We're Going On A Diet...

I honestly have no idea if I ever mentioned this on here... but let's assume that I didn't for a second.
Our family made a bit of a lifestyle change this past spring when we decided to look into the Paleolithic/Primal diet.
I think the word "diet" is a bit of a misnomer, actually.
It has become more like a lifestyle for us.

Our Story...
It actually began back in January or February of this year. My brother and sister-in-law had mentioned they were eating "caveman style" and when I asked what exactly that meant they said it was eating the way cavemen did.
Huh.
I still wasn't sure what that looked like but when they said it meant cutting out grains I laughed and said the most commonly spoken words when talking to a proponent of homeschoolers, minimalists, and caveman wannabees... "I could never do that!"
The mere thought of giving up noodles, potatoes, or breads was borderline blasphamy in our house.
When I told Hubs about it we both agreed "it would be impossible.....right?"
To be honest, we couldn't argue with the idea that more veggies in our diet would be a good thing but seriously, what do you replace bread with at the dinner table?! We ALWAYS had meat, we ALWAYS had a veggie side dish (usually of boiled corn, peas, green beans, or a salad), and we ALWAYS had a starch and we usually ate more of the bread/potato/pasta than anything else on our plates.
How on earth were we supposed to feel satisfied?
Living off rabbit food didn't sound too appetizing and since greens are so light and non-filling we'd probably spend a fortune in grocery bills just to remain satisfied.

So later that week I made the executive decision to swap the starch with another veggie and see how it went. One night, instead of salad and bread we had sweet potato and a salad. Another night, instead of a cheese burger with a bun we had a cheese burger in a lettuce wrap.
For about a week we made these simple swaps and something strange began to happen...
I noticed that I no longer got the bloated, gassy feeling after a meal. (TMI?)
I didn't feel heavy and icky after a meal which, to be honest, was something I had become accustomed to.
The first change I noticed after a couple of weeks was that for most of my life I had assumed the way I felt after a meal was normal. I assumed feeling tired after a meal was just my body focusing its energy on digesting.
NO, my friend! What I took as a normal sign of a happy, full belly was really my body's way of telling me that it was struggling with what I had just ingested. My stomach wasn't sure of what to do with the things I had just overloaded it with. Silly me!
What I'm saying is that I was thirty years old before I knew what it felt like to feel satiated without feeling sick.

And that's why I'm sharing this with you today...
I'm not a doctor. I'm not even a nurse. At best, I'm a mom of four, a wife of one and caretaker of this body I have been given and I can only tell you, based on my own personal experience, that changing our families eating habits have changed parts of our lives in a way that we can never turn back from. We just can't.

We have been eating differently for a little over nine months now. My meat loving, carb-loading husband, who was very much afraid of feeling hungry all the time now loves our diet. It didn't take him long to get on board when he realized how good he felt after eating a meal. For me, I have a lot more energy than I had before. I don't crash after meals like I used to. My mood has been generally better (or so I think... you may want to double check with Hubs). My favorite part - and the part that surprised me the most - is that I don't crave things I used to. I thought for sure I'd miss bread and want to sneak it constantly but to be honest, we rarely have it (when we go out or others cook) and when we do, it's not hard to control ourselves unlike in the past. I also thought that my sugar cravings would go through the roof if I cut myself off. Just a year ago Hubs and I smuggled away much of the kid's Halloween candy and snacked on it more often than we'd like to admit. This year, we have barely touched it. I also found that when I have had the desire to sneak a piece I've turned to my homemade chocolate bar that contains no refined sugars and just a piece or two keeps me satisfied and kills my longing for more. Don't get me wrong, we have the occassional Reese's, ice cream, or quesadilla but we don't eat much and don't leave longing for more. In fact, I often find that the things that used to be treats now taste funny and not much like real food.

So What is Paleo?
I found that the most valuable resource to get started, for me, was a book called Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. I first checked it out at the library to make sure it was worth my while and I loved it so much that I immediately bought the Kindle version. (I'm pretty sure I'll end up with the paperback version in the near future as well.)
Yes. It's THAT good.
There are so many great sources on why the Paleo/Primal/Caveman diet is so good, and even necessary. They explain why the generally accepted food pyramid should be turned on it's head. They explain why grains are no longer beneficial to your body the way they were created to be. They cover how a low fat diet is actually starving your brain of the goodness it needs to function at its best and how natural fats like those found in bacon are... wait for it... good.for.you!

So let's cut to the chase, right? What does a Paleo diet mean you have to give up?
The more you research "real food" the more common these "bad guys" become...

The No-No's...
Grains - especially wheat and corn.
Legumes - most people are confused about this one... to the best of my understanding it has to do with their indigestibility and how they make your body work to break them down. If you're familiar with soaking your grains or beans before cooking or consuming them, I believe it's for the same reasons as soaking helps "pre-digest" these foods.
Refined Sugars - this means basically anything other than maple syrup and honey though I've found that some also consider xylitol and stevia Primal-friendly.
Diary - This, like grains, has more to do with what modern farming, processing, and regulations have done to milk. If you're not familiar with what happens between milking a cow and consuming your milk... let's just say... it's gross. Many skip dairy altogether but I've encountered enough others who are absolutely fine with raw dairy that it seems either way you're good.
Soy - I don't know if this should fall under a grain but just to be certain it's included I'll give it's own catagory. Most soy is not accepted because, like corn, and dairy, it has been so messed with that it is no longer good for the body.

Now... before you laugh and ask "what exactly does that leave me with?!"... I can't think of a single recipe I love that hasn't been reworked and made Paleo friendly. Most importantly, as I said before, after a short adjustment period, our family stopped craving most of the things we used to long for.

