THINGS THAT I HAVE DONE TO LESSEN OUR FOOTPRINT AS A FAMILY

     About 9 months ago I started to follow frugal/homesteading blogs online.  I have learned so many ways to live a more simple and eco-friendly life and do my part in helping to preserve the world for my kids.  Believe me they have not been big steps by any means but steps that have made a difference if only to me.

     First I need to say that I love finding new things to make and ways of saving money.  I am not good with money and really can use all the help I can get in the financial arena.  So I have taken a lot this new changes as ways to learn how to make something new that we can use from here on out.  I think it is important to share my new found knowledge with other so I will list the changes I have had and the links to where I learned how to make the.  Some are a work in progress, the whole money thing but I working on it.

Things I have done:

1.  Homemade Yogurt - I love this and will never go back to store bought again.  It is easy and inexpensive. I got the recipe from the very 1st blog I started to follow - www.thefrugalgirl.com.  I just love reading what Kristen writes because she is a normal mom and has a lot of the same struggles we all do.  She shares what she has done to make her life better and more frugal.  I also make her granola recipe when I make my yogurt.  It is a staple for me.

Yogurt Recipe - http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/10/how-to-make-homemade-yogurt-2/

Granola Recipe - http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2011/07/a-granola-recipe-and-a-giveaway/

2.  Homemade Laundry Soap - I make the liquid laundry soap to use and I make the powder laundry soap to sell at out local farmers market.  I love it!  It is easy and does not cost much.  A little goes a long way.  The supplies you use to make the laundry soap you can use to make other household cleaners also.  This recipe I got off of my other favorite blog www.frugallysustainable.com.  This blog is a wealth of knowledge on make your own everything.  

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap - http://frugallysustainable.com/2011/10/my-homemade-liquid-laundry-soap/

3.  Wool Felted Dryer Balls- Wool felted dryer balls you use instead of dryer sheets.  They are a great gift to give for Christmas if any of you are early Christmas present makers or shoppers.  They can be scented with essential oils to give a scent to your clothes if you can not go without the scent of a dryer sheet.  They last 5+ yrs and can stay in your dryer at all times. We use 6+ of these in our dryer. I make then and sell then also at our local farmers market for all the odd ball ones go in our dryer.  This is a huge savings.  It is said that people spend more than $275 a year on dryer sheets, to making or buying these recoups your money in no time.  I sell mine for $4 each or 6 for $20.

Wool Felted Dryer Balls - http://www.crunchybetty.com/how-to-make-felted-wool-dryer-balls

*I got the original instructions from this website but make mine from all wool roving without the sweater in the middle.

4.  Household Cleaners - I have made a all purpose cleaner to use on our everyday cleaning, a homemade "Shout", homemade liquid hand soap and a dishwasher detergant.  I love all of these and they use most of the same ingredients so it is very cost effective.

All Purpose General Cleaner - http://frugallysustainable.com/2011/09/homemade-all-purpose-cleaner/

Homemade "Shout" - http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/12/homemade-shout-stain-remover.html

Homemade Liquid Hand Soap -http://www.thefarmersnest.com/2011/11/liquid-hand-soap-diy.html

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent -http://www.ourhomemadehappiness.com/2012/05/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-for-hard.html

5.  I grew a garden this year and have eaten tomatoes, broccoli, kale, peppers, cucumbers, peas and beans.  I used the "Square Footing Gardening" technique.  So far so good. 

I cook more from scratch than from boxes, which is something that I have done most of the time.  I have been eating local organic beef, experimenting with homemade lip balms, creams and soaps.  My plan for Christmas is to make most of my presents.  I am hoping also to do some local craft shows along with the winter farmers market in my town.  I love to share the things that I have learned to do to help others lessen their foot print on this world also. 

Hope you are able to find something use and will inspire you to make a change to help our kids have a world to live in.



HOMEMADE YOGURT

HOMEMADE YOGURT

I just learned how to make my own yogurt about 6 months ago and just can eat any other kind.  It is very creamy and clean tasting.  I found my recipe here http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/10/how-to-make-homemade-yogurt-2/.  I add 2 cups of powdered milk to make it a nice thick and creamy yogurt more like a greek style yogurt and I add 2 tbsp of vanilla.  The closest commerical brand of yogurt would be Stonyfield Yogurt from New Hampshire.  The cost of this yogurt is 1 gallon of milk, I use 1% milk store brand, 2 cups of powdered milk, a starter yogurt for your 1st batch, 1 cup of sugar and 2 tbsp of vanilla, approx $4.50 or so for a gallon+ of yogurt.  Sometimes you can't get a quart of good quality yogurt for that price.  It will last for 1+ weeks once the jar is opened and when not opened it will make up to a month.  Definately on my Top 10 greatest things I have learned to do. 

I am currently looking for a local space in my community to teach a class on Homemade Yogurt.  Give it a try and let me know how it went.  For me the 2 cups of powdered milk is the greatest.  I love the creaminess of it.  It can be made with raw milk also.  I sure that would be super yummy!

GEO CACHING

Our new summer activity

I recently learned about a great outdoor activity from a friend of ours.  We were all sitting around a bonfire in our fire talking about what we have been doing this summer and a friend said that they had been Geo Caching.  I had heard about Geo Caching in the past but had really not idea what it was and who would be doing it.  Come to find out it is little a treasure hunt and I would be in love with doing it. 

My youngest son Ethan is the one that goes with me the most.  Aidan my older son does not like it becasue he has not been able to find a cach yet.  And Rusty my husband well  I took him for the 1st time this past weekend and the 1st one we found that day was right off the side of the road, he enjoyed that but the others we were hunting for were at a great park a few towns away off of hiking paths.  Well that was too much exercise for him that day.  So I am not sure I will get him to go again.  I am hoping to get Aidan to try again, maybe just he and I, so he can find one himself. 

Enough of my experiences, here is what Geo Caching is (I got this information off the geocaching.com website):

What is Geo Caching?  

Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.

How is the game played?



At its simplest level, geocaching requires these 8 steps:

1. Register for a free Basic Membership.
2. Visit the "Hide & Seek a Cache" page.
3. Enter your postal code and click "search."
4. Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name.
5. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS Device.
6. Use your GPS device to assist you in finding the hidden geocache.
7. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location.
8. Share your geocaching stories and photos online.

There are many other levels to the game. Keep reading the guide to learn more

What are the rules?



1. If you take something from the geocache (or "cache"), leave something of equal or greater value.
2. Write about your find in the cache logbook.
3. Log your experience at www.geocaching.com.

 What do you need for Geo Caching?

The only necessities are a GPS device or a GPS-enabled mobile phone so that you can navigate to the cache, and a Geocaching.com Membership.

Where are Geo Caches located?

Geocaches can be found all over the world. It is common for geocachers to hide caches in locations that are important to them, reflecting a special interest or skill of the cache owner. These locations can be quite diverse. They may be at your local park, at the end of a long hike, underwater or on the side of a city street.

Ok, so you get the jist of it.  Check out www.geocaching.com.  It is a great site and you can put together list for day trips of Geo Caching.  The above picture is of my husband and my boys when we were geo caching at the park in the woods.  This was a good time because it was the 1st one we had found in the park. 

I can't tell you how much really enjoy this activity and looking forward to trying it when I am on vacation out of state.  We are going to  North Carolina in April 2013 and I am looking for to finding some of them down there.  Wondering if they have some on the beach! 

Please let me know your experiences with Geo Caching if you have any or if you think you may give it a try. 

P.S.  I use a app I downloaded to my Iphone.  It is the offical www.geocaching.com app and it works great.

Happy Geo Caching!!  Susan :)