The Best Homemade Toothpaste!

I have made toothpaste only a couple of times recently and found/created a wonderful blend this morning.  

Okay, your thinking 'homemade toothpaste?', Come On!  But, do you realize how many harmful chemicals are in standardized toothpaste?  Some of these horrible chemicals are Sodium Lauryl Sulphate(SLS), Triclosan, diethanolomine and Isopropyl Alcohol.  Did you know Flouride can be fatal for children when consumed in high dosages?

Want more info?  Heres a great easy list from the Chicago Tribune.

Okay, there are some safe ones out there but be careful, even the standard toothpaste by Toms of Maine has SLS in it.  We have been using one called Xyliwhite and love it, but its pretty expensive in my mind at 3.75 a tube PLUS shipping.

Here is my version, give it a shot, we really think its wonderful!

Erins Yummy Toothpaste

Ingredients;

baking soda appx 1/4 cup

xylitol appx 1+ Tbs

salt appx 1/2 tsp

liquid glycerine appx less than 1/4 cup

essential oil 1-2 ml (maybe 1/4 tsp?)

(these are all very approximate as I dont write my toothpaste recipes down, really I just go by taste and feel.  Its not a science, trust me!)

Directions; 

Pour baking soda in a bowl, add salt and xylitol(I ground up the xylitol with my pestle and mortar as the first batch this morning was too grainy).  

Drizzle in the glycerine till you get a toothpaste like consistency.  

Add essential oils to taste.  

I made a cinnamon version earlier today that was so cinnamon-y it made my tongue numb so be careful, that was also due to a lot of testing!  My second batch, the white one, turned out perfect!  Crushing the xylitol was really key to a perfect product, and so was lots of peppermint oil!  If it was in a tube nobody would even know it was homemade!  

Oh, except it doesn't foam.  I have been using natural toothpaste so long I forgot that companies use the SLS and other foaming agents in theirs.  So, yes, you may miss the messy foaming over sensation and huge mess in the sink.  Your welcome.

I store mine in baby food jars and we just dip our dry toothbrush into it before each use.  If you are concerned about the cleanliness of this just keep half a popsicle stick in the jar for sanitary spreading, or make each family member their own jar.

I have not calculated the cost of this but I can assure you it is minimum.  The initial cost of some of these supplies is certainly a factor but once you have them they should last for many, many years.  I purchase my essential oils and glycerine from a local to me and wonderful company called Brambleberry.  I highly recommend them as they always have the very best prices (I know as I compare often always trying to get the best deal), they ship super fast plus the business is run by a regular women, just like me and you.

I got my xylitol from my mother who probably ordered it from iHerb where she gets all of her natural supplements and products, at least the ones I don't make for her!  Im sure any health food store or many grocers would carry this as well.  Check in the natural baking section by the sugars.

The xylitol is a very important ingredient in this product as it has been shown to fight cavities better than fluoride and even has REVERSED cavity deterioration in many studies.  Actually, my mother is an example so I am a true believer.  

Go now,  make some toothpaste and impress your family!  Go on!

How about a BIG freezer?

Just a few years ago we invested in an upright storage freezer.  The 'Suzy Homemaker' in me had been wanting one forever.  We bought it at Sears on sale and even got a full rebate on the delivery as I recall.  

I knew having a storage freezer would save us a lot of money.  Besides filling it with garden produce, extra meals and leftovers I cook, we would be able to take advantage of great sales on freezable items.  I love to hit up the day old bread racks, get lots of tortillas with coupons and even stock up on coffee creamer.  All of these things freeze so well!

When we began our search for a storage freezer, we had initially planned on buying a 'more affordable' small chest freezer.  They are usually in the $170-$200 range for a smaller one.  At the time we had a basement to keep it out of sight.  After some research and some strong encouragement from my mother (thanks mom!) we decided to invest a little more on a larger upright model.  I am happy we went with it.  Not only is it really easy to keep organized, but it is frost free, it does have a light and adjustable shelves.

