Starving Student Survivor

New Year Resolutions

2011-02-21T21:35:00.000-05:00

I read a lot of blogs. I love them. As 2010 became 2011, I read many bloggers' goals, aspirations, and resolutions for the new year. And so I'm going to share mine with you.

What's that you say? It's three weeks into February? Yeah, I know. Hey, everybody's biggest resolution failed on Superbowl Sunday a few weeks ago, so that's all starting over again anyway, right?

Here are the resolutions I made at the end of December:

1. Lay on the couch as much as possible.
2. Let my children feed themselves apples from the fridge and cold dry cereal from the cupboard. All day.
3. Let my husband wash every dirty dish that touches the kitchen sink.
4. Shower . . . sometimes.
5. Don't throw up.

Oh, wait. I forgot one.

6. Grow a baby.

Did I forget to tell you I'm expecting our third? Oh, well, now you know.

Either I've forgotten how hard that first trimester is, or it really is worse this time around. But I gotta tell ya: these last couple of months have been a doozy for me. I've stayed away from blogging because of total lack of energy.

But I've also stayed away because blogging is supposed to be about sharing the very best parts of my life with you. It's about showing you all the great things I do, and how put together I am, and how I always behave completely up to my ideals.

And then I got the 1500-hour stomach bug. And the person I want you to see when you read my blog (that woman who always feeds her family whole foods and keeps her home in perfect working order), well, she's just nowhere to be found, is she?

Now that I'm starting to feel better and get my energy back, I've also had to face the fact that I judge too quickly. Once something first becomes important to me (something stupid like keeping my bathroom clean at all times), I can't understand why another person doesn't follow my new philosophy with the same enthusiasm. But now I know why: SHE DOESN'T FEEL GOOD! I hope that's what people thought about me, my home, and my children for the last two months. "Oh, it looks like she hasn't swept her floor for six weeks, but I'm sure it's because she isn't feeling well."

So, it's out in the open now. I'm having a baby. And I'm not perfect. Come see the 18 boxes of cereal in my kitchen if you don't believe it.

And my real resolution this year? Stop judging. Assume that she's not sleeping well, or her kids aren't sleeping well, or a million different things are going on that prevent her life from being picture-perfect, or blog-perfect, as the new standard seems to be. Smile at her instead. Say hello. Maybe even offer to have her and her kids over for a bowl of Cheerios.

Being a grad student isn't quite this bad. Really.

2011-02-09T17:09:00.000-05:00

Last night my husband pulled me over to the computer and said, "Come here. You have to see this." And I laughed. So hard. I think I might have hurt his feelings a little bit with how hard I laughed.

Guest Post at Alicia's Homemaking

2010-12-08T16:26:00.000-05:00

Alicia invited me to write a guest post on her wonderful blog. Check it out: Sacrificing to Spend Less

Homemade Deodorant Review: Part 2 (New Formula)

2010-12-01T22:50:00.000-05:00

After noticing some coconut oil stains on my shirts, I changed my homemade deodorant recipe. Here it is. Are you ready?

1 part baking soda
1 part cornstarch

Instructions:
Shake together in a jar and store in your bathroom medicine cabinet. Apply with an old makeup brush after your shower. And lean over the sink, because it likes to get everywhere. If necessary, wipe and reapply throughout the day. (This is when staying at home comes in handy.)

This recipe works just as well as the coconut oil recipe. Just remember that neither formula comes close to an antiperspirant. I got a sample antiperspirant a while ago which I use if I'm speaking in public or doing something equally sweat-inducing. So I still haven't broken my promise to you that I wouldn't buy any more.

Best part: without the coconut oil, it's immensely less expensive to make!

Homemade Deodorant Review: Part 1 here.

Putting My Husband Through School

2010-10-13T16:31:00.000-04:00

Five years ago, I was nearing the end of my college degree, and my husband was still in the middle of his undergraduate program. We'd lived simply and frugally for a couple of newlywed years. Now we had a choice in front of us: I could finish school and continue working to pay our living expenses and my husband's tuition, or I could have a baby, come home, and let my husband go to school and take the financial responsibility for our growing family.

Does this one sound like a no-brainer? We had many friends in our situation. The wife graduated first, found full-time employment (with lots of benefits) and worked to put her husband through school. When he finished, he found the full-time job so she could stay home and become Mom.

That scenario sounded great, but it wasn't right for us. We skipped the money and security and instead decided to invite children into our family.

You don't have to think I'm right. Feel free to call me stupid and irresponsible. Trust me, I have days when I say those things to myself. But most days I remember that we did what we felt God wanted us to do. He wanted to send some of His children to us sooner rather than later. So we accepted them with the faith that if we did our best God would provide us with whatever we needed.

And guess what! He has provided everything we've needed! As we've trusted in Him, our needs have been met. And not just money or other temporal needs, but blessings of time, energy, wisdom and health. We're not a perfect family, but we are surviving. We feel His love and help every day.

Sometimes I think about what my life would be like if we'd just waited to have kids until we finished school. In some ways life would certainly be easier. I imagine we'd have all sorts of luxuries, like two cars, a big bank account, gym memberships, cell phone plans, weekend getaways, nice wardrobes, no student loans, and even a subscription to Netflix! But I'd sure be lonely without these two little ones to keep me company all day.

And although I'm not contributing a steady salary with a dental and vision package, I'd like to think that I am doing other things to put my husband through school. I can cook a dinner for him to come home to (with lots of leftovers for tomorrow's lunch). I can keep his shirts clean. I can keep myself from complaining about fill-in-the-blank that's hard about our current student life (this one is still hard for me). I can do a multitude of small things every day that stretch our income and resources.

Things are challenging at times, but so much easier when I remember that the Lord is on my side (Psalms 118:6).

Tuna Melts (Made With Homemade Yogurt)

2010-09-23T22:06:00.000-04:00

(Not the most beautiful picture of the most beautiful food on the most beautiful dish. But for a two-year-old, hey! It's lunch!)

After several years of receiving WIC benefits, I think I'm starting to figure out how to transform random food items into actual meals. It's getting easier now that WIC provides some fresh produce and whole grain bread. This WIC recipe is one of my favorites because it uses some of that plain yogurt that's always around as a substitute for the usual mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled (WIC)
2 stalks celery (WIC)
2 dill pickles
1 can tuna, drained (WIC for nursing moms)
1/4-1/3 cup plain yogurt (made with WIC milk)
2-4 oz. cheese, sliced (WIC)
6-8 slices whole grain bread (WIC)

Finely dice carrots, celery, and pickles (I use a food processor). Mix in tuna and yogurt. Spoon onto bread, and top with cheese slices. Place under broiler for about 3 minutes until cheese is melted.

My boys each ate a piece of fruit while I put this together, and chowed down on the tuna melts as soon as they came out of the oven. *Check!* One more healthy lunch down!

What Pregnancy, Labor, and the Birth of My Son Taught Me About Christ

2010-09-06T12:29:00.001-04:00

In celebration of Labor Day, I'm sharing some thoughts on my son's birth and linking up with The Finer Things in Life.

Being a woman and having kids is hard, and Eve seems to take the blame for every unpleasant part. Sometimes I think we look at Adam and Eve and it seems that God was saying, "Eve, you really messed up. So for your punishment, you have to have babies, and boy is it ever going to hurt! Adam, you messed up, too. But since you only did it because Eve said so, I'm going to make you the boss of her."

As I've reflected on the Fall, it seems that God is really saying, not just to Adam and Eve, but to each of us, "Now that you've transgressed, there is only one way to be in my presence again, and that is through my Son, Jesus Christ. So I have specific roles and responsibilities for each of you that will help you know Him better.

"Adam, you will have the responsibility and stewardship over your wife and family. As you learn to love and lead them, think of Christ's perfect leadership of the Church." Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25).

"Eve, you will have the responsibility to bring new life into the world. As you carry, deliver, and give life to a child, you will learn about how Christ carries, delivers, and gives life to His children. Your body will be a symbol of Christ's sacrifice. Like Him, you will give new life through pain, suffering, water, and blood."

