Our Hearts Are Home

Make Money with Toluna Surveys

2010-02-12T13:36:00.000-06:00

There are a handful of companies for which I do surveys. These are by no means a consistent or lucrative means of income, but I can generally make $10 to $20 a month.

Most recently I jointed Toluna Surveys. I have been a member there for about three months and have made nearly $40 there so far.

The nice thing about this company is that there are a lot of ways to accumulate points (I think 3,000 points = $1) including taking and creating polls. I probably get one or two surveys per day to do. Although most times I screen out of them (i.e., they aren't looking for someone like me), I screen out rather quickly so I'm not wasting time.

One drawback is that you have to accumulate $20 worth of points to redeem them, which can take a while.

You get points for referring new survey-takers, but I haven't yet figured out how they connect the new subscribers with their respective refer-ers. Here's the email you would receive though, in case you want to try to use me as a referral. If not, it's only 500 points.

Tina Lehman would like to invite you to join the Toluna Community (http://us.toluna.com). Make your opinion heard through your polls, opinions and reviews on Toluna.
let other people know what you think, and find out if they think the same by including your polls in your own personal blog. Join now- its completely free!

Making Your Own Laundry Soap (Guest Post)

2010-02-10T08:56:00.000-06:00

I have a lot of mommy friends that are loaded with good money-saving, organizing and cooking ideas. Occasionally I am going to feature one of those mommies in the form of a guest post.

Today A. Mikula has written something for me about making laundry detergent- something I've always wanted to try. A. Mikula is a stay-at-home mom of three lovely little boys. I met her on a bulletin board, where she always offers support and thoughtful insight. She is also a Pampered Chef consultant, and you can find her webpage here. I hope you enjoy this and am as inspired to try this as I am!

Making Your Own Laundry Soap

Having recently become a SAHM we have been searching for ways to cut back and save money. Since we were already living on a tight budget there weren't many things we could eliminate...no fast food allowance or movie night money to take away. So we had to dig deeper. One thing I started researching was making our own laundry detergent. My husband was skeptical at first...how could a home made detergent really clean as well as Tide or All? I did a LOT of searching online for recipes and found this one that made me feel confident in giving this a try.

As you can see this gives detailed, step-by-step instructions as well as photos on what your detergent will look like. I am very much a visual learner so this was a wonderful find for me! I showed my husband this link and he agreed to give it a try...he especially liked seeing how cheap it was! We already had bar soap (some recipes call for particular brands of soap but we used what we had on hand-Lever). I found the Borax at my local Walmart in the laundry detergent isle. The ingredient that gave us a little trouble was the washing soda. It's very important to get washing soda and NOT baking soda. It was a little confusing because in the laundry detergent isle near the borax was a large box of baking soda. So when you go hunting for this be sure to read the box carefully. Unfortunately our Walmart didn't have washing soda so we shopped around...we checked our local chain grocer, the Doller General, a Dollar Store, KMart and still no luck. Then it hit us...we have a little corner market about 6 blocks from our house...you know the kind, locally owned, been here for years and years....the little markets that are usually run out of business by the big guys. Well, wouldn't you know, there it was! Washing soda, right on the shelf next to the laundry detergents. (If you don't have one of these little corner markets nearby and are having a hard time finding washing soda I know you can also buy it online.) The last thing we bought was a 5 gal bucket with a lid. We bought ours at Lowes...it was hanging on an end cap near the front of the store...grey bucket, grey lid, with the Lowes logo on it.

Once we got home I got right to it! I couldn't wait to get started! I pulled out our old cheese grated and grated a bar of soap. (Be careful! Because the soap is slippery you can easily grate your knuckles!) Once my water was boiling I added the soap a little bit at a time while I stirred. One unexpected bonus to making our detergent was how wonderful the house smelled after! So clean and fresh! Once the soap was dissolved I continued to follow the directions on the link and before I knew it I was finished. Within a half hour I had made a large bucket of laundry detergent.

