Going Green: The Last Post (Finally)

Do you remember the Going Green series? From back in March? And how I said I had one more 'Growing Green' project to post about? 

No? 

That's okay.

I hadn't really forgotten about it, I just, you know, have some other stuff going on right now. But I finally went down to the nursery last week and bought some seedlings to plant! 

A little backstory: I am a plant killer. House plants don't have a chance. A dear friend, knowing my affliction, once gave me a cactus. I over-watered it and it died. Despite this, I've always wanted a big, lush garden, full of veggies and herbs. I've never had the space or time to do it before.

Let's be honest. I don't have the space or time to do it now. 

But I'm giving it a shot anyway. 

So, my last 'green' project was to plant these seedlings with the kiddos:

The two in cages are bush beans. The one on the right is a 'Sugar Snack' tomato. The fourth is a green pepper.

Basil and cilantro in pots. And my kid's Christmas pjs. Yes, it's April, why do you ask?

Another shot of the raised bed. It was empty when we moved in, except for that big green leafy plant and the palm. Please pretend you don't notice my out of control lawn. 

The big green leafy plant (I have no idea what it is. I have little use for ornamentals unless they're flowers. I wanted to pull it out, but it isn't really mine since we're renting.) And our three little strawberry plants. They're not looking too well. Pray for them. 

These are cucumbers. They were half dead at the nursery, so the nice nursery man gave them to me "to nurse back to life." HA HA HA HA HA HA. He has no idea who he's talking to. 

These are six Roma tomatoes we planted at the foot of the berm. (A berm is an earthen embankment or wall. I'm so glad I'm here to expand your vocabulary.) 

One of the Romas. 

So, that's my little green project. Are you planting anything this spring? Have any gardening advice? Did I plant my strawberries too close together? Do you think those poor cucumbers have a chance? Why do you suppose I can grow children but not plants? Or fish? Fish always die around here. Is it me? 

Thanks for listening. I love you all. 

Going Green: Crafting Something Green

Let's face it, I'm pretty lame when it comes to arts and crafts. I like to do them, I just have no talent. So I left the green craftiness to Leslea, who pulled off this stunning number.

Materials:

One old white t-shirt.
A few bottles of green paint. One of these was fabric paint, the other was acrylic. Whatever.

Directions:

Let loose with your inner fashion designer.

Happy Very Late St. Patrick's Day!

Going Green: Buy Refurbished

If you missed them, find out how we're saving green, eating more greens, and making more green!

I think I get double points for this one, because it not only saves the earth, it saves money, too!

When we moved into this house we needed a washer and dryer. I spent about 3 weeks researching (imagine 7 people and no washer and dryer.. not fun, folks, not fun at all) and finally settled on this pair: 

They are extra super capacity front loaders from LG Tromm, and I LOVE them. They use almost no detergent and very little water. I can fit twice the clothes in them I used to (I've gone from 10 loads per week to 6). And I paid just over a third of the retail cost plus tax for them. 

How? I bought them refurbished. 

If you're careful, you can get a great deal this way. I found a reputable dealer of refurbished appliances on Craigslist who offered a 6 month warranty. I spoke to him on the phone a few times, then visited his "warehouse" (in his backyard). I felt comfortable dealing with him after speaking to him and seeing how clean and well kept his appliances were. 

Buying refurbished not only saves you money (almost $1000 in our case), it's also a great way to help save the earth. Instead of languishing in a landfill, these appliances are happily saving me time and resources in my laundry room. 

It's a win-win. 

What are you doing to save money or resources? 

Going Green: Earning Extra Green

Photo Credit: FloridasHealth.com

I'm so sorry that my "Green Thumb" post hasn't been published yet! A combination of an unexpected visit from some new friends and inclement weather mean my green thumb project hasn't happened yet. I'll get to it in the next couple days and get it posted, but for now, the next topic: "Earning Extra Green". 

Who doesn't want to earn a little extra money, eh? For our family, this is the first time I haven't done anything to bring in extra income. One way I was able to earn quite a bit of money for our family was through running an in-home daycare. 

