World Water Day

learn more at  World Water Day site

—According to the World Economic Forum, nearly 60% of the world’s population will be living in cities causing a shortage of clean water for people and business in the urban environment worldwide.
—A third of humanity will have only half the water required to meet basic needs, which is likely to impact food production because agriculture accounts for more than 70% of water usage.

All things living are due the respect to sustain the life there in. 

Water is living and life sustaining. 

There is an old saying...

walk softly upon the earth.

Preserve what is here so it will not all be gone tomorrow.

Plug the tub. Then use the hot side to fill the tub while the cool water clears the line. As it gets hot then turn hot off. Then fill up with cold. The result is warm water. No water down the drain.

 

When doing dishes fill your washing sink up only 1/3 of the way. Rinse first load over the  washing sink until it is half full. Then fill up the rinse sink, that is what it is made for. Running water down the drain is just silly.

Keep a low sink of warm water in the kitchen sink and wash your hands in it through out the day (rinsing over it) . When just a few dishes need to be tended water is there simply add a little hot to it. If your using water that is set to boil pour it in the dish water after it has served it's use. Heats up the sink water and washes the last of the supper dishes. The rinse water in the other sink clears off all soap and such.

At the end of the dishes when it is time to rinse off the oils or muck off pots and pans use a measure or large bowl and simply transferred rinse water over to main wash sink.  Use paper toweling or newsprint to wipe off oils/grease. Run VERY hot water over the oily pans. Set water in a pot or pan that is caked on turn the burner on and let it boil. When soft shut it off. Pour off of soiled water a hot pan then will reheat the washing water.

This is just the method I have always used. 

Growing up poor has a way of instilling a healthy humility.

This all sounds complicated but it is not. Just makes good sense. Think of the souls in history...who would just walk on over to the well? They would never think of using so much water as now? Water is so very heavy to carry. I seriously doubt it would be wasted so. It would just ware your legs and shoulders so.
The cost of heating it (cutting a log) would also cause one to think twice. That is another story in itself however.

Hand Washing is the single most important means of preventing

the spread of infection but turn the water off while you soap up. 

Lower the flow as well.

 Do not just let the water run full blast.

Walk softly respecting this life sustaining gift.

Offer up to the future a cool drink of water.

Also consider rain water harvesting.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

It would be against all I am to disregard this provision. 

Meal Plan Monday

http://orgjunkie.com/

click to enlarge

Well here I am!

Goodness things are caught up enough to do a post on the meal plan. 

You will have to come on over 

here at organizing jukie

to join us all.

Congratulations are in order this dear lady has made her way into a wonderful home based business. Now that is an entrepreneur for you!

We are keeping up with the way of life we call diet.

Looking forward to the balance for the holiday week played havoc on our nutritional bounty.

While back I began an herb listings I am just not able to keep it up. Posting is a bit more effort these days and now with the sewing ahead of me. It's all good. Enjoy your good eats.

Amazing! Financial Goals can be accomplished

With hanging out laundry your electric balanced monthly can come down several dollars a month. Well multiply that by 12. It adds up every little thing adds up. There are so many little ways that can make big changes. Sweater not thermostat. This alone has reduced our balance monthly plan by $5 a month so far. They reevaluate it through out the year so don't give up if it did not show the goal as well as desired.

Rhonda over at down to earth blessed me with the skill of homemade laundry soap. In turn how fun it is to help support others as well. We all have ideas of living more wisely. Whether to be 'green' or simply economical. Funny thing is no matter the goal reducing waste is the product! It is just good sense and always has been to respect what you have. Golly we all work so hard for it.


Savings Accounts do not have to be hit throughout the year. Nor do we have to find ourselves using our tax returns and overtime to cover budget overages. Although savings may be minimal it can be accomplished! If it is in budget before any expenses are even listed. Some day if partial retirement  comes it will really be a boon. Having no credit cards to depend on is a calculated risk. One that is a motivator and self discipline. It pays off in so many many ways. Debt free is a real marriage pleaser.

So the savings goal is a part of the long term safety net. Some day we hope to have a three months worth of no touch net. If  God forbid we would ever be laid off panic would have a bit of ease. This will be hard work. Every family is struggling hard. Helping our families to be focused through the struggle is vital. It is far too easy for some to just throw in the towel and pull out the credit card. Resist it with all your worth. Instead pull out some imaginative resistance and creative budget cuts.
With persistence your grocery can be all homemade. The savings alone will blow your mind and build your budget.

Resisting the temptations of criticism is another hard issue. Those woe is me lies that hit when others come up with cash out of thin air to get things that we chose not to afford. Those are the hard times when focus is the goal. Freedom from the money stress the reward. Sits much better than that pretty new sofa over at the friends house. Good lessons in envy removal. Facing envy really makes the character overcome it by choice. If no one ever had more than we would not want much more than we have for the most part.

