Target

Jeramy won a $50 Target gift card and gave it to me.  I was instructed to use it toward items that we would normally purchase at our usual shopping stores (ALDI, Sam's Club & Walmart).  So, off I went.  Everyone loves free money, right?!

Buying a few items was a no-brainer.  I bought several hair care products and some much needed toddler spoons, toddler toothbrushes and toddler underwear.  However, after a few minutes looking around, I found myself in quite a predicament.  All the exact same items (except the spoons) could be found at my local Walmart for a significant difference in price.  How could I buy Item X for $16 when I could get the exact same thing at Walmart for $11?

And because of this I now found it extremely difficult to use the remainder of the "free" money in Target.  I see now the deception.  People pay more for these items thinking they are getting a better quality product, when in fact, it is the same quality as at Walmart (or ALDI or Sam's).  Why pay more if you're not getting more?  For the same amount of money, I could have purchased more items at Walmart than at Target.  I'm ruined.  I can no longer pay more for anything if I know I can get it cheaper somewhere else.  Ethically, I view it as a waste of money.  Jeramy works too hard to bring home what he does and I work too hard to stretch what he brings home to spend more than is necessary.  I don't think I'll ever buy anything at Target again.

Don't get me wrong, Target provides a nice, quiet, clean environment in which to shop.  But I just can't buy anything there.  I'll deal with lines and crowds to save $10.  As Jeramy would say, "It's all about the bottom line."

Beans Are Cheap, Beano Is Not

This has been an interesting observation as I've passed through the grocery store.  Beans are beneficial because they are high in protein and are a vegetable.  They are high in fiber, thiamin, folate, vitamin B6, niacin, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and manganese.  Read my source article HERE.   They help lower cholesterol and reduce your risks for coronary disease and heart attacks.  Some beans, like black beans, have many antioxidants that reduce your risk for developing some types of cancer and help you fight illnesses.  Beans do not have the steroids and hormones that many meats are pumped with and, therefore, will not react negatively to growing children's bodies or those who struggle with mood swings (like me).  These are some of the reasons why I've tried to add more beans to our family's diet.  Here are some bean recipes I really enjoy.

Neli's Puerto Rican Garbanzos

1 lb. dry garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

2 Tbs oil

2 Tbs Sofrito Red Tomato Base

2 links smoked or breakfast sausage (about hot dog size)

3 or 4 Tbs Tomato Sauce

1 packet Sazon Goya con culantro y achiote (that's coriander & annatto)

one of the following vegetables, chopped:

2 potatoes, 1 spanish squash, 1 large carrot or 1/2 yellow ripe plaintain

Soak the beans overnight.  Rinse the beans and boil about 1 hour until softened.  In a separate pot or skillet combine the oil, sofrito, sausage, tomato sauce and sazon cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the beans & vegetable and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 20 - 25 minutes.  Add water for desired consistency.  Serve over rice.

*Variation: use any dried bean - pink, pinto, white navy, black beans.

 from Nelida Rivera

-----------------------------------------------------------

Cuban Black Beans

1 lb. dry black beans

1 green bell pepper

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 oz. of tomato sauce

1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Soak the beans overnight.  Rinse.  In a large pot, place beans and cover with 2 inches of water.  Add green bell pepper, bay leaves, tomato sauce, salt & pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Meanwhile, in a skillet saute the onion, garlic & cumin in olive oil until translucent then add to the beans.   Reduce heat to simmer & cover until thickened, about 1 hour.  Add the vinegar and simmer another 30 minutes.  Serve over rice.

from Dr. Jorge Campana 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Sausage Lentil Soup

1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced

1 lb. dry lentils, rinsed

1 cup ham, diced

1 medium onion, minced

1 small green bell pepper

1 medium carrot

2 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

1 bay leaf

30 oz beef broth

30 oz chicken broth

2 cups spinach

Combine all ingredients except for the spinach in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours or until the lentils are tender.  Add the spinach and let stand 5 - 10 minutes until the spinach wilts.  Remove the bay leaf and enjoy.

