Rethinking the Raw Budget

by Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt

We’ve recently had a shift in our finances. This shift spurred a family conversation about ways to rethink our food-buying and food-prepping habits. I’m a firm believer in including children in discussions about money. Many parents don’t do this – either out of fear of vulnerability or not feeling their kids will “get it.” Money only has as much power as we give it, so discussing finances with kids is a great way to rethink how money affects us individually and as a family.

Also, being up front with our kids about our financial situation helps them understand current limits, encourages creativity around ways to save and spend, and, most importantly, keeps family communication open. Children usually approach the subject of finances unburdened and can offer some solutions from angles we’d never considered.

During our conversation on rethinking our food habits, all three of us contributed ideas. We came up with some new ones, but also realized that we were already doing quite a bit to cut costs. Below are a few of our favorite recommendations.

• Buy quality kitchen gear

What kitchen gear do you use the most? A blender? A knife? A juicer?
If you’re using a low-end blender, for example, chances are you’re going to burn
it out making smoothies soon. A friend of mine went through 3 $30 blenders in one year before finally deciding to invest in a high-end blender. Though the initial cost may be daunting at first, you’ll end up with an appliance that will give you years of service without the hassle. Start with the most-used piece of equipment and replace that one first and then move to the next.

• Simple meals

When my family first started transitioning to a rawfood diet, we made tons of lovely gourmet meals. We soon found that we couldn’t keep up financially – not to mention the indigestion we were experiencing from all that rich food! We then began to transition to less gourmet and more simple: salads, soups, smoothies, puddings, and veggies with dip. One thing I noticed was that I was enjoying the food more; it was just me and that mango as opposed to the mango being disguised as some faux SAD food.
Reclaim your food! It doesn’t have to be made into something else. Appreciate it for what it is.

• Buy local

On our way to the spring the other day, my husband and I stopped at our local health food store to restock our honey. As we looked more closely at the label, we realized that this particular apiary was right down the street from the spring we were going to. My husband called them to see if we could stop by and they said yes. What a treat this was! We spent some time with the owner and learned how he processes his organic raw honey. And the prices! We’ve been buying our 6-pound jar of honey at the health food store for about $30. Buying it from the beekeeper directly only cost us $18! In Maine, there is a local foods association http://www.eatmainefoods.org that has information on who’s selling what. I would assume every state has something like this. Do some tooling around on the web. It’s definitely worth the time spent and the money saved.

• Buy in bulk

I search around on the Internet constantly for the best prices on foods. I also order bulk items through my local health food store. When you do this, it saves them on repackaging and they will usually give you a nice discount. Think about the items that your family consumes the most. Are they items that will keep well if ordered in bulk? Do you have the storage space for them? If so, then buying in bulk may be for you. If the initial price is daunting, order with a friend and split the costs. I can’t order tons of bulk items at a time, so I’ll do a rotation: one month I’ll get chia seeds, another month, cacao butter and cacao powder, etc. Getting on a good rotation so that I always have what I need took me about a year or so, so you’ll need to be patient with this process.

• Make your own convenience foods and comfort foods.

My kid and I used to find ourselves at friend’s houses or out running errands without food. Or we would be at home, moaning about how “there’s nothing to eat” and would end up going out. We never really thought about it at the time, but those all add up to big money-drainers. Now we make sure that we always carry food with us and that it’s food we love (that’s very important). We pack things like crackers and nut or seed butters, chocolates, juicy fruits, cut-up veggies, and plenty of drinks. This way, we don’t get caught out with nothing but our wallets to feed us.
I’m a big advocate for revisiting your food-buying and food-prepping habits often. In many instances we get into habits that may have worked for us in the past, but are now no longer applicable. Feeling comfortable with the process will ensure that should we encounter a financial shift, we won’t immediately go into panic mode and feel compelled to make drastic changes that will bring us outside our comfort levels.

Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt is a raw foods chef and teacher and owner of Rite Food and Company, which offers workshops on intentional and joyful eating. Lisa Marie and her homeschooled daughter, Mo, record a weekly podcast – called Sweet Peas Podcast – chronicling their raw foods journey together.

A Clutter-Free Kitchen (Better for you, and your child’s I.Q.)

