Presents for the our household Originally Shared Friday, January 15, 2010 at 11:56pm

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We are doing a life makeover.

This is too much for us. Our 3 young children are so overwhelmed by toys that they do not take care of what they have. And it isn't just the children. M2 and I are so overwhelmed by all that gimme gimmes that we have too much stuff as well.

Some tips on buying for the kids:
Is it plastic?
If it is, then please pass it over. We don't want to increase our children's carbon footprint by plastic toys that they will forget about the minute it hits the floor.
Does it make electronic noise?
If it does, then please pass it over. We like for our children to engage in imagination play.
Is it a doll?
Then I ask, is it one that V will treasure for the rest of her life? She has many dolls already, and doesn't need any more. She has Barbies, and babies, and my little Pony figurines. She has so many that she can't keep track of them all.
Is it a car?
Then I ask, is one that will never be found again on this earth? E doesn't need any more hot wheels. Edoesn't need any more remote control cars. Again, we are trying to cut out plastic from our lives.
Check where the item was made.
Was it made in China? Then chances are there are unacceptable levels of lead and other bad things floating on it. It was more than likely made for slave wages and is not doing any thing more for the earth.

What do the kids need?
The kids need organic fabric clothes. Well, and even then "need" is a very strong word. But if you want to give them a gift, the gift of warm clothes or cool clothes is always appreciated.
If you would like to give us gifts in the form of donations to charitable organizations, that would be appreciated too! http://thirstrelief.org/ http://www.newlifeevangelisticcenter.org/ http://www.redcross.org/

I am not trying to be some picky ninny here. I am trying to get a handle on this consumerism that is basically stealing time from us. We have to spend so much time picking up things, that we don't have time to spend enjoying each other's company.

Wheat, Glorious Wheat!

No, really... It's awesome.

We grind just enough to bake our own bread or make our own cookies. Whole wheat flour doesn't have the shelf life of AP flour, but the wheat berries last for 30+ years if stored properly

The grinder that we have is a Back to Basics hand grinder. The kids even help and it doesn't take that much time. Eventually we are going to get a Wondermill, but not until we save up for it.

Wheat berries can also be used as a substitution for rice, as a cereal in the morning (cooked overnight in a crockpot), as well as a filler for meat based meals. It stretches your meat budget much like TVP.

Wheat berries are also higher in nutrients than regular 'enriched' flour. So much is stripped away from the wheat that they have to 'add' it back in.

A best way to get wheat is locally (try the bulk bins at the HFS, Grocer, or Local Amish/Mennonite Store. I have found that when buying in bulk the shipping is what gets you, but it is still cheaper than the flour equivalent. Honeyville Farms has one low price for shipping, and also has powdered eggs/dairy and other baking essentials you can buy along with. PleasantHill has the best price for me for superpails (long term storage) and you could use a gamma lid to keep the superpails air tight, yet still accessible.

I get soft white wheat for things like crusts, cakes, brownies or anything that doesn't need gluten. I use hard white wheat for my breads or general use. Hard Red Wheat has a bit of a bitter flavor, so I don't even bother buying it.

I store my wheat that isn't packed for long term in the freezer. It prevents any sort of bug infestation (imagine how many bugs are in your ground up wheat from the store, blech) and is more convienent for me (mobility challenged)

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