Friday, March 08, 2013
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Wise Old Owl Vintage Bookmark
Old book plate which would make a cute bookmark!
Source: aquieterstorm.tumblr.com via Alexandra on Pinterest
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Frugal DIY Concrete Overlay for Floors and Countertops
We are remodeling our downstairs powder room and decided to try a skim coat of concrete over the existing older cracked tile. The substrate is solid, the tiles are just old, 40+ years old. We took out the vanity, sink, and mirror. I kind of like the old sink, so I'll use the old counter off the vanity as a template, cut out some new MDF board, and skim coat it with concrete. The vanity could not be saved; it was falling apart from water damage and old age.
The concrete that we plan to use is a resurfacing polymer concrete that will resist cracking. You can't use acid stain with this, but can add color.
I plan to use products from a big box store: a concrete resurfacer and a concrete bonding agent, sold by the gallon.
This is will be a very inexpensive remodel with nice results. I'll share when we are done.
Here's a video on how to do the floor:
The concrete that we plan to use is a resurfacing polymer concrete that will resist cracking. You can't use acid stain with this, but can add color.
I plan to use products from a big box store: a concrete resurfacer and a concrete bonding agent, sold by the gallon.
This is will be a very inexpensive remodel with nice results. I'll share when we are done.
Here's a video on how to do the floor:
And one for counter tops:
Monday, March 04, 2013
Friday, March 01, 2013
Hugelkultur Low or No Irrigation Garden Beds
"Hugelkultur is a German term that roughly translates to “mound culture”. The hugelkultur gardening method has been used in Eastern Europe for centuries and is essentially a sheet-composting method that involves burying woody debris (logs, branches, sticks) and other organic matter under a mound of earth. This gardening method mimics nutrient cycling that occurs in nature. When trees and branches fall to the floor of a forest, they act like a sponge as they decay. That sponge-like property allows the wood to soak up rainfall and then release it slowly into the soil use by surrounding plants. Hugelkultur beds are designed to take advantage of this natural water-retention cycle – so much so that some gardeners who use this method claim they never water at all." Read more here.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Frugal Cooking: Charles Mattocks,The Poor Chef
Cheri Sicard: What’s a common myth about frugal cooking that you want to dispel?
Charles Mattocks: That people who cook frugally are poor. I think an educated shopper can be very frugal in a good way, they may use coupons and take more time in the grocery store but they save money. The way the world is now, I think all of us are trying to save a few dollars.
I have had single mothers that are successful business women that raise families share with me their secrets of cooking or shopping. With planning they bought fresher food because they used a budget, and that they got more for their dollar when taking time to really shop. So being frugal can be a great thing when it comes to eating healthy and saving money. Read more here.
Eat Cheap but Eat Well
Charles Mattocks: That people who cook frugally are poor. I think an educated shopper can be very frugal in a good way, they may use coupons and take more time in the grocery store but they save money. The way the world is now, I think all of us are trying to save a few dollars.
I have had single mothers that are successful business women that raise families share with me their secrets of cooking or shopping. With planning they bought fresher food because they used a budget, and that they got more for their dollar when taking time to really shop. So being frugal can be a great thing when it comes to eating healthy and saving money. Read more here.
Eat Cheap but Eat Well
A good book for beginning cooks, and/or cooks who are looking for healthier foods with a little international flavor. Some of his recipes are here, free online. These are his higher priced $7.00 meals, but I could make these for a lot less! If you shop meat sales and use frozen veggies, or veggies from your garden, the price per meals goes down. It's a good jumping board for making your own versions...great for ideas.
Here's one of them:
I'd use a cheaper cut of chicken. I get mine for .69 cents a pound, bone-in. I cook it, take the skin off, and separate little pieces(shredded) to use in the curry chicken. You can make your own yogurt and leave out the almonds.
Granny’s Curry Chicken
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder, or to taste
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup yogurt
Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder, or to taste
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup yogurt
Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
Television: Content Matters, No Kidding
It seems morally wrong and abusive to expose preschool children to violence for the sake of a study. This is nothing but common sense; however, it puts the "science" behind it, and we value and put great emphasis on the social sciences in our society :
When preschoolers watch educational programs instead of violent TV shows, they tend to be more compassionate and less aggressive, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. The study
About 600 families were recruited and assigned to one of two groups. Parents in the first group were encouraged to substitute violent shows with educational and pro-social ones - shows that stressed compassion and cooperation.
Families were given monthly TV guides listing educational programming for their area: shows such as "Dora the Explorer," "Super WHY," "Sesame Street" and "It's a Big, Big World." Parents were also encouraged to watch TV with their kids.
The children went from watching a half-hour of violent programming a day to 23 minutes. Parents then increased educational viewing from about 30 to 43 minutes a day.