from Menus for Moms

---------------------------------------------------------

White Chicken Chili

5 - 6 cups Great White Northern beans (I use 1 lb. dry beans, soaked & rinsed)

2 cups chicken broth

1 Tbs minced garlic

2 cups minced onions

1 Tbs olive oil

8 oz chopped green chiles

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cloves

4 cups cooked chicken

1 hot pepper, seeded & minced *optional

Saute the onions & garlic in olive oil.  Add all remaining ingredients and simmer until the beans are soft (if using dried beans) about 1 1/2 hours.  Garnish with sour cream, jack cheese & onions.  Dip with tortilla chips, also good over rice.

 from Wanda Jackson

---------------------------------------------------------

Our Best Baked Beans

5 slices crispy bacon, crumbled

32 oz canned baked beans, drained

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup hickory-smoke bbq sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cover & cook on Low setting for 8 to 12 hours (on High for 2 - 3 hours).  Makes about 1 1/2 quarts, 6 - 8 servings.

 by Marilyn Neill

-------------------------------------------------------------

Bowman Black-eyed Pea Stew

Combine in a pot:

1 lb. dry black-eyed peas, soaked & rinsed

1/4 head cabbage, chopped

16 oz can tomatoes

3 potatoes, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 onion, sliced

9 or 10 cups water

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 Tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Add sliced yellow squash and zucchini to make it even nicer.  Simmer until beans are soft.

from Madia Bowman 

---------------------------------------------------

DIY Laundry Detergent

You can save a ton of money on laundry soap.  At Sam's Club we could pay $25 for 180 loads worth of Tide but making this recipe only costs about $3 for 5 gallons!  Making it takes about 10 - 15 minutes and it's not complicated.  HERE is a video of the Duggars making their laundry soap and saving lots of money in other ways.  HERE is a thorough video of the process.

You will need these three ingredients and a 5 gallon bucket, a long stirring stick or spoon, a pot, a whisk and a measuring cup.  At Walmart each bar of Fels is $1 and the Soda and Borax might be $3 - $4 each, but you only use a little for every 5 gallon bucket.  Because the Fels is only $1, I buy a few bars so that I never run out of detergent at the last minute.

 Grate the bar of soap.  From what I understand, you can use any bar of soap.

 

 Melt down the soap in hot water on the stove over medium heat stirring constantly until no chunks remain.  If the temp is too high or you neglect to stir, then the soap will boil over.

Add diluted soap, 1/2 cup of borax & 1 cup of washing soda to a 5 gallon bucket.  Some recipes use different amounts of borax & washing soda but all are fine and good.  Fill the remainder of the bucket with hot water. If you like to add scented oils, now is probably the time to do it.

 Stir.  Place the lid on top and allow to rest overnight.

 In the morning, stir again to break up the gel-like consistency.  You're done.  I use a cup for every wash load.  I've found that it works best in hot water washes.  It works just fine with our cloth diapers and doesn't seem to irritate Shiphrah's sensitive skin.

Resurrection Sunday Centerpiece

This is a really late photo, but the girls and I created this centerpiece very frugally and look how attractive it is.  The jars are recycled from salsa and pepperoncinis.  I glued construction paper ribbons and shapes on them to remind us of the reason for our celebration.  I bought the rose, tulips and palms from Ingles for $4 and the girls picked the purple flowers out of our yard.  It doesn't take a lot of money to do something creative and beautiful, just time and ingenuity.  We gave both grandmas a tulip and some purple flowers in a vase to keep as a gift.

Reuse, Reduce: Keys to Variety within a Budget

Many of our dinners use ingredients from previous meals, saving cooking time and money. Some recipes call for ready-made ingredients, like spaghetti sauce. But if I prepare it myself, I can produce a large quantity for a fraction of the cost it would take to buy the same amount. For instance, one week I’ll prepare spaghetti. I will cook enough meat sauce to freeze at least three containers for later meals, including calzones, pizza, lasagna and chicken parmesan. Plus there is an added benefit knowing all the natural contents of the foods I prepare, taking comfort that we’re not consuming hydrogenated oils, excess salt and sugars.

