Product review - Jamberry Nails

My niece had an in-home party for a product I'd never heard of. Jamberry Nails After a quick check on Google, I was interested.

Here's my final result.

Jamberry are nail "decals" that put fun designs on your nails.  I've tried other brands such as Sally Hansen and I wasn't particularly thrilled with them.  They were a pain to put on and they didn't last long.

These have a 30 day money back guarantee, so I took a flyer on it, and heck, it was for my niece.  Love that girl!

They come 18 on a sheet, and unless you have really long nails, one decal is enough to cover two nails. Here's what I used to do 10 nails.

Like the other brand, they are a pain to apply.  Took me about half an hour to do 10 nails.  Then again, when I paint my nails, it takes me much longer than that, so.....

I like to do fun designs on my nails and I change them pretty much weekly.  The wide variety of designs available intrigued me and I really like the detail that I couldn't possibly do on my own.  This style is called "Vacay."  I did then since it's summer and July 4th is Friday.  They seemed rather appropriate.

They do also carry styles or designs you're not going to get elsewhere, such as collegiate and sorority.  There are also matching Mommy & Me styles for you and the little girl in your life.

Price wise they come in about the same as the drug store brands.  Since I can get at least two uses out of these, more if I'm doing my toes, the set of $15 for Jamberry comes in pretty much dollar for dollar with the drug store cost of $6 - $8 for one set to do 10 nails.

One thing I did find out as I was going was to heat them as long as you can.  The application instructions say 3-5 seconds, but when I heated them for 7 - 10 seconds they went on easier.  The ones that weren't heated as long have more wrinkles in them.  However, with the design I used, you can't really see the wrinkles.  And as with most things, using your non dominant hand to apply them is harder.  If you can have someone help you, it would probably go much easier.

So, the jury is out to see how long they last.  I didn't top coat or anything and the instructions didn't tell me to, so I'm going as is.

Small Business Spotlight - Allechant Boutique

Sorry for the gap in posting  I took an actual vacation with my husband and daughter.

Today's small business is one of my favorites.  Allechant Boutique in Plymouth, WI.  This is a boutique store with reasonable prices.  Most everything in the store is under $100.

This is a fun shop with scarves, jewelry, clothing, purses, vintage jewelry and vintage clothing as well.  My daughter calls it "the fancy shop" and she always finds something she likes there.  I took my husband to the store one day, and he was surprised.  They carry a lot of items that he didn't expect.

This is my go-to shop for gifts.  I can always find something unique.

You can shop via their new website.  It's a work in progress right now, but if you see something you like and you're looking for a similar item or a different color, just give them a call.  The number is in the photo above.  You can also find them on Facebook.  You will find photos of many of the items they carry.  Again, if you can't find something, give them a call.

If you, or the gift recipient, is a plus size, not to worry.  Allechant has you covered.  There is a great selection of plus sized items as well.  The smaller sizes work well for teens, as well as the jewelry, scarves and other accessories.

Check out Allechant for gifts for the ladies on your list, or treat yourself to something wonderful.  You're worth it.  If you stop in the store, don't forget to sign up for the free drawings they have, and sign up for text alerts for sales.

Small business spotlight - Etsy

Continuing with our small business theme... Let me introduce you to Etsy if you're not familiar with it.

I call it the E-Bay of crafters.  Etsy itself is not a small business, but it is a collection of small businesses.  Etsy consists of individually owned shops.  The shops sell things from clothing to jewelry to vintage items, to just about anything you can think of.  Many of the shop owners don't have a brick and mortar store.  They work from their homes.  It is the epitome of small business.

Here is an example. This my shop.  I have mostly sewn and knit items.  If you are a crafter, you can find patterns for various things as well.

One of my favorite shops is Sky Feathers Trading.  They sell beautifully hand crafted Native American items.  Many of the items can be customized.  I bought an amazing hand painted feather when our pastor left to go on to a new job.  The painting was customized for the journey she had already been on, as well as where her life was taking her.  It turned out beautifully.

These are some samples of the feathers.

In case you think you can't find anything for someone on your list, let me challenge you.  My father-in-law is one of the hardest people to shop for.  However, he loves Silverton, Colorado. I did a quick search on Silverton.  I found a wide variety of things, and one thing in particular that I think he'll love.  If he's reading this, no... I'm not going to disclose what it is.

Check it out and support these home based businesses.  They'll be happy to help you out.  Many stores have the ability to custom make gifts for you as well.

Small Business Spotlight - Olivu 426

Our family is doing something different this year.  We are going to make a point of shopping small businesses for our Christmas gifts.  Yes, it's easier to shop the big box stores, and online, but I have met some amazing people, who own great businesses and we want to  support them.  I'll be spotlighting various small businesses over the next few weeks.  Below is our first business.

I met an amazing young woman at a business meeting.  (She's just 30 years old and to me that's young.)  Her name is Caitlin and she owns Olivu 426.  She sells all natural beauty care and body care products, but here's the kicker.... they're AFFORDABLE! Her most popular product is an anti-aging oil, and it sells for a mere $12.  Bet you can't find that in a big box store.  

