A close friend of mine shared a great frugal shopping strategy with me. Anytime you go to the store, do your shopping and right before you head to the cash register, find at least one or two items you don’t absolutely need and put them back. This works particularly well when you don’t shop with a list, but works even when head to the store to buy only what you need.

I almost always shop with a list, but despite my best intentions, some items that weren’t on my list find their way into the shopping cart. Most of the time it’s pretty easy to put something back.

Today was a challenge though. I ran to the Dollar General to get ingredients for my dump cake. On my list I had:

• Cherry Pie Filling
• Crushed Pinapple
• Yellow Cake Mix
• Chopped Nuts

I didn’t need anything else, and was able to grab everything I needed in one aisle. I ended up putting the chopped nuts back and saving almost $4. The cake tasted just as good without.

Give it a try the next time you go grocery shopping, stop for some snacks at the convenience store or even go cloth shopping. You won’t even miss the items you put back and save a little bit each time you shop.

I came across the following ideas in an old HBHW newsletter edition. My friend Tawra from Living On A Dime shared some cute last minute Valentine’s Day ideas that are fun and inexpensive. Do something fun for the kids and your spouse today. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day On A Dime

by Tawra Kellam

Using a little imagination, you can make your Valentine’s day a little more fun and a lot less expensive. If you want to add a little personalized romance or if you don’t have the time or money to buy all the pre-made things in the store, here are some ideas from LivingOnADime.com to help you make the day special.

For the Kids:

My mom always made a great but inexpensive Valentine’s Day treat for us. She would take construction paper and cut a big heart out of it. (About 8×10 inches) then she would staple the edges together and write our names and an I love you on the outside. Then she would fill the heart with candy, purchased on clearance after Christmas. It was very inexpensive but we loved it!

Do a Valentine’s treasure hunt. Leave little notes around with the last one leading back to the kitchen table with heart full of candy.

For Lunches: Make heart shaped Valentine’s cookies, cut the kids (or hubby’s) sandwiches with a heart shaped cookie cutter to make a heart sandwich. Add a few Valentine’s chocolates and put a note in red with a big heart on their napkin.

Serve anything red for the day. Serve red Jell-o, red pudding, red apples, toast with strawberry jelly, tomato soup, red applesauce, red Kool-aid, strawberry milk, or red frosted cookies. Use powered food coloring from the cake store to get the deepest shade of red. Leave sticks of red gum in their Valentine’s Day cards.

Make red heart shaped cupcakes. Make cupcakes as usual but place a marble down the side of the muffin tin between the muffin tin and each cupcake cup. This will make heart shaped cupcakes.

Make hearts out of chocolate chips in each of your pancakes.

Mail your pre-addressed and stamped Valentines to Loveland, Colorado and they will postmark them and mail them for you. Send them to: Postmaster, Attn: Valentines, Loveland, CO 80537

Make a treasure hunt for your spouse. Start by mailing or e-mailing him the first clue. Then leave clues all over the house, yard, car or his office telling him where to find the next clue. End the hunt by making a picnic in the back yard or going to a park for a picnic. Use your imagination and have fun. The simple things are the ones people remember.

Things to do with or for your honey:

Go to a bookstore and enjoy the silence and browse. Get a cup of coffee and make a date of it.

Celebrate Valentine’s day AFTER Valentine’s day. Everything is half off.

Mail a love letter to your hubby’s work.

Send your spouse a sexy email message.

Leave “Why I love you” message all over the house. Buy a package of the cheap Valentines. Leave a message on each one and hide them all over the house for your honey. They will get to enjoy the gift for months!

Use lipstick to make hearts and love notes on the rear view mirror, car windows, bathroom mirror or windows of the house. Leave a kiss on his napkin for lunch or dinner.

Make a bunch of hearts out of construction paper. Put a love note on each one. Paste them all over the front door or car before your hubby or kids come home from work.

If you don’t have money to go out, have a picnic on the floor. Use some candles and lay a soft blanket on the floor. Put on some soft music and have a romantic Valentine’s dinner on the floor. Use some white Christmas lights for additional romantic lighting.

Tawra Kellam is the editor of LivingonaDime.com
Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income.

I haven’t been feeling too great the past few weeks and am still recovering from the Flu. One thing I noticed is that we ended up getting a lot more convenience foods and take-out. I just didn’t have the energy to face a sink full of dirty dishes and tried hard not to do too much cooking to avoid getting the rest of my family sick.

While canned soup and pizza deliveries work fine for the short term in a case like this, it can seriously hurt your budget in the long run. I was reminded of this by the following article that my friend Jill from LivingOnADime.com emailed me a few days ago.

Dirty Dishes Cause Debt!
by Jill Cooper
http://www.LivingOnADime.com

The other day I was asked one of the most common questions that people ask me: “Where do I start if I want to get out of debt?” After telling me of her huge credit card debt and how they eat out almost every night, the lady took a deep breath and said, “How do I save on laundry detergent and cleaning supplies?” Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees.

Even though saving money on cleaning supplies does help and should be part of your plan, that usually isn’t where the biggest problem with the debt lies. This woman never once thought to ask me how to stop eating out so much. Most people don’t want to face the real causes of their debt because their biggest problems are the things they like the most. Going out to eat is one of the top five causes of debt.

Get those dirty dishes out of the sink!!

We go out to eat because we can’t face a dirty kitchen. Keeping your kitchen empty of dirty dishes is the key to saving money. This is probably the #1 way to start getting out of debt. Most people are so overwhelmed with piled counter tops and dirty dishes that they would rather go out to eat than face a dirty kitchen.

Do the dishes after every meal and keep hot soapy water in the sink while you are baking or cooking. Clean as you go. If your sink is empty and the dishes are washed, your kitchen always looks good. This helps you save money because you have the time and space to cook.

To get in and out of the kitchen quickly, try these easy steps:

1. Put all dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Fill the sink with hot soapy water and put the hand washables in it to soak.
2. Wipe off counter tops and tables with hot soapy water. (This way, if you have unexpected company, at least your table and counters will be clean.)
3. Sweep the floor and shake throw rugs if needed.
4. Wash the dishes that have been soaking.
5. Wipe down the faucets and dry with a towel. (Be sure to wipe any sticky appliances, too.)
6. Put out a clean dish rag and towel.
7. Take out the trash.

These simple steps can help you start climbing your way out of debt. You will be amazed how much better you will feel just having the kitchen clean.

Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the authors of the Dining On A Dime Cookbook. Dining On A Dime will help you save money on groceries and get out of debt, by cooking quick and simple homemade meals. For free tips & recipes visit www.hillbillyhousewife.com/load

I’m doing much better and am ready to tackle that sink full of dishes just as soon as I finish my coffee. I know it will feel great to have a clean kitchen and dishes put away. It always motivates me to plan my meals for the week and put on a pot of homemade soup.

I Highly Recommend The Entire Living On A Dime Series For Frugal Living

 

Here’s another guest blog post by Jill Cooper. She shares her thoughts on going out to eat and how it can hurt your finances. She follows it up by providing lots of great tips for making “eating in” quick and easy. It’s those small little changes that can make a big difference to your bottom line.

Make Life Easier Without Eating Out
by Jill Cooper
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm

Going out to eat frequently is one of the biggest mistakes people make with their money. Most people would experience a radical change in their finances if they would cut back on eating out even a couple of times a week, let alone all together. The main reason that people go out to eat is for the convenience but eating at home can be convenient too.