When we opened the bucket the next day (it has to sit for 24 hrs) we were curious. It looked a little funny...had the consistency of runny loose gel with clumps in it. We were anxious to try our first load. Rather thank putting our clothes in the washer first we started to fill it with water and put in the recommended amount of detergent gel. My husband was concerned because it did not produce any suds like the store bought detergent does. I told him not to worry because the directions had mentioned that specifically. We threw in the load of dirty clothes and crossed our fingers. After they had been washed they seemed clean so they went into the dryer. Once dry they looked just as clean as laundry washed with store bought detergent. They smelled clean too...notice I said they smelled clean...not fragrant. Store bought detergents put a lot of perfume and smells in their detergents and I think it has led us to think that unless our clothes smell like Tide or All then they aren't clean. If you want your clothes to still have that familiar smell just throw in a dryer sheet. Now the real test would be stained clothes. For these I still use a pretreater spray and let it sit a little while before washing. After pretreating I let the clothes sit in the wash water a little while before running it. Only a couple times have I had to re-wash stained clothes but honestly they were very tough stains. I would also recommend this for families who have members with sensitive skin or allergies to certain detergents. If you use a soap that you know they are tolerant of then there is no reason the detergent shouldn't work for you as well.

All in all we are VERY happy that we gave this a try and now we will never buy detergent again. My husband has mentioned so many times that he can't believe how great our home-made detergent works and how much money we've saved! In a house with four boys we do a LOT of laundry...at least one load every day...the savings add up fast!

Organize Your Towels

2010-02-08T09:42:00.000-06:00

This is just a quicky, but it's a tip I picked up a long time ago while tending a friend's bed and breakfast. It works well for me because my kitchen is not large, so drawer space in particular is at a premium making organization critical.

The trick is this: roll your dish towels. You may have learned from packing for a long trip that more clothes fit in your suitcase if they are rolled up. Dish towels are the same way. Here are two pics... one of my drawer before I rolled my towels, the other after.

Not only does it save space, but for some reason it impresses people that come over and see it. Happy rolling!

Hummus, the Perfect Snack!

2010-02-05T10:29:00.001-06:00

Hummus is one of our family's favorite snacks. I love the flavor, but also like it because it is 1) cheap, 2) healthy and 3) easy to make from scratch. You can purchase half pints of hummus in the grocery store for a few bucks a tub, but for the same price I can make an entire quart.

To make this healthy snack, place the following in a food processor:
1 can chick peas (aka garbanzo beans)
2 T tahini (aka sesame seed paste)
3 T lemon juice
1 clove minced garlic
pinch of salt
squeeze of good olive oil
pinch of cayenne (optional)

Blend this all together. It will likely be too thick at first, but just continue to add olive oil until it reaches the consistency you like. To be honest, I don't have an official recipe for this and tend to just add more of what I think it needs- which in our family is usually lemon juice.

Scoop this all into a bowl and serve it with whole grain pita chips or raw vegetables.

To save even more money on this recipe, purchase dried chickpeas and cook them yourself. A can of chickpeas usually costs between 0.80 and $1.00 but a bag will cost less than $2.00 and yield about three cans. Chickpeas are unlike other beans in that they only need to be soaked and cooked for a couple hours before they are usable in recipes.

Save Money on Tarts

2010-01-29T16:34:00.000-06:00

I am fairly green as far as chemicals in my home go. The one thing I do like to do, however, is burn tarts in a tart burner. I can choose the scent depending on the season or my mood. But, tarts are expensive (especially if you are a Yankee Candle snob like I am-- but face it, they do smell the best).

I've learned (thanks to my sister) to save a bit of money by not buying the tarts that are specifically made for tart burners. Instead, I purchase votives (which cost as much as tarts) and cut them in half!

Remove the packaging and pull out the wick and the wick holder (you don't really even have to do that.. it just looks weird) and light your tea light!

