I have a small envelope with coupons and possibly more to come. Email me at ebonyblue@mindless.com with your snail mail address and they're yours.

Tipping Tuesday

I have 5 kids which translates to a lot of cleaning. And the little rugrats can't seem to grasp the concept that red Kool-Aid does not belong on my carpet. So until I make them understand I had to find a solution to save my sanity and not put me further into the poorhouse. By golly I think I've got it! Hydrogen peroxide. Yep. That stuff you can get in the dollar store in the brown bottle. I read it on some web site, and thought I'd try it and was pleasently surprised. I put some in a spray bottle, sprayed the spill and blotted it up with a white towel and presto, no more red juice on my carpet. A couple of spills I let sit long enough (okay, I couldn't find a clean white towel) and it disappeared withno further assistance from me. It's cheap and it works, what more can you ask for?

I first saw a recipe for homemade laundry detergent ages ago and thought it was a great idea, but could never find the soap, so I gave up and continued using the store brought stuff. It's stayed in the back of my mind because according to publications like Debt-Proof Living and such, it is a huge money saver compared to store brought. Then one day at one of those mom and pop grocery stores I saw not only Fels Naptha, but also Zote soap. And it was really cheap, so I brought a bar of Fels Naptha. And it sat in my bathroom closet for about 6 months. I never wanted to grate the soap and boil it, and who has a 5 gallon bucket sitting around and where would I put it in my already crowded apartment where my rugrats wouldn't get in it? Then one day I needed to wash clothes and didn't have laundry detergent or money to buy any, so I grated the soap and mixed up the powered detergent. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. First of all, it took me about 5 minutes to grate the soap and mix it all up, where it would have taken me 15 minutes to go to the store, so all that belly aching for nothing. Second and most important: I have a cat that likes to piss me off by peeing under the chair I have by my front door. Incidently it's the chair I toss my coat on when I come in also. My kids don't think twice when they knock my coat to the floor. They also don't pick it up and without fail, the next morning I want to puke when I swing my coat to put it on. Regular laundry detergent does not rid your clothes of the smell of cat pee. This homemade detergent got rid of the smell. I'm sold.

Powdered Laundry Detergent

2 cups Fels Naptha, finely grated
1 cup washing powder (I also found this at the family-owned store)
1 cup Borax (this is readily available at most stores in the laundry aisle)
2 tbsp baking soda (I added this because it's usually what I use to rid clothes of cat smell)

Mix well and store in a plastic container with lid.
Use 2tbsp per full load of laundry.

This soap doesn't dissolve well in cold water, so I put an inch or so of hot water in the washer, added the soap, swished it around, then adjusted the temperature to whatever I wanted. It did not suds up, but as long as it got my clothes clean, who cares. A couple of people on-line complained that it didn't get odor out of their clothes, but I'm thinking they were sprayed by a skunk or something because cat smell is the hardest scent I've ever come across. Maybe the baking soda I added made the difference. I do know that my clothes had no scent at all which is taking some getting used to. Maybe I'll get some essential oil and try that. I also had to use fabric softener, which I normally don't use. My clothes came out soft enough, but there was some static cling, but over all I'm very satisfied and will continue to use this instead of store brought.

Google "homemade laundry detergent" for a liquid version, testemonials, price comparisions, etc.

Tipping Tuesday

Keep your drains clean and clog-free. Once a week I pour about a cup of baking soda down all the drains in my house. Follow it with vinegar. It will bubble up like crazy (remember making volcanoes as a kid), but it's supposed to do that. It's cheap and a lot less gross than digging the hair out of your tubs drain with your hands. Sometimes I finish it off with boiling water and sometimes I don't, either way the only time my sinks or tub gets clogged up is when Bear (my 2 year old) decides to stuff them with toys, or toothbrushes, or clothes, or change, or keys, or a whole roll of toilet paper complete with cardboard roll at once. In which case, baking soda won't work.

I always said that I'm going to try Angel Food Ministries, but something stops me every month. But I think it could save me some money each month, so why not. This might be the inspiration I need to give it a go. And with the menu and food already planned out, what could be simpler?

I have 3 wonderful little boys, 2 of whom are potty trained. I thought I would be smart and teach them to sit and use the potty. One day my sister took the oldest out and not wanting him to sit on a public toilet told him to stand "like a big boy". That's all she wrote. They must now stand which means I am mopping my bathroom floor about once a day. Who has time, right? Instead of trying to find the time, or assigning the kids an extra chore, I fit it into our bedtime schedule. Now in the evening, I put the youngest boys in the tub, wash them up and then let them play. While they're playing I clean my bathroom. I use lavender scented Comet (my favorite) or baking soda (cheap and just as effective) so they aren't overwhelmed with fumes and I take 10 minutes or less to wipe out the sink, swipe the toilet bowl out, wipe down the mirror and spot mop behind little boys who haven't quite perfected their aim.
For those of you with wee little ones, it can sometimes feel like you're always cleaning up after them, what are some things you do to keep it managable?

I said it before and I'll say it again, I hate feet. Now that it's cold people forget about their feet so that when the summer rolls around I'm grossed out by your nasty, crusty feet. Keep your feet presentable now so that when the warm weather hits, you'll be ready.

Winter Months Pedicure

1. It should go without saying that you need to start with clean feet. So go take a shower, but before you do, take off any old polish. While you're in the shower use a pumice stone to remove the dead skin from your feet. Most people are too rough with this at home, so be gentle.

2. Cut your nails and file them straight across. Round off the edges very slightly so they don't snag your stockings.

3. Apply cuticle softner and massage into your cuticles.

4. Use an orange stick (or your thumb nail) to push back your cuticles. Once again be gentle. Let feet rest for about 5 minutes. (Now would be a good time for your spouse to massage your feet with some peppermint oil)

5. Use a nail brush to clean feet and nails. Dry feet thouroughly.

6. Massage lotion on feet. You can stop here. If you want to polish your nails, use a cotton ball dipped in remover to clean lotion off nail.

