One of my favorite past times is to make my homemade soy candles and soy melting tarts. They come in all types of yummy scents. They're super long lasting and clean burning. They make great gifts, too!
Stop by Simmons Homemade Soy Candle shop at http://simmonshomemadesoycandles.blogspot.com and tell me what you think. All orders received before September 7th, 2012 will get 10% off of your purchase price (not including shipping).
Have a blessed day!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Make Ahead Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
I have been trying to feed my family in a healthier way. I have been adding more whole grains, fiber rich foods, fruit, and vegetables to our diet. I have also been slowly eliminating any processed or bleached foods, including white breads, pastas, rice, etc. and changing them out for healthier alternatives such as whole wheat breads, rices, and pastas. But buying these healthy foods can sometimes be costly and how do you do this without breaking the bank? ......Make your own!
I came to this conclusion after buying a box of buckwheat pancake mix. You know, the ready made mix? Well, one box is only going to cover about 2 breakfasts worth of pancakes for my family of 5, soon to be 6 :)
I also, wanted to start stocking my pantry at the same time, so what better way than to make my own "make ahead" whole wheat pancake mix? I'm saving money and time and also giving my family a healthy breakfast. Americans do not eat enough fiber. This can cause many health issues and this is one easy way to incorporate fiber into your diet.
Enough said, here's what I did.
Make Ahead Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
(adapted from Cooks.com)
10 c. 100% Whole Wheat Flour (I used King Arthur Flour)
2-1/2 c Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk
1/2 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Salt (I used sea salt)
I came to this conclusion after buying a box of buckwheat pancake mix. You know, the ready made mix? Well, one box is only going to cover about 2 breakfasts worth of pancakes for my family of 5, soon to be 6 :)
I also, wanted to start stocking my pantry at the same time, so what better way than to make my own "make ahead" whole wheat pancake mix? I'm saving money and time and also giving my family a healthy breakfast. Americans do not eat enough fiber. This can cause many health issues and this is one easy way to incorporate fiber into your diet.
Enough said, here's what I did.
Make Ahead Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
(adapted from Cooks.com)
10 c. 100% Whole Wheat Flour (I used King Arthur Flour)
2-1/2 c Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk
1/2 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Salt (I used sea salt)
Put all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together really well.
Next you will need to put your mix in a large air tight container. Label it and store it in a cool dry place. I used a nice large clear container with a white lid that I had purchased at Walmart, to store my mix in. I also, printed a label with the instructions for making the pancakes/waffles on an Avery shipping label and placed it on the front of the container.
This mix will keep for 6-8 months. I doubt it will last that long in my house. We LOVE pancakes! This recipe makes about 13 cups worth of pancake/waffle mix. Yep! I said waffle mix! :)
TO MAKE THE PANCAKES OR WAFFLES:
2 c. Homemade Pancake Mix
1 c. Water
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Oil (3 Tbsp for waffles) or you can use coconut oil for a healthier alternative ;)
Beat smooth with a wire whisk or fork. This makes about 8- four inch pancakes or 4 large waffles.
Let me know if you have any "make ahead" recipes! I would love to know!
Next you will need to put your mix in a large air tight container. Label it and store it in a cool dry place. I used a nice large clear container with a white lid that I had purchased at Walmart, to store my mix in. I also, printed a label with the instructions for making the pancakes/waffles on an Avery shipping label and placed it on the front of the container.
This mix will keep for 6-8 months. I doubt it will last that long in my house. We LOVE pancakes! This recipe makes about 13 cups worth of pancake/waffle mix. Yep! I said waffle mix! :)
TO MAKE THE PANCAKES OR WAFFLES:
2 c. Homemade Pancake Mix
1 c. Water
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Oil (3 Tbsp for waffles) or you can use coconut oil for a healthier alternative ;)
Beat smooth with a wire whisk or fork. This makes about 8- four inch pancakes or 4 large waffles.
