About Me

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I’m a diy, penny pinchin’, first time home owner, wife to my amazing helper of a husband, one sweet little type 1 diabetic daughter and one smart creative little boy(or should I say young man!). There isn’t a thing I won’t buy if I think I can make it myself. So I hope you enjoy my attempt to save a little money and share my attempts to make our house a home.

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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Calm Balm/Hiney Salve :D Safe, Organic, Natural and Momma Made!



My desire to make body products was out of pure necessity. My daughters hiney is endlessly chapped and dry, diaper rash cream wasn't cutting it, maybe even drying it more. I wanted something natural so I knew I could use it often with out harming her skin more(scary that baby products are so chemically ridden that it makes us think about how often we can USE it). I found a lot of what seemed to great natural products on the net but still spendy. So after a little research I decided I could make my own too! There really isn't a thing I won't try anyways. So I went to my LOCAL natural food store and got everything I needed for $13 bucks(which included a $10 bottle of essential lavender oil.)

Ingredients needed for your very own head to toe Calm Balm:

1/2 cup Sweet Almond oil(100% Pure Sweet Almond oil is a wonderful conditioning oil,a great emollient for softening and conditioning the skin. It is well suited for eczema, psoriasis and itchy, dry and inflamed skin.)

1/8 cup Beeswax (comes in bars of some shape, mine happened to be organic smelled more like honey than the natural beeswax??)

15 drops of Lavender Essential Oil(known for it's calming, natural healing abilities and antibacterial properties)

Heat Sweet Almond Oil in double boiler(my double boiler is a glass bowl in a pan with water)

Grate about 1/8 cup of beeswax and add it to the oil, stir gently till melted, remove bowl from heat.**Here is a good point to test the consistency. Drop a small amount on to a small plate and place in freezer, remove and check thickness. It's personal preference here if you want it thinner add a little oil and re-heat or beeswax for a more solid product.**

Once cooled (starting to turn opaque) stir in 15 drops of oil.

Pour into desired container I used a little glad container let cool at room temperature BEFORE putting your lid on:) I absolutely LOVE this stuff great for hands, feet, chapped cheeks face or behind (like my poor little daughters case) it does seem to resist moisture(while moisturizing), feels great on my skin and hers. Smells CALMING too!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Crock Pot Lasagna


SERIOUSLY people this is by far the BEST, EASIEST, dinner I have made in my 28 years of life! Better yet the babes(2 and 5) LOVED it! The little one even had seconds and little do they know it contains VEGETABLES. So why lasagna in the crock pot? Well I have a full time job and my husband was working late so that left me in charge of picking up the kids which ends up being an hour long commute(normally I come home and start cooking while he commutes), so that means we don't even get home till almost 7! I literally started and finished this dinner on my lunch break. ENJOY!

Here it goes (and really anything goes:) remember 20 minutes of prep time! Don't let my convoluted recipe deter you!

Ingredients: Sauce (see below for mine), cottage cheese and one egg,NO BOIL lasagna noodles, 1 bag of Italian blend cheese. THAT'S IT!

Step 1: Make your sauce weather it be with meat or with out that's up to you. I did one can of traditional spaghetti sauce, 1 pound of Trader Joes ground beef(my new fave beef)1 chopped up zucchini, mushrooms, garlic and onion(add more veggies if you got em'). Season as you wish.

Step 2:(this is my faux ricotta recipe) Mix one container of cottage cheese and one egg( I mix it in the cottage cheese container, less dishes;) . I seasoned mine with Italian seasoning and pepper.

Step 3 break out your awkward in my case hideous crock-pot and turn on low

***Here is the best part your almost done***

Layer the crap out of you lasagna in your CROCK POT
I used NO BOIL lasagna noodles(it's all I have ever used)

Layer 1
1/3 of your sauce
NO BOIL lasagna noodles (I had to break mine up to layer it with out a bunch of gaps)
1/2 of your Cottage cheese mix
Italian cheese mix (you know the cheating kind in the bag)
Layer 2
NO BOIL lasagna noodles
1/3 of your sauce
rest of cottage cheese
Italian cheese mix
Layer 3
NO BOIL lasagna noodles
The rest of your sauce
Italian cheese blend

Leave on low for 4 to 5 hours(or bake 45 minutes to an hour and cheese is bubbly)
and enjoy and amazingly easy good and good for you dinner!

It's 7:34 we have eaten and I typed up this whole recipe for you! That's how easy it is!Now to clean it up ;o ugh!