Natural Fever Reducer

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Emerson's currently sick & last night her fever spiked to103.7 & she was maxed out on fever reducers.   Feeling desperate, I remembered an article I read suggesting onions could draw down a fever, & figured it was worth a shot.

I simply cut the onion in half, put the cut side on the bottom of her feet, & covered her feet with socks to keep the onions in place.  Within 15 minutes E's fever was down to two degrees & her room smelled like a burger joint.

Of course this remedy requires a compliant patient; not one who freaks out & pulls off the sock/onion combo within a half an hour.  Regardless, if you're looking for a fast, natural way to draw down a fever, try the onion method.  It definitely seemed to work.

Storing Up For Winter

One of the many wonderful things about summer is the bounty of produce.  We try to eat seasonally, so in the summer, while produce is at the peak of freshness I like to prep & freeze as much as possible for the winter.

When strawberries were on sale for $0.99/lb I went a little nuts & bought 10 lbs to be prepped & frozen.  The frozen fruit isn't so fabulous on its own, but they're delicious in cereal, yogurt, or smoothies. 

Though it's a lot of work, it's nice when the pickings are slim in the winter to be able to walk out to our freezer & taste the freshness of summer.  Plus, the work is much more fun when it's overseen by the happiest little sous chef in town!

It's Back! Lotus Bumz cloth diapers for $8.32 each!

I don't usually share deals, but because this one is a fabulous deal on cloth diapers I figured I would pass it along.  Right now if you sign up with Keekoo (a daily deal site specializing in maternity-child products), you will receive a $10 credit.  You can then use that $10 credit toward one of their daily deals, Lotus Bumz one size pocket diapers.  After the credit is applied you can by 6 for $8.32 each, which is pretty fabulous for a new cloth diaper--especially ones this cute!

Here's how:

In order to use the $10 credit you must spend $50,  chose 6 of the diapers at $9.99, which will bring the subtotal to $59.94, enough to have the $10 credit applied, lowering the total to $49.94.

 I bought these the last time that Keekoo had them & they are FABULOUS!  I can even use them at naptime on Emerson, which is saying something because she's almost 2 1/2.  If you're interested sign up here, but hurry, the deal expires 7/27 at midnight.  

Cloth diapering & is a fabulous money & trash saver, & I just love it.  If you're looking for more information about cloth diapering check out my posts here & here & feel free to ask questions in the comments.  I'm happy to help!

Budget Buster

This weekend I got sick with mastitis...the third time in the three months since Harper was born. The upside is that our breast fed little Harper girl is precious & sweet & very, very healthy.  The major downside is I spent the weekend in bed with Harper & with my frequent sickness our frozen meal supply has been greatly depleted.  The first night we ran out of frozen meals & ended up getting take out the majority of the weekend.  Definitely expensive, definitely not healthy, definite necessity.

Note to self:  When healthy, stock freezer with meals in the case that I get sick yet again.  Seriously.

Stock Up Shopping July Edition

I try to spend as little as possible on groceries & I've found the most effective way to do that is to stock up when things are at their rock bottom prices.  This week when I went shopping these were the things I stocked up on:

Walgreens:

• This was a rare trip & against my usual method of spending $1/box of cereal, but JC & Emerson both love "waisin bwan", so I made an exception.  The cereal was on sale for $1.99, I bought 8 boxes, & after a coupon paid $1.87 a box.

Aldi:

• Boca Chick'n Patties were on special for $2.89 (they're usually in the $3-$3.50 range at other places), so I bought 6 boxes.  

• The pretzels were on markdown for $.89 a bag, so I bought 4.  I have been getting pretzels at the Dollar Tree, so saving the trip & paying less was exciting.  

Target: 

• 3 bottles of pure vanilla--marked down from $3.69 to $1.84

• Almond extract--originally $3.69 now $1.84

• Bay Leaves--clearanced from $2.99 to $1.48

• Walnuts--reduced from $7.99 to $3.98 for a pound. 

• And the shoes...well, how could I resist such a cutie pie pair of flats, especially when they were only $4.48, down from $15!

Happy weekend to you!

