Spills

Since I have 3 kids 7 and under I thought I would share what we do for spills.

David being almost two is the worst. He probably spills about 30 times a day.

We only allow water to drink for the most part. That helps with stains and sticky stuff.

I put a pretty basket on the table and rolled some cloth diapers (they absorb better than towels) and then when we have a spill at the table I don't have to jump up and get a towel. Of course you could also use towels rolled up instead. the first day I did this everyone thought I have rolled up the silverware like they do in the restaurants so it looks nice and neat.
This idea has really saved me a lot of getting up and down at meals.

He also had a habit of getting into the salt and sugar containers that we keep on the table. I put those with the diapers in the basket plus the paper napkins. Yes, we do buy napkins. I haven't convinced hubby that cloth are worth it. Even so we only go through a package about every 3-4 months.

Tawra

Use a dresser for an organized garage.

We have a dresser that was given to us by a relative. It's an old 70's style and ugly. It has 9 drawers. I painted it black and then put in the garage to store stuff.

Each drawer is for a different thing.
Electrical
Misc. hardware like felt for chair legs, baby locks, door stops etc.
Paint supplies- roller handles, paint brushes, sand paper etc.
Glues and adhesives
Batteries
Misc. tools- tools we need but use only every now and then like a pipe wrench.
Nails and screws
I can't remember the other two.

This has made life so easy! I just made a label out of paper and used the staple gun to secure it.
I see them all the time at garage sales for $10. It would be well worth it for the amount of storage you can get!

Think outside the box!
Tawra

Keeping life simple.

I've been thinking on some other ways that we keep the house going with me being sick. Here are couple of things that can be used even if your not sick.

Let the kids drink water for most of the day. They don't need Kool-aid, milk or juice every time they are thirsty. When they do have it, it must be consumed at the table or outside. You won't have Kool-aid stains all over the place and franticly trying to clean it up.

BTW, don't buy beige carpet. I think beige carpet is from Satan! I don't know any home with small kids would have it. You know that the builders of these new homes for the family aren't the ones cleaning the carpets!! LOL
It is such a pain to clean and it always looks dirty. If you have small kids and are getting new carpet don't buy beige. Don't get real dark carpet either. It will show every little piece of lint and dirt. Look at places like church, doctor's offices, schools etc. and see what color they have. These high traffic areas are great to get color choices that won't show dirt.

Food is only eaten at the table or outside. There's no reason to be dragging food all over the house and cleaning up after it.

Stop nagging the kids, make their lives easier. Give them one comforter on top of their bed so that making it will be easy. They don't need a sheet and several blankets.

Get a basket for them to put their shoes in. They can't find them in the closet, won't put them on the rack or in a shoe bag. We have a wicker basket sitting by our stairs and everyone's shoes go in there. They know where they are and they are easy to get out. Every month or two I go in and sort out the ones that don't need to be in there like dress shoes or slippers. We use this mostly for shoes worn everyday.

Get rid of dressers and put their clothes on shelves. They never close the drawers and can't see what is in there. Put shelves up either in the closet or cubbies along the wall for their clothes. They can see at a glance what they have.

Take the closet doors down in their room. Put up an easy to close curtain or just leave it open. While they are little this will make it much easier for them to handle. My kids don't have any doors on their closets.


Keep only the blankets you really need on your bed. For us it's a sheet, blank and comforter, that's it.

Those are few tips to make life easier.

Tawra

Three salads for Memorial Day

Tomato Basil Salad

4 large tomatoes salt and pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp. wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. oil
1/3 a cup fresh basil leaves, chopped into small pieces

Dice tomatoes and combine with salt, pepper, vinegar, oil and basil. Serve.
*You could also add cubes of mozzarella cheese.


Bean Salad

1 can each, whole corn, green beans, wax beans
2 cup celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped (or to taste)
1 cup green and red peppers, diced

Mix together and cover with dressing. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. This gets
better the longer it sits.

Dressing
1 cup sugar 2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup vinegar 2 tsp. salt

Combine and shake well.


Garlic Salad (This is wonderful!)

4 stalks celery 3 tsp. garlic powder
4 carrots 3 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 pint Best Foods' or Helliman's mayonnaise (no substitutes)

Place celery and carrots in a blender with a little water. Chop finely, drain and dry between two paper towels. Add garlic powder, garlic salt and mayonnaise. Mix well and chill overnight.

About my CFS and FM

About my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
I get just about as many questions about being disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia as I do saving money. So I thought I would address the questions I get here. I AM NOT A DOCTOR!! This is only my story and what has worked and mostly what hasn't worked for me. Please check with your doctor before trying anything new.

For those of you feeling discouraged because of lack of belief from family, friends and/or your doctor, don't worry!!! YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!!!! There really is something wrong with you. Most people like me lead very normal, healthy lives and then one day, bam!, just get sick and don't get better. I started volunteering when I was 14, working when I was 15 and all through high school, made straight A's plus worked 20 hours a week plus was in chorus which took another 20-30 hours a week. ( Can you say Type A personality? :-) I had major plans for my life and things I wanted to do. I got sick when I was 16 in 1988. (I started doing better after being in bed for almost 3 months constantly.)

Mom, my brother and I were all diagnosed with it in 1988. We all came down with the flu and just never got well again. We finally diagnosed it ourselves after a friend told us of her friend that had the same symptoms. We had gone to doctor after doctor and they just thought we were nuts or depressed. After going to the Psychiatrists and them telling us weren't were depressed, it got depressing! LOL

Anyway, this friend of a friend who was sick too with the same symptoms we were able to talk to her about it. Then we talked to our doctor (they had only made a name for it about 6 months earlier). He said that sounded like CFS and that was that. Since then I have been to countless doctors and still they try to diagnose something different. They all try to find something but the tests come back negative. I even had one doctor tell me I had MD even though the tests were all negative!! (What an idiot!) The Centers for Disease Control came to Wichita to conduct a study on CFS in 1990. We were one of the participants. They put us through everything you can imagine and still couldn't find anything wrong with us. They said we were one of the most classic cases of CFS.

Anyway, I was feeling better my senior year of high school (1989-1990). After high school I went to Sweden to be an exchange student. I left in June 1990 and by then end of August I was so sick I could hardly get out of bed. I had to come home early. They walk almost exclusively there and I am pretty sure that is what triggered my relapse. (exersise makes CFS worse) They eat the most healthy diet you can imagaine so I know it wasn't my eating habits!

I came home and tried working several times. Each time I would make myself worse and be in bed longer and longer. I finally got to the point where I could barely get out of bed to even comb my hair. I was home from Aug 1990 - Dec. 1991. I finally was able to move out and when I got on disability in April of 1992.

