"IT MAKES CENTS TO ME FRIDAY" FOR FEBRUARY 17th"

Hi everyone, 

Well, I don't think I did as bad this week with spending, in terms of the dollar amount. However, as I tally up the receipts we'll find out. Oh, I totally FORGOT to get photos of my purchases, so I'll entertain you with other photos, totally unrelated to saving money, but still very cute :) :)

February 12th, 2012 - Sunday: Purchase $49.54 at Petco:
- One 30 lb. bag of natural dog food for my dog
- $3.55 for California state tax
- The original retail price for this dog food was $48.99.  I could have purchased it for $5 cheaper at another store, but it would have been a much longer drive.  So  I printed out my $3 coupon on-line and went to Petco. It is a reasonable driving distance.  The tax is based on the original cost of the item.  The coupon was applied after taxes.

TIP: Homemade cleaning products can often times save you money. If you are living on an "in between" job budget like me, then something like homemade laundry powder just might do the trick. Click here to visit Maryjane of The Beehive Cottage blog. I used her recipe. It's a winner, for sure.  I just found my laundry powder in the garage. It got packed away in the move.  It's in an air-tight container and is still perfect. So when my current liquid laundry soap runs out, I'll be going back to my homemade laundry powder:

February 12th, 2012 - Sunday: $31.12 at Whole Foods:
- 20 oz drip coffee with cream/sugar "a want, not a need"
- 32 fl.oz. bottle of Bragg's organic, raw-unfiltered apple cider vinegar As I recall, it was the exact same price as the Whole Foods brand.  Plus, the Bragg's bottle has more of a vintage look to it.
- Dark chocolate bar with orange peel This is for my sweet friend who gave me the ride to Whole Foods. She still won't take cash for gas money. However, I can pay her in chocolate. That's a sweet deal.
- Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese It's made in Oregon and it's G.O.O.D.
-Whole Foods brand cheddar cheese.  I bought this one, too. Both of the cheddar cheeses are for my father. He likes cheese. I like cheese, too, but my body can't handle this form of dairy, yet.
- ca. 1 pound of lean ground beef
- 0.97 pounds of trail mix from Whole Food's trail mix bar
California likes to add a sales tax to the trail mix. Sales tax for this item was $0.07 cents.
- local Sunday newspaper $1.50 I purchased this because I'm interested in using coupons again. It's more of a trial run to see exactly how much money I spend on the Sunday papers, versus money saved on items that I actually use on a daily basis.
- total tax on this trip was $0.11 cents.

This next photo is the famous Lone Cypress tree in Pebble Beach, California. This is actually what's known as a Monterey Cypress tree, and this one is special because it's growing all by it's lonesome out on this little rocky outcropping. If you ever visit here, it's worth it to take the 17 Mile Drive to see this and other beautiful spots along the drive:

February 14th, 2012 - Tuesday: $25.62 at Whole Foods:
- Croisssants "a want, and not a need"
- 20 oz. drip coffee with cream/sugar "a want, and not a need"
- Dry rub applewood smoked bacon
- 2 Dagoba organic, dark chocolate bars "a want, and not a need" One chocolate bar was for the friend who gave me the ride to the store. The other one was for my dad and myself to share.

This next photo is some of the beautiful coastline in my hometown:

February 15th, 2012 - Wednesday: $35.64 at Trader Joe's:
- mini-pearl tomatoes
- canned salmon
- canned albacore tuna
- 1 dozen organic, jumbo eggs
- Trader Joe's premium sharp cheddar Dad snuck this into the cart. He really likes cheese.
- Cashew, almond and cranberry trail mix "a want, not a need"...but wow, this stuff tasted great. it had a natural sweet/tart flavor from the cranberries.
- 2 pounds of organic, ground beef
- applewood bacon, uncured


This photo is some of the beautiful flora that can be found along the coast.  I really like the stark contrast between the orange and purple:

February 16th, 2012 - Thursday: $45.31 at Whole Foods
- one bottle of ultra purified drinking water This comes with a $0.10 cent bottle deposit. Oh, interesting,that in the state of California, you don't get the full 10 cents back on your return. Recycling companies pay by the pound. So I'll maybe see about six or seven cents back on this bottle. Unfair,but that's how it works right now.
- local daily newspaper
- sandwiches from the breakfast bar " a total want, and not a need"
- 0.85 pounds of organic, cara cara oranges I've never had these before. The price was outstandingly good. My dad LOVES oranges.
- One Dagoba organic, dark chocolate bar "a want, and not a need" My father and I shared this, too, along with those sandwiches from the breakfast bar.
- 2 small squares of dark chocolate For my friend who gave me a ride to the store this day.
- $20 dollars cash back I gave this to the same friend who I gave those squares of chocolate, too. She has driven me around so MUCH. It's been a real ministry, blessing and relief. So it was only fair to help for the gas.  I'm still studying the driver handbook, and working out who will give me the actual driving lessons. Dad will be okay to drive again in a few months.
- $1.02 was for taxes