While Olivu 426 may be a small business, this is a woman with big ideas, and she's not afraid to share them.  She has an amazing presence when you meet her, a warm smile and a great sense of humor.  

If you live in the area, I encourage you to get to her shop in Sheboygan, WI.  You will find a warm welcome and fabulous products.  If you're from out of town, you're in luck.  Olivu 426 has a fabulous website and you can order online.  

There is something for everyone on your Christmas list. From the smallest to the tallest, you can find something in your budget.  Start with Caitlin's first product; an all natural lip balm, just $3.  There are gift baskets and stocking stuffers, men's products, baby products, and products for every lady on your list.  

If you see something you like, but want a different scent, or for many people, no scent at all, just let them know.  They custom make products, and one of the things you can do if you go into the store, is make your own products.  They even host parties where you can make your own products.  The parties aren't just for adults. What little girl wouldn't love to have a party where she and her friends can make their own beauty products, and you can feel good knowing that they're not filled with chemicals and preservatives.

Being the wonderful woman that she is, Caitlin is offering a discount for readers of the blog.  Use the code HALFBAKEDLIFE and get 10% off your order until December 1st.  

I also happen to know that Olivu 426 will have some great sales for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.  Be sure to check them out!!  I was lucky to get some of the deals at the meeting we attended. I promise, you'll like them.

Breast Cancer Awareness Give Away

Unless you're living under a rock, you know that October is breast cancer awareness month.  There is pink everywhere.  I'm sure you know someone who has been affected by breast cancer.  It's very personal for me.

In 1998 I lost one of the greatest women I've ever known to breast cancer.  My Aunt Lin died when she was just a few years younger than I am now.  Far too young.  She was a mother to 4, a step-mother to 3, a sister, a daughter, an aunt and a wife.  Many people miss her.  My children never got to meet her and she never got to meet her grandchildren.

I also have many friends who have fought the battle, and won, and a courageous young woman who had genetic testing, discovered that her odds of developing breast cancer were astronomical, and she voluntarily had a double mastectomy before the cancer hit.  They are all courageous women!

Cancer hit us again a few years ago when our former pastor, and dear friend, was diagnosed at the age of 40.  Her daughter and my daughter were the same age, so the reality of cancer struck my daughter.  She watched our friend, and one of her best friend's mother, going through this horrible disease.  It was hard for her to watch and we spent a lot of talking about what happens.

In honor of all these women, but especially my Aunt Lin, I am doing a give away.

I like to sew and knit and run an Etsy shop.  I made this apron, and it is only available on the give away.

The main fabric has the words faith, hope, love and charity throughout.  The pocket, band and ties are the pink ribbon material.

This is a one size fits most.  I am a size 14/16, and as you can see, it fits me fine, and there is plenty of room in the ties to expand it.  If you're smaller, you can wrap the ties around.

It's cotton material, so it is washable and dryable.

This give away is open to everyone of any age, and there are many ways to enter.

Comment and tell me how breast cancer has affected your life.
Comment and tell me you're a survivor (YAY!) and get 2 entries.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, via e-mail, on your own blog - comment and tell me where/how you shared it and get an entry for each method you shared.
Comment and tell me what month you had your mammogram.
If you haven't had your mammogram, get on the phone and get it scheduled!!  Then comment and tell me when it's scheduled.
Comment and tell me where you did a breast cancer walk.
Comment with your favorite breast cancer saying - "Save the TaTas" and so on.

Yes, this means you can have multiple entries.  One for each comment!!

The whole purpose of this is to spread the word.  I had my mammogram earlier this month and everything is fine.  (Thank you God!!)  Yes, it's not the most comfortable, but the whole thing takes 15 minutes and can save your life.

Have a conversation with your friends and family.  Pester them if you have to. Let's not let this just be a month where we wear pink.  It's not about a fashion statement.  It's about screening and being healthy.  It's about being proactive.

That being said, my Aunt Lin would hate this apron.  She was not a pink girl at all and she wasn't about  "advertising" that she had cancer.  She wasn't frilly at all.  She was a hard working, strong and loving woman, and I wonder how different our lives and family would be if she were still here.  So, I want to do this in her honor, and hopefully help a woman get screening that she might otherwise put off.  Please get checked.

Drawing will run through October 31st.

Meals on a budget

I went grocery shopping today for the next 2 weeks. I spent $106.  Here are my purchases.

As you can see, there is produce, meats and pasta.  Being frugal does not mean you have to eat junk.  In fact, I am renewing my commitment to get healthy, so health was a large decision in my shopping.

If you know me, or follow this blog, you know I despise grocery shopping and cooking.  The nearest grocery store is 15 miles away, so I must plan meals.  There is no quick running for a missing ingredient.  I have ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner here.

This is our menu for the next couple of weeks.  Maybe a little bit longer because there will be leftovers.

