Living On A Dime

Tag: homemaking tips

  • Easy Applesauce Muffins Recipe – Deliciously Moist and Fluffy!

    Easy Applesauce Muffins Recipe – Deliciously Moist and Fluffy!

    This applesauce muffins recipe makes incredibly delicious muffins that your family and friends will love! Great for parties, get-togethers and kids snacks!

    This applesauce muffins recipe makes delicious muffins your family and friends will love! Great for parties, get-togethers and kids snacks!

    This applesauce muffins recipe is a tasty muffin recipe that is a staple at our house! The kids have always loved them and if we find out we’re suddenly having company over or we’re headed to a potluck and I forgot to make something, this recipe is a quick and easy apple muffin recipe to bring!

    This recipe is a super easy way to use up those leftover bits of applesauce still left in the jar that nobody seems to want to use. Apples are optional, so if you have applesauce you don’t need to use apples, but if you happen to have apples, the chopped apple bits add a little extra flavor and a nice texture. If you have an unfinished apple or leftover apple slices, this recipe is a great way to use them!

    These applesauce muffins are very moist with a wonderful apple flavor! The cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg makes a delightful crunchy topping – for that home-baked yummy goodness that brings a little holiday at grandma’s house type nostalgia! These muffins are great to serve for fall and winter because they do go well with the holidays, but they’re a great apple recipe to make anytime you need a quick and easy snack!

    When the kids were little, I tried to always have a snack ready when they came home from school and these muffins were one of their favorites!

    Print

    Applesauce Muffins Recipe – Easy And Delicious!

    This applesauce muffins recipe makes delicious muffins your family and friends will love! Great for parties, get-togethers and kids snacks!
    Print Recipe

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    This applesauce muffin recipe makes incredibly delicious muffins that your family and friends will love! These muffins are super moist and they’re great for parties, get-togethers and kids snacks!

    Ingredients

    2 cups all purpose flour
    1/2 cup sugar
    4 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp nutmeg
    1 egg
    1 1/2 cups applesauce
    1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
    1/2 cup chopped apple (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 425°.
    2. Stir all ingredients by hand until mixed. Don’t over mix.
    3. Bake 20 minutes.

    Applesauce Muffins Topping

     
    While baking the applesauce muffins, combine:
     
    3 Tbsp. sugar
    1/4 tsp. cinnamon
    1/4 tsp. nutmeg
    1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
     
    1. Melt 1/4 cup butter or margarine.
    2. While the muffin are still hot, dip them in butter and then in the sugar mix.
    3. Set aside for a few minutes to cool and to let the topping harden.

    Notes

    You can add some blueberries or cranberries to these muffins to kick them up a notch.

    [dining]

  • Get Organized and Get Out Of Debt – Where Do I Begin?

    Get Organized and Get Out Of Debt – Where Do I Begin?

    Some of the most common goals people have are to get organized and get out of debt but it can be difficult to know how to start. These easy tips will help!

    It’s almost New Years Day and many of us are already starting to think about making resolutions. Most resolutions sound something like: “I’m going to eat healthy and lose weight“, “I’m going to get out of debt” or “I’m going to get organized.”

    These are great things to WANT to do but I’m afraid that about 90% of us won’t keep these resolutions. Here are a couple of things to think about that will hopefully give you greater success in keeping your resolutions.

    I can’t, in this one sitting, give you all the details about how to handle every situation but I can give you some things to think about that will help you in all of these areas. Then for more details check out LivingOnADime.com, or our e-books to help you in each specific area and to give you practical ways on how to accomplish what you want to do.

    It helps to understand why we do the things we do. Most of us want to lose weight and eat healthy on New Year’s Day because we have just spent the past month gorging ourselves so that we now feel bloated and sick and can’t fit into our clothes anymore. Like a pendulum that swings from one extreme to another, we think that the answer is to eat carrot sticks for the rest of our lives. That usually lasts about 3 days and then we give up.

    The same applies to the idea of getting out of debt. Most of us have just spent the past few weeks spending more money than we had planned and now we feel guilty. We’re determined that we are not going to spend a penny on anything. Then we will panic every time we have to buy something like food or gas because the price is so high.

    Then there is the thought of getting organized. Right now you are probably surrounded by a Christmas tree and decorations that are starting to accumulate a thin layer of dust, which is giving a dingy look to everything. The once bright and cheery look of the Christmas lights have dulled. The candles on the mantle have burned down to nubs and look more like they belong in a haunted house or in a horror movie.

    There is leftover wrapping paper strewn here and there. Piles of Christmas dinner platters and dishes sit on every counter. You close your eyes every time you open the fridge so you don’t have to look at the piles of leftovers inside it. Then there are all the mounds of new toys, clothes and gifts. How do you stuff them into the already full closet? No wonder you have the urge to clean and get organized. You wonder, “Where do I even start?” Getting organized is a way to give yourself a fresh start.

    As I’ve said before, too much of even a good thing can make us sick and frustrated.

    Here’s my point: You can get organized and do everything you resolve to do, but you need to pace yourself. It’s like running a long distance marathon. You don’t just shoot out of the starting line going as fast and hard as you can. You will never make the distance that way, so you pace yourself. In the same way, pace yourself in everything and do a small amount at a time, breaking things into manageable pieces.

