Homemade Glass Cleaner

Oh, how did I manage before I found Pinterest?!?! Found this recipe for homemade glass cleaner & I'm loving it! And it's SO easy! Thank you to thefrugalgirls.com for sharing!
**Note: I doubled the original recipe because I have a good sized spray bottle. If you have a smaller one just cut the amounts in half.

Homemade Glass Cleaner
2 cups of water
1/2 cup white vinegar
4-5 drops of Dawn dish washing liquid

Just pour your ingredients into an empty spray bottle. Tilt the bottle from side to side until mixed well, and ta-da, you've made your own glass cleaner!

Cracker Barrel Inspired Grilled Chicken Tenders

I love, love, love Cracker Barrel's chicken tenders! So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest I just HAD to try it. I can't believe how easy this was and how tasty! My son asked, "When are you gonna make this again?!?!" after just the first bite. With that reaction I knew I had to share! Enjoy!


Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloin Recipe

Prep time: 4 hours

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 4 hours 15 mins

A delicious honey glazed chicken tenderloin.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless chicken breast tenders
• 1/2 cup Zesty Italian dressing
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. Mix dressing, lime juice and honey in a large resealable bag or container.
2. Add the chicken. Marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
3. In a large non-stick skillet over med/high heat, add the entire mixture with chicken to the pan.
4. Braise chicken on all sides until golden but not dry.(I do this until most of the liquid has evaporated out which is why mine have a dark color)

Here is a tip from Nichol who posted this recipe:
Tip: I have tried the recipe until they are golden and a little longer like I am showing you. I feel that the darker pieces are more tastier than just a piece of “golden” chicken. The dressing sticks onto the chicken which gives it the color and much more flavor as it caramelizes.

Thank you to, Nichol at kiddiescornerdeals.com for sharing this recipe!

Snapfish: 100 prints for $9 shipped!!!

Do you have pictures on your computer or memory card that need to be printed? Yeah, me too, that's why I'm so excited about this one!
Go over to Ebates & search for Snapfish. (They have 10% cash back at the time of this posting.) Click on "Shop Now" and Snapfish will open in a new window. Use coupon code  PRINTS100 at checkout to get 100 prints for $10.00, this includes FREE shipping. After your purchase 10% ($1) will be deposited into your Ebates account making your final cost $9.00 which comes to .09 cents per print....and they are shipped straight to your house!

Free Toothpaste at CVS starting 2/12

There is supposed to be a 75 cent coupon for Colgate Total in this weeks Sunday paper. Match it with CVS's Deal from 2/12 to 2/18 to score a free tube of toothpaste. Here's how it works:

Colgate Total $2.75

Coupon -.75

ExtraBucks to use on next purchase -2.00

Price after coupon and EB's= Free

There is a limit of 2 per household. If you don't have 2 coupons there is also a .50 cent coupon in the SmartSource coupon insert from 1/29 which would still give you a great buy at .25 cents for a full-size tube.

P.S. Sometimes they run out of these free items. At our local store the supply usually gets low by Thurs. but by Sat. they are usually stocked back up. If they are out when you go just ask your cashier for a raincheck and you can pick them up on your next trip.

Swagbucks: My FAVORITE Way to Earn $$$ Online

Swagbucks is my favorite way to earn money online. It's a great way to make a little bit of spending money and the best part is you don't have to spend a dime to earn! Here is a little bit of info for you:

What is Swagbucks? It is an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called "Swag Bucks", which can be redeemed for exclusive Swagbucks.com merchandise. (You can have your money sent to Paypal, get gift cards, tshirts, movies, etc. My fav reward is Amazon gift cards.)

How do you earn Swagbucks (SB's)? There are SEVERAL ways to earn Swagbucks. In my opinion the easiest ways to earn is to download the toolbar and start using it for your searching. Each day when you connect to the internet you will automatically get 1SB. And when you get ready to search the web use the toolbar to win more SB's. I usually win twice a day through Search & Win. You can win up to 50sb for a search. If you have more time to spend online you can also win by answering the daily poll, filling out their trusted surveys, watching videos, etc. Swagbucks also releases codes quite often that you type in for extra SB's. (The "Swidget" is a handy little device to help you find those codes. I have one on this blog. It's over there  ------>  Just click on Swag Codes, then "check for swag codes" and if one is available it will point you in the right direction.)

