DIY Blush for only 1¢!

I came across this DIY tip on Pinterest and thought it was so clever!  Head over to My American Confessions to see how she makes her own blush for only a penny!  It looks so easy to whip up and customizable!

Easy DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe!

A big pile of laundry was waiting for me today, but when I went to start the first load I discovered that one of the kids had used the last of the laundry soap.  "Make laundry detergent" was on my to-do list for a few weeks, but I had been putting it off -- so now was as good a time as any!

I usually use All Free and Clear, but the first time I made this I was thoroughly impressed!  It's so easy to make and extremely cheap -- about 1¢ a load (from cost breakdowns I've seen on other websites) -- compared to Tide at about 19-20¢/load from what I see on the Walmart website!

My toddler "helped me" test out the first load by wetting the bed -- "pee sheets" are some of the worst laundry loads I think.  It took out the smell beautifully and they smelled fresh and clean with just one regular cycle - no soaking or anything!  I was instantly won over.  =)


So this morning I got my supplies and helper together and whipped up another batch! 

The basic recipe:

• 1 c. Borax
• 1 c. Washing Soda (not the same as baking soda!)
• 1 bar soap, shredded (many recipes use Fels Naptha, but I've heard that it really doesn't matter, so I picked one that smelled great and was on sale)

I also added these optional ingredients:

• 1 c. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 c. Purex Crystals (they smell amazing and soften your laundry without oil - so it doesn't ruin the wicking ability of towels and exercise apparel)

I shredded the bar of soap into a bowl with a microplane, then Emma helped me add the rest of the ingredients.
(Since then, I've also shredded it in a food processor after drying the bar on the counter for a few days.  Or if you use Ivory, you can try this cool trick in the microwave instead of shredding!)

I stirred it all together and then put it into the now empty Purex Crystals container.

I was going to use a pretty glass jar, but I thought the plastic bottle might be safer for the kids to use.

• I use 1 Tablespoon per load -- but if you have a really grubby load, you could go crazy and use 2 Tbs. for only 2¢!  ;)  (it may seem strange at first to use so little, but it has no fillers - only what it needs to do the job)
• It's important to note that this does not get sudsy -- commercial detergents have things added to make them get bubbly and "look" like they're working, but it's not the bubbles that do the cleaning 
• From my research, I've found that this works great and safely in HE (high efficiency) machines because it doesn't suds up
• I found the ingredients in the laundry aisle at WalMart (but if you want them shipped to you, I've included links to the products above to be able to buy them online also)

Pin it, share it, and let me know how you like it!   =)

Save Money by Contacting Companies About Their Products!

A friend of mine just reminded me of a GREAT money-saving tip: Contact companies when a product does not meet your expectations!  They want to make customers happy and want to know that they're providing a good product.....if something's wrong they will often make it right with a free product coupon.  With a simple phone call or email you give them valuable feedback and are usually rewarded for it.  An 800 number is often printed on the package, but you could also easily look up contact info online.

Here are just a few examples of companies that I've contacted with good results:

• VanKamp's - there were only 9 fillets in a 10ct box, so I called and they sent a free product coupon
• Pampers and Huggies - I have gotten quite a few free diaper packages when diapers are defective (tabs that come off, too many that leak, hard and scratchy liners....etc.)
• Clairol and L'Oreal - when the hair dye hasn't covered well or the bottle cracked, I've called and they've been kind enough to send replacement coupons

A couple tips to get the best results:
~ Be friendly.....even if you're unhappy with a product, be kind and courteous.
~ Remember that they'll want to know some information (like the expiration date, numbers stamped on the package, etc.), so if possible, keep the package to be the most helpful. 
~ I think this goes without saying, but honesty is key - it's perfectly ok to expect companies to stand behind their products, but don't call or email just to get free stuff.

AND, don't just call to complain -- I've gotten good response from companies when I've emailed/called about how much I LIKE their product too - sometimes they'll send cents off coupons, sometimes free product coupons, and I love to just let them know when they're doing a good job too.

Entryway Organization with a $2 Yard Sale Find!

This past weekend was a beautifully sunshiny day for yard saling.  I came across this little cubby/shelf thingy for $2.....

I wasn't sure what I'd do with it right away, but there were so many possibilities - organization in the laundry room, kids play room, kids closets....the only problem now was deciding.

When I came into the house I saw the "shoe-palooza" that our entryway had become.....and with embarrassment I show you the pictures.....*blush. 

