Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – The Article Day 6

Posted on by March 28, 2011
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Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen Challenge from The More With Less Mom

The Article: Day 6

Breakfast

Omelet

A good omelet is an art. However, with a little effort a couple of eggs can make a real meal. An omelet does not have to have cheese. However it does make it nice. With an omelet a little dab will do you. Fry a slice or two of bacon, and crumble it up. Dig in your fridge for any fresh veggies you can find. A little onion, a little pepper, even a few frozen veggies will do. Also just a little grated cheese is wonderful. The path to an excellent omelet is in the pan. Many people use a nonstick skillet. I am not fond of [nonstick] silverstone pans flaking into my food, so my favorite pan is a good, well seasoned iron skillet. You want just a small amount of oil well covering the pan. You also want the pan quite hot. When making an omelet, you want the eggs well beaten and you want to pour the egg into the hot skillet immediately after beating. Have a spatula close at hand. As soon as the eggs have begun to set at the edges just a little, you want to begin pushing the edges toward the middle and lifting them to allow the uncooked egg to seep under and cook as you tilt the pan to and fro. As soon as all of the egg is set (I scrape all the uncooked egg I can from the middle out to the edge), add your meat and vegetables, and salt and pepper, to half and fold the egg over. Add a cover and turn the burner off. As the egg rests, prepare your plates. Cut the omelet into portions (my 10 inch skillet feeds five or six), and serve nice and warm.

Lunch

Peanut butter sandwiches

Dinner

Tuna Casserole

A package of egg noodles
3 TBS margarine
1 1/2 cups milk
Seasoning packet from a package of chicken flavored ramen noodles
1/2 cup flour
Dash onion powder
Dash garlic powder
Dash pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 can of tuna or even two if you have lots

Cook noodles in water until al dente (I test mine by throwing a noodle against the refrigerator. If it sticks, it’s done.) While noodles are cooking blend in a small bowl: flour and seasonings. Heat 1/2 cup milk in a small sauce pan. Add remaining milk to bowl and blend well. Add the mixture in the bowl to hot milk and blend with a whisk stirring constantly until thick. Add tuna and blend well. When noodles are done, drain and add butter. Add tuna sauce and stir well.

We hope you enjoyed Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – The Article Day 6

Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen Challenge is a site I created in 2010

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Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Care Package

Posted on by March 28, 2011
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Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen Challenge from The More With Less Mom

Items for your Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen

Most of these items are cheaper per unit in larger/bulk amounts, so those save you money in the long run. But if you have a limited amount of dollars to spend then you have to weigh your number of dollars against the per unit savings.

Please keep in mind that prices change with your area, the time of year, and as time passes from when the article was written. These are guidelines and may vary widely. Also you may get lucky with sale prices, and I chose the next price up whenever I wasn’t sure I could get a price reliably.

If you are in a real crisis then really you can’t afford meat. It is very hard to get the meat near the article’s prices. You could try to substitute whatever meat is cheapest, or cut the amount of meat by a quarter where possible. You can substitute in all or part with hearty veggies like mushrooms, eggplant, or squashes, or bulk it up with potatoes or cabbage. You can fill bellies with beans or whole grains like quinoa or rice. Peanut butter and eggs are already sources of protein in this article, so you won’t be getting zero protein.

If it was myself shopping I would buy much more produce with my meat budget and make more lentil/bean soups, potato chowders, and pasta casseroles. If it was myself receiving a relief package I would much rather receive meat (which is less attainable, and I would then stretch it thin in soups and casseroles). This menu is definitely not following the Food Guide Pyramid, which says VEGETABLES VEGETABLES VEGETABLES.

This list is from the article, aiming to spend $30 to try to get through the items to third priority. Realistically you will spend about $45. The article can assume the person has some of these items, but you will have to use your best judgment on what to include. The total for the whole list is $65.

If you wish to ship something to someone who is not local to you, you can use an online service like Netgrocer (www.netgrocer.com). If you buy all of the priority items except the first priority, the meats, it will cost you about $35 including shipping. All of the items on our list except the meats is $60.

Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – The Challenge
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Care Package
Next: Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Shopping List
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Calculating Price Per Serving
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Links & Resources

We hope you enjoyed Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Care Package

Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen Challenge is a site I created in 2010
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Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Shopping List

Posted on by March 28, 2011
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Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen Challenge from The More With Less Mom

First priority

$19.24:
Frozen chubs of ground turkey (from Save a lot .69/lb) $2.80 for 4 lb Realistically 5 lb ground beef value pack for $9.45, or 2 3 lb whole chickens will give you 4 lb of meat you can shred for $.89/lb totaling $5.34
Chicken leg quarters 10 lb of meat for $9 Realistically 2 5 lb leg quarters value packs for $.89/lb totaling $8.90
Salt pork, ham or bacon $3 not sure how much you need Realistically bacon ends and pieces 5 lb bag for $5 or 1 lb bacon $3 make sure you have some for your beans and your biscuit gravy

Second Priority

$9.94:
Milk 1 gallon $2.98 powdered milk is cheap as an alternative or to stretch milk
Eggs 3 dozen $1.50 per dozen totaling $4.50
Dry beans $3 1 lb for $.82 totaling $2.46

Third Priority

$13.16:
Potatoes Russet $.88/lb 1 lb $.88
Ramen noodles 6 pack for $1 36 oz 2 packs totaling $2
Pasta is the same price or a teensy bit cheaper in wholesale club bulk, so if you object to those chemicals just get that and make your own seasonings
Tomato paste 2 cans $.93 totaling $1.86
Cans of tuna 5 oz $1.09 2 cans totaling $2.18
Cornmeal 24 oz $2.29
Peanut butter 17 oz $1.99
A few packages of frozen veggies mixed 16 oz $.98 2 bags totaling $1.96

Fourth Priority

+$2.98:
Margarine 15 oz $.98
Onions yellow 3 lb bag $2

Extra pantry items

+$18.05:
Oatmeal 42 oz canister $2.50
Rice 32 oz $1.42
Pasta 1 lb $1 2 lb totaling $2
Salt 1 lb $2
Sugar 2 lb $1.79
Cinnamon $1 dollar store
Baking powder 10 oz $1.04
Shortening 16 oz $3.85
Flour 5 lb $2.45

Special extras:

Any pantry items you already have duplicates of, or a portion of bulk items you bought excess of

Bake up a batch of cookies or other treats to bring along

Grab whatever loss leader produce is on sale, usually a seasonal item

You can give an Angel Food Ministries box as a gift, $20-45. You can order online and they give you a coupon you can gift, but the recipient has to pick up locally. *Update: Angel Food Ministries appears to have closed

Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – The Challenge
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Care Package
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Shopping List
Next: Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Calculating Price Per Serving
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Links & Resources

We hope you enjoyed Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Shopping List

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Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – The Challenge

Posted on by March 28, 2011
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Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen Challenge from The More With Less Mom

Using the Meals for Hard Times article to create a care package that will help someone get through a time of struggle – A Pay It Forward proposal

I recently came across the article “Meals for Hard Times” (http://www.lighthousebaptist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Meals_for_Hard_Times.pdf) while searching the internet for recipes that include the cost per serving, in a quest for cheap food. The article was written to help a specific family get through a time of financial crisis, spending $30 to feed a family of 6 for a week. It is full of helpful tips and adaptable ideas for anyone who is trying to pinch their pennies, not just those in crisis. Survival cooking is a useful skill in today’s world.
Put your generosity to work and exercise your frugal muscles. I challenge you to make a Care Package for the hard times kitchen full of good and needful things to help feed someone. All of these items are basics anyone can use, not just those in real hardship. The point of the package is to help feed a person or family, in the case of the article a family of up to 6, for a week.
In these tough times we all know an older couple, a young family, someone who is out of work, a college student, someone on food stamps, a single mom, a military wife, or someone else for whom another misfortune has drawn purse strings tight. These people could use a little boost and it is easy and relatively inexpensive to assist them with some staple items.
This exercise in compassion and thrift is in the grand old style of pay-it-forward. Generalized reciprocity is not a new concept; it’s just a form of not-so-random kindness. This gesture can be anonymous if you like. The only consideration of the recipient should be how they can help someone else as you have helped them.

Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – The Challenge
Next: Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Care Package
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Shopping List
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Calculating Price Per Serving
Care Package for the Hard Times Kitchen – Links & Resources

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Cleaning Secret Weapons – Frugal Tips

Posted on by March 28, 2011
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I have been cleaning houses for several years. I have worked in a pet boarding facility, and an assisted living facility. Between babies, pets, and old people, I’ve cleaned it all.
What are my secret weapons for housecleaning?

Cleaning Secret Weapons - Frugal Tips from The More With Less Mom

Tips for frugal house cleaning:

Cat loves ice water Photo by Jon DeJong on Flikr
Water. Water. Water. Bring water. Drink water. Drink more water.
Start cleaning at the top and work your way down. Dirt has to obey the laws of gravity the same as the rest of us.
Smells like dryer sheets Photo by Mark David Zahn on Flikr
Put used dryer sheets under trash bags to help fight odors. Or – first wipe your (non-LCD) tv screen down with it to cut static electricity, thus cutting dust. Or – stick one in your vacuum bag.
Spray your rag with your left hand and wipe with your right. It saves time.
Mirror Photo by larou on Flikr
The only surface spraying your rag doesn’t work best on is mirrors, it’s just easier to spray the mirror. Wipe with a rag, then wipe in the other direction. Then wipe with a paper towel in both directions and your mirror should be dry and streak free.
I try to do like things at once, once I have the bottle for cleaning something in my hand I go around that floor and do it all.
Toaster tray Photo by sidmuchrock on Flikr
I always clean out the toaster drawer and the lint trap, these are both fire hazards and need to be done anyways.
You can throw sponges as well as rags in the washer. Just don’t dry anything that is plastic.
Spray bottle in the city Photo by nebulaenova on Flikr
I save bottles from bought cleaners to refill with my own recipe.

Cleaning Secret Weapons series:
Good Tools for Frugal House Cleaning
Key Ingredients for Frugal House Cleaning
Frugal, Natural Cleaners
Frugal Tips

More With Less Mom

Frugal, Flexible Monthly Menu Planning from The More With Less Mom - I feed my family of 6 for $300 a month! * Tons of tips! * Ideas and resources for menu planning in October, many seasonal fall and whole food recipes. Very simple ingredients, from scratch, frugal recipes. You can save so much money by planning your meals. Even if you only plan three days at a time, you can be more thrifty and stick to your budget by planning ahead.
Frugal, Flexible Monthly Menu Planning OR
Great Depression Era Real Food Recipes from The More With Less Mom
Great Depression Era Real Food Recipes OR
A Crunchy Baby Registry: Safety: 34 Things You NEED (or should make) Before Baby Comes from The More With Less Mom. Baby supply list for frugal moms, hippies, poor people, and mothers of oopsies.
A Crunchy Baby Registry: 34 Things You NEED (or should make) Before Baby Comes
We hope you enjoyed Cleaning Secret Weapons – Frugal Tips

Photo credits
Cleaning closet sign schlissm on Flikr
Cat loves ice water Jon DeJong on Flikr
Smells like dryer sheets Mark David Zahn on Flikr
Mirrors larou/Marcos Molina on Flikr
Toaster drawer nebulaenova/Siti Mariam on Flikr
All photos licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License

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Cleaning Secret Weapons – Frugal, Natural Cleaners

Posted on by March 28, 2011
Reply

I have been cleaning houses for several years. I have worked in a pet boarding facility, and an assisted living facility. Between babies, pets, and old people, I’ve cleaned it all.
What are my secret weapons for housecleaning?

