Friday, December 6, 2013
20 Frugal But Thoughtful Gifts For Kids To Give Or Get
Don't let holiday gift giving stress you out. Here are a few ideas you use to make your little ones Christmas day even better. I searched and searched the Internet and this is what I found. Enjoy!
1. Bean bags-These are pretty simple to make. Just need some fabric and beans. No beans? Just use any dried food such as rice, lentils etc. Use fabric you salvaged from something you don't wear anymore or maybe ask friends and family if they have extra fabric they want to give away. Kids love bean bags. A friend of mine (thanks Brooke!) made my girls each a set and they continue to use them to this day. Mostly for barbie pillows. Silly girls.
Better yet how about a lavender sachet or warmer?
2. Crayons Upcycled. Simply melt down crayons into candy molds. Cool down and pop out. Perfect for toddlers!
3. Homemade play dough is always a good gift!
4. Fun soap. Most craft stores carry glycerin soap in 1 lb squares. You simply cut up the soap, melt in the microwave and pour into soap bar molds. The fun part is when you add a small toy into the soap mold. Kids have to wash to get to the soap. Have glycerin soap at home? Cut that up and melt it. This should save you some cash by using what you have. Or if you have older kids just add some rope and make soap on a rope. Remember those? Ahhh the Avon days.
5. Homemade bubble bath is simple to make.
6. Bath finger paint is perfect for little ones. Heck even I would like it.
7. Sweater Mittens take a little bit of work but could be given to any child of any age. I think I just make myself a pair too!
8.Mason Jar Sewing Kit for someone who loves to sew. You can use a mason jar you have (or any glass jar with a wide lid) and some fabric scraps. Need filling? Open up a old pillow you don't use and reuse the stuffing.
9. Grippy socks for that toddler who doesn't slow down. I made these for my oldest when she was small. Super easy and very cheap especially if you have everything in your craft supplies anyways.
10. Hobby Horse looks so easy to make. You should have most materials as well. Wish this was around when my girls were younger!
11. Felt Cookies would be a very low cost gift. Perfect for any child who loves to play with pretend food. Maybe a gift your little one can make for a sibling.
12. Brown Sugar Body Scrub would be easy for any child to make for anyone any age.
13. Gift Coupon Book that you could make for free using what you have. Instead of a metal hoop just use ribbon or string. Super easy for kids to make these!
14. Twig Star Ornament is something I want to make with my girls. This is such a easy thing to do and free if you have trees near you.
15. Want to bake something? Cookies-who doesn't love cookies???
16. Cocoa in a mug-simply buy a $1 box of cocoa packets and put them into mugs. You can find Christmas mugs for $1 or less in thrift shops. Watch for 1/2 price tags! Or head over to a dollar tree/store and pick a few up.
17. Write a story-Kids love to write stories so let them write it and add illustrations. This could be a free gift idea if you use what you have.
18. Reuse a old frame to make a new one. Kids love to glue noodles to frames then paint or color them when dry. Add a favorite photo and done!
19. DIY bubble bath. Take some shampoo and pour into a small container. You can use a mason jar and have the kids decorate the outside with a paper lane. Add essential oils that you know they like.
20. Sugar Hand Scrub-Get a mason jar, fill with sugar (or salt which ever you have), add olive oil and add some essential oils you think they would like. Mix well and make a label.
Now go and get creative!!! Try to reuse things and bring out the recycle bin because you never know what the kids will end up using from it. And as always have fun!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Eating The Savings Literally
Christmas is like tomorrow. Well not really but might as well be. I mean seriously its in 20 days. AAAAHHHHH!!!!!! Take a deep breath and read my words. There's still hope. There's still time to save money. Phew! The easiest and fastest way to save money is on your food budget. And no your not going to cut back and starve. Promise. Okay lets do this.
Saving on grocery budget
Free food. Is there such a thing? Yes there is. Just make it known to family, friends and neighbors that you will take any surplus from their gardens. Be sure to do the same for them when your garden is growing well. Wild food can be foraged. This summer I picked wild raspberries and made jelly with them. You can barter as well! Get creative!
Grow a garden. Don't give me the excuse you have a black thumb. Been there done that. Yep even I thought I had a black thumb. Now days you can buy plants already started and even have produce on them. Cheapest route is to buy seeds and start them inside your home. Don't have patience? Fine spend more on larger plants. I find that cheating but that's just me.
Seasonal foods are your best friend. You will always save money when you buy whats in season. For example Fall means pumpkins, cinnamon, turkey and cranberries. These things are cheaper in the Fall and make your money go way further. I buy 3 turkeys each year and put them into my freezer. One for Thanksgiving at my home, one for Christmas day and one for us to cook and stretch for meals. At 99 cents a pound I can afford to buy a lot and save a lot. Summer means cheap fresh corn. Simply cook it half way cut off the corn and freeze in bags. Now you have corn all year long. See where I'm going here? Oh and don't forget that pumpkins can be used as decorations until you use them. They last months in your home! I buy lots so we can have pumpkin sausage soup for months.
Preserve everything. Canning can be cheap if you do it right. Buy 2nd hand mason jars and new lids. Use a large stock pot. After ten plus years of gardening I finally have a pressure cooker. Don't have a dehydrator? Use your oven. You think our ancestors had them? Research old ways and do it. Don't forget you can freeze things too!