    Have a plan, whether it is writing menus for good balanced meals for each week, making a budget or, even more important, being bold enough to write down and acknowledge what your debts are.  Make a plan. Plan where to cut your spending or to start to get organized, try making a list of 1-2 areas of your home you are going to organize each day.

    Next prepare. When you are preparing for a race, you would ask yourself, “Do I have the right shoes”, “Are there water stations?”, “Have I slowly worked my muscles into shape?”, “Am I prepared for some pain?” and “When it hits, will I not be afraid of it but keep going in spite of the discomfort?”  In the same way, you may have to spend some time preparing things like planning good meals or making sure you have cleaning supplies and boxes for when you start to get organized.

    Pace Yourself
    Plan
    Prepare

    One thing you must remember – discouragement and a sense of being overwhelmed will hit most of us once we start. Pacing will help but it is especially important to have a plan and be prepared when discouragement sets in so you can overcome it and keep going. Here are some things to think about when you start feeling discouraged:

    Have you ever looked up the definition of resolution? I did. It means to have firm determination, to be bold and steady and to reduce something to a simpler form. You need to be steady and pace yourself. Little by little and piece by piece, reduce your mess to something simpler and more manageable. You can’t accomplish any of it in a week or two. You took a long time to make the mess and you may have to take just as long to clean it up but like the tortoise in the tortoise and the hare, keep a slow but steady pace and you will win the race and succeed.

    Lastly, get up and do it. Stop blaming everyone and making excuses. You won’t even get out of the starting gate if you spend all your time standing there telling everyone why you can’t run. Even if you have a real excuse for not running then at least start taking baby steps and walk. You’ll at least be getting somewhere but if you just stand bemoaning your lot in life and how miserable the world is in these hard economic times, you will get nowhere.You may fall (or eat that piece of chocolate cake, spend more than you should have or leave dirty dishes in the sink one day) but pick yourself up, brush yourself off and keep going. The only thing that will keep you from getting there is if you stop (quit and give up), so keep at it.

    We will try to do the same and keep plugging along with ideas on how to accomplish all of the above. Now I must quit because I have a messy room that I really need to deal with today! : ) : )

    For more help with organizing, cleaning and laundry, take a look at our How To Organize And Clean Your Home e-books.

    [organizing]

  • 7 Ideas For An Easier Thanksgiving – Easy Tips

    7 Ideas For An Easier Thanksgiving – Easy Tips

    Try these easy Thanksgiving Tips and ideas to be better prepared for Thanksgiving! Prepare Thanksgiving meals easier and just get ready for the big day!

    Try these easy Thanksgiving tips and ideas to be better prepared for Thanksgiving! Prepare Thanksgiving meals easier and just get ready for the big day!

    7 Ideas For An Easier Thanksgiving – Easy Tips

    • This is just a little reminder to take your turkey out to start thawing on Saturday if it is about a 20 pound turkey. I would start thawing any turkey on Sunday at the latest. I like to have my turkey thawed at least a day or two ahead of time so I can get it all prepared, in the pan and ready to just pull out and stick in the oven. I have so many things to do the day before Thanksgiving that this is one less thing to worry about.
    • For all you new or inexperienced cooks be sure to take out the “guts” or giblets as most people call them and the neck, which are usually stuffed inside of the turkey.
    • If you need to dry bread for your stuffing, lay the bread out this weekend so it will get good and dry. Break it up, place it in the bowl you are going to be mixing it in and have that much done ahead of time.
    • This weekend, wash and iron your linens for the table and get your silverware and dishes organized.
    • On Wednesday, do as much as you can so you’re not doing it all at the last minute. Clean the veggies for the relish dish and salads or side dishes. If you are making something like a sweet potato casserole get it all prepared so that all you have to do on Thanksgiving is pop it in the oven.
    • If you don’t want to be mashing potatoes two minutes before you sit down, mash them and place them in a crockpot on low to keep warm. You can keep them in the crockpot beautifully for one hour but no more. Beyond that, they get “yucky” quickly.

    Most of all, for you new cooks or those of you cooking your first Thanksgiving dinner, don’t panic. It is really no more difficult than any other regular meal, except that you are probably preparing more of everything. If you are really nervous, do a trial run this weekend. Practice by roasting a chicken and making mashed potatoes, one or two sides and a dessert. It’s just like a mini Thanksgiving.

    If something goes wrong (and most of us have had something go wrong once in a while), just laugh about it. Usually, it is the Thanksgiving everyone will remember with fond, happy memories. It will give you something to tell your future daughter in law, granddaughter or daughter about.

    I remember being so scared my first Thanksgiving cooking alone. My friend who was older and who was going to be one of my guests told me how on her first Thanksgiving everything was perfect. The table looked great and everyone was laughing, joking and enjoying the food but half way through the meal she noticed something – she had forgotten the turkey.

    She had set it on top of the fridge to move it out of the way for a minute and had left it there. Either no one noticed or they were too polite to say anything. Things may happen, but don’t panic – Thanksgiving wasn’t meant to be perfect– just a time of fun, enjoying being with friends and family.

    For lots of quick and easy recipes and tips about scratch cooking and frugal living, take a look at our cookbooks!

