Dollar Store Finds

You can find a lot of great deals at the Dollar Tree Store, but you can also find a lot of cheap junk. There are a few things that I have found to be fantastic deals for good quality products, and others that aren't worth even a quarter. I will continue to add things onto this post as I continue to try different products, but here is what I have found so far:

Great Deals

1. Plastic Wrap - You get 155 sq. ft. of wrap that is actually better quality than many of the plastic wraps I have bought elsewhere. And for only a dollar? This is a great deal!

2. Pregnancy Tests - Pregnancy tests can be SO expensive. These tests work just as well as the ones you buy at any drug store and are way cheaper. This is great especially for people who are trying to conceive and are using multiple tests.

3. Glass Serving Dishes - There are some very nice dishes there, and they're only a dollar. Great for parties.

Cheap Junk

1. Body Wash - This body wash is awful. It is almost all water and just runs down your body as soon as you put it on. Not worth even a quarter.

2. Aluminum Foil - Almost like a paper quality. Definitely not the same as Reynolds, and you don't even get very much in the package. 

3. Tissue Paper - Tears so easily. Just buy normal tissue on sale. This is very cheap quality. 

Face Toner

Toner is an important part of a daily face regimen, but sometimes it can feel like you're spending tons of money on something that you don't see visual results for. I found a recipe online for a face toner that is cheap and claimed to work great. The recipe was:

1 part lemon juice

1 part witch hazel

I used this recipe and I'm sure it would have worked great on my skin if I continued using it, but every time I used it my face would feel itchy and irritated. When I was pouring in my witch hazel I noticed that it had the exact same smell as the fancy face toner I used to use when I was a teenager. It even says on the bottle of witch hazel that it can be used as a skin astringent. So that is what I use now for my face toner and it feels great. No more itchiness, and my face feels clean and beautiful every time I used it. And the best part is that I found the bottle I am using at the dollar store. That's right. Only 1 dollar! You just can't beat that! But no matter where you buy it, it's almost always very inexpensive for how much you get. So worth it!

Simple Flair

One very simple and inexpensive way to bring more style and flair to your home is by adding ribbons. You can add ribbon bows on picture frames, mirrors or any other item you may have hanging on your wall. This is so simple and costs almost nothing, but it brings a new level of style to your home decor. I just did this on a framed mirror I had in my entryway and it looks amazing!

Fall is in the air!

Fall is coming soon, and I just thought I'd share this darling picture. What a cute idea! It would be even cuter if you had a fall baby to use this pose as their one year portrait. You might have to get a slightly bigger pumpkin though. :) 

Make Your Own (Super Healthy) Instant Oatmeal Mix

Oatmeal is such a power food, but buying the packaged instant oatmeal at the store is really not very healthy for you at all and can be quite expensive. So here's a recipe to give you the most nutrition, while still being a tasty, quick, and cheap breakfast!

Instant Oatmeal Mix

1/4 cup quick oats
2 tbsp. powdered oats (run through a blender or food processor)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. wheat germ
1 tbsp. ground flax seed
1/4 cup powdered milk
2 tbsp. dried fruit of your choice (optional)

Combine all ingredients and store in separate plastic baggies or tupperware containers. When you want to eat some oatmeal, just pour the contents into a bowl and pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup boiling water over the top and stir it up. If you aren't a fan of dried fruit, you can always add fresh fruit on top after you've prepared it. My favorite is sliced bananas. So tasty and so good for you!

Stock Up Prices

Now this is a very general post, but one thing to keep in mind if you're really trying to save money is to stock up when you are able to get items at a great price. It is cheaper to buy 20 boxes of cereal at $1.00 a box that will last you 5 months, than it is to buy the 4 boxes you might need that month for $3.00 a box and have to buy them again every month. With things like cereal and canned and dry goods, the shelf life is long enough that you have quite a while to use up whatever extra you buy. 

If you're planning on doing this, it is important to know what the stock up price is. You don't want to waste your money and time stocking up on something that you might find later even cheaper. Here are some of my VERY GENERAL stock up prices. Keep in mind, these stock up prices usually involve coupons. I don't have a newspaper subscription because there aren't many people in my family to feed yet, but there are many coupon websites online that will help save you money. The most popular is coupons.com.

Cereal - $1.00 a box or less
Canned Vegetables - $0.40 a can or less for name brands
Frozen cans or 64 oz. bottled juices - less than $1.00 each
Spaghetti Sauce - $0.75 or less for a 26 oz. can
Canned Fruit - $0.50 or less each
Ice Cream - $1.75 or less for a 1.75 qt container (Yes, I stock up on ice-cream. It is a staple in my house.)
Dry Pasta - $0.50 a box or less
Bottled Water (mostly for emergency storage) - $2.00 or less per 24 case

These are just a few of the things that have a longer shelf life. All of these things except for ice cream and cereal will last for at least a year. Cereal will usually last almost a year, and ice cream only a few months, but I never have a hard time getting rid of that...

8 Good Reasons to Stop Eating White Bread

I grew up on whole wheat bread, and I still firmly believe that whole wheat is the only type of bread worth eating. When I found these reasons on http://diet.allwomenstalk.com I just had to share.  Next comes the debate on how much of a difference it makes in your health when you make your own bread instead of buying bread loaded with preservatives....