Don't waste anything!!! Each day I make my girls lunches. There is always fruit peelings or seeds which I give to my chickens. Then each day my girls come home and in their lunches is always their bread crust. To the chickens they go. Any bones go to the dog. Egg shells get baked till dry and mixed in my chicken feed. Seeds from bread bags go to the chicken feed. All vegetable scraps go in to the freezer till I have enough to make a broth. Simply boil these scraps in water for 30 minutes and you have free broth. Bones area also made into broth. You get the idea. Nothing goes to waste!
Keep track of prices. I can't remember what I did yesterday but I can tell you exactly how much I paid for something 6 months ago. I don't get it but it works for me. Some need to have a book with current prices of all the stores they shop at. Whatever works for you do it. Little bit adds up to big savings!
Bulk bulk bulk baby! Don't just go down the aisle for something you need. Hit up your bulk section to compare prices. Most the time bulk section is cheaper. But always check. Ive had to buy packaged a few times because it was cheaper. Better yet buy a whole bag or case. Whole Foods gives you 10% off if you buy a case. Winco sells bulk foods in 25 & 50 lb bags that are usually cheaper than just buying a few pounds. RESEARCH! If you find a excellent sale buy as much as you possibly can. Example-I buy coconut creamer because we are dairy free. Whole Foods sells them for $4 a carton. I found them at Grocery Outlet for $1.49. WHAT?? I bought every single one of them they had and put them in my garage freezer. Just shake well when thawed out. Looks and taste the same! Its been 6 months since I had to buy any. Woot!
Clearance can sometimes be helpful. At my Grocery Outlet they mark things down to just sell them out. For example-Organic coffee they sold for a few months for $5.99 a bag. That's a good deal considering regular stores sell it for $10+. Well one day I went in and they had them marked $1.97. I snagged every single bag I could find. Now I don't have to buy coffee for at least 6 months. What a deal! If you buy canned food some stores sell dented cans at a discount. Deli meats, cheese etc area also sold cheap before they spoil. Remember you can freeze so many dairy products! Buy lots now and reap the savings later.
Go meatless. Do this a few times a week and wow will you save money. My kids don't even notice the meat is missing. Try cutting your meat in half to start out with. Instead of using a pound of ground beef use just a half pound. Just do this a while then try a meatless meal. Just remember to supplement some protein rich foods in there. Beans are a cheaper alternative to meat.
Stop buying junk. Serious. Don't just say it but do it. Have some self control. No soda, chips, specialty coffee from shops and things like that. If you don't buy it they won't eat it. Instead bake things yourself. You have the power and control to keep preservatives and fat out of your life. That's awesome power! And your bank account will thank you.
Coupons can help or not help. Most coupons are for name brand products. When you do the actual math most the time your paying more than the generic brands or bulk section. Only way I will use a coupon is if its on a product I always buy. For example I buy dairy free butter. Its $4.99 for one pound. Sometimes they have coupons and I will use them. I don't clip them. I don't go looking for them. I don't plan my meals around them. You get the idea. Use them at your discretion.
Cut back or eliminate prepackaged foods. No boxed macaroni and cheese. No Hamburger Helpers. No single serving foods. NOTHING. Obviously tortilla chips etc are okay because you don't' want to buy those in bulk. Stale chips are icky. No easy to make foods. I'm still amazed by myself sometimes when I make something that looked hard to do. These meals are way healthier and cheaper than those easy to do ones. Trust me.
Cheap isn't always unhealthy. You can buy carrots cheaper fresh than frozen cut up ones. Sometimes frozen spinach is cheaper than fresh. Compare prices and buy accordingly. If I score a good sale on shelf stable rice milk I use that to bake with instead of using my fresh flax milk. Why buy just chicken breast when you can pay half price for a whole chicken? A little work yes but a huge amount of savings. One great thing about grocery stores is that their is always options.
Cook from scratch. I mean do I need to even go into detail here? Don't know how to make something? Google it. Need to substitute for something you don't have? Google it. Get creative!
Generic can be your friend. I buy Whole Foods a whole case pasta sauce for $2.29 each. I get 10% off for buying the case. Its their generic brand but its still organic. For me name brands don't mean anything. I'm more into what ingredients are in there, if its BPA free,if its a local company, its GMO free and if its organic. If its fair trade even better. If you guy generic you will save at least 10%. That's a guarantee.
So my friend, whose awesome now?
You!
Saving on grocery budget
Free food. Is there such a thing? Yes there is. Just make it known to family, friends and neighbors that you will take any surplus from their gardens. Be sure to do the same for them when your garden is growing well. Wild food can be foraged. This summer I picked wild raspberries and made jelly with them. You can barter as well! Get creative!
Grow a garden. Don't give me the excuse you have a black thumb. Been there done that. Yep even I thought I had a black thumb. Now days you can buy plants already started and even have produce on them. Cheapest route is to buy seeds and start them inside your home. Don't have patience? Fine spend more on larger plants. I find that cheating but that's just me.
Seasonal foods are your best friend. You will always save money when you buy whats in season. For example Fall means pumpkins, cinnamon, turkey and cranberries. These things are cheaper in the Fall and make your money go way further. I buy 3 turkeys each year and put them into my freezer. One for Thanksgiving at my home, one for Christmas day and one for us to cook and stretch for meals. At 99 cents a pound I can afford to buy a lot and save a lot. Summer means cheap fresh corn. Simply cook it half way cut off the corn and freeze in bags. Now you have corn all year long. See where I'm going here? Oh and don't forget that pumpkins can be used as decorations until you use them. They last months in your home! I buy lots so we can have pumpkin sausage soup for months.
