Homemade Christmas Gifts

Some good ole family favorites....

I have been making these for years.  Everyone always loves them.

Cinnamon Ornaments
1/2 – 3/4 cups applesauce
1 cup cinnamon (buy in bulk)
1 Tbsp of each – ground cloves, nutmeg, allspice

Mix and roll dough out on cinnamon covered wax paper and rolling pin with cinnamon. Cut with Christmas cookie cutters and use an ice pick to poke a hole for a ribbon to hang them on. Let air dry about one week; turn them over a couple of times. These smell AAAAAMAZING for months! A friend of mine actually hung it from her rearview mirror and said her car smelled great.

NEXT!
Spice Bugs for really great apple cider
-Medium oranges – juice them (drink the yummy fresh juice and use a grapefruit spoon to scrape out all of the guts.
-Dry oranges for 8-12 hours at lowest oven setting.
-Fill with light brown sugar
Make a bug with Alll spice eyes, cinnamon stick for body, nutmeg head and whole cloves as legs. I think you can imagine it but it basically has a long skinny body with a HUGE head and tiny eyes and legs. He’s a really cute little guy.
-Wrap snuggly in saran wrap and tie off with a ribbon with this recipe attached:
Instructions: Simmer in 1 1/2 – 2 quarts of apple juice for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Silky Shea Sexiness

Unrefined Shea Butter

Thanks to my good buddy at work, "T" (I haven't asked permission to talk about her but she knows who she is), I have discovered the amazing product of shea butter.  She taught me to mix unrefined shea butter, just like in the above picture, with olive oil, and jojoba or sweet almond oil to make a lucious body lotion.  Now, I hear a few of the doubters out there saying, "Nope, not for my skin, I have ___________ skin and I need _______brand of lotion."  Hear me out!  Here's a few examples of people who I know that use and love this lotion!

T is a beautiful African-American who suffered from ashiness (sp?) and acne.  She started using shea butter from head to toe daily and no longer has either. 

I am a lily white girl covered in freckles and have somewhat sensitive skin and I am DRY!!!!  You would've think someone as white as I am could be ashy but I assure you that it is possible!  I used this on my face, excellent, and on my body it's lucsious.  I wear sandals 9 months out of the year and more if possible and have an issue where skin on my big toe peels back in huge chunks and it is incredibly painful.  I started putting shea butter on them at night and using a foot file once or twice a week and now they are soft and I have no peeling.  

My friend, S, gets red bumps from shaving her bikini zone and the heat chafing in the nether regions. I told her to apply shea butter and Shizam! no more red bumps!!

Friend, L, has a fiance with eczema and he used shea butter and guess what!!!!  No more itchies!!!  

I'm just going to let you check this out!!! for more information.

Ujamaa Essentials is a great site to buy your shea butter.  At your local grocery you can get a few ounces from $10 but on this website I ordered 2.5 lbs for $24.95 and actually received 3.2 lbs, a freezer ziploc bag full!!!  I also received a few sample items that are sold on Ujamaa.  

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Stanky Breath!

If you don't want teeth like funky dude (even though I secretly want to be his friend) up there then check this out!!!!

I have found this AWESOME coconut oil toothpaste recipe! My hubby says that it makes my breath smell good which is really saying something!  I'm not a fan of baking soda toothpastes but I got used to the flavor and I like it now. 

I have pretty sensitive teeth and  I've been using this for about a month and I haven't felt anymore sensitivity than I do while consistently using toothpaste for sensitivity.  When I use normal store bought toothpaste that isn't for sensitivity, my teeth are really sensitive.  Something to think about and I'm going to talk to my dentist about it also!

Next, I want to try the first one from passionatehomemaking.com since I can pump it out of a soap dispenser. 

Great way to save money, not buy so much stuff and get natural!

Mrs. Baird's Bargain Blow-Out!!!!!

Mrs. Baird's Bakery Outlets are incredible!!! I resisted going for awhile because we don't eat a ton of sliced bread and I just thought it didn't have anything to offer me....WRONG!!!! They have a wide assortment of things, tons of different kinds of sandwich bread from Rye to wheat to white, snacky things, cookies, Bob's Red Mill, a few condiments, and my favorite....BOBOLI.  Now if you don't know the wonder of Boboli you my friend are missing out.  It's this amazing pizza crust that I hadn't eaten in about 15 years because they cost about $5 a piece and it just wasn't something I was going to spend that much money on. 

At Mrs. Baird's Bakery Outlet they have what's left over from grocery stores and they need to get rid of to make room for the new shipments.  They aren't bad, they aren't expired, just things that need a new home for REALLY CHEAP!!!  As you can imagine, it depends on what the stores have extra of that dictates what Mrs. Baird's have and I think it must also depend on amount because prices vary too. 

