It is that time of year again! Whether you have a green thumb yourself, or neighbors who do, the zucchini is bountiful and everyone is trying to pass it off. We used to joke about how you would find zucchinis in your car if you left it unlocked or stuffed into your mailbox this time of year. Whether you love zucchini or not, you will love this sourdough lemon zucchini bread! The zucchini imparts no flavor but a delicious moist texture. I hope you give it a try! Check below in the recipe for notes on how to do a long ferment option as well, for better digestion. Happy baking!

Zucchinis are one of the vegetables that grow well up north here in Montana. We can grow most squash varieties here without even trying. Every year I over plant them and regret it! I currently have a pumpkin plant in my garden taller than my 3 year old. Our growing season is on the shorter side, so these hardy gourds are our friends, as they can handle a bit of frost before harvest if it comes on earlier in the year.

Can you freeze lemon zucchini bread?

This loaf lasts for about 3-4 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge and you can freeze it for 4 months. Wait until your loaf is fully cool after removing from your pan, wrap in plastic wrap and then foil or a freezer proof ziplock bag. Enjoy the fresh flavors of summer into the next season!

What can I do with extra zucchini?

My favorite things to make with zucchini are loaves, muffins and cakes, so I pre-grate and freeze it into premeasured quantities to use when I’m in the baking mood later that winter.

1. Grate your zucchini ( I use a food processor to make quick work of it)
2. Measure out the portions that you commonly use in recipes- I do 1 cup and 3 cups portions
3. Zip each portion into it’s own smaller plastic bag.
4. Put the small bags together into a large plastic zipped freezer bag
5. When ready to bake put the portion to be used in it’s bag into a bowl of warm water to thaw
6. Drain if needed and use as per recipe suggestion
7. Enjoy delicious baked zucchini goods all winter!

TIP: Freezing the zucchini has the added benefit of making it easier to strain off the liquid. When it thaws the liquid naturally separates and makes straining much easier. If the recipe doesn’t call for straining off the liquid, just empty the entire contents you’ll be using. The liquid is required in some recipes.

Long ferment lemon poppyseed scones

Easy orange cranberry sourdough loaf

How do you make sourdough lemon zucchini bread?

This sourdough lemon zucchini bread comes together quickly because it doesn’t require any extra draining of the zucchini. You can just grate it and mix directly in with the wet ingredients.

You will beat the wet ingredients in a mixer or by hand with a hand mixer, mix the dry ingredients separately, and then add to the wet. The bread bakes in about an hour and lends a delightful moist crumb with a subtle yet bright lemony flavor. The zucchini imparts rich moisture without any zucchini flavor. No need to peel your zucchini either- just use as is.

What you’ll use

These tools are helpful but not absolutely necessary. I’ve included some links here to make it easy for you to find them.

• Standard whisk
• Kitchenaid mixer (just to make it easier, but not necessary with these)
• Bread pan
• Muffin tin (if you want to make these into muffins*)

* You can alternatively make these into muffins by scooping the batter into a prepared muffin tin and baking for 18-20 min. Until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

(Some of these are affiliate links, which just means I might make a tiny percentage, but it doesn’t change the cost to you. See my full disclosure here.)

What you’ll need for this sourdough lemon zucchini bread

Wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter (discard or fed)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• Juice &zest from one (medium sized) lemon

Dry ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking power
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter or coconut oil increase to 1 teaspoon)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9″ loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter/oil with the sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy
3. Add eggs, sourdough starter, lemon juice & zest, almond extract and grated zucchini and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl sift or mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.
6. Pour into your prepared loaf pan.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Check at 50 with a toothpick in center. Tent with foil if beginning to brown but toothpick still comes out wet.

Long fermented version:

1. Make your sponge 12-24 hours in advance. This gives your batter enough time for the ferment to maturate and make it more digestible and nutrients more bioavailable.
2. Sponge: combine sourdough starter, melted butter, eggs and flour together. Cover and allow to ferment for 6 hours. If a longer ferment is desired, you can put it in the fridge after that time for up to 24 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Using a stand mixture with the paddle attachment (preferred, as the batter is thicker) add in the zucchini, sugar, lemon juice and zest, almond extract, baking powder and baking soda.
5. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Sourdough Lemon Zucchini Bread

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Sourdough Lemon Zucchini Bread

Yield: 1 dozen slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Tired of the same zucchini bread recipes? Try this bright, lemony version! With a moist and tender crumb, this is sure to become your new favorite way to use up extra zucchini.

Print

Ingredients

• Wet ingredients
• 1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter (discard or fed)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• Juice & zest from one (medium sized) lemon
• Dry ingredients:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking power
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter or coconut oil increase to 1 teaspoon)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" loaf pan or line with parchment paper.

Beat the butter/oil with the sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy

Add eggs, sourdough starter, lemon juice & zest, almond extract and grated zucchini and mix well.

In a separate bowl sift or mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.

Pour into your prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Check at 50 with a toothpick in center. Tent with foil if beginning to brown but toothpick still comes out wet.

Notes

Long fermented version:

Make your sponge 12-24 hours in advance. This gives your batter enough time for the ferment to maturate and make it more digestible and nutrients more bioavailable.

Sponge: combine sourdough starter, melted butter, eggs and flour together. Cover and allow to ferment for 6 hours. If a longer ferment is desired, you can put it in the fridge after that time for up to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a stand mixture with the paddle attachment (preferred, as the batter is thicker) add in the zucchini, sugar, lemon juice and zest, almond extract, baking powder and baking soda.

Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 192mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g

The post Sourdough Lemon Zucchini Bread appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

Why deep clean or declutter?

I no longer have to do those seasonal big cleaning sprees. I can now spend those weekends at the beginning of each season enjoying some fun outing with my family! My goal with this rhythm is to “keep up” instead of “catch up”. This makes my daily and weekly cleaning much more doable and makes sure I get to even those harder tasks I might otherwise forget. Maintaining our home helps it to run more efficiently, find things faster, and even helps things last longer!

What if I miss a day or area?

Routines and systems are not meant to be your master, but to serve YOU. If you have put off trying a new cleaning system or routine because you know you won’t be able to keep it perfectly- that’s not the point. The objective is to make these decisions ahead of time so you won’t waste your time with needless decision fatigue, endless cleaning or procrastination. It really is freeing to have the cleaning in its place. I don’t worry about it or have to think about it too much if I take a day off. I just start where I currently am in my rhythm and keep going because I know I will circle back around to that area next month.

If deep cleaning and decluttering are things you loathe doing, the key I’ve found is to make the tasks bite-sized and doable in 15 minutes or less. Sure, you won’t organize an entire room or an overwhelming closet in that time, but you can do a cupboard, a shelf, under a bed etc. in that time. Once you see SOME semblance of progress it can be so motivating to keep going!

The first step: Designate zones in your home

I designate 1 zone to focus on per week of the month. My 5th zone is for when I have lap over weeks. I split zones 5 and 1. I make zone 5 my bonus rooms that don’t require as much attention. If that just made your eyes cross, please don’t leave yet! All that means is that I break my home up and stick to a certain area for 1 week. This ensures I get through my whole house each month, doing at least a little to make some forward momentum with deep cleaning or decluttering.

How I group rooms in my home into zones

I group the rooms that are close to each other or used at similar frequencies. For example, kitchen & dining, or exterior rooms that are used less frequently like office and guest rooms. This is also helpful for the children. They have their own zones to maintain and clean weekly, as well. It is their zone of responsibility.

Here’s how I break up the zones in my house by locality and use:

1. Front porch, living room, hallway
2. Kitchen, dining room, pantry
3. Bedrooms
4. Bathrooms
5. Bonus rooms: office, laundry room, garage, storage rooms

I usually spend 10-15 extra minutes each day (for 4-5 days a week, which amounts to about an hour a week) in that zone doing some deeper cleaning tasks that relate to my weekly cleaning You can break this up several ways. For example:

• Do extra tasks that pertain to your weekly cleaning tasks each day
• Set a timer and just go for it doing whatever you can on the days you have more time or energy
• Start with the biggest pain point or the easiest job- whichever appeals more!
• Do a longer chunck on the weekend

Bonus tip: Larger or more cluttered rooms should be their own zones. Try to keep each zone from being too overwhelming of a size to manage. Don’t forget to include your porch, garage or other outdoor areas you want to work on– or delegate them to a child or spouse.

You might find these posts helpful:

• 5 steps to a morning routine you love
• Our homeschool morning routine
• My daily tidy routine
• My weekly cleaning rhythm

Deep cleaning: dusting & wiping

The key to developing this as a habit was to not make it so complicated, you don’t have to do it perfectly with a fine tooth comb. Just do a bit real quick! I like to literally race to see not HOW detailed I can be but how MUCH I can do! Quantity over quality over here. This adds up real quick though. If you’re doing this every month, you’ll notice a huge difference in how clean your home stays! Goodbye dreaded spring cleaning!

Dusting & wiping ideas

• Wipe doors & trim
• Wipe down cabinet faces
• Dust fan & vent covers
• Clean an appliance filter
• Deep clean one appliance
• Dust out light covers
• Dust baseboards and trim
• Wipe sticky spots on baseboards & walls
• Wipe light switches
• Dust / wipe blinds
• Dust hard to reach decor & tchotchkes
• Dust fans and high spots on ceiling
• Dust or wipe under furniture
• Check and replace central air filters

KEEP IN MIND- YOU WON’T DO ALL OF THESE EACH MONTH! Work in your week’s zone and just pick one or a few or set a timer.

