Chores: how young and what they can do?

 This was for a group post that I had answered about my youngest daughter and how to give them chores. what a age I started so they can help you instead of you doing all the work. There is much more to it but  this was a game changer for exhaustion of a burnt out mother trying to do it all. Why do we do it all when we should be training them to do it. When they are young they want to help. If that wasn't the case then they wouldn't have such things as kitchen sets and fake food for them to try to cook and shop for. Just give them the real life activities and they can be proud.

 

   Here's the group post I answered...

When mine were littles we did chores if they could walk they could do chores. Even if it was throwing away their own diaper.😊
My daughter wanted to do them when she was little cause she wanted to be included with the boys. She was younger then 2. Because her older brothers were 4 and 5. I had one clear the table, I taught her how to wash the table in quadrants. She even climbed up on the table trying to get to the middle. I showed her how to see if it was wet to know what she already washed. Then I taught her how to feel for stickiness and wash those areas really good. Her brother would wipe down the chairs and load those dishes in the dish washer. the oldest would vacuum. He was taller so he had the job a little longer. eventually she wanted to wash the chairs down so I had to find other jobs for my middle...pot washing! 😁
I also found little jobs for her so she felt included. She was so eager. I had her wash down the cabinets in the kitchen and sweep the floor with a little dollar tree disk broom and pan. Those make good gifts too.😀 good for the car too. She wanted to vacuum so bad. I could have gotten a dust buster but I figured I'd let her graduate to it when she was tall enough. In the living room I had her dust. She dusted the shelves and pulled the cushions off the couch to be vacuumed. Baseboards when dirty.

Laundryroom we started out with helping fold laundry. She did the wash clothes. She handed me the towels so I could fold and put in the cabinet. Eventually, she grew into doing the towels and laundry on her day. She could sweep the floor or wipe down the appliances if they needed done. Later swish the toilet.... Without touching it! 😉

Her best area that was totally hers was the entry way. She was to make sure the hats, gloves, shoes were all put away. Coats properly hung up if they werent.she could whisk the floor if she wanted.
Oh, she also unloaded the knives, forks, and spoons from the dishwasher. The sharper knives were unloaded by her older brother so no accidents would happen. Never had one either! She eventually was very careful at putting the other silverware away that she was able to do the sharp knives.
Little kids are amazing. I can't believe how fast they learned. Eventually they all learn the chores and I gave them designated rooms on rotation. I switched their chores around for fairness and cleanliness. Some were just better at an area then others Then, they all picked their favorite rooms on their own. If we had unexpected company pull in they ran to their designated rooms and had them all cleaned by the time the guests made it to the front door. Then, they beat it to their rooms to hurry up and pick up their rooms. The bathroom was the best because you can shut the door and spend some time in there.😀 no one suspects your cleaning it! 😂
Eventually the kids would show themselves so I knew they were all done and greet our guests. It wasn't very long. I loved it though because their chores were all done and I knew the house was ready .

Oh my!

 My answer to a picture of a little boy with poop all over him and a father asking how he should clean him... 😁

We were All joking...😁

My answer!!! 😃

Yep! I remember those days all to well. Still trying to forget the nightmares!   My thought on throwing it out is. Large 33+ gallon garbage bag, (might I suggest nothing under 5 mil thick!  opened up to full extent, gas mask (military grade), full plastic rain poncho ( cheap is better trust me!) Also in a Extra large size!  Large "S" hooks. You know the kind you hang the bikes from the garage ceiling? Yeah, those! You may want extenders hooked onto them if they don't look long enough.  Rubber gloves... Now I'm not talking those plastic kind you prepare food, nor the ones at the doctors office. I'm talking the kind you see in the chemical labs. You know those heavy duty black ones??? Yeah those! 

   Now you might have to have a pulley system if your to weak. I'd suggest hooking it to rafters if you feel like you might get woozie. Trust me! 

   Open that plastic industrial strength garbage bag as wide as it will go! In a circle let it be opened up on the floor. Hopefully its a laminated floor! 

   Strip down naked, Prepare yourself with protective clothing, and take  a deep breath of clean air before putting on the gas mask. Hook pulleys to S hooks. Hook carefully to this object! I can't stress enough...CAREFULLY!! 

  Lift onto bottom of bag. Be cautious, quickly but carefully pulling the sides up on the bag without touching the object.... At this point I hope you played the game "operation " when you were a kid. Your going to need this skill set! Pull bag up and over all of the object. 