Ahhhhhh, the carefree frolic that is summer is closing in… for some of us busy moms September means BACK TO SCHOOL for the kidlets and back to productivity for US. I’ll miss those perfect lazy reading/painting/ hiking/ biking/ friend’s visiting/ lollygagging/ beach days…Well, everything has its season, and we are into gearing up for a new one..! What if I told you investing just 3 hours could translate into time and money savings, stress-reduction and even making your kids smarter…Would you be curious? It’s a fact that a clean and clutter-free environment reflects a logical and clear mind. I devote a section to this in my DVD RAISING CHILDREN RAISES US Studies show that just streamlining workspace increases productivity. It stands to reason that if we allow extraneous ‘stuff’ to accumulate around us in our homes, cars, desks etc., that we will be wasting effort either dealing with it, or avoiding dealing with it. This is stressful and undermines us whether we are conscious of this or not. Below are 3 simple steps anyone can use to empower themselves and their family. Let’s start with the kitchen TODAY! Systematically we can work each room of the house eventually getting to every drawer and surface. INSTANT GRATIFICATION- You’ll see!

STEP 1~ Approximately 1 HOUR

SEARCH AND DESTROY

The kitchen is the Heart of the Home and is such a hub of activity it is natural to need some shaping up once in a while. Start with the fridge and food cupboards, and then work to the dishes cupboards, drawers and under the sink. With a large garbage bag for what gets tossed on one side and a box for what gets passed on, decide on what stays by keeping only what you actually USE.

Free yourself of unwanted, unnecessary stuff and let the rest go!

HAPPY RAWMOM USEFUL TIP: ORGANIZATION CREATES INSPIRATION!

STEP 2~ Approximately 1 HOUR

DON’T LET YOUR MESS MESS WITH YOU Already the process of establishing who is in control has begun here and you will notice the ecstasy of being Master of the Mess…It is similar to the ‘runner’s high’! LOL With excess stuff gone its time to wipe all the areas clean with hot soapy water and nicely arrange what is left. Next, deal with all the extra dishes and appliances, table linens and accessories. I used to entertain my husband’s large family a lot and they influenced how I set up my home…But over time, I realised it wasn’t really my style…we don’t just own our things- they OWN US because it takes time and effort managing it all. I believe the woman sets the tone in her relationship with her man and in the home, and she needs to feel gooood! Being a wife and mom and homemaker is sacred work, and she needs to set her workspace up in a way that creates FLOW and EASE. So I got rid of ALL that excess stuff and paired it all down to a few extra dishes for company, and our 4 wooden bowls, plates and cutlery that my family normally uses. I let my kids know that they each have 1 fork, spoon, cup, bowl and plate and that they ‘get’ to take care of it because it is theirs. So they wash and dry and put their dishes away after using them and PRESTO! Waaaaaaaay less work for me!

HAPPY RAWMOM USEFUL TIP: USE YOUR IMAGINATION AND SENSE OF DISCOVERY

ORGANISE AND BEAUTIFY TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT

I’ll admit I was NOT organised and on top of things before having children; my husband’s efficient and tidy ways have rubbed off! I recall the panic I routinely created for myself in my single days like for instance when I was moving to HONG KONG for a year and packed the night before! Sheesh. Needless to say I was up all night looking for things last minute, left a huge mess behind, actually missed my flight- I was a disaster! I have found it is much less stressful to take bits of time and energy here and there to cultivate a ‘place for everything and everything in its place’ than constantly flying by the seat of my pants. If I can do this, ANYONE CAN! And don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy and seem to need some chaotic and random outlets for my creative juices to flow…now I allow that in my art and writing and adventures with the clan~ not my work spaces. Once you have pared down and retained only what is truly useful and necessary, it is time to organise yourself in a way that is not only functionally but aesthetically pleasing to you. Beauty elevates the spirit and that is what we need in our kitchen, office and laundry room or any place a lot of WORK happens. You will feel these areas are more inviting and pleasing to work in without all the draining mess and clutter. And for goodness sake, don’t be a Martyr -  ask your tribe to pitch in; they are great at sorting and filling jars and tossing stuff- in fact they can be really helpful in assisting you because they are less attached to the stuff and will encourage you to ‘just chuck it!’. Plus, they will feel great about contributing!

HAPPY RAWMOM USEFUL TIP: KEEP THINGS YOU NEED ACCESSIBLE AND IN VIEW

I have found after being RAW for so long now, certain chaos and sabotaging habits just fall away. As much as we want to ‘cleanse and purify’ our bodies, this naturally starts to happen in our environments around us too. A little trick I picked up along the way is to store food in glass so not only can I see what is there, its not porous like plastic is and is easier to keep my cupboards tidy and uniform. I make GREEN SMOOTHIES, GREEN JUICES, HERBAL INFUSIONS and SALADS everyday, so I organize my kitchen in a way which facilitates all that. My BLENDER and JUICER and knifes and cutting boards are always on the countertops within easy access; so is my CD player so I can enjoy music while I work. However YOU prepare your family’s meals is up to you and so only YOU know what you need your kitchen to look like for you to feel happy and productive there. Take a little time to set yourself up for long-term success; save time and money and effort, cut down on waste, allow yourself to think clearly and work unfettered by creating the space you want to work in~ IN-JOY!

