Working Mom Frugality

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A few months ago I went back to work part-time. I'd always been a stay-at-home, homeschool mom so it was quite a switch to get back into the workforce. But the time was right, I LOVE the type of work I'm doing, and all the details lined up to make a perfect fit. In traditional Gayle style I jumped in with both feet oblivious to the fact that I had just made life a whole lot more complicated. It's been several months now and I've finally worked out the kinks in scheduling, feeding my family, and homeschool. And I've learned a few things that are essential to making it all work.

1. Meal planning is not an optional task. My weekends are full of planning. I correct and plan the kids school work and the articles I have due for different writing jobs. I coordinate schedules with my husband so we know the kids are getting to sports practices, and of course I plan meals. When I get home each evening from work, if I don't have a meal planned and ready to go then we are all in trouble. The temptation to spend unnecessary money on fast food is much stronger when my tired brain can't come up with something for us to eat. So a meal plan removes all the energy it takes to creatively come up with dinner and saves us time and money.
2. Advanced Meal Prep is necessary. I never cook dinner at night. That sounds weird right? But let me explain. In the morning, while the kids are getting up and ready for the day, I'm making breakfast AND dinner. While I'm flipping flapjacks I am also putting together a casserole, mixing up meatloaf or filling the crockpot. I do all dinner prep in the mornings so that when I walk in the door at night I have very minimal work to do.
   
3. Delegate! We arrange it so that either one of my teens or my husband is home every afternoon with the younger kids while I'm gone at work. (One of the benefits of homeschool and owning your own business.) So everyone has a job to help get dinner on the table. The younger two kids make sure the dinner table is set and ready to go. One of the older people does final dinner prep like putting the casserole in the oven or making side dishes. And I? Well, after 17 years of cooking three meals a day....I get to walk in the door and sit down at the table to a hot meal that's ready to eat. Why didn't I think of this sooner?
4. It's O.K. to Shop on the Weekend. I had always avoided grocery shopping on the weekend because it is so crowded. Everyone shops on the weekend! But I've figured out that the stores are peaceful and the shelves are fullest early in the mornings or late at night. So late Sunday nights have become my shopping time. Unfortunately I've learned that my weekdays are so crammed full that if I don't get the shopping done on the weekend then we don't get groceries that week which completely screws up my meal plan. Then it becomes a vicious cycle of strange meals and exhaustion as I scramble at night to put together something from nothing.

So working moms, it can be done. It just takes a little trial and error, a lot of planning and a team effort to make sure that healthy and frugal meals are still showing up on your plate.

GCC Recipe Swap - Clean Coffee Pot Recipe

Who even THINKS to clean their coffee pot? But once you use this recipe and see what comes out, you won't ever forget to do it. Here's what you need.


1 cup warm water
1/4 cup baking soda

Mix the two together and pour into your water reserve. Let run like a normal brewing cycle but don't use a filter. Rinse out the pot and then run 2 to 3 cycles of just plain water. Repeat once a month for better tasting coffee and a clean machine.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

War on Germs Makes Cents

Summer is over, the doors and windows that usher in all that fresh air are shut and the whole family is closed in the house for the next several months. While I love all the coziness that the next seasons bring, it’s also a breeding ground for germs and winter illnesses. But there are some things you can do to make sure that the sick-fairy doesn’t visit your house. Along with vitamins and other immune builders you can kill all those germs that get carried in through dirty hands, shoes and sneezes with just a few cents and some homemade concoctions. So it’s time to build up your germ fighting arsenal and plan for a winter with fewer illnesses and much more cuddling around the fireplace. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Homemade Disinfectant

2 teaspoons borax

4 tablespoons white vinegar

10 drops of essential oil (tea tree, pine, eucalyptus or thyme)

Hot water

In a clean spray bottle mix borax, vinegar and 3 cups hot water. Add 10 drops of essential oil and use on counter tops, door and cupboard knobs, and toilet handles. Make sure to label your bottle clearly.

