Give Away: Home Dairy!

what can you win? the Ashley English book Home Dairy!

go HERE to enter!

we are called to hospitality

what better way to make your home welcoming that with a pleasant fragrance?


SCENTSY GIVEAWAY
go HERE to enter

Preparing

linking HERE


what did i do to prepare for perhaps the world crashing down around me or the economy going sour or just my hubby's work slowing down? i bought a side of beef!
yep my freezer is loaded with meat!!!!

let's see- i have a supply of wheatberries and a supply of meat as well as a smattering of canned goods and a small garden going. . what's next?

Glass Bakeware

Have you all heard the news reports that glass bakeware is dangerous to use now?
It seems that the chemicals used to make it ovenproof is no longer being allowed to be used, so that means that the bakeware is not shatterproof at high temperatures. There are several reports of people putting their glass bakeware in the oven like they always do, then when they open the oven door, the pan explodes in their faces. There have been reports of people blinded as well as just severely cut.
The names of the products are the names we have in all our kitchens - AnchorHocking and Pyrex are just two of them. It doesn't matter if the company is big or small, famous or not - no one is allowed to use that chemical so no glassware is safe. The only saving grace is that if your bakeware was made before 1997, I think. (Google to find the correct date, I am probably wrong)
It seems that Paula Deen stoneware is safe. Also you will notice that on her stoneware, she states that it can go in an oven heated to 500 degrees - there are no claims of any sort on glass bakeware.
I have started collecting old FireKing bakeware and I recently found two loaf pans in a thrift store. They were eight dollars each which is a big savings over the Paula Deen. Plus, it's old enough to be safe!
And now my mom has dug thru all her old dishes and come up with several old FireKing dishes for me :)
So, google all about the glass bakeware and be careful!

Barnhopping Again!

for more barnhoppers go HERE

my stopover on the barnhop is to tell you the herbs and tomato plants are planted and plans are underway for the other seeds to be planted as we speak. i even bought cantalope seeds.

where i live- in a shady rental filled with nothing but hard red clay- there isn't a lot i can do but i am using pots and also taking a cur from the magazine mother earth news and planting seeds right in the potting soil bags!

My Monday

mon- burger patties with green peppers and sliced tomatos on the side
tues- chili
wed-potato soup
thurs-hamburger casserole with mashed potatos on the side
fri- tacos








pray for me since bitterness and resentment are overtaking my spirit.

My Saturday

well what a day today!!
first we went to an amish store and i was able to purchase some of their groceries. i got 3 jars of jam, 2 bags of colored popcorn, 1 jar of honey, a jar of apple pie filling and a large bag of oats.

then we went to a local farm - Rose of Sharon and i was able to buy some lip balms, herbal salve, and 2 bars of citrus soap.
the owner and i were able to discuss Torah and Sabbath - something we share a common belief about- and i can't wait to go back.

it was a great day!

Shabbat Shalom

to join in click HERE

well Sabbath is almost here. only a few more hours. i will have the house clean, candles on the table, and dinner (spaghetti) i cooked earlier all ready. :) and i am soaking the dishes instead of washing them.

taking a break from all the laundry a family of 9 can have too.

i am still fairly new to Sabbath celebrating but i am loving it and really wanted to join in this linky at Pebble Crossing

Grocery Savings Day 11: Stay Out of the Store

my first blog hop!

go HERE for more

i am not hosting but rather i am participating. i am so excited!!!
we have decided that even tho we don't have a farm we will still homestead as much as we can.
as you know we bought 11 chickens last week. unfortunately mt dog got to them and killed 6 of them. so we are very sad and shocked. we haven't decided if we will buy more yet or wait awhile.

i bought tomato plants yesterday too. and herbs.

there! that is my weekly blog hop contribution :)
off to make homemade mac and cheese with a salad.

Preparedness Challenge #1

i am participating in the preparedness challenge at Homestead Revival! each week we do one thing to help prepare for a possible emegency situation with our country or just within our own family.
it can be big or small but do something!!
this past week i bought a grain mill and wheatberries to make my own flour.