Preserve everything. Canning can be cheap if you do it right. Buy 2nd hand mason jars and new lids. Use a large stock pot. After ten plus years of gardening I finally have a pressure cooker. Don't have a dehydrator? Use your oven. You think our ancestors had them? Research old ways and do it. Don't forget you can freeze things too!
Don't waste anything!!! Each day I make my girls lunches. There is always fruit peelings or seeds which I give to my chickens. Then each day my girls come home and in their lunches is always their bread crust. To the chickens they go. Any bones go to the dog. Egg shells get baked till dry and mixed in my chicken feed. Seeds from bread bags go to the chicken feed. All vegetable scraps go in to the freezer till I have enough to make a broth. Simply boil these scraps in water for 30 minutes and you have free broth. Bones area also made into broth. You get the idea. Nothing goes to waste!
Keep track of prices. I can't remember what I did yesterday but I can tell you exactly how much I paid for something 6 months ago. I don't get it but it works for me. Some need to have a book with current prices of all the stores they shop at. Whatever works for you do it. Little bit adds up to big savings!
Bulk bulk bulk baby! Don't just go down the aisle for something you need. Hit up your bulk section to compare prices. Most the time bulk section is cheaper. But always check. Ive had to buy packaged a few times because it was cheaper. Better yet buy a whole bag or case. Whole Foods gives you 10% off if you buy a case. Winco sells bulk foods in 25 & 50 lb bags that are usually cheaper than just buying a few pounds. RESEARCH! If you find a excellent sale buy as much as you possibly can. Example-I buy coconut creamer because we are dairy free. Whole Foods sells them for $4 a carton. I found them at Grocery Outlet for $1.49. WHAT?? I bought every single one of them they had and put them in my garage freezer. Just shake well when thawed out. Looks and taste the same! Its been 6 months since I had to buy any. Woot!
Clearance can sometimes be helpful. At my Grocery Outlet they mark things down to just sell them out. For example-Organic coffee they sold for a few months for $5.99 a bag. That's a good deal considering regular stores sell it for $10+. Well one day I went in and they had them marked $1.97. I snagged every single bag I could find. Now I don't have to buy coffee for at least 6 months. What a deal! If you buy canned food some stores sell dented cans at a discount. Deli meats, cheese etc area also sold cheap before they spoil. Remember you can freeze so many dairy products! Buy lots now and reap the savings later.
Go meatless. Do this a few times a week and wow will you save money. My kids don't even notice the meat is missing. Try cutting your meat in half to start out with. Instead of using a pound of ground beef use just a half pound. Just do this a while then try a meatless meal. Just remember to supplement some protein rich foods in there. Beans are a cheaper alternative to meat.
Stop buying junk. Serious. Don't just say it but do it. Have some self control. No soda, chips, specialty coffee from shops and things like that. If you don't buy it they won't eat it. Instead bake things yourself. You have the power and control to keep preservatives and fat out of your life. That's awesome power! And your bank account will thank you.
Coupons can help or not help. Most coupons are for name brand products. When you do the actual math most the time your paying more than the generic brands or bulk section. Only way I will use a coupon is if its on a product I always buy. For example I buy dairy free butter. Its $4.99 for one pound. Sometimes they have coupons and I will use them. I don't clip them. I don't go looking for them. I don't plan my meals around them. You get the idea. Use them at your discretion.
Cut back or eliminate prepackaged foods. No boxed macaroni and cheese. No Hamburger Helpers. No single serving foods. NOTHING. Obviously tortilla chips etc are okay because you don't' want to buy those in bulk. Stale chips are icky. No easy to make foods. I'm still amazed by myself sometimes when I make something that looked hard to do. These meals are way healthier and cheaper than those easy to do ones. Trust me.
Cheap isn't always unhealthy. You can buy carrots cheaper fresh than frozen cut up ones. Sometimes frozen spinach is cheaper than fresh. Compare prices and buy accordingly. If I score a good sale on shelf stable rice milk I use that to bake with instead of using my fresh flax milk. Why buy just chicken breast when you can pay half price for a whole chicken? A little work yes but a huge amount of savings. One great thing about grocery stores is that their is always options.
Cook from scratch. I mean do I need to even go into detail here? Don't know how to make something? Google it. Need to substitute for something you don't have? Google it. Get creative!
Generic can be your friend. I buy Whole Foods a whole case pasta sauce for $2.29 each. I get 10% off for buying the case. Its their generic brand but its still organic. For me name brands don't mean anything. I'm more into what ingredients are in there, if its BPA free,if its a local company, its GMO free and if its organic. If its fair trade even better. If you guy generic you will save at least 10%. That's a guarantee.
So my friend, whose awesome now?
You!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
10 Steps to a More Creative (and frugal!) You
I'm pretty frugal but not as creative as I would like to be. I know there is always more I can do but I'm just lazy sometimes. I say that because if I was to say I am too busy then that would be an excuse. I teach my girls to not give excuses so I'm taking my own advise.
Inspired by my favorite book The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn, I have decided to try and be more creative. Christmas is coming very soon and I need to save money where I can. I know I'm not the only one out there so enjoy these steps Amy has outlined in her book. I have quoted from her book and added a few personal notes after each one.