Another key to feeding many mouths on a food budget and still maintaining variety is to use ingredients that are inexpensive, for example carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, rice, dried beans and pasta. Soups also tend to cost less per serving and per pot. These cheap ingredients make a bulk of filling foods without breaking the bank.

It is also important to utilize everything: waste not, want not. For example, I bake all our sandwich bread. But no one wants the end pieces of the loaf. With my bread knife I take a little sliver off the ends and freeze them to use for breadcrumbs later for meatloaf, meatballs, etc. Just thaw in the toaster, crumble in the food processor with the seasonings of choice and add them to the meal. Voila!

Biblically, it is imperative to follow God’s command regarding gluttony. Refraining from the third, fourth and fifth helping allows the family to enjoy the meal longer, thus stretching the dollar as well. The dollar is stretched because less food needs to be prepared, but also because the waist is not expanding to require new clothing. Neither do we starve ourselves, but it is important to stop eating when satisfied and avoid overeating as is popular in the current American restaurant culture. There is always tomorrow’s lunch when you can enjoy the blend of flavors again. Exhibit self-control; it is a fruit of the Spirit. If we're truly still hungry, then we eat more side items, like rice and beans, and not the expensive main course.

There are two important items to maximize your menu potential. The first is a large freezer, which is well worth the investment as many cost less than $10 to run each month and save you hundreds of dollars in food storage power. Secondly, a very large pot to cook huge quantities of soups and sauces. This goes without saying that you would also benefit from a large or extra large baking dish and a good number of freezer storage containers that can be labeled for quick reference.

Shrimp Tostadas!

Oh so yummy! I really, really enjoyed this meal. It was almost like eating at a restaurant, except I prepared, served and cleaned up myself. :-) But that's what makes it a fraction of the cost! :-D

Jeramy bought me a recipe book, Mexican at Home: Favorite Restaurant-Style Recipes, for Christmas and that's where this recipe comes from. The publishers collected recipes from well-known companies using their name brand food products. This one is from Ortega.

Shrimp Tostadas

1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled & deveined
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup chopped white onion
4 oz can diced green chiles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
16 oz can refried beans, warmed
10 count tostada shells, warmed
2 & 1/2 cups shredded lettuce

Combine shrimp, tomatoes, onions, chiles, cilantro, oil & lime juice in a bowl; cover.
Spread about 2 tablespoons of beans on each tostada shell. Top with 1/4 cup lettuce and 1/2 cup shrimp mixture. Makes 10 servings. Time from start to finish: 15 minutes.

The shrimp mixture may be prepared in advance, covered & refrigerated.

Because Jeramy likes warm dinner meals & because I'm pregnant, I tossed the shrimp mixture in a non-stick skillet until steaming before layering on top the lettuce. I also added diced avocado and served with rice. It was excellent! Enjoy!

A Blast From the Past

Most of you reading this will not remember personally going through a period without some of the modern conveniences we've come to take for granted. Like a dish washing machine and a clothes washing machine, for example. Over the past week, we've had such a trip back into the ice age before modern technology created these wonderful time-saving devices.

My husband and I purchased a Kitchen Aid Stainless Steel two-drawer dishwasher when we moved into our new house a little over two years ago. When my parents remodeled their kitchen in early 2000 they replaced their dishwasher with a Fisher & Paykel double drawer model and I appreciated it so much, I convinced Jeramy to get one. Well, we've had trouble with it from day 1 but I still enjoy using it very much.

For several months it had been making a terrible grinding noise when the top drawer was in a washing cycle. Then last week it decided not to drain the water out after rinsing. It would wash the dishes, but the water would remain in the machine afterwards. It is still under warranty and so we had a part ordered and a man was to come and install it, Tuesday. That was almost one full week away! The bottom drawer still worked, but alone, it only washes about 1/2 a load of dishes.