Give Me My Money Back

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I know that credit cards are supposed to be the frugal girl's arch nemesis, but I have one.  I opened it back when I was in college & trying to build my credit, but after a while I quit using it, & sort of forgot about it. 

Then we applied for our mortgage & had to get it in JC's name because I'm younger & didn't have enough credit history, so I figured I better bust out the ol' plastic again.  I mostly use it when I make online purchases & pay it off monthly. 

That is until we had Harper & my brain cells went out my breast milk & I forgot to make the payment last month.  Bam, a THIRTY THREE dollar late fee.  THIRTY THREE DOLLARS!  Holy crap! Absolutely sick at my stomach I called & plead my case to the company.  Fortunately, the girl I spoke with was super sweet & reversed the late fee instantly.  Piece of cake.

So there you go folks, learn from my mistake, & if you do get a late fee, don't hesitate to call & beg for mercy.  They might just be nice & give you your money back.

Little Boxes on the Hillside, Little Boxes Made of Ticky-Tacky

I love a tiny house.  It's a sort of cult movement in which people give up their regular sized homes in favor of smaller, more sustainable dwellings.  MSN recently did a collection of 10 Tiny Homes & they are anything but Ticky-Tacky.  I'm absolutely in love with the above home; if only it were practical for a family of four.

When Life Hands You Frozen Tomatoes

So our fridge makes me want to bash my head into a wall.  Try as I might to get the proper temperature settings, we still occasionally wind up with a tomato that gets frozen in the produce bin.  I used the throw them out because they become complete mush once they thaw.  That is until it occurred to me that I could actually USE THEM for something.  Um, Duh.

Now I just wash them, cut out the stem, & place the juicy/mushy tomato in a container.  I then proceed to chop it to bits with kitchen scissors.  (How cute are these Woodpecker scissors?!)

The tomato & juice are then perfect for sauces & soups, & I just keep it in the freezer until it's needed.

If only I had thought of this three years ago when we moved into this house...

Why I Mend Our Clothes

Back in the day people used to mend their clothes.  Back when people actually made their clothes rather than running down to the big box store to buy imported goods for a little bit of nothing.  My gram sewed, my grandma sewed, & her Amish relatives sure as heck sewed.  It's something that has been done for generations, & I have gotten into the habit of mending our clothes, & I'm not looking back. 

I'm not a great seamstress.  I don't think my skills ever improved past my 8th grade home-ec class, but I'm proficient enough.  I like the little labor of love sewing a button on JC's shirt, or mending the seam on a pair of Emerson's pants. I enjoy doing the same thing that my grandmothers & their grandmothers did for their families.  Our clothes last longer, our money goes further, & we put less in the landfill.  Mending our clothes is a simple act of love; love for my family & love for the Earth.  Simple. 

Toilet Paper Roll Bulldozer

In the name of recycling, I thought I should share this cutie pie craft.  Not only is it absolutely adorable, but it's a fun activity to do while stuck inside due to unbearable heat.  Check out the detailed instructions here.  Enjoy!

DIY Shoe Repair

I am a total shoe girl, so when my favorite pair of sandals started to fall apart I was super disappointed.  I couldn't find a cobbler in town, so when I found an adhesive repair product called Shoe Goo at Target, I figured it was worth a shot

 I simply followed the directions, applied the adhesive, & spread it around with a plastic knife.

I then secured the layers with clothespins.  

After a day, they were as good as new.  The repair was easy, environmentally friendly, & great for my wardrobe.  I'm thrilled to be able to cobble my own shoes!

There is a Season-- Turn, Turn, Turn

 

We've been settling into life as a family of four &this season of our lives has been incredibly busy.  I feel like we're FINALLY inching our way out of the valley of survival to a somewhat serene plateau.

After our Harper girl was born JC's mom & dad came for visits, followed by my parents & sisters.  

We had Harper dedicated at church at the ripe age of 7 days old.

We've attended 3 weddings, drove 2,500 miles between 5 states, & I even drove the girls all the way to Texas by myself.  

It has been a wonderfully busy & challenging summer, but I'll be happy to return to our simple, frugal life at home, shortly.