HERE is a article about the wheat i bought
i bought my grain and mill HERE

linking with Homestead Revival


and linking with


and linking with

2 Things

you can win a Plein Air sugar scrub and Gourmet Lip Balm package!

go HERE to enter

AND

yes I have the Tea with Michelle Duggar and while I liked it I wasn't as "thrilled" as I thought I would be. I wish the qs had been more "personal" rather than generic.

while I'm talking to you lol let me rec your blog-Homespun Legacy Ministries

i have been awaiting the next part of your series. i was able to read all of them so far and i'm hooked!

Oh My!

Ten Days of Biblical Parenting Giveaways
Today’s giveaway is a copy of Plants Grown Up or Polished Cornerstones (winner’s choice)








go HERE to enter

What I Have Been Up To

i have been bad at blogging i know. here are a few pics of what i've been up to.

Andrew sacked on the couch still holding his stick from the backyard cookout :)






My cat Amber is still hanging on! the vet is willing to wait a few weeks to see if she begins healing (after being hit by a car or a dog, we aren't sure which) she drags herself around as if she isn't paralyzed and that is really great news!!






















CHICKENS!
yep i got 11 chicks - i have been told they are pullets but i am not sure - and i have them in a rubbermaid box in the house til they can go outside.

So Far This Week

So far this week, the freebies I have received have been:

Woman's Day magazine

Horses Illustrated (for my daughter)

Lego magazine (for two of my sons)


National Geographic for Kids (for all the kids)

1 trial size box of crackers

1 trial size box of cereal

Good News magazine

Midwest Living magazine

Two drying racks, worth $70, courtesy of a CSN gift code

1 Olive Garden gift card (I'm saving it for my birthday lunch!)

1 lip gloss I won in a giveaway

1 Ladies Home Journal magazine

1 Bounce dryer sheet

8 coupons for a free tub of Philly Cream Cheese Sauce (thanks to Houseparty and Facebook)
along with a Houseparty pack containing a skillet, several notepads, several wooden spoons and more.

1 small book entitled Dads and Daughters by James Dobson

1 $5 amazon gift card courtesy of swagbucks


YOU?

PERFECT FOR ME!

I found a wonderful giveaway! since i am getting my chickens and now i grind my own wheat maybe i can call myself a sort of homesteader ? :)

anyway- this giveaway would be perfect for me to win!



A HOMESTEADING GIVEAWAY! GO HERE TO ENTER!

Read This

you must go read THIS

it's from www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com

enjoy!

WIN A CROCKPOT!

CHEESESLAVE has a giveaway going on!

A Hamilton Beach Crockpot with a $45 Value



go HERE to enter!

see what i found!

want to win a $35 gift card to CSN? then go HERE and enter!!

answering a butter q

i buy the walmart heavy whipping cream for $3.38 and make 6 or so sticks worth of butter. a box of 4 sticks costs me $3 so i save about $1.20 each time.

A Few Tips

Did you know that you can make butter for 1/3 the price of buying it? Just buy heavy whipping cream and whip it on high in your blender until you make butter! Drain it - you can save the buttermilk that comes from this draining and use it in your baked goods if you'd like - rinse with cold water and pat dry. It will take on the shape of whatever container you put it in. If you'd like salted butter, add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt before you start whipping. It takes about fifteen minutes total.

Fill a spray bottle with half water half vinegar and voila you have a multi purpose cleaner. No, it doesn't leave a heavy vinegar smell behind. If you'd like, you can add a few drops of essential oil to it also.

Why buy expensive pet odor remover for your carpet? Sprinkle baking soda on the area, let it sit for about fifteen minutes and vacuum. Same odor relief but cheaper.

If you use plastic shopping bags from the store, save them! Use these instead of ziploc baggies whenever possible.

Don't throw away blackened bananas, use them to make banana bread for breakfast!

