I don't know how I managed to not include one of my absolute favorite websites last week! Green B.E.A.N. delivery brings fresh, organic produce to our house every other week (you can set it up to deliver every week, but our grocery budget only allows for every other week!). Unlike the CSA we used over the summer, you can completely customize your order to include only that which your family will eat...and did I mention it comes to ME?! Yay! For $35, we get approximately 40 servings of organic fruits and veggies, most of which is local! Quite the bargain! The best part of all, right now they are offering 50% off your first order if you place it before 11/25 (that's $17.50!! Double bonus, mine will be 1/2 off too, since I referred you!). Since you aren't locked in if you don't like it, you can't lose! If you are in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati or Louisville, I strongly advise you to check them out! The 50% special can be accessed by clicking HERE. For their regular website, click HERE.
When you get more produce than you can eat, my favorite "go-to" website is pickyourown.org This website tells you how to freeze and/or can just about everything!
Also, we found a great place for hormone-free, grass-fed beef close by, and now enjoy roasts, steaks, and ground beef for just $2.69/lb. LOVE it!
Happy Eating!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
How to Live on Nearly Nothing
I love to save money...it's like a game to me. So when a few friends and I were talking last month about finances, stress, one of them wanting to stay home, etc. I went home and wrote down all of the different ways I save our family money. I wrote fast and furious, and soon had three full pages of notes. My plan was to write them legibly and in greater detail, but I haven't gotten very far on that. Things like an ER trip, helping Katie with a research project, and life in general has gotten in the way. I did want to get some info out to those ladies, and anyone else who wants it, so I though I'd blog about it! I do need to preface all of this with two things, though: 1) I don't try to pay as little as possible to be greedy; quite the opposite, in fact. The more money I save, the more money/freebies/supplies I can give away! I don't say that so you think highly of me, but to encourage you to do the same. Even if you are the poorest person in America, you and I have so much more than most people around the world. Let's share! 2) There are some areas where we just won't skimp, #1 being tithe. Again, not saying this to boast, but to say that when you are trimming your budget, I would advise against making cuts in this area. God has provided so faithfully for us, despite our ever-fluctuating income. 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Tip #1: Make your own laundry soap. Yes, you can use it in HE washers, and it gets out every stain I've used it on!
Homemade Laundry Soap
1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha (grated)
Heat until dissolved. Add:
½ cup Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda!)
½ cup Borax
Cook 15 minutes. Add 5 ½ quarts (22 cups) of water. Let cool partially and pour into containers. Some people store it in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, but I just pour it into 3 laundry bottles. Use ½ cup for regular loads (shake bottle before use). This also makes a fabulous stain remover: just pour it in your spray bottle and add more water. Note: you can add essential oil to the laundry soap to make different scents, but I never have (it would increase my cost, and I love the clean scent!). The cost comes out to less than a penny per load!
Also, I have several websites I subscribe to, which are great at helping me find great deals! I think everyone knows about Groupon, but there are several others out there that I love! My favorite new one is SniqueAway. Each day, they add new travel deals, some in the US and some international. We haven't yet booked a trip through them, but I plan on doing so in the near future! I also recently discovered OneKingsLane, which offers really nice items for low prices! The best part is, they give you a $15 credit when you sign up! Sites often do this, and I will score great deals for free or super-cheap! Another one, LivingSocial, has some great deals as well and offers $5 when you sign up, which is how I ended up getting a $20 Amazon.com gift card for only $5! Love it! One more to share is SaveMore, which gives you $10 for signing up...after Christmas, be sure to compliment Katie on her free watch I "bought" through SaveMore! :-) Yay!
Oh, and lest you think I'm spending hours finding all of these deals, I let other people do all of that work! ShopatHome is a great website that lists all kinds of deals, promos, and coupons, AND gives cash back on all of your purchases! I also subscribe to CouponMom and CouponsandFreebiesMom. I let these three websites do all the work, then go score my great deals!
There is so much more to share, but that ought to give you a great start! Happy Savings!
Tip #1: Make your own laundry soap. Yes, you can use it in HE washers, and it gets out every stain I've used it on!
Homemade Laundry Soap
1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha (grated)
Heat until dissolved. Add:
½ cup Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda!)
