Frugal Seedling Pots

  Snow is still covering the ground but spring is in the air! I saw a couple of cardinals just this week so it has to be on it's way. I'm starting to get excited about my garden and I've noticed the stores are starting to sell seeds. For the third year I'm going to start my own seedlings and this year I'm determined to spend as little money as possible.
  I picked up a bunch of seed packets at Aldi for $.49 and Menards for $.19 and $.95. I also got an 8 liter bag of seed starter potting soil for $3.44. To grow my seedlings this year I decided I'm reusing and repurposing items I've already got.

 I saved 17 toilet rolls and 2 egg cartons to use for my seedlings. 

  I found this tutorial on You Grow Girl on how to make your own Toilet Roll Seedling pot. Easy to do but I only had 17 rolls saved up and I want to start a lot more seedlings. When I saw that I can use newspaper to make Homemade Seedling Pots I got really excited and made a bunch.

 I cut the newspaper along the seams into fourths and then folded each page in half. I then rolled it around a small glass and pushed the edges into the cup. I carefully pulled the glass off and had an easy & frugal seedling pot. My favorite thing about these pots- I can place them directly into the ground when it's time to transplant! No more mangling the delicate roots when taking them out of a pot and putting them in the garden. The paper is biodegradable so they can go into my garden and these pots are practically free.

  For my first round of seedlings I planted English lavender, hyssop, Giant Italian parsley, Sugar Snap peas, Romanesco broccoli, Romaine lettuce, Numex Big Jim peppers, Buttercrunch lettuce, Bloomsdale spinach and Chicago Pickling cucumbers. This was way more that I had planned but when I saw the huge seed displays I couldn't resist stocking up.

  Last night I rolled up about 50 more newspaper seedling pots while watching a certain silly vampire movie. I don't know where I'm going to put them since my laundry room is pretty crowded and I have to keep them out of reach of my cat. Somehow next week I'm going to plant even more seedlings. I'm feeling optimistic about my garden and I'm ready for spring to arrive!

How about you- Do you have any frugal seedling tips? Are you ready for spring?

This post was shared at: Clever Chicks, Natural Living Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Your Green Resource

Healthy Living eBook Bundle Sale

For 5 days only, 27 prominent Healthy Living authors have joined together to bundle 34 of their most popular eBooks, valued at just over $300, for the incredibly low price of $29. That's only $0.87 per book to gain inspiration, encouragement, and the practical resources you need for your own healthy lifestyle. Plus, receive $49 of additional FREE Bonuses, and be entered to win one of 3 great prizes.

I bought a similar bundle that was offered back in the spring and absolutely LOVED many of the books. My favorites were Crunchy Betty’s Food on Your Face for Acne and Oily Skin and Smart Sweets by Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship and both of those ebooks are part of this sale as well.

What's Included in the Sale?

When you purchase the Healthy Living eBook collection, you will get instant access to each of the 34 eBooks listed below.

PLUS $49 of FREE Bonuses

Each Healthy Living eBook Bundle comes with $49 of FREE Bonuses from several of our favorite healthy living companies. Offers include a variety package from Redmond Trading ($21 Value), a FREE 3-Month subscription to Plan to Eat ($15 Value), and a FREE Sourdough Starter or Traditional Buttermilk Starter from Cultures for Health ($13 Value).

PLUS get entered to win one of 3 Great Prizes

Each person who purchases a Healthy Living eBook bundle is automatically entered to win any one of the following 1 Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrator, 1 Omega VRT350 Masticating Juicer, or a R1 Royal Berkey Water Filtration System (Click here for more details).

Click here to purchase your Healthy Living eBook collection (with FREE bonuses) today!

Please note: This collection is only available from 8 a.m. EST on October 29th to 8 a.m. EST on November 2nd. There will be no late sales offered.

Real Food Meals for the Whole Family

Have Your Fruits... and Veggies, Too! by Laura Coppinger @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.95) Real {Fast} Food by Trina Holden @ Trina Holden ($6) 20 Minute Meals by Leigh Ann Dutton @ Intentional by Grace ($4.99) Real Food... Real Easy by various bloggers @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Baking, Snacks and Desserts
Smart Sweets by Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship ($8.95) Healthy Snacks To Go by Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship ($8.95) Sourdough A to Z by Wardee Harmon @ GNOWFGLINS ($20)

Homemade "Everything" (Condiments, Pantry Basics, etc.)

