Frugal Family - Easy Handmade Pillow Covers

In an effort to save money this year,  I'm joining my friends Marcy +Ben and Me  as well as Sam +Sam's Noggin  to bring you this weekly  link up full of tips for becoming a more Frugal Family. We will be sharing ideas to help you save money on groceries and meals, homeschool, crafts, and plenty of frugal DIY posts. We've made many sacrifices so that I can stay at home to teach the boys, and I've become pretty frugal in order to help make that possible and to keep it that way. It's become a challenge I truly enjoy, and one I enjoy sharing with you!

This week: 

   Easy Pillow Covers for Home Decor 

My pillows were looking tired and I happened to have a roll of this classic pattern on hand. I didn't want to make a permanent cover - I wanted to be able to remove it and change it out seasonally. 

I don't have a working sewing machine - so I used my hot glue gun and a needle and thread to create these simple fresh covers. 

First I measured a square by using my pillow as a guide. Then I folded the edge over about 3/4 inch and took my time to seal it with the hot glue gun - this was done on 2 ends that will be the back of the pillow cover - left open like an envelope to stuff the pillow into. It wasn't difficult at all. 

The first picture below shows how the 2 glued hem ends come together in the back. I turned them inside out, pulled them to just overlap and pinned in place so I could hand sew a straight line along each side. Once done, I turned it back over and had a nice pocket to squeeze the pillow into.

Using a sturdy fabric turned out nicely. I was extremely happy with my 30 - 45 minute frugal pillow covers! 

Link up your own tips for saving money on our Frugal Family link up for January

Please grab the button to use or link via text - Visit others to encourage each other and

share great information! The group Pinterest board is here - I'm pinning away!

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Linking with: :

Miscellany Monday  Better Mom  Modest Mom   Welcome Home  The Wellspring

#ifellowship Seeds of Faith -    From My Mountain View     Titus 2's Days  

Raising Mighty Arrows - Good Morning Girls -   What Works Wed   Works-4-Me  

Frugal Family - Frugal cheese sauce

In an effort to save money this year,  I'm joining my friends Marcy +Ben and Me  as well as Sam +Sam's Noggin  to bring you this weekly  link up full of tips for becoming a more Frugal Family. We will be sharing ideas to help you save money on groceries and meals, homeschool, crafts, and plenty of frugal DIY posts. We've made many sacrifices so that I can stay at home to teach the boys, and I've become pretty frugal in order to help make that possible and to keep it that way. It's become a challenge I truly enjoy, and one I enjoy sharing with you!

This week:
Frugal homemade cheese sauce

1.  Use a Tb of olive oil or coconut oil in a pan with a pat of butter - mix in 2-3 Tbs of flour 

2. Add in 1 cup of milk and stir until smooth as possible and then add another cup of milk do same 

3. Add 2 cups of grated cheese - sharp cheddar makes a great sauce 

4. Mix until med thick consistency - salt and pepper 

5. Add to cooked/ drained pasta for delicious homemade mac-n-cheese, add veggies if desired - sauce can be used in many different recipes 

Link up your own tips for saving money on our Frugal Family link up for January

Please grab the button to use or link via text - Visit others to encourage each other and

share great information! The group Pinterest board is here - I'm pinning away!

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Kids in the Kitchen - Clam Chowder

I join forces with my good friend Carrie @YoungLivingOilLady each week

to bring you this family friendly recipe link up. It is our desire to encourage

families to cook and eat together. Meals cooked at home are healthier, and time

spent together in the kitchen is good for families!

We use Cooking 101 as part of our family homeschool. I’m teaching the boys to

put together healthy family meals, life skills, and budgeting, as well as teaching them tips for cooking in the kitchen. We encourage real food vs. processed food. Let’s bring the family, back to the table!

Chop as many potatoes as you have family members, plus an extra couple or three

Chop an onion or 2 (if you really like it) 

Cover potatoes in water plus extra cup and bring to a boil - cook until soft 

Collect small amount of water into a cup or bowl - add a spoonful of corn starch and stir 

Drain most of the water off and add milk to cover food - add bowl of corn starch to pot 

Heat pot slowly - add salt and pepper to taste - do more corn starch in side bowl if needs to thicken

(doing this separately will keep it from clumping) Thicken to your preference

Add pat of butter to skillet - drain large can of clams and add them to skillet with onions 

Stir until translucent and slightly browned 

Add to pot of potatoes and cream - stir until heated 

Join us by linking up your favorite family recipes or tips for cooking with kids! Grab a button from below, on my side bar, or use a text link back to Adventurez. Please visit another participant or more to help encourage each other. I’ll be visiting and Pinning away on our Kids in the Kitchen Pinterest board here. It’s a wonderful resource for finding yummy recipes the whole family will love. Enjoy your time in the kitchen this week!

I'm linking with these fine blogs: Comfy in the Kitchen  Shrinking Kitchen Titus 2 Tues

Nourishing Treasures  The Better Mom  Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling

Food Renegade Try New Recipe   Happy LiL Hearts   Hip Homeschool Hop  Creative Mondays

Look what we did Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday

,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Judy H-J's Thoughts,

Wisdom Wednesday , Favorite Things, Modest Mom, Full Plate Thursday Melt in your Mouth Monday

Show Off Friday Tuesday's Table ,  Mom's Monday Mingle,Monday Mingle, Crafty Spices, Better Mom,

Create with Joy, Thursday's Treasures, Tasty Thursdays Wonderful Food Wednesday

Kids in the Kitchen - Healthier Pork Chops and taters

I join forces with my good friend Carrie @YoungLivingOilLady each week
to bring you this family friendly recipe link up. It is our desire to encourage
families to cook and eat together. Meals cooked at home are healthier, and time spent together in the kitchen is good for families!

