homemade liquid handsoap

I'm really excited to try this at some point

Cheese grater (from the dollar store)
2 Tablespoons of Liquid Glycerin (found in the band aid section at any drugstore or grocery store)
1 - 8 oz bar of soap
1 gallon of water

Step 1:

Grate the entire bar of soap

 

Step 2:
Fill a pot with 1 gallon of water and add the soap shavings.

Step 3:
Add 2 Tablespoons of liquid glycerin and turn the heat to medium/high and stir until the soap dissolves.

Leave it alone to cool for at least 10-12 hours. It begins to cloud up after 3-4 hours.

After it has cooled completely around 12 hours later it will harden and look like liquid soap.

If the soap is harder than it should be you can take some beaters and blend it while adding just a little bit of water until the consistency is more like liquid soap.

All this I got from here  where she has excellent pictures as well. Some people in the comments are saying that you have to add preservatives so that it will not get moldy, I have no idea how to deal with that but I was thinking that you could freeze it in smaller portions and take them out as you need them.

one of the coments said "Have you tried microwaving a solid bar of Ivory for a couple of minutes? Great fun for the kids - OK I find it fascinating as it erupts into what looks like shaving cream but sets into a big plate of something just a little more dense than cotton candy. The next day put it into a bag and smash it. It turns to fine powder, which I would think would be perfect for your recipe. (And way more fun!)" I think it sounds fantastic!

The smell of Warm Bread

Sometimes it is the very simple things that makes you feel happy 

For some reason These jars of homemade bread machine mixes makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, so much that I'm smiling like a new mama just typing this post.

Don't you just love they layers of flour, and sugar and salt? So pretty! 

I have many empty masonry jars and have for a long time been itching to use them. I got an influx in my heard of jars this summer (thanks again Janet) and the itch turned into something more violent. I have reactivated my bargain hunting for a pressure cooker that is tall enough to fit the big jars and when I happily stumbled upon a dream of a clearance sale last month I suddenly had all this fantastic flour that Had been to expensive before. One of the packages i brought home was a bread machine mix. That is when I realised that my jars could be put to good use without the pressure cooker. 

I did a quick online search and found this helpful site. I took the white bread mix and experimented by replacing 1 cup of the plain flour with a random mix of some of my other flours that i had sitting around the house. I worked out pretty well. It was so nice to have the home made bread. Much cheaper than getting it from the store. Better tasting than my other frugal bread strategy. i normally go to the day old bread store. Stock up big time. Get a nicer brand than we can normally afford for less than the store brand at HEB and Freeze about 12 loaves. The problem with that is that they tend to get freezer burned and that my freezer is often full when I find a really good deal on meat or frozen pizza or some other ready to eat thing and I really like having the space for those things. Having the freezer space is one of the main reasons I've been wanting to put things like stew in jars in the first place. 

So far i have only been making the same mystery mix but I think i would like to test some other recipes soon. I have an abundance of rye flour that I'm very excited to use. I found this great site last night, it might be worth trying them out. I might also branch out and make some cake and cookie mixes. we'll see. First I have to find some cake mix recipes i really like.

I want this Wii fit thing!

I'm going to get one of these one way or another. Mostly because I want it. I want it because it is cool. Because it is cheaper than a gum membership and easier to use because it will be in the living room not somewhere I will have to drive to. I also want it because most of the Wii exercise games for kids need the balance board and I really want to get some of those for the kids. Those kids could always use more exercise.

There is a simple way YOU can help!

I'm saving up Amazon gift cards. I get them from

Swag bucks.
Swagbucks is a search engine. There are also other ways to earn points.
If you sign up with swag bucks I will earn points every time you earn points up until your first 1000.
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/idasjungle
That is my referral link people! Use it well.

OR
from My Points
My points will send you a few emails every day if you click on the link in the email you get points. Sometimes you get surveys, you get points even if you do not qualify for the surveys. There are also many other ways to get points.

Sign up and earn your own gift cards and help me earn some as well. Every one wins.

I have used both for a while and have gotten and used several gift cards to regular stores like Walgreen's. Right now I'm going for the Amazon ones.
If you use the link above to sign up I will have you in my network and get 10% of your points.

I need ideas

Every one knows how much I love a god deal. I just got back from H E B and found these babies on clearance for 59 cents. I just love it when i can get nice products, especially without all that extra junk added to it, for less than one dollar a pound, so I of course cleaned out the shelf space for them. I cook with onions on a regular basis, but I have never used these fancy small ones before. This is when you my wonderful readers come into the picture. Please tell me what you like to cook with your white Perl onions, I need your good ideas.