The kids keep their shoes and backpacks here, and we have a "1-pair of shoes per person in the entry" rule (except for Emma who's 4, because I don't want to run up to her closet to get the right pair for the day, so she gets that wired basket). 
Without a way to corral them though, they tend to sprawl all over the floor and the kids "forget" how many shoes they already have there.  It makes me crazy to walk through this every time I come home.

As I dusted off the cubby shelf thing I had just bought, I realized that it would be perfect for containing the shoe monster!  So I cleared out the whole area, vacuumed it, realigned the rugs, and set up the new shoe station.

2 of the kids are in running after school (cross-country and Girls on the Run), so they often wear a couple different pairs of shoes in a day......I changed the rule to 2 pairs per kid, but they must stay in their assigned cuibby.  I love that it goes vertical and keeps more of the floor clean.....we're 3 days in and so far so good!  =)  It was a great $2 organizational fix!

 

2 Minutes to Extend the Life of Your Dryer -- and Save Money on Utility Bills Too!

{these are not mine.....but a girl can dream right?}

I recently found this great pin on Pinterest called "17 Tips to Make Your Life Easier".  I was immediately interested and pinned it to check it out another day.  I finally got around to reading it and there were some great money and time saving nuggets in there!!

One of them was to make sure your clean your dryer's lint filter because dryer sheets create a waxy build-up and prevent the lint screen from working as well.  It keeps the damp air from escaping the dryer so it's less efficient.....running longer and using more energy/gas....which means more money out of your pocket!  AND, it can cause the heating unit to burn out, sending your dryer to appliance heaven....or even worse -- cause a fire!

{before washing the screen}

I thought I'd check this out on my own lint screen and it worked great!  When I first ran water onto the screen, it pooled and drained slowly.  It only took a minute or so to put some hot soapy water in the sink and scrub it with a toothbrush I reserve for doing dishes.  Then I rinsed the suds off and the water ran right through!  I can only imagine how much easier the air will pass through!

This discovery was perfectly timed, because the kids had just been mentioning that their laundry was coming out a little damp even after running a complete cycle.  I hadn't noticed that myself......but maybe that's because my baskets of laundry often sit for a few days.....so maybe they dry out by then?  ;)

{after cleaning it....see how the water goes right through?}

I'm looking forward to seeing if we notice a difference.  But even if we don't see the change, my mind is at ease knowing that it's running safer than before.  I thought I should share the tip with you to help you save money and extend the life of your appliance -- and, it's really quick and easy to do!  My favorite kind of super savings!  ;)




You might also be interested in:

• FREE Lysol Dual Action Disinfecting Wipes!
• 2 FREE Renuzit Fresh Accent air fresheners + a Moneymaker!
  
  

DIY: How to Save Money on Haircuts at Home!

Cutting hair at home is a great way to save money.  It tends to make people a little nervous since we're not all "professionals", but it's nothing to be scared of!  There are so many resources available to learn how, and hair grows back, so it's not all that risky.

I have a few very talented friends who cut hair professionally, and do a wonderful job, but at $10-40 a pop with a family of 7 it's just not in the budget.

We recently had family pictures taken and I realized the day before, that my oldest two boys had both nearly turned into "Cousin It".  They both like their hair a little "beachy" long, but I knew it was getting too long. 

I normally cut the family's hair myself, but since I had very little time before pictures, I thought real seriously about taking them somewhere to get it done.  I tried to convince myself that it would be worth it to spend the money (2 boys haircuts + tip + gas to get to the mall = $35ish)......but then I remembered a couple times we took them somewhere to get it done "right" and it......um, wasn't.  I always thought that you can't hardly mess up a boys haircut, and I was proved wrong!  So, I decided to risk it - I don't do a bad job (IMHO), but family pictures are a bad time to possibly make a mistake that you hope will "grow out", but have no time for!

Here's my oldest before:

{11 days before family pictures - cute, but I wanted to see his eyes!}

 {beginning of the haircut, after spraying it to get damp}

After:

 

This cut was a little bit of a challenge, because he wanted it to stay long-ish, but I needed it out of his face.  I've done better, but I thought it was definitely good enough for pictures.  Of course he ended up wearing his favorite hat for most of them, but you could at least see his eyes, haha!

The phrase "Practice makes perfect" definitely applies here!  I've gotten better at cutting hair by simply practicing.  My sweet dad used to let us cut his hair when we were growing up to get some scissor time.......my mom stood by and gave us tips, but I'm sure we butchered it a time or two (now that I think about it, she probably just fixed it once we were out of sight, lol)!  