Usually Yankee Candle has a sale on votives at least a couple times a year. I just bought up a bunch for 6 for $5 and I have votives, er, tarts for weeks!

PS- Read up here on how to easily remove the wax from your tart burner!

Making Pizza Healthy

2010-01-28T11:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I posted how I make tons of pizza dough and freeze it for future use. I thought while I'm on a pizza kick that I'd share how I make my pizza healthy.

First, I make it myself. If you control your ingredients, you control what you eat. Makes sense.

Second, I use as much whole wheat flour as I can in the crust without getting kickback from the husband and kids. Usually it's about 1:1 wheat:white.

Third, I sneak a layer of pureed vegetables on the crust before I put on the sauce. Not one single time I've done this has anyone been able to tell. I started off doing a little and when no one noticed, I kicked it up to about a quarter to a half a cup per large pizza. I always serve the pizza with fresh cut veggies, but if the kids don't eat them hahahaha they just ate carrots anyway.

Finally, use healthy ingredients. I usually don't put meat on my pizzas unless it's turkey pepperoni or a little ham. I personally don't like lowfat cheese because I find it rubbery, so I use full fat cheese but just less of it. There's nothing saying you shouldn't see the sauce through the pizza, and if you have lots of healthy yummy ingredients on it your family won't miss it a bit!

Inexpensive Pizza That's Nutritious and Delicious

2010-01-27T14:21:00.005-06:00

Most everyone loves pizza. On any given night when I give my kids a choice "pizza" is usually the first word out of their mouth (even if that wasn't one of the options).

We live in a rural area where pizza delivery isn't an option. Even if it were, for what you get good pizza can be pretty expensive (yes, I said GOOD pizza).

I love making homemade pizza, but it takes a lot of time. So, what I've started doing is making several batches of dough at a time (which is the part that takes so long) and freezing them. Then, in the morning before I go to work I remove a frozen dough ball from the fridge and it's thawed and ready to roll out and use that evening.

Here's my recipe (this is a double recipe, for which I get about 4 good-sized dough balls):

Dissolve two packets of yeast (usually 4.5 tsp) into two cups of warm water. Add two teaspoons of sugar and stir. Allow the yeast to "bloom" or get good and foamy, usually within five minutes or so.

Place all that in a bowl (I use a stand mixer which makes this process infinitely easier) and add two tablespoons of kosher salt and four tablespoons of olive oil. Gradually add five cups of flour (I usually use a mixture of white and wheat), mixing as you go.

When all the flour is incorporated, add a sixth cup of flour gradually until the dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the inside of the bowl.

Dump the ball of dough into a greased bowl, turning once. Cover with plastic wrap (or damp towel) in a warm spot and wait about an hour til it is about twice the size.

Punch the dough down and roll it out to make your pizza. Bake the pizza at 475 degrees (yes, hot) for 10 minutes or so.

With the dough you have left over, form it into balls and tightly wrap it with plastic wrap and drop the wrapped balls into a freezer bag. These'll stay good for a few months (but chances are you'll use them long before they go bad).

Homemade bread, the hard way

2010-01-21T10:56:00.000-06:00

In my striving to be emergency prepared, I started thinking about buying whole wheat and grinding it myself. Last year I purchased a hand grinder (cheaper and less reliant on potentially non-existent power) and found a big sack of hard red wheat berries on sale at Walmart last month. I figured it would be better to practice making bread from hand-ground wheat before I actually needed to, so I gave it a whirl. The grinding was tougher than I thought it would be, but the breadmaking was easier.

Thankfully I had a bit of help grinding the wheat (actually, the whole family took turns and it took about 20 minutes to get six cups of flour). Electric grinders can be nearly $300, so it looks like my arms may be more toned by summertime.

After grinding the wheat (I even threw some steel cut oats in there and made a bit of oat flour), I followed a basic wheat bread recipe. I didn't use loaf pans, so rolled it out (again with help) and made a roll out of each loaf.

The recipe I used made two nice loaves, which were really tasty!

