Helpful Hints and Handy Tips

Slip proof rug

2011-10-08T09:54:00.002-06:00

Any of you have hard wood floors? How about rugs for your hard wood floor? It wasn't until we moved into our current house with hard wood floor, that we needed some rugs. With the rugs came slipping and sliding and constant repositioning. Thanks to Martha Stewart, I learned that you can run lines of acrylic-latex caulk on the back of your rug, and it will keep it from sliding on your hard floors.

Beach Tips

2011-09-02T11:23:00.001-06:00

We recently enjoyed some time at the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful! It was cloudy and pretty cool two of the days we were there, requiring cloths, not swimming suites. Its fun to get wet in the ocean and play in the sand, but it can be a pain to get the sticky sand off your skin.

Baby powder helps get the wet sand off. Rub it onto your skin like you would lotion and the sand will come right off.

And if you go to a beach that has tar and get some of that stuck to you, using some paint thinner and a cloth you can rub it right off.

What to do when you can't find your phone...

2011-06-07T23:07:00.002-06:00

Today I found myself with quite the predicament. I couldn't find my cell phone. Now normally, this wouldn't be a problem if I had another phone I could call my cell phone with. Alas, Tim was at school with his cell phone and we don't have a home phone...
Enter- icantfindmyphone.com.
You can't find your cell phone? Go to this site, enter your cell phone number and it will CALL YOUR PHONE!! Isn't that amazing?? I think so. Well, I found my phone before a friend posted this little nugget of news on my facebook wall, but I am FOR SURE making note and using this site next time!

Cutting Brownies

2011-05-24T12:10:00.002-06:00

My friend Diana recently shared a nice little tip with me.

"If you want clean cut brownies, cut them while they are WARM and use a PLASTIC knife.

I think everyone has gone through the discouragement of having ugly edged brownies, after cutting them with a regular butter-knife. Switch to the plastic, my friends."

Special thanks to Diana for sharing the love of nicely cut brownies!

Child Medicine Dossage

2011-01-06T14:11:00.003-07:00

A dosage chart for children medicine by weight is super helpful to have when the little ones are sick. We have a copy printed off and in an accessible place. If you don't have one already, there you go! Also on the link there are hints for you involving fevers. It seems that my children have been sick since it got cold. Not very fun, but I have been so thankful to have this dosage chart handy!

Hard Boiled Eggs

2010-12-04T08:00:00.001-07:00

I know it seems pointless to blog some hints about hard boiling an egg, after all, its not rocket science. How hard can it be??

Well, its not that hard but I find these tips helpful when boiling my eggs.

If you fill the pan with cold water then add the eggs and put on the stove, the eggs will be MUCH easier to peal once cooked.

And if you don't have a helpful egg timer of some sort and want to know if your egg is hard inside, remove and egg and lay it on its side like so

then spin it like a top. If it is hard inside, it will spin quickly, if it is still soft inside, it will wobble and not spin very well.

Happy Hard Boiling!

To be a Mother

2010-10-08T22:26:00.004-06:00

As every mother knows, there are ups and downs with parenting. My friend directed me to this fabulous blog, of a wonderful woman named Jane who is a mother of 11. Other mothers write her with questions about parenting and then she replies on her blog. I have read only a few letter replies and I am hooked.
Have a problem with one of your kids and want advice from an expert? Drop Jane a line. :)

Free Internet Filter

2010-05-13T09:08:00.006-06:00

For those of you who have children, there is no reason or excuse to not have an Internet filter if they use the computer. For those of you who don't have children, you should have certain things blocked while you use the Internet, because no matter what your age, some things are simply inappropriate.
K9 Web Protection is a FREE Internet filter. It is our favorite! You can block whole categories, like alternative s*xuality, gambling, pornography, adult/mature content, violence, nudity, etc.

After hearing a very sad story of a young 12 year old boy having problems that I'm sure could have been prevented or at least helped with an Internet filter, I encourage all of you to download the K9 filter. If not for your children, then for you!

Cleaning the Microwave

2010-04-17T19:38:00.003-06:00

How many of you hate to scrub your microwave? I feel like there can be much time spent scrubbing with little result. THAT IS until I learned the easiest way to clean a microwave oven.

