I'm back!!!

Happy New Year! Happy Birthday to me!! Happy Valentines!!!  Did I miss anything? As you can tell I have been on a bit of a break.  My laptop decided to get an attitude and only work when it wanted to.  So I had to wait till we could afford a new one. Sorry it took so long. But hey....IM BACK!!!

After much thought and input from all of you I have decided to keep blogging and change nothing.  I contemplated changing the name of my blog or even starting a whole new blog.  That would of taken a ton of work and even more time away from writing. Not to mention how confusing it would be for all my readers and fans.  I just couldn't do that to all of you.

For the next few weeks I will be updating and trying new things. Here are a few things I want to work on.

-Update my blog look. I need a new photo and want to rewrite my personal info.

-Will focus on shortening my writing and not go on and on (I have a tendency to do that). Keeping my writing short and to the point. This way you can get in and out and on with your life with information.

-One new thing I will be doing is writing from on the go. From sharing photo of a sale at a store to just amazing inspiring things I find out on the road. I have the App so there's no excuse.

-More product reviews! I have 2 in the works one of which will be a giveaway.

-Share fellow bloggers with you.  I have a great community of green bloggers that I know you will all enjoy.  Each one I take what information I need and use it to better my life.  I may not agree with everyone or everything but we can always learn something new.  Because after all these are the people who opened my eyes to a much bigger world. I appreciate each and everyone of them.

-Keep being non-profit! Im not making a single penny off any of you, I don't get paid for any of my reviews and will not clutter my blog with advertisement.

-Last but not least I will be sharing myself more with you.  Things going through my mind, things Im trying to improve in myself and even take more photos of myself. The last one will be hard for me but I need to do it. I need more confidence and putting myself in the open is the best way to do it.

A big thank you to all of you who have hung in there waiting for my return.  And as always.......
I'm Green, Suck it!

Merry Christmas!

Green Review-Squooshi Reusable Pouches

Squooshi Reusable Food Pouches



Squooshi sent me this lovely pack of goodies.  Two 4.5 ounce pouches and two 2.5 ounce pouches.  Each with their own lid and comes in a cotton bag which allows for storage and pouches can get air circulation.  I have to note that the box was very small and had no plastic in it at all except for these pouches.

Here is a little info from their site:

Squooshi reusable food pouches are BPA-free, Phthalate-free, PVC-free, and Lead-free.

Squooshi reusable food pouches provide more flexible and healthy nutrition options: fill with your favorite grain, veggie, legume, dairy, and fruit combos!

Squooshi reusable food pouches reduce waste: no more throw away food pouches piling up in landfills and contributing to air pollution!

Squooshi reusable food pouches save you money on your food bills: pre-filled pouches cost between 1.50-2.25 each!

Squooshi reusable food pouches save energy: empty pouches require a lot less fuel for shipping and most pre-packaged food travels over 1,200 miles before it reaches your table!

Squooshi reusable food pouches are easy: in the car, at the park, in your kiddos's hands, less mess from broken jars, spoons, and trash!

Here you can see my arsenal of reusable items for my girls lunches.  From plain white linen napkins I use to wrap a sandwich, small Velcro fabric bags my good friend Theresa made my girls and a few fabric snack bags I have bought over the years. Anything we can use to hold food is put into this container.

My review:
At first I was thinking these would be perfect for my girls. I have two older girls which could use the larger ones and I have twins that are younger and could use the smaller pouches.  Well that didn't work out so well.  The small pouches are way too small and not enough for my 8 year old twins.  Good for a toddler but not for 8 year old. But that being said the larger size was perfect for all 4 of my girls.  When Monday came along I washed them in warm water (never ever heat plastic especially when food is in them because it will leach any plastic/harmful additive into the food) and let them completely air dry. 

I started with the small ones and found it was really hard to get applesauce into them without getting applesauce everywhere.  Just too small to pour from a container and was even hard to use a teaspoon to spoon applesauce into them. So far not liking this.

The larger two pouches were no problem to get food into. Easy peasy food in and zipped shut.  I sent my girls on their way to school and waited till they came home to give me some feedback.  They said they loved them and kids at school were asking where they got them.  I think the flashy colors, animals and had a "way cool" look to them. 

I then took them in the kitchen and rinsed them out completely and put in warm water with soap.  Thought I had cleaned them all up and let them air dry.  After a few hours I checked and nope not the case.  Applesauce is stuck in the zip style seal.  If I had small kids and a bottle brush this wouldn't be a issue but I don't have either of those.