Cleaning Secret Weapons - Frugal Natural Cleaners from the More With Less Mom

Frugal, natural cleaners for your home:

White distilled vinegar bathroom sink Photo by cafemama on Flikr
If you make your cleaners they will almost always be cheaper than buying them. Even if you aren’t excited about living “green”, just about everybody likes to save a buck.
I admit I used to buy all kinds of cleaners. When I was working full time (in the gap between the eleven year old and the one year old) with a one hour commute I had no time for anything. I would buy anything that would make my life easier and my house cleaner.
Happy Housewife Stencil Photo by duncan on Flikr
I am no Susie homemaker. I am not super picky or finicky. Sometimes there’s dirt in the corners, dust on the books, cat hair on the couch (!gasp!)… When our circumstances changed and we ran out of money, I started to run out of cleaning supplies. With no money to buy more, I had to get creative about what I was using. A quick search on the internet, and voila, tons of cleaners that are not only cheaper, but don’t fume you out of the house, fry your hands, or burn your pipes on the way down!
Water crown Photo by Michael Scott on Flikr
The ONLY thing you absolutely have to have to clean anything is water. If they turn your water off you are DOOMED to filth.

The dollar store has a lot of cleaners that are fine if you don’t want to go the “green” route. The only one I don’t like is their furniture polish, it just smells funny.
Gel toilet cleaners cost more but they do work better.
Pledge® does keep the dust off longer.
The only product I recommend people purchase is the Scrubbing Bubbles® automatic shower cleaner, the thing you hang in the shower and when you’re done you press the button and it sprays cleaner for you. This product does work. I haven’t figured out how to refill it, so you have to buy the brand refill, but it isn’t terribly expensive. You can make a cleaner to put in a spray bottle and leave in the shower for use, which will work even better. But it seems like families of working moms have a 1-button-pressing limit. Anything more complicated isn’t going to happen and mom will be in there scrubbing away on the weekend.
There are a million sites with different recipes for natural cleaners. I always start with The Dollar Stretcher. If you have a trouble spot they always have suggestions, too.
Spray Photo by Darin House on Flikr

Natural Cleaner Recipe Links

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Cleaning Secret Weapons – Key Ingredients for Frugal House Cleaning

Posted on by March 28, 2011
Reply

I have been cleaning houses for several years. I have worked in a pet boarding facility, and an assisted living facility. Between babies, pets, and old people, I’ve cleaned it all.
What are my secret weapons for housecleaning?

Cleaning Secret Weapons - Key ingredients for frugal house cleaning from The More With Less Mom

Key ingredients for frugal house cleaning:

Vinegar and Mr Clean Photo by Elyce Feliz on Flikr
White vinegar

Clean washing machine. Clean dishwasher. Clean glass.
Shine your sink (furniture cleaner works too).
Vinegar will absorb odors and then evaporate. Perfect for the bathroom.
You can make your own Febreeze with 1 part vinegar, 1 part liquid fabric softener, 2 parts water.

Baking soda Photo by Noah Scalin on Flikr
Baking soda

Add to hot water, run through coffee pot (doesn’t stink up your house like vinegar).
Use as an abrasive scouring powder in sinks.
Sprinkle on carpets to absorb odors.
Sprinkle on drains, add vinegar to dissolve, run hot water. This is not Drano®, but it will loosen clogs and clear odors, and it won’t hurt your pipes or septic system. Do this a little while before applying a bent coat hanger to clogs.

Lemon tree Photo by YoungToymaker on Flikr
Lemon juice

Lemon juice is an acidic cleaner like vinegar. But it smells better. Vinegar is stronger.

Rice Photo by tamaki on Flikr
Rice

Water, a drop of Dawn, and a little rice in little things like vases with tiny necks. Plug with finger/rag and shake well.
Rice and florals or stuffed animals in brown paper bags. Shake well. If the stuffed animal smells funny add a little baking soda.

