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

Hello Everyone!

This article has recipes in it! Nobody has enough frugal recipes! Most people should have all these ingredients in their pantries/cupboards already, but if you don’t they are inexpensive to buy at your local grocery store. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Shepherd’s Pie

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 sm or med. onion, chopped or diced

1 can mixed vegetables

1 can mushrooms ( you can use any vegetables here or with the mixed veggies that you and your family prefers)

mashed potatoes (enough to cover the top of the meat/veggie mixture in your size casserole dish)

spices to taste

shredded cheese (whatever cheese your household prefers)

Brown the hamburger and onion and add seasonings to taste. Drain. Layer in bottom of an appropriate size casserole/baking dish.  Layer your cooked and warm veggies on top of hamber mixture. Spread warm mashed potatoes over veggies. Bake in a 350 degree oven until mashed potatoes are a golden brown ( about 20 - 30 minutes, this depends on your oven so keep an eye on it the first time you make it). Top with shredded cheese and put back in  oven just until cheese melts (about 5 - 10 minutes). Serve and enjoy! This recipe is courtesy of my roommate, Danica.

Homemade Chili/Cheese Nachos

1 brick velveeta cheese ( generic brand works well also, just tastes slightly different)

2 cans chili ( we use with beans, but without is fine. You can also use vegetarian or any other chili or HOMEMADE)

Nacho toppings: sour cream, raw onion, salsa ( whatever your household prefers)

Cut velveeta into small squares and put into large microwavable bowl. Pour chili on top of velveeta and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir with rubber spatula or spoon. Repeat this process until cheese is completely melted. I put these ingredients in my crockpot and cook on low or “keep warm” all day. Use any desired chips, the scoop chips work best or the large, triangle tortilla chips are just as yummy. You can dip the chips in the chili/cheese dip or pour over all the chips on your plate and then add your desired toppings. My friend made this at her Makeover party last sunday. I have made this recipe frequently for potlucks. Very Yummy!

Pulled Pork sandwiches

1 pork roast (size according to how many people you are serving, you can use beef roast also)

1 - 2 bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 small or medium onion, skin removed and quartered

You will be cooking the roast in your crockpot, so you can get a cheaper cut of roast. The slow cooking process will make your roast very tender. Add desired seasonings and quartered onion to roast with about 2 inches of water. Remember to make sure your spices jive with your BBQ sauce. Slow cook your roast about 8 hours in your crockpot. Remove your roast and set aside. Drain the liquid out of the crockpot into a strainer. Pick out any meat put with roast, throw away cooked onions (all the flavor is gone). Return roast to the crockpot. Using forks or whatever utensil you have that will work, shred your roast into small pieces. This will be easy because your roast in extremely tender. Add desired amount of BBQ sauce and stir to mix. We like a lot of sauce. You can put the BBQ pork or beef on bread, homemade rolls, hamburger buns, or store bought rolls; whatever you prefer. Baked beans, potato chips, homemade or store bought french fries, salads are great side dishes to use. This is my favorite recipe and I make it at least once a month, when the roasts go on sale at the grocery store.

I hope you enjoy these recipes. If you would like a recipe for something, just comment and let me know! I will do my best to provide you with  whatever you are looking for.

Thanks to all!

The Domestic Goddess

On our weekly talk show “Mom’s Coffee Break” ,featuring Myself, Tonya Ramsey and Jody Maley, I have noticed that the last two shows we have talked alot about teenagers. What they do, don’t do, how they behave and so forth. I thought this would be a great article idea, not just because I have one, but because many parents are going through what I call ” The Teenager Experience”, but also because many will go through it someday.  All children, no matter what their age or what they say, want to be paid attention to. They NEED to spend time with their parents and families. So here are some ideas of spending time with your teens: go to the zoo. Noone is to “old” to enjoy animals. The monkey exhibit is always fun, they seem to do some pretty inappropriate stuff that most teens, especially boys, find amusing. If your teen enjoys music, take a couple of pills for the headache that will occur, then go to a music store, concert ( if you can handle it), etc. If he/she is into gaming, check out some game stores or exhibits. There is  local facility here that hosts monthly gaming tournaments. The point is to try to spend some time with your teens that focuses on their interests.

Let your teen help prepare at least  one meal a week. It might be a little stressful for you in the beginning, but this will teach them valuable skills that they will need when they venture off on their own (hopefully) in the not so far off future. You don’t want them living on pizza, ramen noodles, and macaroni and cheese, do you?