A First Hand Testimony...
Our beautiful Miss Mak has been the pickiest eater in our family from day one. She never liked vegetables and by age 1 we already knew she'd be another carb-loading love bug. When given a mix of finger foods including Cheerios, beans, sweet potato, and chicken, she would always eat the Cheerios and leave the rest. I got smart and stopped offering the Cheerios and then, and only then, she'd eat all the sweet potato and leave everything else. If it wasn't sweet or wasn't grain-laden, she wasn't having it. There was no fooling her either. I'd hide it, she'd find it, or would just flat out refuse it. This was a habit that carried her into the beginning of her third year of life. In the spring, when we began eating differently, I'd worry that she wouldn't eat anything and occasionally let her have baked pretzels with her meal but realized, quickly, that it was a slippery slope, and that she, again, always opted for the grains first. So we began only offering pretzels or tortilla chips as a bonus at the end of a meal and eventually phased out those kinds of snacks altogether. And the most amazing thing happened.... after about 6 weeks, as if someone flipped a switch... Mak began requesting things like kale...and avocado... and even the occasional asparagus! She used to ask for cereal and oatmeal every day for breakfast and now does a happy dance when I offer her scrambled eggs and bacon for the 60th morning in a row.
I cannot fully express the miracle this is!
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, every.single.night when Miss Mak asks me what's for dinner, no matter what my answer is, her response is always "I don't like that!" or "Ew, gross!" But for several months now we have explained that "It is either what is on the table or nothing." and she has not gone to bed hungry once. From Roasted Butternut Soup with Chicken, to Chocolate Paleo Chili, to Kale Chips... she eats it.

 

What Our Diet Looks Like Now...
We eat a lot of things but I'm finding that an accidental trend is that we're beginning to eat more "seasonally" than we ever have before. Pineapple, tomatoes, kale, and green peppers in the summer. Apples, butternut squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and pumpkin in the fall. Stews and soups in the winter and early spring, etc.
In general we eat a LOT of eggs (about 4 dozen a week for our family of six). We eat a lot of greens in the form of fresh and wilted salads. We also eat a good bit of meat in the form of ground beef, chicken thighs, and ground pork mixed with fennel and sage to make our own homemade sausage mix. We also have a good bit of nuts and dried fruit for snacks as well as homemade chocolate, as I mentioned before.
I have found some amazing recipes and resources on Pinterest and if you happen to use Pinterest I have saved several of our favorites on my Paleo boards that you can find and follow using the link: Pinterest Boards

If this all seems a bit overwhelming then I assure you, you're not alone and there are wonderful guides out there to help you along. I am no expert. We, as a family, are wandering our way through all of the information out there, but once we learn something, like how far removed our food has become from how God intended it, we can't unlearn it and thankfully there are many more sources that will help explain about it all and what you can do much better than I can.
Practical Paleo Cookbook
Dr. Axe
Joel Salatin - youtube.com search 

A few of my favorite recipe sites are:
George Bryant - The Civilized Caveman
Lindsay Kujawa - Delighted Momma
Danielle Walker - Against All Grain

Calendar for Tots

Oma and Opa went away for two whole weeks and promised my kiddos a special lunch upon their return.
You can imagine how many times I knew, over the course of those weeks, I'd be hearing "Are Oma and Opa back yet?!"
Maybe you've experienced something like this when your kids are looking forward to visitors, parties, or vacations.
I'm here to offer you an INCREDIBLY simple and helpful tip that will save loads of questions and get the kids excited about the upcoming festivities.

Cut white printer paper, notebook pages, or construction paper into strips long enough to create links.
Signify a big event by picking a brightly colored page or ink.
On each strip, write a date starting and continue writing dates on the strips through the date of the event, being sure to starting the numbers over if you cross over from one month into another.
Each morning, have your little ones tear a link off the chain.
That's it!
After the first day or two they'll likely not need to be reminded to tear a link off the chain and you'll find that they'll inform you of what's going on and maybe be your reminder for events you tend to forget about.
It's quite handy, really!

 

Additional Tips: 
- Encourage number recognition as you create the links by writing dates on each strip, jumbling the strips, and having your kids put them in order as you staple them into links.
- For your kiddos who read, write general scheduled events like soccer practice or field trips so they can keep track of what they have to look forward to.

On a related note...  Only 27 days until Thanksgiving and 54 days till Christmas!

No Eggs? No Problem!

Since we've been changing our eating habits I've begun to have some random ingredients around the house. I'll be honest, the bag of chia seeds I purchased sat in the cabinet untouched for several months before I found a purpose.

And then I ran out of eggs. 

Thanks to the good ol' interwebs I found out that that bag of odd black seeds would work as a handy substitute. 

You'll Need:

1 T chia seeds

3 T water

To Do:

Using a coffee or spice grinder (I supposed a morter and pestel would work as well), grind the seeds to a fine powder. 

In a small bowl, combine the seed powder and water and stir with a fork until well mixed.

Let sit for 10 or so minutes until thickened to a nice eggy consistency.

Use as a single egg replacement and duplicate as needed. 

See, maybe oddball ingredients aren't so bad to have on hand after all! 

Most Mornings...

I don't know about your house but in ours, the morning can make or break our day.
Unfortunately, many days don't start out ideally.
Maybe you can relate.

Baby wakes around 5:00 to eat then goes back to bed. I crawl back into bed desperate to suck every second out of the remaining half hour I have before I start the day.
Sometimes I get that sleep.
Sometimes I don't.
Either way... almost always... an adorable blonde child wakes far too early for either of our own good and, despite GREAT measures taken to darker her room in order to avoid this, is ready for the day and asking for "breffest". Shortly after, another beautiful blonde babe wakes, walks into the kitchen (where I am generally preparing breakfast at this point) collapses and curls up on the floor in nothing but his underwear telling me he's cold, and refusing to get dressed because he's TOO cold and insists that "watching something on the couch" will make all his problems disappear.
Yeah, right.
So after a bit of half-hearted fussing and fake tears, the oldest children get themselves dressed and generally leave their pajamas and previous night's underwear in the foyer. By now, "breffest" has been made and the little ones are ready to eat.
I put their plates before them and, inevitably, no matter what is on their plate before them, I hear "buuuuut I don't waaaaaant thaaaat!"

I politely inform them that "It's this, or nothing" and leave the room.
They quietly pick up their forks.
It's time to get the third child from her bed and bring her to join the party. The oldest three are eating and that allows me a bit of time to get the kitchen picked up from breakfast making; empty the dishwasher, start a load of laundry, get a bed or two made.
Then it's time to clean up and this sounds simple so far. Right?
Well.... this is also just about where everything unravels...
The kiddos want to play. The third child wishes to get dressed on their own but isn't physically capable of doing so alone, yet. There's a lot of fussing and yelping when help is offered.Then there's a lot of fussing and yelping when help is not offered. Meanwhile the other two run circles around the living room pulling out every book they can find and cover the couches, chair, ottoman, and carpet. As I'm instructing them to clean up the mess they've just made (which generally leads to one picking up and the other sitting on the floor cluelessly picking at an imaginary loose thread on the carpet) the third child has undressed and is trying to put her shoes on the wrong feet.
Oh yeah... and baby has awoken and is unhappy.

