Baking Soda and Vinegar - An Unbeatable Combination

We've talked about the many uses for vinegar and we've talked about the many uses for baking soda, but they are even more amazing when the two are combined!

Combine vinegar and baking soda for the following uses:
1. To clean tile - combine 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of vinegar, and 1 cup of ammonia to a gallon of warm water.
2. To clean your bathtub - wipe it with vinegar, and then scour with baking soda.
3. Clean a showerhead by pouring 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar into a sandwich bag and tying it around the shower head. Allow to soak for 1 hour after the bubbling stops.
4. Remove carpet stains by making a paste with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Rub the paste on the stain, and allow to dry. Vacuum up the powder.
5. Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 tablespoon of liquid detergent, and just enough vinegar to create a creamy texture.
6. Clean your drains/garbage disposal by pouring 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then 1 cup of hot vinegar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then run hot water down the drain.
7. Clean pet accidents (or bedwetting accidents) by first blotting the area, then applying a vinegar and water solution, blot again until almost dry. Sprinkle with baking soda, allow to dry, then vacuum up the powder.
8. Remove stains from plastic and fiberglass by applying a paste made up of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts baking soda. Wipe off with soapy water, and rinse clean.

30 Uses for Coconut Oil

I’ve mentioned Coconut Oil in a couple of different posts this week, and it really is an amazing substance. So beyond Making Your Own Deodorant and oil pulling, what are some other uses for this incredible oil?

1. Coconut oil is great as a cooking oil. It has a high smoke point, and can be used in baking, stir frys, and deep frying.
2. It can be used as a dairy free replacement to butter/margarine.
3. It can be used in place of vegetable oil in any recipe.
4. It’s an immediate source of energy when eaten, and isn’t stored in the body as fat.
5. Coconut oil can be used to season cast iron skillets.
6. Soothe a sore throat and cold symptoms by dissolving a tablespoon in warm tea.
7. Consuming a tablespoon of coconut oil before each meal can help improve digestion.
8. It can be added to smoothies to give them a nutritional boost.
9. Daily ingestion of coconut oil can help alleviate allergy symptoms.
10. Rub it into your skin as a basic lotion.
11. As mentioned above, it can be used in homemade deodorant.
12. Can help prevent stretch marks during pregnancy when rubbed on the belly.
13. Coconut oil can be used as a night time moisturizer.
14. It can be rubbed on your lips as a natural chapstick and to clear up cold sores.
15. Coconut oil applied to the skin acts as a natural SPF 4 sunscreen.
16. It can help heal a sunburn (after the initial heat of the burn is gone).
17. It can reduce the itch of insect bites, chicken pox, or poison ivy.
18. It can soothe irritated skin caused by eczema or psoriasis.
19. It can improve general oral health through oil pulling.
20. Coconut oil can be used by itself, or combined with baking soda, as a naturally whitening toothpaste.
21. Mix a small amount with salt and rub on feet to remove dry skin.
22. Consumption of coconut oil can improve insulin levels.
23. It has been shown to increase the level of absorption of calcium and magnesium.
24. A tiny amount rubbed on hands, and then run through hair can help reduce frizz.
25. When mixed with an equal part of sugar it can be used as a body scrub in the shower.
26. Nursing moms can take 3-4 tablespoons a day to help increase milk supply.
27. Coconut oil can be used in place of lanolin cream for nursing mothers.
28. It can be used on mom, and in baby’s mouth to treat thrush.
29. It can be used as a cloth diaper safe diaper cream, simply rub on baby’s bum.
30. Coconut oil can help remove cradle cap – massage the oil into baby’s head, and rinse with a warm washcloth.

There are numerous other uses, but this will give you an idea of how truly versatile this oil is! Try it out for yourself!!

Homemade Pickles from Garden Cucumbers

Making your own pickles is a relatively simple process, made even easier with help from a "Mrs. Wages - Dill Pickle Mix".

I started out with a sink full of cucumbers picked fresh from our garden.

I then cut them up into the sizes and shapes that I wanted. Some jars have spear pickles, others are whole pickles, and the remaining are pickle slices.

I then prepared the mix by following the package directions, pour the hot mix over my cucumber pieces, capped the jars, and processed in a hot water bath. The end result was 14 pints of freshly made pickles! Thirteen pints went into the cupboard, and one pint went directly into the refrigerator for use.

