How to File, Clip, and Store Your Coupons

Here is a great video for just getting started with couponing and how to organize them.

Hen-and-Chicks

Did you know that you can use Hen-and-Chicks for burns? The leaves contain tannins and mucilage that are soothing to skin. You can also use them skin wounds and infections. I didn't know this until just recently. I love this because I don't always have aloe around, but we have Hen and Chicks everywhere it seems.

Here is a page that shows all the different kinds, and boy are they pretty. Click here.....

These are one of my favorites, I love this plant. They are hardy and so great to pass down to your kids.

Okay, here we go again....LOL

It has been almost a year again.....where does time go.....and for that matter why does my shift key not work..... There is a new year coming up and I have a lot I want to talk about and to teach everyone. This may be a hard year for us and if I can get through it, it will be a grand year. I am still into gardening, couponing, homeschooling, staying at home with my children, saving money, preparing for the unknown and lots more....the lots more part is mainly stuff I need to work on in my life. God is so great and we love him so much. Hope you all can bare with me, my husband leaves for another deployment in Feb. and he will be gone for a year. Our kids are older now, they all will understand more about what he is going through while he is gone. Our son will miss his daddy so much, as will the girls. Please just pray for everyone, Feb. will come before we know it.

COUPONS, COUPONS, COUPONS

Okay, it is Saturday night and tomorrow the Sunday paper will be out. This weeks paper has 2 books of coupons in it! One SmartSourse and one Redplum. They do have some nice coupons in them. If you are just starting out with couponing, then I would sugest buy 1 to 5 papers. (I will post on how to sort them in a later post.) Here are some different ways you can get coupons.........

1) Buy the Sunday paper.
2) Ask friends, relatives and co-workers for their extra coupon inserts. (not everyone wants to keep coupons, a lot of people just get rid of them)
3) Trade Coupons
4) Join Coupon Trains
5) Dumpster Dive, almost all towns have recycle bins
6) Pick up coupons at the store, store coupons
7) Print coupons off line (I will add a list of places to print coupons from as soon as I can)
8) Write, Call, and Ask for coupons (I have a list, I will find it for you, a lot of places mail out coupons, all you have to do is ask)

LOL

Okay, here we go again, it has been about a year, but I am going to start this up again and see how I can do with keeping up on it again. Please be patient, I do have 4 kids and we try to stay busy!

Squash Update!

Here is a picture of what happens with newspaper as a mulch! Worms, lol, they come and eat and brake it down. Makes it nice for next year!!!!

Here is the bug standing in my garden!

Pretty Yellow Neck Squash!

They are all small but producing really well! The sun was gone for so long, it rained for 2 or 3 weeks and it really stopped the growth of all my plants!

My zucchini!

Isn't it so pretty!

5 Loads A Day!

Well, I just put the 5th load in the washer. Yep, I do five loads a day or at least try too.

1st load: the kids and my clothes
2nd load: Jason's clothes
3rd load: Towels or Blankets
4th load: anything that I am behind on
5th load: stuff we brought to sell (sometimes more than one load)

I know that sounds like a lot, (I have 4 kids that play hard and a husband that gets really dirty, lol) but sometimes I only get 2 loads done and sometimes (most of the time) I am behind. What is your laundry like at your house?

Sorry

Sorry to all my readers. I am back now with lots to blog about~
mandie

Turnip Greens, Beets, and Radishes, oh my....

This is my turnip patch. They are growing so fast and I have even gotten to use them for a salad, they were good!

These are may radishes and yes, I know I need to thin them out. I got to use these guys for my salad as well. And the kids love them!

These are my beets, the need thinned out too. Boy these guys are slooooooowwwwwwwww coming up and growing.

Squash and Egg Plants

Here are some of my squash, I have about 30 little guys that I have just started and won't be moving outside for a little while. I love squash! Again, mulched with shredded newspaper!

One of the little guys here, this is a straight neck yellow squash..

These are my Eggplants, this is the first year since I was child that I have grown these. I hope they make it. I have 2 green eggplants, I didn't even know there was such a thing. The others are all purple.

My Onions......

My Onions are growing so fast, I love it! I love onions and onion greens.

Here are my older onions, I don't know if you would call them onions, winter onions or just onions for seeds, lol.

My favorite, isn't that a pretty picture!!!! (Thanks Cindy for letting me borrow her camera while she was doing some errands. Mine was stolen a month or so ago.) Look at all my Onion seeds, it is pretty! Everyone needs some of these for there garden, it adds some color!

