Ms. Witch(Sara)'s Posts - RealPagan- Paganism for the Real World

Updates and what I got my husband for our anniversary

2014-04-10T03:17:44.000Z

Hey all,

I hope you all are well. I have been feeling pretty blah.(that is what I get for eating that pizza) I Was miserable for 2 days not to mention I got so busy with work stuff that I forgot to take my psyllium and my probiotics. Boy did I pay for it! I have been eating rice and spinach, and a side of chicken or tilapia along with juice and smoothies. I am going to post 2 recipes over on spice goddess so be sure and check those.

Now that I am not feeling so blah, sluggish and headachey. I got some work done around here! I fixed our bathroom sink. it has been backing up for weeks and is very annoying when you need to fill the sink up. I went to home depot and bought a long drain cleaner snake. They snake didn't actually pull ut the clog but it did break it up enough that I was able to fill the opening of the drain with baking soda and then pour vinegar down. The baking soda and vinegar worked its magic for about an hour. Nasty black crud spewed out and bubbled and some water even shot up like a geyser! It was pretty fun to watch. It was almost like science class all over again(homemade volcanos anyone?) I then poured boiling water down the drain and let it set for a bit. As there was still limited water flow I had to put the stopper in one sink and plunge the other one, this finally broke it up and our sinks work now! YAY! I had so much fun doing this. Some repairs are so easy I recommend before paying someone or calling a professional look into hoe simple and easy it is and see if you you can do it yourself first it is totally worth it.

I then went outside and began digging the garden. I only got a about a 4th of it done but it was getting pretty cool and dark out. So I came in and fixed a banana date smoothie. :)

This morning my husband and I looked at a house. We loved it and I have to say that this house is n our budget and comes almost completely furnished and I think this may be THE house. :) There is a lot to look into and plan and decide first but this is the closest we have come also. I will keep you all posted and once we move I will do a house tour!

I will not have to worry about leaving the garden. Since my dad owns this property and contributes to the garden he will help keep it maintained. So no worries there.

I am going out for vegetarian tomorrow with Anna, my best friend. I don't talk about what I do with my friends much in my blog. I may change that a bit.

So some of you know that my 1 year anniversary is coming up! I Will show and tell you what I am giving my husband, if you don't tell. I am super excited. We have had a pretty rough year, that is something I do not talk about much either I try and keep my blog positive and inspiring. But we are only human. I cannot wait to give these gifts. The main one is a vintage spiderman and carnage toy. My husband is also a big comic buff spiderman is one of his fave characters of all time!

I found this on ebay and was evn able to talk the seller down a few bucks! That is always a big plus. We are also big star wars fans. I found a tin Boba Fett bank for a few bucks and a discount toy store.

I am excited to see what he is going to get me. We also have plans to go to the closest zoo from where we live, they just opened up a brand new penguin exhibit. We are also going to have a fried chicken meal, super unhealthy I know but only one piece with some veggie sides. We had fried chicken at our reception so it is significant. We are also going to enjoy our frozen wedding cake, again just a little bit of it.

I recently went to the nearest book store last week, it is a warehouse so they get all the extra, damaged or discontinued books that the regular stores clear out to make room for all the new releases.

They were having a book drive for the school. All the books there are discount prices, I bought 3 hardback picture story books their original price was 15.99 to 25.99 but I only paid $2.99 each for them. I donated one about lions, one about Halloween and one about a rabbit. I also picked up a fantasy themed chapter book for the older kids. I only paid $2.99 for it as well. I always read the fantasy science fiction when I was in middle school and high school so I had to get one to donate. :) My inner nerd was pleased.

I also picked up a couple books for myself: Easy green living by: Renee Louz it was originally priced at $25.00(paperback) and I paid $5.99. I also picked out if I had a hammer by Andrea Ridout original price$17.95 I paid $1.99.

I also had a 20% off coupon for the store so I came out really well and so will all the kids that will benefit for many years from the books I purchased. I love the idea of children(of all ages) learning every day.

I haven't started to read any of these yet but I will soon. Ive been so busy with work and things around the house and possibly moving soon!

I haven't even been selling on ebay recently or selling soap to coworkers. I am only making products for my self and family at this time. As always I have a ton of projects that I still need to finish.

Thank you all for reading and joining my groups. I love hearing from all of you.

Getting back on track

2014-04-03T01:53:14.000Z

Hey all,

I just got back from eating with my dad. We had veggie sandwiches. I have the ingredients for pain relief lotion bars in my make shift double boiler.(its a big glass measuring cup sitting in a pot filled with water)

I have gained a bit of weight as I have been eating dairy and meat more often that usual. So I went to the health food store and stocked up on a few things. Every week that I go I find something new. I got the staples that I get every week, farm fresh eggs and dried fruit, dates, papaya and pineapple. Here is a list of what I bought:

-Farm fresh eggs(free range organic)

-organic pitted dates

-dried kiwi(never tried before)

-Dried banana, apricot, pineapple, apricot with dried coconut(tropical mix)

-Cardamom

-Coconut oil(organic, virgin, unrefined)

-Flax seeds(organic)

-2 organic gala apples(great for an apple pie smoothie)

-2 organic sweet potatoes

-vegetable food dyes(for ostara/earth day cookies)

-almond cheese(gluten/ dairy and casein free)(never tried before)

-Menthol crystals(for the lotion bars)

If you ever come to my town check out Shady crest farmers market and Family health foods. They are almost right next to each other and the prices are better than big box stores!

As many of you know I don't eat meat too often and I do not typically eat grain or dairy. When I first cut these out of my everyday diet I felt better, looked better, my skin hair and nails greatly benefitted. I think I began eating these things again because I am human, I fell off the wagon and I kind of needed to see if this really was the reason I felt better. As since I have began eating these baddies again I am a lot more tired and I have headaches more often my skin is puffy and my nails are breaking.

I have decided to cut dairy all together. I already do not drink cows milk, ever. But its the cheese I love so much. SO I bought that almond cheese to try. I am cutting out MOST meats, no red meat, and occasional chicken and fish as long as it isn't farmed and is organic, hormone and antibiotic free.

I have started drinking psysillium husk powder and juicing again. As well as walking and barefoot walking more often. Squats and more yoga.

I will eat some grains(as long as they are WHOLE and not multi and on occasion)

I do try and bake with mostly coconut flour most of the time anyway.

I have been enjoying homemade sweet potato fries and they are so delish!(I was surprised that I liked them because I didn't like the frozen varieties from the store)

I will have to do a few recipe posts of the sweet potato fries and the apple pie smoothie.

I have been reading 2 books right now, one is my for fun book and the other one is my educational book.(I am always reading 2 at a time, one for fun and one for learning)

For fun I am reading 50 shades freed and for education I am reading The KIND diet by Alicia Silverstone. It has been a great help at getting me back on track. I recommend it but just remember that everyone is different and what works for me or someone else may not work for you.

So what I suggest for anyone wanting to get back on track is:

-psyillium husk powder in orange juice 2-3 times a day. This acts like a sponge absorbing all the unhealthy stuff in your intestine and helps expel it(in your stool)

-Leafy greens(these are amazing because they feed off of the sun, so you know its good our god and goddess feed it and nurture it so it can nurture and heal us)

-Probiotics(I take one a day)

-Lemon water(in the morning I boil some water and have at least one cup of hot water with a slice of lemon in it.(this aids digestion)

I will keep you all posted. I have always believed that our goddess created all these beautiful things that come from the health to nurture and heal us. I use this as inspiration and I always feel more empowered when I eat organic veggies, herbs and fruit. Especially when I have grown them myself.

I have seeds started for lettuce, spinach, parsley and broccoli for the garden and my dad has, watermelon, cucumber and tomatoes to add to it. Salad anyone?

And I am always here for anyone that needs inspiration.

Also look for a natural body wrap post coming soon to spice goddess group forum!

As always blessings and thanks for reading!

Ostara/Earth Day baskets

2014-03-27T19:51:18.000Z

Hey all,

In my Ostara post I mentioned that my husband and I color eggs to celebrate. I wanted to mention something I do for my dad every year.

Sometime between Ostara and Earth day, my husband and I color eggs, I make a batch of cookies and other goodies, cupcakes, tarts, breads and I then make a little basket for my dad. I will either use a container(from butter or something like that) decorate it, buy a little decorative aluminum bucket, or re-use a basket or box from something. I have even used those cellophane treat bags before. I will fill it with Easter Grass(that fake plastic stuff) or I will use shredded paper or even wadded up tissue or newspaper, usually its whatever I have on hand. Then I put all the goodies in it. This year I am putting Egg shaped decorated cookies in it, a couple of decorated hard boiled eggs, a small homemade beeswax candle and two Darth vader shaped chocolate pops(I bought this mold for fun for my husband, we are all star wars fans here!)

I do this more my dad to bless him with Spring's bounty and to wish him luck and health. Sometimes I will end up sticking in a little extra If I have other treats laying around the house. This is a fun inexpensive way to celebrate and make someone's day. Remember that the bunny and egg are traditional symbols of fertility and new growth symbolizing spring.