     While your almost ready to contain the package carefully rip off the poncho. This is where the cheap ponchos are better! Stuff this in the bag on top of the object leaving a great barrier so you can close up the bag. Now you can carefully unglove. Just throw them in the bag too. I'm going to say that you might not want to use those bags with the twist ties. Seal a meal vacuum seal might be a good choice. They work great for thicker bags. The good sealers have a thing where you don't have to vacuum you can just seal. This might be your best bet! After sealing I'd suggest looking up the number for you closest hazardous waste dump site. Properly disposing of this item will need special handling. You might even want to see if they have pickup in your area! 🤔 

  Good luck! I hope you understand that by no means am I advocating for improper disposal of hazardous waste materials and you should check with your local government to make sure this disposal qualifies in your area! 

   Cudos! And good luck! 😘

Gardening: potatoes the easy way!

 A few years ago I learned about a women named Ruth Strout. Now Ruth was a woman ahead of her time. She's deceased now but her ways are not totally forgotten. She has books and a few videos on YouTube about how she accidentally found her gardening method. I just love the concept. She uses layers of straw to kill off the weeds and grow crops with little or any effort.

Here is a video of the same method used. There are many different kinds out there and I will list a few here that I found good. One has little expense while the other one does. I certainly like the first one better but because we may move I thought the other one would be a good option for those who have gardens on a patio or limited room and may want to move them.

Here's your 1st video enjoy!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=atcXuRijMtM

Here's the more expensive but neat way. Works better then raised beds.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0uAuE-umok4

Preserving the harvest:Tomatoes

 Here's a video on what to do with a bunch of those tomatoes that need preserving.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=clCecs-N1zQ

Gardening/Preserving the Harvest

 This is another one of Jills videos that I found informative.  I want to add that I did see a better video but she does mention it in this video so I just posted this one instead. The difference was that the other video taught about making a liquid out of any fruit or vegetables.

 It goes on to show pouring the liquid onto a tray and placing it in the dehydrator. The tray isn't just any ol' tray. It has sides to keep the liquid in. That's what I loved about it. Then, you just break it up when its dry and put it in your blender or coffee grinder and make a powder out of it. This is great for preserving your harvest. It last longer and you can reconstitute it with water later. It takes up less space, can go in one jar or preserving bag, and my favorite is it doesn't take up space in my freezer or fridge!

   This is also great for those tomatoes in the garden that you only have a few but don't want to can just one jar.

   This is great for fruit smooties. The powder is also great for making soups. Another idea that isn't mentioned or shown in the video is using beef, pork, or chicken and making powdered stock. I may do a video later on that. 

   Here is the link to the video I hope you enjoy...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zDTiAHqlDx4

Gardening: Fixing your mistake with leggy seedlings

 This was probably the best video I've ever seen on seedlings ...ever!

If your having problems with your seedlings getting leggy after they come up then this video will help you save them so they don't go to waste.

I think the thing I learned the most with seedlings that wasn't in this video was that after the first two leaves appear put a light on the babies really close so they aren't stretching to get so much sunlight. This causes them not to support themselves. So, this video will help you if you didn't get that light on them right away and they became leggy.

 Good Luck with your seedlings this year!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qxzoDsAebQs#

Gardening: one more reason i love baking soda !

This is a genius moment for me. I think everyone should have baking soda in the house. There are so many reasons for using it besides cleaning.

   I use it just about everyday. If you have acid reflux you don't want to go to bed with acid burning your esophagus. It can do major damage. I learned years ago that it is great for heart burn. It is better then Tums or antiacids. It also works much faster and doesn't have all the dyes that are harder on your stomach. I found I didn't even have to use a teaspoon or a whole cup of water either. I just got use to it being a quick easy fix that I wanted to get it done and over with just as quick. So, I use about 1/2 a teaspoon in about two shots of water and keep stirring and adding a little water till its all gone. I laugh when people say to me they couldn't do that... My answer is... Really? I'm sure you've drank some pretty horrible stuff in your lifetime. Possibly some medication, some antibiotic, how about a shot of alcohol? If at any point in your life you have been drunk I can assure you you've had worse! 

   When I found someone used it in the garden....well I just had to watch! 

As a bug repellant... Genius! Ok, watch this for yourself. I will be adding this to my garden recipes for this year. 

