Eating Well On A Budget Series - Part 4 - Freezing



I really hope part 3 wasn't too overwhelming - or discouraging. I know I threw a lot out there. I also know that my pantry is not the norm (well pseudo pantry, I actually don't have one and use the laundry cabinet shelf and a couple shelves in my basement). You could easily spend $1,000 a month feeding a family of five the way I choose to feed mine, which is why budgeting, planning and freezing became so important to me. What is best for my family, may not be best for yours, or maybe it would be - it doesn't really matter. I would like to assume as a parent and an adult, we serve meals we all feel are healthy most of the time.

My main objective was not to say you need to buy all that food and store all those items to stay on a budget. In fact, going out and buying all that stuff would probably eat away a few months budget all in itself. Everything I listed are things I buy, but definitely don't go out and buy them every month. If by chance you do use some of the same food items I do, maybe one of the sources I listed is less expensive and can free up some money in your budget. That was the purpose behind the resource post.

Regardless of how you choose to eat, or any special diets you need to adhere to, I do believe following the ideas in this series will save you some money assuming you are not already implementing them.

Now, on to my favorite part - freezing!

I seriously love my freezer. Without it, I would either be a stressed out, frazzled mom without time to do much else but cook, or I would be ordering a lot of take out. I currently have a separate upright freezer that is stored in our garage, however I have been successfully freezing and reaping the benefits for years prior to owning that large freezer.

Don't throw in the towel if you don't have a ton of freezer space, you likely don't need it unless you plan on purchasing a large amount of meat to store (which is exactly why we bought it). I have a friend who could run circles around my budget, she freezes ALL the time and she only has a basic refrigerator/freezer combo. Her secret is keeping it organized and cleaning it out regularly. This way she never forgets what she has and nothing ever goes to waste. She has helped me immensely over the years and I am forever grateful. If you do decided you want to invest in a large freezer, check craigslist and your local paper for used ones in good condition.

We talked about freezing a bit in the planning portion of this series. Making double recipes and freezing the second batch for another quick meal. Again, hands down, I believe this is a huge part of sticking to a budget and being able to have homemade healthy meals on a regular basis while avoiding burn out. I had to figure that one out the hard way.

Here's a quick list of ways to save money using your freezer:

• Put peeled over-ripe bananas in the freezer to use for smoothies, to dip in melted chocolate, make dairy-free 5 minute ice cream, or to thaw out later for a bread/muffin recipe.
• Make the largest batches you can of your favorite recipes to keep on hand for busy nights or mornings.
• Buy extra amounts of fresh vegetables at the farmers market, blanch and then freeze them for future use.
• Potatoes are another favorite to freeze. Buy a huge bag when they go on sale and you can make then freeze mashed potatoes, hash-browns, potato skins with bacon and cheese (left over from the mashed), potato wedges, home-fries and twice baked potatoes.
• Stocks - When we cook meat with bones, we either add the bones to a bag in the freezer for future stock-making once it's filled, or if we just cooked a chicken, we put the carcass in the stockpot right away to simmer overnight. If I don't make soup the following day, I'll freeze what I have.
• Cheese freezes so well, as long as you don't pack it too tight in the container. I buy an $8 block of cheddar that yields about 12 cups of shredded cheese. My husband or I will shred the whole thing at once, divide it up among freezer containers and then just pull out what we need when we need it. The best part about cheese is that even if you forget to pull it out and put it in the fridge ahead of time, it thaws so fast it really doesn't matter.
• Onions are great to freeze. I just chop off the ends, peel the skins and then put them in the freezer whole. The best part about this is chopping a frozen onion will never make you cry.
• Reducing waste by freezing. An entire post needs to be written about this one, and that post will be the final segment in this series.

Remember, you can't do it all at once. Take a few ideas and implement them bit by bit. They will turn into habits and you won't even notice them anymore. Once you have a new habit ingrained (and this requires commitment), that is when you should add more. As I've said before, this has been a long journey for me, almost 10 years. I still have room to grow and learn.

Eating Well on a Budget Part 3 - Sourcing Your Items Inexpensively

You have your plan. You have your list. Now the next step is getting all those items you need without spending a fortune.

** This list also has local options for those that live in the area, but most of these can be found nation wide. **

If your pantry is pretty bare, or you have been living off of boxed or cellophane wrapped food, the first month, possibly two, will be slightly more expensive. Don't panic though, the little bit extra you spend now, will save you ten times as much down the road.