I lived in Springfield, Colorado a town 900 people in my grandparents small farm house that I rented for $100 a month (utilities included). I was able to get by on my $300 a month Social Security by doing that. It was hard. We were 60 miles from the nearest city and I lived with well water that froze up more days than not in the winter plus I had snow drifts that would snow me in for days at a time. It was not easy but I was on my own then so I didn't have to worry about kids to care for.

I did go to school for Horticulture in 1993-1994 after moving to the Denver area and then Estes Park. I was still trying to at least do "something" so that when I got better I could own a greenhouse. (My dream job! :-) I figured that way I could be getting something done while I was waiting to get well.

That's how it all started for me. I wouldn't wish this on anyone! It's horrible living with constant pain, having no memory of anything and being sick and tired all the time, no matter what you do (or don't do!) You aren't lazy, you don't need to "just get over it", you need help.


Getting Diagnosed
There aren't tests that they have to diagnose it. Basically they test you for everything from Lupus to MS to thyroid problems and everything comes back negative. Then they tell you you have CFS. There is a list of symptoms on the CDC site ( http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/ ) and you can look at them and see if they sound like you. Print it out and then take it to your doctor. If you doctor doesn't work with you, if you can change doctors, do it until you find one that will work with you.

I KNOW that is much easier said than done. Mom is still on state medical and she can't find a decent doctor. I'm not on state medical now and I can't find a decent doctor. I think doctor's in general just don't listen. They are just too busy to really try and help now. You really have to be firm and even a dork sometimes to get them to listen to you. Keep insisting on trying something new. You shouldn't have to be agonizing pain 24/7. You can get at least a little relief with some drugs.

Sites for information on CFS and FM.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/
http://www.immunesupport.com/healthwatch/ - This site does sell supplements and vitamins. A portion of their proceeds go to CFS research. They do have many good articles on CFS and FM.
http://www.raacademy.com/understanding_ra/Fibromyalgia.jsp?id=248
http://www.hamline.edu/lupus/articles/Fibromyalgia.html
http://www.fibrohugs.com/tenderpoints.html
(This is a good chart to show the tender point areas.)

I personally believe CFS and FM are 2 different illness. Why? I have CFS and FM but my mom and brother only have CFS. They don't have any of the FM muscle pain. I also think it's two different things because when I am pregnant I can hardly move my FM is so bad. (from not using your muscles, which helps with the pain some.) But, my CFS (which is made worse with exersise) was much better because I was on bed-rest ( for high blood pressure) resting all the time. I don't have swollen lymph nodes or a sore throat etc. I really can tell a difference which is worse from one day to the next.

Here are some notes of things that I have the worst time with and what has helped.
FM Symptoms
Tender Points - when these areas are pressed they hurt VERY badly. (For me it makes me sick to my stomach) It hurts to even have my husband give me a hug. The main places are the base of the head, shoulders, back on the shoulder blades, the insides of your arms by your elbows, the backs of your knees, lower back on each side right above your buns. The pain is so severe it puts you into tears sometimes. http://www.fibrohugs.com/tenderpoints.html (This is a good chart to show the tender point areas.)

Muscle Weakness- You feel like your going to drop something. If you hold something like a heavy purse "the wrong way" for an extended period it can feel like you have damaged that muscle.

Mental Confusion - You feel like you have Alzheimer's or are "losing your mind". (This is the thing I hate the worst!)

Trouble Sleeping and Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and incapacitating in others.

Flu-Like Symptoms
General Malaise (Malaise is a generalized feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being that can be associated with a disease state. It can be accompanied by a sensation of exhaustion or inadequate energy to accomplish usual activities.)

Increased Thirst

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
( Alternating constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, bloating and abdominal gas.)

Morning Stiffness

Things that make my FM worse:
Lack of Sleep
Stress
To much exercise such as climbing stairs in our new bi-level house. (BIG MISTAKE!!!)

Things that seem to help FM
Taking a regular Alka- Seltzer, not cold
Sleep
Air Bed may help. It did for me for a while but now I'm sleeping on my $20 garage sale couch because it's easier on my muscles.
Pain medications (over the counter or prescription)
Stretching
Reducing stress (Ok, I know MUCH easier said than done but do what you can.)
Massage ( I am lucky that my husband has learned how to do it for me so I don't have to pay $80 a week to go once a week!)
Hot Baths ( I have to take one almost nightly to ease the pain enough for me to sleep)
Ben Gay Cream
Heating Pads
Resting, just sitting and reading or watching TV.

CFS Symptoms
This is the definition of CFS from the Centers For Disease Control website. (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/ )
Have severe chronic fatigue of six months or longer duration with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnosis, and
Concurrently have four or more of the following symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, muscle pain, multi-joint pain without swelling or redness, headaches of a new type, pattern or severity, unrefreshing sleep, and post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and incapacitating in others. Even after you have slept a good nights sleep you wake up tired.
Mental Confusion
Flu-Like Symptoms
Frequent Urination
General Malaise
(Malaise is a generalized feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being that can be associated with a disease state. It can be accompanied by a sensation of exhaustion or inadequate energy to accomplish usual activities.)
Hair Loss
Increased Thirst
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
(Alternating constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, bloating and abdominal gas.)
Low Grade Fever
Morning Stiffness
Night Sweats
Shortness of Breath
Sore Throat
Temperature Sensitivity Feeling hot or cold no matter what the temperature is. Extreme hot or cold weather can worsen symptoms. Also sensitivity to cold, damp or humid conditions.
Tender and Swollen Lymph Nodes - In the neck or armpit.
Headaches

Things that trigger CFS and make me sick:
Noise - dogs continually barking, continually having someone talk to me, trying to listen to the radio while someone is talking to me, fans running, baby crying, loud music, computer fan, a/c heat fan running, trains etc.

Social activity including church functions, going to friends house etc.

Talking - on the phone or in person.

Shopping

Heat and humidity

Adrenalin Rush such as being scared or laughing

Exercise; anything that causes me to exert myself.

Lack of Sleep

Stress - emotional, financial, physical

Standing for long periods

Holding my arms up for long periods, like painting a ceiling.

There are times when I litterally can't lift my head off the couch. Usually it's on a day when I have done too much and made myself sick. If you ever hear me talk about laying down on the floor and not having the strength to get up, that's what I'm talking about.

Things that help my CFS
Taking regular Alka- Seltzer, not cold

Taking NADA - This is a supplement sold though http://www.immunesupport.com . This is the only thing that I have found helps me. It did not at all help my mom or brother. It did give me more energy and made me feel a little better. It is fairly expensive ($40 a month) but worth it if it works. If it doesn't work after a month or so, stop taking it, it's probably not going to work for you. It DID NOT cure me. Only made it so that I have more energy and my CFS wasn't quite so bad.

