DIY Produce Wash

Honestly I am a fan of homegrown, organic produce.

We have 1/3 of an acre lot, and we have planted and eaten a variety of produce grown in our yard.

Fruits like peaches, blackberries, pears and figs.

Vegetables like tomatoes, sweet peas, zucchini, lettuce, spinach and so on.

But with a family of 5, we still buy plenty of produce at the store.

Although I am always on the lookout for marked down organic produce,

truth is, we can't always fill our cart with it.

So our next best option is to wash our produce with our homemade produce wash.

It's easy, effective, affordable and safe for us and our environment.

Here is how to make yours.

Easy 3 Ingredients Jam

Making your own jam is very easy.

I only use 3 ingredients...

4 if you count the water. 

This jam does not require a water bath, and it only needs to be refrigerated once you open up the jar.

But not until then. 

Read on.

The best part about making your own jam is that you know exactly what's in it, and you can customize it just as you like it.

This is a basic family recipe.

My grandfather was a farmer in southern Italy.

Chickpeas Pizza - Pizza di Ceci

When I think of comfort food,

chickpeas pizza comes to mind.

Although this is not a pizza as most people know.

This recipe is actually a traditional Italian recipe,

not a recent gluten free experiment...although it's definitely gluten free,

and could be used to replace the traditional pizza crust.

The great thing about this, is that you really only need 
chickpeas flour +

water, salt and olive oil.

There are no strange ingredients, 

no rising, 

no kneading.

Too good to be true?

Not so.

We eat chickpeas pizza as appetizer, 

with cold cuts and sometime cheese,

but the possibilities are endless.

So here is how to make it.

Emergency Room Heater

Do you ever wonder what would you do during an ice storm, snow storm or simply an emergency situation when you lose power during the Winter months?

First of all, have a plan.

Pick the smallest room in your house, with the least windows.

For our family, the smallest room is our sons room. 

A 10x10 room with only 1 window, facing south.

This room is also the only room in the house that has only one outside wall. 

Next, 

All Natural Dish Detergent

Two things that I try to achieve is how to live a better life without spending a fortune.

So today I am sharing how I have been making my all natural, eco-friendly dish soap. 

This is an all natural ingredients,

meaning that if my children decide to eat it, there will be no trip to the ER for us.

Lemon, water, salt and vinegar.

This smells great, but also be amazed at how good this soap is.

Lemon (lime) is a strong degreaser and vinegar is a natural antibacterial.

Here what it takes to prepare your dish soap.

Ingredients:

Grandma Apple Cake

Grandma apple cake, aka Torta di mele della Nonna.

It seems that back then, recipes were simple, easier and better tasting.

This is my favorite apple cake recipe.

***NOTE***

The best way to make this cake is to take 3 coffee mugs, add

The Storage Shed

Once upon the time,

there was an old shed...

Ok, seriously.

When we bought our home, it came with a storage shed.

We have owned this house for almost 9 years, and the shed had been on this property for around 30 years...at least.

We used this to store lawn mowers, bicycles, various tools and my never ending wood collection.

Given that I have now finished the new shed

(yes, pictures are coming soon),

we decided it was time to say goodbye to our beloved red barn.

But don't worry, 

we didn't just trash this beauty.

We called a small buildings moving company and send her off to a friend's backyard.

They much needed a place to store things, and at 120 sq feet, this shed is almost 1/4 of their entire home. 

We were so happy this turned out to be a big blessing for them.

So the legacy of this shed continue to live on.

Here she is in her new home.

Yes, it's a "she"...don't ask. lol

Stay Frugal,

Daniela

Free material for adding curb appeal

Most of the things in this world are not free...

or are they?

Yes, if you are not picky on what you want,

most times you can get free material and add curb appeal.

Today I am going to show you two things that you can get for free,

pretty much anywhere you live.

We just landscaped our entire yard for FREE.

I am talking about 

Replace Charcoal Briquettes

There is something wonderful about the smell of a charcoal fired grill during the Summer months. 

The smell of roasting meat just makes you want to stop and taste. 

Doesn't it?

Would you cook out more if you had a greener and cheaper way to do it?