Below you will see a list of categories. Under each category, is the description of what I typically buy, and beneath that is where I purchase the items. Remember, I don't make more than one shopping trip a week - it isn't worth the gas money, time spent or possible impulse buys that come with the extra trips. I also am an Amazon Prime member, and order a lot of my specialty items that would normally have me driving from small shop to small shop, online. So, sometimes I pay a little more for something I know I can get cheaper somewhere else, but that usually only involves fruit and veggies because I have a well stocked pantry. You will too if you continue with this plan.


Bulk Spices and Yeast
This is where some extra money is placed upfront, but pays back in the end. I buy spices in bulk, so it's not very often I run out and I save a ton of money by not purchasing those tiny $3 containers of spice that last a month at most. Don't go out and buy a million spices at once, just pick up what you need for that month. Before you know it, you'll have an entire cabinet of accumulated spices.

Mountain Rose Herbs - online (organic options) - I absolutely love this company. They offer almost every spice imaginable, and at a very reasonable price. The only qualm I have is the cost of shipping can offset the savings if you don't buy enough in one purchase.
Joseph's - local - While these are not organic, they are bulk and of good quality. Hands down, this is the cheapest place to buy spices that I can find. I pay about $3 for each spice and have enough to fill a pint sized mason jar. That's a lot! Most spices have a shelf life of one year, and I almost never finish the entire jar. I've started filling jam sized mason jars instead and giving the extra to friends. You could be even more frugal and split a bag of spice with a friend, so you would both end up paying about $1.50.
Costco - membership needed - I typically make my own spice blends from the basics I keep on hand, but occasionally my husband likes to grab a bbq rub or grilling seasoning mix he knows he likes. Again, these are super cheap, about $4 for 20 plus ounces. This is also where I buy yeast. Making yeasted breads from scratch almost lose their cost effectiveness (though still a whole lot healthier than store bought) when you buy those little pre-measured packets. For the cost of six packets (enough for six loaves of bread), I can buy a bulk package of yeast that will last 2 years (that's how long it will stay active in the freezer) assuming I bake 4 loaves of bread each week. The savings comes out to about $96 dollars a year - or one week's worth of groceries at our house.

Grains and Flours
This is an area that I just started to consider buying in bulk for the long-term. What I mean by that is instead of just buying a large 5 pound bag, I could be buying the very large 25 pound (or more!) bags that come in food-grade resealable buckets. The larger bulk buckets are marketed more towards "prepers", but considering most unprocessed grains have a shelf of 10 plus years and the price of the larger amount can save you more than 50%, it makes sense. The food grade containers are a must, unless you can transfer the grains to air tight containers that will keep tiny buys and kritters out. The last thing you want to do is open up your bag of rice and find you have to trash the entire thing because it has been contaminated. Keep in mind also, this is only for unprocessed whole grains - never buy that much flour unless you have the room in your freezer to store it. Once a grain is ground into flour, it starts oxidizing immediately. The longer flour is exposed to oxygen, the less nutritious it is and it will, within a short time span, go rancid unless the bran and germ have been removed. I'm currently stashing a little bit of money aside each week to save up for a grain mill. I've thought about it for years and have finally decided that the expense is worth the option of storing more grains, and having fresh, nutrient rich flour on hand whenever I need it.

Costco - membership needed - I get most of my grains here, specifically oatmeal (10lbs - $6.50), Organic brown rice (12lbs - $12) and popcorn kernals.
Joesphs - I buy most of my specialty flours at Joesphs. Items from Bob's Red Mill tend to be priced lower here than anywhere else I have found locally or online.
Amazon (online) - This has been my best source for ancient wheat (heirloom), specifically Einkorn and Farro (Emmer). I don't use a lot of it because it is expensive and we limit the amount of wheat in our diets. This is also where I buy my King Arthur flour - both whole red wheat and whole white wheat.
Survival Acres (http://survivalacres.com/shop/) - If you have the space, inclination and extra money, this online site is the best I've found for bulk whole grains. You would be buying 25-50lbs at a time, but it will last you years.


Nuts, Seeds and Beans
I try to keep a variety of nuts and seeds around the house. They're used for baking, snacking and in meals. As for beans, those are always purchased dried. The cost savings between buying bulk dried beans versus canned is huge - it's also healthier.

