Brown Thumb Mama

The Magic of Camp

2013-06-16T22:55:00.002-07:00

Jackjack and I recently enjoyed a “Family Camp Weekend” at my childhood summer camp--Camp Gold Hollow in Nevada City, CA. We slept outside, made s'mores, and enjoyed lots of typical camp activities like canoeing, hiking, and dutch oven cooking.

We had fun with old friends and new friends. There’s much more to camp than just sleeping outside and singing around the campfire, though.

Camp is a truly magical place. Here’s why.

No electronics. There’s no cell service and electricity is hard to come by. Why play on a tiny screen when you have all of God’s creation to enjoy?

No strict timelines or schedules. There are activities scheduled all day, but you don't have to rush from one to another like you're late for a meeting at work. Really important events, like meals, are announced by the camp bell.

Upon arrival, each family signs up for one chore. Everybody contributes and nobody is stuck cleaning all day.

At camp, you aren’t weird, awkward, or shy. You can be your true Authentic Self. Do you snort when you laugh? That’s OK. Have a few gray hairs around the temples? Nobody cares. At camp, there's no such thing as too fat, too skinny, too young, too old...you get the picture.

Acceptance is the norm. We met single-mom families, mom-and-dad families, and two-mom families. We especially enjoyed playing with twins whose moms had adopted EIGHT kids through the foster system. How cool is that?!?

When it’s time to eat, everybody walks into the lodge together and remains standing until we sing grace. Food is served family style, and “table talk” topics help everybody get to know their fellow diners. Everybody clears their own plate when the meal is done, and remains at the table until announcements are complete.

There are no office politics or personal agendas. Our bunkmates might have been investment bankers or they might have been baristas. Jobs and titles don’t matter when everyone is enjoying the outdoors and each others’ friendship.

Why can't real life be more like camp?

Flicker of the campfire, wind in the pines;

Stars in the heavens, a moon that shines.

A place where people gather, making friends of all kinds

A place where all mans' troubles are always left behind.

Give me the light of the campfire, warm and bright!

And give me some friends to sing with, I'll be here all night.

For love is for those who find it, I've found mine right here

Just you and I and the campfire and the songs we love to hear.

Zesty Jicama-Carrot Slaw

2013-06-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I bought a 10-pound bag of organic carrots at Costco for less than 5 bucks. What can I say? The price was great. That sure is a lot of carrots though.

If you follow me on Facebook, you've seen some of the different carrot dishes I've ~~inflicted~~ served to the family. Papa insists on eating them "undefiled" (i.e., uncooked) but the kids have at least tried each one of them. I bet Papa will eat carrot cake, though...

Jicama-Carrot Slaw holds up great in the fridge and is perfect to take to a potluck or picnic because it won't spoil in the heat. (4th of July, anybody?) The dressing gives it a little bit of zing, but it's not too spicy for the kiddos.

Ingredients:
4 cups of carrots, julienned (I used 7 carrots)
1 small jicama, julienned
1 small red onion, julienned
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup olive oil
6 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 Tablespoons lime, lemon, or orange juice (whatever you have on hand will work!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients and let sit for at least 15 minutes to meld flavors.

Tips:
If you don't have a mandoline slicer, I highly recommend the Borner V-Slicer. It took me just a couple of minutes to julienne all the veggies--and look how nice and even they are.

Wouldn't this look great as a layered salad served in individual mason jars? The colors are so vibrant.

We still have about 6 pounds of carrots to eat...can you share some recipes? And follow along on Facebook as we plow through the rest of the bag!

Disclosure: some links in this article are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission from any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting me!

How to Make Hummingbird Feeder Solution

2013-06-02T17:26:00.002-07:00

We love feeding and watching the birds in our backyard. Our birdbath and seed feeder have lots of guests all season long, but my absolute favorites are the hummingbirds.

Here in Sacramento we mostly see Anna’s Hummingbirds. They love to drink from my fuschias and the neighbor’s trumpetvine. Since the males like to fight over the flowers, I put a feeder right outside my kitchen window so they have an alternative dining area. This also gives them a constant food supply.

Hummingbird feeder solution is easy to make: 1 part plain white sugar to 4 parts water (e.g., 1 cup sugar with 4 cups water). Bring it to a boil to to kill any bacteria and allow it to cool completely before putting it into the feeder.

Important tips!

Keep the ratio exactly as listed. If you dilute the solution with more water, they’ll have to drink too much and won’t get enough nutrients.
Only use plain white granulated sugar. Don’t use brown sugar, agave nectar, honey--which can kill hummers--or powdered sugar, which contains cornstarch.
Don’t add any food coloring to the water. The feeder has plenty of color to attract them, and the birds can’t process all the chemicals in the food coloring.
Not all hummers migrate! You can keep your feeder out all year as long as you keep it full and clean.
Place your feeder out in the open, out of reach of Neighbor Kitty
If ants start invading the feeder, put some Vaseline in a ring on the pole or on the feeder itself. It’s like a giant oil slick that keeps them from the liquid.
Change the solution and wash the feeder every 2-3 days, more often if it’s hot. Be sure and wash the feeder every time, even if they’ve drained it dry.