Dusting & wiping tips and tricks

• Wash your dryer lint vent under hot water (soap can build up that blocks it that you can’t see!)
• Tie a damp flour sack towel onto your broom and run it over your baseboards
• Use a vacuum attachment to “dust” the hard to reach nooks
• Race around for 5 minutes like crazy reaching whatever you can with an extended duster
• Remove all vent covers in the area and throw them in the sink with hot water and some dawn, rinse and replace
• Use a flat surface mop to clean your walls
• Use a disposable disinfecting wipe to quickly go over all of your light switches and handles
• Place a pillowcase over your ceiling fan blades to trap the dust inside while you wipe down
• Run an empty load with hot water and vinegar or bleach to deep clean your washing machine
• Run an empty load in your dishwasher with descaler on the heavy duty cycle
• Empty one area of your fridge or freezer, vacuum and wipe down throughly

Bonus tip: Buy a cleaning spray and dishcloths you enjoy using. A pleasant smell can trigger positive emotions around cleaning. I love the geranium Mrs. Meyers concentrate. It makes 32 spray bottles!

My favorite dusting & wiping products

• this feather duster– traps the dust (shake outside or into trash can when finished)
• favorite microfiber cloths
• flat surface mop for walls and ceilings
• the spray bottle I use 
• this extendable duster
• concentrated cleaner that makes 32 bottles (I also like the peony and honeysuckle)
• this duster for blinds works faster than anything else

Deep cleaning: glass cleaning & polishing

I like to take an extra 10 minutes on the day I’m already doing glass cleaning to also do polishing in my zone for that week. I just set the timer and work through a master list, or what I can see right in front of me that needs to be done. This saves me time from getting cleaning products out on a separate day, but also keeps me from getting carried away doing too much until I’m tired. I just do a bit each week and it makes alot of progress without me dreading it or getting overwhelmed and too tired.

Glass Cleaning & Polishing ideas

• Clean high glass or ceramic decor
• Polish wood decor
• Polish wood furniture and cabinets
• Polish metal brass or copper items
• Wash inside of windows & tracks
• Wash outside of windows
• Deep clean sinks, tubs and toilets
• Clean shower doors and tracks

Glass Cleaning & Polishing tips and tricks

• Time for the toothbrush! Get the toothbrush out to clean in the grooves of your windows tracks quickly. Run the vacuum wand over them first.
• Get some wood polish on your cloth and run around polishing all the wood surfaces in your zone as fast as you can.
• Toothpaste can work in a pinch to polish metal- or ketchup!
• Put ceramic decor from the kitchen that has developed a greasy layer in a sink of hot water with some Dawn and let soak while you do your other cleaning. Then rinse or wipe off!
• Put a dishwasher pod in your sink drain and pour boiling water over it for a quick drain deodorizer
• Spray heavy duty soap scum remover in your tub or shower to soak in while you work in other areas
• Scrub your shower while you shower! Use an old loofah sponge and some old soap or shampoo, then just rinse. This regular maintenance can keep the soap scum from building up.
• Keep one designated cloth for wood polishing in your cleaning caddy. You won’t get an oily build up on your other cloths and you can grab just your cloth to do a quick polish.

(This post contains affiliate links. For a more detailed disclosure please read more here. Thanks for supporting my blog!)

Some of my favorite products for polishing

• Affordable more natural wood cleaner concentrate
• A more natural wood polish I like
• I like this product for metal polishing
• The thicker microfiber cloths in this pack for wood polishing only
• Heavy duty shower and tub cleaner
• This heavy duty ammonia- free glass cleaner works magic on windows
• The lightweight microfiber cloths in this pack leave a lint free clean

Bonus  tip: Keep all of your cleaning supplies in a caddy, bag, basket, or roller cart (like me). This saves time running back and forth for different products or tools.

Try it? Tell me what worked!

Deep cleaning: Floors & upholstery

If we keep our daily tidying routines going, and maintain a weekly floor cleaning of just the walking areas in the main rooms, then monthly cleaning shouldn’t be a huge burden. I use this time to clean upholstery that needs it as I have my vacuum out anyways. On my sheet laundering day I check whatever extras need to be washed in that week’s zone– slipcovers, curtains, pillow covers. Note- I just CHECK. That doesn’t mean I actually wash those things every week, I just check for what is visibly dirty or stained and throw it in with the sheets.

YOU CAN CHECK OFF FROM A LIST EACH TIME YOU REVISIT A ZONE OR JUST LOOK FOR WHAT’S MOST NEEDED

Deep cleaning floor & upholstery ideas

• Roll up rugs and vacuum underneath them
• Do a slow vacuum over your carpets and rugs
• Clean under furniture
• Treat and spot clean carpets and rugs that need it
• Clean grout and tile
• Wash slipcovers or pillow covers
• Wash curtains when needed
• Vacuum or wipe down upholstered furniture
• Polish leather furniture or decor
• Wash shower curtains or bathroom rugs
• Clean vacuum parts and filter

Floor & upholstery cleaning tips and tricks

• Sprinkle baking soda over carpet in high traffic areas, let rest 15 minutes and vacuum up
• Go over carpeted areas more slowly with a larger vacuum
• Soak slipcovers in an oxiclean load overnight to brighten or whiten
• Remove and collect pet hair quickly with this nifty gadget

My favorite floor and upholstery cleaning products

• This wood soap concentrate is gentle and affordable
• Our favorite everyday mop
• Leather cleaner I use
• Grout cleaner
• Grout restorer
• Our spot carpet cleaner
• Carpet cleaning solution
• Our everyday vacuum
• Larger vacuum for slow deep cleaning
• The best pet hair remover

Bonus tip: If it feels like too much, then scale back to a manageable amount! Just do one thing that feels doable. Make it more fun by listening to your favorite music or audiobook, and a reward when you finish. You CAN do this even with limited energy and time. Just do something!

Declutter and beautify

I define organizing as removing unneeded items to find a better fit for the needed items in a space. This is more commonly referred to as decluttering. But the term “decluttering” can have negative connotations because it can often be associated with minimalism and the dreaded decision making about what to keep and what to get rid of.

 However, if we just keep moving around the same amount of inventory, we really won’t make much progress to a more orderly home. Simplify your “organizing” to just getting rid of the unnecessary and rearranging what’s needed. That’s it. You don’t have to purge everything!

Anytime something feels unorganized or cluttered, it is usually because there are too many items in that designated space. More often than not, there is literal trash in there that will need to be tossed, if nothing else. Begin by tossing what’s expired, empty, broken or trash, then rearrange things for a better fit. Then next time you circle back around, if the area feels disorderly again, try to find a better solution to make the items easier to find and access.

I also love to spend a little bit of time beautifying something in the zone, as well. It’s a great morale boost! Sometimes it’s just making a list of wanted items to budget for, or creating a board on Pinterest for that space. Other times its rearranging or hanging new art. But even small steps accumulate to big impact over time.

Bonus tip: When beginning to organize an area begin at the macro level, i.e. think of grouping large categories together. Then you can refine down from there if you want to later.

Decluttering & beautifying ideas

• Empty a drawer, wipe out, toss trash, rearrange
• Tidy one cupboard
• Tidy one shelf
• Find 5 items to donate you are no longer using
• Toss 5 items that are broken, stained, or ripped and make a list to replace the ones needed
• Move items used less frequently to a storage area that is less trafficked
• Toss all trash in that zone (look in drawers and cupboards)
• Create a Pinterest dream board for that zone or room
• Add some greenery or flowers to highlight a favorite area
• Declutter 5 books you wouldn’t read again or share with a friend
• Touch up paint where needed

Decluttering & beautifying tips and tricks

• Only keep items in high traffic areas that have high traffic use
• Arrange things by use instead of type. Group things together that are used together
• Touch up paint with a small paintbrush or this nifty gadget
• Place pretty bowls or baskets to “catch” items that commonly clutter a surface
• Use clear containers when organizing items you want to see the contents of
• Store small clothing items in drawers inside of inexpensive plastic shoe boxes
• Use inexpensive plastic shoe boxes to organize your fridge
• Store sheets or seasonal clothing in shallow lidded bins under your bed
• Move unorganized items into large category containers (you can move to a smaller system next time if desired) I.E.” Painting supplies” first; afterwards “brushes”, “paint”, “tools” etc.
• Place cosmetics, vitamins, medicines, spices in a clear plastic lazy Susan caddy
• This list could be endless… you get the idea
• Checkout the Clutterbug to help find your organizing style

Decluttering and beautifying products I use and love:

• This line of small affordable bins
• clear circular spinning caddy– I find mine for cheap at TJ Maxx
• zipped pouches to decant puzzles or games to save space
• clear lazy susan for spices, under the sink or medicines
• Under the bed storage
• Clear stackable totes
• this nifty paint touch up gadget

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• Our powder bath makeover
• Budget bathroom makeover

I hope you’ve found this post helpful and encouraging that you CAN make time for deep cleaning and decluttering even in busier seasons. Refer back to this post anytime you need to reference or you can checkout my deep cleaning master list at my Etsy shop here.