I ask the oldest, who has become distracted by the books he was told to clean up, to go to his room where he will find the baby, who is desperate to seek out and consume small scraps of lint off the carpet. The oldest is to open curtains and chat with the baby while I redress the third and try to get the girls' hair done.
Hair is an adventure in our home since there are apparently many, quickly shifting opinions on the color of hair ties, the number of "tails" that will be created, the color of hair clips, whether or not hair spray will be used to keep fly-aways at bay, and "What-on-earth-did-you-manage-to-get-in-your-hair?!-You-just-showered-last-night!!"
After much fuss from all three of us girls, their hair is near perfectly coiffed and I send the two girls to get their shoes on. At this point I go and open the van door in our secure garage and inform them they are to get in their carseats and begin buckling while I finish getting ready.
The oldest is sent to my bathroom so I can spike his newly "faux-hawked" dome-piece and while he saunters off I get the baby out and begin to change him which inevitably leads to a long and frustrating search for the baby wipes.
While looking for the wipes I hear the girls playing or fighting (depends on the day) in the garage and I head out to get both of the still-barefoot-babes locked into their seats where I can be assured of their safety. I throw two pairs of the easiest-to-reach-don't-care-if-they-match shoes I can find into the car with them (after all, they're just going to be taken off during the ride anyway, right?)
Now...back to the boys' room.
I seem to have misplaced the baby who crawls fast and hides well.
Meanwhile, I have totally forgotten about the oldest who is patiently waiting ("Bless you, child!").
I find the baby under the dining table picking at the previous night's scraps that didn't make it into the vacuum bag.
Hubs or I were too tired to notice whether or not the vacuum was even running when we cleaned the dining room.
I "wrastle" baby's wiggly tush and change him faster than a NASCAR pit crew and secure him into his seat and place him in the middle of the house to watch and judge the rest of my "getting ready routine".
I get my shoes on, grab water bottles, lunches, backpacks, diaper bags, grab baby, and car keys and load up the car.
As I return to the house to make my final sweep and head to the driver's seat I hear my oldest sweetly humming his history sentence as he's still waiting in our bathroom. I run back with profuse apologies, slow down just enough to spike his hair with product, and send him to get his shoes and buckle up.
At this point I SLOWLY stroll to the car because I am just happy for the few seconds of quiet and clean when the peace is shattered by one girls screaming at the other and the baby is, once again, not happy.
<deep breath>
Sometimes this is where it ends and all is well from here on out.
More often then not this is where I back out the car and start to close the garage door only to realize I have left my phone, wallet, or freshly brewed coffee (sanity saver) on the counter and have to run back in (I often worry that the neighbors see this almost daily dance and question my mental stability).
The whole ordeal almost always ends with a required few moments of silence to regain composure, slow, purposeful breathing, and a group prayer where we all list things we're thankful for because ... well... we need to be reminded.

Tell me I'm not alone...

I Think I've Discovered The Problem...

It's been over a month since I last dropped in to say hello. 

Huh. 

Well anyway... I'm back, for the moment. I've had lots of ideas swimming through my head and am hoping to get share some of it here. I think I've discovered my blogging problem. I really enjoy sharing ideas on here. As I've said many times before, I started this blog to document ideas, experiences, and experiments as sort of a personal journal. Ideally I'd sit down for a few minutes a day and jot down what I've done/tried etc. 

And the problem is... 

The only computer we have is downstairs, out of sight and out of mind, which is great when I'm trying to focus on the kids and the day to day stuff that needs to be done. It is NOT great when I'm trying to keep track of a quick thought. or recipe. 

Hm... 

Anyone have a laptop they don't need? 

Family Friendly "Jello"

I don't know about you but our kids love them some jiggly Jello and since actual Jello isn't exactly Paleo approved (corn byproduct, artificial flavoring, good ol' red dye #40, and aspartame, blah, blah, blah...) It's just another box I pick up, browse over the ingredients, and put back on the shelf with a saddened sigh.
But no more!
I found a super simple recipe that I can feel good about and now it's a regular snack in our house!
I'm offering the basic recipe here but what's fantastic is that it's a very flexible recipe.

First things first, gelatin (the stuff that makes Jello and "Jello" alike all jiggly) is, oddly enough, from animal collagen found in its bones, tendons, etc. It's put in many food items (marshmallows, candy, etc.) because of the consistency it creates. It's also known to have many health benefits for your joints, nails, hair, skin, and digestive health and since our family sees good digestive health as the key to good health in general, we try to eat it regularly. The key to consuming gelatin for health purposes has a great deal to do with the source as well and whereas gelatin from grass-fed beef is ideal, conventional gelatin is better than nothing.

So without further ado...

For Tea Gelatin:

You'll Need: 
4 tbsp Great Lakes Beef Gelatin or 4 packets (1 box) Knox unflavored Gelatin
1 cup cold water
1-2 tbsp honey (optional)
3 cups boiling water
4 flavored tea bags

What To Do:

Start by placing gelatin in the 1 cup of cold water, stir to incorporate, let sit for 5 minutes.
Place the 4 tea bags in the hot 3 cups of water and let steep for 10 or so minutes. Remove the tea bags, add in the honey (how much you add is to taste), stir to mix. By now the gelatin mixture will be a solid mass. Add the "blob" of gelatin into the hot water and stir well until gelatin dissolves. (I sometimes pour this mixture back into a saucepan and heat a little if I have let the ingredients cool too much.) Pour entire contents into an ungreased 9x13 pan and cool for 3 or so hours. (It will be edible sooner but it truly firms up after the whole 3 hours.) Enjoy!

For Juice Gelatin:
You'll Need: 
4 tbsp Great Lakes Beef Gelatin or 4 packets (1 box) Knox unflavored Gelatin
1 cup cold water
3 cups juice or other flavored liquid you'd enjoy eating in gelatinous form

What To Do:

Start by placing gelatin in the 1 cup of cold water, stir to incorporate, let sit for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat your juice on the stove top until steaming (it doesn't need to boil). By now the gelatin mixture will be a solid mass. Add the "blob" of gelatin into the hot juice and stir well until gelatin dissolves. (I sometimes pour this mixture back into a saucepan and heat a little if I have let the ingredients cool too much.) Pour entire contents into an ungreased 9x13 pan and cool for 3 or so hours. (It will be edible sooner but it truly firms up after the whole 3 hours.) Enjoy!