Make meals easier by using convenience items. Even if you use nothing but convenience items for your entire meal, it is still less expensive than going out to eat. You don’t need to make homemade bread, muffins, biscuits, or cookies. Buy them already made. You can even buy things like French bread that is already sliced and buttered and ready to heat. It’s perfectly OK to use bagged lettuce, baby carrots, or anything frozen.

Keep it simple. Our grandmothers didn’t spend as many hours slaving away in the kitchen as we think they did. Instead of homemade bread or yeast rolls, the everyday meal included store-bought white or wheat bread on a plate with butter and jam. Grandma would open a jar of applesauce, a can of green beans or a jar of assorted pickles. She would toss a simple salad and have all her side dishes for that meal prepared quickly. For years our family raved about my grandmother-in-law’s great homemade noodles. One day when I asked her for her recipe, she pulled me to one side, laughing, and said “No one else knows this, but I always use frozen noodles!”

Our grandmothers knew the secret. It didn’t have to be complicated, gourmet, or elaborate for our families to enjoy a meal. It just had to be good, there had to be lots of it and it had to be made with love. It takes only a couple of minutes to slice an orange, apple or banana and lay them on a platter. Throw in some unpeeled small red potatoes to boil, slice pre-cooked ham, heat up a box of fish fillets or lay out a variety of deli meats and cheeses for everyone to make their own hoagies. It can be as simple as that.

Make clean up easy. I line almost every pan I use with aluminum foil or parchment paper, whether I’m roasting a chicken or baking biscuits, cookies or tater tots. I line every casserole dish too. Use paper plates and bowls if it helps. Use disposable pans when you can. You can usually find lots of them on sale around the holidays. Many people feel a lot of guilt connected with using anything disposable. If you are one of them, I give you permission here and now to use these things. Besides, when you eat out, just as much stuff gets thrown away (probably a lot more). It’s just that other people throw it away for you. I would much rather see you at home using paper plates and disposable pans with your family than having to work many hours of overtime to pay for dinner out. Relax and enjoy your meal! Your family and your pocketbook will thank you.

Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper are frugal living experts and the authors of the Dining On A Dime Cookbook. Dining On A Dime will help you save money on groceries and get out of debt by cooking quick and simple homemade meals. For free tips & recipes visit hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm, sign up for our free Living On A Dime Newsletter and learn to save more!

It’s so important to keep working on educational stuff over the summer. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that. Why not have some fun this go around by creating some educational notebooks. Here’s an idea for a History version…

Oh! Let’s Try Notebooking For History!

By Cindy Rushton
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/notebooks

Notebooking…

Yes! Notebooking for history studies. Notebooking for our history timelines.

What great literature does to feed the mind, Notebooking does to deepen the studies, teach research skills, and record the real education that your children are receiving. Old path? Yep! But not a path that has been overgrown.

Notebooking goes as far back as eternity.

In Scripture, we find that the kings were trained and prepared for leadership by copying the law and keeping it in a book (isn’t that too cute??).

Want to know something even better? We find that EVEN God has a Book of Remembrance that He is keeping until that day that we join Him in heaven for that “Heavenly read aloud time” we will enjoy some day soon. Oh. Don’t worry! We will ENJOY this time. His Book of Remembrance does not contain a list of sins and transgressions that we have committed that He wants to be sure not to forget. Instead, it is filled to overflowing with precious quotes of praises that His servants speak to one another (My PERSONAL goal is for Him to have PLENTY to quote from my life!).

Up until about a hundred years ago, notebooking was used in the education of every child. But, something called textbooks and “progressive” education eliminated them from the education of children today. With that elimination, we find the need for more and more artificial methods of education. Well, until we find this old path.

My friend, of all the ideas I could share with you as you homeschool your children, this one is certain to change the atmosphere of your home while equipping your children to learn more deeply now AND more voraciously for the rest of their lives.

Although I cannot begin to do justice explaining notebooking in one simple article, I have to tell you a few perks (if you want more help in this area, take a look at my book Notebooking! YES! You Can Be A Binder Queen Too or my Everything You Need to Begin Notebooking Super Set–on sale this week!). You have to know that this is a WONDERFUL way to teach more than just the historical facts that we want for our children to learn. There are LOTS of perks!

First of all, notebooking encourages deeper research on topics of study. As my children have found a “place” to keep their special “finds” along the way, they have had more interest in hunting for more information on every topic they run across. They may think of this as a treasure hunt, but while they are having a blast finding great ideas, facts, and heirlooms, they are learning the skills of researching that will serve them all of their life. That is not all! While our children are building notebooks on topics as they study, they are also learning how to record what they are really learning. Besides relieving mom of the pressure of keeping records of every minute of their day, this teaches them the skill of record keeping and keeps a more accurate account of what is being done each and every day. Oh, and need I mention, notebooking also teaches our children Language Arts skills and techniques the EASY WAY!

So, how do you use this old path as you teach History the easy way?

First, find great resources that can be used for building notebooks.

I am constantly on the lookout for great resources with neat copywork. My children began using copywork when they were very little and STILL use copywork for building their notebooks in high school. There are many, many great resources. The very first thing we used was a large print edition of the Bible. It was easier for my young readers/writers to copy from. I also look for books with poems, quotes, narratives, songs, speeches, etc. As we travel, my children also look for special mementos to add to their notebooks. Anything from art prints to recipes to maps to pictures of the people and events from History are game for their notebooks. The key is in having a “place” to keep the information that contributes to each and every study. That place is our notebooks!

Second, encourage your children to USE those notebooks every day.

It is so easy to put projects on the shelf only to collect dust. It is also easy for us to let the children do work that we pile away in a box to put away later for them. Notebooking is NOT another thing for YOU TO DO! Well, unless you are going to keep a notebook for your own studies.

My dear friend, the greatest benefits come from our children doing the work for themselves. Sure, you may have gone to every local scrapbooking crop in your city and state. But, this is not a contest for the most creative memory book. It is a discipline that we can pass on to our children so they can learn the skills of writing, researching, recording their own education, and collecting information in a logical and understandable way. Simply find some great resources for them to copy from … buy just ONE NOTEBOOK (3-ring binder) and sheet protectors (to keep their work stored nicely in each day) and turn them loose! The fruit you gather along this old path is simply too good to miss!

Happy notebooking…the easy way

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Need MORE Help?

Cindy Rushton, who has become known as THE BINDER QUEEN, uses notebooking for EVERY subject in her homeschool. She will show you how to begin whether your child is a toddler or the most skeptical high schooler. AND … she will take your hand as she walks you through notebooking each subject. Wonder how? Don’t miss her crazy offer here: www.HillbillyHousewife.com/notebooks

I’ve shared a few articles on notebooking for science and history with you earlier. I’m sure by now you and your kids are ready to get started. It’s much simpler than you think. Here’s Cindy with some great tips for getting started with notebooking.

Let’s Try Notebooking

By Cindy Rushton
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/notebooks

Notebooking … ahhh, just the thought makes me hyper! If I could ask every homeschooling family to do just one thing, it would be to just give notebooking a try. This is the one technique that pulls everything together: studies, research, real life, personal interests – everything! It reaches even the most reluctant writer. It makes homeschooling fun and easy. Who wouldn’t want to try that?

Not just that! Everything that normally clutters up the busy homeschool home can be tucked away into a notebook! All of those precious narrations can be safely protected in notebooks. All of those daily copywork lessons can find their home in notebooks on each of the topics that your children love so much. Even those awesome handouts that you have piled up from field trips can find the perfect home in your notebooks! Homeschooling is recorded. An heirloom is built!

Want to Give It a Try?