These ideas about my body's fertility being a testament of Christ came late in the pregnancy of my first child. I was reading about Christ's Atonement in a talk by Merrill J. Bateman:

The prophet Abinadi . . . states that "when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed" (Mosiah 15:10). Abinadi then identifies the Savior's seed as the prophets and those who follow them. For many years I thought of the Savior's experience in the garden and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon Him. Through the words of Alma, Abinadi, Isaiah, and other prophets, however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sin, there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt "our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15), "[bore] our griefs, . . . carried our sorrows . . . [and] was bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:4-5).

The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us.

The following Sunday I sat during the Sacrament pondering these words. "Did Christ really suffer so personally for me?" My hands then rested on my bulging belly, and I thought about the baby boy inside. I already loved him so much. I was already willing to make incredible sacrifices for him.

It was in that moment that I realized Christ's suffering for me was very personal. It was not just as if He spent a few moments of His Atonement just on my sins and sorrows. It was as if He carried me for a full nine months and with great pain gave me life, so I would be his "seed."

My eyes fell to the hymnbook in my lap, and I read these words:

Oh, love effulgent, love divine!
What debt of gratitude is mine,
That in his off'ring I have part
And hold a place within his heart.

A few weeks later I was lying on a hospital bed, silently breathing through increasingly difficult contractions. I began to pray instinctively, without really even thinking, "Heavenly Father. This is really starting to hurt. Could you please make this go away?" Then I realized, Of course it's not going away! It's going to get worse! That epidural was really starting to sound good. But I thought of Christ's prayer, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39). For Christ, there was no epidural! There was no other way. But He was willing.

Another half hour brought me through an intense transition and I was already pushing when my epidural showed up, so I chose to go on without it. Pushing took all my strength and concentration, and I felt everything that was happening.

I remember the moment my baby entered this world. I remember the gush of blood and water that came after his body slipped out. (John 19:34) I remember the sense of accomplishment and joy I felt.

I could hear my son crying as the nurses cleaned him and wrapped him up on the other side of the room. My husband stood beside him and spoke softly. "It's okay, Baby. You're okay. Daddy's here. Don't cry. You're okay." Our son stopped crying and turned his head toward the sound. His eyes blinked slowly and he was calm. Not only had I give my baby life, I had brought him into the presence of his father. And he knew, recognized, listened to and obeyed his father's voice.

I am amazed at the privilege I have to participate, with God, in the creation of life. I am amazed at the ways my body reminds me of Christ's pain and suffering, whether I'm expecting or giving birth to a baby, or even during my cycle. Cramping pain, fatigue, and bleeding can all be reminders to me of the way Christ suffered. My body retains water as part of its process to give life, and Christ is the "Living Water" (see John 4:10, 14). My mood swings or hormonal depression feel like sadness that came from outside of myself and yet become a part of me, and I remember that "surely [Christ] hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4).

It feels impossible to comprehend all that Christ suffered for me and for each of us. But I am grateful that I could bleed and suffer to a small extent to bring life to my child. It makes me love Him better, to want to depend on Him as much as my infant babies depend on me, and to be more like Him. How wonderful it is that I have been "born again" of Him and that He has given me new life (John 3:3).

I've Got a New Way to Wash

2010-09-02T16:23:00.001-04:00

Now that you know my ultra-frugal secret about washing laundry by hand, here's a tutorial on how to survive without a washing machine.

Old Laundry Method: Hand Washing

For the last year, this is how I've washed our clothes. I sort the clothes the same as I would for a washing machine. As I put individual clothing items into the laundry basket, I also find an appropriate hanger to dry it on later.

I fill the bathtub with water and add laundry soap, then clothes. With rubber gloves on, I kneel over the edge of the tub and scrub, knead, mix, stir, agitate, however you want to describe swishing the clothes around like a human washing machine. Depending on the water temperature, I can usually work up a pretty good sweat.

Then I drain the tub and repeat the steps--minus the laundry soap--for a rinse cycle.

After draining the tub again, I squeeze/wring the water out of the clothes and hang everything up. This load was a big one, so there was enough to go across the shower rod (which is screwed into the wall and supports the weight just fine) and the kids' closet (with a fan blowing to keep air moving through).

As the laundry drips dry I go in and check every hour or so, squeezing out extra water from the bottom of heavy items, hanging up anything the fan blew off, and generally fussing over things.

I wish I could say that when everything is almost dry I iron all the clothes to get rid of the wrinkles and finish up the drying process. But I usually don't. But I usually do have good intentions.

New Method: Bucket Plunging

My mother-in-law sent me another package last week. This one included tools to help me wash my clothes in a new, more efficient way.

She'd been telling me about these great lids with two parts. The outer ring hammers on to a five-gallon bucket. The inner part screws in to create an airtight watertight seal (except that she drilled a hole in this one). Much easier to use than traditional five-gallon lids.

She also drilled holes in a basic plunger. (I promise this one is brand-new and has never seen the inside of a toilet bowl!)

I fill the bucket with water, soap, clothes and plunger.

I screw on the lid.

Then I sit on the edge of the tub and plunge away! And I feel like Ma Wilder churning butter!

Look, no gloves!

The plunger gets great agitation, and it goes much faster than leaning the top half of my body into the tub and swishing the laundry around.

Plunging laundry is my new adventure linked to Try New Adventures Thursday at Alicia's Homemaking.

I'm so frugal it's embarrassing.

2010-08-27T16:00:00.002-04:00

Okay, people. The time has come. Today is the day that I reveal my deepest, darkest, weirdest, most frugal secret ever.

I hand wash all my family's laundry in our bathtub.

There. I've said it. So go ahead. Ask those questions to yourself. "What in the world is wrong with her?" "Is this about channeling her inner pioneer?" "Uh, doesn't she realize that she lives in AMERICA?"

Or, you could think, "Oh, yeah. I used to do laundry by hand all the time. I know lots of people who do that. That's totally normal."

And then, please tell me. Am I normal? Am I? Am I?

You, Readers, are the only people in the world to know my secret, apart from my parents, my husband's parents, and our siblings. When I let it slip to them (a year ago, when I started doing this), they expressed pity for me. Lots of it. Like, when I see them in person or haven't talked to them on the phone for a while, one of the first things they ask is how the laundry is going. And a few of them felt so bad for me that they sent me money.

Part of it was my attitude then. I felt sorry for myself. A year ago when my husband started graduate school, the laundromat in our new town was so expensive I calculated (after our first and only visit there) that I could easily spend $50 in quarters there every month. There was no way that was fitting in the budget. Hand-washing officially became the worst manifestation of my being-poor life.

But this, like anything else, has gotten better with time and practice. And it makes me think about the millions and billions of people over the history of the Earth who have washed their clothes like this. What have I ever done that entitles me to an easier life than they have? Why should I feel "poor" when I get to hand-wash my clothes in a big bathtub, with easy access to hot and cold water, instead of in a little bucket, possibly with water that's not really clean in the first place?

So I'm trying to stay happy, stay grateful, and hope that people I know in real life can't figure out my secret by looking at what I wear.

Do you have an extreme frugal secret? Is there anything you do that you're embarrassed to tell people about, because it seems weird?

Defining "Enough"

2010-08-19T15:50:00.001-04:00

Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like every person in the world is busier than you?

And not just that they're busier, but that they do more. Accomplish more. Achieve more. Do you ever feel like your life doesn't have a purpose?

While on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I got the chance to spend an evening with a dear friend who showed me the fruits of her labors: after two years of crazy hard work, she was nearly done with a humongous project.

I was thrilled for her, really I was. But as my husband and I got in the car and drove away my mind was racing. I finally asked him, "Do you ever feel like you don't do enough?"

"Pretty much every day." His answer surprised me. Usually he disagrees with me on stuff like this.

I continued, "Do you ever feel like everybody else does more than you?"