Our hummers love to drink from our feeder, and it's great to watch them as I'm washing a pile of dirty dishes. It sure beats thinking about all the other chores that I'm not doing.

Sometimes I swear I can watch the water level go down as they sit there and slurp! Case in point: this little gal is so relaxed she's sitting down to eat.

This article was shared on Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Party Wave Wednesday and Wildcrafting Wednesday.

San Diego Vacation on a Budget

2013-05-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Vacations are a special treat for our family. We can get weekends away every now and then, but since Papa owns a small business we almost never take off for a week at a time. We were really excited to be able to take a family trip to San Diego this April.

Of course, we did our trip on a budget. But because vacations are so rare for us, we struck a balance between convenience and cost. For example, we flew rather than taking an entire day to drive there. We also got a rental car instead of juggling carseats, kids, cabs, and buses.

We had tons of fun and got to see everything we wanted: The San Diego Zoo, Legoland, the USS Midway, the Fleet Science Center, the Air & Space Museum, a Padres vs. Giants game, and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Oh, and we took lots of trips to the beach.

Here’s how we did our San Diego family vacation on a budget.

Consider the time of year. Hotels are $100 a night cheaper in spring than in the summer. We weren’t worried about pulling Jackjack out of school, since he has good grades and his teacher sent home the work that he missed.

Pack light. Each of us had a backpack with clothes, books, and toiletries, and I wore Little Peanut in her Moby wrap. We brought enough clothes for half the week and did laundry while we were there. Since we didn’t check any bags, we avoided fees and didn’t have to wait around at the airport.

Using the Moby came in handy on the USS Midway, too. Can you imagine trying to navigate a stroller through those halls?

Choose your hotel wisely. We picked a place that has kitchens in every room and complimentary breakfast. They had cribs, so we didn’t have to bring one from home. It was also within walking distance of several yummy restaurants.

Shop around for your rental car. I found the best price from Thrifty, and then made the reservation through Ebates to get 4% cash back.

Try a different venue. We wanted to catch a Giants/Padres game, and knew it would be cheaper in San Diego than in San Francisco! We got our tickets on StubHub and used what we learned from previous Giants games to make sure we didn’t break the bank.

Get the best prices on tickets by buying ahead of time. I checked my work discounts, AAA discounts, and ended up getting the best deals with a Go San Diego card. Because we went to four attractions, we got 20% off the ticket price of each one.

Shop when you get there. We packed light and hit Target for supplies on our first day. We got diapers, an umbrella stroller, and groceries. It was cheaper to buy the stroller than to rent one at Legoland and the zoo, and we were able to use it at other places like the Fleet Science Center, below.

Pack a lunch. Every place we went allowed outside food and drinks, so we brought lunches we had prepared at the hotel. We enjoyed a special treat at each place, like the apple fries at Legoland. (Note to self: figure out how to replicate apple fries from Legoland.)

When you eat out, eat smart. Since our hotel had complimentary breakfast and we packed our lunches, the only time we ate out was for dinner. We tried a couple of places from Diners, Drive Ins, & Dives and loved every inexpensive bite. When we splurged and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, we used our AAA card to get a discount.

What are your tips for vacationing on a budget? Share with us in the comments!

Disclosure: some links in this article are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission from any purchases made through them at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting me!

This article was shared on The Thrifty Home, Wildcrafting Wednesday, and Party Wave Wednesday.

The Impossible Task of Buying Clothes for Little Girls

2013-05-16T09:43:00.001-07:00

Everybody knows that I'm not a girly-girl, right? These fingers haven't seen a manicure in years, and I'd rather be in the garden than sitting under a dryer in foils to get my color "just right."

While that's the path I've chosen for myself, I want Little Peanut to make her own decisions. Blaze her own trail, ya know. Embrace her girly-girl if that's what she wants.

In that spirit, I moseyed over to Target to pick up some shorts for her. Maybe something pink, with sparkles, Hello Kitty...I dunno. This is what I found:

Um....excuse me?!? Kids' clothing designers? I already took you to task about footy pajamas. Apparently now we need to talk about little girls' shorts.

I got no problem with the ruffles.
I got no problem with the stripes.
But for Heaven's sake, how about an extra couple of inches in the length?!?

Yes, I know I'm ranting. I know she's a little, innocent girl and shorty-shorts are "cute." But it's just not going to fly around here.

I'm sure she can blaze her own trail and embrace her girly-girl while wearing boys' shorts.

No paparazzi, please!

Do you have clothing standards for your little girls? What are they?

This article was shared on Thank Goodness It's Monday.

Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette

2013-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Almost a year ago, I shared a disappointing attempt to make balsamic vinaigrette from scratch. Everything seemed right--it tasted fine--but I just couldn't get over the look of it. See what I mean?

After gathering your advice in the comments and on Facebook, I started experimenting with different combinations. With or without dijon? Fresh herbs? Shallots? Garlic is automatically included, of course.

Many attempts later, I have a recipe that I'm not ashamed to share. It also has the added bonus of not looking like brown slime (thank goodness).

Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or canning jar. Shake or whisk until everything is incorporated. Don't use a mixer or immersion blender--you'll end up with brown slime!

Serve with the tasty salad fixins of your choice and some homemade croutons.

What's in your salad? Share with us in the comments!

How Does She DO It?

2013-05-04T23:32:00.001-07:00

Bloggers are famous for only portraying the best parts of their lives online. Look around the web and you'll see perfectly decorated homes, amazing meals that took only seconds to prepare, and ingenious crafts that the entire family delights in creating.

Ahem.

Let me reassure you that it's not all bunnies and rainbows around here. I have a full-time job, a family, a garden, and I like to cook from scratch. How do I do it all?

I don't.

Here's a peek at how things look around here:

My garden is full of weeds. In this corner, you can see garlic and an artichoke in between the clover and a healthy crop of dandelions. This wouldn't be a problem except these veggies are growing in the front yard, which makes it hard to hide the mess from the neighbors.

The sink is full of dishes. I truly HATE doing dishes by hand, so I'll fill, run, and empty the dishwasher again and again to avoid hand washing. Thankfully, I'm the kind of person who has no problem going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink.

I rely on my menu plan, especially during Jackjack's baseball season. Easy dinners are necessary on baseball nights when there's no time to prep! I recommend Plan It, Don't Panic if you're new to menu planning--it's full of fantastic advice.

I improvise. Little Peanut kept getting into this cabinet, and I didn't have any toddler locks. These links from her toy box worked great, and she hasn't figured out how to unlock them yet!

Now I can hear people saying, "Good grief, her house is a mess! How can she sleep at night in that disaster?"

My mom answered that for me when she gave me this sign.

Mom knows.

This article was shared on Your Great Idea, Small Footprint Friday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Party Wave Wednesday, The Thrifty Home, and Wildcrafting Wednesday.
Disclosure: affiliate links.

Incredible Homemaking Ebook Sale!

2013-05-02T13:32:00.003-07:00

Hi Friends,
Have you ever heard about something that was SO exciting and SO important that you agonized over the right way to present it? That's how I feel about this ebook bundle deal. There's so much wisdom in these ebooks (I own many and paid full price) that I definitely recommend this bundle.

For less than 31 cents each, you'll get ebooks and ecourses about cooking, organizing, blogging, working from home, health, babies, and more! It's like having an army of personal mentors on your computer, e-reader, or phone--the ebooks are PDFs, so you can read them on any digital device.

The sale is only valid through Saturday, May 4, so don't wait!
--Pam

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you'll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What's Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you'll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available until 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4, 2013. There will be no late sales offered.

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies...

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

Get $10 off Union28's original "my husband rocks" tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Particularly for those wanting to read these ebooks on their mobile devices (iPhones or iPads, Android, Kindle, etc.) you will want to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device.

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

50 Ways to Save More By Using Less

2013-04-18T22:29:00.001-07:00

In ~~our family's~~ my never-ending quest to save money, water, energy, and the environment, I've tried lots of ways to save more by using less. Here are some ideas that will help you save too!

Kitchen

1.    Cook with your toaster oven, electric skillet and slow cooker whenever possible. Small appliances use less energy.

2.    The oven retains heat (and food keeps cooking) after the oven is turned off. Save energy by turning the oven off 5 minutes before your food is done cooking. Put lids on pans to retain heat and save energy too.

3.    Use half as much dishwasher detergent as you normally use.

4.    Use rags or old tee shirts instead of paper towels.

5.    You don't need a zillion pots and pans in the kitchen, or a zillion plastic containers either. Cut down to a few all-purpose pieces to save cupboard space and piles of dirty dishes.

6.    Only fill the sink halfway with water when doing dishes.

7.    Rinse and reuse ziploc bags (except those that have held raw meat). Every time we run out of homemade waffles, I make another batch and refill the bag.

8.    Keep the rubber bands from broccoli, asparagus, etc to use around the house. This is especially handy if you don't get the newspaper anymore.

9.    Turn your hot water heater down to 125. Anything hotter will scald you (or the kids). Besides, soap is more important for getting rid of germs than warm water.

Food

10. Powdered milk is much cheaper than regular, but we just can't get used to the taste. It works great in recipes though--so keep a box on hand to reduce your cooking costs!

11. Mix cooked lentils in with your taco meat to stretch it (one of the many things I learned from The Everything Beans Book).

12. Use less sugar when making cookies. The recipe on the chocolate chip cookie bag calls for 3/4 cup EACH of brown sugar and white sugar--I just use 3/4 cup of homemade brown sugar and they taste great.

13.    Get your sweets/chocolate fix by eating a few M&Ms instead of a whole candy bar.

14.    Don't add unnecessary ingredients just because "they're always included." For example, fried rice doesn't need an egg to make it authentic or filling.

15.    Real maple syrup and olive oil are expensive! Keep yourself from over-pouring by transferring them from the original bottles to a durable squeeze bottle.

Bathroom

16.    Use a pea-sized bit of toothpaste. The big globs you see on commercials make you overuse so you run out faster and buy more!

