Day 15 - Day 16

I would like to apologize for my missing blog yesterday 15.07.19.

Monday's for me are far too energetic as the kids return to school after a weekend of messing the house up, relaxing and lounging around and basically laundry everywhere. Mondays are very much mom job day and the house needs to return to some kind of organisation.

Breakfast has been easy omelettes, pancakes, cereal.
Lunch we had sandwiches and children had lunch at school.
Dinner for the children was Chicken and bacon pasta bake, for the adults we had salmon, bacon, cabbage and sweet potato.
Pudding was homemade snacks

Monday evenings I am a volunteer scout leader, that's why yesterdays blog is being done today, I was just too tired to type after having so much fun with a bunch of great kids.

Also

Monday am, after taking kids to school my friend came round to make more homemade soap, then I had to walk my dog, do housework, laundry and I need to go to the hardware store to get some plumbing  repair items. Guess what PLASTIC only option. I was actually quite proud that I was able to fix the plumbing issue without the hubby, however the nephew did help me with it.

I had to buy the plastic as the broken part
 needed to be replaced because
it had a great big hole in it.

I am still looking for a bread maker and hopefully I will have one today 2nd hand and can start making fresh bread rather than buying bread in its wrappers.

Day 16

Today's dinner we have homemade chicken strips and chips, with a mousse pudding. The children will be helping me make the dinner on their return home from school. I did suffer one issue with the bread crumb making!! My food processor has finally died and I started to panic as the menu had been planned, kids excited, shopping had been brought, money spent....HELP....
Then my wonderful nephew came to the rescue with a brilliant idea that I would have never thought of, we had the most fun laughing our socks off as the bread crumbs crumbled away.

Take a look

The blender worked a treat panic over lol

So then I thought the biscuit snacks that I have been keeping in the fridge are making about 18 cookies per time and I have one of the three dough rolls left. So I thought lets make some more dough to last us until Friday. I opened my baking draw to find my light brown sugar has been used since we have been a baking July family so my next dilemma was "where in the world do I get light brown sugar without the plastic wrap. (answer NOWHERE) 

I did however have dark brown sugar so I set to google for a cooking dough recipe and made the three cookie dough's I need to pacify the snack craving the kids seem to be having at this stage in July plastic free challenge.

   

I will let you know how they turn out and if they are a success with the kids.

Day 14 summary Don’t take the husband shopping (£= ouch)

Day 14

Sunday is usually a relaxing day in our house however today has been a journey and a half.

Tomorrow is my eldest sons school trip and he, out of all the children is the fussy one. Sandwich wise he loves loads of filling so that way I'm winning, however the snacks are a issue as he likes junk in plastic wrapping, His 12 and eats me out of house and home. So I've baked and brought alternatives to suit him. 

I found a household winners to keep as an alternative for the dishwasher.

My husband and children joined me for a trip to Sainsbury's and it turned out when hubby and kids accompany you very expensive. I am pleased I took them though as they went around the isles searching the plastic free options, Sainsbury's has quite a few alternatives.

Very please to find dissoluble wrapping on the dishwasher tablets, I did if you remember make my own but they did not clean very well and I ended up rewashing the dishes by hand after. So until I do a workshop on making dishwasher tablets this is the only sane option. 

Turns out the husband has a great eye for searching out our alternatives. As you know from following this blog I suffer terribly with my skin, as I have atopic eczema. I am intolerant to many foods and have to make many food alternatives to cater for simple dishes such as pizza. For my base sauce on a pizza I usually roast and blend peppers as tomatoes are a no go for me. Today the husband found a premixed ready blended option that will go perfectly on a pizza base.
The chili peppers I could not find for my curry making without them being in plastic packaging, he found the jar alternative, I will give it a go and let you all know how we get on.  

we had many frozen berries in the freezer that have now been turned into ice cream by Chloe.

Cold ham and fresh salmon fillets for the week from the deli

This biscuit recipe can be adapted to suit with the flavors and it makes 3 lots of dough you can use as and when needed just leave it in the fridge. The dough last 4-5 days refrigerated.