 If you try any of these tips please be sure to come back and leave me a comment if you’ve found them helpful or to share any of your tips for cleaning and decluttering!

Thanks for being here in my little corner of the interwebs! 

In His Service,

The post My deep cleaning & decluttering rhythm with a large family appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

Usually when we begin a new cleaning routine it is because we are feeling behind. Our first round of cleaning reveals all of the areas we’ve been neglecting and it’s easy to get carried away and even get lost in reorganizing and detail cleaning. Before we know it, we’re exhausted and ready to throw in the towel on the whole idea. Then we let a lot of time pass until we try again and lo and behold it’s still as dirty as last time. Rinse and repeat. Sound familiar? I’ve been there, too!
The solution is to ONLY do a small bit of maintenance cleaning regularly and leave the deeper cleaning and declutterring to a monthly task. 
Follow along as I break down my weekly cleaning tasks to just the essentials that take less than 15 min. or less EACH! I’m sharing tips for when I’ve had low energy and busy seasons such as pregnancy and postpartum, as well.

See my post on the 5 daily tasks for a tidy home here

Day 1 or step 1: Dust and wipe surfaces

The first thing I do is dust and wipe surfaces. If I am doing my cleaning all in one day, or spread out over the week, I still do this first. This ensure I don’t spread dust around after I’ve cleaned the floors. I usually do this task after I’ve tidied, to save time not moving things around as I go.

If you are just beginning:

Begin with the main rooms or most impactful areas first. The key here is to not get carried away with deep cleaning. This is not time to move everything off the surface and polish the wood furniture. Just wipe the exposed flat surfaces with a dusting spray and microfiber cloth, and dust the visible decor items with a duster. Hard to reach spaces and nooks and crannies can be saved for a monthly or seasonal tasks.

Steps:

• Carry your supplies with you
• Work your way around the room
• Dust ceiling to floor
• Use an extendable duster like this one

My favorite weekly dusting & wiping supplies:

• this feather duster– traps the dust (shake out when finished)
• favorite microfiber cloths
• the spray bottle I use with homemade dusting spray recipe below
• this extendable duster

My favorite natural dusting spray recipe:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• a few drops of lemon essential oil
• drop of dish soap
• water to fill the bottle
• Shake well while using

For seasons of low energy set a timer for 5-10 minutes and just work where you can reach starting in one place and working around the room. You’ll be surprised what a difference this little bit can make when done weekly. You can do this after you’ve tidied or just bring a basket with you as you go to collect things that need to be put away later when you have more energy.

Try it? Leave me a comment below!

Day 2 or step 2: Glass clean

If you prefer to group your cleaning tasks, it’s still better to clean all glass after you’ve dusted and wiped as your dusting spray can leave a residue on glass surfaces. You can decide which rooms are important to do this in regularly. Rooms used less often can be done monthly or seasonally.

Cleaning the glass is one of my favorite cleaning tasks. I think it’s so satisfying. I only clean the inside of windows and glass doors if they get dirty regularly. Otherwise, I just clean glass surfaces and obviously dirty glass areas. The rest I do on a seasonal rotation. I also clean the TV and computer screens this day.
Remember to keep it simple. If the task seems too easy and insignificant, great! You’ll be more likely to succeed in regularly maintaining it then. That will leave you more time and energy for important deeper cleaning and decluttering while still being able to keep up an easily maintained home.

My favorite weekly glass cleaning supplies:

• fine microfiber dusting cloths in this pack
• glass spray bottle with the homemade spray recipe below
• the best streakless ammonia free glass cleaner

Glass cleaning recipe:

• 1/2 cup rubbing alchohol
• 1/4 cup distilled vinegar
• 10 drops of this essential oil
• water to fill spray bottle

For season of low energy and limited time, pick one-two rooms, dust, wipe and glass clean all at once. Keep a cleaning caddy nearby and work your way around the room. This preserves energy and time if needed. Rotate rooms weekly.

Day 3 or step 3: Clean bathrooms

If you follow your daily maintenance wipe down fairly regularly, cleaning the bathrooms shouldn’t take more than 5-10 min. each bathroom.
I prefer to empty all of our trash bins while I’m already emptying our bathrooms’. Bonus is that it’s trash day the day we clean our bathrooms.
We keep at least one trash container in every bathroom so it doesn’t accumulate too fast. Kitchen gets emptied daily, of course. 

This is weekly maintenance cleaning so, once again, don’t get carried away doing deep cleaning or scrubbing grout. I don’t even move things and wipe under them. I save that for monthly cleaning. This is just a quick clean to keep it maintained to a manageable level. I set the timer and quickly run through these:

1. Clean the mirror (sometimes I do a quick dust- or not)
2. Wipe the counters and cabinet doors (only where I can see toothpaste or something)
3. Scrub the sink & faucet
4. Thorough toilet clean
5. Vacuume and quick mop floors
6. Empty all trash bins.
7. Each week rotate: spray and wipe down a shower or tub

My favorite weekly bathroom cleaning supplies for tough jobs:

• Sink and tub cleanser
• Spray and wipe heavy shower and tub cleaner
• My toilet bowl cleaner
• Streakless foaming mirror cleaner

Bonus tip: For seasons of low energy and limited time just set the timer and start with the toilet. Then at least you know the most important task has been done if you run out of energy or time.

Day 4 or step 4: Kitchen focus

This is the area that is the easiest to get carried away in because it can get so dirty so quickly! But doing this weekly clean and tidy can keep it from becoming an overwhelming job. But remember, this is to keep up and not “catch up” so I don’t get carried away doing monthly tasks like: decluttering, cleaning underneath things or appliances, those can be done monthly. Instead I focus on the following list:

1. Tidy fridge and toss old food (quick wipe of shelves if there is an obvious spill)
2. Quick tidy and sweep pantry
3. Wipe cabinet faces and thoroughly clean around surfaces on counters
4. Wipe down trash can
5. Clean and polish sink
6. Sweep & quick mop floors

Bonus tip: For seasons of low energy or limited time, I just make sure I get the fridge tidied and old food culled. This has the most positive impact on my week.

Day 5 or step 5: Clean main room floors

I know this is the one I used to procrastinate on the most! Because I used to try to clean all my floors in one day. However, when we moved into our current 4,000 sq. ft home, I could no longer keep that up! Now I focus only on the main rooms weekly, and I rotate through the exterior rooms monthly. The kids are in charge of their own rooms weekly. If cleaning your floors is something you dread, try biting off a smaller chunk at a time and stay focused to the most impactful areas.

I don’t use a fancy cleaner for my floors, just my favorite all purpose concentrate to clean my floors because I have laminate flooring in my main rooms.

This is the easiest chore I can get my kids to help with. Especially since I’ve purchased a lighter cordless vacuum and an easy to use mop. I use this as an incentive chore or a pay chore. Most are more than willing to help out, and my older kids do this regularly enough without being asked because it’s fun to use the vacuum and mop we have. Sometimes all we need is a new tool for the job to get motivated!

Bonus tip: For seasons of low energy and limited time just vacuume the main rooms and mop the kitchen/dining. Better yet, have your kids help! Most kids don’t mind mopping and vacuuming so much.

Tools we love and use regularly for our floors

• The lightweight spray mop we love
• Our cordless vacuum

More posts you might enjoy:

• How to find your priorities as a mom
• Our homeschool room makeover and organization
• Our daily tidy routine

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I hope you’ve found my 15 minute weekly cleaning rhythm helpful and encouraging that you CAN maintain a clean home even in seasons of minimal energy or time, friend. I’ve been there.  If you try any of these tips please be sure to come back and leave me a comment if you’ve found them helpful and please share your own favorites with me in the comments below, and as always PIN to save and share with a friend!

Subscribe for updates on my follow up post coming soon- my monthly and seasonal cleaning routines! 

Thanks for being here in my little corner of the interwebs! 

The post My 15 minute weekly cleaning rhythm appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

Do you hate cleaning or get overwhelmed by the enormity of the tasks? If you strip down to these five daily tasks, cleaning will be quicker, easier and much less stressful. You can spend more time living in and enjoying your home. Subscribe for updates, as I’ll be sharing my weekly and monthly and seasonal cleaning routines next! 

The first daily task for a tidy home: Make the bed

This one small act seems unimportant, but it is the feeling of order and productivity it lends to your day that makes it important. This might feel like a meaningless task, but how do you feel when you walk into your room and see the bed made? Good? How do you feel when you see it unmade? See?! 

It DOES make a difference. 

 Starting your day with your bed made not only keeps you from getting back in it , but begins the day with a sense of order and momentum. It is a way of affirming to yourself every time you walk in your room that you are an orderly, productive and tidy person. This helps you walk in light of that the rest of the day. Don’t discount it! But also, don’t expect perfection when embarking on new habits. Let go of perfection and aim to not have more than 2 days go by with your bed unmade. It’s a rhythm not a checklist. Consistency > perfection=  progress

Bonus tip: My husband and I have a rule: last one out of bed makes it! Did you know you can make your bed while you’re still in it? Seriously! Just lay in bed, fluff up the covers, smooth the sheets with your legs. Next, grab the pillows close to you and fluff them, then lay down and sliiide out from under the sheets. You’re almost done! Tuck in what’s needed and tighten it all up and put your pillows on! You’ve just accomplished an impactful task before even getting out of bed!  