We use Cooking 101 as part of our family homeschool. I’m teaching the boys to put together healthy family meals, life skills, and budgeting, as well as teaching them tips for cooking in the kitchen. We encourage real food vs. processed food. Let’s bring the family, back to the table!


This week at our house:

Pork chops cooked with home ground wheat berries and coconut oil, homemade mashed potatoes, and crowder peas. 

Crowder peas: 

Crowder peas have the highest percent of protein than any other peas and are a staple in most traditional southern kitchens. We cook them in a pot of water with a pinch of salt, a spoon full of coconut oil, and red pepper flakes. Crowder peas are NOT the same as black-eyed peas, but are similar. The flavor is distinct and very yummy - Just like the ones from my Papa's garden!

Pork chops: 

We ground up wheat berries and mixed in a little regular unbleached flour for dredging 

Seasoning for the flour included sea salt and pepper - we rinsed the pork and dredged through the flour mixture and cooked in coconut oil in the cast iron skillet. 

I taught the boys to be sure that pork is always cooked fully - we cut into it to check. The outside is a nice brown color and the inside is no longer pink, but still moist. 

Our mashed potatoes: 

We wash the potatoes well and peel them a little bit, leaving some of the peeling on. Add to a pot of rapidly boiling water and cook until tender. Overcooking leads to mushy, mashed potatoes that taste watery. 

We add butter, sea salt, pepper and a splash of milk and beat them for a couple of minutes. Beating them for too long will result in gooey potatoes due to the high starch content.

What are you cooking this week?


Join us by linking up your favorite family recipes! 
Grab a button from below, on my side bar, or use a text link back to Adventurez. Please visit another participant or more to help encourage each other. I’ll be visiting and Pinning away on our Kids in the Kitchen Pinterest board here. It’s a wonderful resource for finding yummy recipes the whole family will love.

Enjoy your time in the kitchen this week!

I'm linking with these fine blogs: Comfy in the Kitchen  Shrinking Kitchen Titus 2 Tues

I heart Naptime Nourishing Treasures  The Better Mom  Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling

Food Renegade Try New Recipe   Happy LiL Hearts   Hip Homeschool Hop  Creative Mondays

Look what we didGathering Spot, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Mighty Arrows,Addicted to Recipes, Homemaking Wednesdays, Living Well Wednesday,NOBH, Judy H-J's Thoughts, Wisdom Wednesday , Favorite Things, Modest Mom, Full Plate Thursday and Melt in your Mouth Monday and Show Off Friday and Tuesday's Table and Look What We Did and Titus 2sday,  Mom's Monday Mingle,Monday Mingle, Crafty Spices, Better Mom,Create with Joy, Thursday's Treasures, Tasty Thursdays and Wonderful Food Wednesday

Frugal Family 2013 -Homemade Herbal Bath Salts

In an effort to save money this year,  I'm joining my friends Marcy +Ben and Me  as well as Sam +Sam's Noggin  to bring you this weekly  link up full of tips for becoming a more Frugal Family. We will be sharing ideas to help you save money on groceries and meals, homeschool, crafts, and plenty of frugal DIY posts. We've made many sacrifices so that I can stay at home to teach the boys, and I've become pretty frugal in order to help make that possible and to keep it that way. It's become a challenge I truly enjoy, and one I look forward to sharing with you!





Frugal ways to improve your health - 

Homemade Herbal Bath Salts: 

 The National Academy of Sciences, reports that American’s suffer from a serious magnesium deficiency which helps to account for the high rates of heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, arthritis and joint pain, digestive maladies, stress-related illnesses, chronic fatigue and quite a few other problems. 

There are over 325 enzymes in the human body that magnesium can help regulate. It is an important element and positively charged ion in the body. Magnesium holds an important role in helping with muscle control, electrical impulses, energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.

In other words, MAGNESIUM matters! One of the easiest ways to get more magnesium is to enjoy a nice bath in it! 

Epsom Salt is inexpensive, and can be dressed up with a few simple additives and turned into a lovely homemade gift - for someone you love, or even for yourself. 

Use a plastic container with a lid to mix up your salts. Fill it almost to the top, with Epsom salt, leaving plenty of room to shake the ingredients and mix them well. 

Sprinkle in your favorite dried herbs - chamomile, lavender, or mint make good choices. Add drops of essential oils (about 5 at a time) shake it up and smell it to test the fragrance. You want it to be fairly strong, but not overpowering. Added to a colorful jar - it makes a wonderful gift. 

Use 2 cups in a warm bath to soothe tired muscles, reduce swelling and bruising, and achy bones. 

As a detox: 

1 cup sea salts
2 cups baking soda
1 cup Epsom salts

          (mix dry ingredients in a bowl and add to bath) 
1 to 2 tablespoons glycerin per bath - to keep skin from drying out 

The salts in the bath water will draw out the toxins from your body and the baking soda will oxygenate the blood for a healthy detox for a frugal price!

Link up your own tips for saving money on our Frugal Family link up for January

Please grab the button to use or link via text - Visit others to encourage each other and

share great information! The group Pinterest board is here - I'm pinning away!

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