Inspiration on a Monday: Organisation

As I attempt to fulfill all of my goals and resolutions for the year there are a few particular bloggers and Instagrammers and other people that are helping me to stay focused and on track.  I thought that I would share some of them with you and hopefully you may find someone new to inspire you too.  I will share one each week.  This week I’m focusing on organisation (as most people are - or their diet - it’s probably pretty equal).


Organisation

I find that I am tending towards minimalism more and more - not to say that my style is minimalist but my tendency to keep things “just in case” is starting to fade away.  I now am pretty ruthless when it comes to decluttering and will even throw out (donate) things that have emotional attachments.  It is so much less stressful when you have less stuff.  For example, I don’t have to pull out 20 mixing bowls, have four chopping boards fall over, move the gigantic olive oil I buy and then slide the plastic jugs over to get to the steamer basket anymore - much less frustrating.

The people keeping me on the straight and narrow at the moment are Coco from lightbyCoco,  Carrie from CarrieLeighAnna and FlyLady

Coco lives in San Francisco in a studio and doesn’t even have a bed (it took me awhile to figure that
one out)!  Her husband is also a minimalist and they have systems in place that allow them to spend time at home efficiently and happily without a whole lot of stuff.  Her videos also are great because she does tours of her whole home (which is tiny but you don’t realise it until the moment you see it) and it really does demonstrate how little you need to live comfortably.


Find Coco on Instagram
Coco's blog here
Coco on YouTube

Carrie is a SAHM who recently moved to Kentucky from somewhere (can’t remember) and she is also into being a minimalist but also into living naturally.  Since reading and listening to her I have begun to not use shampoo and will not spend anymore money on toiletries and half the things I buy probably.  There is also an extremely personal side to this blog which I like because even though Carrie looks pulled together and organised - she shares her issues with infertility and food - it helps to keep everything in perspective.




Find Carrie on Instagram
Carrie's Blog here
Carrie on YouTube

The other help I find is via an email subscription.  I have signed up to FlyLady in the past and found it very helpful to get me into a good morning routine that helps my day flow smoothly.  FlyLady is a website that has a lot of great (free) resources as well as encouragement's and ideas to help you get organised and stay that way so that again - life is less stressful.  But the best bit is that while you follow this basic pattern every day - there is also a focus area of your home each week.  The focus area is decluttered every day for 15 minutes until you are happy with the amount of stuff.  Then you can detail clean in that area for 15 minutes each day.  Who can’t find 15 minutes?  It’s amazing what you can get done in that time.


FlyLady lives here



There are about a zillion other great people to follow on Instagram and I'm sure there are more on Twitter (which I don't really do).  If you have someone you follow and find helpful please link it in the comments section.


Next Monday I will be focusing on health for my Inspiration on a Monday post.

Menu Plan October Week 1

I have just looked at my last posting date and realise that it is July - oh my. 

While shamelessly ignoring my blog - I still have been menu planning and so thought I would slowly get back into it with a menu plan post.

Here it is:

Mexican Monday:Nachos - I know it's no real Mexican food - but it's a great way to use up leftovers in the fridge!
Tuesday: Lamb chops/Harissa tofu with corn and asparagus
Wednesday: Family dinner at Grandma's
Thursday: Red curry beef/vegetable with lychees
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Omelettes with haloumi - based on Annabel Langbein's Fresh Herb Omelette recipe
Sunday: Leftovers


Mexican Monday: Tacos - bean/beef
Tuesday: Prawn and Mango Salad - based on Annabel Langbein's Prawn and Duck Salad recipe  
Wednesday: Family dinner at Grandma's
Thursday: Vegetable Quicje
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Salad with hot smoked salmon and a Caesar dressing
Sunday: Vegetable Soup

I used Annabel Langbein's Free Range in the City to plan this menu.

