Taking your Kids Toys Away.

I'm not a parent however I think one day I would like to be.  I enjoy educating myself on homeschooling and ways to raise children.   I read a really interesting article about what happened when a mother took her 2 daughter's toys away.

I admire parents who are able to teach their children true values in this over commercialized world that drives us to constantly buy stuff.  In an effort to be more frugal I've tried to cut many things from my life.  I don't have TV and really I feel better for it.  I do have Netflix and on occasion I may also have Hulu Plus for a month or two.  Both services together cost lest than basic cable and on Netflix I don't have to deal with commercials.  It's bliss!  

Right now I have too much stuff.  I found this mother's story inspirational despite not having children currently.  I've wanted to and need to go through my house and just get rid of as much as I can.  I don't need all of this stuff. 

The mother in the story decided to basically strip her daughter's bedroom.  She removed every toy and even their plush pottery barn comforter. She started and after a few minutes without prompting her daughters joined her in the removal process. The room was just basic, clean, and uncluttered.

Now instead of constantly cleaning their room they can read or color or play games involving their imagination together.  The girls actually say they enjoy not having so many toys because now they can just play and not really have to clean.

She didn't throw their toys away, in fact she kept some in a tub and would allow them to occasionally play with one toy at a time.  The mother noticed that instead of fighting over things her children fought rarely.

Before the removal they had went on a family trip to Orlando, Florida and the girls often asked for things. One of the girls was fixated on Build-your-own-dinosaur and they basically had to divert her attention to make her realize all of the great things they did.  On their most recent outing after the purge her daughters looked but didn't ask for things.  The girls were just content in being in the moment and could fully take in what they were experiencing.  

Maybe less is more?  I do think it's better to raise children without materialistic expectations.  I can tell you without a doubt in my mind I remember more times I had fun playing outside in the grass or in the creek than playing with any single toy. 

Here's the original article if you would like to check it out:
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2012/09/14/why-i-took-all-my-kids-toys-away-why-they-wont-get-them-back/

Thrifty Healthy Frozen Meals

If you're like me you may not feel like cooking during the week.  I work until around 8pm and when I get home I just don't feel like cooking.  If I don't prepare ahead of time I could give into temptation and get something that is quick that will take more money out of my budget.  If I plan ahead I'm more likely to come home and just warm up something delicious and healthy that I've already made.

I'm off on the weekends so I like to cook on Sunday's.  I plan to make one or two dishes that I can easily pack for lunch and eat for dinner.  Any excess food that is left over will be frozen to be enjoyed at another time.

Some foods that work really well for this method are:

• Pastas
• Best with marinara or cream sauce.
• Works with meat and veggies.
• Soups
• Can freeze soup in gallon bags and lay flat in freezer.
• Stir-fry
• Works well with rice. May need extra liquid when reheating.
• Works with steamed veggies and meats.
• Casseroles
• Works on basically any casserole.
• Quiche
• Works on any type of quiche.
• Portioned servings of Meat
• You can portion out cooked meats to be reheated later.
• Pancakes and Waffles
• You can make these great breakfast foods ahead of time and freeze them and thaw and reheat them just like the store bought versions.
• Enchiladas, Burritos, Quesadillas, Taquitos
• You can make different versions of these and if wrapped properly freeze well.

These are just some of the things I've successfully frozen. There are literally a ton of recipes on the internet for frozen meals.  There is are even groups who make extra and exchange meals in a club.

I only make one or two meals a week or sometimes every 2 weeks.  I live alone so this only has to cover my lunches and dinners for that time period.  If there are more people in your household you may entertain the idea of clearing an entire day to cook so that you do not have to clean for the rest of the week.

Some of my favorite websites with the best recipes are:

• http://happymoneysaver.com/making-50-freezer-meals-in-one-day/
• http://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-recipes-index/healthy-freezer-meals-recipes/
• http://www.southernliving.com/food/whats-for-supper/freezer-friendly-recipes
• http://onceamonthmeals.com/menus/paleo/
• http://paleogrubs.com/freezer-meal-recipes

Savings Catcher from Wal-Mart

I wish I could say I could completely stop shopping at Wal-Mart but alas they are cheap and my budget is tight and so there are some things I must buy there.  The two things I buy there most often are cat food and litter. 