I have been thinking about making my own charcoal instead of using commercially prepared ones with the potential of harmful additives.

With a little planning ahead, 

you can have your own reserve of charcoal ready for some tasty grilling.

Gather some

How to unclog a drain (best kept secret)

Our house was built in 1966...and with that in mind, we know our plumbing is not the best.

On occasion we get a clogged drain. 

Most of the times we can get the drain unclogged with plunger, baking soda+vinegar, liquid plumber chemicals as a last resort.

On more than one occasion we had to call the plumber to do their magic.

So what's their secret?

Back in March our faithful plumbers came out to fix a few things that needed some attention.

One of them was working on the kitchen sink, and you know that it was a nasty job.

Corroded pipes and clogged up drain. 

A mess for sure.

This older gentleman told me he

Soundproofing a Room

Do you have a basement, room, home theater or gym that needs soundproofing?
Don't want to spend a lot of money on acoustical panels? 

Then you are in the right place.

Futon covers

Yes, it possible to buy inexpensive futon covers.
I am a futon person.

I love how futons are so versatile, 

take up less space than regular couches, 

are both lighter to move  and cost much less compared to a sleeper sofa.

Last week, on my second hand shopping trip, I found 

Spending money can save you money

Can spending money, save you money?

Yes.

source

The majority of people equate frugality with spending the minimum on necessities and spending next to nothing on everything else. But on the following four items you don't want to scrimp on. 

In fact, spending money on these will save you money in the long run.

Better sleep for Less

Are you ready to get a better night of sleep?

Here some simple solutions and ideas.

First of all, you don't need to pay a lot of money for a bed. 

An adequately firm surface with enough room to stretch out is a great starting point.

 Adding a 

5 Habits of our Family of 5

As a family of 5 living on a single income,

I think many people envision us pinching pennies and foregoing many of the luxuries other can or choose to afford.
The truth is,
while we work hard at saving money and not spending on unnecessary things, that hard work and the habits we have established, allow us to live comfortably.

We have 5 main habits:

3 Ways to Shop Smart

First of all let me say this:

saving money is not a poverty issue. 

It's a spending smart concept that anyone can embrace.

I have to say, I get my frugality from my dad...it's in my genes. 

(I also get my freckles and my green eyes from him)

Long before the economy turned sour I embraced the world of thrift stores and consignment sales.

 I don't think of it as buying used stuff, 

but rather as purchasing recycled goods to help keep the earth clean, 

and save money all at once!

Some people are almost ashamed of shopping frugally, but then again, saving money is not a poverty issue, it's a spending smart concept.

So let's look at 3 ways of shopping smart.

How to budget for vacation (4 steps)

I've always loved to travel,

but travel can be expensive.

When you planned, budgeted and saved for your vacation, you'll be less likely to worry about "running out of money" or even worst, using your credit card for money you don't actually have.

Here's how to budget and save for vacation.

Choosing experiences over things

I was reading a recent study, and 

psychologists have been saying it for years:

experiences make people happier than possessions.

In general, 

people are doing more and buying less. 

We are elevating the value of experiences over things thanks (in no small part) to the 

Natural Deodorant: 2 ingredients

When it comes to our health, 

most of the times, the little things are what matter the most.

That's because all the little things together make up the big things.

A while back, I read about deodorant, 

and the harmful things that are used to make such deodorant.

Almost all of them contain aluminum, which suppresses perspiration, and parabens, which serve as stabilizers for the formula.

 Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s 

and a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, 

while parabens mimic the effects of estrogen.

While we switched to a more natural deodorant (that didn't have aluminum and parabens),

Debt-free life is the best life

A debt-free life is the best life.

That means: living below our means. 

Sounds too simple? Well, it is.

source

Something we can do is to leave at least 10% of your monthly income alone, pretending that money does not exist. 

For example, if you make $3,000 monthly, leave $300 alone (10 percent). 

Pretend you make less and set up your budget based on this number. Living below your means will ensure that during hard economic times you will not be in over your head. 

You will have the extra $300 to compensate for higher gas price, food prices and more. 

Also very crucial is to set up