Have them participate in the cleaning of the house. Yes, I am speaking of CHORES! If your child(ren) do not already, assign some household duties for your teen to complete. Reward them appropriately for your families situation and value system. If your teens don’t know how to keep up a home, can you imagine what theirs will look like?

Teach your teens the importance of doing what we can to help the environment, even if it is as basic as recycling and using reusable shopping bags. Maybe you will learn something, too.

As always, make sure you communicate with your teen. Your child(ren) DO listen to you, even when you think they do not. Let them know, and prove it, that they can always talk to you about anything, even things that they think “will make you mad”. It is so important for your kids to know that they can ALWAYS come to you about anything and you will help them work out the tough problems that is best for them and your family.

I hope this article provides a little bit of information. As always, please leave your comments! I hope everyone has a great week!

The Dometic Goddess

My best friend and my stepmom and I were sitting around talking the other day, and knowing that I am a frugal person and have this website the conversation naturally drifted towards “thrifty” topics, and some mom topics. I decided to write a post about these ideas. They are very good tips and I hope you all like them. The first one was brought up by my step mom. She is a “hair dresser”, i apologize that i do not know what the current professional term for this is, and has been since before I was born. She gets an hourly wage, but mostly survives on tips, like a waitress does.  For years, she has “put away” $5.00 a day out of her tips into envelopes. She has an envelope for each month. She uses this money to pay for her camping expenses (she owns a very nice camper in a camp ground, where it stays permanently year round). She saves the money in her envelopes all year. She also uses this money as an emergency fund, and pays the envelopes back by increasing the dollar amount per day, say $10.00 a day instead of $5.00. This system has worked for her for years. Just in case you are all wondering, she does not trust banks and likes to keep her money close by. This is a very useful tip that all of us can use. I have an old tootsie roll container that i put all my spare change in. When the Tootsie Roll is full, I cash in or deposit the money into my bank account, depending on what I need at that time.

The second tip was provided by my best friend, Tonya Ramsey. She has a four year old son, and when her son was small, her and her husband wanted to combat the “scary monster under the bed/in the closet” problem all of us parents face. They took a unique, and frugal, approach. They filled a spray bottle with water and told him it was monster repellent. Every night at bedtime, they sprayed the “monster repellent” around his room. They also gave him an empty 24 ounce soda bottle, and told him to keep that by his bed, and if he got scared or needed to ” beat up the monster”, to use the bottle. These two things worked like a charm, they have NEVER had to deal with him waking up in the middle of the night crying because of “monsters in his room” I think this idea is brilliant! Hats off to you, Tonya!

I hope these two tips prove useful to many of you. Please comment or email me with your tips and hints, just follow the links on the website! I look forward to hearing from you!

“It is not quantity that should define our lives, but the quality with which we live it.”

The Domestic Goddess

Everything we do impacts the environment. All the foods we eat, the products we use, the items we buy and put into our home affects our planet. It is up to us to make the wisest choices for our families to help clean up and preserve our environment and our planet. We only have one Earth. Let us all do what we can to keep it livable.

I watched the Ellen DeGeneres show last Wednesday. On her show she had a woman on that works with ocean creatures. She helps educate people about extinction of sea creatures (by the way- hundreds of species of fish are extinct now..never to return!)  Specifically, she spoke about how baby Albatross (birds) are dying because of the TONS of plastic in our oceans. PLASTIC! What happens is this: Either consumers (us) or manufacturers throw the plastic away instead of recycling it. At some point is gets broken down into little tiny pieces and then DUMPED in oceans. The Mommy Albatross goes out to get food to feed her babies, thinks the little pieces of plastic are food, eats it then takes it home to baby to eat. The babies stomachs get full of plastic and can’t eat, then they die. How sad! It proves my point, everything is related, from me going to the store and buying a soda then throwing the empty plastic bottle away….and a bird species becoming extinct.

My son is 15 years old. He just completed his freshman year of high school. He joined a group called “The Parker Green Squad”. This group is helping to educate the students about the dangers to our planet and the environment, recycling, etc. They are trying to raise money to put recycling bins through out the school. I couldn’t be more proud! He joined all on his own, and when he told me he said he felt that he was doing something important. Of course, I cried because I was so proud of my baby…almost grown up! It amazes me how a young man can do whatever he can to help save our planet and US, yet a grown person is to lazy and selfish to simply recycle a plastic bottle!