Then he did his usual pounce. "You should not be comparing yourself to other people. Does 'everyone else' have little kids at home to take care of?"

True, I shouldn't compare. And true, my friend is in a different position in her motherhood than I am, with all her kids school-aged. And she would be the first to admit that she didn't accomplish as much when they were younger. Those years were mostly just motherhood survival mode.

But what about those women who do have young kids at home? The moms who make every meal from scratch, keep their house clean, run a business from home and read two books a week? What about those women who truly nurture their own family, serve others like crazy and develop their own talents? And never put their hair in ponytails?

Okay, I know the way I see other people is unrealistic at times. But is there something more I should be doing with my life? Is there something great and grand for me to do that I'm neglecting? Is it really just "Play with kids, cook, clean up, repeat" for years at a time? The whole "Set a goal to do one small things each day" rule was great for when my kids were newborns, but my "baby" is two now. Is it really okay for me to feel awesome about myself if I finished a project that took one or two hours? When my friend is finishing a project that took two years, working hours at a time, day after day, week after week, etc. etc.?

As we continued driving, the words of Julie Beck kept coming back to me:

A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.

As I've studied her talk (and by study, I mean I listen to it over and over while I clean the kitchen), this sentence has stood out to me:

Personal revelation gives us the understanding of what to do every day to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek those who need our help.

I've felt the Spirit bring personal revelation to me of what's expected of me and of my life right now. "Calm down. It's okay. Pray every day. Read the scriptures. Take care of your kids. Take care of your husband. Take care of your home. Serve others when you can. It's enough. It's enough for now."

Valuing Experiences

2010-08-18T15:18:00.001-04:00

We just got back from a trip "home" visiting my family and my in-laws. It was wonderful and relaxing, a great time with great people, and I still have an insane amount of work to do to put life back together on this side of the country.

We had a few great adventures together, but I keep remembering some simple moments: drying off in the sun on the dock while chatting with a couple of sisters and a sister-in-law; watching my brother-in-law take my preschooler through an improvised "Storm Trooper Training" course; sitting around the kitchen table playing Phase 10 (I won, by the way :)). All were reminders to me that experiences are more important than things.

This article from The New York Times shows that the idea is catching on: If you're going to spend money, spend on experiences that will actually make you happy. But, better yet, you could probably skip a lot of the spending and just focus on doing things that help people and build relationships.

I can't wait until our next visit. It's great to spend time with loved ones, especially when everyone's in agreement that the best thing activity is simply being together.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

2010-07-26T18:39:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I made some laundry detergent. I followed this recipe. And let's just say this from the beginning: if you really want to learn how to make laundry soap, go follow those directions. Because I'm pretty much going to tell you about the wrong way to do it.

The equipment:

-- a five-gallon bucket

-- six empty gallon containers (these are used white vinegar jugs)

The ingredients:

-- 1 1/2 cups washing soda (not baking soda)

-- 1 1/2 cups borax

-- 1 bar Fels-Naptha soap

The instructions:

Grate the bar of soap using a hand cheese grater, or cut it up in a food processor.

It looks very much like shredded cheddar cheese. But it is not. Do not let your children eat it!

Place grated ~~cheese~~ soap in the largest pot you've got. Add water to fill up the pot most of the way, about 12 cups. (Here's where it starts to go very wrong.) Heat, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soap dissolves.

If you decide to heat it over high heat and you have terrible electric burners that start to boil things like crazy out of nowhere, your pot of ~~cheese~~ soap and water will explode and the boiled-over mess will be everywhere!

Do NOT be tempted! High heat versus medium heat will not save you any time in the long run!

Please, just learn from my mistakes, people.

Add washing soda and borax. Stir to dissolve. Remove from heat.

Pour 12 cups of very hot water into your bucket.

Add what's left of your boiled-over hot soapy mess. Stir.

Fill up the rest of the bucket with water. Stir as best as you can. Let sit for 24 hours. (Safety tip: If there are little ones with big heavy heads toddling around, be sure they don't find their way over to this or any other bucket full of liquid.)

After 24 hours, the soap should have goopified nicely.

Funnel into the gallon containers, leaving some room at the top to make them easier to shake before using. Use 1/2 cup per load.

And here is the final product of your labor:

Along with this:

Mending by Hand

2010-07-19T22:12:00.001-04:00

In the spirit of not throwing things away, I decided it was time I learned some basic mending skills.

Sewing is not a talent of mine. I can feel guilty about it all day, but the truth is I never learned to sew from any very capable seamstresses who have surrounded me my entire life. And I have no room to store a sewing machine now, nor the money or workspace to tackle big projects. But I did have a pillow case that looked like this:

(Excuse the little feet.)

So, for my birthday, I asked my mother-in-law for a basic sewing kit. I figured it would be pretty easy for her to buy one, but instead she ended up putting this wonderful thing together herself.

Great, huh? I was thrilled to get this from her in the mail.

Now I can sew on buttons with every color of the rainbow! Yay!

Not having my mom or mom-in-law around to show me how to sew two pieces of fabric together, I turned to the internet and found this video to show me how long and boring this process was going to be. (No offense, really, but it's sewing by hand. By nature, it's long and boring.)

Actually, the pillow case came together pretty easily. And it was a great first project, because I knew that nobody would ever look at how uneven or sloppy my stitches were. (Except that I'm posting pictures online, of course.)

I have these moments every so often when I don't know what I'm thinking staying at home when I could be working to put my husband through school. My kids demand a lot of my energy, certainly, but other times I feel like I'm just walking around the house wringing my hands, worrying about how little money we have and feeling totally helpless to do anything about it.

I like hand-mending because it's something I can do. It feels productive. One repaired seam on a pillowcase may not really translate into money, saved or earned. But I believe it is showing Heavenly Father that I'm willing to work to maximize the resources He has already blessed me with. And in turn, I believe that He will provide our family with anything else that we might need. So, to me, it's more than sewing. It's also an act of faith.

I'm linking up to Try New Adventures Thursday.

Lucky Duck

2010-07-14T16:32:00.002-04:00

Yay! I win stuff!

Last week I won a scholarship for the Fertility eCourse at Naturally Knocked Up from the giveaway at The Finer Things in Life. I was so excited! And, after reading through the first week, I'm even more excited. So far there's been great information about helping our bodies deal with toxins, and I'm more in love with my baking soda shampoo and homemade deodorant than ever.

This is not the first prize I have won online. In fact, I feel like I'm making it a habit to kiss my husband when he comes home and say, "Guess what? I won something else today!" I have won two giveaways from MetropolitanMama.net. (By the way, you should head over there right now and enter some great giveaways before Saturday.)

As nice as these blog giveaways have been, I must admit that the greatest thing I have ever won was a sweepstakes for a years supply of diapers. It came at a time when I was trying to adjust my budget to eliminate spending for all non-food groceries, or increase my income to cover what I did spend. Diapers were the one thing that I couldn't figure out how I could pay for, until I received the envelope with 52 coupons for free jumbo packs. Wow! Can you say blessing?

Random luck is most likely the biggest factor in winning sweepstakes and giveaways, but here are some things I do to give luck a hand:

1. Subscribe to blogs that often feature giveaways, or to blogs that often post links to giveaways. You could even create a folder in Google Reader specifically for giveaway sites.

2. Only enter giveaways if you actually want to win what is being given away. Before mindlessly leaving a comment on the post, ask yourself some questions. Is this something I need? Is this something I would use? Is this something I like? If I had the money, would I actually buy this? Do I have room to keep this in my house? If your answer is no, don't enter the giveaway. And, under no circumstances, should you enter thinking, "If I win, I can always find someone I know who could use it." Just let someone else who could use it win in the first place.

3. Read the sweepstakes Official Rules and Privacy Policy. Find out how often you can enter the giveaway and what's going to happen with the contact information you give them. For me, the chance of getting lots of spammy email or phone solicitation calls during dinner is enough to keep me from entering.

