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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Its so cold! Make some Cocoa!
Even here in Arizona its been cold lately, so I thought I'd help you warm up with a little hot cocoa recipe I often make for times like this.
Ingredients:
Combine cocoa, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk and vanilla. Mix it all together until it reaches your preferred temperature.
YUMMY!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
1 c. milk
a bit of vanilla, if desired
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
1 c. milk
a bit of vanilla, if desired
YUMMY!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Oxegenate your home and improve your health.
House plants are awesome! Not only are they beautiful but they are good for you! It is fun taking care of pets and plants, and when they thrive you feel proud of yourself! They help you breathe, reduce asthma, allergies, and make sleeping more fulfilling!
You generally want one house plant that is really good at filtering air for ever 100 square feet of area. Some are way better than others at cleaning the air and removing carcinogens.
After conducting the study, NASA and ALCA came up with a list of the most effective plants for treating indoor air pollution.
Heres a list of the found top plants to look for. Keep in mind hat these are readily available at nurseries and stores like Home Depot or Lowes.
1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium', heartleaf philodendron
2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron
3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana', cornstalk dracaena
4. Hedera helix, English ivy
5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant
6. Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig', Janet Craig dracaena
7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii', Warneck dracaena
8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig
9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos
10. Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa', peace lily
11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron
12. Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen
13. Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm
14. Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant
15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena
In general Ficus, Palms, Lillies, and Spider plants tend to be on many of the top lists.
As vaguely mentioned above some are better at different tasks than others:
#2 Snake Plant a.k.a. Mother-In-Law’s Tongue: Of all the different oxygen producing plants, this one is unique since it converts a lot of CO2 (carbon dioxide) to O2 (oxygen) at night, making it ideal to have several in your bedroom. 6-8 waist high plants are needed per person to survive if there is no air flow (meaning you could live in a completely air sealed room if you had these plants and the Areca Palms present). The snake plant also removes formaldehyde from the air.
#3 Areca Palm: This plant removes xylene and toluene from the air, but also happens to convert a lot of CO2 (carbon dioxide) to O2 (oxygen) during the daytime. Having four (shoulder high plants) of these per person in your household provides enough oxygen to survive on during daylight hours! They need to have dust and grime wiped off of their leaves once a week, or as often as daily if you live in a city with very bad air quality such as Delhi.
#3 Peace Lily (pictured to the right): This species (of which there are a variety of sub-species) thrives best in the shade and with only roughly one watering per week (must be chlorine free water) but never let the soil completely dry out. This easy to take care of house plant removes benzene, formaldehyde, acetone, amonia and trichloroethylene from the air. It also periodically flowers!
Throw an air purifier in each room and you've got a beautiful, oxegenated, dust eliminating SUPER CLIMATE!
Below is a link to a list of 20 other air purifying plants! ENJOY!
http://www.ecolife.com/green-home/air-quality/best-air-purifying-plants.html
You generally want one house plant that is really good at filtering air for ever 100 square feet of area. Some are way better than others at cleaning the air and removing carcinogens.
After conducting the study, NASA and ALCA came up with a list of the most effective plants for treating indoor air pollution.
Heres a list of the found top plants to look for. Keep in mind hat these are readily available at nurseries and stores like Home Depot or Lowes.
1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium', heartleaf philodendron
2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron
3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana', cornstalk dracaena
4. Hedera helix, English ivy
5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant
6. Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig', Janet Craig dracaena
7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii', Warneck dracaena
8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig
9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos
10. Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa', peace lily
11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron
12. Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen
13. Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm
14. Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant
15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena
In general Ficus, Palms, Lillies, and Spider plants tend to be on many of the top lists.
As vaguely mentioned above some are better at different tasks than others:
Top three oxygen producing plants:
#1 Sprouts!: If you grow your own sprouts for food (especially sweet pea sprouts, buckwheat sprouts and sunflower sprouts) you will have a fantastic mini greenhouse effect in your living space. You also get supplemental oxygen orally by eating raw, living greens! #2 Snake Plant a.k.a. Mother-In-Law’s Tongue: Of all the different oxygen producing plants, this one is unique since it converts a lot of CO2 (carbon dioxide) to O2 (oxygen) at night, making it ideal to have several in your bedroom. 6-8 waist high plants are needed per person to survive if there is no air flow (meaning you could live in a completely air sealed room if you had these plants and the Areca Palms present). The snake plant also removes formaldehyde from the air.