Leave a comment, lave a comment, leave a comment pretty please!

Paper Back Swap

I just got A Series of Unfortunate Events book 12 in the mail.

It was send to my by a perfect stranger who happened to not want their copy any longer. I joined paper back swap a few months ago because we had so many books that we were never going to read. Remember how we are overflowing in books from the kids summer reading program from half price books?

I put a stack aside and listed them on paper back swap they gave 2 credits for listing my books and I immediately ordered 2 books. Then a few weeks ago i got an email from someone who wanted one of the books that I had listed and i send it to them. When they told paperback swap that they had received their book I then got to order my book from someone else.

I think this is a really great idea.

Try it out!

Swag bucks

Swag bucks is an online search engine

I use it almost everyday.

When you search using their search bar you can earn points, you do not get points every time but often enough that it adds up pretty fast. I just redeemed almost all my points for 3 online $5.- gift cards for amazon. If you are not interested in using this search for earning points for your self, you are more than welcome to use my search bar (in this post or on the side bar on the blog) if you do you can help me earn points. you do have to sign up with them, but it is easy and i do not get a ton of junk mail from them.
We use the gift cards for amazon to get Jed's college textbooks. New semester starting in January. We can also use it to get many other items that we need or want. For instance I think i might try to get enough gist cards to get the kids a new game for the Wii for Christmas! So if you feel like it you can search for something every time you are done reading the blog and help get the little monkeys a "bigger" present

Summer reading Awesomeness!

There are many different summer reading programs for the kids. We did really well in the beginning of the summer. Here Ian and Ivy are outside Barnes and Noble getting ready to turn in their Logs.

They each got to choose from a list of books based on their grade level in school. These are the books they chose.

Then of to half Price books. I love love love their summer program. The kids each have to read or have read to them for at least 15 minutes for at least 5 days in a week and they get a 3 dollar card that can be used on any purchase, including stuff that is less than 3 bucks. Well, being the bargain hunter that I am this is a goldmine.

This is what we got this week. I spend 2 Dollars out of pocket for all of this!

Pretty sweet!

For my lovely husband! -Updated!

So it looks like we're going to get 7 dollars and some change back in the end of September, not bad, if I say so myself.


Jed is getting ready to shop for his text books for the fall semester. We have been ordering them through amazon for years because it is almost always the cheapest way. occasionally craigslist have worked out as well. This time, since my amazon links apparently come with a commission we figured we would see how it worked with the text books. So here's to paying as little as possible in the first place and getting some of it back!

Social studies today: research and practice














Passport to learning: students teaching social studies to ESL

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I'm a Total Winner!!!!!

Hey! It a miracle! I NEVER win anything. *

Granted, besides the nice basket that is, I mostly won a few samples that I get the equivalent of in the mail on a regular month but still...I WON!!!

See? This is the winning ticket! I got this ticket because I payed for my shopping at the cosmetic register at Walgreen's. I think the cosmetic cashiers must have mostly forgotten about this drawing because the only reason I got a ticket in the first place is because I asked how to win this gift basket when I saw the "win this gift basket" sign in this gift basket, and therefore the odds must have been greatly in my favor since there at the time was only about 5 other entries in the jug. But still ....I WON!

* Anna (3) took this picture. Under the circumstances I think she did pretty well.

Another Free Online book! Limited time only!

For a limited time Stephenie Meyers latest edition to The Twilight Saga is available for free online. 

It is called The short second life of Bree Tanner

It was originally supposed to be part of  The Official Guide to go along with the Twilight Saga but ended up being allmost 200 pages so her publisher wanted it separated. Read all about that here if you like.

Stephenie Meyer decided to make it available for a limited time to thank her loyal fans and because the "short" story was never indented to be a separate publication.

Click here to read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. 

I have not read it yet, but I do remember the character from Eclipse, where she makes a brief appearance. If you do not remember her, it is not a big deal she is not essential to the storyline.

Free Fun in Austin

I just got introduced to this blog and I think it is going to help the kids and me to have a great summer! Jed is going to be in school or at work pretty much the whole time so it is not like we have big plans.

I was hoping to do allot of small things with the kids to make their summer break feel special and I'm so excited that someone else is going to do all the research for me!