Back to Boboli...I have found it for varying prices but it is anywhere from $0.79 to $1.50 each.  Also, for every $6 you spend you get one free thing, again depends on what they have.  And, for every dollar you spend they give you a stamp on your Mrs. Baird's card and every $30 you spend you get a free loaf of bread and one free snack. 

I bought 4 loaves of bread, 1 Boboli and a 3 pack of Boboli marinara sauce for $6.

Every time I go I leave feeling so proud of myself and like I've hit the jackpot! Check out this link to find the Mrs. Baird's Bakery Outlet closest to you!

Cheap Veggies

This isn't anything rocket science, just a cool thing that I did today.  Tito and I went to HEB to grab a couple of things this morning and asparagus was something like $1.47/lb.  It's usually well over $2 if not $3.  I bought 3 bunches!  I chopped off the bottom inch or so and then just broke them in half, washed them, layed them out and let them dry out on a paper towel.  Then I just put them back in the produce bags from the store and put a clip on the and popped them in the freezer...I know, I know I'm a genius....



Asparagus, trimmed, snapped in half and some in the bag



Bagged and clipped, ready for the freezer!

So, take advantage of sales, buy more than you need and freeze!!!  My husband is just going to love when I tell him that I need a deep freezer for the garage.  MUHAHAHAHA (evil laugh)

Bulk Spices

Do you love buying spices like me and want to buy them but sometimes hold back because of the price?  OR Do you have to buy spices and get the ones you have to but with an angry grudge because of the price? Either way....I'm on your side! 

On my days off, it's hard to get me out of the kitchen, I love to cook and just play in the kitchen, it's my mad scientist laboratory.  I like to try new spices and have TONS in my cabinet.  I had read about buying spices in bulk and that it's quite a bit cheaper but I didn't know where I could get them and sure as heck didn't think they would have them at my HEB (local grocery store). 

Before I start this story I'm going to give you a little bit back info on the fam.....

Here's Mama, Reggie and I and here's the truth of me and my Mama.  I am not my mother, I am my mother's sister.  My mom HATES shopping and while I some what agree with her on clothes shopping I DO NOT agree about grocery shopping.  HEB is my favorite place to be...I love, love, love it!  When I go, it's a wonderful, leisurely stroll through all of the samples and new items and old items and pretty much anything and everything that catches my eye.  My mom on the other hand can buy two weeks worth of groceries in about 8.7 minutes and that is when the lines are long! So when we go together it's a a bit of a combination of the both, I'm rushing myself and my mom does a pretty good job at not being impatient with me.  Ok, on to bulk spices...

Right before the holidays, Mama and I were buying our holiday stuff and the wonderful staff at HEB brought the bulk spice display out from hiding in the organic section!!!  WOOHOO!!!  So I start freaking out and running between the bulk spices with my phone calculator doing math faster than Einstein to compare the prices.  You can imagine what my  mom was doing, she just kept walking and I have no proof but I think she was rolling her eyes at me and laughing at the same time.  She loves me and does a great job at supporting me so I understand the laughs.  I don't have exact numbers on savings but it's SUBSTANTIAL!! Ever since I've been saving my old spice bottles and refilling them.  Pop them in the dishwasher and soak them in a little vinegar and water to get rid of the smell if you need to. 

Here's how it works:

1) Fill one of the supplied ziplocs with however much you want. 

2) Weigh it on the scale and and plug in the PLU# on the container and print out the sticker.

3) Slap that sticker on the bag.

4) Pay the few cents and walk out of there feeling very proud of yourself!!!

This is the oregano I bought today.

The bag is actually only about half full, the rest I put in the bottle and labeled it with my fancy-schmancy label maker that Mama got me for Christmas...she how she supportive she is of my insanity?!!?  So that bag is about the amount of two bottles that you buy on the spice aisle.  Judging by my calculations just from looking on websites, a bottle or oregano costs $2-$3.  Would you like to guess how much I spent on that bag that, remember, is equal to 2 bottles?????  $0.39......39 whoppin' cents!!!  WHAT?!?!?!?!  Can you even believe that?!  'Nuff said, yo!



Super Awesome Washing Soda

Yeah, yeah I know, I added awesome but I just call 'em like I see 'em.  This stuff seems to be almost as bodacious as Borax.  Here are the uses that I have found and on the box.

1) Laundry Detergent
2) Laundry booster for stains, ground-in dirt, greasy stains.
3) Sweat stains
4) Collar and Cuff Stains
5) Food stains (Mustard, chocolate, blueberry, cola, meat and grease splatters, olive oil)
6) Other stains (make-up, blood, grass, clay)
7) Other solutions

I've got to try some of these uses out myself!  The price is similar to Borax....3 lbs 7 oz for somewhere between $2.50 or $3.00. 