In a microwave safe bowl put some water and some lemon juice (a table spoon or two). Heat in your microwave to a boil, 2-3 minutes. The citric acid from the lemon juice will loosen the grease and residue. I tired this and just whipped the microwave clean with a warm wet wash cloth. This method works so well! Try it and you will see. :)

Great deal on Toy Story!

2010-03-27T07:32:00.003-06:00

Alrighty, I found this info on another site, but since I don't have time to retype the info in my own words and want you all to get this information before the sale is over, I'll site where I got it... here. Everything that was on here site is here on this site.

Read below for the info and follow the directions. The sale ends today, March 27th.

As you may know, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 will be released on Tuesday, March 23rd! To get ready for this upcoming release you’ll want to print a couple great coupons. Just head on over to Disney Movie Rewards and login or register for an account. After doing so, enter this code 786936294507 in the orange box that states “Enter Code” in the middle of the right side of the page. You will then be able to click on a link to print a coupon valid for $10 off Toy Story Blu-ray / DVD Combo pack. After printing that coupon (you should be able to print twice by hitting you browser back button), enter this code 786936294521 to print a coupon valid for $10 off Toy Story 2 Blu-ray / DVD Combo pack!

..AND get this, not ONLY can you use these sweet coupons to score an awesome deal…. BUT each Toy Story Blu-ray / DVD Combo pack will contain a movie ticket (valued up to $8.50) to see Toy Story 3 in June!

So where’s the best place to snatch this movie up when it’s released on Tuesday?! Well, it appears to be Toys R Us. They will be offering up the Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs for just $16.99 each when you buy both in the same transaction.

Toys R Us Deal Scenario:
Toy Story Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack $16.99
Toy Story 2 Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack $16.99
Total = $33.98
Use two $10/1 coupons from above
Pay $13.98
PLUS, then you’ll have 2 FREE Movie Tickets (valued at up to $8.50 each)!!

Know that Walmart, Best Buy, and Target all price match if your Toys R Us is out of the movies, make a few calls before you leave to go buy them to find a store that still has them. I had to price match at Target.

Munchkin Snack Catcher

2010-03-16T10:25:00.005-06:00

Have any of you seen these? They are Munchkin Snack Catchers. They are have completely changed the way we do snacking, especially in the car and during sacrament meeting. Notice the lid. They are cut so that a little hand can go into the lid, pull out a little snack but keep the rest of the snack still in the cup. You can turn the whole cup full of treats/snacks up side down and nothing will spill out. We love them!
I have not found them at Walmart or Target, but have had better luck with grocery stores and online. At the store, they are about $6 for a two pack, but they are cheaper online (before shipping.) I suggest that if you have small kids, or know someone with small kids, you look into them. They are oh so convenient and helpful!

Homemade Multipurpose Cleaning Solution

2010-02-24T08:00:00.007-07:00

After many dollars spent on various cleaning products to scour my sinks, scrub my counters, table, to mop my floor, I decided I'd had enough.

Enter Homemade Multipurpose Cleaning Solution

About two years ago I on Studio 5 (a local morning show in Utah), they made a simple homemade cleaner in a spray bottle. I wrote it down, then made the marks on my spray bottle and got rid of the recipe. Do not despair, as the exact measurements are not key to this great solution. I decided I would make the recipe and write down what I put in it so that you the reader would know what I put in it, if you are one who is not comfortable with just pouring ingredients and like to measure.

What you will need:

spray bottle
borax
white vinegar
hot water
liquid dish soap

In the spray bottle put 3-4 tablespoons borax, 3/4-1 cup white distilled vinegar, and a squirt of dish soap (about 2-3 tablespoons). Fill the spray bottle to the top with hot tap water. Shake lightly to mix ingredients.
I am one who doesn't measure so if you are like me, just pour away and it should work out just fine. :)

Lets just say that I love this cleaner! It works so well. I use this homemade cleaning solution for most everything. It is a great disinfectant. I love that I can scour my sinks and not worry about the chemicals left behind because there are none. I can bleach my sink and not worry about us all dying from chemicals mixing if I didn't rinse the sink well enough. I love that there are no fumes left by this cleaner, less head aches and no danger while cleaning if you're pregnant. For those of you with pets and small children it is great to know that it is safe to use around them and economically friendly.

Just a pot scraper?

