All-Surface Antibacterial Spray

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I had been checking out all sorts of different recipes for homemade cleaners but none of them met all of my qualifications and so I set about to make up my own.  It is cheap and easy to make and smells wonderful.  It cleans my counters and almost anything else very thoroughly. The tea tree and lavender oils have antibacterial properties, so it gives that extra protection for your kitchen and bathroom cleaning without using unnecessary chemicals.

Here are the things you need to gather:

2 tsp Borax
1/2 tsp liquid castile soap (I use Peppermint)
1/4 tsp (20-25 drops) tea tree oil
1/4 tsp (20-25 drops) lavender oil
1/4-1/2 tsp peppermint oil

Add all of these to an empty spray bottle and then fill it to the top with hot water.  Shake it a bit and it is ready to use!

 You can change the scent by using something different than peppermint (options are unlimited).  Just be sure to keep the tea tree and lavender oils in the recipe as they are what gives it the antibacterial properties.

Happy Cleaning!

Living a Healthy Life Can Save You Money

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When I think about the word "organic", images of expensive fruit and vegetables come to my mind.   As I walk through the produce section of my supermarket, the organic options are always considerably more expensive.  If I walk through the "whole foods" aisle, once again, it is to shell out a lot more money than I would otherwise spend.  So, I thought it might be helpful to think about ways we can actually save money by living organically.

1.  Make your own cleaning supplies and laundry detergent.  I have been doing this now for quite awhile.  You can find easy recipes to make all kinds of cleaners using non-toxic, inexpensive - and effective! - items.  Pinterest is my go-to place to find great ideas for homemade cleaners.

2.  Grow a garden.  A garden is a great way to get fresh produce.  And do not limit yourself to just vegetables.  Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries taste great right from your garden!  Apple and peach trees are wonderful additions to the backyard. 

3.  Make your own bread.  Commercially made bread (see my post on using your bread machine) is full of unhealthy preservatives and unnecessary sweeteners.  If you have a good bread machine or Kitchen Aid mixer, you can make your own loaf of healthy bread in a reasonable amount of time and at a fraction of the cost you would pay for a "healthy" loaf in the store.

4.  Make your own salad dressings.  Most salad dressings are not hard to make.  They take basic ingredients that are found in most of our cupboards.  Find a few great recipes and then keep your shelves stocked with the necessary ingredients to make them.  You will never again have to spend over $3 a bottle for organic or natural salad dressing.

5.  Buy a freezer. This gives you the option to take advantage of good deals when you find them.  It also gives you the option to pick up the bulk items you sometimes find at places like Sam's Club and Costco.  And don't forget about your local butcher.  He often has great deals on buying meat in bulk that make a freezer a very helpful tool for healthy living. 

I hope that you find some of these ideas helpful.  I would love to hear some of your ideas!  I want to show that living healthy doesn't have to be more expensive, but is a very available choice for all of us!

Weight Matters...or does it?

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I climbed on the scales.  I peeked over my toes to hesitantly look at the number. And then my shoulders slumped. I am not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't to have gained a few pounds. I feel like I am fighting a losing battle that is never-ending. While I fight, two question keep popping up in my mind--Does it even matter what I weigh? Should I continue to fight what feels like a losing battle?

As to that first question, we have to remember that the number is not what matters. We have to be concerned with our lifestyle. What are we eating?  How much are we eating?  Do we leave room for fitness in our lives? We hear this over and over and yet we still focus on that "magic number" we want the scales to say when we step on it. I doubt I will ever be the same weight I was the day of my wedding. But I can be healthy and fit. What does that look like in my 30s, 40s, and 50s? Well, it probably changes. But we need to figure out what it means for us personally at each stage of life. What is my body type? How much can I eat and still feel well? How much exercise do I need to do each week to function at my best? 

So yes! We have to keep fighting this battle for healthy and fit bodies! If we don't, we will end up in default mode, gaining weight and becoming less fit. I have to continually give focus to this matter of healthy eating and fitness. Sometimes I get lazy and that is the time I gain weight. I haven't done anything crazy like eat a whole container of ice cream or a whole bag of chips; I simply leave my guard down and don't pay as close attention as I should to what I am eating. Or I get busy and I don't get any exercise in.

May God bless if you are fighting the same fight. May we never give up being the best person we can be, keeping our eyes on what is important, and ridding ourselves of the ridiculous notion that we need to have the perfect body.

6 Simple Ways to Help You Save Money

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Handling our money is no easy task. Everywhere we turn, we find people with products and services that they claim we cannot live without. How do we determine if something is necessary or unnecessary? What are some easy ways to save money? I am still working on this in my own life, but  here are a few ideas that may be helpful.

1.  Make saving money a priority. Saving can be a very difficult thing to do, so what I do is save it before I even see it. I have a small amount deducted automatically on a weekly basis, so that I hardly even feel it. But the monthly total adds up after a year. You see, even if you save $25 dollars per week (one meal out), you will save around $1200 a year. This has really been a helpful way for our family to save money.