Lets all make a basket or treat bag and bring on the Spring!

happy ostara

2014-03-20T22:49:54.000Z

Blessings to everyone! This will be a quick post. As today is the first day of spring, Ostara. I am curious how all of you will celebrate. My husband and I both work today so we shared a couple of ice cream cups today and spent a little time together. This weekend we are going antiquing with my dad. I'm going to make some healthier chocolate chip muffins for the road. So I'm looking forward to that very much. Soon I will hang the plastic Easter eggs outside as I do every year. It is tradition in my family. My husband and I also color hard boiled eggs together. He does like to eat them but I do :). Please let me know how everyone celebrates and I can't wait to hear your stories and your traditions. It was the most perfect day today for the first day of spring. 60°. It is unfortunate that we both have work and since I gave my cold to my husband he slept in today so we couldn't go enjoy a walk outside. But we will have fun this weekend.
Hope you all are well.

cook books that I have and that I use

2014-03-17T20:31:35.000Z

Hey all I've been wanting to do this post for while and today I'm feeling better so I decided I would go ahead and post it.
as many of you know and for those of you that don't I cook a lot. Most of what I know my grandma taught me and other things I learned in my home economics class. Other things I've learned from TV and books. I have quite a few cook books but there's only a few that I used frequently.
I have the Betty Crocker cookbook 1500 recipes for the way you cook today. I have made the French bread recipe from this cookbook. A few recipes that I have mark to try eventually from this cookbook are a pie crust, a double chocolate hot fudge sundae cake, roasted vegetable dip with baked pita crisps, cheesy stuffed meatloaf, and there's a nice dressing basics page that has a bunch of different ideas for fresh homemade dressing.
I have the Better Homes and Gardens new cookbook 12th edition. This cookbook with a gift from my home economics teacher, Joyce. A few things I make out of this cookbook are pancakes, and lasagna. The recipes I have mark to try and here are the trail mix, salsa and cucumber and onions. I have also made the waffles biscuits and a few quick breads from this recipe book. I have to cook books from work and they are just a collection of different recipes that people have submitted. I have the complete family cookbook from 1960. This cookbook with purchase a gift from my dad from an antique store. I have looked through it but I have not ever made anything from it yet. It definitely has a great reference section. I also have a book called bake something great 400 bars, squares and cookies. We don't make a lot of sweets in the house when we do it's pretty simple like peanut butter cookies and pies and things like that. This book was a wedding gift so I have really had a lot of time to look through it yet. Another buck I have and still very fast and healthy cookbook. Facebook was also a wedding gift and I have had a lot of time to look through it yet or cook anything from it but I do have a couple recipes markEd. A couple of smoothie recipes grilled corn on the cob and a bean burger recipe. I have a coconut flour cookbook by Rashelle Johnson I have made the banana bread I plan to make the pancakes and sugar cookies out of there and the tortillas. I have deliciously easy desserts and refreshments with herbs. I haven't had a chance to look through this one too much yet. There are a lot of different herbal iced teas that will be good to try out this summer! I also have old fashioned Christmas recipes. These are recipes from yesteryear! I haven't fixed anything out of here yet is mostly sweets and appetizers like bread puddings and such.
Economy for epicures is also an antique cookbook that my dad got fir me. Mary L. R. Taylor is the author. This book is a first edition from 1943. I especially love this book because it is very strict about teaching you how to save money when shopping and sticking to your meal plan. It also teaches how to cook the organ meats of the animals. It teaches proper portions. For instance a pound of fish serves 3. It teaches how to pick the best quality meat and produce.
Keep in mind that some of the info in this book is out dated but mostly helpful. Some day I will make a meal plan from just this book and go shopping and compare the difference in price from then to now. I think that would be pretty fun. I also have the cookbook that I made by sticking magazine clippings and recipes I've jotted down in a photo album and divided into catagories. I use it just about everyday. Whn I GE a new computer I will post a picture for you.
That's all for now I hope you all are well!

natural beauty and body products is it worth it? part 2

2014-03-15T23:36:57.000Z

Hey all,
I am still sick and had to call in to work Saturday. I am laid up in bed with one of the cats. While the hubby plays marvel heros on the net.
I WA t to review homemade vapo rub. I got the recipe off of wellnessmama.com. I made it fir the first time Friday. Its organic unrefined coconut oil mint essential oil, Clive and Rosemary. Its also supposed to have eucalyptus oil andbeeswax in it as well.I didn't have eucalyptus and didn't feel like grating. Beeswax. When you arenot sick grating beeswax is hard work. So I decided to skip it.
The vapor rub works okay. Next time I will definitely make sure to use eucalyptus oil.. I don't notice it being very minty but my sinuses are pretty inflammed so I can't smell really well. It doesn't open upny sinuses very well (I think the eucalyptus was beneficial for this reason) but the coconut oil soothes a sore red nose. Try it out for yourself if you are a sinus or allergy sufferer.

Basic lotion bars
There are many variations to these. I used beeswax coconut oil and coco butter. Just what I had on hand.
They work very well. When I first used them my skin felt sticky. But my skin wasn't used to them. Now I don't get a sticky feeling. They are pretty cheap to make. And great gifts. You can add essential oils to make them scented. I think they smell divine just like this. On the second batch I used a recipe from adelightfulhome.com. its the same ingredients but you add mint oil and it give the bars a chocolate mint scent. Delightful indeed!

Soapnut shampoo
This recipe also from wellnessmama took little time to prepare. The major downside is that it has to be kept in the fridge. I store it in a washed out peperoncini pepper jar and I pour some in an amber 1ozbottle for each time I wash. It took awhile to get used to this. At first my hair was oily on top and dry and brittle on the ends
after about a week my hair felt normal again. I used Rosemary and mint to make it scented. I will most likely continue to use this shampoo.
I am going to try and make a bentonite clay toothpaste. I just got the clay I ordered yesterday so as soon as I get to feeling better I will make it and let you all know how it is.

Beeswax candles
Basically I melt the wax in a makeshift double boiler. I don't add any oils. I use a cotton wick and recycled glass jars..the candles have a natural honey smell. These make great gifts and it is said that beeswax purifies the air naturally. The candles you buy usually have synthetic fragerance and dyes and these are not gow
od to handle or breathe in. It is much cheaper to make your own. Beeswax is available in yellow or white. If you want you can dye it and scent it with natural dyes and essential oils.
Blessings!

natural beauty and body products is it worth it?

2014-03-14T21:00:00.000Z

Hey all is many of you know I make my own body and beauty products. I'm shared some recipes, links, pictures, but never really took the time to review all of them with you on if I would use them again if I've perfected the recipes or how any of that is going so I thought I would share with you.
first up is homemade deodorant. I got this recipe off of wellness mama dot com but I also seen people make videos about it on YouTube.
I make mine from coconut oil arrowroot powder and baking soda. You can also use cornstarch if you can't find or do not have a root powder. I also will add tea tree essential oil and lavender essential oil. You can use as many oil as you like.(all organic ingredients)
I store the deodorant in a antique cobalt blue nozema jar. It is the perfect size. You can also recycle a old empty stick from store bought deodorant. I tried this and I didn't think it worked out too well. Like probably all of you I keep my deodorant in the bathroom and the temperature in their flocks wait so much that the coconut oil would cause the deodorant to get runny some days and hard other days. When it gets runny I found that it will leak out of tecycled stick and create a mess. So I started storing it in jars and this works perfect you just use your fingers and wipe it on your armpits or you can smooth it on with a tongue depressor.
So how does this deodorant work?
at first I was worried because I'd read articles about when you start using a natural deodorant your armpits detox and the deodorant does not work as well as the store bought at first. I didn't really notice having any problems adjusting to it. I don't have any stains on my clothes with this deodorant where is with the store bought deodorant I would get that all the time. Thisdeodorant doesn't clump when I rub it on my skin and it doesn't get on my shirt says I'm getting dressed or anything like that. And it comes out easily in the wash.
I have recommended this to a couple of friends and they absolutely love it! I recommend it to anyone that is willing to try it. Not to mention that your body odor it has aluminum in it and that can cause cancer and I do have kind of a personal story about that. My husbands aunt got diagnosed with breast cancer years ago and she started using all natural body products and of course she went through chemo and had all that nasty medical treatment but she actually has continued to use all natural body products and the cancer has not come back. This natural deodorant is by far better for you and your body and the environment because if you recycle container or put it into a jar there's absolutely no waste!
Next stop is a brown sugar face and body scrub.
I use a blend of Organic sugars in the raw, organic coconut oil, and pure raw organic unfiltered honey. I store this in a glass bale jar in the shower.
So how does this product work?
I just wet my hands but a little bit of scrub on to my hand and rub on to my face or my feet or ry elbows or knees or all over my body. It works great it also smells amazing. I made some for a few friends and they are absolutely love it
it has helps with their dry skin and acne problems. You can store this in a plastic container or a glass jar A I also use just keep it in your shower so if they're all the time or by your sink.
Next is my oatmeal soap
I buy an extra clear organic be getting all natural soap base. I then fix some very sticky oatmeal and strain the liquid from it add a pinch of powdered milk and add it to the soap base and then I poured into the molds. I have a silicone more that I bought off of Amazon I think it was about $12. I also have an antique mini loaf pan that I use and it makes a nice I slab that i can get about two to three bars out of, I have also been cutting the bottoms of of almond milk and coconut milk containers and washing them out and using them as mold for soap. They make a nice size bar and it's a great way to recycle and reuse things. Once the soap base
Is poured I chop up a little dry oats and sprinkle on top. This method takes little time and is pretty cheap and easy.
This soap works way better than any store bought soap I have ever tried my skin is not deprived of moisture afterwards my skin is so soft its looks healthy. I have a few people that buy from me and I give these bars as gifts.
This is going to have to be all for now as I'm still posting from my phone it is very difficult and it is a daunting task! Please For yourself and the environment learn how to make some kind of product to to better yourself and the environment your body and mother earth will thank you. I will still review my homie beeswax candles, the lotion bars from wellness mama.com, the homemade Vapor Rub from my mama dot com, and a toothpaste and also a soap not shampoo at a later time and maybe later today if I get to feeling better. I hope you all are well

