Birthdays are so much fun, and birthday parties are always a great thing to look forward to. I don't know about you, but I've been seeing more and more online where parents are giving their babies and toddlers super duper uber fancy parties... and it's costing them more than graduation! When you have a few kids... that sort of coin does not come easily. However, we still want to give our children memorable birthdays! What to do? Enter... the frugal birthday party!
Growing up, my mom chose only a few years where we would actually get a birthday party with our friends. That was age 5, 10, 13, and 16. I am continuing that with my kids. However, each year I love to invite friends and family over to our house to partake in cake and snacks, and give the birthday girl/boy well wishes. Nothing fancy... although some years I have more fun with the décor and cake than others (depends on my energy level). The birthdays so far have all been memorable for my kids. They love the cakes, and have come to realize that those cakes are very much part of their birthday gift. Mom (aka, me, ha ha) becomes a bit unavailable for a few hours a day, a few days before the celebration, as I get to work on those works of art (that's what I'll call them, haha). And the kids love to watch them transform from a simple cake into a colorful piece of edible fun!
Making your own cake is much cheaper than buying a fancy one from a cake store, but you can get a simpler cake slab with some decorating on it from the grocery store for $30, and young kids will love it either way! Plus, sometimes you just don't have the time to decorate Minnie Mouse in tons of icing stars. Balloons are another cheap decorating option. And streamers. The dollar store is a great place to get some of the themed party decorations/plates/napkins. And if you want, you can go even cheaper. For my son's cars birthday, we had leftover black plates from both his Mickey party the year before, and my daughters Minnie party. Red napkins were perfect as well (Lightening McQueen is red, after all). So, we got a cars tablecloth for $2. You can get a basic tablecloth to use for multiple parties and themed cups, for example. You don't need it all! In fact, I like it better with only one or two themed items (my personal opinion of course). And have fun with the food! Make normal food items fit the theme and use cards to tell guests what they are... printed from your own computer. The options are as limitless as your imagination (and time, of course).
Get the kids involved, too! Ask them what they want in their party. Most of the time with young kids, all they want is cake and ice cream, and to watch a movie. Go with it! Kids really don't need a whole lot of fancy stuff to have a great time! For my son's 3rd birthday I did more with the theme than usual. He wanted Cars. You know... the Disney Cars. So, I used some of his Cars cars (sorry... confusing, I know) and made a giant '3' cake using a square and a round cake tin, cut to shape, and decorated with icing. I made a 'road' with fondant, and put his cars on top. Then I printed signs for the other party foods (stoplight crackers, Flos Fuel, etc) and printed 4 coloring images per paper (to save on paper) for the kids to color, with dollar store stickers nearby to decorate their sheets, and dollar store cars stamps. Really, the Dollar Store is the best place to buy party stuffs for kids. I had an art station, lots of food, and it was perfect for my boy. And it only cost $5 in decorations. You can make a lot of decorations yourself to fit your theme as well... and personalized to your guest of honor.
Oh, and check out Pinterest for lots of ideas. I easily get overwhelmed with Pinterest, but it is so much fun to see all the ideas. I like to pick a few things that I can easily replicate for minimal cost. You can really make an awesome party for little money. I've never spent more than $10 for a birthday party, and the gifts I've gotten for my kids were never pricey either... which brings me to another money saving point ... gifts. Wait for sales and buy items your kids will love on sale. Or, check second hand stores and garage sales! Toys clean up really well for the most part and can be brought to 'like new' condition more often than not!
The most important thing to remember about parties is this... it's not about the decorations, the games, the food, or even the cake and presents. It's about having fun with friends and celebrating together.
I know I didn't have a lot of 'specific' money saving points in this post, but since parties are all about the individual, it's hard for me to do. The best way to save on parties is to have fun with your imagination. That's what I love about parties!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Fairy Day
Happy Fairy day everyone!
Today we had a bit of fun dressing up as fairies. Bram wanted to wear the wings... but not for very long. I guess they felt strange to him.
We also colored pictures of fairies. M did the one on the left, Bram did the one on the right. M really wanted a rainbow fairy, so she made hers that way. I think it looks beautiful! And Bram made all the outfits one color, the faces one color, and the wings one color. He's getting better and better at coloring!
We even got Baby A in on the fairy fun!
For dessert, we made fairy bread using biscuits instead of bread (as I'm not buying it anymore).
In all, a fun day! I wish we could have spent more of it outside, but the mosquitoes were terrible. I can't put repellant on the baby, and the bugs were eating me alive out there! I could hardly stand it for longer than 5 minutes at a time. :( Instead, we watched the Fairy Olympic Games (short movie that was included on the Secret of the Wings Tinkerbell DVD). Kids loved it!
How was your day today?
Our World Trip - Oceana
Time to tour the world! This last week marked the start of our 60 day world tour, through Focus on the Family. It has been a fun week! The activities aren't too difficult, there are prayer requests on the itinerary, and I've been having a little fun looking up recipes and whatnot to add to the experience a bit.
Week 1 was Oceana. Sunday saw us learning a bit about that region. We learned how to pray for them, and about all the storms that happen there.
Wednesday and Thursday was about Australia. The kids colored a flag, watched a video about kangaroos and joeys, and we talked about how it is winter there while summer here. We had hot chocolate and looked at a winter picture book before returning to a game of Angry birds bowling.
Each child has a passport, and there are stamps of each country to color. I threw in the flags for fun, and the kids are asking for them every day. M even spotted the Australian flag on a box of Froot Loops and pointed it out to me.
Mmmmm, hot chocolate!
Friday and Saturday was about Papua New Guinea. I looked up recipes and made coconut rice, coconut veggies, and banana cake.
We also had our own little 'sing sing' where we dressed up and danced and sang (we had a worship cd, which is a bit different from what was suggested, but that is ok). The kids colored another flag.
M is asking daily 'what are we doing tomorrow?' I've been busy doing other things as well, but these activities don't take long and are a lot of fun. Better than TV, that's for sure. And we're learning things too. The kids are also learning to pray by themselves. They remember the activities and are tying it all together. It's been a joy to see them learning and remembering these things!
This week... Asia.
52 week Healing - week 26
You can find the link to week 26 here.
Wow... are we really almost halfway through the year? Where did the time go?
Before I start looking at week 26, Live for Today, I want to talk about how my 'three weeks in one' challenge went (you know... weeks 23, 24, and 25).
I did not really go to the mirror and tell myself I was beautifully made, but whenever I found myself thinking negatively about my body image, or about something I did or didn't do, I stopped the thought process and tried to look at myself through the eyes of God... or even through the eyes of my children. They don't see the extra fat around my stomach... nor do they care that I don't apply makeup or cannot fit into my jeans. That doesn't matter to them. So, it shouldn't matter to me. Not that it isn't nice to do so when I finally can again. ;)
The whole food challenge was not difficult. Although, grocery shopping saw me wanting to purchase chocolate bars and processed food. Everything in our cart was a one ingredient item (or... maybe two. We tried a few new recipes this week in keeping with our 'Around the World in 60 days' fun trip). Except the 70% cocoa chocolate bar. But all things considered, I feel we did really well!
