Greenwashing: What is it and How to Spot it!

Comic courtesy of Tom Fishburne and Skydeckcartoons.com

Being good to the earth does not require complicated strategies or overwhelming efforts. So often we are led to believe that to be a truly environmentally conscious consumer, we must spend mass amounts of money and use only "special" products and buy certain "items". You know the products I am talking about right? The ones with that purty little 'green' label that make it look like it is the uber 'eco friendly' choice and worth all that extra money out of your wallet?

What is "greenwashing" you ask?

Greenwashing is when a company deliberately markets their product as being an environmentally friendly choice, when in fact it isn't. At all. Companies that greenwash their products do so, knowing they are blatantly misleading their customers into buying a product (and often paying up to 20 or 30 per cent *more*) that is neither organic, eco friendly, fair trade nor good to the environment. To put it simply, greenwashing products to trick consumers into buying them (and like I mentioned, paying more for them) means bigger profits for these corporations and companies. They don't care that they are lying to you. It is all about the bottom line - money, money and more money.

How do you spot greenwashing?

You need to be vigilant and read labels. Do your research. This is your hard earned money and you have the right to give/spend it where you want and to not be manipulated by a misleading label. It doesn't have to be hours of research, but if you see a product that is making the claim to be a better choice for you, the environment or both, just a quick Google search with the product name will get you quite far, especially if you start Googling the ingredients. I always get good, honest results if I Google "the truth about {insert what you want to research here}".

I find cleaning and baby products are often the most greenwashed, especially by many mainstream corporations who want in, financially speaking, on the large consumer trend toward eco friendly shopping.

This is my favourite example of a greenwashed baby product:

My Love Affair With Mason (Jars That Is!)...

I will confess, that I have developed a teensy weensy addiction to hoarding collecting Mason jars (this is in addition to my subconscious fear of running out of clothes hangers, as Heather found out when she helped me move last fall. I hold on to weird things I know, but I digress... :Þ).

It started off a few weeks ago when I came out of my winter fog, looked at my kitchen cupboards and pantry and was completely horrified at the amount of plastic I had accumulated without even realizing it. Little things like all my dry goods stored in zip lock bags, plastic containers piled up  from the dollar store for the kids snacks and what not. Everywhere I looked in my kitchen there was plastic, plastic, PLASTIC. Not only that, to add insult to my injured eco-ego, it was all a complete cluttered disorganized mess. I realized something needed to be done!
The beauty of mason jars is you don't need to save them just for canning. Oh no my friends, they can be used for soooooooooooo much more!

The little tiny ones that are about 125ml (or 1/2 cup) are fantastic for snacks, even for the kids. Not only are they sturdy but you don't need to worry about crappy chemicals leaching into your food. Yes, they are glass but it really does take a lot for them to break. They've been dropped on our hardwood floor and are still intact with nary a scratch or crack to be found. I am all for stainless steel food storage containers and other adorable eco friendly options that are out there, but we are on a very strict budget and I needed something more inexpensive to hold the kids snacks that was chemical free and also leak proof. I was able to find 12 half cup (125 ml) little jars at Safeway a few weeks back for $12.99! That works out to $1.13 per container tax included. Not bad for an eco friendly, plastic free option if I do say so myself!

The bigger ones of course are even better for storing dry goods (in addition to being used for canning) and not only that, everything looks so much prettier stored in Mason jars then in say, ugly plastic containers. Again, 12 one litre jars for 15 bucks is a very inexpensive plastic free storage option. Just thinking about it makes me giddy!! :D

I spent part of my afternoon today taking pictures of my messy, disheveled cupboards and pantry and then studiously switching all my dry goods to my fabulous Mason jars with the whole intent of course, of sharing my before and after pics with you. Of course Murphy's law would say, that if you have great pictures to share on your blog about your transformation to organized, domestic, eco friendly bliss, chances are your computer won't download them off your camera. ARGH. So you will have to wait, but I promise it will be worth it! Eco Diva I may be, Domestic Diva not so much, but I'm working on getting the two inner "divas" to meet somewhere in the middle...eventually. ;o)

Unfortunately, people often assume that being eco friendly and/or environmentally conscious requires the ability to spend a lot of money. That really couldn't be further from the truth! So that being said, what are your favourite ways to be environmentally friendly/aware while not breaking the bank to do it?