Here's the YouTube link.  Enjoy

  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=320D-41xt-M&feature=share

Homeschooling: When you decide to go with an online curriculum

 I have had two boys graduate from homeschooling. It seems to me when they get to a certain age they want something different. Over the years we have tried many different things because I must say...life is interesting and so learning should be. There came a year when they had just had enough. They wanted formal schooling. Well, we tried that route and I must say it wasn't glamorous at all. It happened right before covid. So, we had picked the worst year to try it. I wanted them to enroll in a career center but because " I was mom " they didn't want to. So we tried it there way. Needless to say they ended up at the career center anyway and both got their degrees. 

    I have my daughter who is beginning to feel her oats and wanted an online program this year. I wanted something that wouldn't take her all day  to accomplish. I also wanted something that I could easily add too. I found a pretty good match with "easy peasy homeschooling" or

 allinonehomeschooling.com

 I think it fit what we were both looking for and its free! I did pay the $15 donation because I think it was fair and I get all the help and she did all the work. I must give her a round of applause for all her hard work and dedication. I absolutely love it. There are many great things I can say about it. My daughter doesn't seem to mind doing it and that's the biggest plus. 

   So, I did also like using IXL last year but as my kids seem to grow and change different things seem to pop up and change us. Life is constantly moving and shifting. Its like a river. The same water doesn't stay in the same place twice. Why should we expect our lives to be any different? Embrace the change if things aren't working out. You will thank yourself in the end.😁

Preserving: cucumbers/fermenting

 Well, leave it to Jill Winger to post a video on fermentation. I just love her cookbook and her videos. She is also a home schooler and has a farm. So, we have a lot in common! Well here's the video I wanted to remember and share about pickles. What to do with the different sized ones that work the best for her. 

   Blessings!

   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nHBEhxwllBY&pp=QAFIAQ%3D%3D

Food dehydration: saving money on vaccumn seal bags

I watched a really good video on how to use zip lock freezer bags as food storage bags that you can vacuum seal. 

   I had always wondered about this and when I bought my vacuum sealer I thought I'd try it out. Well I didn't have time to do it yet but when I came across the video I was happy to find that it could be done! 😁

    So here's the video I came across accidentally. Hope you can enjoy it too.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NAh8iYE4udM

learning games and centers in folders

http://www.ehow.com/info_7989354_printable-file-folder-games-kindergarten.html

Gives some ideas and free copies for file folders

Download some Learning games from-
      http://www.zazzylearninggames.com/?gclid=COnvuKDusK8CFW-CtgodJC9NEQ

Cooking: interesting variations in dessert

 I was watching a talented young man cook up some interesting apple dishes. The last one was with cottage cheese creamed. I often thought about doing this since there's more protein in cottage cheese then other products. Plus, it would be cheaper to buy then cream cheese. I thought about doing this and adding powdered sugar to make it sweet and thicker. This  young man did it and I must say it looked delicious. You might want to check him out here . 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8-86BQo4LAI

Tarps : repurposed bed sheets!

 Ok, This is one of the most useful videos I have seen in a long time. So useful that its mind blowing! Not only how to make tarps out of bed sheets but how to tie off a tarp without gramets or putting holes in any fabric or material. This is a must see! I'm going out tomorrow to get the two items. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z_R0gEDZhAI

Allergy: salIcylate free list

 Here's some products that have salicylates in them that could be causing you or a loved one some problems.

http://www.fibrofreerecoverygroup.com/salicylate-free-product-list/?fbclid=IwAR2iRqp_akIQQ_zOKvSewvrZ10Kujlxc5wYaOxaDHhsanbbmwQ_8TocGdDE#:~:text=Salicylate%20Free%20Product%20List%201%20Liquid%20Hand%20Soaps.,Oil%20and%20Blemish%20Control.%20...%20More%20items...%20

Allergies- salicylate sensativity

 I came across a woman who's son was having food intolerance issues. I then came across this interesting article about sensitivity to fruits. 

   It reminded me of my sons issues to fruits and fruit drinks. My friend had come over one time with a couple of all natural juice boxes for my boys.           While we talked. I said well if I give those to them we won't get much talking done. She laughed and said... What will it do to them!??. I smiled and said... Do you want to see? She was like, Sure, this should be interesting. I told her that they were both having a good morning and things were going pretty smooth. They were all playing great together. We talked for a little bit and then, I called them down for a treat. They enjoyed their drink and shortly after they started bouncing around. More like ants in the pants and you can't sit still. Then, racing around the house. I sent them upstairs to eliminate some of the noise. Followed by arguing then fighting, then I had to excuse myself for a bit to help them. I made them drink tons of water and jump on the trampoline to try to get some of the sugar out of their system. 