Would I recommend these?
Yes and no.  If you buy pouches often from the store then you would save lots of money by using Squooshi pouches. If you have no issues with using plastic products then this would be great.  If you would love to have control over organic and healthy food then this would help you encourage your kids to eat healthy and organic food. 

BUT if your anything like me (a bit obsessed with green living almost borderline crazy) then you might not want these.  These are BPA free but who knows if they have any additives in them.  They are a little too expensive for me to buy online considering I would have to pay for them and shipping. If I could buy them local I might not hesitate to buy them. If I bought them new online I would be spending $19.99 for the pouches and then $4.50 for shipping. End result I would be spending $6.12 a piece for them.  But that being said my girls like them and want the in their lunches. On one hand I want to keep my kids healthy, live sustainably and avoid all plastics or harmful packaging. But on the other hand I have to remember my girls are kids and life is about learning and having fun.  These are fun and pretty darn cute. 

Jenny Bradford from Conscientious Confusion says "I am doing a Squooshi review tomorrow and I LOVE them. So much. I have been looking for an alternative to the "disposable" food pouches forever and they are perfect, as far as I can tell. I tried a silicone version about a year ago and it was TERRIBLE so these are a lifesaver."

She goes on to saying " I just use really hot water and a bottle brush. Since my kids are so young (2 and 3 yrs old) I still had a baby bottle brush and I just use that. However, I also do not let the food sit in the pouch very long. I try to rinse them out as soon as possible, although I've gone as long as 7 hours before washing them.  In my review, I am going to mention that although they are plastic, I am less concerned about chemical leaching because they have to be handwashed and therefore aren't exposed to the high temperatures in a dishwasher which typically facilitate chemical leaching. I know they're not perfect, but my readers are typically people who aren't even 100% convinced about "being green" at all, so this is still way better than the "disposable" option."
As soon as Jenny post her review I will add it here for you to read as well.

So check Squooshi out for yourself and who knows maybe this would even be a great gift for Christmas!

NOTE: Squooshi were gracious enough to send me these pouches free of charge and didn't pay me one cent to do this review. These are my honest opinions and Squooshi had no part in them.  My blog is non profit :)

UPDATE: 4/10/14
I have since stopped using these. After a few uses it was really hard to get the food out of the zip closures. Although they didn't mold I wasn't taking any chances.  I'm not recommending these any longer due to the short life of these products. Cute idea but not practical.  

Gathering Wood the Frugal and Free Way

Want to save a bundle of money each year? I knew that would get your attention.  Enjoy these helpful tips that I have learned over the years.  Hopefully you won't be spending so much money on firewood anymore. Better yet even FREE!

The first year we bought our house we had to have some firewood delivered. After spending $250 on a cord of wood we came out of the situation thinking we spent way too much money.  Happy to be warm but from that moment on we were on a mission to get wood for free or at least cheap.

What you see here is our wood shed.  My husband worked so hard on building it and couldn't wait to fill it up.  Soon after it was built a friend of ours needed some help working on his truck. Lucky for us he gave us some wood for free. Woot! But it was wet and needed to dry out for a while. This wood made the back row completely filled up.  In December of 2010 my grandmother passed away.  She lived in a large farm house that had only a wood stove for heat. Since we were the only family members with a fireplace we were able to keep most of the wood.  This wood filled our wood shed up completely. 

Earlier this year a friend of ours had cut a tree down on his property. He called my husband and said come and get it. Of course we did! The wood sat outside all summer until my husband split it and set it out to season.  This will be next years winter fire wood. We feel so lucky to have such amazing and kind friends.

We replaced our broken down back yard fence because it was falling down and unsafe for our children to play back there anymore. The fence was original to our 45 year old house and made from really good quality wood.  So section by section we tore down, replaced and took apart our old fence.  As he would take down the old fence, I would sit and took all the nails out of the wood boards.   Big boards were cut in half and broken boards were cut into pieces for kindling.  It was a long and boring process but in the end we had free fire wood.
Our neighbors next door also replaced a side fence.  Once he was done he let us have all their wood as well.  His fence was made of good quality wood but in much thinner boards.  They made perfect kindling.  Kudos to my neighbor Jim who is in his 90's and built his new fence in the summer heat.  Jim and his wife Hazel are hard working people who take stride in everything they do.  I just hope we can be like them one day. We love them very much!

Anytime we do house projects we stash away any wood on the side of the house in a dry place.  We use it for random house projects and also can use it for kindling.  My neighbor gave me this cool wood box. I just love it.