    [dining]

  • Clean Your Kitchen in 7 Easy Steps

    Clean Your Kitchen in 7 Easy Steps

    Many of you are focused on deep cleaning right now, but there are still all the everyday jobs to keep up with. Here are some ideas about how to do your daily jobs quickly (starting with easy steps to clean your kitchen) so you can get on to the big stuff. Some people do things differently and in a different order. This is just a suggestion to help you get started. Feel free to modify it.

    Try this easy step by step guide to clean your kitchen quickly. These ideas will help you get in and out of the kitchen quickly! It really isn't hard!

    Clean Your Kitchen In Seven Easy Steps

    Are you tired of looking at a messy kitchen and don’t know where to start? Cleaning your kitchen doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With these seven easy steps, you can quickly get your kitchen clean and sparkling in no time.

    Start by picking up any items that don’t belong in the kitchen, like mail, newspapers, and other odds and ends and quickly putting them away. If there is a lot of this kind of stuff on the counters, gather it and place it in a box to deal with when the kitchen is clean. Don’t waste time sorting through it until after the kitchen is clean.

    1. Gather all dirty dishes and load them into the dishwasher. If the dishwasher is already full, start it immediately to get it done as soon as possible.

      Fill the sink with hot soapy water and put the dishes that must be washed by hand in it to soak. This will help loosen any dirt or grime, making them easier to clean later.
    2. Wipe off countertops and tables with hot soapy water. (This way, if you have unexpected company your table and counters are clean. They will think you have been cleaning all morning.)

      If you have a spot with stuck on food, lay a wet washcloth on the spot for a few minutes while you work on something else. This will help soften the stain, making it easier to clean off.
    3. Sweep the kitchen floor and shake out any throw rugs if needed. This will ensure that your kitchen looks clean and tidy.
    4. Wash the dishes that have been soaking. As you go, place them on the drainboard to dry. Once you finish, put all of the dishes away in the cabinets where they belong. If they have not completely dried, grab a dish towel and quickly dry each of them as you put them away. Don’t be obsessive about the drying. Quickly wipe each one dry and move on.
    5. Wipe down the faucets and dry with a towel. Drying with a towel prevents water spots and makes the fixtures look shiny and clean. (Be sure to wipe any sticky appliances, too. Don’t forget to wipe the door handles, especially on the back where you grab to open them.)
    6. Put out a clean dishcloth and towel.
    7. Take out the trash.

    If you have a lot of kitchen items on the counter that you rarely or never use, find a place to store them that is not on the counter. If you occasionally use something, see if you can find a place in a cabinet to store it. If you never use it, get rid of it.

    By following these seven easy steps, you can quickly get your kitchen clean and sparkling. Don’t let a messy kitchen stress you out. Try these steps today and enjoy a clean and tidy kitchen every day!

    -Jill

    For more easy tips and tricks to make it easy to clean your kitchen and keep your whole house in order, check out our How To Organize And Clean Your Home E-books.

    [organizing]

  • Zucchini Slaw Recipe – Great Way To Use Garden Leftovers!

    Zucchini Slaw Recipe – Great Way To Use Garden Leftovers!

    Overwhelmed with zucchini? Try this quick, easy and delicious zucchini slaw recipe, a twist on coleslaw that will help you use those garden leftovers!

    This easy zucchini slaw transforms garden-fresh zucchini into a delicious coleslaw. With just four simple ingredients, you can whip it up in no time and make the most of your zucchini harvest!

    Zucchini Slaw Recipe

    From: Norma

    As I was shredding zucchini to put in the freezer, my 12 year old grandson asked, “I wonder what that would taste like made into slaw”. So he got a carrot and we made zucchini slaw. It was awesome!

    So here is our easy Zucchini Slaw recipe:

    Print

    Easy Zucchini Slaw Recipe

    This easy zucchini slaw transforms garden-fresh zucchini into a delicious coleslaw. With just four simple ingredients, you can whip it up in no time and make the most of your zucchini harvest!
    Print Recipe

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    No reviews

    This easy zucchini slaw transforms garden-fresh zucchini into a delicious coleslaw. With just four simple ingredients, you can whip it up in no time and make the most of your zucchini harvest!

    Ingredients

    2 medium zucchini
    1 large carrot
    Miracle Whip (add it until you like it)
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 Tbsp. milk

    Instructions

    1. Shred the zucchini and carrot using a box grater.
    2. Pour into a mixing bowl.
    3. Add Miracle Whip, salt, pepper and milk.
    4. Mix well.
    5. Chill.

    Notes

    If you like, you can just make your favorite coleslaw recipe and use zucchini instead of cabbage. (If you have picky eaters, this is a good way to sneak in zucchini.)

    I tried this zucchini slaw recipe and it was yummy! I also tried making it with our garlic salad sauce. Yum! This is a great way to use leftover garden zucchini!

    -Tawra

    [dining]

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  • Save Money At After Halloween Sales

    Save Money At After Halloween Sales

    After Halloween sales can be a great time to pick up a few things at a discount that can help you save for other occasions. Here are a few tips to help you!

    After Halloween sales can be a great time to pick up a few things at a discount that can help you save for other occasions. Here are a few tips to help you!