In the meantime, Saturday night after washing a load of clothes, the washing machine would not drain the water either! We did not have any other issues with non-draining in the house (toilets, sinks, etc.) so now, something was wrong with the washing machine. It was full of clean towels and clean water. It did not spin and it would not agitate. For some reason it stopped mid-cycle. You can imagine our frustration having two expensive major appliances out of commission and possibly costing a pretty penny to fix or replace. After viewing some YouTube videos, Jeramy ordered a part he thought might fix it. Well, it would not arrive until Tuesday also! We have three children and use cloth diapers!

During the time without those appliances I went about the house trying to figure out how to spend my time apart from doing laundry & the dishes! I kept thinking about how I wash going to wash clothes in the bath tub or travel with them to our neighbor's house. Well, we got by without and Tuesday finally came.

The Geek Squad technician from Best Buy arrived and fixed our dishwasher. Now it hums quietly just like new! How wonderful!! The part Jeramy ordered also arrived and after he got home, after several YouTube videos and about 2 hours later, Jeramy fixed the washing machine, too! He's so proud of himself that we didn't have to spend any more than $30 on an expert to come fix our washing machine. And because the dishwasher was still under warranty, we didn't have to pay for that repair either!

I'm so thankful to have working machines again! Today I've never been more excited about doing laundry than the whole time we've been married!

Ever Ask for a Sign?

Here's a double-sided one that Jeramy and I made for our church. Adjacent to the Sanctuary is a room with two-way glass and a monitor that is set up to be a Nursery with a changing table, rocking chairs and safe toys. But a visitor would not know this room is available, so we put some feet, blades, sandpaper, pencils and acrylic paint together to create this unique sign. The only material I bought for this specific project was the lettering stencils. The wood was a scrap piece that had been planed and sanded. The acrylic paint & brushes were a gift that still hadn't been used and the hanging ribbon I already had also. I hope the church will like it.

Nutrititious Meals Abound

This is why my girls place in the lower 50% percentile for weight when they have check-ups at the doctor's office . . .

because we eat healthy meals at home.

On today's plate: p.b. & j sandwiches, carrots with a dot of ranch dressing, and an apple. Shiphrah has a shredded cheddar cheese sandwich and applesauce.

Providing healthy meals is a parent's responsibility.

Spin In A Basket

Here's another reason why we don't buy them toys.

They took turns sitting and spinning each other in this laundry basket for about 15 minutes. They always seem to have so much fun with laundry baskets.

Is College REALLY Necessary?!

My entire life it was always assumed that I would go to college. The only matter was, "Which one?"

I decided to get a degree in music on violin and considered a double major in biology to pursue a career in the medical field. After I completed my freshman year, while taking several hard science classes and my required music classes (to fulfill my music scholarship obligations) I nearly pulled my hair out. My grades were good, but it was stressful and my Christian fellowship dwindled. So, I decided to focus on my music degree with a biology minor, then see what happens.

During the last two years of my Bachelor's I considered that I could make music my profession. However after 4 years in a secular university I was unprepared to take a major orchestra audition. I knew I needed more training, but I had no money. Providentially, after $40K spent, I had no debt either.

I took a year off to work and save money while I decided where I would go to further my education. I got info from every music school and conservatory in the US (except Julliard) and then my music minister plugged Southern Seminary into the mix. After visiting two prospective schools with their respective auditions, I prayerfully considered where God was leading me: Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA or The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.

I received my Master's in Music, Solo Performance in the Church, on Violin from Southern and finished my program without debt, but very scarily almost living on the street. It cost me about another $20K total. (I didn't know anything about credit or loans at this time.) However after my post-graduate degree, I still felt somewhat unprepared to take an audition for any orchestra, although I was definitely more prepared than before.

After marrying Jeramy and being exposed to the true history about the government (public) school system and how liberal most secular and religious colleges and universities have become, it dawned on me what a waste of time it is while a person is in the prime of their life.