#3 Areca Palm: This plant removes xylene and toluene from the air, but also happens to convert a lot of CO2 (carbon dioxide) to O2 (oxygen) during the daytime. Having four (shoulder high plants) of these per person in your household provides enough oxygen to survive on during daylight hours! They need to have dust and grime wiped off of their leaves once a week, or as often as daily if you live in a city with very bad air quality such as Delhi. Top three air cleaning plants:
#1 Madagascar Dragon Tree a.k.a. Red Edged Dracaena: As a popular house plant that needs little attention, it best removes benzene, formaldehyde, xylene and toluene from the air. It cannot tolerate direct sunlight yet it does well in fairly well indirectly lit areas. It is more susceptible to becoming damaged from over watering than infrequent watering.#2 Warneck Dracaena: One of the most popular clean air plants, this one removes benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene from the air.#3 Peace Lily (pictured to the right): This species (of which there are a variety of sub-species) thrives best in the shade and with only roughly one watering per week (must be chlorine free water) but never let the soil completely dry out. This easy to take care of house plant removes benzene, formaldehyde, acetone, amonia and trichloroethylene from the air. It also periodically flowers!
Throw an air purifier in each room and you've got a beautiful, oxegenated, dust eliminating SUPER CLIMATE!
Below is a link to a list of 20 other air purifying plants! ENJOY!
http://www.ecolife.com/green-home/air-quality/best-air-purifying-plants.html
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Chocolate: Tastier than blood diamonds and even more rare.
Here's a nice informative post. Its not to protest slave labor and the terrible abuses that the people of West Africa suffer in order for you to dig into that candy bar you love to eat. Its not even about how horrible the world can be just to make you the smallest amount of happy half a world away.
No, this post is actually about how that candy bar youre about to bite into.. probably isnt made of real chocolate at all.
First, a brief history and explanation of chocolate. The majority of plantations of the Cocoa bean aren't in Oompa Loompa land being tended by adorable midget - they are in West Africa being tended by starving slave children. There is always the Fair trade" route.. but how many times in your life did you think tthat taking slavery out of the equation wouldnt fix something? Try it now.
"In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it." -John Mason, executive director and founder of the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council.
Wait a second... IS THAT CHOCOLATE BAR IN YOUR HAND EVEN MADE OF CHOCOLATE?
So we took slavery out of the equation and the demand for chocolate is higher every day. Its full of antioxidants to help you live forever? It eases those feminine cravings. Its been grown for thousands of year and is pretty much a human stable, right? Doesn't matter when good ol' Captain Consumerism comes into play!
It doesnt sell for a huge prices and it costs a lot of time and labor to replant each tree each harvest, and then takes 5 years to harvest - so its not worth it. Big companies wanna make a shoe for .10 cents and sell it for $50. The bigger the profit margin the longer that product will last in the world economy. Unfortunately chocolate just isn't cutting it - so as big companies buy out the little ones then find a product they can make even MORE money producing they throw out their cocoa plants. Wheres Willy Wonka when you need him?
Even if Willy came to save the day his farms would have to be within 10 degrees of the equator, famous for being the most politically unstable areas of the world. Cocoa is so picky!
Now lets get down to the (Nacho Librea impression/Mexican accent) Neeety Greeety. Next time you get a Hershey's product check out the label and then the ingredients. The label may not say "milk chocolate" anymore.. it probably says "Chocolate candy." Look for "cocoa" int he ingredients.. look hard. candy such as Whatchamacallit, Milk Duds, Mr. Goodbar and Krackel no longer have the milk chocolate coatings.
Cocoa butter the ingredient famous for giving chocolate its creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture has been replaced with vegetable oil. This was the part of milk chocolate that gave you that feel good afterthought, too. This is the part of the chocolate packed full of anti-oxidants. It is also the part of the the candy that kept your cholesterol from going up.
"Chocolate consumption is increasing faster than cocoa production – and it's not sustainable," Tony Lass, chairman of the Cocoa Research Association.
If you want chocolate int he future better start growing it yourself =)
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.. heres an article to curb your craving for chocolate: http://www.cracked.com - 5-bitter-truths-about-chocolate
Want some real chocolate still? Stock up, but try this chocolate and keep it green!
https://chocolatebar.com - Endangered Species Chocolate.
(Coming soon, a review on this brand of chocolate!)
No, this post is actually about how that candy bar youre about to bite into.. probably isnt made of real chocolate at all.
First, a brief history and explanation of chocolate. The majority of plantations of the Cocoa bean aren't in Oompa Loompa land being tended by adorable midget - they are in West Africa being tended by starving slave children. There is always the Fair trade" route.. but how many times in your life did you think tthat taking slavery out of the equation wouldnt fix something? Try it now.
"In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it." -John Mason, executive director and founder of the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council.
Wait a second... IS THAT CHOCOLATE BAR IN YOUR HAND EVEN MADE OF CHOCOLATE?
So we took slavery out of the equation and the demand for chocolate is higher every day. Its full of antioxidants to help you live forever? It eases those feminine cravings. Its been grown for thousands of year and is pretty much a human stable, right? Doesn't matter when good ol' Captain Consumerism comes into play!
