tips can you share? They may be featured in later posts!

Waxy glass photos welcome at our flickr group! Photos with Creative Commons licensing may be featured in future articles with a link to any of your websites you’d like to promote.

Use that Compost!

2008-08-22T21:08:00.003+08:00

It’s a beautiful transformation when those old, fungus-ridden veggie peels and cotton dryer lint become a dark, nutritious, earthy compost. But... not beautiful enough to frame. The beauty is in compost’s function, and here, I’ll give you mini-recipes for the 3 simplest ways to use your compost. Enjoy!

better compost by normanack on flickr

Your compost is ready when it is:

* dark brown or black in color
* soft
* crumbly
* mostly smooth (you can throw that stubborn corncob back in the pile)
* earthy-smelling

I’ve read estimates that you will have useable compost anywhere from “4-6 weeks” to “3 months” based on the size of your pile, but I don’t keep track; as long as you maintain the pile weekly, it should be clear when it’s ready.

Here are 3 mini-recipes to use your compost:

Plant Seeds
Make a potting mixture of 1 part compost to 3 parts soil and put in pots, about an inch short of the brim. Plant your seeds in these pots just as you would any other soil.

Plant Seedlings
Plants that already have roots can handle more compost, so your potting mixture for seedlings or transplanting plants can be 1 part compost to 2 parts soil.

Nourish Established Houseplants
If your potted plants (or flowers, herbs, vegetables) are already growing, use the compost with nothing added and sprinkle on the surface of the dirt. (If you don’t have room, you can shovel out a layer of the dirt that’s already in the pot and replace it with the compost).

What to plant?
I use all my compost for my herb gardens - we have pots in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and the staircase landing outside our apartment. Stay tuned for an upcoming post!

More on Composting
This post is step 4 in my Start Apartment Composting series. Check it out to see all the steps, plus a free printable guide to hang near your compost pile.

...and you?

What recipes do you use your compost with? I’m especially interested in “compost tea” - I’ve never tried it but would if I had some simple instructions!

Still accepting photos (with a link to this post in the photo description or as a comment) at our flickr group... photos with Creative Commons licensing may be featured in future articles with a link to any of your websites you’d like to promote!

Maintaining your Compost Pile

2008-08-21T21:23:00.004+08:00

This is step 3 in our Start Apartment Composting series. If you’re new here, see the original composting post. For all you already composting (through this series or otherwise), “Maintaining your Compost Pile” gives you the know-how for what you do as time goes on with your compost pile. This is probably the easiest step, so don’t fear - just read on!

compost by collinanderson on flickr

You’re doing great! You have a container to hold your compost and you’re adding brown and green materials as you come across them. Now’s the easy part, because your compost pile will do pretty much everything else for you! All it needs is a little weekly maintenance, following the pointers below. Don’t forget, as long as you leave a little room in the top of your container for air to circulate, you can still add materials at any time.

Weekly Maintenance
Either as you add materials or on a set day each week (say, the day you clean the kitchen, if it’s in the kitchen windowsill), you’ll want to see how things are going and nudge it along in its composting. Here’s what to do:
* Stir or “toss” the pile, perhaps with a small hand shovel, to work air into it.
* Water it if it seems dry.
* If your pile is cold (composting piles should feel warm when you put your hand over them, especially after stirring the pile), add more green material.
* If your pile stinks (it happens, but you can prevent it), add more brown material.
* If you notice worms or white fungus - do nothing! These guys are great composting assistants.

That’s it! Really! Just keep adding, keep maintaining, and when you realize that your pile (or a lot of it) has become dark, soft, and earthy-smelling, you’re ready for Step 4.

...and you?

How’s your compost pile doing? Are you finding composting (whether you’re using SimpleMakes how-to’s or you’ve been doing this for years) easier or more challenging than you expected? Are you glad you’re doing it?

Don’t forget to add your composting photos (with a link to this a post in this series in the photo description or comments) to our flickr group... and, as always, photos with Creative Commons licensing may be featured in future articles with a link to any of your websites you’d like to promote!