Berries blended and sieved

I'm very tired today and I am feeling the plastic free challenge due to the amount of washing up needed after making alternatives. I have been talking to many parents about my finds and the reality of this journey is staring to sink in. I can understand someone expressing their thought as

"This plastic free stuff is far to difficult for them to do".

The time consuming side to this is ridiculously difficult but the rewards are also incredible, more fun and time with the kids, reduced waste, etc. But when a mom is tired the grab the packet option to pacify the kids with is a very attractive alternative.

So I'm not giving up, last week I was unorganized, busy, tired and stressed, the reason we went to the supermarket was to plan our meals for this week. That means that everything is in the fridge ready to grab, make and bake. Let's hope it was my busy schedule last week and that this week it can be made a lot simpler, by having the products I need at hand, snacks made today ready to put into the oven as and when needed and no more shop visits needed.

wish me luck guys

Day 13 summary

Day 13

13.7.19

Today was a non plastic day experience outside of the home as i spent it with friends at breakfast and dinner. I had a buffet breakfast and a restaurant dinner however my family was left with my husband having omelettes on toast for breakfast, chicken burgers, roast potatoes and peas which were some of the remaining items in the freezer and for dinner they had a Domino’s pizza. The pizza when collected and brought home was the wrong order but they eat it anyway. 

Another positive things happened today as after cleaning the kitchen this morning I started to fill the recycling bin with recycling items. Noticing the glass pop bottles I thought someone might want to up-cycle them. I went on Facebook page “Worcester waste exchange” and advertised that in a few weeks I will have a few glass bottles if anyone wants them. Straight away I was given a contact who will be collecting these bottles saving them from landfill or the recycling system. 

Decorated with fluff on Facebook thank you for wanting my glass bottles and jars. 

Up-cycled not recycled 

My lovely recycling bin is cleaned and ready for my reduced
waste this is where this challenge should show how my efforts  have worked. 

As I started to fill it I was disappointed with the amount of waste considering
The amount of work it has taken for me to reduce and change my shopping habits to plastic free. 

My next dilemma what bin bags do I use that  are plastic free?? 

Day 12 Summary Found a few solutions for the alternatives

Day 12

12.07.19

Today was a good day as it all started with the packed lunches for the kids trip and they were delighted and as a mom that was my day made.

After returning from the school run my friend arrived so we could start our soap making adventure together. We attended a course a few weeks ago and enjoyed the experience and decided to make some early Christmas gifts for family and friends.

These soaps are lovely and will make great teachers gifts.
My lounge smells beautiful 

So our Christmas gifts are setting 



My glass cabinet that I got free and up-cycled from Worcester waste exchange Facebook group.
 Perfect for the soaps to set in.  



I also found some success for my shampoo, conditioners and shaving soap for the hubby and nephew. One of you shared with me a link to Cosy Cottage Soap company who do products chemical free so thank you very much I have these products on their way as we speak.

I have also come up a solution to all the glass jars, yogurts jars and bottles. instead of recycling them in my green bin I'm going to try and up-cycle them on Worcester waste exchange Facebook group. The yogurt jars however are going to be up-cycled by myself to bees wax candles for christmas gifts too.

Every single delivery box will also be used instead of christmas wrapping paper but I will hand make a gift tag and tie with simple rope.

I am looking for another piece of advice and that is what happens when I run out of bin bags and ideas where I find compostable bin bags for my black bin waste. Someone sent me a link for a compostable cooked food waste alternative but the cost was a little high but I have an idea how to make one myself. Watch this space??

Tomorrow I plan to up-cycle some clothes and have a good sort out of unnecessary stuff clogging up the house.

See you tomorrow have a great Friday night.

Day 12 The KOH cleaner arrived and I'm sorry about the toilet picture but I love a cleaning success story lol

DAY 12

12.07.19

My morning experience today has been finding out if this all in one cleaner Koh really does what it advertised to do. A few of you have asked for a confirmation so here is my experience of the product and of course some pictures.

I'm will however apologise now for the toilet picture as I would not put a before one up of the grime a toilet experiences in a hard water area. You already know. You will however see a gleaming picture of the after cleaning with this product.