17.    Put shampoo and body wash in a pump bottle to prevent spills or over-glugging.

18.    Crimp the toilet paper roll so it doesn't spin freely. this keeps you from grabbing too much and keeps the kids from unrolling it just for fun (ask me how I know).

19.    Put a rubber band around the shaft of the soap pump to slow it down. This keeps the kids from pumping a zillion gallons of soap into their hands (again, ask me how I know).

20.    Don't wash your hair every day, and only put conditioner on the ends of your hair.

21.    Fill the bathtub halfway or less for the kids. Splashes will be less devastating and you'll save on water.

22.    When you open a container of mouthwash/shampoo/toothpaste/etc, write the date on the container. When it runs out, challenge yourself to make it last 10% longer next time.

23.    Try cloth toilet paper. Really!

24.    Trim your bangs yourself (or guys, trim around your ears) instead of paying your stylist to do it.

25.    Ask your stylist which drugstore products you could use to get the same look.

26.    Air dry your hair instead of blow-drying, curling, flat-ironing, etc.

27.    Don't take a multi-symptom cold medicine if you only need to treat one symptom.

28.    Use a Diva Cup instead of disposable monthly products.

29.    Replace your department-store beauty products with drugstore versions whenever possible. An eyeliner pencil that costs $20 at Clinique is $4 from Cover Girl!

Laundry

30. Make your own laundry detergent with just three ingredients.

31.    Quit using dryer sheets, or cut them into halves or fourths. Use each sheet twice.

32.    Spot-clean laundry instead of washing it fully.

33.    Hang clothes to dry (especially jeans, to retain their color and save on dryer time).

34.    Don't rely on the dryer's automatic settings. Set the dial for a certain amount of time, check and adjust accordingly.

35.    Make your own laundry freshener instead of buying chemical products.

36.    Grab the scoop or whatever measuring device comes with your detergent. Fill it up to the recommended amount and then dump that into a measuring cup. Use half that much and see if it gets your clothes clean.

37.    Check and empty your dryer's lint filter with each load. If air can't flow freely, clothes will take longer to dry--using more energy.

38.    Ask your energy provider if energy costs more during peak times (typically business hours). If so, do laundry/run the dishwasher/watch TV at off-peak times for extra savings.

Miscellaneous

39.    Walk or ride your bike for short errands to save on gas.

40.    Turn your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer.

41.    Use lower-watt lights in hallways or anywhere bright light isn't essential.

42.    Use only as many lighbulbs as you need. We have a 4-light fixture in the bathroom, and one of the bulbs burned out. There's still plenty of light to do everything without replacing that bulb.

43.    Make gift bags instead of buying gift bags, tissue, ribbons, and wrapping paper.

44.    Try your local college for free entertainment. We've gone to free movies, concerts, and more!

45.    Have you noticed that as diaper sizes go up, the number of diapers in the box goes down? Use a smaller size for as long as possible.

46.    Teach your kids to save and help them make healthy choices when eating out. If they choose water over soda at the restaurant, pay them $1. That's less than the soda would cost you, and helps them get a good habit going.

47.    When you change the fishtank water, use the “old” water for the garden. Veggies and flowers love fishy-poo water.

48.    Always print double-sided.

49.    Use envelopes, junk mail, etc as scratch paper.

50.    Use big cans of tomatoes/beans/etc instead of buying hand weights.

How do YOU save more by using less? Share with us in the comments!

This article was shared on Party Wave Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, The Thrifty Home, Your Green Resource, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, and Fabulously Frugal Thursday.

How to Keep Your Toddler From Unzipping Her Pajamas

2013-04-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Footy Pajama Companies:
I appreciate everything you've done to keep my babies toasty warm over the years. However, I have an question for your Footy Pajama Scientists, whom I suspect know NOTHING about children.

As you know, infant pajamas have a nifty flap over the zipper to keep it hidden from curious fingers.

However, as soon as baby reaches toddler stage (with all the curiosity and fine motor skills that entails), the magic flap is gone.

What the HECK were you thinking?
Signed,
Mama

Can you guess what caused this rant? Yep--Little Peanut unzipped her jammies and was naked as a jaybird in her crib this morning. Cute, perhaps. But the potential for a poo-finger-painting disaster cannot be ignored. I had to find a safe way to keep her pajamas on.

Some people suggested pinning a safety pin across the top of the zipper to block the mechanism. It would be hard for her to get a safety pin undone, but why chance it? I needed something that couldn't hurt her, wouldn't ~~piss us off~~ irritate us during a middle-of-the-night diaper change, and that wouldn't involve me buying her a bunch of new jammies.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the finest in toddler-proof technology. Soft, comfy, and already in her PJ drawer:

Yep, that's exactly what it looks like. Slip a t-shirt over those footy pajamas and the zipper is hidden once again! You can easily unzip for diaper changes, and there isn't a safety pin in sight.

Additional bonus: the cute tee covers up the fact that she's wearing Jackjack's hand-me-down tractor jammies. It might be a little harder to disguise the dinosaur ones, though.

This post was shared on Your Green Resource, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Small Footprint Friday, Party Wave Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, The Thrifty Home and Make Your Own Monday.

Little Peanut & Neighbor Kitty: A Story in Pictures

2013-04-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

What the heck is Swagbucks?