Try it? Leave me a comment below!

You might find these posts helpful:

• 5 steps to a morning routine you love
• Our homeschool morning routine

Second thing I do daily for a tidy home: Tidy the kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. I don’t know about you, but I find it difficult to be motivated to do anything else when the kitchen is a mess. Conversely, when it is clean, I am usually more excited to get in there and cook for the next meal. If you clean it first thing after breakfast,  you’ll set your day up for more efficient work and clarity of mind. Plus you won’t have the crumbs finding their way into other areas of the house and creating more messes.

One thing was keeping me from making this a habit. I used to get carried away cleaning it. I would start organizing drawers and scrubbing corners and before I knew it, I was exhausted and dreading the next kitchen cleannup.  

The key to developing it as a habit was to not make it so complicated, so that I could enjoy it instead of loathing it. I have one day a week I focus on more detailed cleaning and the rest of the time is to just prep it for the next use. 

For daily maintenance I stick to the following:

(the children help accomplish these after each meal)

1. clear & wipe counters
2. unload/load dishes, rinse out sink
3. sweep the floors

That’s it! No wiping down appliances (unless there’s an obvious spill or something) No mopping, no cleaning cracks and crevices or organizing cupboards! Save those for another day. 

Our goal shouldn’t be always having a clean kitchen. Kitchens are for using! If you want to make it a habit you can stick to, try not over cleaning your kitchen, and instead just focus on resetting it for the next meal. 

Bonus tip: Buy a cleaning spray and dishcloths you enjoy using. A pleasant smell can trigger positive emotions around cleaning. I love the geranium Mrs. Meyers concentrate. It makes 32 spray bottles!

My favorite Kitchen cleaning items I use everyday:

• My favorite scrubber
• The most absorbent dishcloths
• Concentrated cleaner that makes 32 bottles (I also like the peony and honeysuckle)
• Refillable spray bottle I use

Read this for more tips in the following posts:

• How to Save time in your kitchen with batching
• How to find your priorities as a mom

3. The third  daily task for a tidy home: 1 load of laundry

See one load (for me, it’s usually two) all the way through to completion each day, and you’ll rarely have a day you have to “catch up” on the laundry.

Wash, dry, fold & put away.

Do you struggle to remember to switch your loads? Try to tie it to something else you always do. For me, I check the laundry before or after mealtimes.

I prefer to fold right away (when I’m home), and we put it away when we tidy our rooms.

Do you do a load a day or a big pile when clean clothes are gone? 

I fold and put away the same day because otherwise kids dig through the clean clothes and they end up on the floor and back in the hamper before being worn! Also, because I hate ironing and de-wrinkling, and the sooner I fold the clothes, the less wrinkled they are. If  I don’t, my kids can’t seem to get themselves dressed and I’m the one left scrambling trying to find them something decent to wear.

Bonus  tip: try dumping it out on your bed or the couch and telling yourself you can’t watch your show until it’s folded or while you fold!

Try it and tell me if it helps!

Which are you? Folder or nonfolder? 

My favorite laundry essentials:

• My favorite laundry detergent
• Natural fabric softeners
• Natural fragrance for the dryer
• My favorite treatment for hard grease stains
• Bleaching powder

More helpful blog posts:

• Our large family Laundry Routine
• How I simplify our large family seasonal wardrobe rotation

4. The fourth daily task for a tidy home: Tidy the Main Room

When we have littles it can feel like our homes are never clean. That’s ok! Our homes are meant to be the set we live our lives in, not museum or design curations.

Instead of seeing a tidy room as the goal, try setting designated times for picking up to reset the stage for the next scene of your life. This can help you enjoy your space better, but still not be as overwhelmed by the mess. 

We pickup once in the morning, once after lunch (occasionally) and before Daddy comes home from work. Find a rhythm that fits in your routine. It helps to tie it to a time you already have a routine established, like meals or bedtimes etc.

With 9 kids and 7 boys, I was constantly caught in the cycle of feeling defeated by the mess. I would get overwhelmed enough to finally clean up, then get caught up in decluttering and cleaning, leading to exhaustion so I would put it off again- rinse and repeat.

Do you find yourself doing either of these? Avoid it until it overwhelms you, or accidentally getting lost in cleaning and decluttering? It’s a totally understandable place to be in when you are actually LIVING in your home or have little kids. However, what got me out of that crazy cycle was finding a good rhythm of tidying up. We do it at set moments during the day. No cleaning, no declutterring, just putting everything back in its place. This helps me not feel exhausted so I can repeat it again without the memory of being wiped! I have other times set to clean and declutter, but daily tidying isn’t for that. Tidying should be to reset the rooms FOR use again.

Cleaning and decluttering are in my weekly  and monthly routines (stayed tuned for a follow up post on those) so I know I’ll get to those tasks later and our home stays more manageable.

When we can find a rhythm of tidying that works for us, we can better use and enjoy our homes.

Bonus tip: Keep a basket nearby while you pick up to collect things that belong in other rooms and a trash bag to collect  trash as you go. This will keep you focused on the room you are in and not get distracted running to other rooms to deliver things or throw away trash.

5. My final daily task for a tidy home: Wipe the bathrooms

Maintaining your bathrooms daily takes only a minute or two and is an easy way to cut your weekly bathroom cleaning time down exponentially and then you don’t have to worry if company drops by and needs to use it!

Just wipe the mirrors, counters & sink and do a quick swish in the toilet with the toilet brush. WIth  seven boys and 4 bathrooms, we all pitch in for this task, but it sure goes a long way to keep it from getting really nasty.

 Do you hate cleaning the bathroom? Who doesn’t? But this tip has taken my weekly cleaning down to 5-10 minutes per bathroom tops!  You might need to do a deep clean to get it to this easy maintenance mode but it’s worth it! Of course we’ll miss some days, but aiming for daily means it gets done regularly and your weekly cleaning will be so much easier.

Bonus tip: Make it easy to do by keeping a container of cleaning wipes in each bathroom that can also be used on the mirror. Make it easy to remember by doing this for each bathroom after you use it the first time each day.

Daily bathroom cleaning products and tools I keep in each bathroom

• Disinfecting cleaning cloths  
• Standard toilet brush in each bathroom

More posts you might enjoy:

• Budget bathroom makeover
• Our powder bath makeover

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I hope you’ve found this post helpful and encouraging that you CAN maintain a tidy home with minimal effort each day while still enjoying your home.

 If you try any of these tips please be sure to come back and leave me a comment if you’ve found them helpful or to share any of your tips for maintaining a tidy home!

Subscribe for updates on my follow up posts coming soon- my weekly, monthly and seasonal cleaning routines! 

Thanks for being here in my little corner of the interwebs! 

The post 5 daily tasks for a tidy home appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

(free printable checklist below!)

If your morning routine feels like a burden, rushed and chaotic or just plain meh these 5 steps towards a morning routine you love will help you gain:

• a greater sense of calm
• motivation for your work
• time for things you love
• more joy and sense of time
• time to work on your goals

I used to dread getting up in the mornings to the crazy of the day just taking me along. My day felt out of control and generally rushed. Now, I love my mornings, and get up much earlier than I used to. But a solid morning routine doesn’t have to start at 5 am or even 6. Today I’m going to share with you a framework you can use even on days you sleep in! A solid morning routine should boost your overall sense of joy in your day, create momentum towards your goals, and start your day with the right orientation. We all have somewhat of a morning routine, whether it’s working FOR us or against us.

TIP: Find a rhythm you can stick to MOST of the time but don’t expect perfection! Knowing you’ll have days you will sleep in will help you succeed long term. 
I’m here to help you create a morning routine that you’ll miss if you have to skip it!

Today I’m going to be sharing tips that have helped me build consistency to find time to care for myself, my home and my growing family. Plus, I’ll share ideas for how you might make these ideas work best for you in your season of life. If you’ve been getting up early already and it hasn’t been working for you, or you don’t enjoy your mornings, please stay with me, as I’ll start with the basic steps towards a morning routine you love!

What we’ll cover today for 5 steps to a morning routine you love

We’re going to focus on laying a good foundation first. There are 3 basic pillars to a solid morning routine. I suggest doing 1 for a week before adding another. This will help you gain some traction and consistency. Also, the goal is not perfection but progress. Plan to have a few mornings that you’ll sleep in. This will help you be able to stick to it for the long term. This will not be an overwhelming list of to-do’s, but manageable baby steps to a rhythm that can help you love your mornings!

Step #1 towards a morning routine you love- wake up 30 min. earlier

Wake up just 30 min. earlier than usual, or before your kids usually do.

 I realized that just a little bit of extra time in the morning to orient myself brought more peace and energy to my day than that little bit of extra sleep ever did. I never regretted that time. Sometimes I might need a nap later or to get to bed earlier but I NEVER regret a morning I start on the right foot. 

 Here’s the key: It doesn’t need to be 2 hours of quiet time alone or waking up at 5 am.

Even when the littles are up with me, waking up a bit earlier to give my heart and mind time to prepare can make all the difference to beginning our day well. Littles awake with me could get extra snuggles and some milk to bide by until breakfast while I allow myself time to caffeinate, read or just plain unfog.