Tomatoes and Peppers

Here are some of my pepper plants, we mulch with shredded newspaper. After it is wet, it makes a great mat! And stays were you put it, even with out Oklahoma wind! We also like to cage the peppers as well...These guys are growing so fast and so good. We have sweet banana, jalapeno, 4 different colors of bell (yellow, red, green and orange). And, as you can see we planted all of them in 5 gallon pots!

Here are some of my tomatoes. They need to grow a bit more. But, I know by the end of May, first of June, I will be eating some of them! I can't wait!



Here are some I haven't gotten into place yet, more peppers and some tomatoes. I do believe these are couple of Yellow
Boys and Cherokee Purples.

My Peas and Mint.....

My Peas are taken off and finding the fence! They are about a foot tall! I can't wait to eat some, that is if the heat doesn't take that away from me, I should have planted them earlier.

My mint is so pretty and so smelly! But, I love that smell! My kids just run over there and grab a leaf and eat it, we love it.

We love mint so much, I went out and bought 5 new kinds for us to start growing! I will blog more about them later.

LONG PASTED DUE! Update on my garden.....My Seedlings....

These are my little guys. I have Tomatoes and peppers growing. They have been planted for about 3 weeks and are growing so well. I got most of my seeds from Heirloom Vegetables on ebay! Every seed has come up, well, I am still waiting on some pepper seeds to come up, but they are being slow, but they are coming up....They have been a great place to buy seeds and I love them. I will be buying more seeds from them!

These are my Spacemaster Cucumbers, which I can't wait to try!!!!

LOL, aren't my babies cute!

I can't wait to be able to set these guys out and by mid June, I will be getting a lot of Tomatoes, Peppers, and Cucumbers!

Just a quick note on something a 2 year old said.....

My mom brought in some cattails tonight to try, she fixed them up (didn't cook them, but fixed them like a green onion) and she told me (while sitting in the living room) that she had cut up all the cattails. My son who is 2 years old set on the sofa and said,"You cut them Allllllll Off?" It was so cute and sad the way he asked. He thought that my mom had cut real cat tails off, lol. I had to let him know they were really from kitty cats, but from a plant, lol!

By the way, these were very chewy, almost like paper. They had a great taste, but man they were very chewy or tough. Maybe there would be different if they were cooked. I will get back to you on that.

I promise......

that I am still here, we have just had a busy last week.....but, I have a lot of post's planned! I will get to them really soon, hopefully tonight!!!! Thanks for visiting!

Many Uses!!!! Buckets

Okay, here we go....... Buckets!

Store food in them....

Use them as watering containers for animals....

Plant tomatoes and peppers in....

Use it to set on.....

Use it to stand on....

Make a Shower out of it....

Use it as a suitcase.....

Make a potty out of it.....

Animal Cage....

Making Home made wine / beer.....

Okay, there are 10! Now, let me hear how you guys use your buckets! There are hundreds of ways to use a bucket!

Many Uses!!!!! Duck Tape (lol, duct tape)

Duck Tape!!!!






(I have cheated, I cute and paisted this from here.... , some of them are a little far fetched) I think I will go out and buy a case of duck tape, lol! (yep, I know it is duct tape, but grew up calling it duck tape, lol)


