Financial Series 1

Savings

So many of us have trouble with keeping a savings stash or account. Start Simple $10.00 Every Pay Check.  Starting now!

In the past few years we have gone through all of our savings for 1 thing or the other.  That's what it's for: unexpected auto repairs, major appliance replacement, moving expenses.

Savings is not for:

A new purse or a new toy.

Is it a Need or a Want?

"I need TP."

"I want nail polish."

How can you justify that frivolous purchase?  YOU CAN'T!

Put it back.  Teach your kids the Need/Want Rule!  Start the budgeting conversation with them.

No one needs instant gratification, but we always want it!  Try not to live in the moment all the time. That is how so many people end up in such financial hardship. Remember that the credit card should be for emergencies only!! No, the night out isn't an emergency! :)

Saving while shopping

Sign up for Store Rewards Cards.  Remember to use them!

Make sure you are using a junk email you have already set up.

Use your Couponing skills.  Don't fall into the "I have a coupon for it so I need to buy it" trap.

Coupons stretch your food budget.  It is never meant to make money only save.

 Need or Want?

Here are some types of savings ideas you can do:

The Envelope System

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159244536801687379/


A Cash Stash

Created By me on the fly.
Get your circle punches, adhesive, paper, scissors, & your imagination out for this one.



If you need the Coin hole top for your Mason Jar, you can find it here.

http://www.amazon.com/Loew-Cornell-1026304-Transform-Inserts-Slotted/dp/B00KC0KV2A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453680362&sr=8-1&keywords=transform+mason+jar+lids

Thanks for stopping by!

Shelley

*Disclaimer  I was not compensated in any way.  These are just Tips!

Editor: Alyssa Johnson-Glassel  AKA 2 Dainty Crafters

1st Attempt at Making Foam Soap Refills.

Time to save some $$

I looked at my favorite site for guidance.  
Clean Mama  http://www.cleanmama.net/
You will find a whole sheet on cleaning with Castile Soap here:  Courtesy of Clean Mama
I used 2 water bottles and poured 1/4 of the first one out in a cup and set it aside.
I then pulled out my Dr. Bronners Liquid Castile Soap https://www.drbronner.com/  and measured out 6 Tablespoons  and poured that in the water bottle.
 I then put the cap on and gently shook back and forth the mixture.
Now put the mixture in a re purposed clean foaming soap pump.
Lastly, label on the back of the soap dispenser what it is or you will be kept guessing.
The reason for the extra bottle is not all that mixture fits the soap pump bottle.
So you have it all out, you might as well make those refills now.
Here is the Dilution chart.
http://www.lisabronner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Dilutions-Cheat-Sheet.pdf
*Please label the bottle as well, that way nothing is a mystery cleaner.

If you love cleaning you will love Becky's site!  Have plenty of ink and printer paper ready.  Freebies Rock!
She also has a rockin Etsy site which I often find things I like, and have bought.  My favorite is her budgeting pack; it has helped me get that really organized and under control.  Thanks Becky!!



Some folks are worried will the smell from the last soap stay around?      YES!
Find a 1 gallon bucket that has only been used for green cleaning (if none hit the Dollar Store).
 Fill it half way with hot water from the tap.
Then add 1 cup of white vinegar and a squirt of soap.
Swish with hand and load in bottles and pumps.
Set timer for 15 minutes and swish the solution in container around.
Dump out into the bucket and do a smell check.  Ahhh nothing!!
 If you still smell something, soak for longer.
Then rinse until clean *remember to pump some of that mixture through the pump.*
Follow up with pumping hot water at the end.
I hope this helped you take that 1st step to try a easy, inexpensive way to clean.

A follow up after 1 year of using this.  
I have added 1 oz more of Castile  for every 8 oz of distilled water.  I also have  added a small capsule of Vitamin  E in the pump as well.  It helped tremendously with winter weather, and dry hands.  


 Disclaimer
*These are all TIPS  I love to share what works for me with you.  I am in no way compensated from any of these companies.   I just love their stuff.
*Please remember to use caution when not following manufacturer instructions.  I cannot be held liable for what you do.