Composting How-to: Green & Brown

2008-08-19T21:15:00.004+08:00

This is step 2 in our Start Apartment Composting series. If you’re just checking in, see the first post. For everyone else, this how-to provides the nitty-gritty details of what you actually DO to compost!

compost by shygantic on flickr

You have your compost pile container from Step 1. What now?

It’s all about the Green and the Brown. Green and Brown materials are the two categories of what you put into your container - these are the materials that will break down, leaving you with that wonderful compost!

Every day as you go about your life, cooking, cleaning, and otherwise living, you’ll run into these materials that you don’t need. They’ll either fit into the “brown” or the “green” materials category. Following the guidelines below, you’ll throw them in the container, and watch your scraps compost themselves! Here’s how.

First, here are the basic rules you’ll follow in composting:
* Shred material before adding in to the pile. I try to get thick materials to the size of my thumb and flat materials (paper) postage-stamp sized.
* Keep the pile moist by adding water when it seems dry.
* The bottom and top layers should be brown materials (to keep it from stinking).
* There should be an approximately 50/50% ratio of green to brown material.
* Let it breathe (don’t fill it up to the lid).
* Don’t put anything in it you don’t want in the end (i.e., don’t throw weeds that have seeds in there if you don’t want ‘em in your houseplants you’ll later add compost to)

Brown materials:
* dead leaves * pine needles * straw * sawdust (from untreated wood) * wood chips * dirt * newspaper * twigs * tree bark * cardboard & toilet paper rolls * hair * fur * dryer lint (assuming it’s not chemical-ridden) * cotton cloth (old rags, socks)

Green materials:
* grass * fruit scraps * veggie scraps * eggshells * coffee grounds * tea leaves * tea bags * nut shells * trimmings from most trees and plants

NO-NO’s:
(i.e. DON’T add these - some won’t compost, some attract rats, some negatively affect your finished product i.e. plants you add compost to)
* meat * bones * fat * oil * grease * black walnut leaves or twigs * chemicals like pesticides * dairy products * human or pet waste * flour * food sauces * ashes * charcoal * nonorganics (like plastic) * diseased or mildewed plants * weeds

It’s an art, not a science.

While that’s probably technically inaccurate, my point is that you’re making a composting pile to add to what you do in your home, not to suck the life out of it. Don’t stress. You’ll learn what you can tinker with and what you shouldn’t. You can’t get that corn cob any smaller? Shrug and throw it in there whole. It’ll compost eventually. No time to shred up some old toilet paper rolls after throwing in a bunch of fruit peels? Worry about it later. Has your pile been dried out for a week? Water it, and move on. Enjoy composting; don’t be enslaved to it.

...and you?

How does it sound? Manageable? Complicated? Don’t worry about keeping up with the brown/green/no lists - they’re all in my all-inclusive Composting Guide - you can print it and hang near your pile.

Comment with your thoughts on the feasibility of implementing a compost pile into your home life - questions are welcome, too!

Composting photos (with a link to this post in the photo description or as a comment) are welcome at our flickr group, and photos with Creative Commons licensing may be featured in future composting articles! I’ll thank you with a link to any website you have which you’d like to promote.

Compost Pile Container

2008-08-18T21:04:00.003+08:00

Want to start composting, but no yard space available? Stores sell special indoor compost pile containers, but the cost can be prohibitive. Here’s how to make your own windowsill compost bucket, step 1 in our “Start Apartment Composting” series.

a bin for everything by salsaboy at flickr

Step 1 - Choose a container

For a windowsill compost pile, you need a container that:
* holds the compost in (unlike a pile in your yard, which can be more loosely “contained”)
* keeps everything wet (not TOO many holes)
* allows for ventilation (we’ll add holes in Step 2)
* has a capacity greater than the amount of compost you’ll have in it at any one time
* fits in your windowsill, or wherever you want it

We chose a cheap plastic bucket with a lid to keep it from drowning during the rainy season. It’s thick enough plastic to be sturdy, but thin enough that it was easy to poke ventilation holes in it. Ours is 22cm in diameter and 19cm tall - not quite large enough for the amount of scraps our 2-person family produces, but the perfect size for our windowsill, so we make do.