As for spending time in quiet listening of the Holy Spirit... I'm not so sure how I did. I could have done better, but I did quiet myself when nursing, and in the morning after feeding baby A (didn't matter that it was 5 am either... I did my devotions shortly afterward... then went back to bed, haha). I know I need to do better. I need to quiet my heart before God and just let be. It is really hard, with all the tasks that need doing in the house, yard, and for the farm. And for the kids. But it is worth it. In the quiet times I did have, I recognized that I don't need tv or internet. I spent some time reading a book. I sang songs. I enjoyed my children more. And I feel content again. I still have a lengthy to do list, but I feel the Holy Spirit spoke to me this week through Sunflowers... they never take their faces away from the sun... and neither should we (the Son, that is). Even though quiet doesn't happen often in this house (sigh... my poor ears, haha), I only need to quiet my heart and the Spirit will speak.
Alright... now for Week 26 - Live for Today
Time to burn those bridges to the past. Not everything needs burning, but the negative emotions, the bad relationships, and the hurt and bitterness that relates to a past event needs to go. NOW. Yes... I'll be cutting off my thoughts quite a bit. Literally. I've noticed that I need to get rid of negative thoughts again, and have been doing my best to stop reading news articles now as they are mostly bringing about negative emotions, and I'm enough of an emotional wreck right now. I need to focus on loving my family, and look to Jesus instead of the news. As for the past in the way of relationships... there is only one which has been already pretty much cut off by the other person. It is sad, as just a year ago I felt close to this person, and recently things changed. For many reasons, the fact that this relationship seems pretty much over is probably a good thing. It makes me sad, but I need to do what is healthiest for my family. I still pray for this person and wish them well, and if the time comes where they want me to be part of their life again, that is great... but for now, I cannot dwell on it. And I won't. I have far too many other blessed relationships to grow, including my children.
So, this week I will be doing my best to cut the negative past emotions, and pull up any bitterness that I find by the root. Goodbye, weeds! Hello, healthy soil!
Wow... are we really almost halfway through the year? Where did the time go?
Before I start looking at week 26, Live for Today, I want to talk about how my 'three weeks in one' challenge went (you know... weeks 23, 24, and 25).
I did not really go to the mirror and tell myself I was beautifully made, but whenever I found myself thinking negatively about my body image, or about something I did or didn't do, I stopped the thought process and tried to look at myself through the eyes of God... or even through the eyes of my children. They don't see the extra fat around my stomach... nor do they care that I don't apply makeup or cannot fit into my jeans. That doesn't matter to them. So, it shouldn't matter to me. Not that it isn't nice to do so when I finally can again. ;)
The whole food challenge was not difficult. Although, grocery shopping saw me wanting to purchase chocolate bars and processed food. Everything in our cart was a one ingredient item (or... maybe two. We tried a few new recipes this week in keeping with our 'Around the World in 60 days' fun trip). Except the 70% cocoa chocolate bar. But all things considered, I feel we did really well!
As for spending time in quiet listening of the Holy Spirit... I'm not so sure how I did. I could have done better, but I did quiet myself when nursing, and in the morning after feeding baby A (didn't matter that it was 5 am either... I did my devotions shortly afterward... then went back to bed, haha). I know I need to do better. I need to quiet my heart before God and just let be. It is really hard, with all the tasks that need doing in the house, yard, and for the farm. And for the kids. But it is worth it. In the quiet times I did have, I recognized that I don't need tv or internet. I spent some time reading a book. I sang songs. I enjoyed my children more. And I feel content again. I still have a lengthy to do list, but I feel the Holy Spirit spoke to me this week through Sunflowers... they never take their faces away from the sun... and neither should we (the Son, that is). Even though quiet doesn't happen often in this house (sigh... my poor ears, haha), I only need to quiet my heart and the Spirit will speak.
Alright... now for Week 26 - Live for Today
Time to burn those bridges to the past. Not everything needs burning, but the negative emotions, the bad relationships, and the hurt and bitterness that relates to a past event needs to go. NOW. Yes... I'll be cutting off my thoughts quite a bit. Literally. I've noticed that I need to get rid of negative thoughts again, and have been doing my best to stop reading news articles now as they are mostly bringing about negative emotions, and I'm enough of an emotional wreck right now. I need to focus on loving my family, and look to Jesus instead of the news. As for the past in the way of relationships... there is only one which has been already pretty much cut off by the other person. It is sad, as just a year ago I felt close to this person, and recently things changed. For many reasons, the fact that this relationship seems pretty much over is probably a good thing. It makes me sad, but I need to do what is healthiest for my family. I still pray for this person and wish them well, and if the time comes where they want me to be part of their life again, that is great... but for now, I cannot dwell on it. And I won't. I have far too many other blessed relationships to grow, including my children.
So, this week I will be doing my best to cut the negative past emotions, and pull up any bitterness that I find by the root. Goodbye, weeds! Hello, healthy soil!
Savings Sunday - Baby
Another late Savings Sunday post. Seems I just can't blog on Sunday... but Savings Monday doesn't sound as fun, haha, and I know I won't get on here Saturdays. Ah well. We'll just say I'm always late.
This week I'll be talking about saving money where babies are concerned.
Diapers - You can save a LOT of money per month buying the store brand vs. the name brand (think Huggies or Pampers) alone, but go even further and only get them when they are on sale. For most of our diapering days, we purchased the Superstore brand of diapers at a sale price of $20-22 per box... each box containing about 150-170 diapers (depending on diaper size, of course). Another way to save is to keep your child in the smaller size as long as possible. Don't move up a size because your child can fit into them, you get less diapers per bag/box. Wait until you can really see that the diapers are too small. The weight ranges are a guideline, not a rule (I had to teach my husband that one, haha). Plus, wait until the sales are on and buy as many as you can. Sales cycle every few months as well. Buying in bulk is a good bet as well, but try to take notice of the 'cost per' part of the price tag. I know Superstore has this on their tags so you can easily compare cost per diaper/wipe for bulk vs smaller boxes or brand name vs store brand. You may not always get a better deal with a sale on a smaller quantity, but you might save a few cents per diaper that way as well.
Another way to save big is to go the cloth route. You can make your own cloth diapers, get them second hand, or buy online. I was lucky to find covers for 1/2 price at a baby store moving sale, and I got a bunch free from friends who were no longer diapering. Baby diaper detergent can be pricey as well, but there are plenty of options for making your own for pennies a load. I did my calculations and I figure that, even with going the cheapest route for disposable diapers (as I did for my other two kiddos), I'll easily save $1000-1500 by the time my third baby is two. Oh, I'm using cloth wipes as well... and not only is this a cheap, reusable route, it is more earth friendly. Especially since I make my own laundry soap which doesn't contain any chemicals or harmful ingredients for the environment. Yup... saving money AND going green! It just... takes a lot more of my time.
Baby Food - Make your own! Yup, you pay way less this way! I can get baby food on sale, 3 for $1. but I can make my own with less preservatives, less processing, and less packaging (and freeze it myself for later use) for half the cost (or less). After introducing the baby to food, I will change things up and just use our own food mashed really well, so as to reduce 'baby food making time' from what I used to do. I hated making baby food with my first (I was trying so hard to be 'by the book' and it was far too much work). With my son, we introduced him to more textures earlier on and he had no trouble handling them. I didn't bother with food in the freezer for him, he ate the same things we did. I will be doing that as much as possible with our third baby.