Bodacious Borax

Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax)  Blah, blah blah....whatever the heck that all means but that's for all of those people out there that want to know what it really is.  Here's the (as my students say) fly part of it.

As you can see on the box it's been around since 1891.  I talked to a friend of mine who is about my parent's age and he was telling me how his mom was told that baby formula was better than breast milk.  As I began to really think about this (Don't freak, I'm not a deep-thinker, just mildly obsessesed with all of this craziness.) I realized that in the 60's-ish all of the convenient foods and products became really popular and frankly I can't blame them. They had to do so much stuff from scratch and in such a time-consuming manner that when the easy stuff came out I'm sure the popularity just sky-rocketed.  Now we all are going back to natural which isn't any new concept because as the Good Book says,

  "What has been will be again,
   what has been done will be done again;
   there is nothing new under the sun."  Ecclesiastes 1:9

The Big Man upstairs really is wise, don't ya think?  Ok, moving on...

You can read this all on the box you buy but I'm going to give them a little bit of free advertising here.  Check out all of these uses.
1) Make this awesome Laundry Detergent
2) Dishwasher Detergent
3) I accidentally discovered that it polishes my silver jewelry.
4) Wash baby clothes
5) Get stains out of clothes
6) Toilet bowl stains, we have an upstairs toilet we don't use much and we have really hard water.  There was a pretty nasty hard water ring basically growing in my toilet and I had no idea how to get it out.  I poured some Borax in and left it for about a week (oops!) and scrubbed the toilet bowl and up it came!! TA-DA!
7) You know how you get that funky smell in the garbage disposal and some people say to throw a half of a lemon down there?  Yeah, that idiots.  I'm sorry if you are one of those people and it works for you but I tried it and had the disposal on for like 4 minutes and it still didn't get ride of the whole thing so I just had this rotting lemon sitting in my disposal, which doesn't really help the stink much.  Pour about 1 Tbsp. of Borax down the drain, let it sit for about 15 minutes, run hot water and the disposal and WA-LA!! 
8) Washing delicates
9) Getting ride of hard water stains (see #6)
10) Getting rid of stains in carpet or rugs
11) Boost the cleaning power of your dishwasher
12) Laundry boosting aka improves cleaning power of detergent
13) Bathroom/Kitchen cleaning and deodorizing

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!  And the best part is that 4 lbs of this stuff costs about $3.50!!! WHAT?!?!?!  Yep, you heard me right......go getcha self some!!!

Joyful Jewels

We all know jewelry can be very difficult to organize and still remember what you have especially if you have the ridiculous amount of cheap jewelry that I do (don't tell Tito that I admitted to that!).  I also keep a couple of perfumes up there but I'm not as into that so it's not as big of a deal but I did want to try to keep them contained.  I didn't get a before picture of the entire dresser but here's what my jewelry box looked like....yikes!!!

After a little bit of internet research and getting the wheels turning in my brain here's what I came up with.  I bought the following for $7.83 at Hobby Lobby, the local art supply store.

I wrapped the fabric around the board and hot glued it on and then nailed in the nails and hung the bracelets.  You can put the nails in a random order or in rows.  Hang a bracelet on to measure where to put the next nail in.  Either hang it up or just lean it up against the wall like I did after I tried hanging it and it fell within .25 seconds.  Here's the finished product. 

So next, I needed to contain my jewelry so I found a container I already had lying around and wrapped the extra fabric aroudn and hot glued it on.  I could have hemmed the edges but I just cut it and didn't even measure it, I'm far from a perfectionist.  Here's the supplies:

And the finished product...

I have always put my earrings in a craft case....here it is:

And everything all put together....

Let me know if you have any cool ways to organize, I still have a lot of organizing in my house to do!

Chicken Stock Cubes

I'm very excited about this and I know it's something I can do long term.  I made the whole chicken in the crock pot and then made the stock as suggested.  I poured all of the stock into ice cubes trays and froze them in a freezer bag.  I can drop a few in anytime in any recipe and it's way healthier than boullion which we are addicted to here in my house.  Try it out!!!

Healthy Ramen?!?!

This was on my MSN homepage...gonna have to try it.  How to make Ramen noodles healthier...

Stacy habla español muy bien!

I'm a high school Spanish teacher and one of my favorite former students who is now at Stanford University and fluent in Spanish recommended me for an award....see article!

Marriage....

This is a little different from my normal posts but I saw this video a friend sent me (Thanks K!) and I just wanted to share a little bit about it.  It's called Sex, Marriage and Fairytales.  The guy who did this does a lot of different ones and they are awesome!  They say things in a way that I wish I could on the spot at exactly the right time. 