4. Create a folder of bookmarks for daily entries. I have a folder in my Firefox bookmarks for sweepstakes with daily entries, and everyday I (try to remember to) click Open all in tabs. I enter my information for one, submit, close the tab and move on to the next one. I delete the bookmark as soon as the sweepstakes ends. Lots of things could go in there. I have a couple of survey sites that give an entry into a sweepstakes for each day you log into their site. There are also giveaways that allow an extra entry for tweeting each day, and they could be bookmarked into this folder, too. It takes me three minutes or so each day to go through everything, and even if I never win anything more than those diapers, I still think it might be worth the effort.

5. Don't let giveaways suck your time or takeover your life. If a blog giveaway offers "extra entries" for eleven different actions, realize that you will probably spend at least eleven minutes for those entries. Make good judgments on how much energy you should give for the chance of winning a prize.

Have you ever won something? How do you feel about giveaways in general?

Technology: Reason for complaining or for appreciation?

2010-07-06T12:04:00.002-04:00

Have you heard this one? "To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer." - Farmers' Almanac

It sure is easy to not only take modern conveniences for granted, but to allow them to become the reason for plenty of grumbling. Anything that makes our lives easier is also sure to freeze up, break down, need fixing, and otherwise "inconvenience" us.

This video is a few years old, and some of the humor is a bit coarse for my taste. But I love the way it makes me see how whiny I can get sometimes.

I read a great post yesterday that made me think about what we lose the more we have, meaning that stuff gets in the way of relationships, peace and joy. You should go check it out. Really, read every word.

Is it possible to enjoy technology without letting it get in the way of actual human interaction? Is there a happy middle ground somewhere?

In the last two weeks, just as summer hit, both of our fans died. One is completely gone, and the other will work on some strange conditions. It will only turn on if I stick some sort of long object into the grate and nudge the blades to get them spinning. Once the blades really start moving it makes this crazy terrible noise, and then I have to bump and bang it a little bit until it gets spinning at its full capacity. But, by golly, I'm not complaining about it! :) I'm just happy that it keeps me cool at night.

What technology have you been tempted to complain about lately? What technology have you appreciated? What do you gladly live without?

The Law of Sacrifice

2010-07-01T12:31:00.001-04:00

I've had a crazy 24 hours, and need to be preparing to start an even crazier 48 hours. But I feel like I need to stop for a few minutes to address some posts that I've been reading.

Kristen at We Are That Family has been making me think about what I have and what I should give with posts like this one. Then a few days ago I read this post on Get Rich Slowly. This article, especially the two comments from readers at the beginning of the post, didn't sit well with me. These feelings led to a comment which Kristen shared in this post.

All caught up now? Okay, good.

This is an issue that can sure ruffle some feathers. And in some ways, it's easy for me to talk, because I feel like I don't really have anything to give yet. We're a student family, scrimping and saving, living in an apartment, driving an old car, doing every frugal thing that we can think of. We're the poor ones, the ones who would gladly accept some generous grant to help pay tuition, the ones who love big bags of hand-me-downs. We don't have any wealth or possessions to our name. We have nothing to give.

Or do we?

I don't have to read or research for long before I find out that those sentiments are not true. To see that our two-bedroom apartment is a mansion. To realize that we live like kings because there's an air conditioning unit installed in our living room. To look at a home full of out-dated but perfectly sturdy and durable furniture, for which we paid almost nothing. To think that I have never worried about my children going to bed hungry because there was no food in the house. To worry about things like eating too much food and getting too much sleep and being exposed to too much media and entertainment. To know that the simple fact that I own a pair of shoes makes me more wealthy than so many of the people who live on the earth right now.

This Sunday I am teaching a lesson on the Law of Sacrifice to the Young Women at church. My preliminary preparations for the lesson have shown me that sacrifice is an essential principle of the gospel, something God expects each of us to do. As far as giving of our money, the expectations are very straightforward: tithe 10% of income. We are asked to offer more than that, but it's up to each individual to decide how much to give.

Sacrifice is an ancient principle going back to Adam. From Adam, blood sacrifices were offered to God for thousands of years, until Jesus Christ offered himself as a sacrifice. Now we are asked to offer one thing to God as a sacrifice: ourselves. Jesus said, "Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away. . . . And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit" (3 Ne. 9:19-20).

We must sacrifice to God. We must give Him our wills, our hearts. We must go to Him in humble prayer and feel sincere sorrow for our sins. As we do so, I know that He blesses us in ways we never expected. And as we ask to know His will, He reveals to us what else He wants us to sacrifice for others.

This was the comment I left for Kristen's post this morning:

I believe that what God gives us we can accept joyfully and with thanksgiving as blessings from Him. Along with recognizing what we have as blessings, we must also accept the responsibility that comes with them. As I acknowledge God and all He has given me, I need to give of myself and all that I have (time, energy, talents, money, possessions) and ask Him, “What would you have me do with these blessings? Because I trust that when I do your will greater things will happen than when I do what I want.”

Imagination Library Program

2010-06-30T15:20:00.001-04:00

I'm all about keeping things simple and living with less stuff, but I have a weak spot. I love books. I hoard books. I let books overrun my apartment. I am convinced that I will never own an eReader, because really? Who would pass up an opportunity to hold a book in their hands, to turn the pages, to peek ahead at how far until the chapter ends, then look at the clock to see if there's enough time for the next chapter after that, too.

We love our public library (that topic deserves its own post someday), but I also want my children to own books of their own. And I'd love it if those books were free. That's why I was so excited to learn about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

This program, if available where you live, will mail a brand-new, age-appropriate book every month to each child under the age of five in your home. I signed up both my boys and they've been getting their books for several months now. H and E are two years apart in age. The first month we received two copies of the same book. (Note to self: You still need to make sure the extra one finds its way into the donation box.) But since then, each month the books are different from each other. It's very fun for the kids and for me! Yay! Free books!

But now I really need to make myself manage their books like I do their toys.

Check out their website. Click your country (US, Canada, and UK), then click "First Time Visitors" on the left, then enter your postal code on the left to see if the program is available in your area.

Living in a Throw-Away Culture

2010-06-23T17:41:00.001-04:00

Do you ever feel frustrated living in a throw-away culture? Are you frustrated because you know that you're contributing to the disposable mindset? The solution? Stop throwing things away!

Fix something that doesn't work. Repair a broken object. Mend torn clothing. Give something a new life with a good cleaning or a coat of paint.

Buy quality items that will last a long time and are worth the cost of repairing. When was the last time you saw a shoe repair shop? Probably never, because shoes, like many things, are made so cheaply now that the cost of buying new is less than the cost of fixing. High quality items have mostly gone away, but not completely. Save up to buy things that will last and be worth repairing, such as toys, cars, cookware, shoes and clothing. But don't pay too much! Find the perfect point where relatively low price meets relatively high quality. Buying items gently used can cut the cost while keeping most of the durability.

Buy items that can be repaired. When I was a teenager I bought a cheap watch. A few years later, when the battery needed to be replaced, I found out that the watch was so cheap that it couldn't be opened without destroying the entire mechanism. So I bought the same cheap watch new again. When the second watch died I decided to stop wearing a watch. (Haven't cell phones become the new wristwatch, anyway?)

Properly maintain items to give them a long life. If you own your home, tackle little problems before they cause widespread damage. Do preventative repairs on your car. Take care of your body! Eat wholesome food, exercise and sleep. Enjoy the reliability that good maintenance provides!

Reuse containers. If your grocery store offers a filtered water tap, fill up several gallon jugs each time you go to keep from throwing out half-liter water bottles. Figure out a way to use "garbage" as storage or organization containers.

All the Juicy Juice bottles I get on WIC become storage for grains and legumes that I buy in bulk. An old salsa jar is holding poppy seeds. (This is just a small sample from my pantry.)

This tomato sauce jar is my "garden" for growing sprouts. (Excuse the little hand.)

Make from scratch. Combine your own flour, sugar, baking soda and salt for baking instead of buying mixes with lots of packaging. Make your own cleaners. Grind flour from bulk grains. Cut back on or eliminate processed foods. Don't buy fast food! All that paper in the garbage makes me sick. (Or could that be the food I just ate?)