Finally! A Favorite!

So if you look to the right... yup, over there... by my picture... you'll see that I noted that I don't have favorites.
Well... that may not be completely true anymore.
My dad has told me on many occasions that

"You don't change as you get older, you just become more of who you already are."

Well apparently I'm getting old because I have finally been able to weed through the huge variety of design styles that I sincerely appreciate and come to THE one!

The Modern Farmhouse style is for me! 

I've always had a love for all the individual details that make up this down to earth and practical style.
Actually, its practicality and simplicity are what I love most!

I love that it is always so warm and inviting as if to say "Welcome. You're home now".

I love that it's uncomplicated and straight to the point.

This design style appears to put the most important of things first
...conversation and relationship...

the meal and those with whom you love to share it.

It facilitates experience and is not, in itself, an end but a means to it.

To put it simply, if it makes me wish I was slowly sipping a tall, shimmering glass of iced tea or snuggling with a steaming dark roast coffee... I'm home.

The design  and architecture is all meant to enhance life and not distract from it.

Yes, sometimes there's wallpaper and, yes, sometimes that wallpaper is gorgeous!

It never seems to take itself too seriously.

Occasionally it hints at the industrial...
and often reminds me of a 1930's school room.

Natural finishes are EVERY.WHERE.
...such as black steel roofs, stained wood doors, butcher block, galvanized steel, and leather. Oh my!

There is no shortage of beautifully rich wood floors...

and horizontal boards.

The white may seem boring to some but I adore the crisp, unadulterated ambiance.

It is the neutrality of it all that lends itself, as a host, to any moment you wish to celebrate.

It leaves loads of room for personal style!

I believe that beauty can easily be lost in the noise of most other design styles but in Modern Farmhouse Design it is center stage.
I could stare at these for days! 
So now I ask... what do you think?
Do you think it cold and institutional? Boring and lacking personality?
Maybe it's just right for you? Does it make you long for the rolling hills of Pennsylvania? The fertile valleys of Virginia? The unending plains of Oklahoma?
Oh, sweet Virginia, here I come!


house photo : kitchen island : kitchen island 2 : kitchen island 3 : entry : screen door : fire pit : dining table : "school room" : back porch : three green pictures :  Christmas Tree : door and shelves : green and teal kitchen : cow : black dresser bathroom : industrial kitchen : outdoor night view

Becoming a Minimalist: Day 6

Today I wanted to fill you in on a little tip I read in Lorilee's book. The first thing that I shared from her that I loved was the recommendation to dream a little dream of what you wanted your life to be like. Your home. Your schedule. The second tip I loved and can't change is this... 
Just say "no" to storage! 

My gut reaction to this little nugget was "um, yeah... how do you expect me to be organized when I don't have anything to store it in?!" None the less, I got to cleaning and organizing and when I was done with round two of my decluttering I had actually emptied about a dozen clear plastic containers. And then it hit me... I have held on to so much of our "stuff" because it had a nice home tucked neatly inside these bins. Had I not had these bins, I would have been forced to decide whether or not I wanted to try and make a home for these things to begin with. So for me, storage containers just became a means to make my clutter easy on the eyes. That is not what I was aiming for. And so the storage bins are slowly disappearing. Hubs actually choked when he saw me shipping out some plastic bins I had hung on to for years and, from deep within his frugal soul, cried"but we could always use more storage!" This gave me the perfect opportunity to explain that if we don't have storage lying around we won't look for things to store and since we are trying to stop storing and start cleaning, this is a perfectly logical step.
He's a smart guy. He gets it. 
Now don't get me wrong... we have and enjoy some storage. We keep only a few toys in the kids rooms and those are gathered into a shallow bin slipped under the kids' beds. We also have Christmas decorations, clothes waiting to be worn by the younger siblings, and toys that aren't quite age appropriate yet. Those things are stored neatly in tubs in the basement. To be honest, I wish they weren't. I wish we could pare down to zero excess but alas, Hubs and I agree that it would be wasteful to put ourselves in a position to have to re-buy in the future so, for now, we wait.
So today is simple... once you empty a lovely, lid-ed storage container, give it away to someone who actually needs it and then... don't buy more! That stuff is not made from particularly environmentally friendly materials and is expensive anyway! 

For more minimizing tips, check this out.

Becoming A Minimalist: Day 5

Hello
If you're managed to make it this far on this "journey" with me then today just may break your will... but stand strong, my friend. I have taken on this very challenge a couple of times now and have lived to tell the tale. It was actually so rewarding that I am eager to do it again...
That's right, I'm talking about...

Going Through Your Kids Toys!
** If you don't happen to have little mischievous munchkins whose sole purpose seems to be undoing everything you've just done then please, stop reading here... go sit on the couch with a big ol' book and a cup of your favorite beverage and take a nap. While you're at it, take one for me too.**
Now I realize that no matter how many kids you have there's a chance you've kept on top of the clutter. In that case I'm guessing that you've been very selective about the toys that come into and take residence in your home. You may find yourself wondering sometimes what the big deal is and why other moms can't just keep their homes in check. Maybe you own lots of wooden toys, unpainted, unsprayed, carved by hand in Vermont, and have only intentional and lofty purposes such as making all your own art supplies at home, teaching your son or daughter to knit by age 4, and using an abacus made in the USA from 100% recycled-organic-grass fed plastics.(I was like that for about the first week with CJ, my oldest. It was all downhill from there.)
If you're like the rest of us then it's much more likely you have more toys than you'd care to admit. Perhaps you cringe at every birthday and holiday because of pile of loot that your kids come home with and YOU now have to find room for. Maybe you mentally hide certain toys from your kids the second they open particular noise making toys. And I can only assume that you, at least once, have been totally creeped out by said noise-making-toys while picking up late at night, alone by lines like "I see you!". If you're like me, you're tired of picking up the same things over and over again. You literally fly across the room at miraculous speeds just to tear a toy out of your kids' hands because it has too many pieces, your kids are terrible at picking up and you end up doing it, or you HATE the sound of it repeating "Hi! Let's play!" in an unrealistically high pitched and cheery voice over and over and over and...
Yeah.
So if you've experienced any or all of the above it's time to get to it.
I'd like to submit to you that it's not as hard as you may think. At one point, no matter how many toys I gave away, donated, or tossed I had a sneaking suspicion my kids' toys were breeding when we weren't looking as there was always more to filter through. I'm not suggesting that after you begin to get a handle on your kid's toys that this will stop. Things keep sneaking in BUT you'll be able to identify those enemies with stealth speed and deal with before they take over your newly squeaky clean abode.
So enough of my yammering... (must be the lack of sleep talking)...and here we go!