Nursing - This is the cheapest option over formula! Really. If you can, I highly recommend it. Sure, it means you are more tied to your baby, but it really isn't so bad. I also recommend getting a second hand pump for those odd times you'll need one. I bought mine for $10, and I hardly use it because I mostly just nurse. Formula can cost anywhere from $60-$120 per month, depending on what your baby eats and what brand you use. There are always coupons to get, and I would snap those up as much as possible if you are using the formula route.
Big Ticket Items - You can get lucky with a number of these things by waiting for sales, or getting second hand. Since we were planning on having more than one baby (I know, not all plans come to be, but still), we bought our car seat and stroller combo new (but got it at a deal... I love sales). Also, you don't need a change table. We hardly use ours. Ever. The floor is the easiest place to change a baby, and the safest. Or the bed. Or the couch. You could even make a change table on top of a normal dresser. We also bought our crib and mattress used, and managed to get a free toddler bed (meaning we needed to purchase another mattress, which we did on sale). You don't need a high chair... those boosters with multiple settings for placing on regular chairs work great and take up less space. However, it is always possible to get used high chairs, or if you can nab a really great deal, do so. We managed to get a $200 high chair brand new from Toys R Us for $50. Prior to that we were using a really old high chair that didn't fold away very well that I picked up for $10. It was falling apart, and while it served us well for 2 kids, we really didn't want to use it for number three if we could find something better.
As for Moses baskets, bassinets, swings, and pack n plays, they aren't really a necessity and take up a lot of space. If you get these items as gifts, awesome! If you feel that, after having your baby for a while, you can afford and would really love said item, get it then. Babies are born into the world with nothing, and you will find that, for the first few months, all they really need are clothes, diapers, love, and food. A dresser drawer on the floor will work just fine as a bed if needed.
Clothes - You most likely got an entire wardrobe for your baby at your showers, but otherwise, to save on clothes, buy second hand. I like to wait for bag sale day at our local thrift store. Money goes to a good cause, and I can get a bag full of clothes for $7. Garage sales are a good option, but watch out for that because some people like to charge too much for used baby gear. I've been to garage sales with items that I picked up at the local stores on sale for less... brand new!
Any pointers you can give for saving money with babies? Please feel free to tell me in the comments! I'd love to read them!
This week I'll be talking about saving money where babies are concerned.
Diapers - You can save a LOT of money per month buying the store brand vs. the name brand (think Huggies or Pampers) alone, but go even further and only get them when they are on sale. For most of our diapering days, we purchased the Superstore brand of diapers at a sale price of $20-22 per box... each box containing about 150-170 diapers (depending on diaper size, of course). Another way to save is to keep your child in the smaller size as long as possible. Don't move up a size because your child can fit into them, you get less diapers per bag/box. Wait until you can really see that the diapers are too small. The weight ranges are a guideline, not a rule (I had to teach my husband that one, haha). Plus, wait until the sales are on and buy as many as you can. Sales cycle every few months as well. Buying in bulk is a good bet as well, but try to take notice of the 'cost per' part of the price tag. I know Superstore has this on their tags so you can easily compare cost per diaper/wipe for bulk vs smaller boxes or brand name vs store brand. You may not always get a better deal with a sale on a smaller quantity, but you might save a few cents per diaper that way as well.
Another way to save big is to go the cloth route. You can make your own cloth diapers, get them second hand, or buy online. I was lucky to find covers for 1/2 price at a baby store moving sale, and I got a bunch free from friends who were no longer diapering. Baby diaper detergent can be pricey as well, but there are plenty of options for making your own for pennies a load. I did my calculations and I figure that, even with going the cheapest route for disposable diapers (as I did for my other two kiddos), I'll easily save $1000-1500 by the time my third baby is two. Oh, I'm using cloth wipes as well... and not only is this a cheap, reusable route, it is more earth friendly. Especially since I make my own laundry soap which doesn't contain any chemicals or harmful ingredients for the environment. Yup... saving money AND going green! It just... takes a lot more of my time.
Baby Food - Make your own! Yup, you pay way less this way! I can get baby food on sale, 3 for $1. but I can make my own with less preservatives, less processing, and less packaging (and freeze it myself for later use) for half the cost (or less). After introducing the baby to food, I will change things up and just use our own food mashed really well, so as to reduce 'baby food making time' from what I used to do. I hated making baby food with my first (I was trying so hard to be 'by the book' and it was far too much work). With my son, we introduced him to more textures earlier on and he had no trouble handling them. I didn't bother with food in the freezer for him, he ate the same things we did. I will be doing that as much as possible with our third baby.
Nursing - This is the cheapest option over formula! Really. If you can, I highly recommend it. Sure, it means you are more tied to your baby, but it really isn't so bad. I also recommend getting a second hand pump for those odd times you'll need one. I bought mine for $10, and I hardly use it because I mostly just nurse. Formula can cost anywhere from $60-$120 per month, depending on what your baby eats and what brand you use. There are always coupons to get, and I would snap those up as much as possible if you are using the formula route.
Big Ticket Items - You can get lucky with a number of these things by waiting for sales, or getting second hand. Since we were planning on having more than one baby (I know, not all plans come to be, but still), we bought our car seat and stroller combo new (but got it at a deal... I love sales). Also, you don't need a change table. We hardly use ours. Ever. The floor is the easiest place to change a baby, and the safest. Or the bed. Or the couch. You could even make a change table on top of a normal dresser. We also bought our crib and mattress used, and managed to get a free toddler bed (meaning we needed to purchase another mattress, which we did on sale). You don't need a high chair... those boosters with multiple settings for placing on regular chairs work great and take up less space. However, it is always possible to get used high chairs, or if you can nab a really great deal, do so. We managed to get a $200 high chair brand new from Toys R Us for $50. Prior to that we were using a really old high chair that didn't fold away very well that I picked up for $10. It was falling apart, and while it served us well for 2 kids, we really didn't want to use it for number three if we could find something better.
As for Moses baskets, bassinets, swings, and pack n plays, they aren't really a necessity and take up a lot of space. If you get these items as gifts, awesome! If you feel that, after having your baby for a while, you can afford and would really love said item, get it then. Babies are born into the world with nothing, and you will find that, for the first few months, all they really need are clothes, diapers, love, and food. A dresser drawer on the floor will work just fine as a bed if needed.
Clothes - You most likely got an entire wardrobe for your baby at your showers, but otherwise, to save on clothes, buy second hand. I like to wait for bag sale day at our local thrift store. Money goes to a good cause, and I can get a bag full of clothes for $7. Garage sales are a good option, but watch out for that because some people like to charge too much for used baby gear. I've been to garage sales with items that I picked up at the local stores on sale for less... brand new!
Any pointers you can give for saving money with babies? Please feel free to tell me in the comments! I'd love to read them!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
52 Week Challenge - Weeks 23-25
I really wish there was a way for me to receive the updates on this. Since I have not been getting them, I have not been doing the challenges as I should. There are also no printouts anymore (quit around week 20) so I haven't had that as a reminder either. Sigh. Well, I just read week 23 (I am so behind... but at least I'm still trying).
Week 23 - Listen to the Spirit
The challenge for this week is to find quiet time to just listen. This seems a lot like previous weeks, and in all honesty, I need the reminder. My mind is often so full of what I need to do next that I hardly find time to just sit and be still. My increasing headaches are a testament to that (ow!). So, I am going to take time and just be quiet before God, listening for His voice amid all the chaos that is my life as a wife and mom of 3 under 5.