For several years now, I have kept a  ”junk cupboard”. In it I put odds and ends for future use. I should probably rename this cupboard,but it works. I have toilet paper/paper towel tubes, a baggie of soap slivers, bread bags, empty coffee cans, empty cereal boxes, empty/clean milk jugs. Whatever I might possibly find a use for later. Maybe for a craft project, maybe I have a need around the house. Whatever comes up, I go to the “junk cupboard” first to see if I something that will work instead of buying a new something. My bathroom garbage can is an old, re-used, large coffee can. It works perfect. I currently do not have a filing cabinet, soon but not yet. In the meantime I have a couple of clean, re-used cereal boxes; the tops cut off on a diagonal line; to store and keep my important papers seperate. It works well, actually. The wall above my computer is decorated with my son’s art work and his kindergarten graduation certificate ( it has his picture on it…very adorable). As I looked around my home the other day, I realized 99% of my possessions are used. Very little was bought new. I feel good about that because I know I am doing my part to keep items out of the landfill, taking up space and ruining our environment, killing species of animals that, once gone, will never come back.

By the way, I am now boycotting fish. I love to eat fish and will miss it, but I feel a higher calling and it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. I will never be able to eat a piece of cod, or orange roughy, again and not think of the dying baby albatross!

So, we all need to pay attention to the big picture! We need to realize that EVERYTHING we do affects the entire world around us, even the fish in the oceans, the birds and wildlife in the rain forests. We can ALL do something, however small a something, to make a difference!

“The quality of our life should not depend on the quantity of our possessions”

Thanks to All!

The Domestic Goddess

It seem that every year when spring arrives, so does something else new and exciting… babies! I am surrounded by new babies, pregnant women about to give birth. It is so exciting and such an awesome experience to become a parent. However, several of these mommies and daddies have expressed concern to me about how they are going to pay for their  babies/children’s expenses when money is so tight. So this article is dedicated to all parents, present and future, and I hope it helps.

First off, babies do not need brand new, expensive, designer stuff. Babies need clean, safe, functional stuff. More than likely we, as newborns on up, did NOT have $200 - $500 car seats. That price is absolutely ridiculous. Check out stores that are cheaper, like Wal-mart, Target, etc. OR maybe someone you know has one they are selling or getting rid of. Always  make sure the car seat of your choice meets current safety guidelines. I got my son’s newborn carrier at my baby shower, the others we used were given to us or bought at rummage sales. All were safe, he was never injured (this was tested by me getting into a nasty car accident with him in the back seat, his car seat worked-he didn’t even have a scratch). Check garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, etc to see if they have carseats for sale. Usually they sell for $50 dollars and lower

Baby clothes can be bought by the ton at rummage sales and second hand stores. Since babies outgrow their clothing so quickly, it is not uncommon for babies to have clothing they never even wore. That is where people like us come in, to snatch up those great deals. Never pay more than a couple bucks at most for a baby outfit. Check for stains or areas that need repair and offer a price accordingly or bypass that item. Most of my son’s, neices and nephews clothing came from second hand sources, and still do. There is nothing wrong with reused clothing. Just wash in hot water and dry before wearing.

Babies do not need special bowls, silverware, or cups. They can use adult sized dishes just fine. Anyone ever notice those small spoons in your drawer? What a better use for them. What about the small toast plates that came with your dish set?  They work perfectly for small childrens’ sized meals. No added expense needed! Need I say more?

Diapers are a tricky subject to write about, but I wanted to include it anyways. Disposables are very convenient, easy to use, and highly accessible. However, disposable diapers are one of the United States largest land fill problems. Cloth diapers are a little messier but not as much as most people think. After changing baby, shake the “nasties” into the toilet and immediately drop soiled diaper into a bucket of soap and water. Keep bucket out of children’s access, not only for cleanliness issues but small children can drown in ONE inch of water. When you are ready to wash the diapers, just dump the entire contents of bucket into the washer and set on spin. When done wash as usual. So think carefully about all aspects of whatever diaper you choose.

Special baby food and toddler foods are not necessary. These items are simply made up “needs” from the manufacturers to fill their pockets! You can make your own baby food by processing unseasoned food in a blender or food processor to puree into baby food consistency. If you are unsure of what kinds of food to start with, check out jarred baby food at the grocery store then replicate in your own home. This one idea will save you thousands of dollars over the course of your childs infant and toddler years. To make foods ahead of time, process foods as stated above, then freeze into ice cube trays. When frozen transfer frozen food cubes to a labeled ziplock bag. Take out 1 - 2 cubes and thaw, then feed baby. You can take out an entire days worth in the morning to avoid defrosting before every meal.