It doesnt sell for a huge prices and it costs a lot of time and labor to replant each tree each harvest, and then takes 5 years to harvest - so its not worth it. Big companies wanna make a shoe for .10 cents and sell it for $50. The bigger the profit margin the longer that product will last in the world economy. Unfortunately chocolate just isn't cutting it - so as big companies buy out the little ones then find a product they can make even MORE money producing they throw out their cocoa plants. Wheres Willy Wonka when you need him?
Even if Willy came to save the day his farms would have to be within 10 degrees of the equator, famous for being the most politically unstable areas of the world. Cocoa is so picky!
Now lets get down to the (Nacho Librea impression/Mexican accent) Neeety Greeety. Next time you get a Hershey's product check out the label and then the ingredients. The label may not say "milk chocolate" anymore.. it probably says "Chocolate candy." Look for "cocoa" int he ingredients.. look hard. candy such as Whatchamacallit, Milk Duds, Mr. Goodbar and Krackel no longer have the milk chocolate coatings.
Cocoa butter the ingredient famous for giving chocolate its creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture has been replaced with vegetable oil. This was the part of milk chocolate that gave you that feel good afterthought, too. This is the part of the chocolate packed full of anti-oxidants. It is also the part of the the candy that kept your cholesterol from going up.
"Chocolate consumption is increasing faster than cocoa production – and it's not sustainable," Tony Lass, chairman of the Cocoa Research Association.
If you want chocolate int he future better start growing it yourself =)
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.. heres an article to curb your craving for chocolate: http://www.cracked.com - 5-bitter-truths-about-chocolate
Want some real chocolate still? Stock up, but try this chocolate and keep it green!
https://chocolatebar.com - Endangered Species Chocolate.
(Coming soon, a review on this brand of chocolate!)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Acai berries
It's been an Amazon regional food for thousands of years.
Naked Juice, owned by PepsiCo, sells an acai-based drink called Purple Machine, while Bossa Nova markets a line of acai juice, flavored with mango, agave, cranberries and other fruits. In October, Anheuser Busch introduced 180 Blue, an acai energy drink. Proctor & Gamble incorporated acai into one of its shampoos, while Haagen Dazs features Brazilian Acai Berry Sorbet.
Acai juice is said to have between 10 and 30 times more antioxidants than grapes,pomegranates, and even blueberries. Because of the extensive vitamins, amino acids, minerals, Omega acids, and other properties, the acai very is said to be one of the most nutritionally dense berries on the planet.
The acai berry was first used by the tribes of the Amazon jungle as a cure for various ailments (Just one of thousands of known medicinal fruits int he Amazon.)
"The acai berry was discovered to have natural antioxidant properties, as well as being a natural cholesterol controller. When eaten it helps reduce the bad cholesterol in our blood and increases the good cholesterol. The tribes of the Amazon knew of these properties and found out that it helped build the immune system, fight infection, protect the heart, and control prostate enlargement (nature's viagra). It was a great energy food for the tribes-people. The acai berry, which is a palm fruit, was traditionally pulped to make wine that was rich in minerals. The acai berry was also discovered to fight schistosomosis, which is transmitted by snails. Schistosomosis affecting more than 10 million Brazilians. The acaí berry is also used to produce an antibiotic that helps to fight against 'Staphylococcus aureus,' a common infection contracted mainly in hospitals. A berry so useful but only known to the traditional tribes men and woman of the Amazon, a lost secret."(-taken from http://board.classifieds1000.com/Brazil/Life/The_History_of_the_Acai_Berry)
So perhaps the only bad thing Oprah has ever done in her life was mention this miracle fruit, and discuss its amazing properties. The U.S. sells over 100 Million dollars worth of the berries a year these day.. but what does that mean for the natives that literally survive off of the plant? They need the fruit as it provides most of their protein, and unfortunately they are now going hungry. Why should they go hungry just for us to take our pills and smoothies with a little more protein. As the wealthiest country in the world we need to take responsibility before thinking about stealing another vital resource from people that literally live off of it.
Naked Juice, owned by PepsiCo, sells an acai-based drink called Purple Machine, while Bossa Nova markets a line of acai juice, flavored with mango, agave, cranberries and other fruits. In October, Anheuser Busch introduced 180 Blue, an acai energy drink. Proctor & Gamble incorporated acai into one of its shampoos, while Haagen Dazs features Brazilian Acai Berry Sorbet.
Acai juice is said to have between 10 and 30 times more antioxidants than grapes,pomegranates, and even blueberries. Because of the extensive vitamins, amino acids, minerals, Omega acids, and other properties, the acai very is said to be one of the most nutritionally dense berries on the planet.
The acai berry was first used by the tribes of the Amazon jungle as a cure for various ailments (Just one of thousands of known medicinal fruits int he Amazon.)
