Ranting

I Think getting 8-10 hours of sleep is silly, and over rated. We Americans have become too accustomed, and spoiled with luxuries. I could go on for 8-10 hours about how spoiled we are.

Suffering my Loss

I crave others to be around me. I crave a distraction, so that I don't have to think about the loss of another baby. I think I need to cry some more, I need a crutch to hold me, no, more like someone to carry me. I always want to heal very quickly and move on. It's only been a couple of weeks since I lost another baby, and I was assuming I was fine, I was only kidding myself. I've been distracting myself. I've lost 3 babies. I'm afraid to get pregnant again because I don't want to suffer this loss anymore. I do want more babies, but I assume I wont be able to carry them anymore.

Prismacolor

I am over the moon right now! Today my hubby and I ventured to Joann's to purchase Prismacolor colored pencils.

Prismacolor pencils are made to blend with eachother, and they glide smoothly on your paper. When I color with other colored pencils, it's like coloring with wood, and the colors are not rich like the Prismacolor.

As soon as I got home with my new colors, I dashed to my art room, and got to work on my drawing I've been working on this week. Maybe I'll post some pictures when I done =)

Vegan Almond Mayo

• 1/2 cup Almonds, blanched
• 1/4 cup Almond milk
• 1 teaspoon Nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned salt
• 1/4 cup Almond milk
• 1 1/4 cup Oil, grapeseed or macadamia nut
• 3 tablespoons Lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Tomatillo juice

Directions:

Process almonds to fine powder in blender or food processor. Add almond milk, yeast, garlic powder, and salt. Blend well, then add remaining almond milk to form smooth cream.

With blender running on low, remove insert in top and drizzle in oil in thin stream until mixture is thick. Keep blender running and add lemon juice and vinegar. Blend on low for 1 minute longer, to allow mixture to thicken to desired consistency.

Refrigerate tightly sealed; this will keep 10-14 days in refrigerator.

This recipe for Almonnaise serves/makes 1.5 cups

Earl Gray Tea Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tbsp (approx. 6) Earl tea bags

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Heat oven to 375. Mix dry ingredients together, till well combined. Add the vanilla, 1 tbsp water, and the butter pads. Cut mixture with a pastry cutter until a dough forms (you can also do this in a food processor). Divide the dough in half. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll into a 12-inch log, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap and chill the dough for 30 minutes. Slice each log into disks, 1/2 inches thick. Place on parchment - or - foil lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

*Note: you can also experiment with other teas such as chi, or another combination,

Left On the Road

This awesome wig-back chair was on the side of the road, and as you can see I brought it home, in my little red car w/ the kids! It's in great condition (just needed a little shampooing), and it's by Lane!

Iranian Tablecloth

>I was out doing my weekly thrift shopping, when I ran in to this beauty! When I first saw it I thought "this would look way awesome in my kitchen." I took the cloth off the hanger to look over it to see if it had any damages (so I could get a better deal). The tablecloth is in really good shape.I went ahead and payed the asking price ($3.99), a bet much, but it is so beautiful. When I got home with my new finds I went ahead, and just ironed the cloth. There wasn't a tag, but a water mark showed up when I ran over it with heat, it reads "MESHKAT HANDPRINTED FAST COLOR MADE IN IRAN" WHAT?! I thought to myself. Handprinted from Iran, here in a thrift shop, just for me.

This peace of work in one of my best finds, next to the huge sewing box full of vintage sewing supplies I use! But that's another story.

Alternative Cleaners and Recipe

THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES: To get a home that is truly clean, rather than covered in toxic chemicals, try making your own non-toxic cleaners at home. It's easy! Basic ingredients found in your kitchen can be used to make non-toxic cleaners for your different cleaning needs. BASIC INGREDIENTS FOR NON-TOXICLEANER RECIPES Five basic ingredients serve as the building blocks for many safe home cleaning needs: Baking Soda - Cleans and deodorizes. Softens water to increase sudsing and cleaning power of soap. Good scouring powder. Borax - Cleans and deodorizes. Excellent disinfectant. Softens water. Available in laundry section of grocery store. Soap - Biodegrades safely and completely and is non-toxic. Available in grocery stores and health food stores. Sold as liquid, flakes, powder or in bars. Bars can be grated to dissolve more easily in hot water. Insist on soap without synthetic scents, colors or other additives. Washing Soda - Cuts grease and removes stains. Disinfects. Softens water. Available in laundry section of grocery store or in pure form from chemical supply houses as "sodium carbonate." White Vinegar or Lemon Juice - Cuts grease and freshens.