If you've never canned anything before, pickles are a quick and easy way to learn!

Supplies needed to make your own pickles:

9-11 lbs of cucumbers (the small pickling kinds work best, as their name implies)
Vinegar
Water
Pickle mix
Canning jars, lids, and rings
Canning pot
Lid Lifter (not necessary, but very helpful) - I have used a fork to lift the lids before, and it works, but the lid lifter works better
Jar grabber (not necessary, but very helpful) - You could also use tongs, but the hot jars are mush more easily handled with the grabber designed for the job

Make Your Own Deodorant

Did you know that you can make your own deodorant?  It's one of those things that I have never really thought about making myself, it's not overly expensive to buy, and it's readily available.  However, when I stumbled upon this recipe online, it seemed so simple that I had to try it!  I already had all of the ingredients, so there was nothing to stop me (aside from the fear that it wouldn't work, and I would have to endure a day of being a stinky mess!).

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
5-6 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
1/8 Cup of Arrow Root Powder
1/8 Cup of Corn Starch
1/4 Cup of Baking Soda
Several Drops of Bergamot Essential Oil (for scent)

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the powders.  Add in the coconut oil, and mix to form a thick paste.  Add several drops of essential oil, until you've reached the scent level that you want.  Store in an air tight container.

To use: Simply scoop out a small amount and apply to your underarms.  If you have any remaining on your hands you can simply rub it into your skin as a lotion.

If you don't have Bergamot essential oil, you could use your favorite essential oil scent in place of it. Personally, I would probably forego the essential oil next time I make it, the coconut oil already gives it a light coconut scent on its own.

Admittedly, I was hesitant to try this out; who wants to spend a day stinking up the office in the event that this homemade concoction fails?!?! I mixed it up on a Thursday evening with the intention of trying it out over the weekend when the only people that would be witness to any offensive smells would be my loved ones. Friday morning, as I was preparing to go to work, the little jar of homemade deodorant was calling my name. Casting my hesitations aside, I tried it out (on a workday!). Having little confidence in the efficacy of this DIY deodorant, I tossed my regular deodorant into my work bag just in case I needed it.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well it actually worked! It worked just as well, if not better than my store bought deodorant, and it was entirely all natural! That was it, I was hooked!

My family was on vacation the following week, and I packed my little jar of deodorant, and again the back up store bought deodorant. I never once had to use the store bought stick, my homemade stuff served me well, even in the heat of the summer!

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The American Frugal Housewife - A Review

The American Frugal Houswife - A Review
By: Lydia Maria Francis Child

Amazon Prices: Kindle - $0.00, Paperback - $6.95, Hardcover - $8.96

Can a book written about life and frugality in 1832 America really be of use to us today?  That was the question I asked myself as I downloaded this book, and began reading it.  As it turns out, it can!  While there are many items that Child writes about that aren’t relevant on the whole to today’s times, there are many issues that are broached in this book that are still perfectly pertinent.

Written as a guide to women in the New World, this book offers many themes that are still common today.  Written anecdotally from her life and perspectives, Child embraces topics such as not trying to keep up with the Joneses, as she states, “No false pride of foolish ambition to appear as well as others should ever induce a person to live one cent beyond the income of which he is certain.  If you have one dollar a day, do not spend but seventy-five cents.  If you have but half a dollar, do not spend more than forty cents.”

She preaches of the frugality of doing things yourself, rather than taking advantage of having things prepared for you. “Make your own bread and cake. Some people think it is just as cheap to buy of the baker and confectioner, but it is not half as cheap. It is convenient, but those who are under the necessity of being economical should make convenience a secondary priority.”

Child offers guidance on teaching your children the value of money, “In early childhood, you lay the foundation of poverty or riches, in the habits you give your children. Teach them to save everything, — not for their own use, for that would make them selfish — but for some use. Teach them to share everything with their playmates; but never allow them to destroy anything.”