Getting started is as easy as ABC. Let me take you through the easy steps:

1. Gather your supplies. Your supplies can be as simple as a three-ring binder per child, plastic sheet protectors, and a pencil per child. You can make this as simple or as crafty as you like! Over the years, notebooking has worked so wonderfully in our home that we are constantly on the lookout for different and fun supplies during our daily notebooking time. By doing so, our daily lessons are as fun as a scrapbooking party … every day!

2. Make your supplies accessible. Set aside a place for your material and a place for your children to work. There is something wonderful about having a place fore everything and everything reliably in its place. The work in the beginning is well worth the time during the school year. We have a shelf that contains books that I find along the way with great copywork that I would like for my children to add to their notebooks on those “no ideas are flowing” days. Just having everything there, ready to go, is such a blessing on those busy mornings. Plus, I have learned over the years that this is the best way to really utilize the resources that I have on my shelves.

Just file away any pages or pictures in either manila envelopes or file folders. If the children know where they are, they are more than likely to use them on their own. Also, you will want to use anything else that you have in your home. I keep our paints, papers (plain and colored cardstock and 20 lb. paper; writing paper, etc.), glues, templates, cutting utensils, rulers, markers, pens, pencils, etc. on a shelf and in plastic bins by our dining table (where we do our daily lessons). They are in their spot and that spot is close by. If we want to encourage our young writers, we must give them free access to the best materials.

3. Turn your children loose! Yep! This is all that is left! Inevitably, when I teach workshops on notebooking, I can almost see the brains of mothers clicking away with one tough reality – “If only I had more time to do this!” Oh, beloved! Notebooking is not another thing for you to do! The hard part is learning what this is all about and how to get everything together so we can turn our children loose!

When we began notebooking, I copied a Bible verse a day as a model for my son to copy. As he copied his verse, he would place his page for the day in a plastic sheet protector and add it to his notebook. The next day, his page for that day would slide in behind that page. The next day, he would add another page in another page protector. We built the entire notebook; not specific divisions or subjects. We chose not to divide by subjects because we wanted a nice full product built over time. As we added to the notebook each day, I could see the delight building in my young writers. they would sit and just flip through the pages. They loved seeing success. They loved seeing the notebook build up.

As time went on, my son began to find and copy poems that he liked, songs from the church hymnal or from his history lessons. He began a collection of art prints. He added maps that highlighted journeys. At the end of the first year, we had a bulging notebook and a young writer who had gone from reluctant to really excited! The notebook quickly became his own notebook. At the end of the year, we divided our notebooks (there was no room to add anything else) into obvious divisions. We had a Bible notebook, a history notebook, a poetry notebook, and another copybook. All of these have continued and several have divided into other notebooks through the years (he now has four history notebooks: Great Men and Women of the Civil War, Battles of the Civil War, Military Notebook, and World History Timeline Notebook! And that is just history!). As your children dig into their interests, they may have other notebooks that develop. Let them go! You will learn more about your children as they learn more about topics and writing!

So, What Do You Think?
Want to give it a try? If I could ask every homeschooling family to do just one thing, it would be to just give notebooking a try. So, think about it. Pray about it. Then, get those supplies. Set aside a spot for your supplies. Then, turn those budding young writers loose!

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Need MORE Help?

Cindy Rushton, who has become known as THE BINDER QUEEN, uses notebooking for EVERY subject in her homeschool. She will show you how to begin whether your child is a toddler or the most skeptical high schooler. AND … she will take your hand as she walks you through notebooking each subject. Wonder how? Don’t miss her crazy offer here: www.HillbillyHousewife.com/notebooks

Here’s another guest blog post by Cindy. Ever since we went on a school field trip to Brattonsville (a historic village close by), my daughter has become a bit of a history buff. I love Cindy’s tips in this article and am looking forward to implementing many of the ideas over the summer.

by Cindy Rushton
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/notebooks

Want to make the new school year better than ever? Want studies that are interesting for the whole family? I think I can help you!

How about some quick tips for making your history studies fun? I think you will find these to make lessons fun and easy. Let’s dig in…

* Get out to see (and live) history as much as possible:  Hunt up any Living History Days scheduled in your area.  Get out to all historical sites and museums…even hands-on children’s museums. Don’t miss any historical reenactments and plays within driving distance! These all give wonderful opportunities to get your children in touch with those that love History and know it best.

*  Begin a history notebook: This is the cure to bringing history lessons to life. Talk about a great alternative to those dull, lifeless texts!  Let your children create their own notebooks of study. Include anything from great quotes to poetry to pictures to sketches to newspaper clippings to photographs to mementos from history sites, reenactments and postcards from friends to narrations from books read.  These personalized curricula will bring life into all areas of study.

* Tap into grandparents, elderly, family, and friends: Our family and friends have been a key source of finding out neat stories that are not recorded in the history books. Sitting at their feet, we have learned many details from history that would be long lost without the gift of story telling. The key to making this come alive is to listen and record their stories for your History Notebooks. Keep this part of history alive for you and for generations to come.

* Find treasures at antique stores: One of our favorite past-times is “junking” at antique stores, junk shops and flea markets.  Take your time to find wonderful treasures from the past, which will breathe life into your history studies.  You can find journals, uniforms, books, dress up clothes, and even play gadgets to make history come alive for your little ones.

* Let the little ones make up their own costumes: I have always enjoyed researching and creating authentic costumes from other time periods.  I used to have more time and energy to create costumes for every time period we studied.  Now, my children are using their extra time and endless supply of energy to create their own costumes.  I love to see them as they pull together little things from around the house to create their own costumes!

* Let them make doll clothes: This tangent began for us when my daughter got her first American Girl doll.  We combined my love of creating authentic doll clothes with my deep passion for making doll clothes.  Each year for the past five years, I have spent time each December creating matching outfits for Elisabeth and her dolls.  This is easy to do with today’s patterns.  Just take basic designs and create your own “historical” costumes for the dolls.  If you have a beginning seamstress interested in some quick projects, this would be a wonderful way to learn the basics of sewing while learning history.

* Make a timeline: Timelines are priceless!  We have had two different kinds of timelines for our studies in history.  We had a huge one that took up an entire wall in our old home. It was fascinating to watch the little ones as they would review and test each other on history as they went by! When we built our home, my husband would not allow that one back on the wall, so we made our own “Book of Centuries” on our computer, which includes all of our history facts. We simply developed a notebook with the dates marked.  We record key events, people we study and the key events of their life, our family’s key events, illustrations which remind the children of those historical figures and events, pictures that the children have collected from books and trips that we have taken, information from our computer encyclopedias and internet sites, and even charts we have collected or made ourselves. These are another text that we create about our studies. How priceless!
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Need MORE Help?

Cindy Rushton, who has become known as THE BINDER QUEEN, uses notebooking for EVERY subject in her homeschool. She will show you how to begin whether your child is a toddler or the most skeptical high schooler. AND … she will take your hand as she walks you through notebooking each subject. Wonder how? Don’t miss her crazy offer here: www.HillbillyHousewife.com/notebooks

We don’t homeschool at my house, but we do a lot of things after school, on the weekend and during school breaks that are both fun and educational. That’s why I got very excited when I first came across Cindy Rushton and her notebooking. We’ve had a lot of fun with this and even I learned quite a bit.

Here are some tips from Cindy about starting a Science or Nature Notebook. It’s the first notebook my daughter and I started and we’re having a lot of fun with it. It gets us outside more, we’re discovering all sorts to neat plants, animals and rocks in local parks, but most importantly, we are spending quality time together – without spending a fortune. Take a look at what Cindy has to say and then make start a nature notebook of your own with your kids.