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! If you haven't had a chance to donate to the earthquake relief efforts in Japan and South Asia, please click over to our post from last week to read more about ways to help out and give back. ♥

With love and light,

 

Eco Friendly Wedding Ideas!

Don't laugh! :Þ

I know it is January but weddings are on the brain for a lot of couples out there planning their nuptials for the next year or so. And, it's freakishly cold outside so I am needing to focus on something green and pretty to get me through....which led me to writing a post on eco friendly wedding ideas! :D

Also, my dear sweet cousin (hi Sonja!) is getting married next year and we were chatting on the phone this weekend about different ideas. Of course me being crunchy granola girl, I quickly got on the topic of an eco friendly wedding and all the super cool things you can do that are also super earth friendly!

So without further ado, here is my little list to help you have an eco friendly wedding!



Eco Friendly Wedding Flowers:

One of the simplest and often most inexpensive ways of going "green" with your flowers is to buy flowers that are grown locally and/or organic - better yet grow them yourself! Locally grown flowers and especially flowers that are native to your area require less fossil fuels to be consumed during transportation which is easier on the earth and also translates to savings for you! Why are organic flowers better? Well, organically grown flowers are earth friendly for the simple fact that no toxic pesticides or herbicides are used while they are growing - that can be said for anything grown organically.

For centerpieces or floral decorations instead of using cut flowers, use potted plants, potted flowers or miniature potted trees. You can create a table centerpiece with multiple potted flowers for example and then at the end of the night they can also be used as a wedding favour.

Don't know where to start looking? Ask your florist about organic flowers and/or locally grown flowers - they should be able to help you out. If in the rare chance they can't, simply searching Google for "eco friendly wedding flowers + your city" should bring up what you need!



Eco Friendly Wedding Favours:

What to do about those wedding favours? So often we have been to weddings only to see wedding favours left at the end of the night, or worse, taken and then not used at all. We were at our cousin's wedding in September and I LOVED the idea of edible treats as wedding favours. There were rice crispy treats all wrapped up, cookies, bars - you name it they were on the table and they were a huge hit! I loved that idea. Eco friendly and affordable! Plus at the end of the night who doesn't want to nibble on something sweet?

Other great ideas are flower seeds in a cute little mini sized paper bag. Fold down the top, glue a large sized dried flower that is also flat (think Gerber daisy etc etc) to the fold and then print your own pretty labels with your names and the date. Easy, eco friendly and again, affordable! :D

You can also use this cute idea to the right! A cute little potted cactus with a little sign that says "love" on one side and your names and date on the other side.

There is also those cute little mini terra cotta pots. Fill the pots with seeds and a bit of soil, wrap in a lightweight organic cotton fabric and tie a ribbon around the top to close it up.

The Venue(s):

Renting out a church, a synagogue or other indoor space creates the need for mass amounts of electricity. Consider talking to your officiant about having the ceremony outdoors.

Outdoor weddings are beautiful (think of all the 'free' decorations you get just from the surrounding nature!) as well as eco friendly in that they won't use up the mass amounts of electricity like an indoor service and reception will. It is often less expensive to find a beautiful outdoor space and rent some of those big white party tents and decorate yourself than it is to rent an entire indoor reception space.


Skip The Confetti!

Feed the birds! Don't throw paper confetti! The tradition of throwing rice at the happy couple after the ceremony and/or reception has been around for a long, long time - think back to Egyptian or Roman times! Throwing rice or confetti is meant to offer the new bride and groom a lifetime of abundance, prosperity and fertility.

You have probably heard that throwing rice hurts the sweet little birds that swoop down afterwards and gobble it all up. This is not true. Not at all.