I could easily quote the majority of the book, and tell you how fitting it is to current events, and the movement towards self-sufficiency.  Granted, Child does offer up many household solutions and recipes that I will likely never require, such as how to wax cheese (though you never know, that may come in handy at some point), or what kind of straw works best for stuffing a mattress, however, there are many of her tips that are still valid today.  In Child’s section of the book entitled, “General Maxims for Health,” she asserts, “Rise early. Eat simple food. Take plenty of exercise.  Never fear a little fatigue.” A sound maxim for life, and one entirely as true today as it was in her time.

This book is entirely worth the time spent reading it, if not only to glean some advice from days gone by, but to also relish in the fact that we aren’t forced to worry about how to cook calf’s head so as not to waste it.

DIY Dish Cloth - Crochet Pattern

Dish cloths themselves are not a huge investment, but when you're trying to minimize your debts every dollar counts.  So when I found myself in need of new dish cloths, rather than buying commercially made cloths, I decided to try my hand at making my own.  I wanted something that was easily washable, and thick enough to withstand heavy use. 

While sifting through my sewing/craft room, I came upon some cotton yarn and was inspired.  A dish cloth need not be anything fancy, and I was quite certain that I could craft one from this cotton yarn that would meet our needs.  Seriously, a dish cloth is nothing more than a simple square of fabric, in this case, a crocheted square of fabric.

To make this dish cloth, I used cotton yarn, and a size H crochet hook.

To begin, ch 37.

Hdc in 3rd ch from hook, and in each remaining ch to end. Ch 2, turn.

*Hdc in each stitch. Ch 2, turn. Repeat from * until dish cloth is desired size.

In the one pictured above, I simply worked in the ends, and called it finished.  If you want a more finished edge, you could sc around the outside, working 3 sc in each corner.  It all depends on what your preference is, for my own personal use, I didn't see a need for the additional step, but if I were going to be giving them to someone else I would take the extra few minutes to do a finished edge.

We have been using these dish cloths for a couple of months now, and they have worked perfectly! They are just the right size, and have held up to daily use, and washing. Go ahead, give it a try!

GardenMats - An Update

Do you remember my post about GardenMats? Well, I thought I should take a minute and update you about how our garden is doing this year.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature hasn't provided us the optimum gardening weather this year, but we've still managed to keep our plants alive. With the help of the GardenMats, weeding has been much less daunting, and also has the advantage of keeping our vegetables from sitting in the dirt as they are growing/forming.

So far, we are very happy with the performance of the GardenMats, and have no complaints. They have continued to perform exactly as they were described to by the company. I'm certain that they will continue to be a mainstay in our gardening adventures for years to come.

What To Do With All That Rhubarb?

I came to the sudden realization today, that I haven't done anything with the rhubarb growing in our backyard yet this year!  We've only been growing it for the past couple of years, and my rhubarb recipes to date have been limited to ONE.  Unfortunately, our rhubarb stalks were quite spindly this year, but that didn't stop me from trying out a new recipe!  I wish I had taken a picture of the end result, but by the time I thought of it, the confection had been reduced to mere crumbs by my family.

Alas, here's the recipe that we tried, and LOVED!

Rhubarb Bars

Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter

Filling:

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

Procedure:
Combine flour & powdered sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of a greased 11-inch x 7-inch x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. For filling, combine first four ingredients. Stir in rhubarb; pour over warm crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm if desired. Store in refrigerator.


My family LOVED this recipe!

Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter, and Simplify - A Review

Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Decluttter, and Simplify (Kindle e-book)
By: Francine Jay

Amazon price: $0.99 (or free using the Prime Lending Library)

This e-book is a compilation of 50 blog articles written by Francine Jay, blog author of Miss Minimalist. 

While I’m not a minimalist to the extent of the author of these articles, I am interested in simplifying and decluttering my life and home.  When I saw that this e-book had good reviews, and I was able to download it for free using the Prime Lending Library on Amazon, I figured I had nothing to lose by reading it.  I was right!

The articles are clearly written, and while some have over lapping information, they all read well as stand alone articles.  The articles cover a wide range of topics, from why and how the author chose to be a minimalist, to downsizing your wardrobe, to minimalist gift giving.  The e-book itself was an entertaining, and easy read, and the information was presented in a clear and concise manner.

