Monday menu plan

Last week was incredibly busy catching up at home after our week away. Lots of cooking, cleaning, decluttering, walks and sorting out childcare for my return to work in 7 weeks. I hope to have more time to write a couple of blog posts this week.

Last week we kept our groceries to $80 for the week using what we had at home first. This week I want to keep our spend low again. I'm also trying to participate in the Plastic Free July Challenge. I know I won't be able to go completely plastic free but I will aim to minimise our single use plastic as much as possible. I am allowing myself to use things we already have at home that are in plastic packaging because it would be counter-productive to buy more. The end of the month will be harder as we will have a smaller stockpile and will have to get creative with plastic-free alternatives. I think my shopping list reflects the challenge.

I've done a check of the pantry and freezer and come up with the following menu plan.

Meat free Monday - Fried rice 
Tuesday - Lasagne and salad. I was going to do bolognaise but we don't have much pasta and it comes in plastic. We do have lasagne sheets left and they are in cardboard so this choice will reduce our grocery bill and our plastic use. 
Wednesday - Chicken breast and veges 
Thursday - Quiche and salad / veges
Friday - My birthday - Thai takeaway 
Saturday - I'm out for dinner. Hubby and the boys can find something in the freezer
Sunday - Nachos, we didn't end up having this last week because we were at a family bbq for lunch and didn't need much dinner. We just cooked for the kids. 

Breakfasts will be porridge, weetbix, toast or french toast
Lunches will be chicken and veg meatballs, soup (from freezer), omelettes, leftovers and smoothies
Snacks will be fruit, vege sticks, pikelets 

Shopping list: Eggs, tissues, olive oil spray, jam, tinned pears, milk, tomatoes, watermelon, bananas, zucchini and carrots. 

I've had to leave icing sugar, mixed herbs and pasta off the shopping list due to the plastic packaging. We can make do without all of it. 

Monday menu plan

We're back! No menu plan last week as we were on holidays and lucky enough to be fed by my stepmum all week.

We arrived home late last night so there is not much in the fridge except a few apples we brought home, some eggs and cheese. We had some milk in the freezer so I defrosted that overnight and we are having porridge for breakfast with milk and cinnamon. The baby is also digging in to canned fruit salad which I keep for situations just like this when we are out of fresh fruit.

I will shop later today but will try to keep it to a small shop as I want to clear out the freezer. With that in mind, here's the plan:

Meat free Monday - Pasta with sauce made from mashed pumpkin, spinach and stock (all from the freezer), parmesan on top, served with garlic bread.
Tuesday - Chicken kiev and veges. Plain chicken for the baby. I will cook the lasagne for Wednesday while the oven is on.
Wednesday - Lasagne made with the homemade tomato sauce I made before we went away from the surplus tomatoes.
Thursday - Ham, spinach and cheese quiche (homemade from freezer) with veges
Friday - Fish and veges
Saturday - Mums for dinner
Sunday - Nachos; The Chippy brought salsa home from our holiday so it will need using and I have nacho mince already made in the freezer. I will pull something else out of the freezer for the baby or make him an omelette

Breakfasts will be porridge, weetbix, toast or french toast
Lunches will be soup (from freezer), omelettes, corn fritters
Snacks will be fruit, vege sticks, popcorn, pikelets and yogurt

We have most of the ingredients for the above so a small shopping list of frozen spinach, corn and peas, corn chips, more milk and fruit and veg plus some hair conditioner is all we need. The shop should be under $50 if I go to the fruit shop which is much cheaper than supermarket fruit & veg.

How to make melt and pour soap; honey, oat and lemon winter blend

I'm really keen to try soap making from scratch but I don't have a lot of kid free time to be playing around with chemicals. For fun, I decided to try the melt and pour soap making method first to see if I liked. I LOVED doing this, I can't wait to have another go and learn more about soap making.

Materials 

• 453g bar of melt and pour soap base, I chose a palm-oil free white base
• 1 teaspoon of honey (As an aside, please buy 100% Australian honey! Some imported honey is made from sugar syrup, it's not even honey!). I use Beechworth. Learn more here 
• 2 teaspoons of Australian lemon essential oil
• 1/4 cup oats; I used Homebrand quick oats because that's what I had on hand
• Pyrex jug
• Wooden spoon
• Silicone mould; I used a cupcake mould I found at the op shop

I bought my soap base and essential oil here 

Process 

1. Cut the soap base into small cubes and place into a glass jug.
2. Microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between, until the soap base has all melted. This took me about 6 20 second bursts. 
3. Stir in the oats, honey and lemon essential oil. 
4. Pour evenly into moulds. 
5. You can apparently spray the top with rubbing alcohol here to remove bubbles but I hadn't bought any and didn't find it necessary this time.
6. Allow to set for 1-12 hours then remove from moulds and place in something airtight. 