The bread was pretty dense, as I used all wheat flour (and a little oat). For a lighter bread, next time I will use a little white flour along with the freshly ground wheat. Now I know I can make bread from scratch using freshly ground wheat, which is very satisfying. I also ground a little extra and am storing it in the freezer, and have been using it. It's a lot cheaper than buying whole wheat flour and contains a lot more bran, so I think it's better for you too.

Maximize Your Coupon Savings

2010-01-18T12:50:00.002-06:00

I'd never really focused much on using coupons until recently. Before I would always have the coupons in an envelope or folder and sift through them through the store. Sometimes I'd find a usable one, but most times they'd expired long before I pulled them out.

So, when I decided to get serious about clipping coupons I decided I needed a better way to organize them. I went on e-bay and looked up coupon organizers, and found a style that I thought would work well for me. Then I went to my local office supply store and bought everything I needed to make my own for about $20 less than I'd have spent on e-bay. Now every week I bring my little binder with me, set it in the little compartment in the cart, open it up and leaf through it as I shop. When I find a coupon, I pull it out and stick it in a designated spot.

Start by purchasing a three ring binder that is enclosed in a case (being an old Trapper Keeper gal, this was sort of fun). The one I bought has a little pocket in the front, which is where I keep my grocery list.

Then, purchase plastic dividers that hold baseball cards. They come in packages of 9 or so and one package is enough for my needs. Some people divide their coupon books with labels (e.g., personal care, dairy, cereal) but I don't find the need to do that. I do arrange them so that I have dairy, cereal, condiments, etc but with only nine pages it's not that tough to keep track of what's where.

If you purchase a binder that includes little pockets, you can use these to store rebate forms, receipts, gift cards and other similar items. I carry around a small pair of scissors, a pen and a calculator (it makes it easier to tell whether you're getting a deal or not).

Since using this binder to organize my coupons, I use coupons a lot more frequently and usually save between 15% and 20% on my weekly grocery bill. I can also pull out ones that have expired each time I put new ones in. Although you need to invest a little cash up front, this system will pay for itself in very short order.

Homemade Play-Doh Fun

2010-01-15T09:45:00.000-06:00

My kids love playing with Play-Doh. Frankly, I love them playing with it. It helps them be creative and is television-free entertainment (which I'm always for). While Play-Doh is not expensive, making it at home is extremely inexpensive. I can make it in tons of colors, the kids can choose their colors and I don't get frustrated if it gets left out and dries up.

Here's how I make my Play-Doh! Remember, having your kids help can be fun and is a way to involve them in the kitchen.

Here's the recipe:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 Tbs cream of tartar
1 tsp alum
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 cup water
food coloring

(Note: Alum is very bitter and is included to keep your kids from eating the dough. If your kids don't eat things like that, or if you don't care whether they do you can exclude it.)

Put all this together in a saucepan. Add as much food coloring as you need to achieve the desired color (you usually only need a few drops). Mix together and heat the mixture until it clumps and becomes a single ball. This should only take a minute or two.

Plop the whole ball onto your countertop and gently knead it. This will help cool it down before you give it to your kids.

Viola! Play-Doh in about five minutes.

My kids' daycare provider makes play-doh for the kids and sometimes adds cinammon. The whole place smells good on those days, so adding cinammon or cloves or even essential oils may be a good way to infuse your home with good smells (or even as a type of aromatherapy) while your children are playing.

Give your wooden spoons and knives new life

2010-01-14T16:12:00.000-06:00

I'm finally back from the holidays (and a weird photobucket snafu) and wanted to share one of the things I did a couple weeks ago. If you own wooden spoons, knives with wooden handles or any other kitchen implement made of wood, chances are you throw it in the dishwasher from time to time. Everyday use and heat from dishwashers will eventually strip the oils from the wood making it dry and brittle and susceptible to cracking or breaking. Upon one of my favorite wooden spoons snapping in half, I was reminded that I hadn't oiled my spoons in a while. So, that's what I did!