Skip the confetti for the simple fact that it is a massive waste of paper. If you want to throw "good luck" to the newlyweds opt for locally harvested birdseed instead. Rice is fine, but it is often imported and we are trying to keep our carbon footprint low, right? :o)

If you don't believe me on the rice not hurting our feathered friends, click over to our friends at Urban Legends, they explain it all in great detail!

The Rings:

We can't forget the rings now can we? ;o)

All that glitters isn't gold it seems.

Do you know where your gold comes from? Do you know how it is mined and how that mining impacts the environment? No?

Check out NoDirtyGold.org

"A gift of gold often symbolizes love, commitment, romance, and friendship.  Yet, gold mining is one of the most destructive activities in the world, and has been linked to grievous environmental, social justice, and human rights violations."

You really must go there and read. It's a fabulous website that really lays out the not so sparkling side of the gold mining industry.

Then there are the diamonds. We can't forget the diamonds - a mainstay of the engagement and wedding tradition in our culture.

Again, I ask, "Do you know where your diamonds come from?"

Most diamonds on the market are also often referred to as "Blood Diamonds". They are referred to this way not only because of the torturous slave labour practices that are often employed while mining for those diamonds, but also because the sale and profit from those diamonds goes to fund horrific civil wars in many African countries.

(You can read more about blood diamonds here at the United Nations website.)

I know, I know, we are talking about your amazing wedding coming up and this topic on dirty gold and blood diamonds is totally a downer. But it doesn't have to be. Use this information to arm yourself. Be informed. All decisions you make have an impact one way or another, especially your purchasing decisions. Vote with your dollar. Choose ethically mined diamonds and gold (or platinum, silver etc whatever it is you choose) if that is what you want for your jewellery. Again, this is where Google is your friend. If you Google "green gold" or "where to buy ethical diamonds" or "ethical wedding rings" you will be pointed in the right direction!



Are you planning a wedding? Have you found other eco friendly ideas that I haven't listed? Feel free to share!

With love and light ♥,

 

Friday Finds for December 17th!

I can't believe it is Friday again all ready! Is it just me or does the time just keep flying by faster and faster?

I'll share my fabulous Friday Finds with you, but I also want to know, what have you found lately that you think is super cool and you want to share with the world?

With the weather we've been having lately I'm having to come up with cool ideas to keep my kids entertained. Today one of my BFF's, Tina and I took the kids out for lunch and to the movies, but I can't afford to do this everyday obviously. We need to get back into our arts and crafts and like I mentioned in previous posts, I suck at coming up with ideas so I rely on my friends and fellow bloggers/moms to help me out in that department!

Today I stumbled across this amazing blog with all sorts of ideas! It makes me giddy just looking at it! :D

If you are hoping for the kidlets to make some home made gifts this year and you're like me and don't know where to start or what to do, check out the CraftyCrow.net! She's gathered some of the best of the best when it comes to the crafty type blogs and it's hard to go over there and not get totally lost (in a great way!) on her site checking out all the unique (and wonderfully simple) ideas. Not only are there great tips and tricks in regards to arts and crafts for your kids to make, but also some fantastic ideas for yourself as well.

A perfect example is this adorable little notepad holder - this is truly suitable for any age. Click here for the simple instructions on how to help your child make this perfect little stocking stuffer!

Photo courtesy of Let's Explore via the Crafty Crow 

I have to thank my good friend Darla for this next find today! It won't help you with your shopping, not this decade at least, but if you were around in the 80's you will love to remember these great Christmas commercials! I totally forgot about some of these! It's making me all nostalgic for my mixed tapes and the Kenny and Dolly Christmas specials - remember those? ;o)

Photo Credit

Click here to go back in time and check them out. Michael J. Fox and his DeLorean not necessary... ;o)

Now, I wouldn't be true to my crunchy granola self if I didn't include a few "green" finds for the week. One site I really like is the Examiner.com. They have great authors and articles from all over the USA and Canada.