The next menu plan I am hoping to only have to do a shop for fresh items as my pantry is being to look a bit hoard-y - here's a few pictures to help me do it:

Yes, that is 5 packets of tortillas!

You cannot even see the top shelf!

Blog Love: What I'm Reading

Not that I have a lot of time for reading - so mostly I am currently looking at blogs with a lot of pictures and also blogs that are written by mothers.

Here is my current reading list:

A Bowl Full Of Lemons

I thought that I had a stationery problem - it's not looking so bad now.  This site is the stuff of dreams - I have never seen anyone so organised or colour co-ordinated in my life.  If you are looking to do some culling and organising or thinking about how to set about your finances, pantry, emergency supplies or anything else for that matter, this is the site for you.

The Japanese Vegetarian Kitchen

My Mum put me onto this site - it is written in English by a Japanese speaker as a way to practise her English.  All the recipes here have step-by-step photographs, few ingredients and taste amazing.  There is not posting schedule but there is plenty in the archives to keep you in the kitchen.  Many of the recipes are also vegan, and if you have trouble finding ingredients, Izumi often lists alternates that you can use.

Mamacino

This blog is written by an Australian Mum, Kristen who is interested in "kids, food, travel, life" but the bit that interests me most of course is the food.  The blog features advice on everyday life as well as featuring recipes and links to other great resources (hello the world of probiotics).  The photography is also amazing and the styling to-die-for.

 

Wild Fermentation

I know this title sounds a bit weird but I, like everyone else, seem to be hooked on probiotics and making them myself (not that I have actually done anything about it yet).  This is a resource blog - not too many pictures.  If you want to know how to make something like kimchi or some type of fermented vegetable this is your mecca.  Written by American Sandor Ellix Katz who looks on fermented foods as an important part of healing the body.

Assignments

Why is it always the way - when I have something to write about I can't because of how muh other stuff is going on?

Well to get it out off my head - I'm going to note down what I would like to write about:

• Easter Show Jam entry
• Mad Men 
• My Birthday
• The Beau leaving for 6 months of study
• Finance
• Maggie Beer and Simon Bryant  - "the Cook and the Chef"
• Farmer's Market
• Walk the Line
• Cleaning/Organizing/Procrastinating

There - almost done!

Menu Plan Monday

For the month of February Organizing Junkie had a recipe challenge.  The idea was to organise all recipe books, binders and floating around bits of paper.  

I took up this challenge and even though I forgot to take photos of the before mess, here are the after shots:

This my whole bookcase of beautifully ordered cookbooks.  My vintage collection is middle shelf on the right.

These are the books that will be going to Vinnie's.  I probably bought most of them there for a few dollars so it's not too hard to give them back!

This has inspired me to use all the cookbooks that I have kept in my collection.  So, from now on each week will feature menu's from one specific cookbook, with some of my own reciepes thrown in - if needed.

This week's reciepe's come from A Treasury of Australia Cooking , published in 1962.

Monday: Baked stuffed Peppers (p 179).  With extra veggies.

Tuesday: Mum's

Wednesday: Grandma's

Thursday: Leek and poatao Creme Soup (p 25)

Friday: Potato Cakes (p81) with a piece of fish for the Beau.  Waldorf Salad (p 95)

Saturday Roast veggie quiche with feta (my reciepe).  And steak for Beau.

Sunday: Cheeseburgers (p 216).  Lentil burger for me. And Salad.

Last week's menu went quite well except I couldn't be bothered to make Involtini as it would have been just for me and I had too many wines before I decided to get dinner ready!  Also pea and pesto soup was not nice (sorry Nigella - it's the first ting I have made of her's that is not to my tast - sadly).  Also did not make Pasta e fagoli as couldn't be bothered when Beau saw the picture and said he wouldn't eat it.

I am going to endevour to take more pictures of what I make as most of the receiepe books I use do not have pictures.  Here is the dreamy Penne Alla Vodka (from Ms Lawson) - but with bow-tie pasta.