Note: I've since read that in order to prevent the oats from sinking to the bottom of the soap mould you can cover the jug and wait for the base to cool slightly or keep stirring until the base thickens a little more. More information from Soap Queen here

Cost 

• Soap base; $8
• Oats, honey and lemon essential oil; approximately $1
• Mould; $2 from the op shop

Yielded 6 soaps. Definitely not your cheap everyday soap but a lovely gift or treat.

Time 

10-15 minutes.

How to make beeswax food wraps for under $2 in less than an hour

Beeswax wraps are simply cotton fabric coated in beeswax to seal the fabric. They are used as an alternative to cling wrap; lunchboxes and leftovers spring to mind. We don't use a lot of cling wrap, we mostly use glass or stainless steel containers to store leftovers, but it does occasionally come in handy for picnics and lunchboxes and to cover quiches and the like in the freezer. I'm curious to see how much more plastic wrap we can eliminate from our garbage and grocery budget using the wraps.

I first came across beeswax wraps when I asked an online mums group for sustainable ideas for giving out homemade playdough as a party favour. I was keen to avoid plastic containers and ziplock bags, but understandably also don't trust 1-4 year olds with glass jars. I looked into buying the wraps but the cost was somewhat prohibitive for the amount I need for the party, I decided to give making them a go and try them out in our kitchen and with our own playdough first to see if they actually work.

Materials 

• 100% cotton fabric cut to your desired size
• Beeswax; I bought mine here. You don't need much at all, around 20 grams or so per wrap, depending on the size. 
• Pinking shears to prevent the edges of the fabric from fraying
• Grater
• New paintbrush
• Baking sheet
• Baking paper; the wax gets all over the baking sheet, I used clean baking paper to make each wrap

Note: The grater, paintbrush and baking sheet will be sacrificed to the cause of beeswax forever more. 

Process

1. Using pinking shears, cut your fabric to the desired size.
2. Preheat oven to around 80-85C
3. Place baking paper then a piece of fabric onto baking sheet. Grate a small amount (20g) of beeswax onto the fabric and spread it evenly.
4. Place in the oven and watch for the beeswax to melt. This only takes a few minutes. 
5. As soon as the wax is melted, remove from the oven and use the paintbrush to spread the wax as evenly as you can. I found it tricky to get right to the edge as my wraps were slightly wider than the baking tray. 
6. Hang to dry.

It's that easy! 

Notes: 

If you need, you can repeat step 4 and 5 to get an even spread of the wax.

You can add buttons and thread if you want to be able to fasten them closed. At this stage I've just wrapped them around what I want to cover and will tie with compostable twine if I need to. 

The wraps will be quite stiff but will mould with the warmth of your hands. 

Caring for your wraps

• Wraps can be washed in cool water with a mild detergent. 
• I've stored mine flat in the tea towel draw. 
• Since you can't wash them in hot water, don't use them for storing raw meat or poultry. 
• I've read that the wraps can last around a year and can be re-coated with wax if needed; that's potentially a lot of plastic wrap saved!

Cost 

• Beeswax: Approximately 80c per lunchbox sized wrap. I used a tiny amount from 500g block I bought. It costs $5 for 100g and is cheaper per gram if you buy a larger amount. 
• Fabric: I used off cuts from my stash so there was no cost for me. You can use an old (clean) sheet or buy thin 100% cotton fabric. If you aren't too fussy about the prints you should be able to pick something up from the clearance section for $4 or so per metre. 

Time:

• I made these 6 in under an hour and it was my first attempt so a little trial an error with the amount of wax and spreading it evenly. 

Savings series: How to save money in the laundry

The humble washing machine has to be one of my favourite "mod-cons". As much as I often fantasise about the days of old and simpler times, I am incredibly grateful to be living in a time when the washing machine exists.

I know many people abhor washing, particularly the folding and putting away. Piles of washing seems to breed in some houses I'm sure. I have to say, on a scale of  1 to cleaning the toilets, washing is one of the household tasks I find most enjoyable. I love the satisfaction of an empty washing basket, the smell of sun on sheets and towels, and the simple pleasure of watching washing dancing in the wind in our courtyard on a sunny day.

Today's post is a "laundry list" (see what I did there?) of ideas for saving money in the laundry. As I highlighted in my first savings series post last week, lots of these money saving ideas are also more sustainable choices. If you missed it, you can find last week's post here.