Now that we live in a one level house, without a garage, we had a tougher time figuring out where to put it.  I did not want it in the laundry room and it will be years before we can add a garage on to our home....  we did have a storage shed outside my daughters room off her patio...   It is was used as a small garden shed by the previous owners of the house and is the perfect size for a freezer!  It is built into the house, similar to a closet outside.  We were lucky that it had a light in it and with a small kit from the hardware store my husband was able to turn it into an outlet.

I think our savings are terrific with this freezer and we have more than made our money back.  I am able to stock it to the brim with coupon deals and keep extra pre-prepared meals in it as well.  What might the savings be??  If a pot of bean soup costs me $3 to make, and I can freeze half for another day and I can get a loaf of 'goumet' dill and onion french bread on the day old rack for .90 (cough-walmart-cough,cough) then my meal costs;

Soup for 3; 1.50, plus bread .90 = $2.40 for a meal out of the freezer

If I do this once a week, versus takeout at Taco Del Mar, Two of the 'bargain' $5 platters + beans & rice f

or baby= $15

$15 once per week x 52 weeks= $780

$2.40 freezer meal x 52 weeks= 124.80

SAVINGS OF $655.20

for only doing this one time a week versus fast food!!!  That will more than pay for your freezer!!

for fun lets compare this to eating out at a decent restaurant only a meager once a month;

$38 includes tip and a glass of wine (hey- we dont get out much, so indulge!, right?) =$456 per year

Instead, have that freezer meal ONCE per month= $28.80

You will SAVE  $427.20

You can still get a decent freezer for that price by not eating out at a restaurant just ONE TIME per month!!  Hey, and you might even be able to put some food in it!

(of course I didn't figure in the cost to power the freezer, but I didn't figure in the cost to drive for take out either!)

From ConsumerSearch.com;

''Reviewers are quick to point out an interesting fact about U.S. freezers -- they're all primarily manufactured by three companies: Frigidaire (owned by Electrolux), W.C. Wood (based in Canada) and Haier (based in China>). Frigidaire makes freezers under the Frigidaire and Gibson names, and along with Haier, makes some freezers for Kenmore and GE. W.C. Wood makes freezers for Amana, Magic Chef, some units for Maytag, Danby and Whirlpool. Haier makes freezers for GE, Kenmore, some units for Maytag and Amana in addition to selling some models under its own name. Thus, it's no surprise that reviewers find no significant differences in efficiency and performance between brands of the same manufacturers (as long as they're new models of similar size and style). This also means that shoppers can pay a premium for high-profile names when the products are nearly identical. For example, Frigidaire freezers sometimes cost more than GE freezers and Maytag freezers may fetch a premium over a W.C. Wood freezer.''

I thought that was quite interesting.  (it was about the three main freezer manufacturers making all of the freezers under different names, if you didn't want to read it!)

So, maybe its time to think about a storage freezer!

feeding the birds: free

Just the other day after a trip into town to drop off a package at the post office, I noticed how nice of a day it was.  My daughter was in a great mood and it felt like such a shame to rush straight home to clean as usual.  I knew I had a bag of possibly stale cheerios in my diaper bag and I had been wanting to see how the little one liked feeding the birds.

Our post office is in our downtown, which consists of a waterfront park and some cute boutiques.  I did something I am only now learning to do, and on a whim took her to the waterfront for some fun.  It was a little breezy, but we had jackets and hats.

Approaching the park I did not see any birds and was concerned this idea was bust.  I decided to toss a few Os over the fence to see if I could get any action.  Not 10 seconds later the lawn behind us was covered with maybe 30 ducks!  The little one squealed with delight and if you can imagine we had a wonderful time.  She still makes the duck 'quack' today!

As I now want this to be a normal activity for us I thought of a great way to collect 'bird food'.  

I put a jar on the kitchen counter and have started to fill it with any stale crackers or pretzels she doesnt finish, the bottom of the chip bag or whatever else would get otherwise discarded!  I will keep baggies of it in the car for those spur of the moment joyful events!

For anyone who knows me, this was a ever so much needed break this week!  We had so much fun and are planning to go saturday morning with daddy.  

I will report tomorrow how night #2 with the sleep schedule goes.  Night one was okay!!

For more fantastically frugal ideas check out one of Crystals many blogs.