Cutting all social activities (I keep it very limited. I have one friend and we see her and her husband every 2-3 months for a few hours)

Limiting phone calls

Reducing Stress

Getting Sleep (with 3 kids under 7 that's the same as impossible even with my husband getting up with them at night)

Cool, dry climate - I felt much better in Colorado and Idaho than I did/do in Texas and Kansas. So people report also feeling better in places like Arizona and Nevada.

Running the Air Conditioner- Removing the humidity from the air helps a lot

Eating on Time - I get very sick if I don't eat on a regular basis. I really go downhill fast. My husband usually can tell and forces me to eat something even if I'm not hungry. It helps a lot to eat every two or three hours.

I have recently cut out most of the sugar. It has helped a lot. Especially with brain fog and low energy. It was NOT easy at all to do, but I felt it was something I had to do. I am still working on not back sliding.

Wearing all cotton clothes - I feel like I'm going to "crawl out of my skin" if I don't wear cotton. I don't know why but I think it's because I get hot in anything else.

Bee Pollen, Vitamins, Anti-depressants, Fish Oil, etc. have not helped me one bit. So please don't send me info. on them. The bee pollen even made mom worse!

How I Cope
You first have to realize that you are sick. Once I stopped fighting being sick and started using my energy and working with it instead of against it I started doing much better! Not healed but I went from being flat in bed to at least doing the dishes during TV commercials.

I cut out almost all social activity. I am an introvert (I get my energy by being alone) not an extravert (like my husband, a person who gets energy from being around people) so social things really make me sick. If you like being around people and it helps you feel better then do more social things.

I stopped gardening (my favorite thing to do) when I moved to Kansas. It just makes me to sick to work in the heat. Now I am do small amounts as I can.


My kids can do 1 outside the house activity at time and that's it. Swimming lesson, karate, music only one.


I have cable TV. Now I don't normally advocate cable if you can't afford it BUT in this case I think it really helps. When you are chronically ill it really helps to take your mind off the pain. Sometimes you get so overwhelmed that you need a break and this helps. I don't watch things like Soap Operas. I watch HGTV and Discovery etc. I try to be careful though. I really enjoy doing home improvement stuff so it can get discouraging if you watch to much and can't physically do it. Don't watch junk. You don't need to filling your mind watching what other people (who aren't real anyways) are doing.

My husband does a lot of the hard things like scrub the tub and shower, and vacuum.

I clean in spurts. I do something for a few minutes, quit and do something else. My house is never spotless but it is mostly picked up and neat.

My kids take a nap whether they are tired or not. They play in there room quietly for at least 1 1/2 hours after lunch. They also go to bed at 7:00 p.m. I really need the break and by that time of night I am just too tired to do anything anymore. They usually play quietly (or not so quietly sometimes! :-) for an hour before going to sleep. This isn't just for me. I my opinion kids stay up way to late now days!! Except for special occasions kids under 12 should go to bed no later than 8:30p.m. Kids are grouchy and have bad behavior because they are tired a lot. (of track but my .02)

Getting on Disability
A word about disability. I got on disability when I was 20. I got on my own Social Security because had I worked since I was 15 and had enough credits. If I would have gone on my dad's I could have gotten $700 a month instead of $300 because I was under 21. Another big mistake but we didn't know at the time.

Anyway, I got on in 1991 when no one believed in CFS let alone in a 19 year old having it. IT WAS A MIRACLE I even got on! I DID NOT want to go on disability. I felt like I was giving up by doing it but I really had no choice. I had no medical insurance, couldn't work even though I had tried to "force myself" to work, so I really needed help.

Now in 2005 it is much easier to get on disability. I would say if you can, start applying as soon as you realize you can't work any longer. You can always go off if you start feeling better. It still takes a long time to get on, you will be denied several times and have to appeal. It can take 2-3 years to get on sometimes. I have tried many times (at least 10 different jobs) in the last 15 years to work and I just haven't been able to do it. Even with the book, I only do it about 5-10 hours a week now, which is why we haven't made an income from it yet. It is work like anything else.

I hope this helps with some insight on CFS. There is a lot of info. on the Internet. Be careful what you believe and REALLY read up on some remedy before you give it a try. Not everything will work for everyone and not everyone will want to deal with the side affects of some things they try. Good luck.

If you would like to email me please feel free. I will answer as I can.
Tawra

editor@livingonadime.com

Another clothes drying tip.

This came from Roxie. Thanks! TJ

In the second bathroom used by my two young grandsons, who don't take showers, I put an extra shower curtain rod in the middle of the tub. I use it to dry T-shirts, and other things from hangers. I use the other rod (the one on the out side) for the same thing. I can hang the boys jeans, shirts, and under ware there and it is not in the way when the kids use the bathroom.
I also found a really large drying rack at an Amish Craft show. It is huge. I spent $30.00 on it, but to me it is worth every penny. I can hang a huge load of towels, wash cloths, and under ware and socks on this rack and leave it under a ceiling fan and it is dry over night. (I do this when we have rain, other wise everything goes outside on the big clothes line)
I do always hang T-shirts on a hanger with a small clothes pin on the arm hole seam to keep them from getting that funny bump on the shoulder. I leave these 'nice' T-shirts in side as I don't want sun fading.

Another trash pick find.

When Mike worked at the university one day he found a Little Tykes playhouse sitting by the dumpster. The daycare got a new one and was throwing it out. The kids used it 3 years and then we sold it for $15! Not bad! TJ

Save on Dishsoap

We are working on the new oranzing and cleaning book. I was reminded of something we do from the Dollar Stretcher newsletter.

Put your dishsoap in a bottle with a pump. I have one made out of pottery that I like. Instead of just squirting the soap in the sink, you can just pump one or two squirts in the sink and your dishsoap will last up to 75% longer.

We have done this for years. I buy a small (16oz. I think) of dishsoap ever 2-3 months and that is using it everyday 6-7 times a day.

TJ

Drying Clothes

We normally use a clothesline or clothes rack to dry our clothes. I don't have a clothesline because we weren't planning on staying here so I use a rack in the utility room. Well, it's been so humid that the clothes aren't drying very fast and getting mildewy (is that word? :-).

I have had to use the dryer the last couple of weeks so the clothes get dry. Even though it's sunny we can't set it outside because the wind blows it over and I have to clean it all over again.

Here's an article we wrote a while back about drying clothes on a rack if you don't have a clothesline. TJ

Air Drying Clothes Without A Clothesline
By Jill Cooper
http://www.LivingOnADime.com/

We all know that if we don't dry our clothes in the dryer we save on electricity, but many of us don=t think about how the dryer reduces the life of our clothes. For a long time I couldn't understand why so many people were buying scads of socks and underwear for their families every few months. When my children were growing up, they almost never wore out their underwear and socks and we owned only about a quarter as many pair as most people. No I didn't buy some name brand known for its child proof quality. I usually bought the least expensive ones I could find.
Fast forward a couple decades. One day after folding my grandson's new underwear, I noticed that the waistband was terribly rippled. After doing some research, I discovered the answer: The dryer was destroying the rubber elastic in the socks and underwear. I rarely dried my family's clothes in the dryer, so the elastic never broke down. It doesn't just happen with underwear B Have you ever noticed pilling (those little fabric balls) on your clothes and linens and the resulting lint in the dryer? That is the result of the fibers being rubbed thin. The dryer also shrinks clothes and sets in stains.