Appliances, water and electricity use 

1. Consider what you really need to get by. For us, that's a washing machine. We choose not to own a dryer. Living in Sydney, I just don't feel like we need one. In summer I throw a load on straight after dinner and hang it out after the kids are in bed. It's nearly dry by morning. In winter I use the line if it's sunny or large airers inside. Sure it's annoying having clothes airers in the house when it's raining for a week, but not as annoying as $1,000 electricity bill. If you do have a dryer, try to use it sparingly. They are one of the biggest energy use appliances in most houses.
2. I don't iron unless I'm going to a wedding or doing some sewing ok and the occasional work shirt when I'm working. Save electricity; ditch the iron! I try to buy things that don't need ironing and hang and fold straight away. I'll be interested to see if the need to iron changes as we consider the types of fabrics we are buying from a sustainability point of view, but more on that another day.
3. Consider 2nd hand. When our last washing machine died, not long after we had our first child, I knew I wanted a larger size to accommodate our growing family. I picked up a 2nd hand one from our local Facebook buy / swap / sell site for $150 from a lady moving into a nursing home. It's perfectly serviceable and still going strong 3 and a half years later. At the moment I prefer my top loader because I'm forever finding more to put in the machine after the load has started, plus I use it to soak larger items. Also, being an older style with the dials on top not the electronics I feel like there is less likely to go wrong and it may be easier to fix if something does. When this one eventually dies we will reevaluate water and energy efficiency but for now I feel like 2nd hand is saving money and saving a perfectly good machine from landfill.
4. To save water and electricity I only wash when I have a full load, with the exception of nappies or if someone is sick. If you aren't washing a full load, ensure you adjust the water level if your machine doesn't do it automatically. 
5. Washing in cold water is also cheaper. I only wash in hot if I'm washing nappies or if someone is sick or wets the bed. 

Detergents and fabric softeners 

1. I prefer powdered detergent over liquid because I find the fragrances (note these are chemicals!) are not as overpowering and the cardboard boxes are better from a recycling point of view than plastic bottles. 
2. I stock up on laundry powder when it is half price. Store in a dry place, it will clump if it gets damp. 
3. Did you know you can use way less laundry powder than the amount recommended by the manufacturer and still get the same results? I use about half the standard scoop. That means my half price powder actually costs me 1/4 of the retail price per load.
4. You could also try soap nuts or soap berries. They literally grow on trees in the Himalayas so they are bio-degradable and chemical free. These are on my list to try too, although I've heard they are not the best on whites. 
5. You can make your own laundry liquid or powder. Once my current supply of half price powder runs out I will be giving this a go. Stay tuned! As soon as I can track down some Borax I'll be trying my blogging idol Rhonda Hetzel's recipes that you can find on her blog "Down to Earth" here 
6. You can also make your own woolwash. My other blogging idol Mimi has an easy recipe and cute free printable on her blog "A Tray of Bliss" here
7. White vinegar, generic brand is fine, can be used in place of fabric softener. 
8. If you are handy with a sewing machine you could make your own peg bag, there's plenty of tutorials via Pinterest.  

Sundries

1. Bring your basket and pegs inside after you've pegged out the washing and they will last much longer, especially if they are plastic. My washing basket is 10 years old and still going strong, It's just a cheap Kmart plastic one. 
2. Avoid really cheap plastic pegs. In my experience they break too easily which is a waste of money and adds to plastic in landfill. I like Reva pegs, although they are plastic. They are Australian made and rarely break. I am also going to look into stainless steel pegs next time I need some. I personally don't like wooden pegs because I find they go mouldy too easily.
3. Dry clothes inside out to avoid fading, they will last longer.
4. Use delicates bags or a pillow case to protect delicate items and keep little socks together (& prevent washable breast pads getting stuck in the machine...).
5. Shake and fold clothes as you take them off the line to avoid, or reduce, ironing.
6. Use white vinegar on a rinse cycle to clean your washing machine. 
7. Cut up old towels, bibs, tea towels etc for cleaning rags. Look for cotton fabrics. Microfibre cloths are contributing to the plastic problem in our oceans. They shed tiny plastic microfibres and have even been found inside fish we eat. 

This is my teeny, tiny laundry. It's basically just a cupboard off the kitchen. We are renting this place and I do dream of a larger space with a bench for folding, but in reality this works just fine; I don't need to upsize my life. 

By the way that bottle of Windex is 10 years old. I bought it when I moved out of home; I now mostly use vinegar instead. I will do a separate post on cleaning. 

My cute housekeepers box was new from a garage sale. 

Most of the ideas in this post will not only save money but are also more sustainable options. Using less electricity, less chemicals, looking after our things so they last longer and need replacing less often and reusing items we no longer need puts less strain on our precious planet, as well as our wallets.