It is Spring! Why Not Begin a Science Notebook?

by Cindy Rushton
www.HillbillyHousewife.com/notebooks

Today being inside just tortures me! It is STUNNING outside! Even the little birds are begging us to go outside.

Are you like me, dying from “cabin fever” and ready for spring? This is the perfect time to begin Nature Notebooks! Not only will you have an abundance of treasures awaiting your exploration, but these are perfect days to try something fresh. Ready? Let me help!

Chances are you already have many things that could be included in a science notebook around your home. Look for those “goodies” that do not have their own special place and add them to your science notebooks. This is the perfect opportunity to develop “a place” for those “goodies” while developing a nice product for displaying all the growing knowledge of nature all while your children are keeping special memorabilia! One of the things that I like about using supplies intended for scrapbooking is that there are so many products that enable us to keep bulky materials safely inside of our notebooks. Not to mention, scrapbooking makes EVERY notebook so much cuter! And … to imagine that we call this “school!”

Want some ideas of things to include in your notebooks???

• Sketches…Don’t forget to include date, time, place, Latin name, and common name. Oh! Don’t forget to document where you found it.
• Snapshots…Don’t forget to journal about your snapshot!
• Pressed flowers, leaves, feathers, butterflies, etc.
• Glossary of terms studied
• Artwork -  (Nature art, original drawings, coloring pages)
• Diagrams
• Poetry
• Information about discoveries
• Lists of new findings
• Handouts from trips
• Narrations from trips, outings, hikes, nature walks, books read about nature or scientists/naturalists
• Timeline – Mark your excursions, inventions, famous men and women, so on!
• Instruction Sheets on “How to Care for…” or “How to Collect…” etc.
• Booklets…
• Project data…
• Bible verses…
• Journal entries
• Details from outings
• Favorite quotes about nature
• Reading list
• Research…
• Reports…
• Essays
• Science experiment log
• Notes from any science study

You can add a lot of life to your science notebooks with special supplies you find along the way! I have found that the little touches have made our notebooks so much more fun and in the process hooked my children.

Encourage your children to use die-cuts, frames, stencils, shapes, and edgings galore to make their notebooks fun and beautiful! My children now beg each weekend to work on our binders/scrapbooks. We have taken these simple skills into other projects for our Science studies such as creating books or booklets-making cards with pressed flowers, sketches, poetry and Scripture verses and displaying our collections. The key is to just have fun and enjoy making your notebooks all yours!

Happy Notebooking!

Cindy

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Need MORE Help?

Cindy Rushton, who has become known as THE BINDER QUEEN, uses notebooking for EVERY subject in her homeschool. She will show you how to begin whether your child is a toddler or the most skeptical high schooler. AND … she will take your hand as she walks you through notebooking each subject. Wonder how? Don’t miss her crazy offer here: www.HillbillyHousewife.com/notebooks

Before you say “Those are too expensive” take a look at the numbers, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that what may initially appear expensive can save you hundreds of dollars each year.

“Candles – you’re either a burner or a duster.”  I’ve been in the candle industry 17 years; When looking at target markets that phrase “burner or duster” means either you burn candles or you don’t. It’s either being burned or melted in your home, or it’s sitting around with dust on it. [Read more...]

The holidays are coming up and that of course means lots and lots of leftovers (my husband’s favorite). And with super low prices on family favorites like turkey and ham it’s easy to make extra and live frugally for the coming days.

What are you to do with all that extra ham and turkey? Here are some yummy ideas for you.

Holiday Leftover Magic (pdf)

You can download this short report to your computer by right-clicking on the link above and choosing “Save as” or “save target as” from the drop-down menu.

As always, you’re welcome to share this report with family and friends. I’d also appreciate some tweets, mentions on facebook etc.

One last tip – if you find a really good deal on turkey or ham, buy and freeze an extra one. Cook it up in a couple of weeks and use it in all sorts of soups, stews and of course my favorite – casseroles.

Laundry makes up a fair portion of our weekly chores. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t have at least one load of laundry to do. That’s why I’m always looking for tips and ideas that help make things easier. I’ve put together a few of my favorite tips in this short report.

Here’s what you’ll find inside the Laundry Tips Report

• 10 Reasons Why You Should Use Vinegar in Your Laundry
• Easy Homemade Laundry Detergent
• Frugal Tips for Stretching Your Fabric Softener
• How to Make Your Own Dryer Ball
• How to Properly Iron Clothes

Laundry Tips (PDF)

To download the report to your computer, right click on the link above and choose “Save As” or “Save Target As”.

As always you are welcome to share this report with family and friends. Tweet about it, post it on Facebook, mention it on your blog … anyway you can help me get the word out about these laundry tips is much appreciated.

Recommended – Keeping It Clean

On Sale This Week – Half Price

This is a 3 ebook series that will help you spend less time and money on your laundry. Tawra and Jill from Living On A Dime share their best frugal laundry, cleaning and home organization tips.

Grab your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/laundry

It's getting hot down in my neck of the woods as we approach the 4th of July weekend. With that in mind, I sat down this morning and put together a short report for you about staying cool this summer. In it you will find ideas for various drinks, foods and snacks that will help you through the coming weeks without feeling like you're melting in the sun.

Staying Cool This Summer (pdf)

Enjoy!

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

I enjoy reading magazines. I subscribe to some on occasion, but also get them from the library and my mother-in-law. Keeping them from cluttering up my house has always been a bit of an issue which is why I enjoyed reading this article about how to organize magazines and magazine clippings.

Enjoy – Susanne, The Hillbilly Housewife

How To Organize and Use Magazines
by Jill Cooper
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm
[Read more...]

ti is doing, take a look at this blog post by her:

Donating To The Red Cross – Helping Our Southern US Neighbors

Please help us spread the word about this “fundraiser” by telling family and friends about, blogging about it or sharing the link on facebook and twitter. We appreciate your help.

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

This is a guest post by Mel, the Gift Girl – Enjoy!

With the cost of food rising, even the old idea of giving food for Christmas has made some of us think twice! But there are still plenty of yummy treats that can be made inexpensively and still seem elegant for the holidays. Here are my favorite frugal foods to make and give:

Anything looks gourmet when it is dipped in chocolate! Look around for what you already have – pretzels, animal crackers, small wafer like cookies, marshmallows, coffee beans, nuts – and dip them in chocolate. One bag of chocolate chips (or leftover candy from Halloween) goes a long way.

Wait for the pumpkins to go on sale at the end of fall and then make Pumpkin Butter, a spicy and delicious treat. Once you peel the pumpkin, your work is nearly done. Just put everything in the crockpot and let it cook until done.

There are dozens of ways to flavor popcorn – sweet, salty, savory and more. We have tried Taco Popcorn, Caramel, Honey, Cinnamon Crunch, BBQ, Maple, Parmesan and many more and everyone loves the flavors. You can give
popcorn in paper bags, jars or even make popcorn balls on sticks.

Make homemade coffee or tea syrups like the ones you see in gourmet coffee shops. All you do is combine equal parts sugar and water and boil until it thickens a little. Then add whatever flavorings you want such as vanilla, almond, cherry, cinnamon, etc.

Biscotti is easy to make and there are many variations. This is another food gift that is easy to mix and match with whatever you have around – dried fruit, nuts, candy bits, melted chocolate, etc. It is great to make and freeze. You can decorate wax coated paper bags to give it in or put it in glass jars.