The two reasons I think most people don't line dry their clothes are that they think it is inconvenient or they=re just not sure how to do it. Here are some of the best tips I have found to air dry clothes without a clothes line.

Though I don=t use the dryer to dry my clothes, I do use it for five minutes or so with some loads (just long enough to fluff the clothes). I put one load in the dryer and only leave then there as long as it takes me to load the washer with the next load.

If you have no clothesline, you live in an apartment or your homeowners association won=t allow clotheslines, here are a few ways to dry without a clothesline.

You need at least one drying rack and some type of clothes rod. You can buy drying racks at most discount stores or hardware stores. You might locate a clothes rod in your laundry room above the dryer, use a sturdy shower curtain rod in the bathroom or get a metal clothes racks that hooks over the back of a door. You don't need much. I can hang two loads of laundry on one drying rack and 2 feet of clothes rod.

Hanging on a Clothes Rod
Hang as many items as you can on clothes hangers, beginning with the obvious things like dresses, dress shirts and blouses and hang the hangers on a clothes rod to dry. Be sure not to put the hangers too close together or the clothes will not dry. You can also hang things like pajama tops, t-shirts, small kids shirts and one piece outfits. Lightweight pants, pajama bottoms, skirts and sweats can be pinned on clothes hangers and even sheets can be folded and hung on them. If you are really short of drying rack space, you can hang socks, underwear, wash rags, hand towels and towels on hangers and add them to your clothes rod, too.

Hanging on a Clothes Rack

When hanging clothes on a drying rack, I start at the bottom with socks and underwear, wash rags and baby clothes. Young children=s clothes and hand towels go on the middle layer and the top rack is for towels, jeans, pillow cases, sweaters, sweats, pajama bottoms and t-shirts. I try to use every inch of space, so if I put a pillow case on the rack and there are a couple of inches left next to it I put a sock there. I even hook bras on the corners of the rack.
Drying racks are handy because they can be moved to speed up the drying process. Place them outside on a sunny (but not windy) day. Inside the house, try putting them over a vent and the heat or air conditioner will dry them faster. If you don't have central heat or air then you can place them in front of your heater or a fan. Don't place clothes close enough to heaters to be a fire hazard.

If you are short on space and don't want to look at a drying rack in the middle of the room, do the laundry before bed, hang it and in most cases it will be dry by morning (especially if you set it above an air vent).

Try hanging large king sized sheets or blankets over your shower rod, over the rail of your deck, between two lawn chairs or folded in half or quarters over your clothes rack. When you fold large items, you must flip and turn them every 5-10 hours so that each side gets dry.

Sometimes it is useful to hang a clothesline in the basement or attic. Be sure to check out your department stores and hardware stores for other ideas. They have many clever items like retractable clotheslines, things to hang over doors and some not so new ideas like extra large drying racks that can hold two loads of laundry each.

Even though this may sound complicated at first, once you do it a few times it becomes second nature to you. Pretty quickly, you will discover the most efficient way to hang your clothes on the rack. I know automatically that three wash rags fit across the bottom bar of my rack and the two socks will fit next the that particular t-shirt. It's like putting a puzzle together- the first time takes you longer than the times after that because you know where the pieces fit.

Jill Cooper raised two teenagers alone on $500 a month income after becoming disabled with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She is the author of the frugal cookbook
Dining On A Dime, Eat Better Spend Less. To read more of Jill's articles and for free
tips and recipes visit www.LivingOnADime.com.

Great Garage Sale Tip!

Lisa in TN sent this and I thought it was a wonderful idea! I am going to use it this summer with the my kids. TJ


Excellent garage sale tips!

We go regularly and the kids almost always go with us. They're actually an asset because people who are trying to get rid of things will usually just give each child something. In fact, I have to limit the amount of things they get for free or we'd come home with all kinds of trash.

Here is a suggestion I have for taking kids along (I had to learn the hard way): I have taught mine that sometimes people's prices are too high and you can tell right off the bat if they're willing to come down. If one of them asks me if they can purchase an item and I don't agree with the price, I have a key phrase that I tell them. It's something like, "I don't think we need to get that today." Then they know NOT to ask and beg over and over. They just put the item back and we go on to the next place. Every time this has happened they always have found a better and cheaper item at another sale.

Yard-saling (as we call it) is a form of entertainment for us. We always pack snacks and water (as you suggested), the kids have their own money, and we drive around for a few hours and see what we can find. People give away the most amazing things. We spend much less than our peers and we have all the modern necessities!

Also, thanks for what you said in the other article about pricing your items low enough when having your own sale. I have been to some places that try to get way too much out of their things! It's quite irksome. Also, some of the best finds for us have been at the yucky looking places that look like they just have a bunch of old junk. Often we find a buried treasure at these places!

Keep up the good work,

Lisa in TN

Illness and frugality.

I have been really sick the last several days. I think it's the heat and humidity, it always makes my CFS go crazy. I have been so bad that I one day I went in to Davids room to help him get something under his changing table. I laid down to get it and then ended up staying there for 15 or 20 minutes trying to get enough strength to get up again.

I have pretty much be dead on the couch from 3-8 p.m everyday. The rest of the day I'm not getting much done because I am just so worn out it's hard to function.

I say all that to say even when you are sick or have an illness there are ways to be frugal and keep things going. Here are a few things we do. (Before I pass out again! LOL)

1- The kids can pick up most of the house with direction. Ex. Elly, pick up 5 of David's toys and put them in his room. Pick up 4 cups off the floor. (Some how the plastic kids cups always end up on our floor.)

BJ, empty all the trash cans and the dishwasher. Let the kids do as much as possible.

2- keep meals simple. Tonight it was frozen pizza and cut up veggies we already had. Another night it was chicken with a bottle of hot and sour sauce dumped over the top with rice.
Another it was taco salad made with bagged lettuce, browned hamburger with taco seasoning and sour cream, salsa and olives. We didn't use chips because we are trying to lose weight.

Use paper plates. They are cheap, use them!

Use a piece of tape and mark everyone's name on a glass so you can keep the germs separated! (Ok, I know that it's almost impossible to keep everyone from getting sick but I can dream! LOL) This saves you from getting a new glass every time because you forgot which one was yours.