I personally have no desire to establish a minimalist life-style equitable to that of Ms. Jay, however there were a number of insights that I did glean from this e-book.  The most insightful of which was Ms. Jay’s mention of removing one item of clutter a day from your home for a year.  This was the inspiration behind my 365 Day Declutter Challenge.  Other rays of inspiration revolved more around mindset; keeping things in your life that have purpose, or multiple purposes, and not hanging on to things merely because they have some sort of intrinsic sentimental value to you.  This is something that I personally struggle with, I have a hard time letting go of things that have sentimental value to me, but do I really need to keep all the cards that we were given for our wedding, or baby showers?  Do they really have any value to me if I keep them wrapped up in a drawer?  Is there any real reason to keep them, other than the fact that I can’t bring myself to part with them?

There are many ideas in this e-book that can be implemented in anyone’s life to some extent.  While you don’t have to purge your home of everything, and live in an empty shell, there are likely many things in your life that you have, or do, that you don’t need to.  This e-book is a great start to spark your desires to simplify, and I highly recommend it.

Unpaper Towels - A Tutorial

A few months ago I made the announcement to my husband that I would no longer be purchasing paper towels, and that the roll of paper towels sitting on our kitchen counter-top would be the last paper towels in our home.  He looked at me in confusion, and skepticism, quite probably wondering why I was suddenly waging war against the paper towels, but he didn't argue with me.  Unfortunately, I don't recall precise date in which I made my declaration, though I know for certain that it's been at least six months since we have had paper towels in our home, and I have yet to have one of those moments in which I said, "I wish I had a paper towel!"

The decision to banish paper towels from our home was based on a number of factors, the foremost being cost.  Let's do some quick and simple math:  If your household goes through two rolls of paper towels a week, and you pay $1 per roll, over the course of the year that's $104 spent on paper towels alone!  I know I can think of far better uses for that $104/year than buying paper towels!! Other factors included the fact that it would decrease the amount of trash that we have each week, and that it is simply more eco-friendly to use a reusable item rather than a disposable one.

So what do we use in place of paper towels?  We use Unpaper Towels!!  Okay, so honestly, they're just glorified rags, but they serve a specific purpose, and thusly need a name.  If you're unable to make your own as shown below, you could always use old washcloths or rags to serve similarly.

Unpaper Towel Tutorial

My Unpaper Towels began their lives as a bath towel, and a pair of flannel pajama pants.  The towel was getting rather frayed, and the pajamas had ripped and were no longer wearable.  I like the absorbency of the terry cloth, and the additional bulk of the flannel, but you really could use just about any scrap fabric that you have laying around.

To begin, I made a template out of a piece of newsprint.  My template measured 10.5" x 10.5".  With a 1/4" seam allowance this would result in an Unpaper Towel that was roughly 10" x 10".  You could make them larger or smaller, depending on your preference. 

For the flannel pieces, I began but cutting off all the seams from the pants, as closely as possible to the stitching so that I would have the largest pieces of flat fabric that the pants would yield.  The thin strips from the seams, I put into my waste pile (and later used to stuff my daughter's Tooth Fairy Pillow), and the elastic waistband went into my scrap bin.

Step 1: Pin the paper template to the fabric.  Trim the fabric so that it is the same size as your paper template.

To make things easier, I cut the towel along the decorative edge, so I was left with a rectangle of terry cloth without the fancy stitchery. (See below)

Step 2: Repeat Step 1 with your terry cloth piece.  When you're finished, you should have two pieces of fabric that are the same size.

I was able to get six 10.5" x 10.5" pieces out of each of my fabrics.

I only had small scraps of each remaining.  I added these scraps to my box of random scraps, you never know when they may come in handy.

Step 3:  Place your fabric wrong sides together, and using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch down the first edge.

Showing that the wrong sides are together.

Step 4: When you reach the corner of the fabric on the first side, lift your presser foot, and turn the fabric at a 90 degree angle, and continue stitching down the next side.  Repeat once more so that you have three sides fully seamed.

Step 5:  Continue stitching the last side as in Step 4, but leave a few inches of the fourth side unsewn (for turning right side out). Remember to back-stitch to secure the end of the seam.  Remove your Unpaper Towel from the sewing machine.

Step 6: Turn the cloth right side out, by pulling through the opening left in Step 5.

Your Unpaper Towel should now look like this.

Step 7:  Tuck 1/4" of fabric in the unsewn hole back into the hole along the edge of the fabric.