Mel, the Gift Girl shares many more homemade, store bought and experience gift ideas at her website – www.uniqueholidaygiftideas.com

We badly need some new living room couches. The old ones we’ve had since we were first married (and who have made it through several moves) are starting to fall apart. Because I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on new couches, I’ve been doing some research into inexpensive home furniture and came across the article below. It as some great tips and I figured you would enjoy it as well.

Buying Frugal Furniture

Buying furniture can take a big bite out of your wallet. Even with careful thought and wise shopping, it is a major expense. Sometimes it is worth paying a little more money to get a piece that will last for years, rather than a very inexpensive item that will fall apart or become hopelessly outdated in a short time. On the other hand, some people pay outrageous sums of money for their furniture. Most of us neither want to do that, or have the financial means to do so.

There are some basic rules you can follow to keep the cost of buying furniture down, while selecting items that will serve you best for years to come. There are also factors to take into consideration so that your furniture stays in good condition, is comfortable for you, and well used.

Here are some guidelines:

- Remember the design element of scale. Some sofas are oversized, and others are small and seem to hug the ground. IKEA is a discount store that sells a lot of very low furniture. If you have a big room, you will want larger pieces. Smaller sized furniture looks better in small rooms and apartments. IKEA manufactures their furniture in Scandinavia, where dwellings are typically smaller than American sized spaces. Another benefit of their furniture is that it is fire resistant. You can only find that at two retailers in the US.

- Another thing to consider when buying sofas is the height of your family members. You will not be comfortable sitting in a sofa when your feet do not reach the ground. On the other hand, if your knees are in your face, the sofa is too small for you. This is why couples should always shop together for furniture.

- Buy the best quality furniture that you can afford, preferable used. You can find bargains in the chipped and dented section of many department stores, as well as in the classifieds. If you have children, your furniture is not going to remain pristine anyway, and a few scratches are nothing to get concerned about if the quality is good.

- Keep your large upholstered pieces in a neutral color and in a classic style. Visit Goodwill to visualize what happens to trendy pieces. Very few people are comfortable with a lime green or burnt orange sofa in their living room. Colors return, but they are in different shades. The hottest bright green now is a kiwi color. I personally like that color, and have a futon cover in that shade. When it becomes hopelessly outdated, I hope to just replace the cover. When your furniture is in a solid color, it is very easy to drape an afghan, quilt, or blanket over it to hide worn spots. You can make it last a lot longer that way.

- When buying wood furniture, as a general rule, the darker the wood, the more formal it is. Again, if you shop at IKEA, you will notice all their furniture is casual, and almost all of it is stained in a light color, like pine or birch. Wood grain with a lot of red in it, like mahogany, is difficult to blend with lighter colors. For the most versatility, buy your wood stained in medium to light shades.

- When you look at the upholstery fabric on your furniture, remember that it is only as strong as its weakest fiber. When I was taking my Interior Design classes in college, we tested the fibers in fabric. We pulled them apart, and ran tests on them for several things, including strength and durability. Fabric that is made from several different kinds of fibers will probably not be as durable as a closely woven fabric made with one material. These are usually fabrics with a very smooth texture and tight weave. Pieces that can be used in several ways, and in different rooms of your home, will serve you for years. Buy real wood when possible, and you have many options to stain and paint over the years as needed.

- Buy furniture you know you will use. Think about the function of each piece. Be sure you are spending money on something you really need.

- Use multi-purpose pieces whenever possible. If you are short on space, placing a television on a bookcase is more practical than placing it on a stand. Use small bookcases for tables, trunks for coffee tables, and bed units with drawers in the frame for children. You can also hide a lot of stuff under fabric-covered tables. You can buy simple cardboard stands, meant to be covered, or make one yourself by cutting a circle out of plywood and putting it on a sturdy base.

- Finally, remember that mixing and matching is now in full fashion. You want your room to look like it has evolved over a period of time. This gives it the character and warmth you do not find in a furniture showroom.

Make good use of furniture that comes to you from all sources. Reupholstering chairs is not hard, and stripping wood and refinishing or painting it is a do-it-yourself project. Careful shopping, including buying interesting used pieces, will give character and personality to your home. It is also fun to be surrounded by items that have a history or story associated with them, rather than a trip to the local furniture store.

About the Author: Nikki Willhite has been writing and publishing articles on the Internet on the topic of Frugal Living for over a decade. Visit her at http://www.frugalhappyfamilies.com, where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal Happy Families- more than just money! Article first published at http://www.allthingsfrugal.com

I’ve gotten quite a few questions about control journals or household organizers lately. I’ve kept one for years and couldn’t imagine living without it at this point. It’s the one piece of organization in a midst of chaos. Inside I have everything I need to remind me of what needs cleaned and changed when, emergency numbers, doctors appointments etc. I also keep my meal and cleaning plan in there.

This morning I came across an article about setting up a control journal. It has given me a few new ideas for my own journal and hope it will help you as well.

Getting Your Household Under Control

Several years ago I came across the idea of a household control journal on a website somewhere out there in cyber space. It could have been any number of websites as I have always been a nut for something that could help me stay organized and often did searches for such things.

The idea behind a household control journal is to have one place where you keep the important papers and lists that help you to run your home. This can be a wide-variety of things but typically includes a chores list, your grocery list, your menu planning list, emergency numbers, medical info, financial info, and your child(ren)’s school info.

These are the basic areas I cover in my control journal and though there are some areas, I use more than others they are all ones I would suggest doing. For me, having everything in one place is the best part of using the control journal.

I divided the different categories with a bright colored piece of card stock and labeled each area. The area I use the most or daily is the weekly chores list and the daily routines list. These keep me on track daily with my household tasks.

The other very useful section that I use on a weekly basis is the menu planning and grocery list section. I am a menu planner and therefore this section keeps all my meal ideas in one place. Many people make a master meals or menu list here to go by so that they do not have to think up new meals every week. I also keep my grocery list here to add things to as the week goes on and as I create my menu list on Wednesdays as I shop on Thursdays. Having this information all in one place is quite helpful.

I also use the finances area, but more on a monthly schedule. Each month I create a budget, a bill paying schedule and a savings schedule, because we do sinking funds and deposit the money in a money market account. This area helps me to keep track of all of these things and get the bills paid on time.

The other areas mentioned such as medical info and child(ren)’s school info are mostly used for reference at random times, but at least I know where to find the information when I need it rather than having to dig through piles of papers or search through files.

Using a household control journal has proved to be such a positive experience for me that I recently created a business control journal as well. Plus, it allows me to use one of my favorite organizing items, a binder.

When you create your household control journal, just remember there really is no wrong or right way to do them; the most important thing is that it works for you!

Alyssa Dees Avant is a Christian author, blogger, podcaster, speaker, and business owner, when she is not speaking to audiences of young girls and their mothers, she is writing as a freelance and ghostwriter. Whether she is sharing her passion with girls on the topics of beauty, modesty, and etiquette or with their moms on time management and organizing Alyssa has a true passion for helping others. Visit her on the web at http://beautybydesignonline.com or http://organizedlifebydesign.com

The Hillbilly Housewife Recommends: 30 Days To An Organized Home

Something that’s made a huge difference for me is the “30 Days To An Organized Home” ebook by MomsinaBlog.com.

Work your way through organizing and decluttering every room in your house in 30 days. The daily tasks make it easy to follow along and kept me from getting overwhelmed with the task at hand.

You’ll also find some helpful printable checklists that will keep you on task and allow you to track your progress.

Get your copy today at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/organizedhome

We’ve all been in tough financial spots  throughout the years and sometimes we need to raise some emergency money really fast to make sure we can make our house payment, pay rent or even just get food on the table. If you are asking yourself “Where can I get emergency money fast?” this article is for you. It won’t be easy, it won’t be fun, but the aggressive strategies outlines below will help you “find” the extra cash until you can get back on your feet.