Thanks for stopping by!
Shelley

Editor: Alyssa Johnson-Glassel  AKA 2 Dainty Crafters

How to Organize Paper Scraps & Die Cuts from Craft Projects

A question I often see on blog posts is, "How do I organize scraps & patterned paper?"
This is a simple tutorial on how to do just that.

The Clean-Up!

Collect all your scraps and have a place to sort them.
One that has no children or pets knocking into what you just sorted :)  Orange cone the area off if you must!
 Now you need some time and that will depend on the amount of scraps you have to go through.  Mine took quite some time but was well worth it.
You will also need a container to store them,  I have several different types of cubes to experiment with.
Lastly purchase Heavy Duty Clear plastic sheet protectors with various dividers, and one 3 ring binder.
The reason for heavy duty is in the next photo.  I bought cheap Dollar Store ones and they didn't last a year.

Start by sorting plain paper first.  Make a pile for each color then put that color in a clear plastic sleeve.  Organize your colors however you like and place them in the bin for easy access.
Next Organize patterned paper by the predominant color.
Sort and put away in clear plastic sleeve.
You can also sort vellum in a separate sleeve as well as glitter paper.










Ta Daaa!  Nice Neat and Organized!

The Bonus!!

Not only did I organize Scraps and Patterned Papers, I also organized punched out Die Cuts!

So in this one is used the Baseball sleeve sorters and Money holders.  I sorted by shape with this, not by color.

I hope this help with organizing your craft clutter.  Happy crafting!

*Disclaimer  I was not compensated in any way.  These are just Tips!

Craft on! Shelley

Editor: Alyssa Johnson-Glassel  AKA 2 Dainty Crafters

Shopping List

Jo Anns / Hobby Lobby

1-Yard of White Muslin with a tight weave

*Wal-mart

(1) 128 Oz Glass Jar or smaller

(1) Plastic or Silicone Spoon

(1) Plastic or Silicone Strainer with smaller holes

(1) Large Plastic Bowl  (make sure the strainer fits snugly inside it)

(1) 2 Gallon Plastic Pitcher

(1) Plastic Ladle

(1) Large Rubberband 
Kefir Grains   If you want to learn more on where to purchase grains, look here:   http://www.culturesforhealth.com/starter-cultures/kefir-cultures.html

 How will you store your Kefir once it's made?  Make sure you have something like a soft plastic style container. Use best judgement.

*I do not recommend glass jars with lids.  Kefir tends to expand because of it's gasses.  It could go Boom!  *

Using Your Reusable Kefir Grains

This is such an easy process.  Take your time and enjoy making your hand crafted Kefir.

Sanitize everything first.  You can use Vinegar and a drop of  Soap.

Strain your New grains over the sink.  You can rinse the grains with Spring Water or Raw Milk.  Never ever use Chlorinated water or that crummy Pasteurized/Homogenized milk!  IT WILL KILL THE GRAINS.

Place new grains in your glass jar.  Fill jar 3/4 of the way full with your raw milk.  Wipe rim and sides of jar clean (you can get an invasion of fruit flies if you don't).

Cut a piece of muslin to fit the jar.  It must cover around the whole top of the jar, and the top portion of the sides.  Place your rubber band snuggly around it.  Make sure that the cloth is pulled taught so that no critters can get in.

Set in a warm, dark, dry place.  Do not disturb for 24-48 hours.  The longer it sits the more whey appears.  Never go past 3 days!  You can choke out and kill the Kefir Grains.

Time to make your 1st batch!

Get all of your items ready

(1) Gallon of Raw Milk

(1) 128 Oz Glass Jar that has your newly made Kefir

(1) Clean pre-cut piece of Muslin (every 2nd  processing time use a new one and wash the old one)

(1) Plastic or Silicone Spoon

(1) Plastic or Silicone Strainer with smaller holes

(1) Large Plastic Bowl  (make sure the trainer fits snugly inside it)

(1) 2 Gallon Plastic Pitcher

(1) Plastic ladle

(2) Towels (it's a messy process)

(1) Rubber Band

(1) Extra bowl to dump whey if necessary

Set strainer in bowl.

Remove Muslin and Rubber Band carefully.  Set as far away from processing as possible.  This final process splatters and is quite messy.