Ten Steps To A More Creative You
Step 1. Realize that you are creative. Look for it in your daily life and nature that part of yourself.
My Note-I worked at a craft store for 10 years there is no excuse why I'm not creative. Just need to implement it into my regular life.
Step 2. Give yourself mental space, a clear field. We tend to fill up our days with TV, car radio, reading the paper, chats with friends on the phone. Instead do that "mindless task" in quiet time. This type of activity dominates my life……housework, mowing the lawn, scraping paints. Boredom never strikes, as the mental gears whirl continually. I write only after mentally rehearsing paragraphs a dozen times. When someone says, "I'm just not creative like you." I reply "No, I just thought about it longer."
My Note- I can honestly say I have been doing this. Ive been watching less TV and less radio. Lately I've had Christmas music playing on my record player and the TV turned off. In the car I've even stopped listening to the radio. Since I have 4 daughters my life is filled with little girl voices 24/7. So when I'm not around them I have been enjoying the silence. The one thing I need to work on is thinking a little more before I act. I have a very hard time with this. Once I get something into my mind I have to do it. Reminds me of a piece of advise someone once told me. If you feel you need to buy something just wait 24 hours. Usually you don't actually need the item and you save yourself some money by not buying it. Need to remember this more.
Step 3. Never ever compare yourself to others, but rather enjoy your own innovations. I stumble over this block working in the shadow of many award winning designers. No matter how good I could become there would still be someone better. Later I realized that no matter how bad I was there was always someone worse. Compare yourself only to yourself. "This is how good I am today. I am better than yesterday and I will be better tomorrow."
My Note-Ive actually never compared myself or my design to others. I am personally eclectic and so is our style. Others prefer cookie cutter looking interior designs. Me I prefer vintage, good quality and natural color things. Our furniture is new but our decorations are all 2nd hand thrift shop finds. Our kitchen table is 2nd hand but the matching chairs we salvaged from our old set and repainted. I like our taste. Mostly because no one else has it. Yeah for me having one less step!
Step 4. I use a strategy I call "putting the problem into the mental computer." your brain functions continually, even as you sleep. Study the parameters of your problem and then let it rest for a few days. Very often your mental computer will spit out the solution unexpectedly as you shower or drive to work. This works much better than trying to perform as the clock ticks away. If you are trying to come up with a great party idea, give yourself a couple of months of mental back burner time.
My Note-This is a great step. I find myself doing this often especially when it comes to Christmas gifts. I have a few things and think about what to do with them. Sometimes it takes me a week to figure something out. Most the time I have an idea and just need to narrow it down to details. The end result isn't at all what the beginning thought was.
Step 5. Brainstorm. Toss the idea around with another person. Be flexible and say or write down every "stupid" thought that comes. Very often another person can take your idea and add a twist that makes it great. Jim is my brainstorming partner. he is very good at telling me when my idea is good and I should run with it. Sometimes something isn't working just right and he can look at it and come up with a better sentence or illustration idea.
My Note-Another step I'm pretty good at. I talk with my husband about a project I'm working on and he usually has another good idea. He's a honey do husband and grew up in the sticks where you have to be creative because town was too far away and a waste of gas. You either fix it or your stuck. I grew up very poor and my mama had to be creative when it came to food and clothing us. This makes us a great team. Its one thing I love about my marriage. We make such a great team.
Step 6. Find a springboard, a starting place. For the tightwad this usually means determining which resources are cheap or in surplus. Build from that point.
My Note- I love this step. Since we do 99% of everything ourselves we always have left over wood or hardware. For example I wanted more garden beds that I could move around. My husband had built our deck and had plenty of left over unstained wood on the side of our house. I just used his ends and pieces to put together some small frames. I use these in my front yard each year to grow lots of things. They are small and only about 6 inches tall so they are easily movable. I get bored and change my mind all the time when it comes to my garden and its design. I took my idea and used what we had.
Step 7. Do not share your creative ideas with anyone who continually tells you they are dumb. This is often a spouse or parent. Professionally I should have switched jobs until I found an art director who shared a similar creative style. The art directors that didn't like my ideas were not more creative than me. Often they were less creative. Mostly it was a matter of seeing things differently. But, the constant message that I was doing it wrong took its toll. A mouse does not go down the same hole over and over if he fails to find the cheese.
My Note-My husband often things some of my garden ideas are not good. In my head I know how things grow and how things will change. He doesn't because he doesn't help me with the garden. When I roll a idea past him he sometimes doesn't agree with me. Not because he things they are dumb but he doesn't see why it matters. Since I am the gardener I know why it matters. Our ideas clash sometimes. So most the time I go with my own ideas and don't even talk to him about it. Sometimes he things they look ugly but most the time he likes the ideas. Years ago he didn't want me to garden in the front yard. Over time he has not cared and now I garden in the front yard as much as I garden in the actual garden. It's all pretty if you ask me.
Step 8. Practice. As with any skill, accessing your creative ability improves the more you do it. You will develop your own methods and strategies to fall back on when tackling new problems.
My Note-As any gardener knows its never perfect. The more you garden the better you get. Some plants need more sun and some need less sun. I'm consistently changing things up to have a better outcome. Same with my food budget. Every once in a while I get lazy and buy things that are easier to make. I always see myself spending more money and go back to my old frugal ways. There is always room for improvement and I never stick to the same thing. Always change things up and alter your choices.