2010-02-23T10:04:00.004-07:00

How many of you have a pot scraper? I didn't have one for a long time and decided to buy it when I got a baking stone. Let me tell you, they are amazing! They are great for scraping dry glue stick of table tops, dry, stuck food off of stoves, any random food that is stuck to your floor, etc. I have one for counters, table, and stove cleaning, one to scrape things off the floor when I mop, and one for dishes. This little gadgets are super helpful is all different kinds of ways. I payed $0.99 cents for each of mine. My favorite one I have found is from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I couldn't find a picture of it but it comes with a little handle on one side that helps you grip it better. May I suggest that if you don't have one, that you pay the dollar and at least one, to see all the amazing ways you can use it for cleaning.

Programmable Thermostat

2010-02-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for not posting in such a long time. Lets just say, morning sickness is not my favorite.

In December while at Costco, we picked up a new thermostat for our house. It is programmable by day and time. It was around $50. We came home and installed it and programed it.
I love that we set the temperature to go down to 62 degrees around 10pm every night. It gets cold, and gets us to bed sooner. :) We have it set to go up to 68 degrees at 7:30am. By then we are usually all awake and up and going. (Know that we have horrible windows in our house so you may be able to set your thermostat even lower than we do and be comfortable.)

I must say that the saving we have had on our bill are quite significant. I suggest that if you own a home, and don't already have a programmable thermostat that you look into one. They are definitely worth the investment.

Dish Washing Detergent

2010-01-09T15:05:00.001-07:00

Because I have been struggling with morning sickness, things go unattended to and I've not made it to the store as often as I have needed. That being said, necessity is the mother of invention.

I ran out of dish washing detergent for our dish washer. I hopped on line and searched for a home made recipe.

Behold, the world's cheapest way to wash dishes!

What you will need:
washing soda
borax
white distilled vinegar

Mix equal parts washing soda and borax together (both two of the cheapest washing products under the sun). I did a half of a cup of each in a plastic Tupperware. Mix/shake ingredients together so they are mixed well. To wash a load of dishes dump 1 tsp of mixture, yes folks, only 1 teaspoon of the mixture into the bottom of your dish washer. Fill the compartment that is labeled for detergent, ( the one that pops open to release the stuff, not the one that has the holes for the detergent to leak out) use with distilled vinegar. (I put some vinegar into a squirt bottle and don't even measure this out just squirt until it is almost full. I can't imagine that i use fore than 1/4 C vinegar for each load.) Then run your dishes as you normally do.

Know that your dishes will NOT smell like vinegar after they are washed. Trust me, I currently have a pregnant nose and would know if they did. This has been wonderfully helpful and it took awhile for me to perfect. The measurement was not right on the recipe I found so I had to come up with what would work. If you use too much borax/washing soda mixture, your dishes will be covered in subtle white residue. I also poured my vinegar into the rinsing boost place in my dish washer and there was the same white residue. Be sure to follow the directions I outlined and your dishes should come out nice and clean!

Try it out. It will save you $$ and tips to the store. :)

Blemish Tool

2009-12-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

I know what your thinking. Is here really a tool for a skin blemish??

Yes, and I call it the zit tool. Not many people know about it. It happens to be one of my favorite things ever. I use it daily for white or black heads. I know it might be T.M.I., but if you knew about it and I didn't and I found out that you knew all along and didn't tell me, I would feel bad. I got mine at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Walmart carries one. This picture is from the one sold on Amazon. I paid around $10 for mine more than 4 years ago. Its is as important to me as a good pair of eyebrow tweezers.

Christmas Cards

2009-11-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you who send out Christmas cards this is invaluable information.
You can get 50 free cards from SeeHere Photo Sharing. I just ordered mine and had to pay some for shipping which was less than $4.
The promotion code you use is code "freebies4mom-1109" and it expires on Nov 30. If you have pictures ready to go, I would suggest you order them asap. The discounted shipping is 7 business days. Here is a little peek at what our Christmas cards will look like:

Deseret Book

2009-11-19T14:09:00.001-07:00

I know all of you out there can appreciate a good book. I know I do. Well, what about a free download of a book?? Don't think its possible? Think again.
My good friend Lisa told me about this. Deseret Book has a site of books you can down load for free. There is only one book offered that I have read already. Its 10 Secrets Wise Parents Know and would definitely recommend it. From what I hear from my siblings, parenting through the teen aged years can be tricky, but this book give some great ideas on how to avoid some of the struggles.