I am in a group on Facebook called "Haves and Needs"that's a free site to post things you need or want to get rid of.  Everything from clothing, food and even wood.  Someone had replaced their fence and wanted to give away this wood instead of putting it in the landfill.  I just picked it up and set it here till I can get the chance to take the nails out.  If you don't have a Facebook group like this maybe you should start one.  Our group is for just a few cities so that its not a far drive for anyone to get stuff for free. Plus you need to know someone to get into the group for safety reasons. It has helped so many people in my community.  A big thank you to all who is in this group!

I was going to take this gate apart but instead I'm keeping it to incorporate into my garden some how. How cool is this? I love old stuff!

We never pass down free wood.  Just last night as we were walking our girls around trick or treating we spotted this.  Earlier in the day I heard a chain saw for a few hours and this must have been why.  On the side of the street was all this wood with a "free wood" sign on it.  My husband quickly walked home and drove back to get the wood.  By the time I came home with our girls he had filled the truck up completely and came home with the free wood. Its filled with sap and not the best quality wood but hey its free.  This will be set outside to season and next year be in our wood shed. 

So here are a few things to take away from this post.

-Never pass down free wood.

-Sometimes it takes hard work but its worth it in the end. Never be afraid to get a hammer out and take nails out.

-Tell friends or family you would take any unpainted wood or trees they don't want. Just make sure to tell them to call you.

-Any left over wood from projects could be fire wood.

-Be willing to read the newspaper, online ads or even social sites. There is always free wood you just have to look for it and be willing to pick it up.

-Be willing to barter!

-Some places let you buy a pass that's good for a few weeks.  You can drive into the woods and take any fallen trees you want within the time limit. Not free but still WAY CHEAPER.  Just need at truck.

-Any tree in bad shape that needs to be cut down is another chance to get free wood. Just need to let sit and season for a year before you can burn it. 

Now have fun gathering wood and enjoy the savings!

Penny Pinching Preparation for the Holidays

Halloween has yet to come and I'm already thinking of Christmas. Ive been gathering Christmas decorations for over a month now and hiding them in my room.  I just love vintage Christmas decorations but they are hard to come by.  So as I rummage through thrift shops I always keep my eyes open for beautiful things to bring home. These things have been around for generations and will continue to do so in our home. Not only does this put a smile on my face but they also don't break our bank. Woot!

Ive learned over the years that it doesn't take much to save money.  There are little things you can do to save some big cash. You can start saving on your grocery, electric, gas and household bills even with only a months time. True you only save a tiny bit with each tip. But remember that small change adds up to big savings. If you want to keep saving money just keep going with the tips and enjoy keeping your money in your pocket. Don't forget that these things are also helping your mother earth. Come be a penny pinching santa with me!

One easy thing you can do it stop using disposable napkins, utensils and plates. What a waste of money and trees.  Once you use them you toss them in your laundry. I also use these to wrap my daughters sandwiches in their lunches. There is a commercial on TV that shows a mom getting grossed out by having to use a fabric towel. How is having to go buy paper towels just to throw them away any easier than just using a fabric towel and washing it? Why don't you just go throw your money away? Goodness don't get me started on that subject!  While your at it stop buying anything disposable. Seriously get smart and stop throwing your money away.  This tip alone will save you over $100 each year.

One thing that has saved me $24 a year is not buying any shaving cream anymore.  Remember that thing your grandmother had in her bathroom sink? That square slimy thing? Yeah its called a bar of soap. It's pretty simple actually.  No packaging, no plastic involved and it last a long time if you take care of it.  I would suggest a soap holder with holes for air circulation.  Keep your bar dry when not in use and your soap will last a long time.  Instead of grabbing your shaving cream try grabbing a bar of soap and getting a good lather going.  Apply the same way you would your cream and shave away. Using a bar of soap also saves you from having to scrub your tub so much.  Shaving creams are filled with so many oils that stick to the side of your tub and leave a ring. Not with soap!  You can use the soap to wash your tub too! Some even use soap to wash their hair. Shut the front door! Its true.  Seriously stop buying shaving cream!

Another great way to save money is making your own medicine.  Obviously go to the doctor if you have something more than just a simple cough.  But for the regular old yucky cold this will do the trick.  You can make your own cough syrup easily. Even just some chamomile tea with honey will do the trick.  For a nasty cough sprinkle some cayenne pepper to quiet it. Works every time. And yes even my daughters will drink these.  Each time your kids get a cold you will save yourself  $5 by just making it yourself.  This tea my friend Tamara Rubin gave me Marshall's Farm Natural Honey and its her moms company. So if your from California keep an eye out for it. Taste amazing!