No malls, catalogs, fliers or commercials. Guard your eyes and do not touch that is the one thing that causes us to purchase more than anything. Merchants know once in the hand a buyer is 90+% more likely to buy. Learn their tricks this holiday season. So that you can be Merry not caught up in that horrid buyers remorse. Enjoy the shopping with intention and watch out for the snakes in the grass. The pocket it the place they most like to bite ya this time of year.

Christmas can be done on a budget, projected out and set aside. It is a real peace maker. Speaking of making...start up those crafting skills. Come visit me over at A Place to Create. My machines and needles will begin a spinning.

Gotta fly the kids want to play tickle bug on the big bed.......enjoy your night

sharpen your knives

 The most dangerous tool in a kitchen is a dull knife.

There are a variety of honing stones, electric as well as hand held items to use in doing so.

 This is a fine tool as well. Mine is another brand and over 30 years old I lost two of the stones for the glue gave way. Still a great tool.

 My electric sharpener is probably a good 25 years old or so. This has been a great tool for the ease of effort. I still like to finish with a honing stone however for that fine edge.

 The Japanese professional is my favorite. However it does take some skill and practice to do so. What I will often do is use the electric one to grind out any nicks and then the stone to hone the edge.

Keeping good care of our tools helps our tools to take good care for us when we use them.

Bar Keeper Friend is a wonder product I have used for years.

This stuff is also awesome on tile floor problem areas, porcelain sinks and so many other items as well.

So remember to keep a safe kitchen with sharpened knives. You can find many tutorials on line. Teach yourself this useful skill you'll enjoy good knives for a life time. Remember if they are kept in drawer to sheathe them to protect the blades. One day the dream is a nice magnetic bar on the side of the cabinet. In drawer has been the safest while my kids are younger.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Here you go Lisa and The young woman at Wal-Mart
as per request


This is a re-post
It is a huge money saver
Originally posted 5-7-09


What happens when you do not have to pay for the shipping, manufacturing, employee benefits and salary...

Laundry soap at less than 1/2 cent per oz
.26 cent borax
.32 cent washing soda
1.29 Laundry soap bar...
Oh yes and 17 quart of water.....your own water...of course you do pay the water company a half cent perhaps if that...

grate the soap in the food processor, add to heated water and cook until melted.
Do not boil.

Set aside
1/2 cup of each
borax and washing soda

Add melted soap to bucket...
take to sink and add the powders stir and fill quickly with warm/hot water...

I had to use a mixer for the thickening of this brand of bar was fast and thick, I added another qt. water and used the hand mixer again. It is setting to see if I might not have to add more water.

I did not miss the fabric softener at all on the last batch. This is a coconut oil base bar soap up from Mexico. If it works well I will go get several more of them. The bars can be hard to find. Look at 1$ stores or in poorer neighborhoods.

32 oz x17qt (it thickened up so fast I had to add another quart of water)=544

.26
.36
1.29===1.91

544*1.91=.003511 cents per oz or

1 & 1/2 cents for 5 oz.

Perhaps a half hour of my time.
you can do it it is so easy!
This soap works better than any other brand I have ever purchased.
NO ALLERGY!
Need no fabric softener.
Ya think it might just be a fabric softener conspiracy?????/
no...they wouldn't do that...smirk!

Oh ya I did not have to shop or carry it home.
One shop for (borax)75oz box *by 4oz each batch =18 trips
Washing soda 55*4oz=13 trips
So what ya say buy a box of each, and it will last you a good year!
Then when you find the bars you like stock up!
So once a year get 5 bars of soap $5
One box borax $5
one box washing soda...$5
Do your laundry for $15. a year
:)

This batch has lasted several months (3?) yep last made February 8th, however this morning I found another jug that was left from then with a good two week worth in it.
so 15 weeks laundry for 4 for ...

That is 3 1/2 times a year I need to do this...cost
1.91 for 544 oz
1.62 for 313 oz

using the $39.07 model of savings that I have already improved on by dilution.
The first batch was a bit too thick.
it is a saving of
$136.75 a year in laundry soap alone!!!!!!!!
that is on the low side.
with only 4-5 hours labor

last time in February these were the numbers
Here is the cost ratio

$5. for a 75 oz box of Borax 75*4 oz per batch is 19 out of the box= .26 cents a batch
$5 for a 55 oz box of washing soda 55*4 oz per batch is 13 3/4 out of the box=.36 cents a batch
$1. bar of soap

$1.62 per batch of 313 oz that's
1/2 cent per oz!

