Frugal Valentines Day Gift Idea, Sugar Scrub!!

I love sugar scrubs, they make your skin feel so good, especially during the winter. However, I DO NOT love to pay such a high price for them at places like Bath and Body Works. So, what is my solution, I make it myself!! 

It is super simple, all you need is one cup of sugar, one cup of brown sugar, and one cup of vegetable oil. You also need a container. I found some great glass containers at the Dollar Tree around Christmas time for only $1.00 each.

Mix all of the ingredients together in the container, and there you have it. It is that simple. Now to make it into a gift, grab some pretty ribbon and tie it around the top of the container. For pennies, you have a super yummy gift that will be greatly appreciated by the recipient.  Everyone loves yummy things around Valentines day, right??  Who says you have to be able to eat them all.  This is a super Valentines Day Treat!! 

If you want to make it a little more unique you can add a drop or two of essential oil that you like. I have also added a splash of vanilla extract to mine before, and that makes it small delicious.

My Workboxes!!

Lately, I have been reading a lot about the "Work Box" system. It is a system used for organizing homeschool work. I can not say that I am a big fan of the original version, but I have seen a few that I really like, and think will work for us.

I have been looking for some type of organization system, as I will be homeschooling three children next year. Confessions of a Homeschooler has a great post all about her work box system, and I really like the way it is set up.

I plan to purchase some of those tall carts for our area, but for now I am using smaller containers/tubs. I wanted to see if it would actually help us to stay on track throughout the day, before I invested in all of the carts and things. Guess what, we have been using it for almost two weeks now and it is working wonderfully.
My bins are lined up along one of my bookshelves in our office/school room. 

My daughter loves being able to walk over to her box and get all of the supplies that she needs for that assignment out along with the assignment. Once she is finished with that assignment, she places her work in the correct spot and puts away the rest of her materials. She then moves to the next box.

I have found that it also helps me to be more organized as a teacher. I am less likely to forget that really fun idea that I wanted to try with her when I organize our day this way.

So, what are your thoughts? How do you organize your school area if you are a homeschooler??

I am linking to these great parties:
Works For Me Wednesday

Learning Tools (low cost)!!

If you have ever had the need to purchase any type of learning tool, you know how expensive it can be. Especially when you are looking for something specific.

I recently found the need for flash cards, but I needed the type that had pictures of common things like a cup, or bread on them. I needed these for my youngest daughter who is currently having communication delays.

I was shocked to see how much a set of cards like this costs, anywhere from $10.00 to $60.00. I found several places that you could order them online, but I just could not bring myself to do it. So, I set out on a mission to find a more cost effective solution.

I have tons of magazines around the house, so I started scanning them for pictures that I could use. I found several in a matter of minutes that would be perfect for my flash cards. So, I cut out the pictures and grabbed a stack of index cards and my glue stick.

Next, I simply glued my picture onto the card and used a little contact paper to make it water proof.

So for basically no money, because I had everything that I used just laying around the house, I made my own set of communication flash cards that are customized to my daughters exact needs.

My next step is to purchase some of the magnet strips and turn my cards into magnets that can be placed on the fridge, to further help with our communication process.

Sites that I find helpful!!

Hi everyone, I know it has been a while since I last posted. I want to apologize, but I was a little burned out and needed a break.

During my break, I have found some awesome sites that have really been helping me, so I wanted to share them with you.

I love the daily devotions on Proverbs 31 Ministries. This site is so encouraging and uplifting for women. You can sign up to have the daily devotions delivered to your inbox.

Inspired To Action is another good one. It is full of inspiring things for Moms.

I hope you all are having a great week so far!! 

Cut that electric bill by turning up the AC!!

Last week I posted about how you can save money on your electric bill by not using your dryer. Today I want to talk about turning up the AC. A great way to cut down the bill is to turn up your AC during the summer time. We keep ours set on 75 (we live in the south where the temperature outside is anywhere for 85 to 100 and we have lots of sticky nasty humidity). I have found that by having ceiling fans throughout the house we are able to comfortably turn up the thermostat.

That is saying a lot for our house, since I cook all of the time, there are five kids running around, and my hubby is very "hot-natured".

Anyway, we have found that it works for us, and cuts down substantially on our electric bill. If you cannot take it up that high, even one degree will help a little each month, and by the end of the year you will have a good little savings.

Check out Works for Me Wednesday for other great ideas!!

photo source: vancanjay

Turn Trash into a Garden Treat!!

That's right, you heard me, turn your kitchen trash into a garden treat. I am talking about compost. This has been one of our latest projects. When we moved into this home we noticed it had a wooden platform in the side of the yard. I have been wanting to try my hand at making compost, so I decided we would use it.

First we gathered our materials, brown leaves, green clippings, and kitchen waste.  **Note, there are certain things that you should not add to compost**  Make sure you do some research before you start your own compost bin!! Next, we dumped it into our compost bin and added water. We also turned the pile to make sure everything was mixed up.

It has only been a few days, but it seems to be working. The compost pile is heating up on the inside (which is what it is supposed to do). So, hopefully in a couple of months we will have some really great soil to add to our garden.

If you want to see more great tips head over to We Are That Family and take a look at Works For Me Wednesday!!