Step 9. Avoid negative stress. This also tends to block creativity, as your mind focuses on that problem instead. Try to limit contact with individuals who bring on these problems. If it is one within your household, try to limit your reaction to their actions.
My Note- I FAIL FAIL FAIL when it comes to this step. I'm a high stressed person naturally and need to handle it better. For example right now its Christmas time (my favorite!!!!!) and I have all these great ideas in my head. Just the other day I pulled all our decorations out and set aside time for the girls and I do decorate. Well my oldest was in her room except for 5 minutes to set up her nutcrackers. My middle daughter was more interested in her iPod and my twins only wanted to play with the wooden reindeer decorations and nothing else. I was getting upset which got them upset. I felt like my whole day was ruined by their lack of wanting to do anything. In my head I had this perfect idea and it didn't go as planned. I know I need to limit myself and my ideas with them. I know its mostly me thats upset. They were just as happy to play with the wooden reindeer or with their own things than to decorate with me. I need to not have these high expectations and feel sad when they are not met. If they are happy I should be happy. But honestly having hot cocoa. listening to Christmas music and putting up decorations is so much fun to me! One day I hope they feel the same way.
Step 10. Start small. When you bite off more than you can chew you set yourself up for failure. instead set small easily attainable goals to build a sense of success. in subsequent projects stretch yourself to slightly more ambitious undertakings. Sometimes as you were reading the beginning of
this place you thought, "What the heck does creativity have to do with thrifty?" Tighwaddery without creativity is deprivation. When there is a lack of resourcefulness, inventiveness and innovation, thrift means doing without. When creativity combines with thrift you may be doing it without money, but you are not doing without.
My Note-I need to work on this one a little more. Usually I put everything off to the last minute. This year I had to plan a tea party birthday party for my twins. Sad because its probably the last little girl birthday part I will every get to throw. They are big girls now (sad mama!). I planned several decorations and party supplies. For weeks I hunted in thrift shops for things. And when I had no more time I bought what we needed which wasn't much. I took time each day to complete different task. one day it was pretty paper cones filled with fake pretty flowers. One day it was a happy birthday garland made from paper doilies and ribbon. I felt less stressed and did manage to get it all done in time. In the end I saved enough money to afford to take them to the mall to spend some birthday money.
To find out more amazing information head to your local library to snag these amazing books written by Amy Dacyczyn
Tightwad Gazette
Tightwad Gazette 2
Tightwad Gazette 3
Amazon has the set, Ebay, Half.com, Barns and Noble and Powell's all have these books.
Or maybe your as lucky as me and scored yours at a thrift store.
Don't want to buy? Ask your friends and family if you can borrow theirs!
Inspired by my favorite book The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn, I have decided to try and be more creative. Christmas is coming very soon and I need to save money where I can. I know I'm not the only one out there so enjoy these steps Amy has outlined in her book. I have quoted from her book and added a few personal notes after each one.
Ten Steps To A More Creative You
Step 1. Realize that you are creative. Look for it in your daily life and nature that part of yourself.
My Note-I worked at a craft store for 10 years there is no excuse why I'm not creative. Just need to implement it into my regular life.
Step 2. Give yourself mental space, a clear field. We tend to fill up our days with TV, car radio, reading the paper, chats with friends on the phone. Instead do that "mindless task" in quiet time. This type of activity dominates my life……housework, mowing the lawn, scraping paints. Boredom never strikes, as the mental gears whirl continually. I write only after mentally rehearsing paragraphs a dozen times. When someone says, "I'm just not creative like you." I reply "No, I just thought about it longer."
My Note- I can honestly say I have been doing this. Ive been watching less TV and less radio. Lately I've had Christmas music playing on my record player and the TV turned off. In the car I've even stopped listening to the radio. Since I have 4 daughters my life is filled with little girl voices 24/7. So when I'm not around them I have been enjoying the silence. The one thing I need to work on is thinking a little more before I act. I have a very hard time with this. Once I get something into my mind I have to do it. Reminds me of a piece of advise someone once told me. If you feel you need to buy something just wait 24 hours. Usually you don't actually need the item and you save yourself some money by not buying it. Need to remember this more.
Step 3. Never ever compare yourself to others, but rather enjoy your own innovations. I stumble over this block working in the shadow of many award winning designers. No matter how good I could become there would still be someone better. Later I realized that no matter how bad I was there was always someone worse. Compare yourself only to yourself. "This is how good I am today. I am better than yesterday and I will be better tomorrow."
My Note-Ive actually never compared myself or my design to others. I am personally eclectic and so is our style. Others prefer cookie cutter looking interior designs. Me I prefer vintage, good quality and natural color things. Our furniture is new but our decorations are all 2nd hand thrift shop finds. Our kitchen table is 2nd hand but the matching chairs we salvaged from our old set and repainted. I like our taste. Mostly because no one else has it. Yeah for me having one less step!
Step 4. I use a strategy I call "putting the problem into the mental computer." your brain functions continually, even as you sleep. Study the parameters of your problem and then let it rest for a few days. Very often your mental computer will spit out the solution unexpectedly as you shower or drive to work. This works much better than trying to perform as the clock ticks away. If you are trying to come up with a great party idea, give yourself a couple of months of mental back burner time.