Restocking the Pantry by Kresha Faber @ Nourishing Joy ($7.99) Easy. Homemade. by Mandi Ehman @ Life Your Way ($3.99)

Grain Free and Paleo/Primal Eating

Grain Free Meal Plan Cookbook by Cara Faus @ Health, Home & Happiness ($18) Toadally Primal Smoothies by Todd @ Primal Toad ($9.95) Simple Food {for spring} by Shannon @ Nourishing Days ($10) Simple Food {for winter} by Shannon @ Nourishing Days ($10) Well Fed (Paleo Recipes) by Melissa Joulwan @ The Clothes Make The Girl ($14.95)

Saving Money on Real Food

Real Food on a Real Budget by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home ($18.99) Plan It, Don't Panic by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99) Don't Compost It, Cook It by April Patel @ An Apple a Day Wisdom ($2.99)

Skincare and Beauty

My Buttered Life (Baby edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5) My Buttered Life (Gift edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5) My Buttered Life (Summer edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5) Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy Karen @ A Delightful Home ($3.99) Food on Your Face for Acne and Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99) Holistic Mama's Guide to Homemade Skincare by Roxanne King @ The Holistic Mama ($19)

Homesteading, Gardening and Preserving

Your Custom Homestead by Jill Winger @ The Prairie Homestead ($4.99) Guide to Gardening and Preserving by Laura Coppinger @ Heavenly Homemakers ($7.95) Apartment Gardening by Jami Leigh @ Young Wife's Guide ($2.99)

Healthy Lifestyle

Simple Living by Lorilee Lippincott @ Loving Simple Living ($2.99) Herbal Nurturing by Michele Augur @ Frugal Granola ($8.95) Simple Natural Health by Nina Nelson @ Shalom Mama ($17) Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95) Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life by Resound School of Music ($6.99)

Pregnancy and Babies

Breast to Bib by Kate Tietje @ Modern Alternative Pregnancy ($8.95) Healthy Pregnancy Super Foods by Kate Tietje @ Modern Alternative Pregnancy ($8.95) Unbound Birth by Jenny Yarborough @ The Southern Institute ($4.99)
 

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these awesome Healthy Living companies...

$21.00 of incredible natural products from "Earthpaste" "Real Salt" and "Redmond Clay" products for FREE.
  Your choice of a FREE sourdough starter, or a FREE traditional buttermilk starter from Cultures for Health ($12.99 value)
  Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is a simple online menu planner that organizes your recipes and creates your grocery list for you. ($15.00 value)

 

PLUS, You will also be entered to win one of the following 3 awesome prizes...

9-Tray Excalibur Dehydrator with Timer ($349.95 Value)
Omega Vert VRT350 Masticating Juicer ($379.99 Value)
Royal Berkey Water Filtration System from LPC Survival ($289.00 Value)    

This collection is only available from 8 a.m. EST on October 29th to 8 a.m. EST on November 2nd. There will be no late sales offered.

Haven't purchased an eBook Bundle, but still want to be entered into the drawing?  No problem.  You can enter here.

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Healthy Snacks E-Book

Healthy Snacks to Go: Over 45 recipes to get you on your way with real food, fast

One of my favorite bloggers Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship, is putting her e-book Healthy Snacks To Go on sale Monday. It's regularly $7.95 but it's on sale for just $.99 on Kindle for only 24 hours. I've got it and I love it so if you are looking for healthy snack recipe ideas I highly recommend snatching it up at this great price.

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

I've got Katie's other e-book Smart Sweets & absolutely LOVE it. I was thrilled to get this one too. I've only tried a few recipes so far but my favorite is the Healthy Pumpkin Muffins. My kids gobble them up and they work well packed in their school lunches. 

Katie gives lots of healthier options & variations to try with each recipe. I've made the soaked version of the pumpkin muffins too and they were nearly as good as the original. I'm looking forward to trying many of the other recipes like the spelt biscuits and wheat thin crackers.

Kitchen Stewarship granola bars…yum.

 Below is the table of contents from Healthy Snacks so you can see what the book offers.

Click here to visit Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship. and read about all her e-books.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Kitchen Stewardship’s eBooks, which means I’ll earn a small commission from any sales made through some of these links. 

DIY Homemade Deodorant

I've been very reluctant to make my own deodorant. I found it much easier to give up shampoo and put honey in my hair. Switching to an all natural deodorant has been the last frontier of crunchiness for me. It took a while for the ickyness of traditional deodorant to out weigh my fear of being sweaty.

Well, thankfully my sweatyness level is pretty much the same with my homemade stuff. I'm still sweating a bit but it's similar to how I did with typical deodorant. Making my own deodorant is now a way of life & I'm not going back to the store bought stuff. (And no, I don't stink.)