Joesph's - I buy most of our whole raw nuts and seeds here. You will find them in the bulk section.
Costco (membership needed) - Here I will pick up whole organic quinoa, organic chia, ground flax, walnuts, pecans and almond butter.
Amazon - (online) Honeyville Almond Flour is actually cheaper purchased here provided you group it with more orders. I order organic cacao nibs, dried gogi berries and sunbutter as well.
**As far as bulk dried beans go, I pick them up where ever I happen to be. I have yet to come across an expensive bag of dried beans.**

Dairy, Dairy Alternatives and Eggs
I'm pretty picky about my dairy - I know, I'm strange. I won't buy dairy at all unless it has either been fermented or aged(yogurts/cheese), most of the casein has been removed (heavy cream, butter) or has been low-vat pasteurized (read more about that here). Even with low-vat pasteurization, I limit dairy milk to one gallon every other week or so and half of that gets turned into yogurt. I have also been called a butter snob more than once or twice in my life. I pretty much only buy Kerrygold butter, imported from Ireland and made from 100% grass fed cows. If I happen to be in a pinch and need butter but can't find my usual, I look first for imported butters from Europe (they have much stricter food standards than we do), and if I can't find those, then I grab organic. I'll go into the reasoning behind all of this in another post - I can sense eye glazing...

Joseph's - Kalona SuperNatural low-vat pasteurized organic whole milk (pricey but worth every penny) and a small cup of their yogurt if I don't have any leftover from my last batch.
Costco (membership) - Organic Eggs - if I'm not currently picking them up from the Woodstock Farmer's market, I buy them here (24 eggs for $6), Mountain High plain yogurt (4lbs is $4) we mix our own flavors quickly and easily by adding honey, maple syrup, jam, apple-butter, dried fruit, granola or puffed rice. Almond milk, and rice milk can be bought in bulk slightly cheaper. Most of our cheese comes from costco because it's so much cheaper and can easily be frozen and then pulled out to thaw quickly when needed. I usually buy a large block of Tillamonk Cheddar for $7 and that will give me roughly 12 cups of shredded cheese. This is where I buy my Kerrygold butter. It costs around $6.50 for 3 cups of butter. That may seem high, but it's the cheapest I have been able to source it, and with other stores charging closer to $4 for 1 cup, it's a good price. Nutritionally, it would be worth the $4 a cup, in my opinion. Again, I buy up a lot of butter when I find it (it is not available year round at Costco), and store it in my freezer.

Meat
I try to keep our meat sources local and pasture raised or grass-fed. I buy a lot of our beef and poultry at the farmer's market. If the items I'm looking for are not available there, or are priced beyond my means, I typically buy the rest at Costco. As a side note, if you're purchasing bison, lamb or game meat, these items are usually high quality everywhere. It's the conventional, mass-produced items (think beef, poultry & pork) that contain the highest amounts of antibiotics and are given unsatisfactory diets. You most definetly are what you eat in this category. If the meat you're eating was raised poorly, the nutrition you get from it is also poor.

Farmer's Market - I only buy beef from a local farmer - Michele Aavang at Willow Lea Stock Farm. Her animals are treated well, grass-fed for the majority of their lifespan and I have always been beyond happy with anything I've purchased from her. Our family recently made the decision to invest in half a cow with another family and I would do it again in heartbeat. If you have the freezer space and the money set aside - you can save a ton of money. We also pick up bratworst, lard and whole chickens here. Check www.localharvest.com to see if you have a farmer near by.
Costco - (membership)- If you don't have access to a local source of grass-fed beef, Costco offers organic ground beef. As much as I would love to buy whole chickens (and we only buy the whole chicken, never the packaged cuts), sometimes my budget can not support it. You can buy organic whole chickens at a pretty reasonable price. We buy canned wild Alaskan salmon and sardines packed in olive oil here as well.

Fruits and Veggies
The most economical thing to do here is grow your own, however, for a lot of us (including myself), that is not an option. You can grow your own herbs in small containers just about anywhere, and you should. One basil plant can cost as much as 3 seed packets - think of all that basil you could get! Try it, you'll be happy you did.

