November, 2014 | Saved By Grace

9 Reasons to Start Ordering your Groceries Online

November 26, 2023 By Christine 10 Comments

Thank you to Kaisyn Junction for sponsoring today’s post.

As someone who often gets completely winded by even the thought of going to the grocery store because of my chronic pain, I have started to wonder about grocery delivery services. After looking at the options that were available to me last year, I was a bit dismayed. The price to do delivery was too high for my budget and it seemed overly complicated. I was happy to hear about a new business, Kaisyn Junction when they placed a flyer on my door. I was intrigued and was so happy when they offered just what I was looking for. Here are some reasons to order your food online and skip the long lines and grouchy people this holiday season.

9 Reasons to Start Ordering your Groceries Online

Your food will come when you want. Unlike other grocery delivery services, Kaisyn delivers via UPS and they work with UPS’s My Choice program. This means you can order your food and even tell UPS when to deliver it to your doorstep. This cuts out the worry of getting food delivered on a day where the weather is extreme.

Prices are comparable to local grocery store prices. In looking over the website, I noticed that the large markup I was expecting was not there. The prices were about what I expected if I was at the store. In some cases, they were far cheaper. For instance, I got my favorite Durkee’s sauce (a MUST HAVE for the holidays around here) for about a dollar cheaper than I normally get it for.

Shipping is reasonable and free in some cases. Currently, any order over $50 is free to ship anywhere in the US. When you consider the cost of driving around to the stores to get your groceries, this makes it cheaper.

Shipping is fast. I noticed with many grocery delivery services, the wait time to get groceries was up to 2 weeks. With Kaisyn, its usually just 3-5 days. This means you could order your groceries on a Monday and get them by Friday or sooner. Do this once a week and you will never have to go to the store again for the majority of your groceries.

It’s not just junk. You can order meats, vegetables and even organic favorites. You can also order household needs like toilet paper and even cat treats.

You can find specialty foods. I was surprised and happy to see that there was gluten-free foods, organic foods, and even things like diabetic drinks.

You can bundle and save. If you look under “featured groceries”, you will find bundles of groceries at lower prices. Currently, there is some baking and holiday bundles where you can save on all of your holiday baking needs.

You can get all of your household staples. If all you use the service for is to keep all your household staples in stock at home, you will save so much time and money. Many people don’t consider the cost of your time and gas to head to the store a couple of time a week or even month. When I ordered, it took way less time than going to the store.

You could win $5000 in free groceries just for ordering! Right now, anyone who orders over $50 will be entered to win $5,000 in groceries. Wouldn’t that be a great way to welcome the new year?

Are you going to considering ordering your groceries online now? What is one reason you will consider it? Let me know in the comments!

Filed Under: Food, Frugal Living, Homekeeping, Homelife

Coconut Almond DIY Body Wash

November 24, 2023 By Christine Leave a Comment

As I am always on the hunt to make my beauty and health routine more natural and I have a great love affair with Dr. Bronner’s soap, looking for more ways to use it around my home is always a priority. When I came across the idea to make homemade shampoo online, I wondered if I could just make it into a body wash instead. I don’t really use shampoo as I just wash my hair (or dreadlocks, rather) with straight Dr. Bronner’s. The reason for this is to avoid any buildup as it is hard to remove from dreadlocks should it become a problem. This coconut almond body wash is another thing I added to my shower routine and with the cold winter air setting in, it was the perfect thing to keep my skin soft. It’s so easy, only contains 4 ingredients and really can be made in any scent, depending on the essential oil you choose. You can also use any scent of Dr. Bronner’s, but I would stay away from citrus or peppermint as it can irritate delicate parts. Enjoy this recipe for coconut almond DIY body wash.

Coconut Almond DIY Body Wash

Ingredients

½ Cup of Coconut Milk (full fat kind)
½ Cup Almond Dr Bronner's
10 Drops of Almond Essential Oil
5 Tbsp Vegetable Glycerine

Instructions

Add the coconut milk to a bowl and pour in the Dr Bronner's soap.
Add in your glycerine and essential oils and mix well.
Pour into a container with a lid and enjoy!