I've been using Swagbucks for almost 2 years now. I've cashed in my Amazon gift cards for everything from birthday & Christmas presents (and an occasional guilt-free gift for myself) to groceries. (I usually try to use them on items that are already on sale at a great price because it seems like I'm getting even more for free! lol I REALLY like to stretch a dollar as far as it will go.)

Just click here to sign up. And leave a post to let me know what you get with YOUR SB's when you cash in!

Discounted LaFollette Press (Great for Couponers!)

Ladies, if you are a coupon clipper you may want to pay attention to this one! Cinderella's Closet in LaFollette is getting discount copies of the LaFollette Press. Shona guarantees the coupon inserts will be in the paper, which is great since the local stores and gas stations have not been on the ball with this and we've heard several complaints about buying papers and finding someone has stolen the inserts. She is selling them for 65 cents, so you'll save a dime off regular price and you'll have your coupons! She also hopes to be able to offer discounted subscriptions in the near future!

Homemade Fabric Softener???

Okay, so I just came across a recipe for homemade fabric softener that uses Suave Hair Conditioner & vinegar. CVS has a great deal on Suave shampoo & conditioner this week so I'm thinking I may have to try this! Has anyone else ever made it? If so, I'd love to hear what you think.
(If I do try and I like it I'll post the instructions here!)

My "Big Fat Check" from Ebates

I recently got my quarterly email from Ebates saying, "Your Big Fat Check is being Processed". Woot, woot! .....What?....Did you just say: "What's Ebates?" Well, then you are missing out! It's rare that I make an online purchase without using Ebates.
Ebates is the pioneer and leader of online Cash Back Shopping. The company was founded in 1998 (the year I gradulated high school!) by two Deputy District Attorneys who used to prosecute online fraud & identity theft before starting Ebates (so you can be sure they are very into secure online transactions!). Joining Ebates is always free - you'll never pay anything. And four times a year, they will mail you a "Big Fat Check", or transfer the money to your PayPal account. They can even send the money to your favorite charity. All 100% free. But, how can they afford to do something like this? Here is how they explain it:

 "It really is quite simple. Just like almost every other online shopping center, we get a commission from the stores when you make a purchase. Instead of keeping that money - like almost all other sites do - we share it with you! So, as long as 1200+ of the world's top online stores are happy to pay a bonus to attract the new, valuable customers we send their way, Ebates is going to continue to send Big Fat Checks to our satisfied customers across the globe."

The best thing is, IT'S EASY! Before you make a purchase just go to the Ebates site and search for the retailer you're looking for. (9 times out of 10 they will have coupons codes for these retailers that will save you even more $$$!) Click "shop now" the retailers site will pop up in another window. Then shop & check out as you normally would....that's all you have to do. You'll get an email later telling your your cash back has been verified & the $ will be placed in your Ebates account within a couple days. SO much better than Mail in Rebates that often require cutting out UPC's and filling out forms.

Just click Here to sign up for your own Ebates account. Sign up now and you'll get to choose a bonus just for joining. (I saw a $10 Barnes and Noble Gift Card & $5 in your Ebates account among other choices.)

Since signing up a year ago I've saved $100's with cash back and coupon codes....no joke. I'll give you an example of how easy it can be to save: Every Christmas one of the gifts we give to our moms is a photobook from Snapfish with pictures of the grandkids from that year. They've come to expect them and would be terribly disappointed if we didn't get them. I got an email at the first of Dec. from Ebates....they had 20% cash back at Snapfish! I went to the Ebates site and searched for Snapfish. I ALWAYS check the coupon codes on Ebates before I click "Shop Now" and I found a code for Buy 1 photobook get 2 free & FREE shipping!  The book I normally get is 8X11 and costs about $40 each. This year since I was able to get such a great deal I "upgraded" to the 12X12 book ($50) & I ordered 3 copies (Yippee! I got a copy for myself for FREE). Here is the difference:

WITHOUT Ebates

TWO 8X11 Photobooks Total = $79.98 + tax

WITH Ebates

THREE 12x12 Photobooks Subtotal $149.97

Coupon Code - $99.98

Paid =

Ebates Cash Back - $10.00

Total Cost Out of Pocket = $39.99

This is just one example. I could give you tons more, but this post is already long enough! :) My check should be in my mailbox within the next 2 weeks. Now the question is what am I going to spend it on???