My Note-This is a great step. I find myself doing this often especially when it comes to Christmas gifts. I have a few things and think about what to do with them. Sometimes it takes me a week to figure something out. Most the time I have an idea and just need to narrow it down to details. The end result isn't at all what the beginning thought was.
Step 5. Brainstorm. Toss the idea around with another person. Be flexible and say or write down every "stupid" thought that comes. Very often another person can take your idea and add a twist that makes it great. Jim is my brainstorming partner. he is very good at telling me when my idea is good and I should run with it. Sometimes something isn't working just right and he can look at it and come up with a better sentence or illustration idea.
My Note-Another step I'm pretty good at. I talk with my husband about a project I'm working on and he usually has another good idea. He's a honey do husband and grew up in the sticks where you have to be creative because town was too far away and a waste of gas. You either fix it or your stuck. I grew up very poor and my mama had to be creative when it came to food and clothing us. This makes us a great team. Its one thing I love about my marriage. We make such a great team.
Step 6. Find a springboard, a starting place. For the tightwad this usually means determining which resources are cheap or in surplus. Build from that point.
My Note- I love this step. Since we do 99% of everything ourselves we always have left over wood or hardware. For example I wanted more garden beds that I could move around. My husband had built our deck and had plenty of left over unstained wood on the side of our house. I just used his ends and pieces to put together some small frames. I use these in my front yard each year to grow lots of things. They are small and only about 6 inches tall so they are easily movable. I get bored and change my mind all the time when it comes to my garden and its design. I took my idea and used what we had.
Step 7. Do not share your creative ideas with anyone who continually tells you they are dumb. This is often a spouse or parent. Professionally I should have switched jobs until I found an art director who shared a similar creative style. The art directors that didn't like my ideas were not more creative than me. Often they were less creative. Mostly it was a matter of seeing things differently. But, the constant message that I was doing it wrong took its toll. A mouse does not go down the same hole over and over if he fails to find the cheese.
My Note-My husband often things some of my garden ideas are not good. In my head I know how things grow and how things will change. He doesn't because he doesn't help me with the garden. When I roll a idea past him he sometimes doesn't agree with me. Not because he things they are dumb but he doesn't see why it matters. Since I am the gardener I know why it matters. Our ideas clash sometimes. So most the time I go with my own ideas and don't even talk to him about it. Sometimes he things they look ugly but most the time he likes the ideas. Years ago he didn't want me to garden in the front yard. Over time he has not cared and now I garden in the front yard as much as I garden in the actual garden. It's all pretty if you ask me.
Step 8. Practice. As with any skill, accessing your creative ability improves the more you do it. You will develop your own methods and strategies to fall back on when tackling new problems.
My Note-As any gardener knows its never perfect. The more you garden the better you get. Some plants need more sun and some need less sun. I'm consistently changing things up to have a better outcome. Same with my food budget. Every once in a while I get lazy and buy things that are easier to make. I always see myself spending more money and go back to my old frugal ways. There is always room for improvement and I never stick to the same thing. Always change things up and alter your choices.
Step 9. Avoid negative stress. This also tends to block creativity, as your mind focuses on that problem instead. Try to limit contact with individuals who bring on these problems. If it is one within your household, try to limit your reaction to their actions.
My Note- I FAIL FAIL FAIL when it comes to this step. I'm a high stressed person naturally and need to handle it better. For example right now its Christmas time (my favorite!!!!!) and I have all these great ideas in my head. Just the other day I pulled all our decorations out and set aside time for the girls and I do decorate. Well my oldest was in her room except for 5 minutes to set up her nutcrackers. My middle daughter was more interested in her iPod and my twins only wanted to play with the wooden reindeer decorations and nothing else. I was getting upset which got them upset. I felt like my whole day was ruined by their lack of wanting to do anything. In my head I had this perfect idea and it didn't go as planned. I know I need to limit myself and my ideas with them. I know its mostly me thats upset. They were just as happy to play with the wooden reindeer or with their own things than to decorate with me. I need to not have these high expectations and feel sad when they are not met. If they are happy I should be happy. But honestly having hot cocoa. listening to Christmas music and putting up decorations is so much fun to me! One day I hope they feel the same way.
Step 10. Start small. When you bite off more than you can chew you set yourself up for failure. instead set small easily attainable goals to build a sense of success. in subsequent projects stretch yourself to slightly more ambitious undertakings. Sometimes as you were reading the beginning of
this place you thought, "What the heck does creativity have to do with thrifty?" Tighwaddery without creativity is deprivation. When there is a lack of resourcefulness, inventiveness and innovation, thrift means doing without. When creativity combines with thrift you may be doing it without money, but you are not doing without.
My Note-I need to work on this one a little more. Usually I put everything off to the last minute. This year I had to plan a tea party birthday party for my twins. Sad because its probably the last little girl birthday part I will every get to throw. They are big girls now (sad mama!). I planned several decorations and party supplies. For weeks I hunted in thrift shops for things. And when I had no more time I bought what we needed which wasn't much. I took time each day to complete different task. one day it was pretty paper cones filled with fake pretty flowers. One day it was a happy birthday garland made from paper doilies and ribbon. I felt less stressed and did manage to get it all done in time. In the end I saved enough money to afford to take them to the mall to spend some birthday money.
To find out more amazing information head to your local library to snag these amazing books written by Amy Dacyczyn
Tightwad Gazette
Tightwad Gazette 2
Tightwad Gazette 3
Amazon has the set, Ebay, Half.com, Barns and Noble and Powell's all have these books.