Oh, I also spent $5 to purchase  year-long membership to Sheri Graham's "Intentional Planner" site. It's got everything you need to put together your own home management binder. You can pick and choose what you want, download it, print it out for personal use only. It's fabulous. It's the BEST $5 I've spent in a LONG, LONG time.  There's a lifetime membership package which you can check out on her site. I'm saving for that, because that will get me access to the videos and eBooks. Click here to visit.

I spent a total of $187.23 this week.  The dog needs to eat, and her food was $49.54. However, that will last a L.O.N.G. time. So I'm not counting that in my figures.

That brings my total down to $137.69 spent on us humans (my father and myself).  Of that, I would say that $66.67 was spent on food that we needed. So that works out to about $33.34 per person. That's not too bad...Now the "wants" are still a struggle in terms of not buying them so often..but for what it's worth, they're quickly losing the appeal.

Now I should let you know that I follow a gluten-free diet for health reasons.  So last Tuesday, I completely fell OFF the gluten-free bandwagon. I ate croissants, coffee, chocolate AND trail mix.  The croissants and the trail mix were not gluten free. In any case, I ate them and it was fine. However, the next day I was really, really sick, especially in the morning. Later on the day it dissipated to nausea/slight dizziness. This told me a couple of things that were both negative and positive. The negative is that no matter how good those croissants and other stuff look, it will make me sick. Which is did. The POSITIVE in this situation is that the toxicity level in my body is going DOWN and that's why my body had such a strong reaction to those foods.

What about the breakfast sandwiches on Thursday? I know, I know...but I'm telling you, it's HARD to break the gluten habit sometimes.  Well, I am paying for it today (Friday)..although this time it's just a lot of shoulder pain/inflammation.  So there you go. I think this is my  "lowest" week in terms of eating good.  So I really am seeing where the changes need to be made.

I'm also going to be looking at various coupon sites, to see where I can save money on the basics that my family uses every day.  That's why I have started buying the Sunday paper again. 

Oh, I did find a FANTASTIC deal on a home management binder/planner over at Sheri Graham ministries site. Click here to visit.  I can't wait to talk about that some more in a future post. Oh, and I'll be working on those socks that I pictured in my previous post. It'll be sock knitting and watching episodes of the fabulous, Canadian tv show "Road to Avonlea".

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

COCONUT OIL DEODORANT

Hi everyone,

How are you all today? I'm doing fine. We were supposed to have some rain yesterday, but all we got were some sprinkles. Maybe it will come later this week. We could really use the rain, even here on the coast with the ocean nearby :) :)

In my effort to lead a healthier lifestyle, I am also learning how to make more beauty/healthcare products at home.  Why?  It saves money. I know exactly what goes into the product. It is less toxic for my skin and body. Also, since I'm still "in between" jobs, this really helps to stretch my dollar a long way.

So one of the things I've made in the past is deodorant with coconut oil. There are quite a few websites with excellent recipes on how to make this for yourself. I followed the recipe that Amy blogged about over at Homestead Revival. Click here to visit the post. She's a really nice lady who is really doing a lot to be more self-sufficient at home. Plus, her blog is a delight to visit and you'll be glad that you did. Oh, and if you're on  Facebook, you can visit her here. Either way, let her know that I sent you over :) :) :)

You will need the following three ingredients to make this homemade deodorant:

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING THREE INGREDIENTS: BAKING SODA, CORN STARCH AND COCONUT OIL.

What proportions of each of the three ingredients do you need to measure out:
Baking soda - 1/4 cup
Corn starch - 1/4 cup (you can also use arrowroot if you prefer)
Coconut oil - 5 to 6 Tablespoons ( or up to 8 Tablespoons. It depends on how thick you want to make this.  I also use unrefined virgin coconut oil. There's no reason for that, other than I really like it and it smells FABULOUS.)

First, I measured out 6 Tablespoons of coconut oil.  At room temperature it is a bit hard, so my measurements weren't totally exact, but for this project, it's okay.  I haven't noticed any issues with the quality of the deodorant when it's finished.  Now the last time I made this, it was really hard to mix the coconut oil and the other two ingredients together. So this time, I put the 6 Tablespoons of coconut oil in a glass measuring cup. Then I placed that measuring cup in a warm bowl of water. The gentle heat from the water will help to soften the coconut oil. That's okay, but when you're done it will solidify back to it's former state.