When you need to change vacuum cleaner bags, carefully remove the filled one without tearing it, empty it in the trash and staple the top back together - you get two uses for each bag instead of one.

When you get junk mail, any that are in the form of a letter are usually blank on the other side, so turn it over and let your child draw on it. Don't forget to use the envelope for your grocery list!

Some people think it is a waste of money to have the internet if you don't have a lot of money and it is, if you truly can't afford it BUT we worked a deal with our phone company for a bundle that including phone service, internet, unlimited long distance (which is great for us because we moved away from home and everyone lives far away) and we use the computer for tv - hulu.com among others -, printing schoolsheets, printing coupons, watching dvds, and listening to music ( youtube and cds). So we don't need a dvd player, a television, cable (which in my area if you don't have cable you can't watch tv), and no satellite dish or cd player.

Try checking out the cheaper vacuums next time you need one, I am the queen of vacuums! I have found the $40 Bissel at walmart to be just as good as any of the more expensive models.

The crazy art line of kids' art supplies at walmart is much cheaper then the other brands and it is just as good - I know for experience :)

Did you know that the walmart brand of canned vegetables is actually del monte? Well, it is! So save money and buy the store brand.

Did you know that one bag of beans is equal to two cans of beans? Well, it is! Simply by remembering to soak your beans the night before you need them will save money (add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the soaking beans to draw forth the nutrients) (can't do that with canned beans!).

Take advantage of deals that you find at walgreens.com and shutterfly.com for all your photographic needs. Once you are on their mailing list, they often send deals for you to get free 8x10s!

Sign up for the email list of your favorite local restaurant - you will get coupons quite often that will save you a lot of money. For example, my husband and I were able to eat out with a buy one get one Quiznos coupon just last week!

Goodwill and Salvation Army are fantastic for finding really nice picture frames, so don't spend a lot elsewhere.

Bold Christian Living. com has a large collection of audio tapes that they will send you each month just for signing up. So does charityministries.com or you can listen to them for free online,too.

Add your name to your favorite pet food company list,too, so you can get coupons and deals from them.

Hey, it's free.com is a good freebie site,too. Don't forget bluebehemoth.com for a free daily download.

Think outside the box! My sofa is in great condition except for some stains on the cushions that marred its appearance and they are not removable to wash in the machine. I looked at slipcovers but they are waaaay too expensive. So I came home and looked around at what I had. I had an old tablecloth that covered the couch beautifully!

Do your friends have kids clothes that fit your kids but not their's or vice versa? If so, arrange a swap for everyone to get together and trade!

Make your own detergent! Mix one cup borax, one cup baking soda, and if you want one bar of soap - any brand will do - shred the soap into flakes first. Then shake it all together and use one tablespoonful for each load. It's cheaper and there are no chemicals like the store brands. And yes, it really works.

I make my own toothpaste, by mixing coconut oil, baking soda and vanilla all together until it forms a paste. Fluoride is very cancer causing and it is what Hitler used on the Jews in the concentration camps so it is not something we want in our bodies! So make this inexpensive paste at home.

Arrange a time with a friend to rent a carpet cleaner. You can each pay only half the cost and use it on both houses in the same weekend. It's a great way to save money and get cleaner carpets! I don't buy the chemicals to clean the carpets, I use Dawn dishwashing liquid and it works great!

Speaking of Dawn, it's the best thing to remove oily stains from my husband's jeans.

Have a friend buy a magazine subscription and you do them same, then you can switch at the end of the month. You pay for one, and get two, so does she! Also keep look for free magazines on the internet - I get 35 magazines a month free!

Lego.com offers a free magazine for kids and inside some of the issues are coupons for buy one adult ticket and get one child ticket for free to Legoland, which is in several locations. We plan to use it on our vacation this year.

Sometimes shredding your own cheese will save you money. Check it out first!

Well, I guess that is all I will do for today - have a great day and go pray for somebody :)