3- try to do at least one load of laundry a day. That way you won't get overwhelmed or behind.
Forget about doing sheets etc. During this time.

4- Let it go! Ignore the dust, the dirty windows etc. I know that's really hard to do but don't worry about those things. If you are laying on the couch and it looks right out a dirty window then have your kids or hubby clean it but otherwise forget it!

5- If it's something like a cold or the flu, keep an empty tissue box to put all the used tissues in. You can then just throw the whole thing away when your done. Keep all the caught drops, phone, remote etc. in a small basket so that it's contained and not falling all over the place. You can also take it with you to bed or if you want to move to a different spot.

Those are a few of them. As I think of more I will add them but my brain is shutting down now. Anyway, try to do the least amount possible but still keep things going.

Tawra

Teachers gifts.

The last day of school is on Thursday. (Pray for me! LOL)

Last Christmas I found some really nice bath gift sets on clearance for $4 each. They had scrubbies, body wash, lotion and a couple of other things. They will make great teacher gifts.

Elly's teacher also said how she loves tissue paper. I found some really pretty bright stuff at the dollar store so I will add that in too.

Listen to what people like. Sometimes gifts don't have to be large or expensive to be meaningful.

Tawra

Beware Of the Post Office

Since I ship everyday I have gotten to know the post office people really well.

One day I went in to ship and I said "send this the cheapest way." They listed me a quote of $23 for express mail then $16 for Priority for a package that should have been around $3-$4.

I said "isn't there anything cheaper like parcel post?" She grinned and said "yes, but we can't say anything but express mail and priority mail now. If you want to know parcel post and the media mail rates you have to ask for it specifically." Of course the package cost $4 parcel post.

Don't assume what they tell you is the cheapest way to go. Ask for parcel post or media if it's books etc.

Tawra

Mike is going out of the car repair business.

Well, last week Mike was working on changing the spark plugs to try and save us $70. Well, he spent $35 on parts and 4 hours trying to get it done. When he got done it didn't work and he realized that he had switched two of them but had no clue how to figure out which ones. We had to take it to the repair shop which cost us $23 to get it fixed. He spent 4 hours working to save $10! He is going to stay out of the car repair business from now on. Some things just aren't worth it.

This is a good point. Realize that you are going to have areas where you can save more and others you won't. We used to be able to save with cloth diapers but the last two years we couldn't.

Mike can do wonders with a computer and has saved us thousands in tech support and website design and proofreading and editing but cars aren't his thing. The point is don't beat yourself up if you have to spend on some things. No, this isn't permission to go out and just start eating out every night because you "don't have the time to cook" so it would save you time. If you are a tightwad don't worry over money spent on things that couldn't be helped or that you don't have the ability to do.
Tawra

How to have a garage sale

How to have a garage sale

Your objective is to make money while getting rid of stuff in your house.
Here are some tips to make the most of your garage sale.

The spring is the best time to have a garage sale. After a long winter people are ready to get out and find some good deals.

1. Have as many signs as possible. Put one on every major corner, on the corner to house and any needed in between. If it is more than ½ mile from the corner to your house put some signs in between. You really can not make enough signs. Make your signs large!! At least 12 inches but 18-24 is much better. Make it contrasting colors. Black and white are best but other colors such as coloed paper with black will work well. A black permanent marker works best. Be sure to put your address AND an arrow pointing the direction to your house. Make all your signs out of the same material. ie. all of them make of cardboard with white painting. That way people will know it’s your garage sale and know which signs to follow.

2. Check and see if any of your local papers or thrifty papers have free garage sale ads. Put one in if they do.

3. Clean out everything you can so you can have as large as sale as possible. If you don’t have enough stuff to make big enough sale then ask friends, family or neighbors to have one with you. Also give all of your neighbors a flyer telling them when you are having a sale and ask if they would like to have one also. The more sales in one area the more people will come to your sale.

4. Price you stuff LOW. There is nothing more frustrating than going to a garage sale and you can purchase the items brand new on clearance for the same price, even if it is “Baby Gap”. Name brands can let you get by with a little higher prices. I would recommend pricing really nice kids clothes no higher than $1 each and clothes that have stains or are not name brand at .50 or less. Socks and underwear shouldn’t be higher than .10 each. You may think that these prices are too low but please remember than you are getting rid of stuff!! You don’t want to bring it back into the house. You will also get a lot more sales if you prices are reasonable which means more in the long run. If you sell 15 $1 items or you sell 200 @ .25 each ($50 total) you will make much more if you sell the less expensive items. A good rule of thumb is price items a maximum of 10% retail price.
By the way, people who go to yard sales really don’t care if it’s brand new in the box and you paid $80 for it so you “have” to get $50 for it. It has been sitting in your house for who knows how long so you aren’t getting your money’s worth anyway. Price it for $5 and get rid of it!

5. Expect people to ask you to come down on the price. If you feel your prices are very reasonable then don’t come down, but remember you are trying to get rid of stuff so don’t put to high a value on it. If someone asks you to come down on a price and you aren’t ready to at that point ask for their name and number and tell them you will call them if it hasn’t sold and you want to sell it to them at that price.

10 Garage Sale Shortcuts

10 Garage Sale Shortcuts- by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper

1. There are two kinds of garage sales – the ones where people want to make money and the ones where people want to get rid of stuff. The object is to find the ones where people want to get rid of stuff.

2. Get a map and newspaper and map out your route. Photo copying maps from a phone book works great. Using this method, you can easily visit 25 sales an hour. If you're a beginner you might hit neighborhoods you are familiar with first.

3. If at all possible leave the kids at home. If you must take them use a baby backpack or an umbrella stroller to make it easier. Give older children 25 or 50 cents and let them see what good deals they can get. Kids love picking out gifts for grandparents, siblings, parents and other family and bargain hunting helps them learn about money. Bring snacks (animal crackers, cearals, crackers in plastic bag works well) and cold water for everyone and plan ahead for potty breaks. If you have children with you, it's best only to plan on hitting about five sales until you see how they do.

4. Wear cool, comfortable clothes. Bring lots of change and one dollar bills. Put your money in your pockets so you don’t have to worry about carrying your purse. Also bring a tote bag in which to carry your finds as you walk.

5. When you find something you're not sure you want, pick it up and carry it around while you continue looking. Otherwise someone else may take it while you're trying to decide.

6. Always ask politely if they will come down on the price. Most of the time they will. Every once in a while some things are so reasonable that I do not feel right asking for less. Finding women's sweater's at $1.00 each isn't bad, but I still ask if they will take 50 or 75 cents. If I find a name brand sweater in perfect shape for 25 cents, I don't ask for less.

7. If there is something you really want, but the seller is asking more than you want to pay, offer them a lower price. If they say no, leave your name and number and ask them to consider selling it to you at your price if they still have it at the end of the day.

