You guys have probably been wondering why we haven’t mentioned any recent CVS trips, or posted any weekly deals. Well, you might want to sit down for this… we’ve stopped CVSing. Now, don’t freak out, it may not be forever, we’re not sure yet. But for now, we’ve both decided to take a break from it. There are several reasons why we have decided this.

As fun as it was, it was becoming a huge time consuming task which was taking away from time with our families. It takes many hours researching the best deals, gathering and sorting all of the coupons, figuring out the best scenarios, posting all of this info, and then doing the actual shopping itself, sometimes at several different stores.

Also, with gas prices as high as they are, and the closest CVS being about 15 min. away, we started considering the cost in time and gas for these “free” things, and we’ve decided it just wasn’t really the most frugal thing anymore.

Thirdly, since we are on our quest to have less and living healthier, we’ve decided to start trying to make the things that we can ourselves (deo, toothpaste, soap, shampoo…) to save money and live “greener”.

So, hope you guys understand, and don’t hate us forever! We’d love to have you join us in this new frugal endeavor, so we will be posting “make it yourself” recipes for toiletries, cleaning supplies, and whatever else we can as we find and test them. Hopefully this will be just as helpful to your budgets, as well as a healthier option. Thanks for all of your support and encouragement!! We love you guys.

This is THE BEST recipe I have ever used for making pancakes. Every one came out perfectly. They were fluffy and thick, and kept a nice round shape. Quick and easy, using simple ingredients. This is my new favorite pancake mix recipe! To view the original recipe and all of the comments check it out at Recipezaar, one of my favorite recipe search engines.

Kendra and I have been doing a lot of talking/thinking about being minimalists - parring down on what we have and living on less.

We hope to randomly be able to post on this subject (I think both of us have plans on minimizing our closets soon! :)) every now and then. We’d also love to hear from you all if you have ideas on the subject or have any goals that you’ve decided to tackle in this area yourself.

If you are like us, and want to get rid of “stuff” and start living a more simple life, here are a few baby steps to consider:

1. Get rid of unnecessary stuff (sell it or give it away…don’t throw it away unless it’s truly trash)
Instead of having 10 pairs of shoes, try parring is down to 5…or even 3 or 2. If you haven’t used that kitchen gadget for at least three months, it’s probably not a necessary item to keep in your home. Just take a look at what you have and really analyze what you have/need and start shedding the “stuff”

2. Buy more “permanents”, less disposables

3. Buy quality, rather than “convenient” or “cheap”
Cheap things often break quickly…then you have to go out and buy a new one! Focus on buying quality (for a little more money) and holding on to it for the long haul, making repairs or mending it as it wears down. Use money that you are saving from buying less disposables, to buy permanent, quality items.

4. Resist “buying”
Resist the temptation to buy something simply because it’s on “sale” and you “may need it someday”. If you have the urge to buy something, consider writing it on a wish list , then revisiting the list in a month to see if you still actually “want” it. Often times, you don’t want it anymore.

5. Mend, repair, call the company
Instead of just throwing something away because it broke, be a good consumer and call the company. Challenge them to make quality products and to repair/replace your product (unless, of course, it has been put to good use and has lived a long, useful life). If you don’t know how to repair or mend something, look it up or have someone teach you how.

Thanks to all of you who chimed in and gave ideas on how I can read to my wiggly son who has a hard time sitting in my lap anymore while I read to him.

It seemed like the main consensus among all of you was to continue reading to him, even if he’s playing while I read, because he’s listening and picking up more than I think he is!

It’s funny that you all said this, because only a few days after you all pitched in with your advice, I was reading Amy Carmichael’s biography "A Chance to Die" (by Elizabeth Elliot), and came across this while reading.

The children in Amy’s family were called to daily prayers each day by a bell. During that time, her father would also read the Scripture to them. Here is the quote that hit me:

"Amy remembered the sound of her father’s voice reading the Scripture, a "solemn sound, like the rise an fall of the waves on the shore." Her ear was trained in this way, from those earliest years when a child’s powers of memorization by hearing are nearly miraculous. For the rest of her life the majestic cadences of the Authorized Version of the Bible shaped her thinking and every phrase she wrote.

A child, even when apparently distracted, learns far more than adults dream he can learn. Amy did not by any means always attend perfectly to the reading. Once she found a mouse drowning in a pail of water just at the moment when the prayer bell rang. She fished it out, hid it in her pinafore, took her place at prayers, and hoped it would not squeak. It did."

How’s that to wrap up thoughts on the subject!?

Thanks everyone for your input!

It’s been my trick since my daughter was three: Reverse psychology role playing. (I made that up myself!)

Here’s the thing; my daughter hates brushing her hair. She has long, wavy, often unruly hair. At times it gets quite tangled and requires an extensive brushing session. Now, she isn’t necessarily tender headed, but she can only take so much tugging and pulling on her poor little scalp before she begins to complain that I am hurting her. Sometimes that whining would turn to sincere tears, which of course always make me feel bad.