$7.00 per 55 oz liquid equivalent =
.13 cents per oz!
that's 313 x's .13 = 40.70
less the $1.62
that's a 39.07 savings!!!!!!!!!
One hour of my time
I just got paid
39.07 for an hours worth of work!

post script.... it only took a half an hour this time.



click on image

Working in the garage

got a terrible heat exhaustion today

anyone hear from shorty bear? shes been on my mind

homemade laundry soap tutorial

 laundry soap tutorial here
Beth I hope this helped

 

Turning two old ovens into one new one.

Time stopped!
Oh yes it did. 

While redecorating the kitchen wall time dropped from the sky and hit the stove top dead on to corner of the wall clock. It shattered the control panel. After much searching the panel is not only $250+ but is not even made any more. Feeling so sheepish that I would hammer a nail in leaving the clock on the other nail so as not to have to climb up and down a ladder any more than necessary the clock fell off of the nail. Now I knew the clock had broken hands. How that thing did not break the glass I do not know. I did not even realize the stove top shattered until lunch time and the face of it looked strange. Then after looking closer at it oh I realized quite clearly what had happened. I just felt sick about it.

Knowing me as many of you do you understand how beloved this convection oven is to me.

Shattered the integrated control was spent. No way to just remove the glass.

Funny thing is that we really sorta disliked this interface from day one.

Steve searched and searched and then found the same make, year model with the back splash knobs and a touch control without the integrated glass.

I was so sick to think of the loss of my beloved stove.

When we purchased the stove the kids were little and the idea of the burners set back was ideal.

The face however when leaned against would beep or turn on.

Many a time Steve would express disdain over the design.

The other day I wished that the left front burner might be smaller. For the small burner was all the way in the back. Note the new one. The double burner was to the back right on the old one.

Old One

New One

The new one has a double burner on the left front. Perfect!

It has a center warmer, and a simmer control to make precise the temp of the right front.

The old oven had this lower element for the self cleaning feature. We never use self cleaning for household safety reasons. It is just too hot of a technique to use. The lower element was also what made the oven hard to clean. The oven racks are exactly the same! Now I have 5 of them!

The new to me oven had a badly dented handle and the door was damaged.

We simply swapped the doors!

Our old one the exact as the new to me one!  

Look at that new gasket!

It is very apparent that this oven was not used.

 The old door on the new to me oven will need cleaning but it is a real sturdy door. Steve said that the other door broke when he took it out to the garage.

Note how used my old one is the gasket is in pretty bad shape. The oven is pretty dirty too...lol

 

All of the things I did not like about my old one was on the new to me one. 

Amazing thing is that it was only $229. no tax!

So the other funny thing is that the clock on the new oven does NOT work!

The timer does for the kids however.

Now is that just the strangest thing?

All in all the time I spent tormented over the dumb mistake I made...well it turned out to really be a good thing . The old oven was very well used. The new to me one was rarely even turned on I think. 

All the parts were interchangeable and between the old and new to me one well it is all fixed up.

Here I was belittling myself for being such a princess when it looked like I was about to down grade my favorite stove/oven.

I love how well cared for this princess of the living loving king of kings is tendered.

Who knows maybe
time did stand still 
long enough for the desires of our hearts to come into place.

The heart of the home is the oven.

At least this home.

Tackle it Tuesday *something old into new*

remember that

and that

behold this

and this

The work is almost done. 

Free trunk and free left over paint.

There is still a bit of work to do. This paint was left over from Dove's room. Dash wanted green and was fine with it. I will have to use a blue in the front for the green is all most gone. Just about enough to get the outer parts and the inner lid done. A prime coat on the inside. It is pink and as the outside will take a good three coats. 

In addition to this project I am redecorating the whole house using some feng shi ideas and concepts.

I'll show you later on in the week. 

Meal Plan Monday * butcher your own Meat*

A day late but saving the  short dollar

Saving on your meat purchases can easily be accomplished.

Purchase top round or bottom round when it is on sale.

Mine was on sale for $1.50 pound.

Start with the roast and use toweling under the cutting board.

By cutting across the grain the meat is tender cut. If your direction is wrong the meat is tough because in essence your eating it stringy. Now trim down the extra marble (good fat) save for your grind.

There is nothing like a good sharp knife

check this out click on image

By setting your scale to tare with the saucer you have it on zero with plate on it. We cut a 1/4 steak for we eat a lot of veggie and grain.
The meat off the tail of the roast is then ground. It is tender adding the marble here in the grind is important. We are looking at maybe 98% lean beef, if no marble is added the flavor and texture will be negatively effected

Well the yeast was happy today and after the kids were off to the bus I got my upper body work out :)

Love that towel.
My sister gave it to me. Fits well to cover the dough while it rises.