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Ian turns 7.

Ian had a pizza party. This was his invitation. Because I got to host a DiGiorno pizza and bread sticks party from house party
go here to join, it free!
we got all this awesome free stuff. 6 boxes of pizza, bread sticks and marinara sauce, an awesome apron, party favor necklaces, a pizza cutter, a refrigerator magnet/ bag clip, coasters and awesome coupons for everyone and it all came in a cool little pizza box

I took the next picture after I came back from walmart. I spend less that $8.- on all this goodness including 2 gallons of water not pictured. I had a lot of awesome coupons including the ones for the 6 free boxes of Pizza for the party!
This next picture is my proudest birthday cake yet. The picture does not do it Justice!
for some reason the frosting looked really shiny on the pictures. The cake is decorated with red frosting yellow shredded coconut, red died coconut mass( resembles marzipan, but made with coconut, I brought this back from Denmark) and green sprinkles for that subtle touch of perfection! It looked just like a real pizza.

Ian's friends arrived and Ian loved his presents

Ian got an awesome homemade chef hat from the Alexanders!

Abigail did not want to be documented hugging a boy! She happily received her thank you hug right until she saw the camera!

After the party was officially over it was time to play with the cool new bakugan stuff

We had a splendid afternoon chilling after the exhausting party. Enjoying our cake, pizza and bread stick leftovers.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I basicly copy and pasted this post from here
http://pflugervillepfinds.blogspot.com/2010/03/homemade-laundry-soap.html (one fine day I will figure out how to embed the link in something else.)

I think this sounds awsome and I can't wait to try it. This post was written by the one and only Angela Walters.

Homemade Laundry Soap

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED:

Small Batch

1/3 bar Fels Naptha (or bar soap of your choice)
1/2 cup washing soda (see note at bottom)
1/2 cup borax powder

Water

(Optional)2-3 oz essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice

small bucket, about 2 gallon size

Large Batch

1 bar of Fels Naptha (or bar soap of your choice)
1½ cups washing soda (see note at bottom)
1½ cups borax powder
Water
(optional) 2-3 oz essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice
Bucket, 5-6 gallon size


DIRECTIONS (large batch in parentheses)*

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan(stock pan for large batch)*
Add 6 cups (18 cups) water and heat it until the soap melts*
Add the washing soda and borax and stir until it is dissolved.*
Remove from heat.*
Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups (4 gallons plus 2 cups) water to your bucket.*
Now add your soap mixture and stir.*
Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will (should) gel.*
Use ½ cup per load.


Note: Plugerville Wal-Mart does not have "washing" soda on the laundry aisle, just regular baking soda. HEB has the washing soda. I've made the large batch twice now and it's lasting me about 4 months, at an average of 8 loads per week. The cost breakdown is about 2 cents per load. A great savings.

The picture on top is one of the homemade hand soap bars I used to make. I've been wanting to get back to that as well.

Next time you shop on ebay, travelosity or any other online retailer....

I go through ebates every time I shop ebay. It is easy to sign up and I resived my first check from them a few months ago. If you sign up through my referal link we both get a $5 bonus. So next time you shop online, Please go through them, and once you do I will get my extra $5 so even if you think it is to much trouble and don't want to mess with it any more you can feel good about earning me $5.- and If you like it then you can be happy to know that every time you shop online you will get a persentage back from it. When your balance hits a sertain amount (not including sign up and referal bonuses), they send you a check. It is very quick to use everytime you hop online to shop and if you use debit or credit card cash back programs then it is like doubling the savings.

So please even if you think this is not for you just try it once, make me happy and who knows maybe you'll love it!

here's the link.http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=beLmR9GqAT%2FXTtxB54XSlQ%3D%3D

Sorry about the blurry pictures!

OK, people! This is my "evidence" of why it is worth it to coupon shop. Yes it takes time. Yes it is inconvenient. Yes, we get to try new and exciting food and products, Yes, we do not spend very much money on groceries now and this should be the reason why! Instead of spending money I spend time. My favorite blog is hip2save.com because she is really good at simplifying how to find the great deals. I especially like doing this at target because we get so many groceries this way.

This particular shopping trip I actually made money, As you can see (if you can make it out) on the crappy picture (taken with web cam) our total out of pocket was 3.48 and we actually got a 5 dollar gift card for our next trip to target as part of a promotion on one of the things we bought. The receipt also states that we saved 154.00 dollars. Nice!