One of my keys, which I have blogged about before, is my slow cooker.  Several of my meals will be bagged up to go in the slow cooker.  But I do all the prep in one day, so my cooking time is minimal each night.  In fact, I set up that my husband can actually have dinner on the table when I get home.

Right now my slow cooker is working with a whole chicken.  Part of it will be used in salads for me for lunch.  The rest will go in

Moroccan Couscous Salad - I am not a fan of chick peas, so I take them out and put in chicken instead to keep my protein.  I also change out the raisins for dried cranberries.  I like the tart taste with the chicken.

Chili - Fall is approaching and that means chili around here.  The recipe is not hard.  1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 1 6 oz can tomato paste a can of kidney beans and some ground meat.  I use ground turkey for the health benefits, but you can use whatever you want.  In our area, we are known for putting pasta in our chili.  Try it some time.  It's quite good.  This is all bagged up and will go in the slow cooker.  A nice slow cooker all day brings the flavors together.

Spaghetti-  Since I made the ground turkey for the chili, I made all of my ground meat at one time.  I bagged the cooked meat with the spaghetti sauce.  It just needs to be thawed and combined with the hot cooked pasta.  Add a salad and we're ready to go.

Pork chop, veggie and rice bowls- This recipe is just for a veggie and rice bowl, but my husband doesn't do vegetarian, and I struggle with keeping my protein up, so I'm adding pork chops to this.  The boneless chops were the cheapest this week, so that's what we got. They will go in the slow cooker with a little bit of apple cider vinegar and some soy sauce.  This will tenderize them enough to be stirred into the rice and veggies and just break apart. The soy sauce will work well with the rice.  I use a quick cooking brown rice, again for the health aspect.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak - My husband is a beef man.  This recipe works for him.  I bought a bag of mini peppers.  They were around $3.  If you have ever tried to buy colored peppers, you know they are expensive.  This bag of peppers is affordable and has enough for this dish and the couscous salad above, plus a few left over to top a salad.  Served over rice, this is a meal in itself.

Chicken Alfredo - This is often requested at home and it's a quick dish.  I know jarred Alfredo sauce is loaded with fat, but I don't have time to make it from scratch.  What I do is buy a small jar, and add one half to a full jar of skim milk to it.  It stretches the sauce, and reduces the calories because you're not getting as much sauce.  I cooked a 3 pound bag of chicken breast.  Some of it is diced for this dish, and the rest will be used in another dish to come.  Cook the pasta of your choice, and steam some broccoli.  Mix together and you're good to go.

Chubby Chicken and Cream Cheese Taquitos - My husband loves "messy food" so this one is for him.  This is where the rest of the chicken breast will go.  It has spinach in it, so it helps with the veggies, and it will use low fat cream cheese.  Again, add a salad and we're good to go.

Fish tacos - I eat these when I go out to lunch with my friends from work. I love them and our daughter loves fish, but hubby, not so much.  I have tilapia in the freezer so we're using that and we have fresh veggies from my trip to the farmer's market.  Tortillas will be used for this and the taquitos.  I bought an extra package, which I'll explain in the breakfasts.  Corn tortillas make this a great gluten free meal.

Grilled Kielbasa and Pesto Penne - I cooked this tonight and put it in a bag.  It will just need to be reheated.  We're going to have Roasted Okra along with this.

There's one recipe that's going to be an experiment to see if it goes over.  Hopefully my husband has quit reading by now and doesn't see this.  It's Pasta with Eggplant Sauce.  I bought an eggplant at the farmer's market, so I'm trying this.  I like eggplant, the child has never eaten it and hubby says he hates it.  I'm wondering if he'll notice it in this sauce.  It's loaded with veggies and when I add a salad, even more veggies.

OK, that's the dinners. Yes, this is from the $106 that I spent, and I still have more to go.

For lunches I can eat things that I know my husband won't eat.

A great fall lunch is a Stuffed Acorn Squash, which also happens to be gluten free.  I made the ground turkey for this when I made the rest for my dinner dishes.  

I found this Tuna and Asparagus Salad.  It calls for being made in a bread bowl, but I'm just doing it as a salad.  Who needs the extra carbs?

We have a toaster oven at work so this Baked Avocado Dish is a quick lunch.  I also got some artichokes to add to this.

And my dinner tonight after a couple of hours in the kitchen is a grown up version of grilled cheese.  It's a Tomato, Avocado and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese.  Here I'm using up the leftover avocado from the recipe above.

I'm still on the same $106.  And remember, I have leftover chicken to make salads or sandwiches.  And I can have leftovers from other meals for lunches.  I did buy 2 frozen dinners in case I run out of stuff, but that's still in my $106.

Now for breakfast.  You may have noticed that I bought fresh berries.  I also have a couple of bags of pears from a friend that had an abundance.

I have the extra tortillas and some English Muffins.  I'll put peanut butter and fresh berries on the English Muffins, or rolled up in the tortillas.