Let me know if you have any "make ahead" recipes! I would love to know!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
How to Save on Your Electric Bill
With the price of everything going up in our economy we must strive to lower what we can in our budgets. Doing so make you a better steward of God's money and allows the extra money saved to go towards a more needed area in your budget.
I've done a bit of research and I have come up with these helpful money saving tips to help lower the cost of your monthly electric bill.
KEEPING THE BLINDS CLOSED during the day in the summer months for a cooler house or open them in the winter to help warm your home. This will save you on your cooling/heating bill. I also recommend changing out your thin curtains for energy efficient light blocking curtains if possible. We live in a two-story Cape style home and the upstairs doesn't cool as well as the downstairs, so I make use of these curtains in my children's rooms and it has definitely made a huge difference in the temperature. I also, have these type curtains in my bedroom due to my hubby's work schedule. It sometimes requires him to work overnight shifts which means he will have to sleep during the day and these curtains definitely make it dark enough for him to sleep comfortably as well as cooling off the bedroom substantially. The light blocking curtains also help insulate the windows from drafts, making them a great choice in the winter months as well.
KEEPING YOUR THERMOSTAT A FEW degrees higher in the summer months and a few degrees lower in the winter. It is recommended to set it at 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. However, I personally think 78 degrees in the summer is too hot for me, but every little bit helps, so I try to set it at 72 degrees. I can deal with 68 degree setting in the winter ;)
SWITCHING ALL OF YOUR REGULAR ENERGY SUCKING LIGHT BULBS for the more energy efficient CFL light bulbs. This is a 75% energy savings compared to the use of regular bulbs. They are so worth it!
USING ONLY THE WASHER and trying to use the clothesline to "solar dry" your clothes if possible. This will cut your energy use so much and you get the bonus of that fresh outdoor scent on your clothes!
UNPLUG ELECTRONICS AND APPLIANCES WHEN NOT IN USE. We call these power vampires. Even when they are shut off they are still pulling electric as long as they are plugged in. This includes any phone chargers, computers or laptops( if you will be walking away from your computer or laptop for 5-10 mins put them on sleep mode to save at least 5% on energy) toasters, tv's, dvd players, radios, game consoles, etc.
WASHING CLOTHES AND DISHES IN COLD WATER ONLY. Using cold water reduces your washer's energy use by 75%. I would also recommend washing ONLY full loads and using the shortest cycle necessary to get your clothing clean.
KEEPING SECOND STORY DOORS CLOSED during the day for cooling and heating efficiency. Like I said, in my home there's a definite difference in the temperature on our second floor and by keeping those doors closed, my air conditioner and heater doesn't switch on as much during the day.
USE WEATHER STRIPPING OR CAULK on and around leaky doors and windows and install gasket covers behind outlet covers. This will save up to 10% on energy costs!
KEEP CEILING FANS OR BOX FANS OFF when not in the room. Fans only cool people. Not rooms. They make the person feel cooler, so you can turn your thermostat on a higher setting, but this only works if you are actually in the room. So if you're no longer in the room turn them off to save on your cooling bill.
KEEP THE REFRIGERATOR CLOSED UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. This is especially for the children. Don't allow them to stand in front of the fridge holding the door open while they search for something they may want. This lets all of the cool air out of the fridge and makes it work harder to cool the interior once the door is closed. Also, make sure your freezer is stocked. The freezer is more efficient at cooling when it's full than empty.
KEEP YOUR SHOWERS COOLER AND SHORTER. Reducing the showering time by just a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of water per month for a family of four (more so if you have a larger family). Showering accounts for 2/3 of your water heating costs and if you cut your showers in half it will reduce your water heating costs by 33%!
DECREASE THE HOT WATER HEATER TEMPERATURE to "normal" or 120 degrees. This alone can save between 7-11% on energy costs.
INSTALL LOW-FLOW SHOWERHEADS AND FAUCETS for a savings of 10-16% on water heating costs.
MAKING SURE THE FIREPLACE DAMPER IS CLOSED when not in use to prevent escaping heat or cool air from your home.
Of course there's always some no brainers like turning off the lights when you're not in the room, but I figured you already knew that.