   She was blown away at how one small little juice box could make monsters out of them. Yes, I held back on their behavior because no one wants for embarrassing moments to be added! 🤐  It did help me later when I used her as an expert witness when the school didn't want to believe me that they had allergies and it wasn't in my head. Bless her for being a wonderful advocate! We need someone in our corner to fight for us. Here's the link. It might help a mom with an ADHD/ADD diagnosis from going insane.

https://www.fedup.com.au/information/shopping-list/fresh-fruit-and-veg?fbclid=IwAR2IxSnQpQulgdaBTrQxwt8_oPtg_szrPzFxF4nY9aBKcMEgYViOYtheyWO8

Crafts: Junk journals

 I just loved this idea sewn into a journal book. If your new to junk journals then you might need to look at this one and see if your interested and see Pam at the paper outpost. 

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R4PDq1Fjsr8

Finacial: food budget

      I had several women ask me how I was able to grocery shop for a week on twenty dollars. Yes, really! $20.00 After paying all of the bills for the week that's all the money I had for groceries. I set out to see what I could buy for $20. As I went down the isle the first time my heart ached as I realized how hard this task was going to be. There was so many people in the store I was overwhelmed and left the store. I went back the next day and I wrote down ideas as I went down the isle. I looked at potatoes, canned goods, veggies. I checked out everything. I wrote down prices of everything that was cheaper. Trying to put together a cheap meal. Thank goodness for our local ALDI's.

    What I figured out in the end that I could get a frozen family meal for about 2.99 or less. So, I would usually pick out a lasagna, Salsburg steak in gravy that I matched with mashed potatoes in a box because it was cheaper then a bag of potatoes. turkey and gravy that I also matched with those potatoes. Sometimes a pot pie or two. Burritos were about .49¢ each and a box of speghetti and sauce. sometimes I could get some veggies if I had a left  over dollar, Sometimes I bought ramen noodles or a few cans of vegetables.

 I laugh every time I'm thinking about the Ramen noodles because I had heard that Elon Musk wanted to see if he could live a month on $10. A month. I was thinking... Wow! What did he buy because I was thinking I was doing good on $20. A week. After listening to his story he had found that he could live off Ramen noodles. That's ok for a single man but that really isn't realistic for a small family. 

    I figured -7 meals A week. So, that was usually dinner. I bought oatmeal for breakfast and sometimes cream of wheat, or coco wheats. This would fill me up till dinner.  Hot cereal is a good thing if you are hungry and need to fill your belly. 

     I now know that when feeding A larger family on a tough budget there are a few good meals that you can stretch.

Tacos- 1 pound of meat goes A long way. I usually put 2 cans of chili beans in with some taco seasonings. Get some Taco shells and salsa instead of tomatoes. It last longer, you can use it for more meals and its easier to get more veggies in the kids. Make sure you get medium, not mild or hot or your kids might be on fire and not like the idea. We like onions and I really don't do lettuce cause I can taste the pestacides. So, if its not growing in my garden or my friend doesn't have any then I go without. I like spinach way better.

Spaghetti- I make this go further. How you ask? Well, instead of dumping A whole jar of sauce on my spaghetti noodles I cook the meat, noodles separate and then while they are still hot we pour or spoon ( if you have youngsters) spaghetti sauce on top of it. That way it saves more sauce for a lunch pasta. I also get garlic bread or a loaf of Italian bread if its cheaper and cut it in half, put pats of butter along the top, I then add garlic powder, sea salt and Italian seasoning and oregano. Sometimes I'll add cheese on top when its almost done. Depending on how much cheese cost that week and how much I have in the fridge or freezer. 

   These are just a few of my frugal family meals that can cut costs.

  

     

    

Education: Lapbooks

 I had done Lap books when the kids were younger. I love Lap books and I think its a great way for children to retain what your trying to teach them. Some can be elaborate and some very simple. Here's a website that tells you about Lap books and gives you ideas.   

https://www.homeschoolshare.com/how-to-make-lapbook/

     Enjoy!

Canning: love what she did in her pantry!

