Sometimes, and investment is worth it.

I'm going to talk a little girly here.  Well, the subject is about an investment, however the topic of the subject is makeup.  huh?  what?  trust me on this.  I wouldn't steer you wrong.

Okay, so my foundation alone costs around $45.  it has, however, lasted me 2 years.  It's a mineral powder foundation and I have to tell you- I put makeup on nearly every day, and it's lasted.  assume I put makeup on 300 out of 365 days a year.  this foundation has lasted me 2 years.  so... 600 days.  600 divided by 45 is around 13 cents a day.  Now, I still have 1/2 a container left of this particular foundation.  which means, my $45 investment will cost me when I'm done, about 6.5 cents a makeup application.

Now, what do I mean by all of this?  Well, 1- 10 cents a day to make up your face (I'm including other makeup like mascara and eyeliner/shadow, lipstick etc) will do a WORLD of wonder for your attitude, and 2- sometimes paying more in the beginning for something long-term.  It's always cheaper to pay for 6 months of car insurance than per month; even cheaper to buy the year in advance.

Most of you know I'm a cloth diaper mama.  Well, I will be as soon as my stash is back up.  In fact, I only have a few more covers to make and I'll be off the disposables permanently.  (unless he gets really sick or something.)  Well, CDing costs on average $3300 less than using disposables.  It's an investment that pays off in the long-run.

What investments are you staring at lately? 

Saving my sanity, one dish at a time.

So, my most vile, hated, loathed, abominated and despised chore is doing the dishes.  It wouldn't be half as bad if I had a working dishwasher.  sigh.  I don't, unfortunately.  well, it technically works, it just leaves sand and grit all over the "clean" dishes.  Don't know about you- but drinking oj and sandpaper... not my cup of tea. 

I am saving my sanity though.  After just having a baby 3 weeks ago on 1/14/11, I have let a few things slide, like cleaning, and laundry, and sanity.  I think that my sanity disappears easily because not only do I home school, nurse a newborn and run a home, I also do odd crafting jobs for money.  I'm currently working on wedding invitations and favors for a friend- I know, I'm awesome.  I'm exhausted, but I"m awesome.

Anyhoo- I have found a way to save some sanity, as well as some money while doing dishes.  I have to use a "special" soap for dishes because my hands break out with just about everything.  Litterally, they blister and crack and ache for days.  Well, I don't know about you, but I use my hands to do darn near everything.  You want to know what it is?

It's my household miracle product.  Baking soda.  Add 1-2T to your water before you add the soap.  GUESS waht lasts longer?  yup, the soapy suds AND it also helps to soften your hands!  aaah, no more blisters (yay sanity!) and less soap used!  (yay, wallet!)   Not to mention it has this uncanny ability to take out weird smells, so if you have some plastic wear, like rubbermaid, tupperware, or even glad containers, it helps to take out the accumulative funky odors out of it!

I love baking soda. :)

Do you know how much it's costing you?!

This is for all those moms in diapers.  well, not the moms but their precious little ones.  From birth to potty training, it costs around $3600.00 in diapers!  Yes, that was THREE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED!   This is based around 5-6 diaper changes a day until potty training, and believe me when I tell you- some kids aren't that quick of a study!  Ready to faint now mama?  Well, if you're not- but you're all about the environment just know each of those diapers takes around 500 years to decompose!  (I have NO clue how they came upw ith that, just know they did.)  No to mention the byproducts of bleaching those diapers and how the chemicals sit on your baby's skin.  I was shocked, because this information while available on the internet should be told more often by diaper companies!  Then again, what company wants to put on their product:  this product may lead to infertility when your angel grows up...  But I digress. what it actually costs to cloth diaper- around $500... unless you make them yourself!  (feel free to buy them from me though, if you don't have the time- shamless plug for Cheeky Monkey Diapers.  check me out on facebook!! cheeky monkey on facebook!)

Let me talk to you for a second- is 2 extra loads of laundry a week worth you saving on average $3100?  it sure was to me!  Add to that I make my own laundry soap (check out my first few blogs it's in there somewhere- I'll insert the link when I'm done writing this.) so it quite litterally costs me only .02 cents a load.  I will do 2 extra loads of diapers and accessories a week to prevent spending a fortune!

now there are so many other benefits to cloth diapering, like less rashes, less skin irritation, chemical free, etc.  I encourage you to look them up!  If you're interested in purchasing, you can always email me on FB or go to cheekymonkeydiapers@gmail.com for it. :)

for the cost of a loaf of bread...

Okay, so the avg cost of a loaf of bread is about $2.15 here in my neck of the woods- depending on where you go.  This doesn't include tax, gas to get there or the time you take to go get it.  (granted we usually get it with our grocery shopping!)  Tax in middle TN, is 9.95%.  (ridiculous, I know!) so that one loaf of bread cost about .50 to go to the store too.

so, let me get this straight:  for one loaf of bread, it's:
$2.15 bread +
.50 gas + (or more depending on how far you drive!-)
.22 tax. + 
---------------
$2.87   Not bad, considering. but remember, this doesn't include your TIME!  your time is valuable too!!

Now, homemade bread... (don't roll your eyes, it's really only like 20 minutes of actual work)
Flour, yeast, salt and water.  that's all you need.
the most expensive thing on here is the yeast.  and with a jar (about $4) you can make aprox 20-30 loaves with this.  The 10lb bag of flour will cost you about $3- and make about 20 loaves of bread.  salt is pittiance.  it's like .80 and you only need 1 t.  you'll get about 100-150 loaves of bread from it.    Water is- free from the tap. :)

I'm going to price this at the highest price and lowest amount of return.  (least amount of loaves of bread)  this is per batch of dough, and 1 batch will make you 2-3 loves of bread depending on  how large your pans are.
yeast:  .20 per batch.
flour: .15
salt .008 cents.  (let's round that up to a full penny!)

