Patch Work

In the past, a hole in a pair of jeans meant that it was time to be either donated or trashed. My how times have changed! A hole in a pair of jeans can be patched so easily! No need to think tacky denim patches on the outside of the jeans (my daughter would be horrified to wear a pair of jeans with that!).
Just turn the jeans inside out...

Then cut to size the patch and place over the hole....

Then iron...

When turned back right side out, it looks worn, but no hole.

Now walking in stores you will notice that the "worn" look is really in right now. So, no worries there!
Then the pairs of jeans that are just beyond patching, I cut off and either make shorts or capris.

I just cut, then measure and make sure both sides are equal. Roll once, iron and roll again and iron. Then take and tack at the inseams and in the middle of the roll, but making sure you don't go all the way thru, just catch inside roll. This way no stitch work can be seen, but the roll will stay in place. There you go! Easy! I like this too, because I am in control of the length of the shorts! I try to dress my daughter modestly and in today's society sometimes it's difficult to find shorts that is a respectable length.
Another tip, is that if your kids outgrow the jeans or pants in length, but they still fit in the waist, convert them to shorts or capris. It also gives you options when shopping at GoodWill or thrift stores. Always think out of the box. Autumn can still fit into a 6 in the waist, but they are too short in length. If she needs shorts, I can snag some size 6 at GoodWill and convert to shorts.
You can also jazz the shorts or capris up...go to your local craft store and get some cute transfers and iron them on. A little creativity goes a long way!

A part of being frugal is making do with what you have. How much money I have wasted by throwing things away that could be patched, fixed or re-purposed.

Family Day Celebrating Trent's Graduation!

As most of you know, we are on an extremely tight budget. But, your son graduating doesn't come around very often. So, we packed up for a day trip. We went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We ate breakfast at home before the road trip and took some snacks with us to eat on the road.
Once down there, we walked around and saw the sights (cheap and fun). Trent has been wanting a Henna Tattoo, so he got one of those. Here's a quick tip...eat early, after lunch but before dinner. You can get the "early bird" special. So, we ate around 3 and saved tons. Then they boys are big on racing go-carts. So, off to Nascar Park. Now, that could have been expensive, but we all agreed just 2 tracks a piece. Now, you may roll your eyes at that, but in the hot sun and standing in line for just those 2 tracks, my family was more than ready to go home. Something fun, but on the cheap! We had a great time! We laughed and just enjoyed being together and best of all....made memories!

Uses for White Vinegar!

Love, Love, Love White vinegar!! It has so many uses and it's CHEAP!! Lol! Yep, and we all know how cheap I am!
Vinegar can kill most mold, germs and bacteria because of it's acidity. It can be used to deodorize too. It can be used as a laundry booster, it makes the whites whiter and the colors brighter. It can also be used as a fabric softener.
You can pour it on weeds to kill them. Vinegar can deter ants too!
And did you know that white vinegar can remove hazy stains from inside of car windows. Speaking of windows...it can be diluted with water and used to clean windows.
It can tenderize meats, make the onion odor on your hands disappear and keep your eggs from cracking while boiling if you add a tablespoon to the water.
I have switched to using baking soda and vinegar cleaning my shower and tubs. Sprinkle the baking soda and spray vinegar on top and let it soak just for a 1 minute and scrub a little!! Clean and deodorized!!!
Give white vinegar a try! It's natural and cheap!!!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

As promised....my homemade laundry detergent recipe (well, not mine, but the one I use).
Here is what you will need:


The Borax I get at Wal-Mart for $2.98, Washing Soda at Ingles for $3.38 and Ivory Soap at Wal-Mart $.33 (12 Pack for $3.98).
The measurements are as follows:
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1 bar of Ivory Soap
Place the Ivory Soap on a plate.

Place it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Keep your eye on it and if it gets too big, take it out and let it cool. Take the "fluffy" part and crumble in a bowl and place back in the microwave and let it expand again. Repeat this process until all the soap is "fluffy". It will look like this:

Take the cup of Borax and Washing Soda and combine it with the crumbled soap. I take my hand and keep crumbling the Ivory Soap while I work it into the mixture.

I use an empty coffee container to store it in.

I use 2 tablespoons per load. Place in the bottom of the washer and load with clothes. This has worked great with our laundry. Jeff's clothes can get really dirty and I have never had a problem. This is also an all natural laundry detergent!! I use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of white vinegar for fabric softener. This kills odors, disinfects and softens the clothes. Again this is also all natural and it's cheap! Your clothes do not have a vinegar smell, nor does your laundry room. I buy a gallon of white vinegar at Wal-Mart for $2.98. White vinegar can be used with lots of cleaning...I will post more about that later!!