I would love to know any other things that you do to save on your electric bill that I haven't mentioned. Please comment below :)
I've done a bit of research and I have come up with these helpful money saving tips to help lower the cost of your monthly electric bill.
KEEPING THE BLINDS CLOSED during the day in the summer months for a cooler house or open them in the winter to help warm your home. This will save you on your cooling/heating bill. I also recommend changing out your thin curtains for energy efficient light blocking curtains if possible. We live in a two-story Cape style home and the upstairs doesn't cool as well as the downstairs, so I make use of these curtains in my children's rooms and it has definitely made a huge difference in the temperature. I also, have these type curtains in my bedroom due to my hubby's work schedule. It sometimes requires him to work overnight shifts which means he will have to sleep during the day and these curtains definitely make it dark enough for him to sleep comfortably as well as cooling off the bedroom substantially. The light blocking curtains also help insulate the windows from drafts, making them a great choice in the winter months as well.
KEEPING YOUR THERMOSTAT A FEW degrees higher in the summer months and a few degrees lower in the winter. It is recommended to set it at 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. However, I personally think 78 degrees in the summer is too hot for me, but every little bit helps, so I try to set it at 72 degrees. I can deal with 68 degree setting in the winter ;)
SWITCHING ALL OF YOUR REGULAR ENERGY SUCKING LIGHT BULBS for the more energy efficient CFL light bulbs. This is a 75% energy savings compared to the use of regular bulbs. They are so worth it!
USING ONLY THE WASHER and trying to use the clothesline to "solar dry" your clothes if possible. This will cut your energy use so much and you get the bonus of that fresh outdoor scent on your clothes!
UNPLUG ELECTRONICS AND APPLIANCES WHEN NOT IN USE. We call these power vampires. Even when they are shut off they are still pulling electric as long as they are plugged in. This includes any phone chargers, computers or laptops( if you will be walking away from your computer or laptop for 5-10 mins put them on sleep mode to save at least 5% on energy) toasters, tv's, dvd players, radios, game consoles, etc.
WASHING CLOTHES AND DISHES IN COLD WATER ONLY. Using cold water reduces your washer's energy use by 75%. I would also recommend washing ONLY full loads and using the shortest cycle necessary to get your clothing clean.
KEEPING SECOND STORY DOORS CLOSED during the day for cooling and heating efficiency. Like I said, in my home there's a definite difference in the temperature on our second floor and by keeping those doors closed, my air conditioner and heater doesn't switch on as much during the day.
USE WEATHER STRIPPING OR CAULK on and around leaky doors and windows and install gasket covers behind outlet covers. This will save up to 10% on energy costs!
KEEP CEILING FANS OR BOX FANS OFF when not in the room. Fans only cool people. Not rooms. They make the person feel cooler, so you can turn your thermostat on a higher setting, but this only works if you are actually in the room. So if you're no longer in the room turn them off to save on your cooling bill.
KEEP THE REFRIGERATOR CLOSED UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. This is especially for the children. Don't allow them to stand in front of the fridge holding the door open while they search for something they may want. This lets all of the cool air out of the fridge and makes it work harder to cool the interior once the door is closed. Also, make sure your freezer is stocked. The freezer is more efficient at cooling when it's full than empty.
KEEP YOUR SHOWERS COOLER AND SHORTER. Reducing the showering time by just a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of water per month for a family of four (more so if you have a larger family). Showering accounts for 2/3 of your water heating costs and if you cut your showers in half it will reduce your water heating costs by 33%!
DECREASE THE HOT WATER HEATER TEMPERATURE to "normal" or 120 degrees. This alone can save between 7-11% on energy costs.
INSTALL LOW-FLOW SHOWERHEADS AND FAUCETS for a savings of 10-16% on water heating costs.
MAKING SURE THE FIREPLACE DAMPER IS CLOSED when not in use to prevent escaping heat or cool air from your home.
Of course there's always some no brainers like turning off the lights when you're not in the room, but I figured you already knew that.