Lavender Antibacterial Spray

1 cup water
20 drops pure essential oil of lavender

Pour the water into a spray bottle. Add the lavender essential oil and shake to blend. Spray on the surface and let set for at least 15 minutes, or don’t rinse at all. Great on cutting boards, bathroom surfaces and other places where bacteria might grow.

Homemade Air Freshener Ideas

A closed up house can get stuffy and stale. Try these ideas to freshen it up!

• Place a few drops of your favorite pure essential oil on the inside tube of a roll of toilet paper. Every time it is turned, it will let off the scent.
• Add 4-5 drops essential oil of choice to 1/2 cup water. Pour into spray bottle and mist area.
  
• In the kitchen bring a small pot of water to boil with some of your favorite spices in it.

GCC Recipe Swap

Happy Friday Morning. I'm getting ready to drag my sorry butt off to aerobics but thought I better put up this weeks recipe swap. My little girl is nearly 15 but I can remember the toddler years of trying to brush her hair while she cried and wiggled like it was yesterday. This was my lifesaver (and hers). If you have little kiddos with tangly hair, this will make your life so much easier and save you the big bucks for the name brand bottles.

Instant Hair Detangler

In a clean, empty spray bottle add 1/4 cup hair conditioner (even $1 store works for this) and 2 cups warm water. Shake to stir and then spray on your child's wet head. Combing through should be easy now. In fact it they are screamers, they can come it through themselves and see how easy it is.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Summer Cooking

Summer has finally shown up where I live. They days have been warm and sunny lately which tends to change our food choices. We lean more towards Popsicle, cold salads, whatever we can cook on the grill and iced tea. But sometimes eating like that can get old fast. We start to miss our normal meals but who wants to run the oven in the middle of the hottest part of the afternoon? The summer heat also makes me feel lazy and lethargic. I really just want to kick back with a good book, watch the kids splash in the slip-and-slide and relax. Isn't that what summer is all about?

So to make my afternoons and evenings seem as lazy and work-free as possible, I get all my cooking done in the morning. Right now I've got the windows open so the house can cool down and I'm cooking homemade mac and cheese, baked potatoes, and dessert. I wandered out to the garden and grabbed some baby spinach and threw together a green salad that is chilling in the fridge, the iced tea and lemonade are all mixed up, and the Popsicle molds are full of homemade frozen treats all by 10am. Do you know what that means? The rest of the day there will be no more, "Mom, I'm hungry!" where I'll have to stop what I'm doing and throw together some food. Everyone can feed themselves whenever they want. Just go to the fridge, grab what you want and I'm pretty much off duty until tomorrow morning.

So Mom's....give yourself a break. Get up early this summer, get the laundry loads going and the dishwasher running, cook up a bunch of food and then kick back and take the day off. Then the rest of the day just relax and enjoy the happy kids and warm days. We deserve a summer break too!

Book Recommendation on Creative Cleaning

I came across this book at the library and it blew my socks off. It's got some amazing info on using everyday household products to clean just about any thing you can think of.

• How to clean crayon off a wall using Baking Soda
• How to rejuvenate wilting flowers with Epsom Salt
• How to get rid of the mildew smell from your cars air conditioner system with Lysol
  

The author quotes a lot of brand name items (I'm thinking he might have some paid endorsements in the book) but I've found generics work just as well in many of the situations.

So go HERE to take a look. I'm going out to my Volvo right now to try the one about the air conditioner. Woohoo!

Rainy Day Ideas!

**This is my column from The Daily News that is running today. Wouldn't you know it's a beautiful sunny day this morning. Figures.