Then when I was a young woman I gave my husband and his brothers a few hair cuts, and for the past 12 years I've been the hair cutter of our home - at least for the boys!  I haven't braved the girls yet (except an occasional trim)......but I'd like to save some money there too - and watching the videos below on cutting womens and girls hair/bangs has really encouraged me to try it.  =)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edit: Since I originally wrote this post, I've ventured into cutting girls hair and it's been great!  I started with just little trims here or there, but my youngest daughter, Emma, wanted shorter hair (6-7 inches shorter!) and I stepped up to the challenge of a "real" haircut, (shown below) with very pretty results, IMO.  =)
And a couple times now she's taken her hair into her own hands and I've had to "fix" it by cutting many inches off - frustrating to lose her pretty hair, but I'm happy to not have to shell out a lot of money to have a salon fix it.  My oldest daughter, Grace, has also asked for bangs and layers and it has turned out beautifully - and the last time we took off 10 inches because she wanted to donate it.

Things I've learned along the way:

• Always remember that you can cut more off, but you can't add it back.
• You want to cut your hair when damp - it's easier to cut, and cutting dry hair causes it to fly everywhere.  Hair does shrink when dry though, so keep that in mind - especially with bangs. Cut off less hair than what you want the finished length to be.
• Go slow as you're learning, but don't be afraid - it will grow back.
• Watch a professional.  When I have gone to get my own hair cut at a salon or taken the kids in, I've watched how they cut, hold their hands, point the scissors.....to get a better understanding myself.

Supplies:

• Clippers - Clipper kits are wonderful for the boys haircuts. We have a Wahl Set similar to this Wahl 79900B Clip-N-Trim 23-Piece Complete Haircut Kit that I think we got at WalMart years ago for about $25.  Ours includes clippers, guards (for cutting different lengths) scissors, combs, clips, a cape, blade oil and cleaning brush, a storage case...etc. We've definitely gotten our money out of it!  The blades are a bit duller now, and I'm thinking about upgrading, and this Wahl 79524-1001 Deluxe Chrome Pro with Multi-Cut Clipper & Trimmer, 27 Pieces looks like a good value!  I've got a good amount of Amazon credit from Swagbucks, so getting it for free would be a really good deal.  =)
• Scissors - You need good quality, sharp scissors for precise cuts and easy trimming.  Regular household scissors will make it much more difficult to get a good cut.  Haircutting scissors are beveled so that they cut down and through the hair where as other scissors will just push the hair forward and munch it in small clumps. Clipper sets will usually include a pair, but if you don't have one, consider a pair of professional scissors like these Tweezerman Styling Shears.
• Thinning Scissors - Not a necessity, but I've been considering getting a pair of Thinning Shears to help blend and texturize the layers when I cut the kids hair. It's very hard to make a mistake using these - bonus!  =)

Resources:

• "Haircutting For Dummies" - I haven't read this myself, but have heard it's a great reference to learn how to cut hair.  I'm thinking about checking to see if I can get it at our library.
• Here's a blog about How to Cut Your Own Hair with some good practical tips - I think I might try this "Ponytail Trick" for "How to Cut Layers" for my daughters hair! (All the comments sound like it works great!)
• HairFinder.com - lots of great information on styles and cuts (it is a little ad heavy, just don't click on those)
• How-to article - read this article from Dollar Stretcher on how to cut your hair.

Helpful Videos:

• YouTube - there are tons of videos on how to cut hair - amazing resource!
• How to Get Side Swept Bangs - with scissors. I'm thinking of using this tutorial to do my own bangs soon - my sister does hers all the time and they look great! 
• Cutting Your Hair at Home - Introduction to cutting hair at home (click below video to go to supplies needed, women's cut, men's cut...etc.)
• How to Cut Women's Hair (simple cut and bangs) - Great video tutorial! Covers how to cut a guide and follow that to make sure your length is even.  (Learn how to prep hair and section it for the women's cut)
• How to Cut Men's Hair
• How to Cut Your Hair with Layers - this girl makes it look soo easy and her hair is beautiful!
• How to Easily Cut/Trim Hair Nice and Even
• How to Cut Layers using the "Ponytail" method - I mentioned the "Ponytail Trick" above. This video is actually a commercial, but imagine using a ponytail holder instead, and you can easily see how to get layers - easy peasy!
• How to Cut and Layer Long Hair - she explains the kinds of scissors she uses and cuts her own - then shows how to thin thick hair.
• How to Cut and Style Side Swept Bangs - with a razor
• How to Cut Boys Hair
• How to Cut Girls Hair

Don't be afraid to try - it's not as scary as you might think.  What do you have to lose? You could save SO much money (and time) by cutting your own/your families hair! Hair grows back and you could always get it fixed if you really need to.