new things, ear candling, tinctures and gardening

2014-03-14T20:59:07.000Z

Hey all so I'm kinda miserable today. I have a head cold. I've been trying to get plenty of rest and load up on vitamins. I'm taking metal for the sinus/ allergy part of it. I've been using my neti pot and drinking hot water with cinnamon and honey in it I also made homemade vapor rub off of the wellness mama websites and I've been using that since yesterday. I also bought those natural nasal spray at the health food store can't remember what its called right now but it's completely 100 percent drug free. What I thought I'd give that a try. I'm going to try and load up on fruit smoothies today. I started feeling kind of down weeks ago so I took all my normal supplements for immune boosting but I think I quit taking them too soon since everyone else at work it was sick it just caught up with me. I wanted to talk today about a few new things I've been trying. One is making tinctures. So far I've only made a chamomile one. It has 2 to 6 weeks to set I'm going to let it sit the whole 6 weeks. I've been shaking it once a day. I plan to use it for headaches and to help me sleep. and hopefully my husband too. :) I am definitely going to make a nettle tincture for both of our allergies as soon as is chamomile one is done.
I took a trip to the health food store today and I bought a5 pound bag of brown rice, Coconut flour, a ceramic neti pot, that on natural drug free nasal spray, dried nettle leaf, metal capsules, dried coconut banana and papaya, and two ear candles. Ear candling is something I've always wanted to try. I did it today for the first time and this is how it went. It's pretty easy to do they recommend having two people but I was able to do it by myself. It took about a half hour to do both my ears. I don't feel any different than I did before. Maybe because of the head cold? You can hear the candle burning it when its in your ear and it kinda makes them crackling and popping noises. It definitely did extract wax from my ears. I will definitely try it again when I'm healthy. It does kind of stink up the room with a burn leaves are burnt marshmallow kind of smell. I bought a brand called harmony candle it's made with all organic cotton and wax. Have any of you ever tried ear candling and
if so what did you think about it didn't help you?
I haven't done much with my garden yet I need to get the yard ready I'm hesitant though if we're going to be moving soon we're looking at another house tomorrow. In the house I have started growing tomatoes lettuce and spinach so I have all those seedlings. I would also like to try and grow some red potatoes and a few herbs. What are all of your gardening plans this spring and summer? My dads going to plant some beats and try to grow beats again this year we didn't have any success last year.
I have one more post planned for today so stay tuned for that.
Also a quick update on my computer. So, we sent it off to Geek Squad through Best Buy. They call me yesterday and informed me that it was a motherboard issue and it was going to cost me over $700 to fix it. Yikes! So my husband and I are going to have the old laptop recycled and look for a new laptop next weekend.
Blessings!

Fridge cleaning, left over veggie pizza

2014-03-04T23:33:39.000Z

Hey all.
I haven't shared a recipe for awhile so I thought I would do that today.
This recipe with something I created a basically on a dime. I use all leftovers and veggies from the fridge. I had a little bit of leftover corn, tomato paste, black beans, and 2 tortillas. I spread the tomato paste on one of the tortillas, Iadded a spoonful of mozzarella cheese, a spoonful of corn and two spoonfuls of black beans, then I topped it with spinach. And then put a little bit m if you end up trying it or making your own version please let me know how it turns out and what you use to make itore cheese on top. Then I spread a little bit of tomato paste on the other tortilla. Then I sprinkled some garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, italian seasonings, and chopped onions and then I put the tortillas together and made a sandwhich. I microwaved it for about 45 seconds until all the cheese is melted and everything was heated. This was fantastic. It also helps clean my fridge out and that way no food will get wasted.
If you choose to make this or make your own version of this please let me know how it turns out and what you used to make your own.
Blessings!

New vintage 2

2014-02-28T02:31:08.000Z

This will sort of be a part 2 to my last blog new vintage.
I just came inside from putting all the all of this week trash on the curb. Just during the beginning of this week our garage (that my dad uses for storage) how to have some construction work done all the beams are separating from the walls causing the ceiling to cave in. So in order for the construction crew to come in my dad had to reorganize and throw away a lot of things that he was keeping. A couple things that he threw away we're an old high chair from the 50's(it was his), a roll of foam, like something you could use for a mattress pad or to sleep on or even pack breakable stuff in, and a suitcase that he took to England with him in the 70s. He did keep three other suitcase is that were in better shape and a bunch of stuff from his childhood and his baby bassinet, along with tons of other things. It really pains me to throw that suitcase out. The latches were broken and they came unlatched so easily that you could never actually use it unless you repair them. If I had more space right now in our house I would have definitely kept it. It would have been an awesome decorative piece for our new house. I could see it sitting in the corner on top of one ofmy vintage trunks with a flowerpot on it and some books. And I know what many of you are saying a suitcase doesn't take up that much room. But when it comes down to already having boxes of things and stacks of things around because you don't have enough space. It's just one more thing to have to store and keep clean and take care of. My husband and I are definitely trying to downsize and bringing one more thing into th.
e house probably wouldn't be a very good thing to do. My husband is finally starting to downsize after a whole year of me requesting it. We are both very sentimental people and there's nothing wrong with that but sometimes it takes up alot of space to be sentimental.
I use an antique small glass bottle yesterday to make my very own reed diffuser. I used 6 bamboo skewers and cut the sharp tips off, build the bottle with cedarwood essential oil. I cleaned the bottle and filled it half way full of essential oil I dipped the smooth ends of the skewers into the oil and then flipped the skewers over and put the rough ends into the bottle. It seems to be working pretty well. I gave new life to this glass bottle. This is something I need you as gifts once in awhile from now on. I may have already mentioned previously but I honestly cannot remember. Lol.
As far as downsizing goes we have donated a lot of clothes recently And books. This spring I'm going to shop at Goodwill for all the "new" clothes that I will get for this year. I'm hoping to find some things for my husband there as well. And I do plan to open up a booth at my local consignment shop within the next couple of months. I hope to sell things I knit, gently used things that I have, and soaps I make And possibly even get back into making non-combustible incense. This will hopefully help us bring in a little bit of extra money to put into savings account towards our new house. For most of the new furniture that we buy we are going to visit second hand shops and by gently used things. I am really excited about this.
I mentioned previously this year about the 2014 being the frugal year for us. So far we've managed to take our water bill down $5 by fixing the week the weeks that we had( we actually didn't even know that we had them), I had Verizon I just my calling plan so my bill is a bout 40 dollars less a month now, I did the same with our TV package I reduce the number of channels that we get and took the bill down about $30 a month. I began buying a better brand of cat litter and it is all natural corn fiber cat litter it last a lot longer keep the order away and I use a lot less of it then I do when I use clay litter. I'm not sure how much money that it actually saves by the amount but I know that a bag of litter last me a really long time. This is just the start but I am definitely making progress and we will benefit in the end from this. I've been working anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of overtime each hey. And that is really helping just enough that my check is a couple hundred dollars more month and that's all the extra that we can put into savings.
As I'm still posting from my phone this is all for now and I hope all of you are well. Blessings!

immunity booster

2014-02-25T20:30:00.000Z

Hey all.