Olive oil Photo by sikachu! on Flikr
Olive oil

Olive oil can polish wood furniture. Apply a tiny dab to your rag and rub in. If it seems wet, buff it with a clean rag.

Baby butt Photo by Amanda McNeal on Flikr
Baby oil

The best thing for a glass shower door is baby oil. Just poke a little hole in the foil and apply it to your rag. If it looks greasy after applying the baby oil just wipe it down with a little vinegar.

Participated in Mostly Homemade Mondays linky party

Cleaning Secret Weapons series:
Good Tools for Frugal House Cleaning
Key Ingredients for Frugal House Cleaning
Next: Frugal, Natural Cleaners
Frugal Tips

More With Less Mom

Frugal, Flexible Monthly Menu Planning from The More With Less Mom - I feed my family of 6 for $300 a month! * Tons of tips! * Ideas and resources for menu planning in October, many seasonal fall and whole food recipes. Very simple ingredients, from scratch, frugal recipes. You can save so much money by planning your meals. Even if you only plan three days at a time, you can be more thrifty and stick to your budget by planning ahead.
Frugal, Flexible Monthly Menu Planning OR
Great Depression Era Real Food Recipes from The More With Less Mom
Great Depression Era Real Food Recipes OR
A Crunchy Baby Registry: Safety: 34 Things You NEED (or should make) Before Baby Comes from The More With Less Mom. Baby supply list for frugal moms, hippies, poor people, and mothers of oopsies.
A Crunchy Baby Registry: 34 Things You NEED (or should make) Before Baby Comes
We hope you enjoyed Cleaning Secret Weapons – Key Ingredients for Frugal House Cleaning

Photo credits
Cleaning lady mural bulent_yusuf on Flikr
Mr Clean friend of vinegar Elyce Feliz on Flikr
Baking soda Noah Scalin on Flikr
Lemon tree by YoungToymaker on Flikr
Rice tamaki on Flikr
Olive oil sikachu! on Flikr
Baby butt Amanda McNeal on Flikr
All photos licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License
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St Patricks Day Family Movies to Give a Whirl

Posted on by March 11, 2011
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St Patricks Day Family Movies to Give a Whirl from The More With Less Mom

Here are some suggestions for movies you might want to watch with your family in the Irish spirit.

The Quiet Man Photo by signerlaraine on flikr
The Quiet Man

You can’t go wrong with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. I freakin love this movie.
Here are some quotes:
“Sir!… Sir!… Here’s a good stick, to beat the lovely lady.” (there is no wife beating, only a little wife pushing and dragging, and she earned it)
“Is this a courting or a donnybrook? Have the good manners not to hit the man until he’s your husband and entitled to hit you back.”
“He’ll regret it till his dying day, if ever he lives that long.”
Storyline from IMDB: “Sean Thornton has returned from America to reclaim his homestead and escape his past. Sean’s eye is caught by Mary Kate Danaher, a beautiful but poor maiden, and younger sister of ill-tempered “Red” Will Danaher. The riotous relationship that forms between Sean and Mary Kate, punctuated by Will’s pugnacious attempts to keep them apart, form the main plot, with Sean’s past as the dark undercurrent.”

Darby O'Gill and the Little People Photo by randomplaces on flikr
Darby O’Gill and the Little People

This is classic Disney (the good stuff from back when). Very cute and definitely worth watching if you haven’t seen it.
Warning: This is rated G but Linda said the banshee was too scary the first time she saw it.
Storyline from IMDB: “Darby O’Gill seems to be as full of blarney as any old codger in Ireland, but the stories of leprechauns he tells at the pub are true. In fact, he and the tiny King Brian, ruler of the little people, are friendly adversaries, continually out-foxing each other. Darby needs a bit of magical help from the wily king when Lord Fitzpatrick replaces him as caretaker with the handsome, strapping young Michael from Dublin. Michael falls in love with Darby’s beautiful daughter, Katie, which is all right with Darby; but the lad has a rival in a local ruffian, the son of a devious widow who wants her boy to be the caretaker. King Brian’s supernatural assistance is necessary to make everything come out all right, but the sneaky leprechaun won’t play matchmaker without a fight. Finally, real trouble comes in the form of the Banshee, and Darby will need all his quick wits to save his daughter from the wicked spirit.”