Big Money Problems
By Terry Rigg

Are you scared, worried, unsure of what to do, frustrated, embarrassed and humiliated because you can’t pay your bills and put food on the table?

What happened? Did you lose your job? Maybe you are sick or hurt and can’t work. Did an unexpected expense rip your finances to shreds? Maybe you just used those credit cards too much or bought a house that was more than you could really afford.

Whatever the reason you are experiencing Big Money Problems you have to know that for each and every problem there is a solution. Notice I didn’t say an Easy Solution.

If you have hit on hard times you are going to work very hard to find and implement that solution. You are going to do things that you don’t want to do and give up things you want to keep. Your pride is going to suffer in the process.

But you have to do something to solve the problem. And, quite frankly, most people never think it can happen to them so they aren’t prepared. When Big Money Problems hit they don’t have a clue where to start.

There are many actions that you need to take if you find you can’t pay all of your bills. Below is a list of the most important:

Sit down and evaluate your current situation. Determine how much money you are going to have and what your bills and expenses are. If you have more bills than you have money coming in you need to take action fast.

Take a hard look at all of your expenses to see where you can cut back. You may have to be brutal and cut out things you would like to keep, but this is necessary to provide the basic needs of your family. The most obvious and the ones that can produce immediate savings are:

• Utilities
• Phone (cell and land line)
• Cable or satellite
• Groceries
• Canceling subscriptions to magazines
• Obtaining free or reduced lunches for your school age children
• Increase your insurance deductibles and remove any unnecessary coverage
• Internet charges
• Transportation
• Quit dining out
• Entertainment

Your next action would be to determine if there is anything that you could sell or cash in that may bring in some needed income. Here is a list of some of these actions:

• Borrow from your 401k
• Sell a second car or boat
• Cash in life insurance policies
• Collect unpaid debts owed to you by friends and family
• Cash in any CDs, investments, etc.
• Sell jewelry and other valuables

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The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer
The Easiest Budget System Available Anywhere!

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Now that you have cut your expenses and sold or cashed in what you can it’s time to make a monthly payment plan. If you don’t have enough money to cover everything it is very important that you set your priorities to make sure the most important expenses are covered. Using the below priority list is mandatory if you want to make sure you financial problems don’t escalate:

Priority 1 – Food. Make sure you have enough food for your family. If you lost all of your income you will have to apply for Food Stamps or a similar program through your states Department of Social Services. This will include any necessary prescriptions and other health items. It may be necessary to apply for Food Stamps to make sure you have enough food to sustain your family.

Priority 2 – Shelter. After food, you need to make sure your family has a place to live. If you have only enough income to cover food and shelter, use it for that alone. If you lost all of your income, apply for government assistance to help or consider moving into less expensive housing. After you cover your house payment or rent, pay your utilities.

Priority 3 – Other Necessities. You may need your car to look for employment so consider making your car payment and put back money for gas. You may also need your phone so keep at least the basic service.

Priority 4 – Important Loans. If you have any money remaining after the items listed in the first three priorities, you should pay any other bills that may be necessary to allow you to accomplish what needs to be done to keep you going.

Distribute any money you may have after covering the above priorities between you other bills such as credit cards, phone bills, etc.

If you see that you are going to be late on any of your payments call the creditor immediately. Don’t wait for them to call you. Many companies have programs established that can help you by delaying payments or adding them to the end of your contract. Check to see if you have taken out the insurance that covers loss of income. Make sure to do exactly what you agreed to do with your creditors or let them know why you can’t.

Of course, the most important action is to start looking for a regular income. If you need a job then understand that you may have to take one that you really don’t like. If you can’t pay your bills then you can’t be picky.

When you are late on your payments you are going to start receiving phone calls from your creditors. Work with them but don’t let them take advantage of you or threaten you. Under federal law you have rights as a consumer. Please read my article “Your Consumer Rights” to learn your rights: http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/articles/consumerrights.html

It’s also important that you learn from this experience so that when you are back on your feet you know what you have to do to keep it from happening again.

If you find yourself experiencing Big Money Problems get organized, don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment, do what you say you are going to do and be willing to do what it takes to solve the problem. The odds are good that there will be better days ahead.

Terry Rigg is the editor of the Budget Stretcher web site. To Subscribe to The FREE Budget Stretcher Newsletter just visit his home page at http://www.homemoneyhelp.com or get the Budget Organizer full download version complete with calculating forms and more at http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/BBOdownloadSusanne.html

Down here in the deep south, we’ve had one of the coldest winters in recent years – and it’s early February. There are quite a few more cold weeks ahead of us. For me there is nothing better to warm up and beat the winter chill than with some good home cooking.

One of my personal favorites is a hot bowl of chicken and dumplings and some scratch biscuits on the side. It just doesn’t get much better than that.

My husband’s favorites are pot of beef and vegetable soup or homemade chili with a side of cornbread, while my daughter will go for chicken noodle soup or broccoli cheese soup any winter day.

What is it about these comfort foods that instantly makes us feel better? Not only do they warm us up, these soups and stews also do a great job at helping us fight the winter blues.

Let’s start with the obvious… all these dishes are piping hot when you bring them to the table. Even the breads are still warm from the oven. Enjoying warm foods like this after spending some time outside in the winter, is a great way to help us warm back up.

These winter dishes also contain quite a few carbs. That’s easy sugar that our body can quickly burn as fuel to keep generating body heat. Eating carbs will also release hormones like serotonin that make us feel happy, making them the perfect foods to beat winter blues and cabin fever.

Here’s another great reason to cook and bake in the wintertime. It will keep your kitchen nice and toasty warm. I had a big pot of beef stew cooking on the stove all day and then made some homemade cornbread. We all ended up hanging out in the kitchen because it was much warmer than the rest of the house. It was wonderful. I had some company while I was cooking and after dinner we all worked on dishes together before settling around the kitchen table to play some games.

I shared a few of my favorite home cooked meals for the winter months. How about you? What are your own favorite cold weather dishes? Please share them (with recipe if you can) in the comment section below.

We all have favorite comfort foods that we make over and over to warm us up during cold weather. It’s nice to have a few classic dishes to fall back on, but isn’t it also fun to find new favorites?

This is what I was busy doing during the cold weather, and I decided to put the recipes together in a fun little Kindle ebook – Soups, Stews, and Supper Stretchers

You’ll find hearty, filling meals to make you feel cozy and warmer when the weather is gloomy, cold, and dark.  Whether you’re snowed in or it won’t quit raining, these dishes will have you feeling brighter in no time.

And remember, with all Kindle ebooks, you don’t need a Kindle to download them.  Amazon makes it easy to put right on your computer, laptop, or other e-reader or device.  And the price is right, too!  Click on and buy this fun collection now and enjoy a warming bowl of comfort food today!
Soups, Stews and Supper Stretchers

It’s so easy to get sidetracked by all the various to-do lists and worries this time of the year. No wonder you feel stressed out. Here are some simple tips for coping with holiday stress that will help you focus on what’s really important – Enjoying this special season with family and friends.

Trade Your Holiday Stressings For Christmas Blessings

When I talk with other moms about their December plans, they’re usually all about Christmas. They have cookies to bake, decorations to set up, meals to plan, a house to clean, presents to buy, expectations they will never be able to meet. Sometimes these moms even tell me, “I can’t wait for this all to be over so I can relax!”

These activities may be part of a meaningful Christmas, but if that’s all Christmas has become for you, it may be time to reconsider your reasons for celebrating.