Stop using disposables. Use dishrags instead of sponges that wear out after a few weeks. Clean up with kitchen towels instead of paper towels. Don't buy that new fancy Swiffer with its expensive throwaway pads; just use your good old broom and mop! Take reusable grocery bags to the store instead of throwing out paper or plastic.

Go take a peek in your garbage (plug your nose if necessary) and choose one item that you've been throwing away, then decide how to replace it with something more permanent.

What do you (or will you) do to combat a throwaway society?

Dave Ramsey and Student Loans

2010-06-21T23:11:00.001-04:00

When reading frugality and finance blogs, the name Dave Ramsey comes up every once in a while. I'd never heard his radio show or read his books, but I liked his quotes that were floating around. And then when I read how Dave Ramsey had inspired Crystal to stay out of debt and pay cash for a home, I thought, Wow! This guy has some great ideas!

A few weeks ago I finally got around to checking out a couple of his books from the library. I loved his theories. I loved his ideas. I loved his opinions.

And then he got to student loans. And he said that education is a want, not a need. Plenty of people are financially successful without college degrees. And if you can't pay cash for school, you shouldn't go. You should only get an education if you can do so without any debt.

*Gulp*

Did I read that right?

For reals? No debt? We don't have permission to borrow anything to achieve this huge, overwhelming task called an education? Even if it's for the career that my husband loves? Even though he really needs a PhD to be employed in that career?

What's the alternative? Should he work a mind-numbing full-time job while he goes to school full-time, sacrificing his grades, energy, and the well-being of our entire family? Should he quit school and work two mind-numbing jobs to save up for tuition and risk never going back to the field he loves? And if he did eventually go back, is it worth spending years employed with bad wages in work he hates and shortening the years in his true career, with pay he deserves, before he reaches retirement age?

I admit that I got a little defensive on the student loan subject. Because it seriously shook me.

We are borrowing money so my husband can go to school. But that's what the money is being spent on: school. We do not spend student loan money on frivolities. For the most part, we don't even spend it to live. We live off of my husband's meager part-time grad student wages. And we never go anywhere. And we never buy anything. Our kids wear hand-me-downs. I wear hand-me-downs. I've resorted to washing my hair with baking soda to save money on shampoo, for crying out loud! Dave Ramsey, you couldn't possibly be telling me that even with all this being poor, all this eating "beans and rice, rice and beans," we're still doing it wrong!

*Deep breath*

Okay. I'm all right.

Since I'm still familiarizing myself with Dave's philosophies, I realize that he might have said more on student loans than what I've seen so far. So if you know more about his thoughts than I do, please share. What I really want to know is, what's your opinion of student loans? Are they justified when used in conjunction with extreme frugality?

Make Your Own Sour Cream

2010-06-12T15:27:00.000-04:00

Here's another use for that crockpot full of homemade yogurt: turn it into sour cream!

Line a strainer with a coffee filter and fill with your plain yogurt. Set the strainer into a bowl and keep in the fridge. The coffee filter will separate out the whey, which drips down into the bowl.

What's left in the strainer is technically still yogurt, but with a thicker consistency similar to sour cream.

The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will be, but 12-24 hours seems to do the trick.

Now that free milk from WIC has been converted into another purpose, leaving my grocery list one item shorter! Plus, this "sour cream" can be fat free when you use skim milk in your yogurt, and it's full of those good probiotics.

I save the whey in the refrigerator and add a little to the water I use to soak grains and dry beans. This helps make the grains and beans easier to digest after cooking.

Speaking of dried beans, these slow cooker refried beans (another great WIC recipe), along with my homemade sourcream, went to a potluck yesterday in this layered bean dip. (This is the After picture, if you couldn't tell.) Nummers!

Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner

2010-06-10T22:05:00.002-04:00

Did you think I was weird when I told you I wasn't going to buy antiperspirant again? Well, I must be getting weirder, because now I'm not going to use shampoo anymore, either.

Homemade shampoo isn't really shampoo, hence the term "No 'Poo" (I promise I'm not going to keep saying that). It's baking soda. And water. That's really it.

And the conditioner isn't really conditioner. It's vinegar. With water. I'm not even kidding.

There are plenty of people who have done this and lots of variations on recipes. I mostly followed these directions.

"Shampoo" ingredients:

1 part baking soda (5 Tablespoons)
4 parts water (1 1/4 cup)

Funnel ingredients into some sort of clear container. You need to shake it up just before using, and a clear container shows you when all the baking soda has mixed back into the solution.

"Conditioner" ingredients:

1 part apple cider vinegar (5 Tablespoons)
4 parts water (1 1/4 cup)
vanilla (2 teaspoons)
1 cinnamon stick

Combine in a container, clear or otherwise. When you run out, keep the same cinnamon stick in there and replace the liquid ingredients. One stick should do the job for a long while.

I reused old shampoo and conditioner containers. I had coupons to get one of these for free and the other on sale and have been saving the bottles for my homemade stuff. If you don't have something like this, reuse anything you have in the house. You probably don't need to buy a special container.

Cost comparisons are going to be difficult here, because I expect that I'll work through a bottle much faster than I would with regular shampoo. But I would guess that unless you're so good at the drug store game that you can get all your shampoo and conditioner for free all the time, this will save you some money.

Frugality is the main reason I'm doing this. Also, like antiperspirants, commercial shampoo and conditioner is full of stuff that probably isn't so great for my body. Lastly, it's "green." Less plastic to produce, less to throw away, and I'm not washing chemicals down the drain.

I used it for the first time yesterday, and I definitely need some more time to figure out what I'm doing with it. Let's just say that when I got out of the shower, I was pretty convinced that my hair was more dirty than it was when I got in. Blech. Like the homemade deodorant, I will post updates on how this works out.

Becoming Provident Providers

2010-06-07T21:37:00.002-04:00

This speech given by Elder Robert D. Hales was an instant favorite of mine from the time I first heard it, and I keep coming back to it to remind myself how to distinguish between wants and needs.

Elder Hales said,

Today I speak to all whose freedom to choose has been diminished by the effects of ill-advised choices of the past. I speak specifically of choices that have led to excessive debt and addictions to food, drugs, pornography, and other patterns of thought and action that diminish one's sense of self-worth. All of these excesses affect us individually and undermine our family relationships. Of course some debt incurred for education, a modest home, or a basic automobile may be necessary to provide for a family. Unfortunately however, additional debt is incurred when we cannot control our wants and addictive impulses. And for both debt and addiction, the hopeful solution is the same--we must turn to the Lord and follow His commandments. We must want more than anything else to change our lives so that we can break the cycle of debt and our uncontrolled wants.

Later this video was made, illustrating a story that Elder Hales related.

What personal want have you sacrificed lately because you knew you couldn't afford it? When I remember that those sacrifices are contributing to the well-being of my entire family, it makes it so much easier to say "no," and it makes me so much happier!

Dealing with Too Many Toys

2010-06-03T21:50:00.000-04:00

Have you read this book?

Truth be told, I haven't read it either. But I've heard about it, and I love the idea. What parent of young kids can't relate to a title like that?

So, what's so wrong with having too many toys?

-- More nagging from mom to get them all cleaned up
-- A more complicated game of Tetris trying to get them to all fit in a small apartment
-- More batteries to buy (or in our case, more rechargables to recharge)
-- Cost of buying all that stuff!

A few weeks ago I did my semi-annual toy swap. Do you see those three boxes in my boys' closet?

They are filled with toys, and they are off-limits until the next toy swap.

Here's how I manage toys every six months:

1. I pick an afternoon when my husband is home, force the kids out of their bedroom and lock myself in with a couple of damp cloths.

2. Next, I identify any "favorites" (you know, the toys that your kids carry around all day and take to bed with them at night). I wipe them down and set them aside.