I've been feeling a little sluggish and down the past couple of days, like I might be getting a cold. With the radical change in weather that's quite possible. So I thought I would share with you the vitamins and supplements that I take when I feel that coming on. Before a meal I take one vitamin C, 1 probiotic, 2 echinacea, 1 garlic pill, 1 tumeric pill, followed by a glass of emergen-C. I also try to eat plenty of anti-oxidants and leafy greens. I will drink hot tea and use my Nettie pot when necessary. I also have a rice heat wrap that I will use for sinus headaches.
Hope you all are well until next time! Blessings!I have a recipe for homemade all natural vapor rub from wellnessmama.com that I haven't made yet but I will if I need too. I also make sure to get plenty of rest.

new vintage

2014-02-24T05:25:05.000Z

Hey all,
Still no computer here. I really been inspired lately by vintage items. I have always loved vintage jewelry. Every year for my birthday my dad buys me an antique brooch. I love looking at the Rings and The Necklaces they are all so beautiful
I also like antique kitchen accessories. When my husband and I find a house and move I plan to decorate our kitchen with vintage tools like and blenders and pastry cutters and things like that. There's a vintage brass tea kettle clock that I have my eye on.
I have also been inspired on what things I can make with wine corks and glass bottles. I'm still working on the shell read that I plan to hang in my bathroom. My project for last week was a pillowcase for my friends dogs bed. She has a little schitzu named Sydney. She picked the fleece fabric, dark blue with moons and stars and owls on it. I hand stitched everything. I was so happy that she loved it. However I am still very far from being a seamstress.
I finally made the basic lotion bars from wellnessmama.com. I love them! I use organic beeswax, cocoa butter, and coconut oil. In the recipe that calls for different types of butters.I just use cocoa because that's all that I had. I did not add any essential oils to them. They smell wonderful on their own. I used one of the same old but I use for my soap. I also made more soap today. One thing I've started doing is saving my almond milk containers and I cut the bottom off after I wash them out and I use the bottom for the soap mold it's perfect. If I am careful I can use them again. They end up being the perfect square and the perfect size and they make a beautiful bar of homemade oatmeal soap
Over the weekend my husband and I went out and had a fun time. We met up with his cousin and my brother in law and we went to see Robocop. It Turned out to be a more family oriented movies than the original one. Then we went back to my husband's cousin's house and we ended up watching Indiana Jones. Then my husband other cousin and his girlfriend and their little girl stopped by. We played some games on the Nintendo Wii and drank some summer shandy. Ordered a couple pizzas I played with their little girl for just a little while Then they let her take some turns bowling on the Wii. My husband and I actually we're on the same team in Wii tennis and we did pretty good. Then after we finish pizza I made my famous mudslides. I always make them anytime I go over to my husband's cousin's house. Ice cream for little Eva And mudslides for us. After Craig and Marie left with Ava the rest of us did some power throws on the Wii with bowling. We had a really good time. My husband and I really needed this. I saved the empty bottle of Baileys and empty bottle of Cow pie(its like adult chocolate milk)that I use for the mudslides. My husband collects neat looking glass bottles in antique ones so I became inspired to see what I can figure out to do with them. I have seen people make plans with them and all kinds of fun things but I don't want to do that. I saw a jewelry box
made out of a bottle. I may try that and I do plan to put one in my new bathroom when we move and collect twigs from my forsythia bush that I have here to decorate with. I'm plan to save a smaller glass bottles that I find and make my own reed diffusers and give them as gifts.
I have been reading it's easy to be green by Crissy
Trask. It's an awesome read and I recommend it to anyone wanting to save money do better things for the environment and better things for yourself. I am also reading 50 shades darker part of the 50 shades of grey trilogy.
Blessings! Hope you all are well!

Updates!

2014-02-14T06:30:00.000Z

Hey all,
So to start things off I haven't been ignoring RP. My laptop is out of commission and we are not sure how we're going to fix it or what we're going to do. I am posting this from my phone and it is really a hassle. I want to take a minute to welcome everyone who is new to the wife club and spice goddess thank you. It saddens me that I have not been able to post anything on either one of my groups or this blog.
We finally got our pipes fixed. And then we had a nother small lleak inside the house that we were able to fix within an hour thanks to my wonderful dad who never fails to teach me something new.
I pulled a muscle in my knee last week shoveling snow. I tried applying heat to the area for two days and I got no relief I also tried stretching. Having my best friend who is like a sister to me work on it with het massage and it works wonders. By the next day I was completely pain free!
I haven't been up to too much work has been really busy and my husband and I have been looking at houses still. I did manage to get the recipe book that I was working on done finally I know. For those that do not remember it's basically just recipes I have saved over the years and place them into a photo album type book. I use the little post it tabs to divide it. My DIY section is so big and I'm considering making a separate book just for DIY stuff.
I have also been working on the shell wreath still. Hopefully I will have a laptop or a working computer So I can post pictures to show you guys. I finally finished Dexter and have been catching up with a few other shows
After that we're going to start watching that show dinosaurs from the 90's we both like that when we were little kids.
I've really been busy downsizing things in the house because I don't want to have to pack them up and move them in half with all that if it's not really something that we absolutely have to keep or really need I donated a ton of clothes and shoes that were gently worn in use including a winter coat that was wool and a couple pair of those "magic" gloves. I also went to visit my other best friend Tasha. I am the godmother of her three kids. I gave them a bunch of toys that used to be mine mostly Barbies and a couple little action figure things. It was really nice to be able to see her and catch up with her. I am really proud of her she has begins to eat very healthy and drink water. This is quite a big step for her she used to never drink water and she always drink Mountain Dew. She told me her new favorite snack was apples and peanut butter. I'm going to make some homemade deodorant for her for her to try it. Told her a couple of natural face mask recipes that she could use. Hopefully soon she will began to get all the chemicals out of her body. I think this is going to be all for now. Hopefully this post didn't bore you and hopefully I will be back full force really soon. Blessings and I hope all of you are well.

Winter Days

2014-01-23T22:56:47.000Z

Hey all I found this wonderful website www..mnn.com the mother nature network. There are tons of fun and educational articles. A few that I read were: 7 things you can make yourself, unique ways to save money, 10 fascinating facts about cats, 7 green things our grandparents did, and the photo of the day. It was a baby koala bear from Germany zoo that was returned to the parents after being removed for a vet check up. It was too cute.

They have a lot of tabs on there website as well as links that change everyday so you will never run out of reading material. They have topics on animals, domestic and wild, inspiring stories, recycling tips, re-using(upcycling ideas), one I read was for milk cartons, using them as a planter for feeds, and of course bird houses(something on my list), green technology articles, healthy eating and cooking, personal finance, organic gardening, farming and family. You can select a tab and click and individual topic or click browse all and that will bring up all blogs and topics. It is really neat. There is something there for everyone.

I got a bunch of DIY recipes from this site. I added them to my recipe book that I made. Which I Will eventually finish and post pics of.

I titled this blog winter days because It was very cold this morning at 3am when I left work. We had a -30 wind chill advisory here and I believe that it is still in effect until Friday at noon. This morning when we woke up our pipes in the bathroom were frozen. We have hot water in the kitchen still. So for me it has been a day inside. I have swept the floors, folded laundry, and done the dishes. When I got home last night I started the crock pot up with homemade chili so it could cook over the rest of the night and be ready by lunch for my husband to eat before he left for work. It really warms you up.

We also had a space heater go bad on us. So we have been alternating between the living room when we are up and the bedroom/bathroom when we need it there. I have plans to buy a new one but they go on sale in the spring so I will buy one then. I opened up all the blinds today and let a bunch of sunlight in it warmed up the front rooms quick! It has been colder here than it has in over 20 years(what my dad told me) Our electric bill was almost $200.00 It has never been that high. It is usually around 100 for our small house. We are hoping that the forecast is right for sunday and that it really does get into the 30's that way are pipes can unfreeze. We can got to my dad's or my in-laws if needed and we have hot water in the kitchen and can always boil it if we need to also.

Hope you all or warm and well.

Blessings!

Winter projects part 2

2014-01-23T01:00:00.000Z

Hey all,

Here is part 2, the previous post was all about birds

The next winter project that I have completed are upcycled pin cushions.

As many of you know recycling and upcycling are two hobbies that I am very passionate about.

For the upcycled pin cushions you will need:

-a hot glue gun

-stuffing

-a small tin can(I used a cat food can but a can of olives will work too, or any other can you can find that is small)

-A 4" by 4" square of fabric

-pins and needles

*Be sure and wash the can out and peel the label off. I just realized in the pic below the can hasn't been washed yet. oops. Sorry.*

For the decorative paint:

-mod podge(I make my own, use 1/2 the amount of water as glue and stir until soupy)

-food coloring(color of your choice)

-sponge paint brush

-small plastic dish to mix paint in(I used an old yogurt container)

Pour your glue mix or mod podge into your container and add a few drops of the food coloring of your choice.(plug in your hot glue gun at this time) I used a craft stick(aka a popsicle stick) to mix together. Paint the glue mix or mod podge onto the outside of the tin can. Let dry.(I placed mine in front of the space heater and it dried in a matter of minutes.

Next you are going to take your fabric square and place a blob of stuffing in the center. Grab the blob of stuffing and the square and form a ball with it, glue around the inside rim of the tin can placing the ball inside.

When you are done it should look like this:

I made two. One for me and one for my dad. I wanted to post one more project along with this but only so many pics are allowed per post.

Until next time!

Winter Bird Project

2014-01-22T22:00:00.000Z

Hey all,

Today I made homemade bird suet feeders. Here is the recipe that I used:http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bird-Suet-Balls

So I followed the recipe exactly, adding raisins. I mixed them up and formed them into balls. I then rolled the balls in a little bit of extra bird seed.