"The acai berry was discovered to have natural antioxidant properties, as well as being a natural cholesterol controller. When eaten it helps reduce the bad cholesterol in our blood and increases the good cholesterol. The tribes of the Amazon knew of these properties and found out that it helped build the immune system, fight infection, protect the heart, and control prostate enlargement (nature's viagra). It was a great energy food for the tribes-people. The acai berry, which is a palm fruit, was traditionally pulped to make wine that was rich in minerals. The acai berry was also discovered to fight schistosomosis, which is transmitted by snails. Schistosomosis affecting more than 10 million Brazilians. The acaí berry is also used to produce an antibiotic that helps to fight against 'Staphylococcus aureus,' a common infection contracted mainly in hospitals. A berry so useful but only known to the traditional tribes men and woman of the Amazon, a lost secret."(-taken from http://board.classifieds1000.com/Brazil/Life/The_History_of_the_Acai_Berry)
So perhaps the only bad thing Oprah has ever done in her life was mention this miracle fruit, and discuss its amazing properties. The U.S. sells over 100 Million dollars worth of the berries a year these day.. but what does that mean for the natives that literally survive off of the plant? They need the fruit as it provides most of their protein, and unfortunately they are now going hungry. Why should they go hungry just for us to take our pills and smoothies with a little more protein. As the wealthiest country in the world we need to take responsibility before thinking about stealing another vital resource from people that literally live off of it.
Friday, January 13, 2012
How I get money for free
I'm extremely accidentally good with money, so I'm gonna share a few tips on how I get money, save money, and best of all; try not to even pay attention to money.
First, make sure you read my last post about positive affirmations! This is the first way I get myself money, and it really works out by making the others on the list below come true for me! I get random refunds and lucky checks in the mail pretty often (Maybe one every other month if you need specifics)
*Chase- all banks offer reward programs. With chase I points every time I use my debit card or credit card with them. These points can redeem cash, or merchandise! When our baby was first born I got a LOT of free stuff from chase because I never really used my points, and in a pinch I just go on there and get some free cash. recently because we were so broke I just ordered a ton of gift cards for groceries!
*Hide it! - This is how I was able to go to Europe right out of high school. I worked a minimum wage job at Target and although I didnt have any bills yet I WAS a teen girl and blew my money on things I just didnt need. What I would do though is hide a randomly bill (a few ones, a 5, whatever I could spare) and never count them. Sometimes if I needed money in a pinch I would take some out, but put more than I took out back in. Get it? Set a date to check it, and when you do you may be pleasantly surprised how much money you have in there! If you have no dicipline have a friend hold it for you (which I have done for a few people.)
*Change machine - At my house any change we have in our pockets at the end of the day, or any we find around the house goes directly into a change machine, is put into rolls, then taken to the bank to go directly into savings! This builds up FAST.
*Escrow overages - This is only if you are awesome enough to own a house, and lucky enough for the government to try to rip you off a little less this year. I just got one of these checks in the mail which saved my ass and helped me make rent! These happen if property taxes go down, your home insurance rate goes down, or Escrow OVER estimates your payments for the year (which they always do) and then have to refund the difference. My check are just over a hundred bucks, making me a happily suprised lady.
*MAKE A BUDGET - If you need help with this let me know, I keep one very diligently and can sent you my template! Its as easy as fillin out a form and just keeping track of money.
*Then save the overflow - every time you get paid AGAIN put ANY MONEY you have left over from the last check in savings, even if its a few dollars. again, this builds up.
*Pay yourself back - I should seriously patent this somehow, since its ingenious and extremely helpful. First you need to do all of the things above and get a sweet as savings account. (I use SallieMae because the interest is 1.4% as opposed to Chases .01%)
The next step is to PAY OFF ALL BILLS WITH INTEREST. You can use the money that was supposed to be for savings - You will probably have to.. but heres the KEY to my system:
Keep note of how much you took out of savings to pay these bills. Then add interest!
For example: If you pay off your credit card debt of $100 take note of the interest that credit card would have asked for. If your card is 10% add that 10% to the 100 you took out of savings. Now you owe yourself $110 to savings. Since your credit card is paid off you are going to still pay at least the minimum amount that would have paid the bank - but instead you are paying yourself back to savings! Make sure you treat this money like a bill. It is inexcusable to just brush it off since you dont owe it. YOU STILL OWE IT to the most important person in the world! YOU!
If you keep a budget make sure to keep track of this.
Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or need some help! I'm here to help you succeed!
First, make sure you read my last post about positive affirmations! This is the first way I get myself money, and it really works out by making the others on the list below come true for me! I get random refunds and lucky checks in the mail pretty often (Maybe one every other month if you need specifics)
*Chase- all banks offer reward programs. With chase I points every time I use my debit card or credit card with them. These points can redeem cash, or merchandise! When our baby was first born I got a LOT of free stuff from chase because I never really used my points, and in a pinch I just go on there and get some free cash. recently because we were so broke I just ordered a ton of gift cards for groceries!