WHILE YOU ARE LETTING THE COCONUT OIL SOFTEN UP A BIT, I MIXED THE BAKING SODA AND CORN START TOGETHER.

While the coconut oil is getting softer (and easier to mix later), I mixed together 1/4 cup of baking soda and a 1/4 cup of corn starch together in a plastic container.  Now plastic is what I have on hand. However, when I find a good deal on a Mason jar or glass storage container at the thrift shop, then I'll buy that.  This is what it looks like when you mix the two powders together. Real exciting..not..but for being so simple, this work FABULOUS:

Now it's time to mix the coconut oil together with the corn starch and baking soda.  I use a fork to mix everything together really well.  Once it's all well-mixed together, it kind of has the consistency of vanilla frosting from a can. This is what mine looked like:

This makes up under a cup of homemade coconut oil deodorant. You can store it in a small glass Mason jar or other container of your choice. I did put the lid on mine and placed it in the refrigerator. That helps to firm it up again.  I took it out this morning and let it sit at room temperature. That's how I'll store it, too. It'll be easier to use that way.

This morning I took my shower. After I was finished, I applied some of the homemade coconut oil deodorant.  I take a very small amount and apply it with my hands. I let it sit against the skin for a few seconds to let it melt. It will start to melt with your body heat. Then I rub it around to cover my underarm area very well. That's it.. It works great. It smells fantastic and it's better than anything I've ever purchased in a store.

The baking soda cost me less than $1. The corn starch was just over $1. The coconut oil cost me about $9.99 at Whole Foods.  However, coconut oil has MANY uses, so it's worth the cost. You don't need much for this deodorant. It's also good as a moisturizer on the skin. It's also fantastic to use in cooking, as an alternative to butter.

If you make this, let me know how it turns out.  This stuff smells nice and does the job very well.

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather

HEALTHY LIVING AND A NEW OPPORTUNITY

Hi everyone,
I was going to share my recipes for easy chili and beef stroganoff today. Nope. I'll put that off till tomorrow :) :) Both of them are recipes that I found in my Gooseberry Patch cookbook called "Dinners on a Dime" It's a great cookbook for me right now.

 THIS IS A SNOWBALL BUSH THAT I SAW NEAR THE OFFICE AT MY APARTMENT COMPLEX.  I'LL POST ANOTHER PHOTO AT THE END OF THIS BLOG POST.







I spotted this snowball bush when I was going to the apartment manager's office. My father had to copy some documents  he needs in order to get financial assistance with our electric bill.  Our landlady is really nice and helped him out.  While there, I saw this lovely bush. The maintenance guys, Bob and Tim , said it's called a  "snowball bush". It does look like floral snowballs, right?

Okay, so back to the topic at hand. As most of you probably know, I'm really working on being healthier, eating healthier etc. I have inflammatory bowel disease, specifically ulcerative proctitis. So one day I came across a book called "The Maker's Diet" by Jordan Rubin. Actually, my father purchased it at our local Christian bookstore. Who knows why at the time. Although, I think God knew why. About 13 years ago, Jordan Rubin was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Through a process of changing his eating habits, he was able to reverse that and has been in re mission since that time. So I thought, "Wow, if this helped him. It can surely help me." That's the short version of it.

He's written quite a few books. He also has a health foods product company called Garden of Life. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, he has a new healthy foods company called Beyond Organic. What he's doing to provide beyond organic healthy foods at a reasonable price is amazing. I just love, love, love his philosphy on healthy eating and living. In fact, he and his wife have a ranch in Missouri where they're raising beyond organic cattle etc.

In any case, my friend over at The Maker's Diet Mom told me about a neat opportunity that Jordan Rubin was offering to people for free. His new company, Beyond Organic Insider is launching in October 2011. However, right now, he's offering a chance for people to sign up for FREE if they want to learn  more about  healthy living, having access to really good food at good prices, helping others etc. There's no obligation. It's completely free right now.