Step 2 - Alter the container

You need air to flow though your pile to get all the chemical stuff I don’t understand to start happening. Use something sharp you already have around your house, like a screwdriver, to poke holes in your container. Be careful - avoid poking holes in yourself. We poked small (pencil-diameter sized) holes every 10cm around the sides and evenly spaced 5 holes in the lid and the bottom of the bucket.
note - Poking one of the holes, we accidently split a good 15 cm long crack into the plastic... if you do this, don’t worry; it really doesn’t matter so long as there’s not an actual chunk out of the side big enough to let compost fall out. We’ve used our bucket for months with no problems.

Step 3 - Place the container

When choosing where to put your pile, consider:

* It’s really best for your container to be outside. Once it becomes compost, the pile gets a quite pleasant, warm, earthy smell... but before that, it sometimes stinks (especially if you don’t have enough brown material).
* The pile should receive as much sunlight as you can get it.
* You want your pile accessible from wherever you produce food scraps (to avoid carrying dripping vegetable peels across your home).

For me, the kitchen windowsill, which gets sunlight all afternoon and is easy to access when cooking, is the best option. However, don’t give up - just be creative - if that won’t work for you... put it rooftop, on a balcony, on your doorstep... anywhere you can access it without it getting in the way.

What now?

Well, a bucket won’t do much to produce compost on its own. See the next post in this “Start Apartment Composting” series, “Composting How-to: Green and Brown.”

...and you?

What compost pile container do you use? What do you recommend? Snap a picture of yours and upload to our flickr group for a chance to have it featured!

About

2008-08-15T17:31:00.005+08:00

Lori Ann?

Hi there! Known as "simplyla" online, I'm the author of SimpleMakes.com. Daughter to loving parents, sister to silly siblings, and wife to an amazing man (who also happens to be an excellent chef), I'm into photography, embroidery, knitting, and stories. My driving emotion is joy, which I don't think I would have without Jesus or the simplicity I've found so joy-giving in my life.

My husband and I live in rural, mountainous southern China. I enjoy learning to laugh with my local friends who appreciate simple joys in life with which earthly possessions could never compete.

You can also find me on...

- Flickr
- Twitter
- Delicious

Find out how to contact me here.

Simplicity?

In order to stay sane, focused, and joyful over the past five years of moving from home to college to a home with my husband and now to China, I’ve grown fond of all things organized, simple, beautiful, and crafty.

Read an article I wrote September 8, 2008, "On Simplicity," by clicking here.

SimpleMakes.com?

I've learned so much, I can't keep it all to myself! I author and maintain SimpleMakes.com to share tips, guides, articles, and diy how-to’s based on what I have learned!

I choose a theme each month(ish) about simple, family, home, green, frugal, and/or crafty living. I post two or three short posts a week and an index post each month to help you navigate the theme.

Here are the current top posts in each theme:

simple: On Simplicity

family: Puzzle People Game

home: Bread for Later

green: Start Apartment Composting

frugal: Microwave Applesauce

crafty: Top 10 Craft Tutorials

...and you (the reader!)?

There's a ton of ways to get involved:

Comment! Each posts ends with a few questions. Join the conversation!

Do you blog? Send me your relevant posts by tagging them for:simplyla on delicious. You never know what I'll link to! If you're delicious-less, try email: send your idea to me here.

Do you run an Etsy or other online shop? Contact me about giving away an item as part of our monthly giveaways.

Like what you read? Don't miss out on upcoming posts! Subscribe to my RSS feed. Find out how here.

About Simple Makes

2008-08-14T18:24:00.004+08:00

Make simple living a reality in your own family and home!

Simple Makes at www.SimpleMakes.com launched September 2008 as a source to read and share ideas for family activities, household tips, guides to green (sustainable) living, make-your-own craft and other project how-to's, and much more!

I'd love to have you subscribe to Simple Makes' RSS feed. Confused about how it all works? Read this super article.