How to Save Money on Spices

Call me a slow learner, but I just realized that our local grocery store has a bulk spice section!  Actually, I don't think it's that I'm such a slow learner, but that I usually find myself zooming through the store with my list and several children in tow and I have never taken the time to really get to know my store!

So perhaps that is Tip #1 for you today:  Take time by yourself to stroll slowly through your store, noticing what exactly they offer, how much it costs, and where it is located. Not only did I discover the bulk spice section, but I realized that our store has a fairly impressive section of health/natural foods and supplements.  So good to know!

Which brings us to my main tip for you today.  This week I needed to buy poppy seeds.  They come in a little bottle like this in the regular spice aisle:

In case you can't see it, that is 1.25 ounces for $3.18, which works out to $2.54 per ounce, or a whopping $40.64 per pound!  Wow, those poppy seeds are precious!

Come with me to the far side of the store where we find the bulk spices.  As you can see, the array is extensive.

I didn't know exactly how much poppy seed I would need, so I just scooped a bit into the little plastic bags provided, marked the PLU number on it, and weighed it.

Here is how I made out:

That is .04 pounds of poppy seed, which works out to .64 ounces.  It should be plenty for my recipe.  In any case, you can see the price per pound on the label:  $7.99 per pound! Hmmm, seems like a MUCH better deal than getting the tiny bottle from McCormick!  I got just the right amount and for only 32 cents!

I think this is especially a great way to go if you only need a little bit of a particular spice.  Don't we all have bottles of spices in our pantries that we used once or twice, and now they've been there for years?!

(On that note, they say once a jar of ground spice has been opened, it should be used within 6 to 9 months in order to preserve maximum flavor.  Whole spices will keep much longer.)

What other things do you buy in bulk?  I wish our local store had a better selection of grains in bulk.  Maybe I'll have to request that.  Share with us your tips for saving money at the grocery store!

Help with School Lunches!

It's that time of the year again!  Time to make the school lunches!  For me, one of the best freedoms of summer vacation is the freedom from packing four school lunches. I am always looking for tips and tricks to make it easier and quicker!

At the same time, our family has been trying to eat more "real food".  And by real food, I mean food that is minimally processed.  Abiding by this idea cuts out a lot of my school lunch go-tos!  No more single serving packages of chips or pretzels!  No more overly-sugared yogurt tubes!  Lots more homemade goods and fruits and veggies!

Today I'm sharing links to several resources around the web that I've found helpful as we begin the school year.  Hope you find something that helps your family, too!

I really try to not have too much disposable stuff in my kids' lunches.  These lunch containers are my favorites.  I'm also going to try these this year.  And to replace those yogurt tubes, I may try smoothies in these silicon freezer tubes.

I use this lunch box but have also seen lots of people who use these.

This blog is all about eating real food and she's got a whole section all about school lunches.  Recipes, too!  I've been spending a lot of time on her site, getting ideas and trying things out. 

This is a great post about making lunches quickly.  Lots of other great ideas on her site.

I also found this good idea for doing a bunch of prep before the week starts so that each morning goes smoothly and quickly (At least in terms of lunch-making!  No guarantees on anything else!)  

As you may  know, there are also TONS of great ideas on Pinterest.  Poke around, see what you find, then come back here and let us know what caught your eye in the comments!

Pencil Cup Upgrade

All you need:
Yarn
Needle or Tape
Pencil Cup from Dollar Store

I didn't have a needle that would be big enough for the yarn and also small enough to thread through the holes in the cup, so I twisted the end of the yarn and taped it up tightly. That's what I used as a "needle" and it worked great.

Like so:

Then just thread the yarn through in any pattern you like.  I did a very simple up-and-down pattern.  Adds a little extra color and zip to a plain pencil cup for very little money and just a little time!

Personalize your spiral notebook

Last week, I posted this post listing some easy and creative ways to use some of your extra school supplies. 

This week I'm showing you the Personalized Spiral Notebook

Supplies needed:

spiral notebook

pipe cleaners

spray adhesive

scissors

wax paper

First lay out your wax paper and place your spiral in the middle.  Using whatever pattern or design you wish, start laying out your pipe cleaners in order.  The pipe cleaners will probably be too long, so you have 2 options:  cut them before you glue them down or lay them all down and cut them all after the glue dries.

Then, using a piece of cardboard or plastic as a barrier, spray 1-2 inches of your spiral, starting on the left.  As quickly as possible, place the pipe cleaners on the sticky surface until you've covered all of the adhesive.  Then using a piece of plastic or cardboard as a protective barrier, spray the next 1-2 inches and lay the pipe cleaners.  Repeat the process until you've covered the entire cover.  Allow the glue to dry completely before you cut the excess or before you use it.