I decided one night that I’d try to lighten the situation, hoping to discourage the whining, by reversing roles. I told her, “How about I be the Jada and you be the Mommy?” She wasn’t sure where I was going with this, so I began my part (as I continued to brush her hair throughout the dialogue):

Me: (in a smaller, whiny voice) “Mommy, it really hurts me when you pull my hair so hard.”

Jada: (catching on surprisingly quickly; in her best soothing, mothering voice) “Well baby, I know. But I have to get the tangles out.”

Me: “But… it really hurts me.”

Jada: “I know. I’m sorry. I just have to do it.”

Me: “Mommy, do you think you could brush easier?”

Jada: “Yes baby, I’ll be easy.”

Me: (when I realize that I must be really hurting her poor little head) “Oh Mommy, that really hurts!!”

Jada: “I know, you have some really big tangles! I’ll try to be easy.”

Me: “Oww, oww, owww! That really does hurt me Mommy! Please be more gentle!”

And so on, you get the picture. But I was so happy to find her playing along so nicely, and she was so preoccupied responding to me that she completely forgot about her own complaining. When it came to a tough tangle, and I could see her wince, I’d complain before she could. That way, she knew that I understood that it was hurting her, and she was able to respond to me like she would want me to respond to her. If you try this method, and your child isn’t so quick to cooperate, just playfully say, “No, no, you’re supposed to say this…” and feed them some lines for their role. Stay in character, and hopefully they will catch on and play along too.

This is one scenario, but it could be used in many different cases. Eating something that they don’t like, putting medicine on a scraped knee, whatever incites protests in your home. So, if there is one thing in particular that your child whines about every time, you may find that this is a fun way to lighten the mood.

If you have a similar story to share, or a method that you have found works really well for discouraging whining, I’d love to hear from you!

Are you still waiting for your Organix rebate to come? I’ve heard from many of you saying that you still have not received your money back. I haven’t either. I called them today and told them that I have been waiting for my rebate to come. The lady rudely told me to hold a minute. A second later she got back on and asked me for my city, state, and zip. After I gave it to her, she said, “Okay. I will check on this and get your check in the mail.” I was surprised that that was it. I said, “Uh, okay.”

I’m doubtful it will ever come.

Personally, I will never buy Organix products again. I think they’ve scammed us.

If you’re still waiting for your rebate to come, here’s the number again to call: 1-800-422-4842

Has anyone out there gotten their money back from Organix yet?? I’d love to know.

(my son at 6 months - pleasantly enjoying a book)

I am a big advocate of reading to your children early. I started reading to my son soon after he was born and continued reading to him as he grew. As he grew older, I was pleasantly suprised at how much he loved looking through books and listening to me read to him. Even the nursery workers at church mentioned how much he enjoyed it when they read to him. He was such a good little listener!

But not for long. Around 8 months (he’s 11 months now), that all changed…he became an active, squirmy, destructive little guy, and while he still liked looking at the pictures, he also wanted to turn the pages (like a bull in a china shop) and, unfortunately, many of the pages were getting ripped.

So…I turned to board books. He still loves looking through these and studying the pictures, but he wants to flip through the pages so fast I can’t even read them. PLUS, he doesn’t stay on my lap very long before he wants to look at another book and starts wiggling away.

So, here’s my question.

I want to expose my son to literature knowing the positive effects that it has on children as well as having heard time and time again that one of the best things you can do your your child’s overall development is to read to them - but he moves at 100 miles per hour! I know that it can be done, as I’ve heard dozens of women talk about reading to their babies every day (out of books that have a considerable amount of content), but how do you do it?

Any tips? Any suggestions? Is this a dumb question!?

This is a "re-post", but it seemed to be very popular and I thought some of our new readers may enjoy! So…enjoy!

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My son loves his exersaucer. He really does. Well, the other day I decided to put some of his wooden balls in his exersaucer to play with. He began throwing the balls out of the exersaucer and onto the wooden floor and watched them roll across the room and around again (our floor is incredibly uneven, so it makes for a good show).

What a genius! He’s already studying Physics! Well, I’m thinking in terms of Microbiology and vivid (need I say, horrific!) images of dirt and bacteria attaching themselves to the balls as they roll across the floor are running through my mind. As soon as my son gets a hold of the balls again, into his mouth they’ll go.

Ever wondered about the best way to clean baby toys? Well, here are some answers!

