Do it yourself: Waxing

SO, this is kind of a weird subject perhaps.  And I certainly don't want to put all the great professional beauticians out of business, but waxing my lip is something I've done for a long time.

It all started in 8th grade when the boy I had a crush on made fun of me and told me I had a mustache.  Every 13 year old's dream, I know!  So...my mom took me to Sally's Beauty supply and we bought a wax kit.  She did the waxing for me for quite a while (not many teens can inflict pain on themselves too easily) but in time I started doing it myself and 15 years later.... I not only wax my lip, but between my eye brows, and even under my chin (yup- I just admitted that funny hairs sometimes grow on my chin).

You can buy a waxing kit, which is probably a good idea if you are just beginning.  The kit we bought when I was in middle school came with the wax container, the fabric strips, applicator, and some special lotions for before and after.  Nice, but not entirely necessary.
 

Here is what you really need to wax at home:

1. The wax. I bought this at Sally Beauty Supply a couple years ago for about $11.99.  It will never run out.  You use such a little amount.  Chances of the container getting too sticky for your liking are much higher than you actually running out. This is probably my 3rd canister in the last 15 years.  I did notice that you can get it on Amazon for only $7.95!! When I need a new one I will try that instead!  I'm sure there are a variety of brands, but gi gi works well!

2. Muslin strips.  JoAnn Fabrics sells muslin for about 88 cents a yard (last time I went anyways!) One yard will last you years once cut (or ripped) into strips.  A good size for strips might be about 1"x3" but you can cut them whatever size works for the area you're waxing!

  

3. Scissors to cut muslin (though this fabric rips well too if you make a small cut first).

4. Popsicles sticks (inexpensive at a craft store or save and wash them from real popsicles.  I have one box of craft sticks from when I was teaching that will last me forever. 

5.  Microwave.  You'll want to microwave in short increments (20 seconds about) until the wax is liquid-y but not too hot. Read the directions on your wax before you heat it up.  You want it runny enough to spread easily.

 

Spread the wax on, add the muslin and press down and across with your finger.  Let it sit for a few seconds. Then count to three and RIP it off fast the opposite way the hair grows.  Yes, it will HURT...but only for that short second.  It's really not so bad.   I usually do above my lip in three sections.  Both sides and then the middle.  Then one for below my chin and one for in between my eyebrows.  So 5 short painful seconds. They do say beauty hurts, right?

SAVINGS: I got these waxing prices off the website of a salon down the street from me:

Eyebrows- $14
Upper Lip- $11
Chin- $11
Cheeks- $13
Full Face (3 areas)- $33
So the fact that the container of wax costs $8 on Amazon and getting your lip waxed once is $11 shows just how much money you could save over the years.  Just for fun (yes, I find math fun...I'm a math nerd teacher at heart!!), if I wax my lip on average once a month for 15 years I spend about $35 on wax (3 containers) or $24 if bought offline.  Paying a salon to do that would have potentially cost $1,980!!!

BONUS savings: I also "get" to wax between Aaron's eyebrows to ensure that he does indeed have two of them.  I look forward to a day if/when Mateo asks me to wax his unibrow (which is already nicely filled in haha). 

CAUTION:  I don't recommend waxing during/after a cold because your skin will be sensitive from blowing. Also..... your skin might be slightly irritated or red after waxing so I always do this at night so that I can "sleep it off".  

Next venture:  Learning to cut Mateo and Alex's hair!!!!

Make your own microwave popcorn

 Last year I learned from a facebook friend about making your own microwave popcorn.  It's one of my favorite treats to have on a date-night-in. Aaron is the microwave popcorn maker in our house, actually. I love it! It's cheap and much healthier than store-bought microwave popcorn. The toppings you put on the popcorn will probably be more of an expense than the actual kernels.  

You will need:

-Popcorn kernels (I buy them in the bulk section at Winco and store them in a large sealed container. (I forgot to keep the receipt this time to see how much the kernels cost..oops!  Will update later).

-Brown paper bag

-Butter, salt, or other desired toppings

 

Use about 1/3 of a cup of popcorn kernels at a time.   Dump into paper bag and fold down a few times to seal.  Put your microwave on the "popcorn" setting...about 2 or so minutes usually on ours but of course this varies depending on your microwave.  Just pay attention to popping kernels so it doesn't get overcooked.

 And voila!  Delicious.  We add a little melted (real) butter and salt.  Sometimes parmesan cheese.  You could certainly make any flavor you feel like.   

 

Note:  The paper bag will get moist during the popping process. SO, although you may reuse the bag for subsequent batches, if you do a double batch you will need to use a second bag.

Happy popping!!

The Magic of Vinegar

Every frugal-minded home needs to have a gallon or two of this stuff laying around:

The uses are vast, it's chemical-free, and it's only about $1.00 a gallon! It's great to use around kids/babies because it's edible and harmless so it can't hurt them.  Not only cheap but vinegar is eco-friendly if you're in to that sort of thing.  And... if you think the smell might scare you.... I promise the light smell dissipates very quickly. 