In my current season of life, I no longer have a baby, but I still will have late nights (teens) or restless sleep (toddler ) but now I’ve learned my morning is more important to prepare my soul, body and mind.  Try it and see! Just begin taking a little bit of extra time, 1/2 an hour for now, to let your body wake up before your day takes you along for the ride!

Remember: consistency > perfection = progress.

If you want some ideas, try any of the following:

A few ideas:

• Stay off screens
• drink some water with lemon or a pinch of salt in it to rehydrate ( I use these electrolyte packs or this salt)
• pray
• write a gratitude list
• 5 min. of quiet while looking out the window
• enjoying your favorite beverage
• journaling
• writing 3 things you’re grateful for
• stretching

Bonus tip: Don’t hit the snooze- you’ll lose 10 min. out of your 30. Allow that time to just wake up.

Step #2 Get ready for the day first thing

Choosing once to get ready first eliminates wasteful decision fatigue. There’s not a lot we have control over in our day but being ready first thing can boost your motivation and productivity.

This is the second pillar to establishing a solid morning routine you love. Get ready first thing and shower then if needed. The first three steps are the most important keystones to the framework of a solid morning routine. The order you do them in is not as important, as long as you do them before you let the day take off. Preparing your mind, body and heart for the day are the fundamentals. After you’ve established waking up a bit earlier fairly consistently, begin to shorten that 30 min. wake up window to allow time to get your body and heart ready for the day.

You can always change later, or shower again, but you can’t get your morning back and the feeling of being ready to face whatever your day brings! There is a lot that comes at us in our day we can’t control, but we CAN be ready for them. 

 This tip has increased my feeling of motivation and productivity in my day more than any other. I don’t have to accomplish anything major, just feeling ready for the day helps my mindset so much. Try it for yourself and see!

I used to spend so much energy deliberating on when to shower or get ready for my day. “Should I shower after my workout? Oh, but what if the baby wakes up early. After I clean the bathrooms? But I have to run an errand before that….”

 Then before I knew it, it was 3 pm, the day was half done, and I was still in my robe and messy bun feeling crummy. I slowly learned that I am the most productive when I am dressed and feel ready for my day.  I usually shower at night anyways, so I just do a quick rinse if I get sweaty enough after my workout.

Bonus tip: Try showering at night to save time in the morning. If drying your hair at night is an issue, try quickly washing just your hair in the morning.

Step #3- WORD before world

Nourish your soul in God’s word and prayer before you open your phone.

This is the final pillar to establishing a solid morning routine you love. I suggest spending some time being consistent with these first three before moving on to the final 2 steps.

My biggest deterrent to getting my Bible read when I slept in or my kids were awake early with me, was that I wanted to complete my entire section from my Bible reading plan so I wouldn’t even start.

I realized I just needed time to pray and read a chapter, or even a few verses, to meditate on in order to orient my heart and day. 

Starting your day orienting your heart towards your Savior doesn’t take chapters of reading and lots of study time– although those things are wonderful when we can get them in- don’t let that hold you back from not communing with your Savior first thing. We need to fill up before we can pour out!

This is the final and most important pillar to creating a good foundation to a morning routine that works for you. You can do step 2- get ready- after you’ve been in the Word, of course, but these 3 are the foundation to creating a more peaceful morning and solid start to your day. If you sleep in and only have 15 minutes, then you can still use this framework instead of something mindless.

These can be done even with your kids awake, if needed, but making time to get your mind, body and heart ready for your day is the most important part of establishing a morning routine you love! Next up we’ll dig into some rituals we can do to enjoy and utilize this time.

• 5 min. of quiet to wake up
• 5 min. to read something from God’s Word
• 5 min. to brush your hair and put something decent on

If we want to be people that conform our lives and hearts to what God wants for us, then we need to take time to listen and talk to Him before we let in the world’s opinions.

Bonus tip: If you can manage without getting on social apps, try listening to an audio Bible, prayer guide, or worship music WHILE you’re getting ready for the day.

Step #4- Add 10 more minutes to your wake time for 1 soothing ritual

Add 10-30 minutes doing something that is enjoyable, soothing or therapeutic for you can make a WORLD of difference to your entire day!

It is so easy to feel selfish when we take time to care for ourselves as moms, but it’s actually a way we can better care for our families. Because finding joy in little things is one of the ways we can feel joy and love from the Lord through His gifts to us. When we feel that joy and love it is more natural to turn and pass it to others.

Think about how you encourage your children and people you love to do this! We want our children to grow up to be holy, healthy and whole individuals so we need to model that for them. Parents are so good at making time for their children to do what they love and are good at. In fact, we even spend ALOT of money to make sure they are pursuing those things. Haha! This is one of the ways we can truly enjoy our callings and the life God has given us. We are adults, no one else will do this for us, we have to do it for ourselves.  

Ask yourself these questions :

• What would make my morning feel relaxing? 
• What do I wish I had more time for?
• What do I enjoy, but I haven’t done for a long time?
• What do I love to do, but haven’t since having kids?

Personally, just being awake, dressed & caffeinated before my kid’s get up can feel indulgent, but this has been the key to help me actually LOVE my mornings.

Some soothing ritual ideas

• enjoy a nice drink in quiet (or while enjoying relaxing music)
• journal
• read an encouraging devotional
• indulgent beauty care
• work on your hobby
• read a fun light book

Bonus tip: try a different thing each morning!

Making time for something enjoyable in your morning can be the key you’ve been missing to unlock that motivation to rise earlier! 

Step #5- add 10+ more minutes to your wake time for 1 growth ritual

Get up 10+ minutes more to do something that is measurable towards your current goals.

I would describe a growth ritual as something that moves you towards your long term goals. Ask yourself these questions to find the answer for yourself.

• What are some of my goals that I need more time for?
• What do I want to learn?
• What have I been wanting to change or implement?
• What do I need to work on?

It doesn’t take much time to make an impact towards your goal if you are consistent at one small change. Doing nothing means nothing changes, but even doing just a little bit can snowball and create momentum, motivation and even results!

Bonus tip: Use a timer. Don’t get distracted. Really just focus on doing that one thing for at least 10 minutes! 

I’ve seen gains in many areas implementing this in my mornings!

Doing nothing means nothing changes, but even doing just a little bit can snowball and create momentum, motivation and even results!

Some growth ritual ideas:

• plan your day
• trouble shoot a pain point in your life
• research questions you’ve had about something
• read an educational book
• write 2 pages in a morning pages notebook
• exercise
• do 1 high priority task
• work on a creative project

Click the picture below to grab your free morning routine makeover checklist!

5 steps towards a morning routine you love in review

1. get up 30 minutes earlier
2. dress, get ready, shower if needed
3. meditate on God’s Word and prayer
4. make time for 1 -2 soothing rituals
5. add 1-2 growth rituals

Pin to save & share 5 steps to a morning routine you love!

I hope you’ve found this post helpful, and if you have, please leave a comment and let me know what you’ve implemented in your life that has had a positive impact on your morning!

As always, thanks for being here in my little corner of the interwebs.

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Easy No knead sourdough baguettes

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The post 5 steps to a morning routine you love appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

This recipe makes 3 Italian style baguettes and only requires 3 hours of rising and some stretch and folds before you can tuck it away in the fridge for any day you have time to pull them out to shape and bake them. It only has 5 ingredients and really is a no fuss recipe. Once you’ve made it a couple of times you could make it by memory, it’s that simple. I hope you try it and let me know how it turns out for you in the comments. These easy no knead sourdough baguettes need anywhere from 12 hours up. They will need an overnight ferment as well as a couple hours to shape and rise before baking, but most of the time is hands off with these. Trust me- if I have time to keep these on rotation in our menu, you can too.

Ingredients needed for these easy sourdough no knead baguettes

• flour
• sourdough starter
• water
• sugar
• salt

Optional but helpful tools

• My favorite large capacity kitchenmaid mixer
• My favorite serrated bread knife
• baguette baker
• baking stone
• flour shaker
• baking sheet
• dough scraper
• dough cutter
• bread lame for scoring
• parchment paper

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog! See my full disclosure here.

Steps for making these easy no knead sourdough baguettes

1. This is the easiest part. You’re just going to mix all of your ingredients until well combined. If you’re doing this with a mixer you can beat it for a few minutes, but it’s not necessary.

2. Next up is the stretch and fold session. Don’t leave! This is not complicated. All that it requires of you is to be home long enough. After the dough is mixed you’re going to cover it and leave it for an hour. Don’t worry if it’s over or under that time by a bit. After an hour just pull up each side of the dough and sort of wiggle and stretch it up until it feels like it might break off and then fold it back up on top of itself. Go around the dough ball on each side. Then leave it again for an hour. You’re going to do that 2 more times for a total of 3 stretch and folds. For a more detailed video on stretching and folding see here.

3. Fermenting- Now you’re going to tuck that sweet little loaf in for a long nap, as I tell my kiddos. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 8 hours up to a week. Yup, a week is still totally fine. I’ve done it tons of times. The flavor really develops the longer you wait. Plus, the longer you can leave it, the more benefits you’ll get from the sourdough. This is not a quick recipe, but it is simple, doable and easy. You only need time.