Good old vinegar has numerous uses for the home.  Stop buying cleaners and use a spray bottle with 50% water and 50% vinegar.  Use just like you would any cleaner.  Don't worry about the smell because after a few minutes it goes away.  I also use a 50/50 combo of water/vinegar in my carpet cleaning machine. Vinegar gets rid of any smells and cleans so well. 

Did you know that many stores pay you to bring your own bags? Yep! Bring your own bags and you get a few pennies off your bill for each bag you bring.  These pennies add up! Woot for no more plastic bags!!!! This tip alone would make Beth Terry a very very happy lady. This is my milk crate full of bags I have bought or I received for free from stores.  Don't forget to wash them once a week to keep them clean.  Just let them air dry.  If you master this tip try reusing containers in the bulk section.  For example I have a plastic container for liquid amino's that I wash when it runs out and then refill at the store.  I also use fabric bags for my produce and dried bulk foods.  You can bring your own glass container for things like flour/sugar but remember to bring it to the cashier to weigh before you fill it. Master that and you are one hard core green super hero!

Ever heard of DIY? Do it yourself is what it means. Instead of buying prepackaged foods you just add water to how about making it yourself?  Google what ever you want to make and find any recipe for any meal.  Not only will you save money but you will also keep preservatives, BPA and plastic out of your food and body. Woot! You simply cannot go wrong with homemade. 

Think you can master these simple tips? Then be hard core and enjoy these helpful tips from my older post and fellow bloggers. You can thank me later!

Lisa Sharp from Retro housewife Goes Green has some money saving food tips, homemade shower spray, homemade chocolate syrup and she can even save you money on your period. 

Amity Hook-Sopko from Green Gifts Guide has a great post on planning your holiday with less stress.  Look for her Holiday Budget Worksheet!

I also have another great post on steps to stop throwing your money away. It's packed with things you need to stop buying and I share with you so many things you can make yourself. 

You might also enjoy these:

DIY Mint Tea
DIY Chai Tea
DIY Banana Carrot Muffins
DIY Ketchup
DIY Beans
DIY Liquid Laundry Soap
Pack a waste free lunch

Save on your energy bill by heading over to The Crunchy Chicken or sign  up for her Freeze Yer Buns Challenge on Facebook. I do this every year!

Good Girl Gone Green shows you how to use your water responsibly and how to conserve water. She also has a great post about 10+ ways you can conserve energy.  See you can save money just about anywhere!

Condo Blues has a whole section on reducing your household energy up to 15%. Now thats sweet savings!

Make sure to come back and visit this page. I will continue to add on links as my amazing blogger friends share them with me. Saving $$ can be fun and its a never ending process.  Even I still learn new ways!

Update:
I just wrote a great post on gathering Free and Frugal Firewood.

Celebrate Green Blog helps you cut back on food waste.

Jen and Joey Go Green-
Water Conservation
Energy Conservation
Stopping those household drafts

naturemomsblog with 30 ways to save money, conserve energy and stay warm this winter.

Just another day

Hi, my name is Riley and I'm addicted to anything that smells good. I also have secret thumbs that my owners have yet to find. This weekend I opened up 2 glass jars of food when my owners were gone. This is where the secret thumbs come in handy he he he.  One jar was full of corn meal but was pretty empty so I couldn't get to the corn meal with my tongue. But the other jar was full of sunflower seeds and I was able to get a tasty treat for myself. True my owners couldn't eat the sunflower seeds with all my slobber in it.Your welcome chickens!   But hey it was worth it right? Well not so much. Now for some reason my owners kept me out of the main part of the house. Apparently they don't like the smell of my farts.

The end.

 

 

 

 

Beans, barley and bacon soup

What you will need

1 lb Beans of your choice (soaked over night)

4-5 slices of thick nitrate free bacon

1 cup Barley

1/2 Medium onion chopped

Oil

1 tsp Salt

Serves 6

Night before:

Soak your beans in water over night.

Next day:

Chop bacon into small pieces and cook on medium heat.  Toss in chopped onion and cook both till crispy. Toss in those beans, barley and salt.  Add enough water to cover all ingredients.  Bring to a boil then reduce to low and cover. Cook on low for 1-1.5 hours. Done!

Additional notes: I used a smoke salt which added a great smoke flavor to the soup.  The beans I used were white canellini beans because they have a wonderful smooth texture in the soup.  We like to add a dollop of sour cream to our soup when served. Just adds a nice creamy flavor to the soup. If your cutting back on fat you can drain the fat off the bacon. I like the flavor so I leave it in. By all means use this recipe as you will.  Add in anything you love. This is just the basic recipe and you can alter it anyway you like. Use what you have, use seasonal items and you will enjoy the savings along with the soup. Enjoy!