Week 24 - Perfection
Wow. I am made in God's image. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And God is perfect, and didn't make a mistake when He made me. Sure, the world tells me I'm not good enough. I'm not a good enough mom (you yelled at your kids? How could you! You are a terrible mom, not worthy...). It tells me I'm useless (what do you do all day? You don't have a REAL job. You're worthless if you don't pull in a wage). It says I'm not pretty enough. But... I've realized that in some of these things, I don't really care (until I reach a certain time of month, lol). I may not look perfect, but I'm healthy. I don't need makeup to feel pretty (most of the time. Like I said, there are days where I feel super ugly, but that is related to hormone changes, something I'm reading about right now, and the only thing that can change my feelings then is prayer). I AM a good mom, even when I make mistakes, because I am human and make mistakes. And God is there. He will be with me and help me overcome my 'flaws'. Not only that, but in doing so, I will transform into the woman He created me to be!
The challenge this week? To choose to see myself the way my creator sees me. I'm going to create my own real world challenge here. Every morning, I will look in the mirror, smile at myself, and tell myself that my heavenly Father made me just as I am, and He loves me for who I am, not for who I'm not.
Week 25 - Eat Real Food
This one is not a difficult one for me. We hardly eat out (yay!) and I do my best to buy real food over anything processed. Most of our diet is one ingredient only (you know, fruits, veggies, meat that is NOT soaked in salts and marinades unless I made them myself, milk (from the cows in our dairy, haha), etc. I get sick from almost anything processed. Hot dogs, powdered potatoes, and most anything with MSG to name a few. It means I spend a LOT of time in the kitchen, but it is worth it in the end. Things I know I can do better are in regards to breads/cookies/sugar. I need to start using dates as sweeteners again instead of sugar in cookies. I also quit purchasing bread. I'm making buns instead. It's a lot more work in the long run, but I think it will be well worth the effort.
So, this week I am challenging myself to use dates instead of sugar next time I bake, and to continue to make buns instead of purchasing bread.
So... I will see how I do in these weeks. I wish I had printouts to keep me accountable, but since I don't, I'm going to try to work through it on here. Let's see how this goes (so far, it hasn't been so well since I haven't been keeping up on here since week 6 or so, and not really at all since Baby A was born).
Have a great week!
Week 23 - Listen to the Spirit
The challenge for this week is to find quiet time to just listen. This seems a lot like previous weeks, and in all honesty, I need the reminder. My mind is often so full of what I need to do next that I hardly find time to just sit and be still. My increasing headaches are a testament to that (ow!). So, I am going to take time and just be quiet before God, listening for His voice amid all the chaos that is my life as a wife and mom of 3 under 5.
Week 24 - Perfection
Wow. I am made in God's image. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And God is perfect, and didn't make a mistake when He made me. Sure, the world tells me I'm not good enough. I'm not a good enough mom (you yelled at your kids? How could you! You are a terrible mom, not worthy...). It tells me I'm useless (what do you do all day? You don't have a REAL job. You're worthless if you don't pull in a wage). It says I'm not pretty enough. But... I've realized that in some of these things, I don't really care (until I reach a certain time of month, lol). I may not look perfect, but I'm healthy. I don't need makeup to feel pretty (most of the time. Like I said, there are days where I feel super ugly, but that is related to hormone changes, something I'm reading about right now, and the only thing that can change my feelings then is prayer). I AM a good mom, even when I make mistakes, because I am human and make mistakes. And God is there. He will be with me and help me overcome my 'flaws'. Not only that, but in doing so, I will transform into the woman He created me to be!
The challenge this week? To choose to see myself the way my creator sees me. I'm going to create my own real world challenge here. Every morning, I will look in the mirror, smile at myself, and tell myself that my heavenly Father made me just as I am, and He loves me for who I am, not for who I'm not.
Week 25 - Eat Real Food
This one is not a difficult one for me. We hardly eat out (yay!) and I do my best to buy real food over anything processed. Most of our diet is one ingredient only (you know, fruits, veggies, meat that is NOT soaked in salts and marinades unless I made them myself, milk (from the cows in our dairy, haha), etc. I get sick from almost anything processed. Hot dogs, powdered potatoes, and most anything with MSG to name a few. It means I spend a LOT of time in the kitchen, but it is worth it in the end. Things I know I can do better are in regards to breads/cookies/sugar. I need to start using dates as sweeteners again instead of sugar in cookies. I also quit purchasing bread. I'm making buns instead. It's a lot more work in the long run, but I think it will be well worth the effort.
So, this week I am challenging myself to use dates instead of sugar next time I bake, and to continue to make buns instead of purchasing bread.
So... I will see how I do in these weeks. I wish I had printouts to keep me accountable, but since I don't, I'm going to try to work through it on here. Let's see how this goes (so far, it hasn't been so well since I haven't been keeping up on here since week 6 or so, and not really at all since Baby A was born).
Have a great week!
Happy Butterfly Day!
For those who may not know, today, June 19th, was butterfly day!
In honor of such an occasion, I decided to make us a special breakfast of butterfly shaped biscuits. While they baked, I used my Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die to cut butterflies out of recycled materials (the silver cardboard inserts from chocolate bars I bought, and the colored cardboard pieces from a few packs of baby cloths) for the kids to play with and color. In the process, I ended up over baking our butterfly biscuits... ah well. they were still edible!
Mmmm... butterflies!
Tasty with jam!
Bram believes butterfly biscuits are the bomb!
I had a little fun with mine... berries and bananas on butterfly biscuits (yeah yeah, enough with the 'b')
I ended up starting on a craft I've been longing to try... cut out 68 small cardstock butterflies, 62 small tissue butterflies, 18 larger cardstock butterflies, and 16 same sized tissue ones... I hope to complete the project over the next week. I'll post it here when I do.
Today we also learned a little about butterflies. Since we are also on Australia in our 'Around the World in 60 Days' tour, we looked at butterfly pics from that region. We also learned that butterflies eat nectar from flowers (I called it flower juice) using their 'tongue' that acts like a really long straw which they can curl up when not in use. Bram remembered that and was asking about it again later in the evening. I started looking up butterfly gardens... but didn't get far on that. I'd love to make one either way, but we'll see how much time I feel I can devote to that...
I was going to do a caterpillar craft using an egg carton... but never got to it. :(
Well, that was our beautiful butterfly day in a nutshell! I adore butterflies... every time I see them I am filled with awe over God and his creation... such tiny beauties (did you know that butterfly wings are covered in tiny scales that act as feathers?). Lord, Thank you for revealing yourself in all your creation, and thank you for the butterflies.
Today's butterfly blog was brought to you by the letter 'B'... (snicker)
Savings Wednesday (cause it ain't Sunday no more!) - Personal Care
Oops... can you say I've been busy? Yeah... uh... busy. Anyway, funny thing is, I actually had this post half done already and I still didn't get it up on Sunday! Oops. Well, you get it today instead. :) Hope you like it! As a bonus, I'll write in a few more things... some tried and true, some I've not tried, but are probably true (ha ha). So, let us begin!