I was sitting at the ball field with my husband the other day, waiting for one of my boys’ baseball games to start. It’s about the only uninterrupted time we get to talk and catch up. We can cover everything from current events, dumb jokes, and dream vacations all in those precious 30 minutes. Somehow we got on the topic of childhood and the things we used to do to entertain ourselves when we weren’t busy with school. For him it was always sports but for me, spending my earlier years in California, it was running around outside with the neighborhood kids. On weekends and summers I would get up, throw on my clothes, scarf down some breakfast and run out the door. We played outside all day, every day, and wouldn’t come home until dusk or if we heard a distant holler from our mother. Then we’d run back home for a quick check in, and disappear for several more hours. But raising my kids in rainy Washington is different; much of the time my kids are trapped inside due to some sort of precipitation. We take advantage of every sunny moment we can get but on the wet days they can get a little bored. I don’t know about you, but in our house, a bored kid equals a cranky kid. And a cranky kid is contagious. So if you need ways to keep your kids occupied when you can’t count on sending them outside to play, here are 8 activities sure to keep their minds and bodies engaged in some good old productive fun.

• Plan a Treasure Hunt. Find something good to hide and set out clues for the kids to follow. For older kids the clues can be in the form of riddles. For the littlest kids the clues can be pictures. They’ll have fun searching out the treasure.

• Now this one serves the dual purpose of getting them clean and keeping them occupied. Try some bathtub fun. You can make homemade tub paints or bathtub crayons. (see recipe below) If you want to get even more bang for your buck, grab a good book and take a little Mom break while they are in the tub. This got me through the toddler years quite nicely and I had the cleanest kids on the block

• Play outdoor games, inside! Set up a bucket for a basketball hoop and use a soft foam ball or even a wadded up newspaper. Play HORSE and have candy as prizes. Set up bowling pins made out of Tupperware and let the kids go bowling in the living room with a foam ball.
• Make an Indoor Sandbox. Use a plastic bin and fill it with rice, small beans or even oat or cornmeal. Set it on top of a table cloth for easy clean up later. Put little toy cars, scoops, funnels, little cups and other small toys in there and let them go for it. I even caught my teenager with their hands in it the other day. The good thing is you can pop the lid on it and slide it away when not in use.

• Make home movies. Most digital cameras and cell phones have a video feature. Use one of those or your video camera to make silly home videos. My kids have built Lego people and voiced their characters or even whipped up crazy costumes and just ran the camera while they acted out impromptu plays.

• Pitch your tent in the family room. The kids have tons of fun playing “camping”. We turn out the lights, pack some goodies, pull out the sleeping bags and crawl in. If you don’t have a small tent try a table with blankets over it.

• Dust off the board games. With modern technology and all the fun it has to offer, board games are left to collect dust. Most families have them stashed on the top shelf of a closet so when they finally get pulled out they are new and fun again. Turn off the video games and have some good old fashioned fun.

• Use your biggest window as an art easel. Whip up some homemade window paints and let the kids draw on the biggest canvas they’ve ever seen. The good news is it comes right off with paper towels. (See recipe below)

With these ideas you’ll buy yourself some sanity and keep those kids happy and productive until the sun decides to show its face again.

Bathtub Crayons

1 Cup grated Ivory soap
¼ cup warm water
Food Coloring Plastic cookie cutters or hard candy molds

Directions: Mix water, soap and food coloring together in bowl. Remove the mixture from bowl and knead it until it’s the consistency of thick dough. Spoon mixture into plastic cookie cutters or candy molds. Place the cookie cutters or molds in the freezer for 10 minutes or longer. Pop the crayons out of the cookie cutters and allow them to dry overnight.

Bathtub Paints

1/3 cup mild clear dish washing soap or clear baby shampoo

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Food coloring

Mix cornstarch and liquid soap in bowl. Pour into an ice cube tray, (sometimes I use plastic cups) filling about 1/2 full. Put 4-8 drops of different food coloring colors into each section and mix till blended.

Homemade Window Paint

Mix together equal parts dishwashing liquid and washable liquid paint or powdered tempera. For paint brushes use fingers, cotton swabs, art brushes, or feathers for different painting techniques.

Frugal Medicine Cabinet

A visit to the doctor’s office nowadays can put a fair size dent in your monthly budget. With co-pays at record highs, huge deductibles and even more astronomical premiums our family has used medical visits more as a last resort rather than the first line of defense. We still know when it’s time to go visit our favorite family doctor or the local emergency room but when it comes to the run of the mill colds, illnesses, or symptoms we visit our kitchen instead. Our frugal medicine cabinet isn’t full of over the counter pills and cough medicines. It has just a few ingredients, purchased from the grocery store to see us through a sick spell. Here are a few things to keep on hand when you start to feel an illness coming on.