- First and foremost... this is your time to grab a cup of coffee and get cozy because step one begins with some thinking. As I mentioned back at the beginning, it's very important to Remember why you're doing this. This goes back to the original reason of why you're minimizing to begin with. Lorilee Lippincott starts her book off with asking the reader to dream of the life they wish to be living. This is my favorite step of all minimizing. So ask yourself, what is the reason you're doing this? What do you want your home to feel like when you're done? What are your lifestyle goals? Do your goals involve play time? Do you want to make art with your kids? Play sports? Do you mind the noisy toys? Do you want your kids to use more toys that make them think? Do you like down time with video games? No matter what your big picture is... get it clear in your head.

- Now, it's time to make a list, mental or on paper, of what requirements need to be met to keep an item. These can be just about anything but whatever they are, have them speak to your dream home. Maybe this step seems silly but I think it's important for a couple of reasons: 1. You may find yourself more sentimental than you thought you'd be and it may be hard to let things go. 2. If you have a lot to go through, like I did, you may find yourself tired towards the end and stop caring so you throw it into the "I'll figure it out later" pile. Your list of requirements may look a lot different depending on your preferences but if you're feeling stumped... here are a bunch of "if___ than it goes" suggestions to get the ball rolling.

if it's missing pieces...
if it's broken...
if your kids are too old to play with it...
if you never liked it...
if it's from McDonald's and you're not a collector...
if it's made in China... 
if you hate the idea of cleaning it up every time your kids pull it out...
if it's something you won't serve in your own kitchen (pretend food)...
if it has a million pieces and your kids usually pitch a fit when it's time to pick it up...
if you don't have a home for it that makes you happy...
if it's cheap...
if it gives off a chemical odor... 
if it is small and always seems to be on the floor but rarely every played with...
if your kids only play with it for a couple of minute and move on...
if it offers no educational value (sensory, motor skills, math, phonics)...
if it requires no thinking for your kids... 
if, at the end of playing with it, your child can't handle it or starts an argument...
if you know of someone who needs it more...
if you ever find yourself making excuses to others for letting your kids have it... 
if your husband/wife hates it... 
if you refuse to play it with your kids...
if you have a crawling baby who eats everything that's on the floor and it is dangerous to have around...

Really, I could keep going here... but hopefully that gets your wheels turning.

- Okay. Coffee time over. Now it's time to get your hands dirty.
Just as we have done before it's time to get your boxes or bags out. One bin for giving away, one for missing pieces (to go through when it's all over and see if you have collected all the pieces), and one for trash.

- Now... collect all the toys you can get your hands on and put them in a large pile in a very "in-the-way" spot. I find that bringing everything to a central location forces you me deal with the project in one sitting since I don't want a mess left in the middle of the room (I do one pile upstairs and one pile downstairs). Also, I can see everything I'm working with at one time and figure out if pieces are missing. (If time is an issue here than you can always continue picking through a little at a time but today I am highly suggesting this "rip it off like a band-aid" method.)

- If you have a toy or game that doesn't meet any requirements for staying in the house but you still can't let it go, be sure to find a home for it. For example... I loved the game "Mouse Trap" as a kid and found a complete game at a tag sale. I bought it but right now most of our kids are too small to play, rather than keep it out for CJ to request we play with a million times a week, I put the box out of sight in the basement for those special times that Hubs or I are willing and able to play with him.

Maintenance

Okay... now that you have touched every single toy in your home you have much more control over your belongings than you may realize. When Hubs picks up a toy and says "what's this" I can just about always answer and, better yet, pinpoint exactly where it belongs or where the item it goes to currently is. I also know when a toy doesn't belong to us. One of the very best things that happened to me, in regards to toys, is that, after the first round of clearing out, my kiddos took every toy in our living room out and dumped it on the floor and I DIDN'T CARE! It was all mess that I chose to allow in our home and it was all stuff I didn't mind picking up or it was easy enough for the kids to pick up. It was an AMAZING feeling! I also find that our kids are playing with toys that I like seeing them play with more often. We like thinking toys and we have found that our kids have done more thinking since we cleared away the distracting mess.
If you'd like to join me in the fight against kid "stuff" I have a handful tips to continue to maintain the clutter that will continue to try to sneak into your home and undo what you've just done.

- Treat clutter, especially kid clutter, like the enemy and be proactive about keeping it out. It's easy to let an item slip thinking you'll catch it later but, my remember, my friend... kid stuff hides out and breeds! You can't stop it! If need be, keep your list of requirements handy and look it over often. You can also help by creating a line of defense by the main entrance that you and your family use. Arm it with a bin/bag/basket for donating, one for returning (item's you've borrowed or have been left at your house on accident), and one for trash. When we get home from somewhere I do a quick visual sweep of the car. Any small trinkets, toys, wrappers, unnecessary church papers, or "stuff" that we don't want in your home gets tossed then and there. With these bins in our garage, anything that is in our home that shouldn't be now has a place to go right away.

- As I said before deal with all new "stuff" right now. Don't touch things twice. If it needs to be looked over, gone through, or gotten rid of, do it now. Don't waste your time touching it twice. If the time just isn't free, create an obvious, in the way pile, and deal with it as soon as you can.

- When it comes to birthdays and gift giving holidays all of this may get awfully sticky.  Maybe you're a gift giver and you can't help yourself around certain holidays. For those times I hope you can remember your dream home and what it will take to get you there. Maybe instead of buying several small things, save up for one big thing. Also, there are several suggestions out there like "One you want. One you need. One to wear. One to read." The real trick, though, is not what you buy for your family but what others buy. And for this I can only give ideas because each person is tricky and talking gift giving is very personal and you'll have to navigate those waters one individual at a time. With some family we have made wishlists on Amazon for each family member. I especially like this because if there's something we see for the kids in January, we can add it right away and won't forget it by Christmas time. With other family members we have asked that they stop buying gifts for the kids and start taking them on dates. Just today, my sister-in-law, who is an EMT, took CJ to see the new fire truck that just arrived. He got a personal tour of the trucks and and ambulance and got to see the inside! Then they went out for ice cream. I assure you he will remember that experience for a long time to come!