3. I open up the boxes of toys that were packed up six months ago. I clean toys as I remove them, only taking out items that I think my boys would be interested in playing with again. These toys go in the "keep out" pile with the favorites. Baby toys in the boxes stay there and wait for the day that baby #3 comes along.

4. I put every other toy that has been out and played with for the last six months into the boxes. I'll see them again in the Fall.

5. I reorganize the toys that are left. These toys are the favorites and the and the long-lost treasures that now feel like new!

My little boys both have Summer birthdays, making Summer and Christmas the time when new toys come into the house. So I try to swap like this during April and October, the same time as I swap Summer and Winter clothes. That means that about every three months, my kids are getting to play with new or "feels like new" toys. It infuses a lot of new life into their daily playing!

I love having half their toys packed up. Out of sight = out of mind. They don't even remember they exist most of the time. Have you ever had one of those afternoons when it seems like every toy in the house has been strewn across the floor? Well, now you can tell yourself that it's only really half of the toys in the house!

Some details on step 5: Don't get sucked into the mentality that organizing means needing to go out and buy lots of fancy storage containers. Yes, those little lined wicker baskets are cute, but I just can't justify spending money on things like that. Toys at our house fit into six plastic containers. They're organized and (sloppily) labeled so that we can clean up everything in under ten minutes, and my little boys can help out with everything but the very biggest items.

I took these pictures after a quick clean-up before bedtime. You can see it was quick, not "picture" perfect. Unmade beds and everything.

Two simple white containers that I've had kicking around for years. I drew a car on one label for the car stuff and a train on the other for the wooden train track.

Under the crib. On the left we have small balls and a bag of wooden blocks. On the right are all the miscellaneous small toys.

In the closet. Big toys on the left. (I can Tetris them in a lot better if I take the time.) Riding toys.

Duplo bucket and a basket for the GeoTrax airplane set. (Can you tell I really don't know what to do with this one?)

Closet again.

H's side of the room.

E's side of the room.

Ah! This room is far from perfect, but every day, just before naptime and just before bedtime, all the toys go away and it looks like this. I love it.

I know I should implement the same system with books, but it seems like sacrilege to put a perfectly good book out of little hands for a half a year.

This shelf could use some help.

Homecoming!

2010-05-29T09:58:00.001-04:00

My husband got home yesterday after spending three weeks doing international studies overseas. This was the fourth year that he's traveled for an extended period of time, and out of the four years, this was the hardest. The reason? This is the first year that we've been far away from our families and the first year I haven't spent most or all of his trip visiting grandparents.

The time apart has become a marriage therapy of sorts for us. Maybe we communicate better through email than we do speaking in person. Most likely, being away from each other makes me more reflective on what our marriage is and what it means to me. I think about how much I love my husband and what I can do to be a better wife to him. And, this year especially, I realize how much I need him.

I was almost excited this time, being far away from family and alone with my kids in my own home, to prove what an amazing mother and homemaker I am, doing it all by myself. Fortunately, a string of very, very bad days humbled me enough to feel God telling me, "Uh, no. No you can't do it all by yourself." Realizing my own incapability made me truly see how much my husband helps me. And, even more importantly, it made me see how dependent I am on the Lord for making my life as easy as it is.

Lots of prayers from lots of people made the last three weeks--apart from those three or four days--go by quickly and smoothly. And while I wouldn't recommend an annual separation as therapy for married couples, a necessary situation for us has become a great blessing in our relationship.

The Two-Year Phenomenon

2010-05-25T18:19:00.001-04:00

Something strange happens when college students get married. It's called the Two-Year Phenomenon, and it has afflicted us as well as many of our friends.

Here's how it works:

The college students get married. They look forward to the time that they will graduate. Sooner or later, that graduation date is two years away. They push forward and get through another semester, but instead of having one and a half years left, they still have two years left. The next semester, their graduation is still two years away. A year later, they still have two years of school to go. They total two years of being two years away from finishing school. That's two years of feeling like nothing is really being accomplished.

The Two-Year Phenomenon comes about in many different ways. Someone takes a break from coursework to be involved in an internship. They decide to pursue a Masters degree. They change their major. A prerequisite class isn't offered when they expected it to be. Something happens that postpones that step into "real life." And any or all of those things combine so that the postponing keeps going for two years.

This happened to my husband. Those two years were of seeming stagnation were hard. But, thankfully he did finally complete his BA, even though he received his diploma in 2009 instead of 2007 like we had planned.

And then he began graduate school. I certainly looked forward to the Masters degree. "Undergraduate work seems to drag on and on," people told me, "and that doctorate can take forever, but that Masters! Two years, in and out, quick and easy."

We're one year down, and now one year to go. Right? Right!?! My husband is now really delving into prep work for his thesis, and he's starting to think--you guessed it--it might be too much work to complete in just one more year.

The Two-Year Phenomenon rears its ugly head once again. Someone please help me.

Yogurt Smoothies

2010-05-22T21:19:00.000-04:00

I'm working hard to make breakfast in the morning instead of pouring cold cereal, and I found a way to do it using that crockpot yogurt!

Yogurt Smoothies

Ingredients:

Raw rolled oats
Plain yogurt
Fresh fruit (or frozen fruit, at least slightly thawed)
Natural peanut butter
Fruit juice
Ground flax seed
Honey
Fresh spinach

Directions:

The night before (yes, you have to think ahead if you want to avoid cold cereal!) combine the oats and yogurt and refrigerate. This helps soften up the oats, since they won't be cooked at all. In the morning, place in a blender with any of the other ingredients that you have on hand. Blend. Drink. Enjoy!

I feel the need to apologize for not including measurements for any of the ingredients. I, uh, I don't really measure things out when I cook most of the time. Which might explain why I'm not a very good cook. I think this stems from all the Rachael Ray that I watched when I was first married. If she can have a magazine, a dozen different TV shows and who knows what else by saying things like "Two turns around the pan," that's good enough for me, too.

Am I missing any good ingredients? Which fruits are your favorite for smoothies?

Congrats to the Grads

2010-05-20T22:35:00.001-04:00

Every Springs several of my friends post pictures of their capped-and-gowned husbands on Facebook upon completion of a Masters or Law degree. And I feel a teeny bit jealous. But really I'm just happy for them, and hopeful that one day that will be me saying, "We're done with school!"

Most of them make other life changes at the same time: new place to live, new job, moving on to "real" life. And if (scratch that, when! I really meant when!) we ever finish with school, I hope I can stay as close to the simple, frugal way of living as long as possible.

When we finish school, I plan on sticking to the rice-and-beans diet, continue renting, etc. for a long while. Six months, a year, two years, longer? We've been living like students for this long, so why stop so abruptly? Why take advantage of our new employment by allowing our credit qualifications to sink us even further into debt than our student loans have already made us? So I think we'll live on the old budget, save the excess of the new income, and then be able to actually put a down payment on a home (people still do that, right?), have an emergency fund, pay cash for things like appliances, furniture and cars.

Then, if that so-long-anticipated employment is ever shaky in the future, we'll be closer to the student family lifestyle, making it easier to return to it, with a savings cushion to boot!

So, graduates, congratulations on your amazing accomplishment. But as you enter your career, remember the little people like us, in the little apartment, with the little income. Remember where you've been yourself. And hold onto it for as long as possible.

Homemade Deodorant Review: Part 1

2010-05-17T23:01:00.001-04:00

I'm about three weeks into my stick of homemade deodorant, and already I'm loving it! The first week I really put this stuff to the test. I had one evening of teaching a class on conducting music at church, one evening of teaching piano lessons, and then one evening with a piano performance. (Have I ever mentioned that I'm a musician in my other life?)

Anyway, when I talk, move around, or doing something in front of people, I tend to sweat! The deodorant didn't work quite as well as I was expecting, but I realized that I was hardly using any of it. I had been trying to wean myself off of my old antiperspirant for several weeks, using less and less each day in anticipation of this transition, and so I needed to retrain myself to using a little bit more deodorant. Since then, it's been just fine. I'll update again, though, to let you know how it's holding up in warmer weather.