The Gnome Mobile Photo by randomplaces on flikr
The Gnome-Mobile

More classic Disney. This might not have anything to do with anything Irish, except possibly the old guy’s accent. But it has the kids from Mary Poppins in it.
Storyline from IMDB: “An eccentric millionaire and his grandchildren are embroiled in the plights of some forest gnomes who are searching for the rest of their tribe. While helping them, the millionaire is suspected of being crazy because he’s seeing gnomes! He’s committed, and the niece and nephew and the gnomes have to find him and free him.”

Gangs of New York Photo by moviesinla on flikr
Gangs of New York

This one is rated R and definitely for after the kids go to bed, maybe even rough for adults. If you can’t take violence then this isn’t for you. It is good but gritty, like Trainspotting or Basketball Diaries. And granted, the only thing Irish in it is the immigrants.
Storyline from IMDB: “America was born in the streets. In this movie, we see Amsterdam Vallon returning to the Five Points of America to seek vengeance against the psychotic gangland kingpin Bill the Butcher who murdered his father years ago. With an eager pickpocket by his side and a whole new army, Vallon fights his way to seek vengeance on the Butcher and restore peace in the area. However this is more easily said than done.”

I would link the movies that are available to watch instantly on Netflix, but none of these are. You can always ask at your library.

We hope you enjoyed St Patricks Day Family Movies to Give a Whirl

Photo credits:
The Quiet Man signerlaraine on Flikr
Darby O’Gill and the Little People randomplaces on Flikr
The Gnome-Mobile randomplaces on Flikr
Gangs of New York moviesinla on Flikr
All photos licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Cleaning Secret Weapons – Good Tools for Frugal House Cleaning

Posted on by February 25, 2011
Reply

I have been cleaning houses for several years. I have worked in a pet boarding facility, and an assisted living facility. Between babies, pets, and old people, I’ve cleaned it all.
What are my secret weapons for housecleaning?

Cleaning Secret Weapons series:
Good Tools for Frugal House Cleaning
Key Ingredients for Frugal House Cleaning
Frugal, Natural Cleaners
Frugal Tips

Cleaning Secret Weapons - Good Tools for Frugal House Cleaning from The More With Less Mom

Good tools for frugal house cleaning:

Toothbrush Photo from Wokka on flikr
Toothbrush

You can get two for a dollar at your dollar store, so if you don’t have an old one just get a new one. These are great for scrubbing little spaces.
A plastic knife is good for tiny spaces, too.

Clorox bleach pen Photo by TheKarenD on Flikr
Bleach pen

I have a Clorox® bleach® pen that you can remove the scrubby brush from, it’s not too hard to refill it with a bleach and baking soda paste.
This is excellent for grout and caulk, and little tough spots. I don’t like to use a lot of bleach.

Scouring pads Photo by Kake Pugh on Flikr
Scouring pad with handle

This is the old scrubby pad with a handle that sticks on, good for showers.

Scrub brush Photo by papalars/Andrew E Larsen on Flikr
Scrubby brush

This is the classic brush that fits in your hand for scrubbing floors

Rag Photo by Pulpolux on Flikr
Various rags

Old tshirts are the best for glass.
Your dollar store will have some decent cleaning cloths that will stand up to washing if you don’t have any.
I try not to use more paper towels than necessary. They just make more waste. However, if you don’t use different rags/sponges for different tasks you’re going to be spreading germs around your house.

LCD Photo by ajmarx/Alexander Marx on Flikr
Microfiber cloth

You can get an eyeglass cleaning cloth at the dollar store. This is the ONLY thing you are supposed to use on LCD tv and computer screens. Anything else will scratch it. Just get it damp.