Think about it. The average school student spends a lot of time in history classes learning about all the great leaders of the past who never attended formal schooling and somehow accomplished so much - but we never stop to think that they were home educated then apprenticed into their profession and achieved their goals much quicker, by 20 or 25 years old or while still teenagers. Why don't we do that today?

If I could go back, I would change my entire learning experience. I would not have wasted 4 years going to a secular university and then another 2 years getting a Master's degree. A grand total of $60,000 and 7 of the peak years of my life (18 - 25) were gone and I was still unprepared to take a major orchestra audition.

Instead, if I were 18, I would take 90 minute private lessons twice a week with a very high caliber teacher in a major orchestra, perform in community and other local orchestras while building a network at the same time in the musical field. All the other musical training: sight-singing, music history, music theory, violin pedagogy, piano keyboarding, etc. I would have just read the books and taught myself. I estimate that the cost would have been only half as much money rather than going away to school. If I had pursued this apprenticeship pathway, then at the end of 4 solid years taking the lessons and playing in orchestras - I feel like I would have been adequately prepared to take a major audition at 22 or earlier.

Pursuing an apprenticeship would have saved a lot of money because the only expenses would be the private lessons, any audition fees, and gas. Most local community orchestras are free to participate in. Some college orchestras may let you play without paying for the credit hours too. You'll save money on college admission, room & board, $X per credit hour multiplied by all the courses that don't advance you toward your goal. For example, two years of General Education classes (high school repeated = waste of time), piano keyboarding classes (= waste of time), and elective courses (= waste of time). In addition to all these, there is so much ideology that you will be forced to tolerate that you may completely abhor if you're a believer in Christ (a repeat of all the convoluted worldviews in the government education system = a minefield for Christians = imminent death).

Government schools, colleges and universities are cultivating in their student body a particular worldview not a set of career/professional skills.

However, I must say that given my limited knowledge at every turning point, I felt like I made the best decisions possible. In the providence of God, had I not taken that pathway, I never would have met my husband and had my children. In that sense, God used my poor educational choices to bring about a better circumstance for the present. Sure, if I could go back and change those things, I would - but look at what I would be sacrificing. I'm thankful for my family and I'm content to use my experience to encourage others to choose a less expensive, more direct route to their life's pursuits.

Why We Don't Buy Toys . . .

They did this for 45 minutes!

All the toys they have are given by grandparents and aunts. We can count on one finger the number of toys we've purchased for them. Often I go through their toy baskets and pick out those things that don't work anymore and what they're not playing with. They either get chucked or donated. This helps eliminate clutter too.

Fast Frugal Fixes

The economy is bad and prices for goods and services are rising, especially for food. Here are some fast ways to cut your budget:

1. Buy in bulk.

Become a member at a wholesale club, like Costco, Sam's, or BJ's. Generally those items will be cheaper, per item, than if you bought the same quantity in the regular grocery or retail store. Meat and cheese are especially cheaper at wholesale retailers.

2. Frequent Shopper cards.

Many stores have free frequent shopper cards that help to save money here and there, like Sally's Beauty Supply, Food Lion, Ingles, etc.

3. Always be on the lookout for deals.

Many stores will have circular flyers at the store entrance, post them online or even sent in weekly mailings and newspapers. Take advantage of this information and shop accordingly.

4. One car.

If you have more than one vehicle, it can consume a lot of money: car payment, maintenance, gas, and insurance. If you're able, sell it to a private seller and pocket that money in your savings account.

5. Efficient planning for your errands.

Make a list, check it twice or even three times. Go through your entire house to make sure that there is nothing your forgetting to pick up before your next errand trip. This saves gas and time.

6. Rice & beans

These and potatoes, carrots, celery, pasta and bananas are always very cheap items. Ten pounds of potatoes at Sam's Club are just $5. Ten pounds of carrots are about $2.50 or $3. Whole grain pasta is only about $1.20 per 13 oz. dry box and bananas usually run about $0.50 per pound at Walmart.

