Back in the old days, it was not an uncommon thing to grow your own vegetables, fruits and beautiful flowers. Learn the art of gardening, and end up with a skill, enabling you to not only grow your own food, but spend some more quality time with the family.

First of all, the garden can be used in a variety of ways. Some of us want to to use the garden to create beautiful landscapes and flowery delights. A sea of bright colors are a sight to behold and were put there to adore. A flower garden would also be great for attracting wonderful wildlife like butterflies and hummingbirds. Flowers also create an amazing fragrance in the air.

There are two main areas of gardening. The first idea is to use the entire space for growing vegetables. Don’t worry about this idea though, it doesn’t have to be so massive. You could simply clear a nice section of garden, enough to dig an allotment. This is an appropriate enough size to provide enough food for a small family. There is no better taste than that of a fresh cabbage or lettuce that has only been removed from the ground the same morning.

Obviously vegetables grown in the yard do not need to go through any processing, meaning all of the minerals and vitamins are still in the plant. It is easy to detect the difference between a homegrown vegetable, as opposed to something bought from the store. Growing your own veg is not only easy on the wallet, it is excellent for your body and personal health. Every item of veg you grow can then be crossed off the shopping list.

Another option is of course growing fruits. These tend to be a little more expensive than vegetables in the supermarket. You’ll be amazed at how different they tastes are to the normal fruit you buy. Without any use of pesticides or growing aids, it sure makes a change. It is very nice to wake up in the morning, walk out to the garden and pluck yourself a few pieces of fresh fruit to squeeze for some breakfast juice.

You could easily get the kids to help with the gardening. Kit them up with a strong pair of gardening gloves and appropriate tools, you can teach them how to sew seeds, water the plants or check for bugs and disease. Plucking an apple straight from the tree seems to provide an awesome taste for your palate. The kids particularly enjoy this – ask them to go and collect a few berries or citrus, and you’ll be surprised how few make it back to the house (the rest are in their stomachs).

If your garden cannot be dug, or you simply do not have the space, there are still alternatives. You could introduce a planter into the yard, which can surprisingly accommodate more than you’d have thought. You can even grow tomatoes in the container upside down! For the smaller fruit producing trees, these can be placed in a large pot so they do not get too rooted in.

Using planters doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be rounded pots. You could use whatever you have available. Any old pots, cups or containers can be used as appropriate planters. Putting everything above ground is referred to as “container gardening”. You’ll find a lot of city dwellers use the technique.

You can go even more small-scale and grow simple herbs in smaller pots, left to rest on the windowsill. Upon harvest time, give the children a chore to go around and pluck any ripe fruits or herbs. If you feel you need to use pesticides, you must remember to use the organic kind, so you don’t end up ingesting any poison.

A lot of money can be saved by doing your own gardening and growing your own fruit or veg. You could grow from seeds instead of bulbs, and still end up with some tasty treats or pretty flowers. At harvest time, the vegetables can be canned or put in jars, ready to be eaten later on. Teaching the children this is valuable skill could be something they can use their entire life.

Can you remember during your childhood, when mom seemed to always have a great meal ready each evening? And when times seemed troublesome, she still managed to produce fantastic meals to fill you up, the matter how hungry you were. If you simply keep a set of some basic (but essential) ingredients ready in your pantry, you too can achieve these amazing feats.

Each meal we make may seem different, but they mostly consist of a few basic ingredients. These ingredients are known as staples for the common meal, that every cook should have to hand. While you have the staple ingredients to hand, you can always rustle up a hearty meal at a moments notice, even if the cupboards look bare.

Well, you know what the children are like. If there’s nothing that can be cooked quickly or eaten from a packet, then they’re not interested. If you managed to teach your young ones all about keeping the correct foods, and how to cook their own three meals a day, this will hold them in good steed for future times. Developing these skills will also help them to stay healthy. Yummy meals can be thrown together from those pantry staples, without the need of simply dialing for a take away, or dashing to the shops.