So my main reason for making deodorant for myself? Traditional deodorant is BAD. The main ingredient in store bought deodorant is aluminum which is linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer's. Aluminum mimics estrogen which can mess up your hormone levels. I have a family history of Alzheimer's so I've been aware of the link to aluminum for many years but only as I've gotten older have I started looking for ways to cut down my own aluminum exposure.

I've made a couple of different homemade recipes. This one from the Purposed Heart worked pretty well but had complicated ingredients & irritated one of my pits. The other was fine so I guess I have weird pits.

I've researched a lot of recipes and ingredients and today I'm sharing the most simple & frugal I've found. I use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch as it's much less irritating to my pits. If you don't have it on hand you can go ahead and try the recipe with cornstarch but just be warned.

Simple Deodorant

1/4 c. baking soda

1/4 c. arrowroot powder or cornstarch 

5 Tbsp. coconut oil

Essential oils (optional – I used 2 drops tea tree as it's antibacterial and 3 drops lavender for a nice scent)  *Don't use citrus oils as they can promote hair growth which you probably don't want to encourage in your pits.

Mix it all together in a small container. You may need to warm the coconut oil if it's not soft at room temperature. Pour the mix into a small plastic bowl and place it in the refrigerator to harden. After it hardens it will pop out of the bowl for easy use. I leave it in my fridge all the time since I prefer to keep it cool. I just pop it out to rub on my pits in the morning. The coolness feels refreshingly good during the summer. If you leave it at room temperature it will be soft and you can scoop it onto your fingers and sensually rub it into your pits.
In the winter I may experiment with pouring the deodorant mix into a cleaned out deodorant container. The weather has to remain cooler for the coconut oil to remain solid like a traditional deodorant.

Have you tried to make your own deodorant? Are you willing to try?

This post has been linked to: Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Mama Moments Monday, Living Green Tuesdays, Works-for-Me-Wednesday, The Morris Tribe, Homestead Barn Hop, Make Your Own Mondays, Women Living Well, Your Green Resource

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I make a lot of things from scratch because it's usually easy, cheap and better for the earth and my family. It's taken me a long time to find an easy dishwasher detergent recipe that I was happy with because I didn't know where to find citric acid and didn't want to mess with my own essential oils. Lemi-Shine has solved my problems with this. 

This recipe is super easy- only four ingredients that you can find at most stores. I'm pleased with how safe it is for my family too. I'm not too worried if my little ones were to decide to break the child lock & get into this stuff since reading that Crunchy Betty's neice ate some of this detergent with no ill effects.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Lemi-Shine
1/2 cup kosher salt

Mix it all up in a small bowl and store in an attractive bottle from Goodwill. To Use: fill your dishwasher soap well with it each time you do a load of dishes. Fill your dishwasher rinse aid with white vinegar to avoid water spots.

You may notice I paid $1.48 for this triangle glass bottle from Goodwill. I bought it years ago for a different project and it sat unused on a laundry shelf. It now fits just right under my sink holding my detergent.

Cleaning With Vinegar

Did you know that distilled white vinegar kills bacteria, mold and viruses yet is safe for your body and the environment? A few years back I wanted to get rid of the store bought cleaners tucked under my kitchen sink as I was concerned about their safety and toxicity. Once I learned vinegar disinfects, deodorizes and cuts grease but is still safe to drink* I was sold. It's also very cheap at around $2 a gallon.
*Don't drink vinegar, it tastes bad & will probably make you nauseous.

Vinegar means "sour wine" and is what results when wine or other alcohol is fermented a second time turning it acetic. Vinegar is actually a weak form of acetic acid. There are different varieties of vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar in my hair rinse) but for cleaning distilled white vinegar is best.

My favorite use for vinegar is to make an All Purpose Cleaner. I've been using this for years to clean my house. It disinfects my kitchen and bathroom surfaces while I feel good that my family isn't being exposed to toxic chemicals.

A gallon of white distilled vinegar & a repurposed spray bottle

All Purpose Cleaner
Use a clean empty spray bottle and fill it with equal parts water and distilled white vinegar. Add optional lemon essential oil for scent and cleaning power. Spray on counters and wipe clean.

Other uses for vinegar include: 

*Dishwaher- Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to your dishwasher rinse cycle. It's excellent for removing stains, mineral and grease deposits from glass. 
*Garbage Disposal- Make vinegar ice cubes and put them down your disposal to clean and deodorize it.
*Toilet bowl- To freshen put 2-3 cups vinegar in the bowl and let it sit for a few hours then scrub and flush.
*Windows- Fill a spray bottle with water and 1/4 cup of vinegar, spray on your windows and use newspaper to wipe clean.

There are many more uses for vinegar, too many for me to cover here. The book Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile, and Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of  details over 400 ways to use vinegar. Many of these uses I never even imagined.