I can also roll up the tortillas with peanut butter and some of the pears, thinly sliced and some granola.

I also have a quick breakfast from my childhood.  My grandparents had a farm so we grew up with fresh dairy products.  One of my grandfather's things was to put sliced cheese on buttered toast.  Very simple, but very good. You don't melt the cheese.  Try it sometime.  I'll eat it on the English Muffins.

And all this on $106.  

Whole chicken in a slow cooker

One of the easiest, and most economical, things is to cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker.  There really isn't a fancy recipe.  Buy a whole chicken, add the seasoning of your choice, about half a cup of stock/broth, plop the top on and away you go.  8 hours on low will produce a juicy chicken that falls apart.

My favorite seasoning is from Costco.  It's an organic no-salt seasoning.  It has a bunch of different spices in it and works in everything.  I just sprinkle some of that on top.  If you don't have a Costco nearby or don't want to get a membership, you can order it on Amazon as well.

You can serve the chicken for dinner, or I use it for various meals.  It works perfect on salads, mixed with rice and vegetables, or one of my favorites, a Moroccan Couscous Salad.  I've changed up the ingredients using whatever happens to be in the pantry.  I throw in chicken breasts and it makes a full meal.

You can use the chicken in soup, sandwiches, kids meals.  All kinds of things.

Experiment with different seasonings and see what you like.

Freebies, Extreme Couponing and Helping Others

I've been very absent lately.  I started a new job in March and many other things in life have had me very busy.  But back to posting....

If you do couponing, or participate in rewards cards offers, you probably get free items.  What do you do with them?

We donate them to homeless shelters or abuse shelters.  We keep a paper bag that we drop our freebies or samples in.  Once a year we donate them to a shelter.

This is the start of our donations.  

If you read my blog, you know that I shop at Ulta and get free gifts.  I don't need the free gifts, so I throw them in the bag.  There is toothpaste, razors, make up cases and various other things.  

I also use Facebook and other sites to sign up for free items or samples. Anything we don't need goes in the bag.

If we are using coupons and getting free items, anything that is more than what our family needs goes into the bag.  

Shelters can always use personal hygiene items, and these items often end up being free with coupons if you're really watching your coupons. 

So, instead of amassing a massive stock pile that will take you years to use, how about giving some things to people who are truly in need?  I assure you every donation we have given has been greatly appreciated.  

Frugal Living - Back to school sale

The kiddos are back in school.  Anyone else doing the happy dance?

So why would I recommend a back to school sale after the kids are in school?  I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I know how to find a bargain.

Yep, that big word - SALE!  Now is the time to pick up office supplies, sheets, towels, lamps, rugs and many other things.

The things that didn't sell for the college kids are all priced down now.  Some of the things may not be the colors you want, such as sheets and towels, but you may be able to find what you're looking for, or something you can compromise on.  It's also a great time to pick up things for the kids or snag deals for next year.

I had to go to Walmart yesterday to pick up some standard things and the back to school supplies are right at the front of the store.  You have to walk past them to get to virtually anything else.  I saw many things already marked down.  Stock up on notebooks, pens, pencils, and whatever office or school supplies you may use throughout the year.

I saw sheets for $7 - $15 a set and comforters for around $20, some even less.  Stores would rather sell it than store it, so you might as well get the bargain while you can!

Frugal Living - Sewing

I haven't sewn in awhile, but a recent visit with my friends Nancy and Katrina renewed my love of sewing.

I sewed for several years and then kids came along and my sewing slowed down.  I haven sewn for all the kids that were in my house at one time or another.

Fast forward to about a month ago.  While visiting Nancy we hit a fabric story.  Nancy and Katrina are masters at sewing and I can manage most stitches.  We were lost in a world of beautiful fabrics and tons of patterns.  I have a tween daughter is a little fashionista....with very expensive taste.

However, she has taken to sewing like a duck to water.

This was her first outfit.  Does she look a little proud?  That dress cost a whopping $5.  That includes the fabric and the pattern.  The fabric was on clearance for $3.50 a yard and we only needed a yard and the pattern was $1.

Patterns are where you need to watch your cost.  They can run $12 or more, unless...unless...you get them on sale.  If you have a fabric store near you, get on their preferred mailing list.  They will often send you coupons that you can use, but you will also get sale flyers regularly.  Usually one brand or another is on sale.  At the time I bought this pattern, Butterick was on sale.  This past week, Simplicity was on sale.  Some Wal-Mart stores carry fabric and patterns, but you have to look carefully.

Some things you don't even need a pattern for.

This beautiful piece of fabric came with the smocking already done and the bottom was hemmed. I simply had to measure around my daughter's body to see how much I needed.  These types of fabrics do run a bit more, but there is little work and great for a beginning sewer.  It was $20 a yard and I needed less than a yard, plus it was on sale for 40% off.  Not bad for a cute little dress.  All the sewing that it required was sewing a seam up the length of the material.