2013-03-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

Swagbucks is a search engine that pays you for doing web searches. You use it just like Google, and randomly earn points (called “bucks”) by searching with them.

Have you ever thought about how many times you Google for information each day? Switch to Swagbucks and you can earn while you search. Swagbucks accumulate quickly, and you can redeem them for lots of things--like Amazon gift cards, Target gift cards, PayPal cash, or donations to American Red Cross or charity:water.

Give it a try!
From now until Monday, April 1, 2013, BrownThumbMama readers get 70 FREE Swagbucks in addition to the 30 you normally get for signing up. You’re one-fifth of the way to a $5 Starbucks gift card without even trying! Click “I have a sign up code” and enter BROWNTHUMB70.

Does it work?
Yes, it really does. I’ve been using Swagbucks for about three years and have earned hundreds of dollars in gift cards just through web searches. There were a few years when our Christmas would have been tough without that extra boost to the budget!

How can you earn more Swagbucks?
Besides web searches, you can get Swagbucks for for answering surveys, playing games, watching videos, discovering offers, and online shopping. Their online coupons give you double Swagbucks for the purchases you make from certain online shopping sites. You can also download the Swagbucks toolbar, which allows you to search Swagbucks, watch videos, and redeem bonus Swag Codes. Plus, you get a bonus each day just for having it installed and active.

Sign up today! The bonus code BROWNTHUMB70 is only good until Monday, April 1.

Disclosure: affiliate links.

Hearty Oatmeal-Cinnamon Waffles

2013-03-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

These tasty waffles are made with healthy ingredients, and they're hearty enough to fill up a 7-year-old Bottomless Pit! (Where does he put all that food he eats, anyway?)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1 3/4 cups flour (white or whole wheat)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (storebought or homemade)
2 cups rolled oats

In a large bowl, melt the butter and stir it a bit so it's not too hot. Whisk in the eggs after the butter is cool so you don't accidentally scramble your eggs.

That whisk-a-ma-jigger is called a spring whisk, and it's my favorite for whisking eggs.

Add in the milk and continue to mix.

The flour comes next. Put it into a strainer or flour sifter, and tap gently against the side of the bowl.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is why we sift. Flour lumps are the diametric opposite of good eats.

Push them through with your fingers until the lumps are broken up.

Add the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir gently until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Pour in the oats and mix, mix, mix. Mmmm, can you smell the cinnamon?

Scoop the batter onto your waffle iron (or griddle if you're making pancakes) and cook until toasty brown and delicious.

Do you top your waffles with syrup, fruit, peanut butter? Keep the debate civil folks, this is a family blog.

Disclosure: affiliate links.

This article was shared on Your Green Resource, Party Wave Wednesday, The Thrifty Home and Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Free Diaper/Wipes Sample from Simply Right!

2013-03-21T21:21:00.001-07:00

Ever since she was born, we’ve called our baby Little Peanut. She wasn't a preemie, but was tiny from the start and still is (even though she eats like a linebacker).

Well, that was the wrong name. We should have been calling her Little PEE-nut.

How can such a tiny girl make so much pee?!? Daytime is fine, but those 11-hour stretches at night are a disaster.

Waking up with soggy jammies is certain to make a girl wake up on the wrong side of the crib. And it doesn't help Mama's disposition when she starts the day by having to wash the baby and the sheets before leaving for work!

I tried Pampers…I tried Huggies. Either she woke up with wet jammies or had those weird gel crystals all over herself. I didn’t know what to try—if the Top Two Diaper Companies (TTDC) weren’t up to the challenge, who would be?

And don’t get me started on the fact that TTDC diapers cost between 24-26 cents apiece, at best.

When Simply Right asked me to try their diapers and wipes I figured, “Why not?” It couldn’t be any worse than the TTDC, ya know?

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened up the package. The diapers are unscented and are super-thin. The wipes are strong and have aloe and Vitamin E, so they're gentle on her skin.

Everything was fine during the day, which I expected. The true test came at bedtime--were they up for the job? I diapered her up, fresh from the bath, and tucked her in. And the next morning?

Crazy bed-hed, yes--but no overflow, no funky gel crystals, and no sheet-washing at 6:30 am! Best of all, they're about 16 cents each. Like the commercial says--what will YOU do with the money you save?

For a limited time, the folks at Simply Right are offering free diaper or wipes samples to BrownThumbMama readers. Give them a try! I bet you'll like them as much as we do.

For a FREE sample of SIMPLY RIGHT™ diapers or wipes, visit http://simplyrightbabycare.com/sample.html today!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SIMPLY RIGHT™ Baby Care Products.

5 MORE Things You Should Make (Not Buy)

2013-03-13T10:52:00.001-07:00

"Why make something when you can buy it?" My husband asks every time I start another "wacky project" in the kitchen.

There are lots of good reasons! Making my own stuff helps us avoid harmful chemicals, saves time and money, and I just like experimenting to see what I can do.

Read the original list of 5 Things You Should Be Making (Not Buying) here.

Vanilla Extract
We go through lots of vanilla since we make our own granola bars--and homemade vanilla is one-fourth the price of store-bought. Score!