I'm going back to school this fall, and our school colors are blue and gold.  I thought this would be a nice, personalized gift for another teacher or a student.

Come back next Friday for a new super easy school supply craft idea.

Fun and creative ways to use all those school supplies

School supply time is magical.  Seriously.  Second only to Christmastime, school supply shopping is my favorite time of year.  Is there anything better than the smell of a fresh box of crayons, a new unused spiral, a clean and full eraser?  That's right...NO there's not.

Where we live, school supply lists are coming out and the supplies are on sale.  The urge to buy is too much to resist.  When my local store posts a "Limit 6" sign, I HAVE to buy 6, even if we only need a few.  I usually end up with extra school supplies pouring out of our craft cabinet and no idea what to do with them.  So what can YOU do with all of these extras?  Here you go...

• Pencil cases make EXCELLENT make up bags.  
• Make a crayon wreath.
• Use clear school boxes to store your measuring spoons.
• Turn composition books into one of a kind journals
• Punch holes in your kids artwork (it's okay, I promise) and keep them in a binder on a shelf or a coffee table to use as an art book.
• Cover spiral notebooks in pipe cleaners for a creative cover. 
• Use food coloring and Elmer's Glue to turn clear glass vases, jars, and bowls into sea glass.  
• Melt down crayons in any mold to create a unique crayon or even decoration.
• Use index cards cut into shapes to make gift tags for any occasion.
• Glue map pencils or regular pencils around a cup, can or jar to create a one of a kind pencil holder for your desk!  (You can do it with crayons, too!)
• And best of all.... school supplies can be a great giving opportunity for your kids.  Collect extras of everything and take them to local homeless shelters or community centers for children who need help!

But now I need YOUR input.  Which of the above crafts would YOU like to see in a detailed how to post?  In the coming weeks I will post detailed instructions. Stay tuned!

UPDATE: New Cake Carrier!

Remember the awesome vintage cake carrier I found last month?  I wrote about it here.

Well, last week my friend and I were at World Market and I saw this!

It's a brand-new, pretty cake carrier!  With space under the lid for a pie or cupcakes or utensils or what-have-you. 

One thing my vintage carrier has over this one is that mine has additional storage space UNDER the cake plate.  But this one is really pretty and Frenchy.  There was one left in our store, but you might be able to find one here.  

These dessert carriers make me want to make desserts!  I'm thinking of trying this Lemon and Strawberry Sponge Cake. Yum! 

Easy packing for camp (or any long trip)

My 9 year old son just left for camp, for the first time, EVER!  So that makes this my first time to pack someone for camp, EVER!! 

My plan was just to pack everything on the "What to Pack" list from the camp,  fold it in the duffel bag, and be done.  Then my friend Jenni stopped by as I was packing and gave me what turned out to be the best advise EVER!

Take a full day's outfit (shirt, shorts, socks, underwear), fold them up and put them in a Ziploc bag.  If you want to, you could even label the days: Monday, Tuesday, etc. or even just Day 1, Day 2, etc. 

There are MANY reasons that this idea is great:

• My son could not match his clothes into an outfit if his life depended on it.
• He tends to pull everything out of a bag to look for something.  Then nothing goes back (or if he's forced to put it back, it's just shoved in there, dirty and clean all together.)
• Each morning, Sam can reach in his duffel, pick out a Ziploc bag, and be done.  No choosing, sorting, searching necessary.**
• Because each bag is packed tight and you can take the air out of them, there is tons of room in his bag for other things.
• At the end of the week, when his bag is being repacked, maybe, JUST MAYBE, he'll think to put something wet or nasty in a Ziploc.  Ok, so not likely.  But it COULD happen.
• This is great for any trip, whether you're with them or not.  The next time we head to Disney World, I'm doing this for both of my kids. 

So, that's IT.  I feel like a super hero this week, like I've saved one small portion of my world.  It's kind of awesome.  Am I the last mom to hear about this idea?   Maybe I'm not so super?  Or maybe I am!

**Blogger's update:  As of yesterday, day 4 of camp and based on online photos posted by his counselors, Sam appears to be wearing the exact same clothes for every activity all week:  his bathing suit bottoms and the same t-shirt.  It's nice to see all of my efforts making such a difference for him.

TIP: Keep a Swiffer Duster in Your Car!

Today's tip comes to us by way of our friend and neighbor, Denise.   She gave me permission to use her great idea!

Does the dashboard of your car ever look like this:

Can you see that dust?  You may also be able to see the place where my index finger tried to wipe away the dust from the speedometer.  Classy, I know.  That's how I roll.  Here, have another look at that dust: 

 Here's where our smart friend comes in!  She keeps the Swiffer duster in her car and uses it to keep her dashboard clean and dust-free.  The wand and five dusters are just $4.59 at Target, and one duster should last you for many months, as you'll only be dusting the dash!  And look, the wand fits perfectly in the glove box:

I used the Swiffer to dust the dash, the radio, into the vents, and of course, the instrument panel.  Works like a charm, and I can take care of this annoying part of life whenever I need to!