Families in the second group did not change their viewing habits.
"This is the first study to try to modify the viewing habits of preschool kids," says Dr. Vic Strasburger, spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "That's one of the significances of this study."
After a year, researchers found that children watching less violent and more child-appropriate shows scored better on tests that measured cooperation, a willingness to share or compromise. They also had fewer incidents of aggressive behavior such as yelling and hitting.
"Although television is frequently implicated as a cause of many problems in children, our research indicates that it may also be part of the solution," the study notes.
Read more here.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Austerity Measures in the Home: Cutting Utility and Gas Costs
A few things we will be doing or have already done to cut back on costs in these lean times.
1. Stay home.
We use our creativity and imagination to entertain ourselves. This means lots of family games, crafts/DIY, reading, gardening, and walks. Pinterest is a good place for free tutorials, ideas, and inspiration.
2. Using only two lights in the home at a time.
Using only two lights(CFL 13W) an average of four hours a day will cost only $4.18 per year.
3. Unplug all items that use standby power lights, or use power strips and switch off when not in use.
Cutting off standby lights saves us about :
Five watts for 5 surge protectors
Eight watts for router
Eight watts for garage door opener
9 watts for older PC
and probably another 8 watts for various electronic items.
Total savings: $36.61 a year.
4. Flush toilets only when necessary.
Flushing our newer toilets uses 1.6 gallons. The average person flushes about six times a day which equals 9.6 gallons per person per day. We have three people here most days, so we use at least 864 gallons a month to flush. This is about $12.00 a month. If we all flushed once a day only, we'd save $4 per month, or $48 a year.
5. Turn on hot water heater from 5pm - 8pm only.
6. Use low energy appliances to cook: such as a microwave, an electric skillet, and a table top oven.
7. Time showers to five minutes or less.
A shower uses on average 2.5 gallons a minute, so cutting back on the time saves many gallons of water.
In warmer months, we turn the water heater off all together and use tepid water to bathe. This cut our natural gas bill in half! We still pay for the pilot light that runs continuously. Heating water for only three hours a day, cuts the bill by a significant amount. I'll have to figure an exact amount, if I can, and add this here.
8. Map out and plan shopping trips to minimize gas useage.
9. Order online when prices match brick and mortar stores, or are less expensive.
I use discounted gift cards, online coupon codes, and shop through rebate sites(see sidebar).
10. Thermostat is set at 57 degrees, down from 59 degrees.
1. Stay home.
We use our creativity and imagination to entertain ourselves. This means lots of family games, crafts/DIY, reading, gardening, and walks. Pinterest is a good place for free tutorials, ideas, and inspiration.
2. Using only two lights in the home at a time.
Using only two lights(CFL 13W) an average of four hours a day will cost only $4.18 per year.
3. Unplug all items that use standby power lights, or use power strips and switch off when not in use.
Cutting off standby lights saves us about :
Five watts for 5 surge protectors
Eight watts for router
Eight watts for garage door opener
9 watts for older PC
and probably another 8 watts for various electronic items.
Total savings: $36.61 a year.4. Flush toilets only when necessary.
Flushing our newer toilets uses 1.6 gallons. The average person flushes about six times a day which equals 9.6 gallons per person per day. We have three people here most days, so we use at least 864 gallons a month to flush. This is about $12.00 a month. If we all flushed once a day only, we'd save $4 per month, or $48 a year.
5. Turn on hot water heater from 5pm - 8pm only.
6. Use low energy appliances to cook: such as a microwave, an electric skillet, and a table top oven.
7. Time showers to five minutes or less.
A shower uses on average 2.5 gallons a minute, so cutting back on the time saves many gallons of water.
In warmer months, we turn the water heater off all together and use tepid water to bathe. This cut our natural gas bill in half! We still pay for the pilot light that runs continuously. Heating water for only three hours a day, cuts the bill by a significant amount. I'll have to figure an exact amount, if I can, and add this here.
8. Map out and plan shopping trips to minimize gas useage.
9. Order online when prices match brick and mortar stores, or are less expensive.
I use discounted gift cards, online coupon codes, and shop through rebate sites(see sidebar).
10. Thermostat is set at 57 degrees, down from 59 degrees.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Home Energy Use Calculator
This calculator can give you a dollar value per state and item. I'm not sure how accurate(up to date) the rates are, but it gave me a good idea of where to save. You can adjust the kWh rates if you know yours. Mine is .11 cents per kWh. My cost of one hundred cubic feet (hcf) of water (748 gallons) is about $10.26.
Here's one for calculating shower useage(heat and water).
Widgets:
Here's one for calculating shower useage(heat and water).