I wish I'd seen this post three weeks ago, before I tried this. Please go read what Donielle has to say about homemade deodorant. She does a great job explaining why homemade deodorant is so great. I can already tell you I don't ever plan on going back.

One tip: I'm keeping my deodorant stick in the fridge just in case our apartment ever warms above 75 or 76 degress (the melting point of coconut oil). I can't imagine what a mess it would make if it melted and started oozing out all over. And of course, being the klutz and butterfingers that I am, I dropped the entire thing while pulling it out of the fridge a few days ago. The deodorant didn't fall out of the stick, but the lid popped off and shattered. So now it's sitting in the fridge without its lid. I was already having waking nightmares that someone, someday, will be in my home and open up my fridge and think, "Oh my disgusting-ness! She keeps her deodorant in her fridge right next to her family's food!" And now, the person in the nightmare also says, "And she doesn't even put the lid back on it!"

Crockpot Yogurt

2010-05-10T22:07:00.001-04:00

I was so happy to run across this recipe from A Year of SlowCooking. It became a way for me to use up a lot of WIC milk. Here's how it works:

Ingredients:

8 cups (half gallon) whole milk (Raw is fine, as is pasteurized and homogenized, but not ultra-pasteurized.)
1/2 cup yogurt starter (Use store-bought yogurt as a starter, but read the label carefully to make sure it contains active live cultures. Save 1/2 cup of the yogurt you make in the slow cooker as your starter for the next time around.)

This is a long process. My advice: start at about 5:00 PM. You don't want to have to wake up in the middle of the night to work on this.

Place all the milk in the crockpot, cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours. Then, leave the lid on but turn off the crock pot (and maybe unplug it if little fingers tend to find their way up to the counter). Leave the warm milk for 3 more hours.

Now it's bedtime, right? Before you go to bed, scoop out 2 cups of milk and place in a bowl. Whisk your 1/2 cup of starter into the bowl. Then stir the yogurt-y milk back into the crockpot of milk. Replace the lid, and wrap the entire crockpot in a big bath towel. Leave the weird-looking toweled blob there until morning, or 8 hours.

While you sleep, all those good-for-you bacteria feed off of that warm milk and replicate to give you 8 cups of yogurt! (Okay, that sounds kind of nasty. Maybe it's best not to think about it too much!)

I've made this recipe many times. And I have "oops"ed it many times. I've fudged the timing a lot, halved the recipe, used 2% milk, used a combination of whole and skim, etc. and have always been happy with the results. Once I even let it culture for 16 hours instead of 8, and it was still fine. Lucky for me the process is pretty idiot-proof!

This yogurt isn't thick like what you might be used to. My dad likes it because it reminds him of the drinkable yogurt he used to have in Germany. Having never been to Europe, I would not know.

My kids don't really drink milk anymore. When they ask for milk, I offer them yogurt instead. I sweeten it with a little honey (I hear agave nectar, pure maple syrup, and fruit are good, too), and they slurp it up like crazy. And their tummies are getting all those little digestive friendlies in them.

Coming soon: How to use up those 8 cups of yogurt!

Home-Processed Foods

2010-05-03T15:03:00.002-04:00

Jamie Oliver just wrapped up his Food Revolution on TV, and Food, Inc. aired on PBS. (We don't have TV service, but I got caught up thanks to Hulu.com and our public library, which just got a copy of Food, Inc. on DVD.) I like a lot of what these programs had to say, but I have to disagree on something: highly processed food is not inexpensive.

Our budget has been too tiny to include an abundance of fast food and processed snacks for a long time. Do people really think that $12 for hamburgers, fries and soda at a burger place is a cheap dinner for a family of four? That money could feed us for every meal for two or three days! We can't afford to buy potato chips, packaged cookies, or soda of any kind. Those kinds of food don't fill me up. Why buy it when it's not going to satisfy? That's not frugal by any means.

Processed foods are not inexpensive, but they do save time and effort. So what's more important: money or convenience? Since I'm a stay-at-home wife of a student, I might have more time and effort than some people, but I hate spending money. I'll give a little time if I can save a little money any day.

There's been a lot of buzz around the internet about people who have really been inspired by this healthy food movement. I've seen pictures of shortening and corn syrup that people are throwing out after cleaning out their pantries. Awesome! But is anyone thinking: "Uh...now what do I eat?"

All of us eat processed foods all the time. The key is asking, "How processed is this food?" and "How much processing is done before it hits the grocery store shelf, and how much processing am I doing myself at home?" Really, isn't cooking of any kind processing in a way? Are you buying pancake mix or making your own from scratch? Are you buying flour or grinding your own? Are you using canned beans or cooking dry beans? Any home processing step is going to save money, and usually prevents excess salt or other garbage from getting in your food.

I wish I could say I was perfect at always preparing healthy, frugal meals. But I'm still learning. I've posted one meal and one snack so far, and I'll continue to let you know about whatever else I come across.

I was impressed by Emerging Mummy's Whole Foods Challenge. I love that she describes that it takes time for your body, time and energy to adjust to home-processed foods, but that it gets easier over time.

I would love to get to that point. But for now, my new goal: stop eating cold breakfasts. WIC has provided us with enough cold cereal that it's become the stand-by for breakfast for non-morning-person me. But I want to get away from it. So I'm putting together some ideas. Can you help me out? Do you have any home-processed breakfasts that are frugal options? Will you join me in cooking hot breakfasts for your family?

Non-microwave Popcorn

2010-04-26T15:50:00.001-04:00

My 3-year-old has had fun pointing out all the "popcorn" trees during our walks this Spring. And by golly, it's given me some crazy popcorn cravings.

Student housing isn't notorious for its plentiful counter space, so we've gotten used to not having a microwave. Did you know that you can make popcorn without a microwave? It's true! And really easy, and very inexpensive.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
optional toppings: salt, butter, cinnamon & sugar, parmesan cheese, etc. Get creative!

Heat oil in a medium saucepan with one kernel of popcorn. When the kernel pops, it means the oil is hot enough to add the rest of the popcorn. Shake the pan to keep the kernels from burning on the bottom. When kernels begin popping again, put a lid on the pan. Keep shaking! Remove from heat when popping slows (like you would in the microwave) or when the popcorn lifts the lid off the pan. Top as you like. I try to keep it simple (and a little more healthy) by just adding a pinch or two of salt.

Homemade Deodorant

2010-04-23T19:33:00.000-04:00

This morning my antiperspirant looked like this:

And I made the decision that I would not buy another one.

I've been hearing for years that the aluminum in antiperspirants is not great for the human body, but the only thing I ever did about it was go to the store and look for a deodorant that was only that: a deodorant, without an antiperspirant. I couldn't find one. I take that back, I found lots of them, but they were all for men. And as much as I love my husband's Old Spice, I didn't think he would love it as much if I were using it, too.

The alternative? For a long time I thought it was that $8+ stuff at the health food stores. That was way out of my price league, so I faithfully kept buying my antiperspirant, hoping there would be a good deal when I ran out. Until today. Because today I made my own. Oh, yes I did.

The ingredients:

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup corn starch
5 Tablespoons coconut oil

I used good ol' Arm & Hammer, but I'm sure any generic brand would be fine. Also, you don't have to use non-GMO corn starch. It's just what I had.

Okay, confession time: This was my first time buying coconut oil. I am pretty darn new to the healthy food scene, and I know it's supposed to be awesome because it's naturally solid at room temperature, without hydrogenated oil and trans fat, but I'd never tried it before. If this works I will try to find it cheaper and possibly in bulk. 'Cause that little jar cost a lot.

So, start with the baking soda and corn starch. Mix 'em together.

I opted to melt the coconut oil before adding it, but after going through the process, I'd say you can probably safely skip that step.

Add the oil and stir. If you haven't melted the oil, it will be thick and pasty instead of smooth like this.

I put it in the fridge for a few minutes to set up and then stirred it once more. Again, you can skip this if you're working with room temperature oil.