Hanging posters.
Decorative book cover.
Fix broken tail light on vehicle.
Twist a long piece into rope (thousands more uses).
Tape wires down on floor or out of the way.
Tape wires back together after splicing (much wider than electricians' tape).
Reattach rear view mirror.
Repair cracked windshield/window.
Patch ripped clothing.
Hide unsightly wallpaper seams.
Repair broken hoses.
Repair broken fan belt.
Use as art medium.
Fix broken book binding.
Band-Aid for really big cuts.
Attach leg splint to broken leg.
Wallpaper your house (may be slightly expensive, but well worth it for the resulting sophisticated look).
Reinforce pages in 3 ring binder.
Cover up empty drive bays.
Fold in half and use as bookmark.
Disk labels.
Rappelling harness.
Toilet paper.
Hinge on cabinet door.
Repairing leak in tire/inner tube.
Taping annoying people to walls, floor, ceiling, or bed.
Holding together computer cases.
Hold up exhaust pipe (doesn't last very long).
Repair upholstery.
Make lawn furniture.
Make lawn decorations.
Fix racquetball racquets.
Roll into a ball for hockey practice.
Mark lines on a sporting event field.
Clothing � all sorts.
Can be use to wrap duct work, but doesn't seal or hold up ducts very well.
Use to pull unsightly hair.
Keeps pledges in their place (also applies to siblings).
Patches holes in vinyl siding.
An entire roll can be used in place of a bedroom door to keep someone in for hours.
Twisted correctly, can be used as a billy-club.
Wrapped around newspaper to make a dog chew toy.
Holding on book covers.
Reflective lettering.
Mute function for humans.
Contraceptive device.
Climbing rope.
Earrings.
Cover old pocket folders -- lasts forever!
Shoe designs.
Girdle.
Sealing envelopes (in case you hate the taste of envelope glue).
Replacement for airplane glue.
For store owners: great way to keep the wigs on mannequins.
Seat belts that'll REALLY keep the kids still.
Closing chip bags.
Make the stapler obsolete!
Putting up Christmas lights (easy removal).
Why bother with waxing...
Add several layers to your car's bumpers for a much safer ride.
Fix vacuum cleaner hose.
Tape ski boot to your ski when the binding breaks.
Repair seams of ski gloves.
Wrap around your waist when your zipper splits in a one piece ski suit.
Lift and separate when you don't want to wear a bra or can't have straps showing.
Hold temple onto eye glasses.
Fix printer.
Make a wallet out of it.
Hold car hood shut.
Patch hole in canoe.
Fixing sets for the school play.
Making props look more realistic.
Make letter for letter jacket.
Hold your letter to your letter jacket.
Re-enforce the phone cord.
Hold batteries in remote control.
Play a CD (reflect a laser beam onto a CD to play it).
Stick pictures up in your locker.
Fix holes in your Airwalks.
Use instead of nail polish.
Hold pens together.
Belt.
Wrap your ankle for sports.
Can be used in place of handcuffs.
Rings.
Hold file cabinet together.
Hold shoe laces together.
Can replace shoe laces.
Can be used in place of Velcro.
Write term paper on it.
Graduation present.
Can be used to put back together a shredded term paper.
Stop your jeans from fraying.
Hair ties.
Hold spikes to your cleats.
Make a book shelf.
Necklace.
Note cards.
Remove lint from clothes.
Makes great bumper stickers with a sharpie!
Cook a baked potato in it.
Hold car door shut.
Tape plastic over broken rear window in car.
Tape down ripped carpet.
Tape sole of ratty sneaker to body of sneaker.
Hold speaker wire to the back of speaker.
Use it as a Biore strip.
Practical joke toilet paper replacement.
Makes a good bib.
Put it on your lawn and paint it green. Say good-bye to mowing.
Mouse trap.
Fly paper.
Tape your little brothers' mouths shut.
Use as vinyl flooring.
Cover rust holes in your car.
Ashtray.
Roofing shingles.
Make a clothes line.
Window coverings.
Use a roof rack on your car for carrying luggage and other items.
Fix a broken plate.
Patch a hole in your swimming pool.
Make a swing for your kids.
Make a tent for camping.
For the annoying mother-in-law.
Lock people into their house, school, office, etc.
Hold your car's bumper in place.
Seat covers in your car.
Fix holes in your sock.
Fix the hole in your favorite coffee cup.
Make a coffee cup.
Retread your tennis shoes.
Earmuffs.
Repair work gloves.
Make work gloves.
Home security system - tape up doors and windows.
Watch band.
CD case.
Wrap a soda can or bottle in duct tape to keep it cold.
Makes stylish notebook decorations.
Use it to fix old instruments.
Use it as a dog/cat/rabbit/frog/lizard/etc. leash.
Hold on toupees.
Duct tape annoying, rambunctious students to their seats.
Reupholster the roof on a '83 Mustang convertible (or any vehicle for that matter).
Attach it to the end of a yard stick (sticky side out) as a way to get pennies out from behind the couch.
Surgical bandage.
Fix a cigarette that is broken at the filter.
A clothesline when you're out in the middle of nowhere. (Peace Corps favorite.)
Use it as a substitute for Bondo.
Makes excellent streamers for bicycle handlebars.
Toilet seat cover.
Reflectors.
Replace broken screen in your screen doors to create an excellent storm door for those cold winter nights.
Makes great posters with the aid of magic markers.
Make a sheet for your bed.
Wrap freshmen up in it.
Use to make the lines in the middle of the road.
Make a space suit out of it so you can walk on the moon.
Use as a musical instrument.
Make a hat.
Make a wallet chain out of it.
Stare at it and try to find new uses for it.
Make a boat out of it.
Throw it at people.
Write on it and stick to someone's back.
Put a few rolls on their side and roll them to have a duct tape race!
Tape a hedge trimmer or chain saw to a long pole in order to trim or cut tall trees.
Use it as hockey tape.
Tape Tupperware containers together in a way that you can stack them on top of each other for more storage space.
Use to keep the cover of an old ice cream maker securely attached.
Cut a hole in a piece of cardboard, wrap duct tape around it and get a really inexpensive original looking picture frame.
Tape Nerf basketball hoop to the back of a door because they just don't stay on their own.
Make a pouch and attach it to a door so you can hold stuff.
Repair smashed pumpkin.
Waterproof sun screen for bald men.
Snowmobile/motorcycle seat cover.
Hold broken U-joints together on truck so you can make it home.
Makes a good replacement for chrome.
Patch holes in convertibles or soft top jeeps.
Resurface your trampoline.
Artificial lighting.
Use it to tape 10 year olds with sugar highs to trees during boyscout trips.
Can be made to fashion weapons in a pinch.
Emergency limb replacements.
Prosthetics.
Make fantastic puppets and other toys.
Can be used to clean the floor when no vacuum is available.
S & M.
Make a ball.
Repair trim on cars.
Patch up fish tank.
Halloween costume.
Waterproof footwear.
Make a makeup case.
Repair leak in pilot gas line.
Gagging device.
Pin striping.
Wrapping Christmas presents.
Patch seams in carpeting.
Patch a hole in a tent.
No need for lunch box - just tape all your food together!
Use to keep President Clinton's pants up.
Cute plant holder.
Keep hair in place.
Make a tie out of it.
Chastity belt.
Blister repair.
Censor speech on softball uniforms.
Repair pantyhose.
Roll it over a pool and make a trampoline.
Keeping guitar strap on your guitar.
Taping mic to mic stand (or a hockey stick).
Taping mic stand to amp.
Hold a float together.
Fix mini blinds.
Get rid of plantars warts.
Hold telephone together.
Hold computer mouse together.
Write on vehicles.
Muzzle.
Make a Halloween mask.
Decorate guard rifles.
Make really cool underwear.
Make a mummy costume for Halloween.
When you get in a really boring conversation pull it out and ask the other person if they can name 101 uses for it (plus or minus 70 or 80).
Attach underwater flashlight to underwater strobe for night dives.
Hold a car battery in.
Headbands.
Jewelry.
Attach glow-in-the-dark bugs to people's houses.
Fixing the toilet seat.
Torture.
Window shade.
Hair extensions.
Seat covering for a 1963 Vespa GS 160 (or any other vehicle for that matter).
Wrap around cardboard tube to make fake swords for the kids.
Waterproof apron.
Beverage holders.
Cooler.
Pet rain gear.
Toilet paper roll cover.
Cell phone holder.
Tool belt.
Shower curtain.
Repair speaker cones.
Poor man's Viagra - two Popsicle sticks and duct tape.
Hold the plastic (or Mylar) on your car where the window should be.
Wrap a "365 Uses For Duct Tape" calendar for Christmas.
Hold up worn out socks.
Suspenders.
Tape keys to bottom of car so you never lose them.