I'm married to a wonderful man named Tito.  This picture was taken in 2007 the second day we met but we pretty much look the same.  We have been married for three and a half wonderful years.  People say that you are filled by Jesus and that a spouse doesn't fill a hole in you.  I agree wholeheartedly with the part about Jesus filling me and I know that I have to look to Him before I look to the man pictured above but I also believe that God sends people to fill a place in your heart.  Tito was sent by God to me to fill so many places in my heart and to be the teacher that God speaks through to get through to my hard head in so many ways.  I don't believe that it is just Tito, it is God in Tito and Tito allowing God to flow through him that allows him to love me so much and so well, I might add.  Women are crazy, me included and  I just don't know how he puts up with me sometimes!  God has used and is still using Tito to draw me closer to Him, to teach me things like tolerance, loving even when you don't want to, love is a choice, not an emotion and so many other things.  He has used Tito to shine this different light on God and his kingdom from the point of view of someone who didn't grow up in my world but in a totally different one in some ways.  Tito does an amazing job of leading me and at being led by the Holy Spirit. 

Now, I don't want everyone to think that my marriage is perfect and has no problems and we get along 100% of the time and go skipping through the fields together.  We have a friend who was a single mother up until a few weeks ago and she has a 16 year old daughter who comes over to our house or we are at theirs on a regular basis.  When we are together we are usually getting along fine and I'm sure in her eyes we are perfect so one day when I broke the news to her that we do have an argument on occasion she was floored!  I know that all of you married folks out there are laughing right now because we all know the truth is that if you live with a person long enough, especially if you are married, there are going to be some arguments, fights and if you are like me, lots of tears!  The truth is marriage is not easy at all.  I realize that I am still a newly wed in the grand scheme of things but the learning curve sure seems steep at this stage.  We have to work stuff out, we have to sit up to late some nights while I'm crying (not an unusual thing for me) and just talk it out or argue it out until we have come to an agreement or an agreement to disagree and still love each other.  There are some days that I am so in love with him and just want to hug him and other days when I want to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze til his eyeballs pop out and still other days when I want to do both at the same time!

I'm heart broken by the number of people who get divorced, I'm not here to judge, I'm from a divorced home.  I want kids to know that marriage isn't a fairy tale like he says in the video, it's hard, really hard sometimes BUT it pays off!  You've got to work at it and work at it and work at it every day for the rest of your life, some days work is a walk in the park and some days you lay down at night and feel like you just walked through a war zone.  I understand that stuff happens and there are some marriages that dissolve.  Again, I'm not judging anyone here but here's what I know...I have 2 amazing parents and it didn't work out for them and the truth is that my brother and I are the ones who suffered and I just want to prevent that for my kids and as many others as possible.  I'm here only to encourage. 

If you are reading this and are still waiting for that special someone, DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS THAN THE BEST!!!  God has someone incredible out there for you.  Even if you aren't a Christian or you are but you just are a little off course, God wants the absolute best for you and loves you so much, even if you aren't feeling it right now.  Ask him to show you.  Marriage is supposed to be a reflection of Christ's love for the church.  He loved us so much that he died for us and that is what men are instructed to do for their wives.  Women----Don't get your panties in a wad when it tells you to honor your husband...He's to die for you!  If a man can love me like that, the least I can do it honor and respect him (and cook him some good food every once in awhile ;).  No matter how you feel about yourself God thinks you are freakin' awesome (not sure if He uses words like freakin' but there it is.)  and He wants to give you so much more than you could ever even dream of! He did for me!!!  So wait for your Tito, uummmm I mean the man or woman God has for you.  (Back off, you can't have my Tito.)  So marry someone who is a fighter!  Not a person who loves to fight with people, that wouldn't be fun, but someone who will fight for the right thing and the stuff in life that matters.  Find someone who will argue with you and talk stuff out even when it's not fun (which is never in my book).  Find someone who loves you even when the @#$% hits the fan and you are a crazy hormonal woman or an irrational stubborn man.  But more than any of that, find someone who puts God over you as a priority in their life.  You'll fail them , they'll fail you and then the @#$% really hits the fan, but God never fails.

Staying Up on Simply Sensible Suggestions

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Look at the polls on the bottom of the page to let me know what you are making or what you would buy.

Anything you want to know how to make? Leave a comment and I will try to find it and experiment and keep you updated. 

I've been really busy lately with school, church and just trying to keep my house clean enough to live in and having a hard time blogging but don't worry...I haven't forgotten....I'll be back soon!

Miracle Oil

Really, if you think about it, the stuff God makes is better than what we make. I'm not sure why I always thought all natural stuff was kind of a hoax but I'm beginning to believe that I've been spending money, to much money, on a lot of stuff that God makes much better and much cheaper than we do.

So, without further ado please, please, please read this about coconut oil: I'm truly amazed!