There are books and websites dedicated to the use of vinegar, but here are a few ways we've used vinegar at our home:

Killing grass/weeds:

We recently put in a swing set in our backyard.  We wanted to kill the grass underneath the swing set before we rolled out the newspaper and put in pea gravel.  Round up can be as much as $30 a gallon.  And although you aren't going to use the whole thing for killing some grass- I'd rather just spend a dollar.  My husband put the vinegar in a sprayer and misted the entire grass area.  A day or two later it looked like this:

I also used this next to our short fence in the front yard so that the grass wouldn't grow right next to it. 

Cleaning counters:  I have a large spray bottle of vinegar on my kitchen counter. You can use a washable rag/towel or a paper towel and it has great sanitation purposes.

Cleaning mirrors and windows:  Use equal parts vinegar with water and use just like windex with a microfiber cloth or paper towel. I have a separate spray bottle in our bathrooms for the diluted version.

Un-clogging drains: Pour some baking soda down a clogged drain, then slowly add some vinegar and let it fizz!  Don't use the water for half an hour after so it can do it's job.  Repeat as necessary depending on how clogged the drain was!

Hair rinse:  This is one of those tricks your grandma used to do but it really works!! Get a large cup.  Put about an inch of apple cider vinegar in it and fill the rest up with warm water.  

 

After washing/conditioning your hair as normal.... slowly pour the vinegar mixture into your hair a little at at time and massage into your scalp.  This stuff is great to get rid of residues of hair products, regular dirt build up, and (MY FAV) campfire smell!!! Every girl knows how much their hair stinks after a camping trip this summer.  I actually remembered to use this rinse when we got back from our family camping trip and the smell was gone!  Magic.  And no, your hair won't smell like vinegar because you rinse it out at the end. 

WARNING:   I don't really recommend doing this rinse if you have just shaved your legs in the shower...it will sting a little!

Rediscovering the bakery outlet!

Oh my goodness.
Today, the boys and I rediscovered bakery outlets!! I remember going to Oroweat when I was a kid but honestly didn't even know we had one in town until this summer.  So I packed up the boys and drove out the one closest to us.  Ours is called: Entenmann's Oroweat Foods Company.  They may go by a variety of names and I'm sure you can look online for an outlet near you.

 

I'm glad I rediscovered the outlet because you can get great quality breads (No HFCS!) that are nearing their "best by" date for ONE DOLLAR!  They have some more expensive items, too, but there was a HUGE amount of bread products for only a dollar.  I ended up spending $13 on thirteen items and also got a couple packs of cookies for some guests that we're hosting this week.

 

I got whole wheat hamburger buns and potato bread hamburger buns

 

I got "real" french bread to make french toast instead of just using the regular bread we make toast with.

I got some high fiber bread (which Mateo really needs...I won't go into detail on here ;)

Plus I got sandwich rolls, some bagels, some hot dog buns, and some potato bread.  Quite a variety.  Now the only draw back with buying bread near it's "best by" date is that you need to either eat it within a couple days or freeze it.  I kept out some dinner rolls to be eaten but froze the rest.  My deep freezer is feeling well loved and full right now!  Full of homemade beans, broth, Yumm sauce, and soups, bread, some marked down meat, and LOTS of strawberries I picked last month. 

  

I was thankful to rediscover yet another way to be frugal and feed my family.  It's a big job for me to do meal planning, grocery shopping, food prep, and have dinner ready every day.  Especially with food allergies (did I mention that Aaron can't eat any of the awesome bread that I bought today :(  But there are a couple loaves of Udis (a gluten free bread that actually tastes decent) in the freezer that we ration out for meals. And especially with a skinny picky toddler who needs to gain some weight and has some food restrictions himself.  At least Alex is easy (for now) and will eat any baby food I make for him and still nurses a lot.  Enjoying that stage when feeding him is simple. 

Frugal fun

I've been reading this book: Living with less so your family has more.

 

Basically the authors (Mark and Jill Savage) use lots of scripture and are laying out the biblical way to honor God with your resources.  Not just money, but time too! And in prioritizing to do so, putting your family first.  They lived off one income, below what society said they should, and made it work. I highly recommend this book.  A HUGE amount of family and marital problems are over finances so this would be a great book for any couple- especially engaged or newly marrieds- but really anybody, and especially if you are looking to cut your expenses and dive into budgeting!!

I appreciate this book because a lifestyle that puts your family first and sees the benefits of having a parent at home is not one that is encouraged in our culture, or even in most of our churches.  We are instead encouraged to work more, make more, have more, spend more, be busier, get into more debt, and consequently have more conflict and less time with our loved ones.