Farmer's Market - I try to buy whatever I can while it's in season at the market. I will buy up extras and either freeze or can as much as possible to have during the winter. Sometimes it pays to go to the market near the end of the day, produce is sometimes marked down dramatically or even given away - this doesn't happen all the time so don't count on it, but it has happened to me more than a few times and I've been super grateful.
Joseph's - I love the produce here, as well as the prices and the variety is huge.
Local Grocer - You're local grocery store will likely have fresher produce than any of the big box discount stores. The fresher your fruit and veggies, the more nutrition they maintain.
Costco (membership) - I stock up on giant bags of frozen organic fruits and vegetables here. I end up paying about $1 per pound on average, sometimes less. I also buy dried dates, figs and raisins here.

Coffee, teas, and other drinks
Aside from our nut/rice milks, we pretty much stick to water and sometimes 100% orange or grape juice. I'm the only one in the house that drinks coffee and tea, so we don't spend a whole lot here.

Costco (membership) - I can buy large 2.5 lb bags of organic or fair trade whole coffee beans (they offer ground too) for about $10 - that's almost a 50% savings from even the box box stores.
Mountain Rose Herbs - You buy organic, loose leaf teas here that are phenomenal. Again, just make sure to have more than one or two items on your buying list before you order from them or the cost of shipping will out-weigh the savings.
Amazon - If you're looking for something specific, check here before driving all over town.

Condiments and Sweeteners
As a rule, I try to keep the amount of sweeteners in our diets low, which in turn helps offset the expense. We try to use honey, maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, applesauce, bananas and dates to sweeten most of our recipes. I large bag of organic sugar will last us six or months unless I'm doing holiday baking.

Farm Bureau - Local honey - we pay $9 for three pounds.
Costco (membership) - Organic sugar, maple syrup, and dates.
Amazon - If you don't have a Costco membership and can't talk someone you know who does have one into picking stuff up for you, check here.


Oh. My. Goodness.


If you're still with me, kudos to you - you must really want to eat well on a budget. That was a long, and daunting list. Do not let it overwhelm you. I wanted to share where I find the best prices for the best food I can afford. Some of this might work for you and some of it won't and that's okay. I've been watching my dollars and food budget for over seven years and this is where I am - I still have room to learn and grow but I'm leaps and bounds ahead of where I started. Take your time and don't stress yourself out. Personally, I've turned saving grocery money into a game and every month I try to beat my last score (dollars not spent) while still eating very well.


If you know of an inexpensive resource, by all means, please share in the comments section below. I know I would love to hear about it and so would other readers.


Part 4 of this series - Freezing Food - Make your grocery money work for you will be available soon.

Homemade Bug Bite Salve

I love this time of year.

Everything around me is growing, blooming and basically coming alive. Unfortunately, that also includes mosquitoes. We've had a lot of rain lately, and thus a ton of those pesky little buzzers have been showing up as soon as the sun starts to set. Years ago, when my oldest attended a daycare and bug repellent was insisted upon, I did some research and came across a product called Badger Balm. We, as a family have been using it ever since. I love it! As with any all natural repellent, it doesn't quite rival it's chemical laden counterparts, but it does a pretty darn good job. As long as you don't mind smelling like lemon and citronella. For the bites we do encounter, I have a really simple to make salve to share with you. It takes about 2 minutes start to finish. 

A few months ago, I took a serious interest in essential oils and finding more natural ways to treat basic ailments. So when my children were all sitting around the table scratching their swollen elbows and knees, I pulled out my copy of "Surviving When Modern Medicine Fails" by Scott Johnson. The book, despite it's extremist title is my favorite go-to for essential oil reference. He suggests using either Lavendar or melaleuca. We have treated minor burns and skin irritations using Lavendar with great success. I decided to try the melaleuca because it's a bit more potent in the skin soothing department. The base of the salve is coconut oil which as antibacterial and anti-fungal components that I felt would serve us better than using an olive oil base. 

So far this slave has worked out great for us. It needs to be reapplied about every two hours until the bite no longer bothers you.

What you need:

4 tablespoons organic coconut oil

1 tablespoon grated beeswax or pastilles

1 tablespoon sweet almond oil

1 vitamin E gel capsule (unless your almond oil has it added already - mine does)

15 drops of Melaleuca or Lavender

In a double boiler or microwave, slowly melt down the coconut oil, beeswax, and almond oil. Only heat it long enough for the wax to disappear. If you decide to use the microwave, heat your ingredients in a glass container for 20 second increments stirring between each 20 seconds. Once you have a clear liquid, stir in the contents of your vitamin E capsule (pierce it with a toothpick and squeeze it into your mixture) and then gently stir in the essential oil. Pour your mixture into a glass or metal container and pop it in the refrigerator until it's set. The end product is shelf stable but super soft to the touch.