Ladle out white foamy chunky top.  put into strainer

Ladle out whey if necessary.  A little is ok, a lot is not good.

Then gently pour into the strainer the remainder of your jar. 

You can gently stir the kefir and shake it over your bowl.

You should see popcorn looking chunks in your strainer and beautiful white Kefir in your bowl.

Now that you have separated the two.  Set your strainer full of Kefir Grains on a towel.

Pour the bowl of Kefir into your plastic pitcher or blender.

Using a stick blender or a real blender, put on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Pour into your Kefir storage jar &  immediately refrigerate.  It should keep up to 60 days.   Let the gasses out occasionally and check on it.  Sometimes it keeps growing and expands.

 

   

Back to the grains.

Rinse your grains with spring water or raw milk.  City water which contains chlorine will kill the grains.

Sanitize the jar every time!!  This will help you maintain healthy Kefir grains. 

Remember Sanitize with vinegar and Soap only!  Bleach will kill the grains.

Now begin again. 

Refill that jar as instructed on the 1st page.

See I knew you could do it!! 

*RESULTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED.  KEFIR GRAINS ARE NOTORIOUSLY SENSITIVE AND IF THEY ARE LOST OR PERISH YOU WILL NEED REPLACE THEM.

Need a visual:     http://www.culturesforhealth.com/how-to-videos

Instructions by Shelley Rogers AKA 2 Dainty Crafters

An Honest Gluten Free Body Care Review May 2015

   Life has been pretty chaotic for the past 2 years. ( *sigh* Military life)   I will no longer be able to do some of my other things due to moving states.  I will be writing short Gluten Free reviews in addition to my other items as time allows.  I cannot wait for July!  Things will finally calm down by then.


I will be doing 2 Symbol Rating System  1 being lowest 5 being highest:
1-5  $'s  (is the product worth the value?)  
1-5  ^'s  (Does it work?).   

Today is on Gluten Free Body Care

1. Primal Pit Paste
$$$$$  (10.95-12.95 ) Worth every penny.  It does cost more, but you get what you pay for!  
 They even have a coupon going on right now. (As of May 3rd, 2015 When you 1st sign up it should pop up on the screen.)  They have a really nice referral program using social media.

^^^^^  It is the 1st natural deodorant that has not worn off in 4 hours for me.  I prefer the stick, it is less messy.  I am on my 3rd stick of Orange Creamsicle.

Find my #1 new favorite product @www.primalpitpaste.com/primal-pit-paste-stick  

2.  Giovanni Hair Care 2 Chic Shampoo's & Conditioner's 
(laurel & laureth Sulfate free)
$$$$ (8.99 on up) It is hard to find a good shampoo and Conditioner at a good price.  The availability in stores is spotty, so the prices in stores seem to be higher.

^^^^^  It WORKS!  I love how manageable our hair is now.  The whole family uses their line.
Some days my hair feels so dry and frizzy, so I use Coconut and Blackberry.  Other it is just fine, and I use Ultra Sleek with  Argan oil. It's good on all types of hair, from curly to straight!

Find a list of these wonderful products @www.giovannicosmetics.com

3.  Kiss My Face Olive Bar Soap
$$$$$ (4.99 on up) Good soap just plain costs more.  I love how big the bar is.

^^^^^  The Olive Oil & Aloe and the Lavender & Olive Oil are my favorite ones.  
They works great on dry or combination skin.
They have a lot of body care products to choose from.  Happy shopping. FYI they carry sunblock!!
I have 2 links for you:

www.kissmyface.com/ingredients  (You can see a great guide to their ingredients.)
www.kissmyface.com                      ( You can check out the rest of their great products.)

4.  Four Elements Look, No X Ma Bar Soap & Cream
$$$  (5.99 on up) Just plain spendy due to cost of essential oils being over harvested throughout the world and not replaced as they should be. Their farm is responsible!!  
There was just a big price hike on quite a few items.  Their product are small, cost more, but work very well on helping clear up skin conditions like eczema.