7. Couponing.

It's a verb now. And if you work it just right, you can get tons of free stuff and even store credit! I've heard it done, but haven't practiced myself. This takes a lot of time and organization. I'm always tempted to buy products I don't need or use just because I have a coupon or it's on sale, so coupon wisely.

8. Patience is a frugal virtue.

Wait for clearance sales when purchasing new items. Wait for Black Friday and the After Christmas clearance sales. In Georgia there is a tax-free weekend before public school begins where many school supply items are sold at cheap prices without sales tax applied.

9. Goodwill & second-hand stores, including yard sales.

This is essential when buying clothing. Often you can buy name brand materials (Ralph Lauren, Chico's, Ann Taylor, Express, Land's End, etc.) for unbelievable prices! And oftentimes these items may still have the original store tags still attached!

10. Cook more, eat out less.

If your dying to eat something different, try a new recipe or something you can buy at the grocery store and take home to prepare. It will ALWAYS be cheaper than going to a restaurant, paying a babysitter, buying the meal and tipping your server!

11. Do-it-yourself projects.

We saved a boat load on new, needed, carpet for our home when Jeramy bought it at a wholesale price and installed it himself! We saved thousands of dollars when he professionally painted a faux-finish on many of our walls! You don't always have to hire a professional to do EVERYTHING in your home. There are many resource materials available online, YouTube videos, etc. that guide you in your home projects.

12. Research pays off.

When buying things online, I always try to find retailers that charge minimum to no shipping costs. Sometimes though you have to be careful: they hike up the price and don't charge shipping whereas other sites may charge less for the item and give you shipping options or free shipping with minimum $ purchase (like Amazon). I just bought a cloth diaper cover at Cotton Babies without paying any shipping or being overcharged for my item!

13. Pay with cash.

It's crazy, I know. But when the cash is gone, you will stop buying things! This past grocery shopping trip, Jeramy gave me cash. I wrote this dollar amount at the top of my list. Then as I picked up and crossed off each item I put in my cart I wrote down its price. Then when I got to the register I knew exactly how much I was going to spend. (I rounded the prices of course.) And the outcome? I ended up having $75 left over to rollover into next month's budget, help to pay the principle on our mortgage or use toward Christmas gifts!

Homemade Whole Wheat Crackers

1 and 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp iodized salt

3/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

6 tbs oil

1/2 cup + 1 tbs water

salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl place all ingredients in order, then mix with a fork until a soft dough forms, about 30 seconds. Place dough directly on ungreased pizza stone or metal cookie sheet. Using a rolling pin, roll very thin to 1/4" thickness or less. Use a pizza cutter to make cracker shapes. Dust salt on top of crackers and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until medium brown in color. Crackers should lift easily from baking surface. Cool completely uncovered, then cover to store. Crackers will be chewy immediately but will become hard and crunchy, a hearty, strong cracker, once cooled. These crackers stand up to my thick, dense chicken cheeseball without breaking.

The edges will cook more quickly than the center. After 10 to 12 minutes, remove browned crackers and replace stone in oven. Keep a close eye on it and remove the inner crackers after the remaining 2 to 3 minutes. When in doubt on the color change, remove the stone from the oven and allow the crackers to remain on stone.

I developed this recipe by altering an unleavened bread recipe I got from my friend P. Truelove.

Crackers are so expensive in the store and these are easy and really cheap to make. From start to finish it only takes about 15 minutes! Enjoy!

Feedback, Please

My children are messy eaters. They usually end up with their meals displayed all over their clothes. And so I used to end up either bathing them (almost) after every meal or taking off their clothes before eating. The meals with tomato products were especially stressful because they stain so easily. Bibs are okay, but if they're cloth, the food can seep right through and they're not long enough or wide enough. Occasionally I thought to use an adult apron on my girls, which was great, but I didn't think too much about getting more than one for all their eating times.