1. IT’S TASTELESS

Let’s face it: white bread is just plain bland. It has no real flavor, which is why so many people like it. While it doesn’t conflict with the savory taste of your meat or humble peanut butter, it sure doesn’t enhance it either, the way a whole grain bread will.

2. IT WON’T KEEP YOU FULL

White bread doesn’t contain as many parts of the grain as whole-grain does, so it doesn’t have the fiber, which means when you’re eating white bread, you’ll be hungry again, and soon. If you’re dieting, make the switch to wholesome, healthy whole-grain bread and stay fuller, longer!

3. IT CONTAIN LOADS OF NASTY CHEMICALS

If you knew how white bread was made, you’d never eat it again. Most shocking to me is that it’s made with heavily processed, bleached flour. Bleach, as in BLEACH. Not something I want to eat, and not something I want my kids to eat!

4. IT LACKS MOST NUTRIENTS

As you can imagine, stripping away two of the three parts of the grain and then bleaching the flour that’s made with it is going to leech most of the nutrients out of the bread, about 30 nutrients in total. And the bread industry only put a handful of them back in!

5. IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPING DIABETES

Recent studies have shown that people who eat white bread(and other processed foods) rather than whole-grain bread have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

6. IT’S NOT VEGAN-FRIENDLY

Most white bread contains several animal by-products, including eggs, shortening, emulsifiers, glycerides and lactase. In short, it’s not vegan-friendly, while there are several vegetarian and vegan-friendly whole grain bread options. I love Rudi’s Organic, and it’s easy to find.

7. IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO TUMMY TROUBLE

Whole grain breads contain something very, very valuable to your digestive health — fiber. Sadly, white bread contains very little fiber. In fact, to get the same amount of fiber in your whole-grain PB&J, you’d have to eat 16 pieces white bread. That’s a LOT of bread!

8. IT DOES NOTHING FOR HEART HEALTH

Eating bread, if it’s whole-grain bread, can help with your heart health. But none of these heart-healthy benefits can be gained by eating white bread, so why not give whole grain bread a go?

Save Money Doing Laundry

I used to live in apartments that had crappy washers and dryers and I hated doing laundry. Now that I have my own house and my own washer and dryer I love doing laundry! But doing laundry can be expensive. Here are a few ways that I have found save me money doing laundry. 

1. Wait for sales and use your coupons when you buy laundry detergent. Then you can afford to get the good stuff! I love my Woolite, but it's normally 10 bucks a bottle! Recently I was able to get it for just 3 dollars a bottle though and that's when I stocked up. 

2. Instead of using fabric softener or dryer sheets, try using vinegar. I just fill up my fabric softener dispenser with regular distilled vinegar and it works great! It also has the added benefit of cleaning your washing machine as you do laundry as well. A gallon jug of vinegar cost me about 2 dollars at Winco and it lasts for at least 40 loads of laundry. 

3. Only ever wash full loads. I have the "super" size setting on my washing machine, and I never change it from that setting. It will save you money because you don't have to run your washing machine as often and you also aren't using as much hot water all the time.

4. If you need clothes washed in hot water, set it to warm (the difference in temperature is subtle) and wash in cold water when possible. Hot water is a huge expense to consider when running your washer. 

5. Set your dryer to run for as little time as possible in order to dry your clothes, and when you are able watch the dryer if you have a "cool down" setting. Stop the dryer and take out your clothes as soon as it hits the cool down setting. If you let it run, you are just wasting energy that is really unnecessary. 

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken

I love this recipe because it is super easy and delicious! Just throw it in the crockpot in the morning before work or school and it's ready in the evening for dinner. I serve this over rice or pasta, whichever I prefer that day.

Creamy Italian Chicken
2 lbs. chicken breast, cut in pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup or substitute recipe (see below)
1/2 cup italian dressing (I use light because it's a little healthier)
rice or pasta

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. Serve over rice or pasta! It's that easy! Throw some steamed veggies on the side and you've got a well balanced meal.

Here's my substitute cream of chicken soup recipe. I use this a lot because it is so cheap to make, and I usually have all the ingredients on hand all the time. I usually make my own chicken broth using chicken bouillon granules as well, which makes it even cheaper. 

Substitute Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour

Combine broth and seasonings and bring to boil. Meanwhile, stir milk and flour together until smooth. Add milk/flour mixture to the boiling broth and bring back to boil for 1 minute. 

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

I absolutely LOVE chocolate chip cookies. I try not to make them very often because I feel guilty eating all that fat and sugar, but sometimes you just HAVE to have a chocolate chip cookie. Besides, if I don't have cookies I just end up eating other junk anyway, so what's the point in trying to ob-stain? 

I have been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for years. I love cookies that are soft and gooey. I hate when I get crunchy cookies! And I finally found the perfect recipe that is so perfectly soft, but still has a very very slight crispy outside. I'M IN LOVE!

Big & Buttery Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Taste of Home magazine, June 2012)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

1. In large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. 
2. Shape quarter cupfuls of dough into balls. Place in airtight container, separating layers with waxed or parchment paper; cover and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight.
3. To bake, place dough balls 3 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press a shallow indentation in the center of each with your thumb, reshaping sides to smooth any cracks. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks; cool. 

Now, I am very impatient when it comes to eating delicious cookies, so I will admit that I skipped the whole refrigeration process. And they still turned out amazing! So your choice. I'm sure if you have patience and refrigerate them they will turn out even better! Maybe sometime I'll try my patience and see if I can do it.