I would love to know any other things that you do to save on your electric bill that I haven't mentioned. Please comment below :)
Saturday, August 18, 2012
10 Ways to Save Money
Just recently I have quit my full-time job outside the home and have now become a full-time stay-at-home-mom. This brings many things into perspective. One being, we now will be going from 2 incomes down to 1 income. My husband is such a hard working man and God has truly blessed us in many ways and has never ceased to provide for us and I want to do my best at being the help meet my husband deserves. And one of the ways I can do this is to do whatever I can to save money in order to stretch our income and I would like to share them with you so that you can start saving, too!
10 Ways to Save Money
1. Don't buy cleaning cloths or store bought dust cloths. Use old clothing as dusting or cleaning rags! This is a great way to recycle an old t-shirt or less than perfect towel. Not only are you saving money by using what you have you are also lessening what goes into our landfills. :)
2. Just say no to store bought household cleaners! Why pay a small fortune for household cleaners when you can easily make them yourself? I have been doing this for awhile now. I use a very simple recipe. Just plain old white distilled vinegar and water (50/50) in an old spray bottle that you have cleaned out and it's safe to use everywhere in the house! I use it to clean the mirrors,windows, counter tops, bathroom and kitchen sinks, toilets, stove, floors, and more! It's non toxic ( unlike the store bought cleaners ) and vinegar is a great disinfectant!
3. Never buy laundry soap again! Again I say, make your own. It's easy, super cheap, and lasts a long time. There are different recipes for making your own laundry soap; powder, liquid, or paste like. I've used the powdered which works very well. You only need 1 Tbsp per wash load. For the recipe go to the Duggar's website here (my links aren't working so I have copied and pasted the links for you) http://www.duggarfamily.com/content/duggar_recipes/30456/powdered_laundry_detergent_top_load_machine .
The recipe I prefer is the "paste". It still uses only 1 Tbsp per load, but seems to last longer than the powder recipe to me and you can get the recipe by visiting Beautiful Somehow's blog here http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/2012/04/frugal-and-simple-laundry-week-homemade.html .
Lastly is the liquid recipe. This is supposed to last the longest out of all 3 recipes. However, it does require you to use a 5 gallon bucket and frankly, I just do not have that kind of extra space in my home. You can also get this recipe by visiting the Duggar's here http://www.duggarfamily.com/content/duggar_recipes/30455/homemade_liquid_laundry_soap_front_or_top_load_machine_best_value .
4. Use the plastic grocery bags for the waste paper baskets in your home. I use them in my bathrooms. They're free and have easy to carry handles!
5. Use vinegar in place of expensive fabric softeners. Yes, I know. Here she goes again talking about vinegar. Seriously though, it's wonderful and softening your clothes and brightening brights and whites! All it takes is a cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. I promise your clothes will not come out smelling like you were dying Easter eggs! No hint of vinegar smell at all.
6. Skip the dryer and hang your clothes out on the line! I like to call this "Solar Drying" :) A few benefits of Solar Drying include: your clothes last longer, the sun is a natural whitener, no static cling, and it's FREE!
7. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. They're super easy to make. You can use cotton or flannel fabric from an old shirt, table cloth, or sheet. I prefer to cut mine 11 inches x 11 inches and i sew along the border with a tight zig-zag stitch to prevent them from fraying too much. I like the country look, so i do let them fray a bit. Wash then use! That's it! (Once used I just throw them in with a load of laundry, then they're ready for using)
8. Unplug any appliance that you are not using. Even if the appliance is turned off it's still using electric. Cell phone chargers, computer or laptops, microwaves, toasters, coffee pots, etc. (please don't unplug your refrigerator lol)
9. Install a water filter to your kitchen faucet instead of buying bottled water.
10. Make homemade wet/dry cloths for your "Swiffer'ish" product by using old cotton t-shirts. Just cut them to size and use dry or lightly spray your homemade all-purpose cleaner on your floor surface and wipe away.