Fresh Garlic contains sulphur properties that act as an antibiotic, anti-viral and a fungicide. It’s been known to lower cholesterol, act as an expectorant and help with digestion among other things.

Raw Unpasteurized Honey has antibacterial and antiseptic properties. It’s great for coating throats to get rid of germs and to soothe sore throats. It should be unpasteurized since the heat can remove some of its healing properties. Children under the age of one shouldn’t be given honey.

Lemons are a super food that contains loads of Vitamin C which helps in the growth and repair of body tissues. It can be used as an astringent as well as an anti-inflammatory.

Apple Cider Vinegar was probably in your grandmother’s medicine cabinet. It’s been around for ages and my own grandmother took it daily and attributed it to her own 98 years of active life. It’s been known to ease heartburn, aid in digestion, relieve rashes and sunburns, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and aid in ear or yeast infections. You’ll want to make sure you get apple cider vinegar that is organic, unpasteurized and contains the cloudy “mother” in the bottom.

With these simple ingredients you can treat all kinds of common ailments for minimal cost and maximum health benefits. The next time you start to feel ill try a few of these natural recipes to relieve your symptoms and speed up your recovery all while keeping your budget on track.

Garlic Tea

(For cough, colds and as an antibiotic to kill bacteria and fungus)

3 cups water

3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed or cut into pieces

½ cup raw unpasteurized honey

½ cup fresh lemon juice

Bring water and garlic to a boil. Turn off heat and stir in honey and lemon juice. Drink ½ cup warm tea 2-3 times per day until symptoms are gone. Store extra in refrigerator. Courtesy of earthclinic.com

Cough Controller

(not for infants under the age of 12 months)

1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
Stir mixture in a little bit of drinking water and drink immediately.
Take this 2-3 times a day.

Courtesy of parentingtoddlers.com

Sore Throat Relief

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

6 -8 ounces water

Add vinegar to water. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and gargle with it, spitting it out. Immediately take another tablespoon of the mixture, gargle and swallow it.

Courtesy of Vermont Folk Medicine by D.C. Jarvis

Frugality....Give It Away

Many people think of frugalists as stingy or miserly people who hoard their bargains; more like Scrooge than Mother Theresa. And maybe that is true in some cases. But thrifty people have a unique ability to see a need and fill it in creative and low-cost ways. Combine the tightwad’s skill with money, their habit of using everything to its fullest, and their ability to think outside the box and you’ve got someone who knows how to feed a crowd for just a few dollars or fix a broken piece of machinery MacGyver-style. With our current economy and high jobless rates, many of us are just one unexpected tragedy away from a major financial catastrophe. There are numerous opportunities for us to step up and help those in our community who are having a difficult time. Not because we deem them worthy of help but simply because at any moment that could be one of us.

There are all sorts of ways for us to pitch in and help. A few weeks back, a thrifty friend of mine noticed that the Community House on Broadway, a local homeless shelter, had a list of practical needs, one of which was laundry soap. She knew that for a minimal expense we could meet that need so off we marched with the ingredients in hand to make some homemade detergent. We set up shop in the Community House Kitchen and in about 45 minute’s time, we managed to provide them with 15 gallons of homemade laundry soap. The cost to us was a mere hour of our time and around $15. For the homeless shelter, it was one less thing for them to squeeze into their budget.

Many expert coupon clippers use their skills to create stockpiles of toiletries and canned foods and donate those goods to food drives, women’s’ shelters, or soup kitchens. Gardeners can plant extra crops and donate their produce to food charities. Many people donate used clothing, furniture and household items to local thrift stores that support worthy non-profit organizations. You can even donate old prescription glasses, hearing aids, and laser and print cartridges to your local Lions club. They have a program in place to disseminate these items to the people that need them.