    Save Money At After Halloween Sales

    Don’t forget to go to the after Halloween sales to get some great bargains on candy and other items. You can get many other things at after Halloween sales besides candy:

    • Packages of little toys for party favors.
    • Cupcake wrappers. Cupcake cups with pumpkins can be used all the way through Thanksgiving and if it is just for your family, most kids don’t mind if their cupcakes have a pumpkin wrapper on it, even in January.
    • Candles and candle holders
    • Napkins and disposable tablecloths

     

    hallween decorations - creative pumpkins

    Do you have a graduation coming at the end of the school year and the school colors include black? Buy your plates, napkins, streamers and party favors now. Look for bargains on these types of products after every holiday. If the school colors are red, you can find great stuff after Christmas or Valentine’s Day, silver after New Year’s Eve, green after St. Patrick’s day and so on.

    Get costumes for next year or pick up odds and ends if your kids like play acting or drama. We always kept a costume box. It had a lot of basics, including a black cape, sword, cowboy hat, cowboy vest, clown wig and nose, black gloves, etc.

    You might be surprised about what you find. One year the store had 24 bag packages of lunch chips for a dollar. This was cheaper than it would cost for me to package them up myself. Happy Hunting!

    -Jill

     

  • Quick and Easy Homemade Breakfast in 15 Minutes Or Less!

    Quick and Easy Homemade Breakfast in 15 Minutes Or Less!

    Do you feel too overwhelmed to make breakfast? By planning ahead and getting organized, you can have an easy homemade breakfast in 15 minutes or less!

    Here are some great tips for how to make a quick and easy homemade breakfast in 15 minutes or less! A better breakfast that's just as fast or faster than the drive-thru and a lot cheaper!

    Quick and Easy Homemade Breakfast in 15 Minutes Or Less!

    I just finished writing a future newsletter about breakfast and I realized one of the reasons we don’t often eat breakfast is because we have difficulty managing time. Not only is it important to time things to get them done quickly but, when it comes to breakfast preparation, it is important to get everything done at the same time, too. This can sometimes be a big challenge to a beginning cook, but practice makes perfect.

    Here are some helpful tips along with a simple menu I will use for my example:

    Sausage
    Eggs, scrambled
    Toast
    Coffee

    If time is truly tight, then get as much done ahead of time as possible.

    Things to do the night before:

    (All of this should take not more than 5-10 minutes.)

    1. Put the coffee and water in the pot.
    2. If it comes in a roll, slice the sausage into patties.
    3. Put the eggs in a bowl, mixed and ready to go.
    4. Set the bread and butter by the toaster.
    5. Place the pan or griddle on the stove ready for sausage and eggs and stage the oil for cooking by the pans.
    6. Set the table.

    Things to do in the morning:

    1. Start the coffee.
    2. Put the sausage patties in the pans and start cooking them.
    3. Pop the toast in the toaster.
    4. Flip sausages and start cooking the eggs.
    5. Butter toast, stir eggs, dish up sausages and dish up eggs.

    Voila! You’re done!

    Of course, this process can vary from person to person. I’m sure some of us do it differently and I do it differently on some days, too. The point is to think through the order in which you will do things.

    • Start your longest cooking items or things that can be just popped into a pan and need no attention first.
    • Look for areas where you can save time. For example, don’t make trips back and forth to the refrigerator. Get everything you need out at one time and put it all back at one time.
    • Mix and stir items as closely to the things you are cooking on the stove so you don’t have to run back and forth. For example, if you are cutting up a bowl of fruit, cut it near the stove area so you can easily stop and flip the bacon.
    • Write down a list of quick and easy breakfasts to make. For example, place oatmeal in the crock pot overnight, have Egg McMuffins ready to warm and have homemade waffles made and ready to pop in the toaster.
    • Again, do as much as you can ahead of time, like having the table set the night before.

    Most breakfasts for a family of 4 can be made in 15 minutes or less if you are organized. You might find everyone more excited about getting up in the morning and getting dressed if they wake up to the smell of something yummy cooking in the kitchen.

     

    Try these breakfast ideas for your family:

    • Breakfast bowls
    • Breakfast burritos
    • Fresh fruit
    • Oatmeal with fruit
    • Toast with jelly or bacon
    • Breakfast sandwiches
    • Eggs, scrambled, poached or to your taste
    • Hard-boiled eggs
    • Apples, cut into quarters, with core removed
    • Bagels
    • Muffins
    • Dried apples or bananas
    • Oranges, peeled and quartered
    • Pumpkin bread
    • Banana bread
    • Zucchini bread
    • Bananas
    • Crackers and cheese
    • Celery sticks, spread with peanut butter
    • Cheese
    • Homemade granola bars
    • Beef jerky
    • Tortillas with cream cheese
    • Peanut butter snacks
    • Yogurt with fruit or wheat germ added
    • Milk
    • Chocolate milk
    • Homemade hot chocolate
    • Creamy Orange Shake
    • Smoothies 
    • Apples, quartered and cored with 1 tsp. peanut butter on each quarter
    • Bananas sliced in half and spread with peanut butter
    • Bread or toast cut into quarters and spread with jelly, jam, peanut butter, spiced honey or honey butter
    • Crackers spread with peanut butter and jelly or jam
    • Place some peanut butter and honey on a pancake and roll up for a snack. This is great for leftover pancakes.

     

    Many of these easy breakfast ideas and more are from our cookbooks!

    [dining]

     

  • Quick And Easy Banana Split Recipes – Easy Desserts!