The last several weeks we have made hats, purses, tops, dresses, skirts, pants and more.  Many of my daughter's back to school clothes are homemade.  This is also good if you have a hard to fit person in the house.  My daughter is tall and thin.  She has a much longer torso than she does legs.  We can adjust the sizes much easier when we make things ourselves.

We also discussed the fact that all of her clothes are unique.  She has things that other kids won't have.  She got very excited when I told her that when dances come she can make her own dress rather than having to choose from what is in the store.  She is so excited.

This last creation might just be my favorite.  It is so indicative of her style.  She loves the 70s and 80s fashions and lots of color and pattern.

This little vest used less than a yard of fabric.  Again, costing us less than $5.  The pattern also included patterns for pants, a jumper, a dress and a hat.  Our dollar was well spent on this pattern.

If you don't know how to sew, check with your local community college or technical college and see if they offer classes. Many sewing stores offer classes as well.  Everyone should learn to sew to do basic repairs on their clothing and things like hemming pants.  It's quick and easy and saves you money in tailoring charges.

Just look at the pride in my daughter's face over her creations.

Frugal Living - Kindle or Nook

OK, so for a frugal living post I'm telling you to buy something expensive?  Yep.

I bought a Kindle a little over a year ago when we moved our son to Nebraska.  I am an avid reader. I go through at least a book a week.  I have to read in order to shut my brain down at night and if I am a passenger in the car, I can't stand not having something to do.  If I'm not knitting, I'm reading.

I am also come from a family that owns a printing company, and has for the last 94 years.  Switching to an electronic media rather than a printed book was something I did begrudgingly, but now I'm thrilled I did.

I started with a basic Kindle.  My final break-down point was that when I travel I typically don't take enough books and I end up having to buy at least one book, and usually at full price.  I don't like doing that, especially since I don't re-read books.  And books are bulky and take up valuable real estate in a suitcase!

I had it for nearly a year and I loved it.  I always had enough books with me, and could simply pop it into my purse.

Here's the best part, I have never paid for a book on my Kindle.  You may not know this, but there are THOUSANDS of FREE books available to download.  Every genre is available.  If you like mysteries, romance, historical, non-fiction, cookbooks, auto biographies, the classics, you name it.

For Christmas my husband and I each got some cash and my husband decided to buy the Kindle Fire.  The Kindle pictured above simply does books and is not lighted.

The Kindle Fire is essentially a tablet, but not quite.  In addition to books, it is also full color (the one above is only black and white), has wi-fi, e-mail, can stream video, has a touch screen, it's lighted (for reading in bed with the light out - YAY) and much more.  The only thing I have found that it doesn't do is create documents, but it does allow you to open documents.

The regular Kindle retails for about $100, or less.  The Kindle Fire is about $200.

Before I left on my Mommy Time trip to Houston, I also upgraded to the Fire.  I didn't have to take my laptop along, and I still had access to everything I needed while I away from my home office.  My "old" Kindle is now going to our daughter for her birthday in September.  Just like the regular Kindle, I can throw it in my purse and have my books at my finger tips.  I currently have several hundred books loaded.  The Kindle for our daughter has about 200 books on it right now.  It will have many more by the time she gets it.  She devours books the same way I do.

So, where do you find out about free books?  If you have a Kindle you can search on Amazon.  Just type in "free Kindle books" in the search bar.  I believe you can do the same thing with a Nook.

I have also found groups that I "like" on Facebook and they post free book links several times a day.  Sometimes they are only free for a day or two, other times the links are good for a month.  The ones I use are EReader News Today, Inspired Reads (Christian based books) and Free Kindle Books and Tips.  These have allowed me to load hundreds of books on both the regular Kindle and the Kindle Fire.  They also post links for Nook books as well.

Yes, the initial investment was "high", but the money I have saved, and will save long term, by not purchasing books, has paid for the price of the device many times over.  The convenience factor is an extreme bonus.  I am never without a book.

Frugal Living - Homemade dryer sheets

I was doing laundry today and I ran out of dryer sheets.  We get a lot of static in the dryer, so I need to use dryer sheets, but my sensitive skin means that I need to be careful of fragrance and dyes.  It makes it very difficult to find dryer sheets.

I also have to be careful about hanging my laundry outside since I am very prone to allergies, and hanging laundry outside puts the allergens onto the laundry. 

I got to thinking…. That’s a dangerous thing for me.  J  My friend Tess has been making baby wipes for her daughter.  They are wonderful!  You can also make your own anti bacterial wipes, so I wondered if you can make your own dryers sheets.  The answer is YES!  They are significantly cheaper and depending on your “recipe” some are reusable.  I found several different ways of doing this online, so I’ll share them with you.

If you don’t have sensitive skin, and want to be “easy” simply soak a cotton cloth (cut up t-shirt or flannel) in the fabric softener of your choice, and hang them to dry.  Toss one in the dryer.  The sites I found said you can reuse each one up to 40 times before you have to resoak them. 

If you do have sensitive skin, look for a natural fabric softener.  One brand I saw mentioned several times was Ecover. 