Okay, enough talk — let’s get down to exactly what we need, and what is meant by “staple foods”, and why mom always kept so much available. The actual word “staple” simply means a set off very basic ingredients that can be combined together to make many different things.

Here’s a useful list of pantry items:

* Flour
* Sugar
* Rice (white or brown depending on taste)
* Soup (creams and various flavors)
* Broth
* Pasta
* Baking soda
* Baking powder
* Nuts and legumes
* Chocolate squares
* Canned vegetables
* Fresh vegetables like onions and potatoes

I’m sure most of the readers will probably have a fair amount of the above already.
An ideal for a quick dish in the colder seasons is to combine many of the above ingredients into a delicious vegetables stew. Mix a cream-based soup with a pan full of rice and a can of mixed veg to make a hearty casserole as a side dish. You can mix fresh cooked pasta with healthy vegetables as a quick snack. Many combinations of staple ingredients are available.

Once you have the basics, here are a few additional things that can be added.

Condiments and spices:

* Ketchup
* Mustard
* Salt (plain and seasoned varieties)
* Pepper
* Vanilla extract (and others that you like)
* Soy sauce
* Chili powder
* Powdered seasoning packets
* Relish
* Mayonnaise (regular and light)
* Cinnamon

That is a large variety, and they all have special uses to bring flavor out for mealtimes. It’s a good idea to check the sell by date on your pantry goods now and then. Surprisingly, even bags of flour have an expiry date. Next time you go shopping, check what may need replacing to ensure that your pantry supplies are always well stocked.

The cost of buying these items doesn’t come to much. Once you have stocked up, combining them to make a variety of dishes can pay you back in many ways, so are well worth the price you paid.

Modern medicine, and the treatments we have available today are quite frankly amazing. Although, as scientific as these medicines sound, a fair amount of them have very humble origins. The modern version of some medicines are simply a derivative of certain ingredients found in plant material. Treating ailments with these special herbs have been used for thousands of years, and some are still used today.

So what is your first reaction when you suffer from a headache, cut or bruise? Yep, we go to the medicine chest. Well, that’s fair enough, but it seems that not all modern medicine is it as good as its claims. For this reason, some of us have decided to go back to nature, and use what it offers as cures for some most common disorders.

A good reason for using herbs is the fact that you do not get the amount of side effects you may usually suffer from medication. There are a lot of herbs that act as medicines do, and should be respected. But the good thing is the ingredients are a hundred percent natural. We then have to make a decision whether or not to take strong doses of pills because of being scared of the potential side effects. A lot of the useful herbs are quite easy to find, and cost nowhere near as much as synthetic medicine.

As they are natural, herbs for healing work with your own bodies metabolism. You might not see results straight away, but these herbs are definitely effective. I’m sure you’re tired of hearing the news about the results of side effects from common medicines like antibiotics. The viruses that attack are beginning to become invulnerable to antibiotics because they are able to mutate and adapt. This certainly isn’t positive news when you are worried about infection.

Medicinal herbs can be eaten fresh, simmered in hot water to make tea or dried and ground. Specific herbs can be used to simply speed up the healing process and strengthen the immune system. Below are some healing herbs I’m sure you’ve heard of, which are readily available.

* Cinnamon: Can be used to lessen cholesterol and lower blood sugar.
* Ginger: Good for stomach upsets and sickness.
* Turmeric: An aid to pain relief from arthritis.
* St. John’s wort: An effective mood stabilizer for those with depression.
* Garlic: This common household ingredient is good for lowering blood pressure.
* Red Yeast Rice: Good for lowering cholesterol.

You’ll probably find almost all of these items in your own kitchen apart from perhaps red yeast rice or St. John’s wort. These herbs can simply be added to your meals or snacks, helping me with your ailments, and perhaps without you even noticing. Other well-known herbs include aloevera and apple cider vinegar.

Most of these herbs are totally non-harmful, and can offer a good alternative to synthetic medicine. However, you should still consult your physician before going ahead and taking anything you are unsure of. You’re not going to enjoy the experience if the herb is not compatible with other medication you may be taking. Do as much research as possible before subscribing yourself herbal medicine, as some ingredients may not be suitable for your system.