Have you ever cut hair yourself, or someone else's hair?  How was it?  Was this helpful?  Is this something you think you could try out and save some moola??

Friday Feature: Pinterest! The Virtual Corkboard Wonderland!

Welcome to the Friday Feature, where I highlight something that I'm really loving -- but first, let me introduce myself...........
"Hi, my name is Mara and I'm a Pinterest addict."  Seriously, they need a support group!  If you're part of this wonderland already, you know -- and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you must check it out!

It's a virtual corkboard - a place to "pin" all those great ideas, crafts, paint colors, recipes, funny things.....that you come across online.  It's like someone looked in my head and knew that I was wishing for a simple, beautiful, user-friendly place to keep track of all the fantastic things I see on blogs and other places!  (My method of copying a link into a draft in gmail wasn't exactly ideal!)

It's an awesome place just to organize the things that float your boat, or browse others boards and find oodles of inspiration!  I've already come across so many things that I don't think I would've seen otherwise.  You can follow people with similar interests - either their whole collection if you like their overall style, or individual boards -- for example, when their "Living Room" board is full of pins exactly like what you imagine for your own, or when every recipe they post in "Yum yum" is making you drool on your keyboard.

You need an invitation to join, but it's free and fantastic!  Send me your email if you'd like an invite!  And if you leave your "username" I'd love to see your boards.  =)

You can pin whatever images you'd like, and create any boards that you want - whatever makes sense to you....here are some screenshots of my boards:


These are dreams for my laundry room once we get done with the "big" stuff (like siding, roofing, flooring...silly details like that) and can work on the "fun" stuff...

Whenever I come across recipes or decorations that I think would be perfect for our next soiree, this is where they go (sure, 'cause we're so fancy pants that we have soirees)  ;)

I want to create a playroom/art area for the kids in the basement.....and some of these funzies would be perfect for what I have in mind - and some are ideas that I never would've thought of!

Ahh, my "delish" board.....here's where I go to drool!  ;)   I love being able to tuck away tasty treats here, so when I need a yummy dish to pass, or an idea for an awesome chicken dish - tada!  No more...."there's a dessert I saw online that would be perfect for the party - which website did I see that on??"

I created a "to make" board where I keep all the fantastic projects that inspire me to be crafty - so when I get the creative bug (and 30 seconds of free time) I know where the great ideas will be!

Ohhh Pinterest, how I love thee!!

What do you think??  Are you already pinning?  Or are you inspired to go start your own pinboard?  Need an invite, let me know!  I'd love to see your collections!

Friday Feature: Kids Snack Ideas for Summer Break!

During Summer Break, if the kids aren't lamenting about being bored, they're saying "Can I have a snack? Can I have a snack? Can I have a snack?" {that's three of them asking right after one another, lol}

Here are a couple clever ideas for managing the snack monsters while they're home from school - either during Summer vacation, in the afternoons during the school year, or all the time if you're homeschooling!

I love Kristen Duke's idea of having the kids choose what to "buy" for their snacks - check out her blog for a great system to "Streamline Summer Snacking"! 
{Her photography is pretty awesome too!  And I cannot get enough of her Pink Lemonade birthday party!!}

Also, in her comments, I saw this suggestion from Lorie that I thought was a great alternative:

"Fun!! We used to do something similar. Actually the same, just without the fun money. After breakfast the kids would all back up their snacks for the day. They had to pick two healthy snacks (fruit/veggies), one regular snack (pretzels/crackers) and one treat (cookies, etc) and they could eat them whenever they wanted, but when they were gone they were gone. It helped them learn to ration! ;D"

So smart!!

How do you manage the 'snack attacks' at your house??  Do you have any great tips or tricks for keeping the snacking organized or keep it from getting out of control?

P.S. I'm so happy that I actually posted a "Friday Feature" on Friday!  haha!  =)

P.P.S. Make sure to see the BIG List of FREE and Cheap Summer Activities HERE!  Awesome resource for making memories, helping kids have a fun Summer and keeping the "I'm bored's" away.