Bringing Back Celery.

Is this in your fridge??  Don't toss it out!

How often do you buy celery only to use two stalks and discover a week later that it has turned limp.  Now what to do?  Sure, you can cut it up and toss it in soup.  But, why not just revive it and start over?

Cut the bottom 1/2 inch or so off the celery and place it in a glass of cool water.  Place in fridge and check it after 24 hours.  It should have 'drank' some of the water and come back to life!

Yeah!  Its just that easy.

For many more economical tips in these tough times check out Biblical Womanhood!

Juice for Tots! Frugal Friday.

I (of course!) had a coupon for Motts for Totts juice and was able to get a really good deal on it. We give our daughter her liquid vitamins and omegas in a sippy cup full of juice every morning, so she is drinking a lot of juice.

After inspecting the Motts for Totts Juice, I learned that it is lower in sugar because it is mixed with water. How simple. And, you know me, I tried to make some myself. I can easily buy regular on sale juice, or even organic, and mix it with 40-50% water. This will almost double the quantity of juice so I thought it would be a great idea to freeze the excess to use later, pre mixed!

So, the juice is now half off of my sale-after-coupon price!!

I used some spaghetti sauce jars (trying not to use chemical leaching plastic when I can), made sure they were really, really clean, and poured in half juice and half water. I can use one now and throw the rest in the freezer.

make your own; bath net

My daughter is now at the age where she loves playing with bath toys.  After her recent 1st birthday and Christmas she now has more than a hand full to clutter up the tub.  

I researched bath nets on-line and discovered that they are all ugly.  At least not worthy of the $20 w/ shipping certain places are charging.  I made a note to myself to look at netting the next time I went to the fabric store.

Last week I unpacked a bag of satsuma oranges and looked down at the packaging.  Huh, I thought.  I went and pulled some suction cups off a shower shelf that we were not using, tied it on with little bows, and Viola!  My own bath net.  Free.

Hip Jeans: $2

Being naturally frugal at heart, and now living on one income, I have found other ways to update my wardrobe. I have discovered the art of making over your own clothing.

I have this wonderful pair of very flattering jeans. Though I did not spend much on them, a TJ Maxx special, the Buffalo brand still makes me feel special, and makes my rear end look smaller!!

I have not been wearing them lately because the flare leg on these is a little out-dated. Oh, what to do? I decided to give them a total makeover.

After a little research I learned how simple it would be to just take in the legs and make 'skinny jeans'. But, if they were to be skinny jeans they would need to be a darker color, right? So, I went the dye route again. RIT dye, big bottle, liquid, in the color Denim, $2.67. Perfect.

I ripped open the inner seam up past the knees, tried them on and safety pinned where I wanted them sewn in. After lots of pinning, measuring, and taking my pants carefully on and off for a bit, I was satisfied and sewed and serged up the whole leg.

After I had them to a perfect fit I threw them in the wash for good measure while preparing my dye solution. I decided not to use my big soap pot this time as I thought it would not be enough room for these jeans to 'move around freely'. I have a front load washer so that was out as well.

I was left only with the sink method. I boiled two big pots and one kettle of water and dumped them into my sink with the dye and salt mixture. I swished around and added my jeans. I let them sit for the full hour as I wanted them as dark as possible. After rinsing for a ridiculous amount of time, I was finally able to was them 'as directed'.

The suspense was taking hold of me until I finally got to try them on. I really love them and am so happy I decided to take this plunge. I will certainly be doing this again if I get the chance!!

For other Fantastic Frugal Ideas, visit one of Crystals many sites!

Frugal Friday; homemade starch

My husband irons his clothing for work. (yes, I do know how lucky I am that he irons his own clothes!!!) He is also a huge fan of starch, I think he has a 'starch addiction'. We go through a lot of starch, a lot!

A few days ago we ran out of starch and quickly discovered that we did not have any reserve cans left. To avoid a slight crisis I did a little bit of research and discovered that we could make our own using simple corn starch.

ingredients
2 cups warm water
1-3 Tbs corn starch

mix corn starch into warm water and pour in spray bottle. for fun I added a few drops of essential oil (do be careful with oils as they can stain clothing!) Shake well before each use.