Then I cut 3 mesh onion and clementine bags into rectangles. No specific measurements but I got 3-4 rectangles out of each bag(I had 3 suet balls left over after using all the rectangles)

Then I placed the balls in the center of the rectangles, I pinched the corners around the suet ball using twine I tied the leftover mesh together using a double not then I tied the twine into a loop to make the hanger.

I used a plastic produce bag from the grocery store to hold all the feeders as I made them to keep my counter space clear.

I saved three for my dad. He has a pine tree right outside his study window that I think the feeders will look really good there. I then went outside and hung them in my forsythia bush.

The 3 balls I had left over I just placed inside the tin can bird feeder I have. If you haven't read the blog about it yet here it is: http://realpagan.net/profiles/blogs/make-your-own-bird-feeder

I truly had so much fun making these and yes I used my hands to mix everything!

I will be doing a part 2 of this post with other projects stay tuned!

It's never too late

2014-01-20T07:31:01.000Z

Hey all,
This article spoke to me. It is not too late for those resolutions! This article is just what I needed! Please read and share.
Blessings!
http://www.motherearthliving.com/wiser-living/10-inspiring-new-years-resolution-ideas.aspx

Some hopefully useful info

2014-01-16T22:40:20.000Z

Hey all,

I was inspired by this post from a conversation that I had with my supervisor at work a few mornings ago.

We got to talking about various things. And she asked me quite a few questions mostly about being frugal and what I buy and don't buy which most of you that read my posts know those items and my alternatives. So that got me thinking about all the other questions I have been asked lately. So I will share and some of this might be beneficial to someone else that reads this, that is my only goal with every blog I post. I enjoy reading and replying to all comments.

Am I a vegetarian?

No, I know its simple either you are or you are not. I eat mostly fruit and veggies. I do not eat dairy and I eat minimal grains. I try and only eat meat once or twice a week. Or if I eat meat for lunch I will not eat it again the rest of the day. I steer clear of red meat whenever possible. I eat some chicken, and low mercury fish, with occasional tuna.

What do my husband and I do in our free time together?

In the winter we are pretty lazy. We bundle up and watch a lot movies, Netflix and movies we own. We organize the house, play a few board games, Scrabble, Sorry and Star Wars Monopoly. We will play video games together on occasion, and we just enjoy each others company. He might play a video game and I will read next to him on the couch or knit or work on a project that I am working on.

In the summer we are a lot more active. He plays softball so he does that on Saturdays and I will help him warm up. I might hit a few, throw a few or I will run after all the balls that get hit If there is someone else with us. We go on hikes at a couple of local parks, we also go on walks together around town and our local playground. We try and do this every night or morning in the spring and summer. We also will throw the football around or hit the volleyball back and forth. We also do a lot of thrift and antiquing In the summer. We do some in the winter too.

How did I spend my time in high school?

This question came up when I was asked if I dated a lot in high school. I said no. so I was then asked what I did. I worked 2 jobs through out the school year. I waitressed 3 nights through the week and every weekend and then the other 2 nights through the week I babysat. In the summer I babysat 5a-4:30p and then I waitressed as a manager from 5p to 9p. I did have night or days off on occasion. I was never really allowed to sleep in growing up. There was always something to do. I was a member of our school literature magazine, I mostly wrote for it but I was involved with editing sometimes and I was member of service club. I would always do 15 minutes of yoga before bed.

What are some of my hobbies?

I wish that I had more. I cook a lot and bake sometimes. I knit a lot and sew sometimes. I try and learn how to make new things. Why buy something and spend a lot of money if I can make it myself for way less? I love walking in nature and bird watching. I am an avid reader. I make my own soap, rose waters, oil blends, incense and body scrub and I do sell these for extra money. I do not make a ton doing this but they are all products I make and use for myself. So I always have them on hand.

What are three foods I would recommend someone eating who wants to lose weight?

Why I was asked this by a co-worker I really don't know as I could stand to lose a few pounds but I am always seen eating good healthy food at work.

1. Kale, try it a variety of ways. I don't care for it cooked, but I enjoy kale chips(I make my own), I like it in omelets and I always add it to my juice.

2. Herbal tea or iced tea unsweet.

3. Green juice

Where do I buy my clothes and shoes?

Well first of all I do not buy a lot of clothes. I have to wear scrubs for work so I have 4 pairs, 3 for the week and an extra just in case. I also have two scrub jackets for the cooler weather and a company fleece jacket that was free from my work. I buy new scrubs when I get coupons once a year from my work. I NEVER pay full price for them. They are expensive and cheaply made. I have two pairs of tennis shoes, both nikes. I have one all white pair that is for work and another pair for other times. I buy my shoes two pairs at a time form famous brand shoes when they have a 50% off sale. I do not pay full price. I have 2 pairs of flip flops from old navy that I bought last summer when they had a $1 sale. I have a pair of slippers that my husband got me for holiday. I don't buy new clothes very often or from any particular place. I do only buy cotton or natural fiber clothes. I basically wear something until it is pretty much falling apart. I also tye dye a lot of my clothes or dye them myself. I also make my own scarves, gloves, hats, etc. A co-worker spends $600 a week on clothes! Why!?

What herbs and supplements do I take everyday?

Probiotics, vitamin c, turmeric, and garlic plus a multi-vitamin.

Why won't I use Neosporin for a cut?

Because it contains petroleum and that ingredient holds in bacteria. I use natural things that I have around to heal a cut. I use coconut oil, lavender oil and cinnamon and I keep the wound clean.

Thanks for reading!

The Frugal Year is Upon Us!

2014-01-13T05:03:55.000Z

Hey all,

I am going to do two posts tonight since I will be working a few extra hours this week.

So my husband and I go pre-approved for our house loan finally. We have decided to live as frugal as we can to save extra money. We don't necessarily need it but it is going to come in handy when we buy new furniture after we pick a house and when we have our first child probably within the next year or so. We have shaved $30 off of our monthly bills so far by lowering the number of TV channels we get. We will eventually get rid of it completely. I am going to prepaid cell service by the end of the month and will be getting rid of my smart phone, I pay so much a month for stuff I never use. We will keep the internet and Netflix. As many of you already know I make many things my self and there are a lot of disposable items that I do not buy. For details on that check out my blog post Back to basics and some good old organization. I coupon every time I buy groceries and I make my meal plan according to what coupons I have. I don't use coupons for every item that I buy but I have manage to save up to $20 in one grocery trip so far that is the most I have saved. Typically it is about $10 on each grocery trip. I shop twice a month. So I save at least $20 a month and I can stock up on certain things also by couponing so I buy less each time.

I started making a birthday list already. Typically that time comes around and I have no idea what I want. Well this year instead of spending extra money and just buying things I want when I see them I have started writing them down. :)

I am learning more and more about sewing and making things. I have been making a little extra money on the side on ebay. I mostly sell random things that I find when I clean the garage or closet. Occasionally I sell a few handmade items or an altar or two that I make. I will say that all the winter gear that I knitted a few months ago got good use this past week. I am going to knit a headband for my best friend. Mine has kept my ears so warm!

Instead of buying plastic drawer organizers or door organizers I have been making my own. I got a few of my husband's cereal boxes from our recycle bin and cut the bottom off leaving a few inches so it has sides and bottom still. I use these to organize our "junk" drawer. They hold, tape, white out, hand pencil sharpeners, paper clips, our re-chargable batteries and the chargers, etc. It took me a total of about ten minutes to make them and organize everything. You can cover the outsides with decorative paper if you want, I didn't so this so one is cookie crisp and one is special k. LOL.

Lastly, meditation. I really need to get back into doing this. It will save me stress!

Each day I am one step closer to the life I dream about.

Things I have been up to

2014-01-13T04:39:45.000Z

Hey all,

It has been awhile since I have done a really informative post. I do have a few things planned for my group spice goddess, and a few blogs for my page it just comes down to getting it all posted.

The polar vortex really hit us hard. Upon arrival it was sick with the dreaded stomach bug that Is hitting a lot of people really hard. I missed two days of work and we were pretty much stranded because by Monday my car battery had died and I couldn't make it anywhere walking. My husband also started to get sick and it hit him twice as hard as it did me. He was back to work today. Due to the cold weather we spend two days buckled down in the bedroom under the covers and resting trying to heal. We loaded up on apple juice, water, vitamin C, Echinacea, probiotics and garlic. We did have some wonderful quality time together though. We watched a few older movies but good ones, the cartoon Robin Hood, Rock-a-doodle, Short Circuit, and back to the future 3(it is my favorite one out of the trilogy) to name a few movies.

Once I got to feeling better I knitted 2 sets of coasters which I put on ebay. I also made another batch of deodorant. I am working on a shell wreath. I have seen them online for over $20 and I am making one for around $10.