Check it out, or uh, down load for free!
http://deseretbook.com/free

Minty

2009-11-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of Mint.com? Its free personal finance software, money management online, and budget planner . You can link your bank accounts and set up a great itemized budget all for free. You will get emails notifying you when you are close to your spending cap in your different budget areas, or if you have gone over in any area.
We love it. It is very secure website. Check it out!

Thirsty??

2009-10-29T10:25:00.001-06:00

Ever heard of Tummy Tickler Apple Juice? Walmart carries a three pack for around $4. The containers come filled with apple juice and the lid is spill-proof. They are dishwasher safe (just cut off the label before you wash it). The lids are interchangeable and come with cute cartoon carachters on them. We have Clifford, Bob-the-builder, Princess, and Little Einsteins lids. I have also seen lids with Sesame St characters. I like them much better than spill-proof sippy/straw cups (parts are not interchangeable with different brands, and if you loose a piece, the cup is no longer good). So next time you're at the Walmart, mozie on over to the juice isle and pick up some Tummy Ticklers. You'll thank me later. ;^D

Cause You Know You'll be Baking a Pie This Fall

2009-10-17T08:10:00.000-06:00

This is my new favorite tip ever! I can't believe I had never heard of it before this last week. It is for pie making, which I am all over. I love baking pie, eating pie, serving pie, I just love pie!
When baking a pie it will tell you to cover the edges with foil so they don't over brown during the baking process. I used to fold thin (4-5 in. wide) pieces of foil together to make a long strip and then fold them over the edge of the pie.
That will never happening again.

The new technique:
-pull out just more than enough foil to cover your pie plate
-tear off the square of foil and fold into quarters
-cut a sizable arch from the center corner of the foil (this will result in a big circle shaped whole)
-unfold and place over pie, gently tighten edges of foil around rim of pie, and bake!

Seriously, so much easier than what I used to do!

Rice-A-Roni

2009-10-12T14:21:00.000-06:00

Because I am cheap, we have bought this stuff before. To make my cheapness extend as much as possible, I have discovered how to make a box of Rice-a-Roni extend into an entire meal.
For those of you who have had the privileged of feeding my husband and/or children, you know that they are eaters! Before I perfected my Rice-A- Roni meal, a box of this was near useless in feeding my family.

Here is what I do:
I add an extra 1/4-1/2 C plain rice, white or brown, to the rice mix from the box.
I follow the regular instructions, just using a larger pan. If it says fry rice, I fry all of the rice- my added rice included. Then when it comes time to add the water, I add twice as much water as I did my extra rice in addition to what it calls for on the box, (ie: 1/2 C extra rice, add 1 C extra water, if it was only 1/4 C extra rice I only add 1/2 C water.) Then I add chicken. If you want to add raw chicken, add it right after the water and seasoning, stir in, cover and cook for the required time. If you add canned chicken, you can add it when you have 7 minutes or so to go in your cook time. Then, I always add a vegetable to the top of the rice and chicken 5-7 minutes before the cooking time is complete.
For the chicken and broccoli Rice-a-Roni, I add broccoli. For the chicken fajita, I add 1 chopped green bell pepper, etc.

There you have it. A meal in a box. Better for you than hamburger helper and most of the time cheaper. When you can get Rice-A-Roni on sale for 69 cents a box and already have frozen veggies in your freezer and left over/canned chicken meat from a meal, that makes out to be a super cheap, easy meal for the whole family.

Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs

2009-10-07T09:34:00.000-06:00

The Disney BuleRay edition of Snow White came out yesterday. At walmart, you can buy it for $19.99. BUT before you do- go to snowwhiteoffer.com and print your $10.00 off coupon. Yes, then you will get a brand new Disney BlueRay for $9.99!

ps: if you already bought it before you found out about the coupon like I did, take in the coupon and your receipt. They refunded me the difference no problem. :)

pps: I forgot to mention that if you don't have a BlueRay player- you still want to buy it, as it is a BlueRay/DVD combo.

Put out the fire!