Widgets:
Friday, February 15, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
25 + Tips for Using Borax
From DIY Life:
Last week, we published a story on 25 Household Uses for Borax, and the response was overwhelming! So this week, we decided to follow up with new tips -- your tips -- for getting the most out of this "miracle mineral." So, there's this stuff called Borax. You may be familiar with its full product name: 20 Mule Team Borax.
Essentially, Borax is a cleaning agent derived from naturally occurring minerals -- meaning it's nontoxic and eco-friendly. Though it's known primarily as a laundry booster, its uses extend far beyond that -- from pest control and weed control to odor elimination. We thought we knew everything about Borax...that is until you, our readers, stepped up and offered even more uses for this powdery wonder. We really had no choice but to publish 10 of your best pearls of household wisdom. Enjoy!
Read more here.
Last week, we published a story on 25 Household Uses for Borax, and the response was overwhelming! So this week, we decided to follow up with new tips -- your tips -- for getting the most out of this "miracle mineral." So, there's this stuff called Borax. You may be familiar with its full product name: 20 Mule Team Borax.
Essentially, Borax is a cleaning agent derived from naturally occurring minerals -- meaning it's nontoxic and eco-friendly. Though it's known primarily as a laundry booster, its uses extend far beyond that -- from pest control and weed control to odor elimination. We thought we knew everything about Borax...that is until you, our readers, stepped up and offered even more uses for this powdery wonder. We really had no choice but to publish 10 of your best pearls of household wisdom. Enjoy!
Read more here.
Friday, February 08, 2013
Free First Grade Nursery Rhyme Reading Printables and Worksheet
I've got this site, Lit2Go linked on my sidebar. Today we used a first grade readibility level print-out for the nursery rhyme, Pat-A-Cake. At the link is an audio version, a PDF illustrated black and white page of the rhyme, and a worksheet. All are free to print and use.All grades are represented at Lit2Go, and they offer a good variety of classic literature.
My daughter also made a cake all by herself(mostly) from a mix. She learned to cut the amounts down based on the smaller size. We used a small glass oven-safe bowl. It was very good! She put strawberry yogurt on top for icing.
A little literature arts and math(fractions and measurements) for afternoon fun. : )
Getting Organized, Homeschool on Wheels: Easy Curricula Storage
I got this cart, Household Essentials Jumbo 3-Tier Metal Cart with Wheels, White
, on Amazon for my daughter's homeschool items. I store it in the corner when not in use, and pull it out to where we decide to do our work - it changes from day to day. I can even roll it outside on the concrete. The trays are deep enough to hold standard sized paper and workbooks, and wide enough to store paper and workbooks on the same shelf. I've got them going two different directions to fit(see picture).The price is relatively low because it is not a heavy utility card, but a light weight cart designed for light weight items. We have solid surface floors and the casters work just fine on these - no scratches on the floor. It is also light enough to pick up by the handles to carry .
Cart is white wire with measurements of 24-inch width by 32-1/2-inch height by 14-inch depth.
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
First Grade Math Worksheet Freebies: Cupcakes, Hearts, and Aliens Addition
Dollar Store Inexpensive Stuffed Animal Storage
Not bad for $1.00 each.
Sunday, February 03, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Planter on Wheels: Repurposing a Galvanized Tub
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Fuller String Mop Update
So we must be very dirty because my Fuller String mop head needed replacing in only three months time! I had to go with a commercial looped string mop which really works well and is lasting longer. It is large and heavy, and requires a professional mop wringer, but the weight of the mop does much of the cleaning for you. I also tried a stronger cleaner, LA's Totally Awesome concentrated cleaner(ammonia and bleach free) from the Dollar Tree. This put a shine back on the painted concrete floors and got up a lot of my daughter's glue and paint. I used it on the laminate floors and got good results as well. About a four of a cup of it in a bucket with hot water is all I needed for heavy floor cleaning.
See how the strings are looped and tied across at the end? This makes them last longer because they don't unravel and tangle. The string mops that are cut across tend to fray and disintegrate.GJO60466 - Mop Bucket Wringer Combo, four 3 inch Casters, 26 qt., Yellow
Friday, January 25, 2013
Free Multi-grade Homeschool Worksheets
This site has a ton of quality worksheets to download. There is a free sign-up to access them. Last night I downloaded and printed 20+ sight word worksheets! There is so much more...check it our here.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Easy DIY Painted Concrete Floor Update
We pulled up our first floor carpet and painted our floor white some time ago. I love the way they look; however, my daughter has made short work of them - they are stained from all her projects and heavy play. We never sealed them with poly, which would have been best for stain resistance. The polyurethane smells horrible, and I didn't want to deal with the fumes. I thought about floor wax which I still might try. So I need to repaint them, and was inspired by this olive color for the floors. As soon as it warms up, I think I'll try this color! Despite the need to repaint, I am very glad we have concrete painted floors. If we still had carpeting, the messes would have been incredibly difficult to clean. As it is now, all I have to do is mop with a heavy commercial looped string mop and it's clean - minus paint stains and heavy wear areas(computer bench seat area). When you homeschool, the house gets a lot of wear! This is especially true with younger children who tend to be very hands-on and free spirited with their learning.