Wood Polish for Diaper Cream?

No, not really. Well.... Actually, sort of, but let me explain...



A few weeks ago I went looking for a simple conditioner for my wooden kitchen utensils. They were getting dried out and needed something, I just didn't know what. I ended up finding a really simple recipe that consisted of just olive oil and beeswax. Within 10 minutes, I had my new wood conditioner or "polish". I had quite a bit too, just a little bit goes a long way.

The kids and I rubbed the polish into all of our utensils and cutting boards. Then we gathered all of their wood toys and gave them a once over as well. During this, our hands got coated in the polish, but since it was just organic olive oil and beeswax, we rubbed it in like lotion. Later that day when I was changing Stella's diaper, she looked a little red so grabbed the tin of natural diaper cream. I scooped a bit out and then had a realization. It looked and felt exactly like the polish I had made earlier. Low and behold, I turned the tin over and that's basically what it was. This had a few different carrier oils in it, but ultimately it was just oil and beeswax. You can bet I won't be spending $7 on a tiny tin of butt cream again.

And the best part, in my opinion, is that by the end of the day, my hands were soooo soft. A few months before Stella was born, our dishwasher broke down and we have been hand washing ever since. Combine that with the dry hot air in the house, and I'm sure you can imagine the sad shape my hands have been in. Since that day, I have been moisturizing my super dry skin with the polish.

I made another batch with essential oils specifically for chest congestion and stuffy noses. We rub a little on our chest and put a dab under our nose when we have a cold or cough. I love it because I don't have to worry about goofy chemicals. I have been spending a lot of time researching natural alternatives to common medicine lately. I'm learning a lot, and hopefully will be able to share some of that with all of you once I feel like I have a good grasp on it.

I plan on making a lavender rub for the kids to use before bedtime. I will share that recipe when I find the perfect mix for us.

I put the olive oil and beeswax in a glass measure cup and just melted it in that.
Let it cool, and give it a stir a few times in 5 minute increments if you don't want it to fully harden. Otherwise just pour it directly into your container to cool completely.
To the left is our "polish" and in the middle is the vapor rub. I stirred the polish before letting it dry completely so it would be easier it scoop out.

Do you use natural alternatives to anything? Please share!

Have a great day!

Archive Friday - Alternative Wrapping

***This is a post from the archives, but I felt it was worth reposting. Have a great weekend!***

Did you know, that during the holiday season, in the US, "trash production increases by up to 25 percent, most coming from wrapping paper, boxes and shopping bags"? That statistic was taken from the Moscow Recycling Food Co-op Newsletter.

I vowed this year that our family would be different. But how? About a month or so ago, I started brainstorming different ways to wrap holiday gifts that would be both presentable yet earth friendly. I came up with a lot of ideas, but most of them were shut down by my husband (I have to give him credit, he pretty much lets me go all out on whatever I'm doing and never says a word - so because of that, I didn't protest too much). Some of the ideas he didn't want to go along with: wrapping them in fabric from my stash - um, ok, I get that. Wrapping them in old black and white newspaper and tied with pretty fabric ribbon - he thinks people will assume we're destitute, not to mention the mess it would likely make on our cream colored carpeting - ok, I'll give him that one too.

Sooo... I decided to make drawstring bags. Lots and lots of drawstring bags. So many, that I'm starting to wonder if they will last me till next year too. I used fabric from Granny Grace, so it's about as thrifty as you can get. I'm hoping that they will be re-used for some other purpose by the recipient. You can always find a use for a cute bag, right?

To see a tutorial on how to make drawstring bags, click here. I did mine a little different so they had a flat bottom. It's pretty much just smaller versions of the toy hammock tutorial on my blog.

How are you wrapping your gifts this year?