- Occassionally... do the cleaning for them. When the kid has dumped just about every toy out and you know that making them pick it all up will only leads to frustration and tears, volunteer to pick it up yourself. This saves a fight, gets the job done much faster than it would otherwise, gives you a little quiet time, and best of all (for minimizing purposes) you now have the chance to, once again, touch every toy you own and form a bond. That way, you, not your kids, will know when it's time to part ways.

I wish you the best on this one. It's a doozy!

first playroom
orange curtain room
playroom with slide

Becoming a Minimalist: Day 4

After yesterday's kitchen challenge I wanted to go easy on you because, whether you actually went through your cabinets or not, just reading about the challenge can be overwhelming.
That said, today is fairly simple.
Clear All Horizontal Surfaces
You may read that, take one look at your living room and giggle saying to yourself "Oh, that Krystle, she's adorable!"
Well, despite how cute you may find me, I am actually serious.


Do you remember that overwhelmed feeling I described not long ago? Well horizontal spaces speak directly to that feeling. I have always tried to have the house clean before bed and before I leave the house so that when I wake up or return home I do so to calm. Home is supposed to be a place or peace and restoration (and yes, many other things) but not a place of chaos and frustration. Your horizontal surfaces (table tops, counter tops, end tables, chair seats, and the like...) are the most obvious places I can think of that can either speak to simplicity and cleanliness or scream clutter and headaches.

I say this is step is simple because it repeats a process that I have suggested in previous posts...
1. Get a large box or plastic bin and place it in a central location of your home.
2. Pick a room to start in (mine was our bedroom).
3. Take ALL items off one surface (I started with my night stand.)
4. Place all piles of paper in one large pile in a central location and devote time to go through the entire pile, piece by piece, in the very near future (like while watching a light hearted movie with a cup of coffee).
5. Move everything that isn't absolutely necessary into the box.
6. Move to the next room, taking the box with you, and do the repeat steps 3,4,and 5.
7. Once your have gone through all of your rooms, hide the box. Be it in a guest room closet, a basement, and attic, just get it out of sight for one week.

If, after a week, you think your space looks a little plain, go ahead and add a bit of spice but keep it simple.

 

...and "keeping it simple" doesn't mean clean lined, boring, and modern. It simply means "simple".

As with everything, there are a few exceptions...
What if I have a lot of essentials such as my kitchen counter tops?
You get to choose what is essential and non essential in your home. You may be thinking "it's all essential" and though it may be true for some, it is unlikely to be true for most. If it is a necessary item, it may not need to be out on display. The point here is create visual cleanliness. For instance, we had a coffee maker, a wire basket for fruits and veggies, a paper towel holder, a crock for wooden spoons and spatulas, and our family calendar on our kitchen counter at all times. I was only able to pair down by one thing, our cooking utensil crock, by placing all the items in a drawer next to the stove. I'm still trying to figure out a strategy for the rest of the items but for now, just one thing gone is still considered progress and that's what I'm trying to establish. I'm looking for a lifestyle change and a different mindset, not a specific formula for perfection.
What about family photos and heirlooms?  This again is your call but here is my word of encouragement... This exercise is intended to give you a break from your belongings and decide how you really feel about them so put them in the box anyway.
If you find that you can't make it more than a day without the item... it's probably an essential item and, by all means, pull it out. If you desperately miss an object while it's gone but don't necessarily need it, give yourself at least three days before you pull it out. If you find that you're able to make it a full week without thinking about a particular item, needing it, missing it, then after the week is up, consider donating it or giving it away. If it's a picture frame with a beloved picture consider enlarging the photo and placing it in a wall frame or maybe tuck it away in photo album.

Finally, when the week is over, if you find there are items you just cannot part with but don't need enough to put back in plain sight then I recommend one of two things. Either leave the items in a box out of sight for another three weeks and revisit it to see if you're ready to part with them then or designate another home, out of site, for that item. If it is something you just love... that makes you happy to see... I definitely recommend giving it an honored spot in your home. The goal is to simplify and make your home a place you love to be.
Home is where the heart is, after all!

Are you joining us late in the game? See what you missed HERE.

kitchen with wood island
bedroom pix

Becoming A Minimalist: Day 3

This weekend we hosted a ginormous tag sale at our home. It was wonderful and exhausting all at the same time but I realize that a tag/garage/yard sale is all a bit premature at this point since we are still trying to collect all of our "things". So I'll save the story of our sale (and how you can throw your own) for a little further down the road...

Today I'd like to focus on something just about as daunting as organizing your very own tag sale. Today I encourage you to take a long hard look at your kitchen. dun, dun, duh.....
Tackling The Kitchen
This is a hard one for me. I have been through my kitchen several times and still have things I could part with. Hubs and I have taken the first steps of planning a full kitchen renovation and when it came to space planning I wanted to make sure a new layout would handle all of our kitchen doo-dads. I came to realize a few things....
1. Many of our kitchen accoutrements are single purpose items.
2. Many of the single purpose items are rarely, if ever, used.
3. I have several of the same items (cutting boards, for instance).
4. Like laundry, the more kitchen items I own, the more I use, and the more I clean.
5. It's easy to hide all of the excess behind the cabinet doors.

So those were my reasons for needing to go through again and again. Several sources have suggested that to figure out what you really need/like in your closet turn the hangers backwards and only switch them the right way if you actually wear the item. I suggest the same thing with your kitchen gadgets. I dumped them all into a box and put the box on top of the fridge. If I needed the item I would fish it out, use it, and place it in the best drawer for the job. If, over the course of 3 months, I didn't use the item the box went to the basement. If, over the course of 6 months they weren't used I either donated the item, gave it to a friend, or trashed it. (One caveat... if you live in New England and like lobster, keeping 6 or more crackers on hand is perfectly acceptable!)