*Hide it! - This is how I was able to go to Europe right out of high school. I worked a minimum wage job at Target and although I didnt have any bills yet I WAS a teen girl and blew my money on things I just didnt need. What I would do though is hide a randomly bill (a few ones, a 5, whatever I could spare) and never count them. Sometimes if I needed money in a pinch I would take some out, but put more than I took out back in. Get it? Set a date to check it, and when you do you may be pleasantly surprised how much money you have in there! If you have no dicipline have a friend hold it for you (which I have done for a few people.)
*Change machine - At my house any change we have in our pockets at the end of the day, or any we find around the house goes directly into a change machine, is put into rolls, then taken to the bank to go directly into savings! This builds up FAST.
*Escrow overages - This is only if you are awesome enough to own a house, and lucky enough for the government to try to rip you off a little less this year. I just got one of these checks in the mail which saved my ass and helped me make rent! These happen if property taxes go down, your home insurance rate goes down, or Escrow OVER estimates your payments for the year (which they always do) and then have to refund the difference. My check are just over a hundred bucks, making me a happily suprised lady.
*MAKE A BUDGET - If you need help with this let me know, I keep one very diligently and can sent you my template! Its as easy as fillin out a form and just keeping track of money.
*Then save the overflow - every time you get paid AGAIN put ANY MONEY you have left over from the last check in savings, even if its a few dollars. again, this builds up.
*Pay yourself back - I should seriously patent this somehow, since its ingenious and extremely helpful. First you need to do all of the things above and get a sweet as savings account. (I use SallieMae because the interest is 1.4% as opposed to Chases .01%)
The next step is to PAY OFF ALL BILLS WITH INTEREST. You can use the money that was supposed to be for savings - You will probably have to.. but heres the KEY to my system:
Keep note of how much you took out of savings to pay these bills. Then add interest!
For example: If you pay off your credit card debt of $100 take note of the interest that credit card would have asked for. If your card is 10% add that 10% to the 100 you took out of savings. Now you owe yourself $110 to savings. Since your credit card is paid off you are going to still pay at least the minimum amount that would have paid the bank - but instead you are paying yourself back to savings! Make sure you treat this money like a bill. It is inexcusable to just brush it off since you dont owe it. YOU STILL OWE IT to the most important person in the world! YOU!
If you keep a budget make sure to keep track of this.
Let me know if you have any questions, comments, or need some help! I'm here to help you succeed!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Shopping all year round!
If you really want to save big on big items you need to save up that money, then purchase it at KEY TIMES of the year. After couponing and being broke for a whileive learned that the best way to get things for free, OR really cheap is to know when to buy them. When you use coupons you wait to use that coupon until the item has gone on sale. In order to know when its gonna go on sale you have to learn that stores policies.
Fortunately due to holidays and shopping patterns, AND stores wanting to get pretty much throw away everything they didnt sell when they planned to you can save huge if you are patient. Im sure youre broke like me though, and dont have a choice but to wait anyways until you have the money. This way you'll have to save up less to get that special TV for next years superbowl, or gifts for the kids.
(Which actually reminds me of a separate tip - DONT WAIT UNTIL CHRISTMAS to go Christmas shopping this year! Buy presents all year round, and stash them - this way its cheaper, youre not broke at one specific time of year, AND you picked something that person may actually want instead of having to pick up gift cards.)
HERES A GUIDE TO SHOPPING ALL YEAR ROUND:
January
Food:
Chocolate (Christmas clearance!)
Soda
Oatmeal
Diet foods
Frozen finger foods
Non-food:
(Don't forget, Christmas just ended, and the temperature outsides gonna start going up - so remember to buy things you'd typically need next winter!)
Linens
TVs
Electronics
Cameras
Computers
Small appliances
Air conditioners
Carpeting and flooring
Furniture (New styles hit the market in February, so they are trying to get rid of old supplies!)
Winter clothes
Toys (on clearance after the holidays)
Bicycles
Christmas gift wrap for next year!
Christmas decorations for next year!
Sneakers
Exercise equipment and sports equipment (Off season prices! And new years resolutions to shape up!)
Motorcycles
Houses
Boats
Motorcycles
Gift cards
Anything from thrift stores
February
Food:
Chocolate (After Valentine's Day)
Steak (After Valentine's Day)
Seafood (After Valentine's Day)
Oatmeal (Hot cereal is more expensive when its colder out.)
Non-food:
Big screen TVs (before the Super Bowl)
Cameras (Trade shows start selling new gadgets in January, so they want to get rid of old models)
Jewelry
Perfumes
Motorcycles
Boats
Air conditioners
recliners
March
Food:
Frozen foods
Non-food:
Boats
Large appliances
Spring clothing
Grills (again, trying to get rid of last years models to make room for the new ones this spring!)
April
For the most part save your money this month. retailers know that its time for tax refunds!
Food:
Candy (Easter clearance)
Eggs
Ham
Cheese
Mustard
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls (if you are a couponer you'll notice that almost ALL Pillsbury items have coupons!)