^^^^^+  Yep you heard me, exceeded 5^!  This product delivers, and works within the first 24 hours. This company is *MOSA Certified Organic folks.  
I have had so many people personally thank me for the recommendation of this product.  
Get that eczema or those dry patches under control.
*FYI they have Insect Repellent as well as First Aid Salve.*

Find this unique company @www.fourelementsherbals.com

5.  SUKI  Transformative Purifying Masque
$$$$ (48.95 on up)  Ouch!!    This is a little more than I like to spend. However, it is very well worth it!

^^^^^  Need to treat a spider bite or a zit?  Maybe you want to pamper yourself with a light clay masque?  This is the product for you.  Adult and Teen approved in this household.
They have some amazing products.  I have been using this for 3+ years now.
Check out their amazing  pampering line @www.sukiskincare.com

  And there you have it, folks! These are some of my favorite natural products for skin and hair care. Please check their links for more information!

*MOSA is the Midwest Organic Services Association, which certifies organic products. See their page here: http://mosaorganic.org/

Experimenting with Tiered Herb Gardens

My 1st attempt at  Tiered Herb Gardens

Below are some pictures of what you will need:
1. Garden soil. I prefer Miracle Gro brand; make sure you get the soil that is meant for vegetables!

2. Variously sized pots. What I have here are pots I found in my garage, which I supplemented with some Menard's pots. Largest pot on bottom, smallest at top. :)

3. I then placed small pots upside down within the larger pots. You'll have to experiment with which ones fit into which containers.  I wish I would have pre-drilled holes for more drainage and actually attached all the pots by bolt, nut, and washer.  Oh well, this was my experimental batch. So, don't do what I did; pre-drill your drainage holes!

4. Fill your pots approximately 3/4 full with your soil. This ensures that you won't, hopefully, have "floaters". This photo shows my pot that has Chives on the first layer. Make sure you use one type of plant per layer, otherwise you may have a mess to sort out when it comes to harvest time! I chose only 2 tiers due to non attachment of pots.

*NOTE* Please check to make sure you plant compatible herbs together.

http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html

This was a very useful site that helped me plant my herb garden successfully.

                                       Top photo Thyme & Mint.  Bottom photo Sage & Basil.

Please see another example here at:

 Found on bluenoselife.wordpress.com

This is the site that actually inspires me to give it a go.

Next year I will go 3 tiers for sure!  I think a bigger more shallow base is what I needed. Due to lack of funding my garden budget was cut in half.  So I spent $23.00 in pots, $12.00 for soil, and $40.00 for all the herbs for the whole year.  Remember to ask friends and family if they have any old pots they want to get rid of, and check the used stores for other gardening items. One of my favorite thrift type shops for pots is Arc, a non-profit organization. http://www.arcsvaluevillage.org/

Realize, I don't have all the instructions for everything here. Please check the two links I have within the blog for more complete, detailed instructions! Happy gardening!

The Dainty Muse, aka Shelley

The Plumbing Corner.....

OK lets talk drain cleaning suggestions. This is called a Zip It. Use this once every 2 months for a clog free kitchen, bathroom, tub and laundry drain.

Information on this product is available at http://zipitclean.com/ but is also  available at most home improvement stores for $4 and under.

Do not use DRAIN CLEANER EVER!!!  If you or a Licensed Plumber ever have to be under the pipe, and it has a caustic chemical in it, it can cause permanent blindness or a chemical burn if it were to leak out on you. Please wear goggles whenever doing home improvement projects, for obvious reasons.  Some hot water, vinegar, and baking soda make a great green drain cleaner.  Here is a link to one such recipe: Homemade Drain Cleaner
If that fails get a drain snake that is at least 50-100 feet in length.  And when that fails, call a Licensed Plumber!!  Be prepared: the average service call starts at $175, and goes up from there.

Please be advised that if your main is backing up, and you see toilet paper floating near it,  you have a serious problem and need a plumber ASAP!  If it is late in the evening, or a weekend,  there are huge fees involved($500-$700 an hour). If you can wait until morning, or rent a hotel room (which is usually less expensive than an emergency fee!), do so.

Now for the legal part:
All information contained in this blog is tips only. Always speak to a professional first if you have any questions/concerns. Everything shared is my opinion, and should be taken as such.