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Helpful tips:

This can be stored for a couple of months in a covered bottle.
It will be more watery than body wash you are used to and is highly concentrated. Use sparingly. It lathers up very nicely.
This recipe makes a small bottle. Feel free to double or triple it for yourself or to make several for gifts.
Since this is made with vegetable glycerine, it is also vegan!

Filed Under: Beauty, Crafts & DIY, DIY Beauty

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

November 21, 2023 By Christine 2 Comments

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it was fitting to make this delicious smelling (and technically edible!) pumpkin concoction. I have made a couple of body scrubs in years past, such as my chocolate mint one or my very popular Vanilla Citrus body scrub, but this one is my personal favorite by far. And it’s not because I love pumpkin goodies, either. I actually don’t. I just love the way it smells so warm and sweet that it’s amazing to rub on your skin and leave it smooth and soft. This makes a great gift for anyone pumpkin-obsessed, though and it only takes a few ingredients that most people have right in their kitchens. I hope you enjoy my pumpkin pie body scrub!

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

Ingredients

3 Cups Brown Sugar (light)
¾ Cup Coconut oil
2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Puree
2 Heaping Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Instructions

Melt the coconut oil for 30 second intervals in the microwave.
Add the sugar to a bowl and pour over the melted coconut oil. Mix it in well, adjusting by adding more sugar if needed. You want the consistency to be like wet sand, not like mud. Add in your pumpkin puree and mix some more.
Add in your vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Mix it in well. You can add more of each of these to your preference of how strong you want the scent to be.
Store in an airtight container.

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This recipe will make approximately 3-4 gifts in small jars. You can tie them off with a pretty bow to add a nice touch. To use this pumpkin pie body scrub, just take a little in your hand and exfoliate with it. Rinse off to find your skin smoother than ever and probably a little sweet smelling, too!

Filed Under: Beauty, Crafts & DIY, DIY Beauty Tagged With: body scrub recipes, diy body scrub, diy gifts, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice, sugar scrub, sugar scrub recipes

How to do a Detox Bath

November 19, 2023 By Christine Leave a Comment

With a chronic health issue like Lyme disease, I have found that sometimes the most simple of treatments can relieve symptoms that many over the counter or prescription medications can’t really help. I also enjoy doing things as naturally as possible as I don’t want to put so much junk in my body. I believe that God gave us certain things on this Earth to heal ourselves and while this detox bath doesn’t heal me immediately, it certainly does provide some awesome relief. I think a detox bath is good for anyone, really. You don’t have to have Lyme disease in order to have tired muscles and achy joints after-all. This detox bath can help relieve these symptoms and on a cold night, it feels amazing, too!

The trick to a good detox bath is following some very special steps. You also need to have the temperature of the bath as hot as you can stand it without burning up, of course, he reason for this is threefold, really. You want the minerals to dissolve properly, the heat is very relaxing and you need to provide a good temperature and environment to sweat.

Detox baths are also great for days where you have a cold or the flu. They relax sore muscles, clear nasal passages and help your body rid itself of toxins so you can feel better faster.

Try to take this bath when you can have 20-30 minutes of peace and you can relax completely. I like to also light a candle for mood.

How to Do a Detox Bath

How to do a Detox Bath

Ingredients

1½ Cups of Epsom Salt
½ cup of Baking Soda
10 Drops Lavender essential oil

Instructions

Pour a bath with water that is hot, but not scalding. Pour in your Epsom Salt and mix it in until it dissolves with your hand.
Do a dry scrub. This can be done with a loofah or a bath brush. The purpose of this is to scuff off any dead skin and allow detoxing to be easier.
Sprinkle in some baking soda. The baking soda helps your body absorb the minerals in the Epsom salt.
Sprinkle in your essential oils.
Now, lay back and relax. Your body needs at least 20 minutes of soaking to detox and 10 additional minutes in order to absorb the magnesium in the Epsom salt.

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Filed Under: Health Tagged With: chronic pain, detox bath, epsom salt, epsom salt bath, Lyme disease

50 + Gifts You Can Make with Coconut Oil

November 17, 2023 By Christine 19 Comments

Aside from Dr. Bronner’s, Vinegar and baking soda, something I always have in my house is a good old jar of coconut oil. It’s like nature’s remedy for everything! You can eat it, cook with it, use it for dental health, make beauty products with it..the list goes on! Coconut oil is not too expensive and can be bought for fairly cheap if you know the right tips. (see my post on saving money on coconut oil for my own!) I decided that since the holidays are coming up, I needed to compile a list of gifts that you can make with it. Here are Gifts you can make with coconut oil that those on your list are sure to love! Make sure you make some for yourself, too!