Here's a few ways to eat it from How to Peel an Onion:

1. Pour a tablespoon of melted coconut oil (per serving) into the blender as you finish off your smoothie.
2.  Substitute coconut oil for butter in baked goods.
3. Spread coconut oil on toast to substitute for butter – this is really nice topped with your favorite jam.
4.  Make popcorn using coconut oil – it’s delicious! Melted butter over the popcorn is a great way to add extra good fats and also disguises the coconut flavor for those who are less than excited about it. If you do like the taste of coconut, you can also use melted coconut oil in place of melted butter to coat the popcorn!
5.  Spread softened coconut oil on bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – this is a great way to sneak in the germ-fighting goodness of coconut oil into those school lunches!
6. Mix a spoonful into cooked oatmeal, along with with your usual toppings, like cream and honey.
7. Add a spoonful to warm drinks, like herbal teas or my personal favorite: a warm infusion of fresh grated ginger, lemon and honey. (To make the infusion, pour boiling water over the ginger, lemon juice and honey and let steep for 3-4 minutes before adding the oil.)
8. Add a bit of melted coconut oil to yogurt with honey, mixing well.
9. Saute and roast vegetables in coconut oil in place of olive oil.
10. Coconut Oil Fudge from Passionate Homemaking – this is a great chocolatey treat! I give these to my son as a reward for taking his cod liver oil and as a dessert – it’s super healthy and delicious (and using raw honey makes it even better for you!).
11. Added by Stacy:  Passionate Homemaking has another great idea, Healthy Peppermint Patties.  I keep them in the freezer and one or two hits the spot after dinner for a little sweet something.  It's one of those things that I don't really want a ton of so it helps me not gorge on other sweet things. 

If you don't like coconuts go to the How to peel onions link above and it has some ideas with some that don't taste like coconuts.
Go on out and get you some!!!

*Update:  Last night I found this blog....Crunchy Betty...check out her blog about Coconut Oil.....WHOA DUDE WHOA!

Whole chicken

Do you have a husband who loves protein?  My husband does!  He always says, "I need PROTEIN!"  I am always trying to save money on meat and have found that chicken drumsticks are really cheap but take FOREVER (meaning more than 10 minutes) to cook.  So I've pulled out the old crock pot and gone nuts! Here are a few recipes I've found and have been a HUGE hit! 
1) Super Garlic Chicken Legs
2) Chicken legs with some broth and random spices turned on low for about 7 hours (mine)
3) Whole chicken, haven't tried this but I can't wait to try and they have several recipes! *Update:  I did this and it's awesome! I suggest adding a lot more spices than she does.  I put some cut up onion, garlic and carrot along with some salt and random spices.  Then I made the stock like she suggests.  I put it in ice cube trays and then popped out the cubes and have them all in a freezer bag.   I grab a couple whenever I need them.  Today I made some awesome rice!  It put in about 10 cubes plus some water to make up for the rest of the liquid I needed and alson some chopped up red pepper, onion and garlic, salt and olive oil.  It was so good! 



Chicken stock frozen cubes

4) Baking a whole chicken:  I copied the way my Chef Bro made our Thanksgiving turkey the year before and boy did it turn out well.  Inject with Tony Chachere's Marinade Injectables, stuff the chicken (or turkey) with quatered lemons and oranges, and push some fresh rosemary, thyme and lots of ooey, gooey butter under the skin.  Bake for a few hours.... slice or tear if you are me and ENJOY!!

This stuff is really stinkin' good!

Comment on any other good, frugal recipes you have whether chicken, crockpot or not!  Thanks!

Smooth as a baby's bottom

As mentioned in my previous blog, I wanted to change some beauty products for a number of reasons.  I'm going to make this blog short, sweet and to the point because I'm totally absorbed in Lock Up Raw.  Don't judge me. 

So I wasn't even looking for a new moisturizer but the more I looked around at different things, the more I kept seeing coconut oil and how I can use it for everything.  It's obviously edible, you can use it for moisturizer, body lotion, hair conditioner, butter, drizzle it on popcorn, etc. etc. etc.  I HAD TO GET IT!!! I bought some in the organic section.  It was $10, I've used it for deodorant, facial moisturizer and body lotion (just a couple of times) and I still have a ton left.  Then, I found some that wasn't organic, I haven't used it yet, I am using it for food.  It is 31.5 oz. for $5.  CHEAP!!!  I made some Healthy Peppermint Patties with the non-organic and they were a HUGE hit at a friend's New Year's party. Both are pictured below.

Long story short....go get some coconut oil!  I love it on my face, legs (makes 'em really sexy smooth ALL day!), in my pits, and next I'm going to cook something with it!!

Gettin' off the eye gunk...