Alicia Bayer wrote these great tips on how to stay warm this winter without once having to touch the thermostat on your wall. Great reminders that are really just common sense!

Click here to find out "15 Ways to Warm Up Without Turning Up the Thermostat". The earth and your bank account will thank you!

So what have you found this week that you think is fabulous and share-worthy? Comment below and let us know!

Have a great weekend everyone! ♥

With love and light,

 

Tree Huggin' Tuesday - Quick and Easy, Eco Friendly Gifts

Omigosh I am starting to panic. I have not done any shopping yet and it is 11 days until Christmas morning! @_@

Our life in this house has been so hectic and chaotic the last 2 months that it suddenly hit me this morning, it's the middle of December and I am not even close to being ready. YIKES!

The problem with suddenly realizing that you basically have 10 days to get your sh*t together is that it is very easy to get caught up in the mass consumerism of the season. I find I am telling myself I'll just pop over to Costco and get all the gifts and everything I need and then I can be done. But there really is no thought in that because I know I'll just be there buying gifts for the sake of getting gifts and what good is that? And for the record I am not saying that just because you shopped at Costco your gifts are meaningless, not at all. I am just musing to myself that if I go there (it's 5 minutes from my house) and just shop for the sake of shopping and getting things that the gifts from me wouldn't have as much meaning and thought as I would like...does that make any sense? It's been a really long day around here.... :Þ

For one thing, I hate crowds.

{shudder}

The thought of hitting the stores this week or next is enough to sending me running for the hills screaming incomprehensible things while smacking myself on the forehead and hoping the little men in white jackets don't catch up with me.

For another thing, I feel like the meaning of this time of year is starting to fade. For some it is celebrating the birth of Jesus. For others, it is a celebration of light, of welcoming back the sun and just being close to friends and family. Whatever your reason for celebrating at this time of year, ask yourself, what does it mean to you? Is it about having the biggest and best and most expensive present to give or show off? Or the most presents? Why do people feel the need to literally spend thousands of dollars on gifts?!?! If it is not about that, then why is that always the focus? I don't get it and it's not what I want to teach my children.

Let's re-cap here.... I am wayyyyyyyyyyyyy behind in the gift giving/making department, it's December 14th, I hate crowds and mass consumerism really irritates me. So what is a girl to do?

Stay home, have a glass of wine and get into your zen spot by making your own gifts that have meaning and are filled with love and good energy.

I am not that crafty (although I am a crafty girl wannabe in the most desperate of ways :D LOL), I am not creative when it comes to coming up with ideas, but I am stubborn and tenacious and despite everything we've been through this little while, I am not letting it be my free pass this year to just hit the stores and get 'stuff' for the sake of having things to wrap up and give away. I might suck it up and shop a little bit if I can find the right gift for the right person and it is something they love (ie there is truly thought behind it), but other than that I plan to lay low for the next couple of weeks and remember the spirit of the season.

If it weren't for my children, I think I would just skip this craziness all together, but they are getting so excited and I have to remember that really, the magic of this season is still in them. They still believe in Santa and have so excitedly started their letters to send off.  One of the things they really want is actual toys from Santa's work shop. Not from the stores, but 'original' toys. Basically Maria and Matty are getting old enough to question the whole concept and want to know why Santa just gets everyone store bought toys.

I need to come up with something original. I need to be 'Santa's Workshop' and some how turn into an Elf and create something amazing. In ten days.

Luckily there is Google and fellow bloggers with super nifty crafty ideas that share what they come up with!

For Noah it is going to be these fabulous Fabric Alphabet Fridge Magnets that I saw awhile back on SpearmintBaby.com (and posted about on December 3rd) and fell in love with.

Aren't they just adorable?!?! :D

  

Photo and idea courtesy of SpearmintBaby.com

And really, he's 3. If my sewing is less than stellar I'm sure he won't notice. ;o)

Matty loves, loves, loves playdough and that is sooooooooooooo easy to make. If I put it in some original and unique packaging, use some cool colours with some car shaped cookie cutters, he'll be thrilled!