To do this, get your hands on some mineral oil.

Put liberal amounts of the mineral oil on a paper towel or other rag, and rub it into your utensil.

You can sort of see before and after with the knives below.

Giving your wooden kitchen implements doesn't take long, and it will extend their life. It also leaves your hands really soft!

Meaningful Birthdays

2009-12-14T09:25:00.000-06:00

I try to make my kids' birthdays memorable, even if they're still so little that they may not remember. Someday they will... when they start I'll be ready for them!

Last week my daughter turned four. On her birthday evening, as I have the past four years, I composed her birthday letter. Her birthday letter is a one or two page account of the past year. I told her how much he loved watching Scooby Doo, some of the things she says often, and the fact that she learned to swim underwater this summer. I figure by the time she's an adult, a package of birthday letters will be something really cool to have.

Something else I like to do for my kids is make their birthday cakes. It takes me weeks to figure out what I'm going to do, and then usually the better part of a day executing it. I have to say that they usually don't turn out quite like I envision them, but this year Avery's cake was pretty close. We had her first real birthday party this year, and I was proud when I saw a mom or two sneak a cell phone pic of my cake. I'm also getting better with working with fondant and all my frosting tools. Trust me, the day before I was more than tempted to call Walmart for a last minute cake, but it was big and beautiful and tasted great. The party was good too, and at the end of the day yesterday I had a very happy three, er, four year old. Happy birthday to my Avery Rose.

Easy Way to Earn a Few Extra Bucks

2009-12-08T10:51:00.001-06:00

My husband once told me about a friend of his who was committed to picking up every coin he saw. At the end of a year, he was surprised to find how much money he actually made by simply bending over and picking up change. I have the same philosophy with some of my online endeavors.

I came upon BeRuby.com a few weeks ago. It is a portal site that leads you to the sites you visit often (twitter, gmail, google). Every time you log onto beruby.com and then click on your mail icon or google icon you make a penny or so. So now, rather than clicking on my gmail icon to read my email, I click on the beruby icon, then click on my gmail icon. It takes one extra step and I can earn a penny or two when I do it. In the few weeks I've been there I've made nearly $5.

They also offer percentages back if you use some of their links to purchase things online. So, for instance, you want to send flowers to your aunt you can go through beruby and get 5% of your purchase right back. Over time, this can add up!

You can also earn a dollar for every person you have sign up UNDER you up to $5. Then you make a percentage of everything they make. So, the bigger your network, the more potential you have to make money.

So, as far as I can tell it's definitely worth trying. There's nothing to download and I haven't gotten any spam from them.

Here's my referral link.. I'd love it if you signed up and used it!

http://us.beruby.com/promocode/u8KyZU

Vocalpoint: Awesome Coupon Source

2009-11-25T09:27:00.000-06:00

A few months ago I signed up at Vocalpoint. It's a place where people come and give their opinions of different products. They will also occasionally send you really nice coupons for free products.

The first set of Vocalpoint coupons I received was six coupons for Rice Krispies. One was for a free box, outright and there were five more for a dollar off each. I hit our local supermarket, which was having a sale on Rice Krispies for $1.50 a box. I walked out, completely giddy, with six boxes of cereal for $3.

Since then I've received similar coupons for Kashi cereal, Pantene, and most recently for Dole fruit jars. One coupon is for buy one get one free, and there are five more $1 off coupons.

Since signing up I haven't received a lot of spam from them (I think I'll get maybe one email a month), so they won't clog your inbox or spambox with anything.

It doesn't take long to sign up and you can save tons of money while stocking your pantry. Click here to register.

Save Money on Herbs

2009-11-21T20:42:00.000-06:00

I love having an herb garden. There is nothing better than fresh pesto, rosemary potatoes or sage-stuffed roasted chicken. Each spring I plant herbs and each spring has me out in the garden wondering which of my herbs survived the winter and while I'll have to replace. Last year I got lucky and my thyme and sage survived while my rosemary and oregano bit the dust. This year I'm doing something different- I'm starting cuttings inside this winter.