What about you? What do you use vinegar for?

Raw Sugar Scrub

Are you looking for an easy and frugal Mother's Day present or teacher gift for the end of school? This simple sugar scrub is just the thing. I generally make it just for me as I like to pamper myself with skin treatments but stick a bow & little wooden spoon on it and it would make a great gift.

Raw Sugar Scrub
1 cup raw sugar
1 oz light oil*
1/2 t. vitamin E oil
up to 6 drops essential oil**
12 oz clean jar with a tight fitting lid***

Pour the sugar into a bowl and mix in about an ounce of light oil (or more for dry skin), vitamin E oil (a preservative) and a few drops of essential oil. I added 3 drops lavender and 1 drop peppermint essential oils as that is recommended in The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy for general headaches. I don't have headaches a lot but thought those scents would be soothing to my brain while the sugar scrubs & moisturizes my skin.

Scoop up a small handful while in the bath or shower and massage all over your body to exfoliate and moisturize. You may need to stir the scrub between uses.

*light oils include: almond oil, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil
** ideas for essential oils: lavender is soothing, lemon and orange are invigorating, ylang-ylang is romantic, peppermint is energizing & good for headaches
***I wash out and save jars of my favorite salsa for projects such as these.

Natural Hair Lightener

The older I get the less blond I am. My hair has always been blond, from the white blond of my childhood to the the honey blond of adulthood. Now that my thirties are upon me my blondness is darker than I'd like yet I still don't want to do anything unnatural to my hair.

One of my favorite books on making your own beauty treatments is Natural Beauty from the Garden by Janice Cox. She recommends chamomile, lemon juice and vodka as natural hair lighteners; honey works too.

Here's what I put together:

Natural Highlight Spray
1 cup strongly brewed chamomile tea
1 T lemon juice

Mix together and pour into a small spray bottle.  I didn't have any vodka on hand as I used all of mine making vanilla extract but you can also add 1 T of vodka to this mix.

Spray or comb through damp hair every morning before heading outside and gradually the sun's rays will naturally lighten your hair over time.

Pear Sauce

This week I found 10 pounds of pears on clearance so I bought them all with the plan to make something yummy for my kids. My boys are always hungry...I mean ALWAYS. I thought pearsauce just might satisfy the kids, at least for a little while. Ripe pears are the best because they are at their peak sweetness and peel & chop easily. Many of these pears were bruised but I just cut around the bad spots.

I peeled and cut up half of the pears I bought and put them in a large stockpot to simmer. I left them simmering on low for an hour or so and added some cinnamon and a tablespoon of raw sugar. When I make apple sauce I need to add water when they are simmering but the pears did not need anymore liquid. Once they were sufficiently soft I moved them off the burner to cool. These pears were VERY juicy.  I poured the pear juice into a jar for the kids to drink later. I put the pears in my food processor and blended them until smooth.

That's it! Easy pear sauce that my boys gobbled down quick. It really lasted only 2 days. They ate it all that fast!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I had the opportunity to travel to the spice islands of Indonesia last year and I came home with lots of fun memories and some vanilla beans. They were cheaper there than in the United States and looking back I wish I'd bought a lot more. I didn't know then what I would do with them but once I found out how easy it is to make your own vanilla extract I was so glad I had the beans. As with most homemade items this is wonderful stuff and adds great flavor to your baked goods.

Homemade Vanilla Extract
8oz glass jar with a tight fitting lid
3 medium or 1.5 large vanilla beans
vodka (or any liquor more than 40% alcohol)

Sterilize the glass jar in the dishwasher or boiling water. Slice the vanilla bean with a sharp knife lengthwise to expose the seeds. Place the beans in the jar and cover with liquor. Close the jar tightly and shake a few times. Place it in a cool, dark place- I used the back of a cabinet.  Leave the beans in the liquor for 8 weeks but shake the jar once or twice every week.
After 8 weeks remove 20% of the liquid, about 1.5 oz of beautiful vanilla extract. Top off the original jar with more liquor and shake again. You can add 1 or 2 more vanilla beans a year to the jar and if you keep "feeding" in this way the extract will last forever. You can remove the older beans when the jar gets too crowded.

Nicole & Joe in Bali, Indonesia

Do It Yourself Foaming Hand Soap

Here’s my easy & frugal solution to making my own foaming hand soap.

1 foaming soap bottle

1 part water

1 part (SLS free) body wash (I like Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Body Wash) or Dr. Bronner’s liquid Castile Soap

Add water and soap in equal measures to a bottle and mix or shake. It may take a few squirts for the soap to thoroughly dilute. That’s it! Easy-peasy, right?