I haven't made playdough in a long time, but when I do this is the recipe that ends up the best for us:

Simple and Easy Homemade Playdough Recipe

• 1 cup of plain white flour (Save the organic whole wheat stuff for something else and just use the whitest all purpose flour you can find. Yes for us crunchy granola girl types it feels weird to use white flour for anything, but this is the time and the place for it! LOL :D)
• 1/2 cup table salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 2 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar
• Food coloring

Using a large pot add in all your ingredients and mix together over medium heat. Eventually the consistency turns to something like thick and sticky mashed potatoes. When this happens remove from heat and carefully start kneading the dough until it gets a smooth finish. Just watch out because it will be hot at first. I usually tip the pot over onto the table and let the playdough drop there and it cools off faster that way while I knead it.

For my Gluten Free friends, here is a great recipe that has gotten rave reviews!

Easy Gluten Free Playdough recipe:

• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tsp. cooking oil
• food coloring

Mix all ingredients together in saucepan, cook on low heat, stirring occassionally for at least 5 minutes or until it forms a ball. Remove from heat, let cool for 10 minutes. Scoop into a large bowl, add at least 1/2 cup more rice flour, and 1/2 cup more corn starch, knead until well mixed and no longer sticky. Store in airtight container.

  

Photo Courtesy of MumsBabyMagazine.com

For the colours, I use the food colouring pastes that you find in cake decorating stores. They seem more expensive yes, at first compared to the liquid kind you find in the grocery store etc, but they last for years and years and years. They are well worth the upfront cost. Just a teeny tiny speck on a toothpick will you give you rich and vibrant colours that are hard to find in store bought play dough varieties.

If you add some vanilla extract the playdough smells super yummy and the extract hlps preserve the dough so it lasts longer. You can use peppermint extract too which would be fun for this time of year!

Add some glitter to make sparkly dough. The kids love it! Make some special 'Santa Dough' by leaving the dough uncoloured and then add in red, green and silver glitter. :o)

Cooked playdough lasts longer and is easier to play with (in my not so humble opinion) than its non cooked counter part. It is also super easy to make, ridiculously simple to clean up and it costs just pennies for what turns out to be a really fun and unique gift!

Are you making any homemade gifts this year? I'll be on a mission all week for great ideas so feel free to share and I'll be sure to pop back and let you know any cool links and ideas I find too!

With love and light, ♥

 

Friday Finds for December 10!

I love Fridays, I really do! It means that I actually have a place to share all the crazy things I find on the internet all week long (and I am a bit of an internet junkie, so I have a lot of things I am bookmarking all the time :D ).

Now, Noah who is my youngest and turned 3 in August has *finally* potty trained. Do you hear the angels singing? I sure do! I have had at least one in diapers (often two) for the last... *gasp*... EIGHT years. Eight years. @_@ OMG that makes me dizzy just thinking about it!

Even though Noah is out of diapers, I still can't help browsing through some of my favourite online stores that helped feed my cloth diaper addiction. If you aren't currently using cloth diapers and wonder how on earth one can become addicted to them, well check these cuties out from EcoBabyCanada.com!

Fuzzi Bunz Daisy print from EcoBabyCanada.com

KiwiDot Goodmama from EcoBabyCanada.com

Then I noticed that she has her Goodmama's on sale and that alone is enough to almost make me want to put Noah back in diapers. :Þ I *LOVE* Goodmama's, they are one of my absolute favourites and were one of the most well used and well loved diapers in my stash. They are worth every.single.penny because they last forever and are oh so soft and cushy. Really, who can resist cute diapers like this? ♥

I could go on and on and on about cloth diapers, but I will stop there for now! :D

How are you all doing with your holiday shopping? I have to confess with everything going on in my life lately I haven't even started.