We’ve all seen the panhandlers in the parking lots holding their cardboard signs. I’ve been guilty of awkwardly pretending they aren’t there or wondering if they are going to buy booze with the dollar I hold out my car window. Instead of passing judgment you can pass out a homemade sack lunch. Carry a few lunch bags around in your car full of bottled water, granola bars and other nonperishable items. It’s minimal cost to you and you know you’re meeting a tangible need.

And if cost is a hindrance for you, than donate your time. Are you good at fixing things? Find an elderly couple who need a few shingles replaced, their gutters cleaned or their oil changed. Bring the kids and let them see how satisfying it is to help other people. Did someone lose a loved one? Make sure they know you care and you’re available to help, even in practical ways. Did your neighbor get injured? Offer to mow their lawn or pick up their groceries for them.

The needs in our community are many right now as people deal with fires, deaths, job losses and illness. Even though many of us are on tight budgets we can all manage to dig deep and give from the knowledge, time and resources that we have.

Free Printable Chore Chart

Over this last year I look back and realize I've done a heckuva lot of work. Full time college student, homeschooling four kids, part time writing jobs, and all the regular stuff it takes to be a mom and wife. So for the year 2011 I'm learning the art of delegation. Now my kids have always had chores to some degree but I'm ramping it up a bit. Unfortunately the stay at home mom bit (for this mom at least) meant that I did a lot of it myself. But knowing that I can't do it all has left me looking around to find four able bodied kids with TOO MUCH time on their hands. The perfect people to help this mom with NOT ENOUGH time on her hands. So I found this great site that lest you customize your own chore list for FREE. I wrote down all the household cleaning and maintenance duties for the week and divided them up between the four kids. I kept the few areas that I like to deep clean for myself (bathrooms), and then settled that I was going to have to lower my standards a bit. The payoff means a generally tidy house all week long. I'm willing to adjust my standards for that. So if you're interested in setting up your own chore list, here's the site where you can make your own.

My Motto this year is "If we all live here than it's OUR dirt. Now grab a broom and help your Mom."

Customizable Chore List

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old Toothbrushes

Most dentist recommend replacing your toothbrushes every three months. Well, multiply that by the six people in my family and you've got 24 toothbrushes going into the garbage each year. Is there another use? You betcha. Here are some ideas.

• Dust your computer keyboard. Toothbrushes fit amazingly between the keys!
• Touch up dye jobs. Your grays are showing? No worries. A toothbrush is just the right size to get your roots and along your hairline.
• Clean mud out of the grooves in the bottom of your shoes. Both ends work good for this. The handle is a good digger and the brush gets the rest.
• Clean around the sink drain. I do this all the time. The toothbrush is the perfect size to scrub the drain and the stopper and also the around the seal of the faucet and even around the toilet seat attachments.
• A nail brush. Sometimes I like to work in the garden in my bare hands only to find I've got caked dirt under my nails. Toothbrush to the rescue. Works great on mechanics fingers too!
• Clean your rings. Toothbrushes are a great way to get all those tiny spots around your settings.
  
• Make a toothbrush bracelet. No kidding! Go here.
• Clean your remote control. Honestly I rarely clean that thing but it gets touched constantly. Gross! Use a toothbrush to get around all those buttons.
• Eyebrow brush! Sterilize first but this is the perfect size for eyebrows.
• Scrub out a laundry stain. I use my homemade stain remover and a toothbrush to prep stained laundry for the wash.

For more WFMW ideas go HERE!

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old Cd's and DVD's

Do you have old DVD's that have seen better days or old CD's that you never want to listen to again? We have old kids movies that are unplayable and music that I'm embarrassed to admit that I ever bought. We even get them as advertising in the mail some times. So when you can't sell them on e-bay because they are essentially worth nothing now, what do you do with them? These ideas are so fun that now when we hit the Goodwill Outlet we intentionally look for old CD's and DVD's so we have enough to get creative with. Hope you see something that inspires you too.