My experience with it doesn't make me an expert, and there are lots of things to think about when considering opening your home to others, but I'll share some of what I learned in the hopes that if you're considering something like this, you'll be better informed. In most states you need a license to have an in-home daycare, but the requirements are different. I lived in Nevada when I did it, and I never became licensed. The law stated that as long as I had 4 or fewer children other than my own in the home, I didn't need a license. I did need to be up front with the parents I served, informing them that I wasn't licensed. Be sure to check with your local licensing agency for details. (Google "Home Day Care Licensing in your state). 

Watching kids in my home was a great experience overall. I was able to stay home with my kids (when I started they were 5, 3 and 1) and I made some great money. There were some rough spots - I was never good at enforcing pick up times or reminding parents to pay me; luckily I had some fantastic clients - some became very good friends. I did have to kick a kid out of my daycare once.. but that's a story for another day. 

Here are my best 'lessons learned': 

Be straight-forward and get things in writing. If you are open from 6am to 6pm, say so. If you provide meals (or don't) say so. Don't make different arrangements with each family, or you may end up taking on more than you planned when family 2 finds out what family 1 is getting. Sit down and write up a contract including things like pricing, late fees, etc. Tell folks in the beginning what you expect, and give yourself an 'out' if it isn't working. 

Give yourself a 'trial period'. Along the same lines, it's a good idea to have a 30 day 'trial period', after which you can sit down with the parents and see if the situation is working. You can fix problems that may have come up or either of you can bow out gracefully if it isn't working. 

Keep good records. It might seem silly now to write down how much you get paid, by whom, on what date, but when tax time comes around you'll be happy you did. Keep attendance, too, and a log of pick up and drop off times. These all come in handy later! I kept a binder by the front door with an attendance and payment section. 

Decide how much of  your home is being used. If you have a small home, that might be all of it, but you may still want to decide your bedroom is off limits. If you can, I'd highly recommend using one room for the bulk of your activities. Gating off a living room or playroom will keep kids and mess contained, and allow you to feel like you can get 'off work' when the kids go home. Believe me, it's no fun to send all the kids home, turn around and see your house in shambles! 

Set a schedule. I can't say enough for this. Come up with a schedule for your day, starting when kids are dropped off and ending when they leave. Schedule time for meals, play, clean up, outside, etc. Kids do better when they know what's coming next, you'll feel more organized, and the house won't get quite so chaotic. 

Give yourself a week off. Let everyone know, up front, you'll be 'closed' occasionally. I had those dates several months ahead of time. We were closed the week of Christmas, on major holidays, and for a week in the summer. I didn't charge folks for those weeks. Those breaks allowed us to spend time as a family and recharge. 

I hope this helps anyone who might be considering launching a day care. It can be such a blessing if done well! Please feel free to post more tips (if you're doing this or have done it) or questions!

Going Green: Veggies for Breakfast

Photo credit Cooking Korean

Ok, day 2 of the Going Green challenge is... eat more green! Day 1 was saving green with coupons. Day 3 will feature my green thumb, and if you know me you know that'll be more farce than fabulous.

I'm always looking for ways to get more vegetables into our diet, and this one's a winner. My oldest loves it and requests it often. You can substitute zucchini for the squash if you like.

Squash Cake

1 medium summer squash (think soft skin, not hard shell)

2 cups sugar (or 1 1/2 cups honey)

1 cup oil (I use vegetable oil, you might want to go with something healthier)

3 eggs

1/2 cup softened cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350.

Beat together sugar, oil, and eggs. Add cream cheese and vanilla and blend well. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend. Stir in chocolate chips if using. (If you want your kids to eat it, I'd go for the chocolate, but it's good either way.)

Butter or oil the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan and pour batter in. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a toothpick (or piece of dry spaghetti) comes out clean. 

This is a very dense, moist cake that feeds our family for breakfast with plenty left over for snacks. 

Going Green: Saving Money with Coupons!