Household Cleaner

Mix together:
1 tsp. liquid soap (castile, peppermint)
1 tsp. borax
Squeeze of lemon
1 qt. warm water
OR
¼ c. baking soda
½ c. borax
½ c. vinegar
1 gal. water

For surfaces that need scouring, try moist salt or baking soda and a green scouring pad.

Window Cleaner

Mix together:
2 tsp. vinegar
1 qt. warm water
OR
2 tbsp. borax
3 c. water

Rub dry with newspaper to avoid streaking.

Disinfectant

Mix together:
¼ c. borax
½ gal. hot water

Oven Cleaner

Mix together: ¼ c. baking soda
2 tbsp. salt
Hot water, as needed to make a paste.
Let paste sit for 5 minutes. Caution: Keep off wires/heating elements.
OR
2 tbsp. liquid soap (castile, peppermint)
2 tsp. borax
1 qt. warm water
Spray on oven and wait 20 minutes, then clean. For tough stains, scrub with very fine steel wool and baking soda.

Drain Cleaner

Pour together: ½ c. borax in drain followed by
2 c. boiling water
OR
¼ c baking soda down the drain, followed by
½ c. vinegar
Cover drain and let sit for 15 minutes. Follow with 2 qts. boiling water.
OR
Use a plumber's "snake" and boiling water.

Toilet Bowls

Pour: ¼ c. baking soda into bowl and drizzle with vinegar.
Let sit for ½ hour. Scrub and flush. Add borax for stains.

Air Fresheners

Commercial fresheners work by masking smells, coating nasal passages and deadening nerves to diminish sense of smell. Instead:

• Find source of odors and eliminate them;
• Keep house and closets clean and well-ventilated;
• Grow lots of house plants;

Simmer: Cinnamon sticks
Orange peel, cloves
Water

To absorb odors, place 2 to 4 tbsp. baking soda or vinegar in small bowls in refrigerator and around the house and pour ½ cup baking soda in the bottom of trash cans.

Ceramic Tiles

Mix together: ¼ c. vinegar
1 gal. warm water

Basin, Tub, and Tile

Mix together: ½ c. baking soda
2-3 tbsp. liquid soap (castile, peppermint)

Garbage Disposal Freshener

Grind ice and lemon or orange juice in the disposal.

Mildew Remover

Dissolve together: ½ c, vinegar
½ c. borax in warm water.
Apply with sponge or spray bottle.

Rug and Upholstery Cleaner

Sprinkle corn meal, baking soda or cornstarch on dry rugs and vacuum. Use club soda or soap-based rug shampoo.

Carpet Cleaning Foam

Mix together: ¼ c. vegetable oil-based liquid soap
3 tbsp. (or more) water
Whip ingredients in bowl with egg beater. Rub foam into problem areas of the rug. Rinse well with water.

Floors

Mix together: ½ c. white vinegar
1 gal warm water
Polishing with skim milk after floor is dry will make the floor glow!

Furniture Polish (Wood Surfaces)

• Rub toothpaste on wood furniture to remove water marks.
• Polish wood with 2 tsp. lemon oil and 1 pint mineral oil in spray bottle. Spray, rub in and wipe clean.

• Mix two parts olive oil to one part lemon juice. After rubbing the mixture in, let stand for several hours and then polish with a soft, dry cloth.
• Melt 1 tbsp. carnauba wax into two pints mineral oil. Use sparingly and rub hard.

Silver Polish

Soak: 1 qt. warm water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
small piece of aluminum foil
OR
Rub toothpaste on silver, let it dry and rinse off.

Copper Cleaner

Rub lightly with fine table salt wetted with vinegar and lemon juice.

Chrome

Rubbing alcohol, or a small amount of ammonia with hot water. Also try white flour in a damp rag.

Brass

Equal parts salt and flour, with a little vinegar.

Pets

• Feed your pet one tablet (or 1 tbsp.) brewers yeast daily to give the skin a scent that fleas avoid.
• Place cedar chips around bedding area.
• Comb with flea comb.

Laundry

When making the initial switch from a detergent to a soap laundry cleaner, wash items once with washing soda only. This will eliminate detergent residues that might otherwise react with soap to cause a yellowing of fabrics.

Laundry Soap

• Add 1/3 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate) to water as machine is filling. Add clothes. Add 1 ½ cups of soap. If the water is hard, add another ¼ cup soda or ¼ cup vinegar during the first rinse.
• Add 1/3 cup washing soda to water before placing clothes in machine and substitute soap flakes or powder for detergent. Add ½ cup borax for additional cleaning power.