 I just love all the jars lined up in this YouTuber's root cellar! They even have videos on how they built it. This could be a possibility as a future project. Well, to be honest the distant future! I have so many projects for the next few years I doubt i'll be able to get to one like this anytime soon.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N5EkNQZKXDo   

I'm more likely to try their canned peaches recipe... Now to find the peaches

https://wisdompreserved.life/peach-pie-filling/

I have the topping for this recipe though. A peach crisp would be great. Or a quick peach cobbler. Guess ill have to share a recipe later when I have them handy!

Gardening: I've been learning some tricks!

    Yesterday I was watching a video on gardening and I found a really cool hack I have to try. Every year I plant peas, every year something eats them! This year I learned that I should grow them in sand first. It makes them grow very easy and they transplant better. I also found out that you need to protect them immediately! I can't stress this one enough. If you wait then chances are very high a critter will come along and get those yummy little seeds or  seedlings. To prevent this the suggestion was to tie row covers over the seeds/ seedlings. This will give them room to grow as they get bigger.

      To step this idea up one further I saw where one gardener put tulle up around those seed/seedlings. This prevented them from coming near the plants. The reason mice, deer, squirrel s don't want it anymore is because when they get into it they get their nails stuck in it and they think they are in a trap. They immediately want to stay away from the stuff once they get out.

   This also works for trees. Animals climbing the tree to get the fruit will come across it and try to get away. Make sure you put it up high enough for climbing or jumping animals/rodents. 

    I was lucky enough to by a yard or so at the thrift shop today. I felt like I won the lotto. Hubby took me out for lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant and then he took me to my favorite thrift store. I even had enough food left over for breakfast in the morning and lunch. Plus, I had salsa and chips for a snack tonight! I love to stretch the dollar. I love my Valentine !

  

Finacials: How I started my finacial journey

 I was a young mother in my 20s. I was feeling the financial crunch and was wondering why we were always broke. I felt living from paycheck to paycheck was getting us down. I thought really hard about what I could do about it. I sat down and wrote out all our bills. I matched that up to our paycheck. It was pretty scary seeing there was hardly enough to pay the bills and living expenses. So, I started to work. I wrote out my own worksheet.

  It consisted of... what bills needed to be paid and when. Followed by the full balance amount that we owed and the minimum payment. I decided to put the due fates on the calendar. My husband got paid on Fridays so I wrote down the dates they were due on the caledar. I would write on the calendar the Friday before which ones needed paid for that up coming week. 

    I found out after paying my bills that I had enough money for laundry and $20. 00 Left over for groceries and the gas to get to them both. Yes, I did it! The budget balanced! Now to talk to the man of the house on what was going on with our money and how we can lighten our load in a few short month. (It was grueling until I paid off our first bill.) It did give me the satisfaction of knowing where my money went and a goal to get debt free.

Allergy Tests:Why your tests turn out negative when you know you have an allergy.

     Last week I was talking to a mother about her daughters food allergies. She had told me several weeks before that her daughter was going to have allergy tests taken. I was inquiring how they turned out.

     She told me they turned out negative and that she showed no signs of celiac and no allergies at all.  I said, "Do you know why they came back negative?" She said,"No!?!?" I proceeded to tell her that her daughter must have been staying away from the Gluten long enough that her gut didn't have anything for the test to show a reaction to. The allergy tests came back negative because she had probably taken something as simple as a Benadryl and that was enough to block the results of the test. 

   I myself had done research years ago when my son had allergy problems and the tests came back negative. I kept searching for an answer and I knew there had to be one out there. There indeed was an answer. The antihistamine stays in the system upwards of 6 months or more. It is unusual for someone not to have any allergies so that leads one to believe that its the test. Or a problem with the test in our case. The antihistamines in his system caused the test to be negative. We did end up getting a blood test later on and found that he was severely allergic to mold. Some years later we got another test done and it was more accurate. We learned of all those allergies that I suspected years ago. I'm glad for modern technology!

   

Organizing hacks

 https://en.kueez.com/home-organization-ideas?epik=dj0yJnU9Z3NiXzBmWWhYLTlVdTQtSjlEYmpnb3dVUmZYMFZfaG4mcD0xJm49d1AyQjRoS2NneDVuY3NJN0lXQWhtdyZ0PUFBQUFBR0gySS1B&ly=native_one&mbid=5zjaobzlk&pp=0&utm_campaign=create&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=pinterest2&abtv=g