I've started lots of plants this way. I have a plant of my great grandmothers that I'm scared to death to lose, so I have started that one over and over for fear I lose one. I figure starting new herbs will be similar.

Start by clipping the herbs close to the ground.

Bring them inside and clear the lowest leaves. Leaves left on the stem below the water level will just rot and hurt the chances of your cutting producing roots (which is the goal).

Place the cuttings in water on a sunny windowsill. Over the next several weeks, they will produce roots. Fight the urge to clip and use them during this time! When spring comes, the plants will have enough roots so that you can plant them outside.

Buying fresh herbs to plant in your garden every year can become costly (at $3 to $5 per plant). Starting your own will definitely save you money.

I've pictured rosemary here. You can also do this with the following herbs: lavendar, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, tarragon and thyme.

Reminder: Do Something For Yourself

2009-11-19T10:48:00.000-06:00

All mommies tend to put everyone first and when you work outside the home, your boss is just another someone in that line of people who need something from you. When you are working full time, want to maximize the amount of time you spend with your kids, keep your home organized and dinner on the table it's often difficult to find time for yourself. However, it is so important to do. I've heard Dr. Phil say a number of times "if momma ain't happy, ain't no one happy." Whether or not you like Dr. Phil, the saying is quite true.

So, try hard to find time for yourself. If your spouse can watch the kids while you go out for an hour or two, have him do that. Perhaps you have friends that wouldn't mind you dropping the kids at their home (maybe someone in your shoes with whom you can later return the favor). If you have no one to help you watch the kids call in sick one day (or take a personal day), drop the kids at daycare, and spend the day alone. You can shop, go to a show or just lay in bed all day reading a book. Recently I joined a gym and get up in the morning at 5 am so I can run for an hour before I go to work. What a difference this has been making to my mood (and my waistline!).

It's often tough to give yourself permission to take time alone to recharge, but remember how important it is. Every time I do something nice for myself, I'm a much nicer person to be around.

Blessed are the Cheesemakers

2009-11-16T11:12:00.000-06:00

Several years ago a friend of mine showed up at a party with a selection of cheeses he'd made. They were delicious! I tucked that back in my mind as something I'd really like to try someday.

Well, that day came this weekend. I went onto eBay and found a 30-minute mozzerella cheesemaking kit on auction and ended up getting it for about $6.50 plus shipping. It was enough to make thirty pounds of cheese. It also sounded like something fun for my daughter to help me with.

We started with a gallon of whole milk straight from the supermarket and followed the directions exactly. I'm sorry to say I don't have photos (next time!) but it was super easy and definitely something we'll be doing more of. My little girl loved helping me. It was pretty safe for her, because the temperature of the cheese doesn't get much above 100 degrees. I told her we were making a surprise and she didn't figure out what we were doing til the end.

The cheese was (yes, was... we ate the entire batch- about a pound or so) delicious. It's absolutely devine when it's warm. I look forward to making another batch or two to freeze, and to use on homemade pizza. And I'm planning on starting to bid on a hard cheese kit from eBay soon.

Costwise... it cost me about $0.50 per batch for the materials plus the cost of a gallon of milk (less than $3). When I buy mozzerella balls at Sam's it costs me at least twice that, and the homemade tastes so much better. Not to mention we can make this into string cheese, which can be very pricey for what you actually get.

Cheesemaking... definitely a money saver and a fun thing to do with your kids.

Multitasking at Bathtime

2009-11-13T08:31:00.000-06:00

One challenge I often face is justifying taking time to clean my house when I get to spend so little time with my kids. I work all day... all I want to do is come home and spend time with my family, not clean my house. At the same time, I like a clean house- so it gets tough.