1 Tbs= light starch
2 Tbs= medium starch
3 Tbs= heavy starch

Not only was this really cheap, we are so much happier using a chemical free product and my husband even thinks it works better than the aerosol stuff.

Six cents per 2 cup 'bottle' for the Light Starch!!

Baby slippers. Happy Frugal Friday!

Okay, okay, here they are. I made my first pair of baby slippers. I used the really easy pattern here and simplified it a little as I was using fleece and did not double the layers where suggested, except the sole.

I also did not do the proper button hole, didn't want to worry about putting the specified presser foot on my machine, I just cut little slits. Instead of embellishing them with a sewn on design I just tied a ribbon to the elastic in front. And I used 'puffy paint' (remember that stuff, Im thinking early 90's?) to make the soles slip resistant. Very easy!

I love them so much and can't wait for her to wear them, I am saving them for her birthday!!

One of the best parts about these slippers is that they were made from mere scraps.  Basically left over fleece!!  So, if I had already had the 'puffy paint' (which I had to buy at about $1) I would have spent nothing on these!!

Baby Magazine

One of my daughters favorite things to do is go through all my 'Parents' and 'Baby' magazines and look at and talk to the baby pictures. While it is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen she wreaks havoc on these magazines I have yet to read.

I decided to make a magazine just for her.

It was simple. I just cut out a bunch of baby pictures and glued them to pieces of a cut up cardboard box. Next, I hole punched them and tied it all with a ribbon. Now she has something, just like mommys, of her very own.

Selling Your Home

This weeks Frugal Friday I will discuss easy and thrifty ways to stage your home to get it sold as fast as possible.  Yes, even in this market.

Staging your home is an easy thing to do if you can keep focused on only one thing; staging.  When a home is staged it 'appears' as if it could be comfortably lived in as shown.  It should be roomy yet comfortable, modern yet cozy.

Something to first consider is where to store all of your excess 'junk', this includes all furniture that doesn't fit, extra clothing crowding closets and anything you may have 'stored' in the basement, garage, ect.  If you dont have a relative nearby with an empty garage than you should consider renting a storage unit.  Fifty or eighty dollars a month is nothing compared with the thousands you will be paying toward your mortgage each month your home does not sell.

To stage a home, each room should be looked at as an individual.  Start with, say, the master bedroom.  Empty everything out.   Only place the few items that look good in it.  Remember, it does not need to be livable, just look livable. 

Is your bed too big for the room?  You mustn't make the room look crowded or small.  Swap your large bed for a smaller one.  Maybe a friend or family member can trade you for a bit?  How about your dressers or night-stands?  Keep maybe one or two night-stands and the dresser only if it does not crowed the room.  Keep all items cleared off with the exception on one or 2 items each, maybe a lamp or vase of flowers.  NO TV, NO family pictures and nothing else.  Your room must resemble one you would see in a magazine.

Keep personal items away.  This includes all family pictures, nicknacks, baby toys and pet items.  You want your buyers imagining their families in this house, not yours.  

Bring in fresh flowers.  These can be inexpensive when purchased at grocerys stores and mixed with any floral items you can pick from your own yard, be it flowers, leaves or branches.  Also inexpensive small plants can be purchased at nurserys or home improvement stores and placed inside the home.  Just wrap a piece of decorative paper (or newsprint or brown paper bag) around plastic container and tie with a ribbon.

It is so important to remember that you are staging and your home may not be very functional. It is just a small inconvenience and you would be surprised how easy it is to live with very little.

Still need help staging?  Check out any local open-houses, especially ones in new developments featuring new homes.  These are perfect inspiration and examples of how staging works.

The goal of a staged home can be achieved with a little hard labor, some helpful opinions and extra attention to details.  It will make your house so unbelievably cute that everyone will want to call it their own.

It worked for us.

Cheap Beans!

Cheap(er) Beans!!

What is cheaper than beans?  Not much, especially when you buy dry and hydrate them yourself.  This is something I like to do ahead of time and keep in 'can size' baggies in my freezer.