2009-09-29T13:57:00.000-06:00

We have to put the dog dish on the stove (ideally it would be the counter but the place where it is out of the way is by the back door, which is right next to the stove) when it is not in use because Miles likes to eat the dog food and play in the water. Amelia has been vigilant about watching out for Miles and the dish.

A few days ago I had finished processing some jars so I moved my steam canner to the sink. The element on the stove was still super hot. As usual, Miles was making his way for the dog food. Amelia, being on the look out, promptly moved the plastic dish to the top of the hot stove. Melted plastic dish and smoke ensued. I grabbed for our baking soda and dumped a generous amount of it onto the plastic that was melting/melted onto the element and the smoking stopped. Once it had cooled completely, it was much easier to scrape off (than it would have been without the baking soda).
Keep baking soda above your stove in case of melting plastic or small oil fires. It will smother the flames and stop the smoke.

Yeast Daiper Rash??

2009-09-26T09:01:00.000-06:00

For those mothers out there, I would be shocked if none of your babies have ever had a yeast diaper rash. Many of you know that you can get a perscription of Nystanin yeast diaper rash ointment from your doctor. But did you also know that there is an over the counter product that works to treat yeast rash??
True story: We were on vacation in OR and Amelia and Miles had yeast diaper rashes from the antibiotics they were taking for their ear infections. I asked my father-in-law, who is a doctor, to call in a prescription for Nystatin. He told me to just pick up some Lamisil when were in town at Walmart, that it has the same active ingredient and would work just as well.
Sure enough, Lamisil did he trick for both bums.

Save at Savers

2009-09-25T14:29:00.000-06:00

Did you know that there are coupons to use at Savers Thrift Store??
I didn't, until one time I was checking out and the lady at the register asked if I had a coupon to use for the transaction. I was a little confused and asked her how I would get coupons? She said that when you donate stuff, you ask for a coupon and they will give you one to use on a future purchase.
I was a bit bummed seeing as I had taken loads and loads of stuff in the past to Savers and none of the men working offered me a coupon for my donations. Apparently this is something they don't offer you, you must know about it and ask for it.
Now every time I go to drop off stuff to my neighborhood Savers donation center, I am sure to ask for a coupon.

Get rid of the wall paper!

2009-09-16T11:11:00.000-06:00

Some of you know that I am in the midst of a "Repainting the kitchen!" project. For this to happen, I first had to take down wall paper the covered the upper half of my kitchen walls. (The bottom half was paneling which is a different story entirely.) This has near been the death of me! I spent roughly 6 hours scraping a 6x4 foot area, after puncturing the paper with the hole gadget ("the paper tiger", but lets face it, hole gadget sounds cooler), before hand, then using the special gel/non-drip wall paper remover that I bought at the Home Depot, ). Needless to say after hours of work, and little result, I was not the happiest of campers. Thankfully a dear friend came to the rescue and told me this tip. The results were almost instant and it gave me the courage to continue scraping the wall paper. I am happy to report the walls of my kitchen are near paperless!
Here's what to do:
Pull the top layer of paper off the walls (this shouldn't be difficult). Put some dish soap in a spray bottle with hot water and spray down the walls. Let it set for a few minutes (3-7). Using a putty knife, scrape the glue gunk wall paper right off!!
Why this bit of information isn't in every do-it-yourself book and web site proclaiming to have tips for removing wall paper, is beyond me. But you found it here!

Sour Cream

2009-08-20T08:35:00.000-06:00

You take a spoonful of sour cream out of the container and return it to the fridge. Time passes, and later you return for more sour cream and there is liquid separated and pooled in the bottom of the concavity.
Next time, take your spoon and level out the sour cream. This will prevent the liquid separation.

Easy Chocolate Mousse

2009-08-01T11:33:00.001-06:00

Folks, chocolate mousse is delicious. And here's an easy way to make it.

What you'll need:
Chocolate pudding mix
Heavy whipping cream
Yes, that is it.

Make the pudding mix with whipping cream rather than the milk it asks for.
This will make super thick, rich chocolate mousse. If you want to get fancy garnish with shaved chocolate or drizzle with chocolate or caramel syrup. So yummy!

