Money saving-- and Earth Friendly-- resolutions!

Happy Earth Day! The kids and I had a blast making a craft out of recycled baby food jars, reading Planet Protectors books from Cloverleaf Books and even watching a little video about what goes on at a recycling plant. All the talk about reusing, recycling and being good stewards of the resources God has given us, has got me thinking about how as a frugal mom, the things I am doing to help save my family money are also good for the planet! It also sparked some discussions with the kids about things we can do differently around our home to reduce the amount of trash we make, pollution we contribute to and energy we [mis]use daily. So this Earth Day, I've come up this set of resolutions:

--Continue using cloth diapers as often as possible. Not only do these lil ditties save us money, they reduce the amount of disposables that we send off to landfills (and the amount of stinky trash bags that pile up too quickly)!

--Look into and purchase thicker, training-pant style underwear for the "middle" children who are potty trained but still wearing disposables for nap- and bedtime. We're considering purchasing these. 

Planet Protectors series

--Get better about unplugging electronics like the kids' CD players & nightlights and my computer & printer when they are not in use. 

--Make our own cloth napkins out of fabric scraps instead of using paper napkins.

--Take shorter showers!

--Continue using baby washcloths instead of wet wipes, whenever possible.

--Remember to bring our reusable shopping bags along to the grocery store instead of opting for plastic bags. 

What about you? What resolutions are you and your family making?

Recipe: Simple Spiced Coffee

Wow! I am enjoying a great cup of coffee-- and it's not from the drive-thru window-- this morning. Simple Spiced Coffee. Yum.

This coffee is full of flavor and avoids the use of syrups, flavored creamers (full of unhealthy ingredients like artificial sweeteners and carrageenan) and dairy.

So, here is the simple recipe, adapted from Rozanne Frazee's recipe in Real Simplicity.

Simple Spiced Coffee

Recipe: Simple Spiced Coffee
Serves 2-3

5 cups filtered water
1/2 cup coffee grounds (I use 1/4 cup caffeinated, 1/4 cup decaf)
3 Tablespoons raw sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
dash cloves

coconut milk (1 can full fat coconut milk like this one from Native Forest, diluted with 2 cans water)

Fill coffee maker with water. Then place remaining ingredients inside your coffee maker's filter compartment. Brew as you would a normal pot of coffee. Pour in mug and top with a few tablespoons of diluted coconut milk. Sip & enjoy!

Cooking with littles

Life with littles is an exciting adventure. And cooking dinner with them in tow is no exception! Some people call it the "witching hour" and most days I can completely see why!

Over the years I've come up with a couple of handy techniques that help my family and I survive this infamous hour. I hope they'll help you too!

• Try sitting your children down near to where you are cooking with a busy activity such as coloring or play-doh. It might even be enjoyable to turn on some classical music or an audio storybook.

• Give your children a few bowls, spoons and measuring devices and let them sit on the kitchen floor near you. Let them pretend they are cooking just like you are. If you're feeling brave, give them some dried beans or rice to use as ingredients.

• Make most (or all) of the meal ahead of time. I especially like to prep soup over nap time and let it simmer until dinner. I've also been known to prepare a whole casserole before 10AM so that I can bake it just before dinner, while bathing the kids. Baths are done, and so is dinner. What a great feeling!

• Designate the last half-hour before dinner as screen time. Allow 30 minutes of computer/video games or TV time. If the whole day hasn't been filled with these activities, there is no reason to feel guilt about using these methods when you're in a pinch. On the weekends, my husband and I enjoy cooking together-- like ole times-- and in order to do this with some measure of peace and quiet, we allow the children to take their portable DVD player into one of their rooms and watch a movie together. It's a time that we all look forward to!

• Give each child a day of the week to be your sous chef. Let that child help by retrieving items from the pantry and fridge, stirring, measuring, salad making and any other kitchen task you feel is appropriate for his or her age. The kids truly enjoy this one-on-one time with mom and love to be a part of preparing the family meal. Double blessing. 

So, what have I missed? How do you get through this sometimes often trying time of day? Please share!