Traditional Cleaning Methods:

1. Hot Water & Soap – just scrub ‘em down and dry ‘em off
2. Clorox bleach and hot water – hmmmm. Sounds toxic to me, but woman have been using this for years, so I figured I’d jot it down for you to ponder.
3. Put plastic toys (if you have them) in the dishwasher – top rack (make sure they’re not battery operated! )
4. Wash plush toys in the gentle cycle using hot water

Natural Cleaning Methods:

1. Hot Water & Soap – use a safe, natural, non-toxic soap like Free And Clear Dish Liquid
2. Wipe ‘em down - use a non-toxic surface cleaner, such as Sweet Pea Surface Cleanser or Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Surface Spray .
3. Wash with 1 part vinegar 1 part soapy water
4. Wash with 4 tablespoons of Baking Soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water.
5. Wash plush toys in gentle cycle, using hot water and a non-toxic detergent like Mrs. Meyer’s Laundry Soap .
6. Hydrogen Peroxide does a good job of disinfecting

How often should toys be cleaned?

1. The no brainer answer – after they get soiled!
   
2. When the toys have been played with by other children – especially if they had runny noses or coughs!
3. When your child is getting over a cold or other illness
4. At least once a month – I’m going to try to make a point to clean all my son’s toys at least once a week!

Other Miscellaneous Tips:

1. If you are washing wooden toys, wash and dry them quickly. Allowing them to sit in water can cause them to swell and grain may rise to the surface.
2. Plush toys collect dust mites, so they need to be washed often. If they’re not machine washable, surface clean them with water and non-toxic detergent and let them air dry in the sun. For a final death-blow to dust mites, put the toy in a freezer bag and stick it in the freezer over night.
3. Children play on floors – so keep them clean! Take off your shoes while in the house, vacuum, sweep and mop regularly and if you can afford it, invest in a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
4. Cleaning Bath Toys – first of all (here I go getting on a platform) be VERY careful about bath toys. Most plastic bath toys contain PVC (more on this in a later post, I’m sure). Instead of a rubber ducky, we bought our son a wooden toy boat for the tub – he loves it! Anyways, to clean bath toys, mix one part vinegar to one part water. Squeeze water out of toys. Dunk the toys in the mix. Soak them for at least 2 minutes. Scrub them down, rinse them, then set them out to dry. Carefully examine them to make sure there isn’t any gunk anywhere on or in the toy. Store them somewhere dry and open. Bath toys should be cleaned at least every two weeks.

A few months before my husband and I were married, we wrote a purpose statement for our marriage hoping to be able to look at our beliefs as a couple and determine some goals that would serve as a guide for the way we wanted live our lives and raise our family. It was a very good exercise for us and actually took almost a week to write in between our conversations, writing down our thoughts, reading Scripture, praying and deciding exactly how we wanted to word it.

This is what is says:

By God’s grace we will seek in our marriage to exemplify the relationship between Christ and His church by exhibiting a self-sacrificing devotion to Christ and by making the Word of God our uncompromising foundation and guide to all our lives affairs; by practicing selfless love, enjoyable companionship, and spiritual concern and accountability toward each other; by creating a Christ-honoring atmosphere in our home; by raising children who love and fear the Lord; by working as a team to be a light to the lost and to edify the body of believers for the glory of God.

We had it printed in our wedding program and asked that people pray that we would be true to our statement. It now sits framed in our bedroom on our dresser and we often look it over to re-analyze where we are and where we should be.

You may have something like a purpose statement for your marriage or family, but if you don’t (and want to), start by sitting down and writing out the following:

1. What is our purpose (as a couple? as a family?)?
2. How can we carry that purpose out?

Then put some flesh on those bones and fill in your statement with the "how to’s". It’s a very fun excercise and a great way to get your family involved, and when you are finished, you can frame it and put it on your wall!

Check out more Works-for-Me-Wednesday ideas here .

My son began signing "milk" a week or so ago. He usually signs milk as a response to me forming the question: "milk?" right before nursing time, though he has initiated the subject a few times before I got around to asking him.

The past few days I’ve been trying to see if he would sign "milk" without me mentioning the word to see if he was actually understanding what I was saying (instead of just copying a routine I’ve been doing with him the past 4 months) - for instance, if I said, "Are you hungry?" (instead of asking "milk?"), I wanted to see if he’d sign "milk".

Well, today, it was time for him to nurse, so I held him in my arms and said, "Are you hungry? Hungry? Do you want to eat?" and he smiled and signed "milk". Yay! I did the happy dance and went to nurse him.

So…when my husband came home from work (and it was time to nurse my son again) I wanted to show him this new accomplishment and said, "come here, I want to show you something".

So, I sat my son on the edge of our bed facing him toward us and began the conversation:

Me: "Are you hungry?"

Son: blank stare

Me: "Hungry? Would you like to eat?"

Son: Looks at Daddy, looks back at me…still staring…blankly

Hmmmm…it wasn’t working. I tried explaining to my husband what I was doing…

Me (looking at my husband): "I was just trying to see if he would sign without me saying the word "milk" - whoops!"

The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

Then out of the corner of my eye I see my son smiling and enthusiastically signing milk - little booger.