2011 Goals

2011 Goals...where to begin....there is so much I want to accomplish, I can get totally overwhelmed by it.
1. Continue to get my debit paid off. This year was the first Christmas that we absolutely did not purchase one thing on a credit card. It felt great!! Yes, Christmas was a lot smaller in the gift area, but you know what it was GREAT!! We had a wonderful and blessed Christmas without the "stuff"!! So, it has really empowered me to even be more intense about living simpler and with more of a purpose than just collecting stuff!
2. Become healthier in our eating and lifestyle. I continue to get the processed junk out of this house! Christmas was a bit of a slip up with all the sweet goodies. But, now it's back on track. I am constantly on the search for healthy frugal recipes and I am enjoying the journey. Also, I am becoming more aware of the chemicals that I am using cleaning and using on our bodies. I have made several improvements and will continue to work on this.
3. Learn to cook venison. I am still a beginner. I have been blessed with some deer meat and I am experimenting with it and look forward to cooking more with it.
4. Making more cleaning products. I have started making my own laundry detergent that is so cheap and healthy!! I will post the recipe later. Next I'm making my own dishwasher detergent and natural cleaning products. My great friend Elise gave me a book for Christmas with lots and lots of recipes I'm excited to try! Not only is this going to be healthier for our family, but also save us money.
5. Start back on my stockpiling of food. My goal is to get at least 3 months or more of food stockpiled. For those wondering why...well, we never know what the future holds. I want to make sure that I have the means to take care of my family. Prices are going up but not paychecks, jobs are uncertain, economy is scary and honestly I am not sure how much tribulation the church will see before the rapture. My spirit has been telling me for a while to get prepared. I have been distracted or unable due to money, but I truly want to get back on track with this. I have storage issues, but that's not going to stop me!

Well, that is my narrowed down list. There are a couple of things that I did not list, but I consider them a given...
I want to strive to put the Lord first in my life, read the Word more, Worship more, Serve more, submit more, surrender more....I want MORE of the Lord!!
I want to be a better wife and Mom.
I want to slow down and enjoy life instead of going wide open and feeling like I have to constantly be doing something...I want to spend more time just being. To savor each moment instead of looking for the "next" moment to happen.
Okay, I could possibly go on forever with this list, so I will stop now.
So, there you have it...my condensed version of my 2011 goals!!

Enjoying God!

I have noticed the wonderful colors starting to appear on the mountains here in Western North Carolina. Is God not awesome?! He created such breath taking beauty for us to enjoy! These are pictures from my front porch....




All of this beauty and I don't even have to leave my front porch! I'm trying to slow down and appreciate all that God has given me. How many times have I not looked at His beautiful and wonderous creations?! How many times have I let life distract me from this beauty?! Again, I have been distracted by the world and what it offers! I challenge myself every day now to slow down...look at the beauty of creation! Have you noticed the beauty in your husband's eyes as he looks at you? Have you heard your children's laughter...I mean REALLY heard their sweet giggles? Have you savored the loving hugs and kisses that come your way from your kids and hubby? Have you thought about the clean water that you drink? The food you eat? God has provided so much and created so much beauty for us to enjoy! May we all slow down and enjoy!


Psalm 34:1-3 NLT
I will praise the Lord at ALL times.
I will constantly speak His praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness;
let us exalt His name together!

Oh! The Simple Things!

My daughter has SO many toys! But, she finds the most enjoyment out of just playing with the simple things. A bucket, an empty bottle and a small shovel thrown in with dirt and some rocks and she can play for hours on end! I often find myself wondering why I feel like I am neglecting her and my son when they don't have the "latest" in gadgets and gizmos!
I have been examining my life and the things that I allow to come in it. I have been so materialistic about so many things! It breaks my heart to see where I am in this. How many toys are too many? How many clothes do we really need? When does it ever stop?! We always want more, bigger and better instead of being content and thankful for what we have!
My sweet little Autumn is so happy and content with her dirt and rocks. Even my teenager; Trent; is just happy being outside riding his bike. Why do I try to complicate things? I have let the world poison my mind into thinking that I cannot be happy without the "latest" in all things. Or if I don't have a pair of shoes and purse to match every outfit!
I think those that do mission work in other countries truly have the grasp of how blessed we really are. I pray that I start seeing things differently, stop wanting "just because someone else has it". I want to stop feeling inadequate because I don't "have" certain things. I don't need 50 pairs of shoes! I don't need the newest car! I don't have to dress in designer clothes! My kids do not have to have every toy!
I thank God for what I have! He has blessed me so much! Instead of being ungrateful...I need to stop and enjoy! Stop and notice and appreciate the simple things. Now if you will excuse me.....I have some dirt to play in!