If you plan to order online, you are best to get finished this weekend if you want to have everything delivered in time for Christmas without paying a fortune in shipping. I have to thank David Suzuki for reminding me of that fact. While I would  love to say David told me that little shipping tid bit personally, I can't. :Þ

Being a huge fan of his, I was on his website today to see what was hot over there for the holiday season and noticed that they have mentioned to order by December 11 to get your goodies at regular parcel rates (for US customers this might be different, just so ya know).

I fell in love with this calendar they have in their store "Nature in the City 2011"! Check out this car!

Photo Courtesy of The David Suzuki Foundation "Nature in the City 2011 Calendar"

I LOVE IT! :D A car that has been reclaimed as an urban garden. How cool is that? According to the David Suzuki Foundation website/holiday store:

 "...we asked Canadians to grab their cameras and show us the natural world interwoven into the urban landscape, as viewed through their camera lenses. Hundreds of photographers across the country entered thousands of images to our Nature in the City photo contest. The twelve winners, featured in this 2011 calendar, were chosen by our panel of guest judges - all professional photographers."

You have to get this calendar, I mean really, isn't there some pseudo hippie in your family that would love this? ;o)

Okay, okay, so maybe not everyone in your circle of family/friends is into cloth diapers and David Suzuki, but you have to have some sort of techie in your famliy right? Have you seen these on Etsy.com?

Photo courtesy of DebbyAremDesigns on Etsy.com

It is recycled circuit board light switch!! :D

Or this, for the Lego fan in your life who loves to read, how can you resist this cute little stocking stuffer?

Photo courtesy of "misscourageous" on Etsy.com

And my personal favourite:

{drum roll please.....}

Photo courtesy of FloppyDiskCreations on Etsy.com

It's a floppy disk night light!!!!! I am so in love with it that I am putting it on my wish list this year for sure. It reminds me of the good 'ole days before USB drives and cable internet. :D Remember dial up? Ahh, I can hear the dial up tones just like it was yesterday....

And with that my friends I am going to go and put some early Pearl Jam on the iPod and get my letter to Santa finished up...

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! ♥

With love and light,

 

Dollar Store Alternatives

It’s common knowledge that the local dollar store is a hopping place to shop – it’s jam packed with everything from bright, cheery items for every room in the house, to craft supplies, pregnancy tests, and a huge array of food. It’s all very tempting. Or is it?

Of the last 10 items you have recently bought, how many would you say were good quality? I don’t mean top-notch quality – just good quality items that have lasted. Some of the last things I bought were plastic popcorn buckets that I filled with popcorn to replace loot bags for our son’s birthday party. I didn’t want to give his friends a bunch of cheap toys that would break in a day or so. I thought I made a wise choice – until the smell of the popcorn buckets forced me to dispose of them.


Photo Credit

I choose, instead, to shop at thrift stores. I know, I know – sounds cheap and tacky, right? Not exactly. Had I chosen to buy containers at the thrift store, each and every child would have gone home with a one of a kind treat in a unique jar or pot instead of identical, cheap containers that their parents likely threw in the garbage as well.

Since then, I’ve been using some dollar store alternatives that our family is really happy with:
Gift Wrap
• For teenagers moving out, use a shirt or sweater
• For a young couple getting married, use dish towels or bathroom towels
• If you have a sewing machine, sew a simple cloth wrap. Or visit our Etsy store and take a look at ours.

Cleaning Supplies
• For windows, mirrors, faucets, sinks, toilets, and anything else with a shiny finish – I use a mixture of vinegar and water. It works quickly, streak free, and it’s much less expensive than even dollar store cleaning products.
• For counter tops I use the equivalent of a multi-purpose cleaner consisting of vinegar, baking soda and water.