Step 8:  Keeping the edge still tucked, place it under your presser foot, and begin stitching using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 9:  Continue top-stitching down the edge of the fabric to the corner.

Step 10:  In the same manner as in Step 4, when you reach the corner of the fabric, lift the presser foot, turn the fabric 90 degrees, and continue stitching down the next side.  Repeat until all four sides are top-stitched.

Step 11 (Optional - I did this to keep the fabric pieces held together more):  When you reach the corner that you began with, turn the fabric 45 degrees, and stitch across the diagonal of the cloth to the opposite corner.

You should now have an Unpaper Towel that looks like this!! 

Step 12:  Find a place in your kitchen where they will be easily reachable, and display proudly!

What our vacation taught me...

For the past ten days, my family (my husband and I, our two children, my mother-in-law, and my father-in-law) have been vacationing in my in-laws' camp in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Our family is very fortunate to have this camp as a vacation destination, and my husband and I feel quite blessed that his parents are so willing to share it with us.

The camp itself, is a quaint little building made up of an open living/dining/kitchen area, and has three small bedrooms. Due to the fact that the camp is so small, it's sparsely furnished, housing just the bare necessities.

The picture above is taken from one corner of the camp, showing the living/dining area, and the tiny kitchen.

This photo is taken from one corner of the bedroom that my husband and I share with our two year old son.

So, what was it that I learned from this vacation? Despite having vacationed here countless times in the past, the reality of the situation never really hit me until this past week. There we were six people (four adults and two children), living in this tiny little house, without many of the luxuries that we take for granted at home. No washing machine, no dryer, no air conditioning. My children have a small box of toys at camp, compared to the rooms filled with toys that they have at home. Yet, even without all of those luxuries we function, we live, and best of all... we have a great time. It made me realize how unnecessary so many of the things in our lives really are.

While we were there, my five year old daughter lost her first tooth! A momentous occasion in her life, and one that will be even more memorable to her because we were at camp, and entirely focused on each other. It didn't take fancy toys, or electronic gadgets, to bring about the complete joy on her face when that tooth came out! The tooth fairy didn't care that she was sleeping in a tiny bedroom, she still came to whisk away that first tooth!

Our two year old son, made great strides in potty training while we were there. A feat that had seemed so unobtainable the week before we left for our vacation. The pride he took in using the potty like a big boy, and watching my baby grow into a young man in the course of that week was worth more to me than any gizmo or gadget.

I felt instantly enlightened by the realization that it really is the simple things in life that make it worth living. Watching my children grow, celebrating their milestones, and being together as a family for all of it. It made me realize that even though I've been making these steps towards minimizing the unnecessary from our lives, I still have a long way to go. We don't need "stuff", we have a beautiful family that is far more important than anything else in this world. My children are my everything, and I want them to fully feel that.

After spending the past few days pondering all of this, thinking about the simple pleasures, and all of the fun and exciting things that transpired in that tiny house in the middle of nowhere, I'm even more encouraged to purge the unneeded from our home, and from our life. Simplify what we have, and keep only that which is really important.

Free Curtains

Letting friends and coworkers know about your hobbies can be advantageous.  I had mentioned a recent sewing project to a coworker, and it turned out that she had a bunch of fabric that she was looking to rehome.  She asked me if I was interested, and I wholeheartedly said, "Yes!"  So far she has brought me multiple boxes of fabric!!

In one of the boxes was this large piece of drapery fabric.  I didn't immediately know what I was going to do with it, but after a couple of weeks the need for this fabric became very clear.

We have been working on finishing our mudroom (slowly over the course of the past three years), and it came to completion last week!  Unfortunately, the fabric that I had set aside to be the curtains for this room was not quite long enough. I remembered seeing the fabric pictured above while I was sifting through the boxes that were given to me, and inspiration struck!

Armed with the donated fabric, a pair of scissors, some black thread, and my sewing machine, I set to work.  Straight valances are, by far, one of the easiest sewing projects.  If you can cut and sew in a relatively straight line, you can sew a valance.