A couple years ago, my daughter was taking a bath and I was just sitting on the floor reading the latest issue of Bon Appetit. I looked up and was grossed out at how dirty the mirror was. So, I got up and cleaned it. Then I cleaned the sink, vanity and toilet too. It honestly took me ten minutes! By the time I was done, my daughter was finished with her bath and I left the bathroom very satisfied that I'd killed (or cleaned, as it turned out) two birds with one stone.

I do this routinely now. I think of little ways I can spend time with my kids while I'm doing chores. In fact, last night while I was cleaning her bathroom she told me a very interesting story, so I had a little free entertainment!

Save Money AND Clean Green

2009-11-12T12:01:00.000-06:00

I embrace green cleaning whenever I can. There are a few things I'd rather use a stronger, disinfecting cleaner on (e.g., toilets) but whenever I can I use natural ingredients to clean with.

I've done most of my cleaning these days with white distilled vinegar. It doesn't smell great, but the smell dissipates rather quickly and the fumes aren't as harsh as bleach-based cleansers. You can also add a little lavendar or tea tree oil to your cleansers to give them a better smell and more of a disinfectant property. I also love the fact that it's SAFE for my family. I can clean the tub with my green cleaners and don't have to worry about not getting all of the cleanser out before the kids' next bath.

Another benefit to using vinegar to clean with is that it is CHEAP! You can purchase a gallon for about $2 and it should last you weeks.

In case I've convinced you to try cleaning with vinegar, here's a simple way to clean your bathroom vanity (or any other surface). I like adding baking soda because it reacts with the vinegar to produce a fizz that seems to lift the crud off better. Plus, it is slightly (but not overly) abrasive. Another plus- it's cheap too.

It works best if you put a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water into a spray bottle. You can purchase these for about a buck apiece. I keep my baking soda in a bottle too (buying a shaker bottle for this is on my to-do list).

Sprinkle baking soda over the surface you wish to clean, then spritz it with the vinegar solution. It should fizz for a few minutes.

When it finishes fizzing, rinse it clean. I like using microfiber rags because they're really absorbant and do not leave lint behind.

There you go! Cheap clean and easy peasy!

Saving Money with Castile Soap

2009-11-10T13:29:00.000-06:00

Oddly enough, I am quite picky about handsoap. I like the foamy stuff better than the gel (I feel like I am using less I think!). I also do not like to use antibacterial agents. Not only are the unneccesary but they're bad for the environment. Soap, water and a bit of scrubbing is all you need to rid yourself of bacteria anyway.

Having said all that, I have a money-saving tip involving handsoap.

I simply re-use foam dispensers I got from Bath and Body works and fill them with Dr. Bronners castile soap. Castile soap is a type of soap made from olive oil rather than animal fat, so appeals largely to vegetarians. I like it because it has so few ingredients and is SAFE. Bonus... if you ever buy a bottle of Dr. Bronners, you'll have a hoot reading his label, found here.

It's important to dilute the soap. The bottle costs between eight and nine dollars but it ends up worth it. Trust me.

Once you start drawing air from your pump. Add the soap.

Add about this much. Top off with water. Viola!

The Monday Blahs

2009-11-09T12:37:00.001-06:00

How does that old song go? Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

It's tough getting to spend the entire weekend with your kids, only to have to send them off to daycare on Monday morning while you drag yourself to work. Granted, the weekends aren't always dreamy- I think because they are a little disruptive of everyone's routine- but I think we all love family time.

So, what are ways to make Mondays seem less sad?

Talk to your kids about the fun you'll have at the end of the day together. Ask them what they think they'll be doing during the day. Talk about your weekend, asking them what their favorite part was. It's not even too soon to begin thinking about what you want to do next weekend.

If your experience is like mine, however, your kids will not mind going back to school. They have more friends, more toys, and honestly probably more fun. I think *I* am the one with the biggest problem.