Baby items
• Our kids are past the baby stage, but we have family and friends whose families are growing and you can find plenty of blankets, towels, memory books, and clothes for their new little bundles. Just last week at a local thrift store I found a brand new baby time capsule – it was still in the original box with price tag. The clear window in the box was not even scratched. The original price was $19.99 and I picked it up for $3.
• I know when our kids were young they loved to be swaddled, but all of the receiving blankets were too small to stay tucked in tight. My mother in law spent 2 hrs sewing up a pile of receiving blankets – approximately 1x1 meter each. They were awesome for swaddling, nursing in public, putting on the floor under baby, and clipping to the stroller to provide extra shade. Fabric can often be found second hand.

Snacks
• It’s difficult to beat the price of dollar store snacks, but why not buy a small cloth cooler bag and stuff it full of grapes, cheese and crackers, and water bottles? You’ll sacrifice dollar store quality snacks for healthy, nourishing, and tasty real foods instead. Plus, you’ll be sending less to the landfills by using reusable containers for your snacks.

Holiday Decorations
• I have 3 words: Garage Sale, Baby! You can find the most beautiful things at times and many people clear out Christmas decorations in summer when Christmas is still far from their minds. Take advantage!


Photo Credit

By choosing dollar store alternatives, I find myself making more significant purchases. I don’t mean significant as in large purchases, but rather, purchases that are significant for the person they are intended for, significant for our finances, and significant for the environment.

We’re curious – what are your dollar store alternatives?

Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets

I am a busy Mom, Wife, Student, Chaperone, Chauffer, Chef, Health Care Provider, and Landscaper (among other things!) who lives a very practical life. I am not interested in knick knacks, collections, jewelry, or anything else that is not 110% practical.

With that in mind, I have 5 things in my kitchen that help keep me organized and sane. They are, in no particular order:

1. Slow Cooker – I have 4 of them. Actually, I have 3, but one is a double cooker (it’s the greatest thing!) I have at least one on the go twice a week for sure. I love making jam in my double slow cooker – peach on one side and strawberry on the other. They are great for large family functions – you can cook and mash your potatoes early in the day and then keep them warm in the slow cooker until you’re ready to eat. For kid’s birthday parties, throw in a couple packages of hot dogs and let them cook while you’re making crafts or playing games. Homemade spaghetti sauce is so simple – throw in raw ingredients at night, leave it in the fridge overnight, and then in the morning plug it in for fresh sauce at dinner time. It’s terrific for hot summer days, too – no need to turn on the oven! Man, I could go on and on – this is definitely a must have for busy moms.


Photo Credit

2. Crock for large utensils – I love a clean and clutter free counter, so for years I kept all of my serving spoons, potato masher, spatulas, and every other kitchen gadget in 2 large drawers that were difficult to close and tricky to open without something getting stuck. I saw a like-new crock at a thrift store, which I quickly dismissed because of counter clutter. 5 minutes later I changed my mind and I love it. I do a lot of cooking and now everything is at my fingertips by the stove. I was worried about grease and steam from cooking and if they would stay clean right beside the stove, and I’m happy to say that they do! They get used so often that there is no time for them to get grimy. It’s so handy to not have to search for an everyday utensil every time I need it.

3. Rubber spatulas – I like the spatulas with the rubber ends, not the plastic ends. They scrape bowls clean and cause very little waste. These are a simple but sound kitchen tool.

4. Bread machine – I can’t even begin to tell you how many loaves of bread I’ve made with my bread machine. Although, I must admit that I really dislike the mushroom shaped loaves with the giant hole in the middle. I have since learned to use the dough setting then put the dough into pans and bake it in the oven. And I do love the option of waking up to freshly baked bread in the morning. I have not experimented with other food stuffs in the bread machine, though the recipe book contains instructions for jams, jellies, puddings, desserts, and other tasty things. Aside from bread dough, I love pizza dough in the bread machine.


Photo Credit

5. Rice Steamer – a rice steamer is a terrific thing to have! Just yesterday I made rice for 8 people in about 30 minutes. This brilliant little machine steams brown, white, jasmine, basmati and wild rice to perfection. I like that I can take it with me to potlucks and not have to take up stove space and I like that I can plug it in outside on hot summer days.

These are my top 5 kitchen items – what are yours?