The valance above was made from a strip of fabric cut 24 inches in length (I kept the width from selvage to selvage). I made a quarter inch rolled hem on all four sides, then folded the top down three inches, and seamed along the bottom of the folded edge (creating a three inch pocket on the top of the valance. I then measured down one inch from the top of the fold and made another seam all the way across. This created a "ruffle" along the top, and a smaller pocket to feed the curtain rod through. Each valance took less than 20 minutes, including measuring, cutting, and sewing!

Hidden Edibles

We have various food producing plants scattered around our yard, tucked in flower beds, or serving as their own yard art.  The chives pictured above are cozied up in a corner of a flower bed behind our house.  The rhubarb below has its own stone walled garden bed, and lives on the wood line of our back yard.

For Mother's Day this year my daughter gave me a single strawberry plant (as well as a bunch of annuals for one of the flower barrels), being the only strawberry plant that I have, it lives in the corner of yet another flower bed.

Another not-so-hidden edible plant that we have is peppermint.  I didn't take a picture of it, because the peppermint makes me angry.   Don't get me wrong, I love the smell of peppermint, it's a pretty plant, but it spreads like crazy.  A few years ago we had ants that were making their way into our house, so I sought out remedies to keep the little buggers from coming inside.  One of the suggestions that I read was to plant peppermint around the foundation of the house.  So I bought two measly little peppermint plants.  I planted them in the flower beds in front of our house, and didn't think much of it after that.  No one warned this novice gardner that peppermint is a self propogating nightmare!!  I have plucked more peppermint from those two flower beds than I care to admit!  Lesson learned, if you're going to grow peppermint, a potted plant is more ideal.  At least it has seemingly deterred the ants though!!

GardenMats - Ease the pain of weeding!

                          

We love fresh vegetables, we love growing our own vegetables, but we hate weeding!!! Ugh! To help combat the weeds this year we purchased GardenMats.  GardenMats boast claims that they drastically reduce the amount of weeding necessary to maintain a healthy garden.  The mats come in various lengths, and with holes sized for the plants that you intend to grow, and are said to last at least ten years!  Most importantly, for us, GardenMats are proven to grow 100% organic vegetables with no fear of chemicals leeching from the mats into the soils where the plants are growing!

The initial calculations were a little daunting, merely because we had to decide what we were going to plant, how many of each plant we wanted, and which mats would then need to accomodate our plans.  We were forunate in the fact that GardenMats are produced locally, and we were able to go to their place of business and buy them directly from the source.  GardenMats can also be purchased via their website, with a nominal shipping charge. 

Set up was easy!  We simply rolled out the GardenMats over our tilled garden soil, and staked them into the ground.  We made sure that each mat abutted the next to inhibit weed growth between the mats and rows of plants.  We then planted the seeds in the holes, following seed depth recommendations on the packages, and planted our pre-established plants in their designated holes. 

The growing season here in Vermont is still in the early stages, since gardeners typically don't plant their garden crops until after Memorial Day to avoid the fear of frost.  In the picture above, our garden is about two weeks old.  As you can see, there are no weeds coming up through the GardenMats!!  The few weeds that we do have are in the exposed holes, and easily recognizable from the growing crops that we planted. 

It has only been a couple of weeks since installation, but so far we're very happy with the results.  GardenMats does offer a refund of your purchase if you aren't happy with the mats after two years of use.  Thus far, I highly doubt we'll be taking them up on their refund option, as it has already greatly reduced the amount of weeding that we would typically have done at this point. 

I'll continue to update on the progress of our garden, and our opinions of the GardenMats as the season progresses.

**I am in no way affiliated with GardenMats.  This is simple a review of our experiences with the product.**

Treasured Trash

One of our true steps towards self-sufficiency has been our garden.  Slowly over the course of the past few years we have been expanding our garden site, as well as diversifying the variety of vegetables that we grow.  Each year we have been buying organic material to boost the garden soil, since the soils around our house are very sandy.  This year we have decided to take things one step further, and we started a compost pile.

This bowl sits on our kitchen counter and collects our food scraps (except meat and dairy).  Banana peels, onion skins, broccoli stems, egg shells, virtually any and all scraps go into this bowl.  When the bowl gets full, we send our unofficial "compost girl" out into the backyard where she then empties the bowl onto our compost pile.  It's the perfect job for my five year old!!!

