Family Friendly Friday #4

When is the last time you disinfected your child's bath toys?

Because bath toys typically do not have a chance to fully dry out between bath time use they can grow nasty germs very quickly. If your kids are like mine, their bath toys are in their mouth at least once every bath time. I cringe to think about the germs they ingest from their toys. The solution is simple though; regularly clean those toys. I like to clean our toys twice a month. I clean our bathrooms every week so every other time I clean I pop the toys in a disinfecting wash. Also, I have done away with the squirting bath toys, you know the ones that hold water inside a fun animal shape. There is no good way to get those clean and they grow bacteria quickly.

Here is the recipe I use to wash our toys:

1/2 cup white vinegar per gallon of warm water
Submerge the toys, let them soak for 10 minutes or more.
Finish cleaning by scrubbing them with a sponge or soft bristle brush.
Let dry and they can be enjoyed again, nice and clean.

Family Friendly Friday #3

Bigger isn't always better. . .sounds simple enough right? 

When you are out shopping how often do you assume that "family size" packages are cheaper without really comparing prices?

As I eluded to earlier this week, the grocery purse strings in our house are cinched as tight as they can possibly go.  Push came to shove today though and I had to do some shopping for essentials. One of my essentials included frozen fruit for my husbands daily breakfast smoothie. At first I grabbed a large bag of mixed frozen fruit, the bag labeled "family size". On a hunch though, I noted the per ounce price and headed down the aisle to the smaller bagged frozen fruit. And what did I find? The smaller bags were on sale and priced .02 cents cheaper per ounce than the bigger bag already in my basket. Score one for frugal shopping!

The take home lesson in all this though is:

• to check your prices and price per unit
• do not assume store brands are always cheaper, compare everytime you shop
• use your calculator! Store pricing labels do not always calculate the price per unit in the same units for the same items.
• Case in point, today I scored big when shopping for toilet paper. Using my calculator I realized that a 12 roll of name brand was cheaper than the store brand. The price tag was misleading at first glance though because the price per units between the two brands was different, thereby giving a different value.
• use coupons whenever possible to make your purchases even cheaper

Even if your grocery budget has wiggle room and it's strings are not tight, frugal shopping will save you money that you can use elsewhere in your budget.

Family Friendly Friday #2

So sorry that I didn't post a tip last Friday, the week got away from me before I knew it. This week's family friendly tip is inspired by our weather this past week. We have been stuck inside because of rain, rain, and more rain. Oh and don't forget hail, lightning, wind, and brutally cold temperatures. All the time inside has forced me to confront the piles I have laying around the house. I really only have 2 areas that needed serious help; an area just off our kitchen and my desk.

My piles are something I have battled for quite some time and have never found a solution that works for me and my family. So this week instead of the usual "clean up" I decided to wipe the slates clean and start fresh.

My solution to clutter that contains stuff you really need:
Grab a large box
Transfer all of your clutter into the box
Clean/dust the area
Take the box to a trash can. Quickly throw away everything that is trash in the box.
Sort the items left in the box into "zone" piles (i.e. garage, kitchen, bedroom, kids, etc)
Now that you have your piles, take each of your piles to their appropriate homes. Now don't just set them down somewhere in their new home. Put them where they belong so you aren't creating more clutter elsewhere in your house.

I cleaned my desk off using this method 2 weeks ago and as I write this it is still clean and clutter free. It is so refreshing to have neatness surround me rather than the ever frustrating clutter. I always stressed about my piles and the messiness they portrayed to my guests. Now I don't have to worry, my house is clutter free.

Blessings for a wonderful weekend!

Family Friendly Friday Tip #1

As mothers I think we always want to do better for our families. Be it keep a cleaner home, become more organized, stretch the family budget, or even just be a more Godly parent. To that end each Friday I will be posting a family friendly tip on a variety of topics. And if there is something you would like help with please do not hesitate to contact me because if you need help with something I can guarantee so do a lot of other women.


Family Friendly Friday Tip #1: Make your own laundry detergent. 

Help the environment and save a ton of money!! I have started making my own powdered laundry soap and I love it. Originally I had planned on making the liquid detergent but I found a very easy and quick powder recipe so I gave it a try. The liquid recipe will still save you a ton of money over store bought versions but the powder is quicker and easier which not only saves you money but also a TON of time (something we can all use more of in the day).
Just to give you an example of my cost savings, store bought detergent costs me anywhere from 0.15 to 0.20 cents per load. The powder homemade detergent costs me just over 0.1 cent per load. Praise the LORD!!

Here is the recipe for powder and liquid homemade laundry detergent.

I pray that you all have a blessed weekend!!