I love make-up, lotions and just beauty products in general.  I sell one of the nation's top make-up and skin care products so I'm probably talking myself out of a job here but I just want to give you options!  First, the products I sell occasionally truly are amazing but there are a few things that contributed to my changing:

1)  Save money because even with my 50% discount I spend a lot of money on buying those products.

2)  I have almost no problems skin-wise.  Very little acne and it's some woman hormonal acne so it doesn't I could wash my face with alcohol or the fat of my steak and it wouldn't change the acne.  It's not zits, it's just red bumps that peel a lot. 

3) While I don't have skin problems, I do have very sensitive skin.  I have had allergic reactions to hypo-allergenic products where my whole face swells and turns bright red....that's really attractive.  I'm very pale with freckles and red tinted or just flat red if I am cold, hot or drink like 2 sips of wine. 

4) I have to change stuff up or I think I would lose my mind.  I just get bored with things and have to change.  For example, my mom who I am very close to, we even bought a house a 1/2 mile from her, can literally eat the same meal for years and I do mean years!  I can eat something MAX 5 times and then I start gagging.  Anyways.....I need change!!

I was looking for a way to get my eye make-up off with that didn't cost so much.  Originally, I used the eye make-up remover I sell which is really amazing stuff that just melts the stuff off your face.  Then I needed a change and used the little towelettes which also work great but both of those are pretty expensive.  So, after that I bought the store brand of Neutrogena remover.  It's also great! I saw somewhere that you can use avocado oil to get your eye makeup remover off.  So of course, off I went on the hunt!  I found it at HEB by the olive oil.  I tried it on a cotton ball and it worked alright but the cotton ball sucked it up pretty fast and it didn't work very well, so I tried just using my fingers and it's awesome because it is thick like olive oil! I love it!  It doesn't burn my eyes and it gets my make-up off really well!  Here's the price breakdown:

-Eye make-up remover that I sell at my 50% discount: about $2.35/oz....YOWZERS!
-Store-brand Neutrogena: $0.87/oz......manageable but goes really fast!
-Avocado oil (I bought a huge bottle for $14, can't remember how many ounces and I am NOT a math person.): $0.60/oz and I have been using it for about 2 months with only my fingers and have not even used 1 oz.  SERIOUSLY!!!

*Update:  Coconut oil also works as an eye make-up remover so I read, I haven't tried it yet.  I have been using the avocado oil for about 2 months and literally have used less than an inch in the bottle.  Here's a picture of it!

This is a pretty big bottle so I poured it in my old eye make-up remover bottle and am using that. 

B.O. NO MORE!!!!

Alright, I have B.O., yep that's right, body odor.  I've always had to use deodorant soap and the strong deodorant, I think it's called the clinical kind, you know the EXPENSIVE KIND!!!! So as I got into all of this homemade stuff I came upon some homemade deodorant and just HAD to try it.  First I tried spraying on rubbing alcohol....that lasted one day and I had you guessed it BO by the end of the day.  So I poured that alcohol back into it's original bottle and went back to the expensive deodorant.  I will say that it said you had to give your body about 3 weeks to adjust but you see I love my husband and I love when he hugs me and I just didn't feel that being stinky for 3 weeks was the best thing for our marriage. 

A few weeks later I came upon this deodorant recipe.  As I read, the blogger talks about having made many different natural ways and none worked so I decided to try it and HALLELUJAH IT WORKS!!!!  It smells like heaven and so do I!!!  Then the tough test had to be passed....his name is Tito, my husband!  So one day after work I made him stick his nose in my pit and tell me if I still smelled good.  He approved and said I still smelled great!  Ok, now you may be thinking....come on Stacy, he's your husband and he's supposed to say things about how beautiful you are and you always smell like roses.  Well I don't know what your man is like but let me tell you about mine. 

First and most importantly, he's WONDERFUL!  I've never felt more beautiful, loved and as happy as I do with Tito but he's also honest!!  I need this kind of man who will get in my face and say....uh you're crazy woman!  Balance is really great in a marriage and I need that in your face kind of guy.  So anyways, he'll let me know if I'm STANKIN'.  He appreciates my homemaking insanity and the money it saves but he's the best person to tell me if it really works or not.  Maybe I should set up how many Titos my products win!  Sort of like how many stars you can rate something.  Deodorant gets 5 out of 5 Titos!! 

The blogger somewhere wrote why to use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch but I can't find it so I will write it here from memory.  Some cornstarches have talc and is believed to cause cancer...see the link.  They do have cornstarch that doesn't have talc.  I haven't really looked for it so I'm not sure how easy it is to find but I do know how to get your hands on arrowroot.  At HEB, the local grocery store they have spices in bulk and they had it there.  It's really cheap but buy more than the recipe falls for because the recipe may not be exact and you might have to add a little bit more to thicken it up. 