I have a cat who has food allergies and they are the only store that carries Evolve which seams to ease her allergies.  Yes, I know I can buy it on Amazon but the 3 lb. bag that I get at Wal-Mart for $4.88 costs $9.99 + shipping on Amazon.  This 3 lb. bag lasts my 2 cats about 2 weeks so for me it's a great buy because it's food that is better for them and better for my budget.  I also switched to this silica litter which I seem to use less of as well.

Anyhow, this article isn't about cats it's about Wal-Mart's Savings Catcher. 
If you have a smartphone just download the Wal-Mart app and Savings Catcher is built in.
Create an account if you don't already have one and Savings Catcher will be ready to use.
**This app is also useful if you get your prescriptions filled at Wal-Mart of if you like shopping online.  You can also use the app to check the inventory of your local store to see if they may have what you need before you leave the house.
Every time you purchase items at Wal-Mart you will see a QR code at the bottom of your receipt.

The QR code will look something like the image above.
All you do is log into your app, go to Savings Catcher and Scan the code.
Then the app will scan several competing stores to see if anyone is offering a lower price.  If they are then you get your money back!
Money is added to your Savings Catcher account and you can redeem your award in the form of an eGift card or you can transfer it to your Bluebird Account.  You can then use this money to buy more things at Wal-Mart.
I know....it's a vicious cycle but hey, what can you do.  If you're going to shop there you might as well save some money.

https://savingscatcher.walmart.com/

Stop Washing Your Hair!

Stop washing your hair!

I know it sounds crazy, right? 
I thought it was crazy too until I tried it.  I have long curly/wavy hair that tends to get oily very easy.
The thought of not washing my hair and not using conditioner sounded absolutely crazy and I thought there was no possible way I could ever do it.

I used to be a person that washed their hair every day because if I didn't it would be an oily mess the next day.  I still really wanted to try this method I heard of called the "No Poo" method.  I know the name sounds crazy too and I don't completely understand why they choose it, lol.

The "No Poo" method basically means you cease using commercial shampoos and conditioners and opt for an alternative method.  The two most common methods are using water only or using baking soda to wash and vinegar to rinse your hair.

I was afraid to just jump into not washing my hair so I started by washing my hair every other day.  I did this for about 2 months and whenever I could I'd try to go a couple of days without washing my hair.

I finally got brave and jumped in.  I'm still in the process of getting my hair completely converted but I wanted to share now so I can keep you updated on the progress. I should have taken pictures at every stage but I didn't take one until today.

If you are unfamiliar with the "No Poo" method please see the links below for more information.

• http://www.nopoomethod.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_poo
• http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Go-No-Poo/
• http://www.treehugger.com/organic-beauty/no-shampoo-experiment-six-months-later.html

I also found a great group on Facebook for this No Poo Journey: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nopoo/?fref=nf

My Progress

• 1/5/15 - Regular wash/condition+ leave-in conditioner.
• Hair felt normal but scalp was dry.
• 1/6/15 - Nothing
• Itchy and dry scalp, minimal oil.
• 1/7/15 - Dry shampoo scalp using baby powder in my hair overnight in pony tail.
• Not oily but scalp was still dry.
• 1/8/15 - Nothing
• Little oily and itchy but front of scalp still dry.
• 1/9/15 - Baking Soda/ Regular conditioner
• Worked great for removing excess oil from scalp, front still dry but the regular conditioner made my hair oily.
• 1/10/15 - Nothing
• Hair is oily and itchy scalp, dry in front
• 1/11/15 - Baking Soda/ White Vinegar
• Removed excess oil from scalp, a little excess oil in length of hair but looked good. Scalp dry in front.
• 1/12/15 - Nothing
• A little oily around scalp but not itchy.
• 1/13/15 -Nothing

So sadly somehow my data from the 13th until a few days ago has all been lost.  I'm going to start from here and keep tracking.
I've moved to about 3-4 days between washing and to using baking soda/Apple cider vinegar.