Considering the current economy, it seems to be getting more expensive to buy those common food ingredients. Dinner time can be difficult, since individuals in the family can be picky, and there are so many choices. You could save money by keeping any leftovers to make a further meal another day.

Of course, not everyone likes food that’s been left over. It doesn’t matter how good the meal was on the night, you’re not going to find them eating it again after it’s been left for a couple of days. Unfortunately this can seriously affect your grocery bill when so much food goes to waste.

However, there are a couple of choices. You could either cook less food, or make each meal stretch further. Of course, nobody wants to restrict food for the family, especially with hungry young ones. So you’re left with one option: make your meals go further.

If your family normally refuse to eat any leftovers, perhaps they’ll consider a couple of other delicious dishes. These we can call “night dinners”, which you can have any day of the week. This will be nice to rustle up and arrange a special surprise for the family.

First, you’ll need to buy some good cuts of meat. Buying a full shoulder of lamb, slab of beef or a whole chicken usually gives much more value. Ask your friendly butcher to slice it up for you when you purchase. This way, you have different parts of the meat to choose for each meal.

First off, we’ll start with a chicken dish. Now you won’t find many that do not like tasty chicken. The first meal will implement a roast chicken rubbed with herbs, and served with carrots and potatoes. If you have a small family, the whole chicken probably will not get finished, so what’s the best thing to do with the leftovers?

You’ll need to remove all the meat from the chicken. This way you can store it in a sandwich bag or Tupperware container. And instead of just throwing the carcass in the trash, boil the bones to create a batch of chicken stock. When the liquid has cooled, pour it into a sealable container.

Now, the leftover chicken meat can be used in a few different ways. It can be mixed with rice and turned into a casserole dish, or you could create a tasty stir-fry with vegetables and bean sprouts. Another nice idea is to make a cold chicken salad as a side dish for another night.

Meat other than poultry can also be used in much the same way. Any roast beef left over could be simmered to make tasty soup. Mix in some egg noodles and special sauce to create Stroganoff. To make the classic fajita, slice the beef thinly, add some vegetables and stir-fry.

It’s coming together now isn’t it? There are a few different meal ideas that you could probably create right now just from leftovers already in the fridge. A good suggestion is to never keep anything (especially meats) for longer than 48 hours. After more than three days, the food may become be rancid and cause serious poisoning. However, with these many ideas buzzing around your mind, I’m sure the leftovers will be long gone by the fourth day.

As the saying goes “put a little aside to use on a rainy day”. Unfortunately with the current economic climate, it seems to be a rainy day every day. Building up some finance to use as an emergency fund can be helpful for when the times come and can create peace of mind for the future. Never be caught unawares without having a financial cushion as a backup.

So what is the meaning of “emergency fund”? The meaning of the phrase is an amount of money put to one side in case of any emergencies or sudden need of funds. An example is a natural disaster, which puts people in unexpected binds quite frequently. Other things that may happen are job losses, accidents, divorce, death and other related incidents that can come out of the blue. Unless you have the financial means already, your finances are going to take a beating.

You should always be prepared for the worst scenario. This will require you curb your expenditure a little and build up the fund. It seems no one will have cash simply lying around ready to put in the bank account, so the situation is give-and-take.

The idea of an emergency fund is to have between three and six months salary put to one side in case of a “rainy day”. If both you and your partner are employed, the income amount should be combined. Unfortunately for some people this is too high an amount of money, so it’s good to begin with something smaller.

Obviously it’s going to take a fair bit of time to save up that amount of cash. So the best idea is to fix smaller goals for yourself in order to make them seem more achievable rather than focusing on the big number. The best idea is to put a certain amount of money away each month.

If you have a direct deposit account, set up a process so you automatically deposit this amount to a savings account each month. This will make sure you go through with saving your money and avoid any temptation. As you know, it can be very difficult when you have other ideas to spend the money on.

