Homemade presents

I love making homemade presents. Not only because it is a great money saver (although that is a huge plus☺) but I really love being able to make things for the people I love. This years Christmas budget was almost not existent and I was afraid I would not be able to get anything for my 6 nieces and 2 nephews. About 2 weeks before Christmas it finally came to me-the perfect gift for 6 girls ages 4-14 that I could do quickly and without spending tons of money. I ran to the dollar store and bought up a bunch of bandannas. I didn't use any pattern but instead just started putting them together and making skirts with elastic waist bands. This is what I came up with-with my own girls as models so they don't all fit them.

                                       Red, White and Blue

                                             Black with red sides

                 Points all around and then points just in front and back.

The same point in front and back and another style with points all around. I didn't get a photo of the smallest skirt because it was the last one I finished and would have been too small for my models.

I didn't get to see my side of the family this Christmas so mom delivered these for me. I guess they all liked them because I have now heard there are plans for all the girls to wear them to the 89er parade (Which has a western theme anyway) in April with a white shirt and pair of cowgirl boots. I will definitely have to get a picture then. I also have to get skirts made for my own girls so they can match with their cousins☺.

I didn't think I could make the boys matching shirts without a pattern or at least having them present to measure so I did have to buy them each something. I may try to tackle bandanna shirts before April-how cute would that be☺!

When your daddy works in a warehouse....

You have a steady stream of duct tape around the house. Monty brings home all types of tape and glue quiet often and it is a little girl's dream come true. Especially when he brings pretty, colorful tape. We all know that duct tape can fix just about anything but when you add a little imagination there is no end to the possibilities!

 Keslee has been on a shoe making kick lately.

 This white tape with the pretty black flowery designs was perfect for some baby shoes.

 ......and they fit!!

 Ain't she a cutie?!?!

 If your G.I. Joe doll doesn't have any pants, the zebra striped tape works just great!

 Got a barbie that just really needs a pair of knee high boots? Black duct tape to the rescue.

 Use black and zebra striped to make an entire  outfit.

 The paint splatter tape was the girls' favorite but we were only able to get one roll-enough for one shoe and a pair of flip flops.

We had enough of the flowery tape left from the baby shoes for Keslee to make a pair for Kalysa.

After Keslee had made everyone else a gift she ran out of all the pretty tape. She asked Monty to bring her some more home and unfortunately all he could get was this halloween tape with skull designs. It was not her favorite but the ugly design didn't take away from the fun of creating one more pair of shoes.
Oh what fun with duct tape☺

Amazing Oils

I have not had a lot of experience with natural remedies but I am convinced that the Lord has provided us with all that we need. Over the past year or so I have been learning more and more. I must say that I am totally and completely amazed with peppermint oil. Did you know that it is a natural pain reliever?? A few years back I bought a small bottle of pain relief spray called super ouch spray. A member of our family was selling it at a family reunion. I have never found it anywhere else but the main ingredient was peppermint oil. At that time I had a horribly painful heel spur. Some mornings my heel would hurt so bad that I could not even step on that foot. I started spraying my heel every time it hurt and within a few months the pain stopped completely. Do you know that it has NEVER come back?!?! I have also used it on a tooth ache and I believe prevented myself from needing a root canal. Recently I have discovered another use for peppermint oil. I have menstrual cramps about once every 3 months or so. They are not nearly as bad as they were when I was a teenager but they are definitely not pleasant either. Just one or two drops of peppermint oil on the tip of the finger and rubbed on the belly button and POOF! the pain is gone!! I mean it is seriously that quick. No waiting 30 minutes for the medicine to kick in. It is mere seconds. It sounds completely crazy. It makes absolutely no sense. It is just a tiny drop on the skin and the internal pain is gone!!! I have a friend that has tried the peppermint oil for cramps(months ago) and was as amazed at the results as I was. Within about a month she is due to have a baby girl and is planning on a natural birth. She is gonna take her peppermint oil with her to the hospital. I'll have to let ya know if it helps the labor pain.

Bow Holders and Door Hangers

• This year, around Christmas time, the money around here seemed to be a little tighter than normal. Our family has stopped exchanging presents between all of the adults but we still like to get all the kids something. That means, besides my own 3, I have 6 nieces, 2 nephew, 1 little sister and 1 little brother that I still needed to get presents for. Our neighbor had made the cutest hair bow holder for my girls a year or so ago so I thought I would give them a try.

We stopped in at Hobby Lobby and found these plain wood pieces for less than $3 a piece. They also had some already painted wooden decorations for .50-$1.00. I picked up a couple of rolls of ribbon for a few dollars and a few different colors of paint for about $1 a piece. I used a pencil to draw each kids name and then started painting. I used 2 or 3 colors on each board and by mixing and matching the colors made 5 different bow holders with combinations of just 4 colors.

After the painting was done and dry, I used a black sharpie to outline each name. I didn't think I would be able to outline as well with a paint brush and the marker worked just great!

I used hot glue to attach each decoration and the ribbons. For the boys I cut a belt loop off of an old pair of pants and glued each end to the back to make a hanger. A little bit of glitter glue and a few sprays with a can of clear coat later and each boy had a name plate to hang on their door.

I used some ribbon I already had to make several bows and found some silk flowers on the clearance isle to make some flower clips to for each girl. I used the same pink ribbon with green butterflies and the word princess on it for all of the bow holders and the hangers at the top.

Here is a closer view of each one individually...

Princess Peyton, my brother's only daughter and Hunter's sister. She is a girly girl with a pink room so I knew this would suit her just fine.