1. Coasters: The shiny side makes modern looking coasters to keep your wood tables from getting rings.
2. Paint Palettes: Let your kids get their Davinci on at craft time. Use these as artists palettes and let them paint to their hearts content.
3. Bird and Deer Deterrent: We hand CD's from our cherry tree sometimes to keep the birds from eating all the fruit. I've also heard that people hang them around the perimeter of the garden to scare away the deer.
4. Candle Base: Set your candle in the center of the CD as a light reflector and to catch any wax. Turn the lights off and see the shimmering glow that it makes.
5. Wall Decor: My teenage son collects them and is working on covering one whole wall with them. It's almost like hanging tiny little mirrors all over the wall and it makes his room look even bigger.
6. Make A Lamp: You won't want to pass up this creative idea. This lamp is really cool.
7. Photo Magnets: I know this site says to make these for a locker but wouldn't they be creative Christmas presents or even ornaments? Go check it out HERE.
8. Name That Veggie: Write the name of your garden veggie on the CD in permanent marker and then glue it to a stick to mark the rows in your garden.
9. In Case Of Emergency: These are a great lightweight emergency mirror to use to signal for help when your out hiking. Much lighter in your pack than an actual mirror.
10. Make a hovercraft: My friend did this for a class she taught. Glue a lid of an old sports bottle (the one you open by pulling the valve) or a dish-washing detergent lid to the hole of a CD. Next, you blow a balloon with air then, trying not to lose any air, stretch the balloon onto the lid. Place the hovercraft on a smooth surface and let it go.

For more great ideas go visit WFMW!

10 Ways To Reuse It: Broken Crayons

What Mother doesn't have a box full of broken crayons? When my kids were little they broke them for fun and when they got older they colored so enthusiastically that they broke under pressure. And the frugalista in me just couldn't throw them away so I threw the broken ones into a shoe box, hoping they would still use them. But it seems that a crayon, once broken, loses it's appeal to the younger crowd and there you are, stuck with a box full of sad looking colors. Here are some fun ideas to give them one last use.

1. Seal A Letter: melt the wax down over the envelope and press your metal seal over the top. It's a lost art, but a fun one.
2. Make Crayon Cookies: Melt broken crayon bits in various colors in a muffin tin, just until they've run together. After it cools pop it out and you have a multi colored Crayon cookie that kids will love to draw with.
3. Fix Furniture: Use them to color in scratches in same-colored furniture.
4. Make Ornaments: Place metal cookie cutters on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil. Place broken, unwrapped pieces of crayon in each cutter. Bake at 150 for about 20 minutes or until all crayons are melted. Remove from oven a let cool. Remove from cutter and attach to packages as decoration or tie a ribbon around it and use as a tree ornament.
   
5. Make Stained Glass: I remember doing this with the kids when they were littler. We shaved crayons over wax paper, put another layer of wax paper on top and then ironed them on low. They melted and looked just like stained glass. We hung them in their bedroom windows for fun.
6. Make Fire starters: Put bits of crayon in cardboard egg containers and let set in the sun for the day until they melt. Then when you need to start a fire, tear off one section of carton and light it to start your fire quickly.
7. Officially Recycle: There is actually a website that recycles your crayons for you. Go check it out!
8. Decorate Candles: Slightly warm up a long candle in the microwave just to soften it a bit. Then roll them in multi colored crayon shavings for a colorful table top decoration.
9. Paperweight Gifts: Take some smooth rocks and warm them in the oven on 225 for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven with mitts and then touch broken crayons to them in a decorative design. Watch as they melt onto the rock. Let cool (you can pop them in the fridge to speed this up) and you've got some neat looking paper weights.
10. Make Safe Crayons for Toddlers: Throw all the broken pieces in the toe of an old pair of nylons. Tie it tight and let your little ones color on a piece of paper with them. This keeps them from swallowing crayon bits and gives them a fun, safe way to color.

For more WFMW ideas go here!

10 Ways To Reuse It: Phone Books

Do phone books stack up at your house? My old one hasn't even been used much before I get another one left on my doorstep. Pretty soon my desk drawer is full of old phone books that we've just shoved in there. Here are some amazing and crafty ideas to turn these giant wastes-of-paper into some pretty useful stuff.