    Quick And Easy Banana Split Recipes – Easy Desserts!

    Homemade banana splits are wonderful cool desserts for hot summer days! Try these banana split recipes and ideas and please the whole family! (more…)

  • How To Save Money On Toilet Paper – Which Toilet Paper Is Cheapest?

    How To Save Money On Toilet Paper – Which Toilet Paper Is Cheapest?

    Do you want to know how to save money on toilet paper? We have calculated exactly how much it costs for 19 different toilet papers. Stop flushing money down the toilet! Check out these easy tips to help you figure out how to save money on toilet paper! (more…)

  • Dream Laundry Room Ideas

    Dream Laundry Room Ideas

    Dream Laundry Room Ideas

    Dream Laundry Room Ideas

    From: Cindy M
    This is an idea for handling laundry/clothes that I wish I would have used when my kids were still at home. It would require a good-size laundry room but save a lot of bedroom space. There would be cubbies for everyone – socks, underwear, t-shirts, jeans, anything foldable would go in the cubbies – being folded straight out of the dryer. This would eliminate the need for dressers in the bedroom and the space they would take up. Hanging clothes could either go on a rack in the laundry room if space allows, or in the bedroom closets.

    I have to admit this would be my dream laundry room! Since my laundry room barely has room for me stand in I dream of this type of a laundry room everyday! LOL Tawra

    My dream laundry room would have an eight foot long and four foot deep table that is the perfect height to fold my clothes on easily with the cubbies and rods above it to place things as I fold them. It also would have a place to keep the ironing board up all the time with a rod and cubbies by it to hang the clothes on. Last but not least it would have a rack to hang all those things like dirty dish rags or towels which need to dry before you dump them in the hamper.

    To be honest I love laundry so much I wouldn’t mind dedicating one whole floor to a laundry room. I wonder if more people would enjoy doing it if they didn’t have to do it all in a little 5×3 closet all the time. Cooking and doing laundry are two of the main “have to do” things done in a home and yet they always make theses little tiny rooms to do it in but we create these bathrooms that are so big you could play tennis in them.

    I mean how much room do you need to sit on a toilet or stand at a sink to wash your face??? They give you an 8 foot vanity just to brush your hair and put on make up and often don’t give you even one foot of space to fold clothes.

    They even are now giving you an area in the bathroom so you can have a couch to sit and read on. I’m sorry but I can think of much more pleasant places I would rather read then laying and looking at a toilet that 4 male members of my family just used.  Makes no sense to me. Although if you are a mom with 4 little ones under the age of 5 that might be your only place to relax. : ) : )

    Jill

  • Turn School Supplies Into Christmas Gifts

    Turn School Supplies Into Christmas Gifts

    Just before school, when school supplies are on sale, is a good time to stock up on lots of little gifts that will be great for Christmas! (more…)

  • How To Get Organized

    How To Get Organized

    If you’re asking yourself, how to I begin to get organized, these tips will help you! Getting organized will also help you get out of debt and save money! (more…)

  • 2 Recipes To Clean Burned Pots and Pans

    2 Recipes To Clean Burned Pots and Pans

    Do your pots and pans look like they’ve been to war? It can be a challenge to clean burned pots and pans, but these easy recipes and tips make it easier! (more…)

  • Roast with Cranberry Sauce and Leftovers

    Roast with Cranberry Sauce and Leftovers

    cranberry sauce roast

    Roast with Cranberry Sauce and Leftovers

    From: Shelley
    I loved your recipe for the cranberry roast (see below). It was awesome. The next day, I heated the leftover roast and gravy added about a tablespoon of soy sauce and 1/2 a bag of broccoli florets. I served that over ramen noodles and it made a wonderful broccoli beef type dish.

    A lot cheaper than take out!

          -Shelley

     

    Cranberry Roast

    1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
    1 (3lb) roast
    1 can (16 oz) cranberry sauce

    Pour soup mix in a crockpot. Add roast and top with cranberry sauce. Cover and cook for 8 hours. To thicken gravy, mix 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and water and add to gravy. You can add carrots and potatoes 4 hours into cooking.

     

    Photo By: matthewreid

  • Teach Your Kids About Money

    Teach Your Kids About Money

    Teach your kids about money

    Here’s a real life example of a great way to teach your kids about money.

    I was on welfare for a while when my kids were younger. Of course, getting only one check per month made the lack of cash flow more obvious. One day, when I said we couldn’t afford something, they asked, “Why not – you just got that big check?!”

    So, I sat them down and wrote the numbers down side by side. I wrote how much the check was on one side and how much I had to pay to others on the other side. I subtracted as I went and they saw the “big” check going down faster than they realized.

    They never bugged me after that quite like they had before. I derived the idea from a different idea about how to show kids the realities of cost and the dreams they have about sports cars, big houses, etc. I just adapted it for my situation. I know most parents don’t really want to tell their salaries, but sometimes it can help kids to understand when things are tight.

          -Wendy

     

    This is a great idea. I have never understood why parents won’t tell their kids their incomes and let the kids sit down with them while they are paying the bills. This is probably one the best things you could ever do with your kids.

          -Tawra

     

    Not only that, but it teaches and gives children a better idea how to use a checkbook, balance a checkbook, be responsible with credits cards and generally make better financial decisions. I am so surprised about how many adults don’t have a clue where to begin teaching their children any of these things. Once again, it shows how important it is to train your children in every area, including finances.