Other sites say to mix ¼ C fabric softener with ¾ C water, place your cotton rags in an airtight , pour the mixture over the rags and cover.  Then add “sheet” to each load.  This idea doesn’t thrill me.  I don’t do laundry every day and the potential of breeding mold sets my allergy meter on high alert.  Maybe I’m wrong, but it’s not the method I’ll use.

There are two more natural ways to make sheets that allow me to control the ingredients more for my sensitive skin.

Fill a spray bottle halfway with fabric softener or hair conditioner and then fill the rest of the way with water.  Add 20 – 30 drops of essential oil if you like.  Spray this on your clean cotton cloth and toss it in the dryer with your next load.

And the last “recipe.”

Combine

6 C water

½ C baking soda

3 C plain white vinegar

20 – 30 drops essential oil – if you want

Add water and baking soda to a large container and stir to mix.

Slowly add the vinegar and allow the chemical reaction to do its thing.

If you like, add essential oil, but this isn’t necessary.

Soak the cloths in the mixture and hang to dry.  Toss into a load. 

Since I am a knitter, I have a stash of knit “dishrags” in my house.  I will use these since they are 100% cotton and I know they are safe for me.  

Edit - If you use the last recipe with the vinegar and baking soda, be sure add the vinegar SLOWLY!  Even though the baking soda is diluted, the vinegar still reacts and causes a volcanic eruption!


If you want to add essential oils, you can add then to energize or calm, or to add an additional germ killer.  Check out the Doterra website to learn more about which oils to use.  Lavender and Clary Sage work well for calming, citrus for energizing and there are several oils in the Doterra line that help with germs.

Frugal Living - Home Decor

I'm one of those people that decorates everything else first and saves our bedroom for last.  My kids have always had great bedrooms, but we usually don't.  I decided to put my husband and me on the top of the list for a change, but being me, I did it on a budget!

This is the before picture of our bedroom.  Nothing exciting, right?

I am very aware that I share the room with my husband, who is not into girly things, so I tried to strike a balance of pretty, but not overly girly.  I wanted to do something with peacock colors, but not overly so.

Here's part of the after.  The comforter that we had still worked fine, but it was getting a little ratty, so I elected to go with a duvet cover, which just slips over the existing comforter.  I paid $23 for it on Target online, and with using my Target card, I got 5% off and free shipping.  The pillows and bedskirt were from the old set, just reused.

I also got curtains from Target.  Again, 5% off and free shipping.  The best part was that if I didn't like them, I could return them to the store.  I didn't have to deal with shipping them back!

The peacock wreath above the bed is the best deal in the entire room.

I saw it when I was at a Michael's store in Madison, which is about 2 hours from my home.  I didn't buy at the time, because I didn't have my 40% off coupon with me.  I'm glad I didn't.  When I went to the store nearest me, they didn't have it.  It had to be transferred in from Madison.  I considered making one until I priced the materials.  The price was $19.99 in Madison and would have been around $13 after my coupon.  I couldn't buy the materials for that price.  When it came in, my husband went to pick it up.  It rang up for.............  How much do you think???

$1.99!!!! Yep.  It was 90% off!!!  I couldn't beat that deal.

I found some candles online that I liked, but no way was I paying the price they were asking!

They were anywhere from $16 to $33 each.  Yeah, I don't think so.  For the spot I was using them I needed 3 of them.  My friend, Jen, gave me the wall hanging candle holder they are on.  This woman wouldn't spend $48 - $99 on decorative candles.  Especially not when I can make them myself.

Total for the 3 candles... $9.  I had the two cream candles already, so I used those.  I purchased the green one for under $3.  The peacock and blue feathers were all on one "stem" originally priced at $8, but I had a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby.  The ribbon was on sale for $1.  So, I made my own candles for about 90% off what I would have paid online.

I decided to make the main colors the blue, green and brown, with just pops of purple here and there took keep it from being too girly.  The poster in the  middle is from Michaels craft store.  Originally $12.99, but I had a 40% off coupon.  If you are looking for home decor items, don't be afraid to check craft stores.  They have a lot more than you think and both Michaels and Hobby Lobby offer coupons on their website, or your smart phone.  Many times they are for 40% off a regular priced item.  I use these frequently.

The blue and purple "feathers" are actually pens from Pier 1.  The little wooden vase that they are in was a gift from my best friend when she went to Jamaica to get married.  It was the perfect place for these pens.

The lamp to the side was also purchased at Pier 1, along with the hook and candle holder in this photo.

















The pens, hook, candle holder and lantern were all a total of $30.  It was originally $50, but I had a coupon for $20 off a purchase of $50 or more.

The last thing is the scarf you see hanging off the hook. I made it.  The yarn was the colors I wanted, it was $5.99 a skein at Hobby Lobby and I had my trusty 40% off coupon.  The yarn was a total of $7.20.

So the grand total for my bedroom makeover.... Just over $100.  And that was spent over about a 3 month period.

