Break Time

Between moving and other things, I'm taking a month or so off.  Will post more then.

Moving?

How to Make Moving Cheaper

As every person who moves knows, you need boxes, sometimes a lot of boxes.  It's amazing how much junk one can accumulate!

Anyway, the other day I was at Lowes and noticed moving boxes for sell.  The small boxes were around $.75 a piece.  Two days later I went to the grocery store just after it opened for the day and noticed, as the employees busily restocked shelves, there were empty boxes on almost every aisle. "Can I have some of those?" I asked an employee in the produce section.  I left the store that day with more boxes than groceries.

• If you give your local grocery store advanced notice they sometimes will save boxes for you.
• My sister also tipped that schools can be a good place to ask if you have connections. As she said, "Lunch Ladies empty a lot of boxes." 

Money Moment-Credit Card Interest

  

I love the convenience of a credit card.* It is so much more convenient to swipe the card when getting gas than to go inside to pay.  Online shopping is another one of those things.  Yes, I use a credit card.  However, I have never paid interest.

When I use my card, it goes on the budget as money spent for the month.  Before the month ends I go to the bank's convenient online banking website and pay the card off in full.  A credit card is a tool to help save time at the register not an excuse to spend more money than you make in a month.

*If your card is constantly pounding interest out of you, I suggest switching to a debit card.  For either card, make sure the money is in your account before you run off and spend!

No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bites

Originally the recipe I found called these "No-Bake Energy Bites" which is just a fancy way of making a cookie sound healthier than it really is.  These are really good and super easy.

No-Bake Bites
1 C oatmeal
2/3 C coconut shredded
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C flax seed or wheat germ
1/2 C chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 C honey
1 tsp vanilla

Mix it all in a bowl and chill for 30 minutes.  Once chilled roll into balls.  Makes 15-20 one inch balls. Store in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Rice Crispies

I love these!  Maybe even more than popcorn.

Over medium heat bring to a small boil:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups peanut butter

Quickly pour over:

6 cups of rice krispies (we have used chex as well)

Mix.  Place in a greased 9 X 13 pan and allow to cool.

(Some recipes say to first mix it in a bowl and transfer to the pan after. I like to avoid dished and extra steps, so I mix it directly in the pan.)

Once cooled melt:
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Spread over rice krispies.

I melt my chocolate in the microwave. I cook it about 45 seconds, stir, 15 stir. And another 15 after that until melted.  I also like to put a little peanut butter in the chocolate chips. I think it helps melt them faster and gives it a good taste.

Cool, cut into small squares and enjoy.


I know, so not healthy!  But really, really, good!

Cheesy Popcorn

Super easy and not too bad for you!

Cheesy Popcorn
Pop 1/2 cup of popcorn
Pour on a little butter/ margarine so that the cheese will stick
Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese all over it!  Eat up!

This was so good I caught my daughter licking the bowl!

And then it became a hat. Run away!

Old Red Stain on the Carpet.

When my parents found an old red stain on the carpet in my brother's bedroom, I was super excited. I know how insensitive. However, that meant I could try some homemade stain remover ideas and on someone elses carpet.

I have heard of 4 things that can work:

1. Ammonia (Windex has this in it)- spray it on, place a rag over the stain and essentially iron it from the carpet to the rag.
2. Vinegar and water 1:4 ratio spray, sit, blot, spray, sit, blot.  Rubbing can make a stain spread.
3. Rubbing alcohol- same principle as either one above.
4. Hydrogen peroxide- can "bleach" so be careful.

There may be more, however the stain was only so big, therefore, these are the ones we tried.  All except for ammonia, I hate the smell.

The hydrogen peroxide began to take it up immediately, no sitting and waiting needed.  However, my mom, understandably, did not want to risk getting the carpet bleached- there'd be no fixing that.  Because rubbing alcohol is more expensive than vinegar we first soaked it in vinegar and then blotted and then ironed.  It began to come up, but the vinegar (or rag) left a residue on the iron that flaked off once the iron cooled.  The stain also did not come up immediately.  The process probably is going to need to be repeated a few times, but it is looking a lot better.

Overall, all three worked on the old red stain.  I'd probably do hydrogen peroxide for a light carpet and dilute with water afterwards.  However, I'm no stain expert so if you got a stain, you decided.  Personally, Fels-Naptha is my favorite stain remover of all time.