          -Jill

     

    Photo By: Betsssssy

  • Creamy Fajitas And Apple Plum Crisp Recipes

    Creamy Fajitas And Apple Plum Crisp Recipes

    Creamy Fajitas And Apple Plum Crisp Recipes

    Try this creamy fajitas recipe, fajitas with a twist, along with a delicious apple plum crisp recipe and more to round out this easy and delicious menu! (more…)

  • Fresh Christmas Tree Care

    Fresh Christmas Tree Care

     

    Fresh Christmas Tree Care

    If you are buying a fresh tree this year, remember it needs to be watered and watered A LOT. You don’t have to buy special tree extender stuff or food. Just water it and water it.

    In our area I have noticed that most real trees go on sale December 15th, so if you don’t need to have one early you might consider waiting until then.

    Also I know we so often think bigger is better but be sure you get a tree that will fit into your house. This seems like an obvious thing but I once sold a nine foot tree to a lady. I kept asking her if she was sure it would fit into her house because, at that time, most people had 8 foot ceilings, but she insisted it would work. A week later she came back and wanted her money back because she couldn’t fit the tree into her living room.

    Jill

    Your advice on keeping a fresh Christmas tree watered reminded me of a tip I got from the lady we buy our real tree from. She always told us that when we got the tree home, to cut approximately a 1/4″ to a 1/2″ off of the bottom of the trunk. This will give you a new fresh end for the tree to “drink” from. Also, drill a small diameter hole (3/8″ to 1/2″) from the bottom of the trunk up into the center. This will insure that water will get deep inside the trunk as well. We do it every year and it works great!! From: Dave V.

    photo by: chippenziedeutch

  • Holiday Cleaning – Preparing Now For The Holidays

    Holiday Cleaning – Preparing Now For The Holidays

    Holiday Cleaning - Preparing Now For The Holidays

    Holiday Cleaning – Preparing Now For The Holidays

    Halloween is over, which means it is now officially time to kick it into gear to get ready for the holidays and to get your house ready for company. It really helps to get your house in order now because if unexpected company comes you won’t get caught off guard. Then you can concentrate on baking, finding gifts and organizing activities without having to worry about deep cleaning your house again until after the New Year.

    Hopefully by now you have been inspired to start getting things done a little at a time so this won’t be too big of a job. Here are a few things to work on:

    • Get your closets in order. Put summer clothes away and take winter clothes out, tossing as you go.
    • Don’t forget your linen closets. Get your guest towels, sheets and extra blankets aired out and put the linens in a handy spot so they are easy to grab when you need them.
    • If you have a guest room, get it cleaned and prepare everything for your first guests.
    • Get your holiday linens prepared. Wash them if necessary and make sure they’re ready to go.
    • Hopefully you have cleaned your pantry. Now you need to make sure it is stocked with everything you need for your holiday recipes, for some quick and easy to fix snacks and dinners for unexpected company or food to take to social events.
    • Make sure your fridge and freezer are in order. The refrigerator and freezer are going to work overtime for you over the next couple of months so make sure they’re cleaned, organized and prepared.
    • I don’t worry about cleaning my oven at this time. I use it so much for baking that it’s silly for me to clean it right before having a baking fest. I usually wait and give it a good cleaning after the holidays. If it’s really bad or you have company coming and it looks awful you may want to go ahead and clean it anyway.
    • This week and next week is the time to do any deep cleaning that you don’t want to have to mess with again until after the holidays– things like washing your windows, deep cleaning rugs and carpets and dusting mirrors, picture frames, lampshades or ceiling fans.

     

    If you have been keeping up with your cleaning you may not have to do any of these. Basically just clean your house enough for company. Then you’ll know it’s done and you will be prepared for the unexpected.

    Part of the stress that comes at the holidays is the result of not being prepared, especially for the unexpected things that always seem to come up. Think of it like being prepared for a disaster. If I have a wood burning stove, firewood, lots of candles, blankets and food prepared, I am not too stressed if we lose power from an ice storm. If I wasn’t at all prepared, I would be in a total panic if an ice storm hit.

    If you are prepared, you have something you can whip up for company in just a few minutes or if the kids need treats for school, you have dough frozen and ready to be baked in the freezer. I’m not saying that I have everything prepared like Martha Stewart but I do try to have everything together enough so that I’m reasonably prepared for the unexpected. My idea of the perfect woman is a cross between Martha Stewart and Erma Bombeck! Some days I am more one than the other and on other days I totally miss the mark, but that’s okay, because I tried. :-)

          -Jill

    For more easy cleaning and organizing tips, check out our How To Organize And Clean Your Home e-books.

     

  • Time and Money Saving Tips and Ideas

    Time and Money Saving Tips and Ideas

    Time and Money Saving Tips and Ideas

    Here is an odd collection of tips that you might find useful:

    This morning I went to buy eggs. I usually try to get them on sale but couldn’t find any. Since I needed the eggs right then, I had no choice but to pay full price, so I bought a carton of medium eggs.

    Sometimes we automatically buy the large eggs (we do that with so many things) thinking that they are the best but for my purpose (baking), the medium eggs worked just fine and they were cheaper.