What Money Can & Cannot Buy

I will be the very first to admit that sometimes living on a budget can be hard. Sometimes you'll get frustrated and you just want to go buy something that's not on that dang budget! (Or are Chris and I the only ones who do this?) But it seems like every time I make a selfish purchase I have buyers remorse before I even make it home. That new dress or new pair of shoes that made me feel sooooo good when I tried them on & bought them suddenly makes me feel guilty. I start thinking things like, "How many groceries could I have bought with this money?" or "Did I really need this?" So when I came across this it helped me put things into perspective & remember that the things that are really worth having cannot be purchased. It made me stop & count my blessings rather than thinking about all the things I don't have. I hope it helps you too...

What Money Can and Cannot Buy

A bed but not sleep.

Books but not brains.

Food but not an appetite.

Finery but not beauty.

A house but not a home.

Medicine but not health.

Luxuries but not culture.

Amusements but not happiness.

Companions but not friends.

Flattery but not respect.

~Author Unknown



How to Score FREE Greeting Cards

I have to admit, I have a weakness for greeting cards, stationary, journals, ink pens, markers....you get the picture. But those things can be very pricey and when you are trying to cut corners it's hard to justify those unnecessary purchases unless you find a really, really good deal. Enter CVS.
Do you ever shop at CVS? If not, you should! Go sign up for an Extra Care Card NOW! (Just be sure to shop smart. I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. Regular prices seem to be marked up quite a bit on most items.) First of all, to understand this free greeting card deal you need to have a little bit of understanding about ECB's or Extra Care Bucks. ECB's are CVS's way of rewarding you for certain purchases. They can be used on almost anything in the store. They print on your receipt at the end of your transaction and you can spend them on your next transaction. Ok, so now that you know that info, here is how to get some FREE cards just like these:

Watch your CVS ad. Every few weeks for the past few months they've had American Greeting Cards buy 3 cards and get $3 ECB's back. What makes this such a great deal is that the 99 cent cards are included! So buy 3 cards for $2.97 and get back $3 to use on your next purchase! I shop there every week and I roll my ECB's over from one week to the next, so normally I have enough ECB's from the prior week to pay for the cards (I do have to pay sales tax out of pocket) and I get my money back in the form of ECB's when my receipt prints. It's almost like recycling money! :) And, I've built up quite a selection over the past few weeks!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Like I said in the earlier post, we are going to have to find creative ways to make ends meet. So I started looking for ways to cut back spending on things we have to have that just seem to cost way too much. Laundry detergent is EXPENSIVE when you think about it. I looked in the laundry aisle of our local Walmart this morning and a gallon sized bottle of a popular name brand detergent was over $15.00!!! (And it wasn't the most expensive brand there.) A bottle that size will last me a week or two at best. Let's say you use a gallon bottle every 2 weeks....that comes to around $400 in a year! My family was spending around $600(or more) a year for laundry detergent a couple years ago. Then I started couponing and cut it down to about half that amount. Now I'm going even farther. By making my own detergent I should be spending less than $30 this year!!! Now that may not seem like a huge savings to you, but if I can find several things like this to eliminate from our weekly budget it will add up to significant savings. It is SO true that the little things add up.

I've been thinking of trying this for quite awhile. I've been looking at different methods/recipes online for the past several months. Since we started a new year I decided it was time to finally get on the ball and get this process underway. (P.S. If you don't think you would like this particular recipe, don't give up! There are powder detergents, liquid detergents with different ingredients, and different scents you can add. Just keep looking until you find the right one for you.) I was pleasantly surprised at how fast and easy this was!