I hope you can use some of these tips. I would love to hear any of your money saving tips or frugal ways.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
A Blessings Update
It's been quite a while since I have really made a blog entry here. Please, forgive me, but you'll understand why in a moment or two. We Have had a very busy year here at the Simmons household and God has given us many blessings thus far.
Let's see? Where shall I begin? :) Ok, so we have moved from our cramped 2 bedroom/1 bath apartment to a nice roomy 3 bedroom/ 2 bath house in a very nice quiet neighborhood. The children have plenty of space and many friends to play with. I am so happy they actually want to go outside to play now! We're also so much more closer to our church than we were before. There's quite a few blessings to be counted for in this paragraph (in an infomercial kind of tone)"But wait! There's more!".....
Well, prior to Christmas we were having a lot of issues with our car. It would over heat. It was leaking oil to the point that we were filling it up every other day. Finally, after Christmas it would stall out for no reason at all. I was afraid to drive it to work that I may get stuck on the side of the road. About 2 days after my birthday, God blessed us with a nice roomy minivan. There was plenty of room for all 3 of the children and still had 2 seats to spare. We joked about how there were too many seats and we needed to fill up the other two, but little did we know that just 2 days after God led us to the minivan, that we would find out we were expecting!
In the meantime, during all of the morning sickness, I was (and still am) working a full-time job. Which wasn't too fun during the early stage of my pregnancy (3 months). I was extremely exhausted and nauseated. I would come home and my poor dear husband would be ready for quality time and here I've passed into a comatosed state on the couch with my mouth probably gaped wide open. Ahh...the narcoleptic stage of the pregnancy...lol!
I do have to add here how truly blessed I am to have a husband who wants to be at every Doctor's appointment. The expression on his face when we first heard the baby's heart beat was absolutely breath taking. I never want to forget that moment. He was in total awe.
All the while we were really hoping for a boy, but in all actuallity, we would take either gender as long as the baby was healthy. We had even picked out names for both genders. We wanted to give the baby a biblical name that had great meaning to it. So we prayed then chose Corinthia Nicole if the baby was a girl and if the baby was a boy, his name would be Titus Gill. Corinthia would be after the book of Corinthians in the bible and Nicole is my husband's sister's middle name. Titus was after my favorite book in the bible and Gill is my husband's middle name.
Then came the exciting time of the pregnancy! Where we find out what sex the baby is! We were in the dark room waiting for the ultrasound tech to start up the ultrasound machine and the very first picture that came up was our not so shy baby revealing himself to us. I very excitedly exclaimed, "Is that a boy??!" Yes! It's a boy!!! We have a Titus Gill! While lying on the table, I look over at my husband who once again has a priceless look on his face. I can't really begin to describe the feeling I had at that very moment I locked eyes with him. All I can say is AMAZING.
So, here we are and I'm 28 weeks along as of this past Monday and into the third and final trimester. Tomorrow is our last monthly Doctor's appointment. After that we will be scheduled for every 2 weeks to see the Obstetrician. I am so huge people ask if I'm sure there is only one in there. LOL!
I have to laugh at the reactions I get at work when asked by our patients, " So...this is #1?" and I respond with a "No, this is #4." And then here comes the stunned look on their face with the sister question, " WOW! How many more are you gonna have?" and I always reply with the biggest smile, " As many as God will give us." :)) And without a doubt we will.
Having had 3 previous c-sections this will undoubtedly be a 4th and we have already scheduled the surgery for Titus' birth. September 12, will be the big day. We are very excited!
Thank you, God for all our blessings. Great and small!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Homemade Peppermint Infused Vinegar for Household Cleaning
I have been slowly using up all of my store bought household cleaners, so I can start replacing them with homemade cleaners I have been making. So, far I have made the switch to homemade laundry soap, dishwasher soap, window cleaner, and liquid dish soap. ( All of which I will be posting the recipes to!) Tonight, I just finished making an all-purpose household cleaner that was super easy to make and isn't ....should I say....stinky??