    If you are having trouble with a recipe being extra sticky or not quite right in some other way, you might change your egg size and see if that helps.

    Another thing I did this morning was hang my clothes out. After writing an e-book about laundry and how to hang clothes on the line I didn’t think I had missed anything. As I was hanging some T-shirts on the clothesline, I noticed that one of them was sagging in the middle, so I pinned it on the line and I re did it. You need to hang the items taut on the line, not stretched too tight but not sagging. This helps get rid of much of the wrinkling that some of us experience. Sometimes we tend to let our clothes sag in the middle to give us more clothesline space but don’t do this. It’ll only make more work for you.

    Here are some more useful miscellaneous ideas:

    • If you lose the plug for your bathtub, use a golf ball. If it happens to get dislodged, it just rolls right back into place.
    • Rub hair conditioner on your shower curtain rod to make your shower curtain slide more smoothly.
    • Wipe up those spills. I know I sound like a parrot but if you spill something on your stove top, clean it right away. If you turn on a burner or  your oven, the mess bakes and hardens on the stove. I recently heard about a new way of doing finger nail polish and guess what they use to make it harden and stick more firmly? -Heat. The same principle works with your stove, so don’t wait to wipe up the mess.

    I hope some of these ideas help make your day go more “smoothly”. : ) Have a super day everyone!

          -Jill

    Photo By: Brenda Gottsabend

  • Save Money On Your Water Bill Doing Dishes

    Save Money On Your Water Bill Doing Dishes

     

    Don’t Rinse Money Down the Drain

    At an average of 120.00/month, our water bill is our most expensive utility (due to private ownership of the local water company, no regulatory oversight, etc.). One way I save money is to use all of the frugal settings on my dishwasher. I use the water miser, the light wash, and of course, the air dry settings (to save on electricity). All of my savings were going “down the drain”, however, when my 15 year old daughter loaded the dishwasher. She was running the water the entire time she rinsed the dishes, even though I told her how to do it a different, more frugal way. So, I assigned other chores to her and now do the dishes myself. I am happier that it gets done my way and it also saves on our water bill.

          -Sharon Y.

     

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  • Organizing Kids’ Bedrooms – From The Kids’ Point of View

    Organizing Kids’ Bedrooms – From The Kids’ Point of View

     

    Boy, can kids’ bedrooms be a challenge! Trying to get kids organized can be tough and trying to get them to keep their rooms clean is even harder. I don’t have the secret to keeping their rooms spotlessly perfect at every moment but I do have a few tips that should make things more bearable for both parents and kids.

     

    Make sure furniture is kid sized.

    Every feature and piece of furniture in a child’s bedroom should be kid sized and kid friendly. So often, parents buy tall 3-4 drawer dressers and the kids can only comfortably reach the second drawer for the first 6-7 years of their lives. At the same time, parents expect the children to put their clothes away. This is setting a child up for failure.

    Even adults have a hard time keeping our things picked up, even when we can reach the drawers and see into them. How would you feel if you had to put your clothes into a drawer a foot or more taller than you are?

    Besides, tall chests can be dangerous in a child’s room. The kids, because they can’t always reach the top, will pull out the bottom drawer and stand on it to reach things. Some children who do this end up tipping their dressers over on top of themselves, which can seriously injure them. Another thing to consider is that if the drawers don’t slide easily, little fingers can get pinched.

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  • Preventing Bills From Getting Lost

    I thought I’d share a short post about preventing your bills from getting lost. If you keep things organized you can save money on fees and reduce the stress of worrying about bills being late.

    Margaret Writes:

    Our bills are sorted by date–the due date is written on the envelope. Then the pile is organized by due date, with the ones due soonest on top. These are paper clipped in the checkbook. Top bill gets paid first.

          -Margaret

    My system is similar. I line my bills in order in a napkin holder (one that just has 2 bars to hold the napkins because I can see the bills easier), with my checkbook behind them.

     

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  • Picking Up Around The House

    Picking Up Around The House

    Picking Up Around The House

    Many years ago, way way back in the last millennium : ) (that sounds impressive doesn’t it?), as a young bride (that sounds depressive – am I really that old?), I read one of the best tips on cleaning and housekeeping.

    The woman who wrote it was an older woman and said she had been an awful housekeeper until she asked her friend who had a spotless house what her secret was. Her secret was that she never stopped picking up. No matter where she was walking to and from in her house, she automatically picked things up to take with her and put away. It really works.

    Some of you are saying, “My kids and husband just need to pick up their own stuff.” I agree that the family needs to be responsible, but the reality is that kids and husbands have their heads in the clouds when it comes to these things. There could be an elephant in the room and if you ask them, “Why didn’t you pick that up?” they would say, “I didn’t see it there.” Duhhhhh!!

    God has given us all different gifts and seeing the things that are out of place is not one He gave to kids and husbands so, in the same way I need them to help do things in the areas where I’m not as gifted I need to help them in their weaker areas. : ) That doesn’t mean they are off the hook when it comes to picking up. It just means I need to do a little extra.

    For example, each morning, before anyone gets fed, their rooms must be picked up. Sometimes during the day or evening if things are getting out of control, we have a “pick up” time where everyone jumps in and helps. I usually try to make a game of this. Then at night before their snack and bedtime story the family room and, once again, their rooms get picked up.