The thought came to me after G'Wanda bought some child sized aprons for the girls so that they would eat, fully clothed, and still be clean afterwards. It eliminated 90% of the after eating clean-up and save a lot of time. She bought some more fabric and duplicated the pattern. Then I thought, "What if they were waterproof? Then maybe they could eat spaghetti!" Spaghetti is their messiest and one of their most favorite meals. The clean up takes just as long as it does to eat, but with a waterproof apron, maybe it would be easier. So I popped a couple out and voila! They really do save me so much time cleaning them up after eating and in stain-removal on laundry days. They save me money by not buying so much Clorox 2 color-safe bleach, plus extra water and detergent. I can just tie one on each girl, let them eat, shake off the solids (when necessary) then throw it in the washing machine. It is soo much easier!

My question to you, reader, is (1.) do you think that waterproof aprons are a good idea as an entrepreneurial enterprise? Lots of stay at home moms do things for home-based businesses: cloth diapering, bath & body products, baby gifts, etc. Would making children's waterproof aprons for eating, crafting, painting and cooking be a good idea? And (2.) Would people buy it?

Jeramy and I have thought of several other accessories and products we could offer, like dining seat covers (for under booster seats) and carrying bags (to and from restaurants, etc.). We would make them more professional looking than the quick job pictured above.

What do you think? Any comments, no matter how brief, positive or negative are appreciated.

Thanks.

Valentine's Day

The girls and I did a very low budget and very high effort and meaning to express our love to family this Valentine's Day. We made Daddy and G'Wanda cards out of cardstock, crayons, glue, markers, and tissue paper. For Jeramy I made banana pudding for about $5 and for G'Wanda I bought a single rose for $2.50. Note to self: if you ever need to put a message in whipped cream for a fruity dessert use raisins.

G'Wanda's cards

Jeramy's cards

And banana pudding with a special message in red sprinkles.

"You Wanna Learn Something?"

Or, Another Reason to Love the Dollar Store!

Jeramy was looking for some education materials to continue teaching Moriah about time, geography and the U.S. Presidents. She also needed to learn about the days of the week and months of the year. Off they go to Walmart to find large maps and other things only to be disappointed. Then he decided to check out The Dollar Tree and what a treasure trove awaited them! He found all kinds of learning posters: a world map, a North American-U.S. map, a counting poster, an empty calendar with "Today Is ___." "Yesterday was ___." and "Tomorrow will be ___." that includes the days of the week and months, and two different posters that explain how to read a clock face. He taped all of these wonderful things in the front hallway.

He also found at the dollar store books that teach about world continents and countries, the United States and the U. S. Presidents even down to Obama. These books have colorful pictures and flip openings to make it fun for the girls. Yay, let's learn something! Whoever said that homeschool starts when your 5 or 6?! Start teaching them when they're ready to learn, whatever age that is, right?!

The only downside is that the book that explores the world continents and countries does state a great age for the earth as fact. "60,000 years ago . . . " But we have plenty of Answers in Genesis materials and faithful parents to set her straight. We did get it for only $1.00. (You get what you pay for. :-/ )

Baby Projects

There are several things we've been doing around the house to get ready for the new baby. And I've not been very good at being specific in sharing them. :-(

One of the main things was to convert the guest bedroom closet from the previous office storage space back to a functional closet. Unfortunately I don't have a before picture, but use your imagination. The existing shelves were removed. The holes were spackled, sanded and painted. The hanging clothes rod and the doors had to be installed. Jeramy did an excellent job. Don't you think?

An unexpected repair was made to the ceiling fan. This is another testimony of God's grace and provision. One night Jeramy went into the room and pulled the cord to turn on the light then he proceeded into the closet to resume some work. Suddenly the ceiling fan crashed down to the floor while Jeramy was standing in the closet!! However the previous owners had it installed was incorrect. It was one of those where the motor hangs down from the ceiling mount and swayed while the fan turned. Imagine all the horrible scenarios had it happened at any other time!!!! God is good and He is sovereign and merciful!! Pictured below is the new ceiling fan, mini blind and the new location of the guest bed.