Odor Eliminator Spray
I keep a bottle in Little Peanut’s room and one in the bathroom. No dangers from hazardous chemicals, and you can mix your own scents or leave it unscented.

Soft Pretzels
Don’t panic! If you can make cookies, you can make these. Add some shredded cheddar cheese to the dough for extra yum.

Hand Sanitizer
Reduce your family’s sniffling, sneezing, coughing and aching with a simple, natural hand sanitizer that doesn’t contain alcohol.

Insect Repellant
If you’re worried about spraying DEET or other chemicals on your kids, mix up a batch of this natural bug spray. A friend told me it kept the rabid Seattle mosquitos away from her son at Scout camp!

What do you make (and not buy)? Share with us in the comments!

This article was shared on Small Footprint Friday, Your Green Resource, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Party Wave Wednesday, The Thrifty Home and Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Sanity Savers for Tax Time

2013-03-06T10:51:00.002-08:00

For most of us, tax season isn't a lot of fun. Maybe you throw your receipts, notes, forms, and papers for the year in a folder--or maybe you throw them in the trash. Either way, you'll end up with a lot of sorting, searching, grumbling, and cursing before you crunch the numbers.

Since we own a small business, we hire a CPA to do our taxes. It's worth the expense! The logistics of after-work appointments, babysitting, and scheduling are tough, so we need to have all of our documents in order before we go see him.

A few years ago, we were missing some key information and I spent my lunch hours at work running documents to his office, bringing things back for signatures, and so on. That's not how I want to spend my lunchtime!

Here are the sanity savers I use at tax time to make sure everything is ready for our appointment.

Make a list.
Yes, we've joked about me being Type-A in the past. But there are certain times when a list just makes sense.

Here's my Tax Prep Checklist. I keep it in my computer and pull it up when it's time to make our tax appointment.

Among other things, the list reminds me to log Papa's petty cash transactions for the shop, calculate miles driven for charity work, and get the tax IDs and total costs for the kids' daycare.

Who can remember all these little details from one year to the next? And who wants to waste valuable cerebral real estate doing so?

Check your facts.
We're always going through our closets and cabinets looking for items to donate. Since I wasn't sure of the value of the clothes we were donating, I estimated a value of $20 per bag. That was waaaay too low!

The IRS website states that you can deduct the fair market value of the items donated, so I checked the Salvation Army for values (the IRS doesn't provide these). Even if I valued everything at the "low" rate, it's still worth hundreds more than I previously thought.

Keep it together.
We're on a high-deductible health plan now, so I need to keep every receipt--for copays, prescriptions, office visits, you name it. I taped a 5x7 manila envelope inside my orange tax folder to store all of those receipts. We just drop them in the envelope and everything is contained.

When we're done with taxes for the year I label the folder, put all the tax forms and backup documents inside, and breathe a sigh of relief.

How do you prep for tax time? Any tips for us? Share in the comments!

This article was shared on Your Green Resource, Thank Your Body Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, and Simple Lives Thursday.

Growing tomatoes and peppers from seed

2013-03-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

Because I am ~~certifiably~~ slightly insane, I like to grow tomatoes and peppers from seed every year.

Seed shopping on a winter evening.

In early February, when I desperately need a gardening fix, I assemble my homemade seed starting light and start as many interesting varieties as I can.

It’s easy to get carried away doing this—when Little Peanut was born in 2011, I had 20 tomato plants growing! I donated most of that harvest to my friends at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.

What’s growing this year? From left to right, one column of each:
Italian Pompeii — Russian Big Roma — Amish Paste — Baby Belle — Rainbow Bell — Jewel Bell

It’s only been a couple of weeks, and the tomatoes are going strong. The peppers are a little behind the curve though! In a week or two, I’ll give them a drink of very dilute Haven’s Brew soil conditioner tea.

If all goes well, there will be lots of homemade salsa and tomato sauce in our future. Stay tuned for updates!

Do you grow from seeds or starts? Trying any unusual varieties this year? Tell us about it in the comments!

Sourdough Starter (Frugal Flop)

2013-02-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever listened to a presentation or gone to a class and figured, "Hey, I could do that!"? Well, that was me after I read Sourdough A to Z.

I ordered my sourdough starter, studied the instructions, and started imagining the delicious things I'd make: sourdough pizza crust, sourdough bread, pancakes, muffins...yum!

Silly me--I even bragged about my project on Facebook.

The starter arrived, and I was ready to go. Here you see a clean jar; regular white flour; starter; and filtered water that sat out for 24 hours so the chlorine could evaporate out. That's all it takes!

The starter is dehydrated, and it looks like tiny grains of sand.

I added water and flour, and stirred vigorously to incorporate air into the mixture.

Then I gave him this handsome hat, put him in the oven with just the light on, and waited to see what happened.

Every day I discarded all but 1/2 cup of the mixture, added more flour and water, and stirred like crazy. I tucked him back into his warm hideout, and hoped I'd see bubbles like these.

Photo credit: KitchenStewardship

Alas, after a week of faithful tending, all I had was a jar of flat goo with a cute washcloth hat. It smelled funny (but not in a good way) so I tossed it out and wrote it up as yet another Frugal Flop.