2.  Determine what is really important. Sometimes we have services we just don't need. If your husband is a huge football fan, then perhaps cable isn't the place to cut your budget.  But you may realize that you don't need the full package. We used to have Netflix (and may use it again someday) but I realized that for this time of our lives, we were not really using it enough to warrant the expense. It wasn't much of a savings, but it adds up! If you are paying monthly for services you aren't using it may be worth checking into a smaller package or eliminating it all together. This applies to all of your services (phones, cable), your extras (coffee, manicures, etc.), and perhaps even sports and lessons for your kids. Go over your expenditures with a fine-toothed comb and determine what should stay and what can go.

3.  Plan a menu. I know that when I take just a few minutes at the beginning of each week to plan my menu, I spend much less on food. It eliminates the quick trips for fast food or pizza. It also keeps me from picking up "just in case" items. You can use a hand-written menu form or you can use one of the many apps available for your smartphone.

4.  Control your schedule. So, I know what you are thinking--what does my schedule have to do with my money? I have personally found that my busy schedule is the deadliest thing to my budget. When I am busy, it means I am too busy to cook or to track. If I am busy, I am usually too tired to care. We have to be careful to keep our schedule free enough so that we have the time and energy necessary to handle our money wisely. Sometimes we can't control our schedules and things are thrusted upon us over which we have no control, but if I am honest, most times I end up too busy, it is my own fault.

5.  Take a little time to go over your bills each year. Most companies are in so much competition with each other that they usually have a good deal to offer you--if you just take the time to call.  I found this out firsthand just this year when I called the phone company about something and then just happened to start talking about the bill for our business. When I was done with that phone call, I was saving over $1200 per year! After I got over my chagrin of not having thought to call them about it sooner, I realized that I should really be more diligent in checking up on my bills.

6.  Wait 30 days. If you really want something, wait 30 days before you buy it. This is an invaluable idea.  It will keep you from impulse buys and you may find out that you don't need it-or even want it -after 30 days. Of course, this isn't always practical, but in many purchases I have found this rule to be very helpful. It helps me determine what potential purchases are really important to me and what potential purchases were just an impulsive thought.

Money is so critical in so many ways. I hope these ideas have been helpful.

The (Side) Benefits of Gardening

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There is a lot of emphasis on gardening these days.  Growing your own food not only puts healthy food on your table, but can save you a lot of money, as well.  But there is another, often ignored, benefit. While you are gardening, you are exercising.  Isn't that great news?  

 Gardening is great exercise for the body.  Researchers estimate that gardening burns 300 calories per hour.  Heavy yard work can burn up to 600 calories.

     Gardening is also very cathartic for the soul.  I find that digging in the dirt (without headphones blaring in my ears) gives me time to just rest my mind.  We have so much information we are processing each and every day, that I really appreciate the quiet time I have in my garden.

Gardening is a wonderful way to stay healthy!  It is challenging and fun to do and can take as much time as you want to give to it.  Don't have a lot of time?  Plant a square foot garden (I will write more about that later).  Have some extra time?  Plant a large, traditional style garden and sell your extra produce at your local farmer's market.   Your garden can be designed to meet the needs of you and your family.

So if you have been thinking about planting a garden, you should do it!  It will be worth it--in so many ways!

Dust Off Your Bread Machine and Use It!

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Years ago, bread machines were all the rage.  It was the latest, greatest thing and many people rushed out to buy their own.  But then we got tired of the funny-shaped loaves with the hole in the middle and put them in storage or took them to Good Will.  Well, if you still have yours, I would like to recommend you take it out of storage, dust it off, and put it to good use!

Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a loaf of commercially made bread?  The list always includes many unfamiliar items we would never find in our own kitchens, including sweeteners and preservatives.


You are probably thinking, "I know that is true but making bread takes so much time..."  Yes, you are right, it does!  But not with your bread machine.  Your bread machine makes light work of all of the kneading and rising time.

Sometimes I program the machine to bake the loaf right there.  I have fabulous recipes for honey wheat and oatmeal breads.  But if you don't like the shape of your bread machine loaves, then set it to the dough cycle.  This makes light work of homemade dinner rolls, sandwich buns, and cinnamon rolls.

No matter how I use it, I know that I am feeding my family bread without all of the unnecessary items that are found in commercially made bread.

Why don't you give it a try?

*My bread machine is a "Regal Breadmaker".  It has been very reliable for many years now.

Welcome!

Pin It Now! Welcome to The Prudent Life!  This blog is all about living our best life. It is about thinking outside the box for solutions to everyday problems. It is about being a good steward of all that we have been blessed with. Some of the topics covered will be finances, nutrition, and home-making.  Thanks for visiting and I hope you come back!