Turn out your pockets each evening. There’s no need to carry all that change around in the pocket. Collect all the coins up and store them somewhere safe. Each month, empty out the jar into one of those loose change machines you find in the grocery store or supermarket. Make the intention to put this money towards the emergency fund. Practically anyone can follow this process. Even the children can get involved.

Everybody should be accountable. Give them subtle reminders of the calmness of demeanor that comes about from simply knowing that you have a financial safety net should you need it.

One of the most difficult things will be not touching the money after you see it appreciating. Some sacrifices will have to be made. It needs to be understood that there are some things that shouldn’t be spent on. Some classic examples include meals out, purchasing (unnecessary) shoes or clothes, or taking frequent trips to the movies. The advantage to this issue is that you’ll actually find fresh ways to enjoy time with the family. You’ll find yourself thinking up fun new ways you can entertain yourself and your family without spending too much money.

So how big is your emergency fund? Have you begun it yet? If not, try emptying your pockets into the jar and start today.

Do you have a weekend off and have nothing to do? Then how about a few small chores to fill the time. A lot of people enjoy crafting little knickknacks and fixing things up around the home. Doing your own “DIY project” is the done thing these days, and achieving the task yourself can actually save time and money.

Storage Solutions

Sometimes we have a spare piece of floor not in use. Yet clutter seems to gather up so quickly. Well, instead of going out and spending good money on a new storage unit or set of shelves, why not have a quick glance around the house and see if there is anything that you can use.

Fish those baskets out from storage, they have a lot more use than just being left there in a pile. For instance, they can be used to store that bundle of magazines you’d like to keep. Instead of leaving them piled up in a mess on the table, you could keep the basket near the sofa for easy reach.

Another good use for baskets is for storing toiletries, face cloths or towels. You could roll them up and arrange them neatly to avoid the common situation where the whole stack of towels falls down from the shelf at once. A basket could be left in the guest room as a kind of “travel pack” ready for when they arrive.

Speaking of towels, do you have old ones lying around? If you do, as opposed to chucking them away, try sewing them in a tube shape and leave openings at the end. This can be a handy storage device for those heaps of plastic carrying bags you’ve got nowhere to put.

In the bathroom area, the same idea can be used to store toilet rolls. Use a soda bottle with each end cut off inside to keep the structure rigid. Doing this will keep it from flopping on the ground.

Sewing Ideas

Do you enjoy sewing? Have a look around, I’m sure you have scrap pieces of fabric to hand. You could sew these together and make your very own quilt! Unwanted (yet colorful) old clothing can can add interesting patches. Other pieces of material can be used at the top of curtains as tabs. You could use this technique to create “holiday curtains” to save you from buying any.

Think back to the idea discussed above of the towel or plastic bag holders. You could fill one of them with old newspaper to use as a draft excluder.

Those blankets you’re going to throw away can be pieced together and filled with foam or fiber to make some nice throw cushions. Paint colors would be best so they can match any furniture you have. Use old buttons with the material as accents.

The Fixer-Upper

Do you store stuff you said you were going to fix but never did? Well it’s time to start working! Fix the legs on those half repaired chairs. But if you’ve already purchased some new ones, you could use the older ones for outdoor seating on those warm summer nights when your friends or family visit.

Those old plastic bottles or jugs could be used to collect water in the garden, or filled with soil to use as a planter. Cut off the top of the bottles and decorate the exterior. Think how economic it would be to use rainwater that’s been collected instead of rigging up a hose.

See what can be done around the house with a little imagination? I bet that if you think about it there are heaps of little tasks you could get to straight away. Clear your house of cluster and have some fun doing it.

Everyone needs to have a holiday occasionally. This is the best time to spend with your family, having fun and relaxing at the same time. If you are trying to find ways to take a vacation with the family, without overspending – keep reading for some great ideas.