Where is the joy of the season when you’re too exhausted to experience it?

Where is the pleasure in spending time with your family and loved ones when you’re too busy to sit and talk with them?

How can their be delight in giving your gifts when you know you spent more than you can afford on something

This year, instead of stressing about the holiday season and its accompanying expectations, I invite you to focus on the blessings of Christmas.

Whatever Christmas means in your home,make that the one focal point of all your planning and celebrations. It’s easy to be distracted by unrealistic expectations, the high costs of Christmas, and those things we do every year, even though we’re not really sure why. This year, celebrate intentionally and with purpose.

For instance, in my family, Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth. If I can keep that one thought at the forefront of my plans, everything else fits into place. I remain focused throughout the season and our Christmas becomes focused, meaningful, relaxing, and satisfying.

This year, instead of getting caught up in the holiday stressings, take a deep break and let yourself enjoy your Christmas blessings.

I came across this Christmas article by Pippa Wright today and with her permission am publishing it here for you. Pippa is from England (just outside London) and I just love to read about some of the different Christmas traditions she grew up with. It’s also nice to see that so many things we do to enjoy the holiday season are the same. I hope you will enjoy reading this as well and create some new frugal holiday traditions.

Here’s the article…

Frugal Christmas Entertainment

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, we’re all getting serious about Christmas gifts. In the HBHW Club, we’ve been talking about easy homemade gift ideas as well as some other frugal presents for the past few weeks.

I’ve compiled our best ideas into a free report for you called the ABCs of Christmas Gift Giving. You’ll be able to download the report below and of course you are welcome to share it with family and friends.

I would also like to invite you to join the Hillbilly Housewife Club at www.Hillbillyhousewifeclub.com

Here’s the frugal gift idea report – you’ll find plenty of ideas for every letter of the alphabet (even x and y). Enjoy!

ABCs Of Christmas Gift Giving (pdf)

Warmly,

Susanne Myers – The Hillbilly Housewife

Since I opened the doors to the Hillbilly Housewife Club, we’ve been talking a lot about repurposing in the forum there. I never really thought about it all that much until then, it was just something I did automatically. But let’s back up here for a second. What exactly is repurposing?

According to dictonary.com repurpose means “to use or convert for use in another format or product.”

People used to repurpose all the time to turn old dresses into quilts, or turning an old pillow case into a sun dress for toddler. If you’ve come across the homemade sanitary napkin article, you’ve seen that old flanel shirts can be turned into reusable feminine pads.

Here are a few other things we repurposed lately at our house.

1) My old t-shirts become nightgowns for my daughter. When they are getting too thin or torn for that, they are used as dusting and cleaning rugs, eventually making their way into the car washing and outdoor use pile.

2) Large cylindrical oatmeal containers hold various flours, mixes and homemade granola.

3) CDs and DVDs are turned into coasters. We’ve also made some cute wind chimes and mobiles with them.

4) Yogurt cups of all sizes with lids on them become new storage containers. I use the larger ones for leftover soups and stews. The smaller ones become new yogurt or pudding containers for lunch boxes.

5) CD spindles are perfect for organizing cables and such.

6) Plastic bags from the grocery store are cut and turned into “Plarn” (plastic yarn). I’ve been crocheting mats and bags out of the plarn.

7) Old socks that lost their mates are turned into puppets.

8) The blanks from our old outdoor steps have recently been giving new life as a play house for our daughter.

9) Old baby blankets are cut up into wash clothes (I stitch around them in a zig-zag stitch to keep them from fraying).

10) Old baby clothes (soft material) are now polishing rags for my husband. He uses them on the car.

11) We keep all jars (from pickles and jelly for example) and use them to hold various small items from buttons to coins. Some of them also become temporary residences for various bugs and small creatures for our daughter.

12) We use egg cartons as seed starters, to separate buttons, or small office supplies (like staples, paper clips etc.) We also use them for quite a few kids art projects.

13) Magazine pages make great wrapping paper, and they are great for crafting. We’ve made magazine beeds, or use them to cut out things for collages.

14) A pair of old speakers that no longer worked become a new coffee table. You could also turn an old door into a table this way.

15) Since my husband is a pretty good carpenter, he reused most parts of an old wodden swing set and thurned them into a garden bench.

16) I’ve torn old towels into strips and then used the strips to knit a new bath rug.

Now it’s your turn. What do you repurpose?

We all want to celebrate and honor our moms on Mother’s Day, but you may be stumped for frugal Mother’s Day gift ideas this year. Giving Mother’s Day gifts doesn’t have to break your budget if you use one of these ideas.

Many restaurants offer discounts for mothers on Mother’s Day; some even allow moms to eat for free. You can check your local newspaper to see if there are any local restaurants offering this type of deal.

If you can’t find a restaurant that allows mom to eat for free or a reduced price, that doesn’t mean you can’t take mom out for the day. You may be able to find a museum or concert that has a Mother’s Day special. Check local colleges or universities, the newspaper, or online to find a venue offering a special for Mother’s Day.

You can also plan a picnic for you to share. It’ll give you time to enjoy each other’s company, can be healthier than restaurants, and will be much cheaper.

How long has it been since your family had a family portrait done? If it’s been a long time, you may want to find a relatively recent photo with everyone in it. Take the photo or negative to have it enlarged. You can also find a nice frame for the enlargement and it doesn’t have to drain your pocketbook.

Think about the things that your mom likes but rarely splurges on. Maybe she has a favorite magazine she used to read but hasn’t lately. She may enjoy good quality chocolate but feels it’s an indulgence she can’t afford. Splurge a little and buy that thing for her for her special day. You may find that she appreciates this gift more than any other you’ve given because it shows that you listened to her, recognized her self-denial, and then gave her what she wanted.

Cut flowers can be expensive and they die within a week or so of receiving them. You can find a nice flowering perennial that can be planted in her yard and enjoyed for years to come. Why not make a certificate offering to plant the perennial at a time that suits her?

Consider finding old family photos and putting them into a memory scrapbook for her. Yes, it’ll take some time to complete this task, but she’ll love having access to family photos she hasn’t seen in years.

Remember, you don’t need an expensive gift for it to be meaningful. It’s reallythe thought that counts much more than the amount of money you spent for the day.

Let’s move on to the kids. Here are a few ideas for things they can make and give mom or grandma.

* Set the table for dinner
* Give her a red rose and place it in her favorite vase
* Make her a special breakfast
* Take her to the park for a picnic lunch
* Bake her a cake and sing Happy Mother’s Day To You
* Take her to a movie
* Buy her favorite scented candles
* Burn her favorite CD
* Offer to do a specific chore for a week such as washing the dishes
* Make a huge Happy Mother’s Day Sign
* Give her a picture of you in a specially decorated frame
* Make a bag of potpourri using dried flowers from the garden
* Put together a scrapbook with her favorite recipes
* Make a jewelry box for her using spring ornaments
* Buy packs of herbs or flower seeds your mom could plant in the garden
* Clear out the flower bed for mom to prepare for spring planting
* Rake the leaves and make a compost pile
* Make mom a bracelet using beads from a craft store
* Make a sign for a t-shire that says “I love my mom” with an arrow pointing to the right or left
* Wash the car
* Clean your room

There are so many inexpensive ideas for Mother’s Day gifts, all of which will be appreciated no matter how small. The fact that you took the time to make a present or buy something really special says it all. So whatever you decide to do, know that it will be a keepsake mom will treasure forever.