Sheyenne, my other brother's youngest daughter. She loves Tinkerbell so I thought the green and yellow would be a good fit for her.

Alyssa, my sister's oldest daughter. Alyssa is somewhat of a Tom boy who loves to play soccer. I thought the green was not too girly but the purple and glitter made it just feminin enough.

Aliyah, my sister's middle daughter. Aliyah is much more girly than Alyssa. I didn't want it to be just like Peyton's so I added yellow and reversed the pink and green.

And then there is Ashlynne, my sister's youngest daughter and Ashton's twin sister. Three year old Ashlynne can always be found wearing a pair of her plastic princess dress up shoes so I knew this little castle would be fitting.

My brother's oldest daughter and Sheyenne's older sister Brooksie is 13 years old and a little past the bow wearing stage so I made her a jewelry box. This plain wood box was also about $3. Instead of making a flower hair clip I just glued one of the flowers to the front of the box. I actually made one of these for Jacinta as well but obviously did not get a picture of it.

I was so happy with how well they all turned out and all the kids seemed pretty happy about them on Christmas day. I love giving homemade gifts. I also love the fact that I was able to give 9 people very special gifts for about $50 total!

Its whats for dinner

The faucet that I use to turn my sprinkler on is on the outside of the fence so I don't actually check my garden every day even though I water it. Just a few days ago I noticed a couple of the squash blooms were turning from bloom to real life vegetables. I thought I better check it out and man am I glad I did!


Aren't they the most perfect and beautifulest things you ever saw in your whole entire life!!??!! I know-me too!

The clear ruler doesn't do so great for pictures but that baby is between the 8 and 9 inch mark. I still can not believe I did it. I actually have grown something all-by-my-self! Not only did I grow it but....WE ATE IT(one of them anyway) and it was gooooood! ☺

That is just so cool!

Monty always claimed that he hated squash but a few years ago I got him to try it my way and guess what...-I slice it up really thin and steam it until it is really soft and then melt some butter on it-He loved it! Sometimes I will slice some potatoes really thin (skin and all) and steam them with the squash. That is one of our family's faves! After he realized that he DID like squash I got him to try some fried squash and he likes that as well. Now I am just waiting on the fresh okra to grow. Not sure what I am gonna have to do to get him to try that but I am convinced that anyone that doesn't like okra obviously has not tried it. He swears he has but I have never seen him. If not, that will just leave more for me and the kids!

Yall have a good day and if anyone needs me, I will be staring at my beautiful squash for a while!

WOOOHOOOO!!!

Look what I found......

blooms on my squash plants!!

Some of them are getting big. And that is not all either.....

Isn't that little green tomato a beauty?!?!? But still not as pretty as....

This BIG green tomato!!! I am so excited! I did it. I have actually grown something! I can't wait until they start to turn red. I am so ready to PICK something. This is so cool!

Call me cheap, I don't mind

One part of being a stay at home mom and keeper of the home after being a 2 income family is doing whatever is needed to spend less money. When I quit my job 3 1/2 years ago, I had to learn to be more frugal out of pure demand. It got to the point that I was standing in the toilet paper aisle in the grocery store with my calculator reading the number of squares on each roll and calculating which brand really would give us the most for the least money. At least at our walmart, it is White Cloud double rolls, hehehe. I also have done a lot more cooking and baking from scratch. I like cooking and LOVE when my family and friends enjoy what I make but having a full time job just put so many time restrictions on me that I did not get to do it often. I have learned that I can make things that I had previously thought just had to be bought like seasoning packets and bagels. One of the best money savers I have found is laundry soap. I have been making my own for about a year now and have probably already saved our family a couple hundred bucks. It is so easy and cheap and it also does not have all the unpronounceable mystery ingredients that store bought soap does. I used the recipe found on the Duggars website. I figure anyone that washes clothes for 20 people must know something about it! In the past year I have spent about $10 on laundry soap. I don't know why I haven't thought to share this process before now but when I made a new batch this weekend, I decided to take a few pictures.

All ya need is Borax (about $3), Washing soda(about $3), and a bar of soap. I use Ivory which I can get 3 bars for $1. Since you just need 1 cup of soda and 1/2 cup of borax, each 5 gallon batch really only costs a few cents.


First you grate up the bar of soap and cook on low heat in about 4 cups of water. You don't really want it to boil. I have discovered that if you let it continue to cook for a while after the soap is all dissolved it seems to help it thicken. I also add my cup of soda to the pan right when I remove it from the heat and stir it until it is dissolved. I have made some that never got thick but this step seems to help.

We have a 5 gallon bucket that we fill 1/2 way with hot water. Pour the pan on soap and soda into the bucket and then add the 1/2 cup of borax.

Fill the bucket the rest of the way with hot water and stir good. Let the bucket sit over night and it should thicken to look like this..

I have made some that did not get thick but it is still just as usable. It is the ingredients that clean the clothes and not the consistency. I have noticed that I use a lot more per load when it is thin. You can find tons of people that make their own laundry soap and they all seem to recommend a different amount to use per load. I say it really doesn't matter. I use about a cup per load. Some people (like Mrs.Duggar) also fill an old laundry soap container 1/2 full of soap and 1/2 full of water and then use that container when doing laundry. This would make your 5 gallon batch actually 10 gallons. I have done that but I usually just use it straight out of my bucket without diluting it farther and have not noticed any difference. Diluting it farther and using less per load would make this even more frugal but I am happy with $10 or less per year for soap. I just really can not see spending the money on store bought laundry soap again even if we get to a place in our lives that being frugal is not as necessary.