For an entire two loaves of bread- you're paying .36!  (please note, this doesn't include electricity or gas for baking, however .36 beats $2.87 anyday!)

Now, on to the link for the home made bread.  it's a tutorial because I'm just lazy (or is it smart not to reinvent the wheel???)  Joyful Helpmeet's homemade bread tutorial.

Enjoy!

I want to be a better homemaker!

I've decided that during the last few months of my pregnancy, this preggo project will be becoming a better homemaker.  I so desperately want to be like those of the 30's - the 50's who put their families first, had dinner made by the time their husband walked in the door, all laundry was done, dishes were non-existant, and not a fleck of dust was anywhere on their furniture, and they seemed to have leisure time for their pet projects.  Their houses were immaculate as were their families, and they seemed to never been rushed or harried in any way.

I SO want to learn the secrets of these amazingly enviable women!  For a few years, I have been studying the book Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl, and that has helped my relationship and my mentality in my marriage is now incredible!  I HIGHLY recommend the book, and yes it will piss you off.  it did me, but when I examined myself I realized that I was in the wrong.  Some things I had issues with I am still dealing with, but that's between me and God.

So, back to being the home maker.  It's more than being "just" a housewife, though I promise there are times that we all feel like "just" a housewife, and that's ok.  Every time we wash yet another dish, or change yet another diaper, or yet another round of our dust/vac routine, we honor God.  In the mundane, boring, irritating things we do, we bless our family and honor God.

My goal over the next 3 months (before the baby is due) is to do all of those things WITH joy and in love for my family!  I want to find joy in doing the mundane, and while I realize that goes completely against what society would have us do, I want to honor my husband and my children. 

Now, I'm a home school mom, and I own a business making cloth diapers.  Add to that I volunteer at my church (albeit lightly), am my hubby's help-meet, and I'm in the throwes of growing a complex human being.  I will be blogging (hopefully) 2-3x a week about what I did, and what I plan on doing for the next day.

Wish me luck! :)

Great source for getting your home in order.

There are literally thousands of sites you can "google" (when did that word become a verb?) that will tell you how to clean your house, but let's face it- we KNOW how to clean, we just get overwhelmed on where to start.

Well, I've been a "flybaby" for years.  What is a flybaby?  It's someone who follows flylady.net.  If you have 15 minutes at a time, you can do pretty much anything, and the BEST part, SSHD's, her advice is FREE!  She does have a shop that's open and I very much want to purchase things from her shop like the rubba series stuff but that comes later, after you've established your routines.

for example, did you know it makes a difference if you get dressed to your shoes every day?  it does!  you are more "prepared" for the day.  You are more willing to work if your shoes are on, and your makeup done.  "crap, I need to run to the mailbox?!  but I don't have a bra on..."  no more.

anyway, I HIGHLY encourage you to check the lady out.  Marla Ciley- I want to personally thank you for not only saving my sanity and home, but for making me a stronger, more productive (and in turn), more valuable woman!  I want to share my knowledge and recipes, and money-saving tips with all women, and flylady, you have so graciously given us this knowledge free.

FREE= SSHD!

the value of an apron.

I have several aprons.  I have made them all (except my pampered chef apron) myself.  I value my aprons.  They protect my clothes while doing the everyday chores that need to be done in a household.  But there is just something about an apron that screams "I am the mother!".  I love them to be honest.  Half aprons, tea aprons, frilly ones, cleaning ones, baking and cooking ones, vintage aprons, bib aprons, and even smocks, bring them on!  I don't mind if they get dirty or even stained, they keep my clothes nice, and if one gets wet from dishwater, I can easily change into the next one.

So, in looking at my stash, I tried on an apron that I made about a year ago and realized- my pregnant body will need something a little larger in the months to come, and in fact I'll probably need two or three.  Now don't get me wrong, I know I won't be pregnant forever (unless my husband has his way!) and I am looking for something I can use both now and in the future without looking "maternity".  I'm thinking a flowy smock apron (or 4) like the one seen simplicity 2390 however there was a book from the library that I borrowed one time called A is for Apron by Nathalie Mornu.  It has the smock style apron that I want, and for free!  gee- wonder what I'll be doing here. LOL!  This is the Smart, Savvy Homemaker Diva blog afterall.

Of course, I was also reading Apron Evangelism by the Hillbilly Housewife Here and it made sense.  I DO need a "uniform" so to speak, to show my feminine authority in the house.  Of course, it doesn't hurt that I also home school my children, so they know when the apron is on, I am someone to respect.  (not that I'm not normally, it just shows more authority.  Like when a soldier is in uniform, he gets more respect than when he's out of it.)

Now, as a clothing cover, I have also made some for my daughter- who is known for making messes out of her clothes, partly becuase she's super artistic and partly becuase she's a klutz.  I guess it comes with the territory for a 5 year old.  My 4 year old son is the same, he messes his clothes and I will figure out something for him that looks "manly" in a my-clothes-are-covered-to-make-mommy's-life-easier kind of way. 

but this is my thought for the next few days as I clean up and break out old blue in my spare time.  I will be coming up with a pattern and an exciting "tutorial" as I make it.  Maybe I'll skip the pattern and just go with the book from the library.  either way, I'll take pictures and post how and what I do. :) 

Hopefully, I'll inspire other SSHD's to regain the femininity of the home, and take your place as the domestic diva in your home, and make yourself an apron.  and you know.. protect your clothes. :)