Baking before 1 p.m.

We saved $65. on electric this month using the time of use plan.

Power down the house at 1 p.m.

Also we added extra dark tenting on all south and west facing windows, and glass doors.

Tackle it Tuesday *education*

~Join us here~

A huge part of homemaking for me is continued education. Today there is the opportunity for me to learn about a new appliance. For several years this uncommon kitchen has longed for a food dehydrator. Or better said this woman has. With a garden and the desire for ease in the kitchen I began to study dehydration for food stores last year. This is not the top of the line unit but it was FREE!

Yes free. The fellow who blessed me with so many many things this month also gifted me with his food dehydrator. It was set for the thrift shop, "if you can make use of it" said he

OH YEA!

So today's tackle is to research this unit and learn about it.

The internet is an awesome tool for such things. By identifying the unit and setting to search for it often the manual can be found on line. We have found even one for my 1950's sewing machine. It is really amazing what you can find. So never decline something just because you do not have an instruction manual for it.

Today is also a day of data entry and check writing for bill payments. I do not believe in letting ANY institution EVER into my checking accounts. Well I do let the mail order pharmacy automatically refill and bill me. However they DO NOT HAVE AUTOMATIC access to the funds.

Writing checks seams to be a lost art. However it is like holding cash, in that you are very aware of how much you are spending. It is a 'in you face' accountability (in so many ways) of all of your funds. What are you spending this month on utilities on a  daily basis? Do you know? If it is auto deducted do you ever really stop and look at the bill? Who is the person working for that utility? Do you know them personally? Then why do you let them have their hands on your funds? 

Convenience?

At what cost?

With identity theft at an all time high think about it.

Hand writing can really be a wonderful artistic art. On your bills when you send a check write the account number on the memo. I have a little smiley stamp that I use. A paid in full stamp is used on the bill ONLY after I have reviewed it. That is how I know how much is spent daily for a utility. Keeps the habit of lights off. Think of it, if you are aware of just how many dollars your shelling out a day wouldn't you stop someones hand from taking your money out of your pocket.

By...say... 'turning the lights off'?

On the outside of the envelope use a sticker offer that poor old discouraged employee who is opening hundreds of envelops a day at minimum wage a little beauty in their day.
Your kindness will be remembered.
Often it has caused favor to come upon me.

Well happy day to ya!

Craigslist Reduce~ Reuse~Recycle for free

Every Morning first thing and also throughout the day we check the Craigslist adds for FREE listings.

Looking for the East Valley or at least a reasonable drive and calling if it is something we can well make use of.

Last night Steve came in to ask me about a portable neutralizer if we were interested I jumped on it. Dash and I both have Asthma. Now Traveling will be a 'breeze' ha pun intended. Now mind you this was free it is a rather costly thing to purchase. Note also it had been requested some time back with a "hay God it would be cool if..." .

Having new gardens The need for good planting and potting soils is a constant. Last week we got a garden sink and several hoses, a pork roast, a whole turkey and this...a long bed pick up fill of  quality soil. Now this is soil that the fellow got while working at a home store. It is all Miracle Grow. High end stuff. The man was moving and had to get the rental back into original state. He had four raised beds full of it. We made friends and his darling four year old wheel chair bound child and my kids really hit it off. With my knee injections there was a concern I would miss out on it. This kind soul had it all loaded including the big black pots. ALL FREE  More wonderful was the interactive humanity.
His wife was already in Texas so I sent along two pair of earrings for her that I had made.

There was enough potting soil to fill this pot. I had been wanting to do that but was low on the list to purchase potting soil.

All three of these large black pots were full of potting soil and then some.

That bald spot in the yard is calling for a tree.

He gave me this bench last week and the broken pot is a gift many many years ago from my SILove and her family as a house warming gift.

It is also filled with the potting soil.

The soil also filled the arbor bed a good 4 inches more. 

Now that flower bed is a good 6 inches deep of high end miracle grow.

Think of the cost if we purchased it.

Just one black pot is a good 50 pound bag.

Ready now to be leveled and planted in 3 weeks.

In three weeks it will be perfect time my knee shots will be done for another year, and the next infusion will be over as well. I will be set just in time to plant the fall crops.

This bed has settled by half. It was straw based last year and I had to fill it to use it this fall. Look at that it is all but ready once we add the compost. Now that is some happy soil.

We were also able to fill the Iris bed. 

Craigs list Look under free

I also look under wanted and find things that might be bartered.
Looking under wanted you might just find something another needs that you now longer have need of.
Reduce~ Reuse ~Recycle