I am writing this article while we are waiting to see if a few cases of swine flu will develop into a full-blown pandemic, but the topic certainly applies to any type of other emergency (whether it’s some sort of natural disaster like a hurricane, another medical / epidemic outbreak or anything else that might confine you to your home for a certain period).

I’ve been following the news closely and my first reaction was one of helplessness… after all, what can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from a potential flu pandemic. We can’t close the borders, suspend school or quarantine the sick. The more I got to thinking, the more I realized there was quite a bit I could do and taking action made me less fearful. In this article I want to share some of the steps my family and I are taking to make sure we are prepared.

Some of the information I’m going to share with yo came from the CDC (Center of Disease Control). They have an entire section of their website dedicated to swine flu which is worth checking out.

Back to being prepared…

The first part is something your mom has been saying all along (and you probably heard it on the news the past few days as well): Wash your hands frequently. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and stay home when you’re sick.

In addition to washing our hands, I also picked up a couple of travel size hand sanitizers (as well as a large container to refill the small bottles). We are using those whenever washing our hands isn’t an option. I am using the sanitizer while grocery shopping for example if we are at the park.

I looked into making homemade hand sanitizer to see if it would be a less expensive option. While I found a few recipes online, I also came across some information that apparently these homemade sanitizers aren’t as effective since they do not have as much alcohol in them as their store-bought counterparts. The cost of the ingredients for the homemade kind also wasn’t all that far off from what I was able to get at the store. My decision was to buy the hand sanitizer at the store just to be safe.

Let’s talk about what else you should keep in your  pantry. I am starting with what the CDC recommends and then add a few items to it.

Foods and Non-Perishables:

CDC recommendation:

• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and soups
• Protein or fruit bars
• Dry cereal or granola
• Peanut butter or nuts
• Dried fruit
• Crackers
• Canned juices
• Bottled water
• Canned or jarred baby food and formula
• Pet food

My Add-ons to this list

• Flour, yeast and whatever else you may need for your favorite homemade bread recipe
• Quick Cooking Oats for oatmeal
• Beans
• Bullion to season soups and beans
• Canned Meat and Fish
• Homemade Freezer meals *
• Lemons, Oranges, apples and other fruit that will keep for a while.
• Lemon Juice and frozen orange juice concentrate for (both fruit and juices are for extra boosts of vitamin c)
• Tea and Coffee
• Plenty of powdered milk (to drink, and cook with … you can make yogurt with it)

* You don’t want to rely stricktly on freezer meals since there is also the potential for losing power with many emergencies, but with a health related one like this potential pandemic outbreak they will come in very handy.

Medical, Health and Emergency Supplies (recommended by the CDC)

• Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment
• Soap and water, or alcohol-based (60-95%) hand wash
• Medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Thermometer
• Anti-diarrheal medication
• Vitamins
• Fluids with electrolytes
• Cleansing agent/soap
• Flashlight
• Batteries

I don’t really have anything to add to this other than speak to your health care professional about anything else you should keep on hand. If you have kids, give your prediatrician a call. He can advise you on what over the counter medications you should keep on hand for your child.

As near as I can tell it is legal for me to offer these downloads here. If you see anything that shouldn’t be here, then contact me and I will remove it asap. Thank-you. These e-Books are all in PDF or Adobe Acrobat format. Right Click then choose Save Target As to download to your computer.

Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals

Preparing Nutritious Meals at Minimal Cost

The following e-books are from the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute

Heart-Healthy Latino Recipes, Bilingual

Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style

Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes

The DASH Eating Plan (to reduced hypertension)

Dear Readers;
This is a post written by Maggie, a ‘dyed-in-the-wool’ believer who sometimes takes a look back in time to turn things around.  Please enjoy this post and be sure to comment about your own “apron experiences.”
Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

One day not too long ago I was struggling with the boys over some minor details which come up when a lot of people live in a small shack in the woods. Details like the value of picking one’s dirty clothes up off of the living room floor when company has been spotted driving up the mountain. The boys were unusually stubborn that particular day. Rather than fight with them over their household responsibilities I picked up the dirty clothes myself and crammed them into the washing machine. I ran some soapy water in the sink to get a start on the dishes before the company arrived.

Now usually I am not one to hold a grudge over small disagreements like laundry on the living room floor. This one settled in my brain though, and I felt compelled to mull over it for several days. It was the outright insubordination which offended me the most. After I figured that out I went in search of solutions.

About the same time I was in the process of Spring Cleaning. I was having a great deal of trouble motivating myself to wash the walls in the kitchen and mop the back porch where the cats live (blessedly with a doggie door so they don’t need litter boxes).

Well, the more I worried about these twin dilemmas the more I felt the need to discuss them with the queen of solutions, my momma Darthulia. As I suspected she had the perfect solution. Darthulia told me I needed a uniform or costume which would reassure myself and others of my intention and status in the home. She claimed it would remind me of my duties, inspire me to greater levels of cleanliness (which as a hillbilly I sorely need), and reaffirm my authority in the home.

Darthulia then went on to describe the homemaker’s uniform to me in detail. “Imagine the modern archetype of the housewife.” She began. “Think Donna Reed, or Beaver Cleaver’s mom. They wore full skirts, and stockings, and heels when they vacuumed. But you knew they were doing housework because they had their aprons on. A string of beads graced the necks of their classic shirtwaist dresses, and a lacy bibbed apron proclaimed their role as matriarch in charge of household management.”

I only have a fleeting memory of Donna Reed. I sort of wish she came on television regularly so I could take notes but she doesn’t in my area so I am stuck looking for other heroines-of-the-home to model myself after. Most of what momma said made sense to me though. That very day, I put on a full skirt, stockings, sensibly low high heeled shoes, and a string of pearly white beads. Then I sat down at my sewing machine and ran up a couple of bibbed aprons, decorated with lace and ribbons.

I made up the pattern as I went along using a small rectangle for the first bib and a heart shape for the second bib. Then I stitched lace around the edges of the bib and attatched it to a simple tie with a full apron skirt gathered to the waist. I made them short waisted so they would fit my maternal figure a bit better, and voila, I was set. I put the first apron on, a creamy white or ecru, and looked in the mirror to admire my handiwork. I expected to see myself staring back at me, probably looking a little silly in this frilly piece of confection designed to protect my clothing.

Boy howdy, was I in for a surprise. In the mirror I saw a vision of the homemaker I have always strived to become staring back at me. Her cheery face glistened in the sunshine. Her hair tied up neatly in bun looked authoritative, and compassionate all at the same time. The apron covered several figure flaws and accentuated the fertile curves of the woman I saw in the mirror. This woman had purpose. She had status. She had clout. I stood there, contemplating the wonder of the homemaker that shone through my image in the mirror. “This is who I want to be” I told myself. “This is the Keeper of the home, with a capital ‘K’. ”

I wear my aprons every day now. I have made more, in different colors and configurations so as to be pleasing to my senses. I have come to believe they are a like lacy bits of lingerie, only worn on the outside, and a quite a bit more respectable. When I put on my aprons the children mind me better, wandering visitors immediately know my role as a stay at home mom. Door to door religious missionaries assume I am a virtuous woman and cheerfully move on to the next house. Fred thinks I look cute as a button, and neighbor children hug me more often.

I like my aprons. They have changed my life, raising my standards, inspiring me to greater feats of home making skill, and making me more effective as a parent. Whoever thought that a dollars worth of fabric and lace could effect so many changes on one woman and one family? Since my success with aprons I have become a true believer. I am now called to spread the word among my fellow housewives. Join the crusade by sharing your love of aprons with friends, family and internet buddies around the world. Together we will change the face of the House Wife, the world over.

Blessings,

Maggie