Monday Menu Plan

I forgot to cancel our Aussie Farmers Direct order last Friday and we really didn't need anything so this weeks menu plan is designed to use up the produce that most urgently needs using first. We have so much fresh food that now needs using. I've already cooked up a batch of tomato-based pasta sauce to use the rest of last week's tomatoes, zucchini and carrot and we will eat the newer batch fresh. We also have a whole watermelon, whole pumpkin, sweet potatoes, zucchinis, carrots, 15 bananas, 2 kilos of apples and more that needs to be used before they turn.

I'm not grocery shopping for anything else, in fact I haven't spent a cent the whole long weekend, so we will use what is in the fridge, freezer and pantry this week along with the fresh produce and milk from Aussie Farmers.

(Mostly) Meat free Monday - Home made pizza and salad: Slightly cheating on the meat free this week as we've been away at Grandma's house for the weekend and hadn't really planned anything for tonight. Mine will be meat free but hubby and Mr 3 will have a little bit of ham on theirs. The baby will have a pre-made freezer meal of pasta and pureed vege sauce with cauliflower, carrot & zucchini for finger food.
Tuesday - Tuna rice slice with salad
Wednesday - Roast chicken and veg
Thursday - Chicken and pumpkin risotto using leftover chicken
Friday - Quiche and veges

5 alternatives to the traditional toy sales

Popular mum websites are going into overdrive this week as some of the major Australian department stores outline changes to their popular mid-year toy sales and Christmas lay by conditions.

I've personally never used these sales. My kids are little and I prefer to buy through the year from a variety of sources. I live in a tiny 2 bedroom semi but we still manage to stash enough away in the top of our built ins & at Grandmas to keep the kids happy.

If you're disillusioned with the toy sales this year, the good news is, there are alternatives that may save you money and are more sustainable options.

1. Reevaluate what Christmas looks like 

My top tip for saving both money and avoiding over consumption and toys that end up in landfill 3 months after Christmas is to reevaluate how much and what you're giving.

Try resetting the kid's expectations, if they are older you can explain why. If they are little I doubt they'll notice. Many people now ascribe to "Something they want; something they need; something to play with; something to read".

Choose quality over quantity and look for items that can be used in more than one way. For example, play food can be used for shops, cafes, kitchens, healthy food discussions, cutting practice and more. Look critically at toys and decide whether it can be used for multiple purposes. If it can't they kids will get bored in no time and you will have wasted your money. Decide whether that toy is likely to end up in landfill within a short time; if it will, don't buy it.

Think about experience gifts; shows, zoo trips, aquarium, rock climbing, a family camping holiday. The possibilities here are pretty endless. Check sites likely Groupon and Scoopon for cheaper alternatives. Bonus there's no clutter in the house!

2. Shop local and / or support small business  

Look for smaller, locally owned retailers and online small businesses. There are loads of great businesses out there owned by work at home mums and dads with old fashioned service and unique quality products. Some of them even offer layby and some have great sustainably made toys.

3. Go handmade 

Jump on Pinterest (maybe make a coffee first, it's time wasting at it's best!) and have a go at DIY. In the past we've upcycled a free TV cabinet into a play kitchen, a free vintage gentleman's wardrobe into a dress up cupboard and sewn some basic dress ups.

If DIY doesn't appeal, take a look at Etsy, MadeIt or search on Facebook for small businesses, again you may be supporting work at home parents. There are even groups on Facebook where you can enter a lottery type arrangement called "dipping". You essentially offer to buy a "dip" akin to a lottery ticket to win expensive items for as little as $2. Two that I know of are "We've gone Dippy" and "Handmade Life".

4. Look at non-toy shops for alternatives

Shops like Kathmandu, Australian Geographic, Riot Art, Spotlight and the like often have great clearance sections both online and in store with up to 70-80% off.

Look beyond toys to find gifts the kids might enjoy for longer than the latest toy craze; good quality drink bottles, a sleeping bag, science kit or art materials may just keep them occupied longer.

5. Keep an eye out on your local Facebook buy / swap / sell site, Gumtree, Ebay and even op shops.

I often pick up brand new items for a fraction of the retail price. Just this week I picked up 4 brand new Melissa & Doug puzzles for $5 each (RRP $14.95) from a guy closing down his business.

As my kids are little and don't know the difference, I'm also comfortable giving them 2nd hand toys. Mr 8 months has a huge box of 2nd hand Duplo stashed away for Christmas; it's easily washed, and is a more environmentally sustainable option than buying new plastic toys. He will neither care nor remember that they are not in the original box.

I hope I've inspired you to rethink Christmas a little; I bet your kids will still be thrilled, and your wallet, local businesses and the planet will thank you.

This post is in no way sponsored or endorsed by any of the companies mentioned. These are purely my suggestions.