Have you ever made sourdough starter? Any tips for my next attempt? Share with us in the comments!

How to Make Grippy Socks

2013-02-15T08:56:00.001-08:00

I've learned something important since Little Peanut started walking. Toddlers and hardwood floors don't mix! After watching her slip and slide for a day or two (even while wearing Carter's no-skid socks), I knew stronger measures were required.

But why buy a pair of grippy socks for $4 when you can buy a whole pack of regular socks for $5? It was time to experiment. I stopped at Michael's and got a pack of fabric paint (using a 40% off coupon, of course).

Then I laid out some socks, heel side up.

The directions on the fabric paint suggested to practice on a paper towel. "I don't need to do that!" I thought. "How hard could it be?"

Ahem. These were supposed to be daisies. Practice on a paper towel first.

Properly chastened, I decided to start with straight lines. Much easier!

Once I got into the swing of things, I was able to make teeny little hearts. Remember that these are very small socks!

It only took a few minutes to paint these and about 4 hours for them to dry. Now if I could just find the match to that heart sock...

You could even use this method to make yourself some slipper socks, or make no-skid socks for a senior in your life!

Do you have any other clever uses for fabric paint? Share with us in the comments!

This article was shared on Small Footprint Friday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, The Thrifty Home and Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Soap vs Detergent: What's the Difference?

2013-02-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

The short answer is: soap is natural and detergent isn’t. But there’s more to it than that.

Soap is created by mixing fats and oils with an alkali or base. This method has been around for hundreds of years--remember the soft soap Ma used in the Little House books? It was created with ashes (that contain lye, a base) with animal fats.

Since soap is natural, it is biodegradable and less harmful to the environment than detergents. However, the minerals in water react with soap and can turn clothes gray and leave a film or residue.

Detergents are made by combining chemicals in a slurry mixer. The mixture heats up as a result of chemical reactions, and then it’s dried and powdered to form the final product. On average, there are about ten steps between the original raw materials and the final detergent.

Because detergents don’t react as much with the minerals in water, though, they’re the best choice for laundry (but not babies).

How can I tell the difference?
It’s confusing because most detergents are camouflaged as soaps. Manufacturers use the terms “facial bar” and “body cleansing bar” to keep us guessing. What’s a girl to do? Read the label. Look for chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate or cocomidopropyl betaine, and then run the other way. True soaps have ingredients like oils, saponified oils, or glycerin.

What should I buy?
As always, you need to do your homework and make your own decisions. We use castile soap (bars or liquid from Mountain Rose Herbs) to wash ourselves and for housecleaning. For laundry, we make our own or choose natural detergents without synthetic fragrances and dyes.

Soap and detergent are used on our skin, our clothes, and in our homes. Immediately after use, they go down the drain and into our environment. Doesn’t it make sense to use the least toxic products we can find?

This article was shared on Small Footprint Friday.

Superbowl Snacks

2013-01-29T20:49:00.001-08:00

I’m a baseball girl, so my interest in football is pretty minimal. When it comes to Superbowl, I’d rather talk about what we’re going to eat than rushing yards, Kaepernick’s tattoos, blah blah blah.

"What is this Superbowl of which you speak? And will there be Cheerios?"

These easy, delicious recipes will be a touchdown at your Superbowl party!

Season your 7-layer dip with homemade taco seasoning mix.

Amaze the crowd with homemade pretzel bun dogs.

Or cut the pretzels into bites before baking and serve with honey-mustard dip!

Mix up some lime slushies (add tequila for instant margaritas, depending on how your team's doing)

and pair your drink with chips and easy homemade salsa from Good Cheap Eats.

If you're going for rockstar status, try healthier, real-food French onion dip from Better Than A Box. This one's on my list for sure!

What's your favorite Superbowl snack? Share with us in the comments!

Homemade, Natural Febreze

2013-01-27T22:10:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the latest batch of Febreze ads? Their slogan is "breathe happy." Unfortunately, breathing in these toxic chemicals does not make me happy:

BHT

ACETALDEHYDE

1,3-DICHLORO-2-PROPANOL

LIMONENE

METHYL PYRROLIDONE

BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL

ETHYL ACETATE

GERANIOL

LINALOOL

BENZALDEHYDE

DIETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOETHYL ETHER

ETHYLHEXANOL

HEXYL CINNAMAL

And this is only a partial list--read more on Environmental Working Group's site.

"But wait!" you say. "The ingredient list on the bottle says, 'Contains water, alcohol, odor eliminator derived from corn, fragrance.' Why aren’t all those chemicals listed?"

For one single reason--they don't have to be.

Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, manufacturers are not required to list all ingredients of household cleaners. This is ostensibly to protect their formulations (I find that odd because bread has all the ingredients listed and there's no lack of healthy competition there...but I digress).

Thankfully, you can make your own odor eliminator spray for pennies and you won't have to worry about residue on the baby's crib--on the dog's chew toys--on anything at all.

You'll need:
A clean, empty spray bottle
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 cups distilled water
10 drops essential oil (a single scent, or a mixture. Imagine the possibilities!)
My favorite place to get essential oils is Mountain Rose Herbs.