Or maybe your as lucky as me and scored yours at a thrift store.
Don't want to buy? Ask your friends and family if you can borrow theirs!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Bacon Bargain Baby
You will really love me for this I promise. Want to know how you can save money & enjoy your favorite flavor of all???? Mmmmmm bacon. Drool........
For Portland Oregon readers you can find nitrate free bacon ends and pieces at New Seasons for only $3.29 per pound. Yes that's correct $3.29 a pound. It makes no sense to buy bacon slices for $7.99 a pound for soups or your favorite dish. I mean really. That's just crazy talk.
These ends and pieces are the se bacon you buy sliced. It's just the ends! So go enjoy your bacon and eat it too.
P.s. It freezes really well & does t need thawed. Simply take it out, cut it up and cook it.
P.s.s. Don't throw that fat away!! Pour the bacon grease I to a mason jar for later. Use it to cook eggs, veggies or if you really like it skatter it on your hands. I'm no judger. really. I mean come on. It's bacon.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Come on Baby Light my Fire
There are several frugal and free ways to have fire starters and kindling. Any paper or cardboard with no plastic attached gets out in this pile. It's kept under our throw blankets so we don't have to see them. We don't get a paper delivered but Food Saver (a Portland paper) gets delivered once a week. We put it to good use.
One if my neighbors let us have some of her sappy pinecones to use as firestarters. These work the best! Best part is it's non toxic and free! Don't heaitate to ask your neighbors if you could have some. It will probably be one less hoer for them to do outside.
About 2 years ago my neighbors Jim & Hazel replaced their fence that we share with them. Jim was gracious enough to let us have some of the wood. Perfect for kindling! Thanks Jim & Hazel!
Lastly here we have some tree bark. Each year we get a wood permit to cut our own fire wood. When we bring it home a lot of the bark comes off & we stack it in one place. Bark is a great kindling that burns hot like a coal & it smells so wonderful when burnt.
You could also make your own firestarters with egg crates, lint and wax but why when you have easy things like these? But I must say hose are excellent gifts for family or friends.
Peace ✌️
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Free mulch is a good thing
This is a HUGE pile of organic mulch. A while back my neighbor asked if I would be interested in going in on some mulch. "Yeah!" Well I forgot all about it till yesterday. I pulled into my driveway and saw this giant pile in my neighbors driveway. As soon as I stepped outside my car I saw my neighbor giving me the thumbs up. WOOOOOOOT!!!!!
I had one hour till I needed to cook dinner so I quickly went to work. One of my 9 year old twins helped me which was fun. Our mulch from years past was so thin that the weeds started to grow everywhere. First thing I did was lay mulch by the wood pile. My husband was so happy. We have a french drain along our small sidewalk because it floods easily. Mulch on top just gives it a finishing touch. Once I sweep it will look a lot better.
Next I went to work on our area by the fireplace. We can see this area from our living room so it must be done. I managed to get to the large tree but will need to finish the rest today. When laying down organic mulch you have to remember not to put any around the base of any plants because it will suck away all the nutrients from the plants to the mulch. We don't need that. So I keep a clear area under all my plants.
And here is what I am doing today. I need to rake all those leaves and put them into my compost bins or garden beds. These leaves are tiny and will break down pretty fast. Then I need to spread mulch along that wall and our fence. Its going to make our yard look so much nicer!
So I bet your asking how we managed to get free mulch? Well its pretty easy actually. My neighbor once worked for a tree maintenance service company. When a company is done doing tree maintenance they usually give the mulch to the city which distributes it to parks around the city. But if you call they will deliver it for free to your home. Not all do this so I could call around to your local tree service companies. Here in NW Portland you can call this place. BUT remember its organic and needs to be spread within a few days. It will break down and start to mold. Once its spread it won't mold. You also won't be guaranteed what kind of tree mulch your getting. Sometimes it has lots of pine. If it does make sure to only put pine around areas you don't want weeds or garden veggies. Blueberry plants love it though. Honestly this stuff is WAY prettier than any bark dust and heck its free!
Northwest Tree Specialist
2074 NW Aloclek Drive, Suite 403
Hillsboro OR 97124
Phone 503-645-2242
Fax 503-645-9399
1-877-8MY-TREE
Hillsboro OR 97124
Phone 503-645-2242
Fax 503-645-9399
1-877-8MY-TREE
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Green review 3 Girls Holistic
Beauty products are something I don't splurge on often. I'm a pretty simple lady so give me some tinted lip balm, mineral mascara and maybe some blush. I'm good to go. But I have four daughters two of which are teenagers. Ive done a good job of teaching my girls that inner beauty is what counts the most. But sometimes they want to treat themselves to some girl time. This usually makes me cringe because 99% of beauty products are packed full of toxins, chemicals and synthetic perfumes. To make things worst the natural food stores that do sell all natural toxic free beauty products are so over priced and not even geared towards teenagers. So to avoid all of these we have made our own facial products. Fun for me but not so much for them sometimes. I get it. I was a teenager once upon a time. When my friend Paige told me about 3 Girls Holistic I was super excited to have the chance to try them out. Lucky for me they sent me these for free to review. Woot!
Their Philosophy
"You look your best when you feel your best.