Join us at Heavenly Homemakers for the little Green Project!

I'm taking Laura at  Heavenly Homemakers up on her little green challenge this week. I'm going to try to post on:

Saving Green, Eating More Greens, Earning Extra Green,

Going Green, Your Green Thumb, Crafting Something Green 

Doesn't it sound like fun? To start with, let me introduce you to my good friend Jennifer, who can save you a LOT of green! If there were professional couponers, she would be one. This girl once bought over $300 worth of groceries for 21 cents!!! I am not kidding. And she can teach you to do it, too! She's also a real woman, a wife, mom of twins and homemaker just like you and me. And she's the kind of girl you can talk to for six hours without realizing it until the kids come bugging you for food.. not that I would know about that. Ahem. 

Anyway. Here's a little interview with Jenn to give you a glimpse into her life of amazing savings... 

Me: Ok, tell us what we all want to know. How much do you spend every month on food and household items like toiletries, paper products and cleaning supplies?

Jenn: I budget $250 for my family of 4. 

Me (coughing and choking and scraping my jaw off the floor): Wow. What kind of savings is that?

Jenn: Now I'm at a time when I generally get 50% or more off everything I buy.

Me: Why did you start couponing? How long have you been at it?

Jenn: I started couponing when I quit working when my twins were young. They're six now. I watched the cost of food start rising soon after they were born and I started looking for ways to save.  It has taken me a couple of years plundering through the internet trying to learn about coupon savings and other ways to save to get this good at it.

Me: Be honest, how much time does it take? 

Jenn: I spend about 10 hours a week couponing.  Now my leisure internet time is searching for the latest deals instead of playing Tetrus!   

Me: Where do you get your coupons?

Jenn: I search for printable grocery coupons. I use coupon codes available via the internet for many purchases online.  It is a simple as doing an internet search. I purchase multiple Sunday newspapers delivered to my door, strictly for the coupon inserts.  You may find subscription cost being lower if you are ordering multiple newspapers. About once a week, I do an internet search for “free sample offers” from manufacturers.  Manufacturers not only send you a fabulous sample, but they generally include a high value coupon in the package.

Me: Ok, you get food for cheap. But doesn't that mean living off pizza rolls and soda?

Jenn: Couponing does not mean buying only quick prepackaged meals. Personally I bypass some very cheap prepackaged purchases because I prefer to cook from stratch.  Coupons I find include canned beans, pasta, sugar, oils, spices, soups, canned fruits, cereal, oatmeal, nuts, salad mixes etc.  You get the picture.   

Me: What about other household items?       

Jenn: Cosmetics and household products have a great deal of coupons available.  I am not brand conscious like I used to be. I match a sale to a coupon to get the best deal. I have tried some products I never would have without the sale/coupon and turned out to love them.

Me: What are the best stores to use coupons in?

Jenn: My favorite stores for the best savings & sales are Super Target, Walgreens, CVS and Kroger brand stores.  These stores all offer printable coupons on their sites.  A store coupon can be combined with a manufacturer's coupon for added savings. I play "The Drug Store Game" and get all kinds of free items.

Me: What is "The Drug Store Game"?

Jenn: I play “The Drug Store Game” at CVS and Walgreens.  Meaning, most weeks they offer several products that reimburse you on the spot for the purchase price with a coupon good toward ANYTHING in the store.  So, if you need eggs and bacon that are $6 total, and this week bodywash is $6, but there’s a $6 coupon to be printed when I purchase the bodywash. I would buy the bodywash first, then use the coupon to purchase my bacon and eggs~getting $12 worth for $6.

Me This is starting to sound confusing. 

Jenn: It can seem a little confusing when you start, but it's worth it to learn! Check out my website at: Tipresource.com. I have videos on my website that show saving tips and some huge saving trips. Here's one:

Ok, so now we all are in awe of Jenn. But you can do it, too! Check out her website for more, or leave a comment here if you have a question for her. 

Come back tomorrow for a way to get your kids to eat more greens.. at breakfast!