So it's definitely something that is perfect for me  and right up my alley. So I joined. I'm nervous and excited. It's a good nervous and excited.  Here's the link if you'd like to join for free right now. I did ask my friend if I can sign up just for myself and she said yes. So that was also perfect for me. Jordan Rubin will be on TBN's  "Praise the Lord" program tomorrow talking about this. You'll have to check your local listings or the internet to find out if it's available in your area

Friends, I'm so excited about this because I want to live healthier. Also, it's been a real good thing for me in this season of unemployment. It's a bright spot. So from that perspective, I'm really looking forward to what opportunities this will open up. Be in prayer about it. I'd love to have you join. I think this is going to be a neat  thing. However, I want it to be something you feel God is leading you to do. It is for me. Whether you sign up or not, is perfectly OKAY :) :) I just want to let you all know what I'm up to today :)  So here's the link again, if you'd like to join for free. Click here for the link.

THIS IS A PHOTO OF THE SNOWBALL BLOOMS UP CLOSE. IT REALLY DOES LOOK LIKE ITS NAME, DOESN'T IT?

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

p.s. I'm not sure if this opportunity is available outside of the USA or not. I'll find out as soon as I can.

THE STATE OF "THE HEATHER" ADDRESS

Hi everyone,
As many of you know I'm "in between" jobs. I was layed off from my job the week after Christmas. It wasn't a total surprise, since my job is seasonal. Last week, I received a letter from the local employment office. I had to come in for about 2 -3 hours, update my resume and math/reading skills test scores.

THIS IS JUST A RANDOM PHOTO FROM JANUARY 1ST. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY PHOTOS RELATED TO MONEY OR UNEMPLOYMENT. SO I FIGURED THIS WOULD BE BETTER THAN NOTHING. :) :) :) I was really upset about having to go downtown. Especially since I had done this class last year. However, this year it changed. It actually turned out to be a pleasant experience. Last year I had to sit in a boring classroom for three hours. I felt like sleeping and it was, in my opinion, a bit of a waste of time. However, this year, I was able to sit at the computer and do the work myself WITHOUT having to listen to someone drone on and on. Then when I was finished with updating my resume and completing the math/reading tests, I spoke with an employment counselor.

HERE ARE SOME SOCKS THAT I MADE AWHILE BACK. YOU WILL PROBABLY RECOGNIZE THESE. THEY SURE ARE BRIGHT.
I know quite a few excellent resources for job searches here in Oregon. Many of them have links to companion sites in other states. Let me know if you want some links to those sites. In any case,  in Oregon, you are REQUIRED to be registered with "iMatch" skills, in order to receive unemployment benefits.  Click here to visit the "Working in Oregon" website - the official site for unemployment and looking for jobs. When you look on the right sidebar, there's a link for "iMatch skills". It takes a long time, intiially, because you do basically have to upload a resume on their site. however, once it's on there, it's very easy to update. It is just one tool for job searches.

 I POSTED ABOUT THESE EARRINGS YESTERDAY. I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THEM. THEY SO EXPRESS ME PERFECTLY :) :) :)
Another site I use is from one of Oregon's region employment offices. It's fantastic and has links to all sorts of various job search sites. There's links to what the main careers are in the state, what future projections are etc. Plus there are free on-line tutorials to help you build up your skills. It's fantastic, because they really provide a large number of resources. You do need to take the initiative and use those free services. Your tax dollars go to pay for this...so use it, since it's free :) :) Oh, here's another website that is awesome for job searches. My father actually told me about this one. I've applied for a couple of jobs this way. It's called LinkUp. Click here to visit their site. It is a very basic job search engine. When I visit this site, I type in the city,state where I"m looking for work and it brings up a list of jobs.

In any case, this will be my first post on finances etc. I guess you can call it that :) :) It's not a fun place to be. However, I am learning a lot and through this time have been  learning to really make my money stretch really far. 

Next Wednesday I'll share about how well I was doing financially, got messed up with credit cards, and how I'm slowly getting my financial house and my peace of mind back :) :) I didn't use my first credit card until I was 27 years old. Up to that point, I paid cash for everything. Within the space of a year, through very unwise decisions, I ended up owing money. I have paid it all off...but it took me four years to do it.  I do have some medical bills that I'm still paying on...but no more credit cards for me. I literally use cash or my debit card.  So for me personally, in addition to looking for a new job, I am PASSIONATE about getting out of debt. This is my personal conviction about what I feel is right for me. I am NOT speaking for anyone else. Fiduciary wisdom/finances are so personal...but I really want to encourage you that there is hope, no matter what situation you find yourself in. Plus, I also hope that as I share my story, I can keep someone from making the same mistakes that I did : :) :) 

Pray that God will give me wisdom.  I am a bit nervous, but at the same time, I feel it's a necessary step. Plus it will keep me accountable, too. Anyways, I'll try and limit my version of money talk to Wednesdays. 

Okay, that's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :) :)