Heat wave

We recently had some super hot, sunshiney weather. While this was great for hitting the pool, or beaching it, my AC unit was struggling to keep up in the afternoons! In order to keep the heat to a minimum, and to save some energy dollars...I closed the curtains. I love to let light in, but with light comes heat. So after lunchtime each day, I closed all the curtains & blinds on the sunny side of the house. I also made a temporary curtain for a full glass door out of a dark fitted sheet. This made it shady...perfect for the napping children. I also noticed my AC did not have to run as continuously!

The County Dump

Check your county central recycling center for free items. For instance, today I got 2 desk/chair combo units with NO RUST, NO DENTS, and NO CHIPs for free - and there were several more, plus highback computer/desk chairs and other odd and end furnishings. I was told they were happy to pass the items on to those that would find them useful instead of having to destroy them -

Happy Hunting!

Pesto on the Cheap

If you buy all of your pesto ingredients at the grocery store to make homemade pesto, then you are going to pay premium price, but there is another way.

1 - grow the basil yourself. It costs $1 to buy a pack of basil seeds, and you can just put it in your flower bed and take care of it with the rest of your flowers, and you end up with way more basil than you and your neighborhood could ever use

2 - grow your own garlic. Buy a bulb from the grocery store, and plant a couple of the cloves (again, in your flowerbed) - look up specifics on drying and storage for your area so you don't get rotten garlic. One bulb produces roughly 15 cloves and each clove produces another bulb, so you may never have to actually purchase garlic again

3 - pine nuts. This is the toughy - you can do one of 2 things - buy them in bulk to save the moolah over time, or go find some pine cones and harvest them yourself. This can be done, but it is a little labor intensive. However if you have the time, go for it - make it a job for kids looking for something to do.

4 - Olive oil - unless you know how to press it yourself, just buy it, and get a good quality.



Put basil leaves (4 cups unshredded is a good place to start), 2 garlic cloves, and 2 tbsp pine nuts in a blender and blend for 20 seconds on pulse. Then, drizzle in the oil from the top of the blender (through the hole made for that purpose, not with the lid completely off) and pulse the blender at the same time until you reach the desired consistency. Easy smeasy - and you can vary it how you like: add in another herb, use a different nut, salt, pepper or cayenne for flavor, add parmesan cheese, etc, etc - have fun with it.

Guest Post - Soap Non-Slip

Hey, ladies. I'm going to share a totally stupid and purely accidental tip.

You know how, in the bathtub/shower, you always have a hard time keeping the soap in place? Well, I do. So you buy those stupid metal holders that rust or the plastic holders that get all gross and mildewy ...right?

All of you have long hair, I know because I know you :). So, spend $3.00, get yourself a dozen ponytail holders with the elastic no-slip grip on them, and put one on the shelf of your tub. Sit your soap on top of that...no-slip soap, no mildew, no rust.

Works like a charm. :)

Courtesy of Jodi

Thanks Jodi - MommyB