Hair - Shampoo and conditioner can be replaced completely with baking soda. Actually, you will find you need less styling products as well. I usually don't style my hair. For 3 months now I have changed how I wash my hair by not using shampoo or conditioner. Shampoos strip your hair of their natural oils, oils which actually help your hair hold styles. Now for the first while it was weird to not have sudsing on my hair, and I felt like my scalp was overcompensating in the oil department, but now having had no shampoo for three months, I can honestly say this works well! My hair even has a little bit of a wave to it, it has more volume, and it holds ponytails better. No hair products. To do this, use baking soda mixed with water in an old shampoo bottle. Shake and apply to the roots of your head. Scrubbing well is difficult, but you really want to rinse it all out. Use apple cider vinegar on the tips of your hair as it helps repair any damage. A spritz bottle works nice for this. And don't worry about the smell, it rinses out completely.
Added bonus - not using shampoos and conditioners means having less chemicals, and xenoestrogens (you know, the ones that have caused an awareness for BPAs, but still manage to make it into most of our skin care products?) that are entering your body! And yes, your skin is an organ and will absorb a portion of what you put on it. And fragrances? Most of these are actually phthalates, which are a source of xenoestrogen (source - a book called 'Jump Off the Hormone Swing' by Lorraine Pintus... I highly recommend it!). I have a high sensitivity to fragrances and phthalates, so I have had to limit my exposure to them already. Doing the 'no shampoo' treatment has actually decreased my exposure even more! As for my eczema... still there, but not nearly as debilitating as it once was. And it just feels good knowing that I'm decreasing my kids exposure to xenoestrogens, which have been shown to cause problems with not only the feminine cycle, but have also decreased the testosterone in men...
Toiletries - You can also find recipes to make your own deodorant, toothpaste, etc. I haven't tried any of these yet. I'm hoping to start... mainly with toothpaste!
Razors - Did you know that you can save your razors and use them beyond what you normally do? When your razor starts to feel like it just isn't cutting it (snicker), just push it backwards over your arm. No kidding. Some would rather use a strip of leather specifically for this purpose, but my husband and I have been using our arms, since, you know, we have that readily available! ;) I am not even kidding you, since we started doing this, my husband has not needed to buy razors near as often. He used to go through one per week... two if he was stretching it. His last one has lasted over a month already. In other words... HALF the cost on razors, just by pushing it backwards on your arms once it starts feeling like it just isn't working for you. As for me... my razors last a REALLY long time. I think I've pushed this one over a year now. Not sure if that is amazing or kinda sad...
BONUS:
Sunscreen - This will probably throw some people off... but this is actually NOT a necessary purchase. There are parabins in sunscreen that are known carcinogens... and these parabins work in relation to the sun. What? Yeah... your sunscreen may actually be the one causing those strange marks on your skin that the doctor is a bit concerned over. I'm not kidding. I decided to forgo the sunscreen this year (using a hat instead... and the shade)... and I found another trick that I'm using to boost my natural SPF. No soap. You heard me. Instead of using soap over my whole body, I use it sparingly where needed. Otherwise, I use a scrubby to wash... without the body wash. And I noticed that my skin has upped its SPF. I usually burn so quick, and I haven't burned yet this year... and this weekend we were at the fair, in the sun, for hours at a time. My kids... they haven't burned either (only soap where necessary for them as well). Washing your body daily with soap actually burns out your skin (again, by stripping it of your body's natural oils which are produced to protect your skin). Yeah. So in addition to having a higher natural SPF, I also don't need moisturizers anymore! Ta DA!
Just as a side note, I've been learning more and more about how wonderfully God has designed our bodies through this process (and through the whole healing challenge... my eyes have been opened to more and more). To put it in a nutshell, here it is...
Oh, and if I could tell you one thing to NOT do... DO NOT consume any Aspartame (or Sucralose). Just... don't do it. Look it up, it is terrible. Oh, and since companies have figured out that consumers are figuring that out, they are changing the name that these man-made sweeteners are labelled as. I am not kidding you (don't believe me? Look that up too. I don't remember where I saw it, but I've seen it in a few places now).
Just a little food for thought... that I somehow decided should go on this 'Savings Sunday' post... cause it's a Wednesday, not a Sunday, and I'm weird like that! ;)
Hair - Shampoo and conditioner can be replaced completely with baking soda. Actually, you will find you need less styling products as well. I usually don't style my hair. For 3 months now I have changed how I wash my hair by not using shampoo or conditioner. Shampoos strip your hair of their natural oils, oils which actually help your hair hold styles. Now for the first while it was weird to not have sudsing on my hair, and I felt like my scalp was overcompensating in the oil department, but now having had no shampoo for three months, I can honestly say this works well! My hair even has a little bit of a wave to it, it has more volume, and it holds ponytails better. No hair products. To do this, use baking soda mixed with water in an old shampoo bottle. Shake and apply to the roots of your head. Scrubbing well is difficult, but you really want to rinse it all out. Use apple cider vinegar on the tips of your hair as it helps repair any damage. A spritz bottle works nice for this. And don't worry about the smell, it rinses out completely.
Added bonus - not using shampoos and conditioners means having less chemicals, and xenoestrogens (you know, the ones that have caused an awareness for BPAs, but still manage to make it into most of our skin care products?) that are entering your body! And yes, your skin is an organ and will absorb a portion of what you put on it. And fragrances? Most of these are actually phthalates, which are a source of xenoestrogen (source - a book called 'Jump Off the Hormone Swing' by Lorraine Pintus... I highly recommend it!). I have a high sensitivity to fragrances and phthalates, so I have had to limit my exposure to them already. Doing the 'no shampoo' treatment has actually decreased my exposure even more! As for my eczema... still there, but not nearly as debilitating as it once was. And it just feels good knowing that I'm decreasing my kids exposure to xenoestrogens, which have been shown to cause problems with not only the feminine cycle, but have also decreased the testosterone in men...
Toiletries - You can also find recipes to make your own deodorant, toothpaste, etc. I haven't tried any of these yet. I'm hoping to start... mainly with toothpaste!
Razors - Did you know that you can save your razors and use them beyond what you normally do? When your razor starts to feel like it just isn't cutting it (snicker), just push it backwards over your arm. No kidding. Some would rather use a strip of leather specifically for this purpose, but my husband and I have been using our arms, since, you know, we have that readily available! ;) I am not even kidding you, since we started doing this, my husband has not needed to buy razors near as often. He used to go through one per week... two if he was stretching it. His last one has lasted over a month already. In other words... HALF the cost on razors, just by pushing it backwards on your arms once it starts feeling like it just isn't working for you. As for me... my razors last a REALLY long time. I think I've pushed this one over a year now. Not sure if that is amazing or kinda sad...
BONUS:
Sunscreen - This will probably throw some people off... but this is actually NOT a necessary purchase. There are parabins in sunscreen that are known carcinogens... and these parabins work in relation to the sun. What? Yeah... your sunscreen may actually be the one causing those strange marks on your skin that the doctor is a bit concerned over. I'm not kidding. I decided to forgo the sunscreen this year (using a hat instead... and the shade)... and I found another trick that I'm using to boost my natural SPF. No soap. You heard me. Instead of using soap over my whole body, I use it sparingly where needed. Otherwise, I use a scrubby to wash... without the body wash. And I noticed that my skin has upped its SPF. I usually burn so quick, and I haven't burned yet this year... and this weekend we were at the fair, in the sun, for hours at a time. My kids... they haven't burned either (only soap where necessary for them as well). Washing your body daily with soap actually burns out your skin (again, by stripping it of your body's natural oils which are produced to protect your skin). Yeah. So in addition to having a higher natural SPF, I also don't need moisturizers anymore! Ta DA!