1. Make a Book Safe. Cut out a square of pages in the middle of the book under the cover and you now have a secret hidey hole.
2. Shipping. I regularly sell stuff on e-bay. Phone book pages are great packing material because they are thin and the pages crinkle up really well.
3. Booster Seat. Duct tape a few phone books together and you've got a FREE booster seat for that kiddo that doesn't quite reach the table. If you want to, you could sew a cover and wrap the books in quilt batting first for a little extra padding and decoration.
4. Make Seed Pots. I've done this with newspaper but phone book pages work just as well. Go HERE for directions.
5. Unique Gift Bows. Use THESE instructions and make yellow (or white) gift bows for your packages.
6. Coffee Table. Wow, wouldn't THIS be a conversation piece. This is a really neat looking table.
7. Occupy Bored Kids. Just how many paper airplanes or origami animals can your kids make with the hundreds of pages in a phone book? We're talking hours of quiet, I MEAN summer fun for your kids.
8. Desk Caddy. Use these directions to make a really cool desk caddy to organize your pencils, pens and other odds and ends.
9. Paper Flowers. These directions used newspaper to make adorable paper flowers. I'm sure you could use phone book pages as well and adorn all kinds of things with your creativity.
10. Get Some Exercise. Remember step aerobics? Build your own step with phone books and duct tape, rent a free aerobics video from the library and you've just created your own gym.

For more great ideas go see WFMW!

5 Ways To Reuse It: Lipstick Tubes

So you get to the end of your lipstick (or concealer) tube. There's a little left in the bottom that doesn't quite twist out. After you've scooped it out and mixed it in a small jar with some Vaseline to make tinted lip gloss, what's left? These great little tubes. Here are some really creative ideas to get some more use out of those great little containers.

1. Pill Containers. After you've washed it, these are a great size to store pills in. I use one during the summer to keep my allergy pills from spilling out all over in my purse.
2. Make a Mini Sewing Kit. These are a great size to store a needle and thread, a few safety pins and a spare button or two.
3. Bandaid Holder. A mom is always prepared, right? You can roll up and store several bandaids in one of these efficient little containers. Store it in your glove box or carry it with you in your purse.
4. Stash your Cash. Roll a few emergency bills in there and store them in your glove box or some other place. No one will ever guess what's hidden in there.
5. Travel Container. Keep your q-tips from losing their cotton ends and getting germy by storing them in your clean tube.
   

My brain could only come up with five this week. Can you think of five more ways to reuse it?

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old T-Shirts

I don't know how it happens but the kids are constantly getting tiny little holes in their t-shirts, right in the belly button area. As they come through the wash I snag them and they get thrown in a goodwill pile. But no more! Here are some ideas to reuse those old t-shirts that you won't let anyone wear anymore.

1. Cleaning Rags. The cotton in a T is so soft that you can use it to clean anything without worrying that you'll scratch it.
   
2. Grocery Bags. Here's some directions to make your own unique grocery sacks. I love this idea and they are really sturdy and simple to make.
   
3. Swiffer Refills. Cut into the rectangle the same size as the store bought refill. Woohoo! FREE!
4. Baby Wipes. Nothings softer than old worn t-shirt cotton. If you make homemade babywipe solution than these gentle wipes would be the icing on the cake.
   
5. Art Smocks. We save Daddy's big old shirts for paint smocks. It keeps the kids clothes clean while they are doing messy art projects.
   
6. The Softest Quilt Ever! Cut squares from your old t-shirts and make a cozy soft quilt full of memories. It would be fun to do one each year with the shirts your child has grown out of or maybe even some family t-shirts. Then back with flannel and you have a family movie night quilt to cuddle under together.
   