½ cup Borax
Cook 15 minutes. Add 5 ½ quarts (22 cups) of water. Let cool partially and pour into containers. Some people store it in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, but I just pour it into 3 laundry bottles. Use ½ cup for regular loads (shake bottle before use). This also makes a fabulous stain remover: just pour it in your spray bottle and add more water. Note: you can add essential oil to the laundry soap to make different scents, but I never have (it would increase my cost, and I love the clean scent!). The cost comes out to less than a penny per load!
Also, I have several websites I subscribe to, which are great at helping me find great deals! I think everyone knows about Groupon, but there are several others out there that I love! My favorite new one is SniqueAway. Each day, they add new travel deals, some in the US and some international. We haven't yet booked a trip through them, but I plan on doing so in the near future! I also recently discovered OneKingsLane, which offers really nice items for low prices! The best part is, they give you a $15 credit when you sign up! Sites often do this, and I will score great deals for free or super-cheap! Another one, LivingSocial, has some great deals as well and offers $5 when you sign up, which is how I ended up getting a $20 Amazon.com gift card for only $5! Love it! One more to share is SaveMore, which gives you $10 for signing up...after Christmas, be sure to compliment Katie on her free watch I "bought" through SaveMore! :-) Yay!
Oh, and lest you think I'm spending hours finding all of these deals, I let other people do all of that work! ShopatHome is a great website that lists all kinds of deals, promos, and coupons, AND gives cash back on all of your purchases! I also subscribe to CouponMom and CouponsandFreebiesMom. I let these three websites do all the work, then go score my great deals!
There is so much more to share, but that ought to give you a great start! Happy Savings!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
2011, in a nutshell
I haven't blogged since January. How is that possible? I've written a ton of blog posts in my head, yet somehow none of them made it on here. In as short of a post as possible, here is what our family has been up to this year:
~January through May, most of my free time was spent working on wedding plans for my sweet sister-in-law. I absolutely love weddings and all things related to them, and since Amanda and Eddie had a very short engagement, they needed all the help they could find. Lucky me! They were so sweet to let me help, and I loved every minute of it. The wedding was beautiful, and we were all blessed to have Eddie's mom attend. The picture of him "dancing" with her in her wheelchair will forever be ingrained in my mind and to this day brings tears to my eyes. She was a wonderful woman!
~Summer: Scott landed a summer job with Navistar, so we enjoyed the extra income but missed him greatly! The kids were so good about letting me rest most afternoons, but it was still a struggle to keep up with them. They both played baseball for the first time and loved it! They learned so much, and it was great to see them improve throughout the season. We also spent lots of time at the lake with our family, and (drumroll please...) Katie learned to ski!! Katie is not known for being adventurous, so this took us completely by surprise! She decided to try it one day, out of the blue, and just loves it! She is pretty good at balancing and adjusting, actually, which really isn't something that can be taught. Ryan gave it a try, too, but his little legs just aren't strong enough yet. Maybe next year! They both enjoyed tubing as well, though no one has fallen out yet...I wonder how they will react to that?? I started a new supplement called zija mid-summer, and it has helped me so much! I still can't do everything I did before I became ill, but I'm content with what my body will allow me to do most days (up until last week, but that's another story!)
I thought the fall would be a little slower paced for us, but so far that isn't the case! Scott is taking two classes and working part-time for another company. He's plenty busy, but we love that he is home early enough in the evening to spend some time with me and the kids. School started super early for the kids this year, and they are already at the end of the first quarter. Third grade has been a bit rough for Katie, as she as more homework this year and she struggles with keeping organized and getting things done in a timely manner. Her teacher, however, is excellent and I know Katie will learn so much from her! Her teacher literally is an answer to prayer: sweet and fun, yet firm when needed and won't let Katie slack...the perfect balance, really! I hope Ryan has her in a few years! Ryan's teacher is great as well! Even though she is near retirement age, she is still writing grants for projects and extra experiences for her class and she's big into science...perfect for Ry! We are hoping she will really challenge him, as he is really excelling in school...to the point where we are giving him projects at home to keep him occupied while Katie does her homework! Ryan took tennis lessons this fall, too, which he really enjoyed (except for the week he took a line-drive to the eye!). Basketball started this week, so we are taking a break from tennis, but I can see him going back to it in the spring. He often tries to hit to ball like a pro (big swing, lots of spin!), but it doesn't quite work out for him. We keep telling him, "You've got to learn the basics first, mister!" Katie is trying ballet again after a two-year break. So far, she likes it! This week, it may be a challenge, as her arm is in a cast. She fell off her bike last week and has a buckle fracture. She is in a but of pain, but is handling it like a trooper. I think she is enjoying the extra attention, especially from our Trinidad friends who are staying with us! Many years ago, my brother and I went with part of our church youth group to Trinidad on a missions trip. It was my first international missions trip, and I have so many wonderful memories from that trip, so when I found out that a steel pan band from Trinidad was coming here (several of the members we met back then), Scott and I wanted to house part of the group. We have been so blessed having them stay with us! Hopefully, it won't be another 16 years before we see them again!