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie crusts
Mushrooms
Non-Food:
Electronics
Vacuums (new models arrive in June)
Tires and other car care supplies
yard and garden supplies
bridal gowns (save up to 70%)
cruises
European vacations
paint and wallpaper
May
Food:
Hotdogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Chips
Ice cream
Popsicles
Frozen pies
Soda
Bottled water
Mushrooms
Non-food:
Mom stuff! (silver, linens, watches, furniture, etc)
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
refrigerator
Vacuums
Cookware
Home maintenance (spring cleaning!)
June
Food:
Ice cream
Popsicles
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags
Non-food:
Dishes
Dad stuff!
(Tools, TVs, cologne, camping gear, fishing gear, building materials, etc)
summer clothes
July
Food:
Hot dogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Chips
Ice cream
Popsicles
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags
Non-food:
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
Indoor and Outside Furniture (the second shipment of the year for new models arrives next month!)
School supplies and clothes
August
Food:
Cereal
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter
Jelly
Lunch meat
American cheese
Yogurt
Chips
Snack cakes
Cookies
Ice cream
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags
Drink boxes
Non-food:
Pool supplies
Outdoor toys
Outdoor furniture
Bathing suits
Summer clothes (fall fashions are coming in next month!)
Summer shoes
Linens
Computers (back to school!)
September
Food:
Cereal
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter
Jelly
Lunch meat
American cheese
Yogurt
Chips
Snack cakes
Cookies
Hot dogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Canned fruits and vegetables
Soups
Broth
Frozen pies
Soda
Drink boxes
Mushrooms
Non-food:
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
School supplies
Large appliances (refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers)
Cars (Old models MUST GO!)
Lawn mowers (new models are coming soon!)
Grills
Trees, shrubs and bulbs
October
Food:
Canned fruits and vegetables
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Soups
Broth
Mushrooms
Non-food:
Large appliances (Time to get ready for next years models!)
Lawn mowers
Grills
Tires and other car care supplies
Jeans
Trees, shrubs and bulbs
Last year car models
November
Food:
Turkey
Butter
Cheese
Baking supplies (flour, sugar, yeast chocolate chips, baker’s chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, cooking oil)
Pie crusts
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie filling
Spices
Nuts
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Oatmeal
Candy (Halloween clearance)
Marshmallows
Soup
Broth
Non-food: (most of these are black Friday deals, and black Friday lasts a few weeks online!)
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Disposable baking pans
Cookware
Electronics
Tools
Carpeting and flooring
Trees, shrubs and bulbs
space heaters
TVs (thanksgiving football and Christmas sales)
December
Food:
Ham
Butter
Cheese
Baking supplies (flour, sugar, yeast chocolate chips, baker’s chocolate, sweetened condensed
milk, cooking oil)
Pie crusts
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie filling
Refrigerated cookie dough
Spices
Nuts
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Oatmeal
Soda
Non-food:
Gift cards
Disposable baking pans
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Electronics
Computers
Carpeting and flooring
Cookware
Tools
Toys (Merry Christmas!)
Winter clothes (Not as cheap as the clearance sales AFTER December)
Winter Coats (same as above)
Cars
Motorcycles
*remember that Food sales rotate weekly, and different stores rotate differently. The listed food items above are food that are guaranteed to be on sale because of the season, but they could be on sales other times too.
Fortunately due to holidays and shopping patterns, AND stores wanting to get pretty much throw away everything they didnt sell when they planned to you can save huge if you are patient. Im sure youre broke like me though, and dont have a choice but to wait anyways until you have the money. This way you'll have to save up less to get that special TV for next years superbowl, or gifts for the kids.
(Which actually reminds me of a separate tip - DONT WAIT UNTIL CHRISTMAS to go Christmas shopping this year! Buy presents all year round, and stash them - this way its cheaper, youre not broke at one specific time of year, AND you picked something that person may actually want instead of having to pick up gift cards.)
HERES A GUIDE TO SHOPPING ALL YEAR ROUND:
January
Food:
Chocolate (Christmas clearance!)
Soda
Oatmeal
Diet foods
Frozen finger foods
Non-food:
(Don't forget, Christmas just ended, and the temperature outsides gonna start going up - so remember to buy things you'd typically need next winter!)
Linens
TVs
Electronics
Cameras
Computers
Small appliances
Air conditioners
Carpeting and flooring
Furniture (New styles hit the market in February, so they are trying to get rid of old supplies!)
Winter clothes
Toys (on clearance after the holidays)
Bicycles
Christmas gift wrap for next year!
Christmas decorations for next year!
Sneakers
Exercise equipment and sports equipment (Off season prices! And new years resolutions to shape up!)
Motorcycles
Houses
Boats
Motorcycles
Gift cards
Anything from thrift stores
February
Food:
Chocolate (After Valentine's Day)
Steak (After Valentine's Day)
Seafood (After Valentine's Day)
Oatmeal (Hot cereal is more expensive when its colder out.)