I haven't decided on a wall color yet.  I'll gladly take suggestions.  I want something neutral, but I'm not sure what.  I'm also looking at doing a new headboard that I saw on Pinterest.  It uses as an old door, painted in your choice of colors.  We had "extra" doors laying around our house, so the only cost would be a couple of quarts of paint.

I'm not sure what colors I'll use, but I think it would be a neat accent in the bedroom.

My husband is happy with what I've done and even happier with the amount of money that I didn't spend.  Thrift stores are another great place to find home decor items.  Check out my friend over at the Two Men and a Little Farm blog and see what he has done with the some thrift store finds.

Frugal Living - Cosmetics

The above photo is my "haul" for the day.  It cost me a whopping $18.90 (tax included).  Yes, that's right.  Under $20 for everything!

How?  As you can tell by the brands, I went to Ulta.

I received a flyer advertising a sale that I had hit before.  Spend $17.50 or more on Ulta brand products and receive this little kit for free.  I paid for the 2 products on the left.  The Ulta Gel Eyeliner that I love, and the eye shadow crayon.  Everything else was free.  All the products, except for the shampoo were my free gift.  There is eye shadow, nail polish, lipstick, dual lip gloss, mascara, blush, 2 eye liner pencils which actually have 4 colors, and 3 makeup brushes.  Plus the carrying case. There were also 3 color palates to choose from so you have a choice.  This make up will pretty much last me until the next time they offer up this special.

The shampoo was also free because I use my Ulta loyalty card.  In my flyer was a coupon with a list of free products I could  choose from based on what I had spent in the previous few months.  The shampoo was the highest value, so that's what I got.

I was very happy with what I ended up with, and my daughter's eyes lit up when she saw the total.  Having a tween daughter in the house, I know that make up is going to be an issue in the next few years, so teaching saving techniques now is crucial.

If you don't have an Ulta near you, a great brand to save money is NYC Cosmetics.  It's available at most stores like Target, Wal-Mart or K-Mart.    Their prices are fabulous!

When I see cosmetics advertised and see prices like $30 for a mascara or $20 for one eye shadow, I just shake my head.  I feel sorry for the people that pay those crazy prices.  What a waste.  The set of eye shadow above runs about $5, or less, for the entire set. It includes 4 full sized colors, a primer to make your eye shadow last longer, and a highlighter for the corners of your eyes to make them whiter and brighter.  A tube of mascara starts at $2.  Those prices are far more reasonable.  After all, at the end of the day what do you do?  You wash your make up off!  No one looking at you can tell whether you spent $2 or $20 on your mascara, so why bother?

Save the money for a great vacation, a donation to a charity, or a date with your partner.  It's far more worth it.

Frugal Living - Weight Loss

OK, my New Year, New Me hasn't exactly come to fruition.  I've been very sidelined by a sinus infection and double ear infection that just wiped me out.

Yes, I could do Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig or Nutri System or something like that, but well, I'm too cheap.  They are a lot of money.

Four years ago I decided to get healthy as I approached my 40th birthday.  I lost about 85 pounds.  I've put a little bit of it back on, so my goal is to get the pounds back off, and get into my size 8 jeans again.

I know I need accountability.  I know what works for me, I just have to get back to it.  I use a fabulous FREE website.  It's called Spark People.  It's pretty much everything you need for weight loss in one easy and free website.

I use the food log to keep track of my calories throughout the day.  The part I like most about the food tracker is that it doesn't just record calories. It breaks it down into fat, protein, carbs, sodium, calcium and much more.  You can customize it to show many nutrients.  It helps you to see where your calories come from and where you are lacking nutritionwise.  I learned that I don't eat near enough protein during the day, so it's something I have to watch closely.

Additionally, you can input your exercise information and it will tell you how many calories you burned.  You can track how much water you have had each day.  There are support groups for every one.  You can join depending on where you live, your age, how much weight you want to lose, what exercise you like, dieting and health issues and much more.  They are called teams, and there are, literally, thousands of teams.  You can even start your own if you want to join with friends or a group from work.

You can also start your own page, sort of like Facebook, where you can post photos, blogs, share messages with friends, and earn points for "goodies" to send to people to motivate them or congratulate them on reaching or goal, or just be fun.  You earn points by logging in, logging food, water and exercise, writing blogs, posting in your teams and much more.  These points are what you use to send goodies to friends.

Your progress and blogs can be viewed by your friends on Spark, and you can choose to post them to Facebook if you like.  For me it's a great way to keep myself accountable.  I know my friends are viewing my progress and cheering for me.

If you decide to join Spark, come on over and find me.  I am Zebramom1.  We can cheer each other on.

And no, that's not my belly in the photo.  Trust me.... You don't want to see mine!!!

Edit:  I almost forgot... There's an app for that.  You don't need to be at your computer to use Spark.  You can download an app to your smart phone to let you record your food.  I haven't used the app yet, but I believe it will even allow you to scan the bar code of pre-packaged food (such as Weight Watchers or Lean Cuisine) and it will input the nutrition information for you.