Remember that bird feeder my dad made awhile back for me?(There is a blog DIY on my page about how to make one) I have had a lot of success with it. Seeing the cardinals and blue jays is amazing! I have developed quite a connection to birds due to having this outside my window. I also am going to start making my own suet feed for birds. I have a square grate feeder for them already. I read an article in the January issue of Birds and Blooms about making your own suet. It is also kind of a recycling project too. You know those mesh bags that oranges come in? I am going to make suet balls and cut squares out of the mesh and then place the suet ball in the square tie the top and hang it from the tree to make a feeder. I am also going to save the container that a store bought suet block comes in and use it for a mold so I can make my own for the feeder that I already have. I buy a block of suet now for about $1.50 I can make a bunch of my own for about that price out of things I already buy and use around the house. And most suet contains beef fat, yuck. I will post pics and the recipe that I use in a later post.

We spent a little time outdoors today and with family. My husband and I went hardware shopping. We needed a few new home improvement supplies. We stopped and saw my in-laws. We had pizza with them and we also were given a tool box with some tools that will come in handy for us. We had a nice time there. I showed my mother in law a few of the houses that my husband and I are looking at. We also talked about planning a trip to six flags this summer. Which will be really fun for us.

I have a few projects in mind. I am going to do a leprechaun sculpture and put him in a jar with fake green foliage for St. Patrick's day. I think it will be really cute for the time of year and it can be something that is left out all year long. I am also thinking about doing the same thing only with a fairy. I will post pictures. I am also working on making scented sachets for a few people as gifts and a couple of valentine gifts for my god kids. They are 5, 4 and 2. I am going to make them felt pillows with pockets shaped like teeth for tooth fairy money. :) and I am going to give them a huge jar of crayons, I am going to paint the lid and put a cute farm animal on top. I am also going to do the same with the crayons and colored pencils we have here to reduce some space and it will be a cute way to store them.

Until next time, blessings!

Crafty haul

2014-01-03T21:37:48.000Z

Hey all,

I wanted to share all the new craft items that I got last weekend.

I got a 12oz package of sculpey clay(assorted colors) and a single of light pink.

2 jars, silver glitter, something called shaved ice, and liquid glycerin. All this is for snow globes.

2 balls of all cotton yarn, for two wash clothes that I am going to knit.

The clay is for a variety of things. I am going to make a wizard of oz inspired book mark and a few paperclip things and a st. Patrick's day inspired holiday décor item.

I am super excited and I look forward to sharing all the finished products with you!

Holiday Haul and I need your help

2013-12-27T03:26:59.000Z

Hey all,

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I know we did! I wanted to share what we got.

I was going to post a blog about downsizing my wardrobe and picking 3 colors that look the best on you so your whole wardrobe goes together. I saw a youtube video that gave me this idea. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLj0_Cmo3PM&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL32F745D1F1B3B1A6

I was going to post a blog asking everyone what you think my best 3 colors are. I am fair skinned, light haired, and blue eyed.

Ironically for the holidays my dad bought me a big sewing book and there is a chapter on this. I still want to know what you all think my 3 best colors are.

So onto the haul.

my husband got me:

a robe, slippers, two metal spatulas for the kitchen(bye bye plastic!), and new lunch box.

my dad got me:

The sewing book that I mentioned a pattern to make pajamas, a kit to make my own moccasins, a collectible little golden book(I collect ones that my grandma used to read to me) and he got my husband: a pair of gloves, a ratchet set and a pair of thermal pajamas. And he also got us gifts to share: a bottle of wine, a giant mag light flashlight and an our first Christmas together ornament.

My mom got us: 3 cast iron skillets, a wooden cutting board and my husband got a shave set and a game stop card.

My in-laws got us: an ottoman, 3 stainless steel pans(bye bye Teflon) an antique set of pepsi glasses along with a pitcher that matches.

So we got a really good haul! I got my husband a best buy gift card and a pair of boxers. We agreed not spend much on each other as we both bought wedding bands around this time last year and we are trying to save money.

I hope all are well, check out a few of my pictures and let me know what you think about my best colors!

I'll post again soon.

Crafty Ideas update

2013-12-20T22:41:07.000Z

Hey everyone

I have really been busy with holiday plans. And some negative energy that I mentioned in a previous post. I just wanted to update on all my projects that I have been working on:

I am still working on the tea pot cozy and the milk jug bird house. I am getting some great ideas though from pics on the web. I will try and upload some pics of my finished products.

I found a different way to make plarn(plastic bag yarn) I will plan to make a reusable bag and a welcome mat for my house and one for a gift for my dad also. I am excited about this!

I have been wanting to get into sculpting. My best friends little sister sculpted a nativity scene for her dad for Christmas and they were pretty small. They were so cute! and I was really inspired but I can't seem to think of anything to sculpt. I have the clay, paint and brushes. So hopefully soon I will find some ideas. Been looking around on youtube for some ideas.

Hope you all are well!

Sage Smudging

2013-12-20T21:57:27.000Z

Hey all,

I haven't posted for awhile or been as active on here as I have been. I have been feeling like there is a lot of negative energy around lately. It has really been effecting my husband and I am sure it has effected me lately as well.

I was considering a few different things to do. I was thinking about placing stones around the house but since we are most likely going to be moving in a few month I didn't want to worry about misplacing stones and they are already in the chest that I store them in so I decided to smudge the house with sage. I will admit that I do not do this as much as I should. I wanted to share how I do it.

So I either light a charcoal disc( I use the Swiftlight brand) and place it on my censor and then sprinkle some white sage on the smoking disc. As it burns I carry the censor around the house and say: "With this sage I cleanse this space of all negativity and ask that only love, health and happiness enter." I walk to every room and continue to repeat. I also do the doorways and continue to add sage as I need to. The other way is I light a bundle of sage and do the same I will sometimes use a big goose feather and help distribute the smoke around.

I have also picked fresh sage from my garden and made my own bundle and used it before.

Doing this type of cleansing is really quite easy and doesn't take a whole lot of time. Anyone can do it.

Blessings to all of you.

Things I will never buy again

2013-12-10T21:54:04.000Z

Hey all,

I was debating on what to call this post. I went to the Doctor this afternoon and she referred me to a maxillofacial surgeon. It doesn't appear to be that bad but it can take days for a hair line fracture to show on an X-ray. So the specialist will examine me and then take more X-rays to make sure that there isn't a fracture. I am pretty stiff and swollen this morning. I am Trying to keep that down because if scar tissue from swelling develops they will have to go in and scrape that all out of my jaw to avoid the tissue causing permanent problems. So tomorrow morning I will go to the specialist and he will decide if I need to have the surgery.

Since I haven't been able to eat solid food for the past few days I had to go shopping today. I am worried that my broccoli, and greens will go to waste since they are two hard for me to chew. :( Today I bought frozen fruit to blend in smoothies, yogurt, almond milk, apple sauce and tomato sauce. I did manage to eat a black bean quesadilla last night but it was soft and melted enough that I didn;t have to chew too much but I was close to overdoing it with that. I also bought fresh spinach to put in my smoothies as well. I kind of want to try salad but I have a feeling that it might be too crunchy.

While I was out today I had to run a few errands.

1. Go to the post office to get stamps and mail a package that I sold off Ebay.

2. Grocery store

3. Pay the water bill(there office is a block away so I never mail it I just walk it over)

4. Refill my birth control prescription

While I was at the pharmacy I picked up a free 2014 Farmers Almanac. The woman asked if I wanted a calendar too. I declined as I already have one for 2014.

That got me thinking about things I will never buy again.

I will share a few with you:

1. A calendar: As I thought about it there are some local businesses that give away calendars for free, grocery stores, banks, pharmacies to name a few. Why pay for one when you can get it for free?

2. Farmers Almanac: I always get one for free from one of the local businesses in town. They may not be free in all areas or even available? I don't know how that would work in big cities like NYC. They are filled with much more info than just farming stuff. Last year the 2013 Farmers Almanac got me started with Natural Cleaning and taught me the ratios for mixing the solutions.

3. Seed starters for the garden: I will grow my seeds in toilet paper tubes for my garden next year. Why pay for those little biodegradable mesh sacks filled with dirt when you can pack these tubes with dirt and plant away. They will biodegrade and this is a much better use for them than throwing them away and it will save room in your recycle bin. I have a small box next to the toilet in our spare bathroom and I throw them in there once they are empty.

4. Paper towels: You all probably know now that I don't use paper towels. We bought huck towels off of amazon and we use those instead and cloth napkins as well.

5. Laundry detergent: I use soap nuts. I buy mine from www.greenvirginproducts.com Make sure you buy deseeded ones.

6. Gloves, hats, scarves, wash cloths etc: I make my own. It is easy to learn and do. It is totally possible to teach your self by reading books and there are tons of awesome youtube videos that teach you step my step patterns and stitches as well as answer questions if you are more of a visual learner.

7.Books: get a library card it is free and I realize sometimes you just really want to buy a book and that is okay but I will check a book out from the library first and if I think it is a useful book to have or will be a good resource later I will then go buy it. I try to find them second hand and still in like new shape.

