Reusable Tissues

I have been really inspired by Extreme Cheapskates on TLC.  Of course, a lot of the stuff people do on that show is just a little crazy, but then again that's why I like that kind of show.  There was one woman on the show who, instead of buying toilet paper, cut squares out of fabric and kept them in her bathroom where the toilet paper would go.  She had her family use the "reusable toilet paper" and then throw it in a bucket next to the toilet so it could be washed and reused.  While I can't bring myself to do that (I have more of a problem with the bucket of used t.p. sitting next to the toilet than with the reusable t.p. itself) it did inspire me to come up with this idea for reusable tissues.  And yes, I have heard of handkerchiefs so I know I didn't actually come up with the idea of reusable tissues.  I wouldn't exactly call these "handkerchiefs" but you'll see why.

 

What you will need:

Old t-shirts or other cotton fabric

Scissors

Ruler

Empty wipes container

 

Our thrift store has t-shirts as cheap as $0.09, so I went hunting for some.  I only found 3 this time, but the price was right so I bought them.  BTW, I decided to stick with the same color.  I have some old t-shirt rags that I use for cleaning, and I didn't want to get the tissues mixed up with the same scraps I use for cleaning.

Then you will need to cut the t-shirts into squares.  A regular tissue is 8 in x 8in.  I found that 8 x 8 inch squares didn't fit so well in my wipes container, so I cut them down to 8 x 7.  They don't have to be exact, you're just going to blow your nose on them anyway.

I got about a dozen tissues out of each t-shirt.  Plus I had a couple of other small scraps of cotton that I cut up.  So I ended up with about 40 tissues.  Fold each one in half and put them in a stack.

 

Then take a regular wipes container (or other container of a similar size)

And decorate it however you want.  I covered mine with mod podge and some denim scraps from jeans I had cut off at the beginning of the summer.

Put your stack of tissues inside the container.

And now you have a box of tissues that you can wash and reuse, for less than the price of a disposable box of tissues!  These are even better than regular tissues because they won't tear, and they are thicker so you won't need to use as many.  You could even make multiple boxes and keep them around your house like you would with regular tissues.  Just use them, throw them in the laundry, wash, fold, and put back in the container.  I know tissues don't cost a lot, and most people only use them when they're sick, so it may not save a whole ton of money, but no matter how small the amount, I would rather keep it than waste it on something you're going to throw away.

 

 

You may also like: Save Unused Napkins from Restaurants

 



Low Carb Pumpkin Pie

 

Now that Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I have been getting a little nervous.  I have been nervous because you can't have Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, but I can't have pumpkin pie now that I gave up carbs, grains and sugar.  But thankfully (no pun intended) I found this recipe on Pinterest, and I tweaked it a bit.  Not only is it low carb and sugar free, it is also grain free, dairy free, Paleo-approved, and gluten free. 

 

Just to warn you, it is a crust-free pie.  But I don't miss the crust.  To be honest, I always throw the crust out anyway.  Here are your ingredients (I also wanted to mention that I had each and every one of these ingredients in my fridge/pantry and didn't have to go out to the store to buy any of them.)

 

1 15 oz can pumpkin

1 1/2 cup coconut milk

3 eggs

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup stevia

1 tsp vanilla

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Pour into a greased pie pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Slice and serve with a spoonful or 4 of whipped cream.  Yumm!!!

 

**I was going to take more pictures of my delicious pie, but it didn't look very picture-perfect on my plate.  But that's ok, I got at least one picture of it, and the taste makes up for lack of pretty pictures.**

DIY Scarf Organizer

I have been collecting more and more scarves lately.  I finally acquired enough scarves that I was in need of something on which to hang them.  First I found this scarf organizer at Bed Bath and Beyond, but I didn't need it bad enough to spend $8 on it.  Then I found a DIY scarf organizer on Pinterest using a hanger and shower curtain rings.  That would mean I have to go out and buy shower curtain rings.  Yeah, that wasn't gonna happen.  So I created my own cheap (free) version of the DIY scarf organizer.

Start with a hanger.  Find one that has the little hangy-hooks on each side as pictured.

Then you'll need a few rubber bands.