- Lisa

Wool Soakers

With all that cloth diapering talk yesterday, how could I not follow up with my soakers? Wanting to stay away from synthetics, I chose to knit my own wool soakers to go over the newborn size fitted diapers. They are so expensive to buy, ranging from around $35-$65 each. Considering you need at least 3 for each size (or so I've been told), I had to make my own. I used two different patterns, as well as two different brands and textures of 100% wool (it has to be 100% to work correctly). Since again, I really have no way of knowing what will fit and work for this baby, I am playing it safe and potentially saving myself from hours of wasted time. Whichever style works best, I'll just make more as I need them. Both patterns were free, but I'm having a difficult time locating the pattern for the style above. As soon as I do, I will update this post with a direct link.

You can find the pattern for this one here. I used the suggested yarn/roving for each pattern. Each skein was around $7 dollars, and I only needed one for each soaker. That's a whole lot of savings.

Have a great day everyone!

-Lisa

Going Cloth - Diapers That Is

After not too much debating, Chris and I decided to cloth diaper this next baby of ours. Between the cost savings, garbage reduction (which we pay for the removal of), and lack of chemicals on the babes bum, it was kind of hard to not at least give it a try. I had thought about it a lot when I was pregnant with Hannah. The overwhelming amount of information left me too scared and intimidated to give it a go. Thankfully, this time when I started my research, it was a little bit easier. The big difference this time was finding an online community of cloth diapering momma's to take my hand and walk me threw the process.

Once we finally made a decision to do it, it seemed silly to keep spending money on disposables. So, for the last three weeks, Hannah has been in cloth. With the exception of one slightly crazy, eh 'hem - gross, experience (I'll spare you the details - just use your imagination) it's been great.

Even though the diapers I bought are one size fits all, they will most likely be too big for the baby for the first few weeks. So I decided to make a few of my own from materials we had around the house. I obviously have no way of knowing if they will work well until the baby comes, but they are just too darn cute to not share. You can find a ton of diaper tutorials all over the web, and the materials you choose are a personal preference. I didn't want synthetics on my newborn's bottom, so I used flannel and cotton for these. Based on the recommendations of some more experienced momma's, I followed this free pattern and tutorial.

I love this one! It's amazing how small it is too. I forget how tiny baby's are in the beginning.

Take care and have a great day!

Lisa

Bunny Prep

If you have children, I'm sure they are eagerly awaiting a visit from a certain big-earred, fluffy bunny. I know mine are.

This year, we decided to invest in a few Bolga baskets, 1 for each child. This way, our furry friend would have one less plastic/disposable basket to buy. My children get to do whatever they want with these until the eve of Easter, when they will be emptied out and left on the table to be filled with fun surprises.

If you've never heard of a Bolga basket, you're missing out, truly. These awesome fair trade, strong carriers are handmade by women in Africa, and have a quality that you'll unlikely ever find from one purchased in a big box store. I love these baskets, I really do. So much so, that I plan on purchasing a few larger ones for around the house as well.

Homemade Natural Deodorant that Works!

For the last six months or so, I've been searching for a natural, aluminum free deodorant that will actually work.

Saying I tested a lot would be an understatement. I actually ended up going back to my non-natural Dove for a little while because I thought it was a lost cause.

Then I came across this super simple (so simple in fact that I thought it would never work) recipe and was shocked. Not only at how well the deodorant actually works, but also how simple and inexpensive it is. I'm hooked!

**This recipe is not mine, however, I've found it in numerous places all over the web, and have no idea who actually created it. If you know, please tell me, and I'll make sure to credit the author**

I have put this to the test, and it has passed with flying colors. It lasts ALL day, has no scent AND keeps me dry. I've worn it during very intense work outs, and all night waiting tables, and so far, I love it.

A little goes a long way, so just use a little bit, or it will feel greasy. It does need to be kept in the refrigerator as well.

What you need:
1/4 C Baking Soda
1/4 C Arrowroot powder (you can purchase this at most health food stores or online)
5-6 Tbsp Coconut oil

Simply mash everything together until you get a solid-like consistency. The mashing will warm up the coconut oil so that it will not be a complete solid until it's placed in the fridge.

I emptied out an old deodorant stick and just filled it up with my mixture, and it works just the same. Love it!

Turn Your Old Sweater Into Leg Warmers - Tutorial

I accidentally felted one of my sweaters the other day, and it shrunk so much I think it would have been small on my 5 year old. Then it dawned on me. The sleeves were the perfect size for Hannah's legs. She loves to wear skirts, so now she can wear them during the winter and stay warm - yay! I ended up making a pair for myself too, and my goodness do they make a difference. I wear them under my jeans, so you'd never know they were there. If you have ever experienced cold jeans on bare legs - here's the fix...