50 + Gifts You Can Make with Coconut Oil

DIY Scented Wax Melts by Healthy Living How-To

Coconut Almond Makeup Remover Face Wipes by Saved By Grace

DIY Natural Baby Bottom Balm by Premeditated Leftovers

Coconut Soap by Soap Recipes 101

Brown Sugar Lip Scrub by Crafting E

Natural DIY Sensitive Skin Cleanser by Beauty and the Foodie

Homemade Headache Salve by Confessions of an Overworked Mom

Homemade Eye Cream by Homemade for Elle

Firming and Softening DIY Body Scrub by Pure Ella

DIY Lavender Heel Repair Stick by Saved By Grace

Coconut Oil Honey Hair Mask by Mad in Crafts

Bronzing Body Butter by The Sprouting Seed

DIY Lathering Hand Soap by Mrs January

Breastfeeding Boobie Balm by Complete Recipes

DIY Eyeliner by Delicious and DIY

DIY Blemish Cream by Smart Schoolhouse

Homemade Whipped Coconut Oil Cooling Lotion by Hip 2 Save

Thrifty Moisturizing Bath Soak by Sweetwater Style

Mint & Green Tea Whipped Body Butter by Saved By Grace

DIY Shaving Cream by Popsugar

Natural Homemade Oatmeal Dog Shampoo by Simply Zaspy

Deep Scalp Cleanser by Herbs and Oils Hub

White tea Coconut Oil Bath Bombs by Bakingdom

Oatmeal Honey Face Scrub by Dabbles and Babbles

Snow Cone Sugar Scrub by The Gunny Sack

Citrus Vanilla Sugar Scrub by Saved By Grace

Homemade Eczema Cream by Homemade Mommy

3 Ingredient Calming Lavender Lotion by Primally Inspired

Whipped Grapefruit Mint Sugar Scrub by The Kitchen McCabe

DIY Chai Coconut Lip Balm by Quinnface

Homemade Coconut Lime Foot Scrub by Ma Nouvelle Mode

DIY Natural Lip Balm by Saved by Grace

Sweet Coconut Exfoliating Soap Bars by Essentially Eclectic

DIY Curly Hair Conditioner by One Good Thing by Jillee

Lotion Bars for Pain Relief by Easy-Home-Made

White Chocolate Bath Melts by Bit Square

Whipped Chocolate Body Butter by Coconut Mama

Lavender Coconut Aloe Vera Shave Gel by You Brew My Tea

DIY Coconut Oil Lotion Bars by Veggie Converter

Homemade Baby Shampoo and Body Wash by A Greener Mama

DIY Coconut Sugar Scrub Bars by Kayla Aimee

Choco-Cocoa Mint Sugar Scrub by Saved By Grace

DIY Luxury Solid Perfumes by Inspire Beauty Tips

Lavender and Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub for Gardeners by Mom 4 Real

Homemade and all-natural Face Lotion Bars by Don’t Waste The Crumbs

Tinted Homemade Lip Gloss by Dollar Store Mom

Coconut Oil Cuticle Cream by The Frugal Gals

DIY Leave-In Conditioner by Beauty Tips 4 Her

Homemade Natural Mascara by A Blossoming Life

Baby Rose Sugar Scrub by Smart School House

Coconut Coffee Body Scrub Cubes by Savvy Naturalista

Lavender and Coconut Oil Bath BonBons by Sow & Dipity

I hope you have fun making these coconut oil DIY projects! Make sure to pin this list for later!

Filed Under: Beauty, Crafts, Crafts & DIY, DIY Beauty, Frugal Living, Green Living, Homekeeping Tagged With: coconut oil, coconut oil uses

Almond-Scented Homemade Deodorant

November 14, 2023 By Christine 21 Comments

I bought a stick of natural deodorant a while back and loved how great it smelled and the fact that it contained no aluminum. My husband is allergic to aluminum in deodorants so we tried it out on him to see if this kind irritated his skin. To our complete happiness, it didn’t. The only problem was, this natural deodorant was very expensive when compared to the price of regular deodorant; about twice as much, actually. I just couldn’t see myself paying this amount for the long run and when I looked at the ingredients on the back, it kind of surprised me as they were all things most people (well me, anyways) have in their homes or can easily obtain. I decided to play around a little bit with the ingredients and make my own.