• 1/26/15 - BS/ACV and Plopping (see video and picture below).
• 1/27/15 - Nothing
• 1/28/15 - Nothing
• 1/29/15 - Nothing
• 1/30/15 - BS/ACV and plopping
• 1/31/15 - Clarifying conditioner only.
• I accidentally got my hair wet in the shower and if I didn't add the conditioner I wouldn't have been able to get my hands through it.
• 2/1/15 - Nothing
• 2/2/15 - BS/ACV and plopping
• 2/3/15 - Nothing
• 2/4/15 - Nothing
• 2/5/15 - Baby Powder near the roots to soak up oil.
• 2/6/15 - Nothing
• 2/7/15 - Apple Cider Vinegar only and plopping.
• Looks kind of oily but really curly.
• 2/8/15 - Nothing
• 2/9/15 - Nothing
• 2/10/15 - Baking Soda/ACV - plopping
• 2/11/15 -  Braid at night, BBB, light misting
• 2/12/15 - Braid at night, BBB, light misting
• 2/13/15 - Nothing
• 2/14/15 - Nothing
• 2/15/15 - Nothing
• 2/16/15 - Very oily and not smelling very pretty
• 2/17/15 - Baking Soda and this Shea Butter Co-wash I found + plopping
• 2/18/15 - Nothing
• 2/19/15 - Nothing
• 2/20/15 - Shea Butter Co-wash only
• 2/21/15 - Nothing - hair's getting pretty oily and itchy
• 2/22/15 - My hair is really bad today.  I will be washing it.  I feel like trying something new.  The Baking soda was great for a while and is great to remove excess sebum from my hair but my scalp isn't getting any better.  It's actually maybe a little worse.
• I'm going to try rinsing with this tea that is hibiscus, black currants, and elderberries mixed with some honey.  It was good for drinking now let's see about hair :)   Maybe an ACV rinse after.  All I know is my hair is horrible right now.  I can't even go out in public it's so bad and itchy.   Today's wash may end up like a bad science experiment....(eyes bottle of aloe gel on desk....).
• So I washed gently with Baking Soda and then combined my tea with a little apple cider vinegar and used that as a rinse. Now I smell like a pixie stick!
• 2/23/15 - Nothing
• 2/24/15 - Cocoa powder
• 2/25/15 - Scritch and Preen and aloe on dry parts of scalp
• 2/26/15 - Nothing
• 2/27/15 - Nothing
• 2/28/15 - Nothing
• 3/1/15 - Baking Soda/ACV/Elderberry, Black Currant, Hibiscus Tea Rinse
• 3/2/15 - Nothing
• 3/3/15 - Nothing
• 3/4/15 - Nothing
• 3/5/15 - Nothing
• 3/6/15 - Baking Soda/ACV
• 3/7/15 - Nothing
• 3/8/15- Nothing
• 3/9/15- Nothing
• 3/10/15 - Nothing
• 3/11/15 - BS-Wash - Mask with banana, aloe vera, coconut milk and an egg, ACV - rinse
• 3/12/15  -  Nothing
• 3/13/15 - Nothing - Braided
• 3/14/15 - Added oil to ends
• 3/15/15 - Mask - banana, aloe vera, coconut milk, and egg - Rinse - ACV
• 3/16/15 - Nothing
• 3/17/15 - Added oil to ends
• 3/18/15 -  Nothing
• 3/19/15 - Nothing
• 3/20/15 - Nothing
• 3/21/15 - Nothing
• 3/22/15 - Water Only Wash - I preened and scratched really good before washing and sort of preened and detangled during the wash.  I was amazed because I'm sure I have hard water and sulfur in the water as well.
• 3/23/15 - Nothing - Preened and detangled by hand.
• 3/24/15 - Nothing - Preened and detangled by hand
• 3/25/15 - Nothing - Preened and detangled by hand
• 3/26/15 - Nothing - Brushed
• 3/27/15 - Nothing - Brushed

I'm going to start posting my hair diary in another article.  Click Here

**Keep coming back for more postings!


1/11/15 - Top

1/10/15 - Front

1/11/15 - BS/White Vinegar



Showing length so far

1/30/15  - BS/ACV+Plopping