Make sure that you watch her video on how to make it, it helps! I added the peppermint and tea tree essential oils just like she suggested and I think you should!  Tea tree oil by itself smells awful but it's smell gets masked by the coconut and peppermint oils.  Also, if you don't like the smell of coconuts, you're crazy but that's beside the point.  You can by the refined kind and the smell is gone.  Good luck and enjoy your good smell!!!

*Update:  This was making me itch a little bit under my arms so I have made some adjustments as she suggests on passionatehomemaking.com.  Here's how she said it:
<< I am having issues with an itchy rash under my armpits. Any solutions?
Baking soda can be an irritant for some people. Try decreasing the baking soda by 1 Tbsp and replacing with more cornstarch/arrowroot powder. Itchiness can also often be related to applying this too soon after shaving. Wait an hour or two after shaving to apply. Add 1/4 cup shea butter or cocoa butter to the recipe for its healing benefits is another alternative. You also can try using arrowroot powder as it is more natural on the skin or make sure to choose a talc-free cornstarch. The final option is to apply a thin layer of aloe vera gel/juice to your skin for its healing benefits before applying the deodorant. It will help cool, refresh, and prevent irritations to the skin.>>

I did all of them, I added cocoa butter.  The verdict is still out so I'll let you know but here's me in my apron making it, the cocoa butter I used (it really does smell like chocolate, I, for some unknown reason never put together that it was actually from cocoa.....uuuhhhh duuuhhh Stacy) and a picture of it in the process.

Feeling overwhelmed by my genius?

As I was looking into all of this and wanting to make 10-15 things a day I had slow down, think and well think.  I was overwhelmed with wanting to make all of this stuff in order to save money but having to buy quite a few things that I don't normally keep in my house.  One thing that is very hard for me to do is slow down and not buy, buy, buy and make, make, make but I just had to buy a couple of things every time I went to the store and take it slow. 

Another thing that helps is to find a couple of things that you want to make that have a lot of the same ingredients and make those.  A lot of the things I have or will have on this blog fall into that category.

Last thing, look for things that you already have! There are a ton of things we have that we can use in other things or re-use.  Other things you just don't need after you become my disciple!  Is that blasphemy?  Well you know what I mean!!

Dishwasher Detergent

Hate spending money on dishwasher detergent, residue on dishes, food left on dishes?  Get ready for this one!  My new buddies at diynatural.com have done it again!  I'm telling you they are geniuses!  Check it out and then see below for my suggestions: Dishwasher Detergent  AND the best part is that it has some of the same ingredients as the laundry detergent plus two other CHEAP things. 

Stacy's Simply Sensible Suggestions:
1) As they suggested, I used Lemishine since I found it at my grocery store on the dish washing stuff aisle.  Again, I have really hard water and the recommended amount was leaving residue on my dishes so I added some more and it did the trick.  I made some for Mama and put in 3/4 cup of Lemishine and she likes it.  If you don't have hard water I would start with the recommended 1/2 cup and add some later if it leaves residue.
2) They say to shake it the first few days and they are joking.  I am infamous for not ready directions, if you don't believe me call Mama, I'm always getting myself into some kind of mess.  My wonderful hubby bailed me out of this one by smashing the plastic container it was in on the kitchen floor and the running it all through the food processor.  If you add more Lemishine later on do the shaking, stirring thing again unless you want my husband coming over and busting up your plastic containers. 
3) I had rice in mine as they suggested and it didn't help with the clumping.  I didn't put it in Mama's and she of course followed the shakin' and stirrin' directions and it didn't clump.
4) Remember vinegar?  The miracle liquid?  It's about to strike again!!!  The best thing since before sliced bread really is a great rinse agent. 

Have fun and for goodness sake, quit reading this blog, get off your lazy bum and wash those dishes!!!!

Fabric Softener

You are really going to think I lost my mind when I write what I use as fabric softener but I swear it works AND smells good. Ready for this???  Vinegar!  I know, here's what you are thinking, "Stacy, seriously?  That stuff smells like $*%^&#$%!!!!!!!!!!  No really, it works!!  Here's why:

1) It cleans the soap scum and lime deposits in your washer and if you live where there is some seriously hard water like Houston that's really awesome!
2) It helps avoid static in the dryer.  (Again, I like in Houston and static exists but isn't a huge deal, so I need someone in Dallas or farther North where you actually experience humidity below 90% and let me know if it really helps or not.) 
3) It KILLS smelly stuff.  Confession time--I have a horrible habit, much to my mother's dismay, of washing clothes and leaving it in the washer for several days.  My wonderful mother has tried to convince me all my life that the smell will permanently stay in the clothing but this vinegar KILLS it!  Also, if you get a little case of stinky shoes (again, I am human) it kills that too!  Stinky trashcan?  Pour some in there with water and wait half an hour or so dump and take a big whiff!!  AND...with the homemade insanity going on at my house I am saving all of my containers I use, jars, dishwashing soap bottles, etc.  I had a hard time pouring a household cleaner into a jar that smelled like pickles or spaghetti sauce SOOOO....guess what I did?!?!  Pour about a tablespoon of vinegar into the jar and fill it with water.  Put the lid on, give it a little shake and wait several hours (I usually wait about 24 hours). 