8.Deodorant, soap, face scrub and anti-friz serum and other body products: I make my own all natural no chemical soap, face scrub/body scrub and my own hair oil. I also use coconut oil for many things like lotion for example.

9. Candles: I make my own out of all natural beeswax. It is simple and doesn't take very long.

10. Containers: I re-use glass jars.

I could keep on going and going but I think that is enough for now. Let me know if there are any alternatives any of you have come up with so that you no longer have to buy unhealthy wasteful products.

Blessings!

Making room for set backs

2013-12-10T06:32:51.000Z

Blessings All,

I am posting this as an update. The holidays are approaching so fast. We are almost done with our shopping. We have a couple of people left to buy for. We just recently bought my dad a beer kit so he can make and brew his own beer. This is great because, it's perfect for my dad who likes to make and do things and it is giving the ability to learn something new and be more self sufficient.

As for the other things going on right now, 2 nights ago I had a patient in the hospital punch me in the jaw 4 times. The patient was confused and not in their right mind. I was sent to the ER within 20 minutes due to extreme radiating pain from my chin to my ear. My ear felt like it was on fire inside and going to bust. I have never experienced anything like this before. I declined any pain medicine and just wanted ice. I was seen by a DR pretty quickly and he ordered x-rays, not something I was too thrilled about being exposed too but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. I do not have any breaks. My TMJ is jammed up which in turn is irritating my ear causing the pain. DR explained that I have to take anti inflammatory meds because if the I TMJ continues to swell too much it can cause permanent damage and result in having to have surgery. He also explained that I will have a lot of pain for 5-10 days and that this type of injury takes a while to heal. No solid food for 5 days, so I've been having smoothies, soft fruits like, bananas, apple sauce, mandarin oranges, soups, peas, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs. My follow up appointment is tomorrow. So I will find out then if the injury has gotten worse and what my chance is of it healing on its own. The pain has been persistent, I take the stronger pain med only when I go to bed. And then I take the not so strong one all other times. I am also taking turmeric twice a day. It is natures anti inflammatory. Even with the pain meds in my system I have a constant throb deep in my ear and my jaw feels like it is coming out of a numb state like after you've had Novocain and it is wearing off. Then once the meds have worn off and its time to take more the pain is probably at least twice that. My swelling on my face is minimal. I have been sleeping with ice on my face. When my husband got his wisdom teeth out a few years ago they gave him this jaw wrap that ice packs fit into. Luckily I saved it. It has helped me a lot. I never take pain meds so the effect that they have on me I am not used too. When I woke up today it was hard to even get my mouth to open. right now as it I cannot open the right side of my mouth all the way.

Some things I am working on is a camo tea cozy. I have extra yarn left over from a scarf that I just made for my father in law. I tried knitting the plastic bags together and I had a hard time so I am doing some more research and going to try and perfect it. I almost have my fingerless gloves done. The candle making is going well. I am preparing to make some more soap to give as gifts. I haven't been eating like I should simply becasuse I don't have much of an appetite right now and canned soap has a lot of sodium so I am trying to watch that. Even drinking some times is too much work for my mouth at this point but I am definitely trying to stay hydrated so I do not end up in the hospital and pain meds wreak havoc on your body and digestive system. SO I have to make sure I am getting enough fiber and fluid in.

Thank you all for your support. I will most likely update tomorrow after I see my Dr.

There is magic in the air

2013-12-05T04:59:38.000Z

Blessings All,

So it's been busy around here, putting up decorations and shopping not to mention all the gift making I have been doing. I knitted an ear warmer headband out of rainbow acrylic yarn. I taught myself all the stitches that I had never done before. Currently I need to finish knitting a scarf that I am working on for my father in law, finish a pair of gloves I am making for myself and knit at least one more headband and maybe another scarf all for gifts. I have been using a pair of my grandmas knitting needles that she left me.

I am working on many other projects as well. My muse has been quite the companion lately.

I made my first ever beeswax candle today. I reused a candle jar that I cleaned out and saved. I ordered my wax from a 3rd generation beekeeper in Ohio. No chemicals or anything like that used. IT has its own natural smell and it is a beautiful one! I used a 100% cotton braided wick It took a bit for the wax to melt but I melted the perfect amount for the jar I had. It is still setting up. It has a nice rustic look to it as it isn't perfectly poured. But I like it and look forward to burning it.

I am also working on a couple of "upcycling" projects. I am going to make a couple bird houses out of plastic. Its a wonderful way to reuse something and help the environment in the sense that it gives the birds a house and reduces trash and litter and it will save me some room in my recycle bin. Instead of buying dowel rods I went walking through my yard and found a couple stick I am going to use for the perches. It will look more natural to the birds this way I think and saves a tree from being cut down to make dowel rods. Seems really easy. I will post pics when I get this finished. I am going to make two, both a little different. One for my yard and one for my dad. I told him about it today and he was excited to see the finished product. HE also gave me a few jars for candles.

The next project is knitting a welcome mat out of plastic grocery bags. We have found many ways to reuse these bags around the house. We use them for bathroom trashcan liners, trash bags in the kitchen, bags to clean the litter box with, wrapping holiday breakables when we pack them away, stuffing in cat toys and pillows for their beds, and for packing when sending things in the mail that I sell off of ebay. If I can knit welcome mats I will also give one to my dad.

The last project on the list for now is to make a pillow for my cats out of an old stained fluffy robe. I have a white fluffy robe that I Have had for almost ten years. I cook in it sometimes, eat in it and much more. I asked my husband for a new one for the holiday so if I get a new one I am going to cut some fabric from it and make a pillow, I will stuff it with plastic bags and stuffing, and I will throw in some cat nip. ;)

I can feel the magic in all of these items that I will create with my own hands.

Are there any projects any of you are working on?

Money Saving tips for the season and all year around

2013-11-26T03:00:00.000Z

We all love saving money? Dare I even question this? If you are like me you want to know where your money is going, how to save as much as you can, how to get the best deal and how to make your bills as low as possible as well as what you can reuse, or not even buy at all for there are better alternatives.

I will list some of the tips that have worked for me and that I do myself on a regular basis.

My #1 tip

Use the resources that you have at the tips of your fingers, google, youtube, the newspaper, my blog, the craftwise group here on RP, RP member Sutra's blog, the frugal pagan group here on RP, the Natural living group here on RP, friends, neighbors, etc.

Organize and utilize your freezer! Freeze things that keep well. I will list a few things that I freeze and how I use them.

-Breadcrumbs, I save the heels that my husband won't eat off of his bread and pulse them in the food processor then freeze them. This way you don't have to buy store bought ones. If you don't use bread crumbs in cooking, save the bread and make a bread pudding or crumble them up and put them in the yard for the birds.(my dad does this)

-Bananas, I buy a lot of bananas and sometimes I don't get around to eating them all so I either mash them up and make banana bread(now gluten free in our house), or freeze them and put them in food processor to make banana ice cream, put 1-2 bananas in add a splash of coconut milk or almond milk and blend until creamy. You will love it! You can also use mashed banana in place of oil in baking. Or slice bananas long ways and fry them up in place of pancakes in the morning.

-Hot Dogs, Pot Pies and Hot Pockets, These are quick lunches for my husband to eat on the days I am napping before work. Always stock up when on sale and check those bulk prices! For instance hot pockets were on sale $2 for a box of 2 or I could get a box of 5 for $4.88. They are $1 a piece so by buying the box of 5 I got 1 hot pocket for 88 cents! Saving 12 cents. They add up!

-Chicken breast(organic boneless skinless) and Organic Salmon are staples for us. Eat fish that are low in mercury if you can. I still eat tuna once in awhile though so no judgment.

-Frozen pizza, we do not eat these vvery often but when I get a coupon I stock up.

-Our wedding cake, saving this to eat next year on our anniversary.

Coupon BUT, only use coupons on the items you would normally buy! This will save you money! For instance, I do not clip coupons for cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, paper towels etc.(unless its for vinegar or baking soda). I use vinegar and baking soda to clean with, it is safe and just as affective as Lysol and I use soap nuts for laundry. I also do not buy paper towels we bought huck towels and cloth napkins. These do not cost much and pay for themselves in no time. I have other blogs explaining this if you are a skeptic check those out. This also saves me a TON of money!

Learn how to adjust your toilet to use the minimum amount of water it can and still work properly and shower together! I learned this just by asking my dad to show me how, there are also videos on youtube on how to do this. It is really EASY. My husband and I shower together a lot to avoid using so much hot water. Also only use what toilet paper you need. Some people use cloth scraps in place of toilet paper. If that is for you go for it! Do a google search for a bucket bath, themomwrites.com has a nice article about it. This is on my list to try.

Wash clothes in cold water. Cold water is cheaper than hot so I use cold whenever possible. I only use hot water for shower and dishes.

Learn about power "vampires" that is those electronics with a light that stays on even if the appliance is off(most new TVs), Ovens, microwaives, etc If possible unplug these when not it use. We keep most of our lights off at night and just have candles lit. It is super easy to make your own candles and you can just re-use jars you already have from candles you are currently using. I will post more about this later.