I hope these ideas help all parents out their of babies and small children. Remember to always think of your child(ren)’s safety first. As always, please leave your comments so we can all learn how YOU save money!

Be sure to check the other articles for more money saving tips!

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

I have had some requests to do a post on all natural beauty products. So I did some research to supplement the information that I already had. I do not know how to make homemade eye shadow and lipstick. These recipes and suggestions are all natural altenatives to other beauty products. Most recipes contain ingredients that you already have in the kitchen, making these recipes very inexpensive and affordable.  I hope some of you try at least one of these recipes and comment back and let me know how they worked for you. Include any improvements that you made to the product.

• wrinkle remover: Honey ( yes just plain old honey). Dab onto desired areas, around eyes and mouth for example. Leave on for approximatley 10 minutes, then rinse with warm/hot water. ( I have used this for about 2 years now, and nobody believes that I am 33- everyone thinks i am in my mid to late 20’s. Could just be a coincidence though!)
• Natural Exfoliator: combine 2 tablespoons corn meal, 1/2 cup honey, and 1-2 tablespoons hot water to make a paste. You can mix in aloe gel or olive oil for softening benefits. Rub on with washcloth, rinse with water.
• Homemade Lotion: 1/2 ounce Cocoa Butter (melted), 1 ounce olive oil, 1 ounce orange juice, 2 drops essential oil (orange if possible-smells great and combines well with cocoa butter). Mix all ingredients together. You can put in an reused lotion or squeeze bottle container. I put mine in a redused blue noxema tub with screw on lid. I suggest keeping this in the refridgerator because it will be cool when you put it on and it feels wonderful, especially in the summer time.
• Homemade body oil: 2 parts olive oil, 1 part lemon juice. Mix ingredients and store in airtight container. Does not need refridgeration. Shake well before each use. I use this every night before bed and my skin has never been so soft! I reused an empty lotion container for my body oil.
• lip gloss: this is incredibly easy! This idea is also a great way to use up that last little bit of lipsick that is stuck down in the bottom of the lipstick tube. Scrape out the remaining lipstick and put in a small, microwave safe container. Depending on how much lipstick you use ( you can also use multiple colors to create your own shade), Put in about a tablespoon  of vaseline ( the good old fashion petroleum jelly stuff that all of us have in our medicine cabinet somewhere). Microwave until melted. Watch carefully and microwave about 10 seconds at a time. I would suggest reusing an old Carmex container- the one with the screw on yellow lid. Reuse any container that will easily go into your purse and not leak.

I have found these suggestions are easy to create in my kitchen, very inexpensive to make and work just as well, usually better, than anything I can buy in a store. An added benefit is that I have Eczema, skin allergies and EXTREMELY sensitive skin. I can use all these products and not worry about an allergic reaction. The ingredrients are all natural, therefore not harming my body or our earth. I hope you enjoy these recipes. Leave your comment and let me know how you like them!

The Domestic Goddess

Tonya Ramsey, Jody Maley, and I are co-hosts of  the new and exciting internet radio talk show “Mom’s Coffee Break”!  Our show is premiering June 24, 2009 at 8:00 pm (cst) on blogtalkradio.com. The link will be posted on my website and of course, I encourage you to visit the Mom’s Coffee Break website and get all the info on the new show, as well as read the information. Mom’s Coffee Break is filled to capacity with information, contacts and resources to help you build a business and build yourself!

Come check it out!

The Domestic Goddess

Well, this one is a personal issue/problem. We have Charter Communications in this area of southern wisconsin. I have been having some billing issues and have tried repeatedly to reach somebody to no avail until this morning. It took me three days to reach a live person, was transfered several times, hung up on once, given 3 different toll free numbers to call. I finally started asking for the corporate headquarters phone number and/or the Escalation Department and apparently the customer service people guard these numbers with their lives. I searched online for a half hour and FINALLY found the corporate office phone number. So after all my frustration, tears, anger and rage at this company I have decided to SHARE this phone number with all of you! If you are having trouble with Charter Communications and cannot resolve your issue with customer service or any of the other places they transfer you to, call this number and follow the easy instructions to the ESCALATION DEPARTMENT. That number is:1(314)965-0555. I feel I am doing my part to help all charter communications customers in providing this phone number! I also just filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau…. we shall see what happens there!

Thanks to All!

The Domestic Goddess