The first batch was too soft and it crumbled as I tried to apply it. This batch was perfect as I adjusted the ratios of ingredients. So here it is, my homemade almond scented deodorant recipe! Make sure you read the notes on this recipe as it is a bit different than the store-bought stuff you are used to.

Almond-Scented Homemade Deodorant

5.0 from 3 reviews

Homemade Almond Scented Deodorant

Ingredients

⅛ Cup Baking Soda
⅛ Cup Arrowroot powder
3 Tbsp Beeswax pellets (or grated and packed)
1½ Tbsp Coconut oil
1½ Tbsp Raw Shea Butter
15 Drops Almond Essential Oil

Instructions

First, add a glass jar or measuring cup to a pot and add water to the pot, creating a double boiler. Add your beeswax to it and start it simmering.
When the beeswax is melted, add in your coconut oil and raw Shea butter. Melt until all parts are liquid. This happens pretty quickly. Add in your essential oil and mix well.
Remove from heat and add in the arrowroot flour and baking soda. Mix it into a runny paste and quickly pour into an empty, clean deodorant container. Allow to harden overnight without the lid.

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Helpful Hints:

This deodorant will not work as an antiperspirant. It will only mask odor but may keep some wetness down as it contains baking soda.
Natural deodorants take some time to get used to. Do not apply heavily and do not press too hard when you apply.
Your body may go through a detoxing period and you may think it is not working. It takes a while to balance out your PH levels after stopping store-bought deodorant. Give it some time.
If irritation persists, try using half as much baking soda and upping the arrowroot.
You can purchase empty deodorant containers online for fairly low cost or you can just save an old one and wash it out like I did. Beeswax, arrowroot and Shea butter can be bought there as well.

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from them helps me keep my blog going, so thank you very much!

Filed Under: Beauty, Crafts & DIY, DIY Beauty, Green Living

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Puree

November 12, 2023 By Christine Leave a Comment

Pumpkin puree is a staple in most homes this time of year. The on;y problem is, it can be expensive, full of preservatives and even added sugar and color if you buy it in a can. There is a traditional way of making it with an oven and a few pans with water in them, but this can take a lot of watching and you can burn it easily as well. I decided to make mine in my slow cooker. It seemed easy enough as the slow cooker is one of my favorite “lazy” ways of cooking.

For this recipe, I just used a medium sized pie pumpkin, sometimes called a sugar pumpkin. It fit nicely in my 6 Qt slow cooker and the lid fit snuggly. The slow cooker did pretty much all the work for me and I was able to go about my day and just make some minor adjustments on temperature. If you plan on making pumpkin tasting goodies this holiday season, make this slow cooker pumpkin puree instead of buying canned. It will cost you about the same, sometimes cheaper, and it also freezes well.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients

1 medium sized sugar pumpkin (pie pumpkin)
¼ cup water

Instructions

With a sharp knife, cut the stem and a circle portion of the top of the pumpkin off as if you were going to carve it for a Jack-o-Lantern.
Cut your pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and "guts". Set aside to roast them if you desire.
Place the water in your crock pot and the pumpkin halves face down in your slow cooker. It's OK if they overlap as long as you can securely place the lid on top with no cracks. If you need to, cut the pumpkin into quarters.
Cook on high for two hours and then low for an additional 2 hours. The pumpkin should be very soft and allow a form to slide right in. Allow to sit for 45 minutes to an hour after you complete cooking to cool with the lid cracked on your slow cooker.
After the pumpkin is cool, using a spoon, remove the meat from the peel. It should come out very easily.
You can either process in a Ninja, Blendtec or another blender or you can do it by hand with a potato masher. Stores for 4-5 days in the fridge or several months if frozen.

