40 Freezer Meals in 1 Day (or a few evenings)!

After plowing through the freezer meals we had made to start the school year, my husband and I realized that we needed A LOT MORE and FAST!  I took to pinterest to find a solution and found a post by another Blogger on Hearth and Holm.  Because why make my own if someone else has already created a brilliant plan?

They had found a solution to create 40 freezable meals in a day.  Now, we didn't have an entire day to devote to this so we did it over a period of a few evenings and at night after the kids went to sleep.  So far, we've eaten 4 or 5 of the meals and we have not been disappointed!

She's got a shopping list and recipes you can download!

Of course my loving husband took to the grocery store while I dominated bedtime.  He sent me this pic so I'd know how full the cart was, lol.

And then we got to work!  The directions and the shopping list made it super easy!  Make sure you have plenty of room in your freezer before you get started though!

1 Year Supply of Homemade Laundry Detergent

We do A LOT of laundry in our house.  Actually, my husband does A LOT of laundry.  He's great and everyone pitches in!  I started making my own detergent about a year ago in order to save us some money and I love it.  I recently bought a 5 gallon paint bucket and followed the recipe below to make enough to last the whole year through.  I have tried a few different recipes (liquid, gel, and powder form) and this is my favorite. 

*Update- Recently a friend asked me why I didn't use Borax in my recipe (she saw it in a lot of homemade recipes) and while I am pretty confident (after reading research) that Borax is not harmful, my kids do have ultra sensitive skin and I was trying to find something that would not cause them irritation.

It is the end of July and we are almost through our batch from last July.  We estimated that the ingredients for a year supply cost us $22.  I'll take that! 

Watch My Video!

2 bars of Zote or 3 bars of Fels-Naptha

2 Boxes of Baking Soda (4 lbs each)

2 boxes of Washing Soda (4 lbs each)

2 Oxi-Clean tubs (3.5 lbs each)

Fabric Softener Crystals (optional- I didn't use)

1. Grate the soap      

2.  Mix everything together      

3.  Use 1 tbsp per load
We have been known to add Downy Unstoppables to very stinky loads 

(attn:potty training mommas)!

Pantry Make-Over on a Budget!

What good is a pantry if you can't find anything in it or forget what you have?  Soon after we moved in, I knew it was time to kick my pantry organization into high gear, but THERE WAS NO WAY I could afford the fancy canisters and bins in those magazines!  I love The Container Store as much as any other type A momma. So here's what I did:

1.  After measuring the height between my shelves, I headed to the nearest dollar store.  In my town it was a DEALS.  Although I had never been in there before, I was pleasantly surprised by the choices of bins and baskets.  Goal: Find the largest ones that will fit on my shelves comfortably!  These baskets and buckets were only $1 each!  You can't beat that! I bought about 20.

2. Next, I decided I love the little chalkboard labels.  You can buy the stickers at Hobby Lobby for $3.99.  Add a 40% off coupon and you're talking junk change!  Since my baskets are not solid, I put them on card stock, punched holes through the corners and tied them on with some jute I had left over from a previous project.  

3.  I labeled them with a white chalk pen, also found at Hobby Lobby for a couple dollars.

It may not be in a magazine, but I was pleased with how it turned out.  My kids can read the labels and help unload groceries too, which is a huge plus!

Younique with the help of Postcron!

I recently started a new adventure, selling makeup! It is done mostly online and through virtual Facebook parties. I saw a presenter posting before and after pics of this fabulous 3D Fiber Mascara on Facebook and had to give it a try. I hosted a party to see if my friends would be as crazy about the mascara as I was. They were and I ended up earning tons of free credits and tried out the 3D Fiber Mascara, the Mineral Eye Pigments, the brushes, and the Lucrative Lip Gloss.

Why Younique?I have always loved makeup, but I have never been so confident that my make-up would look amazing and last throughout the day! I found myself wanting to tell everyone about these wonderful products and get them to try it for themselves. Naturally, I became a presenter! Younique has a complete makeup line of naturally based, hypoallergenic, paraben free, and chemical free products. With four kids at home under 7 years old, a full time counseling job, and grad school going on, I do not have time to think twice about the products I am using. I have confidence that Younique products are safe for my sensitive skin and allergies. I can look in the mirror and feel great about the way I look! I also get to have fun telling you about what Younique has to offer. I can also help supplement my family's income, without having to leave the house and spend additional time away from my family. What could be better?

So, I've been on this crazy LASH TRAIN for a couple of months now and the one thing that caused some challenges was that there were times I needed to post in groups or on my business page, but couldn't because I was at work teaching. Obviously, teaching is my top priority andI needed to find a solution! So, I went out searching for what to do. That was when I discovered that some of my other teammates were talking about this perfect site called Postcron!



Why Postcron? Postcron is amazing! It is like having another business associate, or three! I can upload all of the pictures and posts that I want to make during the day and schedule what time I want them to happen. Postcron takes care of the rest! I highly recommend it if you are running any kind of business. Postcron is compatible with Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. This way, no matter what social media server you use, you are covered! I have used it mostly with Facebook so far. I love it because I can post in groups, on my different pages, and on my personal wall. It is so important that my customers see me posting at all times of the day, instead of just between 4pm and 10pm. I need to establish a professional presence on social media and Postcron helps me do that. I have even tried other automated posting sites and Postcron is by far the most user friendly and simple one to use (for someone who is of average technological abilities).