I can usually find a 1lb bag of beans for around a dollar.  Once measured out it equals about 5 cans worth.  Cheaper, lower in sodium and they just taste better.  At about .20 per 'can', I think it is worth the easy steps!!

Take a 1 lb bag of beans (any type), throw in very large stockpot.  Fill with water, at least a couple of inches above beans.  Soak overnight. In the morning pour the beans in colander and rinse well.  Put beans back in stockpot and fill almost to top with water.  Add as much salt as you like (I usually add a couple teaspoons), bring to a boil, put lid on and turn off burner.  Let sit a good few hours or even all day.  Make sure to check tenderness of beans after a while, if really tough still you may need to bring to a boil again for a bit then let sit.

I prefer this method as I dont have to worry about any burning or overcooking and can leave it while I go out.  Plus it doesnt waste the energy that simmering for hours does.

Once beans are tender, usually by afternoon, I drain then put in baggies in overflowing one cup amounts.  I freeze these then keep in a gallon size ziplock bag, be sure to label them!!

Frugal Friday; Reusing Old Clothing

A few weeks ago I decided to get crafty and sew some pants for my baby girl.  I ran across a great site with some really easy patterns here on MakeBabyStuff.com. 

It was really easy, even for a beginner sewer.  The pattern I just printed out then enlarged in pieces on my printer then traced it onto a paper sack.  It was a basic enough pattern I imagine someone could even hand sketch a rough enlargement.

I reused an old pair of sweat pants that had long seen better days but still had plenty of material in the big baggy flare legs for a second use.  I was even able to make them big enough in the bottom for her cloth diapers.  I just love them!!  Cant wait to make more!!

For more wonderful thrifty ideas check out Frugal Fridays Here!

Frugal Friday; Shopping Habitat for Humanity

I just learned that home fixtures can be purchased through Habitat For Humanity.  They actually have stores where home builders (and homeowners) donate items such as used interior or exterior accessories and even new items that had been ordered in the wrong color or size.  

It looks as if Habitat accepts most home pieces in good and working order.  We only looked at exterior doors when we were there but I want to go back and check out what else they offer.  What a great resource to use as we fix up our old house before we sell it!!

I was thrilled to find out there was a ReStore just about 30 minutes away from my house.  I went with my mom and we picked out this gently used door for just $45!!  Sure, its wasn't free and maybe I could have found a better deal on Craigslist but we had a HUGE selection to choose from and the staff was very friendly and even put it in the truck for us!!  I just love it!

Find a ReStore near you and fix up your house!!  Its green, its thrifty, it keeps things out of the landfill, it helps build new Habitat houses and its just plain good in every way!

Check out Biblical Womanhood for other Frugal ideas!

Cloth Pads, thats right, Menstrual Pads!

Well, my husband thinks I am crazy. First for trying these, second for 'telling the world' (his words!). If you have read my blog before you know that I am a huge cloth fan. I use cloth towels in the kitchen instead of paper towels, cloth diapers and wipes on the babe, cloth grocery bags... so why not on myself?

I have read so much about how much other women really love cloth, it is softer, lack of chemicals results i n a shorter and lighter period, and they are cheaper (or free if you have fabric on hand!). Not even to start with the whole environmental aspect.

If you can get over the gross factor (it took me about 6 months of considering to do so) and just realize we have to deal with this whole period issue no matter what. It is really not going to be much different. I wash diapers anyway so it wont create any extra tasks or even waste any extra water. And I just cannot wait to see how comfortable they really are, all I read is how much women just love them!!

I have done a lot of research and used some really wonderful and easy patterns off this website here , do check it out, at least see how pretty they are! I also was inspired by this great blog To Love Honor and Vacuum, she was less formal on making hers and it just seemed so easy and fun I really had a great time making them! This site here was especially helpful in choosing my fabrics, she also has a lot of great information to share. A great help so I was able to use materials I had on hand. I will have to purchase some snaps to add later as I have read that velcro can be scratchy!

I was hoping to get the chance to use these by today so I could report on how they worked and how comfortable they are but it might be a few days yet! I will be sure to let everyone know how much I love/hate them just as soon as I get that chance!