Summer Camp Souvenirs–Natural Solutions for Head Lice

Last week the kids finished summer day camp, and along with some memories and new friends, they picked up head lice. I’ve spent the last several days passing hours and hours preening and plucking and nit-picking. Tea tree oil and persistence got us through this round! Here in Montreal, if you do not treat with the toxic chemicals, you can’t send your children to school. Frightening to think of it, but I thought I would include a couple of the recommendations we were given, and post this with the hope that a few of you might have other ideas and suggestions to contribute.

Conditioner: The idea is to comb conditioner into dry or slightly damp  hair, use lots of conditioner. Comb it in well so that the whole head is covered and the hair right down to the roots. Then you use a nit comb to get them all out. The conditioner helps to slow down the lice so that you are able to catch them all and it also helps to loosen the nits. Do this every day for a week and you should have got them all out.

Brush like crazy: This breaks the little pests legs so they can’t run away from you…. it also means they won’t survive because they won’t be able to feed.

Vinegar: Works in the same way as a toxic chemical or the tea tree oil. The vinegar stuns them and helps to kill the eggs. Always use a nit comb.

Tea Tree Oil: Has a strong acidic odour like vinegar and works in the same way to stun the lice and kill the eggs. Don’t use every day.

Remember: If you do have unexpected visitors like these you must wash all the families clothing and bedding, if you can’t use  a hot water wash then add vinegar to the washing water it will help to kill any survivors. Don’t forget to vacuum the beds, and furniture too.

With a keen eye and persistence, I think we’ve managed to finally rid ourselves of these little devils. In the name of preventative measures, we’ll be adding a few drops of tea tree oil to all the shampoo bottles and doing a lot of creative hair braiding this year. When I was homeschooling this was something easily avoided. Now that the kids are in school, these are part of the joys of parenthood.

Hope these natural remedies for head lice come in handy!

If you would like more information and ideas on how to combat this problem there is a great site  http://www.headlice.org which has information, suggestions and reasons why you shouldn’t use chemicals.

Here’s to squeaky clean scalps,

Tera

In the Groove and Back to School

It’s hard to believe that I’ve actually been looking forward to getting “back in the rhythm” of things and greeting the arrival of autumn. The randomity of summer holidays brings with it a certain unpredictable chaotic beat to life that I find exhilarating, at first.

After a few weeks of it, though, I feel restless and anxious to get back into a groove of getting things done and feeling on track.

This restless feeling is a reminder for me of the importance that rhythms serve in our lives.

Just like the sun rises and sets and the tide moves in and out, we thrive with somewhat of a rhythmic predictability in life.

What rhythms guide you and your family?

What about yourself and your personal rhythms?

What little morning rituals can you establish for yourself to help you feel your best?

“I don’t have enough time” rolls off the tongues a few more times than we’d like to admit. One of the solutions to not being able to get it all done in a day, is efficient planning and organization. Even just 10 minutes of de-cluttering every morning will bring HUGE changes by the end of the month. 10 minutes spent reading, meditating, writing or cuddling your niblets can make a huge difference in how you feel about your productivity in these areas of your life.

Some people keep their squirt bottle under the sink and every morning do a quick spritz and blitz of the bathroom sink to keep it looking great every day! What a great way to avoid having a messy bathroom, by handling it every morning in a jiffy.

If you find that you’re having trouble making time for exercise, reading, research and organizing your clutter, find a way to include 10-15 minutes of these tasks into your daily or weekly routine and you’ll be surprised what you manage to pull off.

Here’s to the ebb and flow of your beautiful life, my dear!

Let us know what rhythms guide you and your family by leaving a comment below.

Until next time…

Dancing to the rhythm,

Tera

P.S.

I am SOOoooooOOOOo excited about our upcoming raw mom release. This is something we’ve been working on for over a year. You’ll be hearing a LOT more about it as we get closer to its release. Raw Mom, Joanne Newell wrote an uncook book for kids and it is G O R G E O U S and ready to roll off the e-shelves!

Stay tuned! Exciting things are brewing around here!

P. P. S.

Ooooh! More exciting things are that we have a NEW LOOK for the Raw Mom site. For the last couple years it’s been just a cozy brown blog, but we’re moving into a big, bright website and can’t wait to hear what you think of it! More soon, Sunshine!!