Postcron has made my life so much easier! When I get home at the end of a long day, I don't have to worry about quickly sending out tons of posts. My customers can see the posts that have automatically been posted for me all day. All I need to focus on is responding to questions and comments that they have. It makes my use of time much more efficient (which is great because I do not have extra time to spare). I can even start three or four online parties at the same time and have it post the same picture and text in each party at specified times during the day. What a life saver!

To see our full line of products or make purchases, visit my site: www.wantlongerlashes.com




So, are you convinced that you need Postcron? Here's how to get started:You get to try it free, how awesome! With the free version you can manage up to 10 posts a day.
1. Go to www.postcron.com and create a free account
2. Choose one or more accounts where you want to publish your posts: Here's where you can choose Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus
3. Select the type of post you want to publish: You can post in pages, on your newsfeed, or in groups
4. Upload multiple images at the same time
5. Review your scheduled posts: You can choose "Post Now" or "Schedule" a time for later

Here you can check all of your scheduled posts for the day and make sure they are correctWant to join me in using Postcron to improve your business? Click here to get started! Sign up for a Postcron subscription and we both get 10% off our monthly bill. Use this link http://ssqt.co/mZXF

There you have it! It's so simple and makes a world of a difference in my business, I hope it does for your business too! I am loving my Younique life and I know that I owe a lot to the ease and helpfulness of Postcron. I'm going to become a "Mascara Millionaire"!

Want to see my personal Postcron tutorial? Click HERE!

6 Things To Do Before The Kids Go Back To School

Now, I am no Pinteresty-perfect parent, but I do what I can to be efficient with time and keep my family prepared for life.  My friends often ask me how I get it all done, whatever "it all" means.  I'll take that as a compliment, but my BEST friends know that while I do get a lot done, I am always far from finished!  Back to school is HUGE at our house because not only do the 4 kiddos head back, my husband and I go back to school too.  He is a 7th grade teacher and I'm a school counselor (and currently we're both in Grad school, so back to school has a whole new meaning lately)!  Needless to say, we hit the ground running in August and we don't really rest until June.  Here are some things we've been doing to help the school year get off to a great start.

1.  Wash, clean out, and vacuum both cars.  We are about to LIVE in this vehicle.  Between gymnastics, church, soccer, art classes, etc... Do I really need to explain?  I think you get it.

2.  Buy enough groceries for two weeks of school lunches.  This is important because when Saturday hits, we will be exhausted from the first week of school and I know none of us will want to run to the store.  Last year I taught my 5 and 7 year olds how to pack their own lunches.  We did it together for a week or two, but I involved them in the shopping and I know that this is a chore that they can help take responsibility for.  They are 6 and 8 now, but my boy will be starting Kindergarten this fall, so it's time for him to learn too!

3.  Make enough laundry detergent to last the whole year.  We do A LOT of laundry in our house.  Actually, my husband does A LOT of laundry.  He's great and everyone pitches in!  I started making my own detergent about a year ago in order to save us some money and I love it.  I recently bought a 5 gallon paint bucket and followed the recipe below to make enough to last the whole year through.  I have tried a few different recipes (liquid, gel, and powder form) and this is my favorite.

It is the end of July and we are almost through our batch from last July.  We estimated that the ingredients for a year supply cost us $22.  I'll take that!

2 bars of Zote or 3 bars of Fels-Naptha

2 Boxes of Baking Soda (4 lbs each)

2 boxes of Washing Soda (4 lbs each)

2 Oxi-Clean tubs (3.5 lbs each)

Fabric Softener Crystals (optional- I didn't use)

Here's my video if it helps! 

1. Grate the soap      2.  Mix everything together      3.  Use 1 tbsp per load
We have been known to add Downy Unstoppables to very stinky loads (attn:potty training mommas)!

4.  Make and freeze as many meals as possible.  This is a must in our house.  Since I am a Wildtree Representative, I'm pretty fond of the ease of their freezer meal workshops.  Tonight, in less than 30 minutes, I made 4 freezer meals with ingredients I had leftover from workshops.  4 nights that I don't have to stress about what my family will be eating.  Plus, I know that they are healthy...priceless.  Whether you find recipes on Pinterest, buy a Wildtree bundle, or raid the freezer aisle at your local Wal Mart, do something to get those dinners prepped!

5.  Clean out all closets!  We spent a few days going through each kid's closet and drawers.  We pulled out clothes that were too small, put some in bins (labeled of course) for younger siblings, and started a pile to consign at our local consignment sale.  I also went through my clothes.  Looking at the clothes more closely made it easier to do a little back to school shopping because I knew exactly what everyone needed.  Plus, the closets are super clean and organized now!

6.  Last, but the most important of all.  Spend quality time with your kids!  I know summer is almost over and your kids are driving you crazy.  I've seen you all posting it on Facebook.  But seriously, the school year gets busy and they are going to need your support.  Send them off with great memories (ones they can write about for all those back to school writing prompts and journal entries)!  You can't get these days back!

2015

2014