Pre-soak

Soak heavily soiled items in warm water with ½ cup washing soda for 30 minutes. Rub soiled areas with liquid soap.

Fabric Softener

Add 1 cup vinegar or ¼ cup baking soda during final rinse. To reduce static cling in tumble-dried synthetics, dampen hands when folding or line dry instead.

Spray Starch

Dissolve 2 Tbsp. cornstarch in 1 pint cold water in a spray bottle. Shake before each use. For delicate fabrics, dissolve 1 package unflavored gelatin to 2 cups of hot water. Dip a corner of the fabric into the solution to test; if fabric becomes sticky when dry, add more water.

Dry Cleaning

Buy items you can wash or clean on your own. Most dry cleaning solvents, such as perchloroethylene are toxic. If you must dry clean, air clothing out thoroughly before bringing indoors. Many garments whose labels specify "dry clean only" can be safely hand-washed using mild soap.

Spot Removers

Here are alternatives to enzyme pre-soaks and bleach for tough stains. Test each of the following remedies on a corner of your fabric first. Wash after application.

Heavy Soils

Rub with solution of 2 tbsp. washing soda in 1 cup warm water.

Fruit and Wine

Immediately pour salt or hot water on the stain and soak in milk before washing.

Ink

Soak in milk or remove with hydrogen peroxide.

Coffee

Mix egg yolk with luke-warm water and rub on stain.

Lipstick

Rub with cold cream or shortening and wash with washing soda.

Mildew

Pour strong soap and salt on the spots and place in sunlight. Keep the spots moist, and repeat as often as necessary.

Soiled Diapers

Pre-soak in 3 tbsp. baking soda dissolved in warm water in either but or washing machine.

Grease

Pour boiling water on stains and follow with dry baking soda. Also try ammonia and water.

Blood

Soak in cold water or remove with hydrogen peroxide. For a more stubborn stain, mix cornstarch, talcum powder or cornmeal with water and apply to stain. Allow to dry and brush away.

Chewing Gum

Rub with ice. Gum will flake off.

Rust

Saturate with sour milk (or lemon juice) and rub with salt. Place in direct sunlight until dry, then wash.

Boil scorched article in 1 cup soap and 2 qts. milk.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Homemade Laundry Detergent:

1 bar soap (I use Ivory, but you can use Fels Naptha, Zote, or just about any soap you like. Make sure it's not filled with moisturizers or other ingredients that can leave residue on your clothes.)
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer brand- do NOT confuse Baking Soda with Washing Soda. Washing Soda can be found in the laundry aisle at Publix locally, right next to the Borax.)
1/2 cup Borax

Heat 4 cups of water in a pot over med-low heat. Meanwhile, grate the bar of soap and add it to the water. Stir occasionally until soap is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add washing soda, borax, and melted soap/water. Stir until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket the rest of the way with hot water. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight.

Optional: If you want to add a scent, you can add 10 drops of essential oil per gallon. (Ex: lavender, tea tree, rosemary, etc) I did not add any scent to mine because we prefer the fresh, clean, soapy scent.

The next day, you will find the liquid has turned to a slimy gel-like substance. Very cool! You can stir it if you want, but it will work just as well if the gel separates from the liquid a little. Just try to get equal parts gel and liquid for each load.

I Fill a 2 qt Rubbermaid "juice container" with the detergent and keep that on the washing machine instead of dipping from the bucket each time. We just shake the container a little before we add the detergent to the machine. We use 1/2 cup per load.

A Gift A Day

http://www.29gifts.org/

This is for anyone who would like to find out about 29 gifts or maybe join. I enjoy thinking of other people and blessing them. This site gives me the reminder and inspiration to do so.

My Sister Lauren

I received an e-mail from my sister (Lauren) today telling of her epic journey to Wal-Mart with her 3 boys (5 yr, 3 yr,and 7 weeks). I marveled at her bravery. Not only is it a Saturday, but it's back to school time. Kuddo's to Lauren!

After reading this e-mail from Lauren I stopped to think of the type of women she is. I have never known someone so different from myself. I admire her gentleness and faith. She is a tender mother, and a respectable wife, Lauren is very gifted (more then she thinks) , and a faithful sister and friend.

Lauren I am so honored to know you, and am so blessed to be sister/friend with you.

Tangy Watermelon Salad

4 C. cubed seedless watermelon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 C. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 C. fresh mint or Italian parsley
1 avocado cubed (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place watermelon cubs in a large bowl

2. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, and vinegar in a small bowl and pour over watermelon. Toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Gently stir in feta, avocado, and mint or parsley. Serve salad immediately.