One thing that I liked is that they discussed sacrificing costly hobbies.  Mark traded regular golf for Frisbee golf because it was usually free after you have the equipment and this better fit their family budget.  We turn down ski trips, paintball outings, and other events that occur because they are costly, require equipment, and just don't fit into our budget.  They're not bad things of course, but we really are not missing out on anything. 

I began pondering all this after we took the boys to a small amusement park nearby a couple of weeks ago.  Under 3 is free so we only had to pay for ourselves, but those types of outings can be expensive...especially with older kids and also factoring in gas and food.  As the boys get older and get more expensive (I think babies and toddlers are pretty cheap to take care of for the most part)...we need to be proactively planning entertainment/family fun that fits in our budget.

Our new favorite "frugal fun" is exploring all of the elementary schools on our side of town.  There are 5 different elementary schools within a couple of miles.  All have fun play structures, soccer fields, tracks, and trails.  Mateo is at the age where he loves exploring and playing...and really just doing anything that involves us all together outside. So after naps on Sunday afternoon lately we'll load up and drive the short distance to one of these schools (one is walking distance).  We'll play and run around until dinner time and then head home.  I've been trying to plan ahead for Sunday dinners so we don't have to cook much and so we can have more family time.  Sometimes I'll do a double batch on Saturday so we can just heat up some leftovers and keep it simple!

 

Exploring a new school on a sunny Sunday!

 

Joy in getting dirty....

A mama group I'm part of just finished the book Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God that is filled with individual devotions from the author's lessons in motherhood.  I encouraged everyone to write their own "devotion"  Here is mine.  

Devotion # 61: Joy in getting dirty

I want to be a mom....

who dances,

who sings loudly,

who plays on the floor,

who shares my chocolate chip cookie,

who gets dirty,

who draws with side walk chalk,

who goes down slides,

who laughs,

has joy,

loves unconditionally....

The NLT version of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 says this: 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Being a stay-at-home-mom can be exhausting and thankless Downsizing our life to live on one income requires a lot of extra “work” and the demands of motherhood- from diapers, laundry, and cooking, to cleaning, errands, and yard work...... can make the best of us act stressed out and cranky.

But I don't want my kids to look back and remember their mom as a stressed out work horse (and believe me... I do feel like one of those at times). And it's not about me looking “good” to them in their memories, but I want to be an example to them. I want them to look back and remember JOY and GRATITUDE. I want them to see an example of prayer without ceasing, a woman of gratitude who has a thankful heart. They should see me singing in the kitchen and see me thanking people when I appreciate them. They should hear me pray for them every day.

If I truly have a thankful heart I will have more joy. I will see washing endless loads of laundry as a blessing because I am so thankful to have a family that needs their clothes washed and I will be grateful for the memories we made while dirtying said clothes. I will see hour long trips to WinCo and endless hours preparing food and making things from scratch to save money as a blessing because I'm thankful for the food we've been provided with. I will be content with what I have (Hebrews 13:5) and not longing for the next best thing.

I want to be Mary in a Martha world (See Luke 10: 38-42). Diligent and faithful work is important, but I want to show my kids that I value people. Time spent with my family is more precious than diamonds and emeralds and any salary I could have made working full time.

So finish folding that load of laundry and go outside and play. Your kids want YOU!

30 days of intentionality

I saw this idea recently...30 Day Challenge... that challenged you to spend 30 minutes of INTENTIONAL play time with your kid(s) each day.  At first I thought...well I spend all day with my kids...but to be intentionally engaged with them is different.  It's for the month of June but you could surely do it any time.

It's become harder to spend one on one intentional time with Mateo since his baby brother was born.  To be honest, babies can be a drag.   Two year olds are much more fun.  Babies are cute and sweet and precious...but they just can't "do" much.  SO yesterday, when we had a little bit of time in the afternoon when Alex was sleeping (praise Jesus...this teething baby is not liking the sleep lately).... we grabbed a snack and went and ate it in Mateo's new "fort".  Then we spent the next 30-40 minutes swinging the afternoon away.  Underdogs galore.  And one good thing about being pint-sized is that I get to swing, too, haha.   Then, alas, baby brother wakes up and we sadly have to come in. 

What will you do today to intentionally play with your kids?

As a SAHM it's not hard to occasionally (or often) see your precious kiddos as an inconvenience and focus on the things you need to get done...but being intentional and building play time into your "To Do List" is a fun relief....one that will be a treasure in heaven.  I find I spend a lot of time playing with Mateo (can you spend too much time playing?)  I would much rather play than do chores and stuff at home...but it's a crafted balance to spend time with him (and Alex) while also encouraging him to have independent play time while I cook dinner, nurse baby brother, etc.  Since we don't have a TV in the living room he comes up with some pretty interesting games and ways to play.  Most recently he likes me to go to his "work" which is his room. When asked what he does at work, sometimes he answers "I play basketball" or "I cook food" (He has a bball hoop and a mini kitchen in his room).  But whatever it is he does at work on any given day, he is always working "very hard" just like Daddy.

Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV)

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.