Last year I put together a list of $5 to $10 gift exchange ideas that uses one of my favorite strategies – combining a simple homemade item with a complimentary store bought item. This is a strategy that’s worked so well for me over the years and it’s a greatRead More
What does “Homemade” mean to you?
Because I label most things here on my blog as “homemade”, I occasionally do some pondering on that word. What does homemade really mean? Does it mean different things to different people? Can we qualify something as “homemade” just because we somehow brought it to completion “in our home”? HereRead More
How I Earn Gift Cards with My Points
Because the “Make Your Own” crowd is also usually the frugal folks crowd who like to find ways to save a little money or make a little money, I thought I would share today one of the things I’ve been doing for several years now that’s a pretty simple wayRead More
Homemade Elderberry Syrup To Fight Off Colds and Flu
This year I’m trying something new (well, new to me anyway). I’m taking a daily dose of elderberry syrup during the winter months of the year to help fight off colds and the flu. Elderberry syrup has long been touted as a natural way to boost your body’s immunity systemRead More
$5 to $10 Gift Exchange Ideas
It’s been an annual tradition for many years in my husband’s extended family to do a $5 gift exchange as part of our Christmas gathering. Recently we increased our amount just a little to a range of between $5 to $10 to make the shopping a little easier as pricesRead More
A Quick Survey
I was all set to do some blog writing over the long Labor Day weekend, but instead found myself cleaning out my blogging office and doing some thinking and planning for my writing schedule for the remaining weeks of the year. Maybe you find that the beginning of September isRead More
7 Things I Don’t Make
It’s no secret that I like making things. I’m a collector of recipes and ideas and I’ve always found it enjoyable and satisfying to experiment and try new things. Knowing how to make things has always given me a comforting feeling of “preparedness”, that I could hopefully always make whatRead More
5 Ways To Keep Apple Slices Fresh
Back in the early days of this blog I wrote a post about how to make your own Apple Dippers. This was a copycat idea of an item on the McDonald’s menu called Apple Dippers (a little bag of sliced apples with dip) and I shared a quick tip to keepRead More
You May Be Frugal If . . .
I was going to begin this year by writing some frugal tips, but almost every time I read someone else’s list of frugal tips, it feels like the same old stuff. I guess there’s not much that’s new to say about frugal living. And so much of it seems likeRead More
Things You Should Not Mix When Making Homemade Cleaners
Making homemade cleaners can be a great money saver and a fun creative outlet too. There’s a satisfying feeling to getting some ingredients out of the pantry and with just a bit of measuring and mixing, you’re able to make what you need for your household cleaning. But that beingRead More
DIY For Dummies {Just Add Water!}
Welcome to my annual summer installment of DIY for Dummies, a collection of some of my recipes that can be made with just 2 ingredients. I often find myself saying, “homemade doesn’t have to be hard” and these 2 ingredient recipes are all good examples of that simple truth. SometimesRead More
Should We Eat Like Grandma Did?
Well, it happened again. I was browsing through a cookbook from the library with recipes for more nutritious eating using lots of vegetables and came across this admonishment I’ve seen in several other healthy eating cookbooks: “We need to eat like our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did! We need to eatRead More
How To Keep Lettuce and Other Greens Fresh Longer
Here’s a quick little tip for how to keep your lettuce, romaine, kale, or other greens fresh longer – and it’s something I’ve been doing for over 20 years! Back when I was first learning about keeping a home, I read a hint in my local newspaper. It was submittedRead More
The One Strategy That Keeps My Recipes Organized
A big part of keeping a household running smoothly is being able to handle meal preparation and the recipes that go along with that task. Every day we have to eat and think about the question “what’s for dinner?” And while there’s always the option of fast food or restaurantsRead More
Measuring Conversion Chart
The “Make Your Own” lifestyle is often about being resourceful. And as you learn to be more resourceful, you get more comfortable with improvising and adapting so you can use what you have. Of course not every improvised creation is a success (which is why I thought this poem wasRead More
Make A Gift Bag From Wrapping Paper
During a recent closet organizing project my Dad discovered several large rolls of gift wrap in his house that he knew he would most likely never use. Rather than just toss them out, he did what most parents of grown children do. You check if the kids want it. I’ve been knownRead More
Homemade With No Chemicals? Not Really
Perhaps you’ve seen a recipe for a homemade cleaner where the author happily tells you it’s natural with *No Chemicals*. I think I might have used those same words back in the early days of this blog. But now I take a little more care with my words and usuallyRead More
Wisdom From Daniel Tiger: Make Your Own!
Sometimes the little life lessons that children learn are important to remember as adults too. You may remember the very popular book “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten” by Robert Fulghum that was a gentle reminder to us grownups to not forget simple wisdom such asRead More
7 Things Not To Clean With Vinegar
Since the early days of this blog, I’ve sung the praises of vinegar and water as one of the simplest and cheapest homemade cleaners you can make to use around the house. I’ve used my 50/50 white vinegar and water mixture on most of our home’s hard surfaces including sinks,Read More
Updating Old Blog Photos
Sometimes I wish for the good old days. The good old days of blogging that is, where photos on your blog posts didn’t matter much. When I first started blogging in 2010 the photos you included with your blog posts weren’t that big of a deal. In fact, I sometimesRead More
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