7. Pillowcases. Here's a simple tutorial on making a pillowcase out of a soft old T.
8. Make Underwear. Seriously I laughed when I first heard this idea but now that I've seen them and read the directions I really REALLY like these. Of course if my butt looked as little as this ladies, they'd probably look just as good on me too.
9. Make Diapers. This is another creative idea. Don't let your baby's bottom feel left out. Make homemade baby diapers with your old t-shirts. Directions HERE.
   
10. Make Art. Have a T that has your favorite band or a design that you love? Frame it and hang it on your wall. Here's how.
    

For more WFMW ideas go here.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old Bed Sheets

Am I the only one who has a cupboard full of lone flat sheets or sheets so worn out that they are only for the nights when some kid pukes and I need to change the bed 1o times? They are almost like socks, their mates are no where to be found. I'm sure they've just been ripped and I've thrown half of the set away hoping I'll come up for some good use for it's mate. Well if you find yourself in the same situation, here are some ideas to help you get some use out of those old sheets. And if you're cupboard isn't stocked, check out the thrift stores. With all these ideas, you're going to want to find some quick.

1. Cut them up for a wealth of cleaning rags.
2. Use as a drop cloth when working on painting or art projects.
3. Cover the couch. Do you have a dog that you like to cuddle with at night but you don't like the hair? Throw a sheet over the couch and cuddle up.
4. Make a cushy bed inside your dogs house.
5. Make curtains. Slide a rod inside the pocket at the top of the sheet. You've just made no-sew curtains for a window or for a kids stage. You can even do this to make a decorative shower curtain.
   
6. Make a beautiful old fashioned rag rug. Go here to find a no-sew tutorial and to see just how pretty these are.
7. Keep on in your car for spontaneous picnics. They fold up small for easy storage too.
8. Make this cute halter dress. Seriously! Take a look. I'd wear it.
9. Ok, technically this is a dress made out of an old pillowcase but I couldn't resist showing you. I like the second picture with the flowers. Oh to have a littler girl to dress up again.
10. Make several new pillowcases from one old set of sheets.
11. Couldn't pass up showing you this. I'm drooling over this beautiful quilt made from vintage sheets. Yeah I know that's eleven but consider it a bonus.
    

For more great WFMW ideas go HERE.

10 Ways To Reuse It: Tires

I have to admit that I don't have a giant heap of tires in my backyard. My neighbors might freak out a bit. But over the years, numerous old car and bike tires have found their way into my garage and they've always given me trouble when it comes to getting rid of them. But now, I wish I had every single one of them because the list you're about to read really gets me excited. Take a look at these great ways to put old tires to a good use.

1. Grow Potatoes. I'm so crazy-excited about this one. You can have a whole potato garden in a tiny space with a stack of tires. Check out the directions HERE on how to do it. Everything I've read says not to worry about any chemicals in the tire. Use old worn out tires that have had years of wearing down and exposure to the elements and there's not much left that can harm you.
   
2. Make a Tire Swing. We've had one of these in our back yard for at least 14 years and the rope holding it wears out faster than the swing. The kids have had so much fun with it.
3. Make Raised Garden Beds. Stack tires two or three high and fill with compost and soil. This is great for people with back problems who can't bend over a regular bed. AND you get all the growing benefits of the raised bed method (less weeds, warmer soil).
4. Make some sandals! Oh yes you can. Go here for complete directions on how to make sandals from tires. Bet those will last forever and they even look good too.
5. Protect you garage from a new driver. Hang a tire on the garage wall at bumper level. When your new driver is learning to park in the garage this might save you from an unwanted and surprising new window in your garage wall.
6. Clothesline. Use an old tire for the base of your clothesline poles. Fill with cement and put your pole in the middle then string between the two poles.
7. Make a Sandbox. A large tractor tire can be filled with sand and become a fun place for the kids to dig and play.
8. Protect young trees. Cut upon one side of a tire and place it around the base of a tree. Next time you mow you'll be sure not to get too close to the fragile sapling.
   
9. Make a belt. Use a bike tire to make an indestructible and really cool looking belt.
10. Make a Designer Headband. Some people are just so creative. Go check out what this woman did with an old bike tire. Seriously Cute!

For more WFMW ideas go here.