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Filed Under: Diabetic Recipes, DIY Cleaners, Family, Food, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: pumpkin puree, pumpkin recipes, slow cooker recipes

How to Decorate a Wheelchair with Duct Tape

November 10, 2023 By Christine 14 Comments

As someone with a chronic pain condition that is still young, it took me a while to finally admit that it; I needed to get myself a wheelchair. I don’t use it all the time by any means but it allows me to be more out and about with my family if we are planning to go out and do something that will require a lot of activity. It allows me to save my energy. It allows my bad pain days not to rule my activity as much.

However, as someone who also can’t just leave boring things alone, I wanted to decorate the one I got. I got this wheelchair from Craigslist for $20 and it was a great find, but it was also boring black and for me, I wanted to ride in style. My daughter and I decided that decorating it was the only option. I did mine with duct take and some blingy ribbon. The whole project cost me less than $15. This would be perfect for you to do if the wheelchair you have is for a child, teen or even if you are someone like myself that has to turn anything you can into a craft project.

How to Decorate a Wheelchair with Duct Tape

Materials you will need:

Duct tape in any color or pattern you like

Duct Tape sheets

Ribbon

Glue Gun

Ruler

Start by measuring your chair. You will want to get measurements on the inside part near the actual sitting area so you can cover it with your Duct tape sheets. When you have it measured out, cut your sheets to match and gently peel off the backing and place it on the surface of your chair.

To decorate the hand grips on the wheels, cut small strips of the duct tape and working in a spiral over-laying pattern, start wrapping it around making sure it overlaps each layer and lays as flat as possible. Do this around both wheel’s grips. The good thing about this is not only does it add some style, but I have also found that it adds extra grip.

Add your ribbon wherever you want buy working quickly with a glue gun.

Get as creative as you want. This is your chair! Add bling, other patterns and even rhinestones!

Some helpful hints:

Choose a pattern that will look OK even if the pattern does not line up like I did with the zebra print. If you don’t, your chair might look funky and not in a good way.

When doing the wheel grips, work slowly and pull the duct tape taunt. You don’t want it to be loose in any way.

Don’t place the Duct tape anywhere that you will need to fold the chair up. It will make it difficult to fold and it will come over pretty easily.

Filed Under: Crafts, Crafts & DIY, Health

Curried Black Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage

November 7, 2023 By Christine Leave a Comment

I have a love affair with curry. All kinds of it. I love it’s tangy, soul-food presence in many dishes. It can turn anything from bland to savory in seconds. The funny thing about curry is, while most people think of it as an Indian food, it can actually be found in just about every region of the world at some point in history. Curry is not a spice on it’s own, but rather a seasoning. I decided to make this recipe because I wanted to kick up the nutty flavor of wild rice and bring out the savory taste of the smoked sausage. It is not only a perfect comfort food, but fairly cheap as well. This meal cost me less than $10 to make for my whole family and was very simple to throw together on a busy night. I hope you enjoy my Curried Black Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage with your family.

Curried Black Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage

Ingredients

3 Cups of Wild Rice
8 Cups of water
1 14 Oz Smoked Sausage
1 Can of Black Beans
¼ of Yellow Curry
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
½ Tbsp Garlic powder
A Pinch of White Pepper
A Pinch of Salt
1 Tsp Olive Oil
¼ Cup of chopped green onions

Instructions

Start by cooking the wild rice in a pot with the water. Wild rice must be cooked to an almost 1:3 ratio and will take about 35 minutes. Bring the rice to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer.
When your rice is almost done, start slicing the sausage at an angle. Place it in a skillet with a tsp of olive oil. Brown it in the pan.
Drain off the beans and rinse off the starch. Add them to your pan with the sausage and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
When the rice is done, drain off any excess water and place it in your pan with the sausage and rice.
Sprinkle on your seasonings, one at a time and mix well. Serve with green onions on top.

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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Money Saving Meals, Recipes Tagged With: beans and rice, curry

50 + Soup Recipes to Warm You Up

November 5, 2023 By Christine 6 Comments

My husband refers to this season as “Soup season” and he gets very excited about it. I love to make soups at home and I have become somewhat of a soup snob as I very rarely use or buy canned soups. After learning how easy it ius to make soup at home and control the ingredients, I just see no reason to do it anymore unless it is for something very quick like my Hamburger Casserole or something.

Here are some awesome soup recipes I haven’t picked to warm you up during the cold season. I hope you enjoy them!