Moving on...
The website says to use 1/2 cup to 1 cup but I have a Downy ball and just fill it to the fill line.  The essential oils you use leave the clothes smelling great especially if you use the same scent in your detergent, I'm currently using Sweet Orange and it smells sooooo good!  

I tried the dryer sheets on the website, they do smell good but don't help with static.  I think maybe they were just for the smell and I just assumed they were for the static.  I have also tried these dryer balls except I bought them at HEB, they didn't work for me except to make a lot of noise.  Good luck and let me know how it works for you!

Laundry Detergent

All of this insanity started with homemade laundry detergent.  A friend of mine uses a liquid laundry detergent where you grate a bar of soap and pour boiling water over it.  It makes something like 10 gallons for $4.  That may be a little off but the point is it's CHEAP!  Well, I detest liquid laundry detergent because I'm not the world's most coordinated person and that stupid liquid gets everywhere. So began the search for a powder detergent and what I found was a couple of geniuses who have made a website that they have turned into a book.   While I have not bought the book, I have used a ton of their ideas and all of them are EXCELLENT!  Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent
My adaptations/suggestions:
-For ye of little patience -  Grate the bar of soap with a food processor.  This however leaves the pieces large and you will have to run the grated soap and powders in the chopping mechanism of the food processor to get it to a good consistency. 
-Essential oils that smell good - Lavender, lemon and lavender mix, sweet orange
The whole process takes 10-15 minutes and leaves clothes smelling fresh and clean!!!

Essential Oils...AMAZING!!!

Let's start with essential oils because they are in almost everything I have made.  What are essential oils, you ask?  Yeah, so did I!  Here is a site that I have found some really great info on and how they define essential oils:
Aroma Web  An essential oil is a liquid that is generally distilled (most frequently by steam or water) from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. Essential oils, contrary to the use of the word "oil" are not really oily-feeling at all. Most essential oils are clear, but some oils such as patchouli, orange and lemongrass are amber or yellow in color.

As you can see in the picture, they range in prices.  These bottles are 1.4 ounces (if my eyes are working trying to read that picture).
I use the amazing liquids for everything from acne, athlete's foot (yeah, I'm one hot little lady but I am still human and get athlete's foot on occasion), to cleaning products for the homestead.  I haven't even begun to scratch the surface on what you can use these for but I plan on continuing to research and find new uses. 

Where do I buy essential oils?  I live in the Houston area and have found them at my local grocery store that has a huge organic section but they also have a smaller selection at most grocery stores in the organic section.  If you have a local natural food store they will most likely have them there.  They are easy to find.  I'm pretty sure that Wal-mart has some.  They come in small bottles but last FOREVER so even if they are a little expensive, trust me, it is worth the money!  You will only have to use a few drops because they are SUPER concentrated. 

Here's a list of how I have used them a couple just to give you an idea:
-Tea Tree - apply to athlete's foot for a quick cure, apply to canker sores in mouth (beware of REALLY nasty taste that lasts for a few minutes.)
-Peppermint - Place on forehead to relieve headaches.  I have tried this once but it didn't work, my disclaimer is that I have migraines and I think that even a small headache for me is pretty intense for your average Joe so give it a try.
-Lemon - homemade laundry detergent, household cleaners
-Lavender - homemade laundry detergent or fabric softener

Essential oils can also be used for aromatherapy, disinfecting, and for medicinal purposes. 

Disinfecting Essential Oils

Make sure that you research the safety of all essential oils before you use them.  Some are not good for pregnant women, sensitive skin, etc.  My blog should ONLY be used as an introduction and NOT as your only information source.  I have only just learned about these myself.

Easy Aromatherapy Recipes

I think that this about sums it up but I will keep you updated on what I learn!

Welcome!

Hello and welcome!  Whether you are a friend, family or stranger I hope that you find something here that will help you save money, make something fun and/or practical.  My friends and family have been asking me what I am doing (not sure if it's because they think I'm crazy or just really cool, I prefer to think cool!)  and I have repeated it all so many times that I just have to start this blog to retain my sanity!  There may be quite a few posts at the beginning as I have to catch up on more than two months of experiments.  I will share other sites and blogs that have helped me, you see...I'm not the only person crazy enough to do all of this in my house, there are tons of us! If you are one of these people, let me know what you are doing and if you have any ideas, suggestions or questions.  Enjoy!