My brain is feeling a bit foggy and I'm wondering if I'm even making any sense at this point, so I think I will close this post now. Perhaps I won't let so many months go by before I write again?!
Blessings,
Karin
~January through May, most of my free time was spent working on wedding plans for my sweet sister-in-law. I absolutely love weddings and all things related to them, and since Amanda and Eddie had a very short engagement, they needed all the help they could find. Lucky me! They were so sweet to let me help, and I loved every minute of it. The wedding was beautiful, and we were all blessed to have Eddie's mom attend. The picture of him "dancing" with her in her wheelchair will forever be ingrained in my mind and to this day brings tears to my eyes. She was a wonderful woman!
~Summer: Scott landed a summer job with Navistar, so we enjoyed the extra income but missed him greatly! The kids were so good about letting me rest most afternoons, but it was still a struggle to keep up with them. They both played baseball for the first time and loved it! They learned so much, and it was great to see them improve throughout the season. We also spent lots of time at the lake with our family, and (drumroll please...) Katie learned to ski!! Katie is not known for being adventurous, so this took us completely by surprise! She decided to try it one day, out of the blue, and just loves it! She is pretty good at balancing and adjusting, actually, which really isn't something that can be taught. Ryan gave it a try, too, but his little legs just aren't strong enough yet. Maybe next year! They both enjoyed tubing as well, though no one has fallen out yet...I wonder how they will react to that?? I started a new supplement called zija mid-summer, and it has helped me so much! I still can't do everything I did before I became ill, but I'm content with what my body will allow me to do most days (up until last week, but that's another story!)
I thought the fall would be a little slower paced for us, but so far that isn't the case! Scott is taking two classes and working part-time for another company. He's plenty busy, but we love that he is home early enough in the evening to spend some time with me and the kids. School started super early for the kids this year, and they are already at the end of the first quarter. Third grade has been a bit rough for Katie, as she as more homework this year and she struggles with keeping organized and getting things done in a timely manner. Her teacher, however, is excellent and I know Katie will learn so much from her! Her teacher literally is an answer to prayer: sweet and fun, yet firm when needed and won't let Katie slack...the perfect balance, really! I hope Ryan has her in a few years! Ryan's teacher is great as well! Even though she is near retirement age, she is still writing grants for projects and extra experiences for her class and she's big into science...perfect for Ry! We are hoping she will really challenge him, as he is really excelling in school...to the point where we are giving him projects at home to keep him occupied while Katie does her homework! Ryan took tennis lessons this fall, too, which he really enjoyed (except for the week he took a line-drive to the eye!). Basketball started this week, so we are taking a break from tennis, but I can see him going back to it in the spring. He often tries to hit to ball like a pro (big swing, lots of spin!), but it doesn't quite work out for him. We keep telling him, "You've got to learn the basics first, mister!" Katie is trying ballet again after a two-year break. So far, she likes it! This week, it may be a challenge, as her arm is in a cast. She fell off her bike last week and has a buckle fracture. She is in a but of pain, but is handling it like a trooper. I think she is enjoying the extra attention, especially from our Trinidad friends who are staying with us! Many years ago, my brother and I went with part of our church youth group to Trinidad on a missions trip. It was my first international missions trip, and I have so many wonderful memories from that trip, so when I found out that a steel pan band from Trinidad was coming here (several of the members we met back then), Scott and I wanted to house part of the group. We have been so blessed having them stay with us! Hopefully, it won't be another 16 years before we see them again!
My brain is feeling a bit foggy and I'm wondering if I'm even making any sense at this point, so I think I will close this post now. Perhaps I won't let so many months go by before I write again?!
Blessings,
Karin
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