Atlanta's Frugal Mom

Every time I changed the head on my electric toothbrush, I spent hours devising the perfect method of cleaning the (absurdly nasty!) gunk from the inside. The dilemma I faced was finding a cleaner that was safe to use on an item I put in my mouth ... Then it finally dawned on me: vinegar ! First, I let it dry out overnight with the head off.  Once dry, I knocked as much funk out as I could, then let it soak in a glass of vinegar for about 15 minutes. Next, I used one of my "for cleaning only" manual toothbrushes, and cleaned most I the gunk out. However, there was still some gunk I couldn't quite reach just inside the neck. So I thought back to 2nd grade science... I put the toothbrush back in the glass of vinegar, then added about a tsp of baking soda . After marveling over the bubbles (hee hee!  it never gets old!), I was then able to loosen the remaining gunk, and -voila!- my toothbrush was good as new again. What uses have YOU discovered for vinegar? ...

For Father's Day this year, I wanted to continue to impress upon my daughter the importance of ownership of the gifts she gives. Gifts, thank you notes, and various cards hold more meaning to the giver and receiver when made more personable, so I helped my daughter create some cards for her daddy, and both grandfathers this year. Lesson learned: Glue the construction paper to the cardstock FIRST, to prevent the glue from interfering with the paint! We sat down, working bit by bit over the span of a few days, creating these cards. I brushed washable paint over her hand to create the "flower". (The paint acquired, by luck, at a garage sale -- a pack of 10 small tubs for a quarter.) Then, while she colored on a few sheets of construction paper (to be used later), I asked her "why do you love daddy?", recording her responses and offering prompts (basically rephrasing the question) to redirect her when needed. She helped put down the glue for each step (rec...

I hoard containers. There -- I put it out there. I save various, sturdy containers, with the idea that I could re-use it ....for something. This came in handy the other day with my 3-year-old daughter. I'm always looking for ways to keep my children entertained, as well as offer them chances to explore and learn.  If I can additionally do so in a "green" manner, even better. For this occasion, I put red food coloring in an old throat spray bottle, blue in an old dish soap bottle, grabbed some old foam letters (but sponges would work just as well) and put a little paint in old flushable wipes containers, gathered up a few unused medicine droppers, opened some paper bags at the seems, and threw in  a few paint brushes, and   empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls.

As part of my Frugal Homemaking series, I wanted to add a few new recipes that I've tried my hand at recently.  The first is my meatballs.  Basically, I took a few recipes, and tweeked them to work for me, my family, and the ingredients in my kitchen.  :o) The great thing about cooking, to me, is that you can modify any recipe to fit your needs and preferences.  I'd love to hear y'alls variations on any of my recipes.   (Better for You) Meatballs Ingredients - 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs - 1/2 cup milk - 1 onion, finely chopped -  4 cloves garlic, crushed/finely chopped - ~1 tbsp olive oil (enough to saute onion) - 2 eggs (I use Egg Beaters, or it's store brand equivalent) - 1/4 - 1/2 cup finely chopped spinach - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs - 2 tbsp Parmesan (um, I always over-measure the cheese... hee hee)  - 1 tsp salt - 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper (adjust to preference) - 1/2 tsp pepper - 1/2 to 1 whole small squash, very finely diced - 1 lb. grou...

image source:   Pecuniarities Frugal Baby Advice:  10 Unnecessary Purchases After 20 months (and counting) with The Tot, I have learned how to distinguish important baby gear from items that are a sheer waste of money.  Baby gear is marketed to parents, praying on one of several things: convenience, nutrition/health, and making baby smart(er).  Here's what I've learned, both from personal experience and from simple observation. Diaper Bags Yes, there are gobs and gobs of uber-cute, super-sleek diaper bags out there.  But you'll likely pay a pretty penny for them.  Guess what I've been using for about a year now?  A canvas cloth tote bag.  (And it was free.  With coupons in it!)  Yep.  A large cloth tote bag, with several smaller ones nestled inside to compartmentalize things (or large plastic baggies could also work).  Think about how often you get a free tote bag, or an offer for a free tote bag.  Stock up...

Ditching the Sponge This summer I accomplished something I once thought unthinkable: I gave up the sponge.  It was a gripping addiction, harder to kick than a nasty nicotine habit.   ...a habit that had the ability to spar k the silliest of arguments amongst even the best of   roomies.  Right, SwimBikeMom ?  :P  But once again, I digress; that's a blog for another day. Perhaps a tad  OCD, I was one of *those* people who had a sponge designated for various parts of the kitchen: one for the floor, one for the counters, and another one for dishes.  I knew for quite some time that sponges were a breeding ground for all things disgusting; however, I was not keen on the idea of using paper towels, or other disposable products -- I had  to find a GREEN alternative to sponges.

Okay, so the following is no secret, at all, but here are some things I've been doing for YEARS to save printer paper and ink!  (Ink being rather expensive to purchase!!) Printer Paper You know all junk mail you get in snail mail?  Flip it over.  If it's blank on the back, throw it in your printer's paper tray!  I keep a box for one-sided 8.5"x11" papers.  It's filled with one-sided junk mail, as well as hundreds of miscellaneous other pieces of paper, only used once.  

A trick I've learned after doing laundry for almost twenty years?  (I know, I know, I started doing laundry when I was, like, five...  tee hee)

Oh, those handy-dandy plastic baggies!  They may not be the greenest way to take your lunch to work or school, but if you know how to STREEEETCH their lives, you can detect a shade of green on them.

For the love of all that's good and green, here are some crafty ways to re-purpose those frozen dinner trays, instead of tossing them straight in to the recycling bin.  (Heaven forbid they go in the regular trash!)  Just keep in mind they should NOT go through the microwave any more, and should be hand-washed or dishwasher top rack.   :o)