A few simple and quick tips are...
- Go through your cabinets and toss anything that is broken or dangerous. A kitchen, by nature, has some hazards. Ditch all materials that aren't at their best.
- Analyze all your ingredients. If they are expired, pitch them. If you've changed your diet and you don't eat it any more, donate what you can and pitch the rest. If you always feel guilty after eating it (hello, Oreos) then share them or purge them. This is all about getting rid of the unnecessary, overwhelming, emotionally and spiriturally draining "stuff" in your life. It's time to be cold, calculated, and methodical.
- Empty your counter tops. - Okay, this one is rather difficult for me. Though I haven't cleared it completely, I have been able to downsize my counter-collection from what it once was by decluttering, reorganizing, and utilizing drawer space better. 
- On a daily basis, clean the kitchen. Load the dishwasher, run it, empty it, repeat. (My finger is wagging in my own face on this one!) I assure you that on the days I am able to get ahead on dishes and the counter top is clean, the heavens part and angels sing. It  is such a beautiful sight and is totally worth the 5 minutes spared to empty and reload the dishwasher.
- As with anything else during this process... be thoughtful about what you bring in to your kitchen. Don't bring in food you don't love and feel bad about eating. Don't bring in cooking tools you already have or don't need. This is much easier when you set rules for yourself. As an example: I don't like using plastic in my cooking. There are too many questions about leeching and hormone disruptors for my peace of mind. That made cleaning out our plastic storage, bowls, plates, cups, and cookware much easier and having that rule ensures that I won't bring those things back in to the house.

Another fun tip that I have learned via personal experience is something I recommend through this whole process. If you don't love it and you don't need it, let it go.
It's easy to think that minimizing means you have to only focus on function. I submit to you that form is almost as important as function and should be considered heavily throughout the whole process. Minimizing isn't just about getting down to the things you "need", to me, it's also about surrounding yourself with the things you LOVE. I have been going through this process with that very thing in mind and have found that when I have one item I love, I am happy to let go of 5 other things just like it that I am indifferent about.
For example... I have a soft spot for Pyrex Cinderella Bowls...

Through thrifting, tag sales, and antique shops I have built up a fun little collection for myself. And what surprised me is that I really enjoy cooking with these bowls. It actually perks up my mood when I mix up something in these bowls and it's not something I could have imagined happening unless I had found something I truly loved. Once I owned these, I found it easy to pass on several other mixing bowls that I didn't really want to use any more and had no need for.

Okay. Your turn!
Throw open those cabinet doors, get on your hands and knees, and get serious about organizing your kitchen!
You will be SO glad you did!

  Did you miss something in this series? Check HERE for more

pyrex photo

Becoming a Minimalist: Day 2

Today I figured I'd recommend something simple and fairly quick since the weather is gorgeous and I'm struggling for motivation to clean today.So here it is...

Establish a Morning Routine
I can only speak for myself but it takes a while for me to shake the grog off first thing in the morning but when I'm up, I am ready to take on the world!
... until about 2pm...
then it's back to grog. 
If I want to get something done, it really HAS to be in the morning otherwise there's a good chance it will sit for another day.
For me... an ideal day is ... and it depends on the amount of sleep I get... 
do a quick cardio workout (and I mean QUICK! Like... 10 minutes of HIIT) and get to cleaning. 
Unless it's a particularly lazy day, which happens around here from time to time... I send the older two to get dressed and then I get Bean and Baby J dressed and ready for the day. That means clean diapers, PJs are back in the drawers or in the dirty clothes basket, clothes for the day are on, and hair is done. 
When they're ready I send them all off to the living room to play or read while I spend a few minutes (again, 10-15 minutes tops) making beds, opening curtains and blinds, opening windows (if the weather permits), folding extra blankets, putting stuffed animals away, picking up any clutter in the bedrooms, getting dirty laundry that may have ended up on the floor the night before into the basket, getting the basket into the laundry room, and getting a load started in the washing machine. 
Oh! And I also empty the dishwasher and reload if necessary (which it almost always is in this house). 
Then I make breakfast and we are ready to take on the day. 
All told, this routine, up until I'm ready to make breakfast, takes anywhere from 20-45 minutes depending on whether I need a shower, how cooperative the kids are feeing, and how tired I was the night before (a.k.a. how messy I left the house when I went to bed the night before).
which...
leads me to a second recommendation of 
Establishing an Evening Routine
For our family, the nighttime routine typically involves having the kids pick up their toys in the living room and put their games away before bed. (Whether or not they actually help with this depends on the type of night it has been. Sometimes on crazy days it's best to just send them to bed and do it myself.) 
Before I head to bed I make sure the dining room is cleaned up from dinner (table washed, floor vacuumed) and run the dishwasher (if it's ready).  

I think establishing some sort of routine is paramount to starting and ending my day well. 
Waking up to the  mess puts me off on a bad foot.  
Going to bed leaves something hanging over my head. 

*A little note about bed making. My eighth grade teacher (Miss Brown) told us a trick I haven't forgotten yet. When our class complained about our parents making us pick up our rooms she suggested doing one thing, if nothing else. "Make the bed." Her logic? The bed is the largest thing in the room and if it's messy, it makes everything else look messy. On the other hand, if it's made, it makes the whole room look much better. And she was right! If nothing else, I try to make the bed in the morning just to bring some instant peace into the room and my day. Also, who doesn't love folding back crisp sheets when it's time to curl up and, in my case, pass out?

 If you don't have a regular routine, I highly recommend at least giving it a try. The total time commitment is, on average, 35 minutes of my day and that's well worth the rest I get knowing at least a little something has been accomplished. 

Did you miss something in this series? Check HERE for more

pix found here

Becoming a Minimalist : Day 1

I'm  not gonna lie... I have no idea where this series is going to lead. 
I don't think, for me, it is only a matter of material things.
We moved almost two years ago and, let me tell you, moving is an excellent way to come face-to-face with all your material "stuff". I was shocked that we needed an entire tractor trailer in order to move our things to the new house. Even with that we have extra to take in the car with us. Hubs and I agreed to never do that again. Instead, we will have a moving sale, open the front door, sell/give it all away, and start fresh somewhere else with the money we make.

Beyond the tangible stuff, though, I think this process will involve getting rid of excess in other areas too. Maybe relationally. Emotionally. Mentally. I don't know specifics yet but I'm gonna find out.
So what do you think? 
    if you need a boost and feel a constant undercurrent of stress
    if you're a mom and feel guilty for not doing more with your kids
    if you struggle with contentment
    if you find yourself often saying "I might need it someday"
    if you sometimes dream about having more time and money to do things you enjoy
    if you forgot what it's like to do things just for fun
    if you've ever purchased something only to realize later you already had it
would you think about joining me as I seek out practical ways to get rid of the excess in my life?