 

First, stretch a rubber band horizontally from one of the hangy-hooks to the other.

Then start stretching the other rubber bands across the hanger vertically, lining them up evenly.

 

Take your scarves and loop them through the holes.  Hang and store.  That's it.

 

OK, so I know I'm being kind of cheap here, but it wasn't something that I wanted to spend money on, so I found a way to make something to fit my needs for free.  Isn't that what being frugal is all about? ;)





Fruit Cup Halloween Treats

One day last week, we had to bring the snack for Angie's preschool class.  I remembered seeing something on Pinterest awhile back that I knew would be cute and easy.  I actually saw the idea here, but it's so easy that directions really aren't necessary.  All you need are those little fruit cup packages (anything orange will work, but I used mandarin oranges) and a black sharpie.

 

Simply draw faces on the tops of the fruit cups.  I wanted to make all of them look different, so I just looked up "jack-o-lantern faces" on Google Images to get some ideas.  Here is what I came up with:

 

A really cute, easy, healthy Halloween-themed snack that kids love.  It was the perfect snack for a class of 3 year olds!

Candy Corn Paper Clip Earrings

These are a really cute, easy, inexpensive fall craft.  I originally got the idea for paper clip earrings from Evie S., but I put a fall twist on them and made them into candy corns.  All you need are:

 

2 paperclips

Embroidery floss in orange, yellow and white

Glue stick

Earring hooks

Jump rings

 

 

Open up the paperclips to make triangle shapes.

 

Next you will need to wrap the embroidery floss around the paperclips.  First, apply some glue to the paperclip with a glue stick.  I find that a glue stick works well because it makes the thread stick without making a big mess.  Wrap white floss around the top part of the paperclip, and yellow around the bottom as shown:

 

Once the paperclip is wrapped all the way around, apply more glue to the sides, and start wrapping all the way around the earring (from side to side of the triangle).  Start at the top with white thread and wrap 1/3 of the triangle, then switch to orange thread.  Wrap the middle 1/3 of the triangle, then switch to yellow until you have reached the bottom, gluing all the way.  You may need to use a needle to hide the ends of the thread inside.  Then attach the earring hooks with jump rings.

 

And that's it.  Really quick, easy and cheap.  It's an easy way to make a cute pair of fall earrings to wear.  It would also be a fun craft to make with little girls.

 

BTW, if you haven't already, be sure to follow my page via Google Friend Connect or follow on Facebook!

 

 

You may also like: Fruit Cup Halloween Treats or Dip-Dyed Candy Corn Shirt

 



Homemade Beef Jerky

Recently I have discovered Wellness Mama and have really been enjoying her blog.  It's extremely informative and eye-opening.  I have mentioned in the past how I have struggled with weight and other health issues such as PCOS and insulin resistance.  I have always thought that the reason it's so hard to lose weight and be healthy in general is that there are so many different theories out there regarding what is healthy and what isn't.  Her blog doesn't necessarily follow the norm of what we've been told is healthy all these years, but after reading the facts and the reasoning behind the theories, it makes perfect sense to me.  Personally, I have been doing what "they" say is healthy for years now, and it's not working.  Therefore, our house is going grain-free.  In addition, we are beginning to change the products we use to natural and chemical-free. 

That being said, I will be posting a lot more healthy, low-carb, grain-free recipes as well as recipes for DIY natural health and beauty and cleaning products.  This is one recipe that I got from Wellness Mama.  Here is the original link.

I have always been pretty picky about beef jerky, mostly because it's hard to find a brand/flavor that I like.  Recently I discovered Simms Beef Jerky, which you can buy at Aldi.  Not only is it moist and delicious, but it has a wonderful sweet flavor to it.  But even at Aldi's prices, the cost adds up quickly.  Plus, it contains additives and extra sugar and carbs that I don't need.  The thought of making my own beef jerky had crossed my mind before, but I had no idea it was this easy.