Thanks, Denise!

Flea Market Find

A few weekends ago my husband and I spent a Saturday at various flea markets in our area.  In one of the dumpiest ones, I made this great find! 

Now, maybe you don't as excited about old stuff as I do, but I wanted to show you this great cake carrier.  It looks like it's from the 70s.

Let me take you on a little tour:

Here it is all put together.  I LOVE the flowers and don't mind a bit about the scratches and the rust.  When I use it for a cake, I will line the food-touching parts with foil or wax paper or even a pretty doily.  No problem.

Here are all the parts separately.  Can you tell what goes where?!  I'm telling you, this thing is full of hidden storage spaces!

Looky here!  In the bottom section, under the cake plate, is a little space where you could store/transport cookies or brownies or anything else low profile.

Then you put your cake on the cake plate and cover it with the tall flowered section.

Then you add the lid.  But wait!  There is more room for cookies or brownies or any other kind of treat right there under the lid!  I'm telling you, this thing can house a dessert extravaganza!

Then you pick it up by the trusty little handle and off you go!  I can't wait to use it!

It's Time for Summer Bingo!

 A week or two before our kids got out of school, I sent out a plea on Facebook, saying that I wasn't looking forward to summer for the first time EVER, and would someone please send me some ideas for staying sane and happy with my four kiddos at home?!?

A friend told me that she had played Summer Bingo with her kids last summer and they all loved it.  I decided to give it a try! 

Here are the rules to Summer Bingo.  Make them fit your family!

We start out with the Bingo card (see top photo).  Each square is filled with a different activity.  All of them are easy for kids to do on their own (or with minimal help) and there is a good variety of things that are fun and things that are chores.  Each time an activity is completed, they receive a star on that square.  For each row of stars, they receive a ticket.  Tickets are collected in a jar (one for each child) and can be redeemed for all kinds of different things.

An important point that I keep stressing with my kids (we're on week 3 of playing Bingo!), is that the basic chores of the morning must be completed before starting to play Bingo (dressed, teeth brushed, breakfast eaten, rooms picked up and any other chores done).

I was a bit skeptical at first that my oldest son, who is 14, would want to participate.  But our first week, all four kids were motivated and excited and all four of them filled up every single square!  It was a fun way for them to keep busy and do things they might not come up with themselves.  I'm pretty sure that my oldest three are saving up all their tickets for the big cash prize. Can't say I blame them!

Here are their jars with the tickets.  The tickets are just cut up pieces of paper -- highly technical.  

In order to keep things interesting, I change up the activities on the card each week.  And I'm trying to keep a running list of activities that would be good for Bingo as they come to mind during the week.  Here are some of the things that have been on our cards so far:

play a board game with a sibling
ask a parent for a job to do, and do it
play outside for an hour
read for 1/2 hour
call a long distance friend to say hello
go for a bike or scooter ride with a sibling
practice typing for 30 minutes
make lunch and eat it outside
play Solitaire
write a letter
do an act of kindness for a family member
listen to an audio book for an hour
put together a puzzle
sketch something from nature
color or draw for 30 minutes
build something with LEGO or Playmobil
practice your instrument for 30 minutes
listen to classical music for 30 minutes
scrub a toilet
fold a load of laundry 
play Wii Fit for 30 minutes
play an educational website
take photos of nature and show them to a sibling/parent
read poetry for 30 minutes and tell your favorite

These work for our kids, who range in age from 14 down to 7.  Of course, if you have littler kids, you can adjust the activities accordingly!

This is David and Goliath depicted in LEGO.

While my friend did send me her versions of the Bingo cards and the rules, you can look this up on Pinterest and find all kinds of variations.  Or make up your own!  Use this as a starting point and customize it to fit your clan!

Make a Post-It Summer Calendar

I saw this fun idea several years ago on Design Mom (I looked for the actual post, but couldn't find any images that went with it!).  I thought it would be fun to do this summer so that we could all have a good idea of the whole summer and what is coming up when. 

I like that we can see all the months as one time and that each day has a good amount of space to write in activities!  Let's fill it up, baby!

I bought I big stack of Post-Its from the drugstore and decided to use a different color for each month, and one color for the weekends.  I think it looks pretty cool!

I wrote on it with a Sharpie and it did not bleed through to the wall...thank goodness!  Also, I put this up three days ago and it seems to be sticking to the wall pretty well. 

How do you keep track of your summer plans?  We certainly don't have everything nailed down yet, but we're working on it.  I'd love to know your tips and tricks!