Our line of products is intended to not only nourish your skin, but your overall health as well. Our skin is capable of absorbing up to 60% of what we put on it; we believe that you shouldn’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t want to have inside your body."
Um yeah! That's what I'm talking about!
A few more amazing details-
Not only do they have tween/kids geared products but also post postpartum, aromatherapy, first aid and women's skin care.
They give back to the community by giving a portion of proceeds to several charities.
Based in Nevada and all products are made in the USA.
Recyclable packaging. They even reuse the packaging from products get get shipped to them.
Cruelty Free
100% all natural. So pure you could eat it. Literally.
100% toxins and synthetics free
$5 flat rate shipping
On top of all this wonderful stuff they have a blog.
I mean come on. All this is way freaking cool!
My little package came with these products inside. Here is a brief description and our review of each item.
1. Purifying Toner-$6.95 After washing your face simply spritz this on your face. Its very lightly scented and dries super fast.
Ingredients
Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel Extract*, Wine Vinegar*, Lemon Balm*, Chamomile*, Roses*, Calendula*, Comfrey*, Lemon Peel*, Rosemary*, Sage*, Essential oils of Bergamot, Grapefruit, and Lavender.
Review-A favorite of my girls. My older girls love this item because of how easy it is to use and it doesn't smell really strong. I love the glass bottle which we can reuse when done with this. $6.95 is pretty darn cheap if you ask me. Well worth the money.
2. Nourishing Cream-$11 A lovely light moisturizer for the night.
Ingredients
Distilled Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Apricot Kernel Oil*, Coconut Oil*, Meadowfarm Seed Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Beeswax, Vitamin E, Essential Oils of Frankincense and Lavender
Review-I personally really enjoyed this cream. Light on my skin and didn't leave any grease on my pillow. It actually made the pillow smell lovely. I felt really comfortable letting my girls use this. Easy to wash out of their clothes! Perfect for messy little girls. Again love this glass bottle because I get to reuse it. Best part is its only $11. Way cheap compared to those other toxic name brand creams.
3. Cleansing Grains-$7.95 When your skin needs a little scrubbing this will do the job. It removes oxidized oil, dead skin cells and dirt without feeling like your face was hit by sand paper.
Ingredients
Oat Tops*, White Kaoline Clay, Almonds*, Chamomile*, Comfrey*, Lavender*, Poppy Seed*, Rose*, Essential Oils of Ylang Ylang and Tea Tree
Review-I was excited to try this out but quickly realized I didn't like it. I didn't let my girls use it because of fear of chunks getting into their eyes. They are not old enough to keep the product out of their eyes. I did use it and found it to be a bit too chunky. I think if I added it to my facial soap it would probably work better. I really did enjoy the light scent though. Also love the glass bottle. $7.95 is a great price for this.
4. Day Serum-$22 Rich in essential fatty acids, it helps fight free radicals, protects against UV damage and the assault of environmental toxins, while restoring and conditioning the skin.
Ingredients
Calendula and Comfrey Infused Grapeseed Oil*, Hazelnut Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil*, Sea Buckthorn Oil*, Essential Oils of Neroli, Frankincense, Lavender and Rose Otto
Review-This might be my favorite out of all of them. I use this after the Purifying Toner and my skin feels amazing all day long. It also helps blend my foundation more smoothly. A little goes a long way so one bottle will do ya! Oh and have you priced serum from major stores? My gosh they are expensive. At $22 I can even afford this. That's saying a lot.
5. Calming Mist-$7 Spritz to help tease tension and create a sense of calm. Enjoy a little bit of the aroma prior to slumber to help you rest more peacefully.
Ingredients
Distilled Water, Essential Oils of Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Yland and Vanilla Absolute
Review-Every single girl in this home loved this! They spray it on them when they feel angry. They spray it on them before bedtime. My tween sprays it on her like perfume. Can't say enough about this spray. LOVE IT. Only one issue I have with this is the plastic bottle. Wish it was glass. We don't like plastic of any kind. Would love if they switched to glass. Otherwise its perfect! And at $7 its a steal of a deal!
6. Pretty Flower Perfume-$18 Bright, colorful bottles, playful labels, and scents that don’t overpower, make them a perfect introduction to the land of big girls! Spill free and mess free roll on applicator. 100% natural, toxic and alcohol free. Organic oil base won't irritate skin.
Ingredients
Apricot Kernel Oil, Essential Oils of Grapefruit and Lavender. 100% Organic Ingredients.
Review-As a mommy I was so excited for my twins to have their own perfume that was safe and non toxic. Its lightly scented so it doesn't overwhelm anyone around them. The pretty bottle makes my little girls feel like big girls. Even my tween loves it. Heck even I love it. As a bonus its only $18 so it won't break the bank.
p.s. I have my eye on a few other products for my girls too. Including a $3 lip gloss!
p.s. I have my eye on a few other products for my girls too. Including a $3 lip gloss!
I really can't say enough about this company. I feel good as a mommy knowing I can buy healthy non toxic safe products for my little girls. They finally get to use things that mommy gets to use. My older girls loved it because they can travel with them and not be embarrassed by our DIY products in mason jars. I can't blame them. If I was a tween I wouldn't want to travel with them either. I am just happy my girls are happy.
For more information you can contact them online. Or go old school and call them by phone at (888) 283-5399 or email at info@3girlsholistic.com
These products were sent to me for free with no compensation of money from the company. I am not being paid for writing anything in this post. All reviews are my personal opinions.
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