8. Always check items well for hard to see tears, stains, or breakage. Remember it is a garage sale so everything won't be perfect.

9. It is best to go early, but don't panic if you can't. Sometimes you get the best buys after lunch when sellers are tired and don't want to have to drag everything back into the house. It’s great to go on the last day of a sale because most sellers will almost pay you to take things so they don’t have to keep them.

10. If you don’t have success in one part of town, try somewhere else the next time. Sometimes the best garage sale neighborhoods are the ones you don’t expect.

Don’t be embarrassed about buying at garage sales. Some of the wealthiest women in the world love garage sales ‑ Martha Stewart and Oprah are among them! When you’re done, go home, put up your feet and have a nice glass of ice cold lemonade. Grab the phone and call someone who will share the excitement and appreciate your good buys. Garage sales are like old fishing stories. Die-hards always brag about the one that got away!

Little things we do.

Some of these are common but just so you can see how we really live.

We had to turn on the a/c last week. On the days that it cools down we turn it off otherwise it's set at 77 or 78. Heat is set at 68 in the winter and mom puts her's at 55.

I dry my clothes on a rack in the utility room. I use the dryer to fluff them for 5 minutes and then hang up the shirts and everything else on a rack. I did have to use the dryer for a couple of weeks while the a/c and heat was off for the 2 weeks of spring LOL, because stuff was getting musty from the humidity in Kansas. (Another reason to move back to Colorado. hehehe)

We got the kids Frosted Flakes with the Star Wars light saber spoons. This was a treat and we don't do this for everything. They appreciate it more.

They don't get a toy every time we go to McDonalds. They don't eat the entire thing anyway so why pay and extra buck or two for a toy to throw away! We usually get them all and me a hamburger. Dad gets the extra value meal and we split the fries and drink. Yes, when they get older we will need to get them more but not right now.

We also got the kids a Lunchable for the last day of school. We get one for the first day and last day but other than that we don't get them except for something very special which has only happened once.

We give things like Zoo Pal plates for their birthday party. We use them for lunches and re-use them if it's something that's not messy like cheese sandwiches and carrots. One package of Zoo Pall plates lasted 3 months doing this.

We go out to eat only 3-5 times a month. We usually stop by McD's on Sunday's after church. Everyone is tired and we just want to get home and take a nap. Mike works for our church so Sunday's are a very long day for us.

Mom doesn't have trash service. When she was cleaning up her house when she first moved in she had it to put in the old carpet etc. but then canceled it. She's only one person and throws away a Walmart sack of trash every 5-7 days. It's not a big deal for her to bring it over and dump into our trash. She saves $45 every month this way.

Those are just a couple. I will post more later.

TJ

http://www.livingonadime.com/

Get a job that will save you money.

My SIL was looking for a new job. She used to work at Dillards. Here new job is at Lowes. Why? Because they have been remodeling their house for 7 years. They didn't have any walls except the bathroom until a year or so ago and still don't have them in living room, dining room, hallway, and only drywall up for privacy in their bedroom.

They were going to Lowes to buy this stuff anyway so why not get a 10% discount. While you are at it!

If you are doing something major or if you just love shopping at Dillards. Get a job where it can save you money. You can also get in on the "good deals" before everyone else.

TJ

Ask and Ye Shall Recieve

This is so true! No only in prayer but in everyday things!

People don't ask if they can get a better deal.

If it's at a yard sale, ask if they will take less. The only time I don't is if something is very cheap to begin with.

Today we got a wheelbarrow for $18 instead of $20 at a yard sale. It was almost brand new. That paid for the planter they have that was $3 but came down to $2.

At yard sales the best time to ask is on Sat. afternoon. People want to just get rid of it so they will usually come way down.

Also, ask if you buy one thing if they will throw the other in for free. If you are going to buy 3 or 4 shirts as if they will throw in the pants for free.

At Walmart yeasterday their plants were looking pretty bad. They needed water but would come out of it. I needed one more 6 pack for my window box above my kitchen sink. They took 1/2 off because I asked if they would come down. I saved .75. Not much but that would pay for 2 candy bars!

The point is, ask. Get over your fear and just do it. Most of the time you won't ever see these people again anyway. So what if they say no.

TJ

Dumpster Diving

I had someone below post how they love to dumpster dive! Well, this was a big hobby of ours when we lived in Idaho. We still do it here in Kansas it’s just not as common.

We lived in a small town of 400 away from the biggest city of 30K 60 miles away. (BTW, small town living is way overrated! :-)
People didn't have many yard sales and just threw most of their stuff away.

Dumpster diving really has a bad reputation. It's not the dirty, grungy thing everyone thinks it is.

Most of the time you can just see what's on top laying next to the trash can or dumpster.

No, it's not for everyone. Some people just have dumpster phobia and that's fine but here are some of the things we have gotten from dumpster diving.

A brand new glider rocker that needed one screw replaced. The screw cost .40 and we sold the rocker after using it with 2 kids for $40! Not to bad!

Many, plants and flowers. We even got fresh flowers after they threw out the plants at the cemetery after Memorial day.

An antique table I still use today as my microwave table and have dealers ask all the time if it's for sale at my garage sales.

Bricks that lined our entire garden.

An oak chair.

Pots for my plants.

Lawn edging for my garden.

Old chair for a "shabby chic" look in the garden.

There is tons of other stuff but I can't remember right now. I will ask Mike and add to the list as we think of other things.

Most of the time if I see something I could use and it's sitting by someone's trash can I just go up and knock on the door and ask if I can have it. If it's in an alley way then I usually don't ask unless the person is outside. Most people are more than happy for you to take it.

I don't go into areas like behind Wal-Mart where it's says Keep Out. Respect others property.

The point is don't think it's a bad thing until you have tried it. You can really save a lot of money and make some money by taking things that other people are throwing out and using them or re-selling them.

TJ
http://www.livingonadime.com/

Getting Organized and Cleaning

We are working on an orgainzing and cleaning book right now.

As we are doing this I thought I would share a couple of tips that I use.

I always dreaded cleaning or organizing. I am not born orgainzed so I have had to train myself to be organized. These are a few of the ways I changed my attitude.

Time yourself to see how long it takes to do a chore.
2 days ago I cleaned the fridge. It took me 2 minutes to clean off one shelf. After a child meltdown I came back and finished. It took me 10 minutes to clean the entire thing and that was with a 3 minute clean-up from my 2 year old "helping" and dumping something on the floor.

I used to hate to make the bed. Then I timed myself. It takes me exactly 1 minute.

To clean-out my "plasticware" shelf, 5 minutes.

To clean the bathroom sink and toilet, 5 minutes including wiping down the floor. Add the tub and removing the contents and cleaning another 5 minutes. 10 minutes to clean the entire thing!