Measure the baking soda into a bowl and add the essential oil on top.

Using a fork, mix the oil into the baking soda. This will help keep the oil suspended in the water.

Put the baking soda/oil mixture into the spray bottle (a funnel helps) and top off with the distilled water. Label your bottle, shake before use, and breathe happy--and safely.

P.S. Don't throw that bottle of Febreze away. It is hazardous waste (isn't that scary?) and must be disposed of at a licensed facility. Find one near you at Earth911.

Disclosure: affiliate links.
This article was shared on Small Footprint Friday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Your Green Resource, The Thrifty Home, and Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Better-Than-Panda Homemade Orange Chicken

2013-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

You know how sometimes a brand name becomes synonymous with the product it makes? Think Kleenex or Xerox. We love Panda Express, and it automatically means "Orange Chicken" when we hear it. The conversation has become shorthand: "Wanna Panda?" is all that needs to be said.

Recently, I wanted some Orange Chicken but didn't want to: load the kids in the car in the rain, drive to Panda, unload kids, wait in line (juggling Little Peanut saying, "Down!" the whole time), load kids in car, load food in car, return home.

Can ya blame me?

Besides, why pay for something you can make? Let's do this.

Homemade Orange Chicken

riffing off Martin Yan's Sesame-Orange Beef

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
zest of 1 orange
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces. I prefer to do this while the chicken is partially thawed, since that makes it easier to cut.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan until shimmering. Add half of the chicken (it's OK if they're still partly frozen when you put them in!) and cook until nicely browned.

Don't put all the chicken in at once because the pan will get crowded, it won't stay hot enough, and you won't end up with the tasty browned bits of chicken deliciousness.

Take the first half out and set it on a towel while you cook up the second half. I put the chicken on a towel instead of a plate because the towel will absorb any condensation, preventing sogginess.

While the chicken is cooking, prep the sauce. Mix the orange juice, orange zest, oyster sauce, honey, ginger, and red pepper flakes, if using, in a measuring cup. The honey will probably stay in a big lump in the measuring cup, but it'll melt in the pan.

Take out the second batch of chicken and blot the excess oil out of the pan with a paper towel. Leave the crunchy browned bits in.

Pour the sauce into the pan, making sure the honey comes along for the ride, and scrape up all those yummy browned bits.

You'll know the sauce is just the right thickness when your spatula leaves a little blank trail behind it.

Toss in your chicken and heat it through. Serve with loaded fried rice!

This article was shared on Your Great Idea, Make Your Own Monday, Party Wave Wednesday, Small Footprint Friday, Your Green Resource, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Pennywise Platter, The Thrifty Home and Wildcrafting Wednesday.

Happy New Year!

2013-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody!

Card reads: Happy New Year! Because sometimes Christmas comes and goes and the cards just don't get finished. :o)
Love, Papa, Mama, Jackjack, and Little Peanut

Between the Christmas chaos and the strep throat infection I got over New Years, the holidays went by in a blur. I hope yours were great!

I've got lots of great new stuff to share with you in 2013. We'll be talking about recipes, homemade cleaners, essential oils, healing herbs, and more.

Here's a handful of the most popular articles from 2012. Check them out and share/Facebook/pin the ones you like!

Lest you think it's all unicorns and rainbows around here, check out my attempt to make balsamic vinaigrette. Or my recent trip to the roller rink when I was reminded that I'm darn close to 40.

Thanks for being here. I appreciate all of your comments, emails, pins, and shares. If you haven't already, connect with me on Facebook for tips and tricks that don't make it to the website!

P.S. Family pic by the amazingly awesome FrestPhoto--coming soon to the West Coast!

5 Uses for Unwanted Gift Cards

2012-12-26T13:04:00.001-08:00

Seems hard to imagine, doesn’t it? How could someone not want a gift card?!? Well, there are a number of reasons. Maybe it’s for a store that you would never shop at. Maybe you won it at work or in a raffle and you have no idea what to do with it! Maybe it’s for a baby store and your youngest kid is 12.

Here are 5 things you can do with those gift cards so they don’t go to waste.

Eat light.
Have a restaurant gift card that’s not enough to feed your whole family? Don’t spend money just to use up the gift card. Order an entrée to go and add side dishes from your pantry. Restaurant portions are so large that a steak or chicken plate can be stretched a loooong way.

Skip the fix-it.
Your gift card is for a home improvement store but you don’t know which end of a hammer to hold? Most of these places have laundry detergent or cleaning supplies, so pick up a bottle or two and save a bit on your grocery budget.

Save up.
Do you have a low-value card for a store where everything’s expensive? I love to shop at REI but I need to save up before I go there. Earn extra cash from Swagbucks or MySurvey to help cover the difference.

Cash out.
There are websites like plasticjungle.com that allow you to buy and sell giftcards, but I’ve never tried them. Research and use your own judgement!

Share it.
If you get a gift card for a store you would never, ever shop at—don’t throw it away! Call your local food bank and ask them what they need. Better to spend your card on diapers and cans of tuna than let it go to waste.