So here is what I needed to get started:

Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap, Borax Powder, Arm & Hammer Super WASHING Soda (be sure not to get baking soda!), water, a cheese grater, a pot to cook it in, a bucket to mix it in (I used a mop bucket), and empty containers to put the finished product in.

First you will grate 1/3 of the Fels-Naptha bar into a pot/sauce pan. (I assume the finer you grate it the faster it will dissolve during the cooking process.) Add 6 cups of water and cook on Med or Medium High until the soap is dissolved. Once the soap is dissolved you will add 1/2 cup of Borax and 1/2 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. Cook until that is dissolved. It will look like this:

Next, put 4 cups of hot water into your bucket & pour the soap mixture in. Mix well then add another gallon plus 6 cups of water and mix again. This is what it will look like at this point:

Now you are ready to pour your finished product into your containers. If you don't have empty detergent bottles just be sure you have a container that has a lid. Let it sit for at least a day before use. It will make a watery gel that is a bit clumpy. I'm finding that it thickens up as time goes on and I like it much better when its a week old than when it's a day old. Instead of waiting until I run out, I think I will make my next batch when I get down to the last container of this one so it will be thicker when I start using it.

This is how much I got from one batch. Both bottles are full and you can see both quart jars are full as well. (I decided to give my Mom & little sister both some to see if they like it. I made some notecards with directions on the back to attach to the jars.) Be sure to shake well before each use. I use 1 cup for a large load. Don't forget to pre-treat stains! This won't have much of a smell. If you are a fan of the scented detergents I've read that you can add a few drops of essential oil or a bit of Febreeze. I haven't tried that yet and I probably won't; Chris isn't really a fan of the strong scents.

So there it is. Easy as can be and it doesn't take much time at all. I can't believe I've waited so long to try this!!!

First Post...

So....I've tried this blog thing before and it didn't go well. But that one was solely for my photography business and this one is about our lives, so hopefully I can keep up better.  ; )
Just a little about us for the few of you who stumble upon this and don't know us personally:
My name is Christy. I'm 31 years old and married to my best friend, Chris. We tied the knot 15 years ago....yep, that's right, I got married at the ripe old age of 16! ; ) We have two children. Megan is a freshman in high school, and Bryan is a 4th grader. 
We got married in 1996. We had Megan in '97 at the end of my junior year. As soon as I graduated high school in '98 I went to work at a bank. I had Bryan in 2002 and for the first year of his life I went part time and worked 1-2 days a week. Then I worked 3-4 days a week the following year. When he turned 2 I went back full time. In early 2008 I slowly started venturing into photography. I started taking portraits of my children, then I took pictures of my friends' children, and it just kind of grew from there into a part time business. A year or so later things started changing at the bank. It became a very stressful environment...to say the least. Our extended family was changing as well...my in-laws (our primary babysitters) had taken on the responsibility of caring for my husband's 92 year-old great-aunt & my mother (secondary babysitter) was working 2 jobs and trying to help take care of my 94 year-old grandfather. As things continued to go downhill at work, the writing on the wall became very clear to me. The bank was about to change in a drastic way and I could change with it, or I could move on. (Although, they hadn't informed the employees yet, things were so bad that the board of directors had decided to sell.)  Chris and I talked in early April 2010 and we decided that with the changes at work and the changes in our families it was time to make some changes of our own. It was time to focus on our family.  In May 2010, 19 days after my 30th birthday I worked my last day at the bank. It was bittersweet walking out of that building and into the next chapter of my life, but I haven't had one regret about it. In fact, I think it was the best timing ever....days after I left the bank sold. I'm thankful I was spared that stress. I've spent the past year and a half working on my business, Portraits by Christy. This year, we've decided I'm going to step a little farther into the housewife mode. I'll still be running Portraits by Christy, but in 2012 I'm going to be working on a limited schedule. It's going to mean we will basically be living on one income and we're going to have to get creative to make ends meet. We're okay with that though. We're gonna do things OUR way!