So, what do I do? On Mondays I try to download any pics of the kids or our time together over the weekend. I also have a digital picture frame (GREAT Christmas gift for the weekend homemaker, by the way) that I download some of those pictures onto. All day the pictures of my family flash up and make me smile.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not always sad to return to work on Monday. But some days are worse than others. Just knowing that we'll all be together again very soon usually goes a long way to making me feel better.

Hang in there, fellow working moms!

Great Blog

2009-11-06T09:55:00.000-06:00

I've been reading MoneySavingMom's blog for months now, and it's a clearinghouse of information on savings through coupons and weekly sales.

Each week she will post sales from various stores (Target, Walmart, RiteAid, Walgreens) and combine them with coupons. Many items end up being very cheap, free or even eligible for an overage (meaning YOU get money for taking the item out of the store). There are links to each coupon and if there are restrictions or limits she'll let you know.

She also posts other money-saving tips and information gathered from other money-saving moms that contribute to her posts.

I love her blog, and highly recommend it.

Making Your Oven Multitask

2009-11-05T09:48:00.000-06:00

When I do my weekend cooking or baking, I plan how things are going to be cooking in my oven. When your oven is on, you are using electricity and heating up your kitchen (bad in summer, not as bad in winter). So, if you can put several things in the oven at once, you will be saving not only money, but time as well.

In the photo below (excuse the mess my poor oven is in) I've got a lasagna baking as well as a loaf of bread, a head of garlic roasting and a large sweet potato we will eat later this week. I'm sure I could have stuck something else in there like a pan of brownies or something. You get the idea though. Sometimes it takes adjusting (not everything cooks at 350 degrees), but you can usually get it to work pretty well for you.

Save Time by Making Extra

2009-11-04T10:07:00.001-06:00

I don't get home from work until after 5:00 each day. By then, everyone is hungry and it's hard for me to cook a nice nutritious dinner when my two and three year olds are tugging at my pants and wanting snacks.

Most of the cooking I do, I do on the weekends. I'll make a lasagna or roast a chicken or make a pot of chili and it will last for at least a couple meals during the week. When I do cook, I always make extra and freeze it.

Last weekend I made a lasagna to eat, and one to freeze. Here's a tip to avoid freezing your entire pan and having to go without.

Line a pan (I use 9 x 9 but you can use any size) with aluminum foil. Use two pieces placed perpendicular to each other and make sure the entire pan is covered.

Fill the pan with your casserole, lasagna or whatever it is you're making that day.

Wrap it with the foil and place it in your freezer. Once it's frozen, remove it from the pan, foil and all, and wrap the foil tightly around the frozen food.

If you use a 9 x 9 pan you should be able to easily slide this into a gallon-sized freezer bag (which is why I use this size pan). Otherwise, you'll want to wrap it in another layer to prevent freezer burn. Don't forget your label, and place it back into the freezer.

Post-Halloween Money Saving Opportunity

2009-11-02T15:52:00.003-06:00

Before Halloween I saw these cute little sugar pumpkins with faces painted on them for about $5.

Yesterday I went to Walmart and they were a dollar apiece. So, I bought two. These little pumpkins yield the equivalent of two to three cans of pumpkin, and canned pumpkin costs nearly $1 a can. I figure I made the equivalent of four to six cans for $2. They're relatively easy to roast, puree and freeze.

First, cut each pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy goo. Of course, save the seeds so you can roast those too!

Place them cut side down on a cookie sheet and roast them for 45 minutes or so at 350. Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool long enough so that you can pull the skin off easily. If it doesn't come off easily, it's probably not cooked all the way yet.

To toast the pumpkin seeds, rinse them a little and add a teaspoon or so of salt, mixing well. Dump them on another cookie sheet and put them in the oven with the roasting pumpkins for 20 minutes or so or until they are as done as you like.

Put the pumpkin in a blender or food processor. You should end up with a bowlful of puree and some toasty pumpkin seeds.

You can put the pumpkin in a freezer bag, or seal it up with a food sealer and freeze it.

Here is two pumpkins worth of puree:

Make sure to label the bags well with the contents and date.