ThriftThis article is dedicated to crafts! With the economy the way that it is (do I dare say “Recession”?) , we have had to get creative when the need arises for a present, or decorations within our homes. These are all ideas that either myself or my best friends have used in the past or recently. I was so impressed by these ideas that I wanted to share! If some of the needed materials are not common household items you can buy them inexpensively ( I would no steer you wrong).

Have a blank wall to decorate? How about post cards? You can frame them, or like one of my best friends did in her bedroom,stagger them all over the wall ( she had a lot of them). You can just tape them up or use push pins, whatever you prefer or are allowed to use. How about other collections? Do you have a large collection of anything you could hang? This could be any kind of picture. Some examples could be scenery, fairies, angels, sports. Take a look in your closet or basement. What about baskets or a beautiful, old quilt or blanket? Anything is fair game.

This is a great gift for just about anyone. You will a length of fishing line, maybe 10 inches or so, and a handful of beads. You can use any kind of bead you prefer, but make sure you have at least 2 that have small openings. Tie the beads you chose with the small openings about 2 inches in from each end, one on each end, so that they do not move. Add enough beads to fill each end of the fishing line and tie the line in a knot or around the ending beads. Now you have a creative and beautiful bookmark! My best friend has one, and it is very pretty. If you know someone who uses large book often ( like cookbooks) you could make them a few to mark their favorite recipe/pages.

A good universal gift idea is the “basket”. I use this often. You can use a basket you have on hand or that you got at the thrift store OR you could use a gift bag. In my area I can by them for $1.00. You can fill these with homemade baked goods (cookies, chocolate covered pretzels), small soaps ( I frequently get these as part of gifts and cannot use them myself so I save them), homemade body oils/lotions, homemade or inexpensive candles, a book. For men you could fill them with appropriate items that your man would like. I have done male fragranced cologns and facial products and other small, inexpensive gift ideas they liked. Check out your local dollar store for these.

I hope some of you try these ideas. Let me know what you think and please comment or email your ideas! I would love to post them!

Thanks to All!

The Domestic Goddess

The Domestic Goddess is now published on a website and in an online magazine! Follow the links below to read about saving money while going green and about delicious summer beverages!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1826087/iced_tea_the_original_summertime_beverage.html?cat=22  - this is Associated Content site

http://healyourselftalk.com/magazine/going-green-reducing-household-expenses   -  This is on the Heal Yourself Magazine site. This magazine will be going into print soon!

I hope you enjoy these articles. Look for more articles monthly in www.healyourselfmagazine.com in the Domestic Goddess section!

The Domestic Goddess

Imagine your sitting in your backyard or on the porch, it’s warm outside, the flowers and trees are blooming. The kids are playing and laughing in the yard. Maybe your working on a craft or reading a book. Suddenly, your throat feels dry. Nothing sounds better than an ice cold beverage. Here is the  dilemma: do you reach for an expensive soda, energy drink, or juice? Do you drink water, or could you make your own satisfying beverages for much less money than soda, energy drinks, etc? The answer is Yes.. you can! For years now I have been making homemade lemonade, sun tea, or drinking other inexpensive drinks.

Homemade Lemonade: 1 cup real lemon juice, 1 cup sugar or splenda, 2 quarts cold water. Stir to mix and enjoy! I can buy a 1 quart bottle of 100% lemon juice for between $1.00 and $1.50. A large bag of sugar sells for around $1.49.  This is by far cheaper than store bought juice, contains real lemon juice(which is good for you) and delicious.

Sun Tea: I use a re-used, clean milk jug. I fill this with water and put 5 to 7  Lipton orange-pekoe tea bags in through the top, leaving  the paper tags to hang outside the jug. Let sit in the sun for approximately 4 hours and remove tea bags. Refridgerate and enjoy. You can sweeten with sugar or artificial sweetener, add lemon if you wish or any other add ins. I drink this all summer long and it is very nutritious and delicious. You can use your favorite tea and adjust the amount of tea bags used for weaker or stronger tea.

Kool Aid:   I have been buying generic kool aid for years, usually on sale at 10 for $1.00. You can use real sugar or artificial sweetener, I have used both and recommend using slightly less artificial sweetener as it is stronger. You can’t beat this as it is extremely inexpensive. Obviously if you use sugar it is not “healthy”, however you can use this drink to make homemade popcicles, add gelatin and make homemade jello. It is far better than soda or other sugary drinks. A wide variety of flavors are available to please any tastebuds.

Juice from concentrate or ready made :  In my area a large bottle (around 25 - 32 oz.) sells for between $3.00 and $4.00. You can buy a container of frozen juice concentrate for less than $2.00 and it makes about 2 quarts. Do I need to say more?

I hope these ideas help make your summer most enjoyable and refreshing!

Thanks to all!

The Domestic Goddess

Most people love to decorate their home with beautiful plants, however they can be expensive to buy! I discovered a quick and easy solution! You can take vegetable cuttings and fruit seeds and plant them! They will turn into beautiful plants! My favorites to use are carrot tops, citrus seeds like grapefruit, orange, and lemon. You can use avocado seeds, be sure plant the pointed end up. Garlic cloves work also. You can use just about any fruit or vegetable seed or cutting that will sprout.

You can start your plants like any other seeds, however a “tightwad” way to do it when working with small seeds  or starters is to use an egg carton. Make sure the carton is clean and dry. Sprinkle some soil to cover the bottom of the cup, insert your carrot top or seed, etc. and cover with soil. Water like any other plant and wait.  There are no special instructions. Be sure to prune and trim your plant to your liking. Your local library or the internet has several resources on plant  care.

An inexpensive “mini greenhouse” : make a tent over the seed, starter or cutting with a clear bag. The thicker ziplock type bags work well. Keep out of direct sunlight. If your bag has trouble staying up you can keep it raised by putting a straw, chop stick or something similar inside the bag to hold it up. Just be sure when you insert into the soil not to put it on your seed!

Happy Planting!