*Serves 4

Homemade Granola

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
5 cups oatmeal
1/2 raisins (or dried fruit of your choice)
1/2 cup dry milk
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Mix brown sugar, oil, and honey in a saucepan. Heat until the sugar is dissolved. Combine dry ingredients in a large cake pan (add raisins after cooking). Pour sugar mixture over dry mixture and mix well. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Let cool in pan. Store in an airtight container.

Optional: add nuts, wheat germ, coconut, etc.

Tooth past

Homemade Toothpaste

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt, finely ground
1 drop peppermint, spearmint, sweet orange, clove, or cinnamon bark essential oil (for flavor)

When you are ready to use your tooth paste just dip a damp tooth brush in the power mix and brush as normal.

Tightwad Tip #4

Reusing AC filters:

Okay instead of tossing your AC filters, and buying a new one, just vacuum it then put it back in.

Tightwad Tip #3

Toilet Paper Strategy:

Before placing a new roll of toilet paper on the handle, step on it or squeeze it. When the roll is put back on the handle it will turn three times and tear off easily.

Tightwad Tip #2

How to make your own baby formula. Commercial formula cost up to three times as much as this recipe.


2 12-oz cans of evaporated milk
32 oz water
2 Tbsp Karo syrup
3 ml Poly Vi Sol vitamins ( you can find this at wal-greens)

Note: breast feeding is far more economical than formula, but some of us can't breast feed or chose not too. This recipe matches up 3rd in likeness to breast milk.

Tightwad tip #1

Instead of using a whole dryer sheet (if you use your dryer), use only half. This will make a pack of 50 last up to a year.

-Sarah Marchlewski

P.S.
You can can make your own dryer sheets!

Just take an old face cloth and pour 1-2 tablespoons of fabric softener on the cloth. You don't have to wash the cloth often, maybe just after every 4-5 dries.

P.S.S
If you live in an apartment complex that has onsite laundry building, just use the dry sheets the other tenants leave behind.

Painful week

This has been a very sad week. I am so heart broken for my sister Amanda, and I wonder God's plan in all this heartache. No, I'm not mad at God I'm just in wonder.

Amanda know I love you and God love's you!

Antique Gem

I'm super excited about this gem. On my quest for antiques on my list, I ran into this beauty. That's right lady's and gentlemen This is a coffee drip.

I had been looking for one along with some other useful kitchen and laundry antiques.

It was really relaxing being in an antique mall, the smell and nic nacs remind me growing up around my great grandma. I even found somethings she had in her home as well.

Anyway back to my coffee drip. I am eager to use it soon, and hopefully my coffee buddies will enjoy it with me.

Bunk-Beds

Are kids are growing up and moving up. Mathew sr, and I where looking for some bunk beds for our growing children. We didn't have to look, or wait long, a friend of a friend was wanting to get ride of the bunk they had. If your wondering what we payed for them, well, it was FREE.99!

After having set up the bed Mathew Jr claimed his place up top, it's the birthright way. Mathew jr, and Audrey played all day, and NIGHT with their new beds.

We decided to pack up Audrey's crib and train her in sleeping in a big girl bed. With all the freedom and excitement, we can tell it's going to be a while before she will stay in the bed. We have not had problems with Mathew Jr getting out of bed, but getting him out.

All in all it's very exciting to see them so joyful over beds. And We are very grateful to God, and Nik for the new bunk beds.

P.S.

Sorry for the crummy picture, my camera is not the best.

My Conclusion

I was talking with Mathew Sr tonight, coming up with why I am striving to be a tightwad and pioneer. Saving money is no longer the reason why I do the things I do. I thought, well, maybe I would like a bigger house, well, that is not the reason either. I came to the conclusion that I am learning how to do these things for the sake of survival!

People no longer grow there own food or raise their own chickens, or even make their own supplies because it would be easier to go to the store and purchase it. It's really sad that I have to go online. or read books on how to survive because we are no longer taught how. I know you can go down to the dollar tree and buy a tube of tooth paste as appose to making your own. If you make your own tooth paste you will have the ingredients to make other things you might need, like laundry detergent, or baking cookies! Not only dose this all spread out, but you also learn the skills of doing something for your family and yourself.

How Refreshing

I was noticing that there are no silly games, and nasty ads of naked girls on the blog post. This is a much needed refreshing breath of air. I couldn't help but notice that there are no depressing ads about how I can lose 40 pounds in one week, that's right ONE WEEK!

As if

As if I did not already have other places to blog, I had to go ahead and sign up on blogger.com!