Another option would have been to stain the concrete and seal it. If you don't mind fumes and dealing with caustic chemicals, this is an excellent option for hiding stains and reduces the chance for scratched paint.
If you can rent and use a commercial sander, the concrete floor will be less pitted and much easier to clean. I tried to get the husband to do this, but we are both too old and tired to tackle this. ; ) Our surface was fairly smooth, so we just painted over it.
We have had laminate in our kitchen for 14 years, and it has held up beautifully. Laminate or some other solid surface overlay would have been a much better choice, but we were looking for the least expensive, least time consuming avenue to DIY easy-clean solid surface floors. I'm happy to continue this option for now, and maybe when the children are older, I'll deal with laying down polyurethane. It's nasty stuff...we'll have to leave the house for a few days while several coats of the stuff dries. I'm not ready for this now.
History Interest Enhancer for Students: Original Newspaper Articles of Historic Events
Access to newspaper articles of historic events dating back to 1850 here.
Places like this have quick reader friendly public domain online history books that can be read easily together with the newspaper articles. The table of contents is on the sidebar, so accessing relevant chapters is fast! This is very accessible and efficient.
Places like this have quick reader friendly public domain online history books that can be read easily together with the newspaper articles. The table of contents is on the sidebar, so accessing relevant chapters is fast! This is very accessible and efficient.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Homemade Clip Art Valentine Cards
Dollar Store Fake Food Craft
Friday, January 18, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Fun Find: Pink Rose Scented Dish Soap
Now I'll have to look for Palmolive coupons.
Note: The one I found at the Dollar General had the older pull top and did not indicate that it had vitamin E added. It also had the word "Classic" in the name, not "Ultra". See image at left. There is a more common Ultra version with vitamin E, but I haven't tried this one yet.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Free All-in-one Homeschool Curriculum for All Grades
Per Easy Peasy — All in One Homeschool:
What this is…
This is my children’s school. It covers reading, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, math, history/social studies/geography, science, Bible, computer, music, art, PE/health, and logic. It uses only free materials found on the internet.
I have finished preschool (getting ready 1), kindergarten (getting ready 2), first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth. Third grade is in progress with math finished. Grade levels include all of the English, math, computer and logic. I have also finished two years of all of the other subjects. These are called “program years.” Year 4′s theme is modern history, physics and chemistry. Year 1′s theme is ancient history and biology. I am currently putting up Year 2 which has early American history and zoology for the theme. Grade levels and courses include 180 days of homeschool lessons and assignments.
When choosing a level, look at the “reading” assignments to decide. Then you only have to choose which program year to study.
Your child just goes to Day 1 on his or her level (found in the sidebar) and starts clicking through the assignments! That’s all! Take a look at the “about” and “how to” pages for more info.
And yes, it’s all free. You’ll need paper, pencil, etc. and some minor supplies if you choose to do the experiments and art projects, but all of the reading materials, etc. are all free and online.
My hope is to enable families to continue homeschooling and to help those trying to homeschool overseas.
Click here.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
37 Shrubs That Can be Easily Grown from Cuttings
Beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica)
Beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)
Blue mist shrub (Caryopteris x clandonensis)
Burning bush (Euonymus alatus)
Source: finegardening.com via Alexandra on Pinterest
Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)Chinese stranvaesia (Stranvaesia davidiana)
Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
Daphne (Daphne caucasica)
Deciduous azaleas (Rhododendron cvs.)
Elders (Sambucus spp.)
Enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus)
Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)
Forsythias (Forsythia spp.)
Honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.)
Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.)
Japanese maples (Acer palmatum cvs.)
Kerria (Kerria japonica)
Large fothergilla (Fothergilla major)
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Magnolias (Magnolia spp.)
Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius)
Redtwig dogwood (Cornus alba and sericea)
Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa)
Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)
Slender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis)
Smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria)
Spireas (Spiraea spp.)
Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)
Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
Viburnums (Viburnum x burkwoodii and carlesii)
Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Weigelas (Weigela spp.)
Willows (Salix spp.)
Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)
Winter hazels (Corylopsis spp.)
Witch hazels (Hamamelis spp.)
Read the rest of the article here, includes tutorial.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
Dollar Store Pink Magnet Board
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Worksheet Freebies
I've saved a lot here at Pinterest, and look for freebies here at Teacher's Pay Teachers(free sign-up required).
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