    I also taught everyone to clean up the bathroom after themselves and take care of all their dirty clothes and dishes so, as you can see, I am not solely responsible for all of the picking up. The type of thing I’m talking about is picking up that stray toy in the corner, that piece of paper or throw pillow on the floor and all those small odds and ends which so often get overlooked or that everyone refuses to claim as his or her own. With those things, it’s not worth the time to wait until the family gets home to demand to know whose it is. It seems everyone in the family is waiting for someone else to do it and then it never gets done. As the mom, you have to just do it and pick it up. It saves so many headaches.

    As I walk through a room, let’s say on my way to the bathroom, I will scan the room as I go through to see if anything is out of place. If it is, I pick it up to deposit where it should go on my way to the bathroom. When I come out of the bathroom headed back, I pick up things from in there that need to go to the other end of the house.

    Most of the time this takes me less than a minute. It has become such a habit that I didn’t realize how much I did it until I was over at Tawra’s the other day and started doing it at her house. As I was walking along, I spied a marble, then a Lincoln log and grabbed those up… next, a scrap of paper. I put the paper in the trash can that I passed on my way to the boys’ room, where I put the other things. I was headed that way anyway and it didn’t take me 5 seconds to scoop, grab and put away. It is such a habit that, even when I am tired, I do it without thinking.

    Try doing this with one room. If the room is mostly picked up go in, scan the room and pick up those little overlooked things and see what a difference it makes in the room. Then get into the habit of always picking up those little “out of place” things. You will be surprised how many little things there are laying around and out of place in your house. One word of warning: Be careful of piles. I have the bad habit of piling things at the foot or top of the stairs and planning to take them up later but that is my weakness – not seeing the pile when I head upstairs – so try to do as I say and not as I do and keep the piles under control.

    -Jill, the lean, mean, picking up machine

    photo by:  whgrad

  • A Home Decorated with Love

    A Home Decorated with Love

    One day my daughter, daughter in law and I went to the Parade of Homes in our area.

    The homes on display in a Parade of Homes are homes you always dream about but know you can never have– perfectly decorated and expensive model homes.

    My son and son-in-law were moaning as we trotted out the door all excited to once again get some new decorating ideas. As we made our way to the car, they yelled, “Don’t even think about moving or remodeling when you get home.” They know their wives oh so well.

    I don’t know why we torture ourselves, but we do it every year. My daughter called the next day and said, “I get so discouraged after looking at those houses when I walk into my house and see that there is stuff everywhere.” I know what she was talking about because I felt it too but at that same moment, in my minds eye, I was thinking about my daughter’s home and the way it looked the last time I saw it. I then started comparing it to the model homes we had just seen and these words popped into my head, “Her home was decorated with love”.

    The Living Room

    When you walked into the living room of the model home, there was a place for everything and everything was really in it’s place. I think they even measured the throws and pillows to make sure they were in the right spots. The pictures were of beautiful landscapes and there wasn’t a toy in sight. Contrast this with my daughter’s home, where there was a music stand and chair in the middle of floor where sister, who is learning to play the flute, had played Hot Cross Buns for the twentieth time and sat beaming as family members patiently applauded and praised her again and again and again after each attempt.

    There was a very worn “security blanket” (not a throw) rolled up in a ball at the end of the couch. A favorite was pillow laying half on and half off of the couch where middle brother had laid when he was sick and where he had been given special love and attention from mom.

    Instead of landscapes, there was mom and dad’s wedding picture and the kids’ school pictures, along with family pictures scattered here and there. There was a dog chew in one corner where big brother had just finished playing with the dog and in another corner was the cat bed where a well loved kitty contentedly slept. There was a stray toy here and there, a few books, a couple of Bibles and some magazines all having been shared and read together at different times.

    The Kitchen

    When you walked into the kitchen of the model home, there wasn’t a dish in sight- nothing on the counters. It was spotless and shiny. On the other hand, my daughter’s home had a handful of dishes left in the sink from when dad took over and made lunch because mom wasn’t feeling good. There was a pan of water on the stove where sister had fixed a cup of tea for mom and a pan of something burnt and unrecognizable that dad had burnt while trying to cope with lunch and feeding baby brother his bottle all at the same time.

    The Dining Room

    The dining room chairs in the model homes were lined up in perfect position. My daughter’s were all in different places from having been used over and over that day. Some were from doing homework, others crafts, coloring, painting, fixing a broken this or that, having a snack together, and always, at the end of the day, sharing dinner together with everyone talking a mile a minute.

    Last but not least there was total silence in the model homes, but at my daughter’s there is music all the time. Someone is always singing, whistling, humming or laughing. The dog is barking, someone is always talking and there are even a few boyish burps followed by mom’s scolding them for doing it.

    Yes those model homes looked beautiful on the outside but, like your mom always said, it is what is inside that counts. Inside the model home, it was empty, cold and lonely. My daughter’s home certainly wasn’t empty, there were lots of “items of love” scattered everywhere. As far as being cold, all that love and laughter spread warmth to every corner of every room and as for being lonely, you couldn’t find one spot to be lonely in even if you tried. Trust me, my daughter has tried to find a quiet place to be alone in and they still seem to find her.

    So here’s to all the homes decorated with love and the moms and dads who decorate them.

    -Jill

    photo by: colleen-lane