Bake day: shaping these easy no knead sourdough baguettes

1. Quick Rest- Pull the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for 30. min to warm up a bit. I’ve jumped right into shaping them and they still turned out just fine though. If you let them sit a bit though the dough will be easier to handle and shape.

2. Shaping- Now that your dough is more supple from the rest, it’s time to shape it. I like to use a dough scraper to get all my dough out of the bowl. Next cut 3 sections with a dough cutter. A serrated bread knife will also work for this recipe. (As you get comfortable with the recipe, feel free to shape a boulé or 4-6 smaller French baguettes.) For ease of baking, I use a baguette pan. An alternative would be to use a bread couche or you can roll foil into logs and lay underneath parchment paper on a baking sheet in between your baguettes to keep them from spreading. (see the pic below) Otherwise you can shape the loaves and lay on parchment paper. Shape the loaves with the following instructions: (another helpful video here)

• On a flourless surface, flatten one section into a rectangular shape with your hands. Just as big as you can comfortably get it with your hands only- no rolling pin needed.
• Fold it in thirds like a letter. Flatten it down once again.
• Now fold it in half the same direction this time keep a seam side, pinching as you roll, and tuck the dough around onto counter back and forth with the seam side down rolling into a log about 16″ long.
• Roll each end between your hands to form a sort of point on the ends.
• Place on your parchment ready baking sheet and repeat with the other loaves.
• Cover with plastic wrap or l (I use a bread couche or large trash bag works too.) Let it rest 2-4 hours until almost double.

3. Baking these easy no knead sourdough baguettes-

1. Preheat you oven to 500*F about 30 min. to 1 hr. before ready to bake. When ready to bake, sprinkle flour over each loaf and then slice diagonals across the top about 2 inches apart with a lame.

2. Insert the loves on the baguette pan with the parchment directly onto a baking stone, or keep on the baking sheet if you don’t have a stone. Immediately lower temp to 450* and bake for 30 minutes. Check after 30. You want a deep golden to amber color on your loaf to insure a crispy crust and tender inside. You can check the internal temp if concerned. It should be 190-200* when fully baked. Resist cutting into them for at least 5 minutes, if you can. 😉

How to store and freeze leftovers

These baguettes are best eaten fresh otherwise, wrap then in plastic or store in an airtight container. They can be frozen for longer storage (up to 6 months). Wrap them in plastic and them heavy duty foil. Warm them up wrapped in only the foil in the oven.

If your bread is feeling a bit dry and getting old, don’t throw it out! It makes the perfect French toast, French toast casserole breakfast strata, or croutons.

More sourdough recipes

• Easy Cranberry Orange Sourdough Loaf
• Sourdough Pear Coffee Cake for a crowd!
• Long ferment lemon poppyseed sourdough scones

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Printable Recipe card

Easy No Knead Sourdough Baguettes

Yield: 3 loaves

Ingredients:

1 cup ripe (fed) sourdough starter
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
5 cups Flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar

1. Mix all of your ingredients until well combined. If you're doing this with a mixer you can beat it for a few minutes, but it's not necessary.
2. Stretch and fold- After the dough is mixed you're going to cover it and leave it in the bowl (or a different one) for an hour. After an hour just pull up each side of the dough and sort of wiggle and stretch it up until it feels like it might break off and then fold it back up on top of itself. Go around the dough on each side. Then leave it again for an hour. You're going to do that 2 more times for a total of 3 stretch and folds. For more detailed instructions on stretching and folding see the full blog post.
3. Fermenting- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 8 hours up to a week.

Bake day:

1. Quick Rest- Pull the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for 30. min to warm up a bit. You don’t have to, but it will be easier to handle if you do.
2. Shaping- Now that your dough is more supple from the rest, it's time to shape it. I like to use a dough scraper to get all my dough out of the bowl Then cut 3 sections with a dough cutter, or a serrated bread knife . (As you get comfortable with the recipe, feel free to shape a boulé or 4-6 smaller French baguettes.) For ease of baking, I use a baguette pan. An alternative would be to use a bread couche or you can roll foil into logs and lay underneath parchment paper on a baking sheet in between your baguettes to keep them from spreading. Otherwise you can shape the loaves and lay on parchment paper.

Shape the loaves with the following instructions (a helpful vidoe is on the blog post):
* On a flourless surface, flatten one section into a rectangular shape with your hands. Just as big as you can comfortably get it with your hands only- no rolling pin needed.
* Fold it in thirds like a letter. Flatten it down once again.
* Now fold it in half the same direction this time keep a seam side, pinching as you roll, tuck the dough around onto the counter back and forth with the seam side down rolling into a log about 16" long.
* Roll each end between your hands to form a sort of point on the ends.
* Place on your parchment ready baking sheet and repeat with the other loaves.
3. Proofing: Cover with plastic wrap or l (I use a bread couche or large trash bag works too.) Let it rest 2-4 hours until almost double.
Baking:
1. Preheat you oven to 500*F about 30 min. to 1 hr. before ready to bake. When ready to bake, sprinkle flour over each loaf and then slice diagonals across the top about 2 inches apart with razor, sharp knife or a lame.
2. Insert the loves on the baguette pan with the parchment directly onto a baking stone, or keep on the baking sheet if you don't have a stone. Immediately lower temp to 450* and bake for 30 minutes. Check after 30. You want a deep golden to amber color on your loaves to insure a crispy crust and tender inside. You can check the internal temp if concerned. It should be 190-200* when fully baked. Resist cutting into them for at least 5 minutes, if you can. 😉

**These baguettes are best eaten fresh otherwise, wrap them in plastic or store in an airtight container. They can be frozen for longer storage (up to 6 months). Wrap them in plastic and then heavy duty foil. Warm them up wrapped in only the foil in the oven.
If your bread is feeling a bit dry and getting old, don't throw it out! It makes the perfect French toast, French toast casserole, breakfast strata, or croutons!

Print

Share your thoughts below if you made this!

The post Easy No knead sourdough baguettes appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

Advent calendar with optional activity

We’ve been using a canvas wall advent calendar I made years ago (this one is similar). Our’s has held up to the test of time. Sometimes I print off our verse cards with optional activities, and some years there is just some candy and I read something from one of our favorite advent books. The pockets are big enough to hold lots of candy and so we are able to use it for the whole family. I usually put in a different kind of candy each year and vary it through the month. Also, I don’t fill it all ahead of time because.. well that would be too tempting and plain dumb!

Add to our nativity set

We made a cute little set a couple years ago with peg dolls and because we let the kids play with it, we inevitably have new pieces to make or add in for fun. It is a simple peg doll kit you can get at Hobby Lobby. We just used the felt pieces you can get for under a dollar there as well. Here are some instructions to make your own

Supplies needed you can find at most craft stores or here online:

• Wooden peg doll kit
• Felt fabric pieces
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Scisoors for cutting

Gingerbread houses with graham crackers

Every year we make gingerbread men cookies, but not houses. Like I said, we keep it simple around here.

We aren’t about to go spend  $100+ on 9 gingerbread house kits either.

“Sorry  kids, one less gift this year because we bought gingerbread houses that you were frustrated to make and we wouldn’t let you eat until they were stale and dry!” hehehe. But seriously.

However, we do make these little graham cracker “gingerbread” houses that the kids love to create and we actually let them eat them when they want to. They’re small enough and I don’t actually want a bunch of gingerbread houses laying around all season anyway. 

Buy the kids a themed ornament every year

My hubby and I have a standing date at the start of the season where we do a couple things together to prepare. First up, we buy a themed ornament for each child every year that they will take with them when they leave. This was a tradition my parents started and when I got married, I got to take quite an assortment of sentimental ornaments with me. We always have a memory tree now, and that’s totally fine with me. Maybe someday we’ll have a designer tree, but likely not! For now, I love this tradition and the kids are so excited to see what we’ve bought them each year. We sharpie their name and the year on the bottom and hope they last through until they leave our home. Most won’t, but that’s ok too. 

Secondly we pick out our wrapping paper we’ll be using for the season at Hobby Lobby. They have the best options at a great price. You get a huge roll and can find many coordinating patterns. 

Our favorite stores with charming affordable ornaments

• World Market
• Target
• Hobby Lobby

Make inexpensive crafts from Hobby Lobby 

Every year when I am out doing my first solo outing, I pickup 2-4 easy craft kits from Hobby Lobby to have on hand. These are super affordable and have everything needed to make a fun ornament or gift for someone that I can pull out whenever we have a free evening. They’re cheap enough that I don’t care if the toddler paints all of it, but challenging enough that the middle schoolers usually want to join in, too.

Take the kids shopping to buy gifts

We put a spending freeze on come November. You aren’t allowed to buy anything for yourself so that you save your extra money for gifts. We keep a list of pay chores they can do throughout the month as well. Then we  take each group of kids shopping to the dollar store, Target or Walmart, stores that are affordable and easy to price check. Each child carries a shopping basket with their coat over so no one can peek. An older sibling takes them through the aisles and helps them with the math. We also let them pick out a wrapping paper of their own to wrap their gifts in. This really helps keep the focus on the excitement of giving instead of receiving. They get so much joy in anticipation of giving instead of receiving.