Here is what you'll need:

 

Ground beef (preferably 20% fat or less)

Spices of your choice

Baking sheet with a rim

Large mixing bowl

 

Put the ground beef in a bowl.  Add whatever spices you want.  Using clean hands, mix the meat with the spices.  (I used some of my homemade taco seasoning in this batch)

Next, line your baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray.  Spread the meat over the baking sheet.  You can use a rolling pin for this step, but it's not necessary.

 

Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut into pieces (this will make it easier to break into pieces when it's done)

Set your oven on its lowest setting.  Mine is 200 degrees.  Put the baking sheet with the meat on it in the oven.  In about an hour, it will look like this:

 

But don't get too excited, it still has a long way to go.  Cooking times vary based on the temperature you are cooking at and how much meat you are cooking.  Mine took about 6-8 hours to cook at 200 degrees.  Did I mention you will want to do this when you're not planning to leave the house?  It's a good idea to check it often so you don't overcook it.  Also, you will need to flip it about halfway through.  Plus, if you see any grease/fat accumulate on the baking sheet, it will need to be drained.

 

Once your beef jerky is done, let it sit on the baking sheet to cool.  It will also dry out a little more as it cools.  Then, break into pieces and enjoy!

 



 

Dip-Dyed Candy Corn Shirt

This idea was a long time in the making.  I actually first thought of this last fall... I thought, Gee it would be nice to have a fall-themed shirt to wear to fall events, such as Trunk or Treat at our church, HallZOOween at the Zoo, etc.  But then I got too busy and didn't get around to making one.  My original thought was to buy 3 similar shirts in orange, yellow, and white, and then cut them up and sew them back together to make one shirt.  But while I can sew, it's not my strong point, and I came up with this idea instead which seemed much easier (not to mention cheaper).

 

This was not my first experience using fabric dye (see some of my other projects here and here).  But it was my first experience with dip-dying.  The only difference is that you have to be creative and find a way to hang the shirt in a way that only the part you want dyed hangs down in the dye bath.

 

Here is what I started out with:

 

One $6 cotton shirt and 2 $2.29 boxes of fabric dye in yellow and orange.  That's a total cost of $10.58, which is much better than $18 (what my original idea would have costed). 

You will also need a plastic container larger than 3 gallons, plastic gloves, salt, and a large spoon that you can designate for projects such as these.  It helps to have several large disposable plastic containers.  I used gallon jugs. 

Start by placing your large plastic container in a utility sink or other area that you don't mind getting dirty or possibly dying another color.  Add 1 cup of salt and the yellow dye packet to the gallon jug.  Then add 4 cups of very hot water and mix well.  Add to the large plastic container.  Then add 2 more gallons of very hot tap water.  Use the spoon and mix well.

Hang your shirt so that the bottom 2/3 hangs in the dye bath.  (Don't mind my icky basement sink).

Use the spoon to stir the dye bath.  Try to keep the fabric moving around as much as possible so that it dyes evenly.  After 10 minutes, remove the shirt and dump out the dye bath.  Put on your rubber gloves and rinse the shirt out until the water runs clear.  Be careful only to rinse the part of the shirt that has been dyed, otherwise you may accidentally dye the top part of the shirt too.  Once the shirt has been rinsed thoroughly, run it through the washer on regular cycle with warm water.

Then, you are going to repeat the steps to create the second dye bath with the orange dye.  Mix the dye up the same way, with 1 cup of salt and 4 cups of hot water, and add 2 more gallons of hot water.  This time, hang your shirt so that the bottom 1/3 hangs in the dye bath.

Again, stir the dye bath to keep the fabric moving.  This time, you will need to keep the shirt in the dye for 30 minutes.  Then, dump out the dye bath and rinse the shirt until the water runs clear. 

Then you will need to wash the shirt again.  To avoid bleeding the orange dye onto the rest of your shirt, hang your shirt so only the bottom 1/3 hangs in the washer.  Let it hang that way until your washer requires you to close it to go any further.  Then take it off the hanger and let the washer run through the cycle.

 

Hang up your shirt to dry.  You are now done.  What a cute shirt to wear to trick or treat, apple picking, hayrides, etc!  You can also use this same technique on a child's shirt or dress.  My only problem is I accidentally bought a shirt that was at least one size too big.  Whoops.  Oh well, better too big than too small.