Koh was advertised as the all in one cleaner that is eco friendly and good to allergies.  It's key message is (Your healthier home awaits). It advertises and promotes on it's packaging for the planet and your planet good environmental choice. So imagine my disappointment opening up my box to a cheaply made plastic bottle spray and a wine like box of Koh cleaner to refill my bottle with and yes plastic insert. The box clearly states that their plastic inside is not recycled. So then I had to think wisely as I will be left with one recyclable box, none recyclable insert, an all purpose cleaner for all jobs, environmentally friendly due to no chemicals and less chemical bottles clogging up my cupboard. Bonus

So then we need to talk about the product itself ad ask one question Does it Clean??

My finds is that it is a very good cleaner but don't be fooled worn in crime does need a good scrub but the product makes this job a lot easier. Take a look at the pictures below. 





The information on the box.

The cooker before

The sink below before and after the clean



The before picture 

The after 

The toilet sparkles

To summarise though I think we are all looking for a magic cleaner that tackles all, I will say this cleaner is remarkably good cleaner but what and how it's advertised is not how it works. Be aware elbow grease is still a cleaning necessity with this product.

Day 11 summary it's been a succesful day

Day 11 Summary

So this morning started with a positive attitude as I had received many messages of encouragement to keep going. (Thank you)

Dinner was great fun we made homemade Chicken strips with homemade chips. All the items used were plastic free and the waste was nothing. The yogurts I brought today in glass jars were all eaten up and I have decided to up-cycle the jars into bees wax candles for gifts. One problem I came across with the yogurts was they had plastic lids which I did not notice when I brought them due to being excited that I found yogurts in glass jars.

I do really think that this plastic free challenge has proved that family time in the kitchen is defiantly more active and fun. Of course the down side is the MESS lol but look at her face.

 

I told the kids that we had made KING chips due to their length

seem to work I had empty plates in the end.

 



 

The only waste with chips is for the compost no frozen storage bag in sight



 

The chicken strips were lovely and everyone was eaten.

They are so easy to make too,

 I got the recipe from my 12 year olds cookery lesson from high school.

 



Day 11 I'm full of enthusiaum thanks to Aldi

Day 11

11.07.19

Yesterday I felt I had let myself down buying the plastic products I needed for my sanity as a mom and pushed on time. However today I thought of the comments and advice I have received from my readers and felt that today I needed to investigate Aldi.

Many of you have pointed me to Aldi telling me they have the alternatives the I require so off I went to see it for myself. Wow look at the picture below all these products bar a couple are plastic free.

 



Aldi I applaud you
 

You will see there are a few items with plastic lids and are possibly questioning what you see. However here are my dilemma's below.

 

 

So I gave it ago??? posh cups too just for you guys really lol

It's perfect Job done tea swapped and only 75p per 50 bags.

I have been using this brand and it's a perfect swap however ides how I can up-cycle the wrapping would be fab please.

My kids are on a school trip tomorrow and thinking of the alternative
which is crisps I can recycle the whole packet with
 Terracycle and the lid I will save and take them to a local
company for them to up-cycle them.

 

Yesterday My tea dilemma was looking for tea brands
that are available without plastic wrapping but also
 without the bags containing plastic.
I goggled this brand and its completely plastic free 



This is going to be my alternative to vegetable oil



I decided to buy a chocolate spread instead as the ingredients to
 make chocolate spread are covered in plastic.
I though I will reuse the jar anyway.



No plastic here kid will be delighted



Aldi offers one yogurt alternative in a glass
jar so I will see if the children enjoy them



individual 79p



in plastic wrap making them 67p each annoying and wrong



Aldi brand perfect



Hazelnuts needed for the homemade chocolate spread



This was the only option after seeing all the ingredients to make it were all wrapped in plastic.



Cream is still an issue but I'll save that for another day



cat food alternative as they are not enjoying the Whiskers tinned option



Yogurt in a glass bottle YEA



This is a similar problem Apple juice needs to be
 not from concentrate
and this was the only option I found.
I will cut around the lid and recycle it with my others.



great no plastic

going to give this a try with the kids

next challenge toilet roll



Aldi's only plastic free tissue might be a
bit posh as a toilet roll replacement