First find an old sweater. You don't have to felt it, but doing so will make them warmer (you can only felt sweaters that are at least 80% wool - acrylic will not felt). To felt a sweater, just put it in a pillowcase (so you don't end up clogging your machines with fuzzies), tie it closed and wash on hot for 1-2 cycles, then toss in the dryer (still in the pillowcase - trust me).

1) Lay your sweater flat and then cut off each arm like the photo below.

2) Snip off the slanted edge by the arm pit so that you have a straight edge, like the photo below.

3) Turn inside out and fold over half an inch on the cut end and stitch along the edge.

4) Turn right side out and you're done! The wrist end is already finished for you.

This may not be the prettiest leg warmer, but like I said, I wear them under my pants, so no one can see them anyway. My daughter's are a bit cuter...

Give it a try! The whole project takes about 10 minutes, start to finish. What have you up-cycled lately?

Natural Inexpensive Cleaning Solutions

Natural, inexpensive cleaning solutions became a must have in our house as soon as we found out I was pregnant with our oldest. I wish I would have known just how simple it really was. That you don't really need all those bottles, pumps, aerosol's and wipes. In fact, what you're looking at here, is all I use to for 95% of our surface cleaning. Just plain old baking soda and vinegar.

Spritz on some hydrogen peroxide, and you have a natural disinfectant. According to Ellen Sandbeck, who wrote Organic Housekeeping, "When hydrogen peroxide is exposed to heat, light, or organic material, it releases its extra oxygen; pure water and oxygen are produced by this reaction. Pure oxygen is extremely toxic to microorganisms, which is why hydrogen peroxide is such an effective antiseptic." This book is my go-to book for safe and effective housecleaning. She covers everything and anything I could ever think of when it comes to taking care of a house, and if natural housekeeping is a priority of yours, or even an just an interest, I highly suggest reading this.

Apple Pie Filling

A friend of mine at work told me about her wonderful way of not letting soon to go bad apples actually go bad. It's such a great idea that I have to share, I'm sure she won't mind.

Simply peal, core and slice the apples. Mix in a bit of lemon juice (I used the juice of one lemon for both jars here), some vanilla, brown sugar and then freeze to store. This way, as soon as I finally get around to making that apple pie for Austin that I promised him for his birthday (thank goodness I have till February!), I can just pull one of these jars out of the freezer. And now I take comfort in knowing none of the apples we picked will go to waste.

Did you find this helpful? Do you have any of your own waste-not tips to share? If so, please do!

Have a great day!

Toddler Floor Cushion

I'm sooo excited about this little project of mine! One, because I've never really done a furniture type sewing project, and two, because it started out as a vintage curtain panel. I love, love, love finding vintage fabrics. Giving new life to something outdated, or what would otherwise be considered useless is such a thrill for me - really! Annnnnd it makes sewing your own stuff cheaper, instead of more expensive. I think that was one of the biggest disappointments to me when I first starting sewing - it was just so much money to use everything new. I think one of the biggest tricks to making something new from something old is thinking outside the box (for lack of a better term). Linen tea towels and tablecloths, vintage pillowcases, and even corduroy pants, skirts or jackets usually have enough material to make tons of different projects. When you creatively find ways to mix the old with the new, and pair unlikely fabrics or textures together - you end up with such amazing projects. I'm currently drawing up a bunch of different designs utilizing mainly items found thrifting, and I can't wait to share some finished projects with you!

For this project, I followed someones else's tutorial. This one comes from Susan over at Living with Punks. She has a great blog with TONS of tutorials and creative projects - it's definitely worth checking out.

I do want to add the total cost of this project for me, because it really didn't cost much at all. The retail price of this chair, were you to buy it at say, Pottery Barn Kids, is close to $70 - yikes! Mine, on the other hand, came in at less than $6.00! And it was worth every penny to watch my little girl bounce up and down on her cushion, singing "Hannah's Chair!" over and over again.

Take Care!

Canvas Tote Refab - Betz White

I have (had), this really drab canvas tote that I use for the gym. It was terrible, and had a large ugly orange stain on it from who know's what - seriously. I don't know why I kept using it. But anyway, I came across a really simple and super fast way to make it pretty! What's even better, I didn't spend a dime! I used a scrap piece of upholstery fabric that was given to me by Granny Grace (you'll see her name a lot in here by the way - and thank you again!) to cover it. The tutorial was written by Betz White. If you're not already familiar with her work, I highly recommend checking out her blog here.