Non-food:
Big screen TVs (before the Super Bowl)
Cameras (Trade shows start selling new gadgets in January, so they want to get rid of old models)
Jewelry
Perfumes
Motorcycles
Boats
Air conditioners
recliners
March
Food:
Frozen foods
Non-food:
Boats
Large appliances
Spring clothing
Grills (again, trying to get rid of last years models to make room for the new ones this spring!)
April
For the most part save your money this month. retailers know that its time for tax refunds!
Food:
Candy (Easter clearance)
Eggs
Ham
Cheese
Mustard
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls (if you are a couponer you'll notice that almost ALL Pillsbury items have coupons!)
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie crusts
Mushrooms
Non-Food:
Electronics
Vacuums (new models arrive in June)
Tires and other car care supplies
yard and garden supplies
bridal gowns (save up to 70%)
cruises
European vacations
paint and wallpaper
May
Food:
Hotdogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Chips
Ice cream
Popsicles
Frozen pies
Soda
Bottled water
Mushrooms
Non-food:
Mom stuff! (silver, linens, watches, furniture, etc)
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
refrigerator
Vacuums
Cookware
Home maintenance (spring cleaning!)
June
Food:
Ice cream
Popsicles
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags
Non-food:
Dishes
Dad stuff!
(Tools, TVs, cologne, camping gear, fishing gear, building materials, etc)
summer clothes
July
Food:
Hot dogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Chips
Ice cream
Popsicles
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags
Non-food:
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
Indoor and Outside Furniture (the second shipment of the year for new models arrives next month!)
School supplies and clothes
August
Food:
Cereal
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter
Jelly
Lunch meat
American cheese
Yogurt
Chips
Snack cakes
Cookies
Ice cream
Soda
Bottled water
Iced tea mix and bags
Drink boxes
Non-food:
Pool supplies
Outdoor toys
Outdoor furniture
Bathing suits
Summer clothes (fall fashions are coming in next month!)
Summer shoes
Linens
Computers (back to school!)
September
Food:
Cereal
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter
Jelly
Lunch meat
American cheese
Yogurt
Chips
Snack cakes
Cookies
Hot dogs
Ground beef
Hamburger and hot dog buns
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce, relish)
Salad dressing
Canned fruits and vegetables
Soups
Broth
Frozen pies
Soda
Drink boxes
Mushrooms
Non-food:
Grill supplies (charcoal, lighter fluid)
Party supplies (disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils)
School supplies
Large appliances (refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers)
Cars (Old models MUST GO!)
Lawn mowers (new models are coming soon!)
Grills
Trees, shrubs and bulbs
October
Food:
Canned fruits and vegetables
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Soups
Broth
Mushrooms
Non-food:
Large appliances (Time to get ready for next years models!)
Lawn mowers
Grills
Tires and other car care supplies
Jeans
Trees, shrubs and bulbs
Last year car models
November
Food:
Turkey
Butter
Cheese
Baking supplies (flour, sugar, yeast chocolate chips, baker’s chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, cooking oil)
Pie crusts
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie filling
Spices
Nuts
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Oatmeal
Candy (Halloween clearance)
Marshmallows
Soup
Broth
Non-food: (most of these are black Friday deals, and black Friday lasts a few weeks online!)
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Disposable baking pans
Cookware
Electronics
Tools
Carpeting and flooring
Trees, shrubs and bulbs
space heaters
TVs (thanksgiving football and Christmas sales)
December
Food:
Ham
Butter
Cheese
Baking supplies (flour, sugar, yeast chocolate chips, baker’s chocolate, sweetened condensed
milk, cooking oil)
Pie crusts
Ready-made dough
Dinner rolls
Frozen pies
Cake mix
Cake frosting
Pie filling
Refrigerated cookie dough
Spices
Nuts
Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
Oatmeal
Soda
Non-food:
Gift cards
Disposable baking pans
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Electronics
Computers
Carpeting and flooring
Cookware
Tools
Toys (Merry Christmas!)
Winter clothes (Not as cheap as the clearance sales AFTER December)
Winter Coats (same as above)
Cars
Motorcycles
*remember that Food sales rotate weekly, and different stores rotate differently. The listed food items above are food that are guaranteed to be on sale because of the season, but they could be on sales other times too.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Get rid of that dishwasher residue!
I just learned this and thought I'd share since it involves my 2 most favoritest things in the world, Baking soda and Vinegar!
I have a hard time with my dishwasher leaving dusty residue on my dishes, its really lame and makes me feel like I wasted resources by cleaning them since I just have to rinse them again.
Well try this on a load and see if it works for you:
fill the dishwasher (NOT TOO FULL, or the washer wont be able to do its job anyways) then sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on the inside of the door. Fill the rinser with vinegar, and put about half as much detergent in there than you normally do.
And thats it! Let me know how this worked out for you! It worked for AWESOMELY, and I thought nothing could make that problem stop!