Just as a side note, I've been learning more and more about how wonderfully God has designed our bodies through this process (and through the whole healing challenge... my eyes have been opened to more and more). To put it in a nutshell, here it is...
God's design is perfect.
Only in man's methods of trying to make things 'better than perfect' have we actually been causing more harm to our bodies than good. I could write an entire book on things I've found, from the way our bodies remove harmful substances, to the remineralizing of cavities in our teeth, all of which have been hindered by the very products that are supposed to 'make them work better'. Look up tooth remineralization and be amazed. Research our skin and it's oils and sit in awe. Then there are all the organs we cannot see, and the amazing things they do to make our bodies heal themselves. And why do our bodies need to heal themselves? Actually, most of the problem is found in our 'food products'... the ones that were processed by men to 'make them better'? Yeah. And the pesticides in our water and on our produce? That too. Then there are GMOs (one of the biggest reasons there is a much higher allergy rate to things like gluten and nuts than ever before), sugar (basically, look at this as though it is a drug... because it sure is treated like one in our bodies), soy products (xenoestrogen alert)... I could go on. Basically, I want to get back to doing things as naturally as possible lately. Back to what God made, not what Man made. I won't be doing this 100%, but definitely more than I used to.Oh, and if I could tell you one thing to NOT do... DO NOT consume any Aspartame (or Sucralose). Just... don't do it. Look it up, it is terrible. Oh, and since companies have figured out that consumers are figuring that out, they are changing the name that these man-made sweeteners are labelled as. I am not kidding you (don't believe me? Look that up too. I don't remember where I saw it, but I've seen it in a few places now).
Just a little food for thought... that I somehow decided should go on this 'Savings Sunday' post... cause it's a Wednesday, not a Sunday, and I'm weird like that! ;)
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Savings Sunday - Organizing/Cleaning
Hello, and welcome to another Savings Sunday! Today I will be writing about some money saving tips in regards to cleaning and organizing the house.
Organizing - Reuse the containers your food comes in. I've been saving and reusing the plastic containers from berries, organic greens, etc. I use them to package cookies as gifts, for the kids toys to sort them (great because they are see through) and for organizing dried goods in my pantry. Keeps things contained and easy to find, giving me more space to put my potatoes. :)
Cleansers - Another way to save money is to use vinegar and baking soda for just about everything. Clean your kitchen sink with it instead of buying other cleansers. Clean your oven by making a paste of baking soda and water and smearing it on the inside, then let it sit for an hour or two and wipe it all out. You can get the racks clean by soaking them in the tub with one cup of dishwasher detergent (apparently there are recipes to make this as well) and really really hot water (put an old towel down on the bottom of the tub first to prevent scratching). You can clean windows with vinegar and newspapers rather than Windex. Really, if you look around online you will find so many things you can use these two items on... instead of buying cleaners. And, they are non toxic and food grade, so you don't have to worry about the kids... as much...
Another tip on baking soda - If you can purchase it bulk at the grocery store (think Costco, or the giant box in the baking aisle of your local supermarket), you will get a better bang for your buck, but the best soda for your dollar can be found at feed plants. Yes... for cattle. It is not the same quality as the stuff you get in the store (hasn't been processed and 'cleaned' to the same degree as it's for use in cattle feed, so I wouldn't recommend it for baking as the quality is down), but you'll pay WAY less. I only figured this out recently (you'd figure I'd have caught on with our own cattle feed purchases over the last 6 years of doing the bookwork, but for some reason I was clueless on this. Probably because it is called Sodium Bicarbonate on the forms and although I knew that name was Baking Soda, I didn't really make the connection until I saw the bags this week with the little arm and hammer symbol on them). Same thing with Epsom Salts. If you can get them from the feed company and have the storage space (remember, these things cost much less per 100 grams, but you're getting a 25kg bag), you can save a lot (again, the Epsom salts aren't perfectly 'clean' in that there might be a stone or two in there per cup of salts, but for a bath it doesn't really matter). I would be cautious however as some feed companies will charge more per bag (or may not sell it to you) if they know it is for household use instead of for feed. Lucky us, living on a farm!
Laundry detergent - if you are like me you will have found that this is a pricey item in your house. I found out that I can make my own for much cheaper. I buy the soap bars in the laundry aisle for $1 a bar, grate them, and then put in 1/2 a tablespoon each of grated soap, borax, and washing soda into my dry soap compartment of the he washer. I have only been doing this about a month, and so far so good. I found a recipe for melting the soap and making a 'sauce' from this which is supposed to be better for keeping soap residues off the clothes, and I may give that a try with the second bar of soap when the time comes. For now, this works great.
Washing cloth diapers - For my diapers I use 1/2 tablespoon of washing soda with 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda in the dry soap compartment. No soap residue on the diapers. To strip them I use a large bucket and put them in with a bunch of boiling water. Yeah. And a small scoop of washing soda. Or lemon juice. Not both together though. Then I 'rinse and repeat' until the water is clear. Then I throw them in the machine again for good measure. To 'bleach' them, I use the sun. Oh, but don't put your snappi covers in the boiling water as it could potentially melt the snaps. I put my covers in once it was cool enough that I could stick my arm in there.
Organizing - Reuse the containers your food comes in. I've been saving and reusing the plastic containers from berries, organic greens, etc. I use them to package cookies as gifts, for the kids toys to sort them (great because they are see through) and for organizing dried goods in my pantry. Keeps things contained and easy to find, giving me more space to put my potatoes. :)
Cleansers - Another way to save money is to use vinegar and baking soda for just about everything. Clean your kitchen sink with it instead of buying other cleansers. Clean your oven by making a paste of baking soda and water and smearing it on the inside, then let it sit for an hour or two and wipe it all out. You can get the racks clean by soaking them in the tub with one cup of dishwasher detergent (apparently there are recipes to make this as well) and really really hot water (put an old towel down on the bottom of the tub first to prevent scratching). You can clean windows with vinegar and newspapers rather than Windex. Really, if you look around online you will find so many things you can use these two items on... instead of buying cleaners. And, they are non toxic and food grade, so you don't have to worry about the kids... as much...
Another tip on baking soda - If you can purchase it bulk at the grocery store (think Costco, or the giant box in the baking aisle of your local supermarket), you will get a better bang for your buck, but the best soda for your dollar can be found at feed plants. Yes... for cattle. It is not the same quality as the stuff you get in the store (hasn't been processed and 'cleaned' to the same degree as it's for use in cattle feed, so I wouldn't recommend it for baking as the quality is down), but you'll pay WAY less. I only figured this out recently (you'd figure I'd have caught on with our own cattle feed purchases over the last 6 years of doing the bookwork, but for some reason I was clueless on this. Probably because it is called Sodium Bicarbonate on the forms and although I knew that name was Baking Soda, I didn't really make the connection until I saw the bags this week with the little arm and hammer symbol on them). Same thing with Epsom Salts. If you can get them from the feed company and have the storage space (remember, these things cost much less per 100 grams, but you're getting a 25kg bag), you can save a lot (again, the Epsom salts aren't perfectly 'clean' in that there might be a stone or two in there per cup of salts, but for a bath it doesn't really matter). I would be cautious however as some feed companies will charge more per bag (or may not sell it to you) if they know it is for household use instead of for feed. Lucky us, living on a farm!