It really doesn't take as long as you would think to start getting cleaned up and organized. When you realize it's only for 1 minute or 10 minutes then it doesn't seem so bad!
Just do one thing for 5 minutes and see how far you can get.

Whatever is bugging you the most, do it first.
The finger prints on my front door were bad. While David was eating instead of doing the dishes I ran down and wiped the down the door. (3 minutes) It has been bugging me for days, it's off my mind now and I could go on and do the dishes.

Most of the time we spend more time thinking about these things than if we would just do it and get it over with!

That's a couple to get you started. We are almost done proofreading the intro and as I think of more tips I will pass them both along.

TJ

My deck project.

Today I was able to most of the deck done, finally! I ran out of sealer and needed about 1/4 gallon more and it would have been all done. The area I didn't get is under the rug and pool. The top is sealed I just didn't get in between the boards.

I will be able to go in with another sealer I have that is not the same brand but the same color and get in between the cracks from underneath the deck. This way the wood will be covered but you won't be able to see the different kind of stain.

The project was a pain but not horrible. I spent about 20 hours over the last 6 weeks, 10 gallons of sealer I got for free, 2 blisters on my knee and saved $200 on the sealer and over $1,000 having someone else come in and re-do it.

The deck is so much more pleasant now and if we move in the next year or two it will be a big bonus to sell the house.

My next project, painting the house! I have some gray paint I paid $15 for 5 gallons at the hazardous waste recycling center. It is a slightly darker gray than our house so I am going to mix it with some white paint. I should be able to get it really close to the same color. I figure it is definitely worth a try to save about $80.

I will update as to how it goes! Hopefully it will be done before it gets blazing hot here, in about 4 weeks. :-( .

TJ
http://www.livingonadime.com/

Free flowers.

A few days ago my mom's neighbor was cleaning out her garden. She had several plants, we asked if we could have them and she said she was happy to give them to us instead of composting them.

She said her mom was going to clean out her garden and we asked if we could have the leftovers, she said "sure"!

Today I got them and I was able to fill in all the extra little spots and a long area in the back that wasn't that horrible looking but it will be nice to see some flowers.

Just ask if you need some flowers for your garden. Most gardeners are happy to share! You can also ask the group in your area on www.freecycle.com and I'm sure someone would pass a few on.

TJ

http://www.livingonadime.com/

Save on birthdays.

We went to a birthday party the other day for Elly. She just loved it, it was at Build a Bear.

I was thinking ahead at Christmas and purchased several bath kits for girls on clearance for $3 each. They are a wonderful gift and didn't break the bank!

If you have kids that will probably be going to parties then stock up on a few things after Christmas. They have "shaving" kits for the boys, perfume, make-up and bath kits for the girls.
This is also a great way to save on next years Christmas gifts for the nieces and nephews or for stocking stuffers.


TJ

Save on haircuts.

Try going to the beauty schools for hair cuts etc. hair cute are $5.00 or6.00
every service they do cost less.

This is pretty common tip from Rosemary but should be repeated so people remember what a good deal it is. If you don't want to give up your beautician then at least take the kids!

They also do facials (which is the best $5 I have spent!), pedicures and manicures.

TJ

Freecycle

A source to obtain all kinds of items is to join a "freecycle" site. Instead of have a garage sale or worse dumping something post it on the site and some one will respond ( who also has joined the group it is free), they will pick it up and the land fills loses an item.

Ginny sent in this tip about Freecycle. I use this group all the time when I need something or need to get rid of something. My brother has been able to get some great things for free like new dining room table and chairs, a new cordless phone, a weight bench and lots of other stuff.

The only catch is, it must be given away, free.

Correction! It's the address below instead othe one I posted early. I'm sorry about the mix-up! Thank you Molly for pointing that out!

Go to www.freecycle.org to find a group in your area.

TJ

5 Loaves and 2 Fish

I having been working in the garden this weekend. Most of my seeds rotted so I didn't think I was would have very many plants to grow this year. I was really wanting to fix up the yard since I haven't been able to do anything for 2 years now.

Well, God has been very good. I'm not sure how but even though I didn't have many plants started and the ones I bought I thought wouldn't go very far He has given me more plants that I ever would have dreamed of! I even have a few left over that I will have to find places for, just like the 5 loaves and 2 fish!! I was so excited! I get a garden this year.

It took me 2 hours to hang a window box above my kitchen window. The box ended up being too small for the hooks. I had to rig some boards because I cut my first board the wrong length. Then wire it all on there. It didn't hold and I had to wire it another way. Of course this is about 13 feet up in the air because we live in a bi-level. After I tried moving our huge ladder myself and it fell, BTW, the Lord saved me on that one too, then I had to do all this from the kitchen sink. I'm sitting in the kitchen sink for almost an hour trying to get this done! I should have gotten picture of that one! LOL

I did finally get the thing up and it looks really nice. BTW, the window box I was going to use was really faded and cracked on the top so I was going to go and paint it with some spray paint and turn the crack away from me so I wouldn't see it. Well the paint was $2.87 and a new window box was $4.36. I decided that for about $1 more it wasn't worth painting the old cracked one. Sometimes it doesn't pay to save a buck.

TJ
http://www.livingonadime.com/

This weeks flops and finds

Well the new shoes mom got Elly last week and the training pants for David are both to small. So I wasted $5. They must have had a growth spurt because David went from a 2T to a 4T. Oh well, in the end it's still cheaper to have a few losses than to buy new.

I found Elly two new dresses for church. They were $2 each and really cute. The lady just gave me a pair of leggings too. They need a seam stichted up that's not a big deal. Save me $37.

We went to the fireworks for River Festivile last night. I went to Dollar Tree and got some glow in the dark necklaces for the kids for $1 each. That saved us $30. (We had 3 other kids with us)

That was it for the garage sales this week. Not too many going on for some reason.

TJ
http://www.livingonadime.com/

Lunchbox

A couple of months ago BJ's soft sided lunchbox just shredded. It was one of those cheap plastic things from Wal-mart (like just about everything else! LOL)

I looked for a couple of weeks and couldn't find anything. It finally kicked the bucket and I needed to find something that weekend. We had an old Pokeman lunchbox that was just a spare. It was made of the hard plastic. No one really likes Pokeman in our family, it was just a cheap emergency replacement.

BJ is just wild over Furby's. The kid is Furby crazy!! Of course that's good when your child loves a craze after it has happened because you can find the things to collect at garage sales and DAV for cheap! :-)

Anyway, I made him a Furby lunch box.

I took some clip art of Furby's off the net. Then I cut them out and glued them on a piece of white paper that had been cut to the size of the lunchbox to make sure the entire Pokeman was covered.

I then glued the paper with Elmer's to the lunchbox and covered with contact paper. I trimmed the contact paper to size with a razor blade and put a bead of glue around the edge to "seal" it.