I have a hard time with my dishwasher leaving dusty residue on my dishes, its really lame and makes me feel like I wasted resources by cleaning them since I just have to rinse them again.
Well try this on a load and see if it works for you:
fill the dishwasher (NOT TOO FULL, or the washer wont be able to do its job anyways) then sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on the inside of the door. Fill the rinser with vinegar, and put about half as much detergent in there than you normally do.
And thats it! Let me know how this worked out for you! It worked for AWESOMELY, and I thought nothing could make that problem stop!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Glass cleaner!
One thing to always remember when going green is to ditch the paper towels! I HATE THEM. I seriously do. They are a total waste, and just dont make sense to me. I wish they would just stop making them. Ill rant more about our throwaway society later... I use cloth for everything. This is a thing I developed before the "green" movement or anything of the like. I just hate them. Through learned experience they were just a big waste of money, resources, and effort. *valley girl voice* Oh you know, and like.. they like kill trees.
You know whats awesome for windows? Black and white newspaper! I scowered the internet and Google for a reason, but alas. All I can tell you is that Newspaper and Paper towels are cousins, and Paper towels are much younger. They were actually made as a response to how well newspaper cleans!
It wouldnt defeat the purpose to buy a newspaper solely for the use of cleaning your windows and mirrors really, because HUNDREDS of newspapers that DONT get recycled or used on the bottom of bird cages end up getting wasted. Its pretty ridiculous how many they make. At my house we get the Sunday paper for coupons and job opportunities, so I use most of whats left for windows and mirrors, and recycle the rest. Even coupons I dont use I give or trade to friends.
Enough about that poop, lets continue.
Youre going to need:
1/4C of My bestest friend Vinegar. Either Cider or White.
1/4C Rubbing alcohol
Newspaper, a soft cloth, or the LAST of your paper towels ;)
1 Tbsp of baking sodas best friend, cornstarch
2 c. warm water
You can also throw a little lemon juice in there to make the house smell clean, and to dull out the vinegar smell. I'm pretty sure essential oils and other smelly things will be futile against the might of vinegar =) But the smell doesnt last long, and when you DO smell it just imagine you're in a completely sanitary, disinfected OASIS!
Honestly I think this works better than glass cleaners you buy at the store, and after Candace taught me how to make Deoderant at home and bought a bunch of cornstarch I've become a huge fan of it for lots of things.
*Tip: When you use it don't spray too much on or there will be a fog from the Cornstarch. Use a little and kind of buff it off with the newspaper.
I found a sweet blog that actually breaks down the cost of this recipe! She also did a comparison of a few different recipes, naming the one that I use the BEST! I win, and so will you when you use this!
From her site:
1/4 c. vinegar = $0.20
1/4 c. rubbing alcohol = $0.25
1 Tbsp cornstarch = $0.03
2 c. water = virtually free, except for the water bill part, so let’s say $0.000001
Grand Total: $0.48
For an entire bottle of glass cleaner.
Check out her site HERE
You know whats awesome for windows? Black and white newspaper! I scowered the internet and Google for a reason, but alas. All I can tell you is that Newspaper and Paper towels are cousins, and Paper towels are much younger. They were actually made as a response to how well newspaper cleans!
It wouldnt defeat the purpose to buy a newspaper solely for the use of cleaning your windows and mirrors really, because HUNDREDS of newspapers that DONT get recycled or used on the bottom of bird cages end up getting wasted. Its pretty ridiculous how many they make. At my house we get the Sunday paper for coupons and job opportunities, so I use most of whats left for windows and mirrors, and recycle the rest. Even coupons I dont use I give or trade to friends.
Enough about that poop, lets continue.
Youre going to need:
1/4C of My bestest friend Vinegar. Either Cider or White.
1/4C Rubbing alcohol
Newspaper, a soft cloth, or the LAST of your paper towels ;)
1 Tbsp of baking sodas best friend, cornstarch
2 c. warm water
You can also throw a little lemon juice in there to make the house smell clean, and to dull out the vinegar smell. I'm pretty sure essential oils and other smelly things will be futile against the might of vinegar =) But the smell doesnt last long, and when you DO smell it just imagine you're in a completely sanitary, disinfected OASIS!
Honestly I think this works better than glass cleaners you buy at the store, and after Candace taught me how to make Deoderant at home and bought a bunch of cornstarch I've become a huge fan of it for lots of things.
*Tip: When you use it don't spray too much on or there will be a fog from the Cornstarch. Use a little and kind of buff it off with the newspaper.
I found a sweet blog that actually breaks down the cost of this recipe! She also did a comparison of a few different recipes, naming the one that I use the BEST! I win, and so will you when you use this!
From her site:
1/4 c. vinegar = $0.20
1/4 c. rubbing alcohol = $0.25
1 Tbsp cornstarch = $0.03
2 c. water = virtually free, except for the water bill part, so let’s say $0.000001
Grand Total: $0.48
For an entire bottle of glass cleaner.
Check out her site HERE
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