Laundry detergent - if you are like me you will have found that this is a pricey item in your house. I found out that I can make my own for much cheaper. I buy the soap bars in the laundry aisle for $1 a bar, grate them, and then put in 1/2 a tablespoon each of grated soap, borax, and washing soda into my dry soap compartment of the he washer. I have only been doing this about a month, and so far so good. I found a recipe for melting the soap and making a 'sauce' from this which is supposed to be better for keeping soap residues off the clothes, and I may give that a try with the second bar of soap when the time comes. For now, this works great.
Washing cloth diapers - For my diapers I use 1/2 tablespoon of washing soda with 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda in the dry soap compartment. No soap residue on the diapers. To strip them I use a large bucket and put them in with a bunch of boiling water. Yeah. And a small scoop of washing soda. Or lemon juice. Not both together though. Then I 'rinse and repeat' until the water is clear. Then I throw them in the machine again for good measure. To 'bleach' them, I use the sun. Oh, but don't put your snappi covers in the boiling water as it could potentially melt the snaps. I put my covers in once it was cool enough that I could stick my arm in there.
Happy Banana Split Day
A day late... I know. Sigh. I seem to be late for everything lately. Ah well, better late than never, right? Right? I know, I'll just keep telling myself that.
As most of you may (or may not... probably not) know, yesterday, June 7th, was Banana Split Day. (Link to other fun facts for June 7) Not sure why this fantastic treat is celebrated on June 7th (correction, I know why now, haha, it's a festival in Wilmington Ohio), but it's good stuff, so I guess they figured it deserved its own holiday!
We bought ice cream just for the occasion! I melted some chocolate and warmed up some berries and nabbed a few other toppings for our banana split 'bar' which we treated the kids to after their pizza. Mmmmm.
What a hit! My kids were asking for banana splits again today! Instead, they got some PB banana ice cream treats. Those were a hit as well!
Oh, and just so you know, Monday (the 10th) is Iced Tea Day (look it up for some fun facts about the beverage from 1904 I believe), Wednesday the 12th is Peanut Butter Cookie Day (my husband will love this one), Sunday the 16th is Fathers Day, Wednesday the 19th is Butterfly Day, and Monday the 24th is Fairy Day. There are lots of other interesting 'holidays' this month. A Google search will reveal loads of them (I even bookmarked a few on my Pinterest).
Have fun celebrating some strange and wacky holidays this summer! I know the kids love it! ;)
Any wacky fun holidays that you know of and are planning on celebrating this year? Or maybe you have done some before that you'd like to tell me about? Please, feel free to share in the comments! :) The more, the better!
As most of you may (or may not... probably not) know, yesterday, June 7th, was Banana Split Day. (Link to other fun facts for June 7) Not sure why this fantastic treat is celebrated on June 7th (correction, I know why now, haha, it's a festival in Wilmington Ohio), but it's good stuff, so I guess they figured it deserved its own holiday!
We bought ice cream just for the occasion! I melted some chocolate and warmed up some berries and nabbed a few other toppings for our banana split 'bar' which we treated the kids to after their pizza. Mmmmm.
What a hit! My kids were asking for banana splits again today! Instead, they got some PB banana ice cream treats. Those were a hit as well!
Oh, and just so you know, Monday (the 10th) is Iced Tea Day (look it up for some fun facts about the beverage from 1904 I believe), Wednesday the 12th is Peanut Butter Cookie Day (my husband will love this one), Sunday the 16th is Fathers Day, Wednesday the 19th is Butterfly Day, and Monday the 24th is Fairy Day. There are lots of other interesting 'holidays' this month. A Google search will reveal loads of them (I even bookmarked a few on my Pinterest).
Have fun celebrating some strange and wacky holidays this summer! I know the kids love it! ;)
Any wacky fun holidays that you know of and are planning on celebrating this year? Or maybe you have done some before that you'd like to tell me about? Please, feel free to share in the comments! :) The more, the better!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
101 update
It's time to update on my 101 again. I like this tradition of updates on the 6th of each month. Didn't even realize I was doing it that way, haha.
4. change our furnace from oil to electric - changing to 'attempt cloth diapering' (done March 2013)
Changing this to 'do cloth diapering'. Yeah... I know... changing this to something I'm already doing is a bit... cheap, haha. But I'd been contemplating cloth for awhile now, and just never thought I would do it, and with us thinking of getting a different house, switching the furnace makes zero sense. So, I'm changing this to cloth diapering, and ticking it off as I've been doing this for 3 months now. Stripped the diapers for the first time this week, actually.
6. Celebrate five strange holidays 3/5 (white day, pancake day, etc)
Well, on the 29th of May was... get this... Put your pillow on your fridge day. Yeah. I know. So, I did. There was a pillow on my fridge all day. This one actually has to do with the superstition that putting your linens in your 'larder' would bring wealth to your family. Since we don't have larders and have refrigerators instead, this was changed to putting your pillow on top of the fridge. Oh, and I'm planning to take part in banana split day, butterfly day, peanut butter cookie day... the list goes on. This is really fun!
10. make plans to have a family day twice/month for one year (24/24)
Yes. We have been doing family day twice a month. Easily. Every weekend we've been busy with something fun as a family, so we have definitely met this one.
25. have a scrapbooking day at my house with friends (done April 2013)
I've actually done this as we've had girls night at my place. It hasn't been scrapbooking in the same sense as I had in mind, but I did scrapbook with the laptop, and my friends brought their scrapbooks/notepads as well!
17. have a night at home where we explore other cultures (food, map, activity, etc) (2/3)
I just joined something through focus on the family where we 'explore' and pray for 60 different countries over the summer. I'm looking forward to the emails I'll be getting, and I have the 'itinerary' and map already, just need to print them up and do this with the family. WOOT!
40. Send someone flowers
I really want to do this in the next month. I have some lovely flowers in my garden right now. I love tulips.
41. Release a book via bookcrossing.com
I've registered myself to the site, now to print off some tags and put them on some books... then to place them wherever I want and see what happens! :)
46. Go berry picking
I'll have to do this soon...
59. Finish daughter’s 1st year album (traditional)
I've been very s l o w l y doing this one. V.e.r.y s.l.o.w.l.y.
So, 52 down, 49 to go. Only barely over half done... and I only have a few months left. Probably won't complete this list either. Ah well, it's still fun!
4. change our furnace from oil to electric - changing to 'attempt cloth diapering' (done March 2013)
Changing this to 'do cloth diapering'. Yeah... I know... changing this to something I'm already doing is a bit... cheap, haha. But I'd been contemplating cloth for awhile now, and just never thought I would do it, and with us thinking of getting a different house, switching the furnace makes zero sense. So, I'm changing this to cloth diapering, and ticking it off as I've been doing this for 3 months now. Stripped the diapers for the first time this week, actually.
6. Celebrate five strange holidays 3/5 (white day, pancake day, etc)
Well, on the 29th of May was... get this... Put your pillow on your fridge day. Yeah. I know. So, I did. There was a pillow on my fridge all day. This one actually has to do with the superstition that putting your linens in your 'larder' would bring wealth to your family. Since we don't have larders and have refrigerators instead, this was changed to putting your pillow on top of the fridge. Oh, and I'm planning to take part in banana split day, butterfly day, peanut butter cookie day... the list goes on. This is really fun!