Drum roll please.........

Ta-Da! I love it!

Here is the before picture - look at that awful orange stain! Blagh!

Start to finish, this took about a whole 15 minutes. To see the tutorial, and easy to follow directions, click here. Or look at the "What I'm Loving Now" section of my blog.

Thank you Betz White :)

Bread Bag from repurposed Tea Towel

I'm not sure what it is about tea towels, but I love them. Like, really love them. Ohhh, and if it's a vintage tea towel that I might happen to find, my whole day gets better. Yes, that is how much I love them. I would never dare use them as a towel, but I do want to use them. Mainly so I can look at them more often and get some use out of them. They really don't do anyone much good sitting folded on my fabric shelf.

And so, I went on a search for ways to repurpose tea towels. I found a couple so-so ideas, and a book that I most definitely plan on checking out of the library soon (very soon), and then came across this tutorial at ieatfood.net.

I love this idea too because I've been making my own bread for almost a year now, and have been storing it in plastic bags and I wanted to move away from that. All of the tea towels I collect are made of linen, which will allow enough air passage to keep the bread soft, but not stale. I can't wait to try it out! I think I'll probably do some tweaking on the overall design of the bag. I want it to fit one of my loaves better. When I do, I will be sure to share.

Some of my bread - yum!




To make the bag follow this link to the tutorial.

Toy Hammock from Upcycled T-Shirt

Austin has a pretty large collection of Transformers. They are by far his favorite. And if you ever ask him about them, be prepared for at least a thirty minute explanation or story. He does make it entertaining though, he's a pretty animated little guy.

Anyway... He transforms them so much, that the hinges on a lot of them are going bad, and pieces were disappearing. Not to mention a little girl kept sneaking into his room when he wasn't looking. She had a tendency to run off with parts to his "formers". So, our solution was to create two bags for his transformer toys, one for the autobots and one for the decepticons. I used two of my husband's old white t-shirts (he has tons!) - one shirt for each bag, and labeled each drawstring hammock with either the autobot symbol or the decepticon symbol. I used freezer paper to create the symbols. If you are not familiar with the freezer paper method, or need a quick reminder on how to do it, check out my old tutorial here.

These have worked out great so far! I have them hung low enough for Austin to reach in and grab what he needs, but also high enough so his little sister can't run off with an autobot leg or head, lol.

So, on to the tutorial!

What you need:
Old T-Shirt - any size, and regular fit
Sewing Machine
Scissors
Thread
(The following are optional for the stencil)
Freezer Paper
Acrylic Paint or Fabric Paint
Sponge Brush
Exacto Knife

You start with a plain T-Shirt


Cut off the top, arm pit to arm pit. Cut apart the top piece, in the chest area, around the raglan seams so it looks like the photo above.

Take your largest pieces and pin along the cut edge (leaving the original hemmed bottom alone. Sew together to form a large sack.

Take one edge and lay it out flat to form a triangle.

Determine how wide you want the bottom of your bag, and then sew across to form a triangle. I went in about 2.5" from the tip. Repeat on the opposite side.

Take your scissors and trim off the triangle tip so it looks like the photo above. Do the same on the other side. You should now have a sack with a flat bottom.

Take the hemmed edge of the T-Shirt and cut a small slit on each side of the bag, about 2 inches down.

Fold over and pin down one side.

Sew together, making sure to leave a space large enough to pull threw the ties. Repeat on the other side.

This is what it should look like. Don't worry about sewing the slits. The nice thing about T-Shirts is that they don't really fray or unravel.

This is what the bottom of the bag should look like.

Take the piece of shirt that you cut earlier from the top portion, and cut off three half inch to inch strips along the length of the shirt piece.

Tie them together to form a really long strip, but not a circle, you need to thread this. If you want cleaner look to your drawstring hammock, you can also use yarn or ribbon. I wanted this to have more of a boyish look though.

Attach a safety pin to one end and thread it threw both sides. Tie the ends together to form one large loop, and then pull a bit from each end out of each slit.

This is what you should have. You can stop here, unless you want to decorate the bag like we did.

To add a stencil to the bag, follow my tutorial here.

And that's it!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Take care,