Make your own. I make my own soap, shampoo, body scrub, flea repellent, candles, etc. Learn how to do things. I learned to knit so I knit my own scarves, wash clothes, etc. If it interests you lean how to make cheese or butter, a woman I work with is taking a class on how to bee keep. She will have extra honey to sell at the farmers market as well, saving her money and making her money as well. Don't be shy. Never be afraid to learn. I love learning, I try and learn something new every day. :) I would love to hear what you are learning about. Feel free to share in the comments below. You may inspire others!

Reuse as much as possible! Wash and rinse your sandwich bags to reuse them. These are expensive and can be reused a few times and still work just as good! $$$$ SAVER! Wash glass jars from salsa, pasta sauce, or plastic from peanut butter jars and reuse them. I have a huge peanut butter jar that I store my fresh juice in. They also take the place of plastic Tupperware type containers and are safer for you and can also be used in the microwave. I use glass jars to store leftovers, transport leftovers to my dads, or to work for my lunch there. SO if you are buying that pasta sauce in a glass jar, why not wash it with the rest of the dishes and re-use it? This will save you money because they will last much longer than those plastic containers!

Make a meal plan

I make a meal plan for two weeks and build my grocery list around the meal plan. I also look for coupons that fit in my meal plan and don't expire before my next shopping trip. Do your best to stick to the grocery budget and the list!

#10

Write out your monthly budget. I have been on my won since I was 17 and I had never done this. I am pretty good with numbers and knowing what I can spend but since I got married and my husband and I are talking buying a house and kids I figured it was time. All I did was write down how much we spend on groceries a month and each bill. And how I can downsize the numbers. For instance I pay $100.00 for my smart phone and so does my husband. I don't need half the crap on the phone because I have internet at home and also have access at work. SO in 2014 I am going prepaid, my dad has been prepaid with his cell phone for years this will cut the expense in half for me. Also keeping the centeral heat between 62 and 65 degrees will keep that bill down. Bundle up and cuddle up! My goal is to also cut one grocery trip down to $50 with coupons and sale adds I plan to try and stick as closely to that as I can and once grocery trip at $150 So that is $200 a month on groceries instead of $300. We also plan to be very conscious about when and why we turn on the water faucet and hoe much we actually use. We hope this will also bring the numbers down. The more we save now the more we will have towards our new house next year.

Now for Black Friday. I don't do it because I always work that night so all the moms at work can go. They have crazy deals on leap pads and such. My advice is plan carefully and if it will TRUELY BENEFIT YOU then go and save money and bring home some deals. Or black Friday for charity. Most importantly be safe doing these things. People can get crazy.

Remember to give back! Donate to a food pantry, we did for thanksgiving and we will for Christmas as well. There are angel trees as well. My husband and I pick two kids off oft of it and buy things for them. We don't spend a lot but we buy them nice things on a budget. I also took up a collection for a woman I work with who's health took a turn for the worst. In 24 hours I raised over $200 for her. Don't be afraid to do something nice for someone else. And remember that this is not just a seasonal thing. People need food all year around. They will appreciate all you do. Giving is so good for everyone's soul!

Blessings!

Thanksgiving Challenge

2013-11-26T00:46:45.000Z

Hey all,

This week has been so busy and I have not had much time to post. I have to work on thanksgiving so I thought I would share my holiday plan.

First off, we had our first snow a few weeks ago, my husband and I put the Thanksgiving and Christmas sheets on the bed, they are green, tan and red plaid flannel. 100% cotton. We also put the heavier quilt on the bed.

We had Thanksgiving with my husbands extended family last weekend. There was a HUGE meat variety. I had a little ham, no grains, and stuck to mostly veggies.

Then last Thursday we had a thanksgiving dinner, with my husbands parents and brother. Homemade beef and noodles and veggies, I did have a brownie for desert.

I try to keep grains and dairy and also meat to a minimum in my diet as they are way too processed and not good for your body. I do occasionally eat them in small amounts.

This Wednesday I am fixing a thanksgiving lunch for my husband before he goes to work, I am fixing deviled eggs, turkey Manhattan and apple pie. (those are some of my husbands favorites)

Then for dinner my dad is coming over and I am fixing a small ham, latkes, deviled eggs, and a veggie. I am also going to make an origami cone shaped cup and fill it with goodies for my dad, I will probably put some clementines in it for him.

We always put the tree up after thanksgiving so on Saturday we will put up a tree. We never use a real tree. We have a 6ft fake tree that we usually put up, it is very old. Since we have things packed up all over the house(when my husband moved the rest of his things in he didn't want to unpack them since we are house hunting to have to just pack it all up again) we do not have room for this tree but I have a mini tree that's probably 1 1/2 feet that we are going to decorate with some cute hand beaded ornaments and put it on top of our electric fireplace.

Since its Thanksgiving week I only have two challenges for you. I will post my results in a week or so and I look forward to seeing yours.

#1 Teach yourself something. I just read about how to grow tomatoes on my porch. This may be useful if we move somewhere where there isn't room for a garden. I am also going to knit myself a pair of mohair or wool gloves. I am trying to eliminate acrylic and polyester from my clothing and bedding. I Will make sure the mohair or wool come from as good source where the animals are treated well. I found a pattern for gloves and using my knitting skills I will make me some gloves and a friend wants a pair too. if you would like to learn to knit there is a book called Stitch and Bitch that has some really neat patterns in it and really good step by step instructions and teaches you how to read a pattern, so it also doubles as a good reference for other knitting patterns. There are also great you tube videos on knitting and how to do different stitches. I also just taught myself how to make my own beeswax all natural chemical free candles from the internet. I will definitely post progress on this.

#2 Load up on veggies this week you need all the fiber to keep all the wheat-filled and surgary holiday foods moving through your body. And also fruits are good too if you wanna replace that apple pie completely. If you are looking for a healthier pie choice pumpkin(without the whip cream or a small dab) is your best bet.

Blessings and I hope all of you have a wonderful week however you celebrate!

And Now I Challenge You

2013-11-14T02:07:41.000Z

Blessings All,

The purpose of this blog I am going to talk about trying new things. We have all been through this. When I was a child I loved all food there was never anything I wouldn't eat except cooked beets and cooked sauerkraut. Now I juice beets and will eat raw sauerkraut in probiotic burritos and I will even put raw sauerkraut on my veggie burgers. So in this blog I will tell you what new things I tried today and I have a challenge for you!

For dinner today I had:

a salad of organic locally grown lettuce, organic cucumbers, organic tomatoes, diced bok choy, and garlic.

3 stalks of celery topped with organic almond butter

5 dates

1/2 a can of crushed pineapple

A glass of un-sweet iced tea with a lemon wedge

The new food I tried was bok choy.

It is a lot like celery but has less of those stringy fibers that get stuck in your teeth. The stalks are white and when you bite into it, it is juicy so it is very hydrating. The tops have a very earthy taste that is slightly bitter.

This whole meal was delicious and filling!

I then took my multivitamin and hopped on the treadmill. I do this often and with weights. I do some punches with the weights while I jog or over the head presses. I then slowed it down and did some jogging backwards.

The new thing I did was the backwards jogging. BE CAREFUL with this! At first I started way too fast and almost busted my ass. So hold on to the handles even if you have to reach behind you a bit and start slow with high knee steps(kind of like doing a lunge) This really works your thighs. I felt so refreshed afterwards.

Now for the challenge!!

Each week I will post 3 challenges I will also do them with you and post progress as I welcome you to comment with your progress. You are welcome to try all 3 or just do one of them. I will try and post things that don't cost money(or very little) and things that do not take up a whole lot of time.

#1 Try a new food, don't buy a whole lot just in case you do not like it. Also try eating it a lot of different ways before you decide. For instance when I first tried Kale raw I didn't care for it, but I juice it and make my own kale chips. You can also cook it and add it to omelets and stews.

#2 Start a small recycling bin if you haven't already. We have a two boxes in our kitchen that only take up out two feet of space in a corner. We recycle plastic, glass and paper and the cans from our canned food. Just make sure you rinse everything out before you put it in your bin. Most trash services will pick up recycling but you have to arrange it and possibly pay extra. Most communities have a bin that you can take your recycling to. We will walk ours down as it is only a few blocks away or we will drop it off on our way to work. Some grocery stores have recycle bins the public can use. My local grocery store has a bin just for those plastic shopping bags, and I noticed Wal-Mart has a bin for plastic and glass right inside the first set of doors where the vending machines are.

#3 Watch a documentary about your health or going green(which will better your health and help mother Earth) or read the summary or reviews online. Check Netflix there are tons of documentaries on there. It is super easy to sign up and only cost $8 a month. Youtube will have reviews and response videos and websites have reviews and summaries. A few I recommend are: Beautiful truth, No impact man, YERT, Killer at large, Food Matters and Plastic Planet.

Food Matters was the doc that started it all for me and really got me thinking about the food choices I was making. There are many more that I have watched but that should get you started.

I am looking forward to what all my readers think and what things you do to challenge yourself.