Sock Photo by bcmom on Flikr
Old sock

Yup, an old sock. You can elastic band it to a broom stick to get cobwebs. You can stick it on your hand to wipe down the top of ceiling fan blades, blinds, and those bumpy lampshades.

Paint brushes on wall Photo by Degilbo on flikr
Paint brush

You want one that is big enough that the base for the bristles is a rectangle rather than tapered. It can be cheap.
This will get in nooks and crannies on knickknacks and carved wood.

Hair dryer Photo by sglpix on Flikr
Hair dryer

You can get dust out of delicate florals with a hair dryer.
You can also use one for a quick dust of shelves, it won’t deep clean but it will pop off any dust clumps.

Swiffer reusable duster refill Photo by prettydaisies on Flikr
Telescoping Swiffer® duster

You can get these at the dollar store, with a short handle.
You can wash the cloths, and make your own to reuse.
I like the telescoping one because extended it can dust ceiling fan blades, cobwebs, blinds, light fixtures, the tops of things, high stuff… Collapsed it is small enough to dust regular stuff without being awkward.

Furniture movers/sliders

You can buy these at department stores, hardware stores, and home stores.
I got big oval ones, since some dressers just have a cut out rather than real feet and are too big for those little round ones.

Cleaning Secret Weapons series:
Good Tools for Frugal House Cleaning
Next: Key Ingredients for Frugal House Cleaning
Frugal, Natural Cleaners
Frugal Tips

More With Less Mom

Frugal, Flexible Monthly Menu Planning from The More With Less Mom - I feed my family of 6 for $300 a month! * Tons of tips! * Ideas and resources for menu planning in October, many seasonal fall and whole food recipes. Very simple ingredients, from scratch, frugal recipes. You can save so much money by planning your meals. Even if you only plan three days at a time, you can be more thrifty and stick to your budget by planning ahead.
Frugal, Flexible Monthly Menu Planning OR
Great Depression Era Real Food Recipes from The More With Less Mom
Great Depression Era Real Food Recipes OR
A Crunchy Baby Registry: Safety: 34 Things You NEED (or should make) Before Baby Comes from The More With Less Mom. Baby supply list for frugal moms, hippies, poor people, and mothers of oopsies.
A Crunchy Baby Registry: 34 Things You NEED (or should make) Before Baby Comes

Participated in Domestically Divine Tuesday, Lovely Ladies Linky , Making a Home – Homemaking, and Thrifty Thursday linky parties

We hope you enjoyed Cleaning Secret Weapons – Good Tools for Frugal House Cleaning

Photo credits:
Cleaning in progresss sign inf3ktion on Flikr
Toothbrush Wokka on Flikr
Clorox bleach pen TheKarenD on Flikr
Butterfly on scrubbing pads Kake Pugh on Flikr
Scrub brush papalars / Andrew E Larsen on Flikr
Rag in the morning sun Pulpolux on Flikr
LCD ajmarx/Alexander Marx on Flikr
Hole in my sock bcmom on Flikr
Painrbushes on wall Degilbo on flikr on Flikr
Hair dryer sglpix on Flikr
Swiffer duster reusable refill prettydaisies on Flikr
All photos licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License

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Valentine’s Day Crafts, Food, and Fun

Posted on by February 1, 2011
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Valentine's Day Crafts, Food & Fun from The More With Less Mom

Here are some neat crafts and links for Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate Raspberry Vanilla Bean Marshmallows Photo from Good Life Eats

Chocolate Raspberry Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

These sound so good. Anyone who has made marshmallows from scratch knows how good they are. They aren’t as hard as you might think!

“Do you need a fun treat for Valentine’s Day? Or maybe something cute to do with the kids? These Homemade Marshmallows are so much fun! We’ve made them before as Chocolate Candy Cane Marshmallows for Christmas, but I thought it would be fun to dress them up as Valentine’s Day treats too!”

