I really love ethnic foods. One of my favorite types is Asian cuisine. Now, I am not claiming this is an authentic Asian dish, but it is a similar in style.
Teriyaki beef and noodles can be made in a very short amount if time, so it is ideal for those nights when you don’t have a lot of time or a lot of money. Utilizing ramen noodles, it is under $1.00 per serving. You can even make your own teriyaki sauce.
There are many recipes for homemade laundry soap online. Some help you make a “liquid” type that you cook and others are in the powder form. I used to be very hesitant to make my own things like household cleanings. Call it laziness, because I now realize it was. I used to make all sorts of excuses: “I don’t have the time”, “It couldn’t possibly clean as well as store bought”, “It is not cheaper at all!”and even (shamefully) ” I am not some do gooder environmentalist hippie!”
Then my friend over at SimplyShan told me to just try making homemade laundry soap. I agreed to give it a go.
I have been making my own cleaning supplies such as degreasing wipes, for a little over a year now and I am very impressed with how well they clean as well as well as how much cheaper they are!
To demonstrate how much cheaper homemade laundry soap is [Read more…]
One of my biggest nemesis is grease in my kitchen. I have no hood over my stove, due to the space in there and my landlady not installing one. The grease covers my walls and around my stove pretty badly. It gets cooked on and it is nearly impossible to remove.
In an effort to go more green with my cleaning techniques, I decided to try something that made sense to me. I was unsure it would work, but to my surprise, it worked.
Do you know lemons can [Read more…]
You may not know this, but in the city in Montana, where I reside, there are no stores that double coupons on a regular basis. I had heard that our Albertson’s sometimes does it, but I have yet to see it.
The best way I have found to save money is to stockpile. I have a little stockpile going on that I used coupons for. It was somewhat of an investment at first, but with the things I have, I no longer need to buy them. for months or even a year.
I have noticed that the coupons in newspapers here are not the same as ones in other [Read more…]
In this time of rushing around the holidays, it is still important to slow down once in a while and have fun with your spouse.
I have put together some fun date ideas that are low cost and some are even free!
1. If you have Netflix, watch an entire season of a favorite tv show. Make popcorn and get some snacks and do your own marathon!
2. Go for a wintery walk to a local cafe and get some hot cocoa. Take pictures of the beautiful scenery.
3. If you have a local brewery or winery, go to a tasting night.
4. Go see a local High School Basketball game.
5. Make a new meal you have never tried together.
6. Pretend to be a tourist in your own town. Do all the free tourist things. We have a carousel here and its cheap to ride. Super fun for adults!
7. Have a fondue night with chocolate or cheese. Feed each other blind-folded
8. It’s winter! Who says sledding is just for kids?
9. Since I recently started couponing, we do coupon date nights. We look for coupons to local restaurants and attractions and use them to do a cheap night of fun. We don’t do anything we don’t have a coupon for!
10. Do indoor ‘smores. Cook over a gas stove or a candle. Read scary stories or watch a scary movie.
11. Do a craft together.
12. Make a scrapbook page of your wedding, first date or another time together. Vow to work on one page a month.
13. Pet the cats and play with the dogs at a local animal shelter.
14. Shut the phones off, and the internet off and make it a snuggle day. This can be so refreshing in our busy times ahead.
15. Organize a section of your home together. It can be fun if you turn up the music and work together. Reward your hard work with a favorite meal out.
I love my new set from Dayspring*. I got some decorative items from the Love Came Down collection including a table runner, set of tea light candle holders, an ornament for my tree and a December tabletop calendar.
While these items are absolutely beautiful and handcrafted with fine details, what they mean and symbolize is the most beautiful of all.
Christmas is a time for celebrating the birth of my Savior and I find the older I get, and the closer I draw to him, the less and less the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the gift giving and receiving mean less and less to me. I get overwhelmed when I think about that tiny baby in a manger that was sent to save me from death and give me eternal life. I admit, the love that came down that day was so great and so powerful, I find myself moved to tears.
I remember the moment I felt the forgiveness of Christ. I remember it hit me like a strike of lightening. I was raised a Christian and we celebrated Christmas on both the secular and the spiritual side of things, but as a child and even as a teenager, it was just a nice story, even if I was not really understanding what Christ’s birth really meant at the time.
I was in my early 20’s and my first Christmas as a re-born Christian was one filled with immense gratitude and this feeling that made my stomach do flips. I was less excited about the gifts I would be getting and more excited about the forgiveness. It felt like I wanted to do cartwheels and scream,” I am free!”
Love really did come down when God sent his only son to be the Savior of mankind. I know there is no greater love than HE who is in me.
Make sure you check out the Love Came Down collection from (In)Spired deals and Dayspring.
If you are anything like myself, you would love to get involved in making holiday candy for your loved ones, but know that it can be a daunting process. I spend an entire day with a friend every year baking up holiday candy, cookies and treats. When all is said and done, there is a great variety on each plate. This year, I vowed to myself that I would not make recipes that took all day to complete. Time seems to be running out every year as I find myself busier and busier. That is why this Oreo pop recipe is perfect! Not only can you have it made in a jiffy, but this one is so easy the kids can do it!
To make Oreo pops, you will need: [Read more…]
As many of you know, I have a store that I sell hand-poured, hand-trimmed crayons on. I will be running a Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale, but there is a new movement called “Small Business Saturday” made to support small businesses this holiday shopping season. I think it is extremely important to support small businesses and crafters this holiday season. You will get hand-crafted gifts and know that they were made especially for you!
Here is a list of other handmade shops to support this Holiday season. I hope you will join me in supporting a hand made holiday!
My shop for Hand-poured crayons: Unbounded Blessings
City Crafts-Floral arrangements and centerpieces
Agony’s Decay-Gothic inspired cameo jewelry
Down With Plumes- Feather Hair Accessories
Mara Mae Knits- Knit Accessories and hats
Off the Hook- Crochet hats, accessories and crafts
Tokyo Blossom- Crochet cowls, earrings and unique gifts
My Sweet Potato 3- Baby and children’s crochet boutique
Sewing Sarah- Unique baby Booties
Stitch to Stitch- Baby, Toddler and Children’s boutique clothing
JUST CLAY and so much more- Hand molded Clay pieces
West Ashley Wall Art- Beautiful custom and handmade frames
Ali C’s Supply Shop- Beads, charms and Findings
If you are looking for nails that look great for the fall, this gold tipped nail tutorial will help you achieve a simple, yet fun look.
As always, start with clean nails. It is very important to have clean nails so your polish stays on well. If you need help applying polish that looks good every time, make sure you check out my tutorial on applying polish.
For this look, I used a “Terra Cotta” shade and Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant in shade “Golden Opportunity”.
Start by painting your nails with [Read more…]
What kid doesn’t like playdough? Although parents often don’t like to let their kids play with it because of the mess factor, playdough is a great toy to spark creativity and great for helping with sensory issues (try putting it in a Ziploc baggie). Did you know you can make your own at home using ingredients you probably already have? This homemade playdough recipe is so simple and its great fun to make with your kids since there are so many parts of it that are so easy.
To make homemade playdough you will need: [Read more…]