Product Review - Burt's Bees

Over the past year or so, I noticed that my skin has become more sensitive to many things, fragrance in particular.  I can no longer wear perfume.  I turned 43 a few weeks ago, so I wondered if I was having some hormonal changes and if anyone my age, or older, had experienced this.

Well, where else do you ask these questions but good old Facebook?  I posted the question and got several responses, but the one that helped me the most was from my friend Amber, who happens to be much younger than me and isn't thinking about menopause even a little bit.  She told me to find a fragrance free soap without lauryl sulfate.  OK, I can give that a try.  Yeah, right.  I stood in the body wash aisle at Walmart.  I picked up bottle after bottle to find it contained the dreaded lauryl sulfate, or some variation thereof.

I returned home, frustrated, and began to research this dreaded sulfate.  Well, there's a good reason it's in everything.  It's the stuff that makes those bubbles we love so much.  After some more research I discovered that Burt's Bees does not contain the dreaded sulfate.  I ventured over to Target and spent time looking at the product.  I found a very simple body wash. The back very clearly showed no sulfates and boasted this as well.

I made my purchase and decided to give it a shot.  Am I glad I did.  Within a few days my skin started clearing up.  My chest and arms were covered previously.  I had used a product from Dove that I really liked and everything was fine.  It was lightly scented, but I didn't have a problem.  I ran out and bought a new bottle and broke out within a couple of days of using it.  Some brand, same scent, just a different bottle, but enough to cause problems.

Since the body wash was a success I also purchased a facial cleanser.  I am now sensitive to metals as well.  My beloved cross necklace that I wore every day for years, now makes me break out.  Hooks from earrings touching my skin causes breakouts.    In the past I had always used a cleanser with salicylic acid since I have oily skin.  I took a chance and bought a cleanser without it, and it's working just fine.  It has a tingle to it, which I discovered is probably from alcohol in it, but it cleans great.

In my research on the dreaded lauryl sulfate, I discovered that this stuff is in everything.  Even toothpaste.  People who are sensitive to it can develop canker sores.  Lo and behold, a couple of days ago, guess what starts forming in my mouth.  Luckily, I had received a sample of Burt's Bees toothpaste as a freebie, so I will be trying that tomorrow.  I will be switching my shampoo and conditioner as they run out as well.

A couple of months ago, I also received a freebie of Burt's Bees new tinted lip balm and I'm very pleased with it.  And this wasn't a sample size.  A full size tube of the lip balm arrived in my mail.  What's not to love about that?

If you're having issues with your skin, I recommend trying out the Burt's Bees products.  Yes, they are more pricey than other products, but they are working with my newly sensitive skin and I'm happy with them.  You can always e-mail them and ask for a sample.  They seem to run freebie give aways on a fairly decent basis.  It doesn't hurt to ask, right?!

Frugal Living - Facebook

Some people love Facebook and others hate it and find it absolutely useless.  However, it can be very valuable to your budget.

There are various Facebook groups that post free or discounted offers.  Some of my favorites are Hey It's Free, Sisterly Savings, Woman Freebies and Teen Freeway.  (Come on, I have a tween kiddo).

These groups post links to free offers, coupons or giveaways.  For those of us in rural areas, not all the offers are useful, but many are.  Your freebies can range from a sample size of something, which is a great way to try a new product before you spend money on the full size version, or coupons for free products.  I have gotten free yogurt from Dannon and Yoplait, full size bottles of shampoo from Pantene and Herbal Essence, packages of Tide stain releaser, and my favorite freebie was the day Fed Ex showed up at my door.  Skinny Cow had sent me 2 full boxes of the new candy they were introducing.  It was beautifully packaged and had ice packs in it to keep the candy cool so it didn't melt.  Who wouldn't like free chocolate delivered straight to their doorstep?

When we moved our son into his first apartment for 6 weeks before college started, we loaded him up with free items and introduced him to the Hey It's Free page.  He had handfuls of samples of shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and other toiletry items.  It saved us money and it was easier to transport for both him and us.

Another way to use Faebook is to "Like" the page of your favorite products.  Virtually every company has a Facebook page now.  If you like their page, you will be notified of new products coming out, and often times are free giveaways for the new products.  It's an incentive to get you to try it.  Other times you will find coupons for items.  Companies try to reward you for being a customer to keep you as their customer.

One word of caution.  The coupons, especially for free items, vary greatly.  Sometimes they are mailed and other times you print them from your computer.  As to whether or not a store accepts the coupons is hit and miss.  There are frauds with internet coupons so not all stores will take them.

A final word of advice... set up a separate e-mail account that you use to sign up for your freebie offers.  Many companies tend to send you more e-mail than you want (and make sure to opt out of e-mails if possible) so having an account just for these e-mails is helpful to keep your in-box from filling up with junk mail.  You can get free accounts from Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail.  Your in-box will thank you for it!!