Homemaking Organized Blog

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Picture I made for my goals article (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s been a long time since I’ve done an update about my goals. But never fear I still have them front and center!

It’s very easy to get sidetracked as the year moves on by and to forget the goals one set on the arrival of the New Year.

Finances:  I’m consistently staying within a small grocery budget after updating it a few months ago. With some small changes I now spend $80 less per week on groceries. I still need to find a better way to reduce the paper and personal products but I’m taking a deep breath after the initial drop.

Business: I’m very excited I’ve been able to create two new Digital Planners since the new year and I have another one coming shortly. They have actually been in the works much longer than that (those graphics take time) but to fine tune them and make them available is the 2012 goal.

Personal: I am STILL trying to drop this weight. Most recently (the last couple of weeks) I’ve joined up on MyFitnessPal.com and FINALLY I see some movement. I’ve lost about 2 pounds so far. I have 15-20 to lose. 10 and I’ll be happy. 15 and I’ll be pre-pregnancy and able to wear my wardrobe (isn’t that so annoying).

We’ve been talking about making a chore box system for ourselves.  A cute little box to keep all our daily, weekly, etc chores in check.

But have you thought about a chore box for your little ones? Truthfully I had not until I stumbled upon this chore box system by Stephanie McBride over at Currclick. Just like mom’s it has chores for each day of the week. There are pictures on the cards, some blank ones, and dividers for you to print out.  It includes directions for setting up and for use. There are cards with graphics and cards with words, and blank cards.

Pretty cute eh?

Almost Black Friday Sale at Target.com – Thanksgiving Day (11/24) ONLY!

Thanksgiving Day Kitchen Deals

Save up to 40% on Woman’s Pants

6 Piece Corningware Bake Set for $19.99

Save up to 50% on Items for the Home

Save BIG on LCD TVs and More!

Buy One Get One Free on Select $19.99 Pillow Pets

18 Piece Paula Deen Cookset for Under $100

Save up to 30% on Select Jewelry

Need some Grocery Coupons? I shop on Fridays (and Wednesdays) so these are timely.

$1.00 off two Welch’s Sparkling Juice Cocktails
$1.00 off 1 pkg of PHILADELPHIA Cooking Creme
$1.50 off BISSELL Stomp ?N Go?
$1.00 off ONE ICBINB! Tub product
$1 off one tube Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief
$3.00 off two BISSELL Stomp ?N Go?
$1.00 off two boxes Post cereals
$1.00 off 2 General Mills Kids cereals
$1.00 off one Garnier Fructis Shampoo
$0.50 off 2 Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls
$1.50 off TWO ICBINB! Tub products
$0.30 off 2 Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
$1.00 off Any Nature Made Product
$2.00 off Any Aleve 80ct or larger
$0.40 off SIX CUPS Yoplait Yogurt
$1.00 off on 2 POUCHES Betty Crocker Cookie Mix
$0.40 off TWO Pillsbury Sweet Rolls
$0.75 off Scrub Sponge 3-pack or Larger
$1.00 off (5) Weight Watchers Smart Ones
$0.75 off any Delizza Patisserie product
$1.00 off two boxes Chex cereals
$1.00 off any 4-Pack of Welch’s Fruit Fizz
$1.00 off any JOHNSON’S Baby Oil product
$1.00 off 2 HORMEL COMPLEATS microwave meals
$0.55 off Glade Premium Room Spray
$1.00 off 2 Glade 4-oz. Jar Candles
$0.50 off TWO Pillsbury Pie Crusts
$0.40 off 2 Pillsbury Italian Meal Breads
$0.50 off One (1) Bridgford Foods Monkey Bread
$1.00 off Glade PlugIns Scented Oil refills
$1.50 off ONE ICBINB! All Purpose Sticks
$1.00 off any LISTERINE for Kids product
$3.00 off John Frieda Precision Foam Colour
$2.00 off any Afrin Nasal Spray
$1.00 off HP ColorLok Paper
$1.00 off one Alka-Seltzer Plus product
$1.00 off Glade Scented Oil Candle refills
$0.40 off Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
$2.00 off one Coricidin HBP product
$1.00 off 2 HORMEL COMPLEATS kids meals
$0.40 off Diamond Crystal Sea Salt
$0.55 off two HOMRMEL Pepperoni packages
50% off ONE regular priced item under $30
$1.00 off On ANY Vitamin item in Disney or Marvel
$1.50 off Maalox Advanced product
$1.00 off any o.b. product (except trial size)
$1.00 off (1) Gas-X Product. Use as directed.
$1.50 off on one BOOST Kid Essentials Drink
$0.35 off Diamond Crystal Salt Sense
$1.50 off A 4 PACK OF SEATTLE’S BEST ICED LATTES
$2.00 off any one e.p.t pregnancy test
$0.75 off Effergrip or Efferdent
$1.00 off ANY OREGON CHAI PRODUCT
$1.00 off DESITIN? Soothing Rash Bath Treatment
Up To 75% Off On Prescription Medication
Up To 75% Off On Prescription Medication
$5.00 off on ONE (1) Filtrete? Water Station
$2.00 off Any (1) LamisilAT Product
$2.00 off on ONE (1) Filtrete? 8 Cup Water Pitcher
$1.00 off ANY ZarBee’s Product
$1.00 off People Country Music Special
$5.00 off Your $25.00 Order at Vistaprint
FREE Designer Montage & Extra 20% OFF purchase
$100 Visa Gift Card for Joining ADT
$25.00 off Dish Network-12 months includes $75VISA
$2.00 off any NASALCROM allergy product
$2.00 off the December Essence magazine
$4.00 off Cosamin ASU Joint Health Supplement
$3.00 off Slo-Niacin
$0.75 off any Effergrip Denture Adhesive product
$1.00 off People en Español
$2.00 off any Percogesic product
$1.25 off on any Robitussin product

Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule

If you don’t know it yet no one cleaning schedule works for everyone. We all have different sized homes, families, and lifestyles. We have different levels of clean we want and certain levels of not so clean we are comfortable with.

The ideal solution is to create your own perfect cleaning schedule. But just what should go in it? Well Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule has you covered and has been upgraded and reduced in price to meet your need.

And! There is a promotional kick off!

This Thursday, September 1 at 9:30am CST, a graduated pricing structure will be available:

• 50 copies will be available for $.50
• 100 copes will be available for $1.00
• 200 copies will be available for $2.00
• 300 copies will be available for $3.00
• 400 copies will be available for $4.00
• 500 copies will be available for $5.00
• The rest will sell for $5.99

You want a copy for 50 cents? Well then head on over to the Perfect Cleaning Schedule Facebook page to snap up your promo code.

Image via Wikipedia

I love soap. I mean I just love it. This wonderfully scented, thick bars of cleanliness. Especially, unfortunately the luxuriously scented bars from France, Portugal, etc. These can be expensive. Sometimes I do find a deal of sorts at stores such as Ross, Marshalls, Tuesday Morning, and the like.

I actually don’t buy soap a lot. People have figured out this is the perfect gift form. I will know and appreciate that one bar of soap.  People have given me weird gifts for giving them those big Savon de Marseille bars of soap for gifts (the 1KG is a good size). But later they gush and thank me.

I lucked was blessed a little over a year ago to purchase a load of skin friendly soap from Israel. This soap is what we use to bathe with. I also have sensitive skin.

These are all soap bars if I haven’t said so yet.

Mostly I use my bars in the guest bathroom. So hey if you’re ever a guest in my home you get the best of my soap collection!

Recently I found the urge (even with my massive collection) to pick up a few luxury bars of soap for the guest bathroom.

I happened upon Claus Porto. Like I said I usually buy my expensive soap at a discount and this brand doesn’t go on discount. I purchased some tiny pieces to try out on guests.

Yes they are marvelous and now I cry tears of regret because I will not pay for the full price larger bars…I think.

But in all that I found a great idea for what to use those bars I just can’t bear to put out (my husband blessed me with some Roget and Gallet a few years ago and I just can’t use them.)

Ancathus and Acorn’s Tuesday Tips for Sweet Smelling Soap : This is a great idea to add a bit of scent to your home.

My Motto: You can never have too much soap.

It’s Ultimate Blog Party 2011 time! Hello and welcome to my little neck of the country. I’m actually in the burbs…I think. If you’re unsure what this is about 5 Minutes for Mom are hosting their annual Blog party where we all go around and meet and greet. There are also door prizes! Wahoo! One…or two of which are our own Vintage Home Planner CD

• Just read and comment on the main post here
• If you have your own blog post about the party and add the UBP button
• Go and add your link to the Mclinky thing on 5 Minutes for Mom
• And visit and comment on at least 20 blogs.

Here are a few things about me.

1. I’m a Christian. I got saved at lunch with my sister back in college. I had always gone to church but never knew I needed to make that step.