For a practical start I highly recommend two things.
1. Pray over the entire process. This all began with a prayer that I could efficiently simplify. I know that I have NEVER known the meaning of the word "need" in my life and I haven't lived that way for some time. For me, it's a heart change that needs to take place and so I pray because without Him I can do nothing. (John 15:5)
2. Get your hands on the book or ebook Simple Living by Loriless Lippincott. She a Christian who offers some really practical ways to get started. Some of the things she mentioned I had already done and heard suggested by others so I will share a few of these as I go along...

Starting today!

Day 1: Cleaning Out My Closet
Fling open the doors of your closet, open all the drawers of your dresser, and tell yourself...
If I haven't worn it in the past six months. 
If it doesn't fit me...
If I don't like it...
If it's uncomfortable...
It it's too revealing or immodest...
If my husband/wife doesn't like it...
If I've tried it on several times only to be unhappy with how it looks and put it back... 
If it's stained/ripped/damaged beyond repair...
If I'm hanging on to it only because I know a simple fix will give it new life (and I have been telling myself that for longer than a month and am not motivated to fix it RIGHT NOW)...
IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!

Set aside items for your own tag sale (you're probably gonna have loads of stuff to sell when this is all over). Donate them. Give the rags to a local animal shelter for bedding, cut them up for reusable baby wipes, or pitch them. Either way, get them out of your house.

The Rationale...
I have found myself folding 7-8 loads of laundry too many times. I kept asking myself why this was happening and I realized it was because it took me that many loads to realize that I was low on clothes which seemed so excessive to me. Yes, we have 6 people under our roof and four of them are ever-so-messy-but-beautiful munchkins, but I know in my heart that we have more than we need in this department and I also realize that if I we all have less clothes to wear, I won't have to wash as many (think of all the unmatched socks!). So keep that in mind... the more you get rid of now, the less you have to launder later! 

A Note...
In this entire process I find that I am my own worst enemy. I can rationalize/convince/excuse my way out of just about anything and up until now I have but I want a different life. I want that extra weight on my shoulders gone. I want to be consumed with my husband, my kids, and doing the things we love to do together. I no longer want to be caught up with the "have tos" of my life which, at this time, most often is "Of course we can go play at the park but you have to clean up the entire basement first" (which often means a trip to the park doesn't happen)  or "I would love to play a game with you but I have to fold these 7 loads of laundry first" or "I would love to go to bed at 9:30 but I need to get the house picked up before I can rest".

So what are you waiting for?!
Go get 'em!

Did you miss something in this series? Check HERE for more

Becoming a Minimalist

I'm just gonna throw this out there because I'm certain I am not alone...
Every so often I find myself overwhelmed with life but I am unable to explain why. Sometimes it happens on a good day when the kids are listening well. There is often and under current of discomfort that leaves me unable to relax and often feeling like I'm drowning in "stuff".
The kids will take out a particular game and my skin will crawl because I know the mess that would soon come out of that box. I will look for something to wear for the day and would try the same shirt on again expecting it would fit me brilliantly THIS time and be disappointed when it didn't fit just right again. I will walk past the same unfinished project and grumble about Hubs not making the time to finish it when I was just as capable of doing it myself and I just can't find the motivation. I sometimes find the motivation to deep clean the house only to get bogged down midway through or distracted by little projects in the way. I know that "things" don't bring me peace or joy and only fleeting happiness but yet I still want more.

Are you there with me?
I don't know, maybe I am alone in this but, not long ago, something in me told me I needed a change. The problem was that I couldn't seem to put my finger on what it was.

So fast forward to now...
We are hosting a big ol' tag sale (garage sale, yard sale...)  in a couple of weeks. I have been pouring over all of our earthly goods for months, touching just about everything we own and making the decision to either keep, sell, donate, or trash.
Round one of my tour around the house left me feeling as though I could do better and so I began round two determined to pull out more "stuff". I held things in my hands that I had struggled over whether or not to keep in the past, I asked myself tougher questions like
"Yes, it's cute, but why has it been in the storage closet since we moved in?"
"Yes, CJ looked adorable in this but seriously, will you remember this twenty years from now?"
"Your taste has changed since the old house, why are you still hanging on to this?"
or how about this one...
"Yes, I hate it, but they gave it to us and wouldn't that just be terrible of us to get rid of it?"
and then I would find myself just placing the same items back on the same shelves or hanging them back in the same closet because I couldn't convince myself that it was time to let go.
It's the stuff I wore before kids that I'm working on getting myself back into.
It's the first toys that we bought for the kids that they never played with but I remember giving to them.
It's the vase that has a beautiful form but is completely lacking function.
It's the shirt I always loved on Hubs even though he never wears it because he hates it.
It's this kind of "stuff" I have been struggling to let go of because I seem to be able to conjure up a reasonable excuse that letting it go just seems to be a waste.

So I went on Pinterest, as I usually do, in the hopes of picking other people's brains about proper motivation  for getting rid of "stuff" and I found Simple Living - 30 Days to Less Stuff and More Life. 

I found it ironic that as I was looking to get rid of things in order to have less I ended up buying another book to get me there.
(It was the Kindle version. Does that count?)
It doesn't really matter to me now because I ate this book up!I stayed up late reading it from "cover - to -cover" because it was so practical. It broke down the projects into simple steps, one day at a time and my favorite part was "Day 1" where you're asked to conjure up your dream house and dream life. What it would look like? What would your schedule look like? What activities would it include? What activities would you be certain not to?
I nearly kicked myself because that is the same principle that Gary Ezzo uses in BabyWise and the one that I have hung on to since first reading his thoughts on parenting.... "Start as you mean to go on". Basically, have a goal, work towards it, and get rid of anything that doesn't work to get you to it. It's such a simple principle and yet I forget it so quickly.

Set. A. Goal!

So I did. I even asked Hubs what his thoughts were on the matter. What did he want our house to feel like? What were places he loved to be and why? What did he want HIS schedule to look like? What did he want for the kids? etc. Honestly, after that part I hit the ground running and didn't want to look back.

So who's with me?
Who is not living the life they wish they were?
Who is feeling like they're treading water and can't seem to get where they wanna go?
 I'm not suggesting that I am a life coach and have all the answers, I'm simply saying that I have a problem and after making a few changes I have begun to see a little light breaking through...
And I've decided to take you along for the ride.

Want to read more in this series? Check HERE