1.) Camping

Even if you think that staying the night in the tent is not your thing, give it a try – it’s more fun than you think. The experience teaches character and even survival skills, letting the kids and grownups experience the pleasures of outdoor life. If you have one member of the family who is particularly efficient at camping and hiking, be sure to choose them to lead the group. You could even have your own meal and cook it over the campfire. Sing some campfire songs, toast some yummy marshmallows and tell some spooky stories. Find a safe spot away from any dangerous wildlife, while still being rugged enough to maintain the “outdoor” experience.

2.) A Weekend Away

Sometimes a simple long weekend away can outdo a full weeks holiday. You can just jump in the car and speed off to the mountains or the beach for a couple of days of excitement. Since it’s only for one night, you could simply book into a small hotel or B & B. perhaps you can visit a favorite place you’ve never been to, the zoo, the museum or national Park. Bring some packed lunch, drinks and snacks and you won’t end up having to buy lunch out. You could bring your new snazzy digital camera to avoid spending money on film. You don’t even have to get the pics developed while you’re away, as you can now upload photos to special websites who will print individual pictures off and send them to you.

3.) Short Vacation

Remember how exciting these annual trips were when you were a young one? It’s a thrilling thing to do to be able to fly to foreign countries and faraway places. If this is your intention, it’s a good idea to start saving the money and early on in the year. Find out the most economical way to travel frugally. Even at the peak times of year, special travel deals will be available, ensuring that everyone has the time of their life. If you’re simply traveling to a place where you have friends or family, perhaps ask them if you can sleep over for a couple of nights at their place.

4.) A Family Day out

You’ll notice how much different parks are nowadays than they used to be. You’ll find cookout shelters, and there are trails for hiking, cycling and running. There’s even places for the kids to play, like swimming pools and playgrounds. For a day each month, you can get the whole family together (even distant relatives) and have a lovely cookout in the park shelter. Try to reserve the shelter in advance instead of just being spontaneous. Perhaps ask each member to contribute a little to the meal, and don’t forget entertainment – be sure to bring some games and activities, sportswear, bicycles, balls and blankets in case the wind picks up. Rise and shine early in the morning and get there while the day is still young.

You see? Having family fun doesn’t always mean you have to spend so much money… As the article suggests, there are many ways to have a lovely time with the family, without constantly worrying about your bank balance.

by Nicole Dean

Around the world, people everywhere are discovering that blogging is a great way to make money online. The reason? Blogs can usually be set up at a low cost and started with a minimum of experience. Two very popular tools for blogging are Google Blogger (blogger.com) or the easy to use WordPress (WordPress.org). Both make it easy to set up a blog. But what kind of blog should you start?

A recipe blog can be the perfect choice for people who have tried recipes and thought they could do something different, more exciting, or just plain better. It’s a great way to tell others about new recipes, ideas, and products available in the world of cooking, as well as sharing regional specialties. But, don’t worry if you can’t cook. You can write a cooking blog for others who are learning to cook. How much fun would it be to share your successes as well as your “hope you don’t chip a tooth” muffins? Starting a recipe blog can be a wonderful way to share your interest and make money in the process. If cooking is your passion (or even if it isn’t) — a recipe blog may be a profitable way to get a taste of online business.

There are some simple skills required to start blogging about cooking. Of course, you have to enjoy cooking. You don’t have to be a chef, just have an interest in food. You’ll want to be able to organize your thoughts, and get your recipes in some sort of understandable order so people can follow along. If you have a digital camera, you’ll be able to include pictures of the dishes you make, but that is not absolutely necessary. There are many publicly licensed food photos on the internet for you to use. The main skill you’ll need is patience. You won’t see a lot of traffic to your blog at first, but don’t worry. It takes time for people to find out how great your blog is.

There are several ways you can turn your recipes and cooking blog into a money-making business. You can choose just one of these options or do a mix of them. Here are some ideas…

Make Money by Selling Products: A person who loves to cook, often loves all the kitchen paraphernalia that comes along with it. If you have gadgets and cookbooks available to purchase on your blog, you can reap the rewards that the retail markets are enjoying. You can share your recipes, cooking tips, opinions, and sell products all at the same time. Nice little income producing idea.