2. I’ve been married to a very very very sweet man for 14 years. He is very wonderful and puts up with me.

3. We have one Sweet Peanut whom gratefully adopted us. She keeps us hopping.

4. We homeschool said Peanut using Bob Jones which is just chock full of fun. My nephew came out so smart and won all these scholarships to college so I’m following suit.

5. I’ve played the piano and guitar for our small church for 16 years…. or more. I learned as an adult and please don’t add it all up. It just means I’m old.

6.  I’m allergic to soybeans. Ick!

7. I like a good bargain but will pay for a great product.

8.  I love perfume but had to ask people to stop giving it to me for my presents because I have too much. (Can you have too much?)

9. I love soap too but that is one thing you can never have too much of so I have asked that they keep the soap coming.

10. I’m a novice porch gardener. I’ve ventured a little bit into the backyard and a couple of raised beds. This year I planted some onions out actually in the ground just to see what will happen.

11.I’m a former gymnast so to see my body go like this is really depressing. I will try to force myself back into exercise sometime before summer.

12. I started Homemaking Organized to keep me busy while waiting for our first placement as foster parents. The rest is history.

13. I started Vintage Homemaking because I find vintage homemaking tips so absolutely fascinating.

14. I put all the baby stuff from Homemaking Organized into Infant and Baby Needs because I didn’t have enough to do….just kidding.

Hobbies

Container Gardening

Baking: These are fat pretzels

So thank you for dropping by. Pick up a pretzel and leave me a comment. Oh my giveaway is being hosted by the gals over at 5 Minutes for Mom. So if you’re interested in a planner with 180 checklists and printables not to mention all the great tips and information for organizing your home make sure you note that on your UBP entry.

K

I love having a fresh smelling home. I love perfume. Green scents and floral scents are my favorite. Occasionally a spicy scent will catch my attention. In the natural arena I gravitate towards lavendar (I spell it lavendar not lavender) and eucalyptus.

So it’s no surprise that I have purchased a few reed diffusers (do you know what those are). I do love the way they perfume a large area but I have run into two problems. First I purchased a low cost one and while it sent out a nice sent initially as after a day or so I could smell nothing. Surprisingly they had liquid in them for quite some time but no longer gave out a sent after a few days. So I upped the ante and spent a bit more at a luxury store for a lovely fresh smelling one. The scent was stronger and it did last for the life of the liquid…BUT the liquid ran out much quicker and for that price I thought it may be time for me to look into making my own. (If you’re curious I purchased it at Nordstrom and shocked my mother at the price).

So off to the internet searching for reed diffuser recipes I went. And here is what I found…BTW I’m making lavendar

Tipnut had some great ones

I purchased my supplies from Snowdrift Farms which also has recipes.

If you still want to buy a good one French Soaps is having a sale on Durance products and their reed diffusers seem of good quality. I gave one to my aunt for her birthday. This was in July. She keeps it in her bedroom. Whenever I go to her home  and she opens her bedroom door rose scent wafts all over the house. It smells lovely. Look under Clearance, Durance and Scented Bouquet.

So after my last trip to the grocery store I had to ask myself was I doing all I could to keep our grocery bill down.

Our grocery bill has actually increased since we made some food decision choices.

I love to save money as much as the next person but certain dietary choices have limited my ability to be one of those who can come out of the grocery store paying $12 for $150 work of groceries.

Here are some our family food choices…

• We buy hormone and antibiotic free milk and eggs The brands I buy I sometimes can find a coupon for but not always and I have big milk drinkers.
• We recently started buying grass fed beef and my husband LOVES beef.
• We eat free range chicken and turkey…also costs more.
• I’m allergic to soy so that drops A LOT off of our grocery store choices.  Since it would be more expensive to buy items containing lecithin and other soy additives for the family and separate items for me we all eat the same items which do cost more when you remove additives…go figure.
• Here’s the real killer to our grocery bill. We watch a lot of America’s Test Kitchen and have become a bit of snobs in some cooking areas.

Ways I try to reduce the grocery bill…

• Use coupons when I can. Personal care items and some snack foods.
• Growing what I can in a very small space. So far I haven’t had to buy lettuce this summer and tomatoes and potatoes will soon be here.
• I make all of our breads and baked goods, birthday cakes included (hobby so the family is taking advantage). I’m trying to talk myself into making our crackers and snacky foods too.
• Some household products I can find at lower prices online. And I always try to look for free shipping.

And then I read these posts and didn’t feel so bad…

How I Came to Peace With My Grocery Bill

How to Lower Your Grocery Bill By Not Following My Example