Trimming Roses

2009-07-13T11:38:00.000-06:00

I love roses! I remember caring for the rose bushes in our front yard with my grandma, while I was growing up. I never got much farther than holding the hose to water and pulling weeds, before she passed away and we moved from those roses. Now with my own house I have a few rose bushes and I just LOVE them! Last summer, after the first buds bloomed, no more really grew. I was totally bummed. Later in the season, I learned how to properly trim the roses so that you will maximize the production of blooming buds. I have been doing it this summer and they keep coming!

7 leaf cluster

Here is what you do. Once the rose petals fall off and you are left with the empty center, follow the stem down to the nearest 5 leaf cluster ( I couldn't find a picture of a 5 leaf cluster, but you can get the idea from the 7 leaf cluster seen above). Trim to just above that 5 leaf cluster. I love that it is so simple and yet I had no idea that is how you do it. I used to just trim off the ugly-looking-empty-what-used-to-be-a-rose part. Trimming to that 5 leaf cluster has made such a HUGE difference. Now you know. :)

Want to learn a 2nd language?

2009-07-10T18:24:00.000-06:00

I learned from a blog that I read (Thanks Karla!) that you can learn a second language for free through many libraries websites and Mango Languages.

You can go to mangolanguages.com, type in your zip code and it will tell you what libraries in your area offer their card holder's the ability to take lessons for free. It is great! I have been wanting to learn German but have not had resources available.

Mango Languages offer lessons in:
Russian
Spanish
Greek
Mandarin Chinese
French
Portuguese
Italian
and German

Now with my Orem City Library card, I can log on to their web site, lib.orem.org, and take lessons free of charge. For more info on using Mango Languages with your Orem library card, go here.

Like Tucanos?

2009-07-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

Did you know that you can sign up to get a free meal from Tucanos the month of your birthday? Sign up with Club Tucano s. A postcard coupon will show up in the mail at the end of the month before your birthday month. Sign yourself and your spouse up! Happy Birthday eating!

Permanent Marker on Dry Erase Board

2009-07-06T19:43:00.000-06:00

If you ever get permanent marker on the dry eraser by mistake, there is a simple solution. Take a dry erase marker and draw over the permanent marker, and wipe away. It will be gone!

What to do with dry beans?

2009-07-03T16:51:00.000-06:00

I, like many of you, was at a loss when it comes to cooking dry beans. All of my previous attempts were for naught. This is, until a good friend (who is an expert at cooking beans) told me the best way to cook them.

In a crock pot place-
1 lb. bag of dry bean of choice
6 C water
Clove of garlic
1/2 onion (I prefer mine diced)

Cook on high for at least 3.5 hours or until bean is soft. Salt to taste.
You can use this recipe for any kind of bean, pinto, black, kidney, etc.
The onion and garlic help prevent gas.
You can even re-fry them in a little oil on the stove top if you like re-fried beans.

This bean recipe will change your life. It's changed mine. So easy. So cheap.
Enjoy!

First Birthday Cake

2009-07-01T10:22:00.000-06:00

Did you know that Albertson's will give you a 1st birthday cake for free?! Just call the bakery a few days before you want the cake, give them your information, choose white or chocolate and the kind of frosting you want, and get a round one layer first birthday cake at no charge!

Super Value Laundry Detergent

2009-07-01T09:06:00.001-06:00

This is a great recipe for home made laundry detergent. The ingredients (washing soda and borax) cost about $5.00 at walmart, and will make quite a few recipes. I STRONGLY recommend this laundry soap. It is inexpensive and does a good job of cleaning. It doesn't leave a strong scent in the cloths, just a nice general clean smell. Try it out and see if it is something you want to do to save your family some money. The recipe costs approximately $2.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

-4 Cups hot tap water
-1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (You can try other soap, just be sure to use one that is not highly perfumed.)
-1 Cup Washing Soda
-½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

Kids and Cafe Rio

2009-06-30T11:09:00.000-06:00

Did you know that when you go to Cafe Rio you can get a kids quesodilla for free? With the order of our meals, to stay, you get complementary meals for the kids you have with you. When Tim and I go there we always ask for two kids quesodilla and it comes at no extra charge!

Also at Cafe Rio, you can ask for whole wheat tortillas. They are super tasty!

WElcoMe

2009-06-30T11:02:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my new blog. After reading a post on my niece's blog about some helpful things I have taught her to save money, I decided that all of you should benefit too! Check here for ideas and information that will help you save money, time, and energy.