Make Money by Selling Advertising: Popular blogs that have a substantial amount of website traffic can earn income through advertising. Of course you can’t sell advertising until your blog actually has readers, but many bloggers earn a great income with this method alone.

Make Money by Selling Your Blog: Successful bloggers, those whose readership has grown enough to be noticed by the search engines and/or media, can even sell their blogs to others and earn an income. Popular topics in high-traffic websites will get your name and your blog noticed, remembered, and visited. Some people create blogs just to sell them, in fact, so this is another idea to keep in mind.

By focusing your energy on your own unique style of blog, you can find a home for family recipes, regional dishes, cooking disasters and fun stories that your readers will come back to time and time again. Sharing your knowledge of cooking, your recipes, your successes and failures, all can bring in a nice income if you are ready to learn how. But, you’ve got to take that first step in order to see your dreams come true.

Yes, you Can make money with a Recipe Blog. Get step-by-step help by grabbing your JustAddSweat.com How to Start a Recipe Blog Guide now.

by Nicole Dean

An online blog may be the perfect place for you to start sharing your love of crafting. How would you also like to make money while you blog? Journaling online, called blogging, allows you to share your beautiful crafts and your talent with other crafty people. With simple to learn, free applications like Blogger.com or WordPress, you can choose templates to suit your style. Your craft blog can be personally designed to illustrate:

Photos: You’ll want to exhibit beautiful photos of the craft items, before, during, and after completion. If you are turning “trash into treasure”, the before pictures can be especially valuable in describing your craft. Also include photos of each stage during the creation of your masterpiece. That will get people flocking to your blog in no time. Be sure to use a high quality digital camera to highlight your crafts every detail.

Descriptions: Explain to your blog readers what they are looking at, what materials were used and where they can get more information about the crafts. Use names for the materials used, colors, sizes and shapes. It will also give search engines more opportunity to send visitors to your site as people may search for the various words you mention.

Include a lesson: If you have a craft that is quite involved, or possibly very popular, you may want to include a simple “How To”, or lesson on one or more portions of the craft. Your fellow crafters may like to expand on your craft, making it uniquely theirs for gift-giving or personalizing. A technique or craft that is yours alone may even be worth a patent. That way you can actually sell the instructions or technique to an interested reader at a reasonable price.

Materials list: When your readers walk into the craft store, they want a complete list of materials to make their shopping easier. You’ll want to include all colors, sizes, and measurements in great detail and accuracy. Include where your readers can find the materials needed and any additional descriptions and possible substitutions if needed. Additionally, when people visiting your website duplicate your craft and it turns out great, they are more likely to tell their friends about your blog — so be sure to explain exactly which items they should purchase and where they can find them.

Selling on your Blog: If you’re looking for a return on your investment when you start your blog, you may want to consider selling your crafts directly from your blog. If you can customize your crafts, you most certainly will have a market. Even if you just offer special craft items over the Holidays, or offer a birthday only craft, you will find an audience. It’s possible to sell your items directly off your blog, or you can set up a storefront on a site like eBay.com or Etsy.com. You may also wish to design and sell the patterns for your crafts, sell advertising on your blog, or look into other options for making money on your blog.

When you craft, you know you’ve put in more than time, patience, and talent. You’ve invested your hard-earned money, too. Learn how blogging about your crafts can turn your interests into a money making venture. Why shouldn’t you share your love of crafting with the whole world and make money in the process!

Yes, you Can make money with a Craft Blog. Get step-by-step help by grabbing your JustAddSweat.com How to Start a Craft Blog Guide today.

You know what a challenge it can be to do the balancing act between work and family. Working moms today typically have a ton on their plate and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. What mom hasn’t been there?

When the boss is demanding and the kids demand even more, something’s gotta give!

If you’re looking for some practical solutions on how to better juggle all that life throws at you, download this free guide. It includes 13 ideas you can use today to add a more sanity and satisfaction to your life.

Click here to download yours.

This guide is generously provided by Journey to Joy, your guide to a more fulfilling life as a mom and Dine without Whine – every mom’s meal planning lifesaver.

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