Our compost pile isn't anything fancy, just a heap of dirt, leaves, and kitchen waste.  Once every couple of weeks we go out with a shovel and stir things up a bit.  I've been surprised by how quickly our little pile is growing, and how much kitchen waste we had previously been throwing in the trash. 

Once the compost has matured (either this fall, or next spring) we'll then till it into our garden bed to help build up the fertility of the soil, turning our kitchen trash into fertilizing treasure!

Cost Minimizing Baby Steps - Laundry

Laundry is one of those necessary evils, but there are ways to cut down on the cost of this task.  Over the course of the last few years, I've slowly added the following cost-saving methods to my laundry protocol.  While some of it does require more man power and time, it also yields sizeable cost savings over the course of a year.

Line Drying Clothes: Armed with a set of hand-me-down clothes drying racks, I began drying our laundry by hanging clothes inside rather than using the dryer.  While it was more work, and the clothes didn’t dry as fast as they do in the dryer, this simple act cut $20/month off of our electric bill.  For Christmas a few years ago, I was given an outdoor clothesline.  During warmer months (typically April-November), our laundry gets hung outside to dry. In my mind, nothing beats the fresh smell of laundry that has been dried in the fresh air and sunshine.

Vinegar as a Rinse Agent: When my daughter was an infant, we used cloth diapers.  If you’ve never used cloth diapers, you may not be aware of the laundry regimen involved.  There are specific ways to wash cloth diapers to make them last longer, and avoid getting smelly.  One of those tricks is to use white vinegar in place of fabric softener.  I was hesitant at first, because I can’t stand the smell of vinegar, but since it was recommended I gave it a try.  I was amazed at how well it worked with the diapers, and began using it with all of my laundry.  The vinegar smell fully dissipates, and clothes are left smelling fresh. For about $3 I can buy a gallon of white vinegar that lasts me for a couple of months, which is far cheaper than purchasing fabric softener.

Wash in Cold Water: With certain exceptions (whites, towels, and bed linens), all of our laundry is washed and rinsed in cold water.  For sanitary purposes, the above mentioned exceptions still get washed in hot water. 

Homemade Laundry Detergent:  For a small upfront investment, the cost savings overtime of making your own laundry detergent can be huge!  The recipe that I use for laundry detergent is listed below.  Each batch yields about 2 gallons of detergent.  I simply saved some old laundry detergent containers, and reused them for my homemade detergent.  A box of Washing Soda costs about $10.  A box of Borax costs about $10.  A bar of Fels Naptha costs about $2.  In the two years that I’ve been making my own detergent, I’m still using the same boxes of Washing Soda and Borax! 

Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated) – I use Fels Naptha

• In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
• In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
• Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring before each use (will gel).

While the Fels Naptha does give the detergent a nice clean scent, if you prefer a stronger smell you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the mix before adding water.

A Pretty Little Dress

Keeping my daughter clothed has become a challenge as she’s been going through numerous growth spurts lately.  Currently, she’s in rather desperate need of summer clothes.  I hesitate to buy an entire wardrobe for her because it’s costly, and the way she’s growing lately she’ll have outgrown them in the next week!!  So for now, she has the requisite shorts and t-shirts for summer wear, but not much else. 

For my birthday, in March, my husband’s grandmother was gracious enough to give me a gift card to a local fabric store.  This gift card has been sitting on my nightstand since then, dying for me to use it.  I didn’t have any particular projects in mind, but I had an afternoon to myself so I went shopping.  While I was in the fabric store, I saw this patterned cotton, and it SCREAMED at me to be made into a dress for my daughter.  Since I’m not one to deny the wishes of screaming fabric, I brought it home with me.  The fabric retails for $9.99/yard.  While it wasn’t the most inexpensive yard of fabric, I was shopping with a gift card, and had a 40% off coupon, combined, this made it a much more palatable purchase at $5.99/yard.

 

Armed with a vision, and my sewing machine, I set to work.  After two hours of very interrupted sewing (answering the never ending call of “MOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!”), this was the end result. 

I was quite proud of the final product, and for $5.99 my daughter has a brand new dress, and I have enough fabric left over to make her a matching headband, and a matching dress for her doll. 

This similar dress retails at $40.

Overall, for $5.99 (but free to me because I used my gift card) and a little bit of time spent in my sewing room, I’m calling it a success!