I usually use just plain vinegar and water to clean with, but I have been hearing the children complain (especially my 9 year old daughter) about the "stinky" smell of the vinegar. Even if the smell does dissipate after it dries, that doesn't stop the peanut gallery from voicing their opinion about the vinegar smell.
So, what did I do? I infused my vinegar with peppermint herbal tea! Yep, you read this correctly and I kid you not when I tell you that the scent of peppermint is actually masking the smell of the vinegar! Even better is that peppermint is a natural disinfectant!! Can I tell you how excited I am?? :D
Ok....this is how I did it.
First, you will need some kind of jar to steep the tea and vinegar in. I just used an extra 16oz mason jar I had in the house. Next, stick about 6-8 peppermint herbal tea bags in the jar or container of your choice. Then, pour in the distilled vinegar. Let it steep for about 2-3 days, then voila! You have peppermint infused vinegar that's ready to be added to your homemade all-purpose cleaner! This is so easy to make and crazy cheap! Stay tuned for the recipe to my homemade all-purpose house hold cleaner...coming soon!
I usually use just plain vinegar and water to clean with, but I have been hearing the children complain (especially my 9 year old daughter) about the "stinky" smell of the vinegar. Even if the smell does dissipate after it dries, that doesn't stop the peanut gallery from voicing their opinion about the vinegar smell.
So, what did I do? I infused my vinegar with peppermint herbal tea! Yep, you read this correctly and I kid you not when I tell you that the scent of peppermint is actually masking the smell of the vinegar! Even better is that peppermint is a natural disinfectant!! Can I tell you how excited I am?? :D
Ok....this is how I did it.
First, you will need some kind of jar to steep the tea and vinegar in. I just used an extra 16oz mason jar I had in the house. Next, stick about 6-8 peppermint herbal tea bags in the jar or container of your choice. Then, pour in the distilled vinegar. Let it steep for about 2-3 days, then voila! You have peppermint infused vinegar that's ready to be added to your homemade all-purpose cleaner! This is so easy to make and crazy cheap! Stay tuned for the recipe to my homemade all-purpose house hold cleaner...coming soon!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Homemade Powdered Laundry Soap
I have recently started making my own household cleaners myself in order to save money and to save my family and I from the nasty toxic fumes. Let's get real ladies. A good "cheap" laundry soap is hard to find. Basically you get what you pay for, but I was determined to find a way to make a laundry soap that works great in my laundry and for very little cost. And that's what I did!
This laundry soap works VERY well. We have a little someone who has an accident from time to time. Needless to say, that was the first load I tested the newly made laundry soap on and to my surprise, no "pee" smell at all!
I recently made homemade fabric softener for literally pennies on the dollar. It was super easy to make and it works great!(I love a bargain!) Now I will show you how I make Homemade Laundry Soap. This recipe is very economical and all of the ingredients can be found at your local Walmart.
This laundry soap works VERY well. We have a little someone who has an accident from time to time. Needless to say, that was the first load I tested the newly made laundry soap on and to my surprise, no "pee" smell at all!
I recently made homemade fabric softener for literally pennies on the dollar. It was super easy to make and it works great!(I love a bargain!) Now I will show you how I make Homemade Laundry Soap. This recipe is very economical and all of the ingredients can be found at your local Walmart.
Homemade Powdered Laundry Soap (40 loads)
What you will need:
- A hand grater or a food processor (I used the food processor)
- A container with a lid to store your Laundry Soap in
- A measuring cup
- 1 Fels-naptha bar soap
- 1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- 1/2 Cup Borax
- Grate the Fels-Naptha bar soap. I used my food processor to grate the soap first then I emptied it out and switched to the regular processor blade to get a powdered consistency.
- Mix the grated Fels-Naptha bar soap with the Borax and the Super Washing Soda.
That's all there is too it! See?? So simple! I love simplicity!
How to use:
Use 1 tablespoon for light loads or 2 tablespoons for dirtier loads.
I made a double batch. So instead of 40 loads I have an 80 load batch of powdered laundry soap.
**A 40 load batch will cost you about $2.00 to make.**
Give it a try and let me know how much you like it!
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