Now, dig out as much of your old deodorant stick as you can. Goodbye, nasty aluminum and chemicals!

Turn the dial to bring the base all the way down. Now you can fill it again with your homemade concoction.

This recipe made enough for me to fill one old stick, plus a bunch more that I'm saving in an old yeast jar. If the whole stick thing doesn't work too well, I'll just apply it from the jar with my fingers.

Ta-da! Super easy to make. And if your kid finds it and decides it looks tasty, no need to call Poison Control!

My very un-mathematical estimation on cost comes to about $1.00 to $1.50 a stick. Pretty good price compared to your average-priced antiperspirant, and much better compared to the natural deodorant at the health food store.

I hope that you'll keep checking in here, because I will keep you posted on how the deodorant is working out. I've heard it gets better as the weeks go by. I also have a few other items at my house that are running low, and I don't plan on buying them again either. So join me as I venture--with no experience--into the world of homemade laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, and maybe even soap if I get really brave.

How to Fold a Fitted Sheet (and Where to Store it Once It's Folded)

2010-04-21T15:20:00.000-04:00

All our laundry is air-dried, so there's no way we could get by without two sets of sheets. Even if I stripped the bed first thing in the morning and washed them immediately, there's still a good chance they'd be damp when bedtime rolled around again. So I have two sets of sheets for our bed.

If you have never seen how to fold a fitted sheet, let me try to demonstrate with pictures:

Find two next-door corner seams and face them toward each other like mirror images.

Kiss them together and wrap one corner of the sheet inside the other.

Do the same thing to the other two corners. Then repeat the process with the two pairs. Line up the seams here.

Wrap all four corners together. Now all the corner seams are lined up.

Can you see the corners at the top right? Now, smooth out the rest of the sheet. Keep that bottom edge as straight as you can.

Fold down the top third.

Fold up the bottom third.

Now, storing the sheet. You could keep folding and put it in your linen closet, or if you're starving students like us (or otherwise have very little storage space), lift up the mattress and lay the sheet between the box springs and mattress.

Can you see it in there?

Same idea with the pillow cases and flat sheet. Fold 'em up long & skinny.

Slide them in there. (It really helps to have another person lift up the mattress while you're putting in the sheets.)

There you have it!

It might bother the Princess and the Pea, but I doubt you'll ever notice it's in there.

Investing in Exercise

2010-04-15T21:37:00.001-04:00

I didn't want to exercise this morning. But I did. And while I exercised I thought about why it was so hard for me to get going. Here's what I came up with.

Costs of Exercise:

- Time. When I do exercise, I try for around 30 minutes. It's really not that long, but I had plenty to do already.
- Energy. I don't usually push myself extremely hard, but it's just the effort of actually doing it.

I also thought about what I was gaining from exercising. And I think the benefits make it a frugal, money-saving choice.

Benefits of Exercise:

- Weight. If I maintain my weight, I don't have to buy several wardrobes as I move across various sizes. I can keep and wear the clothes I already have.
- Energy. Since I'm already in okay shape and don't over-exert, exercising regularly should increase my overall energy.
- Avoid Injury. I usually incorporate stretching and strength training in my exercise. This can help prevent pinched nerves and other problems.
- Prevent Disease. Overall health can improve my immune system, which translates into fewer sick days (which, for a SAHM might mean frugal home-cooked meals instead of the hubby picking up a pizza for dinner).

The biggest diseases to prevent are the ones we keep hearing all about: heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, obesity, etc. Exercise helps prevent all of these diseases. My exercise now is an investment in my future life.

Whether it be insurance companies or the government (Medicare, Medicaid), much of health care is paid by many people putting money into one pot. By exercising now, I'm hoping that my future self--20-30 years down the road--will be taking less out of that pot by avoiding those diseases. Ideally, many people doing the same thing will help keep that pot small and we'll all have less to contribute.

I think the financial benefits of exercise, and healthy living in general, outweigh the costs. But the most important thing I'm saving is my own life.

Finding the Balance

2010-04-12T15:04:00.002-04:00

I appreciated this post today on Is Balance Possible? Jen says, "In this day and age of the ‘Me First’ mentality, so many books encourage us to have it all. Well, it’s not my season to have it all."

It reminded me of what Julie B. Beck said last week:

A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently.

It's always tricky to figure this out and to remember what's most important.

Barbeque Lentils

2010-04-09T18:30:00.003-04:00

I think rice and beans make for the quintessential frugal meal, perfect for starving students. Rice and beans is usually Mexican in my mind, so I was happy to find this recipe, which is a little different and uses lentils for the beans. When I first got on WIC, I had no idea what to do with all those lentils, so hopefully this helps you out if you have the same problem.

Barbeque Lentils

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
3/4 cup prepared barbeque sauce

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender. Stir in lentils and water. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes, until lentils are tender, adding a little extra water if needed. Stir in ground mustard, honey, and barbeque sauce.

Serve over hot rice, with a salad, steamed veggie, or a fruit on the side.

Voila! Cheap, easy, and healthy. You can play around with the ingredients in this recipe very easily, and make your own barbeque sauce from scratch if you like.

Consumerism

2010-04-06T14:25:00.001-04:00

About a year and a half ago, when the economy issues really started to dominate the news, I became preoccupied with the word consumer. I heard it constantly on TV: "consumer reports," "consumer confidence," "consumer electronics," "consumer protection." Who was this consumer? I knew it was supposed to mean people like me, people who earned, and in turn spent, money. But in my mind I started to envision this consumer as an insatiable black hole--one who could take forever and never really be satisfied.

The word consume also made me think of obtaining things that would be used briefly, maybe even only once, then discarded. Consume meant, to me, meant the taking in of stuff, things that are not all that important.

I started to think about this word anytime I was in a position to spend money. If I wanted to buy paper towels, I thought, "This is just something I am going to 'consume,' use once and throw away." Even food, although technically it would all be consumed, made me ponder, "Is this just a snack I'm going to eat without it providing me any real nourishment?" So I kept my food purchases to less-processed items that would have to be combined with other things to create an actual meal. This line of thinking kept me from buying things I didn't really need.

Consumerism, to me, means embracing the things of the world, more bad than good. It means spending "money for that which is of no worth, [and] labor for that which cannot satisfy" (2 Nephi 9:51).

Consuming less is incredibly freeing. When you can spend less time and energy chasing down more stuff to consume, you can also spend less time and energy chasing down money. You've probably heard about how debt can imprison you. Even if you never have any debt, an attitude of consumerism is still a captor.

So, take charge, guard your money and your labor, and stop consuming! You can't imagine how much you can gain when you go without.

Living Like Students

2010-04-02T18:52:00.001-04:00

Student Life. What does that phrase bring to mind? Eating ramen noodles? Sticker shock at the price of textbooks? Living in tiny apartments?

My experiences with student life began after my high school graduation in May 2001. I spent a summer earning a little money, then packed up my parents' sedan and moved myself to our local university's on-campus housing. Within three weeks, the Twin Towers collapsed and my dad lost his job shortly afterward as the country headed toward a recession. He didn't find employment again until more than two years later, by which time I was married. My husband was also a full-time student.

I'd already spent years in college as a "starving student," and now we were a "starving student family." We were "poor" newlyweds, living in a dark basement apartment, balancing school with part-time jobs. After two years of marriage, I graduated, and nine months later gave birth to our first son.

My husband plugged along at school for another two years and we welcomed a second son into our family. By this point I'd been living the student life for seven years, and it was really getting to me. We started marriage as poor students, and every year we seemed to get poorer. Most of our friends from our single and newlywed years had graduated, moved on, gotten jobs with salaries, bought homes, and were going on Hawaiian and European vacations. It was hard not to feel left behind.

My work now is to change my focus from what I'm missing to what I have and embrace my student life. As our resources seem to dwindle, I find new ways to make what we have stretch, so we feel more content than ever. As I share with you what I've learned about frugal and simple living, I hope you will be inspired to join me in (re)discovering all the joys of living like a student.