7. Apply a basecoat. Let dry. Apply color. Let dry. Apply top coat. Let dry.

**Since your feet will most likely be covered, you can forgo the colored polish and just apply clear polish, especially if you always smudge your polish.

**If you have especially dry feet do this right before bed and stop at #5. Instead of lotion, use a generous amount of vaseline, then put on a pair of cotton socks. I will wrap my feet in a towel and relax for an hour and so, then use the towel to wipe off the excess vaseline. When you wake up, you will notice a dramatic difference in your feet.

I'm starting now to make gifts for the year and need fresh, new ideas. These need to be simple and fairly cheap to make. Gift ideas for all occasions, ages and sexes are welcome. Since I want to have gifts on hand all year long they need to keep well so no food. Wait, I like to eat, so if you have some good recipes, send those on too.

I'm going to continue my frugal, simple, organized life in '08.
What are your best tips and/or links?

I'm still going with my simple and frugal lifestyle, but I love teachers. My first major in college was teaching and after being in the classroom, I have mad respect for teachers (and bus drivers), so I always try to get them something for Christmas, even if it's a simple note saying "Thank you" You would be surprised how little teachers hear those words. So this year for Christmas, I'm going with the mug theme.
Throughout the year, every time I go to the thrift store I scan the coffee mugs and have managed to pick up mugs with "World's Greatest Teacher" or something along those lines all but one was 25 cents. The bus driver is a Buckeye fan, so I found an OSU mug for her.
We are going to fill the OSU mug with candy. A few conversations with her and I found out she loves Tootsie Rolls.
My daughter's teacher is getting a mug with bookmarks we are going to make (printed off the internet and covered with packing tape), a couple of tea bags and a $10 gift card to Barnes and Noble.
My son't teacher is getting a mug with sheets of stickers, pens and a giftcard to Office Max.
The teacher's aide is getting a mug with candy and a giftcard to Wal-Mart.

You can defintely leave out the giftcards and keep the cost under $10 for all of them. This time of year even if you don't find teacher mug, the thrift store shelves are overflowing with Christmas mugs. Put the mugs in a nice gift bag or wrap in tissue paper or wrap if you're good at that kind of thing. Easy peasy way to say thanks to the people who are helping you shape your kids.

How can you not love something with this name? And my picky eaters just might eat this version.

CREATIVE POVERTY LASAGNA
Serves 8
1 pkg lasagna noodles
3 8 oz cans tomato sauce
3/4 can water
2 lbs ground beef
1 pkg spaghetti sauce
2 large pkgs mozarella
2 large pkgs cheddar
Powdered parmesan cheese
Brown hamburger. Add tomato sauce, water and seasonings - bring to boil, then remove from heat and set aside.
Cook noodles for 20-30 minutes. Add lots of salt or oil so it won't stick together. Drain.
In 9 x 13" pan, spread 2 tbsp sauce in bottom. Layer noodles, sauce, cheeses. Put parmesan in every other layer. End with sauce and cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes @ 350 degrees.

I'm still working on ways to live a much simpler life and I'm including money in this. I have made and used homemade baby wipes in the past. There's no reason why I don't use them now. The hardest part of making them is cutting the roll of paper towels in half because I really do need sharper knives.
In the past I've just reused empty baby wipe containers, but you can use RubberMaid containers, or any type of plastice container you have around the house.
I don't know why, but for some reason Bounty are the best towels to use. Other brands are either too weak or sort of shrink when you use them. It's still cheaper than regular wipes and you can use the pretty smelling lavender baby bath that I love so much.

Homemade Baby Wipes
1/2 roll of Bounty paper towels
2 tbsp baby oil
2 tbsp baby bath
2 cups of water
Cut roll of paper towels in half, remove center cardboard; place in plastic container. In a separate bowl, gently mix liquid ingredients and pour on top of paper towels. After about an hour or so, if you use an air-tight container, you can turn it up-side down to wet all of the paper towels, or gently turn the paper towels.

I have 3 boys ages 5, 2 and 1. These will definitely come in handy.

Ice Packs
Mix 3/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol in a zippered storage bag and close. Place inside of another bag and close. Freeze. It will turn into a slushy mix good for covering the many scrapes and boo-boo's little boys get.

I have tons of shampoo samples. Now I know what to do with them.

Homemade Bubble Bath
1/2 cup shampoo
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp table salt
Pour shampoo and water into a bowl. Gently stir until blended. Add salt. Stir until mixture thickens.

Despite temperatures of 30 degrees below normal, it's that time of year. I call it the "Dreaded Foot Season". People wear flip-flops, sandles, or no shoes at all.
I hate it because I hate feet. I know there are others like me. So for us poor souls that can't stand the sight of your soles, please at least make them presentable.

You don't have to have a professional pedicure once a week (but if you can afford it, please do!), but start by smoothing things out. Crusty heels makes me want to puke.
It's simple and though I'm sure you can find recipes involving essential oils and foot massagers, it's not necessary.
Tonight before you go to bed, wash your feet thoroughly, completely cover them in vaseline (be generous, you can get the stuff at the dollar store), put on a pair of cotton socks. Keep the socks on overnight and when you wake up your feet will be well on their way to being presentable to the world.* Depending on how bad your dogs were to begin with, you may have to do this for several nights before you see a huge difference, but I promise you will see a difference. Do this about twice a week to stay "sandle ready" all summer long.

*This really works the best and quickest if you sleep in the socks, but if you can't stand to sleep in socks, do this in the early evening and remove the socks before getting into bed.