Edible Weeds Series~Cattails #4

Cattails are found pretty much anywhere in the world where there is full sun and areas of lakes, streams, canals, rivers, and brackish water.

The young tender shoots are edible raw or cooked. The rhizome is often very tough but is a rich source of starch. Pound the rhizome to remove the starch and use as a flour. The pollen is also an exceptional source of starch. When the cattail is immature and still green, you can boil the female portion and eat it like corn on the cob.

Other Uses: The dried leaves are an excellent source of weaving material you can use to make floats and rafts. The cottony seeds make good pillow stuffing and insulation. The fluff makes excellent tinder. Dried cattails are effective insect repellents when burned.



Website here has some different ways to eat...I haven't tried cattail yet, but I will soon!

Edible Weed Series, well, not Weed, but Tree Seed....Sugar Maple Tree Seeds

Sugar Maple Trees

Edible Uses: The seeds when hulled and boiled are edible. In the spring, these trees are tapped for their sap, which is boiled into syrup and sugar. For the seeds you can try so many different flavors using, salt, pepper, crushed pepper, even soaking them in soy sauce, steak seasoning, and frying them in bacon grease (yeah BACON!!!!) for different flavors.

Medicinal Uses: Pure sap may be drank as a spring tonic. Spring sap syrup is also taken as a liver tonic, a kidney cleanser and a cough syrup. Teas of the inner bark are drank for a cough or diarrhea and were thought to be useful as a diuretic, an expectorant and a "blood purifier.