10. make plans to have a family day twice/month for one year (24/24)
Yes. We have been doing family day twice a month. Easily. Every weekend we've been busy with something fun as a family, so we have definitely met this one.
25. have a scrapbooking day at my house with friends (done April 2013)
I've actually done this as we've had girls night at my place. It hasn't been scrapbooking in the same sense as I had in mind, but I did scrapbook with the laptop, and my friends brought their scrapbooks/notepads as well!
17. have a night at home where we explore other cultures (food, map, activity, etc) (2/3)
I just joined something through focus on the family where we 'explore' and pray for 60 different countries over the summer. I'm looking forward to the emails I'll be getting, and I have the 'itinerary' and map already, just need to print them up and do this with the family. WOOT!
40. Send someone flowers
I really want to do this in the next month. I have some lovely flowers in my garden right now. I love tulips.
41. Release a book via bookcrossing.com
I've registered myself to the site, now to print off some tags and put them on some books... then to place them wherever I want and see what happens! :)
46. Go berry picking
I'll have to do this soon...
59. Finish daughter’s 1st year album (traditional)
I've been very s l o w l y doing this one. V.e.r.y s.l.o.w.l.y.
So, 52 down, 49 to go. Only barely over half done... and I only have a few months left. Probably won't complete this list either. Ah well, it's still fun!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Savings Sunday - The Kitchen (better late than never!)
Sorry this is late... yeah, I didn't manage to get on to blog yesterday at all! It was busy! But not a bad busy, haha.
Anyway, this week I wanted to tackle saving money in the kitchen. You can find a post I did on stretching your dollar on more expensive foods and how to make things like chicken and beef pull 'double duty' by getting more meals than one, here.
For a good bun recipe (note that I estimated a cost of about 35 cents per dozen if you get your flour on sale at $7/10kg), click here.
For a good tortilla recipe (again, cost is way less to make your own vs. buying... at less than 1/10th the cost of buying from the store), click here. This will actually give you a recipe for bean burritos which is a super cheap meal in general! I mean, super cheap.
Next up, some interesting things I learned from pinterest!
Did you know that you can take what you'd normally trash from your produce and plant it, growing your own? No need to buy the seeds! Serious! I heard you could do this with celery, bok choy, leeks, and onion greens. Since I only bought celery recently, I decided to give it a shot. Chopped off the bottom of my celery stalk, and popped it into a bowl of water for half a week. On Monday last week I planted it, making sure to keep the ground moist every day (this is something I'm usually not so good at... I'm no good at the gardening thing). This is what I saw today, exactly one week later!
My celery is growing! I'm so very excited! I planted some seeds from my spaghetti squash on Monday as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing those start sprouting as well. Nothing yet, though. Although, we also planted this beauty that we got as a 10th anniversary gift from my in-laws.
Our food just quadrupled (or more) in size! We used most of it in stirfry that night, the rest I use in salad (and my 4yo daughter likes to snack on them). You can sprout all sorts of things. Not sure what to do next... probably more lentils. For more info, click here.
You can save money and get healthier food by supporting your local farmers! Get your produce locally if possible. I know that here in Canada you can't do that with certain things due to regulations, but things like beef, chicken, pork, honey, and produce can all be purchased from farmers and farmers markets. I know that in our area you really have to watch for good deals and go looking for them. A lot of farmers markets are overpriced here (in my opinion). We buy our cheese direct from the plant and save 30cents or more per 100 grams. We've bought local honey from the farm directly and got a great deal that way. Also, if you know a dairy farmer you can get beef for cheaper from them. It won't be the same quality as the stuff grown specifically for the stores as it will generally be older animals, but for ground beef it's all we eat, and is much cheaper in the long run.
That's all for now! If you have any of your own tips for saving money on food and in the kitchen, please let me know in the comments!
Anyway, this week I wanted to tackle saving money in the kitchen. You can find a post I did on stretching your dollar on more expensive foods and how to make things like chicken and beef pull 'double duty' by getting more meals than one, here.
For a good bun recipe (note that I estimated a cost of about 35 cents per dozen if you get your flour on sale at $7/10kg), click here.
For a good tortilla recipe (again, cost is way less to make your own vs. buying... at less than 1/10th the cost of buying from the store), click here. This will actually give you a recipe for bean burritos which is a super cheap meal in general! I mean, super cheap.
Next up, some interesting things I learned from pinterest!
Did you know that you can take what you'd normally trash from your produce and plant it, growing your own? No need to buy the seeds! Serious! I heard you could do this with celery, bok choy, leeks, and onion greens. Since I only bought celery recently, I decided to give it a shot. Chopped off the bottom of my celery stalk, and popped it into a bowl of water for half a week. On Monday last week I planted it, making sure to keep the ground moist every day (this is something I'm usually not so good at... I'm no good at the gardening thing). This is what I saw today, exactly one week later!
My celery is growing! I'm so very excited! I planted some seeds from my spaghetti squash on Monday as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing those start sprouting as well. Nothing yet, though. Although, we also planted this beauty that we got as a 10th anniversary gift from my in-laws.
An apple tree! I'm very excited about it. Oh, and the bottle you see in the ground next to it? I read on Pinterest that you could poke holes in the bottom of a 2L bottle, bury it next to your plants, and then fill it with water for a slow release into the ground near the roots. I like this idea! I absolutely love reusing things this way!
Another money saver is buying lentils and sprouting them. Not only is it cheap (and great on salad and in stir fry), it is super healthy for you! I started last week Monday.
First, rinse your lentils... about 1/2 cup. Put them in a large canning jar and put 2 cups of water in to soak for 8 hours. To close the jar, you could do what most sites suggest and buy a special lid... OR you could just use the netting from the three pack garlic like I did and stretch it over the mouth before putting the ring on. Reusing at its finest! Saved me $5.
After the soak, dump the water and rinse them a few times through the cloth. Drain as much water as you can, then lie the jar on its side in a dark place. Rinse the lentils every 12 hours to prevent it from getting slimy (I did it whenever I saw the jar... showed it to the kids too, they loved watching it grow). After 4 days, you should have this!
Our food just quadrupled (or more) in size! We used most of it in stirfry that night, the rest I use in salad (and my 4yo daughter likes to snack on them). You can sprout all sorts of things. Not sure what to do next... probably more lentils. For more info, click here.
You can save money and get healthier food by supporting your local farmers! Get your produce locally if possible. I know that here in Canada you can't do that with certain things due to regulations, but things like beef, chicken, pork, honey, and produce can all be purchased from farmers and farmers markets. I know that in our area you really have to watch for good deals and go looking for them. A lot of farmers markets are overpriced here (in my opinion). We buy our cheese direct from the plant and save 30cents or more per 100 grams. We've bought local honey from the farm directly and got a great deal that way. Also, if you know a dairy farmer you can get beef for cheaper from them. It won't be the same quality as the stuff grown specifically for the stores as it will generally be older animals, but for ground beef it's all we eat, and is much cheaper in the long run.
That's all for now! If you have any of your own tips for saving money on food and in the kitchen, please let me know in the comments!
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