Crayon Hearts Photo from MarthaStewart.com

Crayon Hearts

These are cheap to make and so pretty.

“If the sun seems to peer right into your window, give it something pretty to look at — and through. These translucent hanging hearts are easy to make from waxed paper and crayons. In return, sunbeams will color your room with cheer. Begin with a 12-by-16-inch sheet of waxed paper. Fold it in half along its length; unfold. Deposit wax-crayon shavings (made with a handheld pencil sharpener) evenly but not thickly across one half of the paper. Fold the clean half of the paper over the shavings. Crimp the three open edges with a 1/2-inch fold to hold the shavings. Protect your ironing surface with kraft paper. Place the waxed paper on the kraft paper, and cover it with another sheet of kraft paper. Iron lightly on medium heat, checking after every few passes. Stop when all the shavings have melted; let cool. Next, trace and cut out hearts of various sizes. String each heart with a silk thread for hanging.”

Hand Shaped Valentines from MarthaStewart.com

Hand-Shaped Valentines

Hand crafts are always a good idea with little ones in the house.

“Send a touching message with valentines traced from little hands. Just cut from construction paper, and then decorate. You can hand over sweets or a toy ring, or let someone know he’s your hands-down favorite.”

Heart Pancakes Photo from The Cheapskate Cook

Heart Pancakes

Cute and easy

“I know. Heart-shaped pancakes. Maybe that seems over-the-top susie homemaker-ish. But we loved them. It was almost as good as getting to eat cereal shaped like chocolate cookies or old Irish relics.”

Valentines using Rubber Cement Masking Photo from Joy of My Life

Rubber Cement Masking Valentines

These valentines were made using a very pretty method, rubber cement masking.  Joy of My Life has an article on how to do it.

“We also made heart cards using card stock paper and one of our favorite techniques: rubber cement masking. Ana loves watercolors. She had fun combining rubber cement masking with salt sprinkled painting to make a few sheets of paper. We let it dry. Then, cut into hearts. Ana meticulously wrote the names on each card.”

Sack Lunch Surprise photo from BHG.com

Sack Lunch Surprise

Lunch time chocolate!

Clip a sweet surprise onto your child’s lunch bag. Use pinking shears to cut a scalloped border around red cardstock. Layer on a contrasting piece of paper and attach foil-wrapped chocolates with double-sided tape.

Valentine's Day Mobile Photo from Studio 5

Valentine’s Mobiles from Studio 5

This looks fancy but it’s just ribbons and paper.

Valentine's Wheel Photo from MarthaStewart.com

Sentimental Valentine’s Day Wheel

This is neat and a little different. You could use their template to customize your own.

“Hundreds of years ago, astronomers fashioned volvelles — wheels of paper that worked like circular slide rules — to help track the movement of the planets. This version of a volvelle conceals rotating endearments along with phrases and symbols that convey your affection with a turn of the wheel.”

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Photo by heybrother on Food.com

Chocolate Heart Cookies Photo by GaylaJ on Food.com

Valentine Rich Rolled Cookies Photo by sweetiebarbara on Food.com

Food.com Valentine’s Day Recipes

*Update: See our new post 8 Frugal Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids

We hope you enjoyed Valentine’s Day Crafts, Food, and Fun

 

Photo credits:

Vintage valentine by riptheskull/Dave on flikr

Chocolate Raspberry Vanilla Bean Marshmallows by Good Life Eats

Crayon hearts by Martha Stewart

Hand Shaped Valentines by Martha Stewart

Heart Pancakes by The Cheapskate Cook

Rubber Cement Masking Valenties by Joy of My Life

Sack Lunch Surprise by Better Homes and Gardens

Valentine’s Day Mobiles by Studio 5

Valentine’s Day Wheel by Martha Stewart

Chocolate Heart Cookies by GaylaJ on Food.com

Chocolate Covered Strawberries by heybrother on Food.com

Valentine Rich Rolled Cookies by Sweetiebarbara on Food.com

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