Cutting down our own Christmas tree in the National Forest

Usually the Friday after Thanksgiving, or very soon thereafter, we go “hunting” for a tree. We’ve kept up this tradition through all the babies since the first year we were married! This is one of our favorite traditions and we have lots of fun and crazy memories of these trips. Some years we have an abundance of snow and bring sleds. Some years there has been no snow and we find a tree in less than an hour. It’s so fun to see how far we have to trek each year to find that perfectly imperfect tree. We always have cocoa, coffee and candy canes packed along. Sometimes, we bring chilli with us to eat up there after.

Decorating the tree and house

We have learned to get 2 Christmas tree tags now, because I love decorating with real boughs around the house. The Sunday after we get our tree we pull out all of those saved, sentimental ornaments and ALL the rest of the decor and start decorating the tree. If we get to the rest of the house, that’s great, but otherwise we just decorate as I go through the week after that. I keep it super simple, with lots of fresh natural greenery, white lights and a few fun things added in each year I find on clearance. Every year Nick’s goal is to add one more item to our outside lighting display, as well. 

Pajama ride to see lights

Once the season has been kicked off we love to wake the kids up after they’ve been tucked in for a surprise ride to get a treat and see the lights in some special neighborhood on display. Some years we’ve made it extra special with cocoa in the car and a special ‘golden ticket” Polar Express style. Other years, we’ve gone through Dairy Queen or just taken an extra route through a highly lit neighborhood on our way home from somewhere.

Watch our favorite Christmas movies

I know this is the top pick for most families, but in case you see any new ideas below I’ll include ours. Be sure to leave your favorites in the comments below, too.

Our favorite movies that we cycle through each year are the following:

• It’s a wonderful life
• Little women
• The nativity
• The Star
• Elf
• Santa Claus
• The Family Man

Make candy cane tracks to leave on windshields

Some years we put together a larger homeless kit to pass out to the needy we have in our area, but since our town has a huge ministry for this, we often just leave tracks with candy canes with a sweet encouraging note and verse to leave on people’s windshields when out shopping. It’s also a fun activity to prep with the kids in the evening. Tying the little notes on each candy cane and having them help decide which verse and what to say are a fun activity. You can easily make your own, like we did, or here’s a fun free one!

Deliver gifts to neighbors

A few days before Christmas we deliver a homemade goodie to our neighbors. The kids usually help me make and package up these and then we all walk around the neighborhood together delivering them. We focus on the families we know well, or who have just moved in near us. This number usually doesn’t exceed 10 families, so it’s not a huge amount. 

Here’s what we normally make that is an affordable and easy to scale option:

• Cranberry orange sourdough loaf
• The easiest caramel corn- except I use honey in place of corn syrup and add spices.
• Mini cinnamon rolls

We don’t do this EVERY year, but definitely the ones when we have new neighbors to meet. 

Of course there are the usual Christmas parties to go to, cookies to bake and exchange and recitals to attend, and treats to make and eat, but these activities are always on our list to choose from each season. I hope they’ve given you some fresh inspiration and ideas to try in yours.

Pin to save & share 12 Christmas Traditions we actually do

As always, thanks for being here in my little corner today, friend!

In HIs service,

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Most time saving kitchen tips require buying more food that is premade or highly processed, which aren’t as good for our health. Sure they have their place, but the quality goes down when we buy something with added preservatives and ingredients to help keep it “shelf stable” after it’s been prepped for weeks. Instead, by batching, we can get ahead on prep and still keep the quality, flavor, and benefits of freshly prepared food.

Learn how to to use batching in all of these areas

• Planning
• Shopping
• Sorting and storing
• Prepping
• Baking
• Cooking 
• Serving
• Cleanup

Save time with meal planning

The first step in the order of kitchen prep is always meal planning. Take 15 minutes and use my meal planning formula to plan out what you’ll be eating. Planning ensures you will have the food on hand you need while in the kitchen, so you can prep ahead anything else you have on your menu as you make similar recipes.

Get my menu planning template here!

Make a list of every recipe you will need for the week, and print them at the same time. Batch this once at the beginning of the week. Likewise, you can look up your recipes on your phone and save a note with the links, as well.

Bonus tip: Put printed recipes on your fridge with a magnet for easy reference and cleanliness. 

Batch your grocery shopping

With a meal plan you now only need to shop once a week, or order your food for delivery or pickup. I usually buy a large amount of shelf stable and freezer items when they’re on sale. I also make most of my household purchases through an online delivery or pickup order separately, so that my weekly shopping need only consist of mostly fresh ingredients.

Bonus tip: To help you stay in budget, use a grocery store app to make your shopping list. This will give you the total cost automatically. Use the same list at other grocery stores that don’t offer an app to cost compare. For example, I make a list in the Walmart app even if I plan to shop at Winco (who doesn’t offer an app), and I can easily cost compare on the spot.

Save time putting groceries away

When you go through the checkout, place like items together by where they’ll be put away in your house. This ensures they’ll be bagged together. When you get home, carry the bags directly to where they go and put them away immediately. This batch organization is a bonus if your family helps unload the groceries.

I group the following:

• Pantry items 
• Items to freeze
• Bulk storage
• Refrigerated items
• Household things

Bonus tip: Buy bulk when you can and decant into smaller easy-to-squeeze bottles or jars. Store the larger containers in your secondary fridge or pantry.

Batch food prep

I don’t prefer to prewash my produce too far in advance as it can make them spoil sooner, but I do batch rinse what I am using that day. Here’s a quick way I do this- First, I chop what I’ll be using that needs to be rinsed, then place them in my large salad spinner bowl. Next, I fill it with water and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda or hydrogen peroxide and let it soak for 15 min or so while I work on something else. When they’re ready I just pick up the strainer section, pour out the water, do a quick rinse and spin, and Voila! They’re all clean and ready to go! This is the large salad spinner I use.

Make using your items easier by storing the ones most used together in the same area or bin.

Here are some things I store together:

• Baking items like soda, baking powder, vanilla, salt, cinnamon
• Seasonings like garlic, onion and Italian herbs
• Flour, sugar, oats, baking oils, chocolate chips
• Toppings for oatmeal and smoothie bowls- chia seeds, small nuts, dried fruit, flax seeds, etc.

Bonus tip: Move any meat you plan to use that week from the freezer to the fridge. 

Save time with batching while you cook

 When you’re ready to cook, begin by gathering all of your ingredients out of your fridge at the same time. If your fridge is away from the counter you’re working on, put them on a sheet pan to transfer. Likewise, gather all items from your pantry that you’ll use in that time.

Get all dishes or pots needed out of the same cupboard together and set them on the stove. This saves so much time not going back and forth or rummaging around looking for something you need while food is boiling over!

Make extra portions or prep ahead what you have time for from the week’s meal plan.  

Bonus tip: Keep a small bowl for kitchen scraps if you compost or have chickens. Likewise, have a trash can nearby your prep station or use a small container on your counter to collect trash in. Save time and energy by not making extra trips around the kitchen.

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Some examples of what to batch cook

• Brown mulitple batches of meat at once. That initial browning lends a great deal of flavor in recipes and you can pre-brown then finish the rest of the recipe later. You can also use the same pans for different meats as it will be cooked to a higher temperature later. 
• Peel, grate, cut or chop extra of the same produce if being used in another recipe.
• Freeze delicate herbs and garlic in ice cube trays covered with oil.
• Place veggie scraps and bones in a plastic freezer bag to be used for stock at a later time, or put directly into your crockpot to use immediately.
• Grate or slice extra cheese and store in the fridge.
• Cook extra grains if using in another recipe. It only requires a larger pot and 25% more time, but saves you triple that later.
• Mix dough or batter in the same bowl after only a quick rinse.
• Bonus tip: Most doughs can sit in the fridge overnight for the first rise and batter can as well. No need to worry about baking now, just get a step ahead and save time by only washing the bowl once. Your future self will thank you!

Save time when serving dinner

To serve your food hot from the kitchen or table, cook food for slightly less time, then cover with foil or a lid. Keep your serving utensils by each food item. Stack your plates next to the dishes for quick serving. Batch cut your little one’s food all at once with a pizza cutter and flexible cutting board to easily cut and serve smaller portions.

Bonus tip: Quickly cut your kid’s noodles, veggies or salad with kitchen shears.

Cut your cleanup time with batching

Reverse the order you used for gathering your ingredients for a quicker and easier cleanup.

1. Gather all fridge items together (use a tray of sheet pan if needed) and put away.
2. Then gather the pantry items together and put away.
3. Clear your way across your counters towards your sink with your scrap bowl for trash.
4. Gather dirty dishes and deposit trash into bowl
5. Throw scraps from the bowl away
6. Place dirty dishes in the sink
7. While at the sink get your rag and spray bottle
8. Spray and wipe counters.
9. Load and wash your dishes immediately afterwards
10. Sweep or vacuum the floors.

Bonus tip: Scrub your sink clean and wipe dry. Use bar keeper’s friend if you haven’t been doing this regularly.

In summary

Always begin with a plan! Once you have a plan you can batch by category, location, and time. This will also help you save your energy in the kitchen so that you can get more done with less effort! I hope you found this post helpful to ensure you have time to make affordable, quality, and healthy food in less time.

As always, thanks for sharing my little corner of the interwebs with me today, friends! 