6 Simple Stress-Busters to Help You Keep Your Cool This Summer

by Sarah Womer

When nothing seems to go as planned and you’re doing your best to feign sanity, here are six ways to combat the inevitable stress that happens to the best of us:

1: BREATHE
Granted this is one of the more popular stress-busting techniques out there and with good reason: it works! By focusing on breathing you are not focusing on your problems. You are also oxygenating your body—an act imperative to function highly and intelligently (oxygen is brain food you know).  And, while I know this isn’t the main selling point, deep breathing isn’t as obvious and attention drawing as, say, doing a yoga pose in the middle of the office of a health practitioner. There are many other good reasons to try deep breathing but those are a few:  good for the body,  good for the mind,  good for the spirit,  and no one will notice a thing other than how amazingly calm you have remained despite it all.

2: SMILE
Smiling is the last thing you want to do sometimes but it can really improve your mood.  Smiling automatically triggers the stimulation and production of happy receptors and hormones in the brain. When the muscles contract into a smile on your face serotonin and dopamine are released into your body which helps calm a person and elevate their mood. It’s a physiological response that will drastically improve your coping ability and all you have to do is fake a grin!  You might even be surprised to find that after a few seconds (try 10) you will really want to smile (it’s all a little funny isn’t it?).

3: LAUGH
And how can you smile without breaking into laughter? Well, I suppose it is possible if you are upset enough but laughter stimulates the same physical responses that smiling does. Maybe it will seem like you’re “cracking up” in a bad way but laughter can be contagious.  Sometimes it only takes one person laughing in a chaotic situation to get everyone else involved in a giggling fit! The sheer insanity or even just the stupidity of a situation can become crystal clear with the right change in emotion. If you’re really upset, force an annoyed laugh — the kind you would let out if you thought a joke was terrible— maybe a “HA HAAA” with little emotion behind it. Then add an extra “HA” for effect. Still nothing?  Keep faking until either you start really laughing or someone asks you just what it is you’re doing.  Then perhaps when you articulate it, you will realize just how silly the whole thing is and, barring a real laugh, release the anger.

4: YELL
Yelling doesn’t always work as a stress-buster — not something that should be attempted in the middle of a public place — but sometimes it can be so cathartic in such an instantaneous manner that it would be absolutely unfair not to mention it!  Of course there are many ways to yell but the kind that will help most is the completely incoherent really loud kind of yell. The best way to yell is to try and get everyone else involved in the chaos to yell with you. Try enlisting yelling buddies with a simple, “Let’s all just get it out — let’s yell as hard as we can RIGHT NOW.”  Then contort your face and stick out your tongue and use as many facial muscles as possible, pump the volume up as high as can go and go wild!  Either you will feel relief from just letting it out or realize how silly it is you got frustrated enough to want to make such a ridiculous face and yell really loud that you will not even want to be stressed any longer. It doesn’t matter if you choose to yell alone or with others around, it’ll help either way.

5: SING
Hum a tune, sing a song — just make some music with your mouth. You can make up a song about what is frustrating, you can pick a song you know all the lyrics to, you can just hum a tune that makes you happy, or any other happy thing that may occur to you!  Music is healing whether it is hardcore punk rock or soft and soothing classical Beethoven. Use this healing to your advantage and sing a song — loudly if you like, quietly if you must,  but sing it nonetheless.   Like deep breathing, this is taking your focus off of whatever is frustrating and putting it into the creation of music. Additionally, music is soothing and pleasant to the mind,  so it helps create the representative physiological state in the body!

6: TOUCH
Touch doesn’t have to mean tactile — it can mean emotional as well. When things are really frustrating, you can help make them better by asking for a hug, kiss, or maybe just a hi-five. You can extend a compliment, a thank you, or an“I Love You.”   Tensions can get so high and interactions so competitive that depending on the person and the relationship, it is good to break the escalation with touch! If it is between child and parent, a hug can instantly melt the ice growing. If it is between siblings, an “I Love You” can shock the argument to a standstill.  A personal favorite is to stop and say, “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot here — can I give you a hug?”  Even if the person disagrees about the footing, most can’t resist a hug (or aren’t cruel enough to turn you away) ?

When we’re at home in our element, figuring out what coping mechanism will help is much easier — we can leave the room and find some solitude, we can cry, write, throw up our hands in frustration or anything, really.  But when we are out in public places, the harsh judgments of others can make some of our methodologies catch scornful glances or critical remarks—the last thing you need when you’re stressed.

Stress happens. Instead of stuffing it down, most of the simple tools listed above will be employable at any time in any place.  Find your place of peace amidst the trials and tribulations of life.  May your stress levels subside and your life become easier by the smile.