We really needed a new changing table. The one we have been using was used from Jeramy's cousin and we've put it to really good use. But it's been falling apart. The repairs could easily be made by hand, but some aspects of the design could be improved upon. For instance, the two shelves underneath have been unusable for most things because the girls pull items off or climb on it and the particle board pieces have finally broken. So, I designed a sketch for a new changing table that would be more stable, safe and enduring. Here are some pictures of its construction and the last photo shows that it has been coated twice with stain and once with gloss. It may be ready by the due date for functional use. It looks great, yeah?! And it's real wood. Notice that the side guard rails are removable so that one day it could be used as another dresser or furniture piece. Cool feature, huh?!

To go with the new changing table, Jeramy suggested I make a pad instead of buying one. I purchased another piece of polyurethane foam, this time 2" thick, and covered it over with a waterproof fabric. It came out much nicer, I think, than the hearth cover. It's 18" x 34". Normal retail price is in the $30-$40 range. I got the foam on 50% sale at Jo-Ann Fabrics and the fabric was discounted too, but I don't remember by how much. The total cost was probably around $20.

Afterwards, I considered that the baby might not like lying on some plastic waterproof fabric. So I decided to make some pad covers. I chose fleece because it's soft and doesn't fray at the edges. I turned the sides and corners, sewed them down and inserted some soft stretch elastic. Boom, there you go. I chose to use the elastic because simply laying a blanket on top of the slick pad won't keep it in place when the child is active or when lowering/lifting the child up and down. The covers were only a 2-hour project. When I saw how easy they were to make, I made some more for other friends of mine who just had babies. For them I made it easy to remove the elastic if they desired to use it like a regular blanket and I think they liked it. :-) It's not expensive (I got the fabric on sale at Hobby Lobby), not difficult and personal. If you bought a changing pad cover at Walmart it's $9.50. All the elastic and fabric together cost about $21 for 3 covers!! Here are the cute prints I chose for our new baby girl.

Deals @ ALDI

A 2-pound tub of grapes is going for $1.38! That's $0.69 a pound, people!

One pound of strawberries, red, ripe, plump and perfect are $0.99 a pound! Mmm . . . yummy.

I went in this past Friday and found these prices and couldn't pass them up. I don't know how long they'll last, so hurry in.

Freezer, Corn & Grandma Jane

Last week Jeramy and I bought a new upright Frigidaire freezer from Best Buy. It is so great to finally have a place to stock up items when we buy in bulk. When Easter and Christmas roll around, hams are usually on sale for around $1/lb. and it's great to be able to hoard them away all year. We enjoy the fresh ham sandwiches and using the bones and thick slices for seasoning beans, greens, etc.

The urgency for this purchase is because of the corn harvest going on now. We "put up" creamed corn which is an all-day event. When Jeramy and I just got engaged (July 2006) and I came down to GA to meet his family, there was one day that we were going to "put up" corn. I come from Northern VA and had never heard of this before, but I knew it was a big deal because of how stressed out Mrs. Anderson was while making preparations.

The day came to "put up" corn and I learned that it's pretty involved. First you must order or reserve a specific number of bushels of your preferred species of corn (silver queen) from a local farmer. After picking it up in your pickup truck, you bring it home, cut off the end, shuck it, silk it, blanch it, cool it, cream it, bag it and freeze it. All or most of this takes place outside because it's extremely messy! (Pictures forthcoming) Yesterday we managed to put up 5 bushels of corn, 30 quarts of creamed corn and about 25 ears of corn on the cob, in about 6 hours. In this way, we are able to enjoy fresh creamed corn and corn on the cob all year long.

Jeramy likens creamed corn to gold because of the work involved and the taste. It's a privilege. It's not anything like what comes in the store, canned or frozen. That is NOT creamed corn!

Grandma Jane came up yesterday to help us put up corn and to visit before the baby comes. We definitely miss having her so far away now. We used to live right across the street and it was so nice. Now we must be content to enjoy her presence, cooking and wonderful attitude about once a month. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful Mother-in-Law!