In His service,

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Why I use a seasonal wardrobe rotation system

You might be like I was and put off the overwhelming seasonal wardrobe rotation just to then go out and purchase new items to “get us by” or “just in case”. Only to find out later you had more than enough already after said bins eventually came out. Consequently, you have to decide what to do with all the extra clothing while realizing you wasted a lot of money. Instead, I have learned how to store and rotate our seasonal clothing in less time than it would take to run to the store, try on and buy new things.

This does not require relabeling individual bins per child and size every single season, or meticulous writing initials on tags! Just read along to find out how to bless your future self with a system ready to go for the next season or child. Now let’s get to it!

What will be covered in this post

• When to rotate
• Clothing staples we keep out year round
• What to keep and what to get rid of
• How to streamline the rotation
• How to store clothes for the next season or child

When to rotate

As soon as the…

• temps are consistently much higher or lower
• current clothing items for the season are no longer making you through until wash day
• drawers seem too cluttered (this can happen from gifted items or things pulled down for the overflow bin to bide us by)
• clothing is obviously too small, short, tight etc.

I know it’s time to bring up the next bin and put away our current season’s clothes when these things happen. The main reason for doing this is that if I don’t there will be too many clothes in the drawers to reasonably keep track of and I will have a 6 year old trying to wear a tank top and shorts when it’s a 45 degree rainy day.

Clothing staples we keep out year round

Here is what we keep out year round for all seasons and don’t rotate out except for duplicates.

(I keep more clothes for infants and toddlers. Usually 2x more for 2t under and 3x more for infants )

• 7+ pairs underwear
• 5 white tee shirts (these are worn by our boys for night shirts as well as under dress shirts)
• 2-3 active shorts (worn for jammies sometimes as well)
• 2 sets lightweight sweats or activewear
• 1 sweatshirt
• 1 pair mid toned dress pants (ie. light brown or gray)
• 1 lightweight jacket (denim or canvas jacket)
• 3 pairs ankle high socks (these come right above the ankle and are good for any season)
• 1-2 pairs of tennis/ running shoes. 1 for play 1 to be kept for outings in good condition
• Crocs

How to streamline the seasonal clothing rotation

1. Remove the unnecessary

The first step is to remove the unnecessary. I go through one child’s clothing at a time and pull out about 2/3 of the current season’s items, and anything they’ve outgrown. Below is a list of what I would pull out for a summer to fall rotation for example. (This should take under 5 minutes per child)

If there is a sibling close in age in the same gender to pass clothes to I put more away for them in a labeled bin (see below). If they don’t have a sibling close in age and gender to pass then I see what I can stretch through to the next season. For example, what summer shirts can be worn with a long sleeve under, or dresses with a jean jacket, skirts with tights etc. This saves me alot in my clothing budget.

Example of what I would remove transitioning from Summer to Fall:

• tank tops
• all but 2 pairs of shorts
• All but 3 short sleeve shirts ( I cull the “summer” specific and light colored ones first)
• all but 2 short sleeve dress shirts ( I cull the light colored ones first)
• dress shorts
• extra lightweight activewear
• low rise (below the ankle) socks
• extra swimwear
• sandals

TIP: I like to do this on their laundry day so I can cull those things coming through the wash at the same time!

From this pile I then pull out and trash anything…

• stained
• severely faded
• with holes or tears

Whatever I wouldn’t buy secondhand I don’t keep for the next child. Trust me on this! NOW is the time to be ruthless! If you feel bad, your future self will thank you that you don’t have to do this next season. You will only be buying what you actually need for next year. Sometimes a child’s whole wardrobe will need to be replaced, but most times there are several items worth keeping for the next child.

TIP: If there isn’t another sibling to pass down to in the same gender and fairly close in age, I either give the remaining good but unneeded items to someone I know or donate them immediately.

Whatever I wouldn’t by second hand I don’t keep for the next child or season!

2. Essentialize

Next, I bring out the bin that would have my child’s next size and season of clothing in it. If it’s just a bag of hand-me-downs, that’s fine! Just bring out any bins or bags that contain your child’s next size in them. I bring out the clothing they are just entering into. For example, if I have a 7 year old just beginning to wear a size 8, I would get out the 8 & 8-10 size clothing. I would rather roll up a pair of pants and cinch them in then have to get more clothes out in a month.

Below is a list of what we keep for a fall wardrobe for example. Anything beyond this number, if it’s in good shape, we store in a small bin in their room to access if something is outgrown or trashed mid season. Keeping their clothing to this limit has helped them not be overwhelmed by decisions. It also helps maintain tidier dressers and room.

Budget saving tip: As you’re bringing items out keep a list of what you don’t have enough of so you’re ready to source only what you need.

Here is what we add in to their staples for Fall- keeping favorites first:

• 4-5 long sleeve shirts
• 1-3 extra sweatshirts
• 1 puffer vest (if available)
• 3-4 pairs of pants/ skirts
• 4 pairs of long pants pajamas
• 5 pairs of above the ankle socks / & 4-5 pairs of tights
• 2-4 long sleeve dress shirts
• 2 pairs lightweight dress pants/ 5 dresses
• brown or gray dress shoes or dress boots
• 1 pair of rubber boots

How to store clothes for the next season or child

Tip: If your current supply of clothes was from a big bag of unsorted things, just tuck the unneeded items back in the bin or bag. Do NOT overwhelm yourself trying to sort it out now. With consistency this system will develop itself. Don’t try to cull and donate those items right now unless it is very clear what you would donate or trash!

My husband and I and our adult children just have 2 bins each. 1 spring & summer and 1 fall & winter. (Except a tote for heavy winter coats or snow things) This helps limit our wardrobes to only our favorites as we are constrained by the size of the bin to keep things paired down to the essentials.

How I label our bins for the sizes we have in current rotation: ( I’ve never had all sizes at once)

How I label our bins by size and season

How I labeled my bins once and never again!

• Only keep bins up to 2 years ahead of your youngest child (IE: if you have a 4 year age gap, don’t keep those items for the younger sibling unless they’re in excellent shape and a classic style)
• Store empty off season bins stacked inside of each other if space is minimal
• Do not change labels unless the size has been eliminated (last child has outgrown it or gap is large)
• Keep only 1 keepsake box of the most precious clothing items per gender (ie. christening gowns, special occasion baby outfits, handmade sweaters) Your future children will not want their old play clothes for their children! Heheh..

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In summary and closing

To Review…

Remove the unnecessary

Keep only the essential favorite items needed per season

Store only what you would be happy to see again

Remove the rest out of the room

Decide what to donate or trash once your mind is clear

Label your bins once and keep going!

As always, thanks for being here and reading this far friend! I hope the time you spent reading this will pay off in more time dividends in your future! Less time organizing, shopping and dreading the seasonally clothing switch and more time with the ones you love!

If you’ve found this post helpful, be sure to please pin and share on your social platforms! If it helped you, it would likely help those you know, too! Thanks again for supporting my little corner here.

In His service,

The post How to simplify a large family seasonal wardrobe rotation appeared first on A Legacy In Days.

I hope you can enjoy these books and some cozy moments with your family this season, as well!

Blessings,

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Fall favorite picture books

1. Homeplace by Ann Shelby

This was a new book to us this year and we fell in love with it! Such a sweet story about a grandmother telling her granddaughter the origins of the family homestead 5 generations back. Our kids loved tracking which generation is being referenced and what changes they’ve made to the homestead. Told in a sweet lyrical style, but not too wordy.

2. Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

Our boys have loved the Bear Snores On series from forever, and this newer one is a fun retelling of the animals little Thanksgiving feast they collaborate one.

3. Bearskin by Howard Pyle

We’ve enjoyed several of Pyle’s books especially the cheeky Old English Robin Hood! Pyle, always the creative story teller, weaves a tale that has echos remnant of greek and roman myths with a compelling storyline!

4. From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer

A fun story illustrating the entire process of growth a pumpkin goes through from seed all the way to harvest for your inquisitive little minds. You get to see underground and inside the plant as it grows along it’s journey to harvest.

5. In a Pumpkin Shell by Joan Walsh Angland

This Mother Goose ABC nursery rhyme book is one of our favorites! With enchanting lyrical prose and poems you can enjoy with your little in any season.

6. Saint George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges

This made the list as it has some gorgeous fall scenery and scapes in this beautifully illustrated retelling of an epic tale. Hands down, one of the top favorite picture books of our boys. This is a sweeping story of courage and perseverance until final victory. A retelling of Spenser’s The Faerie Queen.

Chapter books we enjoyed last quarter

7. The Blue Hill Meadow by Cynthia Rylant

This is a charming watercolor illustrated little chapter book my 4th grader enjoyed. The books takes you through the seasons with this charming anthropomorphic family living among the Blue Hill Meadows.

8. The Green Ember by S.D. Smith

We are circling back around again with this series for the younger boys and they are engrossed! A riveting tale of animal adventures you’ll be sure to get hooked on and enjoy the entire series through the season! If you like the Redwall series, you’ll enjoy these!

9. Poppy by Avi

This is a book we are reading for a bookclub with our coop, and although it is the 3rd book in the series, we heard it is the best one to start with. We have really enjoyed the conversations the story has prompted and the tale of heroism and bravery. It certainly could be read independently for confident readers, but it’s a great riveting story to discuss as a read aloud, as well. A brave mouse defies her family to find out the mystery behind why an owl keeps them under his “care”.

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