After all night it hadn't dried. So I set it in the sun to dry that day.

Well the glue never dried and then the clip art faded.

I started all over again and this time I did everything the same except I used glue made specifically for plastic. It worked perfectly!

It was a huge hit and then Elly wanted one. I made her a My Little Pony lunchbox the same way. It only cost me a few minutes worth of work and they had a custom lunchbox.

Tawra

A funny thing happened.

I just sent out an article 2 nights ago about how people complain about paying $2 a gallon for gas but don't think twice about paying up to $5 a gallon for bottled water.

Well would you believe that my kids brought home a paper from school asking if I would supply bottled water for the teacher's lunchoen. HA! Can you believe that? How ironic is that?

I feel like sending the article to school with the paper but they probably wouldn't get it. What's even funnier is that our neighborhood school is the enviormental science magnet for the district! All that plastic that they are buying and then they recyle it when it isn't needed to be purchased in the first place! LOL Oh well, this is just something that I need to "let it go". :-)

Tawra

I'm coming out of the frugal closet!

Ok, you guys caught me!

After my post on Disposable Diapers I got an email saying “I thought you used cloth diapers?” Well, I did with my first two and had no problem with them even like them because if I ran out it wasn’t a big deal to go to the store, just throw them in the washer. Plus we lived in Idaho at the time and couldn’t “just run to the store” because it was 60 miles away.

Well with David, #3, we have used all disposables. Here is why. After he was born he literally cried his entire first year. I am not exaggerating when I say the ENTIRE first year with no reprieve. My mom was living with us for the first 4 months and between Mom, Mike and I were all about to go insane, me more than the others. I got post partume (sp) depression really bad and the doctor could not find a medication to help, it just made me worse. I felt like I was loosing my mind and if a Mack truck would have hit me head on while I was driving I could have cared less.

To make matters worse because we weren’t sleeping my CFS was so bad I literally could hardly stand up. Then we had just moved into this bi-level house and going up and down the stairs over 100 times a day (I kid you not!) it was making so sick I thought I would die! In case you don’t know exercise makes CFS flare up, ie. get worse.

My two oldest were 4 and 5 at the time and still wetting the bed almost every night. It was all I could do to keep up with the laundry and attempt to just keep things picked up (sort of) and some sort of dinner on the table, which was mostly really fast stuff like sloppy joes, tacos, frozen pizza. etc. About once a week Mike would bring home Chinese food from the grocery store ($5 for two) and him and I would share that, give the kids the rice and fill it in with cereal or pb&j. We used paper plates several days a week and everyday for lunch. ($3 a month). Mike was also working 50-60 hours a week between 2 jobs and helping with our book business, which we don’t get an income from yet. He was also helping out with the housework because I couldn’t keep up.

We were going to some sort of doctor every 3 days trying to figure out what was wrong with David. Then to try and get me straightened out mentally and physical therapy for me because my bladder so was weak from 3 kids I was going to the bathroom every 15 minutes. Then 2 months after that I fell down the stairs and had to go to PT to help get my back, back in shape. We went 120 times the first year of David’s life to some sort of doctor.

Our primary doctor kept saying that David “just had colic” We finally figured out at 4 months old that he was allergic to milk and eggs. That explains why he just quit breastfeeding one day at 5 weeks old. I was eating a lot of milk and eggs. Well, after that he went on formula that cost $250 a month. It helped some but not a lot. At 9 months we took him back to the allergist because I knew despite what the doctors said colic doesn’t last 9 months! Well, the formula he was on still had milk in it! The allergist told us to put him on Alsoy, which was only $40 a month! The other doc said “oh, well I thought it would be fine since it was pre-digested milk”. I have never had the urge to just haul off and punch someone before in my life like I did when he made that comment. Needless to say I figure out what’s wrong with us first by researching the internet before I go to the doctor now. They really don’t have much of a clue, it’s just a guessing game.

That helped some David but then he started to have allergies to outdoor pollens because it was April.

At 14 months he started doing better after he was off the formula but I wasn’t. For the last nine months we haven’t gone 2 days in a row without someone being sick. To say I was on the verge of death from exhaustion and CFS is an understatement. Around Christmas last year (2004) I finally found a medication that worked for the depression and I am finally feeling like a normal person again. I have also gone off of sugar, mostly, and that has helped my CFS greatly. I notice that when I have a binge week of sugar it makes me really really sick and almost in bed again.

Anyway, that is long version of why we have used disposables for David. My sanity could not handle two more loads of laundry a week if my life depended on it!

Do I believe in cloth, yes! But I also know that everything in moderation is the only way to go and if circumstances are such that you need to use them, then by all means do!

Tawra

http://www.livingonadime.com/

Frugal Automatic Car Wash.

We live on a dirt road so our car is always dirty. I could go to the car wash everyday and it wouldn't ever stay clean! One day I really wanted it cleaned off but didn't feel like going to the car wash and having CFS I don't the energy to wash it by hand. I was watering the lawn and thought, what if I parked it on the grass and let the sprinklers wash it off. I thought this was a brilliant idea! Well, turns out it wasn't so brilliant. The car wasn't as dusty because the dust had turned to muddy spots. Hum, I guess I will put that one into the flops category.

Tawra

Disposable Diapers in the Garden!

I live in a very hot climate in the summer. My deck doesn’t have any shade and some of my plants needed to be watered twice a day. I was going to buy the granules that hold water at the garden center. A small container of this stuff was $25! Even though I really needed it to keep my plants going this summer I just couldn’t come to bring myself to pay that much. I was thinking about it as I was changing my son’s diaper one day. Then it dawned on me! The same stuff is in baby diapers!!! I tore open the center of a diaper and scooped out all the cotton with the granules in it into a bowl. Out of curiosity I wanted to see just how much water it would hold. I was hoping for two cups. It held NINE cups of water! That means I could use this stuff in 3-5 containers of plants, depending on the size.

Remember, Always Think Outside the Box!

Tawra
http://www.livingonadime.com/


P.S.
We had a question about the safety of using these in your pots. I personally don't have a problem with it. I didn't use these in my vegetable plants only flowers. Use you judgement as to if you want to use them with vegetables. TJ

Getting Organized!

We are working on an Organizing and Cleaning book. In an effort to practice what mom is preaching (HA!) I decided to organize my grocery shopping better. I HATE shopping for groceries so I only go about every 10 days -2 weeks. When I went to Aldis last time (a discount grocery store), I wrote down everything we normally purchase in the order that it was in the store. Then I typed the list into Word and now I just circle what I need. I was always forgetting one thing or another on my list so I think this will help.

My only problem now is that it keeps flying off the refrigerator door!

Hum, we will see if this will be a flop or a failure after a few trips to the grocery store.

Tawra
http://www.livingonadime.com/